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Dear Friends,

I am soaring high over the Caribbean Sea between my home in Miami and the beautiful Virgin Islands to the home of my friends whose son is getting married this weekend as I write this column for you. It can be so healing and so rejuvenating to get away from the routine of our lives, even if only for a weekend. Well, the good news is that a break from routine is about to become permanent! Saturn and Uranus have been opposing each other for 2 years. April 26 and July 26 will see the final confrontations of these two planets. By the time they move on, Uranus will be engaged in a long dance with Pluto, and by the time we arrive in 2015, our lives will be so different, our routines so revolutionized, that we will hardly recognize our old selves or our previous lives.

The highlight of our coming week astrologically is the Libra Full Moon on Monday, March 29. At a Full Moon, the light of the Sun in one sign illuminates the darkness of the Moon in the opposite sign. Understanding the higher vibrations of the two signs in questions will help us to understand the feedback we are receiving. The Sun will be in Aries, the sign we associate with courage, creativity, and initiation. The Moon is in the opposing sign of Libra, the sign we associate with balance and harmony, beauty and relationship. Mars rules Aries and Venus rules Libra. Together, these two planets represent the universal principles of giving and receiving.

This Full Moon will illuminate the imbalance between the active and passive principles in our lives. We need to be creative and to initiate the exchange of energy in our lives based upon a new paradigm of mutual benefit and satisfaction. Too many of us are involved in one-sided (and therefore short-sighted) relationships with the world around us: either we are always giving without receiving, or we are receiving without ever giving. We must simultaneously give where we have been stingy, and receive where we have been too fearful. By opening our hands to give, they are also open to receive.

Venus, the ruler of Libra is conjunct Mercury and both planets are in the sign of Aries. Mercury represents communication on all levels. These two planets in Aries will enable us to give voice to our needs, but we must also be careful to hear what is being said by others. This is the perfect Libra conundrum. Even as we feel the need to express something, there is the simultaneous need to allow others to express themselves. It is not easy both to express ourselves and to hear the expression of others at the same time. We have been conditioned to believe that we can only achieve our desires at the expense of someone else’s loss. We see this playing out clearly in the health care debate – which is really no longer a debate but a fight… another Aries word. Aries and Venus both embody the creative principle, so perhaps we need to find new and creative ways of communicating about this issue, and others, where we do not agree or share common ground.

I would like to acknowledge Stephanie Austin for her mention of Marshall Rosenberg’s groundbreaking book Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life in her discussion of the Full Moon in the Feb/March issue of the Mountain Astrologer magazine. Now more than ever, we need to learn and use this easy and transformative technique. (Interestingly enough, this technique was derived from Rosenberg’s work with the Civil Rights movement of the 60s, the last time Saturn and Uranus were opposing each other.) Public discourse is making it clear that as a society we are polarized. This is no surprise, because Libra represents the integration of two extremes which can only happen with compromise, acceptance, and mutual benefit. Well, this Full Moon will show us how far from this ideal we are, and where we need to work in order to find the middle ground.

Please take the time to visit Rosenberg’s site www.cnvc.org and learn how to communicate nonviolently and integrate this practice in your daily interactions with others. Making changes like this can make us feel awkward or vulnerable, but after a brief learning curve, we will see how well this method of communicating can bring about harmony, balance, and beauty in our lives, and the lives of the people we see every day.

With love

m

SAVE THESE DATES:

April 14 Zodiac Lounge: Aries New Moon                                Miami Beach, FL

April 18 Mercury Retrograde 2010                                            Washington, DC

April 22 Saturn vs Uranus: Will the Drama Ever End?                 Washington, DC

May 12 Zodiac Lounge: Taurus New Moon                                Miami Beach, FL

May 18 I’m at The Bodhi Tree in LA!
URANUS 2010: Tune IN and Turn ON                         West Hollywood, CA

I’ll be available for one-on-one sessions in all of the cities I visit this year, and of course, I am always available via phone or Skype anytime from my home in Miami.

You may not know this, but all of success depends on your word of mouth.  I do not advertise, except through this site and through my Facebook postings and tweets.

Please share this column with your friends and family who have an interest in astrology, who need a new way of looking at the world, or who simply may be in the areas I visit.

Many Thanks for your continued support.

