Astroblogick

Retrograde Review

    Following last week’s action-packed roster of activity in the way of Mercury stationing retrograde, the New Moon in Pisces and Uranus entering Taurus, this week appears to settle into a cosmic groove with the greatest concentration of factors focused in the second half. With the Moon now waxing between New and Full, the lights are green with the one caveat falling in the communication zone. So, let’s take a moment to look at the main, ongoing backtracking of Mercury, planetary symbol of movement and measure.

Collectively Speaking

    The communication sphere has been on fire since Mercury’s retrograde station at the tail-end of Pisces last Tuesday with all manner of hell breaking loose on the collective front. Be mindful of news items involving statements, testimonies, document requests, decisions, agreements, censorship and deceptive intelligence gathering during Mercury retrograde (March 5-28) to see how those things fare once Mercury resumes direct motion. These things will become even more concentrated this Thursday and Friday when Mercury’s orbit brings it between the Earth and the Sun (inferior conjunction), marking the midpoint of the Mercury retrograde period as well as the potential for misstatements made by persons in positions of power and authority.

Personally Speaking

    With regard to Mercury retrograde on an individual scale of expression: some readers get nervous whenever Mercury is retrograde and are often afraid to act on important matters, even when it’s critical to act. My advice is: don’t worry about it. Mercury retrograde is not the end of the world nor is it a time to hide under a rock for three weeks; it merely points to the communication/transportation spheres moving somewhat differently than usual. This means the only real danger is being unconscious about one’s actions or words, driving on autopilot in the assumption that everything will unfold as it always does. The truth is, they usually do, but that isn’t always a given when Mercury is retrograde three times a year.

    If you do have to act on something during retrograde, give yourself some leeway or a Plan B. As we might be talking about minor delays or detours, we would want to give ourselves extra time to get to the airport: miss your flight due to backed-up traffic on the highway and it becomes a very big deal. This isn’t the fault of Mercury retrograde, it's totally on you. Otherwise, if we can elect a time to take care of important business that isn’t during Mercury retrograde, all the better. This of course is the best approach when it comes to incorporating astrology into our daily lives in that it relies on our ability to direct our actions and accept responsibility instead of using a distant planet to blame when shit happens, as it frequently does.

    So, if you find yourself facing a deadline (or a dead smartphone) when Mercury is in retrograde, toss your worries aside and go for it. Chances are good that you’ll come out of it with flying colors while remembering that YOU are the one in charge, not planetary motion anymore than the clock striking noon makes you go to lunch. Speaking of clocks...

Into the Time Warp Again

    Here we go! The twice-yearly ritual of time-tampering commences on Sunday morning at 2:00 am (Local Time) when we ditch our four-month stretch of Standard Time by turning our clocks ahead one hour. In case you’re wondering why it’s now dark in the morning, we’ve all collectively agreed to make the Sun appear to rise 60-minutes later than normal in order to make the Sun appear to set an hour later at night. For those of us who closely observe the temporal domain (in the language of astrology, space and time are everything), this example of collective hallucination has always been troubling. No matter, it’s now up to our biological clocks to adjust to this 60-minute time jump into the future, which might take a week or two. But just think of all the things you’ll be able to do with that extra, imaginary hour!

Lunar Gardening Report

    There are a number of excellent days this week for getting starts started and soil prepared beginning on Sunday with the Moon waxing in Taurus through Tuesday morning. The Taurus Moon is particularly favorable for soil augmentation as well as plants which produce fruit below ground. Tuesday afternoon through Thursday are good days to back off from most gardening activities that directly involve plants while the Moon makes tracks through agriculturally-sterile Gemini. At the end of the current forecast period we have some of the very best days for germinating, direct seeding, transplanting and fertilizing when the Moon is in the uber-fertile sign of Cancer Friday and Saturday.

Daily Forecast (For all signs)
(Times are Eastern Daylight/-0400UTC)

Sunday, March 10: Daylight Time Begins. Once again, we adjust to another episode of time tampering, cutting 60 minutes off the start of the day and gluing to the end in order to extend apparent daylight hours. The Moon is currently waxing in Taurus and a fine day for doing whatever suits one’s fancy, although taking it easy is probably its best use. That said, midday is an ideal time for providing physical support for friends in need without expecting anything in return (Mars sextile Neptune). This is also a good aspect for photography expeditions or water sports.

