markspringle.com

Hello All!

The key word for our experience right now is TRANSFORMATION. The planets are lining up in such a way that we are being called upon to transform our lives. It is no big secret that we need this transformation. Admitting that we need this transformation asserts our strength, not our weakness. Only the weak are unable to admit their shortcomings. Embracing the transformation illuminates our dedication to creating a better world for ourselves and our loved ones. Our society is floundering as it tries to fix many systems which are clearly broken. I am a big supporter of the “re-use, recycle” mantra, but at a certain point, we must face the fact that our plastic water bottle has a hole and that we need to replace it - preferably with a new bottle with a longer shelf life, meaning that it will serve our purposes better and create less waste.

How do we apply this principle to our lives? First of all, identify what IS working. If it aint broke, dont fix it! Next, identify what is NOT working, what is broken, what could work better, etc. These are the areas where we need to focus! The Sun, Mercury, and Venus are all in Aries, which is the most creative energy of the zodiac, so put this creative energy to good use! Aries is also the major self-starter of the universe, so there is no better time than the present to get busy! The Sun acts like a big battery, bringing lots of creative energy to this task. Mercury represents our thought processes, the ways we communicate, and our daily routines. We definitely need to get creative in these areas, because doing things the same old way just isn’t going to work anymore. Look at all of the support we have for this: the traditional banking system has failed, our mortgage system and economy have failed, the good old boy network in Washington failed to act before it was too late, and now all of this mess has been passed on to a new and decidedlyun -traditional President who was elected to the office by employing revolutionary campaign strategies. Venus is retrograde in Aries, reminding us that change starts at home, or more specifically, that we need to change ourselves before we can change the world. We must BE the change we want to see in the world. We can also remember these sayings: God helps those who help themselves, and Charity starts at home. The point here is that in order for change to be positive and lasting, it must happen organically, from the inside out.

Pluto is the planet which brings about this type of inner transformation. Pluto is currently at 3 degrees Capricorn squaring all of the creative, initiative energy of Aries. A square represents a challenge that must be overcome in order for the relationship between the planets involved to progress to the next and higher level. If the challenge is not met, then Pluto will simply destroy what is represented by the other planets, and those energies will have to rebuild themselves from the ashes. For this reason, we use the image of the Phoenix Rising to explain the energy of Pluto. The meaning of Pluto squaring Venus retrograde is very clear. Venus rules relationships, but when she is retrograde, she rules our relationship to ourselves. We must radically alter our own relation to our own Selves in order to evolve. Nothing stays the same. It either changes and thrives, or it withers and dies. This is the basic concept behind the theory of evolution. Pluto squaring Venus retrograde sends a clear message: The time for each of us to evolve has come. What evolution do each of us, as individuals, need to create within ourselves in order to ascend to the higher vision we have of ourselves?

The same is true for the areas of our lives represented by Mercury: thought, communication, daily routines, commutes, and anything else we do on a daily basis. Where in these processes is there a need for evolution? Where can we trim waste, create value, and increase our own personal satisfaction? Does it start with learning how to communicate better? Or perhaps it means driving less and walking more? Does it make sense to drive 5 minutes to the gym, when we are going to the gym to exercise? Why not ride a bike or walk, killing two birds with one stone? Makes sense to me. Spend too much time Twittering and Facebooking? I feel like I do sometimes! [That reminds me, look for me on Twitter (AstrologyByMark) and Facebook (Mark Springle)!] These are great tools but they are not a substitute for real communication. Real communication starts when we open our hearts and speak what is true for us, when our words and actions reveal the truth of our thoughts.

Pluto squaring the Sun in Aries reinforces this energy. It calls for a transformation of the ways in which we see ourselves, assert ourselves, and react to others. We need to create a better sense of who we are and what our purpose is. We are not simply consumers, or numbers on the stock exchange. We are beautiful, fragile creatures and we need to create a nurturing world to support our goals, not a “super-sized cash register” global view concerned only with our contributions to the wealth of oil companies,CEOs, and Bernard Madoff . With all due respect, they have more than their fair share and the people who power these industries with their work are left with little or nothing. Are we still in America?

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

…and corporate greed backed by irresponsible legislators will work them to death, poison their water, destroy their forests and the air they breathe, steal their life savings, destroy their health, and leave them with nothing but regret and sorrow?

