The week ahead!

Hey--How has the money talk been for the last week?   Lot of it, right?   Yeah, Taurus is so  up these days.  I can feel it in my bones.   Must be my own south node in Taurus house.

Sun:  (4/29)  We had two energies at play.  One being a nice aspect between the Sun and Pluto.  Did you feel something fall away?  Did you feel a little liberated?  Perhaps you just did something differently and it took less work and was just as successful as if you had devoted more hours or cash.   Whatever it was, enjoy the liberation. 

The other energy is the First Quarter Moon which also happened on Sunday.

April 29 5:57am

Focus on:   What actions can you take now that support your self esteem?  How can you take smart risks that speak to what you value?   What bold, strong actions can you take that build upon your resources?   Where is your ego out of control and how does it reflect low self esteem?   If you fix it now will how will it support your resources? 

Later we will have a Gibbous Moon.  Wednesday May 2, 6:37pm EDT  

Focus on:    What does your diet look like?  Why does it look like that?  What does your calendar look like and how is it in sync or out of sync with your values?  Where are you wasting time?  How is your daily routine in synch with your health?   How can you tighten up your time management to better support your resources?

Thursday we have:

5/3: Mercury/Venus.  Fun, lively conversations.  Perks for love and money.  Values are highlighted and mental breakthroughs about what we ‘really’ value may come up.

And Friday we have got tough aspect with Mercury.  

5/5: A harsh day mentally speaking.  Things feel hard.   Can’t wrap brain around some things or just think in harsh terms.   Nothing ‘fits’ right. 

And also on Friday we have a Full Moon.  Here is a snippet on Full Moon.  More to come later.

Full Moon Phase

May 5 11:35pm EDT

16 Scorpio 01  

Focus on:    How are you balancing the your values with the values of others?   Where do you need a loan?  Where do you need to co-mingle with others?  How can you share your own resources?   What areas need to die so they can be reborn?  What needs to be sacrificed for greater growth ?  What do you need to ditch so you can be invigorated?

  

Investing via Astrology

In honor of Taurus new moon I wanted to offer up some astrological investing sights. I am not a financial astrological advisor. But there are plenty of astrologers who do this type of astrology. They know cycles within cycles within cycles of both the planets and the markets.

I often have pointed out Ray Merriman's sight especially when we are getting b'slapped by Pluto. But in general you should take a look. Click on his WEEKLY Preview (left side of screen).

And of course there is Ted's Astro Advisery Services sight. Ted Phillips a smart Capricorn (of course!) knows his cycles and always puts up thoughtful reports.

And the Galactic Investor has a whole bevy of resources.

Just in Time for Taurus NM

Wow---are these people on time or what? I can see the Taurus New Moon all over this article.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt and billionaire co-founder Larry Page have teamed up with "Avatar" director James Cameron and other investors to back an ambitious space exploration and natural resources venture, details of which will be unveiled next week.

The fledgling company, called Planetary Resources, will be unveiled at a Tuesday news conference at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, according to a press release issued this week.

Aside from naming some of the company's high-profile backers, the press release disclosed tantalizingly few details, saying only that the company will combine the sectors of "space exploration and natural resources" in a venture that could add "trillions of dollars to the global GDP." The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Planetary Resources will explore the feasibility of mining natural resources from asteroids, a decades-old concept.

"This innovative start-up will create a new industry and a new definition of 'natural resources,'" according to the press release.

Planetary Resource was co-founded by Eric Anderson, a former NASA Mars mission manager, and Peter Diamandis, the commercial space entrepreneur behind the X-Prize, a competition that offered $10 million to a group that launched a reusable manned spacecraft. Other notable investors include Charles Simonyi, a former top executive at Microsoft, and K. Ram Shriram, a Google director.

The venture will be the latest foray into the far-flung for Cameron, who dived last month in a mini-submarine to the deepest spot in the Mariana Trench. The plot of his 2009 science fiction blockbuster film, "Avatar," concerned resource mining on alien planets.

Taurus New Moon--Are you ready?

Did you know tomorrow 4/21 is Taurus New Moon?
It starts at 12:20am PDT --3:20am EDT.

Just a few hours away.

