One of my good friends always says that sign language should be taught as a mandatory second language. I would always agree with her in an off handed way. However this week I agree and would shout this need from the roof tops. Why? You might ask, why ever now? And I would tell you because maybe, just maybe this means that people would be able to communicate with each other via sign language and be required to really think before they communicate. This is a week where all emails should be saved as a draft first then painstakingly gone over with a fine tooth comb. Why, you ask. Jeez…you guys and the whys! Humph. Well it’s because Mercury is direct in Aries in a rather scary square with Pluto in Capricorn.

Quick refresher: Mercury= communication, writing and speaking. Mercury is quick and sometimes flighty.

Aries= first sign of the Zodiac and impulse based. Aries is considered the child of the Zodiac.

 Pluto=truth, ruthless behavior, death, rebirth and healing. Pluto can be seen as the dark villain of the cosmos.

Capricorn= public image, responsibility and pursuit of life’s lofty goals.  Capricorn is considered the stodgy old man of the Zodiac wheel, an authority figure if you will, which makes sense since Capricorn’s ruler is Saturn.

What this means is that we will have some stuff that we need to say, or just say in general that will be “off the belly” and very much forced out based on our need to get our point across. It’s very nearly a guarantee that we will say something we wish we hadn’t, or may start a conversation we wish we would have shelved for another time. However, many of us won’t think about what we say, and just shrug off the power of our words. Now, Pluto’s power in this position is kind of hampered, simply because Pluto is now retrograde. This means that it is as if Pluto is moving away from the earth and the beings that reside there. Therefore Pluto has less of a hold on us. But this doesn’t mean that Pluto can’t phone it in. He’s there, all weird and dark, and sends a sharp, slightly painful push to our communications. Even if we are careful and thoughtful about how we communicate (and we won’t be) we may still hurt feelings and speak out of turn. We want to make sure we speak with self empowerment and a desire for positive change when communicating with anyone; especially Authority figures (yes authority with a capital A)

Most importantly, we may, unintentionally, reveal our true ugly feelings about sensitive topics, and verbally pick up the preverbal rock and peer at the uglies underneath. It can be some nasty business.

However, Pluto rewards bravery in his own sick way. If careful and behaving from a place of honesty, this could be a prime time to engage in some talks that can be highly healing and very transformative.

Wear Galoshes to wade through the crap this week.

A Strange Version of Spring Break

Its spring break for us all for sure and very welcome after the long ‘winter’ we had to endure. Mercury and Mars being retrograde for a big chunk of time was a challenge beyond the usual ones that retrogrades throw up for us.

 Mars has been in Virgo since November and retrograde since January 23. How is this difficult? you may ask? Well, Virgo is kind of like that OCD kid in the back of the classroom recopying over its notes, organizing the binders and arranging books according to subject…until it breaks from the strain and goes wild, cutting class, drinking beer and smoking  in the bathroom. Mars is the hyper kid, eyes glued to the clock, itching to get out of class to run, play, dance… to just MOVE. Of course Mars is the planet of raw animal aggression, so the girls want to get into the backseat of the nearest car with Mars and the guys want to play shirts vs. skins on the basketball court with Mars.

Now what happens when Mars and Virgo get caught in detention together for an indefinite amount of time? They rub off on each other, with Virgo wanting to get busy being helpful and productive, and Mars aggressively trying to figure out how to get out of the box he’s in, and trying to do anything he can to speed up his time in this room. The retrograde period had them merge, and learn from each other, and to come together for a common purpose. Mars gives Virgo direction, energy and drive, while Virgo gives Mars precision and patience towards the newest goal that Mars has.  Mars retrograde in Virgo had us trying to figure out our goals and how to go after them, while just lacking the energy to do it.  Now Mars is Direct in Virgo and we have a plan, and the energy to make this into a labor of love. We are just waiting for the bell to ring, to let us know we can begin our break.

The bell will ring clear and true on April 21, when the new moon enters Taurus and joins Jupiter, the planet that just wants everyone to be AWESOME. For once, Pluto is in a good mood and not grumbling, and Saturn is rolling around in Libra, retrograding farther and farther away, and Venus is in flirty, fun Gemini for a nice long visit. Planetary restrictions are loosened, and are giving us full permission to just play. And play we shall. However, Mars in Virgo will give our play purpose. We may use this break to really clean up our lives. But instead of it being mere drudgery full or regrets or anger, we will treat it as a lark. A very special game…one that we will all win.

Kill your Darlings

This weekend is a standoff.  Our emotions will mirror the dance of the planets, as well as the push and pull.

