Yes this month of May, sometimes referred to as the ‘merry month of May’, can have its ups and downs. But what month, what week and even now what day, doesn’t have its roller coaster of ups and downs?

The month begins with a strong emphasis on the Earth Grand Trine that has been influencing us since mid-November. We may be looking at planting our seeds of new projects, moving things along, and all with a solid, even plodding, manner. We are looking at taking care of details, focusing on the specifics, all the while keeping our eye on the ball and concentrating on the most meaningful and important facets of our lives.

We are still balancing our personal interests with the needs of other people. We can use people we trust as a solid sounding board, helping to temper our enthusiasm, restraining our impulsiveness and fine-tuning our approach so that haste does not make waste.

This balance, sometimes a push pull, between our personal needs and those of others could be stressed on the 5th when Mercury opposes Saturn on the day of the Scorpio Full Moon. We could feel a little down, hampered by our responsibilities and putting on blinders to see only that which we want to see and only that which lies straight ahead of us.

While we might feel a little irritated, even aggravated, by other people’s input, such detached perspective could keep us from stepping in it, overdoing things or heading off with great confidence but little patience. Otherwise, we might be lemmings heading the parade and moving quickly towards the precipice. We have to constantly evaluate and re-evaluate whether our desires are truly meaningful and self-fulfilling.

This is also a time when we need to look at our resources and, more importantly, be resourceful in regard to our involvements, our finances and our plans for the future.

We may do a major Spring cleaning in this first week of May, getting rid of stuff that no longer works for us and creating room for things that are more in synch with our essential selves. It would be wise for us to note what is going on in the world at large, for the influence of Scorpio that we feel around the 5th of May could give us a heads-up regarding energies and areas we might have to more significantly address from this Autumn period of 2012 through 2014 when Saturn transits Scorpio.

The mid-May period can be a time when we are feeling at the top of our game. It is a time when Nature is in full blossom, and we may be feeling something similar within ourselves.

On the 9th, Mercury exits Aries and enters Taurus adding greater influence to the Earth Grand Trine and joining the Sun in its transit of the Fixed Earth Sign. Mercury sextiles Neptune on the 10th, Mercury trines Mars on the 13th and Mercury trines Pluto on the 14th. Also on the 13th, the Sun conjuncts Jupiter. On the 16th, Mars trines Pluto.

This mid-May period can be a time when we are considering purchases and justifying them as necessary. We may be enthusiastic and confident, feeling able to meet any challenge and not merely survive but thrive even during these volatile times. If we avoid rushing the river, we could strategize a best practices approach, come up with the most effective and expeditious ways of achieving our goals, and have the focus in mind to convince even the loudest naysayer that our intentions and our plans are well-considered with a strong hint of brilliance.

Our thinking can be incisive and we can develop strategies to accomplish our goals concentrating both on the necessary details and on the bigger picture. This mid-May period allows us to hone our plans and focus our intentions.

Even if we have felt discouraged or blocked as a result of changing conditions over the past few years, mid-May has us with a fire in our belly and a focus in our mind. We can engage brain and brawn to get a great deal done.

It is essential that we always keep in mind the necessary tempering process. Even though we can move things ahead almost effortlessly, we have to look and not leap, evaluate, step cautiously and move forward all the while working with peripheral vision and being aware of the circumstances operating around us and mindful of the opportunities that can arise out of the blue.

This month can be largely paradoxical, with us easily gliding along in early May period and hitting bumps towards the latter part of May. It may seem as if this month is like a weather vane, whichever way the wind blows. And much of it can be due to the transits of the personal planets — the Sun, Mercury and Venus.

The personal planets transits through Taurus reinforce the Earth Grand Trine and provide opportunities for us to be highly effective and incredibly productive and strongly confident with optimism and enthusiasm to match.

The latter part of May increases the Gemini influence and with it a Mutable Sign T-Square as the Gemini-transiting planets square Mars in Virgo and square Neptune in Pisces.

On the 20th of May, the Sun enters Gemini and with it a Solar Eclipse at the time of the Gemini New Moon that day.

During this latter part of May, the hypesters and hipsters may be out in full regalia, selling their wares, enticing the unaware of prospects and potentialities that seem oh so good in presentation but have nothing truly to back them up. Like a Hollywood set, the appearance may be lovely and seem substantial but the truth is that the façade is being held up by two by fours with no real substance or depth associated with it. We should be wary of promises made and the intentions of those making the promises. This time could be a time when people are ‘talking the talk but unable to walk their talk.’

Although we might see a wide palette of possibilities, we could also feel either as though our hopes are dashed or that we are in a state of perpetual confusion during the latter part of May. The Sun squares Neptune on the 23rd. Mercury enters Gemini on the 24th, and Mercury squares Neptune on the 27th.

Although we still have the influence of the Earth Grand Trine, there is now increasing static with the liability of misunderstandings and misperceptions. We may still want to push ahead with changes and new ways of expressing ourselves thanks to the Gemini-transiting planets sextiling Uranus. But the T-Square of the Gemini-transiting planets first squaring Neptune, later squaring Mars, can indicate both a lack of clarity with a high likelihood of confusion initially and then a tendency to gloss over specifics and negate important details later on.

These two aspects of this Mutable Sign T-Square can serve as a prescription for disaster, or at the very least for badly stubbing our toes and a severe liability especially from the latter part of May through the first week of June.

As I wrote at the beginning of this piece, this month of May can be reminiscent of the Lou Christie song ‘Two Faces Have I’, the chorus of which goes:

‘Two faces have I
One to laugh and one to cry’

Awareness, mindfulness and due diligence will go a long way for us to maintain balance, do what we can do and not get sidetracked by specious promises or alluring possibilities.

This month is paradoxical but provides the energies for us to move things forward and to hone our abilities of making our way across the balance beam of the vagaries of daily life.

May 2012… some times Merry, some times Not…

Venus exits its own Sign of Taurus and enters Mercury-ruled Gemini on the 3rd. We can become incredibly glib, talkative and looking to make our case whether we have the facts to back it up or not. On the contrary, we might find ourselves expressing and being receptive to the hype of the moment, those mind games and word plays used to win acceptance and support.

Like Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday in the 1950’s classic television show ‘Dragnet’, we should keep in mind the catchphrase of the show: ‘the facts, ma’am, just the facts.’

And like the above refrain, which was never truly uttered by the Jack Webb character, we could buy into what we want to hear and how we want to hear it. During this early April period, it would be wise for us to take things with a grain of salt, recognize that we might not be getting full disclosure and appreciate that everyone is trying to make their case.

But like the lyrics in the 1972 song by the O’Jays, ‘Back Stabbers’ caution:

‘They smile in your face
All the time they want to take your place
The back stabbers…’

Due diligence would be our saving grace but also a characteristic we might neglect in the haste of the moment.

This early April period is replete with confusion, lack of clarity and a dance with the trickster, people appearing one way and the reality being something quite different.

The first week of April is action-packed but also a slippery slope when we might have real difficulty getting our solid footing. Venus enters Mercury-ruled Gemini on the 3rd. Mercury ends its retrograde cycle and turns direct on the 4th. Venus squares Neptune on the 5th. There is the Libra Full Moon on the 6th. And Venus squares Mars on the 7th.

Quite a week, this first week of April could prove to be. Let’s try to slow things down, not act impetuously and have a little bit of kindness for our fellow beings. At the same time, it would be wise for us to maintain a jaded eye, be skeptical of the demonstrations of camaraderie and always consider the possible consequences of our actions, even keeping in mind the law of unintended consequences. Yes, early April can be a real carousel, which might leave our head spinning if we allow ourselves to get ungrounded and caught up in the whirlwind of intense activity.

Let’s be aware that these times are volatile, times of eliminations but also times of things coming about in the most unexpected ways. A sense of the unanticipated could be highlighted around the 9th of April when Venus sextiles Uranus. We could hear from someone or connect serendipitously with someone who gives greater credence to our talents and makes suggestions regarding trajectories we might consider but that we had not taken into account.

The 10th has Pluto turning retrograde. Problems with traditional formats may come to light with implosions liable to upset the way things are. We might wonder whether we are truly on the road to economic recovery or whether we have merely swept things under the rug to be dealt with later in time. A sense of disgust with the powers-that-be can be stepped up, as we all now see with uncanny ability the reality that the emperor has no clothes.

While we might be concerned about certain difficulties still unresolved, we do not have to throw our hands up in despair or take a catatonic disposition. For on the 13th, Mars in Virgo turns direct. We may feel that no matter what is occurring in the world at large, if we take care of our own personal world, we can not only survive these times but actually thrive within the conditions around us.

The 15th of April in the US usually depicts the taxman cometh, as people try to finish their tax forms prior to the midnight deadline. This year the taxman is postponed thanks to the 15th falling on a Sunday. However, the 15th has the Sun opposed Saturn. We may feel as though the wind has been knocked out of our sails. We might seek to play the blame game, looking at other people as the cause of our distress. We could even realize that, while the tax bite this year is not extreme, next year with Saturn in Scorpio the tax bite could be even larger than ever. Yes, the taxman cometh on a regular basis and taketh ever more away.

Mercury moves out of Pisces on April 16th and back into Aries. We are still in the ‘shadow’ of the Mercury retrograde, possibly retracing steps we had taken back in March.

The Sun moves into Taurus on the 19th of April and in so doing gives greater weight to the Earth Grand Trine we have experienced since mid-November of this past year. We may be less impetuous, more willing to take things step by step, with each step being very methodical and focused on a best practices approach.

