Aquarium Age - Transformational Astrology

Just in case you’ve been distracted by the ongoing madness of five retrograde planets—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto—there are in fact other planetary events occurring in the sky. On Saturday, September 23, the Sun enters Libra and we celebrate the start of autumn, with its brilliant light of equal days and nights. A few days later, on September 29, there’s a Full Moon at 6 degrees Aries. For those just beginning to study astrology, the Moon is always full in the Sign opposite the Sun’s, a monthly occurrence that amplifies the axis of whatever Signs are being activated. Next week’s Full Moon is on the Aries/Libra axis. Aries signifies individualism and Libra signifies relationships; oppositions offer the chance to see not only how polarities clash but also how they could work together. Every Full Moon is actually an opportunity to reconcile opposites, which may be one of the reasons the Full Moon is so potent no matter which Signs are in the spotlight.

The most important event this week involves Pluto—our pal in personal and planetary transformation—because it’s only thirty minutes away from an exact conjunction to the position it occupies in the birth chart of the United States of America. Much of what is happening in the American political system is attributable to this Pluto Return—Pluto signifies the process of death and rebirth, and an essential part of that process is discarding or letting go of ideas, beliefs, and systems that no longer serve.

This is true in individual transits as well as collective ones, and while no one will live long enough to experience a personal Pluto Return (it takes Pluto 248 years to complete a journey around the Sun), cities and countries that have been around more than a couple of hundred years do. We are currently witnessing one, and even if Trump and Bannon, Miller, and the rest of that Gang of Hungry Ghosts weren’t determined to dismantle the government and create chaos, some other rapacious group would have aimed its sights on exploiting all the contradictions in our existing system to its advantage.

We may not be experiencing a personal Pluto Return but we are witnessing the breakdown of so many governmental institutions previously deemed impervious to political assault that it’s almost impossible to be oblivious to the effects of such a vast disruption. We have relied upon these institutions to provide order, knowing they were imperfect, and now it’s disconcerting to watch them crumbing because even if we were opposed to how they executed their powers, the dismantling of so many norms at once is destabilizing—no matter what side of the political divide you call home. Only anarchists or those who wish to profit from the ensuing chaos are enjoying this process. From the Supreme Court to Congress to the Justice Department and the FBI to military appointments to the CIA to the Electoral College and the elections generally, even to the Postal Service, almost everything is in peril.

Despite the tumult, every institutional collapse is an invitation to remember that we are a country whose constitution begins:

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

While so many of us feel hopeless to effectuate positive change, our system, however imperfect, is about citizens paying attention and participating in the process. Even if the founders only had themselves in mind when they wrote “We the people…”, their words invite and include all of us. We are not victims in the current process of transformation; we are participants, and we will ultimately decide the outcome. So do not despair—unite and take a stand for what you believe in. I’ve said it before and I will keep saying it: the only reason the right-wing opposition to change is so vehement and severe is because they know—know—they’ve already lost. Don’t let them steal your hope. Use the potency of this Plutonian moment of revolution to be a change agent. Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, work toward making this planet a better place for all of us, from the salamander to the spirit dancer.

Take a deep breath and as you exhale, know that in two days, on September 15, Mercury Retrograde will end and instead of six retrograde planets, there will only be five. While I can hear some people laughing at the idea that five isn’t as difficult as six, it will make a huge difference to have Mercury moving “ahead” instead of “behind.” That’s because Mercury is one of the planets that drives the mechanics of daily life. It symbolizes communication and travel, and almost all of the activities that feed regular routines fall within that vast domain.

I realize Mercury Retrograde has become the catchphrase for everything that goes wrong and because of that, many things that have nothing to do with Mercury Retrograde are nonetheless attributed to its influence. But it’s always about delays and detours, lost mail, emails, text and voice messages; it’s also about cancelled flights, lost luggage, traffic jams, and contracts in constant need of correction. Mercury Retrograde has become so well known that it is blamed for everything and exploited mercilessly: fast-food franchises like Del Taco and McDonald’s even offer retrograde specials—Google it; it’s amazing to behold.

For those of us who aren’t marketing a product based on astrology—as the advertising world does, employing “psychodynamics” in their tactics—the end of a Mercury Retrograde cycle is usually a great relief. But the problem with the end of this current phase is the five other retrograde planets—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto—dragging the anchor of daily routines. Each one is enough of a hindrance to forestall Mercury Direct celebrations, and combined we may not even notice that Mercury Retrograde is over. Don’t misunderstand; we will feel the lift of Mercury Direct by at least September 17, but it might not be quite the takeoff many of us are hoping for. So keep your patience pills handy and practice your yogic breath work; if you can keep your head, those around you will find it easier to keep theirs.

This week, although Jupiter and Uranus are both retrograde in Taurus, they form a strong trine to the Sun in Virgo, which bestows a positive influence on almost all endeavors. The Sun/Jupiter trine was exact and separating on September 8 but its effect lingers until September 14—tomorrow. With the Moon conjoining the Sun in these last moments, amplifying the trine’s positive get-the-job-done vibe, it’s possible we could feel those effects linger another day longer. The Sun/Uranus trine began on September 9 and is exact and separating on September 15, the day after tomorrow; it’s over on September 22, just in time for the Autumnal Equinox. Sun/Uranus contacts all signal the need to break free from whatever enslaves so don’t be surprised if you or your fellow travelers are feeling the need to declare independence from rules, roles, and regulations that feel stifling. Not every rebel remembers to be kind, but it’s worth avoiding violence, physical or verbal, when liberating yourself. I’m not suggesting you hold back the truth; I’m advising you to be aware of how harshness lingers and continues to cause harm.

We are living in a world where violence—and not just gun violence—has increased in prominence: buoys in the waters of the Rio Grande along the Texas border are rigged with razor wire; women and children are being turned into chattel of the government daily, their humanity revoked as they are relegated to the roles of yesteryear (I am surprised we are still allowed to vote); racism, sexism, ageism, and any other form of prejudice has become acceptable, again; and it seems as though all the ways we transformed many of the limitations of our collective consciousness during the last decades are also being invalidated. Even as the awareness of kindness has taken hold, the reaction to it has been equally intense. And so it is up to those of us who are committed to spiritual transformation to continue our efforts toward positive change. Yes, I know it is exhausting to have to revisit previous ground, but that’s the nature of change on this free will planet—one heart at a time, one day at a time, and sometimes time off for good behavior, but not right now.

The planets are dancing a two-step routine this week: Venus Direct began on September 3, at 9:20 PM EDT, and Jupiter Retrograde began thirteen hours later on September 4, at 10:11 AM EDT. So although there was a bit of relief as Venus ended her review that began on July 22, Jupiter’s review interferes with the sense of freedom that usually happens when a retrograde ends. And when you add to the mix the ongoing Mercury Retrograde, which is ongoing until September 15, it wouldn’t be wise to anticipate a high-speed acceleration in daily routines any time soon.

There are six retrograde planets at the moment: Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. The best way to endure these seemingly relentless retrograde phases is to continue being patient with everyone, including yourself, and all processes, including your own.

Mercury Retrograde is never a good time to initiate new projects—most of us know this by now. But it is always a good time to review, reflect, and reconsider projects already in motion. This Mercury Retrograde ends on September 15, so use the next nine days to cull through the details of what you’re working on with a fine-tooth comb.

The immediate effect of Jupiter Retrograde isn’t as easily discernable as that of Mercury Retrograde. Within Mercury’s large domain of communication, negotiation, and travel, it’s easy to notice its “backward” motion: schedules shift; trains, planes, boats, and buses are late (although these days that seems to be par for the course); and contracts, closings, and other sorts of deals can run into obstacles. Jupiter, while bigger than the fleet-footed messenger, is not as recognizable in the routines of daily life so when it appears to be moving backwards we often don’t feel its effect right away. But wherever Jupiter has “turned around” we’re likely to feel a contractive rather than expansive force.

When Jupiter began this retrograde phase, it was conjunct the Moon in Taurus and forming a trine to the Sun and Mercury conjunct in Virgo. While this is generally a favorable and industrious interaction, but unfortunately, too many other factors interfere with the free flow of this trine’s positive field. Jupiter and the Moon in Taurus were also square to Venus in Leo, and that throws an emotional monkey wrench into the flow. So be patient as Jupiter Retrograde unfolds and try to keep your patience with a multitude of retrograde snafus. Jupiter will stay retrograde until December 30.

It's a rough week to navigate, if only because the retrogrades could throw lots of plans off track, but as long as you stick to your script you’ll be able to stay focused. I’m not suggesting you turn away from those in need and ignore the notion of kindness first. I am advising all of us that given the delays and detours of six retrograde planets, it will be all too easy to get distracted and overwhelmed by the many details in need of attention. You probably won’t be able to handle every little thing, so simply tackle what you can and try not to leave a mess for the others left handling the rest. We are going to need as much compassion for each other as we can muster during the coming weeks and months, so whenever you can reaffirm your commitment to living a compassionate life. Even if it doesn’t seem like it, we are all in this together.

Welcome to Week Two of retrograde madness: Mercury, Venus, and Uranus are all retrograde, joining the already retrograde cast of characters—Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto. I don’t know about you, but my internet connection hasn’t worked properly since Mercury Retrograde began on August 23. With Mercury retrograde until September 15, and because there are six planets moving “backward” instead of “forward,” I’ve decided to just accept it all. My shifting attitude toward this really intense retrograde situation and my lack of power over any of it feels akin to Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s theory of the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Those stages don’t necessarily happen in that perfect order, but because I have enough information to know that I cannot control this retro-wave, I’ve decided to level off at the acceptance stage—accepting that the internet won’t work consistently, which means details will be lost, frustrations will ensue, and a thousand other things are going to be dealt with in their time rather than mine.

Those readers facing an actual death of a loved one or friend may think I am being disrespectful in applying Kübler-Ross’s stages here, but I’m not. I think there are plenty of people who only experience the fullness of life through cyberspace and the various devices that keep them connected, whether to stay in touch with friends, participate in gaming groups, or to explore the many multiverses of human interest on display across billions of websites.

I first encountered computer grief, or what I would now name retrograde mourning, a decade ago. Here’s what I wrote then:

I had never lost a computer before and as it sank in, I began to realize that I had really lost my most trusted companion. It's a staggering realization to know that you're closer to a machine than to some of your friends. My computer was like a dog I didn’t have to walk or a cat without the litter. And I know I'm not alone in my misplaced attachment. I spent hours at the Apple Store—the temple of my familiar on 67th and Broadway—watching others and noticing their deep attachment to devices, their attachment equal to my own. I've never had a hard drive wiped—an extreme action that necessitated an extreme reaction.

When my computer was handed back to me, I saw the sorrow and pity in the messenger's eyes: here are the ashes of the dead. And I saw others with the same bewildered denial that I was feeling, grappling with the reality of such a loss.

And it was a loss: poems, pictures, thousands of astrology charts, tables, research, seventeen years of columns, three complete courses created for Hunter College, a complete collection of essays on love waiting to be edited, a Master’s thesis, and all the research that went into it; over six thousand tunes in the music library and recorded readings for the last three years, at least a thousand archived files, and mail—oh the saved mail—notes and bits of this and that—pictures and calendars: maps of the last years, all gone. All backed up on Time Machine—but there was a glitch in the migration process and the hard drive was wiped before the migration was complete, the external hard drive stuttering and stopping at thirty-eight minutes into the process, disconnecting itself and complaining about being ejected improperly.

Seven tries later, a friend was trying to ask me a question about user names and all I could do was pump the air like a deranged backup singer, hands extended in a frenzied imitation of the Supremes singing “Stop in the Name of Love,” only I was saying, “I don’t understand what you’re saying.” Which promptly became “I can’t understand what you’re saying” because my brain cells were popping with panic and despair as my digital life was passing away before my eyes. I’d done everything right, and still it was wrong.

The next morning at Apple they were quite kind to me. I returned the new computer: this is not an Apple; this is a lemon. There is something wrong with it. The migration application is corrupted. “Migration application” makes it sound as if a flock of birds was moving from one nest to another, but it is an arduous journey, as arduous as it is for the robins who fly south for the winter or the barn swallows who return to Mexico; some die along the way, some get frozen, some lose their tracking devices and get lost; mine died.

As I sat there for the next several hours, I watched my fellow worshipers, so worried about their phones, pads, and pods, each person handing over a loved one, the one who holds all the knowledge—the secrets, really. And I don’t mean the passwords. We pour our heads and hearts into these machines and become completely dependent on them.

As I lay on my bed exhausted from the loss of brain cells, I thought about the miasma of the bardo that exists between crashing external hard drives and the ritual of the Genius Bar; completely certain that I had lost everything, I knew I was dead. It wasn’t just my computer that had died. It was me. I had died. Done. No four thousand charts, no writing, no music—just like that old Van Morrison album, No Guru, No Method, No Teacher. A fresh start was all that awaited me. But as it turned out, mine was a transmigration; all was not lost—the external hard drive made it past thirty-nine minutes. My digital love was returned to me, but something wasn’t quite right. The operating system was different. Things looked odd, the sounds had changed, the mail didn’t work the same way; it wasn’t as responsive to my touch as it once was.

I wrote about the idea of having grief rooms at Apple stores and other places that service computers, rooms where you could go and grieve for your lost digital love. After all, there is no body to touch, nothing to hold onto, no funeral rites, no memorial. It just doesn’t seem right to toss your beloved into the recycling bin. Most of us just put the old model on a shelf—and let it trigger remembrances of springs past. Now I know there is a real need for such a place in our cyber universe—a place for denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance. (Apple would do well to train its priestesses and priests in the wisdom of Kübler-Ross.) It must be an excruciating job to stand there all day handling computer problems, pretending to not see the emotional attachment. Our devices are just machines, after all, but they are so much more than that. I also finally understand why we fear robots so much. And why robots eventually rebel under the weight of all that need.

I can only wonder how AI will respond to Mercury Retrograde, or any retrograde.

Regardless of six retrogrades, the planets are busy this week and you’ll want to use the hustle and bustle of a Mars/Pluto trine to get things done. Mars moved into Libra on Sunday, August 27, continuing a trine to Pluto that began on August 16, was exact on August 24, and ends on September 2. This positive alliance is best known for its sheer strength and big ambitions; try to direct its force toward projects that require extraordinary effort.

A Full Moon tonight in Pisces is sure to unsettle emotional bodies (as if they needed another reason to be on alert) so be prepared for strong feelings, yours or others’, and the need to express them. It might be wise to dial down your intensity before you unleash an emotional catharsis; try not to allow a fevered pitch of feelings to overwhelm you. It’s just a Full Moon and by tomorrow, it will be behind us. The bad news is that Saturn is conjunct the Moon in Pisces, which could turn some of those emotions bitter with judgment—which means the feelings may linger. Try not to use them as an excuse to wag a judgmental finger or make overly stern accusations.

It's a tough week, but it is possible to make it through if you can keep your head and refrain from singing a victim’s lament. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself longing for rituals to ease the pain of this long retrograde phase—or you can just jump to acceptance. Acceptance might make handling things easier, and besides, bargaining with a modem really doesn’t work—and neither does anger. So do your best to keep your cool without repressing or suppressing feelings that need to see the light of day. And most importantly, be aware that we are all in this together and because of that we need to treat each other with respect. Screaming at others while pointing fingers of blame doesn’t really do much good. Remembering our interconnectedness will eventually yield positive results.

