Astro Muse-Home for Astrology Muse Sasha

Saturn Square Pluto: Reflections on 2009 and the start of 2010!

2010-01-09T15:39:00Z

At my first yoga class of 2010, one of my favourite yoga instructors relayed a story I think quite appropriate for 2009. She was at a yoga class herself just before the New Year and the teacher in the middle of a deep quad stretch said "Just let all the tension from 2009 rip through your quads and release itself! Because I don't know anyone who didn't have their guts ripped out and handed to them in 2009!"

And that my friends, just says it all.

What a first week of 2010 it's been! I feel like a month has gone by already myself! I keep thinking what is creating these perfect storms that seem to be happening for so many? Is it really the combination of both Mars and Mercury retrograde combined with the eclipses? Perhaps it is, and also I realized perhaps it's the addition of the dreaded triangle of "Saturn Square Pluto" aspects that just began in 2009 on November 15th. This challenging aspect between the God of Tradition & Structure (Saturn) and the God of Gut Wrenching Change (Pluto) will happen again two more times exactly on January 31st, and then finally on August 21st!

These aspects should not be taken lightly. Challenging Saturn Pluto aspects usually indicates a time of general strife around the world (911 happened during the last period of Saturn Opposing Pluto) if it hits any sensitive area in a person's chart, it can indicate a time where Nothing Goes Right, and you're in the middle of a situation where forces larger that you are controlling a very important aspect of your life and you have no power over this. I think this in addition to the Mars/Mercury Retrograde we're in now, where finding Direction and Action is very hard, it will feel to many like they are in a No-Win situation and do not know which way to turn.

I know that I've felt this way about an area of my life (and I know others who are also in the same situation feel the same way), and already it's been a challenging time trying to figure out what to DO. I think this is especially hard because the planets are not helping us find a way out . . . just yet that is! I think much more will change over the rest of January even, what with the Lunar Eclipse on the 15th, Mercury going Direct on the 15th as well, and also now this Saturn Square Pluto at the end of the month on the 31st which will also coincide very closely to a full moon on the 30th!

All of this is just another reason that I've scrapped New Year's Resolutions at the moment! I'm putting them all on hold until the Equinox in March, when the start of a New Zodiac cycle will begin! At that point Mars will be moving direct again and perhaps, hopefully we will gain a bit more clarity on the right direction of what to do and where to go in 2010!

In the meantime, I've decided the only way for me to "go with the flow" with all this Retrograde energy is to practice my inversions in yoga! I have been working on getting into headstand from crow and more successfully than I have in the past! It's been giving me a new perspective on things--and perhaps during this time of change it's the only perspective to have!

Happy New Year! Here's to 2010!

2010-01-01T01:59:00Z

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year as we're on the last few hours of 2009 and we just recently had a lunar eclipse on this Blue Moon this afternoon (EST) around 2 pm! Did everyone feel it? I did and I was even just at the office! So much has changed in the past month and with this lunar eclipse ushering in 2010 and another eclipse, this time a solar one on January 15th there will most likely be lots more change before we hit the Spring Equinox!

Want to also say that for those (including myself) who've had a horribly challenging month with drastic change, that sometimes things are beyond your control and it's futile to resist (isn't that a line from a movie? I think it is!). I'm not one for making new year's resolutions this year given the Mercury and Mars retrograde. In fact, I am taking my cue from their retrograde motion and celebrating my New Year's at a retro themed prohibition era party this year!

I hope whatever you do, take a deep breath, breathe, and let go of 2009 and let in 2010, and recognize that we may have lots of waves of changes to surf this coming year so get ready!

Ho Ho Ho! It's Mars Retrograde and Holiday Smackaround with the Travel Plans!

2009-12-22T00:48:00Z

Yes, Mars went officially Retrograde on Sunday December 20th at 8:27 am in New York. Anyone who lives here who hoped to be leaving for loved ones on a flight was brutally reminded that the universe sometimes has "other" plans for us. Which can include having our flight delayed for days (mine was to be on the 19th and according to Delta, they cannot get me to Oregon until the 24th).

I should have known to book that flight on Friday instead of Saturday! Astrologically it's always wise when a planet is turning retrograde to clear at least 2 days before or after from anything majorly important in one's life. Especially if it has to do with action and motion if you're dealing with a Mars Retrograde. I thought I could squeak in under the wire and fly out on Saturday. Nope! A major Nor'easter had to roll on in!

Not to complain or anything but it will most likely take me 14 hours door-to-door to get home to Oregon. All that for three whole days, and then I will have to repeat said 14 hour process to get back to New York. Technically I think I could get a direct flight to India for that time. But it's what we do for jolly old Santa Claus right?

This is where I sometimes wish I were Jewish or at the very least didn't live so far away from my family. Most people don't "hang out" with their friends for Christmas, which makes staying in New York a big drag if you're single. I've done it before and let me tell you nothing is open except maybe a Chinese takeout restaurant. If I were Jewish, of course this all wouldn't be an issue at all.

Don't even get me started on how the rest of the month has been (can we say MASSIVE CHANGE on December the 1st when Uranus went direct very close to the full moon the next day) or how it will end (can't wait for Mercury to go Retrograde on the 26th and to have that eclipse on the full moon on the 31st)! Could someone put me into a deep coma and wake me when this is all over? Seriously! I would pay good money to not have experienced December 1st onwards. Yes, it's been that bad. But I can't disclose details as don't they make you sign something where you work saying you won't talk about it? Answer: yes they do!

