Archive for May, 2010

Seeing Stars with Mark 27 May - June 4 2010

Posted in Seeing Stars with Mark on May 27th, 2010

Uranus changes signs only once every seven years, and this is happening May 27.  On the same day we have the Full Moon at 7 Gemini, we have Uranus moving into the sign of Aries.  Drama.  Everywhere.  Full Moons can be difficult enough, bringing things to a head and showing where we need to ramp up or chill out.  Aries is the sign of anger, among other things, and with rebellious Uranus moving into this sign, we could encounter quite a few people this week who cant manage themselves very well.  Michael Lutin taught me that outer planets frequently express themselves in socially inappropriate ways.  I just had a lunch with an especially mild friend of mine who told me that he was given a week off at the school where he teaches for “placing” his foot on the foot of a disrespectful student to get the student’s attention.  Apparently, there is a no touching rule at this school.  We both laughed as I explained that Uranus in Aries brought out a socially unacceptable expression of anger in him.  No worries, he said, he was happy to have a week of unexpected vacation.  How will you express your anger or other socially unacceptable, but nonetheless real, thoughts and desires over the coming months?  This is a good question to ponder, as Uranus will be in Aries until August 14th, when it will retrograde right back in to the weeping degree of 29 Pisces and move backward to 26 Pisces before turning direct and surging ahead, re-entering Aries in March 2011.  If you remember the Bill Murray “Groundhog Day,” then you may adjust your expectations accordingly for the next 10 months with one caveat: it wont be funny.

My friend Stephanie Gailing who writes at planetaryapothecary.com had a lovely realization for this Sagittarius New Moon.  The Sun is in Gemini, fueling our intellectual curiosity can reinforce our desire to fit ourselves into a greater philosophical context, but these two poles are often at odds with each other.  We get bogged down in the details without remembering the larger picture, or we sometimes overlook the details in an effort to stay aware of the larger picture.  We must strive to see both the trees and the forest, for the one doesn’t exist without the other.

Uranus in Aries will be a frequent subject of mine over the next 7 years, as he will square Pluto in Capricorn multiple times while in this sign.  The first big square will include the final of five oppositions with Saturn on July 26, and Saturn will also be squaring Pluto in this line up.  Astrologers call this architecture a t-square.  The release point of all of this tension will occur in early Cancer.  If you don’t know where early Cancer is in your chart, then now is a good time to find out!  Venus has been in this territory this past week, and we have seen a lot of volatility in the areas she rules: money and relationships.  The stock market has been up and down hundreds of points every day.  Relationship wise, well, lets not go there.  Suffice it to say that for every couple who is getting along, there is another who is not, and that doesn’t even take into consideration the relationships we have with our friends or our business partners.  Mercury will be occupying the early degrees of Cancer with the t-square in orb (effect) when it meets the Lunar Eclipse conjunct Pluto on June 26th.  PLEASE: do not schedule any important meetings, social gatherings, or large purchases Fri June 25 through the remaining weekend.  This will be an invitation to disaster and you can mark my words, some important people are going to get themselves into LOTS of trouble with their mouths or their wallets that week.  The regular Joes and Janes of the world will, too, so perhaps we should all schedule some quiet “me” time that weekend.  I doubt it will be quiet, but at least we wont have commanded an audience to witness the showdown.

I hear you all saying, “Please Mark, tell me its going to calm down soon!”  Well, I could, but that would not be true.  Its time to get real about who you are and what you want, and how you are going to get it.  This is the great power, and danger, of Uranus in Aries.  Uranus in Aries will call us all to reinvent ourselves.  The key phrase for Aries is I AM, and we are all going to have to come up with a new answer.  When some people are challenged in a way that makes them uncomfortable, they become violent or overbearing, and these are both Aries words.  Aries is a fire sign, it is dynamic: expression is required.  The ways we express ourselves which are not in line with who we really are wont work for us anymore.  We will need new ways of expressing ourselves.  I am quite excited about this new opportunity on a personal level.  I plan to harness the energy of Uranus, which evokes rebellion, anarchy, and advancement, as a fuel to propel myself onto a larger stage with more visibility and a renewed sense of self-confidence.  I also understand that this will not happen without some challenges, not all of which I will meet successfully, but all of which will help me along a path that has meaning and substance for me.  Wherever the sign of Aries is in our charts, we have the ability to be proactive with these upgrades.  We need to set high goals and work to achieve them.  Choosing not to be proactive will put us in a place to be reactive, instead.  This will result in a dynamic where we feel that we are being bombarded from all sides with outrageous demands and circumstances that require adjustments to accommodate or fortifications to withstand these demands.  Expecting the unexpected is the name of this game, and learning how to create our own happiness in the face of adversity has never been a more valuable skill.