Monday, March 11: The Taurus Moon provides a practical and methodical approach to whatever business is on the table today with a special emphasis on financial matters. An energy spike around noon could become contentious if forward momentum is blocked or stymied while the afternoon lends itself to focused, dedicated activities.

Tuesday, March 12: Communication issues are front and center first thing this morning and with Mercury retrograde, it might require patience and persistence to push something through. Feelings of sluggishness or brain drag are likely to shift to something much more animated once the Moon enters Gemini at 11:48 am with the Mercury retrograde show on full display.

Wednesday, March 13: Looks like a busy day for the news cycle under the Gemini Moon with a considerable amount of flux, all beginning with a tight mental focus in the morning hours as well as the possibility of being highly effective in your endeavors the rest of the day (Sun sextile Pluto). Harmony prevails in the early afternoon while the potential for confusion or deception run high a few hours later. The remainder of the day and night could correspond with something going way over the top with overextensions, exaggerations and extreme forms of ideological bias making a show of it (Sun square Jupiter). This aspect is also associated with legal issues involving someone in power acting above the law...hmmm...I wonder who that might be.

Thursday, March 14: Most of today’s activity appears to be concentrated in the predawn hours which could be a carry-over from whatever emerged late yesterday with the need to curb stubborn refusals to abide by the rules (Mars trine Saturn). The Gemini Moon enters its First Quarter Phase at 6:30 am, offering an opportunity this morning for fine tuning one’s trajectory ahead of next week’s Full Moon. It would then be wise to tread cautiously when the Moon runs up against its ruling planet, Mercury (retrograde) at 8:30 am, setting off an extended void-of-course (VOC) period that will run until 5:49 pm when the Moon enters Cancer and the tone shifts from the mental to the emotional. Mercury reaches the midpoint of its retrograde period tonight at 9:48 pm when its orbit takes it directly between the Earth and the Sun to form an inferior conjunction with the Sun. Announcements, proclamations and decrees from the powers-that-be are likely to come to naught, or else in need of retraction or modification at a later date.

Friday, March 15: Et tu, Brute? Whereas the past few days have been decidedly mental with a strong emphasis on news and information, today has a distinctly emotional tone to it with the Moon now transiting Cancer. Even so, news headlines pertaining to laws, investigations, negotiations and international affairs loom over the second half of the day with mixed results (Mercury retrograde square Jupiter). As this is the second of three Mercury-Jupiter squares, there may be an echo from the events of Feb. 21-22 with closure on the same theme not expected until around April 12.

Saturday, March 16: The Cancer Moon places the attention closer to home with matters involving family, parents, parenting, tradition, security and property. A battle of wills is possible in the morning hours with some kind of misunderstanding at the heart of it even while this would be an excellent time for any kind of study or mental work requiring focus (Mercury retro sextile Pluto). Words carry power, choose them wisely. The Moon exits Cancer for Leo tonight at 9:00 pm, lending a lively, playful and perhaps more dramatic turn to evening entertainments. Enjoy!

Copyright 2019 Gary Paul Glynn

Retrograde Dive

    This coming Tuesday (Fat Tuesday!) the Trickster is loosed upon the world as Mercury, planetary archetype of movement and measure comes to a standstill at the very end of Pisces and the very end of the Zodiac (29Pis38) before reversing apparent direction (retrograde), heading back the way it came until March 28.

    As Mercury retrograde is a frequent phenomenon, occurring once every three months for three weeks, three times a year, you would think we would get used to it by now. The fact is, no two Mercury retrogrades are alike as some last a few days longer than others while some retrogrades involve repeated interactions with other planets that can manifest a month before, during and after Mercury resumes direct motion. These variations often determine how problematic a particularly retrograde period will be, and with repeating aspects to five different planets this time around, there is definitely room for serious bullshit and befuddlement.

    With Mercury’s current retrograde taking place in the last half of Pisces, there is mystery and a considerable amount of non-linear mental activity taking place which can inspire as well as confuse. There is an element of idealism and wishful thinking associated with Mercury in Pisces to begin with, and when we factor-in Mercury’s repeated conjunctions to Neptune in this sign (Feb. 18, Mar. 24, April 2), there is probably something we’re not seeing clearly at this time.

    Mercury stationary retrograde within a half-degree of the epic Aries Point (00Ari00) - the absolute, alpha-omega end point of the 360-degree zodiac - would suggest a cliffhanger in that something nearing completion fails to do so. In astrological parlance, this is called “frustration” in that there’s a failure to reach closure, at least for the time being; and in the case of Mercury, this might involve newly discovered information or knowledge that demands a pause to review or revisit before proceeding. Once Mercury ends its retrograde on March 28 and retraces its path back the way it came, it will finally cross the Aries Point on April 17, where perhaps we’ll see some level of closure.

