Memorial Day Musings

May 28, 2012 By

This article has appeared on this blog at least twice before, but I still like it.  I was a college student during the Vietnam war, and in demonstrations and marches against the war we decried the philosophy of our government that killing for peace made sense. On September 11 we were attacked by Osama bin Laden, and 2,646 Americans were killed.

Since then, an estimated 225,000 human beings have become casualties of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I am not a pacifist, but I believe in healing. Where there is dysfunction, there is a need for healing that dysfunction. If Americans are hated, perhaps we should find out why. We had a beautiful opportunity in Afghanistan after the attacks of September 11 to go into that country and rebuild it; to drive out the Taliban and capture bin Laden and win the hearts and mind of the people. Instead we took every resource of the US military into a country that did not attack us and that we couldn’t maintain.

Perhaps we could take some of the billions of dollars being spent by military contractors to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan over and over again, and invest in programs in the middle east that would help the people in these countries. This is what Hazbollah has successfully done for years in Lebanon. This is what AlQaeda is trying to do; provide funds and a sense of pride.

Killing for peace has never been a goal that makes sense. In the ’60s, we used to say “Killing for peace is like f*#cking for chastity.” To kill innocent civilians for peace didn’t make sense then and it doesn’t make sense now. On this Memorial Day, let’s remember those that have fallen in the name of ego and finance and pray for wiser leaders, and then vote in that direction!!

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The 2012 Transit of Venus: Cataclysm or consciousness shift?

May 26, 2012 By

Photo from Psychedelic Adventure. On June 5th Venus will transit the Sun in a rare occurrence that will happen only twice during our lifetime.  This astronomical event is a bit like an eclipse in that Venus will obscure a portion of the Sun during this transit event.

Venus transits come in pairs, and the first of the current pair occurred in 2004.  It’s an interesting coincidence that this major astronomical event corresponds to 2012, but it is not likely to bring about the end of the world.  Much has been made of the fact that the June 2004 transit of Venus preceded the tsunami in the Phillipines by about six months, but other deadly tsunamis have occurred when there was no transit of Venus.  I am having trouble finding any significant events that are tied to the Venus transit that occurred in 2004.

Transits of Venus always occur on the Gemini/Sagittarius axis which is the axis of knowledge.  Gemini learns through experience and assimilation, where Sagittarius is more about finding the One Truth and then disseminating knowledge to others, so some astrologers have predicted a great Consciousness Shift during the Transit of Venus.  There is no doubt that consciousness is shifting and has been for the past 60 years or so, but I think it’s unlikely that the upcoming Transit of Venus will bring with it a a major event of the type that some are predicting.  

The Mayans were very attuned to the cycles of Venus and used these cycles for the timing of wars. This fact has been used by some to predict a major war beginning with this Transit of Venus, except that the Mayans used the heliacal rising of Venus rather than the transits for predicting wars and attacks.

There is some indication of heightened hostilities between Israel and Iran in June and July, but that is tied more to the upcoming square of Uranus in Aries (warfare and rebellion) to Pluto in Capricorn (established power structures).

Venus has come down to us as rather a cartoonized version of the Goddess of Love.  The original love goddesses, Ishtar from Assyria and Babylonia and Innana from Sumeria, and later Astarte and Ashtoreth who was mentioned in the Bible as the wife of Jehovah – unlike their later versions (Aphrodite and Venus) these goddesses held the keys to sexuality, power and magic.

Venus was retrograde during the 2004 Transit, and is retrograde now in Gemini.  Communication and learning, conversation and shifting the way we think about our interactions with others are highlighted now.  The way we bond and connect with others can empower us or denigrate us, and during this retrograde phase we have the opportunity to find greater balance.  Rather than look for cataclysmic events in our outer world to transform our inner world, I believe it is better to look within for the keys to transformation and them use those keys to help to create change in all aspects of human life and consciousness.  In that way the outer world will surely be transformed as well.

For an excellent analysis of the Transits of Venus 2004/2012, visit this site.

