Tag: retrograde planets

Keep Your Eyes on Uranus

Even though it is in retrograde Uranus is right now as close to Earth as it can be. We know from mythology that Uranus has trickster energy – completely unpredictable and somewhat destructive.

Because Uranus rules electricity, lightening and many astrologers are pointing to his hand in the devastating wild fires in California.

I prefer to work on the more personal level, however. Where Uranus is transiting in your chart right now is an area is one that can use a jolt. It is always best to come out ahead of Uranus – you want to make the change that you may have been ruminating on for seemingly forever – don’t allow Uranus to make that change for you. He can cause quite the shock! For a quick review of your current chart and how Uranus will impact you in the next few months – click here – only $25

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P.S. One of the many reasons this summer has been so unpredictable is that every New Moon we have had has been conjunct Uranus – He is just having a ball causing all of this agitation!

 

 

The Joy and Healing Possibilities of a Mercury Retrograde.

It takes the Sun 225 million years to revolve around the Milky Way center. Keep that in mind because now I have to tell you that Mercury will retrograde from June 7 to July 2 this year. See now it is not 225 million years in retrograde so no worries! 

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you will know that I hate the doom and gloom energy that surrounds so much of astrological writings these days. Retrograde periods are a good time to go inward and explore that energy in our chart. We have an aversion to slowing down and assessing our talents in this society as we think we need to be always “on point.” We are so “go, do, move, be.” Instead of “think, assess, learn who you are and improve the inner self!” Retrogrades tell us to go within, assess and improve. As much as we moan about them, retrogrades are necessary evils. They are pointers to areas which need improvement in our lives. We have the choice of complaining or doing something about our issues!

With her permission, in fact, it was her idea; I am sharing the chart of Mari McCarthy, the dynamo behind CreateWriteNow, www.createwritenow.com.  Mari’s mantras are Create Your Life Write Now with Mari, and Journaling for the Health of It! She is a no nonsense journaling coach who helps motivated people who want to do to the work to get the most of their lives. She is a teacher who lives the lesson every day and has turned her Mercury retrograde around and now shows others how to do the same.  



Mari was born with her Mercury retrograded in her fifth house, the house of creativity and expressing our inner talents. With the Mercury in reticent Capricorn, an astrologer would immediately say this is a person with self-expression problems, someone who does not want her voice heard or cannot make it heard. That was the beginning of Mari’s story but not her current story. Through intense introspection, hours of journaling work – which she now teaches her client, and sheer courage, she has found the karmic and current life roots of that retrograde and has more than set that Mercury energy on a direct path again.


While as a child, she was afraid to express herself, always allowing others to be her voice Mari is now a fierce advocate for herself. She has literally found her voice – her singing voice – that she never felt had value and she has taken to the recording studio.

She didn’t stop there, however. Mari also has applied her journaling energy beyond “just” finding her voice and now is literally journaling her way back to physical health.  (Notice that Capricorn, ruler of her retrograded Mercury, opens her sixth house of health.) She wouldn’t let the health problems caused by this energy debilitate her and every day she is on a return path to wellness.

Mari has not only reversed her Mercury retrograded action, she has taken her lessons learned and paid them forward to people willing to do the work with her.  It is a classic case of karmic lemons into lemonades.

Mari and I became instant friends, having found each other through our work. One of the things that made me like her so quickly was that she didn’t give off the energy I see so often of “oh I can’t do anything because I have this retrograde here and that retrograde there.” Instead she was glad to see the retrogrades so that she could concentrate her energy on them. She had already been doing so much work on herself and now she said the chart was truly like a road map. Creative music to my ears!

So instead of complaining about the inevitable problems of a Mercury retrograde, use that inward energy to do that inner work necessary to correct your expression issues. While you are at it check out Mari’s website, CreateRIghtNow.com.

Where is Nine Degrees of Libra in Your Chart?

Finally! Mars will come out of his long retrograde! On May 19, Mars will find his way forward  and will assist you in putting new plans and ideas into motion. I have one caveat here – the retrograded Mars was part of the fabled “grand cross” of April. Anyone plotting malevolent deeds, not using the energies of the cross to advance themselves spiritually, will use this time to put their deeds into actions.
However, I am sure all of my readers are the most enlightened of creatures so this will not be an issue with you– right, right???

This will be a very slow movement forward for Mars, which is rare, because he is usually pretty speedy. However, this has been a year for weird occurrences. Mars stations at 9 degrees of Libra and will sit there for three weeks, from May 7 to June 1. Libra is a cardinal sign – a sign of action.   My next question to you is where is 9 degrees Libra in your chart?

