Mars with Saturn and Pluto In Capricorn – Anger Mangement?

On March 17, Mars joins Pluto and Saturn in Capricorn. Like his fellow travelers, Mars enjoys the ride through this constellation. Mar loves aggressive direct action and Capricorn enjoys organization and direct action. The good part is that Capricorn will hold back some of the more risky Mars behavior. Mars wants to lash out and act regardless of consequences. Capricorn is more the village elder informing Mars with common sense calming energy.

Mars will march through Capricorn for most of the year and will retrograde back at the end of the year.

Evaluate where you may be too angry, where you don’t think before you act or where you are holding childish angers too deep inside. Process these through the fatherly energy of Capricorn. Is there a better way to resolve issues? Can you make a long term plan to release pent up anger?

The point of this energy is to mature your anger responses and make them more productive instead of reactionary. We need more of this energy right now so let’s use it!

Joan and Johnny – the Feud

With the sudden death of Joan Rivers, I decided to look at her battle with Johnny Carson that lives as one of the Hollywood’s great feuds. The story unfolded when, after years of being his fill in host, Joan Rivers took a job with the new Fox Network to host her own late night show. According to Rivers, she had inside information that NBC would never give the show to a woman and her contract was ending. Whatever the details, Carson hung up the phone when she called him and never spoke to her again. 
Karma anyone?
Of course, I had to look at their charts to see what forces could have led to him first giving her career the boost it needed to take off and then almost destroy it. 
The biwheel of their chart tells me three things immediately – karma, power and jobs. Let’s do the juicy stuff first – karma. Her retrograded Juno, the goddess of loyalty and partnership, is on his Mars, the warrior, in the 12th house. There is no more karma house that the 12th because it connects us to the universe and carries our karmic history. Hmm, it seems like this played out once before. She was in an inferior position (because of the retrograde) and royally annoyed him by defying his power. Mars is the leader, the epitome of male energy, so it seems Johnny just didn’t like this happening again! I wonder if they are doomed to repeat the situation although she always said she appreciated what he did for her career and a good deal of pain over the whole thing. Has he moved on? Guess we will have to wait and see.
OK we had karma how about power? Look at the eighth house, the house of personal power. He had Pallas and Vesta there, ironically they are two female asteroids named for the goddess of war and the goddess of the devotion to a cause, respectively.  These two gals gave him drive and determination as Vesta gives us the desire to overcome all obstacles. However, right on top of these powerhouses are Joan’s Sun, Mercury and Venus; her inner energy, her communication skills and her creative energy. That makes sense in light of the encouragement he gave her to reach her creative goals in the entertainment business. I do find it funny that they have their Vesta’s in conjunction meaning they could have – and they did indeed- work together for a long time to overcome power obstacles. He boosted her career and she was a reliable co-host. However, playing with that much energy and that much power is a little bit like dancing with burning torches – you can get seriously burned at any time. 
 
 
Finally, Carson had a retrograded Chiron in Aries, the wounded warrior, in his 6th house, the house of day-to-day work. This accounted for his colossal temperament and touchiness when on the job. He was carrying an enormous chip on his shoulder in the workplace. Mars rules Aries and he was always looking for people who were threatening his power. Well along comes her Uranus, the rebel and it plunked right down on that wound issue. Uranus is the rebellious teenager of the Zodiac. Who better to stick a pin in Aries ego?
The stars show the battle that ensued. Why there was no kiss and make up between the two might have something to do with his Mars and Saturn in stubborn and vengeful Scorpio in the first house. Mars and Saturn in conjunction is not a good placement – it is warrior energy and authoritarian energy (see my recent blogs on the current Mars/Saturn conjunction and the havoc is it causing to the planet right now.) Johnny may have been the king of late night but he was a difficult man, a secretive man, an insecure man and a man of vengeance. She got on his wrong side and there was no going back.
Maybe now – maybe now – they can meet on the other side and put a stop to this. Maybe…

August 25 – The New Moon – No More Excuses.

We have a new Moon coming up today. The New Moon is a good time for setting intentions and decide on ways we will manifest those intentions. This New Moon is in Virgo – the worker bee of the zodiac – and the health maven of the zodiac. Think of Virgo as the one who has control over how you feed, work and care for the body. SO – what a great time – as we head into fall – to make the intentions for better health – avoid winter overeating — and better work habits.

Now here is the trick. We now have a very strong – Mars/Saturn conjunction in the very intense sign of Scorpio. Mars and Saturn is one of the true malefic in the zodiac because they bring about the intense force of Mars, the god of war, and Saturn, the cold task master. It is the classic smash up of hot and cold. If I see Mars and Saturn clashing in marriage charts I always have to raise the touchy question of abuse. Think militaristic task master! Yes, this is activating Issus, Ferguson – you name it.

Ah, but you know how I hate to talk about the negatives only and we can use this force for good! IF the tragedy of Ferguson leads to a constructive change in police tactics and the militarization of police forces and finally to some racial understanding – that we can make an evolutionary jump.
If Congress can stop bickering and help the President address Issus and Syria – well, I can hope can’t I?



For each of us personally – think of where you need to be a task master with your health, your body, your eating habits, and your work. Where have you been slacking off? Where do you need to make some hard decisions? Scorpio is the sign of going within and making deep and profound changes. Mars used to the ruler of Scorpio before poor beleaguered Pluto came into our view – as was Saturn long ago.  This is a time to make WONDERFUL changes that you have been avoiding. No excuses anymore.