A pragmatic, focused direction can be accentuated thanks to the Taurus Lunation on the 21st, with the New Moon creating a signature for the next fortnight up to the Full Moon on May 5th. With the New Moon giving greater force to the Earth Grand Trine and the Sun Moon conjunction sextile Neptune, with the Sun exactly sextile Neptune on the 22nd, the same day that Mercury is conjunct Uranus, we may feel divinely inspired and guided in regard to making manifest those things that will support us and provide venues by which we can thrive. Now more than ever before we could fully believe that all things are possible.

We will have to watch for the naysayers, those people that have lost their faith and want us to stay the way we have been so that they do not have to look in the mirror and question why they cannot get themselves out of their complacency of discontent.

The latter part of April could be a time when we could literally move mountains. With the Sun in Taurus and part of the Earth Grand Trine, the Sun will trine Mars on the 23rd of April and then trine Pluto on the 29th of April. If we take things step by step, we could make great headway in regard to fulfilling our plans and realizing our goals.

It may not always be easy and there will be times when our faith will falter, for Mercury going through Aries will square Pluto on the 25th of April but all in all this month of April diminishes the impetuousness and regains a semblance of groundedness as the month progresses.


April 2012… getting a grip on reality…

As we begin March, we may feel anxious, a little unsure of ourselves, even to the point of questioning the direction in which we are moving. But the direction could prove irrelevant since we might be more engrossed in the movement, desirous of feeling the wind against our skin and a sense that something is happening. If that something is something different from our normal habitual routine, then so much the better.

As a continuation of late February, we may do a great deal of sighing, even involuntarily sighing. It might not be a sigh or breath of relief, as much as an inadvertent recognition that we are coming to the end of a cycle. And for that, we are likely to be grateful. We may not know where we are going, just thankful that we are going and in movement.

The month begins with a T-Square in the Mutable Signs and a Stellium of three or more planets in the Mutable Water Sign of Pisces. With five planets in Mutable Signs, the T-Square of the Moon in Gemini square Mars in Virgo and the Moon square the Stellium of the Sun, Mercury and Neptune in Pisces, we could be jumping from one thing to another, to yet another. We may always be looking for movement but that movement can often be more reactive, responsive to situations and conditions around us, rather than proactive with a determined destination and enhanced will to achieve our goals.

Fortunately, this month also continues with the Grand Trine in the Earth Element by Sign that has gone on since mid-November with Jupiter in Taurus, Mars in Virgo and Pluto in Capricorn. This month, on the 13th – 14th, this Grand Trine is exact. If we could only get focused, then we could be highly productive and manifest our deepest desires.

The question is whether we can get focused. Our sense of insecurities, wondering whether we have the capabilities and resources to pull off our deepest desires, and a deep-seated fear of waiting for but another shoe to drop to upset our applecart and wreak havoc to our plans could be a severe dampener to our courage, our fortitude and a belief in better days through brighter ways. All of these issues, however, are also related to the old paradigm and old mindset whereby we were conditioned to believe that in order for things to be done, we had to do them.

While we just cannot sit back and ‘wait for godot’, who may never come, it would be important for us to open our eyes, become aware and recognize indications of the paradigm shift and the new paradigm, whereby we do not have to do it all but we do need to be aware and mindful and work with the energies unfolding as co-creators of our future. We have entered a time of magic and miracles, even if the magic does not appear to be earthshaking or the miracles are those mini-miracles of interesting synchronicities and fascinating serendipities of being in the right place at the right time with things falling neatly into place, often in the most inexplicable manner.

The universe works and we just need to adapt our rhythm to the universal unfolding and be flexible in regard to our movement and our plans.

This March provides us an interesting canvas on which to paint our possibilities, always with the recognition that we can change our direction at any time in accord with shifting circumstances and changing conditions. The times call for tai chi moves, being aware and mindful to be flexible and adaptable.

As we come into March, Mercury exits Pisces, ending the Stellium of three planets in the Mutable Water Sign and Mercury enters Aries on the 2nd, briefly creating a Stellium of three or more planets in the Cardinal Fire Sign as Mercury joins Venus and Uranus in Aries. This Stellium is but a prelude to a Stellium in the Cardinal Fire Sign at the beginning of Spring on the 19th-20th, when the Sun enters Aries for yet another brief Cardinal Fire Sign Stellium. Early in March, this brief Aries Stellium comes to an end as Venus exits Aries on the 5th to enter its own Sign of Taurus.

This first week of March, we may be feeling the burgeoning sense of Spring ahead of us. We could be making our plans for our personal renaissance as we come into Spring. Our thoughts can be insightful as we consider how we might initiate projects and engage activities that allow us to put our personal imprint on our daily involvements. Our focus may be on our individual selves and how things impact us. We might have little patience for other people’s needs, much less their demands.

The weekend of the 3rd – 4th can engage us in push pulls. Interactions with other people could be a little dicey. We may not be feeling the love. Instead, we might be hypercritical and have a sense of other people putting a dampener on our personal interests. The Sun opposes Mars on the 3rd and Venus opposes Saturn on the 4th. We may just be feeling out of sorts and not in a sociable mood. Not that we need to go off and hide out in some cave somewhere. It is important for us not to play savior or martyr and not assume the world is against us. This weekend could prove dicey. We may have a great deal on our plate, errands to attend to, with us drawing upon our final reserve of energy as we feel the pressure of what we should do and what others expect of us. Let’s try and slow things down, not feel slighted by other people’s suggestions and cut everyone, including ourselves, a great deal of slack. We might just be exhausted and if we push ourselves, we could find the truth to the saying that ‘haste makes waste’. Not only could we be hasty. We could also be wasted. A timeout to relax and recharge may be called for.

The 5th begins a new week and we may have energy extraordinaire. On the 5th, Venus enters Taurus, its own Sign, and by doing so, Venus ends the Stellium of three or more planets in the Cardinal Fire Sign of Aries. This day also has Mercury conjunct Uranus. Our insights can be revelatory and though we may be solely focused on what we want, our ability to present our case in a most acceptable and presentable package could grease the wheels of winning someone’s acceptance. We may be looking at personal makeovers, putting our best foot forward and presenting ourselves in a perfect light. Certainly, our sense of social decorum is attuned and we could prove the truth to the old saying that ‘you catch more flies with honey than vinegar’.

With Venus moving into Taurus on the 5th, it reinforces the Earth Grand Trine and gives greater impetus to the potential for manifestation, concretizing things and gaining our goals in a largely non-combative manner.

Venus sextiles Neptune on the 6th and we may find that we are adept at presenting things in an appealing, even seductive, manner. The liability towards buying into the appearance without fully considering the substance of the situation could fuel a tendency to go overboard in our expenditures. In our desire to look good and create a magical impression, we could easily overspend and do too many ‘overs’ whereby we even move into a garish presentation.

The Virgo Full Moon on the 8th might trigger the engagement of tricksters, whereby what we see is not necessarily what we get. While we can think outside the box and entertain alternatives we might not have taken into account earlier, we do have to be careful not to be led by our impressions, our desires and our beliefs rather than our critical, analytical reasoning and a discerning attitude. We could easily get hoodwinked. An enticing mystique could cast a pall over due diligence, and we might find ourselves engaging activities that might seem all so together but like a Hollywood set is strong in the image and the façade but with no real depth or substance.

The more we can accomplish in the first two weeks of March, the better it is. For on the 12th, Mercury turns retrograde through the rest of the month and until April 4th. And we all know what that means. Communications can be off, misunderstandings rampant and things getting bollixed in the works.

With Mercury turning retrograde in Aries on the 12th, our thoughts can be self-focused, and may revolve primarily around how we see the world and how we want to see the world. We could also be too nonchalant about factors beyond our control and beyond our personal realm, thereby missing salient points and contributing to a ‘my way or the highway’ type of attitude.

Following Mercury turning retrograde on the 12th, Jupiter and Venus both trine Pluto on the 13th. On the 14th, Venus conjuncts Jupiter, and Mars triggers the Earth Grand Trine exactly by Mars in Virgo trine Jupiter in Taurus and Mars trine Pluto in Capricorn. We may feel as though we have a Midas touch with everything within our grasp turning to gold. Excess, in expenditure and optimism and indulgence, can be strong during this mid-March period.

This mid-March period can seem like we have entered into paradise on earth. Equity markets could ratchet up and all might seem right in the world. We are likely to sense the burgeoning of Spring coming forward. We would all like to feel as though the worst is behind us with the hope of change that we are entering a golden age. Some commentators and pundits will acclaim that the best is not only yet to come but that we have crossed the threshold into a new world, a world of bounty and abundance. But to borrow from Aldous Huxley, we might also feel and even be encouraged to accept the concept that we have entered a brave new world.

All this ballyhoo and likely good news also occurs under Mercury retrograde. What we hear might only be hype or miscommunications that contribute to misunderstanding. Despite a likely upbeat attitude, we might be wise to take things with a grain of salt and maintain a grounded approach. Let’s take things slow, have a slightly jaded eye to any good news and embrace the Missouri state slogan of ‘show me’. And even if shown, we might still allow the jury to be out before we make a definitive decision as to what is really going on. Awareness and mindfulness are key components of these times, both in regard to negative news and to positive news. Reading between the lines and always being mindful of the law of unintended consequences would serve us well during these volatile times of paradigm shift.

On the 18th, retrograde Mercury conjuncts Uranus. We can have some startling revelations, especially if we are open to possibilities and not rigid in our concepts or fixed in our beliefs. The sense of serendipity could be strong and the nudge of change as a natural unfolding of conditions might be felt. Let’s keep in mind that during these times we do not have to make things happen as much as being in the right place at the right time and allowing ourselves to receive new opportunities and unexpected situations to arise.

This configuration of Mercury conjunct Uranus occurred earlier in the month, on the 5th, when Mercury was direct. This same configuration, albeit with Mercury retrograde, on the 18th may be reminiscent of whatever unexpected event or incident might have occurred at that time. We may experience startling insights and sudden awareness and things coming out of the blue.

