Astroboogie Stars April 28th 2013

Eclipse aftermath, you know the drill. Cool thinking replaces last week's
 frenzied emotion and you weigh your options smartly.

Taurus

You swallow intense feelings and decide which of your ambitions still stand up. The focus shifts from corporate conformity and on to what you want in your heart. Make your mind up by Thursday, as smart-thinking Mercury enters your sign. Friends call you stubborn, but you have a plan and everyone will soon see. Still, a conciliatory touch works around obstacles, and the right bedside manner confounds those who thought they had your measure. Money flows and an international dimension to your plans points to the future. Bull birthdays April 30^th – May 2^nd have a full-circle experience - people question your performance and you are inspired to try a different career.

 Gemini

You are known for nailing the details, to which you add a panoramic vision. Promotion and eureka moments come and go, but regardless, you feel good inside. Keep faith in a withdrawn role and give five-star service without hogging the limelight. You re-invent yourself as an artist, and Saturday's unaccustomed stubborn streak carries the day.

Cancer

Pleasing everyone and doing the sensible thing outrages your inner rebel. Uranus, planet of innovation, shows you a different way, and you can stand out and still be a grown up. Being yourself takes nerve and - surprise – the conventional crowd respect you too. Put energy into your artistic work and Thursday sees a golden introduction from a true friend.

Leo

Blending business and pleasure has never been so easy. A smooth professional touch opens doors and you position yourself to jump into a vacant spot. Strike a balance between home and career on Tuesday, and build for the long term, even when the goal isn’t in sight. Loyalty is a lot to live up to but you love someone simply being there.

Virgo

You assert yourself easily and power through a business backlog. Mars, planet of action, gives you staying power and you won't be deflected from your task. Your casual communication style masks deep study and your way is the only way. Still, a persuasive partner takes you down a different route and feelings from the past resurface on Saturday. 

Libra

Rowdy Uranus hits your relationship zone and you have to play a different game. Find freedom and commitment and get used to your partners being quirky free spirits. Still, you take things to another level in love and break down an emotional boundary. A prized item that is just out of reach teaches you something about what you really want.

Scorpio

You set a high bar and weigh up the ambition-versus-time equation. Duty calls press down and a campaign stretching into the future is daunting. Front it up, and know that you won't always be carrying the weight of the world. Planets packing your love zone give you charisma and insisting on good times midweek is a mission statement.

Sagittarius

Your new diet keeps you in shape and it’s no great sacrifice. Find out your own needs and steer clear of a one-size-fits-all approach. A friend acts as mentor and guide, and lucky Sunday has you looking forwards again in love. You mix with powerful figures in finance - but remember you have aces and qualities worth investing in.

Capricorn

Competition is intense and an all-or-nothing policy brings out your best game. In love and work, you need willpower, as people resort to any means to get ahead. Tuesday’s Capricorn Moon puts you across in style and you spring a tricky question smartly. Restless feelings at home surge and you are drawn into doing something completely different.

Aquarius

You deliver as usual, but the new regime at work monitors your performance. Take it slow and don’t be tempted into a shortcut to the top. You come home full of energy, and a makeover project channels your need to build. Heart and mind are in tune on Thursday and the Aquarius Moon sees you handling a sensitive situation smartly.

Pisces

Before you make a noble sacrifice, check if the gesture is noticed. Not everybody is as attuned as you and some will think you will always step aside. Still, you have a clear strategy and your study plans are smart and sensible. Saturday’s Pisces Moon puts a spring in your step and you live for an escapist moment.

Aries

A step into the unknown resolves uncertainty about your next move. Tune out skeptical voices and follow the vision you have always imagined. You have a taste for luxury and spending quickly makes space for funds to flood back in. Think smart and Wednesday brings profit potential when you get the patent on an original idea.

Astroboogie Stars April 21st 2013

- Try reading your rising sign too - 

Taurus

You have Major Ambitions that you’d love to fulfil, given time and energy. Some of these goals change over time, and some are also thrust upon you that you didn’t sign up for. But nothing happens without outside pressure and afterwards you admit the effort was worth it. Thursday’s Lunar Eclipse pares your personal life down and you take stock of the liaisons that stand up. Wait until the weekend at least before acting on an impulse. There's light and shade as always, as your ruler Venus gives you a warm personal touch. Take the lead on Sunday and you dazzle in the boardroom and the bedroom.

