markspringle.com

Saturday, October 16, 3:00-5:00 pm

MARK SPRINGLE presents

“MASTERING DESIRE WITH VENUS RETROGRADE IN SCORPIO”

The Bodhi Tree Bookstore

8585 Melrose Avenus

West Hollywood, CA  90069

Venus rules relationships, love, money, and talent. Retrograde Venus has a message for every one of us, showing us where we need to work on ourselves, remodel our expectation and core beliefs, or where we should reinvent ourselves altogether. This transit is an intensely personal experience, repeating a pattern at 8 year intervals.

Scorpio is the sign we associate with deep, hidden desires, which oddly enough, we are driven to share but also deathly afraid to reveal. Venus and Scorpio make strange bedfellows, but the combination can also create the fulfillment of our desires.

This workshop will demonstrate how to harness and direct this energy by discussing the charts of the preregistered attendees.

Workshop: $25  OR   save $5: only $20 with Preregistration

To pre-register: please send an email with your birth day, time, and place to markspringle@gmail.com

For Info & Preregistration: 305.401.8863 or markspringle@gmail.com

A Pay-Pal link will find its way to you!

Mastering Desire with Venus Retrograde in Scorpio

Venus rules relationships, love, money, and talent. Retrograde Venus has a message for every one of us, showing us where we need to work on ourselves, remodel our expectation and core beliefs, or where we should reinvent ourselves altogether. This transit is an intensely personal experience, repeating a pattern at 8 year intervals. Scorpio is the sign we associate with deep, hidden desires, which oddly enough, we are driven to share but also deathly afraid to reveal. Venus and Scorpio make strange bedfellows, but the combination can also create the fulfillment of our desires.

By the way, Venus will be conjuncting my natal Mercury and MC this day, opposing my Moon and Saturn! I should have some very deep, interesting, and scandalous things to say, if you believe everything you hear about astrology.. LOL

I’ll be available for readings in the DC area (Logan Circle) Mon-Wed 9.13-15, and of course, I am always available by phone. Email me at markspringle@gmail.com to schedule.

Sponsored by the DC Astrology MeetUp Group

Bring your chart to share if you want.

New location - The Vegetable Garden 11618 Rockville Pike, across from the White Flint Metro,
plenty of free parking in front of the restaurant.
Free, pay for what you eat and drink.
www.thevegetablegarden.com

Dear Friends,

What can we expect for the week ahead? Well, rewind the clocks to May 2010. At that time Uranus was occupying the last degree of the zodiac, 29 Pisces. On Saturday, August 14th, Uranus will re-enter this degree and continue to retrograde all the way back to 27 degrees Pisces. On December 6th, Uranus will station and move forward again, re-tracing these same degrees until it returns to the retrograde degree of 1 Aries in mid-March 2011. Basically, we are entering a Groundhog Day (a la Bill Murray) scenario where we get to re-live the drama of March - early July 2010. A retrograde planet always gives us a second chance to rethink, review, or redo something. Retrograde periods are great for internalizing lessons that we may not have gotten the first time around.

The last degree of Pisces is the most difficult of the zodiac, because it requires us to relinquish something to which we are attached. As with smoking, alcohol, and sexy strangers – not to mention a host of other things – we are often attracted to things which cause us problems or hold us back. Uranus at 29 Pisces will take away the thing that holds us back the most, which is also more than likely the one thing we are holding on to the tightest.  Michael Lutin calls 29 Pisces the “Weeping Degree.”  Think back to May 2010 and see how this may fit your experience. Do you need to re-examine those issues, re-integrate the lesson, or review your progress?

On a brighter note, Saturn will be in the early degrees of Libra for this review, instead of the difficult last degrees of Virgo where he was in May. Saturn in late Virgo was demanding that we adjust, whether or not we wanted to. Saturn is now in early Libra bringing our attention to the need to relate to the other people in our lives. Libra requires the formation of the “we” consciousness, according to Isabel Hickey, and we must now make the private more public in the sense that we need to work through our issues together, to communicate and negotiate, to share that which we may kept secret or under wraps.