MOORE TO CONSIDER ABOUT THIS WEEK’S ASTROLOGY

Dear Friends,

I am always writing about cycles.  Astrology is the study of cycles and the awareness that as we move through our own cycles of life, there are corresponding cycles occurring in the heavens.  The fact that there are observable and predictable cycles in the heavens which we use to understand the less visible and more subtle cycles of our lives gives our lives meaning within the larger context of the universe.  If we are not somehow connected to the larger universe, why does a synchronicity exist between our own development and the movement of the cosmos?

The beginning of any cycle is a stage, or phase, we call “new.”  I write about each New Moon because this is a unique time when we can set our intentions to coincide with the energy being seeded at that time.  New phases are the appropriate time to plant the seeds we would like to see grow: this is why many farmers’ almanacs suggest planting crops on the first new moon of the Spring.  The first day of Spring is also the solar New Year.  This day, also known as the Vernal Equinox, happens when the Sun moves into 0 degrees Aries, which is the beginning of the zodiac.  This will happen on Saturday March 20th.  The relationship of the planets to each other describes the energy that will grow and manifest for the entire year.  Aries is the sign of action and of creation.  Without the act of planting, we cannot expect our crops to grow.  This is why setting intentions on the new moon, the Vernal Equinox, and other new phases is so important.  If we don’t have a direction or intention, then we will never reach our destination or accomplish our goals.

At the Vernal Equinox, the sun is located at 0 Aries.  This is one of the most significant degrees of the zodiac.  It is the beginning and the end, just as every seed has within it the promise of the entire lifetime of the tree.  Interestingly, this provides a great contrast to the sign of Pisces, which is the ending, but then again every ending presupposes a new beginning.  It is important to understand how these concepts work, because they carry the energy from one stage to another, the same way a wire carries electricity.  If the the wire is compromised in the first inch or the last, there will be a disruption in the way that the electricity is carried throughout the entire system.

I often say there is no good or bad.  These are concepts we impose on otherwise neutral events, the movement of energy from one place to another.  A lion captures and kills a graceful antelope on the Saharan plane.  Is this god or bad?  Depends on whether you are the lion or the antelope, I guess.  What if we accept that this is how nature works: nothing is good or bar, it simply is.  Is the life of the antelope more valuable than that of the lion?  The core of most religious teachings, regardless of the particular creed, is that life is sacred and interconnected.  Yes, life also competes.  This is Nature, Life, or God’s plan.  These are three ways to say the same thing.

People always ask me: is that good or bad?  Well, it is whatever we make of it.

The Vernal Equinox describes the energy for the upcoming year.  Since the Sun’s entrance into the sign of Aries is what marks this event, we must look to Mars, the ruler of Aries, to see what his message is.  Mars is the planet of creation, of instinct, of drive, and he is Leo, trining a Sun, Mercury, and Uranus conjunction.  This indicates that if we are doing what we truly love to do and expressing our deepest individuality with honesty and candor, then we will be safe and this year will bring renewed energy and vigor to our lives.  However, Leo energy can also be arrogant and attention seeking, so if we are simply making noise to get attention or failing to heed the advice of our peers, we may find that are an the wrong side of Aries and that everything will become a battle.  Aries is the warrior or the protector, depending on whether we are the Greek or the Roman, the antelope or the lion.   Mars is also sextile Saturn in Libra, indicating that understanding our relationships and knowing the difference between an ally and an enemy will be important.  Perhaps the lesson is to create an ally of everyone.  Mars is also in aspect to Jupiter dignified in Pisces, bringing a spiritual demand to this relationship.  We are our brothers’ keepers.  Clearly, there is some tension between following our hearts desire, and honoring our responsibility to our fellow man.  How do we reconcile this tension.  This is the test of the upcoming year.

The Moon symbolizes the people, and at the Vernal Equinox, he is in Taurus, which focuses our attention on money, things of value both tangible and intangible, real estate, talent, and all other resources which we own.  Well, money is certainly a big concern for everyone right now.  Currencies are volatile right now, and have been for a while.  I see on the news and in the paper that the US economy is rebounding.  Well, I am no economist, but the Moon is square to Neptune at the Equinox, and I know that this means there is much deception, or at a minimum, misconception, about the state of the economy as we enter this new Solar Year.   Also, Uranus is sextiling the Moon, which means that sudden reversals and unexpected changes in the status of the economy and our personal finances can be expected.  Mars was retrograde in Leo from December 20 through March 10th, giving us time to protect what we have.  Mars will be in its shadow until May 18th (I’ll be lecturing in LA that day).  After he passes through his shadow, we will all be reaping what we have sown since October 17 when Mars entered Leo.  Venus rules Taurus, and for the Equinox, Venus is in a fire sign, carrying the weight of a Pluto square.  Pluto destroys to in order to rebuild and fire burns.  Expect lots of money to burn up and disappear this year… hopefully, not much of it will be yours.  On the bright side, this will be a great time to finally realize that money does not create happiness.

