Saturn Retrograde

Saturn Retrograde 

April 29 5:54pm PDT 

20 Cap 31 

Every year Saturn turns retrograde for about four months.   During this period we may find our responsibilities change or deepen.    

Depending on the sign and if it hits any personal planets will determine how much pressure you experience during the retrograde.  In this case Saturn will be retrograde from 21 degrees Capricorn back to 13 degrees until September 18 when it turns direct.    Globally the responsibilities we give to those people in authority will be questioned.  Perhaps some of our leaders will step up and earn more of our respect while others fall down on the job and we turn away.   Because Capricorn rules big business we will see some errors on the parts of CEOs and Coporations.   Capricorn also rules government and politics.  Will everyone be up for the task put in front of them?  Those people in position of power who jockey with people’s live through laws and edicts will be challenged if their words don’t match their work.  Are they telling the truth?  Are they authentic in their efforts or is it all hypocrisy?    Much will be revealed during Saturn retrograde about who we give authority.    

It is important to note that Saturn will be on top of Pluto on January 12, 2020.   This is a fairly rare bird in that it only comes up every thirty or so years.  The last time the two planets joined up was 1982 and that was in the sign Libra.   Saturn and Pluto are both planets that address power but through different styles.  Saturn gets powerful by doing tasks and being responsible, disciplined and taking care of business.   Pluto finds its power by transforming itself from the inside out.  Death and rebirth are empowering to Pluto.   It is interesting a few months before the Saturn Pluto conjunction in 1982 President Reagan at his inaugural speech was remembered for his remark “Government is the problem.”   How perfectly Saturn/Pluto.    Now,  to be fair, students of history know that the context of the quote is much more nuanced than how it is remembered but this ‘hands off’ my life and “government is the problem” influenced generations of people.   A death and rebirth of an idea was formed.   This new conjunction we will be asking more from our government and leaders since it is taking place in Capricorn not Libra.   

The last time Saturn conjunct Pluto in the sign Capricorn was January 1518.   A few months before that conjunction Martin Luther started a revolution although it didn’t look like one at first.  Luther was a Catholic priest who was very concerned by the Catholic Church’s practice of granting “indulgences” to provide absolution to sinners.  Luther saw this practice more and more corrupt.  Indulgence-selling had been banned in Germany, but the practice continued unabated. Luther wanted to have a discussion about this practice and nailed his 95 Theses on a church door. His goal was to get people to talk about it.   What ensued was the Protestant Revolution by his suggesting  two beliefs – The bible is the central authority and humans may reach salvation by their faith not their deeds.    These theses put the pope on notice he may be out of a job for those who followed Luther.  Gulp.   Arguably the world changed with Martin Luther and his theses.   So, here we are again five hundred years later with Saturn approaching Pluto in Capricorn. What is going on now?  Or what comes up during the Saturn retrograde.  It may not be as powerful as Martin Luther but then again it may be just as meaningful.  Only time will tell.  In the meantime, watch what comes up during this Saturn retrograde and when after it turns direct we may see where we may be heading and January could seal some deal on something that gets activated now.    

On the personal level how are our responsibilities shifting in our lives during the retrograde?  How are we being asked to step up and be our own CEO?  How are we being our own advocate?   How are we being our own Martin Luther?   Either for us personally or our loved ones?    Because Saturn and Pluto are on the nodes of the moon (we’ll talk more about this during the summer eclipses) there is an energy going on about homes and family and food and feelings (Cancer) and the south node on business, cold calculations and government (Capricorn) that needs transforming and housecleaning (Saturn & Pluto).     It is worth remembering that 9/11 was during the last round of North node in Cancer and the majority of the people who died that day were at work. Those of us who watched the events unfold on our TV hugged our loved ones tighter and wondered out loud about how we spend our time.   The struggle between career and family will be brought to our attention during the Saturn retrograde

Pluto Retrograde

Pluto Retrograde 

April 24 1:47am PDT 

23 Cap 09 

Pluto of course also goes retrograde once a year and in this 29 Aries lunar cycle Pluto joins Saturn and Jupiter in a big ol' swing back.    As we discussed earlier Pluto transforms from the inside out.   Death and rebirth is the calling card for Pluto and the way it finds its power.   Pluto started its journey in Capricorn in 2008, remember when the economy crashed?  That was Pluto.   This journey will wrap it up in 2024.   

