Mercury, captured from Mariner 7, shows a pock-marked surface, similar to our Moon.

On Monday, January 28th, Mercury went Retrograde in Libra. This is a most beautiful diplomatic placement for Retrograde because as most of you know, “Retro” means to Red-Do, or ReVisit — and for this particular Retrograde negotiations are quite favored next week. What this means for everyone is to be sure to ask for what you want, and be direct about it. You will be well respected for knowing exactly what you want, so get busy thinking about exactly what that is.

“…the eyes are known as the windows to the soul – the same soul that feels the pull of earth and of the heavens.”

Mercury Retrograde affects communications, so it’s good to remember that experts on the subject say that there are four messages given each time we communicate. What we mean to say. What we actually say. What the receiver hears us say. What the receiver (the other person in the communication) thinks it means. The last part can have a lot to do with our body language and the emotions and intonations that go along with spoken communication. And remember that Mercury in Retrograde disrupts communications, so pay special attention to the four messages, and how you can sort them out. How? Check to see if you’ve understood correctly by asking if what you think the communication means, is actually what the person speaking meant to say.

And on Wednesday, Jan. 30th, the Mars goes Direct adding its fiery passion to the mix of influences here on earth. You need to sharpen your focus on written and verbal communication in your career and personal life. What about subliminal communication? Every watch someone’s eyes carefully? They can tell you a lot. According to communication experts, blinking fast usually means a person is nervous — and peoples’ passions could be up this week. Eye contact regulates conversations, shows interest or involvement, and establishes a connection with others — in our culture. Dilated pupils indicate greater affection or attraction, while constricted pupils send a colder signal — usually a signal that your brain picks up subliminally. But you can tune in consciously and use what you see to help you understand what is being communicated. And of course, the eyes are known as the windows to the soul – the same soul that feels the pull of earth and of the heavens.

Mars coming back to “Direct” (it visually proceeds forward in its path through the skies), puts its fierce passions at work this week, and along with the Last Quarter Moon (Weds. Jan. 30th), this combination makes for a time to learn about what you truely care about. Give it some time — sleep on it. Then proceed with careful, clear communication — Mercury (Communication) in Retrograde now, means that you need to double-check the messages you are putting out. Get in touch with your feelings, get yourself together, and go forward like a skilled negotiator, to seek your opportunities.

The Moon interacts with different planets, and the affect is gauged in Astrology by the Angle and alignments between them.

Have you seen the old blue and white full Moon in the clear, crisp January nights? It went full yesterday (Tuesday), in Leo a sign that is focused on the self. Meanwhile, the Sun is now in Aquarius, which takes itself less seriously. You therefore have a lot of energy for self indulgence, balanced by an interesting Aquarian objectivity. Will your friendship progress toward romance? Part of you wants that, while another part sees the bigger picture and wonders where it might lead. On Wednesday, the Moon (emotion) “opposes” Mercury (Communication) which can put you in a bind for what to say about the dilemma you feel between what you want in the short term versus what you see for the long term. You can find a way to turn this into an opportunity, with the right dash of introspection.

“The Moon (emotion), facing off with Mars (passion) creates some emotional fire that can ignite a romance.”

On Thursday, 1/24, one of the things happening in the heavens is a conjunction of Venus (Love) with Pluto (transformation). When planets are in conjunction, their energies can act on each other in quite intense ways. And, the propostion of Astrology is that energy generated in the Cosmos has its impact on Earth. So… put Love, and Transformation together, and what do you get? A couple of possibilities: passions become stronger as the need to move forward compels intense feelings of love/friendship, and that a love/friendship relationship is headed into a new phase as it evolves. The key is to let Pluto’s metamorphing energy guide you rationally through all the new feelings.

This weekend, the good old Moon, now in a powerful but waning stage, has decided to “square” two planets — both Mars and Pluto. Squares (the relative position of two or more planets), can create some tension, and also some great opportunities. The Moon (emotion), facing off with Mars (passion) creates some emotional fire that can ignite a romance. And with the Moon and Pluto (renewal), squaring off, we can see that deep feelings again come into play with potential for a transformation. So between friends and lovers you’re likely to feel some things that move you — and your relationship — to the next level. Go with it… but don’t let your emotions get the best of you. Take what time you need to think it all through.

Above, Venus and the Moon are seen moving into “conjunction” (center) — close proximity to one another (courtesy of the Wikimedia Commons).