On the 19th – 20th, we enter the season of Spring, the beginning of the astrological New Year as the Sun ends its cycle through the zodiac wheel, exits Pisces and enters Aries, the Cardinal Fire Sign. The Aries Stellium of three or more planets in the Cardinal Fire Sign that we had earlier in the month is re-created with the Sun joining Mercury and Uranus in Aries.

The Sun conjuncts Mercury on the 21st, followed by the Aries New Moon on the 22nd, with the Sun Moon conjunction also conjunct both Mercury and Uranus.

Spring has sprung, and we may be concentrating on the renaissance that the season promises. Change, autonomy and launching forward with projects that speak to us and allow us to stretch our wings are all in the works. We may be impulsive, spontaneous, but all with a sense of new beginnings and initiations reflective of the changes we are seeking to incorporate in our lives.

Mercury exits Aries and retrogrades back into Pisces on the 23rd, ending the Aries Stellium. We may feel more moody, prone to a sense of being victim to circumstance, wondering whether the impulse of making changes to our lives can come forward or stillborn.

The Sun Uranus conjunction on the 24th may have us emphasizing our individuality, possibly with little regard as to the impact of our actions on other people, and even to the extreme of our feeling like a law unto ourselves. While we are impelled to be free, to accentuate our individuality and do our own thing, we could find ourselves butting heads against our responsibilities, those things we have to do and even obstacles placed in our way as the Sun squares Pluto on the 29th. Even if we feel blocked in our actions, we could find our way around the restrictions and limitations. With the Mercury sextile Venus also on the 29th, we can present ourselves in a socially appealing manner.

While actions taken may go against the grain and be in opposition to traditional ways, the ability to calm people’s concerns can mitigate any sense of real impediments and might only create a sense of delay.

All in all, this month of March is an energetic one and like a snowball going down the mountain, the energy gathers momentum and then can become the avalanche. We just have to be able to work with the energy, do our tai chi moves and not become buried by our impetuousness or a rush to judgment.

March… the lion roars…

In considering whom we use as our sounding boards, let’s also be judicious in our selection. Some people may be able to see the big picture but their vision could be a little spacey, seeing what could be without considering the specifics or the particulars. Other people can be so focused on the minutiae, lost in the details, that they lose sight of the broad perspective. A balance between the two, where someone is able to see both the macro view and the micro view is what would be most helpful. We need to see the big picture but also see how to fit the various pieces into the puzzle to create the whole framework.

While we can be incredibly idealistic as we start February, thanks to the Stellium of three or more planets in Aquarius with the Sun, Mercury and Neptune in the Fixed Air Sign and with Venus In Pisces, we have to be astute and discerning regarding where we place our energies and whom we try to assist. It would be wise to remember the Christian Bible’s advice: ‘Cast ye not pearls before swine’.

Out of our compassion and maudlin sentimentality, we could get so involved in other people’s problems as to get entangled in their drama, and a drama they might be attached to and unwilling to let go. Talk about a no-win situation!

Let’s be judicious in the advice we take, judicious in the advice we give, judicious in our decisions and judicious in our actions. Remember, two of the keywords to engage for these times are: awareness and mindfulness.

Awareness and mindfulness can keep us from leaping before we look and allow time for reflection to consider what is really going on.

Fortunately, the Earth Grand Trine that has been in operation since November continues on through this month and on through the Spring period. We can be highly effective, productive and get a lot of things done. We just need to be certain that we keep our emotions out of the way and that we enlist an attitude of ‘tough love’… not ‘tough luck’ or even ‘there but for the grace of god go I’ but ‘tough love’ whereby we are there for other people as long as they are there for themselves. Being focused and concentrating on the most meaningful would provide us the ability to expedite operations and accomplish more now than usual.

Neptune re-enters its own Sign of Pisces on February 3rd and will transit through Pisces on into 2025. Compassion, spirituality, religiosity can all be accentuated during this time. Idealism can be strong, but there is also a liability to delusion, escapism and non-realities. I’ve got more to write about the Neptune Pisces transit and what we might experience over these next thirteen years of Neptune’s transit through its own Sign. I call it ‘Illumination or Delusion’, and we can carom between the two as we could also carom between acting out the martyr – savior complex. I’ll post it on the 3rd.

The Leo Full Moon on February 7th comes at the time of Saturn turning retrograde in the last degree of Libra. Saturn reaches the cusp of Libra – Scorpio but retreats back into Libra for its four and a half month retrograde cycle. It would be wise for us to note what is going on regarding the financial realm, both on a macro perspective of the geopolitical world and on a micro viewpoint of our own personal financial world, as Saturn turns retrograde. When we come to the Autumn, Saturn will enter Scorpio for its two and a half year cycle. The Saturn Scorpio transit may speak to financial restraints, increased taxations and a higher death rate. Saturn Scorpio will certainly demand that we be resourceful and Saturn in Scorpio could create limitations to our sense of abundance and bountifulness.

With Saturn retrograde until the latter part of June, let’s also keep in mind that there can be greater delays and difficulties in getting things done. We are being asked to reflect and deal with our interactions with other people, especially the significant relationships in our lives. For Saturn retrograding through Libra, which it has transited for the past two plus years, asks us to consider ourselves in light of the ‘other’. The other can be our significant partner[s], how we deal in our social skills with other people or it can be any complement to ourselves, that which would complete us, sometimes known as what would define us. Other can be our work, our recreational activities, anything that we tend to associate to a definition of ourselves. It is not WHO we are but rather WHAT we are, and the latter definition being far easier to relate, and to hide behind.

Shortly after Saturn turns retrograde and the Leo Full Moon on the 7th, Venus exits Pisces and enters Aries on the 8th and conjuncts Uranus on the 9th. Relationships can be highlighted, but the focus on relationships can be less about a balance of personal needs with those of someone else. Instead, everyone may become more self-centered, self-focused and self-absorbed. We might be far more interested in how relationships are impacting us and less considerate of how the relationship is impacting someone else. We could be infatuated by the new and the different, entertaining quirky characters as comic relief to our own day-in, day-out lives. If we have been feeling boxed in by our everyday life and our usual circle of friends, we might want a breakout period where we experiment with a new sense of our being. We might try different hairstyles, consider hip new wardrobes or just seek to do things differently. We may assume that the old is tired, even worn out, and we want something vibrant, exciting, enlivening, different.

Before Mercury exits Aquarius to enter Pisces on the 13th, Mercury trines Saturn. We may be looking for a catch-up with an old friend, someone we might have lost touch with or someone we just need to spend time with and reminisce about old days.

With Mercury moving out of Aquarius and entering Pisces on February 13th, followed by the Mercury Neptune conjunction on the 14th, Valentine’s Day, we could easily buy into hopes and wishes that have no fundamental basis in reality. Although our intuitive sense can be strong, it would be wise for us not to take things at face value. This energy configuration can also be akin to the trickster, things appearing one way, the reality being quite different. In the native American tradition, the coyote is the trickster, for the coyote howls its haunting, seductive song enticing its prey to come forward only to pounce upon it once within harm’s way. While we might be visionaries during this time, we need to keep our feet firmly planted on the ground if we choose to have our head in the clouds.

The Mercury Neptune conjunction on the 14th is followed on the 15th by Venus square Pluto. Expectations not met on Valentine’s Day could have severe implications and even drastic ramifications for our relationships. Some people may draw lines in the sand and insist that another person either make amends for a perceived slight or the relationship could land on rocky shoals.

With Mercury in Pisces, the Stellium of three or more planets in Aquarius comes to an end. Our emotions can rule our thinking and we might be easily swayed more by our moods and how we feel about things than hard analytical thinking.

At the same time, we can be highly intuitive and utilize a best practices approach to get things done. We can combine the intuitive with the pragmatic and develop the right structure, format and means to move our deepest heartfelt projects forward. Mercury sextiles Jupiter on the 16th, and we could feel upbeat, inspired and divinely guided by right action. Mercury sextiles Pluto on the 18th and we could virtually move mountains. But the moves can be done with little effort and may bear truth to the concept of mind over matter. The 18th also has the Sun, just about to exit Aquarius, trine Saturn. A sense of appreciation, support and encouragement for WHO we are and our plans for the future can be forthcoming by a significant ally and important advocate.

The Sun moves into Pisces on the 19th of February and conjuncts Neptune at the same time. We now have a Stellium of three or more planets in the Mutable Water Sign as the Sun joins Neptune and Mercury in Pisces. With the Piscean energy highlighted even more by the Pisces Lunation, the Pisces New Moon on the 21st, we need to be aware that this fortnight between the 21st of February and the 8th of March can be a time of tricksters extraordinaire.

Whatever is presented to us at this time can be a mirage or an illusion or certainly not the truth, the whole truth. Our sensitivity is likely to be turned up severalfold. At times, we may feel like the savior, other times like the victim. The liability towards escapism can be strong, as we seek more pleasant surroundings, our safe happy place where we can go to avoid the hard cold realities of these changing times.

We may feel like sponges soaking up the energies of our surroundings. It might be important for us now and then to step off the track, take time to recharge our batteries and reflect on what is going on. It would also be wise for us to recognize that we are coming to the end of the zodiac year with the Vernal Equinox and the Sun moving into Aries later in March initiating the new astrological year.

The 23rd of February has Mercury opposed Mars. We can either get incredibly spacey, forget details and skip over specifics, or we could develop the ability to combine our intuitive sense with a detailed approach and focus on how best to approach our tasks and effectively deal with our obligations. We do have to watch for any tendency towards being either hypercritical of everyone, including ourselves, or overly sensitive, assuming that the world is against us. It may be a tough balancing act but one necessary to develop an essential skill set for these changing times.

