Astrological Update: Week of September 18, 2005

Screw you if you don't believe in astrology, this is my fuc&ing blog. I am only posting this because some of this is fairly important.

A few updates, from my favorite celestial weather man, www.celestialweather.com.

"As the week begins on Sunday we feel contradictory energies, as we will all week. Venus, the planet that symbolizes our feelings and interpersonal reactions, pulls us back into ourselves and makes us hesitate more than we should. A few hours later, Venus is liberated by an equally powerful link with Uranus, and we’re feeling frisky. So if you find yourself uptight one minute and then wild and crazy the next, you’re right in tune. It’s sort of like a cosmic Hokey-Pokey: you put your right foot in, your put your right foot out, you put your right foot in and wiggle all about…

Equally contradictory but far less amusing and far greater in duration is the Mars – Pluto angle that is dominating the skies. Mars is slowing to enter his semi-annual retrograde period on October 1st. This is a routine frustration for Aries people, and it’s normally a good time to dust off an old project and restart it. This still applies in some cases, but Mars makes his change of motion in exact angle with Pluto, his partner in the destructive-creative forces of our world. These reinforcing energies, which many of us are likely to feel need no reinforcement these days, are coming from zodiac signs that don’t harmonize: Mars in Taurus and Pluto in Sagittarius. Taurus is quite happy to stay put and tough things out. He’s the prototypical immovable object, solid and steady, even stubborn. Sagittarius can’t stand to stay put; he craves motion and new horizons. He operates “on high” whether it’s the upper strata of society, corporate, religious, or political life, or just socially climbing in his/her milieu. So we’re entering a period when we’re inclined (especially if our natal horoscope connects with these two agitators) to aggressively resist change and strike back from inside the walls of our emotional and ideological fortress/prisons. Meanwhile, Pluto is tunneling under our walls and exploding out in the cultural value wars we’ve suffered with for several years. This combination of forces that is simultaneously terrified of change and committed to extreme retribution can push people over the edge. The appeal of a stick of dynamite may be hard to resist, be it actual dynamite or merely an emotional reaction.

When Mercury enters Libra on Tuesday, it may help us be more objective in these stressful times and situations. Here Mercury can articulate and perceive other points of view and talk his way through to a diplomatic solution.

The Autumnal Equinox on occurs at 3:24pm/6:24pm on Thursday with Pluto exactly overhead in the U.S. capitol. This indicates continued pressure on our leaders to manage crisis and change.

Also connected with Mars (who’s at 7 o’clock) is Jupiter in Libra. Jupiter and Pluto form the Y pattern that’s been discussed several times previously in these reports. Jupiter is the home planet for Sagittarius and thus puts additional and similarly expansive, over the border pressure on Mars who is determined to resist.

Since the Equinox comes at sunset for the U.S., the sun is setting and indicates the focus for this fall will continue on relationships (wars and treaties are both relationships) with other nations. In the 9 and 10 o’clock positions are Uranus and Neptune. This is an area of the horoscope called the “House of Karma.” It symbolizes matters that operate on us from an unseen place, or matters in which we behave unconsciously and often to our own detriment. Uranus and Neptune have been and will be sending resonating energy back and forth for several years. The sense we have that no one’s in charge and/or no one knows what’s happening is a fair expression of this.

I write this not to raise fears but to put current and coming events into perspective. The rate of change has been accelerating since the beginning of the 20th century. The diffusion of technology (Uranus in Pisces and Neptune in Aquarius) catalyzes this radical re-shaping of human society. Currently we lack the institutional tools to deal with this new world. We’re here at the birth moments of a new form of civilization, and if you’ve ever been present at a birth you know it’s often accompanied by pain and suffering…almost always followed by great joy.

We have two eclipses coming up, October 3rd and 17th. Eclipses lift all the ambient energy to high levels. Some of us soar and some crash and burn. Some systems can’t handle the high current flow and smoke into failure. These are times to remember to take breaks, treasure the small joys of daily life and friendships, and to treat each other with utmost kindness, not only for its virtue, but also for its survival benefits.

On Saturday Venus makes a square with Neptune. She does this twice a year and puts a bright shine on people creating magical special moments in our lives. The trick is to enjoy these moments without clinging to them. Amidst the glamour and mist, it’s easy to be confused or to project what is desired onto what is. And therein lies the source of much disappointment. This is not a time to sign a contract, but it is a time to set goals with the full knowledge that even partial progress toward them is healthy. A wise philosopher once said, “You can wish in one hand and “poop” in the other and see which fills up first.” "