Each year when it dips back a few degrees (in this case it will go from 23 degrees back to 20 degrees of Capricorn) we process power in situations that are dominated by authority and status quo.   Obviously, looking at world events we can see something is going on with who is claiming power and exercising control.   Is it noble or just a power grab?  What is authentic?   What is something else?  On the personal level we all have Capricorn somewhere in our chart and this is where we are wondering, “Man I need a personal CEO to clean up this situation.”    If you know your chart consider the house transiting Pluto is traveling in.   If you don’t know your chart it does not matter because you are feeling the need to clean up something.  Bring your inner CEO and see how much you fix up between now and October 3^rd  when it completes.  

Some Stuff Going on in Astrology This Week

On Monday we moved from Full moon to Disseminating.   In the next week we have Pluto and Saturn both station retrograde.   There is a grind out there …and we are in it.    What are we doing when we are challenged?   How are we advocates for our own lives?  Our own goals?   How are going out to the edge and listening?    Are we really still doing the same ol’ same ol’?  “How’s that working?”  asks Uranus.  

April 22, 

4:34pm PDT 

Focus on:  How are you sharing your knowledge? How are you sharing your philosophies?  How are you sharing your sense of adventure?  How are you sharing your ability to build bridges? 

Special focus:

4/24:  Pluto retrograde 1:47am 23 Cap 09 (see separate post) 

Last Quarter Moon Phase

April 26, 2019

3:18pm PDT 

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 can you take that support your circles of like minded?  How are you supporting your non-family clan?  How are you supporting your ability to merge with others for a common goal? How is this supporting your future goals? 

Special Focus:

4/27 Mars Square Neptune.  Actions that are fuzzy.  Paralyses versus doing something.   Actions based on beliefs that might not be accurate.

4/29 Saturn retrograde 20 cap 31 5:54pm (see separate post)

Astrology of This Week

Gibbous Moon

April 15  

9:09pm PDT 

Gibbous:

We refine our information.  We pick and choose, we discriminate, and 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: 

How are you refining your calendar? How are you refining your schedule to match your life’s desires? How is your daily life, hour by hour, working towards your goals?  

Special focus

4/16 Mercury enters Aries 

Special focus: 

Full Moon Phase

April 19  

4:12am PDT 

29 Libra 06 

Full Moon:  We make the needed adjustments on the things we planted. Usually emotions are up and running and for those people who perhaps did not utilize the new moon and the rest of the waxing moon, this is when emotions can get the better of us. There can often be a big emotional break, for no other reason than to get back on track.   Some partnership will offer up some balance.  The moon is bright and full and there is no room for shadows, what is reflecting on you?  

Go HERE. 

Special focus 

4/20: Sun enters Taurus 

4/20: Venus enters Aries

4/22: Sun conjunct Uranus.   Lightening strikes our practical selves. How do we get a new sense of creativity around being practical and stable? 

Libra Full Moon (again)

Libra Full Moon on a Refrigerator 

Full Moon 

April 19, 2019

4:12 am PDT

29 Libra 07

This is our second Libra Full Moon.  Back at the end of March we had the first Libra Full moon at ZERO degrees Libra. Now we are at the end of Libra with this full moon at the last degree of Libra.   

Take pause and consider your relationship and anything that has come into focus about your partnership between March 20^thand April 19^th.  

There is a lot of bending and leaning with Libra.   Finding balance and harmony with relationships takes work.   But at the same time, bending too much may sacrifice personal self worth for the sake of a partner.    

Between the first full moon and now we have had the Aries new moon where we activated goals for our new year.  Many of us made Treasure Maps.    What seeds did you plant at the New Moon on April 5?   And now as you ponder your goals---where does your partner/relationship fit in your goals? 