Saturn will station direct on Saturday May 30 and Neptune will station retrograde on Sunday May 31.  This makes three outer planets doing very noticeable things all within 4 days of a Full Moon on a major holiday weekend.  I don’t want to be a downer for anyone’s festivities, but I do want to remind everyone to be safe and sane as they celebrate.  Uranus can bring accidents and Aries rules the head.  Saturn direct in Virgo calls our attention to our health and routines, and a retrograde Neptune can create illusions of safety as well as delusions of grandeur.  Please be safe, designate a voice of reason, and commit to listening to that person when they speak up.
be safe, be well, and be YOU!
with love
m

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Seeing Stars with Mark 8 - 14 May 2010

Posted in Seeing Stars with Mark on May 7th, 2010

Dear Friends,

Uranus is still occupying the weeping degree of 29 Pisces, with Jupiter following close behind at 25 degrees.  We may still have more tears shed, especially since the Moon will join these two planets on Sunday.  In mundane (political) astrology, the Moon represents the “people.”  Uranus rules the energy of awakening and revolt.  Jupiter expands whatever it touches.  The fact that this is the first time that the Moon has passed over Uranus at his degree makes me curious as to how “the people” will choose to express this energy.  All eyes should be on Arizona, Wall Street, and the Monday morning commute, as well as airline travel (Uranus rules the sky, Jupiter rules long distance travel).

Complicating matters, Mothers Day could be an especially volatile day with people on edge as family issues take center stage.  The eclipse patterns of the past few years have been slowly moving us away from the bad habits of our past, and we may still be uncomfortable when faced with our pasts in the form our of parents and siblings.  We are being called to take responsibility for ourselves here and now, so make an effort to keep family visits and long distance calls firmly rooted in the present.  It’s time to move forward.

Mercury remains retrograde, but he will be making his turn to direct motion on Wed May 12th at 2 degrees Taurus.  The Moon will also be in the early degrees of Taurus on this day.  Hopefully, this will bring a mood of stability and calm to our divided nation, but it may also lend an air of obstinacy and further polarize the left and the right, the rich and the poor, the fearful and the excited.  No matter, Uranus moving in to Aries at the end of the month will erase any complacency.  In the meantime, it would be well to understand the message of Mercury’s station.  Mercury is trine to Pluto at this station, reminding us again (for the 3rd time this cycle) that we need to transform the way we think and communicate.

Taurus rules resources, including natural resources, and Pluto is the lord of the underworld.  Mercury is trine to Neptune (the ruler of the oceans) and Chiron, the wound, is in Pisces, the sign of the ocean depths.  Well, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist, or should I say a petroleum geologist, to see that we have created quite a wound in the Gulf as we mine the ocean depths for resources.  (Also, I’d like to take point out that this disaster is not a “natural” disaster as I have heard in the media.  Honestly, how could anyone believe that this is a natural disaster?  It is a man-made disaster that could have been prevented if the oil companies drilling off of the US coast were held to the same standards that they are held to in Brazil and Norway.. read more about this topic here.)

Taurus also rules farming, so we should take a good hard look at the way we produce food in this country.  I have noticed that during this entire retrograde period, people have been talking quite a bit about food, the movie Food Inc, and other farming or nutrition related matters.  This is a good thing.  Saturn is still in Virgo, asking us to look at our health, and good nutrition is certainly a cornerstone of good health.