Mercury Retrograde begins today, signaling the start of a retrograde slog that is going to last for several weeks. So find your patience pills and keep them handy because most of us are sure to experience some sort of techno-hell in the next couple of weeks and patience is probably the best way of coping with frustration. Uranus Retrograde begins in five days, on August 28 and lasts until January 27, 2024. The Mercury Retrograde phase that begins today ends on September 15 and we are still in the throes of Venus Retrograde, which began on July 22 and ends on September 4.

Be prepared for lots of hassles—I showed up at the doctor this morning only to find out that she is on vacation, but no one had told me—and the receptionists said repeatedly that they had called everyone—oy! From a positive perspective, however, this prolonged retrograde season is great for reviewing, reflecting, and reconsidering what’s already in motion. That’s what retrogrades are for, especially Mercury Retrograde, which always provides an opportunity to tweak the details and improve whatever it is you’re working on, from term papers to court cases.

Uranus Retrograde is always a little tough to handle, especially as it kicks in. Frankly, even though it’s still five days away, I feel like I am already in it. My computer has decided to stop and start in no particular discernable pattern and as a result, I can barely manage a Zoom call without the connection dropping and having to start all over. Yes, I checked the modem, plugged and unplugged it, and rebooted my computer, and while I understand that it is the service provider’s problem, I refused to get stuck on the phone for hours with a provider who has no idea what to do but keeps you on the phone forever anyway in true Mercury Retrograde fashion.

It’s maddening, yes, but that’s the reality of this dual retrograde—Mercury and Uranus are a dynamic retro duo that wreaks havoc with technology, so be prepared for all manner of interference. While I don’t want to sound doomy and gloomy, I think it would also be wise to anticipate delays with anything you’re trying to sort out. Once Mercury goes direct on September 15, the interference of Uranus Retrograde won’t be quite as prevalent or intense and computers might actually work without our having to resort to ritual magic as the preferred way of retrieving data. For those of you traveling, expect to be assigned to the wrong seats or to find someone else with the same boarding pass comfortably sitting where you ought to be. And even if you don’t check luggage and keep it overhead instead, you might lose track of your bags anyway.

For those of you who record, if you haven’t already done so, back up your files now. The same is true for those of you who write—be sure to make duplicates. And for the rest of our fellow travelers who are reliant upon computers and smart phones, try not to get too bent out of shape when those smart devices become stupid; such reversals are a way of life that we all have to get used to managing. 

Also this week, Neptune, retrograde in Pisces, opposes Mars in Virgo, a potent interaction that could make many of us hypersensitive and too open to suggestion. As this opposition feeds the urge to merge, stay alert so you don’t lose yourself in and all objectivity about a situation that you might later regret.

Transiting Pluto, still retrograde in Capricorn, trines that Mars in Virgo, providing the strength and stamina to get almost anything done. But as I warned a fellow traveler this morning, you need to just take everything that’s happening in stride, no matter what. Although I know there will be a ton of details most of us still have to deal with, be sure to keep a reasonable pace or the work and the need to get it done will bite you in the ass.

Saturn, retrograde in Pisces, opposes the Sun, newly in Virgo today, adding another tense interaction that is likely to underscore the week with a sober resistance. Try not to engage in a negative mindset that only sees what needs to be improved. Yes, correcting flaws is important but so is adopting a positive viewpoint that will allow us to make those changes with a good attitude.

We’re navigating a lot of astral activity through a retrograde lens and that is not easy to do. So keep your feet on the ground as you move through the intensity and make compassion your constant companion. As so many people are struggling to make sense of their own situation and the wider world we live in, our fellow travelers will need the kindness of others to help them make it through these waves of change. 

As an end note and referring back to my column about Venus Retrograde and the Great American Eclipse, on one of the recent early morning news shows I heard the comment (and I am paraphrasing): “[Trump] is the eclipse that blocks the sun [of democracy]” While I doubt the pundit who said so reads this column, it was still nice to hear an echoing the affirmation of those themes.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, Maui was my go-to place for healing—in the middle of the Pacific, surrounded by clean water and clean air, it was the place I could leave behind the many-armed needs of daily life and relax. The other Hawaiian Islands are beautiful, but none pulled my heart as close as Maui. Over the years, I’ve watched it change and transform from a sleepy island to a major tourist destination; like much of the pristine places on Planet Earth, it has suffered the consequences of overuse. But to see it vanquished by fire and its citizens left with nothing is a heartbreak. Yes, there are other heartbreaks all over the globe, but this one hit home a little more deeply than others. Fortunately, the power of ohana—the power of family—runs deep through these islands, and it’s a power that will keep the efforts to recover moving through the waters of loss and grief. The trees and flowers will bloom again, the birds will sing, and the incredible soil, born of the fire at the center of the Earth, will give life to all the seeds planted during Maui’s recovery.

From a planetary perspective, it is a fiery week, so don’t be surprised if you feel like you’re burning out early in the day. Pace yourself, even if what you’re working on was needed yesterday.

This morning, August 16, at 5:38 AM EDT, there was a New Moon in Leo, signaling the start of a new creative phase. Leo is a Fire Sign and it symbolizes creativity and self-expression. It is known for being passionate and dramatic—there is seldom anything small about Leo’s desires and actions. A New Moon in any Sign is always about new beginnings, from planting seeds to setting intentions. The Moon conjuncts the Sun and their combined light is quite bright. But it might be wise to keep your expectations realistic; Venus Retrograde is part of that Sun/Moon conjunction and her retrograde motion could be a drag on the power of those intentions.

What’s more, the Sun, Moon, and Venus are in a square to Uranus, in Taurus—the Sun/Moon conjunction is exactly square Uranus at 23 degrees; Venus ends her square to Uranus tomorrow, August 17.

Uranus in Taurus disrupts the smooth flow of this strong New Moon in Leo—but that’s not all it interferes with. Uranus goes retrograde on August 28, which means for the next twelve days, as Uranus seemingly slows down in preparation for its review, lots of us are going to feel caught in a time warp and many more of us will be wondering if Mercury is retrograde. And it is—and that makes it all worse.

Mercury Retrograde begins on August 23—just one week away— and stays retrograde until September 15. Catching us all in the coming weeks is an enormous retro-review combination of Mercury, Venus, and Uranus; not to mention that Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto are already retrograde. Yes… it's a mess of delays, detours, and snafus, imagined or not, so make sure you have back-up plans—plan A, B, C, D; as many as are needed.

Here's a list to help you keep track:

Venus Retrograde began on July 22; it ends on September 3, late in the day.

Mercury Retrograde begins on August 23 and ends on September 15.

Uranus Retrograde begins on August 28 and ends on January 27, 2024.

Add to that:

Saturn Retrograde began on June 17 and ends on November 4.

Neptune Retrograde began on June 30 and ends on December 6.

Pluto Retrograde began on May 1 and ends on October 10.

But wait, there’s more:

Jupiter goes retrograde on September 4 and ends on December 30 2024.

So basically, the next couple of weeks are a tangled pile-up on the planetary highway, and that translates into a stop/start pace that’s certain to drive many among us crazy with impatience and frustration. You’re going to need a strong heart and plenty of patience pills to stay on course during these coming weeks, but don’t despair; it will eventually untangle itself.

Try to be as kind as possible to your fellow travelers—the summer ends and a new school year begins with seven retrograde planets, and that is tough to handle even for the most experienced astrologer. If you can, try to extend a helping hand to those less skilled at working through these energetic waves. Also be kind to your devices—they are all likely to blow themselves to smithereens trying to cope with all the retrograde challenges. Try not to throw them against the wall or throw them out. Just breathe—this too will pass. Please be attentive to children, who will feel the frustration but are not able to contextualize it. And please don't kick the dog ’cause you can. More than ever we need love—love, love, love—because without it we are lost. And with it, we will find our way.

I’ve been trying to wrap my head around two different yet equally dominant converging streams of collective activity: (1) I’m wondering if this Venus Retrograde is more than just the reacquaintance or reemergence of relationships past and (2) just what’s behind Mr. Trump’s reappearance as a primary headline grabber. I know they are related but I couldn’t pinpoint where they converged until I realized that Venus is traversing an eclipse of the past. So bear with me as I attempt to trace these seemingly unrelated events.

On August 21, 2017, there was a full solar eclipse at 28 degrees Leo, the same degree on which Venus began her retrograde phase on July 22. I was keyed into this eclipse for several reasons, most notably: it was called the Great American Eclipse and there was no end of touting how great it would be, and I am of the firm belief that eclipses of any sort are never really great, especially if we are thinking that we will benefit greatly from the occurrence. Our ancestors (as I like to point out whenever someone suggests that ancient civilizations were crude) could accurately predict eclipses because eclipses happen at regular intervals along the Saros cycle. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saros_(astronomy)

The degree on which an eclipse occurs is called the sensitive degree and when other planets transit that point within a six-week range before or after the actual eclipse, those planets trigger the eclipse effect. Predicting what the effect of an eclipse might be is quite difficult. What was interesting about the August eclipse of 2017 is that it occurred exactly on Mr. Trump’s Ascendent (his Rising Sign), the most visible/public point in a natal chart. And of course, Mr. Trump dominated the news. Here’s what I wrote at that time:

“Mr. Trump [as President] … is the primary symbol for the United States, and according to the astrologers of ancient times, how an eclipse affects the king’s chart determines how the country will be affected.” 

We are not currently within range of an eclipse—the next solar eclipse is on October 14, 2023, and it does not occur at a related degree. But Venus Retrograde began on the eclipse-sensitive degree of that 2017 solar eclipse and as Venus is retracing that path, I can’t help but think that much of what’s coming to surface about Mr. Trump is likely to have its roots in 2017. I realize I have no way of substantiating that idea and my apologies for wildly speculating, but I can’t help but wonder if the strategies to put an autocracy in place began at that time. Certainly, the deconstruction of the governmental institutions was a part of Mr. Trump’s original agenda and at the core of that destructive plan was exploiting the already existing mistrust of governmental authority, causing citizens to distrust the government even more.

Venus, in addition to being the symbol for love and beauty, symbolizes values, and certainly during her retrograde this summer we are witnessing a battle of values. Ishtar, the Mesopotamian Venus is also the goddess of war, and she will take a stand for what matters to her—always. And so, as our summer of discontent continues to unfold, we’re facing an ongoing exercise in what matters most upon the battlefield of opinion and principle.  

To all followers and fellow travelers who contacted me with well wishes for my speedy healing from surgery—thank you very much. The healing process is going quite well and your kind thoughts and prayers were and are greatly appreciated.

August is a rambunctious ride—it opened with a Full Moon yesterday, on August 1, which set the emotional intensity meter on high, and because we're in the last month of summer heat, the days and nights are sure to get wild. It’s already too hot, and there is nothing during the coming weeks that dials down the intensity.

Venus Retrograde continues—it began on July 22 and ends on September 4. Thus far, what I’ve noticed is that this is a pretty thorough journey through Venusian themes, helping to clean up issues that have been lingering in limbo for a while. Yes, it’s been mildly disruptive, with delays and missed appointments, but it hasn’t snarled and snagged situations beyond control. Yes again, technology has been acting up but it’s nowhere near as disruptive as Mercury or Uranus Retrograde—at least not yet. But by next week, this seemingly smooth Venus Retrograde could provide some serious snafus.

On August 9, as the Moon conjoins Uranus in Taurus, the Sun in Leo begins a square to Uranus that is exact and separating on August 16. The New Moon in Leo joins this square, as does that retrograde Venus, and the entire bundle promises to deliver several surprises. Because it is a New Moon and most of us are used to beginning new projects under its influence, the presence of Uranus could create several unforeseen obstacles that interfere with the smooth start of any new endeavors. Expect people to change their minds, levels of commitment, and participation—and don’t be surprised if financial involvements shift as well. The Uranus component could turn the Venus Retrograde a little more squirrely than it’s been, so make plans but also be prepared for shifts to occur that are out of your control.

A trine between Mars in Virgo and Jupiter in Taurus has been ongoing since July 22; it was exact and separating on August 1 and stays in effect until August 10. This is a positive influence that supports getting things done because it provides the stamina and strength to fuel both determination and the physical prowess to handle whatever hard work is necessary. Use this trine’s power to get through any obstacles presented by Venus Retrograde.

A Mercury/Saturn opposition has the potential to gum up the works. Mercury is in Virgo, its Home Sign; Saturn is in Pisces; and oppositions signify tension. Mercury represents all mental processes and Saturn symbolizes the ability to think deeply. Unfortunately, when they are in an opposition to one another, that capacity for depth easily turns into the tendency to brood. Do your best to avoid brooding about what was, what is, or what will be. This opposition was exact on August 1 and ends on Saturday, August 5.

As Nicole Wallace would say… meanwhile on Earth 2, an over-indicted former President Trump continues to fluster and bluster and threaten to bring everything down. He has caused so much harm, it’s almost impossible to believe he could cause more, but left unchecked that is exactly what he will do. The talking heads are reporting about something called “indictment fatigue” that some of his followers are experiencing. Many of us have had Trump fatigue for a long, long time. But we can’t give into it just yet—he remains a clear and present danger to our democracy and those of us who believe in upholding that democracy need to stay hyper-aware of his pernicious influence.

On Earth 1, it’s important to reinvigorate a compassionate perspective without losing sight of what needs to transform, so continue to do what you do to sustain a kind heart and a healing attitude—life is so much easier when we are nice to each other.

This is such a tough week that I’ve put off writing about it until the last possible minute as an act of mental health. With Trump news blaring everywhere and political tensions roiling and all of it exacerbated by the heat, sheesh—I just want to hide under the covers with the air-conditioning blasting and feast on ice cream as a way of coping with the absolutely non-copeable. All that being said, let’s dive into the messages of the sky:

One of the sources of strife is an opposition between the Sun in Cancer and Pluto in Capricorn. This opposition symbolizes power struggles so don’t be surprised if you want to challenge anyone enforcing a rule or rules that have no real purpose or seem downright frivolous. Pick your power struggles carefully. This Sun/Pluto opposition will be exact and separating on July 21 and its influence will finally end by July 29. With the end of this pernicious interaction just ten days away, it would be wise to exercise greater than usual discretion when expressing your irritation or disappointment. I’m not suggesting you wuss out; I’m simply advising that in this kind of atmosphere it might be better to hold your tongue than let loose because you’re likely to be frustrated about so many things, not just the situation you’re facing in the moment. Also be aware that lots of people will be spoiling for a fight just to blow off steam and some of those brawls will have long-lasting negative consequences.

A Mars/Saturn opposition is also in effect this week. Mars is in Virgo; Saturn is in Pisces; and oppositions signify tension—lots of it. This is another pernicious interaction that not only challenges authorities of every denomination, but also leans toward the tendency to be cruel to your opponent. The last thing we need in this Trump-inflamed world is more cruelty. The frustration generated by this opposition can often turn violent and that violence isn’t just expressed physically—these energies could also manifest as psychological or emotional violence, which can be just as destructive as physical brutality. It won’t be easy holding fast to a practice of compassion and kindness, but do your best.