The Taurus New Moon will be May 14th and Venus in Gemini, the ruler of Taurus, will be square to Saturn and a Jupiter/Uranus conjunction.  The New Moon will also be aspected to Neptune and Mars.  For me, this indicates that this will be a time of reckoning and fortunes will be lost.  A wise person would be protecting his valuables right now.  I bring this up because every person I ever talk to wants to know about money and finances.  Well, just so you know, I have taken every penny I have in IRAs, money markets, annuities, and other retirements accounts (not much really!) and put them in no growth, no risk, no gain accounts and I have no plans to move them back into the “market” anytime soon.  A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush!  Of course, I am a Capricorn rising, so this strategy appeals to my earthy need for practicality. What if I miss the next big thing, you say?  Well, I missed the last one, too, and I am still doing well.

There is plenty of positive energy for us to work with this year, as a matter of fact, it is all positive because everything that happens is what is necessary to move us into the Age of Aquarius: a new era of human evolution founded on understanding, acceptance, and tolerance, rather than the victim/martyr syndrome of the Age of Pisces.  It will require new ways of thinking (Mercury square Pluto), innovation (Saturn oppose Uranus), a new sense of personal and societal responsibility (Saturn square Pluto), and a more spiritual understanding of what a community is and how we fit in (Jupiter sextile North Node).  The old world must give way to the new, but the status quo wont go down without a fight.  Well, the fight begins now.

Gandhi has been credited with saying that we must all be the change we want to see in the world, however, most of us sit around and say, “You first!”.  I am betting that those of us who take Gandi’s words to heart (Mars in Leo trine Mercury in Aries) will be the people who enjoy the upcoming roller-coaster ride the most and who create the foundation of the Age of Aquarius.

with love and wishes for the benefit of all,

m

MOORE TO CONSIDER ABOUT THIS WEEK’S ASTROLOGY

Dear Friends,

Every ending is a new beginning, and every beginning marks an end.  This is the mystery and the beauty of the sign Pisces.  Where does one phase of life end and another begin?  We have heard the saying that when one door closes, a window opens, but do these happen suddenly and simultaneously or gradually with baby steps and time delays?  Even if there is an answer, how would we know?  We know that flowers open and close, but how many of us ever see the motion happen?  These are all very Piscean concepts.  The symbol of Pisces is two fish tied together, one swimming upstream (towards the heavens) and one swimming downstream, towards the Earth.  This is the tension we feel in the sign of Pisces, the need to be a part of the world and a need to see God.  How does one reconcile these needs?

Wherever we are in this life, we have built a structure or a system for dealing with both the world and with the concept of God.  This structure probably works on some levels, but like all constructions, it can wear down, fail, erode.  When we experience a breakdown in our homes, we repair the damage to the best our ability.  Sometimes, when the breakdown is severe, we remodel.  Saturn represents structure in our lives.  Saturn has been in Virgo since September 2007, opposing Uranus in Pisces.  Uranus represents an upgrade or remodel energy in our lives, but as in all big renovations, there is lot of damage, dust, and drama before the beautiful new kitchen appears.  Saturn wants stability and control, so when these two planets oppose each other, roughly every 42 years, there is usually a great deal of drama before the upgrade is complete.  The last time these planets opposed was in mid-late 1960s.  Talk about drama!  We are in the final phase of the current Saturn-Uranus opposition.

The past 2 years have been full of upheaval as the old and the new struggle for a place in our lives.  The systems that weren‘t working have collapsed: the economy, the banks, the housing markets, even political systems all over the world are being reshaped, either voluntarily or by force.  As with all social change, those who have been in power for so long are fighting to keep control, even as the revolution happens all around them.  Despite all of the restructuring of the financial systems in the US, those fat cats on Wall Street are still stuffing their greedy faces with the cash of the working middle class.  The poor haven’t stood a chance in years.  Many of our politicians, both Democrats and Republicans, are fighting partisan turf battles and worrying more about their re-election bids than figuring out how to provide food and basic health care to the millions of uninsured and underfed Americans they represent.  How can this be?  Well, the system could certainly use a makeover.

