Ask the wild bee what the Druids knew…
Virgo Moon activities
First Quarter Moon activities
The Waxing Moon is moving from Virgo to Libra, transiting from May 30, 9.45 pm, to June 1, 10.31 pm, when he will enter Scorpio. The Sun entered Gemini on May 21, 2.15 am.
The Virgo First Quarter Moon Phase begins on May 29, 7.16 am, and ends on June 1, 4.17 pm, with the Libra Gibbous Moon Phase.
I post this Pandora slide show in view of the imminent Retrogradation of Venus (May 15 to June 28, 2012).
Here are 185 images of Pandora and her famous ‘box’, showing artists’ unending fascination with this subject. From releasing evils to bestowing hope, Pandora is a symbol of life’s mysterious ambivalence.
The Pandora’s story, or of her equivalents in many cultures, comes in different versions and has many layers of meaning.
As an image is supposedly better than a thousand words, here we have a visual treasure-trove of stories.
I feel Venus Retrograde is just like the beautiful girl who, yielding to an irresistible or divinely inspired temptation, opens the box of tricks, with unforeseen and far reaching consequences.
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Due to a number of technical problems (internet, power issues) I have been unable to post regularly. I just managed to update Moon Sings, Phases and the Daily Sunrise Charts, when I could.
Hopefully these issues should soon be solved. I’ll try today to finish the Pandora Box slideshow in honor of Venus turning Stationary Retrograde on May 15.
Uranus in Aries square Pluto in Capricorn
The 90 degrees angle between Uranus and Pluto will dominate but not monopolize the coming Solstice season. Numerous transits involving Chiron, the ingress of Jupiter in Gemini, the transits of Neptune newly in Pisces, and the last passage of Saturn through Libra are all important developments too.
There is no doubt though that this is one of the most influential transits in many years, repeating seven times, between June 2012 and March 2015, its effects likely to linger for the whole decade. If interested these are the dates: Jun24–Sep19,2012 – May21-Nov1,2013 – Apr22,2014 – Dec15,2014 – Mar17,2015.
In direct alignment with this transit, from May 2012 to the end of 2012 and beyond, will be: Aries (Mar25/Apr2), Cancer (Jun27/Jul4), Libra (Sep28/Oct5), Capricorn (Dec27/Jan2); or anyone with Moon, Planets, Chart’s Angles, Lunar Nodes etc. between the fifth and twelfth degree of the above Cardinal Signs. Generally speaking everyone, with an emphasis on these Signs or not, is in for a life-shake up of great magnitude, when it would be not only a question of seeing the positive side of changes coming our way but of being able to ride the storm and stay safe in the midst of great social and personal upheavals.
Not only we should not view this transit in isolation though but, to understand it better, we need to look at it as part of a longer synodic cycle, describing the unfolding of these planets’ mutual relationship, from one conjunction to the next. The Uranus-Pluto cycle takes an average of 127.30 years, but this can vary considerably due to Pluto’s extremely elliptical orbit.
The conjunction that started the present Uranus-Pluto’s cycle occurred in Virgo between 1962 and 1968 (becoming exact in 1965/66). The whole 1960’s decade was thus under the spell of this cosmic encounter, and no wonder!
The present phase can be equated to a First Quarter Phase. Now we are striving to achieve what we have envisioned those long years ago, what collectively we put in motion during the Uranus-Pluto’s conjunction in the 60s. Now we should feel prompted to fulfill some of the promises of that revolutionary era. Time for putting up a fight, defeating the obstacles on the way, actively challenging inertia and pressing forward with renewed faith and courage. On the down side we may be not so conscious of the forces at work, within and without; hence the danger of misusing the high voltage energy this planetary combination can produce. To expect a perfect happy ending to such an encounter would be naive indeed. The drive toward individuation and personal autonomy and the drive for power clash under this square.
The need to redress wrongs will be strong, even compelling for some. Many will not be able to suffer wrongs in silence or passively anymore. Some grassroots movements could become more organized, even militarized or more confrontational in their approach. Civil wars, even eco-wars will become more frequent, often unavoidable because of the urgency many feel in these times of quickening.
The friction generated by the square is not new to the world. Even if the aspect has not been quite exact until now it has in fact come close enough to produce already powerful effects on the collective, as it is easy to perceive in the escalation of conflicts, revolutions and natural disasters since 2008. We should not forget actually that in 2010 and 2011 this transit was strongly augmented by Saturn in Libra and Jupiter in Aries that also linked it to the Eclipses of June-December 2010 and July 2011. Viewed this way the coming exact square, in June and September 2012, seems perhaps less threatening now that Jupiter, Saturn and the Eclipses have moved away from it.
Because the present phase Uranus-Pluto has its source in the turbulent Sixties we need to look at those times to put the present situation in historical focus.
The astrological Sixties
Are you old enough to remember the 1960s? Something truly new and strange surged from the depth of the world’s collective unconscious during the whole decade, pervading all levels of human experience: a veritable ‘cultural revolution’, both for East and West. It did infect principally the minds of young people who were going through their teenage blues.
If there, you would have felt the sheer radicalism of the Uranus-Pluto’s conjunction, the extreme, even fanatical streak running through it, stuff that could have either enthralled or scared you. In hind sight the extremism was a necessary element in that first collective attempt at transforming toxic but deeply ingrained cultural attitudes.
These were the times of Bob Dylan’s subversive songs, of journeys to the East that brought new beliefs into the west mainstream culture; Indian Gurus beginning to attract thousands to their timeless teachings, with the words Karma and Dharma becoming part of our international dictionary of life.
It was the time of psychedelic experimentation, mind opening LSD trips, sexual revolution, free love (the San Francisco’s Summer of Love happened in 1966); women emancipation, civil rights campaigns and riots, the first demonstrations for gay rights, the shamanic insight of Carlos Castaneda writings (‘The teachings of Don Juan’ was published in 1968), that popularized the forgotten cultures of pre-Columbian America.