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Interesting view of the upcoming Galactic Alignment

May 26, 2012 By

This year there is much talk of a Galactic Alignment that has been described in Mayan texts and has been used as a prediction by some that the world will end in 2012 and by others that we will somehow become immediately transformed into light beings and ascend into an elevated level of consciousness.

According to Wikipedia,

[T]he Sun’s December solstice position (in the northern hemisphere, the lowest point on its annual path; in the southern hemisphere, the highest) is currently in the constellation of Sagittarius, one of two constellations in which the zodiac intersects with the Milky Way.[63] Every year, on the December solstice, the Sun and the Milky Way, from the surface of the Earth, appear to come into alignment, and every year, precession causes a slight shift in the Sun’s position in the Milky Way. Given that the Milky Way is between 10° and 20° wide, it takes between 700 and 1400 years for the Sun’s December solstice position to precess through it.[64] It is currently about halfway through the Milky Way, crossing the galactic equator.[65] In 2012, the Sun’s December solstice will fall on 21 December.

I have been debunking the idea that the 2012 phenomenon has anything to do with astrology.  Several years ago Pluto transited the point of the galactic center, which to me was a crucially important planetary event (here are links to some articles I wrote on that topic). I also believe that we are in the transition now between the Piscean age and the Aquarian age which is bringing about intense shifts of planetary energy as well as personal consciousness. But any particular significance of this year’s Winter Solstice has eluded me.

Recently there was a huge flap among astrologers when a group calling themselves the Cosmic Intelligence Agency declared 2012 the Year of Astrology.  Because the 2012 phenomenon has nothing to do with astrology as we know it, many astrologers decried this as a sham connection.

However, astrologer Linea Van Horn has written an amazing and beautifully illustrated article about the event that is the first article on the subject of 2012 to make real sense to me.  One of my arguments against this sort of phenomenon that creates hysteria among the masses is that these huge cycles don’t happen overnight.  Linea clarifies this in her article:

This won’t happen overnight. The disc of the Sun is about ½ degree. The rate of precession is 1 degree every 72 years (360 degrees X 72 years = 25,920 years), so it takes about 35 years for the disc of the Sun to precess over a given point—and the Galactic Center is hardly a single point, although 27 degrees of Sagittarius, tropical, is the central area of the entire zone.

 

The process began in the mid-late 1990’s, and reaches its maximum in 2012. The exact date is open to debate. Most experts agree it occurs late this year. However, since the entire process takes about 30-35 years, does the exact date really matter? It cannot be reduced to one day! This is a years-long process which reaches its maximum in 2012. It has been building for some time and it is happening NOW!  After 2012 the portal will slowly begin to close and the opportunity will pass.

Read the entire article here, and then let me know what you think in the comments.

I personally don’t believe that the portal will begin to close and the opportunity for transformation will end.  To me the transition into the Aquarian Age is changing everything energetically, and the square between Uranus and Pluto, which won’t conclude until 2015, will continue to break down the old structures that no longer serve us (Pluto in Capricorn) and begin the rebuilding process.  Pluto will not leave Capricorn until 2023, so throughout that time we will be breaking down and rebuilding. After that, Pluto enters Aquarius and begins the real job of transforming awareness and energetic structures, so there is plenty of change ahead.

In any case, the more aware we are of these changing energetic patterns, the more able we will be to utilize them rather than become overwhelmed by them and resist the inevitable alterations in the patterns of our lives.

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The self-destruction of John Edwards

May 23, 2012 By

John Edwards astrologyby Lynn Hayes.  Please note that the URL of this blog has changed and update your bookmarks.

Here in North Carolina where I live, the trial of John Edwards has all of the fascination of the OJ Simpson Trial but without the blood. This story has all of the classic ingredients of a Southern Gothic novel: an arrogant politician, a long-suffering wife dying of cancer, a mistress into “new agey” things like astrology and crystals and a reported $9,000 a month allowance.