I'm sure there's a silver lining here somewhere. I'm just not sure where it is. Maybe I'll find it once Mars turns direct on March 10th. Wow that's a long time from now! I guess sometimes one's "just deserts" don't come immediately and this year, we may have to wait until Spring to see anything good come from the time from October 17 until this past Sunday the 20th. It's a dark time of year right now, and we know who's been naughty and who's been nice, but Santa may come down the chimney this Spring instead of this Christmas.

In the meantime don't expect easy solutions, quick answers, or even a flight out of town.

Breaking News: Two World Collide!

2009-11-24T04:15:00Z

I normally don't post entries on news events, but this one may change the nature of our understanding the universe. It has been reported that today the Large Hadron Collider successfully managed to collide several particles!

This is exciting not just because my mother thinks this research will discover the existence of other dimensions, but because even if it doesn't very well do that, it supposedly will elucidate the nature of the universe, recreating the Big Bang!

How often do you get that for 10 Billion dollars?!? We spent 787 billion just on the US Economic Stimulus package alone last year, and did it even do anything? We certainly didn't get hard core answers about the nature of the universe from that (although we might have gotten hard core answers about the nature of politics).

I applaud CERN for putting money on something that actually might change up the game plan for us as human beings. Perhaps God can now be proven once and for all! Although, I will say that if this little collider does produce some strangelets or a pocket size black hole I am rather glad that the local Swiss will be testing the safety of this new knowledge before it gets to us!

Countdown to 2010 and to the Mercury/Mars Retrograde plus Bonus New Year's Eclipse!

2009-11-23T05:20:00Z

If anyone feels like there's a lot to do this year before the holidays, you're not alone! I always feel the time right before a planet goes retrograde often feels speeded up. As if everyone knows there's some sort of deadline that is approaching and is trying to get things wrapped up before the planet takes its tour back through the zodiac. This year, in addition to wrapping presents for the holidays, one will be feeling the need to wrap things up before the next Mercury Retrograde comes around on December 26th that lasts until we're into the New Year to January 15th, 2010.

Everyone always says to me when I tell them Mercury Retrograde is coming around, "Again?!!" "Didn't we just have one?"Mercury does indeed go Retrograde three times a year. And this year it's not just Mercury going retrograde for our New Year's but also Mars will start walking backwards on December the 20th. I had joked earlier this year that if you wanted to take a silent retreat, the week of coming New Year's would be a great time! And I still agree! Plus to make things even more interesting, we will be having a lunar eclipse on December 31st! Bonus Points!!! Eclipses always bring change, especially lunar ones, so I can imagine with two major planets walking backwards and an eclipse around New Year's we will not be feeling like moving forwards about anything, although some interesting events and perhaps some Epiphanies may transpire around this time. If you want to view this eclipse, you may have to take a trip to EurAsia or parts of Africa as it won't be visible in North America. But don't worry--you'll feel the affects of it anyhow! We all will!

I will be going into more detail later about what exactly TO DO during this combo Merc/Mars Retro experience. Those of us with TO DO lists may feel a tad stymied. But in general anything with a Re-- in front of it is a good thing to do during retrogrades: relax, reflect, relieve, reposition, reconfigure, redesign, and lastly but most importantly: renew! So while this New Year's may not be outwardly spectacular with fireworks, internally it's a great time to start anew! Think of this year's new year, as the start of a new you: one that may take a little time to figure out, but I think it will be a great year for many changes!

Fall Foreshadowing of Things To Come in 2010!

2009-10-17T17:05:00Z

Some of you may be well aware that we have a Mars retrograde coming up at the end of this year right in time for the holidays starting on December 20th at 19 degrees Leo. What many of you may not also know is that as Mars will return to almost 0 degrees Leo, that the "affects" of this Retrograde will start even before the actual Retrograde itself will happen. It's called "foreshadowing" in literary plots and can have the same affect in our lives as well.

And today, October 17th, marks the beginning of this "foreshadowing" period as early this morning we hit the exact mark to which Mars will later regress to on March 9, 2010. And just as Mars will be at 19 degrees Leo at December 20th, so will it also finally return to that mark on May 18, 2010.

So what does this all mean? It means that we are about ready to have a big theme come up in our lives that will most likely go through various transformations or dramas that will more or less start from around now to fully resolving itself in May of next year. Yes, that is a long time folks so get ready! The last time Mars went Retrograde was in November of 2007 in Cancer and it coinciding not coincidentally with the Writer's Strike, as Cancer is a sign often associated with literary endeavors that have to do with the myth and dramas of human life. And not coincidentally the Writer's Strike resolved itself during the post retrograde shadow finishing up the cycle.

Whether or not this Mars Retrograde in Leo will affect issues with artists and children or leaders or other areas ruled by Leo, the Creative King of the Jungle, on a world scale has yet to be seen. But it will affect individuals who have planets or their Asc or Midheaven in Leo the most. Wherever Leo is in your chart is about to experience a total overhaul. But as with most renovations, especially with a Mars one, things usually get messier before they turn into the new form. So once the Full Retrograde starts on December 20th, don't expect to move forwards with any new plans until March 9th. If you have a To-Do list with major items on it, try and get those done before the holidays, then you can sit back through the Winter months process, reprocessing, and seeing what will happen during the transformation time of Mars Retrograde and then when Spring comes perhaps a new, more creative, more loving, you will return just as the flowers and other plants will be returning to full flower as well!