 Gemini

You break your usual frontiers and a vision arrives of how life could be. Then you wake up – except the glittering memory persists. Write your ideas down and set your ambitions on a towering scale, not what you think you can get away with. Wednesday combines thought with innovative action in a private eureka moment.

Cancer

Your swerve into left-field takes everyone by surprise. Uranus, planet of genius, breaks up cosy conformity and your career outlook is radically different to only months ago. For sure it's life in a tumble-drier, but otherwise you would never venture out of your zone. Someone tries to control you, but remember, they respect your wilful independence.

Leo

A madcap travel scheme doesn’t seem so crazy now and you do everything to reel it in. Muggles try and talk you out of it, but it's fair to ask about their motivation. Natural chemistry gives you the boss’s ear, but this is not a scenario you have engineered. Thursday’s eclipse sees a decisive move on the home front.

Virgo

Always smart and sensible, now you set your sights on a faraway ideal. Your partner is a perfect inspiration and you aim for the road less travelled. Visionary daring blends with down-home values and staying together for the long run has a romance of its own. Monday’s Virgo Moon gives you the edge in contract talks.

Libra

Sharp repartee is guaranteed and you are drawn to somebody’s ideas. You know your own mind too and amaze everyone with a quick decision on Wednesday’s Libra Moon. Still, you can take it slowly in love and indulge your pleasures to the fullest. Rethink your fiscal strategy, and stick with the elements that are working for you.

Scorpio

A critical point in your career campaign as you decide which parts are worthwhile. Sure, you face up to challenges and people treat you with new respect. But the work-life ratio is critical, so don’t waste love on a project that doesn’t love you back. Thursday’s lunar eclipse draws an emotional line, leaving heart and mind clear. 

Sagittarius

You are famous for the Big Idea, but you astound everyone with your grasp of detail. Follow your first instinct and don’t look back. Your rebellious ideas percolate slowly and a desire to break away that persists is fulfilled at last. Psychic inspiration bubbles up behind the scenes but the weekend puts a dramatic moment in perspective.

Capricorn

Grounding discordant energies makes a launchpad for your success. You fuse working all the hours with embracing technology, and grasp an historic opportunity. A light touch works in love, even when your partner is in intense mood. Take up a new diet or routine, and a kindred spirit helps you make the transition.

Aquarius

Tear down the old and build up the new at home. The Sun and fiery Mars combine in your domestic zone and a refurb project shows your class. Insist on fine quality accessories and don’t let a plan slip for lack of investment. Think on a large scale and a breezy attitude in a tight spot has everyone turning to you.

Pisces

Seeing the world in colourful hues, like an Impressionist painting, is no biggie for you. But even by your own standards, life has a kaleidoscopic quality and you'd rather paint your masterpiece than graft. Listen to your inner voice, but keep some discrimination. You ride the intensity of Thursday’s eclipse and give old-soul advice to someone close.

Aries

A flash of intuition midweek has long-lasting repercussions. Planets pack your chart’s financial district and you balance your own funds with shared income from your partner. Deciding who owns what is emotional. Saving up for a rainy day isn’t your usual style, but a radical break for freedom is worth planning in advance.

Scorpio eclipse 25th April

We are entering 'Eclipse Season' 2013, with the first in the present series being the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse on 25th April. This is in fact the most partial of partial eclipses, with only a tiny portion of the Moon being covered by the Earth's shadow and the whole event lasting just 27 minutes. The opposition of the Sun in Taurus and Moon in Scorpio, however, is a very Pagan Full Moon, falling around the time of the festival of Beltane, and celebrated in Buddhism as the omen of the Buddha's birth and Enlightenment. That it should also be an eclipse adds extra spice.

According to Ptolemy, the duration of an eclipse's effects is determined by its period of obscuration. A solar eclipse remains 'active' for as many years as hours of duration, and a lunar eclipse, symbolically, is months for hours. It is rather like a timed detonation, with the eclipse degree lying dormant until it is triggered by a transiting planet. So this very partial eclipse will only cast its influence for about two weeks after the event.