For me, it is going to be a humdinger of a time! As you can see from my chart below, my natal Mars is at 8 degrees Libra. Therefore, for three weeks I will have transiting Mars sitting on my natal Mars giving me a double dose of Mars energy. With natal Mars in my 12th house, the house that is our connection to the universe, this is a perfect time for me to sharpen my spiritual skills.

Don’t waste this time! Find 9 degrees Libra in your chart and discover  how are you going to use the Mars power!



Saturn and Mars in Retrograde and the Grand Cross of April

It is all over the “Astrology world” that April – is going to be a terrible month. April does have a bad rap because of the ingress of the Sun into Aries, ruled by Mars, the warrior at the Vernal Equinox. Hitler was born in April, the Civil War started in April, there was Columbine, and the list goes on. Adding fuel to the fire is the Grand Cross that will be at its height during the week of April 20. 

A grand cross is when four planets are in opposition to each other. In this case, we will have retrograded Pluto in Capricorn opposing Jupiter in Cancer and Uranus in Aries opposing a retrograded Mars in Libra. These planets will be in cardinal signs. There are three kinds of signs, mutable, cardinal, and fixed. The mutable signs are easy going – go along and get along, the fixed signs have more stubborn in nature, and cardinals are the movers the shakers, the doers. Hence, the doom and gloom – the god of War, the god of expansion, the god of quick change and the god of slow change all pulling against each other and in cardinal signs – each grasping for their piece of the pie! Two of them in retrograde, meaning their energy is going inward – looking for an escape.

Saturn is not included in the cross but is sitting on the side and is in retrograde in Scorpio, a fixed and intense sign. Both Mars and Saturn have gone retrograde this week…just as Putin crossed into the Ukraine. Do you see why people are wary of the Cross?

I don’t buy into the total destruction scenarios. I mean there are people who are saying the EU will collapse, we will be in total war, and oh, here comes the bomb! Doom and gloom sells. This will be a difficult time but come on.


OK let’s do the bright side thing. You have Pluto and Jupiter together – that is a sign for spiritual growth. Yes, it is better when they are in conjunction and not in opposition but even in difficult times, we can have spiritual growth.  Uranus and Mars exhibit the most erratic energy and frankly the most frightening of this whole configuration. If there is violence, if there are wars it will be because of them. However, we can make the conscious decision to eliminate tensions – smooth over issues that could cause the spark – assess what is making us angry. We can overcome the grand cross.

Of course, there are elements who are prone to anger and attack. I personally think that these retrogrades will cause someone or some faction we are not expecting, to cause the biggest problem. Saturn and Mars retrograde are anger and aggression turned inward.

So yes, Putin can go crazy in the Ukraine – that is a very Mars-Saturn aspect. However, that retrograde could bring up someone feeling marginalized to go on the fritz. I would look out for some radical who is unhappy with the way his world is going – right wing terrorism.

Let’s keep in mind that there are positive aspects that we can use this time to feel what is irritating and correct it – take positive steps to stop anger from cropping up and to find what is blocking our spiritual growth.

The choice is always ours. 

February – Retrograded Mercury – The Winter Season of the Planetary Cycle.

 OK I am telling you now and I don’t want to hear the complaints – remember, one, it isn’t my fault and two; there are benefits to a retrograde. Nothing in the universe is all good or all bad – there are gifts in every placement.

 Mercury is going retrograde on February 6 while it is still in Pisces and does not get out until February 28thwhen it is in Aquarius.  Yes, it is the entire freaking month but again I didn’t do it!

Before the freaking out ensues over missed messages, screwed up computers, phones that go wack-a-doodle, travel plans disintegrate, remember there is a benefit to that retrograded or backwards energy.  When Mercury is in retrograde, it is a time that we must slowdown in order to prevent disaster. What is wrong with that?

Mercury in retrograde is a time when we can rethink situations – old habits, old response mechanisms.  In this day of instant communication and immediate responses – what is wrong with a bit of introspection? Use the “backward time” of Mercury to reassess old through patterns and responses to learn where you can improve.

While this may seem counter-intuitive, think of this retrograde period as a great time to restart a stalled project. Is your closet half-organized and half-frightening disaster area? Fix it now.  Do you still have holiday cards from 2012 to complete?  Dive in.



In a society that looks only forward and insists on relentless pushing forward there is really nothing wrong with slowing down and going through some checklists. Think of a retrograde of the winter season of a planet. Winter is a time when we are supposed to hibernate, rest and prepare for the rebirth of spring. We don’t do that anymore. We live in the same speed all of the time – it isn’t healthy.

If you are having a “bad” retrograde period, take a breath and figure out where you are pushing too hard. That is the area you need to reassess – pull back and clean up before you charge ahead later.