Down the Rabbit Hole, or in Other Words It's Mercury Retrograde!

2009-09-22T00:13:00Z

On my vacation several weeks ago I found myself on a placid lake, looking at the waters, reflective almost like a mirror, where a boat named "The White Rabbit" was docked. Lately I have been feeling like I fell down some kind of Rabbit Hole and like Alice in Wonderland have been wandering around in some alternate universe where nothing seems to more forward and nothing can be accomplished and the Red Queen is screaming "Off with her Head!" and absurdities abound. How did this happen? Well, it's Mercury Retrograde Time (let's call it MRT for short), and during MRT it often seems as if one has passed through the other side of a mirror and things are going on backwards, or at least not the normal way that they should. There IS good reason for this, although one wouldn't realize it. And that is that Mercury the planet, rules Mercury the metal, and in fact mirrors for many hundreds of years in the past used to be made with Mercury, because of it's liquid reflective quality. In fact, some mirrors for telescopes still use liquid mercury today!

So the analogy of falling down a rabbit hole on the other side of a mirror as a metaphor for what it's like during MRT is in fact not a bad metaphor at all. So how long has this been going on may you ask and when will I stop encountering Mad Hatters? Well we descended into this MRT on September 7th and we shall emerge on September 29th. So it shan't be long now! Many have been having a hard time this Mercury Retrograde, what with the Saturn/Uranus Opposition combined with the Sun conjuncting Saturn, affecting last week and this past weekend in particular. I found this aspect to affect many individuals greatly and some not so much. Some people were just mildly peeved, whereas others had to embark on journey's to reclaim property from ex's in another state, and some people even had to journey to other countries to try and reclaim children taken by their ex-spouses. Indeed some have had to face a journey more Herculean than Alice in Wonderland. I think those with stressful aspects of the Saturn/Uranus opposition had a harder time of it than others. Although it does seem like there is some sort of theme of "journey" to "another place" where one tries to "reclaim" something that is/was once theirs, whether physical property or relative, or even something less concrete, like a former idea, or state of mind, or even spiritual peace. Those of you on journeys like this will most likely already be there, traveling, or may have even finished traveling by now, but the journey is not yet over as Mercury Retrograde is not yet over.

Also Jupiter is in a very loose conjunction with Neptune right now, and in fact BOTH of those planets are Retrograde adding to the enhancement that this is a time where a type of Spiritual Journey is taking place. You may come back from a trip like I did, only to find yourself mildly ill with a seasonal cold and be "forced" so to speak to slow down and retreat again. You're being asked to sit back and process your life right now, not move forward, even if that's what you want. There will be plenty of time for moving forwards in October, but for now you are behind the mirror, on a curiouser and curiouser journey and hopefully come next week will know how to slowly climb back up out of the Rabbit Hole.

I had planned for months to go on vacation just before this MRT started and continuing a week into the MRT. It was an interesting experience because I think, contrary to what many astrologers say about recommending that one not travel during this time, I actually think it can be a good time to leave one's normal routine, precisely because it favors re-laxation, re-flection, and anything with a re: in front of it. It might not be the best time for an active filled sporting vacation or a business trip, but if it's a reflective type of vacation then in fact I think it's favored. Because you might not be getting much done if you weren't on vacation anyhow. Of interesting note, I chose a book called "The Wind Up Bird Chronicle" by Haruki Murakami for my trip, and without giving too much away, it was a good novel for a MRT as the main character ended up down a well for a good portion of the time because it allowed him the ability to enter another type of parallel world and accomplish work that he needed to do there. Nothing could be a better metaphor for MRT than spending time down a well in order to contact a kind of spirit world to resolve things that can only be resolved in that world yet it affects the "real" world "above."

So I will leave you to attend your final Mad Hatter Tea Parties in the last week of this MRT: remember to savor this time as sometimes our "unproductive" and "reflective" time can give us great rewards in the future that we cannot foresee until later!

Holy Crap! Trinity of Eclipses Ahead!

2009-07-06T03:40:00Z

Oh Boy! Are we in for it! I can feel change coming down the line like a train coming down the tracks. And with three, instead of just the normal two, eclipses coming up in the month ahead I really don't know what things are going to look like once we hit mid to late August I think there will be so much change. I see precursors everywhere. My computer dying in an early fireworks display Saturday morning on the 4th (thank goodness for old backup computers that I never got rid of), changes at work that are scheduled to take place later this month, friends cars suddenly dying. Even the New York Public library's compuer system isn't working correctly. It's like the eclipse is already here although technically the first lunar eclipse will take place on Tuesday July 7th. Our next Solar Eclipse will be July 22nd, and finally another lunar eclipse on August 6th.

Of note is that we're starting in on eclipses that are in the Cancer/Capricorn signs. For the last two years the eclipses have been in the Leo/Aquarius arena, and indeed we will have a final Leo/Aquarius eclipse on August 5th--kind of like a send-off into the new territory: by then I'm sure we'll have our hands full with what comes in July: a precursor to what the next couple of years of eclipses will be about.