The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Pink Floyd, the Doors, the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and many others changed the way we experienced music, their songs anthems of the dawning of the New Age. It was also a time of reactionary assassinations (J.F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King), the escalation of the Vietnam War and the Russia/West Cold War, the proliferation of nuclear armaments, the erection of the hated Berlin’s Wall, China’s own Cultural Revolution (1966). The list could go on and on.
Many died in the sixties or suffered harsh retaliation fighting in the name of freedom and justice, for their commitment to change. And it is still happening. People will need inventiveness and an unwavering courage in their beliefs, in order to seriously challenge the powers to be.
The radical choices that many made in the 1960s have changed lives in a way that would have been unthinkable just a few years before. The same is happening now to countless youths all over the planet.
Of course we cannot attribute all the special qualities of that decade solely to the Uranus-Pluto’s conjunction because other factors certainly contributed to it. Like, for instance, the transit of Neptune in Scorpio that made delving into social, racial and sexual taboos and upholding peace a sort of spiritual quest, a journey of collective redemption.
The decade ended with the first manned trip to the Moon and the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969, as Uranus was moving from Virgo to Libra.
Two iconic movies, that to me epitomize the era, are ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ and ‘Easy Rider’ released respectively in 1962 and 1969, both pictures successfully exploring Uranian and Plutonian themes of taboos and rebirth.
From the above it should be easy to understand what sort of energy we are dealing with now, when these Destiny Makers come together again. Now as then the call for revolutionary changes of attitudes is ringing very loud and clear but so are the dangers of conservative reactionary movements to unleash the might of their power, bent as they are at maintaining the status quo in world politics and ecology. As old Bob sang in 1964: ‘… There’s a battle outside and it is ragin’. It’ll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls, for the times they are a-changin‘.
More than ever, while struggling to transform the world, we will be forced to look at our own demons, because real change can only come from within.
Here is the Chart of the 2012 Ingress of the Sun into Taurus, calculated for the coordinates of Wollumbin, my place, 10 hours east of Greenwich. The relative positions of Sun, Moon and Planets remain the same all over the world, what changes from place to place is the orientation of the same to the local horizon, above, below, east or west.
If you want to convert my standard of time to yours, please visit the World Clock site HERE.
click to view larger image
Two Sisters by James Christensen
The other day a friend asked me why I had not posted anything about Venus’ transit through Gemini. I actually have, but a while back, when Venus was still transiting Taurus. In fact I posted some Venus in Gemini stuff, as part of the March to June 2012 general forecast, even before the Venus in Taurus article.
So I decided to re-post the Venus in Gemini earlier thoughts in case you haven’t read them yet. To see the rest of that article please navigate to the 2012 forecast page (top menu or HERE).
I am also slowly preparing a slideshow of artworks on the fascinating subject of Pandora and her famous box, to honor the coming Retrogradation of Venus, when the Love Goddess’ mysterious and dangerous box of tricks will be opened, revealing the hidden contents of our relationships and love life.
A historical Venus’ Transit
In Gemini since April 4, Venus will be retrograde from May 16 to June 28. This will especially affect people with Gemini-Sagittarius-Virgo-Pisces highlighted in their Birth Charts, and also the Air/Fire Signs Libra-Aquarius-Aries-Leo.
In this phase of her journey around the Sun from Earth’s perspective Venus is edging now closer and closer to the Sun visually, passing in fact between the Earth and the Sun, the closest she can ever be to us and the planet we inhabit. Now that’s something! And that’s retrogradation for you, not just a visual illusion fancifully imbued with meaning! The actual Inferior Planet (either Mercury or Venus, I mean) disappears in the glare of the Sun, but it is actually closer than ever, and therefore somewhat more influential, or better, more penetrating. Venus is no exception.
Venus in Gemini is usually described as light and flirty, seeking independence and variety in relationship, rather than heavy emotional ties and dependency. Retrogradation adds a deeper dimension to this placement. It is time perhaps to trim from our lives those friendships that are superficial and do not satisfy our real needs and longing. During the retro phase of her journey around the Sun Venus is as close to our planet as she can ever be. Thus we are given a chance to penetrate better the nature of love and relationship.
A special event is also connected with this particular retrogradation: Venus’ conjunction to the Sun on June 5/6, depending where you are in the world. This will be the second of a pair of conjunctions, separated by eight years, when the tiny disk of Venus will be visibly moving over the Sun. The first of these conjunctions occurred in June 2004. Try not to miss this event (wearing sun protective glasses, of course) because another one like it will not take place until December 2117!
At the time of a ‘normal’ conjunction Venus is too far North or South of the Sun to be visible. During a conjunction like the June’s one instead Venus is aligned to the Sun. These special conjunctions are sometimes compared to Eclipses, because Venus’ dark body becomes visible on the face of the Sun as the Moon does more dramatically during a Solar Eclipse.
This is conjunction is also the beginning of the 585 days Venus-Sun-Earth cycle, and the end of Venus’ inward journey as the Evening Star. After the conjunction Venus rapidly separates from the Sun and for 260 days will be Lucifer, Light Bringer, rising in the East before the Sun. This is a bolder and even forceful aspect of the Goddess, not at all passive. This Venus is adventurous and impulsive, ready to take risks in relationships but a bit naive and not so aware of emotional undercurrents.
The ancient astrologers from Babylon and the Mayas looked upon the morning appearance of Venus as a perilous phase for the world, portending wars and natural disasters. This is because Venus’ usually Yin energy becomes more Yang, upsetting the balance between feminine and masculine, with an excess of Yang energy. Adding to this, Venus and Mars will square each other twice, on April 8 and again on June 5. Around these periods we can expect some fireworks in our emotional lives, exciting or disruptive. While aspiring to achieve greater clarity in our communications and efficiency in our daily tasks (Gemini-Virgo), we run the risk of becoming overly critical and/or to be subjected to negative criticism.