I wonder if the general public and corporate America, no to mention the US government, will recognize that this is a serious wake up call in our history?  How many more huge ecological disasters must we create for ourselves, how many millions of creatures must be killed with generations of surviving creatures genetically mutated, and how many more people displaced, their livelihoods destroyed, before we finally get the point that instead of doing things the same old way that it is time to come up with some new, renewable, and less damaging ways to provide for our needs?  Wind, wave, and solar energy all exist in infinite supply, and the technology exists to harness it.  We may lack the infrastructure, but this is the best reason why we must build it!  Before cars and AC were invented, we lacked pipelines, too!  As soon as corporate America finds a way to make money off of wind and solar, you can bet they will be shoving “renewable” energy down our throats!  Luckily, we have Pluto in Capricorn, the sign that rules corporations and big business.  Pluto purges, destroys, and rebuilds the things that are no longer working.  This process will take 15 more years, but already in the first 2, we can see some behemoths swaying, if not falling: Lehman Bros, Goldman Sachs, Washington Mutual, Prudential, Toyota.   I cry for thee not.

Mercury rules the signs of Virgo and Gemini.  Saturn has been retrograde in Virgo opposing Uranus, reminding us that integrating better health and habits, that learning how to adjust and accommodate, and upgrading the status quo are the most beneficial ways of creating a brighter future.  Venus is in Gemini, moving into the focal point of a t-square with the Saturn-Uranus opposition.  Venus in Gemini is fickle, changing her mind often and talking too much.  Mercury’s relationship to Pluto won’t let all of that trash talk go unpunished, so be careful what you yourself are saying.  Gordon Brown would do well to read my blog.

The Taurus New Moon rounds out our week on Thursday May 13th.  The New Moon occurs at 23 degrees and 9 minutes of Taurus, which is the Capricorn decanate of Taurus.  Well, Mercury just retrograded in the sign of Taurus, so we should be up to date on our Taurus issues!  Money, resources, talents, and real estate are all good places to focus our attentions.  We should use the new perspective that we have gained with Mercury retrograde to help us set our intentions for this lunation.  The Sun and Moon are sextile to Neptune and Chiron, and with the oil spill in the Gulf still active and fresh, we can certainly see that we are misusing and wasting more than we are stewarding and renewing.  Can we see any similarities between this tragedy and some more personal issues concerning our stewardship of our own resources?  Now is the time for a long, hard, and honest look.  The Sun and Moon are also trine to Pluto, once again reminding us of the need for deep transformation with respect to these Taurine issues.   What is wasted or taken for granted must be valued appropriately.  What we use must be used more consciously.  What is overlooked must be revisited.  We must look deeper, beyond the obvious, and we must accept that something must die in order for something else, better, to be born…this is the lesson of the Phoenix.

Saturn is the co-ruler of this New Moon since he rules Capricorn.  Pluto is occupying Saturn’s sign, demanding accountability and responsibility.  Saturn himself is in Virgo, opposing Uranus at the weeping degree, while both planets are square to Venus in Gemini, the planet that rules the economy, which is in turn ruled by Big Business, ruled by Saturn.  For me, this intertwining of business, resources, money, and responsibility with Uranus about to move from the weeping degree to the first degree of Aries means that the proverbial manure is about to hit the fan.  We have already seen a refusal by the Goldman Sachs brass to accept responsibility for their actions.  BP hasnt had an impressive response to the oil leak in the gulf.  Many others on Wall Street took taxpayer funded bailouts and then gave themselves big bonuses before paying the tax payers back.  This is not responsible.  Pluto will not let these abuses go unredressed.  The problem, however, is that when Wall Street pays, we all pay.  Of course, each and every one of us has some culpability in this situation, so let’s embrace our inner Capricorn and accept our responsibility.

Find a steady rock to cling to, make sure it is on high ground, well placed, and store some provisions in a safe place.  If you can, store some extra for those you love.  Someone will need, for sure.

with love,

m

SAVE THESE DATES:

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.

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Seeing Stars with Mark 1 - 7 May 2010

Posted in Seeing Stars with Mark on May 2nd, 2010

Dear Friends,

Go ahead and cry. Let it all out. Release whatever it is that you’ve been holding on to. Uranus is occupying 29 degrees Pisces now thru May 27 th, a degree Michael Lutin calls the weeping degree. A good cry is like cleaning out our closets. It purges the emotions that are clogging our storage and preventing organization. Pisces is the sign in which we hide, fantasize, and escape. With Uranus in the final, expiative degree, our ability to hide and escape in our usual manner is gone. We are forced to face reality, whether we like or not. What we are facing now is like a cosmic intervention. Look at what we have done to ourselves.

