TIME FOR THE EQUINOX

March 20, 2014
12: 57 PM EDT
Happy Equinox all! This is the time when the Sun moves into the sign of Aries, the first sign of the Zodiac. It is no wonder that all of the major organized religions celebrate this time as a time of rebirth and renewal. Aries is the Baby of the Zodiac. It vibrates to the energy of the first house – the house of personality where we burst out and say hey world look at me. The Equinox brings forth the newness of spring – where we plant new seeds for change.
Plant the seeds now to burst forth with the person you want to be when the summer solstice comes around!
This year both Juno and Uranus in Aries are shadowing the Sun. This is great deal of volatile energy. Uranus in Aries is sending out energy that is almost daring us to be different. Juno, the goddess of loyalty, is conjuncting both Uranus and the Sun so we have no excuse – no excuse at all — not to make important changes now.
Aries is Cardinal energy (leadership energy). We have the Sun, Juno, and Uranus all giving us the ability to initiate change in our life. Of course, someone still living in shadow and not working to become the best but looking to be negative can use this erratic energy to cause harm. I have spoken a lot about the Grand Cross and the negative energy that can come from it. However, if we are looking to harness the goodness of the universe to elevate ourselves – use the energy of these three powerhouses today.

Juno the Loyalty Goddess in Retrograde

First I want to thank the people at “Dell Horoscope” for their wonderful review of “Signs of the Tines: The Ultimate Astrological Cookbook,” which can be read on my website wwww.signsofthetines.com – under “press.” I have written a lot about the “big” retrogrades we are under right now – Pluto, Neptune, etc. The big boys and girls. We do have a fairly prominent asteroid also in retrograde, that is, Juno, the goddess of loyalty – the consort. When she is strong in a birth chart – and hovers around the 7 – 8 houses the person will be looking for a committed relationship – sometimes to a fault. I have seen many strong Juno’s cause a person to stick with a highly unfavorable mate because they are stuck on that need to be committed to someone no matter what! However, what does it mean when Juno, like now, is in retrograde? Well this is a time to find fault in relationships – to want to tear down and analyze what isn’t making us tick. Someone born with Juno in retrograde will have to work harder to find that “one and only” and to make it work for all parties. Right now Juno is retrograded in the rebellious planet of Uranus. Depending on where Juno is in your natal chart – you can be doing a lot of questioning about the relationships that you are in. Remember it is Juno – don’t make any rash decisions! I wonder if the little “tiff” in the Republican Party has something to do with Juno. There are the rebels our “Tea Party” – ah pals – who are questioning the loyalty of what is left of the normal GOP. I for one love watching what is going on and thank Juno for stirring up a wee bit of trouble. 🙂

Pluto and Juno Together With the Sun Right Now

This holiday week we have a funky conjunction in the sky. Pluto, the Sun and Juno are all in conjunction in the sign of Capricorn. I said funky, I should have said a confusing conjunction. Pluto and the Sun together brings and energy to changing ourselves; to “focus like a laser beam” on making ourselves into the person we always wanted to be. Capricorn is a sign that is all about doing things by the book. Develop a plan and follow it to the letter is what Capricorn is good at. So you can see this is a pretty good placement to have at the end of the year when we are working on resolutions and promising to be better in the New Year.

Juno thrown into the picture is a bit odd. Juno and the Sun together is intense loyalty toward a relationship. Juno was the consort goddess in mythology. In the best of worlds this is a good time to work on your relationship with another person together – what can WE do to change to make this relationship work together. Of course, this could disintegrate into well I am doing this what are YOU doing? However, let’s be positive about this and see it as a time to work together to make things work better for both.

Happy New Year.

Election Day 2012 – continued “The Girls Rule”

As I mentioned last week, with Mercury going retrograde on Election Day – there can be any number of tricks going on – voting machines breaking down, funny “contracts” being made, deceptions galore. Remember the last time and only other time Mercury turned retro on Election Day – 2000? Need I say more?

That said there are several good things in President Obama’s chart on that day. On this triwheel of his birth chart, progressed chart and then transit chart of the day, I am first drawn to progressed Venus conjuncting his Black Moon Lilith in the 7th house – the house of close contacts. Venus, of course, is the ultimate woman, Lilith is the ultimate “bad girl.” She is the rebel who said I do it my way not his way. Those two combined in the fiery sign of Leo leads me to think alot of peeved women are going to come together and give the President a boost on that day!