Here is my Pluto in Capricorn note: I get so many questions about the world falling apart around us and keep having to say Pluto in Capricorn gang – so I decided to add a little periodic Pluto note to my blogs. Pluto in Capricorn brings changes to authority structures. We saw that with President Obama’s election and the subsequent Tea Party backlash. We saw it with the banking system collapse. Now we are seeing it with the police. Change is not always good – I don’t’ think any long term good has come from the banking collapse – we are still destroying the middle class. Will that be the change or will we adopt more populist movements in the upcoming years? That is up to us! 

Mars Heading Into Scorpio

On July 26, Mars moves into Scorpio. Before Pluto made herself known to us, Mars was the ruler of the sign of Scorpio so Mars is very comfortable hanging out with Scorpio, although their plans of action are vastly different. Scorpio gets things done but in a subtle, some would sometimes say, sneaky way. Scorpio is a water sign, it grinds slowly and keeps pushing matters into the shape it desires, much like the ocean does to the shore. Mars, however, is all direct fire energy. He just burns his way through any obstacles until he reaches his goal. They are both creatures of action.
Mars is now hovering very close to Vesta, the asteroid that astrologically tells us where we have such a desire that we would climb over rocks to achieve. Vesta often throws those rocks in our place so that we can overcome them to ultimate success. Therefore, when the yearning of Vesta meets the drive of Mars in Scorpio there is no better time to defeat some roadblock that is preventing you from accomplishing some goal that has been on the back burner.

No excuses now – go for it!

This Weekend Venus Enters Aries

We have been hearing so much about “cardinal” signs in April I thought I would just pass along another cardinal happening. Cardinal signs are the signs of action and they initiate activity. On May 2, Venus, the planet that best exudes the energy of the feminine dharma moves into the mother (or father) of all cardinal signs, Aries.
Aries, of course, is primal male energy and ruled by Mars, so when we have Venus meeting Mars – look out! From May 2- May 28 Venus will be in Aries so if you need to put that spark back into your romance there is no better time.
Don’t neglect the creative energy of Venus or the moneymaking aspects of Venus – remember women rule the purse! If you have stagnant creative juices this is the time to restart them. It is spring – it is May, what does that old song say, “The lusty month of May.” Be lusty, be creative, be invigorating, – be cardinal!!

Moon Saturn April 16

By now you know to look for the lunar eclipse on the night of April 14 – into the 15th, however, the “Moon Show” continues for the rest of the week.  On the night of April 16, the waning gibbous moon will be in conjunction with Saturn. Astrologically all I can say is Oye – hang onto your emotions. Saturn has a depressing effect on us and, of course, the Moon is the controller of the emotions. 

Toward the end of the week, Jupiter and Mars will be making a square  – yes, start signing that ’60’s song they aren’t aligned but we need a sign a bit during this!  Oh but I failed to mention that Mars will be in retrograde until  May 20. So we have inverted aggression aligning with the planet of expansion a week before the Grand Cross comes to full power. In my case, someone who inflicted past hurts on me in the pass reared their ugly head and brought it all up again. Anger, aggression turned inward – and expanding forward. As I said Oye.

The chart below shows how that Grand Cross – Pluto, Jupiter Mars and Uranus are almost at a complete square to one another. 

Just being aware of these sky movements and looking at how these planets are instigating your chart will help get through the next few weeks. 




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. 

“The Heart of Mars” With Adam Gainsburg –

What is your masculine dharma? This has nothing to do with sex or your sexuality. All of us have a feminine and masculine dharma to explore and live. Listen to my interview with Adam Gainsburg founder of Soulsign Astrology as he discusses the “Heart of Mars.”

http://webtalkradio.net/internet-talk-radio/astrological-cook/

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!

Grand Cross 2014 – Doomsday???

I recently attended a seminar on the astrology and the chart of the United States. As I mentioned before, the US is coming into its first Pluto Return as a nation and Pluto is a planet that “makes you an offer you can’t refuse – change or else!” With Pluto in our 2nd house of wealth, resources and financial stability it is no wonder that we are experience in great trauma around the banking industry, jobs and savings. When Pluto finally reaches the closest point with our natal Pluto around 2021 we will have undergone a major change in these areas. However, the question that begs is, what kind of change will that be?

Two of the speakers at this seminar, spent their entire segments painting a dire picture of effects of the April 23, 2014 grand cross. 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 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!

Among the predictions are the collapse of the EU, the fall of the dollar, massive rioting in Spain, Greece and Syria and a new social order rising out of the economic disaster this cross will bring.

I don’t know I am a bit skeptical. I mean Y2K, the Mayans – haven’t we been doomed and gloomed before?  I will say that with Mars in the 2nd and Uranus in the 8th we can see some big movement by the 99 percent against the power of the 1 percent and some major economic upheaval..but is that always a bad thing? Yes, there could be some riots, there could be some economic issues but do I see the total collapse of the Western economic system? I don’t think so.

We have been in a Uranus Pluto square for months and that will continue – which is why nothing has gotten done anywhere for a long time. Jupiter’s expansion will break that energy. So something will happen – and it could be something big but they will have to go a little further to convince me to start hiding my pennies in the mattress.