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The Venus and Mercury Retrograde Rag-Dancing in Sync

Venus Retrograde: How to Love and Let Live

Venus is the goddess of love-rosy, soft, beckoning-right?

Relationships: They’re all about the birds, bees and perfumed flowers-in Disney flicks.

When Venus is direct, she’s the Cosmic Prom Queen at her best. However, she’s been retracing hasty steps back through impulsive Aries since 3/4.

People (yes, you and me included) seem overly sensitive or just plain cranky. Irritation is as thick as spring pollen. Venus is naturally polite, but without her glow on she can tend towards laziness or indecision.

(Hint: give that friend who hasn’t firmed up plans yet a break-or go without him.)

Here’s your Venus retro mantra: Reengage. Reflect. Renegotiate.

Slow down. Prevent heart-to-heart combat with the balm of patience. Breathe.

The Relationship Road straightens out on 4/15, when Venus goes direct…and there are fewer emotional speedbumps.

Mercury Retrograde: Reaffirming its Value

Mercury retrograde can be a step backwards-in the right direction.

During Mercury retrograde, rethink, realign, revise and revitalize. Check everything twice. You’ll catch mistakes that you might have otherwise overlooked.

Resist the desire to buy that new home audio system during Mercury retro-it’s likely to give you subsequent problems if you do. Postpone signing contracts. Wait to launch your new website until it goes direct on 5/3 at 9:33 AM PDT. You’ll sidestep potential nasty glitches or delays.

The next Mercury retro is scheduled for 4/9-5/3 in two different signs.

From 4/9-4/21, Mercury saunters backwards through Taurus. Simplify, relax and review.

From 4/21-5/3, it bolts back into Aries. Sharp words or fast moves can blow a misunderstanding into grandstanding. Hang loose, think twice, reconsider what you’re going to do or say.

Mercury retrograde teaches the value of reassessing and revamping.

ASTROBITES: Coming Soon!

Want to know the climate of the day in just a sentence or two?

You’ll soon have a chance to sign up for Astrobites, which you’ll receive Monday-Friday. They’re short, succinct, sometimes sassy and always useful.

If you’d like to sign up early, just contact me and I’ll make sure that you’re on the List!

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The Venus and Mercury Retro Rag

THE VENUS AND MERCURY RETROGRADE RAG
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The Venus Retrograde Rag: How to Love and Let Live

Venus is the goddess of love-rosy, soft, beckoning-right?

Relationships: They’re all about the birds, bees and perfumed flowers-in Disney flicks.

When Venus is direct, she’s the Cosmic Prom Queen at her best. However, she’s been retracing hasty steps back through impulsive Aries since 3/4.

People (yes, you and me included) seem overly sensitive or just plain cranky. Irritation is as thick as spring pollen. Venus is naturally polite, but without her glow n she can tend towards laziness or indecision.

(Hint: give that friend who hasn’t firmed up plans yet a break-or go without him.)

Here’s your Venus retro mantra: Reengage. Reflect. Renegotiate.

Slow down. Prevent heart-to-heart combat with the balm of patience. Breathe.

The Relationship Road straightens out on 4/15, when Venus goes direct…and there are fewer emotional speedbumps.

Mercury Retrograde Can Be a Step Backwards-in the Right Direction

During Mercury retrograde, rethink, realign, revise and revitalize. Check everything twice. You’ll catch mistakes that you might have otherwise overlooked.

Resist the desire to buy that new home audio system during Mercury retro-it’s likely to give you subsequent problems if you do. Postpone signing contracts. Wait to launch your new website until it goes direct on 5/3 at 9:33 AM PDT. You’ll sidestep potential nasty glitches or delays.

The next Mercury retro is scheduled for 4/9-5/3 in two different signs.

From 4/9-4/21, Mercury saunters backwards through Taurus. Simplify, relax and review.

From 4/21-5/3, it bolts back into Aries. Sharp words or fast moves can blow a misunderstanding into grandstanding. Hang loose, think twice, reconsider what you’re going to do or say.

Mercury retrograde teaches the value of reassessing and revamping.
S - The Venus and Mercury Retro Rag

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ASTROBITES: Coming Soon!

Want to know the climate of the day in just a sentence or two?