This Roman statue of the God Mars,complete with war helmet and a broken nose, and infused with the colour and texture of the Red Planet itself, seems an appropriate incarnation of this planetary energy: bold, but also rush, often getting hurt during his daring feats, due to lack of patience and forethought.
If you had a project for any reason confined to the back burner (a common effect of Mars Retrograde) it is time now to push ahead with it again. With Mars turning Stationary Direct yesterday the energy is right to move forward. This will be true especially if, during the Retro period, you have made an effort to tie all the loose ends, touching up on the details. The God of Action and Enterprise, now on your side, could provide you with the courage and energy necessary to overcome obstacles that may have seem insurmountable before.
At the end of this article you can find the post I wrote, late last year, about the Retrogradation of Mars in Virgo (January 24 to April 14).The energy of Virgo though could still put a spoke in your wheels if you become too particular and finicky about something, trying to achieve an impossible level of perfection. Humbly accepting and acknowledging one’s shortcoming and the natural limitations of the situation will help to ground your dreams and make them into feasible realities. The atmosphere of Virgo is such as to make any planet acts in a more practical and realistic fashion, including hot headed Mars.
The Martial drive can in fact become very useful in the skillful hands of Virgo, Sign of craftsmanship and service, so that a lot can be accomplished in a short time and with great accuracy. The transit of Mars through Virgo will last until July 3. The people most likely to be directly affected by this transit are those who have the following Signs highlighted in their Birth Charts: Virgo (via conjunction), Pisces (via opposition), Gemini and Sagittarius (via square), Taurus and Capricorn (via trine). Also those who have Aries Ascendant, Sun or Moon, are in direct line of influence of this transit, because Mars’ transits, this planet being Aries’ natural ruler, will always be important in their lives.
Tomorrow, April 17, Mercury will re-enter Aries in Direct motion, after ending his Retro period on April 4. Mercury will transit Aries until May 9. This is also important with reference to Mars in Virgo because the two planets will then be in Mutual Reception, meaning that each occupies the Sign traditionally ruled by the other. This sort of connection reinforces the mutual effect of the two planetary energies, in a similar way as a positive aspect would. Both physical (Mars) and mental activities (Mercury) will take on the Martial character of decisiveness, assertiveness, confidence, Mercury providing the brain and Mars the brawn, so to speak. We could all feel more enterprising and also more practical.
The transits of Mars and others, active at the same time, have filled my daily life with many things, too many, in fact, hence the difficulties in finding time to sit down and just write. Extreme busy-ness is often a problem with Virgo’s transits, when we get trapped in a million things to do, duties, deadlines, chores, and time for reflection is pushed aside until the sleepy hours, when mental and psychic energies are ebbing, and much effort can bear only poor results. First Mercury turning Direct, on April 5, and now Mars doing the same, will hopefully help me and others to regain focus, the concentration needed to achieve results.
The Retrogradation of Mars in Virgo
Amongst the most important astrological events of the start of 2012 will be the lengthy retrogradation of Mars in Virgo, from January 24 to April 14. Mars will enter the next Sign of Libra only in early July 2012, after having transited Virgo for a whooping eight months, since November 2011!
The fact that Virgo is highlighted here shows a need to adjust our daily routine, clean our acts, tackling those jobs we always find a good excuse not to do. Making our space at work and home clear of clutter, organizing everything in a more rational way will contribute to efficiency and better practical outcomes.
The tendency of people influenced by Virgo to become engrossed in details of no consequence will be tested during the Mars’ retrograde period when opportunities will arise to look into our habits (from diet to work), and experience, in a more acute way, the anxieties brought about by the inability to stick to priorities.
The birthdays directly aligned to Mars retro in Virgo are: Virgo (August 26/September 16), Pisces (February 21/March 14), Gemini (May 24/June 14), and Sagittarius (November 25/December 15).
It could be difficult for many of us to freely express our passions and highly charged emotions or to go after what we want in an effective way. This could be true for the birthdays given and also for those whose Mars was in a prominent or difficult position at birth. In particular individuals who had Mars transiting Virgo the day they were born and will experience the all important two yearly Mars’ Return during the retro period (end of January to mid-April).
When Mars moves retrograde his energy, usually spontaneous and outgoing, is somewhat internalized, to serve psychic rather than physical purposes. There arise the need for re-thinking the way we go about asserting ourselves, our modalities of action, in our personal lives as well as communities of people and nations.
If our habitual behavior has often created strife and attracted opposition in the past perhaps now is the right time to look into these issues and the way we normally handle conflicts in our lives. Because Mars, during retrogradation, becomes somewhat frustrated in his desire for action, we got to find another way to deal with anger, and with all the unspent energy that boils beneath the surface. Virgo suggests taking up a discipline or healthy routine that could help dealing with the unspent energy and the unending frustrations and irritations of daily life (Virgo’s stuff).
Here is a Rainbow Chart of the Aries Equinox 2012, calculated for the coordinates of Wollumbin, my place in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, Australia.
The relative positions of Sun, Moon and Planets remain the same all over the world, what changes from place to place is the orientation of the same to the local horizon.
If you want to convert my standard of time to yours, please visit the World Clock site HERE.
click to view larger image
This post has been edited a couple of times since publication. I got a good excuse, Mercury is Retrograde in my Ninth House of Publishing!
A Grand Trine happens when two or more planets orbiting at a distance of 120 degrees from each other (from Earth’s standpoint) happen to be at the same distance from another planet or planets. If we were to trace these distances with an imaginary line, they would form an equilateral triangle.
The date of this complex event is March 15, 2012, but its effect could be easily felt one week before and after the actual time of exactness.
A perfect Grand Trine always connects Signs belonging to the same Element, enhancing, generally in a positive way, that Element’s particular energy and power.