Well, the truth hurts, but once we can admit the problem, we can start working on the solution.

Pluto entered Capricorn in November 27,2008 and for the next sixteen years, this nuclear planet will be transforming all that the sign of Capricorn represents: government, bear markets, tradition, the status quo, politics, old age, structure of all kinds, self-control, dignity, and responsibility. Pluto works form the inside out, which is why his square to Venus retrograde is so crucial for us right now. We cannot change the government until we, as a society, change. Society cannot change until the individuals comprising that society begin to make changes, each on an individual level. Imagine how much paper we could save, how many trees could flourish, if we all chose not to receive a receipt at the ATM machine. What would it take for YOU to make that change?  What will it take for Us, each and every one, to make the changes we meed to make in order to evolve?

I have much hope that we will all make this change gladly and voluntarily, but the change will happen even if we don’t, so I am encouraging all of my readers to BE the change you want to see in the world!

Please, if this column resonates with you, post a link to it on your Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter account. It costs you nothing, and might help someone you know or love… or who knows and loves someone who knows someone you love… and I will certainly be thankful for and honored by your support!

Be well and happy!

mark

MOORE TO CONSIDER ABOUT THIS WEEK’S ASTROLOGY

Dear Friends,

Friday, March 20th is the Spring Equinox! It is the day when the Sun enters the sign of Aries on its northward trek across the equator. For centuries, most cultural and religious traditions have celebrated this day of new beginnings.

Astrologically, the Spring Equinox is the first day of the new year because Aries is the first sign of the zodiac. Aries is the sign of action and declaration. A key phrase for Aries is “I AM.”  I AM is the phrase which we follow with a description of ourselves. For the new year, we are always asked to re-evaluate who we are.  On Thursday, March 26 we will have a new Moon in Aries. The first new Moon after the Spring Equinox is a time to set intentions and goals for the upcoming year. At the time of this Aries new Moon, the Sun and Venus will also be in Aries. To understand the message they carry for us, we look to the ruler of Aries, which is Mars.

Mars will be in Pisces thru April 22nd, and Venus is exalted in Pisces, so we say that they will be in mutual reception. Mutual receptions make two planets work well together and create stronger, more lasting results. Venus is retrograde in Aries (ruled by Mars), asking us to look deep within ourselves for what needs to be changed. The problems of the economy and the government are really our own problems reflected back to us in a way so that we can see them, but Venus retrograde in Aries is asking us to identify those problem within ourselves. The poor economy has been created by us! We either borrowed too much, spent too much, or made loans to people we knew could not pay the money back. No matter how you look at it, this situation was created by many, many people making poor individual decisions. After a while, all of these poor decisions by so many individuals began to undermine the way that the system was intended to work. Well, Uranus opposing Saturn has shown us that we cannot operate in this manner any longer. Now, we must look within to understand what each one of us has done to contribute to this system that no longer works. From here, we can create action, but only after we acknowledge our part in the drama. No acknowledgement, no solution.

Mars is the planet of action, and he is in Pisces, asking for compassion and creativity. Once Venus retrograde roots the problems out, we need to use creativity and compassion to create actions that serve our needs. This is the lesson of all Pisces energy: serve or suffer. Mars in Pisces is more of a medic than a warrior and he will want to fix what is not working, or to heal that which is wounded. The job of this Venus retrograde is to uncover the wounds so that Mars can see them and begin to work. Mars in Pisces will not support aggressive or traditional measures. Pisces is a visionary sign and Mars placed here will want visionary actions. we are not looking to re-create the system that failed. We need a new system all together. Let’s face it, things are transforming on a huge level! We knew that Pluto in Capricorn would do this, especially since he began this process under the Saturn/Uranus opposition. Change is coming, so we might as well be proactive!

Venus will retrograde into Pisces on April 12th, turn direct on April 17th, and enter Aries with forward motion on April 23rd, the day after Mars enters Aries. Once this happens, we can expect to see some changes in how we act individually and as a nation. The answer is still forming, but there is an answer. Use this week to brainstorm phrases to finish the Aries declaration: I AM. Now is the time to be creative, to take care of ourselves, and to create the new reality that we need. Aries is a courageous and creative sign, so now is the time to use whatever comes up from Venus retrograding to help inspire us to re-invent ourselves. We must be the change we want to see in the world.