Scorpio eclipse 25th April 2013, 20:09 GMT

The eclipse degree at 5 Scorpio shows the Moon just separating from its dispositor Mars and applying to Saturn. Nice. Mars, Lord of the Eclipse, has been overtaken by the Sun in Taurus, but still suggests tension and conflict, just prior to the next Uranus-Pluto square 16th May. Eclipses dramatize everything, particularly in a turbulent sign like Scorpio, so we may see heated rhetoric at very least, centring around Syria and North Korea. 

Recent events in Boston may also signal a new chapter for the USA's homeland security. If the attackers prove to be domestic dissidents, then this eclipse - and the Solar Eclipse on 10th May - may be a foreshadowing of larger issues in the United States's 12th house of hidden enemies.

Transiting Saturn will also station at 5 Scorpio in June, yet according to classical authority, this is beyond the approximate two-week influence of the present eclipse. Still, Saturn and the North Node in Scorpio have brought taboo issues to the surface - in the high-profile sexual abuse cases in the UK, to widely-condemned instances of rape in India, to activities inside the Catholic Church. Previous values and hidden practices are no longer ignored (or tacitly accepted).  

What will it mean for me?
Eclipses of either of the Sun or Moon are intrinsically emotional. At a solar eclipse, the Moon comes in front of the Sun, and symbolically, emotion overtakes Self. A lunar eclipse sees the Moon obscured and the egocentric solar principle takes over. We may act impulsively and irrationally and our usual way of thinking is obscured. There is a feeling of restlessness, emptiness or anxiety, and a tiny stimulus triggers an exaggerated response. Like a pressure valve, the tension builds up at the approach to a new or full Moon, before being neutralized. We turn a corner and feel inwardly cleansed, even if the tangible results aren’t immediately clear. 

Look to see where the eclipse falls in your chart, whether it is angular, or what house it occurs in. Any natal planet that falls within a degree of the eclipse will be affected, if only subtly. You will be most affected if you have a personal planet or angle on or around 5 degrees of the fixed signs, particularly Scorpio or Taurus. If your birthday is 25th-27th April or October, the eclipse may mark a turning point. Something or someone you have relied on is eclipsed. 

Rather like the transits of the planet Uranus, an outworn habit is rooted out, an empty ritual is undone, a routine relationship takes a new complexion. The key is whether the affairs that the eclipse degree affects, or the house it falls in, are vital and relevant in your life. For sure, eclipses may entail temporary loss, but it is a sign to move on. It’s tough to sever ties for our own good: loss, at the time, never feels particularly healthy. But the eclipses says you don’t need the baggage.

It is probably not a good idea to initiate any new project or ambition at the time of an eclipse, solar or lunar. Spiritual work may be highly auspicious, however, reflected in the 'shadow planets' Rahu and Ketu which govern eclipse patterns. Yogic authorities maintain that chanting mantras has far greater power during an eclipse and for this reason these periods are highly prized and anticipated. In Vedic astrology, the April 25th eclipse falls in Swati nakshatra, which is ruled by Vayu, the Wind God. This highlights speech and breath control (pranayama), with potential disturbances for those of a vata tendency.

Take it easy. Let things settle down before making decisions. Solar eclipse energy - like 10th May - is especially volatile and it is worth waiting three days at least, until the waxing crescent Moon first appears before leaping headlong into the fray.  

Astroboogie Stars April 14th 2013

Aries 
Anything but a laid-back Sunday in prospect, with quicksilver Mercury heading into your sign. A line-up of planets in Aries gives you energy to burn and making an instant choice is imperative. Whether its work around the house or winning the inch war, your mission involves direct intervention. Monday turns your attention to luxury and you win someone round just by being there. Venus, planet of romance, sits comfortably and buying an expensive gift has the desired effect.  Consolidate your gains by Saturday and you impress everyone with your spending power.

Taurus

You have played a waiting game and now the effort pays off. Venus, your ruler, hits your sign on Monday and a silky personal touch blends with your professional quest. People sense your sincerity and consistency in love is key. Behind the scenes negotiations are pivotal and keeping a diary gives you thoughts to reflect back on.

Gemini 
You go from hanging out with the crowd to retreating into your own company. The Moon in your sign on Monday gives you insight, and studying a new subject puts your world into perspective. It's no illusion, you really can do anything. An idealistic career choice is within your grasp and working for a cause sees everybody win.