    Closer to home, there are additional reasons to believe these next 23 days will pose hazards for all outwardly-directed communication in the form of confusions, misunderstandings, misdirections and flat-out deceptions. This will closely involve contractual agreements, testimonies, announcements, mailings, online orders, travel arrangements and car repairs. The very best use of Mercury retrograde in Pisces can be found through inner work involving review, reflection, contemplation, meditation, prayer and exercises of the imagination.

Pisces New Moon

    On Wednesday, the day following Mercury’s retrograde station at the end of Pisces, the New Moon will open a FRESH solar-lunar cycle in the middle of Pisces (15Pis47), focused on higher consciousness and a developed sense of empathy and compassion. This is particularly true as this lunation takes place while in conjunction to Pisces’ ruler, Neptune in addition to marking the spot where Mercury will end its retrograde on March 28. Something is going on here that involves getting to the bottom of long-term deceptions and misdirections that have been conning us for years.

    Whatever is going on in the outer world, the New Moon’s connection with Pisces, Neptune and Mercury is further evidence that we need to pull our outwardly-directed attention inward in a more contemplative and reflective way during the month of March. Mundane business should remain in the realm of routine while applying our imagination to new forms that can be executed once the air clears mid-April. Favored activities include artistic expression in the way of poetry, music, painting or photography and well as meditation, journaling and/or volunteer work. For some people, becoming too self-absorbed can find expression through depression, addiction or victimization which might be relieved by helping others in whatever way they can.

    The New Moon will become exact on Wednesday, March 6 at 11:04 am (Eastern) in mid-Pisces (15Pis47) with the Cazimi Window for new initiatives open 30 minutes before and after the exact time of the lunation. If you miss this narrow launch window, it would be best to wait until after 5:00 pm Thursday to set your plans into motion for best results.

Uranus' Taurus Ingress

    On the morning of Wednesday’s New Moon, Uranus, the planet of surprises and revolution re-enters Taurus where it will remain until 2026, bringing a considerable amount of instability, disruption and the unexpected to areas usually considered stable and unchanging. As Taurus (the sign, not the personality type) is considered “fixed earth,” it provides stable foundations as well as practical and grounded approaches that resist change. In mundane astrology, Taurus is also associated with money and financial systems, farming and food a well as all things related to the Earth itself.

    Most recently, Uranus spent six months in Taurus (May-Nov 2018) before retrograding back into Aries for one final pass which ends this week. Whenever I speak of Uranus, I’m often fond of saying “expect the unexpected,” and while I realize this isn’t all that helpful, what I’m really saying is that it’s good to be flexible and adaptable in the face of sudden, unexpected change. This planetary symbol of breakdowns and breakthroughs also carries a technological edge as well as a revolutionary one that will spend the next seven years challenging Taurus’ more rigid structures which is likely to surprise many people.

    Some of the possible expressions of Uranus in Taurus include inexplicable changes to the Earth’s biosphere which may or may not involve climate change as this isn’t anything new or unexpected. Even so, climate change might have an negative impact on crops, the food we eat (GMOs, anyone?) and the prices associated with food and its production. With recent news that the Earth’s magnetic poles are drifting at speed, perhaps we’ll experience a magnetic pole reversal which would come as a major surprise. There might also be shifts in the banking system as well something like Bitcoin and blockchains making inroads and although Uranus in the sign of banking could indicate fiscal disruptions in the US and the EU in particular, it could also point to innovative solutions to the growing sense of insecurity with respect to income inequality and eroding social safety nets.

    The last cycle where Uranus transited Taurus (1934-1942) began in the midst of the Great Depression in the U.S. which led FDR to work to establish the Federal Reserve, Social Security and the New Deal - things that vastly improved the quality of life for Americans while being a long-term thorn in the side of conservatives. It’s interesting to note that the progressive wing of the Democratically-controlled House of Representatives just recently unveiled a “Green New Deal” plan although such a change isn’t likely to come to pass without there being a precipitating crisis similar to what we saw back in the 1930s to make it a viable option in the face of old-school, status quo resistance. This is especially true with the aging faction of white congressmen wanting to eliminate "entitlement" programs that don't help their wealthy supporters, something that I think may be ripe for igniting a revolution.

