MERCURY STATIONS DIRECT Time to move forward again Mercury stations direct at 15°58’ Aries (antiscion 14°02’Virgo) on the 25 April. Interesting to note that Mercury was the term ruler during the recent Solar Eclipse at 19°24’ Aries and thus activated the eclipse degree on the 4th March, 16th March (R) and will do so again on the 5th May. Gemini and Virgo, both ruled by Mercury, may respond differently to the signs their ruling planet moves through on its journey backwards. Virgo, being an Earth sign, doesn’t take too kindly to Fire signs finding them a little too [...]
FULL MOON IN SCORPIO There will be a Full Moon at 04°18’ in the Fixed, Water sign of Scorpio (antiscion 25°42’Aquario). The dispositors of the Moon in Scorpio are Mars (traditional) and Pluto (modern). The lunation is in a separating T-square with modern ruler Pluto. A T-Square in the Fixed signs with a Pluto apex indicates that our head (Sun - leaders) and our heart (Moon - people) are both pulling in opposite directions and Pluto squaring both these planets implies a dilemma between the wilfull desire to obtain the desired goals through sheer force (our leaders) and the need to [...]
JUPITER-URANUS CONJUNCTION This present article is an extract from a longer talk on Jupiter in Taurus that was presented at the annual general meeting of the Association of Professional Astrologers International (APAI) in April 2023. Jupiter and Uranus have been in a continuous orb of each other (max 10°) since late July 2023 and will continue to be so until Jupiter enters Gemini on 26 May 2024. However, the two planets will conjoin only once at 21°50’ Taurus (antiscion 08°10’ Leo) on the 20-21st April (less than 1° away from the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction at 22°43’ Taurus in [...]
SOLAR ECLIPSE IN ARIES 8 APRIL 2024 There will be a New Moon and a total Solar Eclipse at 19°24’ of Aries (antiscion 10°36’ Virgo), a Cardinal, Fire sign on the 8th of April. The Sun, on its exaltation degree in Aries, is particularly strong. This eclipse path intersects the path of the 2017 great American eclipse which took place on the 21st August at 29° Leo, also in a Fire sign just like the upcoming one. Around that time there were huge floods in the Miami area due to Tropical Storm Emily, US congress pushed through sanctions against Russia, President Trump announced a new [...]
VENUS ENTERS ARIES 4-5 APRIL 2024 love at first sight.... Venus, the planet of values (what WE value and desire), love and finances, enters the sign of Aries on the 4-5th of April (depending where you find yourself in the world at that moment). In Aries, Venus is in her mythical lover’s den (one of them, the other being in Scorpio). Venus in Aries is full of bravado, actually she always gets what she wants in any sign, but she’s more open and adventurous in Aries, sexual, but perhaps not sensuous, and certainly not “comfy” here. Aries and Scorpio are in fact the signs where[...]
MERCURY STATIONS RETROGRADE …slowing down is a must After a period of retrograde journeys in the Earth signs, Mercury starts its first retrograde period of the year in the Fire sign of Aries at 27°13’ (antiscion 2°47’ Virgo) and backtracks to 15°58’ Aries (antiscion 14°02’Virgo) where it again stops in its tracks on 25th April to station direct. The most recent times that Mercury retrograded in Aries was in April/May 2017 and April 2018. Aries gives us a rather noisy, quick-thinking, discussion-loving version of Mercury, here intuition must be accounted for as we [...]
FULL MOON/PENUMBRAL ECLIPSE IN LIBRA is it “me” or “we” time for you? Only a few days after the Spring Equinox there will a Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse occurring at 05°07’ Libra, a Cardinal, Air sign ruled by Venus. Equinoxes are by themselves important times of change and Aries as a Cardinal sign marks new beginnings. The lunation chart is a little top-heavy in the Water element but perhaps a little empathy could go a long way to resolve some of the more crucial problems afflicting the world at the moment. The Moon stands alone in one hemisphere of the chart as if [...]
MARS ENTERS PISCES and tired is the new normal... Although in its own triplicity in Pisces, Mars tends nevertheless to lose itself a little in this sign. Energies are scattered and vitality is often low which might lead to a tendency to brooding and introspection. On the other hand, Mars in Pisces is often gifted with an unusual intuitive accuracy but frequently prefers to win by yielding itself to the other as it moves from one mood to another with great ease thus creating confusion in the adversary. Helplessness is often used as a weapon “poor me” in the hope of creating a bad[...]
VENUS ENTER PISCES In love with love On the 11th of March, Venus, the planet of love, romance, harmony and values, glides into the sign of Pisces, the sign of its exaltation, ruled by Jupiter (traditional ruler) and where Neptune, modern co-ruler of Pisces, has been transiting since April 2011. Venus will join Saturn, Sun and Neptune already in the sign of Pisces. Venus in Pisces may well be capable of endless devotion and self-sacrifice but here the planet may also be gullible to illusions and thus easily exploited and turning into the victim. Venus will make the following aspects[...]
NEW MOON IN PISCES ON 10 MARCH 2024 It’s all about seeing things as they really are. The last of a series of five New Moons at 20° of the relative signs, this lunation will be at 20° 17’ Pisces (antiscion 09°43’ Libra). New Moons are notoriously the best moment to set fresh intentions for the month ahead. This one falls on the 12th-6th house axis (Pisces-Virgo) in traditional astrology so themes such as chaos vs order, compassion vs criticism and wholeness vs perfection come to mind. Similarly to the last Full Moon in Virgo with its lack of planets in the Fire element, [...]