As Mars is slowing down to station in close proximity to Saturn, it's a good day to talk about commitments. Yesterday me and my colleague Jenn Zahrt worked out a cooperative piece she will be publishing later today. The piece focuses on the positive or constructive aspects of the Mars/Saturn dynamic currently forming in the sky. While she featured a personal story called "Pressure Cooker," I wrote a piece called "The Making of Our Vows." Both stories feature important lessons …
Retrogrades Signal Turning Points
Retrogrades frequently signify turning points. Let's take a look at how that might work out given the simultaneous retrogrades of Saturn and Mars.* Remember that long ago the destructive designations of Mars and Saturn were related to the mundane predictions of agricultural cycles. Each planet was assigned certain archetypal qualities that could be broadly described as either growth or decay oriented (always with a complex system of contextual factors that might change their expression). These …
Weekend Astrology Forecast
A few simple things to watch for over the weekend:* Currently there are five planets in fire signs, so watch for the elemental themes of fire: action, inspiration, motivation, temper, anger, reaction, aggression, courage, decisiveness, impulse, animation and life force, excitement, and passion. In the traditional elemental scheme of the early astrologers the element of fire was at the top of the elemental sphere, sitting high above the earth. The fiery place was a kind of ethereal zone where …
Mars Retrograde Meets Jonah and the Whale
For today's horoscope let's take another look at the upcoming Mars' retrograde.During my prayer and meditation time this morning I revisited the very short but powerful book of Jonah from the Old Testament. To recap the story, Jonah is commissioned by God to prophesy and preach to a city filled with immorality. But instead of following the commission Jonah runs away and boards a ship. While he's on the ship a big storm comes and while everyone is throwing things overboard to lighten the load, …
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Cooling the Flames of a Mars Retrograde
Let's take a deeper look at Mars' retrograde today.Currently Mars is just 18 days away from turning retrograde in the sign of Sagittarius. Meanwhile Saturn has also turned retrograde in Sagittarius, and sitting sandwiched between Mars and Saturn is the heart of the Scorpion star, Antares. This line up emphasizes the more extreme, Mars like qualities in the upcoming weeks. Saturn being incredibly slow right now and right there in the mix doesn't exactly lighten the load either. So what should we …
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Mars Retrograde and Spiritual Warfare
This morning as I was in my prayer and meditation time, which this year involves a revisiting of various biblical texts, I was thinking about the upcoming Mars' retrograde and I was inspired to revisit a passage from the very end of Paul's letter to the Ephesians. When I was seventeen years old I had the chance to actually visit Ephesus, which is located in Turkey. Revisiting Paul's letter this morning I was taken back to the gates of the beautiful library in the heart of the city, and I was …
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Why is the Sun Exalted in Aries?
The Sun is said to be exalted in Aries and depressed in Libra. Meanwhile Saturn is exalted in Libra and depressed in Aries. What does this mean and what can we learn from it this Aries season?First we have to understand the difference between the Sun and Saturn. Whereas the Sun is life giving, moderate, and warming, Saturn is dry, cold, and degenerative or life depleting. Whereas the Sun represents growth, Saturn decay, whereas the Sun represents the fullness of youth or adulthood, Saturn is …
Easter and the Sun’s Day!
The Moon is in late Scorpio this morning, and Jesus is on the loose!Happy Easter!Sitting in the little United Methodist church up the street from my house this morning I was reminded of the simplest astrological associations between my Christian roots and my current profession.* Easter happens at the Spring Equinox, the entry into the light half of the year* Sunday is the Sun's day, and we celebrate the ending of one week and the beginning of another, a theme that echoes the Easter story of …
The Overwhelm of a Mutable T-Square
Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn are making a t-square in the sky right now. Let's take another look at this complex aspect pattern:* Too many things, I've got too many things!The t-square is happening in the mutable signs, perhaps emphasizing the presence of multiple responsibilities, jobs, tasks, burdens, visions, and goals happening at once. How do we decide how to prioritize our time, money, and physical energy? How do we determine where to focus our efforts for the future? What needs to get …
Mutable T-Square
The Moon is in Libra this morning, just about to enter Scorpio. Meanwhile Venus is opposite Jupiter and entering into a square with a stationed Saturn in Sagittarius, and the Sun is trine with Mars.What to watch for:* Design work (Venus/Saturn)* Designs/decoration/artwork meant to teach, instruct, or express the power of belief or idea (Venus/Saturn in Sagittarius)* The desire to create something but having limited knowledge, resources, or ability (Venus/Saturn)* The modest beginnings of a big …
Smoking the Outer Planetary Pipe
The Moon is in Libra today, making a sextile to Saturn and then moving into the Uranus/Pluto square. Meanwhile Saturn has stationed and will turn retrograde by Saturday.Every time the Moon passes through a cardinal sign and activates the Uranus/Pluto square I notice similar things happening. Often there is the feeling of getting overwhelmed by something, dark thoughts, a particularly chaotic day that seems chok full of deeper meaning or symbolism, synchronicities, freudian slips that hang in the …
Saturn Stationing to Turn Retrograde
Happy Lunar Eclipse day everyone!The Moon is just past full, and Mercury is currently at the heart of the Sun (cazimi). Meanwhile Saturn is slowing down to station and will turn retrograde by this weekend, the Jupiter/Saturn square is nearly exact, and Venus is moving into a square and opposition with Saturn and Jupiter in the next few days.I woke up this morning feeling as though the eclipse had already happened yesterday. Nonetheless the eclipse will be lingering for the rest of this week as …