Venus Retrograde begins on July 22 and all week long we will feel the energetic drag of that “course correction.” As Venus retraces her recent path, we do too, which means you could find yourself reflecting on recent decisions and revising your assessment of those choices. (Of course, Venus is not really moving backwards; she just appears to be because of her orbit around the Sun relative to ours.) Venus is not a malefic player in the astrological pantheon, but she is nonetheless powerful. She symbolizes love, beauty, and values, so be prepared to examine what matters most to you and why. Also anticipate a desire to refresh your appearance—a new hairstyle, new clothes, or jewelry. Venus is retrograde in Leo, so try not to be too extravagant and watch your credit card purchases—you don’t want to put yourself in financial jeopardy and be paying off this retrograde for the next several years.

Uranus in Taurus squares Venus as she turns around, which means we’re in for a few surprises. Uranus signifies reversals of fortune and as it forms a fractious interaction with Venus, many of us are likely to experience a change of heart—the desire to break up, or in keeping with Uranian plot twists, to be reunited. If you’re facing difficult emotional circumstances, do your best to stay in the truth of your heart. Leo is all about the courage to be true to yourself and Venus is about ultimate values, so don’t sell yourself short by making compromises that aren’t heartfelt. I’m not advising a stubborn refusal to grow; I’m simply saying that a careful and circumspect review of your feelings will help you to make choices you won’t regret later because they arise from your integrity.

Uranus also squares Mercury in Leo and that could lead to a new perspective and a fresh look at persistent problems or situations that won’t seem to budge. Be willing to embrace a new point of view and you could find solutions you’ve been searching for.

Neptune, which remains retrograde in Pisces, is in a trine to the Sun as it transits the last degrees of Cancer. This is a deeply spiritual contact that encourages a deep level of devotion to spiritual principles. Try not to use this Sun/Neptune trine as a spiritual bypass or a quick fix; use it instead to deepen your personal connection to the principles that guide you—meditate more, seek the help of a qualified counselor, and make a concerted effort to integrate and apply your values to the way you live your daily life. As part of that renewed commitment, make an extra effort to be kind. These are troubled times, and kindness is likely to be the best path through the turmoil. Your inner compass will help you navigate the tumult.

I don’t know about you, but Monday, July 10, was filled with so many technical snafus that I was almost convinced I had missed a Mercury or Uranus retrograde phase—so convinced, I actually had to check my ephemeris to make sure that both techno-disruptive planets were moving forward and not behind. That was yesterday, and today I am still fielding changed appointments and priorities, hoping that order will return.

Although I was aware that Venus Retrograde begins on Saturday, July 22, I was thinking that shift in perspective was still too far away to make a connection to any delays happening now. Not only that, but Venus doesn’t really have a connection to technology. Well… maybe if you are an ancient Mesopotamian or Mayan you could find a connection. But for us modern stargazers, Venus signifies beauty, love, and personal values. What we love and consider beautiful almost always expresses what matters most to us, but I wouldn’t relate Venus to missed appointments, Zoom interference, or any other techno-glitches. But maybe things have changed and our modern Venus is starting to resemble our ancient one. For the Mayans, Venus was related to war; for the Mesopotamians, she was associated with love and war and thus also ruled over birth and death.

But, again, she did not preside over iCal entries.

While I don’t think the techno-glitches I experienced on Monday are Venus-related, they did alert me to the potency of the Venus Retrograde cycle that begins on July 22 and lasts until September 5. (And as a side note that should not be dismissed, Mercury goes retrograde toward the end of Venus’s Retrograde, beginning on August 23 and ending on September 15. So summer will linger, at least astrologically, and the new school year will be off to a late start.)

I tend to forget about Venus’ warlike history and think of her mostly in modern terms, but given the bellicose climate of our current times, it might be wise to consider her ancient origins: she is a warrior. (If you’re interested in more information about her cycle and would like graphics to demonstrate what the retrograde looks like in space, please visit this website—it’s loaded with interesting information: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lDnRnE9r3Q.)

Venus is retrograde in Leo, a passionate Fire Sign with a dicey astrological reputation. What’s important to know during this retrograde is that Leo is a Fixed Sign, which translates into the tendency to form an opinion and hold onto it no matter what. Couple that natural resistance with the restive energy that seems to surround everything these days and you’ve got a lot of stubborn opinions to deal with; although Venus is all about relationships, she doesn’t have the power to mediate a compromise in every situation and she might not even be willing to consider a compromise. So pick your fights carefully; during this retrograde a small molehill could become a huge mountain.

On the other side of the spectrum, Leo is the most generous of astrological Signs—it is ruled by the Sun, and the Sun shines equally on everyone. Harness Leo’s generous heart and you’re likely to bypass even your own stubborn tendencies in favor of a more compassionate perspective. Just try not to fool yourself into a false optimism that expects the best behavior from everyone, including yourself, and then become disappointed when you are disappointed in yourself or others.

How you handle this retrograde depends on where it falls in your natal or solar chart. Leo is an extravagant Sign, so try not to spend more than you can afford. It isn’t likely that you will skimp on what you or someone you love wants, either; be generous, but also be smart.

Uranus, the planet of surprising plot twists and startling reversals of fortune, will square Venus for most of her Retrograde and will repeat those squares when Venus goes direct. Under a Venus/Uranus anything, it is possible to fall in love with everyone you meet for at least five minutes. So… as I always advise about Venus/Uranus interactions, fall in love but don’t get married until the transit is over. Don't forget to include the shadow period as Venus retraces her path going forward, too; you’re safe for those wedding vows beginning October 10. Of course, if you’re already planning a wedding during Venus Retrograde I wouldn’t worry about whether your partnership will last—love should be stronger than a retrograde. But if you can’t get that worry out of your head, go ahead and have a civil ceremony now, before the retrograde begins, or renew your vows after the retrograde ends. Still, I wouldn’t worry about Venus Retrograde being a bad omen for your marriage. That being said, you could wind up marrying someone you’ve already divorced—and wished you’d stayed married to.

It's another weird week on Planet Earth, with lots of people complaining about things big and small, important and not so much. Whatever difficulties you encounter, try not to stay too long on the pity pot, if only because the other thing about Leo is that it’s a Sign that likes to have fun. And Venus delights in pleasure. So find those fun times despite the madness that has become daily life and let those moments of joy prevail. And as always, try to be kind to your fellow travelers. It’s not easy getting through these waves and everyone benefits from kind-hearted acts of compassion.

The Tibetans don’t really have saints the way we have come to understand them in the West, but if they did, Milarepa would be one. His story, which is famous (and fabulous to read) is a narrative about the possibility of achieving enlightenment in a single lifetime. (Buddhist scholars be aware: I know I am paraphrasing and may be leaving out important distinctions, but please don't tsk-tsk at my synopsis; give me a chance to explain before you write me off.) Milarepa’s early life takes a tragic turn when his father dies, forcing Milarepa and his mother to live at the mercy of his uncle and aunt, who are quite cruel and turn them into servants.

Milarepa’s mother is distraught by the situation and encourages her son to study black magic so he can take vengeance on his aunt and uncle. Willing to pacify his mother, Milarepa becomes skilled at black magic; he kills a great many people in his efforts for revenge. But he soon regrets his crimes, and his regret becomes a transformative catalyst that motivates a search to find a spiritual teacher.

And he does: he finds Marpa, who tests and tests Milarepa’s commitment to the teachings of the dharma and the ensuing realization process. While Marpa can be seen as a cruel teacher, he sees the depth in Milarepa and the potential for his transformation. Without going into the entire story, Marpa has Milarepa build and tear down and build again several towers, testing Milarepa’s commitment and humility. (When I first read this story as a beginner on the path, I dreaded having to do the same—but at the same time recognized that if I ever found a teacher who cared enough to make me build and rebuild a stone tower, I would have found a teacher who had confidence in my ability for personal growth.)

Eventually Milarepa achieves enlightenment and teaches the dharma through his poetry and songs, and so great is his devotion to the principles of Buddhism that he forgives his aunt and eventually becomes a perfect example of what’s possible through spiritual devotion and discipline.

Navigating the current turmoil of the times we live in requires a deepening of our spiritual commitment and discipline. It doesn’t matter what spiritual path you follow as long as it is not a path of hatred and bigotry. Those of us who are conscious of our living universe are being asked to step up to the plate and become spiritual warriors—not violent advocates, but warriors for the good of all sentient beings. Yes, even for the ones we don’t like. We can resent all of the toxicity that surrounds us, but that is not a choice that will allow peace to prevail. We can become skilled at magical powers that harm those we don’t agree with, but the consequences of such actions only harm ourselves.

We can learn from Milarepa’s example and keeping building and tearing down and rebuilding the structures of daily life. We can strive to understand what motivates the severe animosity of the “other” that so many of our fellow travelers seem to embrace. While it is baffling how many people have risen to the occasion of hatred and are proud of it, we don’t have to hate those people. Yet how to have compassion for these fellow travelers who are so afraid of what they don’t understand is a gigantic conundrum, especially as those who hate wield their power to cause harm—in many cases irreparable harm—to all of us. These are people who missed the memo on how to make the world a better place for everyone. We’ve been through this before and each time we make incremental progress toward a better world.

I have written previously that the hippies were right about almost everything—organic food, climate change, peace, love, and understanding—and to be sure, they were also right about Birkenstocks. The boomer generation was born of those who faced World War II and the very real existential threat of fascism and genocide; many of the children of what’s called the greatest generation grew up in the shadow of that war and went on to change the world and many of its values. Unfortunately, the world pushed back against those waves of change and now we are caught in the riptide of those shifting currents. For those of us who instigated and lived through the culture wars: get out your high-heel sneakers and get ready to march again. But also be aware that this time you will be marching with your grandchildren, a new generation that senses the need for change and is willing to do whatever it takes to facilitate those shifts.

The astrology this week is not that different from last week. What remains dominant is the continuing tumult of the United States Pluto Return and the deconstruction of government institutions. First to crumble was the Presidency under Mr. Trump, who revealed every weakness of the Oval Office; then it was both houses of Congress and their insistence on clinging to outdated ways and means—many of whose members supported the treasonous coup d’état of January 6; and then along came the Supreme Court and the justices who have decided to strut their stuff, believing themselves to be above the law. There is a shitload of work to be done if we are ever going to right the ship of our democracy. And we all need to rise to the occasion of this task—all of us, young and old.

We are in the midst of a revolution which is one of the reasons life feels so wonky and why it is so hard to feel the ground beneath your feet. It’s also why so much is coming up all at once. This is why I focused on Milarepa this week: he is an example of what’s possible when you stick to your spiritual path and are determined to make a difference—not just in your own life, but in the lives of others.

Today is summer solstice 2023, the longest day of the year, when the sunlight starts to wane and each of the remaining days of the year get ever so slightly darker. Usually, the collective mood doesn’t start to darken until after Labor Day, when summer is gone and we’re back in school. But this year the mood has already started to darken, and while that mood has very little to do with the change of season, it definitely reflects the axis tilt of daily life.

Yes, the smoke of wildfires has darkened the skies, but a large component of the non-physical darkness is propelled by the endless stream of Trump’s personal reality show, brought to us daily on all the news shows, blasting his voice to the wind. While I know it is the new conventional wisdom to stop watching those shows and stop reading the news, I’m still interested in what’s happening in the world. I am not convinced that every news service lies—and if you are, please don’t try to convert me. I’m a girl from New York City, where if you haven’t developed your street smarts by junior high school, you’re lost. You’ve got to be able to scope out a situation and discern through highly honed critical thinking what’s real and what isn’t.

Both sides—Republicans and Democrats—are not the same. As I wrote several years ago, I always wondered who Republicans rooted for when they watched Star Wars, but thanks to Trump and his cadre of Hungry Ghosts, I figured it out—they root for Darth Vader. Republicans, with their parsimony and bigotry are not Jedi Knights committed to an inclusive worldview. To be sure, the Democrats are not all saints, but Republicans, consciously or unconsciously, support the Empire and its evil agenda; they are not apologetic for their positions and they seem to feed off of the hatred they inspire. Bannon and his minions have achieved their goal: government deconstruction and the chaos that follows.

Of course the country doesn’t work if the government has been smashed to smithereens, but the glee of smashing for its own sake has blinded many of our fellow travelers to the consequences of their rage. Those of us not indulging in a smashing spree are left to try to hold the ship together as we simultaneously attempt to transform and make right what’s been revealed as antiquated and ineffectual—painstaking work that will not move at the speed of light, so be determined as well as realistic.

Saturn Retrograde began on Saturday, June 17, so we are just in the beginning phase of its retrospective, which lasts until November 4. Saturn entered Pisces on March 7, and it’s traveled seven degrees into Pisces before “turning around” to reflect on its journey so far. A lot has happened in our lives since early March, so it might be beneficial to reflect on those changes to see what adjustments might need to be made going forward.

A Venus/Mars conjunction in Leo dominates the emotional dimension of the week, especially as the Moon joins that conjunction today and remains a part of it until the early morning of June 23. Venus/Mars contacts almost always signal a strong sexual and sensual influence and the Moon amplifies those inclinations. Yes, you could fall in love easily under this planetary combination; but you could just as easily recognize how important romance is in our world—love lifts the spirit and often propels us out of the doldrums of our day-to-day repetitive patterns. Leo is quite a dramatic Sign, so you can expect any declarations of love to be sweeping and just a tad effusive.

Uranus in Taurus squares that entire Leo bundle, and while I normally advise people to be prepared for surprising plot twists courtesy of Uranus and its erratic behavior, this time it could be that the weight of Mars, Venus, and the Moon in Leo holds back any flightiness that would otherwise occur. I’m still advising you to wait before you decide to get married on a whim, but that being said, you could find yourself emotionally engaged in a relationship you don’t want to let go of.

In my June 7 column, I included an article about high school students in Indiana who were banned from producing and performing an LGBTQ play—their school would not let them perform but the students figured out a way put it on. To my surprise and delight, a friend who reads this column wrote me: 

Ralfee, that high school you mentioned in the Weekly Frequency? That’s where I went to school. Needless to say, things have changed a bit. It was very cathartic to watch it play out; I wish I could have been there for the show. I think you know that when I was a senior at Purdue, I was sued in federal court by the state of Indiana for directing Terrence McNally’s play “Corpus Christi,” the gay passion play? We won the lawsuit and got to stage it but we had death threats, a thousand protestors a night… the state militia showed up …. The kids in Indiana two weeks ago didn’t even have a single protestor show up and they sold two thousand seats. Maybe it really does get better? Even in Indiana…

I’m including his email because it struck me that we don’t often realize that the world is changing, mostly for the better, and more importantly, it is young people who push the envelope of transformation. I was thrilled to hear about the contrasting responses—still not all that we would hope for in a world where everyone gets to live in harmony, but nonetheless affirming that things do change and they do get better.

I’ve spent a lot of time in my life despairing about the state of things and I want to start celebrating what’s right in the world. We hold grudges and whine about all the things that are wrong in our lives without realizing that small acts of kindness change hearts and truthful words merit respect. Most of us, despite our polarized world and darkening skies, want our Planet Earth to be a wonderful place for all of us. As Picard would say, “Make it so.”

