Blue Neptune: NASA’s Voyager 2 took the above image of Neptune, a planet to which Astrologers ascribe the characteristics of idealism, spirituality, and compassion — but also at times, deception. Neptune rules Pisces — a sign of old souls, wisdom, and mystics. In Mythology, Neptune is the God of the sea, and water has long been a symbol of the emotions and subconscious.

Astro-Weekend Update…

As the weekend rolls in, we see a busy day in the heavens on Saturday with the Moon squaring off with two planets, Pluto (Transformation) interacting with both the Moon and Mercury, plus four more emotional interactions led by the Moon. Whew.  Your key to get through what tensions may come is to be guided by intuition toward new plans that are right for you, personally.  Focus on the transforming power of communication — and remember that Listening is a key communication tactic.

“Why is tension good?  It often brings focus and inspires the energy you need to proceed and succeed.”

Sunday dawns with an emotional harmony in the area of Communication, while the Sun (Personality) works in trine with Mars (Initiative) to provide the energy to get things done. Talk about it… then go out and do it.  Meanwhile there appears to be something blocking growth in your life — now you have the right energy to learn what it is (engage in Communication and Listen), deal with it and make progress on your goals.

Monday starts the week with two emotional trines working in the area of Spiritual Health. There’s a bit of romance in the air too, as the Moon shows harmony with Venus.  Could be a good evening for a casual date.  And, we see Mars working in harmony with Saturn to set up the energy for you to take initiative on practical matters.  At work this could be a new process that saves time, and at home a new utilities agreement (cable rates are falling) that saves money.

Some good tension aspects appear on Tuesday in the areas of Spirituality — Neptune shows stress with both the Moon and Mercury. Why is tension good?  It often brings focus and inspires the energy you need to proceed and succeed.  Today, you can apply it to help learn why you may have a personal block with limitations.  Make sure your communication is checked so that you remain objective and are careful not to be deceived.  Are you feeling held-back in some way?  Can you get creative and work around the block?  Use your strength of spirit to address the issue.

While in reality the Earth goes in an orbit around the Sun, it seems from the Earth that the Sun moves over the ecliptic (red) on the celestial dome.

Welcome to Friday. The Heavens are active today with the Moon working well with Jupiter and Mars, but squaring off with Pluto. This configuration sets up energy for you to take some initiative on expansion plans at work, but then there’s a hitch in the effort since funding is not available for renewal. Also today, Saturn and Jupiter are showing tension with each other which also reflects the idea of restriction versus expansion. These are natural in normal times, and more so in a down economy. On the one hand, you need to grow to survive, while on the other, you feel like you need to play it safe. In relationships, there are times when staying comfortable — keeping things the way they are — feels right, even though one partner wants to take it to the next level. If you stay where you are — you’ll never get to where you must go.

“The spiritual tension you may have been feeling, can be resolved through prayer, and action based on careful consideration.”

Earlier in the week, the Moon was happy with Pluto — the planet of transformation and renewal. How can you use this feeling of progress to help you both at work and at home? The Moon was also mingling with Uranus to bring a feeling of new ideas to light It’s the end of January, and a good time to solidify your plans for the new year… so use that energy wisely. The Moon is also working well with Mercury (Communication) today so you may have a good feeling about a chat or talk you had with someone important to you. But, remember we are still in Mercury Retrograde (through 2/1), a time caution in communication and negotiation. Talk is good, but giving it time to double-check the important points before taking action… is better.

On Saturday, the Moon (Emotions) is showing stress with Neptune (Spirituality), but also working in harmony with the Sun (Personality). Sound like a complex package of influences? Perhaps. But then when you consider the human psyche — a bundle of ego, superego, subconscious, mental, and spiritual elements — the heavens often run parallel to our own internal churning. Does this mean we can predict all things coming at us in the future? Not even close — but we can look at patterns, “pulls” and influences. So as the weekend begins, don’t gloss over that higher matter that is speaking to you from your God center… embrace it. It has a message for you that will require discernment to see through any illusions.

On Sunday, as February rolls in, our emotional self is set for healing. How so? The spiritual tension you may have felt yesterday, may be resolved through prayer, and action based on careful consideration. If you can get over the stress of talking about it with someone close to you… that may be the exact step you need to take. Often good communication, even about the tougher subjects, leads to the resolution and transformation you seek. Remember two things: the truth will out; and the truth will set you free. Talk about it, then you can move forward.

The relative size of the planets are shown in this image — a composite of actual planetary photos by NASA. Note the Moon is smallest, but also closest to the earth, with the Sun so large only a small part of it is shown at top.

We made it to the weekend, and Saturday sees the Moon (Emotions) at play with three celestial bodies. It’s in a favorable position with Mercury (Communication) and Uranus (Inventiveness) which gives you a feeling of exploration, and also trying things out. Maybe you will take on a new project in the workshop or den. You could also get inventive in your romance… a little role play, anyone? At the same time, the Moon is in a stressful position with Saturn (Structure). This can be to your good, since to be inventive, you have to “think out of the box.”

“But under it all runs the current of emotions in the realm of the subconscious. And that, is what the Moon is all about.”