However, this is squaring a very strong Mars in the 10th – the house of career and public.  Now Mars (conjunct Juno) in the 10th is a good placement for the President – but when it squares his progressed Venus it makes me think that there will be a male -female battle that the women are going to have to win.

More on Mars next time.

Happy Solstice! What does that mean anyway?

It is the Summer Solstice! Yippee! Ok so what does that mean exactly? It is defined in astronomy as the time when the Earth tips on its axis and the Northern part becomes closest to the Sun. For those of us in the Northern hemisphere it brings the onset of summer. It is also the longest day of the year when we have the most sunlight. Astrologically, it is the moment when the Sun tips into Cancer. As you can see in the chart below – the Sun, signified by the blue circle with the dot in the center is in zero degrees Cancer. This will happen at 7:30 AM Eastern on June 21, 2010.

The word solstice comes from the Latin – sol – Sun -and sistere – to stand still and it does look from our vantage point on the ecliptic that the Sun is standing still in the sky. (Yes, I know it always stands still but they didn’t know that when Latin was all the rage.) We know now that because of the way we are tilting it appears that the Sun is static. The science has changed but not the name. For about three days it seems that the Sun has nothing better to do than pour a heavy concentration of its light right on our little heads. Summer is a time of fire, when the sun is growing our crops and providing the food that will nourish our bodies throughout the rest of year.

Cancer, however, is a water sign and tells us that it is the time for home and the enjoyment of friends of family. Summer is the traditional time for family picnics and reunions enjoyed under the warming rays of the Sun – usually by the water. The United States, a country “born” under the sign of Cancer – July 4, 1776 instituted a day of outdoor family celebration right at this time of sun and water!

Later, as the Sun moves into fiery Leo, we will experience the full intensity of the Sun as we move into the “dog days” of summer and finally earthy Virgo takes over in time of the harvest.

What is the “best” way to celebrate the Summer Solstice? Any darn way you please. However, if can incorporate water and fire elements into the day you will be very satisfied I am sure.

This year, Juno, the goddess of loyalty and partnership, will be in conjunction with the Sun as will Mercury. However, this Sun-Juno combination, which is normally of time of committing to someone else, is opposite a Pluto-Ceres conjunction. Pluto is the great transformer – the slow and grinding changer. Ceres is mother Earth. (HMMM Pluto and Ceres are in conjunction in the 6th house of health and physicality and the Earth is erupting toxic oil into the Gulf. Think about that one for a bit.) Add to this mix that the Sun-Juno sisters are in the 12th house – the house of the great cosmic unconsciousness – the house of karma. Can you see what is happening?

A Pluto opposition is a demand to change. Pluto is opposing the Sun – our life force – and Juno – loyalty and commitment and it has karma thrown in. So we will see a time when people are questioning their commitments to others and if it is a karmic commitment – people who came together “like magic” in this lifetime there could be some debt paying to one another. Ceres and Juno in opposition cause “female problems,” i.e. mothers and daughters questioning their relationships. Children particularly from other marriages will be chafing under the rules of the “new mommy.”

So while we are playing on the beach this summer, look out for the sharks. No, not those sharks – the ones that will crop up from the dance of the stars over head!

Happy Solstice all!

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Say Hello to the Girls – Juno – Goddess Asteroid

I thought I would end the year with a look at four of the goddess asteroids that I use in my chart readings. Juno, Pallas Athena, Vesta and Ceres are all asteroids which vibrate to the energy of the ancient Greek and Roman Goddesses. Let’s start with the lady in white, Juno. Juno is the ancient Roman goddess of marriage, the Divine Consort. (The Greeks called her Hera, the Roman’s changed her name to Juno. She was the wife of Zeus and Jupiter respectively and in both cultures she gave up a great deal of power to enter into those unions. ) The Romans named the six month, June, after her – the month that even then was a time of many weddings. She works on issues of loyalty and commitment.

When Juno makes a major transit in a chart it indicates a time of either coming together or breaking apart – depending on the aspects. June resides in the sky near the Libra and Scorpio constellations and she uses the energy of both. With Libra she seeks harmony and union – but when that union isn’t working – Scorpionic jealousy and anger can boil over. Remember, she gave up a lot to marry and sometimes that breeds unrest.

In a karmic chart analysis I look how each person’s Juno interacts. If there are negative aspects, you can be sure there was some disharmony in the past so if the two people are thinking of making a go of it again you have to hope they get it right this time!