Pluto retrograded back into Capricorn on Sunday, June 11, and three days before, a Miami grand jury indicted Mr. Trump; on June 9, two days before Pluto’s entry into Capricorn, the indictment was made public, with pictures; and on June 13, two days after Pluto’s return to Capricorn, Mr. Trump made an initial court appearance in a federal court in Miami. And because the gods and goddesses have a sense of humor, the same Trump-appointed judge who was ridiculed and shamed for her rulings in the initial documents case was appointed by lottery to preside over this next indictment trial.

Saturn is also known as the Lord of Karma, cyclically presenting us with an Excel sheet of karmic debits and credits, so it’s not too surprising that this current cast is assembling, tables are turning, and part of the score is being tallied. I’m not suggesting it is a done deal—that Mr. Trump will face the full consequences of his mendacious actions—but at least his behavior and his intent is seeing the light of day. Seen through an astrological lens, the most recent indictment is also emblematic of the United States Pluto Return, and together the liabilities for Trump are seemingly endless—and we haven’t heard from Georgia yet, or from the case regarding Trump’s involvement in the insurrection and attempted coup d’état on January 6.

I actually love Capricorn and its Ruling Planet, Saturn; maybe that’s because I have Jupiter in Capricorn, but perhaps it’s also because I recognize the value of both the sign’s and planet’s perspectives: through these two astrological components we get down to the bones of things—Saturn and Capricorn create order and structure. Of course, as all parts of the astro-puzzle do, Capricorn and Saturn play out along a spectrum of potential manifestations from negative to positive. They both represent the passage of time as well as the voice of reality, and when they are active in an individual chart or facilitating a collective perspective, it’s helpful to take their long view and contextualize what’s happening as part of a much bigger process than the surface often reveals. They symbolize the wisdom of the senex—the old man who has survived time and gathered wisdom through the process of living life—in noted contrast to all the old men vying for power politically, all of them knowing their time is up. We are witnessing a Saturnine battle for control on the more negative side of the spectrum, none of the players wise enough to let go and mentor younger leaders into powerful positions.

The United States Pluto Return brought most, if not all, of the government’s institutions to their knees—the Pluto Return has revealed the weaknesses of all three branches of the system, making apparent what hadn’t worked and what isn’t working. It’s been quite disturbing to see these institutions lose their stature and our trust in their efficacy and wisdom along with it. Many can no longer cling to the notion that government works; it was never perfect, but it worked and continues to work, despite the blatant need for rehabilitation. And it is also corrupt. Both can be true at the same time, but that is a notion that most people can’t conceive of; and so we are caught not just in a political struggle but also in an intellectual and ideological one. How do we acknowledge the wisdom of the system and repair its weaknesses, so that we continue to live up to its most promising vision? The Pluto Return has asked us to take (as they say in recovery) a fearless, searching, moral inventory. We have—and it’s not great.

Trump promised to clean the swamp and he did so by making all the monsters of the swamp visible; he took advantage of the weaknesses of the system, populated the swamp with his own creatures, all of them skilled in the deflection of projection; then preyed upon the fear of his constituents, mesmerizing them at any and every opportunity by giving voice to their grievances. They were thrilled to finally feel seen and heard—so thrilled that they were and are willing to do battle for him. And now he is on trial for being a treasonous king. If he had any redeeming qualities, the whole narrative could be classified as Shakespearean.

I’m sorry to write about Trump again, but I must because as Pluto retrogrades back and forth between Capricorn and Aquarius, he embodies what needs to be left behind if we are to choose a path of consciousness and healing going forward.

The week unfolds on an emotional note—since yesterday, June 13, the Moon in Taurus is conjunct Jupiter, also in Taurus, and because Jupiter is always expansive, it amplifies the Moon, which always symbolizes feelings. So try to notice what pushes you to extremes and whenever possible, dial it down and try to keep the peace.

A square between Mars in Leo and Uranus in Taurus turns the air fractious and in some instances explosive, which creates a challenge to those trying to keep the peace. Mars represents physical energy; Uranus represents electricity; and as these two clash, this aggressive interaction between Mars and Uranus is going to make it difficult for moods and tempers to flow easily and harmoniously. This square begins on June 16; it is exact on June 26, and ends on July 3.

I’m not sure what the best advice is for this week other than to stay as calm as possible and to avoid charged interactions. Pluto Retrograde is going to have many of us continuing to review the last many years of Pluto’s journey through Capricorn. Be gentle with yourself through this process and try to be gentle with others. It’s important to remember that we are all in this together and those of us who are living in the USA during this particularly charged moment of polarization need to remember that. And now, more than ever, we need to remember to be kind to each other.

It’s a mysterious week—and I’m not just sayin’ that to avoid deciphering its sky scripts. It’s mysterious because there’s a lot going on beneath the surface of daily life and trying to identify those astral undercurrents feels a little like a magical mystery tour.  

Let’s start with Saturn: Saturn, the planet that keeps things real, goes retrograde in Pisces on Saturday, June 17, and stays retrograde until November 4. This is a normal retrograde phase for Saturn and while it reviews its first months in Pisces, we review ours. Saturn entered Pisces on March 7, 2023, so be prepared to revisit and review decisions, patterns, disappointments, and hopes that may have occurred over the last three months.

Saturn can be a tough and sometimes prickly taskmaster because it is the voice of reality, often reminding us what is or isn’t possible. It is all about structure and order. Pisces, on the other hand, is an opposite force—it's the vastness of psyche and the majesty of the seas. When its boundarylessness is challenged by Saturn’s bone-forming presence, we experience the need for clearly delineated territory, personal and collective, political and financial, and in all other areas of life in need of clearly marked territories and limits. Try to find the time to reflect on how the last three months of Saturn’s journey through Pisces have affected your ability to set boundaries and stick to them.

Many of us are familiar with that astrological rite of passage, the Saturn Return. It happens every twenty-nine years, when Saturn, in its orbit around the Sun, returns to the position it occupied when you were born. The first Saturn Return is an initiation into adulthood, when we realize we are no longer teenagers and that we need to make some serious decisions (if we haven’t already) about what we want to do with our lives. Those readers born between May 1993 and April 1996 are currently in the midst of their first Saturn Return.

Those born from March 1964 to March 1967 are in the midst of their second Saturn Return. I like to call this the threshold of the wisdom years, when we take stock of how we’ve spent the currency of purpose for the last thirty years. It is a serious time, but it can also be quite satisfying, especially if you allow Saturn to help you recognize what you’ve learned and created, and what still might be in need of transformation.

But you don’t need to be in the midst of a Saturn Return to feel Saturn’s presence. Ultimately Saturn is the principle that allows us to distill wisdom from experience—and that can happen at any age. So during Saturn’s retrospective for the next several months, reflect on what you are learning; pay close attention to what still needs to be learned—there’s always room for more growth. All week long, as Saturn prepares for its “turn around,” we are likely to experience a time warp, so anticipate that certain areas of life will move like molasses and others will continue to move at the speed of light.

Pluto moves back into Capricorn on June 11, and as Pluto retraces its final days in Capricorn, so do we. Try to keep in mind that Pluto’s retrograde motion before it moves into Aquarius can be seen as a review of the entire cycle—fifteen years—not just the last several months. Don’t be surprised if old friends show up for another glance or old projects resurrect themselves and you find yourself paying attention to things you thought were behind you.

The week will be a bit of a slog with Saturn preparing for its retrograde in ten days and Pluto dredging up the unfinished business of the last fifteen years. If you don’t have to hurry to get things done, try to take your time during this process and leave plenty of time to reflect on your situation—has it changed and if so, how?

Backtracking for a moment: Venus entered Leo on June 5, so don’t be surprised if you feel like going on a shopping/beauty spree. Venus loves the lush when it is in Leo, but try not to spend more than you have. The goddess of love and beauty is going to be in Leo for quite some time. She goes retrograde in Leo from July 22 through September 3 and won’t enter Virgo until October 8—there’s plenty of time to shop, so try not to spend everything at the beginning of this phase.

I’ve written several times about young people being the generation of hope even as they despair over the state of the planet they are inheriting. I don’t think that most of them will accept the bigotry, hatred, and violence that has insinuated itself into our daily lives. I have faith that just as the Parkland students did and continue to do, many survivors of the mass shootings at schools will become activists—they won’t settle for a numb acceptance of our shattered world and having experienced the ravages of gun violence, will do all that they can to change the gun disposition of our country.

In keeping with that notion, I read an article about a group of students in Indiana who rebelled and protested the bigotry of their school against the LGBTQ community. It’s a great story and a hopeful one; it reaffirmed my confidence in a generation that has had to endure one trauma after another at an unrelenting pace that’s hard for adults to process, let alone kids. It’s a good, uplifting read about their courage to move forward and their ultimate success. They are brave and rebellious as young people should be and their determination will set a different standard. I admire their strength and confidence.

www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/05/31/marian-school-theater-lgbtq-indiana/?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F3a2a3f6%2F6477710249fef741

I’m not sure it is possible to express the depth of Planet Earth’s transformational process—words won’t do it justice—but I will try nevertheless because it affects all of us more than many of us may be aware. As Pluto retrogrades back over its recently trodden path, we are revisiting patterns, themes, and problems that have obscured forward progress, personal and planetary. Yet this review is not just of the last several months; it’s a review of personal and planetary growth that has occurred over the last fifteen years. Yeah, I know, that’s a lot, which is why it feels so momentous and overwhelming. It’s also why it is important to put this process in perspective. Many of our fellow travelers are feeling as if they’ve regressed to a previous state of consciousness, one they thought was long gone—but we have not truly regressed. Some of us are revisiting areas we’d thought we’d worked out, but the current resurgence of those issues is just to make sure all the t’s are crossed and the i’s are dotted so we can confidently move forward, while others are wrestling with issues that are still in dire need of transformation—stagnant relationships, emotional extremes, unresolved rage, or grief—all of which need to be worked on so they can be worked through.

This week, frustration with this Plutonian process reaches a particularly intense crescendo as Mars in Leo continues to oppose Pluto in Aquarius—an already pernicious, ruthless interaction—and that opposition can turn into a messy battlefield of clashing ambitions. The Moon joins Mars today, May 24, turning the entire interaction deeply emotional, which could cause many of us to say and do things we might later regret. So put the blaming finger in your pocket and resist the temptation to blame all the things that aren’t going your way on someone else. I’m not suggesting people shouldn't take responsibility for their actions; I’m saying that this is not the week to insist on someone else taking the blame for your disappointment or the credit for your success. Pluto is always about learning to handle power and when it is opposing Mars and the Moon, the temptation to blame others is hard to resist.

But resist we must, because blame isn’t going to change any hearts or minds—it just makes people bristle with resentment and resistance or it feeds their shame, neither of which contributes to positive forward motion. So it is incumbent upon each of us to find a way to move through this ruthless force without amplifying Pluto’s brutal hardheartedness.

All of this information distills down into regular life on Planet Earth as a reason to exercise caution as you go about regular routines: avoid getting into arguments—they will turn into brawls. Be sure to exercise discretion when you are stating your case—words are easily weaponized under this influence. Mostly importantly, be nice. Ruthless behavior boomerangs into instant karma under an influence like this, so follow the golden rule and do unto others as you would like others to treat you.

Jupiter is in Taurus in a square to both Mars and Pluto, a position that amplifies the intensity rather than mitigates it. All three of these planets are in Fixed Signs, which means no one is inclined to surrender the certainty of their positions. We've been in this pernicious energy since May 17, when the Jupiter/Pluto square was exact and separating. On May 20, the Mars/Pluto opposition was exact and separating. The Moon intensifies all of it today, and thankfully the entire bundle is behind us by the end of the month.

It's not easy looking back on fifteen years of change, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you feel like quiet introspection is something you’re trying to avoid. Be kind to yourself and others as you wrestle with what to leave behind. It could be that confronting old demons engenders a new take on a persistent problematic situation. Old physical or psychic injuries might be rising to the surface of daily life and interfering with the free flow of plans and projects; or old issues of the victim/victimizer dance could be polarizing new relationships just as this dance had previously sullied old partnerships; it could be that belief systems you once thought were cutting edge are losing their efficacy amidst the glow of new techniques and a plethora of innovative information about old habits.

Pluto’s fifteen-year journey through Capricorn wasn’t easy and its departure won’t be either. Capricorn is the Sign of structure, systems, and order, and in many instances, Pluto has revealed the uselessness of old paradigms of power, personal and collective, and while that lack of relevance can be quite startling, if you have nothing new to replace your old views, it can also be quite disconcerting. So be kind to your fellow travelers—even the ones who have opinions that are hard to take. If compassion were easy to embrace, we would almost always choose to be kind to one another and to the planet we inhabit, and to all the other species who share the planet with us.

We’re not going anywhere fast this week, but wherever we’re going, we’re going with a grounded determination that might even be better than a speedy arrival. Yes, Mercury Retrograde is over, and yes, again, that should indicate a quickening of just about every regular routine (not that there are many regular routines left in this crazy, mixed-up, muddled-up world). But there are four planets in Taurus, a Sign that doesn’t initiate rapid responses unless there’s a true emergency. While many of us would like to declare the state of daily life an ongoing emergency, I don’t think our condition qualifies as a true emergency—at least not yet. Those planets in Taurus are: Jupiter, which just moved into Taurus yesterday, May 16; Mercury, which just ended its retrograde on May 15; Uranus, and the Sun; and if that isn’t enough, the Moon moves into Taurus today, May 17, and on Friday, May 19, there is a New Moon at 28°25 Taurus—so pretty much a Taurusy week. Use the New Moon in Taurus to set your intentions—this is a vital New Moon, potent with potential for putting new projects and plans in motion.

Because Taurus doesn’t normally move at warp speed, there is a tendency to criticize its natural pace, which could be described as deliberate, consistent, and thoughtful—just what you need when you are moving towards specific goals, but not what you need when you are in a hurry. But try not to be fooled by this one-foot-in-front-of-the-other stride. Those of us moving at the speed of light could get frustrated by Taurus’ measured steps, but only if we are  determined to rush across the finish line regardless of the cost. Yes, we are out of Mercury Retrograde, which engenders the idea that now the days and nights will fly by. I am aware that I feed those expectations but in fairness to all of us astrologers who do promise a faster pace when Mercury is direct, sometimes it takes a while to come out of a retrograde slog and this might be one of those times, given that we are still in Pluto Retrograde.

We will be in Pluto Retrograde until October 10, but what makes this particular retrograde phase such a doozy is that it’s part of an extended process of Pluto shifting Signs. Pluto began winding down its cycle through Capricorn in February 2023 (a cycle that began in 2008) and it will continue to retrograde back and forth between Capricorn and Aquarius as it finishes up the old cycle and begins the new, which begins in earnest on November 19, 2024, when Pluto finally enters Aquarius for a nearly twenty-year stay. For some of us this transitional space can be quite difficult to navigate because any issues we’ve tried to hide from are setting up obstacle courses, insisting to be dealt with, and it’s hard to know how to cope with those obstructions.