Cancer

Start thinking big and you are on the cusp of a change of luck. Character-building experience doesn’t let up and you appreciate it all the more after a struggle. There is an acid-and-alkali feeling in your personal life too and a super-keen partner wants everything their own way. Make an important call at Wednesday’s Cancer Moon.

Leo

A flash of inspiration lies behind a quick-fire choice. Assert yourself and committing to a cause early on sees you attract a following. A change of address keeps you on your toes and a charm offensive at work cultivates the right contacts. Forget people questioning your performance and Friday’s Leo Moon is your standout moment.

Virgo

You need your famously flexible moves to keep up with the pace of change. Mercury, your ruler, is in assertive mode and you speak up where before you let others lead. Still, you are a perfectionist and steer a line between honesty and tact. Design a big career canvas and daring to go against the grain is where the good stuff is.

Libra

You sense a last opportunity in love, but don’t snatch at it. Keep your smooth Libran moves and your ruler Venus rewards you for taking it slowly. An injection of optimism makes all the difference and keep believing even when the evidence isn’t in yet. Financial security takes time and hard-won experience works the system your way.

Scorpio

You know what needs to be done, you just need to summon the energy. High standards are good, but you can only start from from where you are now. Venus, planet of love, gives you a sure touch and making the effort to be good company succeeds.  Stand out from the crowd on Saturday and people really do notice your going the extra mile.

Sagittarius

A concerted push gets a creative project off the ground and you keep believing. You are thinking clearly, and paperwork gets full attention to detail. Make a long-term decision and stick to it. Cast your mind back to when you were in harness and appreciate a touch of freedom. Your week gets better once you get past lazy Monday.

Capricorn

A period of transition keeps you alert but there is everything to play for.  Tuesday sees you on conciliatory form and you combine big ambition with a sure social touch. You build your ambitions from the ground upwards and Saturday’s earthy planetary complexion is perfect. a crucial confrontation can be saved until next week.

Aquarius

People appreciate your rebellious side early this week, and you embody positive change. A long-awaited revolution arrives of its own accord. It's a great time for home entertaining and you enjoy the ambience you have made. Keep tabs on your finances. You wish someone close would be more adventurous, but be glad of their loyalty.

Pisces

Things aren’t true just because you want them to be – or are they? Nebulous Neptune breaks the boundaries down and there’s a Wizard of Oz sensation in your romantic world. Keep faith in your most cherished dreams, but run them past a trusted friend first. A generous touch is appreciated and your impulse buy on Wednesday hits the spot.

Saturn return: The Big Two Nine and a Half

Adapted from my book: Saturn, Fatal Attraction

Saturn is astrology’s traditional bogeyman, the planet of fear, taboo and limitation. His foreboding symbolism is the embodiment of the Reaper, or Shadow, as he sets down the knottiest life obstacles we have to overcome. We love him! A critical renaissance in recent years has pointed out his sterling qualities of structure and discipline, and the Ringed Planet is, ironically, the ruler of ambition and achievement. Saturn describes your journey for self-mastery and without expressing his positive qualities you will neither succeed, nor be taken seriously. 

Saturn governs the issues that many people consider the astrologer’s stock in trade. He is the ruler of fate and time, and is known traditionally as the Lord of Karma. Every time Saturn hits a major planet or key point in your chart, there is a sense of time passing and also a fated lesson to unravel. Certainly, he brings astrologers most of their clients. Even those people who would not normally come for a horoscope consultation become more receptive when confronted by this defining astrological influence. There are other challenging planetary energies, of course, but the zodiacal house Saturn currently occupies represents the root source of your problem or preoccupation. You need an accurate birthchart to know his exact location, but whether it is money, home, career, kids, whatever, the matter comes to the forefront of your thinking when Saturn crosses into that zone. 

Saturn’s orbit takes 29 and a half years to move through the zodiac, approximately four times seven. Seven year cycles are a well known mystical phenomena: at aged seven our initial childhood development is complete (‘give me a child until he is seven, and I will give you the man’, say the Jesuits), at fourteen we go through puberty, twenty one is the key to adulthood and twenty nine is the first mature completion. Throughout a life, seven year periods represent organic change that does not depend solely on outward events to bring us a different perspective. We grow and become different people and have insights it appears we could not have had prior to Saturn reaching a significant staging post. The ruler of limits and boundaries entails the rulership of portals and openings, important rites of passage, hence another of Saturn’s aliases is The Lord of the Door.