The ruler of Libra is Venus.  Interestingly, she is spending time with Mars in her own sign, both having just passed Saturn last week. Venus is the feminine principle and Mars is the masculine principle. This brings further emphasis on the need to relate, to balance, to negotiate, and the concept of “give and take.” No man or woman is an island, and now more than ever, we need to embrace the relationships in our lives – all of them, without taking them for granted. The importance of the people we take for granted or don’t especially “love,” like our bosses or co-workers - or noisy neighbors, for example - will become clear as soon as we lose our jobs and homes. Won’t it be terrible to learn this lesson the hard way? I am not saying that you have to invite every person you see on a daily basis over for dinner, but give them the respect and the courtesy they are due, no more, and certainly no less. Be nice to your servers when you eat out. Smile and say “Thank You,” when the cashier hands you your change. A little love goes a long way, and what we send out comes back.

As Porky Pig says, ‘That’s all Folks!” A simple message delivered with love and the hope that we can all avoid learning this lesson the hard way!

m

PS:  I’ll be at the Bodhi Tree in LA on October 16th @ 3p.  Preregister and save!  email me at markspringle@gmail.com

Dear Friends,

Wow! What a week we have just had… Maybe even two weeks! The Cardinal Climax or Crisis or whatever we want to call it peaked this past week. Mars and Venus joined Saturn in Libra opposing both Uranus and Jupiter in Aries, all squared by Pluto in Capricorn. Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? It is. But, we can boil it down to a rather simple maxim: it is time for us all to start anew, to embrace the necessity to make some changes, to learn that nothing stays the same, and that nothing should. My husband commented to me this week that he was reminded not to take anything for granted, because all things can change so quickly. The balance of our lives can be very fragile, and it is a good idea to appreciate everything we have every day, because tomorrow, it could be gone… or at least very different.

On Monday, Venus will join Saturn at 1 Libra just before the New Moon in Leo at 11p EST. Saturn is exalted in Libra, meaning that Saturn’s power to teach and to build structure is especially powerful in Libra, the sign we associate with relationships, balance, and harmony. Saturn in Libra reminds us that our relationships to each other, and finding balance in our lives, is where our treasures lie. Venus rules Libra and is very happy to be back home, sitting on her own throne, so to speak. Together, these two planets bring much opportunity to create a balancing act, or force, or opportunity in our lives. Does this mean that every experience will be lovely, harmonious, or feel good? Ummm, no. It does mean that every experience will contain the seed to help us restore balance and harmony, though. We remain responsible for our own experience of these situations and I cant help but think of the Shakespeare quote I use so frequently: “‘Tis nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

The New Moon at 17 Leo is not significantly aspected, and since Leo is ruled by the Sun and the Sun and Moon are sitting together, we are reminded that our solar and lunar natures really need to be in sync with each other. This follows the precedent set by Saturn in Libra, as well as reinforcing the need for the inner and the outer, the passive and the active, the masculine and the feminine in our natures to be balanced. This lesson will be played out through October 8^th as Venus (the passive, feminine principle) and Mars (the active, masculine principle) move together through the signs of Libra and Scorpio until Venus turns retrograde. Leo was occupied by Mars from Oct 2009 until early June 2010, asking us to become clear about where our passions lie. Leo rules the heart, so Leo energy asks us to operate with dignity, honesty, passion, and love. Given the tumultuous nature of the world right now, it makes sense that having a clear connection to our passions, embracing love, and always communicating honestly and acting with dignity will enable us to navigate this rough terrain with the most success. This New Moon will be the opportunity to embrace our passion both as a source of protection and a source of strength. Love conquers all.

m

Dear Friends,

There is a showdown happening in our lives this week.  We are all being called to the table to account for ourselves.  Saturn and Uranus are in opposition, with Pluto squaring both.  Saturn in Libra is bringing our attention to the concepts of harmony and balance.  Because all good relationships are balanced, Libra is said to rule relationships.  (Yes, dear Virgo, there is another reasons why, but one is enough for today.)  Whether at home or at work, whether with friends or with lovers, there is a strain on our relationships or a strain on the people with whom we have relationships.  What’s difference, really, when you get down to the nitty gritty?