John Edwards (see chart) is driven both by a sincere desire to help people and a fierce ambition combined with a brilliant intellect. But with four planets in Gemini, he has difficulty focusing. Gemini of course is the sign of the twins, the sign of communication. Gemini has a thirst for experience, an intense curiosity and a desire to digest as much information as possible. Gemini is the jack of all trades and extremely versatile; they are chameleons who can change their skins frequently and in fact they usually dislike becoming overly involved in one particular project.

Edwards was an extremely successful trial lawyer for 20 years, representing families and children before entering politics after the death of his son in 1996. Edwards’ progressed Sun, which delineates our evolving sense of Self, moved into Leo around that same time.  Leo is the sign of the Ego, and the transition of the progressed sun from Cancer (where it had been for 30 years, being focused on family issues and the family business) into Leo, where one’s own expression in the world becomes the primary matter, was the perfect fuel to feed Edwards’s ambition.

The four planets in Gemini in the chart of John Edwards are the Sun, Mars and a conjunction of the Moon to Mercury. This is a powerful Geminian influence that is the fulcrum of his chart. Mars in Gemini shows that he is driven (Mars) to experience a variety of things and to learn (Gemini), but also that his physical energy (Mars) can be scattered and unfocused (Gemini). Moon in Gemini shows an emotional need (Moon) for variety and a dislike of convention (Gemini). There is also a need to talk and communicate one’s feelings and this can lead to an intellectualization (Gemini) of the feelings (Moon). Jupiter in Gemini suggests success (Jupiter) will come through communication (Gemini) but also that the Gemini tendency to multitask and seek variety becomes expanded (Jupiter).

Most importantly, the conjunction of Jupiter to the Moon indicates an individual who is on a mission (Jupiter). There is an expanded (Jupiter) sense of compassion and nurturing (Moon) and an inner sense of righteousness in one’s path. Jupiter is the King of the Gods after all, and can often bring the kind of self-righteousness we have seen with religious and political leaders whose Suns are connected to Jupiter.

Rising in Edward’s chart is the nurturing sign of Cancer and Mercury (thought process) is in that sign as well, showing that he is very concerned with taking care of others. Cancer is a “cardinal,” or active sign so the nurturing that it provides is very action-oriented: feeding the poor, organizing groups of social conscience. Cancer is also driven by love of family and very protective of their loved ones. It is no wonder that Edwards’s trial practice focused on families. With Mercury in Cancer his thinking process (Mercury) is colored by the emotional sensitivity of Cancer which gives him a strong sensitivity to the needs of others. However, he is likely to be somewhat moody and make important decisions based on the feeling of the day.

I don’t think there’s any doubt that the Edwards family was an important force in Edwards’s life.  The fact that he had an affair doesn’t negate the powerful influence that Elizabeth Edwards had on John Edwards and his career.  The ability to take on a variety of roles without feeling one has jeopardized one aspect of one’s life for another is a hallmark of the Geminian duality.  There is often an amorality to this sign of which I myself, with Gemini rising, am well aware.  Gemini is free from judgment, and assembles a different set of rules for different situations.

A challenging T-square in the chart of John Edwards may help to explain what drove him relentlessly towards the Presidency. Saturn and Neptune are conjunct in his chart in the fourth house, a configuration that combines the desire of Saturn to create form and achieve success with the urge of Neptune to dissolve form and withdraw into the world of spirit. There is a deep inner conflict here that is made stronger by the fact that both planets are retrograde and therefore operate a a more internal level. When Saturn is retrograde in a birthchart it also shows an individual who is self-critical and feels a lack of self-worth on a deep level. Ultimately the goal of this conjunction is to successfully unite the energy of the two planets by giving form to our dreams and ideals rather than dividing in conflict between these two directions. Uranus squares Saturn and Neptune as it does in the charts of many babyboomers, indicating a conflict with authority figures and conventional society (Saturn/Uranus) and between one’s ideals (Neptune) and the reality of change (Uranus).

The drama of John Edwards has been unfolding on the national stage for the past five years, although in North Carolina we witnessed it much earlier as he finally wrested a senate seat from the Republicans only to surrender it in his first failed run for the presidency. Now he is on trial for his life and his reputation as the jury considers whether his use of campaign funds to support his mistress violated campaign finance law.