Are you in sync or is one of you living less authentic in order to keep peace or even just keep the relationship?   And how are you in sync with the goals of your significant other?    Is it all hands on deck for each other?  Or is it something else?   

In the full moon chart, Uranus is on top of the Sun opposing the moon.   The Sun in Aries speaks to going it alone and finding our own inner true voice and being compelled to do something because of a spark is inside of us as individuals.    

With Uranus there is a celebration of the odd, the unique, iconoclast and perhaps the rebel.  However, it is what we call an out of sign conjunction since Uranus is in Taurus.   Taurus is super practical and we are at the start of this journey since Uranus only moved into Taurus (for the long haul) on March 6.  We are at the beginning of a journey that ends in 2026.  During this period many of us will be focused on new sources of income.  Uranus begs or beats us down to come up with a new or original approach so if we are thinking about making money the same ol, same ol, we would be missing the point.    Having this full moon touching Uranus suggests issues around money and finances may be up for us and our partnerships.   Take some time during this three-day full moon to talk about new ways that could bring in dough—which also support your own values goals and your authentic self.   Your goals at Treasure Map may benefit by you coming up with these new tools for money.  

Also riding on this full moon is Sun/Moon oppose Pluto in Capricorn suggesting death and rebirth.  Being low man on the totem pole will bug.   Feeling disrespected or undervalued by others will bug.   Being dismissed for the ability to balance and negotiate.  Deepen your own insights when anyone acts or suggests that you are not valuable.    Do you believe them?   Uranus can be harnessed to bring in new circles of people.    An interesting full moon to mix it up. 

And finally at the very least –give yourself the gift of being practical.   Use any agitated energy that could come up with Uranus and the full moon to focus on your to-do list.  Tackle projects that have been ignored and give it your all.  You will find much comfort in completing the task. 

Jupiter Retrograde

Jupiter Retrograde

April 10 10:00am  PDT 

24 Sag 21   

Every year the largest planet turns retrograde. It takes Jupiter twelve years to go through the zodiac and the last time Jupiter retrograde in Sagittarius was spring and summer 2007.  You might want to think about your life at that time.   How were you expanding your world? How were you growing and trying new adventures?   How was your money?   Where were you investing your energy?   

This retrograde will take place between 24 and 14 degrees of Sag.   Blowhards and big mouths should be put on notice to make sure they have their facts straight.  Those who are shy and know the shot may realize it is their time to be heard.   The grandiose nature of Jupiter and the bigness of Sagittarius (it’s home sign) can have a generosity when they aren’t just busy being loud.   Where are you realizing it is time to be generous and help a person or situation?  Or is it time for you to go and learn something.   People staying on the sidelines of something important may change their approach during the retrograde.   Let’s see what we all learn by August 11 when Jupiter turns direct at 14 Sag. 

This Week

Monday is the last day of new moon and we move into crescent in the evening (tuesday morning EDT).   In crescent our focus shifts to how we communicate and what information we learn.   

Siblings and neighbors and gossip are highlighted.   On the 10th, Jupiter stations retrograde.   This will not be done without some noise.   You can't have the biggest planet turn about face and not have us plebians feel the gravity shift.   At the same time Saturn squares Sun pinching out any enthusiam that might be coursing through our blood.    We are best served by maintaining the lowest expectations for the day.   

We move into first quarter moon on the 12th putting family on notice that we are cutting some cords followed by Sun looking for trouble with Pluto on the 13th.    Youthful enthusiasm will feel misguided as we go in deep.   Do not  judge anything by just the surface.   Death and rebirth is the action plan. 

Crescent Moon Phase

April 8, 2019

9:41 PM PDT   

Focus on: What information are you learning about your communication skills?  What are you learning about how you communicate your independence?   What are you learning about your siblings when you seek independence?   What are you learning about your neighbors when you are independent?     How is gossip influencing your world? 

Special Focus

4/9: Venus conjunct Neptune.  Love and money and values could be fuzzy or inspired or disconnected or vague or humanitarian driven.   

4/10: Sun square Saturn.  Independence versus status quo.  Breaking patterns and cleaning up old debris.  