The placement of the signs and planets in each person’s chart will show us where the tension is playing out, but for all of us, there is tension.  The area of each chart where the drama is playing out is the house ruled by Cancer.  Somehow, some way, we are struggling with the Cancer archetype in our lives.  There is a person or situation which we may want to control, protect, or nourish — most likely all three!  There may also be a strong desire to bury ourselves in a hole for safety, in order to protect ourselves from a perceived threat.  The most recent New Moon was in Cancer, and it was also a Solar Eclipse. A solar eclipse is an invitation to embrace a new way of dealing with that particular energy or archetype in our lives.  However we have been manifesting the energy of Cancer in our lives, we have been offered a chance to work with it differently, to adopt new ways of implementing it, to learn new ways to employ it.

Perhaps you can see how doing something differently relates to the balancing of an energy.  I once had a Libra client who had some issues with rigidity.  He wasn’t flexible in thought or deed, and he suffered greatly because he couldn’t be flexible when it was necessary, which we all know is fairly often.  He felt like much of his life was a battle, which it was because he was never willing to compromise.  The stress became so great that he had a heart attack.  He came to me afterwards, scared for his health and worried about the future.

During our chat, he told me he went for a walk every day.  He also told me that he walked the same route, every day, at the same hour.  Walking the same route at the same time every day, he became so desensitized to the sights along the way that he didn’t even see them anymore.  He may as well have been sitting in a dark room.  For me, this was symbolic of the larger issues at hand.  My advice to him: take new routes, try not to repeat the routes, and walk at different times of the day.  I also asked him to pay attention to what he saw and whether or not these new strolls produced new ideas or emotions.  I never heard from him again.  Ahhhh… such is the life of an astrologer.  Sometimes we hear back from people and sometimes we do not.  I have always wondered if he made an effort to take my advice, and how it worked for him if he did.  Even without feedback, I know it was good advice.

My point is that he had no concept of balance.  Everything had to be his way or no way.  Well, good luck with that!  I’ll bet even Oprah has to compromise sometimes.  My advice to you: try another route, another time, another way of manifesting your Cancer energy.  Be open where you have been controlling, be more rigid where you have been too flexible, be more cautious where you have been bold, be more bold where you have been overly cautious.  We are all unique, there is no panacea.  Experiment while you have the luxury of doing so.  What do you have to loose?  We always have the option (indeed, the curse!) of going back to our default.  Good luck in your efforts to fight that: change is never easy, especially for Cancer.  But whether or not it is easy is beside the point.  It is necessary.

Mars joined Saturn in Libra Friday, July 30, and Venus will join Saturn on Saturday, Aug 7.  Gary Caton has written a fantastic article on the significance if the Venus-Saturn conjunction.  I hope you will read it.  Mars and Venus act like triggers, setting off energy that has been planted previously.  The cardinal t-square of Saturn opposing Uranus and Jupiter, with Pluto squaring both was exact this past Monday, July 26, and now we have Mars and Venus creating a very personal experience of the inter-personal and trans-personal formation of these planets.

Mercury is in his shadow, preparing for a retrograde from Aug 21 at 19 Virgo through Sept 12 at 6 Virgo.  Mercury always has a message, and in Virgo his message is to pay attention to the details.  Schedule yourselves appropriately, and make sure not put yourselves in a position to sign contracts or make large purchases during his time.  There are always exceptions, but they are the exception, not the rule.

The Leo New Moon is August 10th at 18 Leo.  Leo is the sign between Cancer and Virgo.  It acts as a bridge that connects our need for safety and survival with our more social instincts to serve and interact with society.  Leo is the source of our pride and the expression of our talents, our ability to lead, to receive recognition, and to be creative.  Unfortunately, the shadow side of Leo can be arrogant, rigid, and refuse to accept direction.  The choice is always ours to make.

We are treading in treacherous water right now, for sure.  As with all Saturn-Uranus oppositions, there is a need to deal with old problems in new ways. There is also a need to accept the tried, when it has proven to be true.  Lets not throw the baby out with the bath water would be a good thing to keep in mind.  The Pluto square to Uranus (which will be the hallmark of the next 6 years) demands a radical evolution of the individual, his/her role in society, and the societal forms upon which s/he depends.