Luckily, its coming, right around the corner, but none of us are exempt from helping it along.  No chain is stronger than its weakest link.  We must all upgrade the systems in our lives that don’t work, we must all be willing to sacrifice a little so that we can all benefit a lot.  This isn‘t about a capitalist economy:  Its about helping our parents and siblings, our friends, and our neighbors be happier, healthier, and more in tune with what is important in life.  We need to have faith in our own abilities and in our own talents.  We need to find God in our own backyards and to make this world divine.  If we believe that the divine is something that only exists somewhere else, how could we be content here and now?  We need to understand that we are all on the same team.  We all win or we all lose.

The final opposition of Saturn and Uranus on the Virgo-Pisces axis will happen on April 26 at 29 degrees.  The New Moon in Pisces at 25′10″ Virgo is the beginning of this end, which in turn will create yet another beginning with the same two planets opposing for the last time this cycle at 0 Aries-Libra.  By now, we know what needs to be ungraded in our lives, the question is, can we surrender to the mess that will have to happen before the renovation is complete.  We might as well, because at this point, there is no going back.  The traditional ruler of Pisces is Jupiter, who is occupying the sign of Pisces at the time of the New Moon.  This is a call to have faith in faith itself.  Staying optimistic, philosophical, receptive and tolerant will certainly help us to bear the burden of the dust and the mess until the cleanup crew arrives.  The modern ruler of Pisces is Neptune, who is conjunct Chiron, bringing in a healing and mentoring energy in the sign of Aquarius, the sign we associate with the common good and humanitarian pursuits.  Setting an example for someone else, mentoring someone less fortunate, or asking someone to mentor us in our time of need will lead us to a better understanding of our own talents, as well create a more integrated and cohesive society.

The New Moon is also conjunct both Mercury and Uranus.  Mercury represents the mind and the way we communicate. It also represents youth.  Uranus is the upgrade.  Surrendering to the change that is necessary, giving and receiving love, support, and encouragement, and adopting new perspectives will be the tools that will help us to position ourselves for a brighter future.  We should all take special care to listen to those younger people in our lives.  They may have some fresh ideas or perspectives that will help us to see where the status quo is outdated and stagnant.  Whenever Mercury and Uranus are together, we have the chance to experience true genius.  Unfortunately, when faced with genius, as a race we often chosen to react with fear and intolerance, silencing the voice that could awaken a new age.  Socrates, Galileo, Joan of Arc, and Jesus himself were all vilified for their bold and challenging beliefs.

Just 5 days before the New Moon, Mars will have gone direct at 0 Leo.  For the previous 8 weeks, Mars was retrograde in the sign of Leo, the sign that rules the heart and upper back.  We associate Leo with the concepts of principal and conviction, and also with creativity, self-expression, and pride.  Mars usually moves through a sign in 8 weeks, but he is in Leo for 8 months this cycle, until the June 6th!  Mars represents our instincts and our desires.  With Mars in Leo for such an unusually long period, we have been asked to re-evaluate what is important to us, where we need to be clear about our motivations, and how we wish to express ourselves in the future.  The retrograde period was a cosmic time out, giving us plenty of time to see what we have created for ourselves, as well as plenty of time to figure out what we would like to do with our futures.  With this Mew Moon and Mars direct, we will now have the chance to create the vision we have been nurturing in our hearts.  We will have the strength to have faith and vision, principles and conviction.  We will need them, because the wrecking ball is coming.  All of the drama and strife over these past two years has only been the evidence that we need a change, not the change itself.  The real change, the real upgrades and renovations, will begin when Uranus moves into the sign of Aries in late May, squaring Pluto for the first of many times over the next 5 or more years.  Do we have the patience and vision, conviction and faith, to allow the change to happen.  Well, we will see.  Now is the time to get serious about finding out.

with love,

m

MOORE TO CONSIDER ABOUT THIS WEEK’S ASTROLOGY

Hello Everyone!

How is life treating you these days?  With 5 planets in Pisces as I write this, I can imagine that some of us feel victimized or martyred, others feel dreamy and reclusive, and still others are hopeful and excited about the future.  These feelings are all different aspects of the Pisces archetype.   Pisces represents the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega, where we hide and where we find salvation.  Astrologers often say that Pisces is where the loose ends of our lives are waiting for us.  This could be an unpleasant place to be if we are the type of people who sweep things under the carpet instead of dealing with them.  On the other hand, if we have cleaned up before the maid arrives, then we are in good shape and better able to focus on the future rather than worrying about what the maid might find.