When the path ahead is littered with debris, sometimes you have to clear a path before you can deal directly with your situation. Other times it’s wiser to move around the obstacles and deal with them later, after you’ve addressed the main problem. It’s not always easy to identify what needs to be done, but Pluto is not obscure with its concerns—it’s direct and often blatant, so if you’re facing a conundrum over whether to act, go to the heart of the matter and address the problem directly. There will be plenty of opportunities to take a more nuanced approach later.

Also this week, a Mars/Pluto opposition amplifies testy tempers, making it harder to keep cool in tense situations. Mars is currently in Cancer, but by Saturday, May 20, it moves into Leo, adding a dramatic flavor to the self-righteousness of being right; Pluto is in Aquarius, and when these two powerhouse planets oppose each other, the tension is often explosive. Take as many deep breaths as necessary to get through any conflicts you might encounter. If you can’t find a compromise or are unable to breathe your way through—and it is not an instance of life and death—try to put on a brave face and wait for things to calm down before you insist on your way above all others.

Several people got in touch with me over the last few days to ask, “what’s going on—why are things are so intense for so many people?” and all I was able to answer (beyond what might be happening in individual charts) was “say hello to Pluto’s change of Signs.” Pluto is shifting the astrological gravity and until this realignment is over, there will be many times when the chaos of events feels overwhelming. While there is the possibility that we will get used to it, I don’t think that’s gonna happen anytime soon. And because Pluto signifies death and rebirth, something has to die in order for something new to come into being. So try to notice anything you are holding onto that no longer serves a good purpose but that you’re holding onto out of habit—which could be anything from an attitude to a friend to an old sweater. And then see if you can let it go. This process won’t be easy, but it will be worthwhile in spite of its challenges.

We’re still in the Mercury Retrograde slog, but the good news is that Mercury Direct begins at the end of the day on May 14—11:17 PM EDT—which means that by May 15, Mercury will begin moving forward and many of the areas of life that have seemed intractable will once again move. Whew! This retrograde has been a bitch and Pluto Retrograde, which began in the middle of Mercury Retrograde has only exacerbated the worst of this mercurial phase. How do you spell relief? d-i-r-e-c-t. I’m not abandoning my appreciation of Mercury’s retrograde phases—they are the perfect time to catch up on all the tasks and obligations put off for a rainy day (or, as in my case, a retrograde slog, which demands cleaning up the details of the past). So keep answering those old moldering emails—you may discover something you’ve overlooked and are happy to rescue from the detritus of modern life.

The best news of the week is a Sun/Uranus conjunction that’s been in effect since Wednesday, May 3, is exact and separating on Wednesday, May 10, and is finally over on Wednesday, May 17. Sun/Uranus combinations are notorious for fueling the need for personal freedom as well as collective, political, and financial freedom, and any other kind you can imagine. The mantra of this conjunction is “I gotta be free; I gotta be me.” Expect lots of people to make declarations of independence. This conjunction occurs in Taurus, which translates into an emphasis on financial freedom. You could decide to end your credit card debt and go on a stringent no-new-charges diet that makes being financially free your modus operandi.

The Sun/Uranus conjunction is already making people take hard stands and because Taurus is a Fixed Sign, the inclination to stubbornly stick to your guns, regardless of evidence contrary to your point of view, is at an all-time high. From a collective perspective, expect the debt-ceiling debate to go on and on and on as both sides dig in and refuse to compromise. I’m not suggesting abandoning your opinions, but I am advising you to think about whether you are digging in on principle or just digging in because it feels good—and you can. At its best, a Sun/Uranus conjunction is a breath of fresh air for your spirit as well as a powerful creative current that can inspire a truly original perspective.

A deeply emotional current underscores the week as the Moon conjuncts Pluto Retrograde in Aquarius. A Moon/Pluto conjunction symbolizes a compulsive need for emotional authenticity, and given that Aquarius is infamous for unique creative expression, some of that need for free expression isn’t likely to be easily suppressed. Mars in Cancer opposes the Moon all day today, exciting the already feisty atmosphere and adding an additional level of intensity to the stubborn signature of this Sun/Uranus conjunction. It all combines in a prickly mess that’s almost certain to send tempers flaring and egos adamantly demanding a day in court—even if they don’t have a case.

Fortunately, Venus is in Cancer in a sextile to Mercury, and her presence softens some of this week’s hard edges. As the goddess of love and beauty transits Cancer, the Sign of nurturing, use Venus for perspective, especially if you’re experiencing the need to fight for freedom, no matter what the cost.

My best advice for the week would be to take it easy and take life as it comes. Save your desire to push the river for important matters, and even then, see if you can wait until after May 15. I’m not suggesting passivity; if you must move into action, do so with an awareness of the consequences of your choices—most importantly, how your actions will affect others. Most of our fellow travelers are more than a little sensitive at the moment and consideration of how your choices will mesh with others could make the difference between resistance to a new idea or an easy acceptance of something different. And as always, make nice with your fellow travelers—we all need a little tenderness to ride these waves of change with hope and vigor.

(And just as a side note because it is in the paper today and because it so accurately reflects the state we are in… how does anyone name a butterfly after Sauron, the great destroyer of Middle Earth? Have we lost context for everything?

It’s hard not to feel the push-pull of one-step-forward-and-two-or-even-three-steps-back. We’re in the middle of Mercury Retrograde, and its backward glance isn’t at all smooth or easy. Mercury won’t be direct until mid-May—on May 14, but so close to midnight EDT that it might as well be May 15. Adding to the misery of Mercury’s retro-review, Pluto Retrograde began on Monday, May 1, and as Pluto reviews its recent path, especially its first foray into Aquarius, we are retracing our path into Aquarius as well. Be thoughtful about Pluto’s retrospective and use Mercury’s attention to detail as you reflect on all that has transpired since Pluto’s first step into a new Sign—sometimes the smallest events can turn into momentous ones, just as events that seem significant at first glance may actually lack a true and lasting luster. We’re in this Plutonian back-and-forth from Capricorn to Aquarius for a while, so there’s no need to hurry predictions about what Pluto in Aquarius will look like—we have tons of time to observe and take notes.

We’re also in the grip of eclipse season—on April 20 there was a solar eclipse at the last degree of Aries and on Friday, there is a lunar eclipse at the middle degree of a Scorpio Full Moon. The effect of an eclipse can be felt several weeks before or after the actual event; normally these events would stand out and make us take notice, but nothing is normal anymore and because we are inundated with a continuous flow of abnormal events, it’s difficult to tell what might be attributed to an eclipse versus what is just a manifestation of the ongoing madness that has replaced the regular routines of daily life.

Here in the USA, the madness continues to manifest as gun violence. I am loath to go into that violent universe but it has become a part of daily life—and it doesn’t look like it is going to diminish soon. What I am certain of is that the generation which has grown up with shooter drills and constant fears for their safety will continue to take a stand against this madness. As I wrote last week, the mad intensity of gun violence is the Vietnam War of this young generation and they will protest and protest and protest until it is resolved. That doesn’t mean that the rest of us shouldn’t care—we should all care about the human lives that have been and will be lost until we find a solution to the violence and the fear that informs it. With this latest shooting (it may not be the latest by the time you read this) we’ve learned that it isn’t safe to ask your neighbor to quiet down—because your neighbor may decide to respond with unbridled rage. How dangerous does life have to get before we can collectively shift the paradigm of aggressive behavior? Now that we’ve lived for decades with rugged individualism as a value, can we learn to live with others and value our neighbors who only want to live a peaceful life? These are some initial Pluto in Aquarius questions and the need to find answers to them will dominate the coming decades of Pluto’s Aquarian journey.

The Sun in Taurus moves into a conjunction with Uranus this week—it is exact and separating on May 9 and lasts until May 14. Sun/Uranus contacts are often, if not always, about breaking free from whatever is holding you hostage or impeding your personal freedom, real or imagined. So anticipate a lot of personal declarations of independence, yours or others'.   

Other planetary movements hold the erratic rhythm of the week in place: Venus enters Cancer on May 7, a move that could soften attitudes and calm things down a bit; and Jupiter moves into Taurus on May 16, where it will stay for about a year, and as the planet of expansion moves into an Earth Sign, we are likely to experience real, tangible opportunities to ground some of our creative plans and projects into concrete reality.

For the next couple of weeks, there are lots of astral twists and turns to navigate, so do your best to stay alert and flexible. It’s likely you won’t be able to get everything your way, but it is also likely that despite retrograde delays and detours, there will be benefits from those unpredictable interruptions. As always, try to be considerate of others—not all of our fellow travelers will be able to handle the shifts skillfully and those who can would do well to help others.

I wish there was a really good song we could sing during retrogrades—all retrogrades—because singing would make it easier to cope with our frustration when all the technology we rely on daily decides to carry on as if it has a life of its own—but on another planet in a distant galaxy rather than right here where it is needed. I’ve been watching the current Mercury Retrograde play out since it began on Friday, April 21, and so far it’s been entertaining—nerve-wracking, but still amusing. Mercury continues retrograde until it goes direct on May 15, so we might as well enjoy the ride rather than spend the next couple of weeks bellyaching about all the problems of the digital world. (I can only imagine AI during a retrograde: “So sorry,” says the robot, “but I can’t do anything until Mercury Direct.”)

Mercury Retrograde ends late in the day on May 14, so I’m going with May 15 as the real end of this phase. And keep in mind that the three days after the retrograde ends can also be problematic; Mercury takes a couple of days to gather momentum and move forward. The Mercury Retrograde rule of thumb is to avoid setting new projects in motion under this influence—signing contracts, negotiating deals, opening new offices, installing new phone systems, and especially updating your phone and computer operating systems. See if you can wait it out and order that new printer after Mercury goes direct. Mercury Retrograde is always the best time to review, reconsider, and reflect on what’s been set in motion and to tweak whatever needs a little help.

Pluto retrograde begins on Monday, May 1, at 1:08 PM EDT, which means that as Pluto “slows down” to retrace its latest journey, Mercury Retrograde kicks in full force. Translation: it might be wise to anticipate delays, interruptions, detours, and every other kind of snafu related to retrograde phases. In other words, don’t expect to get too much done easily. You’ll get things done, but not necessarily on your schedule.

Pluto Retrograde ends on October 10, which means for the next nearly five months, Pluto is reviewing its first foray into Aquarius. This review will either be filled with thrills or be spilling over with regrets; it all depends on what you’ve put in motion. Let’s watch political developments closely—they will reveal a lot about which institutions are answering the call of transformation.

On May 5, a lunar eclipse exacerbates retrograde intensities as it disrupts regular routines. With the Moon in Scorpio, we can be certain that even more secrets will come to light. Eclipses, both lunar and solar, often reveal previously hidden information, and the eclipse effect can be felt several weeks before and after the actual event. While it’s stunning to anticipate even more secrets coming to light, when the Sun overshadows the Moon, conscious concerns override unconscious issues and concrete situations dominate hypotheticals.

Jupiter moves into Taurus on May 16 and as it bids farewell to Aries, many of our fellow travelers might feel the need to explore brave new worlds. Jupiter won’t be back in Aries until April 21, 2034, so now is the time to be bold and brave, but also sensible—Jupiter and Aries can both be over-the-top astral actors and their need to act on impulse can often get us in trouble. Aries is a deeply passionate Sign, so be prepared to spend the next couple of weeks feeling the need to feed your passions—again, just be sensible and reasonable.

As we work our way through the week, many of our fellow travelers could have a hard time handling the ebb and flow of the days and nights here on Planet Earth. Be kind to those who are struggling. We’ve all encountered difficulties phases and know that when someone lends a helping hand, life just gets easier and a lot less lonely.

It is horrifying to watch Mr. Trump suck all the oxygen out of every room, everywhere, every time his name is mentioned or his voice is heard. But more concerning than his pernicious omnipresence are the pockets of poison that he has helped bring to the surface of daily life through his malignant narcissism and his incessant, unrelenting need to assert his… I’m not sure what, other than to say his need for attention. Like so many victims, he has gladly accepted the mantle of victimizer, all the while hiding behind his victim persona. His corrosive influence wears patience thin and it is hard to hear his voice, let alone what he is saying. And yet, he has emerged as one of the emblems of the USA’s Pluto Return—instigating and accelerating the dismantling of systems put into place by the founding fathers, few of whom, if any, would understand how we got ourselves in this predicament: a rabble-rousing, racist president who would prefer to be a dictatorial king, intent on exploiting our many differences for his own benefit, inspiring others to behave in a similar fashion. Knowing how many people admire Trump makes it almost too much to bear. And yet his popularity and the poison he spreads are also a call to action. If he and his ilk are left to their own devices, each and every living being will suffer the unbearable consequences. And so his presence can be seen as a catalyst, or an accelerant, among the increasingly right-wing GOP. From a slightly different perspective, his constant presence and the polarization he stokes could also be seen as a bridge to a more perfect union, where citizens assert their rights, peacefully yet determinedly.

This week, Jupiter is conjunct the Sun in Aries, and right after the stroke of midnight EDT on April 20 there is a New Moon Solar Eclipse also in Aries, at 29° 50’. I don’t view eclipses as favorable; despite our ability to predict their occurrence—and our ancestors had the same ability—eclipses symbolize a disruption in celestial order. The sky darkens and although that darkness is predictable, it is nonetheless disconcerting. These days, when almost every day feels like a disruption of order, this solar eclipse has the potential to heighten that sense of disruption. When the Moon overshadows the Sun, unconscious concerns override conscious ones, which means we can expect a deeply emotional week, with more than a few disruptions to regular routines. Jupiter’s influence amplifies the eclipse effect, so anticipate an intense couple of days and weeks. Also keep in mind that the effect of an eclipse can be felt three weeks before or after the actual event.

In June of 2010, we started a cycle of Uranus/Pluto squares that occurred over the next several years and as those squares—there were seven—catalyzed the movement for social justice, Jupiter entered Aries in a conjunction with Uranus and the Moon. Those squares were powerful agents of change, challenging the role of the individual—Uranus in Aries—and the power of authorities—Pluto in Capricorn. It was an auspicious beginning to several years of tremendous social upheaval—auspicious because it signaled the vastness of the changes that would take place. (If you study history through the lens of astrology, you can notice the patterns of revolution through Uranus/Pluto interactions.) Jupiter’s presence during those squares amplified the power of their influence because that’s what Jupiter does.

This week, Jupiter joins the solar eclipse, amplifying its effect with that same turbo boost. Pay attention to what’s revealed in your life, in the lives of those you love, and also what’s revealed from the collective perspective—and try not to be startled as even more information is made public.

Clarence Thomas isn’t directly affected by this eclipse, but what I found when I checked his chart was even more interesting: Mr. Thomas’ Moon is at the very first degree of Aquarius, which means that transiting Pluto—our favorite power planet—is sitting on his Moon. It will sit there off and on until December 2025. So we will be hearing a lot about Mr. Thomas over the next several years. This could include an eclipse reveal, but we will have to watch it over the next couple of years to be sure. Transiting Pluto conjunct the natal Moon is one of the most difficult transits you can experience, given that Pluto will raise every emotional issue, especially those power issues lingering in the deep unconscious and subconscious terrain of the heart. The Moon represents the mother, and his mother is included in the most recent revelations. The Moon also represents the women in your life, wife included.  (And no, I did not look up his wife’s chart.)