As Bob Dylan famously sang, “The times, they are a changin’”

with love

m

Dear Friends,

Its finally here: the mathematically exact day of the Cardinal Cross, or Cardinal Climax, or Cardinal T-Square, or whatever you want to call it.  Monday, July 26th is the day that Saturn and Uranus will oppose at 1 degree Libra-Aries (rounded to the nearest degree), with Jupiter conjuncting Uranus and Pluto squaring all from 4 Capricorn.  Much has been written, many people have had dire predictions, and many more have been in a constant state of alarm or panic over the significance of this alignment.  It is important to remember that everything that is happening, or that will happen or has happened, is part of a much larger history.  Perspective and context are everything, as have seen in the media this past week with Shirley Sherrod.

The evening before this alignment becomes exact, we will have a Full Moon at 3 degrees Aquarius.  Full Moons bring information, they show us where we are or how well we are doing in the area highlighted by the sign.  Aquarius is the sign we associate with community, humanitarian concerns, and technology.  I think it is fair to say that we will receive the message that we have more progress to make in these areas.  For example, there has been much attention lately to the fact that very little of the money and resources donated to the Haitian people has actually made it to those for whom it is intended.  Despite our belief in and reliance upon technology, the Gulf Oil Crisis is still raging, whether or not the valve holds.  And let’s face it, with the economy in shambles, communities all across the US are suffering as home values and jobs disappear, along with playgrounds, libraries, schools, and fire departments.

Aquarius is ruled by Saturn in the ancient tradition, and by Uranus in the modern tradition, and as we know, these two planets have been opposing each other since November 2008.  The basis of any Saturn-Uranus opposition is the need to upgrade the status quo where it has become outdated, ineffectual, or restrictive to the continued development of the entity in question.  With this in mind, we can see the sign of Aquarius is acting as a container for this battle, much the way a child of divorcing parents might internalize the battle between her wars parents.  Jupiter, Neptune, and Chiron spent much of 2009 together in the late degrees of Aquarius, and Neptune and Chiron are still keeping company there now.  Many people expected great healing to occur, but I cautioned that deeper wounding was also likely.   Stepping back, I believe the latter has been the most obvious outcome to date, although there remains hope that if the wounding is deep enough, people will have to acknowledge the breakdown and a shift in consciousness can occur to allow this healing to begin…perhaps it already has.  Sometimes when we are so close to something, we cannot see it well.

Many people fear change, and this fear becomes crystallized in the groups and organizations that these fearful people create for themselves.  Once this system is in place, those in positions of leadership are loathe to loose their power and they resist change all the more, not only out of fear of change itself, but out of their desire to maintain their power and its attendant perks.  We see this playing out not only with the incumbents who are fighting to keep their seats in Congress, but in the way that corporate entities like Big Business and Big Finance effectively manipulate the US government through lobbies and campaign donations.  Of course, all of this trickles downhill to even the smallest levels of local government.  My local community of 3000 homes is often used as model of corruption in South Florida, especially with regards to the police department.  Go figure.  Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Capricorn rules government, structure, hierarchies, and authority.  Pluto, the planet of radical transformation and evolution, entered Capricorn in January 2008, just in advance of the first Saturn-Uranus opposition, to begin its 17 year process of purging, cleaning out, and transforming the systems ruled by Capricorn.  As the innovative newcomers challenge the old guard, as the incumbents fight for their political lives, Pluto is slowly digging up the dirt and exposing the injustices inherent in all systems that arent allowed to develop and evolve freely.  As Saturn and Uranus battle it out, Pluto exposes abuses on either side without remorse or romance.  Liberals and Conservatives, Democrats, Republicans, and Tea Party folks have all taken their licks, and there will be many more to come.  Housing, finance, jobs, the economy and the environment:  nothing is safe as long as growth, change, and evolution are stifled.

Libra is ruled by Venus, who is occupying Virgo, the sign Saturn has just left.  Virgo, freshly remodeled, is the sign we associate with health, adjustment, and critical thinking.  No stone is left unturned when Virgo is in the house.  Venus makes this energy introspective, reminding us that the need to face our fears and allow the necessary changes to happen is part of taking good care of ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities. How can expect the world to different if we are not willing to be different?

Now is the time to embrace change, to embrace evolution, to embrace the notion that the future can be brighter if we are willing to adjust to the demands of time and growth.  Change and charity begin at home, so let’s all make the changes we need to make on a personal level, and then direct that energy uphill for a revolution of evolution from our local communities right up to Congress, the White House, and the UN.  This is the real power of Uranus in Aries working with Pluto in Capricorn, backed by Saturn in Libra.

with love,

m