4/10: Jupiter retrograde (see above) 

4/11: Mercury square Jupiter.  Loud vs fuzzy.  Righteousness vs Deceit.  Where is and what is truth?   

First Quarter Moon 

April 12, 2019

12:05pm 

Focus on: What actions are you taking that speak to your independence and how it works with your family?  What actions are you taking and how to does it speak to your emotions?  How are you harnessing your emotions to move you forward in your personal desires? 

Special Focus:

4/13: Sun Square Pluto Power struggles.  Transformation through death and rebirth. 

4/14: Sun trine Jupiter:  Humor and joy benefited by stretching.  

4/15: Venus square Jupiter.   Money and love get sloppy.  Over exertion of resources.  Values get pushed.  

Bagua Overlay

I hear the link I have in my article for bagua overlay is broken.
Here you go!

Aries New Moon 2019

Aries New Moon on a refrigerator door. 

Aries New Moon launches April 5, 2019 1:50am PDT 

Are you ready to make your Treasure Map?  Are you ready to get Saturn serious about your future path?    I just put up my article.  Here's a snippet.....

You are walking down a road. It has been a long hard winter.   For three months, rain, ice, snow, cold winds and dark nights pushed on your flesh and your soul.  Now as you continue your journey you look up from your feet and you see a small green shoot pushing out from hard dirt.   This plant could be a flower, or a weed or a blade of grass it does not matter because it is just the fact that a green shoot is here that calls to your heart that something new is upon you.   Winter is over.   Spring is here.    And you smile because your heart knows there is power & opportunity in this season of renewal.  Welcome to Aries new moon and the new lunar year.  

It may be the fact that we just wrapped up one tough twenty-nine day Pisces cycle which included one very hard Mercury retrograde but whatever it was this Aries new moon is coming in not one second too early.     We are breathing again and what a great time to get our oxygen on.   

First things first –if you are a regular reader then you know this is the new moon where we build our Treasure Maps.   For those of you who are new and don’t know Treasure Maps, they are, for all intents and purposes, a vision board.  In 1996 (way before vision boards were popular) astrologer Buz Myers introduced Treasure Mapping to his students (which included me) and explained the value in contemplating what you want for the new year and going through magazines and cutting out pictures, drawings, words and whatever calls to you then gluing these images to cardboard.   And we do it only on Aries new moon since this is the beginning of the lunar new year.    This process speaks to warrior Aries who sees what it wants and goes for it!   As Buz explained by planting these seeds in our psyche through our Treasure Maps on Aries new moon we will start to see results by Cancer new moon in June or July.  

My experience over the last twenty- two years is Treasure Maps work.   Manifestations will start to appear.   It may not be the whole enchilada but green shoots on our goals will start to appear and in some cases right away, within in weeks or days and some will take the whole year.   And sure, some goals need a couple of maps to get going.   But the whole process is fun and inspiring and important because at the end of the day it is valuable to stop everything and contemplate you and your journey.      I encourage all of you to take some time during the first three days of new moon (April 5 – 8) to build your map. If you need more time then you can do it during the whole waxing moon up until April 19 (4:12 am PDT).   

You can find out more about how to Treasure Map --here ---https://tracyastrosalon.blogspot.com/2019/04/aries-new-moon-is-almost-here.html

For more detail about our energy this twenty-nine day cycle and to a certain extent the influence for our year ahead we look at the new moon chart.  This Aries new moon chart is quite different than other years in that it does not have a lot of aspects and the ones it does have are not light.    The sun and moon are in square to Saturn.   And Saturn and Pluto are on top of the south node.   For those making maps you will no doubt feel a sense of seriousness about what you want in your future.  .... 
Go to my article link for the rest of article  LINK 

Aries New Moon is ALMOST here.....

Friends,
On April 5 4:50am EDT  we launch the New Year (lunar) with the Aries New Moon.     At that time we will launch our Treasure Maps.  Between now and April 5 we need to clear out our clutter, clean our houses, clean our cars and clean our brains of beliefs, judgements about self that don't serve.  We want our slate to be as clean as possible when it comes time to launch the Maps.    If you have never done a Treasure Map  --here's what they are about:

What is a Treasure Map? Come here for all the data.
WHAT IS A TREASURE MAP? 

