February 2, 2009
For this week:
Venus enters Aries on February 2 - expect some feisty, forward and perhaps demented activity in your love life, choices regarding art and beauty and even in the way you spend money.
Mars enters Aquarius on February 4 - expect originality, independence and even rebellion. Mars rules sex, aggression, ego and athletics. Good luck!
Saturn and Uranus oppose each other again on February 5 when they return to the same tug-of-war (change vs. experience) that was in play last November 4. Hmmm, should we emphasize the polarities of tradition vs. change? Do we try to blend the two? We already know how the election went.... Here is round two! :)
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February 1, 2009
Mercury Turns Direct
We had a new moon solar eclipse in Aquarius on Monday, Jan. 26. The effects of an eclipse last for over a year, but are particularly active within the first 6 months. A new moon solar eclipse is a powerful indicator of change and new beginnings in the house where it hits in your natal chart. This surge of energy is also affected by which other planets are in angle to it and which planets in your own chart that it aspects.
For everyone, this particular one heralds a time for making a new commitment to expand global awareness and develop a more egalitarian and inclusive attitude toward our fellow humans. This eclipse could possibly press all of us to search for communal solutions to the current global economic issues. In August, the full moon eclipse also in Aquarius will bring these things to a head and help us all to move forward.
Upcoming is a lunar eclipse on February 9th in Leo. Lunar eclipses denote big change as well, but usually dealing more with culminations and endings of situations. Think back six months ago when the companion solar eclipse happened and what has been begun in the interim. You may see more clarity regarding those issues soon. Often the effect of eclipses will not happen directly on that date, but can begin several days before or hit exactly a month to the day after. Prepare yourself for a possible crisis to occur or at least something that demands to be changed.
Mercury turns direct today and the first Mercury retrograde of 2009 is now officially over. Mercury turns retrograde three times per year in general, but this year there will be four retrogrades. What traditional astrology believes is that during the times that Mercury is retrograde, there will be misunderstandings, confusion, communication and travel problems, delays, breakdowns in electrical equipment, computer foul-ups, etc.
What retrograde means is that from the earth's perspective (geocentric astrology) a planet appears to go backwards. Today, Mercury is going stationary direct which means that from earth's perspective the planet stands still before it recommences its forward motion. Traditional astrology would now say that the foul-ups are now over and it is now OK to sign contracts, purchase computers and travel without something going awry.
From a heliocentric perspective (looking from the Sun) no planets are retrograde ever. The focus then becomes on the angles the planets make to each other and the geometry of those angles. As such, if you are a heliocentric astrologer, you disregard all of the warnings about retrograde Mercury.
Even in geocentric astrology, the Mercury retrograde periods are not inconvenient for everyone. If you were born with a Mercury retrograde, the times when transiting Mercury becomes retrograde can actually seem normal compared to the rest of the time when you feel out-of-sync with the rest of the world.
I tend to use a mix of both branches of astrology in my readings. While it is true that planets do not actually move backward in their orbit and they certainly do not suddenly shift forward after retrograding, there is no harm in being on the cautious side during these periods. The best advice is to wait a week until Mercury is considered fully direct before commencing with the above-listed activities.
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