The astrology does not look good for John Edwards.  His progressed Midheaven, denoting his evolving career path, made an exact square to his natal Pluto (destruction and regeneration) last year and is moving towards the same aspect to Pluto in the progressed chart.  This type of planetary cycle is virtually always a harbinger of some type of major change in one’s work or home life, and usually both because they are so interconnected.  It can also mean the total annhilation of one way of life, since Pluto represents endings and the destruction of an old way of life so that something new may grow in its place.

Still, Edwards’ fate may turn on a dime depending on the jury’s decision.  And in the midst of the intensity of the progressed Midheaven/Pluto dynamic, Jupiter’s optimism and good fortune is smiling on Edwards with conjunction to his natal Midheaven as the jury deliberates, potentially opening doors to sympathetic supporters.  However, a square from Jupiter to his ascendant (his public persona) will annoy those on the jury who consider him arrogant and condescending.

The astrological chips are up in the air and it’s impossible to predict the outcome.

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Solar eclipse at the Gemini New Moon, May 20 2012

May 20, 2012 By

eclipse May 20 2012by Lynn Hayes  Please note that the URL of this blog has changed and update your bookmarks.

This Solar Eclipse at the Gemini New Moon marks a brand new beginning and a fresh start.   New Moons mark the beginning of the lunar cycle, and a New Moon at the first degree of a sign carries its own signature of a new beginning. Gemini is the sign of awakening the mind: the mental curiosity that takes us into new experiences and new ways of looking at the world.

This New Moon is an eclipse because it occurs near the Nodes of the Moon – in this case it aligns in a tight conjunction with the South Node which represents our past history and karmic ties. The Lunar Nodes give eclipses greater significance since we are confronting and clearing energies that continue to lurk from the past. While we are fostering this new beginning and creating new ideas for the future, something or someone from the past will require our attention. We can’t move forward without integrating these lessons.

Mercury, Gemini’s ruler, is conjunct Jupiter at the New Moon which enhances the mind and facilitates understanding. However, Neptune squares the lunation and the South Node which brings an element of mystery and confusion into the mix. The Gemini New Moon wants to be free like a bird to fly above the earth and collect new viewpoints, but Neptune challenges us to surrender our ideas of the way the world works and instead learn to trust our intuitive inner voice. This can create some confusion if we are unused to living a life simultaneously in our inner and outer worlds but it is exactly this experience that leads us to a deeper wisdom.

We have more Geminian energy with the retrograde turn of Venus a few days ago, and the upcoming Transit of Venus across the Sun. Venus retrograde asks us to look back and reassess what it is that we value and how those aspects of our life support us and the world around us.  Gemini seeks understanding without judgment – it is a learning without discrimination or attachment.  Each idea and suggestion has its own value and adds to the richly colored tapestry of life.

The challenging square from Uranus (radical revolution) to Pluto (death and regeneration) continues to oversee every smaller planetary cycle.  This is not a time to hold onto the past or fear the future, because the past is crumbling away under our feet.  The Gemini New Moon grants us an opportunity to gain understanding through the mental realm that can help to support us as we move into this brave new world.

 

 

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The astrology of the Facebook IPO

May 18, 2012 By

Facebook IPO astrologyby Lynn Hayes  Please note that the URL of this blog has changed and update your bookmarks.

The Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Facebook stock occurs at 11 am today, May 18 2012.  This is considered such a momentous offering that Mark Zuckerberg rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange today.

Venus, governing the accumulation of money and values, has just turned retrograde which often creates a reversal in the common thinking around the stock market.  When Venus began to slow down in anticipation of its retrograde turn the stock market began its downward slide (other Venus retrograde periods have seen increases, so it has more to do with a change in viewpoint than a particular direction the markets take).

We also have Saturn getting ready to change direction in late June.  That is over a month away, but Saturn has already slowed down and will travel only a degree or so before it turns direct on June 25th.  Saturn is the planet that provides us with a reality check.  It does not suffer fools gladly, nor does it reward excessive optimism and speculation.