This is an entry on the Grand Trine in my summary of aspects configurations in my Astrological Tutorial on Aspects Page:
This is traditionally a beneficial aspect, indicating potential talents and opportunities. But the study of numerous Charts and dramatic events in history led many astrologers, ancient and modern alike, to believe that there is more to the Grand Trine than mere blessing or joy. This beautiful configuration can sometimes be inauspicious too, exaggerating perhaps the positive influences to the point of self inflation; or expressing them in a climax type of atmosphere that entails some danger.
Possible effects of Trines (and Grand Trines) in the four different Elements:
Fire Trines: inspiration, passion, creativity, faith, generosity, joy, romance, artistic abilities, intuitive awareness.
Air Trines: refinement, sociability, friendliness, fairness, learning, communication, cooperation, intellectual awareness.
Water Trines: empathy, sensitivity, caring, psychic powers, imagination, psychical awareness.
Earth Trines: practicality, efficiency, sense of responsibility, power for service, reliability, calm, concentration, physical awareness.
The degrees occupied by the planets when this configuration becomes exact determine who will be more likely to come under its spell. This Grand Trine happens on the tenth degree of the Earth Signs of Taurus (Venus and Jupiter), Virgo (Retro Mars) and Capricorn (Pluto). You could feel the Grand Trine more personally if your Sun, Moon, any Planet, Lunar Node or Angle (Ascendant, Descendant, Mid-Heaven, Lower-Heaven) happen to be on the tenth degree of these Signs or within two/three degrees either way of it.
The Birthdays directly aligned with this Grand Trine will be: Taurus born April 27 to May 1; Cancer born June 29 to July 3; Virgo born August 30 to September 3; Scorpio born October 30 to November 3; Capricorn born December 29 to January 2; and Pisces born February 26 to March 2. And, of course, anyone born within few days of the exact trines (approximately March 12 to 19).
The Planets involved instead determine which psychic functions have been activated by the configuration. In this case we have a complex blend of Venus (cooperation, attraction, creativity), Mars (assertion, action, courage), Jupiter (expansion, faith, search for meaning) and Pluto (transformation, depth, personal power), the overall dynamic of the configuration. You can see then that this could indeed be a very powerful configuration, generating energy for all sorts of projects and ventures, giving a boost to our social life, personal relationships, study, career, business, and, most importantly, giving all a real opportunity to change the perception we usually have about love, work, the way we tackle difficulties and confront obstacles. Pluto’s presence always implying an intense desire to change things in a radical way, getting rid of all that do not work anymore for us, to be more truthful with ourselves and others, even if it hurts; while Jupiter adds the personal confidence and faith in better things to come, attitudes that can greatly help to face difficulties. We could become, during this period (lasting a week or so) more resourceful, energetic and brave, feeling empowered to act by the difficulties we are facing rather than be passively overwhelmed by them. As I described it in a recent post on Venus’ Transit through Taurus, this configuration could encourage, in many of us, a ‘renewal of confidence in self and life’.
I can add here that we could all feel life more passionately and intensely, getting more out of our experiences, more depth of understanding, more meaning and a sense of our destiny unfolding. To decide which areas of your life could be more likely affected by these transits you should look at the House positions of the four planets relative to your Birth Chart.
To know what personal effect these transits and others are having on your life, past, present and future, you may want to book a reading-consultation with me. I am available in person, by phone or Skype. Click my Astrological Consultations Page for details, HERE.
For everyone the fact that these trines occur in an Earth-Fixed Sign means that the opportunities will be very real, not just fanciful feelings or far fetched ideals, encouraging a practical and realistic take on life, making things really happen for us, if we are able to use wisely the gift of this rare configuration.
While it is true that Grand Trines can prove very beneficial, increasing the potential for expressing in creative and fulfilling ways the Element they are in, in this case Earth (practicality, sensuality, realism, efficiency), studies done by many serious astrologers have also revealed their potential for negative expression. This seems to be mainly due to their close circuit nature, where the planetary energies bounce from one another, keeping on moving in circles, so to speak, without achieving much, while creating feeling of self-inflation or excessive optimism.
Of course we should not forget also that, at the same time, Mercury has started his Retrograde period (becoming Stationary on March 12), now moving backward into Aries, while Mars is still Retrograde in Virgo. These facts will tend to slow down the pace of progress for everyone, forcing us to repeat experiences and face challenges we may have thought to have left behind.
Talking about retrogradation I have to apologize for an error (now corrected) in my previous post on the magnificent visual conjunction Venus-Jupiter (exact on March 15) where I stated that Jupiter was Retrograded at this time. He is not, while Mars and Mercury are. A Retro Mercury’s trick?
Below is a Chart calculated for the moment Mars trines Pluto, using my local coordinates of Wollumbin in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. At this time Venus and Jupiter are separated from their respective trines to Mars and Pluto by only a few minutes in longitude. To convert the time of this Horoscope to your own time, please visit the World Clock site HERE.
click to view larger image
This is the best rendezvous of Venus and Jupiter in years. You’ll need clear westerly views. Due to their magnitude the two brightest Planets are already visible when the light of the Sun still lingers. They have been moving toward each others for a while now. The conjunction will be exact on March 15, but the two will remain visually close for the whole month of March. It would be worth your while to look them up every evening for the next week or so. It should be easy to recognize Venus because she is the brightest amongst the two (approx. magnitude -4.18 versus magnitude -1.96).
Astrologically this is considered a fortunate conjunction, Venus and Jupiter being known as the two most fortunate planets, one fostering cooperation, love and artistic creativity (Venus), the other optimism, expansion and improvement at all levels (Jupiter). This is a positive aspect for relationships, travel, business, artistic expression, fun, financial gain and all sorts of opportunities. In direct line with this transit are Pisces born between the 12 and 16 of March, Taurus born between April 28 and May 2, and all those born with the Sun, Moon, any Planet, Lunar Node, or Angle between the 8th and 12th degrees of Taurus, Pisces, Virgo, Capricorn and Cancer. Scorpio, Leo and Aquarius are also aligned to this transit , but, being connected with it via opposition and squares respectively, they could experience some difficulties in enjoying its full benefits.
