29th degree

Planetary news this week: Solar eclipse awakening and Mercury turns retrograde

Astrological update for the week of April 17-24, 2023

all images on this page by me & AI


Solar eclipse. The big news this week is the solar eclipse at the very last few minutes of Aries. I wrote about this last week but it bears repeating as we enter the doorway to the upcoming pair of eclipses.

Eclipses are often bunched into a series of two or three pairs, but this year the two eclipse pairs operate on their own, without any others in the series. The first of the pair, the New Moon, occurs at 29º 57′ Aries – just three minutes of a degree from being in Taurus rather than Aries. The very last degree of a sign, the 29th degree, is called the “critical” or “anoretic” degree and is associated with the endings of cycles and new beginnings.  In this eclipse the Sun and Moon are a few degrees from the North Node of the future, signifying the pressure to release the past and move into an enlightened future.

The New Moon at the ending of a sign offers a sweeping away of the old and a fresh new beginning, especially with the Moon eclipsing the Sun, stripping away any artifice of conscious awareness and bringing us face to face with the raw truth of our needs and desires as described by Aries. In this moment which is rich with  the power of Mars (ruler of Aries), we can begin to let go of some of our willfulness as patterns are completed.  the Moon slips gently into Taurus just 20 minutes after the eclipse, forming a square aspect to transformational Pluto. We are in new territory, and this anaretic solar eclipse will help (force?) a push through obstacles into a […]

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By |2023-04-18T07:02:24-04:00April 17th, 2023|Uncategorized|4 Comments
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Sunday Inspiration: Take the perspective of an eagle for a broader view

Susan Seddon Boulet

What a time we are living in!  And this week is particularly powerful: a Full Moon at the 29th degree of Aquarius, the modern ruler of Aquarius (Uranus) stationary in the sky having just turned retrograde.  Under the modern rulership of Uranus, the Aquarian energy opens up portals of energy and make it difficult to sleep.  Uranus is known as the Awakener, and sometimes we have to take that quite literally!  So today I offer you this piece of wisdom as we take the leap over the chasm of transition. ❤️

This moment humanity is experiencing can be seen as a door or a hole. The decision to fall in the hole or walk through the door is up to you. If you consume the news 24 hours a day, with negative energy, constantly nervous, with pessimism, you will fall into this hole. But if you take the opportunity to look at yourself, to rethink life and death, to take care of yourself and others, then you will walk through the portal.

Take care of your home, take care of your body. Connect with your spiritual home. When you take care of yourself, you take care of everyone at the same time.

Do not underestimate the spiritual dimension of this crisis. Take the perspective of an eagle that sees everything from above with a broader view. There is a social question in this crisis, but also a spiritual question. The two go hand in hand.  Without the social dimension we fall into fanaticism. Without the spiritual dimension, we fall into pessimism and futility.

Are you ready to face this crisis? Grab your toolbox and use all the tools at your disposal.

Learn resistance from the […]

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By |2021-08-22T08:11:26-04:00August 22nd, 2021|Inspiration|13 Comments
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The second Aquarius Full Moon in 2021

art by Wendy Andrews

It is rare to have two Full Moons in one sign (sometimes called a Blue Moon, hence the expression “Once in a Blue Moon”).  Since the Full Moons occur approximately 28-29 degrees apart, this only happens when the first Full Moon is at the first degree of a sign, and the second at the last.  The Moon entered Aquarius on Friday and began the crescendo to the explosion of energies at the Full Moon, the exact opposition from the Sun in Leo to the Aquarius Moon, which occurs at 8 am EDT (noon UTC) August 22nd.  The emotional and sensitive Moon is not always that comfortable in Aquarius, the sign of the transpersonal and the detachment of science and reason, and the Leo archetype of brilliant self-expression is at odds here with the dispassion of Aquarius.

The 29th degree is a significant portal – the very last degree of a sign, there is a “do or die” component to this placement, almost a desperation or last gasp before the planet moves into the next sign. This is an important threshold between two experiences, and a need to complete the one before moving into another.  That’s why having two Full Moons in a row in the same sign is significant – it marks the early enthusiasm of the sign, followed by the frantic need to complete the cycle before moving into the next archetype like when we cram for a test before a final exam.

The energies of the Aquarius archetype are so potent right now:  there is a cold detachment to Aquarius under the traditional Saturn rulership, and a need to see from the perspective of airy detachment and observation rather than […]

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By |2021-08-21T15:14:22-04:00August 21st, 2021|Moon|2 Comments
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Astrological forecast for the week of August 16, 2021: Retrograde season and a Full Moon

There is a lot going on this week, so grab a cup of coffee or tea and let’s get started!

Retrograde season. This week Uranus turns retrograde, but it has been virtually stationary at 14 degrees Taurus for six weeks.  When a planet prepares for a direction change it appears to be at a standstill, just like a car that is making a U-turn.  At that time its influence can be the most potent, especially if it is hitting a sensitive point in your chart (anywhere from 10-20 degrees of the fixed signs Taurus, Scorpio, Leo or Aquarius).

With Uranus turning retrograde we will have four major planets retrograde plus Chiron, for a total of five.  That is on the high side of normal and nowhere close to the retrograde energies of 2020 when every planet which could turn retrograde WAS retrograde.  Still, in September Mercury will turn retrograde and then there will be six so we are definitely in retrograde season.  This means that life will not progress at the pace which we strive for, and there may be a lot of looking in the rear view mirror to see where mistakes were made, and having to make those repairs before we can look ahead once again.  Meanwhile the Uranian influence is powerful – revolution, reaction, breaking free of restraints and regulations – all of these energies are deep at work to rip away the trappings of the old age as we go hurtling into the new one.

Venus enters Libra.  Venus enters its own sign of Libra just after midnight on August 16.  Venus is most at home in Libra, and for the next few weeks harmony and a peaceful experience will be of paramount importance.  Venus craves […]

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By |2021-08-16T07:41:58-04:00August 16th, 2021|Planetary news this week|