Like the Hermit in the Tarot, Saturn represents the wisdom of experience, and fate is his other great astrological archetype. The classic ‘fatal attraction’ is a scenario where you have a presentiment that something momentous is about to happen, so much so that you may wish to sidestep it. Events conspire to bring it to you anyway - an experience whose moment has come. Rejecting ‘A’ in favour of ‘B’, you end up with ‘A’ all the same. Your job or relationship is going perfectly well, stable and rewarding, until Saturn hits a vital point in your chart. Trials, tests and adjustments ensue, which eventually make your position richer, but not without initial frustration and soul-searching. You wonder why you have to jump through so many apparently pointless hoops, yet afterwards, you admit grudgingly that you are wiser for an episode you would not have entered into voluntarily. 

From this point of view, it is clear why many people spend large parts of their lives running away from Saturn’s lessons; certainly up to their first Saturn return at aged 29. This head-in-the-sand attitude is the worst possible approach, however, which only ensures that the experience you wish to avoid is brought upon you, in clear and vivid terms. Saturn’s myth embodies this idea: he castrated his father Uranus and supplanted his position as King of the Gods. Saturn then spent his time in charge being a tyrannical control freak, terrified that his father’s fate would be visited on him in turn. He ate all of his children to ward off the possibility of a new planetary putsch, which provoked his son Jupiter to overthrow him. Saturn was indeed usurped, just as he feared. This is the irony of fate personified: the strategy he used to shield himself from his fate was the very thing that brought it about. ‘Meet the new boss, same as 
the old boss’.

What to do when Saturn knocks at the door? The traditional counsel to counteract his weighty influence is to get physical exercise and to surround yourself with the qualities of the Sun. Warmth, light and bright colours are antidotes to Saturn’s darkness and inertia. Yoga, also, is a slow, patient, discipline that is Saturnian in all the best ways. Rather than counselling or other incomplete therapies, Yoga is a system that works on the whole being. Even a few well-executed asanas have a noticeably lightening and liberating effect on the mind and body, which is often all that’s needed to raise your spirit level.

He always brings work, so it is as well to look positively for things to do. The intelligent approach is to try and embody the symbolism of a given transit in a positive and constructive way. Either you happen to the transit, or the transit happens to you. If Saturn is about to enter your Tenth house of career, for example, then you will at least be thinking very hard about your true vocation. This is not a time for shortcuts or quick fixes, but to devise a long-term strategy at work and if possible, stick to it. You don’t need to get a sensible haircut and A Proper Job if this outrages your inner nature – this would be sad Saturn surrender at its worst. You might be a clairvoyant, comedian or competitive snowboarder, but you do have to be sensible and Saturnian, and approach your calling in a disciplined way, however quirky it may be.

Positive thought can be seen as a rather glib concept, but it is a priceless asset when in the middle of a Saturn transit. Your natal Saturn is an indispensable guide to how you structure your world, often in an unconscious way. Depending on your mind-level, you may have overcome many life limitations, or you are still defined by your fears. Much is made these days of Cosmic Ordering, the latest commercial branding of what used to be known as Creative Visualization, before that Positive Thinking, and before that Prayer. What is little mentioned is that such programming happens all the time, albeit at a slow and imperceptible level. Channelling and focusing thought simply speeds the natural process up. If we believe what modern physics tells us and what we have always known from religious and esoteric traditions, there is no such thing as inert matter. The earth is alive, its component waves and particles moving constantly, if infinitesimally slowly. Saturn does not represent immovable obstacles, but only challenges that take time to overcome. Patience is vital: bottom-line reality as represented by our cosmic anti-hero takes time to influence and for focused intention to percolate down to the real-world level.

Saturn does not exist to victimize you. Working with him, using focused intent backed up with positive action means that he sets up enduring structures in your life and rewards you long term. Saturn does what it says on the tin. He is like an agent-manager, always at your shoulder demanding more work, and you start doing the things which before you only talked about. As the Myth of Chronos shows, running away from his essential tasks is the best way to guarantee the worst possible outcome. Facing up to Saturn, embracing the challenge on the other hand is the way to let success come to find you…