I'm not sure if it's just that the Leo/Aquarius eclipses didn't hit specific areas of my chart or it's that the fire/air combination was easier to handle but I find eclipses in Water signs can be very emotional because the change can hit so close to home. For instance I was let go from a job that I'd had for a very long time when there was an eclipse in the Fall of 2006 that fell in my 10th house of career. But also the eclipse was in Pisces, so it was a super big emotional change that involved letting go of where I was and moving on to a new start. I sense similar themes like that happening now just in the fact that Cancer is about home and family and Capricorn is about career and public image wherever they fall in your chart. It's a Water/Earth dynamic and change with these two can bring emotional tsunami's and earthquakes if the change is big enough.

Perhaps many will have an unexpected move, buy a house, start a family, maybe even get married way sooner than they expected. Some may change careers or have them changed for them. In the last eclipse cycle I saw a friend get offered a relocation to a completely new city on the solar eclipse, having her keep a contract for around 3 years to stay there. With the economy the way it is, she took it, and within two months had moved permanently. So a lot that happens on these eclipses can take effect in the next couple of months and have ramifications for several years to come.

Even though I missed the fireworks this year, I shouldn't be dissapointed. All I have to do is sit back and watch the major changes coming up unfold and that will be plenty for a while!

A Change of Cards, A look at the "Shadow" of Mercury Retrograde!

2009-05-26T00:47:00Z

I know this posting is a little past the start of the latest Mercury Retrograde Cycle, but I think it's a good time to look back at what's happened since May 6th, when Mercury started it's Retrograde Cycle. Especially important I think is looking at the "Shadow", the time before Mercury goes direct which is the degree to which Mercury will return in the retrograde cycle. The reason this is important is because it almost always seems like events that happen pre-retrograde in this shadow will somehow change during the actual retrograde cycle. It's almost like you're playing a game of cards and suddenly mid-game you find the cards in your hand have actually changed, and it's like you're playing a different game than the one you started. . .

So let's go back in time to this "Shadow" period, which was between April 23rd and May 6th. I have two wonderful examples that I've seen that illustrate this example of how the "Shadow" period relates to the actual Retrograde period. One friend had been looking to buy a place, and in fact during this pre-retro period had even put down an offer and it had been accepted! She wrote a check and was waiting for the seller to officially sign the contract. Then comes Mercury Retrograde, after May 6th, and lo and behold the seller changes their mind! And the game has completely changed!

Another friend managed to get a job offer even before the "Shadow" period. But during the "Shadow" she actually started the job! Some astrologers would say this would be O.K. given that she actually started before Mercury went Retrograde, but it's usually the "Shadow" period that shows were most of the game changes are going to occur! Sure enough, when Mercury went retro, the job she thought was going to be so good, fell apart pretty quickly and it was like the original job as advertised was never going to materialize, and circumstances beyond her control left her to now re-look for a new position!

This particular Mercury Retrograde is coming to a close soon. . . by the end of the day on Saturday, May 30th, Mercury will have gone direct again at 22 degrees Taurus, and will slowly return through that Shadow period until June 17th, this time with a knowledge of what the REAL game is! So while most likely many already have had their cards switched up on them and found themselves sitting at the craps table vs the high roller table they thought they were at, things still can switch up through Saturday. After that most likely things will be on more steady ground, and you'll find out what cards you need to play for the next three months!

Venus Retrograde: It's not Over til it's Over!

2009-04-11T19:44:00Z

We're almost finished with this Venus Retrograde: but it's important to point out, it's not over yet! There always seem to be points in the Retrograde cycle where I think things can't still be going backwards, miscommunications and horrors of all kinds can't still be happening, and more surprises aren't on the way. But then I realize that in fact, Venus is still going backwards: that we're not done yet! Although it may not make a lot of degree progress backwards, so that for all intensive purposes it's almost stationary, for the next week, until April 17th, Venus is indeed still not making any progress forwards and is in fact going backwards. It's an important thing to remind yourself because there have been some intensely cathartic aspects that may make one feel that you're in the clear. On March 27th Venus Conjuncted the Sun during the retrograde cycle: this usually is a point that gives us great insight into what this particular retrograde cycle is about for us. Oftentimes it's a turning point, where some information is found out and realizations occur about what your values are compared to the values of someone else. Sometimes an ethical choice is presented to one and one has to decide where one stands with a particular situation. It might then seem like things would take a turn for the better: at least I thought they might in my life at that date. However, the rest of Venus retrograde is still playing itself out: it's not done yet. And I knew that for sure when on April 2nd-3rd Venus squared Pluto and the reconciliation with a friend that I thought had happened at the Venus conjunct Sun point, was blown out of the water and as it turns out, such a lack of humanness was shown that I realize I cannot be friends with this person anymore.

So even though there are only 7 days left: remember that Venus is still in reflection mode where it's best not to move forwards on any decisions regarding your love life, but it's better to simply re-evaluate your values and what it is that you want in your life. I find that once Venus goes direct, things will clear up. It may take til May 20th, another month later, when we've finished with the "shadow" but come the end of next week thing may really be looking up. In the meantime don't assume anything, especially in regards to relationships, for things are not as they seem, and although we may not like it, it's not over til it's over.