You’ll soon have a chance to sign up for Astrobites, which you’ll receive Monday-Friday. They’re short, succinct, sometimes sassy and always useful.
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The Language of Love: Saturn in Sagittarius

I visited Paris fresh out of high school, smitten by her unapologetic passion and confidence. All I could offer her was my clumsily accented French and youthful naivete. Her perfume lingers still, a faintly remembered pleasure.

How about if we just focus on the best outcome possible concerning what has recently gone down in Paris? What if we orient ourselves towards peace, love, understanding? I believe it to be possible. I believe that we can all join hearts, look at one another and accept that we are human and stand as one. Perhaps we can stop attacking one another, whether through physical violence or judgment. Perhaps we can come together in our mutual woundedness and reach a compromise. What if we are not enemies to one another, but rather brothers and sisters (and who has ever had a sibling with whom they didn’t argue?).

Maybe it’s just about a really good conversation-a peaceful one-where everyone gets to say what’s on their mind. I don’t condone the attacks, but I sense that there is a deeper reason-disconnect. If we disconnect from one another, we disconnect from that which our souls know to be true-from that which might be called god/dess. Let’s get together and discuss rather than debate. It’s all about love. All about love. There is nothing, nothing, nothing more than love, or more powerful or more healing. It is the life blood coursing through our veins, through the consciousness of our planet. I believe that there is a great teaching in this event that can lead us to higher ground-that which is more sacred and authentic.

In wild celebration of that which is possible,

Joyce

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What is Truth? Jupiter in Aries

Positive Jupiter in Aries: Faith in yourself, your truth, your actions. Negative Jupiter in Aries: Fear that supports the belief that only your truth is real. Who is to say which is right and which is wrong? Stand up for what you believe. If it feels right, then it is.

Jupiter holds the holy grail containing the alchemical ingredients of diversity, honesty and faith. Mix in the passion and assertiveness of Aries and this brew comes to full boil.

Jupiter entered territorial, warrior Aries on 1/22/11.  Passionate truth boils to the surface. Ask yourself if you want to act or react? There are more than 6.8 billion people living on earth, and swords are clashing–verbally, mentally, philosophically, physically.

But what is truth? It is in the eye of the beholder. Most wars are begun due to philosophical differences. Wake up in San Francisco, and two people of the same sex slow-dancing together won’t get a second glance. Place that same couple in Houston, and there might be trouble.

Can you take a stand without bloodletting? Can you imagine a peaceful outcome without giving up your position–and letting someone else having theirs? Mahatma Gandhi said, “Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary.”

So is it really no pain, no gain? Or can you take a step backward, hold your tongue, loosen your fist, look your “enemy” in the eye and see their humanness? This is how war is won. How peace is made. And how, in these volatile and uncertain times, you can stand on opposite sides of the same fence and, even if you disagree, allow. Take this stance and you find freedom.

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Hard Heart Work: Saturn in Libra

Marriage. Kids. Commitment. Break-ups. Divorce. Family growing pains. Notice how there’s lots of this goin’ around ’bout now? Why? Labor-intensive Saturn in balanced Libra is demanding maturation and responsibility within relationships. This is a growth cycle that no one escapes–and it’s all about you, me and we.

It’s a mountain you’ve gotta climb. If not, good luck–you’ll find yourself stuck or sliding on silt. So put one foot after the other and look ahead, not back.  Saturn is at its best in relationship-driven Libra–but sometimes the scales tip too far one way or the other. You need to remember that you’re not alone and prove it.

Some of the stories I’ve heard lately: “I was thinking of riding my bike out into the street,” said one 13-year-old. “Mom moved in with us,” says a dutiful but distraught daughter of 38. “Now my husband sleeps on the sofa.” A marriage of nearly 30 years comes to a close, especially challenging because both husband and wife are in business together.

Saturn stares you grimly in the eye and says, “Get real, bro. Stand up for yourself, sister. This is about love. And family. And connecting. Prove it or things will get ugly.” Yep, there’s that boulder poised to fall on unsuspecting you as your girlfriend runs off with your best friend. Why, you plead? “You took me for granted for too long,” she says. You do a mental re-run of the past 6 months and realize you remember more about TV shows you’ve watched together than memories you’ve made.

It’s time for true grit, darlin’. No wimps allowed or you’ll fall off the mountain. After all, you don’t build emotional muscle without feelin’ the burn. Saturn doesn’t stand for  slackers or there are consequences. So do those crunches and pay attention. Otherwise you might find yourself all alone on a romantic moonlit night. Or feeling bored out of your skull by keeping company with someone you’ve simply gotten used to.