Make a list of how you would like to finish the phrase I AM, and commit to creating these changes for yourself in a compassionate manner. We are all guilty on some level, so no finger pointing! Now is the time to bond together, take care of each other, show compassion for others and ourselves, and to create new world.

Good luck and be well!

mark

PS: Dont forget to come practice yoga with me to celebrate the Spring Equinox and the gift of Venus retrograde in Kennedy Park! details here

MOORE TO CONSIDER ABOUT THIS WEEK’S ASTROLOGY

The Spring Equinox is the astrological New Year, signified by the Sun crossing the equator from South to North and its entry into the sign of Aries. Aries, one of the more creative signs of the zodiac, is very concerned with self-expression and new beginnings.  The Sun is like our psychic battery, charging our psyche via the sign he is currently occupying. Venus, the planet of partnerships and harmony, is also in the sign of Aries on this day, retrograding through the heavens and giving us all some time to re-invent ourselves and to develop the beauty within our Selves.

Each sign has a planetary ruler, and Mars is the planet we associate with Aries. In order to understand how the energy of Aries will be available to us, we look to the placement of its ruler in the zodiac. On the day of the Spring Equinox, Mars will be in the sign of Pisces, which is a sign concerned with the dissolution of boundaries, intuition, and visions. As the ruler of Aries, Mars will be guiding the Sun and Venus to focus on creative self-expression by removing boundaries that hold us back, by boosting our own ability to trust in our intuition, and by creating visions of what our new and improved Selves can look like if only we make the necessary first steps towards re-invention.

Please join Mark at Kennedy Park in the Grove on Saturday March 21st, 2009 at 9:30a for a very special Free Yoga Miami where he will guide a practice designed to help everyone harness the energy of re-invention through embracing creative self-expression, fearless intuition, and visions of our most happiest Selves!

To learn more about Mark, please visit him at www.markspringle.com

The Spring Equinox is the astrological New Year, signified by the Sun crossing the equator from South to North and its entry into the sign of Aries. Aries, one of the more creative signs of the zodiac, is very concerned with self-expression and new beginnings.  The Sun is like our psychic battery, charging our psyche via the sign he is currently occupying. Venus, the planet of partnerships and harmony, is also in the sign of Aries on this day, retrograding through the heavens and giving us all some time to re-invent ourselves and to develop the beauty within our Selves.

Each sign has a planetary ruler, and Mars is the planet we associate with Aries. In order to understand how the energy of Aries will be available to us, we look to the placement of its ruler in the zodiac. On the day of the Spring Equinox, Mars will be in the sign of Pisces, which is a sign concerned with the dissolution of boundaries, intuition, and visions. As the ruler of Aries, Mars will be guiding the Sun and Venus to focus on creative self-expression by removing boundaries that hold us back, by boosting our own ability to trust in our intuition, and by creating visions of what our new and improved Selves can look like if only we make the necessary first steps towards re-invention.

For the entire week before the Spring Equinox on Friday, March 20, the Sun will be slowly pulling away from its conjunction to Uranus. This conjunction formed on the day of last week’s full Moon in Virgo. The full Moon was conjunct Saturn, and these two planets were opposite the Sun/Uranus configuration.  The days around this full Moon were a wake up call for many of us, a week when we received some detailed information on how we are doing in the area of our lives occupied by Virgo. We need some innovation here, and the Sun/Uranus conjunction was available this past week to help pull us out of our ruts.

Also, the prevailing energy shifts from Aquarius to Pisces on Saturday, March 14, as Mars enters the sign of the fishes. Pisces is a water sign, symbolized by two fishes bound together, one swimming up and one swimming down. These fish are a symbol for the duality of human experience: our physical bodies bind us to the earth, eternally battling our souls as they strive to ascend to the heavens. We received more information than we could handle with 6 planets in Aquarius, but now the balance has shifted and we must use the information we received to negotiate the battle between our desires and our needs on the higher level of creating a meaningful life for ourselves. Whatever we have been allowing to hold us back, we can dissolve with the energy of Pisces. Boundaries fall away when we can create harmony between what we desire on one hand, and what we need to be whole and fulfilled on the other. Mercury and Mars will be in the sign of visions this week along with the Sun and Mars, calling our attention to what needs to be dissolved, and bringing inspiration through dreams. Dream big and create sincerity this week. Once the Sun moves into Aries, it will be time to act! Venus will remain retrograde for a few more weeks, so remember that the change we need should start on the inside first. Once we fix what needs fixing within ourselves, the outer changes we need will happen with much less effort and drama.