Venus Retrograde--I'm Making a Break for the Border!

2009-03-06T03:05:00Z

Yes, it's that time again! Venus, the planet of love and harmony will go retrograde tomorrow March 6th through April 17th. It's one of those 40 days and 40 nights things, that I think has some strange reference to the Bible, but can't quite remember exactly what (and I went to an Episcopal school for 1st through 12th grade so you'd think I'd remember). Whatever the case, the shadow for this retrograde period started February 1st and it ends May 20th, so as you can see this Venus retrograde will give us all plenty of time to reflect on how well or poorly as the case may be for me, our love lives are going.

In my case, my love life has gone so spectacularly badly since the start of February that I'm going on the lam to Mexico tomorrow! I'm hoping to find some kind of reprieve from the last month and perhaps some clarity. But clarity takes more time than we all would like: you can't just go up to the vending machine of wisdom and hit E7 to get your fix of clarity.

However, I will say that the closest thing to instant wisdom, or at least instant humor, about lost relationships is the book How To Spot A Bastard by his Star Sign. So if you're in need of a good laugh during the next 40 days and 40 nights, pick up a copy. Of if you're really strapped for cash, hit up the Google Books version for a taste.

I will hopefully be starting off my 1st of 40 days tomorrow sipping a margarita on the plane. I hope everyone's start to the next 40 days is just as rewarding!

The Calm Before the Storm: The First Mercury Retrograde of 2009!

2009-01-10T19:28:00Z

I'm starting to have that "Calm Before the Storm" feeling again! Yes, Mercury Retrograde is coming up again tomorrow January 11th and will be retrograde for the next three weeks, until February 1st! During this time not only will we get a new President of the United States, but we'll also have a New Moon, a Chinese Lunar New Year and a solar eclipse all on the same day of January 26th! You can view this eclipse if you happen to be living in South Africa, parts of India, Australia, and especially Indonesia and South Pacific islands.

Let us recall that the last time we had a Mercury Retrograde in 2008, the global economy began it's downhill slalom that does not seem to have ended yet. So what will this new Retrograde bring us? Well it will start off with the Sun in Capricorn and then move into Aquarius, which is exactly the opposite of how Mercury will start out at 8 degrees Aquarius and then retrograde to 21 degrees Capricorn and then move back to Aquarius once it has gone direct.

Again we are seeing a combination of Capricorn and Aquarius, just as we did on New Year's Day when the Sun was in Capricorn and the Moon Aquarius! There is again the combination of Saturn and Uranus together that is the major theme for 2009. For this Retrograde the Shadow period began on December 26th just after Christmas Day and after Mercury goes Direct it will last until February 22nd until all aspects of the this Retrograde have resolved themselves.

But now we're all wondering what is this Retrograde going to be about? Well with Saturn and Uranus involved, it most likely will be about business, the economy and how we are now a global economy partly spurred by the new technology of computers and the internet rather than a local one where we can pretend we are an island. Perhaps President Obama once inaugurated will vision a plan for the future involving business and detail how we will work with the rest of the world to re-make the world into a better place. ]

Perhaps also there will be more fraudulencies coming to light, in the same vein as Madoff the financial con artist, the Satyam founder who recently was discovered cooked the books of a well known Indian corporation, or our now in the process of being impeached Illinois Senator Blagovejich who was found to be trading the Senate seat of Obama's for favors. Indeed there may be more scandals that come to light in the next three weeks which could demand actions and revisions in the course of our economic and political history.

The eclipse may provide even greater change than we anticipated, both personally and globally, but especially globally as it will take place at 6 degrees Aquarius. I'll write more about the eclipse later on, but for now, it's safe to say, if you are in the Northern Hemisphere where it's cold and you want to sit back and review and reflect on 2008 and where you'd like to go for 2009 the next three weeks are a great time to do so!

JET LAGGED: Enough Already of 2009! The previous year in review and highlights for the year ahead!

2009-01-03T17:16:00Z

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm more than a bit jet lagged from all the events in 2008! Especially December which was a Retrograde-free-zone that we haven't seen since, well, let's just say I can't even remember a time when none of the official planets of astrology have not been retrograde for a whole month!

So needless to say this holiday season flew by like the Concorde's last flight. I was surprised by the numerous events, both good and bad, that could be crammed into the space of 31 days, but nothing lasts forever as they say, and on the 31st our lovely planet of discipline and cracking that whip, Saturn, turned sationary and then went retrograde, where it will stay until May 16th.

I was actually relieved to finally have some Retrogrades to give us a break from the high intensity pace of the past month, but let's just pause and consider what planetary forces were happening at the start of this New Year of 2009. First the Moon was in Aquarius, and as I just mentioned Saturn was turning Retrograde. Notice a pattern? Well you should if you've been reading this blog at all (if not take a review of previous posts). In the Fall we had the famous Uranus (planet ruling Aquarius) and Saturn (planet ruling Capricorn) opposition in the Fall. Remember trying to find change while not falling apart at the seams? That's what this is about. And New Years of 2009 embodies all the challenges that faced us this Fall with that opposition and will continue to face us in 2009, on February 5th and September 15th for the exact dates of the continuing opposition.