Saturn is the planetary CEO and has assigned you the job of honoring others as you would like to be honored, capiche? Libra gently reminds you that you have to bend to give, but not break your back.

So take some time to really see and hear your amour/partner/spouse/child/parent. Look deep into their eyes and ask them not only how they are but who they are. Through October 6, 2012, Saturn in Libra is the testing ground for love . And hey! If the world is really gonna end like some prophets claim, make the most out of it. After all, love is what makes the world go ’round.

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It’s Cool to Go Retro: 4 Planets Say So!

Expect delays. Four planets out of ten are retrograding. When a planet goes retrograde, you’ve gotta look backwards. Reflect. Reorient. Reassess. Re-energize.

Y’see, we’re all flaming balls of energy. So are the planets. Human beings need a break. So do the planets. When you’re off the job, it’s a good idea to turn off your cell and put off finishing that project. You need to recharge, refuel, rethink, reconsider, take a time out. Sip the nectar of r&r.

Sweet Venus reviews the love scene beginning October 8 until November 18. Make nice and smooth out the wrinkles. That  fog on the road is thanks to Neptune in Aquarius. Recycle worn-out dreams so that new ones arise when it goes direct on 11/6/10. Let the headlights of truth from Uranus shine into the mists of imagination as it goes back into visionary Pisces until  12/5/10. Jupiter, the planet of all Things Good and Great and Possible, also looks backwards. You’ll win big at the tables of  luck if your bets are more restrained until 11/18/10.

So settle on in for a spell. Let your head nod and drift off into dreamland. Morning comes, you’ll be bright as a shiny penny and rarin’ to go. But for now bide your time. Freshen up when you’re tired. Wiggle toes liberated of shoes. Take in some sun. Take in some shade. Ponder where you’re headed and what it’ll feel like when you’re there. Jot down a few thoughts. It doesn’t have to be hard. Consider what a wise man once said “When you get to the end of all the light you know and it’s time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.” Edward Teller

So you know more now than ever before. And the planets are inviting you to hang with them in a state of chill. And when you’re still, when you take time to re-read that passage, to re-work that plan, you come out ahead. And that always feels pretty damned good.

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Cardinal Crossroads of Change: What It Means for You

Okay, ladies and gents…we’re counting down the days till showtime. If you were born around the beginning of  Aries, Cancer, Capricorn or Libra (or have planets or angles in the early degrees of those signs), y’all have front row seats. The biggest lightning storm ever is a-brewin’. You’re breathing in raw tension just about now, pushing buttons and getting yours pushed. There’s an electric, pungent energy building. If you were a cat, you’d be arching your back. It’s the call to battle at dawn. What’s gotta go needs to get gone: relationships that don’t work, jobs that don’t matter, fibs that you’re supposed to believe.

Tense and intense strological energies are gathering, building up to peak pressure from June 26 to August 5 (and most potent on July 29th). Somethin’s gotta blow. It’ll be stinky, but it’ll also be a helluva relief.

Four planetary forces will be facing-off, forming a Grand Cardinal Cross http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_cross_(astrology)  Shamanic Pluto in exacting Capricorn summons forth a part of you that’s been banished in the shadows. Own it consciously and claim your power. Be in your truth, no matter who stands in judgment of you, as extremist Uranus in “me first” Aries gallops sidesaddle with Jupiter the Preacher.  Pioneering Mars in relational Libra impatiently taps the accelerator, while passenger Saturn gets focused on how to get where you need to be. Act with integrity and learn to love the word “no.” Lastly, acknowledge and release where you’ve been too tentative, sensitive or reactive (the South Node in Cancer) and focus on where you need to develop your inner authority (the North Node in Capricorn).

This may sound like a ten-car pile-up (and parts of it will be messy), but this is the kick-off point for positive change. Let’s be frank: what part of your life needs to be opened up and cleared out, like an attic suffocated by dust? Take the risk. Open the door. Be realistic–don’t horde what’s familiar but no longer has value. Dump what keeps you small or limits your aliveness. Shine the  light of awareness on forgotten treasures.  Be the judge of  your own truth, stick by it and don’t fail your dreams. You’re some kind of special. Admit it.