I have to apologize for an error in an earlier version of this post (now corrected), if you happen to have read it before this editing, where I stated that Jupiter was Retrograded at this time. He is not, while Mars and Mercury are. A Retro Mercury’s trick?
Below is a sky-scape of this event, taken on March 15, around 7.40 pm, looking North-West, low on the horizon (in mid-latitude in the Southern Hemisphere). Note Aldebaran, alpha star of Taurus, and the Pleiades, Seven Sisters, above, and beautiful Capella, alpha star of Auriga, the Charioteer, parallel and north of the conjunction, and finally Hamal, alpha of Aries, the Ram, below the conjunction. Looking up you will also see the great sky Hunter, Orion, and west of it the two main stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux.
March is in fact a great month for naked eye observation of the planets, with Mars at his brightest after his opposition to the Sun, on March 5, and Saturn visible east of Mars, still close to Spica, the brightest star of Virgo.
click to view larger image ~ created with Stellarium, free and wonderful software
click to view larger image
Venus will transit her own Sign of Taurus from March 5 to April 4 2012. This is good news, in the area of relationships, finance and general well being, for people whose Natal Charts have emphasis on Taurus, especially, and also the other two Earth Signs, Virgo and Capricorn, by harmonious trine aspect. This Venus could as well bring some positive developments to Pisces and Cancer (by sextile aspect). Scorpio, Leo and Aquarius will be touched by the hand of the Goddess too, but her contact will prove somewhat more problematic and intense for them (opposition and square aspects). You will feel the Venus’ effect sometimes this month if your Sun, Moon, Ascendant, any planet, or one of the four Angles (Ascendant, Descendant, Mid-Heaven, Lower-Heaven) were in any of the above Signs in your Birth Chart.
Since antiquity Taurus has been considered the ideal mansion for the earthly form of Venus, providing the fertile medium through which the Goddess can grant her gifts of love, pleasure, abundance and creativity.
We tend to take life more easy when Venus transits Taurus. We may want to make time to enjoy our surroundings and to become more keenly aware of our physical responses. If your natural sensuality and calm have been stifled or neglected lately this transit could be a great opportunity to make contact again with your own body and those simple pleasures that can make you feel happier with your lot. Such are the Taurus’ gifts of calm and contentment.
The lure of love and romance could be intensely felt by some, while there is a danger of becoming too attached to the object of your desires, or emotionally too entangled for your own good (especially possible for Taurus, Scorpio and Leo). On a more positive note relationships that begin now could be lasting and reliable ones, also sensually fulfilling, Taurus being a Fixed, loyal and affectionate Sign. There is a serious side to this Venus, in her capacity to make love a profound and committed experience.
To others it could bring back their love for nature, and of activities like gardening, landscaping, creating beautiful tactile objects of art and craftsmanship; relaxing in tranquil surrounding, eating nice food, listening to your favorite music, taking it easy.
Many ways to propitiate the Goddess
There are many ways to propitiate this Goddess, who in her Taurus incarnation every year is prompting us to become more aware of the deep roots that connect us to the planet and the physical plane, and also to our common humanity.
Taurus thrives on tradition. If you are cooking, for instance, chose some traditional dish or one that has been prepared in your family for generations. If you are an artist, try a traditional technique or style, a Raphael rather than a Jackson Pollock. If pottering in the garden put in some heirloom vegetable seeds or plant some old fashion roses or bulbs.
If you want to do a ritual at this time, in honor of the Goddess, make sure that your surroundings give justice to the natural environment, with offerings of fruits and flowers, and earthy, sensual scents.
As I remarked in a previous post on Venus’ transit through Taurus: “Relaxation, meditation, spiritual devotion and rituals, all forms of hands-on therapy and natural healing techniques are activities that will go well with this Venus energy … Taurus is well known as a Sign with natural healing powers...”
A possible negative outcome of this transits is to produce a too lay back and lazy attitude, with a tendency to overdo the pleasures, over-eating and drinking, over-partying or over-sleeping! Not to enjoy some of the bounties of Venus in Taurus would be a pity though. If you can take some time off and just enjoy being, loving and celebrating life, do it while the transit lasts.
The bigger astrological picture for March 2012
So far I have looked at the Taurus’ transit of Venus in isolation. But, while Venus placidly glides through this Earth Sign, the Sun, Moon and Planets continue their complex dance, not always in tune with Taurus’ content and contemplative spirit.
The transit of Venus in Taurus is in fact a timely event, hopefully helping us to remain steady and stay grounded during a period that could otherwise be open to conflicts, presenting a rather charged planetary environment, especially early and late in the month of March.
Early March
Sun opposition to Mars
We should remember that on March 3 the Sun formed his yearly opposition to Mars, aspect that always enhances the power of the red Planet, for good or ill, more often than not making conflicts come out into the open, disagreements to become more polarized and difficult to reconcile.
Physically this means that the planet Mars has reached now his greatest distance from the Sun, 180 degrees, and also its greatest brilliance, being now one of the best celestial bodies to observe in the night sky. Look out for a clearly red glowing star already well above the eastern horizon after sunset and climbing the sky for the rest of the night.
Mercury in Aries
The ingress of Mercury into Aries, Mars’ own Sign, a day early, on March 2, will keep us mentally more belligerent too, ready to get into an argument for the sake of winning it, until March 24, when Mercury will return to Pisces in Retrogradation (Mercury will begin his retro motion through Aries on March 12). Watch out for angry and hurtful words coming out of your mouth and the mouths of others, of course.