So I don't think we're done with either our financial crises or our personal ones of 2008. I dubbed 2008 the year of EXTREME IRONING because of the extensive Virgo elements with Saturn affecting the year. Virgo is a planet that likes to have the books in order, the bank accounts to balance and all of the ducks to be in a row. And we found out our economy was bankrupt, literally, when all that Virgo came around for reckoning. 2009 will not magically be different, but it will allow us to recover from being JET LAGGED, which is my new catch phrase for 2009. Our economy has been going global for a while now as well as our vacations, and we are finally feeling the experience of having to be grounded for a while. We have to take in how our now global economy will survive and how we should all work together to make sure we don't crash the high flying planes we're riding on. Saturn will continue to be in Virgo almost all year until the last quarter of 2009 when it moves into Libra. This will give us more impetus to get things in order and not only that folks, we're going to have our famous Venus AND Mars retrogrades in 2009! Yes, that's right, while December of 2008 was a Retrograde-free-zone, except for two weeks at the beginning of December all of 2009 will be giving us plenty of opportunity to Reflect and Review our lives.

The first Retrograde was Saturn, and shortly following it will be the Mercury Retrograde of January 11th through February 1st. Then there will be the famed, once every couple of years Venus retrograde from March 6th through April 17th, which will allow us to review what is of true value and true worth in our lives. Pluto will go Retrograde on April 4th through September 11th. Neptune will go Retrograde on May 28th through November 4th, and Jupiter will go Retrograde on June 15th through October 13th.

And most spectacularly, we will end 2009 with not one but two Retrogrades, both Mercury and Mars will be Retrograde, Mars from December 20th through March 10, 2010 and Mercury mercifully will be retrograde only from December 26th through January 15th 2010. These Retrogrades combined with give us plenty of time to reflect on our actions (Mars) for the year as well as our words/communication (Mercury). If ever there were an astrologically auspicious time for a silent retreat I'd say it would be over New Year's for 2009/10!

Needless to say, I'm considering staying in for the next New Years. That will give me plenty of time to Reflect on 2009 and the changes that have happened (as change always happens with Retrogrades) in front of a cozy fire, or even cozier Duralog screen saver. So get out there and get those ducks in a row while you can in 2009! There's a long year of change ahead and it's just begun!

Astromuse Reports from the Polls in Brooklyn!

2008-11-04T14:44:00Z

Today is very interesting day astrologically for an election, especially a Presidential election, for the United States of America. I happen to be very fortunate in having the day off today, so I popped out of bed after sleeping in a bit, and walked my two blocks to my polling station only to find that there was the longest line I have ever seen in my some 17 voting years! And I've been voting at this polling station for 7 of those. Every other time I've gone to vote, I've waltzed on in and waited maybe max 5 minutes to vote, mostly less as I always remember my Election District (which you can look up online if need be!). The line snaked so far that as I do have the day off I decided to walk the two blocks back to my apartment and maybe get some breakfast and coffee before I head back out again in case I have to wait an hour or so to cast my ballot! But I have never not voted in an election therefore I will wait if necessary.

And while waiting I will think not only about how the inadequate polling accomodations (that granted have been adequate so far in the past because most voters were apathetic and didn't bother to cast a ballot) may make it so that some people who had obligations they could not avoid will not have their vote heard today. But I will also think about the major astrological configuration affecting the day, which is a Saturn Opposition to Uranus. This aspect can be summarized as Tradition vs. Change. And we can see that in our candidates, but what's key to understanding polarities is that the resolution between the two planets cannot be accomplished by either one or the other of the planetary influences but instead by trying to come to terms with both.

Some astrologers have tried to predict whom will win this election with the astrological forces of the day. I am not one to say whom will win, as I don't think of astrology as something akin to fate or something that is unchanged. What I will say, is that interestingly the moon is mimicking the polarity between Saturn and Uranus with the main portion of the day having the Moon is in Capricorn, a more tradition oriented planet ruled by Saturn and then at 4:01 pm PST/7:01 EST the Moon switches to Aquarius, the planet that is alligned more with Change and Uranus.

Even though most will say that McCain stands for the Saturn/Capricorn portion of the polarity and Obama for the Uranus/Aquarius portion of the polarity I think the truth lies in the center. That while one might be leaning more one way than the other, whichever candidiate wins will have to deal with melding the two energies. One cannot have change for just the sake of change, that leads to the negative side of Uranus and Aquarius which is anarchy. Just as one cannot stick to tradition just for the sake of tradition if it doesn't mean learning something new and accomodating and growing with new situations, that leads to stagnation and pedantism which is the negative side of Saturn and Capricorn.

And more proof that whomever wins will have to deal with making change in a stable, grounded fashion that does not lead to anarchy while not doing too little that leads to stagnation, is that this Saturn/Uranus polarity will continue to happen at various degrees through retrogrades and direct motions until 2010. So remember that whether your party wins or not, Change will happen this election. Either we will have an African-American President or the first Woman Vice-President. Both of those are historic changes even if you disagree with the politics of the candidates. And conversely whomever gets into the White House will have loads of Tradition to deal with (not to mention financial debt) that most likely will not allow Change to happen immediately. The problems of today will not disappear overnight whomever gets into office. But astrologically it does seem that over time and through tradition and working with the political structures that are currently in place, things will change.