It could be a Griswald Christmas

I will keep this brief because no one has excess minutes this time of year  – which is so odd because this is the time of year when we should be nesting and go within. When it is darker and colder we are programmed to be inward and more reflective. Oh well, another way we are out of sync with nature!

Venus went into retrograde on the Solstice – bringing her creative and loving energies inward. At the same time, Mars moved into the cardinal (action) sign of Libra. With Venus being less than forceful and Mars in full tilt – let’s just say keep crabby Uncle Sam away from the rest of the family. There is too much energy out there that is unbridled and angry.

I hope the world keeps a lid on the anger through the new year.

Happy Holidays all!

Major Gemini-Sagitarrian Activitiy TODAY!

The question of today is where is Gemini at 27 degrees in your chart?  Let me explain.
Every year at this time, the Sun passes over the Galactic Center – the rotational point of Milky Way. The Center is at 27 degrees Sagittarius – so 27 degrees into the constellation of Sagittarius is the center of the Milky Way.  (The Sun is at 25 degrees Sagittarius now and will be fully at 27 degrees on Thursday.)


Today we are going to experience a full Moon – (when the Sun and Moon are opposing one another in the sky. The Moon is “full” because it is far away from the Sun and its natural light flows uninhibited.  That full Moon is in Gemini at 27 degrees. 

Gemini and Sagittarius share an astrological axis. Gemini is the ruler of our thoughts, the way we communicate. Sagittarius is where we go out into the world and explore to hone our truth and expand our knowledge. Both deal with expressing ourselves. 
This is a perfect Moon placement to expand our perceptions, explore our beliefs, and examine how our mental tapes are running. From now until the Solstice on Saturday, we should be tuning into those energies to help clear out our mental cobwebs, finding, and expressing our truth! 
To help this new mental energy flow even better we finally have Uranus (rebellious, new energy) out of retrograde. It is at station direct – meaning it is sort of appearing to stand still in the sky but it is not heading backwards. Use Uranus – set that goal to be honest with your thoughts and honest with others.

So back to my first question – where is Gemini at 27 degrees in your chart. That is the area where this activation vibrates most for you. For me it is in 9th house – the house of Sagittarius, which happens to be my North Node. Wow, I have no excuse not to pursue and live my truth now. I had better get to work!

OK I Can Tell You Now – Jupiter is in Retrograde.

I know I have been telling you that the big invisible guys, Neptune, Pluto, Uranus and the asteroid Juno are finally going direct and all will be out of retrograde around the beginning of the year.  I didn’t lie – don’t come after me with pitchforks. However, I may have sort of let’s say – neglected to tell you about Jupiter. Yes, Jupiter is heading backwards – well it is already there  – yes Jupiter will be retrograded in Cancer until mid March 2014.

But wait there is good news. Jupiter is the planet of expansion and moving up and out and forward – constant growth and movement. However, we are headed into the time when we should be going inwards. The days are getting shorter, on December 21 we will experience the shortest, darkest day of the year. You know it is insane that we race around in November and December, shopping and doing – we should be coming in from the cold and nesting not racing to Toys R U at 1 in the morning!

Since Jupiter is in the sign of Cancer, of home and hearth what better time for it to be in retrograde? It is telling us to slow down, assess where we need to work out any issues at home. Appreciate the beauty of a roaring firing and maybe making gifts for people instead of buying something. Spend some time learning how to be inwardly expansive as the days go away and be reading to burst forth in spring. How better to follow the pattern of the seasons. Let Jupiter be your guide on your inward journey.

Pluto Leaves Retrograde!!!!!

The long astrological nightmare is soon to be over… to paraphrase Gerald Ford. Our poor beleaguered little planet is finally pulling out of those big planet retrogrades – Uranus, Pluto, Neptune and the asteroid Juno. A retrograde is the phenomena that makes a planet look like it is going backwards in the sky. This is a trick of the eye because of where we are on the ecliptic and where they are. Astrologically, when a planet is in retrograde the energy that it is sending us is “garbled.” We have to search for it. If you are born with a planet retrograded, you need to go inwards, and rework that energy. Therefore, people with Mercury energy may not learn “normally” or have speech issues – they need to work that energy in a new way. We have all been under a retrograde of these “big guys” for several months and boy have we felt it…fighting, anger, feelings of being stuck…well hang on – the first one, Pluto, will station direct and start moving forward starting September 20th. Take advantage of this by putting some change that you have been contemplating into motion. Pluto rules the world of change – transformation and rebirth. So what have you been procrastinating about? Do it – do it now. Pluto will burst forth with energy on the 20th, which will help you. Be sure to check my new podcast on webtalkradio.com http://webtalkradio.net/internet-talk-radio/astrological-cook/

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. 🙂