Whatever comes out of the next seven years, I would expect we’ll see a combination of breakdowns and breakthroughs with regard to things involving the status quo, security, the planet and many of the things we often take for granted. I also imagine I’ll be picking this story up again in the near future with more historical reflections as well as potential manifestations, but hey, when we're talking about the planet of unpredictability, who am I kidding?

Lunar Gardening Report

    With the Moon set to open a new cycle midweek, Sunday and Monday are terrible days to do much of anything in the gardening department due to the Moon in its darkest phase while in sterile Aquarius. We’ll need to wait until we get on the other side of Wednesday’s New Moon in Pisces - Thursday, to be exact - to take advantage of Pisces fertile auspices until the Moon enters Aries at 3:30 pm. After that, the focus will be on cutting, clearing, cleaning, weeding and pest control until the Moon finds its way into Taurus on Sunday and the real start to the planting season begins.

Daily Forecast (For all signs)
(Times are Eastern Standard/-0500UTC)

Sunday, March 3: The Moon is currently in its darkened, Balsamic Phase as it makes its way through the cool, aloof air sign of Aquarius, giving us just enough emotional detachment to take a clear-eyed view of the past month. An energy spike in the early afternoon could manifest as a second wind, an argument or a simple bout of short-lived anger. Otherwise, the evening hours appear calm and favorable for social gatherings and other activities with friends and family.

Monday, March 4: Opportunities and small victories are possible closer to noon while otherwise we’re looking at another fairly quiet day in the heavens. We’re also encouraged to focus our attention on the completion of old business and otherwise clearing the decks for Mercury’s retrograde station tomorrow, followed by Wednesday’s New Moon.

Tuesday, March 5: Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras. The Moon sets off over the waters of Pisces today, even as Mercury turns retrograde at 1:19 pm on the very last degree of Pisces (29Pis38), spreading an oil-slick of glitches and second-guessing across the remainder of the month. Matters pertaining to communication and transportation will be operating in unexpected ways while Mercury remains retrograde until March 28 which means we need to be cautious with regard to all Mercury-related activities: signing contracts, mailing important documents or packages, ordering online or booking travel reservations. All this aside, tonight is auspicious for all manner of revelry IF you happen to be at the right place for it. Laissez le bon temps rouler!

Wednesday, March 6: Two significant geocosmic events take place on this, the first day of Lent, starting in the predawn hours when Uranus crosses the cusp into Taurus where it remains until 2026. This is considered a disruptive planet-sign combination as the fixed, stable auspices of grounded Taurus are destabilized by the presence of Uranus, the Awakener over the course of the next seven years. On a more immediate note, we have the New Moon opening a new cycle at 11:04 am at the middle-degree of Pisces (15Pis47), pointing to a month of imaginative thinking, creative out-picturing and a more compassionate and contemplative approach to the life in general. With the New Moon joined with Neptune, there might also be a major deception taking place at this time, or an awareness of such remaining in play for the remainder of March. The Cazimi Window for new initiatives opens in the hour surrounding the New Moon (10:30-11:30 am), if you miss this window, your next best date for setting the wheels in motion will be late afternoon tomorrow. The Neptune vibe remains very strong for the remainder of the day and night, combined with Mercury stationary retrograde, we’re better off treading lightly with the autopilot switched off.

Thursday, March 7: The freshly-hatched Pisces New Moon remains in the Sun’s no-go combustion zone until later this afternoon, citing a hazard for all new business, especially in the early afternoon when the Moon conjoins retrograde Mercury. A sea-change might be noticed after the Moon crosses the cusp into Aries at 3:30 pm where we can start revving our engines ahead of the lights turning green at 5:00 pm.

Friday, March 8: There is really nothing of great significance taking place in the heavens today aside from the Aries Moon beginning to increase in light, signaling the go-ahead for all new business. Even so, with Mercury now retrograde, it would be best to act with caution wherever communication and/or transportation are involved as these are the areas weakened or skewed by Mercury retrograde.

Saturday, March 9: If you have agreements, plans or other important initiatives, it would be best to get them settled before noon due to the Moon going VOC in Aries at 12:14 pm and remaining void until tomorrow. Upbeat social energies are on tap midday that will continue well into the evening hours while I’m sure we’re all being alerted to the fact that clocks will jump one hour into the future overnight with the commencement of Daylight Time.