Tomorrow we will find out whom will lead the country in this Change in cooperation with Tradition! For the meantime go out and vote!

What Happens In Mercury Retrograde Stays in Mercury Retrograde!

2008-10-19T04:07:00Z

I'm beginning to think of Mercury Retrograde as some kind of Cosmic Las Vegas where crazy things seem on the level at the time and then in the post hangover recovery on the plane back to your city (aka Mercury Direct) you realize that you left things there that are better off staying there. . . that is until the next time you visit.

So with this application to the Economic Downturn that has been the talk of the talk shows, the towns, the nation, the election and practically everyone on the globe, it should be noted that the dramatic meltdown and drops began whilst Mercury was Retrograde, aka the Las Vegas of the Zodiac. And since everyone has been talking about Parallels to the Great Depression, I just had to investigate whether there is any astrological similarity between the planets now and back in 1929 when the stock market permanently plunged for decades.

The first strange "coincidence" is that the degrees of Mercury retrograde in Libra were almost exactly the same for both Mercury retrogrades that occured in September and October of 1929 and this year of 2008. But interestingly enough, the 1929 Stock Market crash occurred AFTER the Mercury retrograde during those degrees, on the dates of October 24, 28, 29th, all of which were when Mercury had gone direct.

By comparison this Fall, most all of the heavy losses occured DURING the Mercury Retro Las Vegas selling spree where people sold, sold, sold, and no one bought, bought, bought. While the stock market has gone up and down since the 15th, overall it's the upward trend has been going on since Mercury went Direct, instead of the downward tanking during it's three week retrograde.

This seems similar to the last time the market had a correciton, in 1987, the Black Monday of October 19th. This correction also happened during a Mercury Retrograde. While it took a couple of years for the market to fully recover, this was not a Great Depression, nor was it an economic recession that lasted for decades. I think the market today will take a few years to fully recover, but it does seem as though, was happens in Mercury Retrograde Stays in Las Vegas.

Stock Market Roller Coaster: Wait til November at the very earliest before panicking

2008-10-10T03:48:00Z

Lately I haven't been focusing on new lows to which Wall Street can apparently go. Instead I've been asking questions like "Do I have enough Frequent Flier miles to get me to Tahiti? What is Bora Bora like at this time of year?"

While my astrological knowledge did have me thinking I should escape for this Mercury retrograde, which luckily is almost "officially" over on the 15th (although "recovery" will take til the end of October) I had no idea that I should have been thinking of an atoll in the South Pacific if I really wanted to escape all knowledge of our tanking global economy. I had no idea that the Economies of the World were going to have a Limbo Contest. And really those of us in the USA are lucky we don't live in Iceland where people are considering taking back up the family business of fishing from their previously newly held banking jobs that have just been liquidated.

I still think that the economy WILL recover, and that one should not panic (at least not yet!) because as we know from astrology, everything goes in cycles. The stock market can't go up without going down and conversely a stock market that goes down will go back up again. The whole point, as pundits and Warren Buffet tell us, is to buy low and sell high. So selling now defeats any purpose (assuming you've even bought into the stock market). An easy way to tell when to sell is when people start quitting their day jobs to be "day traders" (and yes this has happened in several cycles over the past 10 years). That will happen again a while from now, but in the meantime if you can't actually transport yourself to a Motu in French Polynesia, just visualize yourself there. I've found it's very calming and maybe someday when all of this craziness is over your visualizations will pay off and you can actually find your way to a tropical paradise . . . at least for a little while.

The Great Historic Mercury Retrograde Bailout of 2008!

2008-10-04T01:56:00Z

Now I realize that people are not clamoring to hear about the state of the economy from AstroMuse, but I must let everyone know that I am deeply dissapointed that the 700 Billion dollar bailout package was passed today, during a time of Mercury Retrograde of all days!

Does anyone remember another time Mercury was retrograde in Libra? Say the 2000 Presidential Election Day of November 7th when for half the voting day Mercury was still Retrograde? Remember how people complained that Bush "stole" the election because of hanging chads? Remember how much confusion there was regarding "justice" in the election? Note that Libra is the sign of Justice and that during retrograde things don't move "forwards"? Putting this together we have a picture of Justice having trouble being made, and perhaps having in fact a lack of Justice.

Well flash forward to 2008 when Mercury is Retrograde in Libra and what do we have? The President claiming the sky is falling and we should bailout failed banks and Wall Street with more money than anyone has ever heard of. Does anyone give a reason why it's so much? Is 700 billion a nice round number? Will we ever get the money back? I have a sneaking suspicion that this will turn out to be Bush's worst decision yet! Worse than the War in Iraq even! And even more dissapointing is that both presidential candidates voted for it! Neither one suggested we think this through, maybe get a team of economists together to determine how we got into this and maybe think about other alternatives to simply throwing money at a problem.

But isn't this the American way? Let's throw money at the problem? Isn't that what we consider justice? If you win a case, you get money and lots of it right? That's why there's lawyers right to get money from other people.

Only history will tell, but my opinion on this economic decision is: It's Bad News! It's always best to wait on making decisions during a Mercury Retrograde and I don't think this decision will prove to be different.