Just in case this isn’t enough to keep us all busy, let’s look at Jupiter, the classical ruler of Pisces, and see where he is and how he is influencing Pisces to operate in our lives. Jupiter is still in Aquarius, keeping the Aquarian energy alive and pertinent to our experiences. Aquarius, at its best, is full of innovation and only wants what is best for all. Aquarius is not the most practical energy in the zodiac, but then again, we can use practical considerations as an excuse to keep us from trying something new. With 4 planets in Pisces, the energy is about breaking out of ruts and dissolving binds that restrict movement, so Jupiter in Aquarius is encouraging us all to shake things up a bit, especially with Uranus, Mercury, and Mars all there in Pisces, ready to help.

Use your time wisely this week. Meditate on the information, signs, and clues you have received in the past two weeks. There is a message there somewhere, telling you which directions are good for you and which are not. Pay attention to your dreams this week, because Pisces rules dreams. Keep a pen and paper by the bed, make a note about the dream in the middle of the night so that you will have more recall in the morning. Write in your journal, or do some creative writing. Inspiration and freedom are surrounding you, but you must be the change you want to see.

Much love to all!

mark

ps: Please join me at Kennedy Park in the Grove on Saturday March 21st, 2009 at 9:30a for a very special Free Yoga Miami where I will guide a practice designed to help everyone harness the energy of re-invention through embracing creative self-expression, fearless intuition, and visions of our most happiest Selves!

MOORE TO CONSIDER ABOUT THIS WEEK’S ASTROLOGY

Dear Friends,

I know this week has been difficult for many of us, and surprisingly, it has also been productive, at least for me. My sincere hope for everyone is that we are all able to find the positive in our experiences this week and to use them as a guide for healing and growth. Mercury and Mars sitting together with Neptune and Chiron has been a wake up call, alerting us to where we have issues that need to be fixed.  If we have already fixed them, then we may have had some very affirming experiences this week. Many of us were brought closer to an understanding, or at least closer to an experience, of where we are wounded, where we lack strength, or where we cling to illusions over reality.  Acknowledging a situation is the first step towards making it better. This week has been a week of acknowledgement. Now, lets move on to the week ahead.

This Friday, March 6th, Venus will turn retrograde in Aries. Venus represents the natural attractions that occur in our lives. Venus is the force which binds the subatomic particles of an atom together. The attraction is natural, like gravity. It is either there or it is not. Mars is the planet that makes two principles come together against their will, but Venus is an easy, passive principle that works very nicely when we let it, assuming that there are no weak or detrimental associations to our Venus. Our society has a problem with passivity. Learning to go with the flow is derided as an outmoded, lazy, or “hippy” way to live. Our society recognizes the Martian drive to conquer more than the Venusian principle of attraction. This is unfortunate, because Venus brings to us what we need, the same way a magnet will attract a metal. There is no need to fight or force the metal towards the magnet. Of course, if we are the magnet, then we need to get close enough for the magnetic field to operate on the object we wish to attract, and this is the work we must do. I am not advocating laziness or an abdication of strong work ethic, my Capricorn ascendant would never hear of it! I am, however, suggesting that if we are clear about our needs and if we focus our attention on creating what we need for ourselves rather than trying to take it from someone else, then we will create, through attraction, what we need to be fulfilled.

Aries is a self-starter who wants to stand up and say, “This is ME!”  Venus is not especially comfortable in this forceful territory, because there is a very clear emphasis on action in Aries energy. As a matter of fact, Mars is the ruler of Aries. Venus would prefer to sit back and wait for sincerity to build and then gently lift what we want into the current flowing around us. The current brings the things we need, and we create the current, but Venus is the one who releases the object into the flow. Venus in Aries is saying that together, she will help us to create a new Self during this retrograde period. A retrograde period is a time to do something over; we get a second chance. In Aries, Venus retrograde is telling us to re-do our Selves, because Aries energy is always an expression of Self. We just lived a week with Mars (ruling both Aries and action) and with Mercury (our thoughts and communication) sitting with Neptune (illusion or inspiration, healing or addiction) and Chiron (our biggest wound and our biggest strength). What did these experiences make us want to stand up and say about our selves? Don’t just say the, DO them! We must BE the change we want to experience!