As the Moon grows full (it’s in a “Waxing Gibbous” phase now — 86% of Full), you should feel its energy gathering about you this weekend and into the next week when it turns Full (Tues. 1/22). The Moon also “trines” (lines up at 120 degrees) Neptune on Saturday, which makes for some really dreamy potentialities. This is a good time to go off on an adventure. It’s a good time for lovers to explore fantasies. Be careful that all this romancing and imaginary play-time doesn’t take you too far out of “reality” — keep at least one foot grounded on good old Earth.

“Venus (Love) paired with Pluto (Renewal) offers you a good opportunity to work through relationship struggles to get to a new phase.”

Another thing happening in the heavens Sunday, 1/20, is that the Sun moves into Aquarius, a creative, and freedom loving sign. This can be a time when you will embrace change, and in these days of high-technology, change is an everyday thing. Remember, this is the age of Aquarius, so as you work through your New Year’s resolutions it will be good to think about creative ways to approach your career, family, and relationships.

Two more interesting celestial events happen this week, when Mercury conjuncts Neptune (Tuesday) and Venus conjuncts Pluto (Wednesday). Conjunctions are an event noted by both Astronomers and Astrologers, and it means that the two planets are seen close together from Earth. In Astrology, the planets in conjunction both act together and upon one another. So, for us this brings Mercury (Communication), and Neptune (Imagination) together, and we can use the combine energy to work on, present, and tell others about creative projects. Venus (Love) paired with Pluto (Renewal) offers you a good opportunity to work through relationship struggles to get to a new phase. Put the two together, romantic wise, and on Tuesday, when you speak about some creative notions you have for your relationship, this can be the catalyst to break you out of the lull you’ve been in. It might feel like a bit of a struggle, but everything that is born anew does for a brief time. Rely on your strength of Spirit and walk with God.

Consider how this clock, in Prague, tracks time, and Astrology — a mechanism which reveals and links the passing of the hours with celestial influences.

A lot of what Astrologers look at has to do with how two or more planets are positioned to each other, and how the tension between them — in the heavens — can exert an effect on us on Earth. Remember, the Moon can cause the tides. So other planets, some many times the size of the Moon, though at great distance, have their influence on us as well. Right now, one thing that is going on in the Zodiac, is that Venus is positioned to “square” (at a 90 degree angle) Uranus. This can create a tension in your relationships and with people close to you where you may have some different ideas about how to proceed, then they do.

“This is a time for emotional intelligence. Trust what your feelings are telling you.”

On Tuesday (01/15) of this week, the Moon “squares” the Sun in the heavens. Then, later in the week, Venus enters Aquarius. Again, a “square” creates a kind of celestial tug of war. And, when the Moon — ruler of emotions — has tension with the Sun — the light of your personality — you may see some emotions affecting your behavior. Deal with them. Remember: feel, deal, heal. That will get you ready for the planet of Love (Venus) entering the somewhat unpredictable sign of Aquarius. Deal with your emotions up front, then you can deal, much better, with any unexpected things that come up in your relationships later in the week.

On Thursday (01/17), a couple of interesting planetary configurations include the Moon squaring Neptune, and then we have a Moon trine Sun configuration this evening. This is nice for the emotional side of things where your gut instincts may be important in what you create today. Your emotions may again play a key role in how you are perceived tonight and tomorrow, as you can be sympathetic with friends and sweethearts. This is a time for emotional intelligence. Trust what your feelings are telling you.

On Friday (1/18) the Moon creates a little tension with the Sun, based on its position celestially. They are at an angle known in Astrology as a “sesquiquadrate.” This can result with your feelings being at odds with what your “head” is telling you. Logic versus emotions. Each have their value. Put it down on paper, and sleep on it overnight, before making a decision. Again, the Moons role in providing signals for our “emotional intelligence” comes into play. Trust your gut instinct once again, but make sure you don’t act irrationally. Of course there are other factors involved like your own individual personality, your horoscope, and the influences of other planets.

So, just like there’s a mechanism to the universe, with orbits and gravities affecting planet sized bodies… so there are gears of influence that encircle and work their wills on our lives.

Planets and Zodiac influence the World.

When you are interested in the “influence” of the Planets, Sun, Moon — the celestial bodies, just how do you believe they may influence you as an individual? Well, one way is the way the Moon influences the tides — with gravity. Gravity moves water, and our bodies are 90% water. But don’t the heavens influence your emotional and spiritual “bodies” too? I think so. Just as those parts of yourself are all integrated in your own personality, so too are the mechanics of the universe intrinsic to our emotional and spiritual selves. And understanding how that works, and what is happening with people close to you is what Astrology is all about.

