Venus Conjunct Jupiter

Planetary news: Preparation for the Great Metamorphosis begins

Astrological update for the week of February 27 – March 6, 2023

art by Bruce Rolff

A changing world is coming. You may already be aware of the planetary transitions coming up over the next few years with all of the outer planets changing signs, and if not you can catch up here. The world is changing, and we humans are having to adapt to new realities. Change is exciting for those of us with lots of fire and air, and more difficult for we earth and water people for whom security and tradition are more important. But we will all be learning flexibility over the next few years under these changing planetary conditions.

In March we will get a taste of what these transitions will bring when seven (SEVEN!!) planets change signs, and these subtle shifts will help us to prepare for what is to come. Planets changing signs shift our attention from one zodiacal influence to another, bringing new influences to color our experiences and help us to grow and evolve.

I’ll be posting more tomorrow about the details of the changes coming up in March, but this week the first of those seven planets will change signs when Mercury enters Pisces on March 2nd. Mercury changes signs every three weeks so this is not that big a deal, but Mercury will be joined by Saturn next week and then the dominos begin to fall. The shift of Mercury into Pisces will bring with it an increased need for a more gentle approach to life; one which allows for greater sensitivity and imagination.

This is a relatively quiet week astrologically so we have an opportunity to relax and envision how changing energies may […]

Share this article...
By |2023-02-27T08:17:09-05:00February 27th, 2023|Planetary news this week|1 Comment

Astrological news this week: Pluto retrograde and eclipse season begins!

Astrological update for the week of April 25 – May 2, 2022

art by John Craig

Pluto turns retrograde. I’ve been talking for a while about the Pluto station because Pluto hasn’t moved much in months – it’s only traveled one degree since the end of February and won’t travel more than one degree until early July.  That is a long time if you have planets between 25 and 29 Capricorn or the other cardinal signs Cancer, Libra Aries.  And if you have planets between 0 and 2 degrees of Aquarius or the other fixed signs (Leo, Taurus, Scorpio) you’ll feel some effect too. (Some astrologers use 10 degree orbs or more – I tend to use tight orbs as that seems to work in a more practical setting, like real life.)

We have had quite a few months with no planets retrograde, and with Pluto changing direction we have just one retrograde planet. The next retrograde will be Mercury turning retrograde on May 10, but in the meantime the focus is on Pluto and drilling down to the absolute Truth. Self-deception might have been the name of the game over the past few weeks with Jupiter and Neptune slamming together in a dance of bliss and psychic harmony, and we now have Mars and Venus joining them in Pisces (see the information about the eclipse below).

When Pluto is in charge, we are under the guidance of fate. Anyone with tight aspects from Pluto to their natal chart knows this, and eventually we learn that when fate is in charge we are guided towards our highest destiny if we can only let go.

A note about the Pisces stellium.  The blurring of details is a feature […]

Share this article...
By |2022-04-25T13:33:14-04:00April 25th, 2022|Planetary news this week|0 Comments

Planetary news this week! Mars in Scorpio, Mercury direct, and more

There’s a lot to unpack this week, and some of these will need their own blog posts.  Here’s an overview to help you prepare for the week!

Mars enters Scorpio on November 19th, and for a few weeks (until January 3rd) Mars will be roaring in its own sign.  Mars actually rules two signs: Scorpio and Aries, both of which are fiery signs of passion and adventure.  Scorpio’s fire is in the realm of water – deep and intense emotions which take us into the very core of our being.  Expect these next six weeks or so to be times of passion and fury, highly energized, and times when the Truth becomes critical and secrets are revealed.

We also have a stationary Neptune period, since Neptune is preparing to turn direct on November 27th.  When any planet is preparing to change direction its motion slows down in anticipation of the turn, but when that planet is a slow mover like Neptune the stationary effect lasts a long time as we receive the energies of that planet like a laser beam.  Neptune’s laser drives us into a longing for a connection to soul, and we process that longing in different ways.  Too many hot toddies perhaps, or a Netflix bingewatch like I did yesterday – or, on a higher level, spending some time in meditation or walking in the woods.  A heavy Neptune influence can also affect our physical energy and dampen the immune system, so take extra care over the next few weeks.

Mercury, having been retrograde for the past three weeks,  turns direct on November 20th.  Many have reported that this retrograde period was more difficult than some others, as I predicted due to the fact that Mercury is […]

Share this article...
By |2019-11-18T08:12:01-05:00November 18th, 2019|Planetary news this week|0 Comments

Planetary news this week! January 21, 2019

January horoscopesOn the heels of a Full Moon, Supermoon and lunar eclipse last night, the Moon continues to move through Leo where it helps to expand our hearts and find our inner enthusiasm.  Meanwhile Mars (assertive energy) is nearing the midpoint of its trip to Aries, but a challenge from Saturn could cause some trouble over the next few days as our enthusiasm and motivation (Mars) is stressed by Saturn’s restrictions and a sense of limitation.  This is a good time to proceed slowly towards perfection rather than run impulsively into the fire of our desire (wait a minute, that is poetry!).

Venus (love and beauty) aligns with bountiful Jupiter over the next few days, and both planets are in the optimistic sign of Sagittarius.  Optimism and faith abounds now, but that pesky Saturn influence may put the kibosh on plans temporarily.

Between the 22nd and 24th Mercury is very active which will stimulate mental activity and enhance communication.  Mercury aligns with the South Node of the past on the 21st, turning our thoughts for a day or two to learn more about where we’ve come from so that we can better serve our future,  just before it moves into Aquarius on the 24th and aligns with the Sun.  When Mercury is in Aquarius, the sign of the scientist and wizard/inventor, our minds are just a bit sharper – reasoning takes precedence over raw emotion and we are able to think clearly and with innate wisdom.  There is not much water influence, other than Chiron and Neptune, and since water tends to enhance our connection to feelings and emotion we may find ourselves strongly oriented in the head and mental body.

Our drive and energy will find easier expression when Mars […]

Share this article...
By |2019-01-22T06:48:36-05:00January 21st, 2019|Planetary news this week|9 Comments