Venus’ soothing transits and the Virgo Full Moon
Venus’ steady Taurus glow will help via a beautiful sextile to Neptune in Pisces, on March 6, enhancing the urge for forgiveness and compassion, and also for imagination and creativity. And, on March 11, Venus will form the same harmonious aspect with Chiron in Pisces, a strong healing energy to help us accepting what we cannot change and smiling rather than frowning at our fate.
In between the contacts just described the Goddess will reach a distance of 45 degrees from the Sun, one/eighth of the whole Zodiacal Circle, on March 8, day of the Virgo Full Moon. This means that Venus will also form a sesqui-square aspect with the Moon, making relationships an ideal medium to reveal unconscious feelings to our conscious self, but not without some difficulties (semi-square and sesqui-square aspects). Avoiding excessive criticism and nit picking (Virgo Moon), remaining relaxed and cooperative (Taurus Venus) will help all of us to manifest the more compassionate and loving traits of Pisces (Sun).
Venus is steadily separating from the Sun. She will reach maximum elongation and maximum brilliance on March 27.
The middle of the month is preparing to be one of exceptional planetary configurations, all happening between March 12 and 16, and active few days before and after these dates. Venus is involved in some of these cosmic events too.
The middle of March, Mercury Retrograde
Mercury begins moving retrograde on March 12, marking a time of greater introspection, during which we will be called to reflect on our visions and the ideas we are always prepared to fiercely defend from external attack; an opportunity to mentally slow down, and to be patient. This could be either frustrating or refreshing, depending very much on how you take it. Computers, cars, printers, photocopiers, gadgets of all sorts break down or mysteriously stop working during a Mercury Retrograde period because we need then to observe our restlessness and slow the pace of life and thought.
Jupiter trine Pluto
On March 14 a big event: the last pass of Jupiter’s trine Pluto (Taurus/Capricorn), the aspect that, in my mind, has helped more than any other, so far, to counteract the negative effects of the transit of Pluto in Capricorn. Jupiter is still helping to drive Pluto’s intense energy into creative and inspired channels, giving meaning to our experiences of change, even those that challenge our desire for security.
Venus and Mars will act as catalysts to this major transit, at this time, with Venus forming a conjunction to Jupiter and trines to Pluto and Mars, and Mars a trine to Jupiter, all exact on March 14. We may find ourselves more resourceful and energetic than usual, combining effort and pleasure in clearing the way for new and exciting development in our life, in particular our relationships.
This mid-March period will end with square aspects from Retro Mars to the two Lunar Nodes in Sagittarius and Gemini, showing that it is destined to be a period when we will need confrontations and strife to get where we want to go.
The visual conjunction of Venus and Jupiter on March 15
A close encounter between Venus and Jupiter in Taurus will take place on March 15, one of the most spectacular sky displays for the whole year. The two brightest planets of the Solar System are in fact already visually close in the western sky, after sunset, and will remain so until the end of the month, with Venus slowly separating from Jupiter after the conjunction, the latter plunging westward toward the setting Sun (Sun-Jupiter’s conjunction will occur in June in the Sign of Gemini). It should be easy to distinguish one from the other because Venus is visibly brighter.
This yearly encounter will bring some rather exciting and lucky turns of events especially for those Pisceans who celebrate their birthday between the 14 and 16 of March. To all of us this transit could encourage more optimistic feelings, a renewal of confidence in self and life; also the desire to have a break from work and routine, to travel or in some way explore a novel world of places and relationships,
The end of March Transits
The end of the month is again enlivened by some exciting but also potentially unsettling transits: Mercury Retrograde in early Aries will conjunct Uranus on March 19, and the Sun, in Aries from March 20, will also conjunct Uranus on March 25 and then square Pluto on March 30. The Inferior Conjunction of the Sun to Mercury will occur on March 22, on the first degree of Aries and will be very close to Uranus and to the square to Pluto too, indicating the possibility of sudden turns of events in the political, social and physical world. The desire for peace, beauty and relaxation of Venus in Taurus will then be again challenged by many contrary forces, helping us to stay grounded and focus on the essential amongst all the unsettling changes.
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The following is a reading of the major transits active during the 2012 Aries Equinox season, the Sun’s journey through Aries, Taurus and Gemini, March to June 2012. The June 21 Cancer Solstice will mark the end of this astrological period.
The image on the right is Pandora by Odilon Redon (1840-1916). I have chosen it, for the Art of Healing, thinking of the Retrogradation of Venus and also of her magical rare conjunction with the Sun on June 5/6, 2012 (read more under the Venus’ heading).
Highlight on the Mutable and Cardinal Signs
The Mutable Signs are coming to the fore this season, Gemini in particular: Mars will be transiting Virgo until early July; Venus will be retrograde in Gemini for six weeks, transiting this Sign between April and August; two Eclipses will fall in Gemini and Sagittarius (Solar of May 21 and Lunar of June 4); Mercury will conjunct the Sun in Gemini at the end of May; and mighty Jupiter himself will step into Gemini on June 12.
Of course the Cardinal Signs are still highlighted too (Uranus in Aries, Saturn in Libra, Pluto in Capricorn) and will remain so for a long while. The combination Cardinal/Mutable gives a sense of restlessness, those Signs being very much in flux, Cardinals beginning things, Mutables finishing things off. The sense we get is one of not much stability or certainty, but rather of movement, with the need to be very adaptable and mentally resourceful in order to handle the pace and the changes.
At the bottom of the page you’ll find a bi-wheel with two Horoscopes: the Aries Equinox Chart in the inner wheel and the Cancer Solstice Chart in the outer wheel, to show the motion of the Sun and Planets between March 20 and June 21 2012.