“…the Moon enters Pisces this weekend (12th & 13th), and that means it’s a good time to move a little dream or two into a reality.”

How is your love life doing as the year starts its course? Venus, the planet of Love, is being tugged a bit by both Uranus and Saturn, themselves in a tense aspect to each other. This can bring about a good time for you to examine things. What has been on your nerves regarding your relationships? What is at the source of any tension? You may not want to “go there,” but facing it will help you clean your house and make for a good healthy Springtime.

Do you enjoy a good fantasy… in your real life? Well, the Moon enters Pisces this weekend (12th & 13th), and that means it’s a good time to move a little dream or two into a reality. And with Venus (the love planet) in Sagittarius, this potent combination makes for some intense romantic possibilities. Costume party, anyone? Saturday is better than Sunday for this, since Venus comes under the influence of Saturn on Sunday which can mean pulling back in your relationships. That’s alright — have fun Saturday, then enjoy some reflection time on Sunday.

Twelve constellations of the Zodiac in this Vienese work of art circa 1354.

It’s New Moon time, perfect for those new beginnings that are also called New Years Resolutions. Or, if you like, just take some time to think about what you need to make new, and renew in your relationships, in you career, and in your spiritual life. The energy is perfect for that right now.

“The Sun is in Capricorn, and so is Jupiter — something that occurs once every twelve years (there’s that number 12 again).”

Twelve months, twelve Zodiac signs, twelve houses in Astrology. Now we embark on the first month of the new year in a calendar aligned and synchronized with the heavens and celestial bodies. It is about cycles. It is about numbers. In numerology, twelve is reduced to three (one plus two — adding its digits together), which stands for communication and interaction. It is also a divine “trinity” and sacred number. But we are in the first month. And number one is about the individual — no wonder it’s a good time for affirmations, goal setting, and new year’s resolutions. How are those coming?

And so, we start the turning of the year again — the cycle of seasons. For things to cycle, you need a wheel — just look at the circle of the twelve constellations in astrology, and the 12 houses in a horoscope that together form the spokes of a great circle. The twelve months of our calendar, spinning season into season. That’s what do wheels do. They turn, as the planets turn in rotation around the Sun. Full circle. And the wheel of your own life revolves around your spheres of influence — family, career, romance, finance, spiritual. If you don’t find a still place of peace to meditate, it can seem like the blur of a carnival sometimes. How do you sort it all out?

The heavens are in an interesting configuration with a number of planets at unusual angles, called “septiles”, to one another… and this makes for a period of changes afoot. The Sun is in Capricorn, and so is Jupiter — something that occurs once every twelve years (there’s that number 12 again). Jupiter can “keep things real”, and so you can commit to your dreams for the year and see them manifest for you. New Moon this week is Tuesday Jan 8th… It’s a Sweet Saturn trend, and structure, stability and everything you’ve felt chaotic suddenly begins to smooth out and become more balanced and routine toward weeks end. So take change and run with it — do some planning, and try some new things. This month can bring you more than one opportunity for growth.

Happy New Year! Here comes 2008, ready or not — One Solar Year based on the Sun — and 2007 is passing away in the tide of time as 2008 approaches. Often people who scoff at Astrology say that the heavens really have no influence on us. Well they do on our calendar. Each year we celebrate one revolution of the Sun, marked by 12 months that work with the cycles of the Moon. It is how we mark time. It is just one way the celestial patterns influence the worldly ways of mankind.

“As you face things that could bring about changes in your life, you have an opportunity for a “turning point” where with wise choices, you can start off in some new directions in 2008.”

The year ahead looks like one filled with the usual communication challenges (watch for three Mercury Retrogrades — Jan. 28th, May 26th, and Sept. 24th), and retrogrades of Pluto, Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus and Saturn, each bringing challenges and interesting possibilities for your life. Remember that just as its time for caution when a planet goes retrograde, there are also opportunities when it’s over (when the planet goes “direct”). In Chinese astrology, this is the year of the “Rat”, a time for working hard, being active, and starting new enterprises. Wondering what’s your fate in 2008? Well, there’s always free will, so it will be up to you to make wise choices as you enjoy your year.

Celestially speaking, we are in a time of “oppositions” (two planets are in opposition to each other when their ecliptic longitudes differ by 180°), with Saturn opposing Neptune, and also opposing Uranus. This creates a bit of tension, magnified by the recent full moon. As you face things that could bring about changes in your life, you have an opportunity for a “turning point” where with wise choices, you can start off in some new directions in 2008.