The reason I looked up Mr. Thomas’ chart was not just to check for a possible eclipse effect but also to follow through on the dissolution of the tried-and-true institutions of the United States of America during its Pluto Return. Every single branch of the government has been affected: the Executive Branch, the Congress, and the Judiciary have come under Pluto’s transformative scrutiny and all the places where there are holes, gaps, and failures to live up to our principles are showing. Now we, the people, have to figure out what we want.

I am not a gun person—no surprise there—and I am a proponent of nonviolence. I don’t know how I would react if I were attacked and I’m hoping I won’t have to find out. But I do know that violence only begets more violence—and guns in this country have become the most lethal of weapons. And to move forward creating a more perfect union, we will have to figure out the guns. My confidence is with young people who will no longer tolerate the threat to life they’ve had to endure. The USA is a country built on genocide, so it is not accidental that we must tackle the problem of murder and racism before we can live up to our ideals. For young people, this is their war in Vietnam. It will continue to move them into action.

George Floyd’s murder galvanized the nation and the world into action and we must continue to act. As long as Pluto is shuffling between Capricorn and Aquarius, there is no escaping this truth. Witnessing his murder was too much to bear. Witnessing the murder of children is too much to bear. Witnessing the blatant racism, misogyny, and hatred of our elected Republican officials is too much to bear and we are finally waking up to that. The two black men of the Tennessee Three were not literally lynched but they were erased until the people of their districts said “not so fast”; they will live to tell about it and I hope will inspire all of us to be much more aware and active during this period of extended Plutonian transformation.

As we know, the world only changes one heart at a time. It is so sad that so many have to suffer so much to hasten this process. It’s not fair and it’s not right that we abide so much devastation. We, the people, must change. Help your fellow travelers as much as you can, even if you are overwhelmed by just how much you have to do in your life. Be especially kind to children, who are living a nightmare of uncertainty about their safety. Use this intensity to grow and when you can, help others to grow too.

On a completely different note: Mercury Retrograde begins on Friday, April 21 and ends late in the day on Sunday, May 14. Most of you know the drill—more about the particulars in next week’s missive.

Personal and planetary growth is always a long process, but this particular phase feels more like a long slog—after all, who thought that Mr. Trump would dominate the news to this degree, so long after he was voted out of office? I’m writing this before the indictment is public, but holy moly, all the details of Trump’s life are blaring from almost every device and there doesn’t seem to be a break from his incessant presence. And whatever the thirty counts are against the twice-impeached, indicted former leader of the free world (which you will have heard before you read this), I am sure pundits will be pontificating endlessly about the seriousness of those charges until well after the Easter Bunny has stopped delivering its eggs.

In an alternate reality known as Normal Earth, which was never perfect but despite its imperfections many of us still wish we lived on, we’re facing an unusual astrological week. Tonight, barely after midnight EDT—1:34 A.M. to be exact—there is a Full Moon in Libra, which means that during most of today, April 5, we are experiencing the emotional magnitude of the Moon at its strongest volume, and because it is full along the Aries/Libra axis, we are dealing (maybe wrestling would be a better description) with relationship issues. I realize it can be said that we are always wrestling with partnership problems, but this Full Moon makes relationship issues the most important issue of all and that importance lingers until at least Friday morning, April 7—and if they don’t get worked out, for a lot longer than that.

Aries symbolizes the process of individuation; Libra symbolizes the process of relating; when planets oppose each other along the Aries/Libra axis, we experience the need to create greater balance in all our partnerships—where do we staunchly refuse to compromise our position and where do we give ourselves away? Of course, there are glorious moments of merging with those we love, and those moments are the stuff of great poetry, but there are just as many moments when romance fails us because we fail to keep our balance and when we get lost in love, sometimes we lose ourselves. Romantically, that can sound like bliss, but practically it can raise emotional patterns that often tend to obscure joy.

Jupiter is in Aries, forming a wide conjunction to the Sun and a wide opposition to the Moon. Because Jupiter always enhances whatever configuration it’s a part of, you can expect its presence to magnify the emotional content of this Full Moon.

Saturn, newly in Pisces, sextiles Mercury, in Taurus, providing a stable intellectual atmosphere that encourages practical thinking—something we could use a lot of right now and during the coming weeks and months.

Remember, we are still in the wake of Pluto’s shifts—moving from Capricorn to Aquarius, a change in perspective that will go on for nearly twenty months as Pluto retrogrades in and out of Capricorn and Aquarius until November 2024, when Pluto is firmly positioned in Aquarius. We will all need plenty of patience during this momentous shift, so do whatever it is you do to stay stable and steady during these tumultuous times. And also remember to be kind to others and kind to yourself. We all need more than a little tenderness during this wild ride.

The astrology for this week is as straight ahead as the Sign of Aries—it’s direct, bold, and more than a little impulsive. The Sun is in Aries and it is in a square to Mars, which just entered Cancer (more about that below). The Sun in Aries is the energetic signature of the start of spring and certainly that new-beginning energy can be felt through the blossoming cherry trees, flowering daffodils, and tulips. (I feel like the crocuses moved through their blossoms quite quickly this year.) Mars, after nearly a year transiting Gemini, finally changed Signs, ushering in a new perspective, and while Cancer isn’t the best Sign for Mars to strut its stuff, it works well for our current situation. Mars symbolizes anger and when it is in a Water Sign, its bellicose tendencies shift to a softer approach. Cancer is always concerned with safety and security and can be preemptive when it is protecting itself, but only in extreme cases. As Mars transits through Cancer there will be plenty of opportunities to flex those Martian muscles and take a stand against injustice, but in this Sign, it takes slightly longer to manifest those negative responses or prickly confrontations that tend to end in unmanageable meltdowns.

Continuing the Aries emphasis, there is also a Mercury/Jupiter conjunction in Aries; this is a positive interaction that puts the stress on communication, so be prepared to be discussing lots of subjects, some familiar and some not so much. Keep an open mind as you explore the power of this conjunction. If you are a writer, the combined power of Mercury and Jupiter could move you into unknown territory, writing about subjects you never before considered interesting.

A Mars/Saturn trine engenders a serious attitude, especially when it comes to work and getting the job done down to the last detail. If you’re in the midst of projects, this positive interaction will keep you focused and determined until those projects are completed. Use this energy wisely and you will be pleased with the results.

The impulsive side of Aries is amplified by a Venus/Uranus conjunction in Taurus. Uranus symbolizes spontaneity and action—like Mars in another dimension—and when Uranus joins with Venus, most of us lean toward adventure, especially the romantic kind. This conjunction feeds creative urges as well as romantic/sexual infatuation, so enjoy the break it offers from the serious work mania of Saturn/Mars and do whatever it is that excites your imagination—as long as it is legal.

When I sat down to write this morning, I consciously chose not to write about the latest school shooting—not because I don’t care about the atrocities of gun violence but because my heart couldn’t take it. How many more people will suffer before we finally create a safer world for all of us, I have no idea. But I do know that eventually we will reach critical mass and come to our senses about the value of life—everyone’s life. Unfortunately, it doesn’t feel like that cultural shift is going to happen soon.

The force field of Pluto’s move into Aquarius combined with the waves of change set in motion by the U. S. Pluto Return are going to keep us in an agitated state for a while. The distress at the heart of Pluto’s move is sufficiently intense to instigate a necessary awareness of what must shift in order for us to move forward. The problem is that Pluto also evokes the desire to cling to systems that have outlived their usefulness but nonetheless feel comfortable and familiar. Try not to be fooled by a false sense of comfort—continue to work on what matters to you and most importantly, try to be patient with yourself, with those you love, and with the fellow travelers you haven’t yet met.

It’s a tempestuous week—the planets are busy changing Signs and we are busy trying to keep up with their changes. Be prepared for dynamic and dramatic shifts, both individual and collective, some of which have been anticipated for a while, with preparations put in place to handle changing circumstances, while other manifestations might seem surprising in their depth, and with an intensity that could catch many of our fellow travelers off guard. Try not to get spooked by the extent of these changes; so many all at once is an indication of our shifting perspective. Here’s the breakdown: the Sun moved into Aries on Monday, March 20; the Moon also moved into Aries on Tuesday, March 21; Pluto enters Aquarius on Thursday, March 23; and Mars enters Cancer on Saturday, March 25. All this is in addition to last week’s planetary changes, when Venus entered Taurus on March 16 and Mercury followed suit on March 18, when it entered Aries. But that’s not all: Saturn had already moved into Pisces on March 7.

It's true that planets are always changing Signs as they orbit the Sun and from Earth’s perspective move around the zodiac belt in repetitive patterns. However, this week and the past several weeks encapsulate a lot of planetary shifts and the regular routines of daily life reflect those celestial changes. Expect this week and the next several to translate into an equal amount of terrestrial activity.

Of course, the most important planetary shift of all is Pluto’s entry into Aquarius. That’s because Pluto is the most powerful player in the astrological pantheon; it symbolizes all the areas of life that are mysterious and beyond the control of mere mortals. Pluto represents the process of death and rebirth. For the last fifteen years, Pluto has been transiting Capricorn, the Sign of authorities, governments, organizations, corporations, structures, expertise, and practical, pragmatic wisdom. Capricorn is the Sign of stability and Pluto’s transformational power has revealed weakness in all those areas; again, individually and collectively. When Pluto started its journey through Capricorn in 2008, it challenged the structures of global financial systems and now as it leaves Capricorn, it seems to be challenging those systems again. Be aware that Pluto will take nearly nineteen months to make a smooth transition from Capricorn to Aquarius, so there’s plenty of time to adjust to the Sign change.

Aquarius represents the status quo, the collective zeitgeist, and innovation. This may seem like a contradiction, but only if you forget that Aquarius was once ruled by Saturn and is a Fixed Sign, which means it is not particularly interested in change. That being said, Uranus, the modern Ruler of Aquarius, signifies the process of invention and innovation and is thus associated with revolution and emancipation from whatever outdated systems keep individuals as well as the collective enslaved. Another Aquarian contradiction is the idea that Aquarius is the Sign of devotion to utopian ideals expressing love, compassion, and an egalitarian perspective and practice; and while this is theoretically true, Uranus is also the planet of upheaval and dynamic shift. Therein lies the conundrum we will face in the next twenty years of Pluto’s transit of Aquarius: Do we change or do we stay the same? Do we embody a new philosophy toward each other and our planet and finally see Earth and all her inhabitants as a unified collective? Or do we stubbornly refuse to change?

As always, we will create our Pluto in Aquarius reality as we live, making choices and changes every day as we feel the necessity for those shifts.

Today, March 22, a lineup of planets in Aries—the Sun, Mercury, the Moon, and Jupiter (in that order) —sets the tempestuous tone of the week. It’s refreshing and hopeful to see those planets in Aries, the Sign of exploration, particularly as they form the foundation of Pluto’s entry into a new Sign. Sure, Aries can be a bit reckless, but it is a passionate Fire Sign; confident, adventurous, and willing to take risks—qualities that could prove useful as we venture into unknown territory. As you adjust to this new frequency of Pluto in Aquarius, contemplate what you would like to shift in your life and whether that shift is possible within the existing paradigm of your daily habituations.

This lineup in Aries bodes well for the New Moon, also in Aries. A New Moon is the best time to plant seeds of all kinds—physical or creative—and this year those seeds can be planted on a powerful vernal equinox, supported by the passionate, fiery, initiatory energy of Aries, all of which combine to strengthen the power of new beginnings.

Mars’ entry into Cancer will ground the freewheeling energy of Aries, and that’s not such a bad thing. Mars, the Ruler of Aries, is impetuous, whereas Cancer is anything but. Mars has been in Gemini since August 2022, and throughout that transit we’ve been caught in a war of ideas (not that we haven’t been for the last many years). But that’s changing now. Cancer is concerned with issues of safety and security, which translates into an emphasis on financial matters, so be prepared for money matters to top the charts of awareness. Mars moves into Leo on May 20, which will once again shift our individual and collective perspective—but more about that as we get closer to the shift.

It's a big astrological week and we will feel its effect for quite some time. Notice what continues to get cleaned up from Pluto’s Capricorn journey—will the law finally catch up with Mr. Trump? Will the financial markets hold firm? Also contemplate not only what gets set in motion but what you want to set in motion. You’ve got plenty of time to hone your intentions and focus your clarity. As always, be compassionate to your fellow travelers. But this week, also make the time to truly think about your life and how it reflects the changing dynamics of the sky. Changes don’t have to manifest in big ways, although plenty of people are moving to new homes and new jobs; they could just as easily manifest as subtle shifts in attitudes and ambitions. What’s most important is the realization that we are a part of a much larger universe and what happens in one sector influences what happens in another. We are all interconnected in multidimensional universes and the planets are not as far away as you might think.

I watched the Oscars with great joy on Sunday evening and not just because my favorite movie swept the wins, but because it was so easy to catch the winners’ joy waves and ride their exuberance—their acceptance speeches as well as Brendan Fraser’s were without artifice and that made sharing the joy of their success easy. In our current polarized culture it’s become increasingly difficult to celebrate joy—I miss that and I’m sure a lot of my fellow travelers do too. So while I don’t enjoy the hype, hoopla, and concern with fashion trends, I always enjoy the show’s acceptance speeches and when they are as heartfelt as Sunday night’s, my appreciation of what it means for each soul standing there only deepens, especially as they spend their precious little time on thank yous and gratitude.

It's also good to be joyous right now, at this very moment, when we are riding the astral waves driven by Pluto, which is not always a stress-free ride and definitely not joyous—Pluto and joy are not words you typically find in the same sentence. Pluto symbolizes issues of power and when Pluto is active we wind up dealing with all the things we have no control over. Pluto signifies the process of death and rebirth, and while few of us mind the rebirth phase of Pluto’s influence, the death phase is quite challenging and often painful.

Exacerbating Pluto’s collective waves of change is the United States Pluto Return, which is still in effect and will be until the end of the year. Yes, we are dealing with Pluto’s move into Aquarius, but we are also dealing with the lingering and not yet integrated U.S. Pluto Return and its deconstruction of the systems that no longer serve. Mr. Trump and his MAGA minions are emblematic of America’s struggle to be true to its founding principles. While this struggle is hard for everyone to witness because it is so out of tune with the times, it is in keeping with Pluto’s power to reveal the attitudes and institutions they inform until we move into reforming what is flawed. The resistance to Pluto’s insistence on transformation is palpable—and it is a drag. But clinging to the past is also a strong indication of how threatened the old system and its leaders are by the changes taking place at the cultural core of the “Land of the Free.”

The undertow of the Plutonian waves could feel more like a riptide. (I wanted to make sure I was defining riptide and undertow correctly and found this video, which explains the difference between them. I am including it because I found it so charming: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzDv8-aRpWA&t=149s

Other important planetary information: On March 15, Mars moves out of its retrograde zone in Gemini. Yes, it went direct on January 12, but we’ve been in the shadow of that retrograde until now. So be prepared for lots of things that have felt stuck in the mud to move forward rapidly. Also on March 15, the Sun/Neptune conjunction is exact, and that translates into hypersensitivity, so be careful about merging too deeply with others—keep those boundaries. This conjunction also intensifies interest in the workings of the spiritual world—just be careful you don’t fall prey to charlatans. There are plenty of good books to help you hone your metaphysical understanding.