There is plenty of optimism floating around because the Sun has just conjoined Jupiter, the planet of optimism and good fortune. Astrologer Grace Morris suggested that timing the IPO to begin after 10:45 am would put the Sun/Jupiter conjunction in the 10th house (representing the public exchange).  But Jupiter is not always as beneficent as it may appear.  Jupiter can cause us to become complacent and overreach, especially since Leo is rising on the ascendant of the IPO chart.  The Leo ascendant is perfect for the kind of bigger than life event this IPO has become.  And the Moon in Taurus right at the Midheaven, the peak of the chart, favors activities of finance and securities.

Still, the planetary energy is ripe for disillusionment with Neptune, the planet of hopes and dreams, in a challenging square to the Nodes of the Moon which point the direction to our fate.  This is a combination of factors that can be quite treacherous in an electional chart for a new business venture.

I am not a financial adviser!  But if I were, I would probably stay clear of the Facebook IPO.

Disclaimer: I am not a financial adviser and this post represents merely my comments based on the astrology of the IPO.  It should not be construed as financial advice of any kind.  

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European elections and political musings

May 7, 2012 By

Uranus square PlutoThe phrase “May you live in interesting times” has often been identified as a “Chinese curse,” although Wikipedia debunks that notion.  But the viewpoint that interesting times could be a curse supports the idea that change, for most people, is difficult.

We are living in very interesting times indeed, and heading into times that will be even more interesting as Uranus in Aries faces off against Pluto in Capricorn in June.  If you’re new here you’ll be reading a great deal more about this aspect and I hope to be putting up a major article on the subject this week.  Capricorn represents the established structures of power, and Aries represents the urge for self-determination.  Pluto is the planet of annhilation and transformation, so while it travels through Capricorn (through 2023) there is sure to be dramatic change in political structures around the world.

That began last weekend with elections in Europe as the established order lost power in many nations and splinter groups (Uranus represents the oddball fringe elements of society among other things) gained a footing in the governmental bodies of these nations.

Capricorn can be a sign of hardship, and austerity programs throughout Europe have attempted to get a handle on the rising debt that we saw increase during Pluto’s reign in Sagittarius (the sign of expansion and optimism).

The most unnerving sign of the upcoming Uranus/Pluto square was the rise of the ultra-right wing neo-Nazi party in Greece known as Golden Dawn.  Uranus in Aries represents the revolution (Uranus) of the individual (Aries).  This is a symbol of anarchy and ultimate liberation, and as it continues to face off against the power structures (Pluto in Capricorn) over the next three years the entire global political landscape will change.

Even Osama bin Laden worried about splinter groups undermining his control over Al Qaeda, reflecting the growing resistance to any kind of larger and more powerful political structure by radical (Uranus) individualistic (Aries) groups (Uranus entered Aries in 2010). The Tea Party wing of the Republican party is a symbol of this kind of radical force, as is the Occupy movement in the US.

The square formation between Uranus and Pluto began last year when the two planets aligned within a degree, but the first exact square comes in June.  Watch these pages for more Uranus/Pluto news, and you may want to catch up with this article to get a historical perspective.

 

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A few words about the May 5th Supermoon

May 5, 2012 By

Image found on Facebook with no attribution

by Lynn Hayes  If you missed yesterday’s post on the Full Moon you can read it here.

The May Full Moon occurs as the Moon is at what’s called perigee, its closest proximity to Earth.  When the Moon is near the Earth it appears larger than life, and astrologer Richard Nolle coined the term “Supermoon” because of the powerful impact the Supermoon often has on the earth.  As Richard explains it (and has done since 1979), the Supermoon occurs when the Sun, Moon and Earth are lined up in a particularly tight formation.  Richard has noted correspondences between the Supermoons (which occur at least four times a year) and earthquakes and tidal forces.