I honestly am looking forward to this new cycle. I think we need it. There is a beautiful trine between the Sun/Moon with Pluto and at the same time a beautiful trine with Mars.

I see this as a wondeful opportunity for all of us to move on the good and build upon it. At the same time we can effect change in our life that is valuable. It is curious to me Pluto and Mars are coaxing Taurus Sun/Moon into change because if any of us know Taureans we know they do NOT like change. But this is a different year. There is also a bugaboo with Saturn and I'm sure the stock market will take some wierd hit but still I look forward to the next 28 days to find out what I really think is important and ditch the rest. You cannot find anything valuable until you realize what you value. That is this cycle.

I put up my article which you can find at Margaret Wendt's website.

Here's a snippet go to article for whole piece.

Finding Our Values


Taurus the bull is the first earth sign of the zodiac. At Taurus, the dirt is soft and malleable; with a steady hand we can till the soil and plant seeds easily. By the time we get to the second earth sign, Virgo the soil is harder having been baked by summer sun and when we get to the last earth sign, Capricorn, the soil is hard and frozen. Of the three earth signs, Taurus is lighter and like the soil that they represent more optimistic than his earthen brethren. He has great expectations for what he can accomplish. The question is, “What does he value?”

When we talk about Taurus we talk about real estate, money, banks, cash, love and appreciation. But under all of that is really ‘values’. After all, getting paid for a service speaks to what people value of that service. And being in love or being loved also speaks of value. How much do you value that person or how much are you valued by someone else? Or how much do you even value love? Taurus values loyalty and provides much support to those whom they love. When others get too busy to help out a friend, it is the Taurus who says, “How can I help?” And they mean it. They like providing security for others because they value it so much in their own lives.

Taurus is also highly practical. Not one to chase hair brain ideas, they move very cautiously. They want everything figured out and will only take low risks.
Taurus also values nature and taking care of their body. During Taurus, we don’t move our bodies because we want to enjoy exercising. We don’t move our bodies because we want to burn calories. We move our bodies during Taurus to actually remember we have bodies! During Aries our psyches were full of fire and were racing hard with our goals and desires. And next month during Gemini our brains will be racing a million miles an hour as we process the first air sign. But right now, in Taurus we must take note that we are not fire and we are not air, we are human beings with bodies complete with living cells that need to be properly nurtured. Ah, nurture, another Taurus word.

Earth, nature, nurture, values, bodies, cash, properties are you getting the sense of Taurus? It all speaks to resources. Beautiful, abundant resources but this is where things get confusing with Taurus because their darker side speaks of lack filled with jealousy, envy and greed.

Lynn Hayes on Saturn/Neptune

I read a beautiful post by Lynn Hayes that I wanted to share with you. I have a pronounced Neptune in my chart and a very strong Saturn and I can see so much of my own history in this one little story of Howie the dog,, his caretakers & Ceasar Milan the dog Whisperer.

Lynn does a great job illustrating the planetary influence and the importance of self healing. Go to link for full article.


Last night I watched part of a Dog Whisperer episode that I missed about Howie, the (adorable) rescue dog that lived at an animal hospital in Atlanta because he was “unadoptable.” Howie had been terribly abused before his rescue, and while his body had healed he was still terrified and growled whenever anyone new came near him. The ladies who cared for him were very protective of him and did all they could to keep him safe. He lived at the animal hospital for two years before Cesar Millan came to help Howie become adoptable.

When Cesar arrived, he found that Howie had been indoors for two years. Because of his abuse, his foster moms had been afraid to put a leash on him for fear it would bring back memories of the terrible times. They felt he had been through so much, and they just wanted to keep him safe and loved. Cesar always says that dogs live in the moment, and that if we keep living in the past and reinforcing that for them that they will never heal.

Chiron teaches us that our desire to heal others often stems from a wound within ourselves. In the highest form of this “Wounded Healer” archetype, we wait to heal others until we ourselves have been healed. Once we have walked into the fire and shadows of our own wounds and the energy held in the cellular memory has been released, we then experience the empathy to be able to help others heal. However, there is a shadow side to the Wounded Healer in which the wounds of the patient activate the wounds of a healing provider who has not yet fully healed

Week Ahead

The week ahead starts on Sunday (4/15) with a Sun Oppose Saturn. We shake out where we have not been serving ourselves but instead serving our partners or we shake out where we have not been serving partners but instead serving self.