Fall Equinox & Mercury Retrograde in Libra: Time to Find Balance

2008-09-21T02:52:00Z

I don't know about anybody else but it feels like I've been on some sort of cosmic "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" from some nether region of the Solar System. The eclipses of August are still being felt it seems. Change and the unexpected, from the Presidential Race to Wall Street continues to be the norm. And now things are just going to turn even more upside down with Mercury going Retrograde this coming Wednesday the 24th of September.

I wish I could say I was going on vacation soon and could ride the three weeks of retrograde out on some Spanish speaking island far away where siestas rule, but no, I will be here to experience everything this retrograde has to show us. Exactly what it will show us will most likely be individual but as the sign this retrograde is occurring in is in Libra, everyone will have to figure out how to balance some big issue in their lives.

It could be in regards to relationships as Libra is the sign of partnership, but Libra is also the sign of justice and the law. The symbol for Libra is in fact a woman holding two scales and is almost the same as the symbol of the woman of justice holding a sword blindfolded while holding scales. Decisions will most likely be unable to be made until after the retrograde on October the 15th, although the "shadow" which has gone on since September 4th will continue until October 31st. Only at the start of November may we get real clarity on things that will happen in late September though mid October.

In addition to all of this the equinox, the exact balance of light and dark is coming up quick on September 22nd. Take this time to breathe in and let go of the massive changes that have happened over the Summer. Find a point of balance even if it's for a moment, for more change this Fall is likely to happen. Breathe in, breathe out, and let a new Season of Harvest, Reflection and turning inward begin.

A World Apart: Caught between Two Eclipses, a Rock and a Hard Place

2008-08-09T02:35:00Z

We are halfway between between the Solar Eclipse in Leo on August the 1st and the Lunar Eclipse with Sun in Leo and Moon in Aquarius on August 16th. Some of us, myself included, may be feeling like we're stuck between a rock and a hard place. It feels like ages since the eclipse because major changes may have gone on. Schisms unknown may have suddenly presented themselves seemingly from out of the blue even though they may have been building unnoticed underground. Eclipses have traditionally been known to release something from someone's life. Whatever it is, one usually has no control over the loss: people may do things from left field and there's no way to address the issue to any resolution. In that case the best thing is to let go. Especially during this time when another eclipse is coming up in a week. Both of these eclipses are occurring in the sign of Leo, the sign that rules self-expression, creativity, joy, and romantic love. If someone is unable to allow you to express yourself, be joyful, or want you to shut down when you're with them, whether friend or romantic attachment they may not be right for you in your life at the moment. Leo is about expansion of the heart and expression, not excessive restraint or pretending to be whom your not for the sake of someone else's ego. It may seem like there may be more change to come and usually the second lunar eclipse also brings another form of release. Given that Uranus, the planet of sudden change is in a "crisis" aspect for the lunar eclipse on the 16th, another schism out of left field may appear. Try not to let it jolt you too much and realize that after these eclipses there will be a new playing field, if not literally then metaphorically for Leo's are nothing if not about creative play.

Dead Heat on a Merry Go Round

2008-07-22T02:42:00Z

I've been watching a lot of TCM lately. Hence the title of this entry actually is a reference to an obscure 60's movie about a con-man who effortlessly plans and executes a bank heist. Not exactly an original plot and not exactly a movie with rave reviews, but it was entertaining. And the title was very apropos not only to the movie but to I think what a lot of people are feeling right now. It seems that many people have either been undergoing a crisis that keeps going up and down and around in circles or others are experiencing a kind of "dead heat" in regards to this Summer. A kind of sweltering hot weather that settles into ones bones and almost kind of paralyzes one to any productive work even if, with all the Virgo planets in get up and go mode, one desperately want to do . . . something . . . but one isn't sure what.

What with the price of oil and gas skyrocketing, more and more people are seemingly taking "staycations" and going around a local circle rather than widening it. The political candidates seem to also be in a "dead heat" with it not being apparent who will turn out to be the winner in the upcoming election this Fall, and everyone seems to be up in the air yet going around in circles.

I myself have reorganized my closets, been to the container store, and stocked up on vintage clothing and cedar and lavender spray for the Fall and Winter, all Virgoan pursuits, yet it feels like I'm going in circles. Although better than before my closets didn't need that much reorganization to begin with. It's too hot to do much else productive. It all seems to add up that something big is coming. Like this time now from the full moon on Friday the 18th to the new moon Solar Eclipse on August the 1st is a kind of waiting period. Like the calm before the storm we are in a dead heat before something arrives. I am personally not sure what it will be, for myself, the country and others but it does feel like something big is on the horizon with these eclipses coming up in August. Like something has to break the heat in order to get relief from the stillness.

Speaking of the political arena, it's fascinating that the two eclipses will be in Leo while there is so much Virgo and conjuctions of Saturn with Mars and Venus in July and August. It's like there's a battle between Virgo and Leo going on, and in fact there is. Some of you may already know that Barack Obama is a Leo born on August the 4th and that John McCain is a Virgo born on August 29th. Right now Saturn is in Virgo, giving quite a boost to McCain's reputation as an authority figure capable of being the next president. While for Obama it's fascinating that the Solar eclipse, on August the 1st while not an exact conjunction, is close enough that it will affect him surely in some way. What way is yet to be seen. Will it mean a new beginning as our next president or something else?

We'll all find out once the Dead Heat of this Summer breaks and Fall arrives.