Many Retrogradations
Mercury, Venus and Mars are just leaving or just entering their respective retrograde periods. This adds depth and complexity to the season’s picture. More: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus and Saturn are also retrograde between mid-April and mid-July. Though not a rare occurrence, many Planets retrograding mark a period when old issues will need to be revisited and the consequences of previous actions and thoughts will have to be addressed in order to move forward once the planets turn direct again.
So, for instance, during a retro period Mercury’s linear and rational thinking function becomes infected and enriched with intuitive feelings. This could well be the hidden cause, I believe, of some of the disruptions in communication we experience during such periods. On average three times a year, for three weeks at the time, creativity and intuition challenge our ‘normal’ way of thinking. Used wisely these experiences can open whole new ways of perceiving reality and expressing it in words. Because this backward motion is happening through the dreamy and non-linearly thinking Pisces (Mercury will be in Pisces from March 24 to April 17), the inversion or introversion effect could be even more marked this time, especially for people who have Pisces, Virgo, Gemini and Sagittarius emphasized in their Birth Charts.
Mercury will be retrograde between March 12 and April 4, re-entering Aries on April 17. Afterwards Little Brother will be rising in the East before sunrise, allowing for more direct and effective communication, greater ease with the spoken and written words, enhanced logical understanding and mental stamina. Business transactions could benefit from this position too.
After his Superior Conjunction to the Sun on May 28, Mercury will appear instead as the Evening Star, a mature, inward looking God, leading us to deeper layers of thought and communication.
A historical Venus’ Transit
In Gemini since April 4, Venus will be retrograde from May 16 to June 28. This will especially affect people with Gemini-Sagittarius-Virgo-Pisces highlighted in their Birth Charts, and also the Air/Fire Signs Libra-Aquarius-Aries-Leo.
In this phase of her journey around the Sun from Earth’s perspective Venus is edging now closer and closer to the Sun visually, passing in fact between the Earth and the Sun, the closest she can ever be to us and the planet we inhabit. Now that’s something! And that’s retrogradation for you, not just a visual illusion fancifully imbued with meaning! The actual Inferior Planet (either Mercury or Venus, I mean) disappears in the glare of the Sun, but it is actually closer than ever, and therefore somewhat more influential, or better, more penetrating. Venus is no exception.
Venus in Gemini is usually described as light and flirty, seeking independence and variety in relationship, rather than heavy emotional ties and dependency. Retrogradation adds a deeper dimension to this placement. It is time perhaps to trim from our lives those friendships that are superficial and do not satisfy our real needs and longing. During the retro phase of her journey around the Sun Venus is as close to our planet as she can ever be. Thus we are given a chance to penetrate better the nature of love and relationship.
A special event is also connected with this particular retrogradation: Venus’ conjunction to the Sun on June 5/6, depending where you are in the world. This will be the second of a pair of conjunctions, separated by eight years, when the tiny disk of Venus will be visibly moving over the Sun. The first of these conjunctions occurred in June 2004. Try not to miss this event (wearing sun protective glasses, of course) because another one like it will not take place until December 2117!
At the time of a ‘normal’ conjunction Venus is too far North or South of the Sun to be visible. During a conjunction like the June’s one instead Venus is aligned to the Sun. These special conjunctions are sometimes compared to Eclipses, because Venus’ dark body becomes visible on the face of the Sun as the Moon does more dramatically during a Solar Eclipse.
This is conjunction is also the beginning of the 585 days Venus-Sun-Earth cycle, and the end of Venus’ inward journey as the Evening Star. After the conjunction Venus rapidly separates from the Sun and for 260 days will be Lucifer, Light Bringer, rising in the East before the Sun. This is a bolder and even forceful aspect of the Goddess, not at all passive. This Venus is adventurous and impulsive, ready to take risks in relationships but a bit naive and not so aware of emotional undercurrents.
The ancient astrologers from Babylon and the Mayas looked upon the morning appearance of Venus as a perilous phase for the world, portending wars and natural disasters. This is because Venus’ usually Yin energy becomes more Yang, upsetting the balance between feminine and masculine, with an excess of Yang energy. Adding to this, Venus and Mars will square each other twice, on April 8 and again on June 5. Around these periods we can expect some fireworks in our emotional lives, exciting or disruptive. While aspiring to achieve greater clarity in our communications and efficiency in our daily tasks (Gemini-Virgo), we run the risk of becoming overly critical and/or to be subjected to negative criticism.
End of Mars’ Retrograde period
Retrograde in Virgo since November 2011, Mars will finally turn Direct on April 14, on the third degree of Virgo, avoiding by a hair the opposition to Neptune in early Pisces. During retrogradation Mars shows a degree of introspection and caution usually not associated with the Red Planet, fact that could have hindered some of our activities. The retrogradation would have been more keenly felt by the Mutable Signs, Virgo-Sagittarius-Pisces-Gemini, and also by the Earth Signs Taurus and Capricorn.
From mid-April we are all been given permission to resume our normal pace of activities and hopefully start getting the sort of results we expect from our efforts. Mars is still in Virgo though, meaning that we still need to be humble and prepared to work hard and consistently. The Virgo-Mars’ period can work like a strong stimulant to take care of all those things that too often we tend to put off, while busy with supposedly more important things. But are often the little things that can wreck our health, that can clutter our life, and also create a sense of guilt from the awareness of a job not too well done.
If in business, work on your books, tax returns, loose ends, here and there. Dust the corner cupboard. Clean the computer, inside and out. Empty your wardrobe of all clothes you have not worn in the past two years (or more if you are like me). Look after your body, do that liver cleansing you always wanted to do, That colonic irrigation. Or simply book a visit to a good naturopath, or iridologist, chiropractor, Reiki healer, etc. Have a general health check with your doctor. Or that pap/prostrate test, that breast screening, that colonoscopy?
Even more important than all the above, give up unhealthy habits of all sorts, including, of course, psychological bad habits. Who doesn’t have some? Even eating too much carbohydrates is an addiction. Be discriminative and selective in your choice of food, drinks, work habits etc. Mars will help big time while transiting in Direct motion in Virgo.