Last week, I counseled that we must take care to ensure that our thoughts (Mercury) and our actions (Mars) support each other. If this is not happening, then there is no way for Venus to accomplish her job. Think of our lives as car. A car is complex machine with many parts, not all of them essential. In order to function properly, however, a car requires many things like gas and filters, and coolant and plugs, etc. A car also requires maintenance. If all of these variables are not kept in balance, then the car no longer serves us. In order for our lives to serve us, we must be sincere, which means that our thoughts and our actions must be aligned. This is the oil that keeps the rest our engine running smoothly. Dirty oil, dirty engine. Clean oil, happy engine. Once we can align our thoughts and our actions, Venus can do her job and the things that we need and want will come to us without effort. The effort is keeping our thoughts and actions aligned. This is the work. We often get this backwards, focusing on tasks that don’t reflect our true desires or needs because we “think” we will be rewarded for the effort. No good deed goes unpunished in this situation. This is an example of how the negative aspect of Neptune can work in our lives: creating illusions that seem real, but which carry us further away from ourselves. There is no way for Venus to bring what we need when our actions are insincere and do not reflect the truth of our natures. We are not creating the current that Venus needs before she can release gifts into our self-generated flow.

On Wednesday, March 11th, we will have a full Virgo Moon conjunct Saturn opposing the conjunction of Uranus and the Sun. This is a powerful energizer for both the Sun and Uranus, as their energies feed each other. Uranus will receive a big charge from the Sun, and the power of the Sun will be magnified by the electric current of Uranus. This supercharged combination of innovative light and energy will be reflected back upon the Moon and Saturn, illuminating what we have and what is broken. This full Moon will call to our attention the structures in our lives which are not supporting us. Virgo is a critical and detailed sign. At her worst, she is nit-picky and cold, but at her best, she is constructive and service-oriented. It is up to each of us to direct this full Virgo Moon in the direction of constructive criticism in order to facilitate an improvement in the structure of our lives. Think of this full Moon as a time to make a blueprint for a serious self-renovation. From here, we must be sincere about changing what needs to change. Change is good! Embrace change!  Once we do this, then Venus will begin to create more harmony for us by rewarding our hard work with the things we want or need. Simple. Sort of…

Venus retrograde is NEVER a time to do cosmetic fixes. Venus retrograde is a time to work on the structure beneath the surface. Once Venus goes direct, then we can worry about making things pretty. Now is not the time to be concerned with how things look on the surface. It is a time to be focused on creating deep, thoughtful changes at the core of our being which can sustain the new visions of our Selves which have, hopefully, surfaced over the past week. This vision is the higher octave of Neptune shining through: it is called inspiration. We should allow the acknowledgement of our issues to inspire us to make some serious improvements in the way in which we operate. Virgo is detailed oriented, and she can get carried away. This is not the time to nit-pick ourselves or anyone else. We should, however, pay attention to what comes up. Let’s not allow the small things to pass by without noticing them (noticing, not criticizing). If all we need is a new tire, then why buy a whole new car. I have been thinking a great deal lately about my theory of sincerity, and I think that I like my concept. Make the changes that bring your thoughts and actions into alignment. Create sincerity. From here, all things flow.

Once we become aligned in thought and deed, and we are attracting what we want and need, then we notice that we can share the joy of our experience with others. The guilty indulgence of a soothing hobby (astrology or yoga or pottery or baking or…) can become a life affirming and validating experience. We can choose to make this experience a career - as I have done with astrology, or we can keep it a hobby, but what really happens is that we continue to charge our own battery and to allow Venus to bring good things to us. We do not need to take things away from others when we can create them for ourselves. We in turn become more happy, more free, more light, and more fulfilled. Hopefully, we share this energy with others so that they can learn how to become sincere, and this also brings good things, good people, good groups, into our lives.

Thank you all for being a part of mine.

Be well.

mark

MOORE TO CONSIDER ABOUT THIS WEEK’S ASTROLOGY