The Mercury sextile Jupiter on the 16th and Mercury sextile Pluto on the 18th are replicated by the Sun towards the end of the month, as the Sun sextiles Jupiter on the 25th and then the Sun sextiles Pluto on the 28th. We may be far more confident about where we are going with an innate sense that we are headed in the right direction.

Spring is just around the corner.

During the latter part of February and into mid-March, we may do a great deal of sighing, even involuntarily sighing. It may not be a sigh or breath of relief, as much as an inadvertent recognition that we are coming to the end of a cycle.

This month is a month when we may have our head in the clouds, far more interested in the possibilities than daily realities. As the month progresses, we grow increasingly emotional and liable to make decisions and judgments more on our moods and feelings than analytical reasoning and well-considered thought. These times ask us to let go of any sense of total control over situations, to be flexible and adaptable to changing conditions. We may discover that we are developing the tai chi moves, adept at recognizing the shifting energies, moving in rhythm with them and being more effective in our lives than we ever have been before. The times are changing and we are changing with them. We can get a greater sense of right direction and right action and realize that we are being assisted in making our way through the maze, no labyrinth, of our life’s journey and procession.

February may be the dead of winter but we are also coming to the end of a cycle, the end of the astrological year. Karma can play out and old issues come up that are asking to be resolved. These issues may be of our present life but may also be of past lives too. This can be a month when our thoughts turn to the past, looking back at what was, all the while yearning for what we might not consciously know but realizing that we are guided by our inner voice and our soul’s knowing.

February… moving ahead, sometimes driven by our emotions…

We start the month with the Earth Grand Trine, with planets in all three Signs of the Earth Element, which has been in play since mid-November. The potential for manifestation and deliberate actions on the mundane level is strong and not an energy configuration to be missed. We can create the foundation stones for our future. We do, however, need to be aware and mindful that we cannot bring all our old baggage from the past into this New Year.

If we choose to make new year’s resolutions, let’s resolve to embrace and engage the two key components during this paradigm shift: AWARENESS and MINDFULNESS.

It is important that we keep aware of the universal curveballs, those incidents arising out of the blue that force us to keep on our toes, be alert and mindful at all times. Although some people might define the unexpected situations as anxiety-provoking, unanticipated variables also allow us to continually re-evaluate where we are and how we are going. Certain surprising factors also create a dynamic of changing circumstances, which could allow us to shift our trajectory and alter our approach.

To reiterate what I wrote above and have written times before, we are living during a most dynamic time when things can change dramatically and virtually instantly.

The New Year and the month of January start with Mercury in Sagittarius square Mars in Virgo. Like every New Year’s celebration, we may have great plans and great resolve to make the unfolding year the best year of our lives. We may feel enthusiastic and exuberant and determined to expand in new directions and to broaden our interests. In doing so, we might easily skip over the means by which to accomplish our goals. We could have little interest in the details and the specifics, leaving behind the mechanics to focus solely on our intention with the firm belief in the old adage: ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way’.

We might not have much interest in strategizing the way but rather assume that our intention can bring about realization with little effort and solely our personal will.

Once again, we may be challenged to let go of our old societal mindset of being the masters of our own destiny, the makers of our own fate. The universal unfolding has moved beyond such a myopic view and demands that we accept our role as co-creators of our destiny with the natural procession of our lives and our individual journey.

It is essential that we keep in mind the wise saying that ‘we never get more than we can handle’.

Whatever presents itself to us during these times are opportunities, some times feeling like overwhelming challenges and other times as serendipitous gifts coming from out of the blue and with no effort on our part.

As we move into January, the Earth Grand Trine becomes strengthened when Mercury moves into Capricorn on the 8th, just prior to the Cancer Full Moon on the 9th. With Mercury’s entry into Capricorn, the Earth element is not only strengthened but now we have a Stellium of three or more planets in Capricorn as Mercury joins the Sun and Pluto in the Cardinal Earth Sign.

In the early part of January, we may have our feet firmly planted on the ground, focusing on the mundane and material aspects of our being. We might feel like the mythological bird the phoenix, having gone through our own funereal pyre of the past three years with various losses and eliminations, now ready to rise from our ashes to soar ever higher. In so doing, it would be wise for us not to solely concentrate on re-creating our material realm but to always keep in mind the spiritual aspect of our being and question continually whether what we are doing has true purpose, true meaning and provides us with soul satisfaction.

The times of solely ‘getting while the getting is good’ are over and it is important that we keep in mind that sole acquisition of stuff does not truly feed the soul nor enhance the spirit. This early January can allow a deepening process whereby we place our energies in those areas that have merit and provide us with sustenance not only a material level but also feeds our spirit and our soul.

The first weekend of January is action-packed with Mercury, finishing its transit of Sagittarius, sextile both Saturn in Libra and sextile Neptune in Aquarius. On the 8th, Mercury enters Capricorn where Mercury trines Jupiter in Taurus and squares Uranus in Aries. If we would draw upon the wise counsel of a good friend and use their detached opinion of our plans and intentions, we could create a grounded and focused trajectory for our goals. We might use this weekend to reflect on any resolutions already made or devise the resolutions we wish to engage for this year of 2012 — all with the acceptance and understanding of the wise saying that ‘if you want to make god laugh, tell god your plans’.

We can make our plans, charge up our intentions but all with an acceptance that we are no longer in control [as if we ever were] of our journey, our itinerary and our direction.

From the encouragement and support of the special person[s] in our lives, we can then formulate a best practices approach to realize our goals. We must always be ready to shift and change according to the prevailing circumstances and, thus, two other key characteristics for these times — FLEXIBILITY and ADAPTABILITY — need also to be part of our skill set.

The Mercury square Uranus on the 8th is my least favorite aspect for flying, but problems could also arise at this time in regard to travel, communications and computer problems. We may have some great ideas regarding how best to expand our operations, but we might not be accounting for all the variables that could influence the implementation and execution of our plans. Now would be a time to rein in our sense of omnipotence, omniscience and invincibility in getting from concept into manifestation. And yet much of this period from mid-November through most of January with the strong Earth influence is a time when we can be highly productive and most effective in pushing our ambitions forward.

The Cancer Full Moon on the 8th – 9th may ask us to find the balance and happy medium between our professional life and our personal life. We could find that we are having to pare down some of the extraneous from our lives and be more resourceful with our time, our energy and our monies. Expenses might come due and we may discover what The Rolling Stones sang in one of their classic songs: “You can’t always get what you want And if you try sometime you might find You get what you need.”

Increasingly, we might realize that our focus has shifted more and more from our desires to a need-based reality with less emphasis on stuff and more emphasis on what has deeper meaning for us. We could even engage the mantram that ‘living simply is not simply living’.

Although many people quake and suffer from triskaidekaphobia, the fear of the 13th, in numerology thirteen is considered the number of transformation, the realized individual. And January’s Friday the 13th could actually spell some very interesting, focused, yet otherworldly feelings and sensations. On this Friday, Mercury conjuncts Pluto with both in Capricorn and provides a laser-like vision to cut to the core and to be aware of the basic fundamentals of any situation. Our discussions may be to the point and exceptionally incisive. On that day, Venus in Aquarius also conjuncts Neptune in Aquarius and trines Saturn in Libra, just before Venus moves into Pisces on the 14th. Our interactions with other people can be close to idyllic and we may find that we have an ardent supporter of not only what we are doing but also, and more importantly, who we are.

It is interesting to note that much of the activity during January seems concentrated on the weekends. Does this augur for time spent contemplating and considering our future plans without the harangue of our daily responsibilities? Are we in process of looking up from our routine activities and see the distant horizon of what could be and who we could be?

It does seem as though each of us may be creating the suspension bridge between where we are and where we intend to be, putting down slat-by-slat towards our future goals, all the while taking care of our normal everyday tasks at hand.

There will be times when we might choose to leap ahead, leaving much of our past, even our present, behind. But even though our trajectory of possibilities may be clear, the universe might every now and then tap us on the shoulder and remind us of baggage we have yet to leave behind.

The 19th of January has the Capricorn Sun square Saturn in Libra just as the Sun is about to exit Capricorn to enter Aquarius. Reconnections and memories of our past may haunt us but also provide a mirror reflecting where we have been in comparison to where we feel we are now.

The weekend of the 20th-22nd and including Monday, the 23rd, is a highly active time. The Sun enters Aquarius on the 20th, the same day that Venus in Pisces sextiles Pluto in Capricorn. Our compassion and idealism can be ratcheted up and we may look to how we can best engage our spirit into action. The sense of ‘there but for the grace of god go I’ can be strong and a greater appreciation of the interconnection of everything and everyone. We might feel that if one person suffers, we all suffer. And our consciousness can take on a far more universal approach, even to the point of a cosmic consciousness.

As we move through January, we begin to pick up the pace of universal consciousness, as the planets begin to move into their transits of the two universal Signs of Aquarius and Pisces. Venus moves from Aquarius into Pisces on the 14th, followed by the Sun moving into Aquarius on the 20th and Mercury moving into Aquarius on the 27th.

As the Sun enters Aquarius, the Sun sextiles Uranus on the 21st and the Sun squares Jupiter on the 22nd, followed by the Aquarius New Moon. We are champing at the bit to make our changes, and unexpected opportunities could come forward for us to consider. We do have to be resourceful and wary of jumping at anything and everything that smacks of change with greater autonomy and promises of self-fulfillment. Let’s always keep in mind that during these times of the paradigm shift we are co-creators and often may take our cue from the serendipity and synchronicity of universe unfolding.

The Aquarius New Moon on the 22nd-23rd also begins the Chinese New Year of the Water Dragon, an auspicious year that can imply good luck, hard work and success in many ventures. There is the potential to see things from other people’s points of view and to be passionate, assured and determined in all that we do. But with the black water dragon, there is also the liability to the unpredictable and the unexpected, once again forcing us to stay aware and mindful. Struggles and conflicts are likely during this Chinese New Year, all leading to natural phenomena upheavals [such as earthquakes, volcanic activity and flash floods] and dramatic changes in the socio-political arena.