Jupiter enters Gemini
Jupiter is moving Signs on June 12, from Earthy Taurus to Airy Gemini.
Until the end of June 2013 Jupiter will provide a time of opportunities and risk taking for people with a Gemini emphasis in their Birth Charts; also for those with Planets and/or Angles in any of the other Mutable Signs (Virgo-Sagittarius-Pisces). The other Fire/Air Signs (Aries-Leo-Libra-Aquarius) will be much stimulated by this transit too.
It was about twelve years ago that Jupiter transited Gemini the last time, 2000/2001. Looking back at those times, or even a further 12, 24 or 36 years earlier, we could all gain a better understanding of the way this placement of Jupiter is likely to manifest in our life.
Suitable choices to express Jupiter’s energy positively would be to study, travel, expand your business, take action aiming at bettering your circumstances, or embark on a metaphysical search of some kind. Jupiter will help you to get more out of life, giving meaning to your personal experiences, improving your general mood, inspiring you with confidence. In fact the negative side of this transit could be to become too optimistic and overly confident. If this is the case whatever enterprise you may begin this year could prove more difficult to realize than you imagined or hoped for. It would be wise to make a conscious effort to stay grounded to handle the Giant Planet’s exuberance. On the other hand, if you habitually lack confidence, not to waste Jupiter’s blessing, it will be important to curb any old fears that prevented you from achieving your goals in the past. Trust Jupiter to help you do just that.
If Jupiter was in Gemini in your Birth Chart you will experience a Jupiter‘s Return between June 2012 and June 2013. This is an astrological way of saying that you are turning 12/24/36/48/60/72/84/96 years old (born in 2000/01, 1988/89, 1976/77, 1964/65, 1953/54, 1941/42, 1929/30, 1917/18; consult an Ephemeris for exact dates). Greater confidence in your intellectual abilities and a keener desire to learn and know could help you this year with exams and tests; also to put pen to paper if you are so inclined. New interests may also introduce you to new people with whom to share them.
I remember a special Jupiter Return year for me, when I turned 36. With my Return in the IX House accompanied by other exciting transits, I made a leap of faith that year, choosing to leave a ‘normal’ job that provided a modest but secure income, to embark more professionally into Astrology, an interest and hobby of mine for a number of years. The sense of excitement, the renewed confidence I needed for my brave move and also the high hopes that I then held for my career (many later quashed by some hard realities) are all clear Jupiter’s signatures. Despite the fact that the reality of things didn’t quite match Jupiter’s promises I would not go back on my choice at that time, because it has transformed my world in very meaningful ways.
Master astrologer Steven Arroyo says of the Jupiter Return that it ‘liberates vast new energies for self-improvement …for it is a time of committing oneself to a new vision of the future’.
A great amongst contemporary astrologers, if you haven’t read Arroyo yet, please do so.
Communications of all kinds are highlighted by the passage of Jupiter through Gemini. I wouldn’t be surprised if some unusual networking will take place, perhaps involving the disclosure of information of value to many people. A novel way of networking might emerge, allowing even greater connectivity. More and more people, from all countries, cultures and socio/economic backgrounds, will join the world wide web, to share ideas and learn from each other. This could be the year of self-publishing and free-lancing on a grand scale.
Jupiter’s transit through Gemini also highlights the risk that a lot of what circulates and is shared in our brave new cyber world will be crap, gossip, or useless, repetitive, unoriginal information. To hopefully counteract this tendency in the months of June and July Jupiter will form a positive aspect to Uranus in Aries and a challenging aspect to Neptune and Chiron in Pisces, contacts that will permit a more exciting, visionary, innovative and inspired use of this placement.
Uranus square Pluto
Future events also are beginning to take shape in this Equinox season: the effects of the long awaited, with trepidation, Uranus square Pluto (first pass June 24), are likely to begin manifesting in May. This will be a test, one of the most difficult in recent years, not to give in to the temptation of solving the world’s issues via conflict and war. Unless a majority of people remain vigilant and committed to peace, this transit warns that the global situation could deteriorate in the near future. Not a pretty picture, considering that right now more than thirty large scale and localized conflicts are already raging around the world.
I’m leaving the proper analysis of this aspect to another time. I have already discussed the square Uranus-Pluto in many of my previous articles: in the 2010-2011 Astrological Forecast Page HERE, and the 2012 Astrological Forecast Page HERE)
The Eclipse Season
A Solar Eclipse on the very first degree of Gemini will take place on May 21, more evidence to the fact that Gemini is really the main character in this season’s astrological tale. The Eclipse will be an important event for some early Gemini (May-20/22), Sagittarius (November-21/23), Virgo (August-22/24) and Pisces (February-18/20).
Solar Eclipses are special New Moons, indicating not just the start of a new lunar month but of a whole new life phase. So, wait for exciting changes that will urge you to move, embracing a course of studies, moving house or even country, travelling, socializing, meeting new people, and all together having a busier and more stimulating time.
A Lunar Eclipse is expected on June 4, making the first week in June an eventful time astrologically, for all of us, but especially for some Gemini (June-2/8), Sagittarius (December-3/9), Virgo (September-4/10), and Pisces (March-2/8), or anyone with Moon, Planets and/or Angles around the middle of the same Signs. The Gemini Sun, conjunct Venus, and the Sagittarius Moon will be in aspect to Mars in Virgo, making this Eclipse a somewhat stressful or overly exciting climax for you. Something is coming to a head, positively or negatively, a big realization or a big disappointment, all providing valuable insight.
Love your transits, everyone.
Here is the bi-wheel: the Aries Equinox Chart in the inner wheel and the Cancer Solstice Chart in the outer wheel, to show the motion of the Sun and Planets between March 20 and June 21 2012.