This past week, we celebrated Earth Day. Astrologically speaking, the Earth is still the center of the Universe, since all of the Zodiac influences come from a circular mandala of planetary influences in our heavens. What’s interesting is that we think of how all of the celestial bodies — the Sun, the Moon, the Planets — affect us on Earth. But we don’t spend a lot of time reflecting on how the Earth itself affects, influences, and sustains us. Climate sure makes a difference in our lives, doesn’t it? Ok… how does Earth awareness affect your job, your family, and your relationships?

Half way through the week, and Venus (Romance) squared off with Mars (Initiative) to make for an interesting Wednesday. When ever a water (Venus) mixes with fire (Mars) there’s bound to be some steam. How do you blow off steam? Do you have a healthy way to turn on the steam escape valve? Exercise, meditation, and maybe a get away are in order. Feeling competitive? That’s ok in the best spirit of ingenuity at work… but don’t let that spirit ruin your relationships.

On Friday, the Moon (emotions) was working hard in the heavens (again) — it forms an alliance with Venus (Love) for good feelings toward your coworkers, family, and in your romantic relationship. The Moon is also squaring off with Uranus (Inventiveness), which can create a feeling that going with something new is not the right thing to do right now. You may find yourself at odds with a group that puts out progressive ideas. That’s ok if you have good supporting reasons to back up your position. You can walk away from any conflict by concentrating on those loving feelings — pop in your favorite CD and enjoy the vibes.

Have you noticed the Moon’s important role in affecting day to day life? Most people focus on Sun signs and their influence (“what’s your sign” Astrology). That’s important too — the sign you are born under goes a long way toward determining key personality traits. But under it all runs the current of emotions in the realm of the subconscious. And that, is what the Moon is all about. Enjoy your weekend.

Astrologers Studying an Eclipse, a 1571 painting by Antoine Caron, oil on panel

Happy Weekend and Good Friday. One aspect on Saturday, is that the Moon (emotions) is in position to challenge Jupiter (Growth), so you have an opportunity to look at any feelings that are holding you back from where you need to go. Emotional intelligence is one thing, but feelings are also known to block people — fear is a good example. That’s one service Astrology does for us — bringing to our attention things we can look at so we can get past them instead of leaving them rumbling at the subconscious level.

“God is hope, God is light, and God is truth. And the Truth will set you free.”

A lot in Astrology is about “archetypes.” For instance, the Sun (Personality) is in Pisces now, which is noted for the archetypes of the Mystic, the Dreamer, the Story Teller. Archetypes are models for a personality type, and what they say about motivation, has a lot to do with the actual behavior you observe. So, under Pisces energy, you can take some time to dream your dreams, and when you manifest them — weave a story about it. It’s ok if people see you as the Dreamer, as long as you can come back to earth long enough to bring those dreams into reality.

Jupiter and Saturn were in position this week to get us to face the truth. Most of us value the truth. Many of us block certain parts of it from ourselves for a time. You should welcome this opportunity to be set free. The work of blocking truth doesn’t really get us anywhere and requires a lot of energy that goes wasted. There’s no way around it — no shortcut. That’s the truth. God is hope, God is light, and God is truth. And the Truth will set you free.

It is interesting that the Moon (emotions) often plays a bigger role in aspects which affect our days than the Sun (personality), which most people focus on regarding their horoscopes. On Wednesday, the Moon was dancing with Mars (intiative) to bring a feeling that you can get things done today. Bring it. It was also in favorable position with Neptune (ideals) to heighten the sense that you can reach for your dreams. As with most opportunities, there is a flipside — caution that your enthusiasm doesn’t blind you so you shoot right by the truth. Bring it down to earth, and think logically about things before making important decisions.

What can we learn from rigidity? On Friday (3/21) the Sun (personality) forms a square with Pluto (Renewal) — a position that creates a sort of celestial tug-of-war. This can mean that your ego, or someone close to you, is holding you back from what you need to get done. You know, “digging in your heels?” Here’s a good meditation: what lasts longer and gets more done, the ocean (fluidity), or a rock cliff (rigidity). So, your challenge is to go with the flow, even if it means shutting down the ego a bit.

That good old Moon of ours was full last weekend. What can be its influence on our lives? Most know of the Moon’s affect on the tides of the ocean, and that it also stabilizes the orbit of the Earth. So if the Earth can feel it, and be changed by it — then it can reach into us, can it not? In Astrology, the Moon has been said to represent feelings, emotions, and the subconscious. So now that the Moon is Waning (in it’s fourth quarter), watch for insights in the week ahead.

“This is the first week of the Sun in Sagittarius, and the energy of that sign is both fun-loving and truth-loving…”

Are you focused on what you need to do? Sometimes, all that energy from the full moon can “get you going” a little too fast. As you head into your work week… take a look around you, and pause to gather your breath. Think more in terms of “quality time” both on the job and in your relationships to stay with what is important this week. This is the first week of the Sun in Sagittarius, and the energy of that sign is both fun-loving and truth-loving — that seems like an excellent mix for the kick-off of the holiday season.

What tools do you use to resolve conflict? We’re in the Zodiac time of Sagittarius (Happy Birthday Sagittarians), and Astrologers agree that this sign has a certain tug & pull associated with it. Generally speaking this is the struggle and tension between the higher and lower self that so many of us face, no matter the sign to which we are born. Just remember this need not spell crisis, but rather opportunity in your life, since this is part of becoming an adult and growing into a good citizen in your culture. How can you tame the beast within? Look to the Spirit, and call upon God to help.