This Aquarius New Moon can also trigger our personal desire for greater change and our focus more on our future than on our present reality. To incorporate greater change we do have to be wary of needless expenditures that might increase our debt load. Being resourceful at this time will not put a damper on our future goals but could provide a reining in of moving too fast with too much exuberance and not enough due diligence. Let’s look before we leap and quite possibly instead of leaping ahead create a suspension bridge, slat by slat, to get us from where we have been to where we intend to go.

On the 23rd, Mars turns retrograde in the Sign of Virgo and continues retrograde until mid-April. If we have rushed ahead, skipped over details and neglected specifics, we may find some of our energies are focused on the “re’s” of reworking, redoing and reconsidering.

Just as the 19th through the 22nd had the Sun square Saturn as the Sun finished its transit of Capricorn, then had the Sun enter Aquarius where it sextiled Uranus and then squared Jupiter; the 27th-28th has Mercury doing a similar energy pattern configuration. Finishing its transit of Capricorn, Mercury squares Saturn on the 27th, then Mercury moves into Aquarius and on the 28th Mercury sextiles Uranus and squares Jupiter.

While the latter part of January can have us concentrating on plans, strategies and considering how best to move forward, we may draw upon other people for their support, encouragement and advice. It would be wise to do so, since we all might be far more interested in rushing ahead into our future than spinning our wheels in the present. We just have to be wary of acting like lemmings and rushing towards the cliffs. Haste creates waste, and these times call for, even demand, resourcefulness whereby we utilize our time, our energy and our monies in a judicious and focused manner.

January is a month when we can create our resolutions, focus on the building blocks of our future without skipping a beat regarding our present responsibilities, and give serious thought to our goals with a little help from our friends.

January 2012… putting spirit into action…

Even though times may be tense and stressful, with releases of the past necessary to engage the future unencumbered, this month we can celebrate the spirit of the season — the birthing of the light — and commit to our own personal journey of self en-lightenment.

We may feel a new day dawning as we begin the month. We might not be as enmeshed in the craziness that seems to be going on in the world and in many people’s lives. Perhaps we have grown used to it. Possibly, we are closing ourselves off to it and focusing instead on the sparkling radiance of people, situations and incidents happening in our own lives. We might even be more aware and mindful of the mini-miracles occurring frequently to us, those little glimmers of good fortune and manifest blessings that increasingly come our way. Whatever it might be, we start the month with hope and wonder.

Being the holiday season, we can be reaching out to friends and family, making our connections and even reconnecting with people with whom we may have lost touch during our hurly-burly days. Our sense of prospects and possibilities may be strong and we might be looking at what could be and even acknowledging situations that in earlier days we would have cast off as impossibilities, now seen as having real potential. The world is changing. Our personal world is changing.

Although we can be infused with enthusiasm and exuberance, we also have to avoid glossing over details and assuming that our confidence will tide us over any difficulties and make everything all right. Especially during the first week of December, we could have more going on than we might be able to effectively handle. We could feel energized, but we are also liable to be impetuous and hasty in our thoughts and in our actions.

Holiday shopping can be a frenzy, and it would be wise for us to keep a rein on our expenditures. We may find some incredible bargains, but it would be wise for us to be discerning and selective in our purchases.

The 10th of December has a Total Lunar Eclipse at the time of the Gemini Full Moon and with Uranus just having turned direct, ending its five month retrograde cycle. Change is not only in the air. Change is in play. Changes can occur regarding our thoughts, our belief systems, our relationships and even where we are, with getting out of Dodge in order to have a fresh perspective a top priority. We do have to realize that like the Hindu goddess Kali change can be wild and uncontrollable. Change, once unleashed and set into motion, may have its own trajectory and incorporates the law of unintended consequences. We may all want changes to our life, but I would suggest we keep in mind the writing of George Bernard Shaw in Man and Superman: “There are two tragedies in life. One is not to get your heart’s desire. The other is to get it.”

We may be feeling expansive and ready to engage new and different activities. But even if we initiate new projects, let’s try and maintain due diligence in the overview and concentration on the specifics. Otherwise, we could have a tendency to start off with great expectations, only to find ourselves glossing over important factors and skipping essential details.

With Uranus turning direct on the 10th and Mercury turning direct on the 13th, there can be issues with travel, communications, computers and unexpected variables, all of which could create problems. What is being told to us might not be the truth or the whole truth. Everyone might be a little self-absorbed, easy to self-justify and prone to cut corners. Let’s remember that during these times, the notion of ‘what goes around comes around’ is not some eventuality, but often an instantaneous hit on the backside.

The mid-part of the month can be filled with holiday parties. Although we may have work to attend to, our interest might lie more with social get-togethers, holiday festivals and a general enjoyment of the spectacles of the season.

Towards the latter part of the month, the sales marketing jingles and the cash register jangles may ring up a tendency for us to overspend. We might feel obliged to get something for everyone and we could easily get swept up in a holiday buying frenzy.

We may feel in something of a whipsaw of emotions as we reconnect with our past, yet look enticingly towards our future. While we may feel obligated, even restricted, by elements of our past, we could also use such feelings as an indication of some of the changes we have gone through on an internal level. Let’s keep in mind that everything begins in the abstract with the concept, the intention, the impulse, the seed. Eventually, force takes form, the internal manifests on the external. And so it is for us leading up to Christmas. We may revisit the ghosts of our past, yet long for the externalized change of our future.

Christmas week is a busy week with two Sign changes as Venus enters Aquarius on the 20th and the Winter Solstice on the 21st-22nd as the Sun enters Capricorn. We also have Jupiter turning direct on Christmas Day.

Before Venus enters Aquarius, while still transiting Capricorn, Venus squares Saturn on the 18th. Duties and responsibilities could be foremost in our mind as we pay deference to our past and to connections that are more social obligations than desired interactions. But any reconnections may provide us a mirror to see where we are now versus where we have been.

Certainly, this Christmas week will be replete with Dickens’ concept of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol as we visit incidents, connections and circumstances of our past, our present and our future — all in the NOW.

We may feel pulled in various directions during this Christmas week and there is the energy to match it. On Sunday, the 18th, Venus squares Saturn. On the 19th, the Sun sextiles Saturn. On the 20th, the Sun sextiles Neptune and Venus enters Aquarius where it squares Jupiter. Venus sextiles Uranus on the 21st and the Winter Solstice with the Sun entering Capricorn occurs late on the 21st, early on the 22nd. As the Sun enters Capricorn, the Sun trines Jupiter and squares Uranus on the 22nd. The Capricorn New Moon occurs on the 24th and Jupiter turns direct on the 25th. It’s an energetic week, and one when we may question whether we are coming or going but obviously knowing that we are in swift movement.

The Winter Solstice is indicative in the Northern Latitudes of the birth of the Sun, for this day is the day of greatest darkness before the Sun moves north increasing daylight, day by day increasing in light until we get to the Summer Solstice. This birth of the Sun is also symbolized in Christian theology with the celebrated birth of Jesus, the birth of the Son of God. For each of us, the Winter Solstice speaks to a birthing period, although we tend to see the celebration of the New Year as being the time of out with the old, in with the new. A ritual, gesture or acknowledgment at the time of the Winter Solstice is also a way for us to spiritually engage our own rebirthing, our birthing anew, which is especially punctuated during this time of paradigm shift.

While change is definitely in play, it would also be wise for us to realize that things can change in a nanosecond. Even our plans can go awry, due to unexpected variables. This is a time for us to be nimble and quick and to always check and recheck the parameters, the conditions and the circumstances in which we find ourselves moving. And, of course, it is essential for us to embrace a new way of being — accepting ourselves as co-creators with the universe unfolding and letting go of our sense of control over all situations, our belief that we alone can make things happen. Liberating in deed but also possibly scary as we let go the reins of our assumed control and acknowledge the magic of being open and receptive to the natural unfolding with its moments of serendipity and its incidents of synchronicity.

The end of the month may seem quieter, and certainly quieter than Christmas week. We could use this time to rest up, recharge our batteries and tie up loose ends of the year that we might want to bring to closure before we come into the new year of 2012.

The 29th has the Sun conjunct Pluto and during this time we could be quite incisive regarding what we need to be rid of and what we need to focus on. It would be a good time for us to make our resolutions, our resolve to concentrate on the most meaningful, substantial and essential in our lives and to let go of the dross, the outmoded, the dysfunctional and the no longer relevant.

We are at a threshold crossing, and each of us can determine how and when we make the crossing. And during this process, we can even choose to step forward and to step back. We do not have to make all our changes in one fell swoop. We may make them incrementally and like building a suspension bridge we can put the slats and the ingredients of our future down as we go back and forth between our intended future and our recent past.

December 2011… engaging the spirit of the season soulfully.

Although it seems that national leaders have chosen a less than coordinated game of kick the can, kicking substantial issues and fundamental problems down the road, at some point there is likely to be a kickback. I have suggested before, reiterate again, the fact that the astrological signatures now have an eerie correspondence to the patterns in effect at the time of the late 1920’s, early 1930’s — a period that saw the roaring twenties morph into the great depression. I have also indicated long before now my belief of a liability towards a double dip recession.

Unfortunately, the players on the world stage are oblivious to the epochal change, the paradigm shift and the crossing of the threshold from the way things have been to the ways things could be. Past solutions are ineffective for present and future conditions. And once again, I suggest that these times speak more to the ‘power to the person’ than to ‘power to the people’.