Uranus is also still deeply engaged in opposition with Saturn. For over 2.5 years now, this has been the most dynamic and pervasive transit. The status quo (Saturn) is being challenged (opposition) by Uranus to wake up and recognize the need for change, the need to upgrade the systems of our lives. This is true on the most basic personal and emotional levels, as well as on political and global levels. What we are used to, what we have done in the past, and what we are comfortable with are no longer adequate to meet the demands of growth and evolution. People are protesting more and more, demanding that the government, the corporate banking systems, the car makers, the oil drillers, etc all listen to what we, the people, have to say. We, the people, are polarizing more and more in this dialogue. This is no surprise: with Saturn and Uranus opposing each other, those in favor of the status quo are lining up against those who favor change. Two things are clear, both upgrades and compromises are necessary in order to move forward. What is not clear is the timing. When will everyone come to this understanding and be willing to work together? My guess is that it will take a disaster of global proportions, or perhaps several, to create this level of awareness in the majority of people. I would love to think differently, but too many of us still believe we are separate from the rest, immune to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. Uranus will dispel that notion as he moves through Aries, squaring Pluto many times in the process.

With Mercury still retrograde in Taurus and less than a week into its newest cycle with the Sun, we are at a place where we need to discriminate between what we do out of habit, and what we need to do in order to survive. Also, we need to make plans for our future growth. There is no question that our habits and comfort zone are making it difficult for us to move forward. Uranus is working with Mercury retrograde to help point this out to us. Mercury will remain retrograde through May 10th. Use this time to reflect on your habits and what they do for you, or what they prevent you from doing. Embrace the spirit of Uranus and upgrade wherever you can now, release all you can. Use the energy of Saturn in practical and adaptive Virgo to make a plan for upgrading the rest sooner rather than later. Taurus represents our connection to food, and to resources, as well as to money and real estate. Also, Taurus calls our attention to the sensory pleasures of life. Are our senses receiving enough stimulation? Are we spending too much time indoors or plugged in? Are we in touch with our sensory needs? These are all areas of our lives where some healthy introspection will be proactive and useful this week.

By the end of May, Uranus will move into Aries. When a slow outer planet changes signs, we feel it immediately. Aries is the seed energy of the zodiac. It is initiating, spontaneous, and somewhat self-involved. Aries is the energy that moves us forward, in spite of ourselves. Imagine that Uranus is like a flight attendant, helping you to evacuate a failing plane. You want to take your bags, your cell phone, your carry on and a snack. The flight attendant is saying NO, not that! No, not that, either! Hurry, there is NO time! We must go, NOW! We need to be lean and mean to survive the changes that are happening as we speak, and the changes that are coming this summer! Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto all have several appointments with each other in the upcoming months. Each of these planets carries a large and inescapable weight with them, a demand for restructuring, awakening, and purging, respectively. We are at the beginning of this process, not the end.

Mars is still in his Leo shadow, but moving forward and ready to cover new ground by mid-May. Mars has been in Leo since October, much longer than his average 6 weeks per sign. This extra long period of time has given us time to connect without hearts – our passions, which are ruled by Leo. Considering the many changes of the past few years, along with the many more to come, it makes sense that we need to be clear about what is important to us, what we are passionate about, and what we love. If we are wasting time on things that do not awaken these feelings in us, we may feel lost when we are flung out of the airplane without our bags, perhaps without a parachute.

I like the image of a freefall for what is happening at the moment. It is full of promise if we choose to look at it this way. The playing field is being equalized. We are all required to sacrifice our comfort level, to dig deep into our inner most recesses and uncover the seed nature of our Selves. We are being awakened by Uranus, purified by Pluto, and restructured by Saturn to be the most we can be, to be the happiest we can be, to be the people we ARE.

For many of us, this is nerve wrecking, challenging, and down right terrifying. The key is to do what is being asked, to stop resisting the inevitable, and to embrace the unique embodiment of Spirit that is you. As we have all heard before, “God didn’t make no mistakes.”

with love

m

SAVE THESE DATES:

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.

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