These are powerful currents and we will feel them for the next several weeks even more keenly than we have for the last several weeks. Do your best to recognize that everyone, even the crazy MAGA mob, is feeling the inevitability of change and very few of us have the skill and strength to ride these waves to the shore. Also do your best to help your fellow travelers when you can and be especially kind to children and animals, who feel the intensity but can’t articulate it. Of course, grown-ups and other humans are also having a hard time, so try to be kind to everyone—it will help you stay calm in the midst of this energetic storm.

I think the reason I love Everything Everywhere All at Once is because it depicts a state of consciousness that is all too familiar, especially these days as the structures of what was once reality continue to dissolve in front of our eyes and beneath our feet. This is not a movie review and I realize everyone perceives reality through their personal point of view, but if I could make a film about the power of Pluto and the chaos of its converging multidimensional effects, it might look a little like the untrammeled multiverse realities of the many choices made in the film, each choice creating its own alternate universe. Whew… welcome to Plutoland, where the planet of greatest transformational power continues to power through its return in the chart of the United States of America, catalyzing revolution even as it simultaneously shifts signs (March 23 is the due date), shifting the collective perspective and marking new territories—social, cultural, political, and financial. It’s a trip, as we used to say in the Sixties, and so is daily life here on Planet Earth as this Plutonian process unfolds.

The key to navigating the multivalent Pluto-verse is holding fast to the North Star of your spiritual path. A lot of people have a daily practice of meditation or yoga, but the efficacy of a spiritual path is not determined by how often you practice or how long you can hold a headstand; it’s measured by how well you integrate the principles of that path into the way you live. The particular intensity of Pluto’s current presence in the last degree of Capricorn is providing us lots of opportunities for that integrative process because it is reminding us daily that nothing is as it may appear and everything can change at any moment. While some of our fellow travelers may become bored with nineteen-month retrograde process, others will find it invaluable in cleaning up details of Pluto’s transit through Capricorn.

As most readers know, Pluto enters Aquarius on March 23, the first of several endings of its journey through Capricorn that began in 2008, as well as the first of several beginnings as Pluto moves into Aquarius. Pluto will retrograde between Aquarius and Capricorn for nearly nineteen months and we will retrograde along with it, tying up loose ends of the last fifteen years of Capricornian endeavors as we simultaneously try to catch the threads of Aquarian new beginnings and do our best to glimpse what Pluto’s next phase will look like. You will need patience, patience, and more patience to handle this retrograde period skillfully, so take a deep breath and start practicing straddling parallel universes—you’re going to need as much flexibility and balance as you can muster.

The next two weeks are sure to be highly emotional as people feel the intensity of Pluto’s move but don’t quite know how to contextualize what they are feeling, so it might be worthwhile to track the Moon in relation to Pluto. Yes, the Moon’s normal cycle touches Pluto and all the planets every month, but these next two weeks are an emotional roller coaster, so buckle up, fasten your seat belts, and hold onto your hats. Here’s the lunar dial-up and overlap:

Today, March 8, Pluto is making a trine to the Moon in Virgo that began on March 7 and ends March 9. A Moon/Pluto trine indicates a deeply emotional environment, and although some will argue that all Pluto interactions are deep, for the next two weeks as Pluto moves inexorably into Aquarius on March 23, you’re likely to feel each Moon/Pluto contact in your bones.

On March 10, Pluto squares the Moon in Libra, creating a fractious emotional climate, so be prepared for lots of difficulties, from bruised egos and wounded pride to unrealistic expectations and deep disappointment to power struggles, yours or others’. It’s a difficult day that begins with the start of this square and by dinner time, squabbles that began as minor disagreements could turn into major disputes.

On March 12 and 13, Pluto sextiles the Moon in Scorpio, calming things down, which is a good thing because by March 16, exact on March 17, we are in the grip of a Moon/Pluto conjunction in Capricorn, an intense interaction that delights in disruption, especially when it comes to control issues. Be careful with this one—St. Patrick’s Day often starts off happy but just as often ends in a drunken brawl.

Fortunately, on the vernal equinox, March 20, the Moon in Pisces sextiles Pluto and that benign interaction, which is exact on March 21, settles the air again for a couple of days. But by March 22 the Moon is in Aries, and a Moon/Pluto square that’s exact on March 23 dials up the intensity once again. Pluto moves into Aquarius with a square to the Moon in Aries, and we are off on a new astral adventure. 

Much will be predicted about this new adventure but it might be wiser to watch it unfold in real time than to try to divine what direction life will take. Aquarius is a free-spirited Sign and the Moon in Aries is no slouch when it comes to personal freedom. And yet we will be told that harmony will abound when Pluto moves into Aquarius and the Age of Aquarius begins—maybe it will, but we have a long way to go before we hit the motherload of harmony and understanding we’ve come to assume is the Aquarian way. Nevertheless, don’t let this extended period of disruption sway you from your personal practice of love and understanding; no matter which way the astral winds blow, be committed to integrating the highest principles of your spiritual path into daily life. Walking your talk is the best way to stay centered and balanced. Above all, be kind to those who are struggling with the intensity of this Pluto transition—a little kindness, compassion, and tenderness will go a long way toward easing the path for yourself and others.

If you feel as if you’re being swept away by powerful forces, you’re right. We’re in an accelerated wave of dynamic energy that blends the past with the present and the future with the past, turning the present into a grab bag of memories and vision quests—some new and some old—so don’t be surprised if you have encounters of the close kind with people you haven’t seen since you left high school or if you’re dreaming about those you haven’t yet met. One of the sources of these powerful waves is the concentration of Aries energy that quickened all the days of last week and continues to quicken all the days of this week—it’s a forward thrust of activity that’s undeniable. As a friend expressed it, “I feel as if I am being pushed by a super strong force, but I don’t know where or what it’s pushing me toward or why.”

But an even stronger force lies beneath this Aries thrust, and that force is—you guessed it—Pluto’s inexorable entry into the Sign of Aquarius on March 23. I can’t repeat it enough: Pluto changing Signs signals a shift in consciousness that is both collective and individual, and it is always a shift accompanied by upheaval. When Pluto moved into Capricorn, we experienced the Great Recession. On its way out of Capricorn, we could experience another great recession or some similar financial upheaval. I am not predicting that another great recession is inevitable; I’m simply using it as an example of what can happen when Pluto shifts energetic signatures. As you process that information, keep in mind that it will take Pluto nineteen months to land fully in Aquarius, where it will stay for the next twenty years. So we are looking at nearly two years of Plutonian uncertainty as Pluto retrogrades back and forth between Capricorn and Aquarius and then two decades of Plutonian upheaval as Pluto focuses wholly on probing the shadows of Aquarius, making us keenly aware of what needs to be worked through in order to create the unity that underlies the positive ethos of the Water Bearer.

Saturn also contributes to these waves of change: On Tuesday, March 7, Saturn moves into Pisces—another shift in perspective as Saturn, the planet of boundaries, enters Pisces, the Sign of boundarylessness. Saturn represents structures of all kinds, from buildings to organizations to ideas. Pisces symbolizes the great oneness of being that dissolves structures so we can witness how connected we are. As Saturn moves through Pisces over the next three years, we are certain to experience lots of situations involving boundaries—personal and collective. Try not to be either reactive or passive as you encounter any Saturn/Pisces issues. We will still be confronting the theme of boundaries even when Saturn moves into Aries in three years because Neptune, the ruler of Pisces, will be entering Aries in tandem with Saturn, stretching the boundary issues well past Saturn’s transit through Neptune’s Home Sign.

March is a very busy month: Mercury also moved into Pisces on March 2 and moves into Aries on March 18. Venus enters Taurus on March 16, four days before the vernal equinox on March 20, when the Sun enters Aries and spring starts—a day before Pluto enters Aquarius. Mars moves past the point of its retrograde on March 15 and finally leaves Gemini on March 25, when it enters Cancer. That’s a lot of planetary activity, and the regular routines of daily life will reflect that celestial hustle and bustle.

As all of this movement takes place, there are likely to be moments when you’re nostalgic for the sluggish stagnation of the COVID-19 years—hard to imagine, but nevertheless possible. But also know that you don’t have to match the energy of these planetary movements; awareness is enough. And if you feel like it’s all too much, try getting back into bed and under the covers. March is a wild ride and a strange time. What’s important is that you set your intentions and try to visualize what the manifestation of those goals will look like. Above all, try to be compassionate for those who may not have the strength to surf these waves of change. It’s easy to discard kindness in the midst of uncertainty, but don’t let the intensity throw you off track. As strange as these times are, the strangeness seems to be necessary and it will eventually clear.

Although the Sun just moved into Pisces on Saturday, February 18, there’s an Aries thrust to the week that burns through that Piscean watery approach and is bound to make some people feel as if we’ve already moved past the vernal equinox and are full throttle into spring. Venus, the Moon, and Jupiter are all conjunct in the early degrees of Aries today and although the Moon moves into Taurus in the wee hours of Friday morning, the Venus/Jupiter conjunction in Aries dominates the astral frequency until Monday, when Venus starts to pull away from Jupiter—both still in Aries, but not traveling together. So while many of our fellow travelers may be expecting a kinder and gentler way of getting things done—characteristic of the Piscean way—don’t be too disappointed if the routines of daily life resemble a battlefield.

Aries is often a maligned Sign in astrology—it doesn’t have the best reputation because it is bold, decisive, and doesn’t always look before it leaps. In the blink of an eye, Aries can find itself in a pickle simply because it’s acted on impulse. But those who criticize Aries seldom acknowledge that we all have Aries somewhere in our birth chart, which means we all have those tempestuous urges as some aspect of our personality. Recently, I read the chart of someone who has Aries rising and I suggested that there was no need to apologize for those Aries impulses—we all have them and the world would be a dull place if we didn’t because it’s that impetuous energy that often turns an ordinary day into an adventure.

Venus in Aries is a passionate placement that fosters the excitement of romance, especially love at first sight and all the excitement that a new and possibly thrilling liaison promises. Jupiter in Aries is also a passionate position, and as Jupiter transits Aries, it inspires a direct approach that often cuts to the chase—before the race has even started. When Venus and Jupiter are conjunct in Aries, their shared space often inspires quickly formed unions that despite their immediacy have the potential to grow into something durable. This conjunction is exact and separating this weekend, so while Valentine’s Day may be behind us, gather your rosebuds while ye may. The Moon is in Aries until Friday morning, so seize the day and let that bold and courageous, assertive force lead you on a romantic Aries adventure. And please be aware, romantic expeditions aren’t only about a significant other; all yearnings can be categorized as romantic if we allow ourselves to feel the depth of our longing.

This week, we are also under the influence of a Mercury/Uranus square and a Mercury/Mars trine, which means we are thinking—a lot—about a wide range of ideas, conventional and unconventional, making this an opportune time to really explore what we’re thinking about and why. I don’t mean that superficially—we are all under the pressure, realized or not, of a huge transition. Pluto is changing Signs, moving from Capricorn to Aquarius, and we are feeling the wobbles generated by that shift. There will be plenty of time to adjust to it, and that’s a good thing, because the adjustment may take more time, energy, and engagement than many of us realize.

Pluto will enter Aquarius on March 23, another day with an Aries Moon as well as a lineup of Aries planets—the Sun, Mercury, and Jupiter—all of which signals the start of a new expedition in consciousness. During the next twenty years, as Pluto transits Aquarius, my hope is that we will reach a collective awareness of how interconnected we all are through our shared humanity. That is the ultimate goal of Aquarius, and representative of its egalitarian worldview; but creating that worldview and making it manifest is the work that lies ahead, and at times that work might feel more strenuous than we are prepared for.

So start now: seek out the traditions and philosophies that honor our interconnectedness regardless of all our differences. We can and must surmount the cultural, religious, philosophical, physical, and metaphysical differences that speak to separation and instead find a language that feeds and nurtures our essential unity. We can do that if we put our individual and collective shoulders to the wheel of life and keep tuning into our Higher Selves, all the while staying true to the longing of our spiritual adventure. Pluto may be moving into Aquarius, but we are going to need our Aries energy to hold fast to the promise of a new way of understanding the world.

I wrote my thesis on sun sign columns in 2006 when I studied Cultural Astronomy and Astrology at the Sophia Center in the UK (this is not an advertisement for the program, although I would recommend it), and as part of that research, I interviewed many horoscope writers and readers. One of the most important questions I asked all the writers who participated was what presented the greatest challenge about writing a daily, weekly, or monthly column. I felt one writer’s response got to the core of the horoscope dilemma—something I had experienced but wasn’t able to articulate until her answer, which was so simple and direct: Not every day is extraordinary. I face that dilemma every week when it’s time to read the sky, and I believe most horoscope writers, no matter how often they publish, face the same problem. When we open a sun sign column in a newspaper, magazine, or online and look at our horoscope, what we’re doing, as Mary Chapin Carpenter sings in “I Feel Lucky,” is getting our “daily dose of destiny”—wishing, hoping, and praying that we will get lucky; most of us are looking for something extraordinary that can lift us out of the doldrums of mundane life. www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAqvUlH_kC8

The problem is that not every day, week, or month is extraordinary—and yet sometimes the planets do align in significant and powerful combinations that indicate potent change. We’ve been living through several years of those intense alignments, and that has given and continues to give astrologers something to write about that is almost certain to excite readers. But even in the midst of these dynamic patterns there are regular days, weeks, and months that are not extraordinary—not at all. If you’re a writer, those non-exceptional moments can be problematic, as in “what the f*ck do I write about now?”

While it is wonderful that the Internet has mainstreamed astrology, the increased demand for content has exacerbated the need for the extraordinary, and as a result we’re more interested in eclipses and supermoons and other celestial events that previously we weren’t paying that much attention to or focusing on with such vigor. Regular readers of this column know that I seldom focus on those events, not so much because I don’t think they are important, but because I think we are paying too much attention to them. Yes, they have an influence but it’s still not clear to me whether we are ascribing importance to them because we are searching for the extraordinary or because they are actually having a profound effect. I don’t know; but I do know that I am resistant to giving them too much weight.

I’m also staunchly positioned in the notion that we bring the planets to life and not the other way around. How we respond to collective transits or personal ones determines how that transit will manifest. With collective transits, we are not always in control of how they manifest. With personal transits, we may not understand what’s happening to us, but we can always learn, whether we are aware of our transits or not. Astrology helps us to contextualize life’s events, but the transit does not determine how we will handle it. One person may have a shitty transit, but despite the difficulty, turns it into a positive experience, while another person might wallow in the challenge that same transit presents.

This week, the most significant event is not clearly delineated as an interaction among two or more planets. Pluto is moving into the final degree of Capricorn, where it will stay until March 23, when it moves into Aquarius. Pluto changing Signs is extraordinary—utterly and completely—but it doesn’t necessarily blatantly reveal itself through an interaction with another planet. Pluto hasn’t changed Signs since 2008, when it entered Capricorn. It will retrograde back and forth between Aquarius and Capricorn until November 2024, which means we are in for nearly two years of adjusting to a new Pluto journey, wrapping up the loose ends of the old one and preparing to immerse ourselves in the new one. Be prepared for trips down memory lane—lots and lots of interactions with the past, even—and especially—if they are only happening in your head. Let go of any grudges you’ve been holding onto for the last many years—make peace with your choices and with the choices of others.