Having written that, there does seem to be more and more people speaking out against the powers-that-be. We see it with the tea partiers and the occupiers of the streets. We see it with the ‘Arab Spring’ and the public outrage against austerity measures being imposed. People are realizing and voicing their complaints about the ineffectiveness and corruptibility of traditional leaders and traditional institutions.

A new day is dawning.

The dawning is both on a societal level and an individual level. For each of us, and this may be part of the Saturn transits this November through the Winter and again towards the end of the Summer 2012, before the dawning of our new day, the beginning of our doing our lives differently, we may find that we have to do a major recapitulation, that we have to take our walks down Memory Lane.

The paradigm shift, the threshold of which we are crossing, is also a dimensional shift, a shift from the fourth dimension with its coordinates of time – space into the fifth dimension whereby time – space collapse and all is in the NOW.

Not only have I experienced it but I hear it from other people that we all seem to be living different times of our lives in the present.

For me, my return to Florida after so many years has been a paradoxical dimension of being in my senior years and also being in my teenage years and early twenties. Returning to the area where I spent much of my younger days, there are times when I feel present in both my sixties and also in the 1960’s.

It is an interesting and curious phenomena but one that I have heard from other people, whereby they feel they are living their present chronological age but also connecting with an earlier age in their life journey. And this may be part of the Saturn transit during this late Autumn and into much of 2012.

We may have the opportunity of reviewing, contemplating and re-journeying some of our earlier periods in order to see where we have been and also to leave behind some of the baggage of our past. This timeframe may be an incredible integration of the different facets and phases of our life experience, allowing us finally to be made whole, to come into our own unique gestalt.

Each of us, in cooperation with each other, can find our way and develop a new consciousness and a new way of being. We are going through a transformation, both individually and collectively, and this shape shifting is akin to the metamorphosis of the caterpillar into the butterfly. We can only scrape our wings along the ground for so long before we are forced to fly.

November is a month when it is essential that we read between the lines, accept nothing at face value and be ever skeptical of presentations long on rhetoric and flourish but short on facts and pragmatic solutions. We may come to realize that we are not the problem, but we are the solution and a solution acted upon the individual level.

While powers-that-be may talk about transparency, all the while trying to continue their sleight-of-hand tricks, the reality of these times is similar to pulling back the Wizard of Oz screen to see the little guy punching the buttons, or the Emperor with no clothes naked unto the world. No matter the images or the appearances or the presentations or the hoop-la, each of us is becoming more aware, more astute and better able to see the real truth rather than being hypnotized by the fantasies and the illusions.

We are growing up and developing into lighter beings.

As the English author G.K. Chesterton wrote: ‘angels can fly because they take themselves lightly’.

And so it is for us. The more that we can engage our bemusement at the foibles of human nature, at the intricate constructions often built like a house of cards, and at the complications when simplicity would better serve; the more we too can fly and engage our light and be the bearers of light.

This November begins with the Stellium of three or more planets in Scorpio. This powerpack asks us to cut to the core, to eliminate the inconsequential and focus instead on the truly meaningful and that which fully serves our soul’s purpose. While we are doing our inventory taking, clearing away the clutter and being passionate in our devotions to get to the fundamentals, a sense of synchronistic expansion can occur.

Serendipity can step in, and we may have various indications that we no longer have to buy into the old societal mindset that we have to assume control over all worldly events in order to make things happen. In contrast, we might have the opportunity of seeing how things can come about unexpectedly and developments arise not from our making them happen as much as our being in the right place at the right time, having our antennae up, working with peripheral vision and being open to receive the magic and mini-miracles of these times. This opportunity seems especially heightened around the 3rd of the month with doors opening that we might not have even knocked upon.

With every advantage comes a test and some of our testing during the early part of the month would be associated with appropriate boundaries and not getting carried away by any sense of omnipotence or invincibility. It is important that we maintain humility, and especially when things seem to be going our way. Otherwise, we could buy into a belief that nothing can go wrong if everything is going right. And such a belief could prove a prescription for disaster. To repeat: a little humility please.

Much of this month can raise the issue of our willingness to engage opportunities, to be resourceful and expeditious in our best practices approach, and to address the specifics while we are considering the long-term and the big picture.

As the month progresses, the energy moves into the Sagittarian influence with breadth of vision, an expansionary attitude and a broad range of possibilities. Both Mercury and Venus enter Sagittarius on the 2nd, followed by the Sun moving into Sagittarius on the 22nd. This Stellium of three or more planets in Sagittarius can put emphasis upon areas beyond our norm, situations that might be foreign to our daily experience.

Things can move ahead with us enthusiastic and capable in virtually moving mountains. With Mars moving into Virgo on the 10th, we have a Grand Trine by Sign in the Earth Element with the Mars in Virgo triggering by trine Jupiter in Taurus, exact on the 16th, and Mars trine Pluto, exact on the 23rd.

We shall have the confidence and optimism combined with persistence and determination to take our plans, put them into action and effect beneficial results. What we do have to watch for are the ‘overs’ — over-confidence, over-commitment, overboard and other overs which speak to excess and arrogance.

While things can easily go our way during the second half of November, we also may find ourselves walking a fine line between too much and too little. We could also find ourselves falling prey to the old societal mindset of being legends in our own mind and having control over circumstance and conditions. We go there at our own peril, since these times ask us to be as astute and as capable as threading the thinnest thread through a very narrow eye of a needle.

The latter part of November could prove dicey. We have the year’s final Mercury retrograde beginning on the 24th and continuing into mid-December. On the 25th, the Sagittarius New Moon is a partial Solar Eclipse. At this time, transiting Saturn enters the last degrees of Libra, the area that has given me cause for concern in seeing it trigger various conjunctions, squares and oppositions in many peoples’ charts.

If we have been lax in our preparations, arrogant in our projections, haphazard in our development or oblivious to the vagaries of unexpected variables; then we might discover that our best-laid plans may either come to naught or demand that we rework our actions and decisions. Even solutions assumed to remedy significant problems may be seen as coming undone and needing corrective remedies.

Like the volatility of these times, November can swing between extremes — extremes of confidence and extremes of dysfunctionality, extremes of extravagance and extremes of financial hardship, extremes of misguided efforts and extremes of unexpected opportunities. And in these swings, we are also likely to see extremes in Nature.

November 2011… all together NOW…

Welcome to life in the twenty-first century, replete with the circus barkers and the kaleidoscope of various colors and diverse situations changing continually and keeping us on our toes. What’s up? What’s down? What’s whirling all around?

October also begins with a Stellium of three or more planets in Libra with the Sun, Mercury and Saturn all in the Venus-ruled Sign of Balance and Harmony. Of course, similar to the scales that represent the Libra Sign, there are often wild swings between opposite polarities before we hit the balance point.

Although life has been anything but serene over the past months, some of us old enough to remember that great twentieth century musician Curtis Mayfield may be humming mantram-like, prayer-like, his classic song We Got To Have Peace:

We got have peace
To keep the world alive
And war to cease.

People please hear us [people please hear us]
Through our voice the world knows
There’s no choice.

A little bit of peace, and quiet, would certainly be welcome and we might find it by reminding ourselves of the serenity prayer:

God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.

Whether we find peace or not, a little bit of peace and serenity are likely to be brief moments of respite from the hurly-burly times through which we are journeying. We may not always have peace, much less quiet, but let’s keep in mind that friction and dynamics allow for sudden, instantaneous and dramatic changes. Never a dull moment is likely to be had during these times of transformation and shapeshifting. Welcome to the twenty-first century.

During the early part of the month, we may be concentrating on our interactions with other people. There can be some very interesting meetings and connections made at this time. Can we say synchronicity? Could they be serendipity operating?

Yes, in deed, the early part of October could have us bumping into people we know, reconnecting with people from our past and spending quality time with those special people in our lives. Although we might yearn for quieter times, the thrill and excitement of wonderful surprises can more than make up for the challenges and the intensity of these times.

What we need to be aware of as we start this month is the propensity towards a level of dysfunctionality whereby things work easily and smoothly in the abstract but the conceptual being excruciatingly hard to realize in the practical. Communications can be off and we could experience computer problems and travel difficulties. Our insights may be especially strong, but we might have difficulty communicating our understanding to the full comprehension by other people. We could feel as though, at times, we’re locked in a long-term children’s game of telephone whereby we hear certain things being said to us and then communicate something completely at odds with what we have heard. This is a time when there can be misunderstandings and miscommunications. Even if we have to repeat something several times, gesticulate as though we were playing pictionary, or slowly annunciate syllable by syllable, it would be important for us to be as clear as possible in our communications. And we might still suffer from people not fully understanding what we are conveying.

Fortunately, despite these few monkey wrenches, the month seems quite pleasant, albeit a little indulgent with a tendency towards excess and exaggeration.

We may be primed for stretching our wings, getting involved in new and exciting projects and assuming that despite the various black swans swimming in tandem no further harm can come our way. Yes, we might be anxious at times, but we are far more interested in the prescriptions of Dr. Feelgood than in the omens of Dr. Doom.

We could be in a la-de-da mindset, oblivious to the harsh realities around us, lost in our own little world and enjoying the secure comfort zone we may have created for ourselves. We might surround ourselves with our advocates and supporters, keeping any naysayers at bay.

Feeling upbeat and expansive as we start the month and ready to put on our explorer’s trekking boots, we do have to be wary of going overboard with our expenses or our investment in new and different projects.

A tendency to skirt issues, put on blinders and focus solely on what we want and how we want it could be exacerbated around the 3rd and 4th of the month. Even if we have various blockers to our forward movement, we could easily negate the warning signs and find ways around the obstacles. Where a problem might arise is our willingness to negate any warning signals on our journey.

Those days between the 3rd and the 6th could have us starting out confident and upbeat but without checking the conditions or evaluating the circumstances. We might rush headlong into some situations that turn quickly and to our detriment and we might feel as though our confidence is like a slowly deflating balloon with the end result a sense of delay or, to the extreme, defeat and depression.