 The Cardinal signs are going to be busy this weekend, much as they have been for the past few years. The Cardinal signs are Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. Cardinal signs are associated with the powerful rush of a windstorm, hurricane and landslide; its kinetic energy in its purest form. It may not be consistent, but whoa is it strong. But it’s different now. Saturn in Libra will be squared off against the moon in cancer. This will have an effect, but not as much as what else will be going on, simply because Saturn is retrograde, and has less power. Never the less, the Moon in Cancer will pull out with her red claws emotional tidbits for us to examine, and try to explain to Saturn how this is the story of hurt. Saturn in Libra won’t really be interested in any of this, but wants to concentrate on balancing the world, on creating fairness and making sure we are being as subservient in our relationships as possible. The Moon snaps at Saturn with her claws, tries to make Saturn pay attention, but scuttles back; she frankly doesn’t have the power to make Saturn hear or understand.

But Pluto hears the Moon, loud and clear from across the astrological wheel. Pluto is in Capricorn, which is opposite the Moon in Cancer. Pluto, rubbing his chin and twirling his maniacal mustache, sees some soft flesh to plunder. The soft underbelly of the past is a tasty treat for power hungry Pluto. Pluto wants to know what makes us hurt, and what kind of deal we will broker to just.make.the.pain.stop.

But the kind of deals Pluto offers are often dangerous, and he often asks for more than we are willing to give. Instead of a balm, he wants to dig out the infection.  Pluto is obsessed with power and glory, but he is also focused on death and rebirth: what needs to die to be reborn?

While the Moon and Saturn are bickering, and Pluto is plotting to get over on this, Uranus and the Sun join forces in Aries in a Square against Pluto.  These two heavenly bodies don’t care about the three way tango, nope, not at all. They just want to go go go! They want to dance, sing and get instant gratification; it was a long slow winter and now they want their time.

But Pluto is the planet in power here. Pluto is the authority figure here and isn’t going to let Uranus and the Sun goes forward without brokering a deal. No deal, we will all be ready to say. Pluto shakes his head. You probably should, he says. Nu-uh we reply. We want to be free! We want to do all this on our terms!

Pluto sees an opportunity here; he know we are all either weakened or strengthened by this emotional dance,  struck by a strong sense of ethics and need to make everything ‘nice’. Pluto knows he can get what he wants here; either domination or a resurrection.

“So”, he says the Sun and Uranus. “You want freedom? You want your own way? What are you willing to kill? What do you need to get rid of to get that foot off your throat?” Moon in Cancer is waving at Pluto and the Sun/Uranus combo, wanting attention and needing to talk about the past. But those others in the square, eyes locked, do not want to talk. They want action. “Hmmm?” Pluto asks “what will it be?”

Here is where it gets tricky; either we answer fast and makes moves to do so in order to gain our freedom, or we wait and let Pluto make that choice for us. Be aware that Pluto, left to his own devises, never aims for the target that you think he’s going for.

Choose wisely my friends.

Submerge and Emerge

Most of us have been overwhelmed with the feeling of drowning. Even if some we escaped that feeling, I imagine most of us are waterlogged at best.  The Sun has moved into the fire sign Aries today, a scant 2 days after we step into spring. Today we have begun the process of emerging from the watery spell that the Sun in Pisces, and the Neptune transit in Pisces has held us under.

 Mercury, the planet of communications and travel has been retrograde in Pisces as well, where we hear things in a vague echo and communication from the outside world is hazy at best. Very often we make up what we hear, just to make some sense of what is going on around us. The powerhouse planet of aggression and war, Mars has been in deep hiding, Retrograde in service oriented Virgo. I would think comparing Mars to a POW would be an apt description; being forced to serve and be still when all we really want to do is escape.

It has been a strange place for many of us. While we may have been in a fugue state, we have also been more intimate with ourselves than before. In this space, we are forced to confront the things we dare not speak. We have been trapped in our subconscious. We can’t hide from it, no matter what we do. It is in this place that we see what we hide from, and realize how our hidden fears and feelings are like stones in our pockets while we struggle to stay afloat. If we focus on our hopes and dreams, we will find that we can bob along happily in this place.

 Now please understand, this is not all bad.  This time of being under water and of feeling slow and as if every single thing we do is a major undertaking presents us with two options: A, we can drown, go under and let ourselves get lost. Or B. treat this time as the process of being in the enriching waters of being encased in a womb, quietly floating and waiting for the moment to be born.  If we have chosen option B, we are invigorated from our time in the spiritual world’s version of a spa retreat.

If you haven’t felt the magnificent push of being reborn or woken up in some significant way, then I believe that you will very soon.  The Sun in Aries demands action, truth and of being present in the moment. We will be compelled to discuss what we discovered in our time in Pisces. We will be compelled to discuss the things that we are afraid of, and of what shames us and makes us hide. We will have the deepest need to discuss our most fervent hopes and dreams.

However, we won’t feel the full effects until after the second week in April where Mars and Mercury are both direct.  Mid April on will be a wild ride indeed…but that’s for another entry.

Swim well my friends…

Float on...