Venus has been keeping company with Uranus and we may have some disruption in our friendships, in our finances, and in our homes.  Perhaps these are aftershocks of the crises we have been dealing with since late 2008 when Saturn and Uranus first opposed each other on the Virgo/Pisces axis.  There is still work to be done cleaning up that mess, so if it isn‘t cleaned up yet, what are you waiting for?  Pluto and Saturn have been square since late October 2009, demanding that we take responsibility for ourselves and the situations we have created.  This square will last through October 2010, so whatever we put off or neglect will only pressurize and become harder to deal with, so we all need to “get to gettin‘”!

Uranus will square Pluto many times over the next decade, bringing in fresh new ideas and situations to help us move out of the past (the age of Pisces) and into the future (the Age of Aquarius).  Some of these will coincide with the remaining Saturn/Pluto squares, forming an especially intense t-square.  April 26 and July 26 are big dates for the spring and summer, so schedule yourself wisely and get your “housework” done before the maid shows up!  Also, please remember that these are dates when the math is exact.  The energies wax and wane, just like the moon.  With these larger and slower planets, the energy is waxing for weeks or even months before the day that the math is exact.  The high degree of tension, anxiety, and pressure that we are feeling is directly related to the waxing nature of this energy.  We may have felt like there was nothing we could do, but the time for action is upon us, so if we don’t have a plan yet, it is definitely time to get one.

Mars has been retrograde in Leo since December 20th.  Mars represents our will, our desire, and our actions.  It can also represent anger and aggression.  Leo is ruled by the Sun, which was in late Sagittarius when Mars went retrograde, and has moved through Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces  These signs are the disseminating signs, which means there was a lesson we needed to learn about the things near and dear to our hearts, which is also Leo ruled.  When Mars is retrograde, action, movement, and force should be subdued and we should be working internally to learn the lesson implied by the sign Mars is occupying.  Also, since Mars rules aggression, common astrological wisdom dictates that Mars retrograde is a time to protect what we have, not a time to be aggressive or to start new ventures.

Also, when Mars is retrograde, Venus gains in strength, as she is the yin to the yang of Mars.  Venus has closely followed the Sun through the disseminating signs, hopefully bringing an awareness of what we are attracting.  The opportunity to become aware of the things, people, and situations we attract has been made more possible because Mars has made it very difficult to move forward.  Basically, we have been put on a cosmic “time out” so that we could see what we have created for ourselves up to this point.  Venus conjuncted Uranus this past week, and we may have come to a realization that certain people or situations we are in are no longer serving a purpose, or at least not a positive one.  Let these things and people go now with blessings!  Appreciate the lesson, and move on.  The universe has bigger things in store for all of us!  Time waits for no one.

On Sunday, March 7, Venus will move into Aries.  Venus was retrograde in this sign March 6th through April 16, 2009.  This was a time we should have been doing some soul searching and self-improvement in the Aries ruled areas of our chart.   Now Venus is back, checking to see if the improvements we made are good enough to see us through the upcoming t-square, squares, and eclipses.  Mars will go direct on March 10th and our time out is over, giving us the green light to proceed with whatever plans we should have been making over the past months, if not years while Saturn has been in Virgo.  Mars will move very slowly for the next two months, so don’t expect huge leaps, but do allow the movement forward to happen organically, making sure to remain open to new possibilities.  There is a reason for this, so trust that the universe knows what it is doing and take the time necessary to move slowly and cautiously forward, making sure that each step is one about which we can be confident and for which we are willing to take full responsibility.

This energy will lead us right up to the Pisces New Moon on Monday, March 15th.  A New Moon is the time set intentions and to plant the seeds we want to grow in our lives.  I mentioned at the beginning of this column that Pisces is the alpha and the omega; it is where we hide and where we are redeemed.  Although the past is a part of Pisces, time moves forward, not backward, so the Pisces New Moon will be a time to make set our intentions for our futures on a grand scale.  Perhaps our pasts will inform our intentions, but we must live forward.  There is a need for many changes and upgrades everywhere in our lives: in our neighborhoods, in our societies, governments, and institutions.  Now is the time to plant the seed for the change to grow.

with love

m

MOORE TO CONSIDER ABOUT THIS WEEK’S ASTROLOGY