4/16: Mercury enters Aries check out stellar days http://www.stellardays.com/PlacementChanges.aspx?Planet=ALL&EventID=1794&MoveTo=5/8/2012


4/18: Balsamic: We let go. By releasing we can prepare for the new.

Focus on
We release our martyrdom. We release our need to be spiritually pure. We release our guilt. We release our fears. We release our fuzzy factor. We release our victim-ness.

Special focus:
4/19: Sun enters Taurus. Make sure your gift for Taurus is big, luxurious and thoughtful.

Mars! Ole' Ole'

Today, April 13 at 11:53 pm EDT Mars will finally turn direct. To that we say, "Ole'"

Back on New Moon I discussed our favorite warrior. I think it is interesting that North Korea's missle yesterday ended up going no where. But let's not tell them Mars was retrograde.Anyway---

Mars on the move
For the last month we have had a lovely trine between Pluto/Mars & Jupiter and during that time Dow Jones reached heights it has not had since before the crash in 2008. The economy has shown signs of improvements. Time will tell how long the improvements last and I have to say I am a bit concerned if the gains will retreat when Jupiter moves out of Taurus and into Gemini this summer. In the meantime Mars who has been traveling backwards for months in Virgo is going to straighten out on April 13 and finally begin his journey out of the sign. As annoying as it has been to have Mars retro in Virgo and believe me I’m a Sag so I can speak of this annoyance personally, I still cannot underscore enough how important it is for all of us to get into great daily habits while Mars is in Virgo. What is your exercise routine? Your diet? Have you been to the doctor for a check up? How is your blood? How are your projects? How is your schedule? Do you do daily work towards your long term goals? Mars will continue to stay in Virgo until July so we have a few more months of opportunity to get our schedules on track. Keep this energy in mind when you build your Treasure Maps. An affirmation for everyone might be, “My daily life reflects my long term goals.”

Happy Birthday Titanic & Dave

April 12 and April 14

Happy Birthday. One is cold, treacherous and moribund and the other is the Titanic.

Happy 65th, Dave and Happy 100th, Titanic.

As I mentioned back in January, there have been lot astrological discussions about the Titanic over the years. The tough aspects between Neptune with Sun, Moon and Mercury are very clear and have been discussed ad naseum.

This week the New York Time posted an article in which a new theory has come out that tides were unusually high between Dec 1911 and Feb 1912.

The first says Earth’s nearness to the Moon and the Sun — a proximity not matched in more than 1,000 years — resulted in record tides that help explain why the Titanic encountered so much ice, including the fatal iceberg.


Along with the strange tides, there was also another theory.

And a second, put forward by a Titanic historian from Britain, contends that the icy waters created ideal conditions for an unusual type of mirage that hid icebergs from lookouts and confused a nearby ship as to the liner’s identity, delaying rescue efforts for hours.

So, crazy tides and weird mirages come out now a 100 years later but at the end of the day--it is still all Neptunian.

Caine's Arcade; A story of Aries & Capricorn

Yesterday I was on my way to pick up my son from school when I heard a lovely story on NPR about "Caine's Arcade". I was so moved by it that I went snooping for more info and I found the link to the little video.

When I hear news and stories I often think of the astrology of our time and frankly this piece speaks to me of the square between Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn. Squares for the most part are tough aspects partly because they put two energies up against each other that at first blush appear to be disparate but when you take a moment and really look at them they are talking about similiar energy but processing it differently. And that is a rub. A rub which can be a huge pain in the ass but often on the other side of it there is a gift---

So, here we have 9 year old Caine who made an arcade out of cardboard boxes in the yard of his father's auto part store last summer. No school,no camp he had to go to work with his dad (Cap). He was the only kid (Aries). Feeling industrious (Capricorn) he worked (Capricorn) all summer to get his arcade just the way he saw it in his mind (Aries) and he did it all by himself (Aries). The problem was--he did not have one customer. Square. Until this guy came looking to buy a door handle for his car.

He was Caine's first customer. He was smitten.

You will be as well.

Prepare to get misty.