So go get ’em, ladies and gents. The curtain’s about to rise. And guess who the star is? You are, of course.

storm a comin1 1 - Cardinal Crossroads of Change: What It Means for You
Big Storm a-brewin'
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Saturn looks back at where it’s been: How to develop your dreams

Saturn goes retrograde in Libra on Wednesday, 1/13/10 at 7:56 AM. Saturn is the planetary workhorse, CEO and leader. In Libra, we now go into a time of honestly, thoroughly and ethically examining our relationships, values investments (both in time and money). Some people will decide that staying together is a better option than breaking up due to financial or family obligations–and that there are solutions that are workable. Artistically, what has proven to endure over time becomes more precious. What do the old masters have to say that we now value still more?

Saturn moves back into analytic Virgo on 4/22/10, demanding that we get things right–that we find solutions for our needs. Think of this as a time of healthy criticism that can clear the way for when Saturn goes direct for the final time on 5/30/10, moving back into Libra once and for all on 7/21/10…when you can use what you’ve learned (if you’ve been discriminating and practical) relationally, creatively, aesthetically and practically. Hang in there–it’ll be worth it.

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Making Connections

A few years ago, my sweetheart and I were sitting by an ambitious little river in Northern Thailand watching oxen grazing on the opposite bank. Hesitantly, a thirsty calf strayed to the lip of the river. In the same moment, with a series of wildly joyous yips, a golden retriever threw itself into the currents.

Hastily, the calf retreated, legs buckling like soft green bamboo. Its firm but encouraging mother nuzzled it back to the river. It slid first one hoof, then the other, into the water and began to drink. The patient mother stood by her calf’s side until it had finished. Meanwhile, the retriever seemed to watch with quiet pride. We were strangely and powerfully moved by this sweet and simple scenario. Such is the unspoken mood of the town we couldn’t leave. It is the kind of place that you could drive right through if you weren’t paying attention.

This is a town that refuses to put on makeup. It whispers and bellows and laughs and chatters. It’s an amblin’ town, not efforting to make anything happen. Because of that, things do. It hasn’t outgrown its sense of community. Connections still happen, and they don’t have anything to do with business networking.

One morning a 6-week-old puppy, Vodka (so named because his person owns a bar), was hit by a truck. Everyone within earshot stopped to see if they could help. Two locals who practice Reiki (Ray-KEE) a form of energy work used for healing, scooped the squealing puppy into their arms and started giving him this channeled energy of universal love. After a couple of hours, Vodka began to squirm so they put him down. He danced off on four fat legs, whirligigging his tail in gratitude.

Certainly, the energy work helped. However, what was most striking was the obvious fact that Vodka was securely wrapped in a blanket of love and care by everyone involved. He knew it, they knew it, and a small but significant miracle occurred as a result. When we left town several days later, he was still being tended to by the community—and was frisking around the streets.

When was the last time that you slowed down long enough to ask someone “How are you, really?” and mean it? Connecting can be cool– really, really cool. It just takes a little courage and initiative. Like the young calf, if you’re thirsty for true connection, be willing to get your feet wet. And If you happen to fall in, a helping hand will pull you back to shore.

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Nobody’s Right if Everybody’s Wrong:Saturn-Uranus

During the current Saturn-Uranus opposition, it feels as if you’ve been drafted against your will into a  tug-of-war that is virtually unwinnable. You step on someone’s toes. The other person reacts. She’s certain that you’re wrong and you’re certain that you’re right. Tension builds. So do irritations and accusations. You stall out, not having made any progress. But that can change!

Saturn is the conservative planet of tried-and-true. It’s been there, done that. It asks,“why change if the old ways work?” Rebellious Uranus sarcastically rejoinders, ” If change didn’t happen, we might still be living in caves and eating wooly mammoths for dinner.” These two planets aren’t at war, but as they oppose one another, extreme tension occurs. Yet compromise is possible.

If you’re feeling frustrated or rebellious now, try to meet the problem or person half-way. It’s likely that there’s something you can learn from one another. Perhaps, as you work the tension, it becomes creative, thus co-creating the most positive outcome possible.

Build higher ceilings of consciousness upon the strong bones of the past that will hold their weight. Notice how they illuminate each other. Engage in this time with curiosity and a willingness to listen. Work together in interesting ways. This will be far more rewarding than to make each other wrong.