Examples of the SuperMoon connection with major storms and seismic events abound: the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, the largest volcanic event in the second half of the 20th Century, took place on June 15, 1991 (within three days of a SuperMoon); the October 6, 1948 Richter 7.3 earthquake that struck Ashgabat, Turkmenistan and took 110,000 lives, one of the deadliest earthquakes on record (again within three days of a SuperMoon, allowing for time zones); and the September 8, 1900 hurricane and tidal surge that struck Galveston, Texas on the day of a SuperMoon, which killed more people (8,000 dead) than any other Atlantic hurricane on record and remains the deadliest natural disaster yet to strike the United States. I’m just scratching the surface here, citing only a few historic instances in the past hundred years or so. Look a little deeper, and you’ll run across literally hundreds more greater and lesser seismic and meteorological disturbances, from Hurricane Andrew in 1992 to the 1989 World Series (Loma Prieta) earthquake – just to name a couple contemporary notable examples.

More recently, there was the February 28, 2010 SuperMoon, which well illustrates the storm and seismic potential associated with this alignment. As described in my 2010 World Forecast Highlights, the geocosmic shock window associated with the February 28 SuperMoon ran “from February 25 through March 3,” signaling a “newsworthy upsurge in moderate-to-severe seismic activity (including magnitude 5+ earthquakes and volcanic eruptions), plus strong storms with damaging winds and heavy precipitation; along with extreme high tides.” My forecast described the alignment as “global in scope by definition,” but with “special risk zones” including “west-central South America.” If you donÂ’t remember it, Google the freakish combination of a monster megathrust 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Chile, a Pacific tsunami, the “snow hurricane” in the Northeastern US, and hurricane-force killer winds in France – all happening at once on February 27.

If the Supermoon can have such a powerful effect on the Earth, we can see where it may also have a powerful effect on our psyches.  Not everyone experiences lunar events the same way.  Our astrological charts describe how sensitive we are to different forces: those of us with a great deal of water, especially Cancer, are more sensitive to the Moon.  Those of us with strong Mercury and Uranian influences are more sensitive to electrical forces.  We are all different, which is why there is no way to make predictions that will be effective for everyone.

Since the Full Moon opens wide the curtains to the emotional world, the Supermoon does so with even more force.  Don’t be surprised if you find yourself wide open, free of the usual protective coating with which you usually shroud yourself.  We are in the Scorpio realm in this Supermoon, and can find our true power (one of the lessons of Scorpio) only in letting go of any superficiality that doesn’t serve us in our True Purpose.  Of course we are balancing this against the Taurean Sun, which grounds us to the Earth and helps us to find the peace and serenity that recharges and infuses us with a deep inner strength.

The effect of any Full Moon generally lasts for a few days after the event.  Allow this lunar energy to open the heart deeply and find that balance between the inner realm and the outer world that gives us our true humanity.

for daily planetary cycles visit my Facebook and Twitter pages.

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Scorpio Full Moon: May 5, 2012

May 4, 2012 By

Full Moon ScorpioIn the Full Moon is in Scorpio nothing is superficial – this Full Moon is all about delving deep into the Mysteries where the Truth lies unexposed in its raw and most real form.  The astrological Moon represents our emotions and feelings – it shows where we retreat to when we are under stress and our instinctive reactions that are unencumbered by any sense of what others expect.

Scorpio is a water sign and therefore involved with the emotional realm.  But Scorpio’s traditional ruler is Mars – a fire planet.  The emotion of Scorpio is nothing like the “go with the flow” emotional adaptability of Pisces, or the deeply sensitive and easily wounded nature of Cancer.  Scorpio is passionate and intense and can be aggressive in its need to defend and protect.  Scorpio’s modern ruler is Pluto, the planet of transformation and the ultimate Truth of Life and Death, which drives that need for intensity into a powerhouse of release and reconstruction.

In the Scorpio Full Moon the lunar instinct turns towards the fire of emotion in order to find our inner passions and face our emotions with courage and awareness. However, the Sun is opposite the Moon in Taurus, seeking peace and serenity in the midst of that Scorpionic emotional fire.  The Full Moon, like any opposition, requires balance.  The Scorpio Moon is in its ascendancy and is the stronger of the two during this lunar event, but the Taurus Sun is whispering to us, encouraging us to stay rooted into the Earth while we allow the fire of our passions and enthusiasm to engulf us in the flames of transcendence.