As long as we have our friends and those special people in our lives, we can slog on through some of the messes of these times.

The mid-part of the month can be especially pleasant. Our minds can meander through idyllic fields and our grasp on reality can be a hand held out to that special someone who keeps us from drifting totally away into our fantasies. Although we might want to make assumptions and buy into the burgeoning of great possibilities, a check-in with reality every now and then would prevent us from going on a bender, being indulgent and extravagant all with the belief that nothing bad will truly impact us.

The potential for euphoria can be high and highest during the first half of the month. As we move through the month, we gain more of the Scorpio energy as Venus leaves its own Sign of Libra and enters Scorpio on the 9th, followed by Mercury entering Scorpio on the 13th, and the Sun moving into Scorpio on the 23rd creating a Stellium of three or more planets in the Fixed Water Sign, and culminating in the Scorpio New Moon on the 26th. As planets move into Scorpio, a Grand Cross in the Fixed Signs is created with the Scorpio planets adversely aspected to Jupiter in Taurus, Mars in Leo and Neptune in Aquarius.

Suddenly, we may feel as though our resources are not as limitless as we might have convinced ourselves. We could become more aware that our costs of living are larger than they have been and that inflationary pressures are keeping an inflated bottom to prices with the upside of costs yet to be realized. We might also tend to stay at the party too long, putting up with frustrating conditions with a belief that soon the tide will turn in our favor. Such a belief could prove costly and detrimental.

The second half of October and even more so the latter part of October is a good time for us to make our preparations. We can be incredibly resourceful, focused on how to cut back on our expenses and diminish our need for stuff. This is a time when we can stretch our monies, virtually get blood out of a stone and work more effectively with less expenditure of energy. We may cut away some of the superfluous and extraneous from our daily living. And it would be wise for us to do so.

For as I have written over the past few months, I find it curious, even startling, that in so many people’s charts I have seen this latter part of 2011 through the winter of 2011-2012 liable to be a vexing and even challenging time for so many of us. It appears to be a time of recapitulation, of addressing our past and going over past issues. With it impacting so many people, I also wonder whether we are likely to see further deterioration on a societal level regarding the trust, faith and security in various community organizations and institutions.

We are on the threshold of a paradigm shift and many of our stable and secure support systems and social institutions may be found wanting in the days ahead. If we see elements of crash and burn during these times, it would be helpful for us to keep in mind the analogy of the mythological bird, the Phoenix, on its funereal pyre to rise from its ashes and soar ever higher. We can do the same, on an individual level and on a societal level. Despite what might be advertised, this process of shapeshifting cannot be done for us, imposed by the powers-that-be, but rather is an emaiindividual process that then radiates out into the community and society at large. These are times when the power is in the person, and the individual is the architect for society’s change. Through our own personal challenges and our individual choices, we too can rise from the ashes of our past to soar ever higher into our future.

But before we soar, we may have to go through the alchemical process of fire whereby burning off the dross, the extraneous and the no longer functional of our past. Recapitulation, with us taking our walks down Memory Lane and reconnecting with and reviewing elements of our past, can all be part of this alchemical process, which is a prelude to our own personal paradigm shift.

First, we may have to go through the crash and burn, and then rise in our own resurrection, finally to soar ever higher than anything we have experienced beforehand.

Preparation for such a time would be wise. It is essential that we keep in mind that the days ahead have little resemblance to the days we have journeyed through. We may have to leave much behind. We might feel that we do not have the skill set to cope with uncharted waters. And, in truth, we may not have the playbook for the days ahead. I would remind you of the wise and true universal law that we never get more than we can handle.

The latter part of October allows us to do our inventory taking and see what is relevant for our present and our future, and what may be outdated and no longer useful. We may have to stretch our muscles of resourcefulness in order to accept the fact that no matter what comes our way we have the capability of meeting successfully the challenges and advancing our own personal talents. In so doing, we can discover ways by which to be more effective with less expenditure of energy.

The month ends with Halloween, although many of us may have felt the past year was filled with days of tricks and other days of treats. And so it continues.

October 2011… a time to prepare and a time to discard…

While summer is usually a time for us to relax, re-create and regroup, this passing summer seems to have been more a time of heightened anxiety, extreme whipsaws and tendencies towards overload and overwhelm. With everything that was going on this summer, we might not have had the chance to catch our breath, much less to restore our spirit and invigorate our soul.

If we look back on August, we can see various world episodes that could have proven traumatizing — the riots in the UK, the debt ceiling issue in the US with the liability to default, the continued economic concerns in the Eurozone and the US with fears again expressed of a double dip recession, the wild swings in the equity markets and the rush to gold as some form of safe haven from the daily crises of national economies and the world economy. And some people could add on earthquake activity and devastating storm systems. All that went on during this August period not to mention some of our own personal affairs and our emotional whipsaws.

We might feel that September allows us to find refuge in the familiar and accepted patterns of habit. And during early September we could convince ourselves that we are back in the driver’s seat, able to circumnavigate the issues that present themselves and successful in moving our projects forward. In early September we may feel at the top of our game and able to accomplish more now than many other times when we were merely bumping along.

The beginning of September is under the influence of the Virgo New Moon back on August 28th, a New Moon that created a Grand Trine in the Earth Element with the Virgo Moon trine Pluto in Capricorn and trine Jupiter in Taurus. We have come off of August’s Mercury retrograde and even though the early part of September has us in the ‘shadow’ of the Mercury retrograde, we are likely to be confident, optimistic and enthusiastic about our possibilities.

What we do need to keep in mind is that the playing field has shifted and will continue to change. And part of the essential change in our game play is to avoid our belief in our total control over circumstances and conditions. Any assumption that we are masters of our world will be shown the lie. Increasingly, we have to accept our role as co-creators of our destiny, working with the energies unfolding, the unexpected events and situations that demand or even force us to be flexible and adaptable to the shifting sands of these times.

While we could easily fancy ourselves as being up for the challenges and capable of bending things to our will, any lack of humility is likely to trigger one of those universal lateral lobotomies, those whacks on the side of the head that give us a heads-up that we might be legends in our own mind but such a disposition being ineffectual in true reality.

A sense of confidence to the degree of over-optimism could be strong at the beginning of the month due to the Sun trine Jupiter and the influence of last month’s Virgo New Moon. We might gloss over specifics. We may go on a spending binge, all with the justification of what we consider to be essential personal makeovers — with expenditures to our wardrobe, our environment and our equipment. Budgets may go out the window as we consider our purchases necessary to deal with the immediate conditions and our future plans.

On the 8th, Mercury opposes Neptune just before Mercury re-enters its own Sign of Virgo on the 9th. With a crescendo of ego assertiveness and ego gratification, our ideas and our future goals may be based more on a best case scenario than a practical trajectory of what could be pragmatic and realistic. We might prove susceptible to our own good fortune, embracing the idea that nothing can go wrong and everything will go right just as long as we are in control. Such lack of humility could be a stumbling block and entice us in buying into illusions and fanciful beliefs, even beliefs of our invincibility and omnipotence. We have to be wary not to over-commit or negate constant checks and evaluations

Mercury moves back into its own Sign of Virgo on the 9th, creating a Stellium of three or more planets in the Mutable Earth Sign as Mercury joins Venus and the Sun in Virgo. We can be focused on the details, the specifics and the particulars. Our analytical ability may be razor sharp but our attitude could also tend towards the hypercritical. With the idea that a strong offense is a good defense, we could nitpick other people’s frailties and flaws in an attempt to mask our own personal insecurities. The Stellium is brief, however, for Venus exits Virgo on the 14th to enter its own Sign of Libra.

Before Venus leaves Virgo, the 11th has Venus sextile Mars, a pleasant Sunday afternoon before the Pisces Full Moon on the 12th, also a day when Mercury trines Pluto. We bring closure to the fortnight but the influence of the Earth Grand Trine lingers on. We are able to focus on the truly meaningful, reinforce the purpose of our lives and make the necessary changes that will lead us closer to the realization of our dreams.

The one caveat for this mid-September period is not to buy into our expectations. Especially during this period of paradigm shift when things can change rapidly and dramatically without a moment’s notice, it is far better to let go of our expectations, take off the blinders of the way we want things to be, and be open to the magic and the miracles of the universe. There is a saying that the universal forces have far greater plans for us than we could ever imagine for ourselves. We just have to let go and allow the unfoldings to occur.

We are on the threshold of an epochal paradigm shift, whereby what has been will never be and what will be has never been.

Exciting times are afoot if we can embrace the limitless possibilities, refrain from grieving the losses and eliminations necessary to clear the decks and to make way for the new, and accept in all humility the gifts from the universe!

Our mind will be sharp, our thoughts relatively upbeat, for the Full Moon on the 12th is reminiscent of the New Moon at the end of August. There is a Grand Trine in Earth. The August New Moon had the Moon in Virgo trine Jupiter in Taurus and trine Pluto in Capricorn. The Pisces Full Moon on the 12th has Mercury in its own Sign of Virgo trine Pluto in Capricorn, followed on the 14th by the Virgo Mercury trine Jupiter in Taurus. Our analytical skills are likely to be exceptionally sharp. We are able to focus on the fundamental issues and we can feel upbeat about our intended journey, even if we have to accept that the itinerary may not be clearly indicated from the outset.

Whenever we make dramatic changes, we are also asked to look in the mirror, take an inventory of who we are, what we have and what we are doing. We may find that we have to let go of certain items, situations, people, in order to move into the next phase of our life experiences.

Out with the old before we can engage the new.