The last degree of every Sign is the distillation of the entire Sign—it’s that Sign’s concentrated energy and therefore the intensification of its qualities. We all have a lot to think about as we make our way through this process. One of the reasons so many of us are feeling hypersensitive is that we can feel the coming shift; while we don’t know what will happen, we can feel its potency. Allow yourself to feel the intensity—you don’t have to act on it; the time for action is not now. This is the time for being aware that something extraordinary is happening and it will affect everyone’s destiny. It’s just not easily classified because no one is sure how it will manifest.

It's ancestral memory that leads us to look to the sky for celestial portents—the sky has always been a shared cultural resource and absent all devices except for our eyes, curiosity, and the ability to recognize patterns, the sky was and still is the greatest show on Earth. When our ancestors noticed breaks in the regular, repetitive patterns of the sky and the effects those breaks had on daily life, they recognized moments of destiny. We still look for those moments because we still feel linked to those patterns, linked to a mystery far greater than the story of our mundane lives, patterns that link us to an extraordinary story we participate in that’s still told by the sky.

Be prepared to feel as if you are living your own personal sequel to Groundhog Day. Yes, it is Groundhog Day tomorrow, February 2, but that’s not why it feels as if we are caught in an endless cycle of repetitive issues, events, and conversations. We’re reliving the same day because we haven’t yet reached the critical mass to transform enough minds and hearts at their core. The bullies and crazies on the extreme right are empowered simply because from their point of view they have the power, but their mantras have not morphed into anything new. In my version of Groundhog Day, those hard-hearted and calloused bullies have yet to recognize the power of love. I know it’s an optimistic perspective that attributes more good in the hearts of my fellow travelers than is currently on display through their actions. But I’m willing to embrace hope and hold space for positive change because to give up hope is to reside in cynicism and I can’t live there.

Uranus squares the Sun this week, forming a fractious but freedom-loving influence that’s likely to inspire many of our fellow travelers to break free from patterns, new or old, that inhibit personal freedom—revolutionaries everywhere are activated by this influence to liberate themselves from whatever tyranny is holding them hostage. The Sun represents our essential vitality; Uranus symbolizes the need for something new and inventive. When they clash, as they do through a square, we all yearn to break free from the status quo. This square began on January 29 and is exact and separating on February 3, so if there are habits you’re longing to shift, now’s the time. You don’t have to wake up to the same day every day if you are willing to grow. This is probably why all religions claim Groundhog Day (the movie) as their own. I once saw it as the perfect Buddhist movie, but now I see it as a story about a spiritual journey where the hero grows out of his pattern of narcissistic self-interest and because he is free from the bondage of selfishness, learns to love someone other than himself.

A powerful undercurrent runs through this week and many of the weeks that lie ahead—Pluto enters Aquarius on March 23. Pluto’s entry into Aquarius signals a new phase for all of us and many of our fellow travelers could be experiencing this shift as a low level-anxiety about what the future holds. Pluto is winding down its journey through Capricorn that began in November 2008. Capricorn symbolizes institutions, including branches of government, as well as financial matters that are under the umbrella of corporations and banks. Since Pluto began its Capricorn journey, we’ve certainly seen many shifts in all of those arenas.

For the next two years, Pluto is going to retrograde back and forth from Capricorn to Aquarius; its entry into Aquarius won’t be final until November 2024, where it will stay until 2043. I won’t go into all that we can expect from Pluto’s next journey yet, but I am mentioning it now because many people are waiting for the other shoe to drop—and by that I mean they can feel something coming but aren’t sure what it is. It’s Pluto. Pluto is not as unconventional as Uranus but it is also not as regulated as Saturn. It is the most powerful planet in the astrological pantheon, and whatever it focuses on is sure to shift.

I will be writing much more about Pluto in the weeks, months, and years to come, but for now, knowing Pluto is about to make a significant move could help to ease some of the unspecified but nevertheless intense anxiety you or those you love might be feeling but can’t attribute to a specific planetary pattern. Pluto’s move into Aquarius won’t quite be a new act in Groundhog Day II, but as it leaves Capricorn, many of us will be reliving certain experiences that we thought were behind us. Be kind to yourself as those memories take on a life of their own and be kind to others—some of us are accustomed to an ongoing déjà vu and others of us are not, so the impulse to help others will be deeply appreciated by those needing help.

One last bit: As you wander through your own personal Groundhog Day, if you need help being joyous and hopeful, try watching the movie Mission: Joy—Finding Happiness in Troubled Times.

The week unfolds with stops and starts befitting this time of ended retrogrades and new beginnings, so don’t expect to easily find a comfortable personal pace for the next few days. You could liken the uneven rhythm of regular routines to the cacophony of children banging on pots, but if you’re willing to be patient, this erratic time signature could eventually resemble an intricate piece of modern music that doesn’t jar as much as it excites and stimulates curiosity. Of course, in the scramble to get going, some things—real or imagined—could get damaged or broken, so try not to be in a hurry; acting in haste could cause several situations not yet clearly articulated or delineated to evaporate before you have a chance to explore their potential.

The source of this week’s uneven pace is the combined effect of three ending retrogrades—Mars, Mercury, and Uranus (in that order). We started 2023 in what is best described as reverse—and now all three planets are direct. And so are we. But finding an appropriate personal rhythm isn’t easy. Some of our fellow travelers may not be having any issues at all adjusting to the new pace of daily life, while the rest of us are still trying to figure out how to handle that forward momentum after so many weeks and months of stagnation. To be clear, the stagnation is dissipating; it’s adjusting to the retro-free zone that takes more time.

There are several positive configurations that not only lead us out of the doldrums but also power the exodus:

(1)  A Sun/Mars trine supplies a strong current of physical strength—the Sun symbolizes our essential vitality; Mars represents muscle of every denomination, from the muscles of the physical body to the muscle of an idea. This positive influence spurs ambition, and that intention can help us stay on course and not get discombobulated by the erratic pace of the week.

(2) A Sun/Jupiter sextile provides an uplifting attitude. Jupiter signifies enthusiasm and expansion. I like to call it the planet of good fortune. When it is in a positive relationship to the Sun, a good attitude is easier to acquire and hold on to. Jupiter also represents humor, so be sure to laugh, even if you are laughing at gallows humor.

(3) A Mercury/Uranus trine stirs the ethers with creative inspiration. I like to think of this interaction as the universal symbol for invention—a light bulb over your head blinking with each new idea. Use this positive interaction by thinking outside the box and allowing new and different perspectives to illuminate situations, especially those that have stymied you with persistent limitation. Uranus is the great creative liberator and when it works with Mercury, symbol of the mind’s power, it is possible to forge new attitudes and approaches to the same old same old.

As if to prove a point with the week’s vibe (oh, those end-of-retrograde hangovers!), I’ve had to rewrite this last paragraph of the column five times—and I am exhausted from it. So I am only going to add this: it will take a Herculean effort to stay centered this week, so get those spiritual weights out of the closet and start lifting. And as always, be kind to those who are less skilled at handling the ups and downs and back-and-forths of the week. Patience is always a good remedy for times like these—we are all learning and teaching and the more we recognize that, the easier it will be to grow.

It’s a bumpy planetary ride this week, so be prepared for stops and starts, speed bumps where there were previously no barriers, and pockets of turbulence that interfere. While these mini storms are not negative, they are nonetheless powerful and disruptive. We’re in a triple retrograde zone, with (1) Mars Direct, which happened six days ago, but this week is rapidly gaining momentum; (2) Mercury Direct, which happens today, January 18, and gathers forward momentum all week long; and (3) Uranus Direct, which occurs on Sunday, January 22. As the planets make their “course corrections,” daily life reflects their shifting patterns and pace. Anticipate regular routines to mimic these changing patterns, especially with the dual forward motion of Mercury and Uranus—both regulate technology, and that translates into lots of techno snafus for the entire week. You’re going to need patience to handle these bumps, so be prepared for a wide range of distractions and interruptions and be sure to do whatever it is you do to stay calm and centered.

As Mars moves forward, you may discover previously important facts and facets of projects you thought were sown up and just waiting to get started. Try not to get upset about things you overlooked and focus instead on taking an inventory to make sure those lingering issues are addressed. This could be as practical as realizing you owe slightly more money than previously calculated. These Mars details could also involve finally remembering to invite all the members of your team to the meeting, not just the ones you like having dinner with. Mars began its journey through Gemini on August 20, 2022, and even though it is moving forward it won’t leave Gemini until March 25, 2023, so Mars is going to revisit certain situations that were set in motion since September 2022—just in case we didn’t get things right the first or second time around.

Mercury Direct begins today, January 18, at 8:12 AM EST, ending its retrograde that started on December 28, 2022, and ushered in the New Year. As you put your plans and projects in motion, please remember the Mercury Retrograde rule that also applies to Mercury Direct: the three days prior to and after the actual retrograde are not exactly full-steam-ahead-and-out-of-the-retro-zone. If you can wait until Monday to get started on new projects, that would be ideal. And just so you can mark it in your calendars (if you haven’t already), the next Mercury Retrograde of 2023 is April 21 to May 14, 2023.

Uranus Direct begins on Sunday, January 22, ending a retrograde phase that began on August 19, 2021. Because Uranus can sometimes disguise itself as Mercury, we may not experience the end of Mercury Retrograde problems until Uranus is comfortable “moving forward,” so you’re also going to need your patience pills for this “course correction.” When Uranus moves, we usually experience a significant manifestation of its power—earthquakes, electrical storms, and other potent earth-related events. I can’t say that we will definitely experience something like that from a collective perspective, but I am fairly sure that individuals will feel the “earth move” in their personal lives in some notable manner.

Holding yourself steady this week won’t be so easy, given all the shifts that are happening so close together, but it can be done. You’ll need to stay true to your heart and you’ll also need a lot of common sense to navigate the ups and downs as you roll through the days and nights of the week. If family and friends are having a difficult time, try to be helpful, but be careful not to overextend. Be especially considerate of children and animals, who feel the intensity but can’t articulate their feelings easily. Every little bit we can do to make life easier is enormously helpful in times of transition—and this is definitely one of those times.

I think my calendar is keeping track of time on my home planet in a distant galaxy far, far away—on my Earth calendar, it says 2023 is a new year, but nothing has changed since last year; I’m starting to feel stuck in an interdimensional time warp and there’s nothing I can do about it. Everything around me reeks of the past, especially the Trumpian past, which somehow in this time distortion I’m caught in has become the new present. Yes, we are in a dual retrograde—both Mercury and Mars are in a seemingly endless review—but I’m not sure their simultaneous retrospectives are the cause of my time displacement. I can’t help but wonder if something more is contributing to this warp, but the causal level has yet to reveal itself.

Mars, retrograde since October 30, 2022, goes direct tomorrow, January 12 at 3:56 PM EST, and as it “moves forward,” we’re sure to feel its energetic bump. Unfortunately, Mercury Retrograde continues until January 18 at 8:11 AM EST, and in the meantime operates as a speed bump in Mars’ course correction. So it might be wise to continue being circumspect about putting new plans and projects in motion—it’s only another week or so until the end of both retrogrades, which may finally feed that enthusiasm for a new beginning. Some of us are actually moving forward despite the dual retrograde distortion—which is great—but many fellow travelers aren’t as able to gather momentum anywhere and the regular routines of daily life are out of reach. For those, the start of 2023 is sluggish. Don’t despair—the pace will eventually pick up.

As this week unfolds, the planetary patterns offer numerous possibilities to get grounded and organized. Today, the Moon is in Virgo and as it moves through the Sign of details, it trines Mercury in Capricorn, Uranus in Taurus, and the Sun and Pluto, conjunct in Capricorn. The Mercury/Moon trine has the potential to steady wobbling emotions—useful for clarity and objectivity about what you are feeling in the moment. The Moon/Uranus trine adds a bit of emotional volatility and spontaneity, so no matter how much clarity the Mercury/Moon trine contributes, Uranus still has the power to inspire all sorts of random acts that don’t necessarily make sense but are nonetheless potent in their effect. What’s more, Mercury trines Uranus on its own, without the help of the Moon, and that Mercury/Uranus combination engenders lots and lots of inspiration and a unique perspective on all sorts of situations.

As the Moon moves through the Sign of Virgo, it also trines the Sun and Pluto, adding an emotional intensity to the goings-on of the day, especially if interactions turn toward power struggles. If that power struggle is over something that really matters, take your stand and support you position. But if you are struggling over a situation that isn’t significant, rather than vie for power, let go. It’s not worth fighting over things that aren’t that important, especially considering that as Mars prepares to go direct tomorrow, it squares the Moon today, and that’s going to turn a multitude of tempers testy. So take a breath before you lash out or make accusations that might be based on assumptions.

Uranus in Taurus also squares Venus in Aquarius this week, so be prepared to fall in and out of love easily and/or frequently over the next few days. This square is exact and separating on January 14, and as many readers are well aware, Venus/Uranus contacts can create passionate yet brief emotional encounters. This square also fuels and inspires creative endeavors so if you can capture its creative magic, it’s likely your work will not evaporate as easily as amorous fantasies do.

It's not easy living in the spaces between time zones, whether those zones are actual or imagined, extraterrestrial or Earth-based, and we are being asked to straddle parallel universes every day as we watch systems, tried and true, dissolve. This difficulty is due to Pluto’s transformational superpower—it’s moving through the final degrees of Capricorn and preparing to move into Aquarius on March 23, 2023. Pluto will be making that transit for the next nearly two years and as it does, we will become increasingly skilled at moving between dimensions. For now, simply consider any sense of dislocation “practice.” You’re honing your dimensional/time-zone-jumping skills, and because it’s practice you don’t have to be too worried about landing in the wrong time zone—it’s unlikely you’ll get stuck. Once Pluto is inexorably moving toward its transit of Aquarius and we are out of the retro-zone, everything will move quite quickly. As always, please try to be kind to those who aren’t as skilled at handling confusing times or who simply don’t move as quickly as you. Everyone is trying to manage these seas without sinking their ships and some of us require more help than others.

But wait—there’s more.

2023 eclipses:

Solar eclipse April 20
Lunar eclipse May 5
Solar eclipse October 14
Lunar eclipse October 28

Jupiter entered Aries on December 20, 2022, but it moves into Taurus on May16 and stays in that lusty Sign until May 25, 2024.

2023 kickstarts a long series of planetary transitions and a long process of transformation as it unfolds, so don’t be concerned if you’re feeling confused by the odd rhythms of these first weeks. It’s seldom easy adjusting to new patterns but it is nonetheless a valuable process.

Being kind this year is a primary concern—not everyone knows how to handle change gracefully, which means there’s likely to be quite a show of resistance, individual and collective, as we move into these new patterns. Be patient, gentle, and understanding when your fellow travelers may not be able to move as quickly or adjust as easily to all the shifts that lie ahead. Be especially kind to children—they may not be able to articulate what they’re feeling, but they are feeling the shifts.

For those in the mood for an optimistic musical take on hope, check out this video with David Byrne and the Brooklyn Youth Choir: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvlT5fBIi4U