Copyright 2019 Gary Paul Glynn

Cosmic Reprieve

    Coming away from one of the more active weeks in the heavens, the current forecast period appears calm in terms of immediate geo-cosmic activity. That said, we’re still dealing with reverberations from last week’s Full Moon as well as Mercury slowing ahead of its retrograde station on March 5, which means Mercury is in its “Storm” phase, posing hazards for all new initiatives involving communication and travel. Added to this, the Moon reaches its Last Quarter Phase on Tuesday, suggesting we hold off from pulling the trigger on important new projects; focusing our energy and attention on completions and closures instead.

    Next week we’ll explore Mercury retrograde in Pisces, the Pisces lunation cycle as well as Uranus’ official entrance into Taurus where it promises to shake-up the status quo and the global banking system over the course of the next seven years. Fun times! Enjoy the calm while you can, and remember, spring is just around the corner!

Lunar Gardening Report

Sunday and a good part of Monday are your last, best days to get your starts going before the Moon enters its Last Quarter Phase when the planting window closes for a little over a week. Late afternoon Monday through Wednesday are good days for weeding and pest control, but that’s about it. The remainder of the week favors general maintenance and planning, but with the Moon closing down its current cycle, you’ll need to wait until March 7, or better yet, March 10 to plant or fertilize for best results.

Daily Forecast (For all signs)
(Times are Eastern Standard/-0500)

Sunday, Feb. 24: Aside from any emotional intensity coinciding with the waning Scorpio Moon, the day appears relatively chill. Movies, music, museum tours or getting lost in a good book are highlighted during the afternoon hours while early evening would be a good time to focus on your plan for the week ahead.

Monday, Feb. 25: The very early hours favor travel or love while we should be alert to the Moon’s nine-hour void-of-course (VOC) in Scorpio beginning at 7:14 am, lasting until 4:19 pm when the Moon enters Sagittarius. It’s likely we’ll see the psychic atmosphere lighten-up considerably tonight, encouraging us to get future-oriented projects in the oven even as the Moon moves toward closure.

Tuesday, Feb. 26: The Sagittarius Moon enters its Last Quarter Phase about an hour before sunrise, pointing to a week of harvesting whatever was planted and cultivated at the front-end of February. False starts are possible first thing this morning while confusions, delusions and bald-faced lies catch our attention later tonight.

Wednesday, Feb. 27: Big, expansive energies may be present during the morning hours which could point to possible opportunities or small windfalls as well as a load of ideological claptrap dominating headlines. The remainder of the daylight hours appear solid for getting stuff done while a communication glitch or crossed wires catch some of us unawares after dark. A second-wind is possible tonight along with a focus on matters involving men exhibiting their more benign natures, perhaps as positive role-models (Sun sextile Mars).

Thursday, Feb. 28: Putting a wrap on the month of February, we find the Moon seriously-waning in Capricorn with little standing in the way of greater productivity, particularly as it relates to completing unfinished business, a theme that will remain in effect until next Wednesday’s New Moon. An extra spark of energy is available this evening even as you wind-down with your significant other.

Friday, March 1: Rabbit! Rabbit! Rabbit! Spring is in the air, even if there’s snow on the ground as we move into the third month of the year and the approach of the Vernal Equinox, just three weeks from now. After a relatively quiet week in the heavens, Venus takes the front page with a shocker involving love, sex or money (Venus square Uranus). If it’s the latter, it might be just the beginning of a larger story, spread-out over a much longer period of time once Uranus enters Taurus next week. Distractions or misdirections may be in evidence, particularly in the wake of a revelation while the Capricorn Moon calls for accountability, the secondary theme of the day. Just after having smacked Uranus up the side of the head, Venus crosses the cusp into Aquarius for nearly a month where she’s skilled at being cool and aloof with regard to interpersonal relationships while perhaps encouraging novel forms of love and sexuality.

Saturday, March 2: The Capricorn Moon moves into its closing, Balsamic Phase ahead of Wednesday’s lunation, so just about everything should be geared toward closure; clearing-up loose ends and putting finishing touches on things set in motion over the past month. Communication flows well in the late morning while we might experience a sudden or unexpected change in plans in the early afternoon. Following a 19-minute VOC, the Moon glides into Aquarius just after 2:00 pm where we see a smooth, cool and lazy approach to social interactions taking top billing. This is even more the case when the Moon joins Venus in the late afternoon with tonight being an excellent time for mutually-enjoyable recreations and hot dates. Oh, and by the way, Mercury turns retrograde on Tuesday.

Copyright 2019 Gary Paul Glynn