The 16th through the 18th of September could prove dicey especially in regard to our relationships. Things could prove explosive thanks to Pluto turning direct on the 16th. Bomb blasts could occur and issues with certain traditional institutions could blow up. Let’s keep in mind that these are transitional times and not only are we individually going through our transformations but so too is society and society’s varied institutions and traditions.

Problems with other people could be pronounced as Venus in Libra triggers a T-Square by Venus opposed Uranus on the 17th, followed by Venus square Pluto on the 18th, the day that Mars moves into Leo and exits Cancer.

This weekend of the 16th through the 18th could hear the drumbeats of anger and frustration with consequent actions of people likely to be acting out. It would be wise to keep a relatively low profile now, out of harm’s way, and resisting any inclination to immediately react or respond impetuously to anything said or done.

The 23rd ushers in the season of autumn with the autumnal equinox as the Sun moves into Libra. This day also has Mars in Leo trine Uranus is Aries. While the season speaks to balance and a focus on our selves vis-à-vis significant other people in our lives, we might find that balance is hardly struck but rather like a metronome the autumn swings wildly.

We may be far more interested in exploring new senses of our selves, feeling restricted or constrained by our associations and committed connections. We might want to stretch beyond our usual parameters but in so doing we have to be fully aware of the liability of the law of unintended consequences.

Mercury moves into Libra on the 25th, creating a Stellium of three or more planets in the Cardinal Air Sign as Mercury joins the Sun and Venus in the Venus-ruled Sign of Libra.

The questions of who we are and who we are in regard to our relationships and who we are defined by what we do and who we are with the backdrop of the shifting world-at-large will be highlighted during this latter part of September.

While the weekend of the 16th – 18th had Venus creating a Cardinal Sign T-Square with the Libra Venus opposed Uranus in Aries and square Pluto in Capricorn, the end of September revisits this T-Square with the Libra Sun opposed Uranus on the 25th, and the Sun square Pluto on the 28th, and compounded by the Libra Mercury opposed Uranus at the time of the Libra New Moon on the 27th, and Mercury square Pluto on the 28th.

This Libra New Moon on the 27th has five planets in Libra — the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Saturn. The New Moon configuration sextiles Mars, squares Pluto and is in orb of an opposition to Uranus. The question of the ‘other’ to ourselves is raised, with a recognition that the ‘other’ — whether people, our community involvements, our self-identity — with which we have been fully comfortable could now prove more of an irritant, somewhat akin to the grain of sand in the oyster which eventually becomes the pearl. So too for us, as individuals and as a society; we may not like the aggravations of this alchemical process but the process itself promises the potential of a pearl.

This end of September can be explosive. People’s tempers can be short and the liability towards arguments and extreme actions is strong. Now would be a time to count to ten, be certain to temper our actions and not allow ourselves to get caustic or sarcastic in our conversations. Our tongue can be sharp and our intensity severe. We may be itching to break free from situations and people. There can be various endings, some sudden with no looking back or any thought of possible reconciliation. Instead of unleashing full force, if we could contain the energy and clearly direct the energy, then this can be a time of dramatic transitions — endings, yes, but also clearing the decks for new beginnings.

It is hard for us to be born anew amidst familiar surroundings. We could be champing at the bit, desirous of change but unaware of what changes we need to make. Other people could question our actions, our decisions and our ideas. Everyone may be a little on edge, both by reason of the changes in interpersonal relationships but also with a lack of trust regarding traditional institutions and once secure organizations.

The world is spinning and we might feel ourselves spinning with it.

Things can settle down around the very end of the month on the 29th and 30th. The 29th has Mercury sextile Mars and Venus conjunct Saturn. The 30th has the Sun sextile Mars.

If we would keep in mind the importance of testing the waters of the new, all the while that we are tidying up the messes of our past, then we might find that our transformations can be far less excruciatingly painful. If we hold on to the ways things have been, a false belief in stability and security, then we could find our world rocked.

This last week of September is energetically intense and may blare headlines that speak of catastrophic natural disasters, major storm systems, and incidents of people acting out. Not everyone can cope with the energy being ratcheted up to such an extreme. But it is through this dynamic, this extreme intensity, that the alchemical process can occur and that we can burn off the dross of our past and shapeshift into the new format of our being.

September 2011… highly productive before autumn leaves…

We are in FUN mode and willing to enjoy ourselves no matter the cost. And costs there can be. We may be indulgent, take our eyes off our budget, all with the idea of ‘let’s live for today’ as captured in the 1967 classic song by The Grass Roots.

The 2nd of August has Mercury turning retrograde, this retrograde cycle continuing into the 26th of the month, with Mercury tracing back through early Virgo and back into Leo on the 8th. Our ability to analyze and reason could become lost to our desires and our focus on summertime fun. Due diligence might go out the window, as we embrace whatever appeals to us with little satiation.

The first week of August may prove the case for ‘let the good times roll’.

Mars moves into Cancer trines Neptune on the 3rd. Neptune exits Pisces and moves back into Aquarius on the 4th, a day when Mercury also sextiles Mars. And the 5th has Venus square Jupiter and the Sun sextile Saturn, followed up by Venus sextile Saturn on the 7th.

This first week of August can highlight our summer re-creational plans. Getting to the beach, staying down by the pool, reconnecting with old friends can all play a part of our first week of August. This would be a good time for us to take a breather, recharge our batteries and just enjoy ourselves.

But the volatility of these times can become evident as we move from the first week of August into the second week of August. The energy shifts from highly pleasurable events to begin the month to some real pushes and pulls during the second week of the month.

This second week could be extreme with liabilities towards poor judgment, impulsive actions even to the point of accidents and explosions. Mercury exits its own Sign of Virgo and goes back into Leo on the 8th, where it opposes Neptune. Mars transiting Cancer triggers the Cardinal Climax with Mars square Uranus on the 9th and Mars opposed Pluto on the 11th. The Leo Full Moon is on the 13th.

Nothing may be done in half measure during this second week of August. Actions taken may be miscalculations with a tendency to push the envelope and go overboard. People may be on edge and we might witness explosive events. Now is a time for us not to react to any situation without taking the time to have full disclosure regarding what is really going on. We might feel confused, hoodwinked and with little information, even false information, leap forward without considering the circumstances or the conditions.

The second week of August could prove the most volatile of the month, for things seem to start to level out as we come into mid-month. The third week of August could have us licking our wounds, and taking the time to focus on our personal interests that give us pleasure and prove a nice antidote to the extremes of these times.

To assume that directions in place will last a lifetime, a season, a month or even more than a moment’s shift and change would be setting ourselves for grave disappointment and a liability to one of those whacks on the side of the head [can we call it the universe’s way of giving us a wakeup call?].

The 16th of August ramps our desire for good times as the Sun, Mercury and Venus all come together in Leo to emphasize: PARTY!

Whether a party of one or a gaggle of many, this mid-August period entices us to focus on having fun, doing our own thing and quite possibly engaging a certain narcissism whereby we expect the world to revolve around ourselves. Seems to me like a potential set-up for a greater fall [not Autumn but the fall of the ego and the fall from grace].

This sense of entitlement can be reinforced on the 18th when Mars sextiles Jupiter. We may look to spend, spend, spend with some of our expenses associated with our home, family matters, a personal makeover, all with the justification that we are preparing for the return of routine as we come towards the Autumn period.

Unfortunately, clarity may be lacking, or not engaged during this time. Whatever we want, we may feel we richly deserve. The richly, however, could come with a hefty price tag and, if we are not careful, we can find ourselves digging a bigger hole of debt. Let’s not go there!

While the third week of August could be something of a Summer respite, reminiscent of summertimes past when we frolicked and played without a care in the world, the fourth week of August ratchets the energy up severalfold. Perhaps we are back to school or certainly in preparation mode to get back into our normal routine. But the energy from the 21st into the 28th could keep us hopping, at times confused, other times following the yellow brick road.

The potential for tricksters appearing could loom large on the 21st and 22nd, as Venus opposes Neptune on the 21st and the Sun opposes Neptune on the 22nd. Whether the trickster is someone we like and trust or our own delusions and grand expectations, we could be vulnerable to specious promises and possibilities that seem too good to be true and are too good to be true. These configurations occur just as both Venus and the Sun are about to exit Leo and before entering Virgo, Venus on the 21st, the Sun on the 23rd.

Our appetites could get the better of us and we might feel deceived or tricked into believing something that has little basis in reality. We may not be especially clear at this time and, if in deed something does occur whereby we feel victimized and taken advantage of, we could find ourselves pulling the plug on certain contacts and relationships.

Mars squares Saturn and Venus trines Pluto on the 25th, a day before Mercury ends its retrograde cycle to turn direct on the 26th. While there might be pulls on us regarding other people’s needs, or demands, we are ready, willing and able to focus on what we need and what we want.

The Venus trine Pluto is a brief introduction to the Virgo New Moon on the 28th – 29th when the New Moon configuration creates a Grand Trine in the Earth Element with the Virgo New Moon trine Pluto in Capricorn and also trine Jupiter in Taurus. Impacting the fortnight, these next two weeks could see us highly productive, back on the fast track, and focusing on the most significant aspects of our lives. We want to cut to the core, be expeditious in the way we do things and concentrate on getting things done.

Although we get quite a thrust of energy from this New Moon, we do have to be wary of feeling invincible and overloading ourselves assuming that we are Superman or Superwoman.

Venus trines Jupiter on the 30th, just as Jupiter is turning retrograde. Excess could be strong and especially in regard to our shopping for what we believe our needs to be for the new school year or for our getting back into our regular routine.

August continues with the ups and downs of these times, the volatility of dynamic changes with highs and lows engaging the extremes. While we can carom between opposite polarities in our moods and in our actions, we are being asked to find a balancing point in a constantly changing and energetically challenging phase of transformation, the alchemical process necessary to adjust to the paradigm shift.

August… naked unto the world, the emperor with no clothes…