Pluto turns Retrograde

The big note for this week is happening today.
Pluto is doing his annual backward move and turning retrograde at 9 degrees Capricorn.

As I wrote back on new moon:


Pluto normally spends half the year in retrograde and on April 10th he will turn around and head back from 9 degrees of Capricorn to 7 degrees. We might have a bit more insecurity on the 10th but Pluto is equally comfortable going forward as backwards. Given Pluto’s nature is to dig in deep and find the issue, a case can be made he might even prefer the retrograde period! Anyway, we can use the next five months to once again sort through solutions we need to improve our infrastructures. Remember, like the story of the Princess and the Pea, Pluto is the princess and no matter how many mattresses are stacked up Pluto will find the miniscule pea. Especially if the pea is making everything ‘off’. Watch what peas come up between now and September.


For more info check out Lynn Koiner's write up. Very informative!

http://www.lynnkoiner.com/astrology-articles/pluto-retrograde



Then on Friday the 13th we begin Last Quarter Moon.


Last Quarter moon: Now we do the final adjustments to the seeds we planted on new. The final call, the final letters to send, we follow all the trails that came up that still make sense. And we let the other parts lay fallow. It is a time of action but wise action. It is a time for living “The serenity prayer”

God, grant me the Serenity
to accept the things
I cannot change Courage to change the
things I can, and the
Wisdom to know the difference.


Focus on: What actions are you taking that speak to your place out in the greater world? What do you have on your treasure map that needs you moving out there? Where are you putting yourself out in front of the public? What can you do that tells the world, “I’m here and I count and I have something to offer?”

Libra Full Moon

Libra Full Moon
April 6
3:18pm EDT

Full Moon Libra

Each year when we receive the beautiful Full Moon in Libra we have an opportunity to find balance from the strum and drang of Aries. During the last two weeks, if we have been using the energy properly, we have been all about us. All about number 1. We were drenched in fire as we focused our desires for the new year. Now, on these three days of full moon our fire is not extinguished but is relaxed as we finally look up and see that person on the other side of the dinner table. “Oh, yes, you are important to me.”

On this year’s Libra full moon, Saturn is coloring everything. He is right on top of the Moon and completely opposite of the Sun. It can be a solitary time for some people but also it can be a weekend of satisfying work. Relationships that work well together will breeze through this full moon. They are confident in the rules that suit each other. Those relationships not as strong will likely see glaring flaws. It may be a cool weekend where we are not passionate and feel removed but it also is nice to know you can retreat but still feel safe that the other person is not going anywhere.

One other note, this is the final Libra Full Moon with Saturn in Libra. We will not have a powerful Saturn on a Libra Moon for at least 14 years when we get the opposition. What you see now or feel now in regards to all your relationships will help you in the next few months. Remember in the fall Saturn will leave Libra and head for Scorpio. So, we have just a few more months to tidy up the things that aren’t working in our relationships or how we ‘relate.’ Consider this a full moon to get practical about relating. Practical about finding your balance. Yes, you may be inclined to do a ‘tit for tat’ but at the end of the day consider this full moon a gift.

This Week

As I mentioned earlier, this week has Venus in Gemini on 4/3. Are you prepared to get your chat and connect switched turned on?

Here is the rest of the week highlights:

We are in a the first quarter moon. Which is when we take actions that support our seeds we planted on new moon and actions that are more focused since the information we have learned in the last week during crescent. These actions may support your family? What actions can you take now that improve your home? What are your feelings telling you and how can you harness those emotions to build towards the goals you planted on new moon?

Then there is Gibbous Moon on April 3, 8:35am.

We refine our information. We pick and choose, we discriminate, we organize to be ‘Virgo’ like. We sort through details. Have we missed something? How are we sifting through the information? Go back and make sure something hasn’t been neglected. Refine our actions.


Focus on: What are you almost forgetting that speaks to your self-worth? How are you supporting your self-esteem? How does ego hurt you? Had you forgotten that Ego can do that?


Special Focus:
4/3: Venus in Gemini
4/4: Mercury turns direct at 6:11am and not a minute too soon. Yippee skippy!
4/5: Venus/Neptune: Illusion, fuzzy things over money and other resources.