Ever had a dream where you feel like it bleeds into your waking life? Moments where you could finish another person’s sentence because you just knew what was going to happen next? Having insights and ideas that seem foreign but just feel so right? While listening to your Ipod you’ll hear a song come on that completely overwhelms you in emotion? Expect more of that my friends, especially in the next week to come. The New Moon in mystical Pisces has that effect on most of us: It can be scary to feel so otherworldly and dreamy. Those of us who believe we have ourselves firmly ensconced in reality and practicality will find our fingers super slippery on the truths we hold so dear to us. It’s ok to let go and fall into the swirling mists and feelings of enchantment. However, the lesson to remember is that while we feel ourselves melting into an alternate version of who we believe we are that we don’t lose ourselves, or forget the lessons we learn during our trip to the un-real world. It’s easy to go one route, and get totally lost in euphoria and oblivion. We might find ourselves drinking a little more, sleeping a little more… or we could go the other way. In this direction we could tap into our instincts, our creativity and entertain the long view of everything…that our collective possibilities are endless.

2012: a new kind of Jones to keep up with

So….the end of world, huh? Hmmm not really. Not like we see in the movies with total annihilation and a foreboding, scary wasteland looking post apocalyptic world. However, given the planetary movements that we will be experiencing, it is clear that life as we each know it is about to make a turn. Which way it goes is up to you. The world collectively has been given hints and clues about how things are going to go for the past 3 ½ years, when the economy began to collapse and Obama got elected and Saturn made the first of its 3 trines with Uranus.

Neptune is about to find itself very much at home with watery Pisces come February; during this 14 year transit, our collective spiritual consciousness is about to go off the charts. We will be having dreams that come true, hunches and psychic flashes. Those of us who are already highly psychic are going to have to trod carefully and find effective ways to filter out all that we receive. Those who are unused to these flashes may feel weirded out and uncomfortable; but during this transit will hopefully learn to ride the wave, and allow folks to become more compassionate and creative.

Saturn. Ah, yes. Saturn has a bad rep as the stern teacher that does not grade on a curve, will pull your naughty tush into detention and will take you to task for your screw ups. Saturn wants you to learn your lesson, darn it! Saturn has been transiting Libra for the past 2 years. Libra is ruled by the love and beauty oriented planet Venus, so Libra is concerned with beauty, love, the arts and most of all, being as gracious as possible. Libra wants us to learn how to be balanced, so we can live a more beautiful life. Libra is also all about justice; keep in mind Gandhi was a Libra. Justice accomplished in as peaceful a way as possible. This helps to explain the OWS movement, and the preoccupation of us all about Justice in its highest form. Powerful Saturn working in cahoots with Libra is going to make sure that during this transit, we all learn how to live gracefully and graciously, how to be balanced, how to be honest and how to embrace and enforce justice. Saturn in Libra also wants to make sure all of our relationships are as balanced, authentic and healthy as possible. Those relationships that aren’t will be done away with under Saturn’s stern eye. Saturn will teach us all these lessons by any means necessary.  I personally have become well acquainted with Saturn; He was present for my Saturn Return from 2007 until 2009, and has been rolling around in my first house since. He has made sure that I have been living as balanced a life as possible. Whew!

What has been on our side is that Saturn in exalted in Libra, which means that Saturn is in his best possible form while being in Libra. Instead of a whack on the back of the head, Saturn in Libra will instead give you a slap on the wrist or a pat on the knee.  In October, Saturn will find himself in Scorpio, the sign of sex, politics, death and rebirth. Scorpio is intense and takes no prisoners. Scorpio wants to dig down to the nitty gritty of each and every one of us, and will not accept anything less than total self awareness. So. If any of you have any nasty little skeletons in the closets, personal demons that need wrassalin’, do it now while Saturn is in the lovely pink haze of Libra. Because once Saturn moves into Scorpio, we better be ready for the personal rebirth that Scorpio demands.

Next week we will discuss Uranus, Pluto and Jupiter’s direct impact on your life, and your year in 2012.

Solar Eclipse is Strong like Bull

Today's Solar Eclipse in Cancer is basically an amphed up new moon, where the moon cycle starts and it's a grand time to make a fresh start. However, this Solar Eclipse is very important, since it rounds up the two year Cancer/Capricorn Eclipse series. What happens is that for about two years, solar and lunar eclipses ping pong between 2 signs that are exactly across from each other on the astrological wheel. However, these pairs always have a catch phrase that describes their desire and purpose, no matter how different the two signs may seem. Cancer and Capricorn are a perfect example of this. The catch phrase for this pair is "Security". Cancer creates it through making a family, a good home life and a good living. Capricorn does it via status and ambition; being the cream of the crop in everything thing you do is a grand way to gain security, and to know you can always fall back on your laurels.
So for the past two years, Security has most likely been a topic and concern for many of us. Its no suprise; so many have lost jobs and the world at large has seemed on the very brink of destruction. One response has been to try to hold onto jobs and homes, another has been to pave a new way. Either way, today pretty much sums up the search for security and grounding. We will all find a way to mash what we have learned in the past two years into some intense lessons about survival, and show us how to go forward in an uncertain world; or it can help us learn that all this is temporary. The new eclipse series that will be happening in bubbly Gemini and joval, enterprising Sag will show us how well we have learned our lessons from Cancer and Capricorn.