Scorpio as a rule demands our complete attention, and that will be emphasized as an opposition from Mercury to Saturn (discipline and material reality) culminates at the Full Moon and forces us to confront any areas of our psyche in which we carry a delusion that holds us back.

Meanwhile an awkward aspect  between Uranus (radical behavior) and Mars (aggressive instinct) suggests an inner restlessness and urge to flee the confrontation of this Full Moon and planning for some sort of outlet for this energy is advised. Mars is also exactly square (a conflicting aspect) to the lunar nodes which represent a sense of fate and inner direction, so this Full Moon marks a sort of turning point. Perhaps a decision will be necessary, or an event will occur that will affect our lives permanently.

Those of us with an emphasis in Scorpio, or with strong Mars and Pluto aspects, will find this Full Moon exhilarating in its power.  Those of us who are somewhat fearful of these influences may feel rather overwhelmed, but remember that this Full Moon is a beautiful opportunity to allow your own drive and motivation and deepest desires be known.

This Full Moon is a time of courage and raw power.  Let go of the superficial – let go of any illusions of who you think you are.  Be not afraid:  allow your delusions and confusions to be burned away in the fire of emotion, and allow yourself to emerge from the ashes renewed and with a new understanding of who you really are.  THAT is the lesson of this Scorpio Full Moon.

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Lynn’s Skywatch: Planetary Illuminations for May now posted

May 1, 2012 By

May horoscopesThings are heating up for the Uranus/Pluto square in June!  You can read the entire article here, but here is the general overview of the month to get you started.  If you’re not already on my mailing list please sign up in the sidebar and you will receive not only the latest planetary news but also a simplified translation that is easy for newbies to understand.

There are two big news stories for May and a few smaller headlines. Planetary activity over the past six months or so has been relatively quiet, with very few outer planet alignments that foster intense change and transformation on a global and personal level. This, however, is about to end as the upcoming square from Uranus to Pluto becomes tighter and tighter, culminating on June 24 th. Uranus is the planet of radical change and liberation from repression, and Pluto is the planet of death and total transformation. You can see how a challenging aspect between these two planets can be quite intense and inspire global upheaval as social and cultural traditions are forced to give way to new patterns of human life.

Follow the Astrological Musings blog for more detailed articles about the square from Uranus to Pluto, but this aspect actually began last summer when the two planets came within a degree of the exact alignment, fostering revolutionary fervor and a desire for change. This summer marks the first exact aspect, and the groundwork that has been laid for the eighteen months will culminate and there is likely to be a great deal of political upheaval. How we handle this in our personal life will depend upon our own chart and the planetary aspects that we ourselves are experiencing.

The second major news story for May is the retrograde turn of Venus, the planet of beauty and relating. Venus only changes direction every eighteen months or so, unlike the outer planets which are retrograde for roughly half the year and Mercury, which retrogrades four times a year. Planetary retrograde periods serve to encourage us to complete unfinished business and to perfect half-baked processes, so they are very important and useful. But because they necessitate a backwards view they can be somewhat frustrating which is where they get their bad reputation.

When Venus is retrograde we often reacquaint ourselves with people from our past, or repair broken connections that require mending. It can be difficult to begin a new relationship when Venus is retrograde, and any kind of partnership (personal or business) that begins under this influence may have a difficult time taking root. Venus will remain retrograde through June 27 th.

What makes this particular Venus retrograde period exceptional is that it coincides with a transit of Venus over the Sun, a relatively rare event that occurs in pairs eight years apart only every 243 years. The first transit of Venus over the Sun in the current cycle occurred in June 2004, and the next one won’t occur until 2117. The coincidence of such a rare astronomical event occurring during the dreaded 2012 has given rise to much speculation about the end of the world, but these transits of Venus are not associated with devastation. Transits of Venus always occur in Gemini and Sagittarius – the signs of knowledge and understanding – and they have been associated throughout history with breakthroughs in these areas.

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