In Spring of 1996, astrologer and teacher Robert Buz Myers asked all his students to make a Treasure Map for the Aries New Moon. I was fortunate to have been a participant in the process and it was an extraordinary experience. I have been sharing this process for 20+ years. 

A treasure map is a collage of photos, pictures, words, pieces of things that make sense to you. Whatever you want, you put them on cardboard and this acts similar to a vision board. This board will be your MAP of what you want for the coming year. It is your call out to the Universe. This is your Treasure Map. 

WHAT DO YOU MEAN, "What do I want for the coming year?"

Exactly what it says. Do you want a new house, a new living room, better health, stronger marriage, reconnect with people, a bigger family, a bigger community? Do you want to write your book? Do you want a new car? What is it you want? 

Do you even know what you want? If you are like many of us, you are so busy running around, taking care of everyone else that you might not have a fig of an idea what you want for your new year. That is the beauty of this process. You must sit down and figure it out. Give yourself this time to do it. Be just that selfish and dare to dream.

Why do we do it in Spring and not January?

Treasure Maps are made during the Aries new moon. Aries new moon change from year to year and this year, it will take place on April 5 EDT 4:50am. 

They are made on Aries new moon, because that is the first sign of the zodiac. Aries is when you plant your seeds. It is the real beginning of the New Year. It should not be confused with the first day of spring, which is on March 20. New moon means the sun and moon are in the same degree. For those who don't know much about astrology (which is totally okay) Aries is the sign of SIGHT. So, that's why it is so important to have pictures of what you want. You need to visualize it. Or if you don't do photos/pictures.. Put up words. It is just important for you to SEE THEM.

So, I'm going to be busy on April 5th can I start it before the 5th?

NO. 

Do I have to buy a bunch of magazines, I'm broke, can I just borrow some old ones from friends

Personally, when I started my treasure maps I always did them with fresh new magazines. And in the old days, (not married, no children) I spent a lot of dough on them because I wanted lots of choices. But with time, I ended up only getting a few magazines. I never borrowed magazines from friends however I know that there are people who did it in previous years and they were happy with their results. So, it really is your call. But if you do borrow them make sure they are put away until April 5th so they are fresh to you on that date.

What if I don't want magazine photos, can I just use my own pictures.. like my husband, my family etc?

Sure. You can print up photos. You can also use images from pininterest, etc. You can draw and paint, this is you MAP. Do what your instincts call you to do. 

Do I only focus on things? 

Heck no! I would also encourage you to focus on beliefs and experiences. Affirmations like “I’m abundant” or “I am always feeling loved” “My health is vibrant.” “My partner and I are always growing closer.” 

Is there any pattern I have to use when I put the photos or the words on my board? 

No you can do it anyway you want. 

I will say that in previous years my friends and I used the feng shui baguas for pattern. Basically I would break up the board into 9 areas. A grid like this:

123
456
789

1-abundance
2-fame/reputation
3-relationship
4-family
5-health
6-creativity
7-self-knowledge (and travel)
8-work
9-helpful people and angels.

To get more clarity on the baguas go https://tracyastrosalon.blogspot.com/2019/04/bagua-overlay.html

If you use the feng shui baguas, you will naturally cover most areas of your life. As you can see it is all represented there. But again, you don’t have to do it that way. Some people have even made round boards. 

Can I build a cyber map?
Many mappers are more comfortable with cyber maps, which are always on their computer.
And they have had success. Again, it is your call, do what your heart tells you to do. 

How much time do I have to build my map? 

Ideally you should build your map during the new phase of Aries new moon which would take you from the April 5th until Crescent moon April 9th But if you need more time, you can give yourself up until Full Moon (April 19). I I encourage people to do it in the beginning but I don’t want people to be pressured so if you need the whole waxing moon you can use it. If you find yourself having not done your map and it is full moon, then skip it and do a map next year in 2020. 

Do I have to do it alone or can I do it with friends?

You can do it either way. I build mine with my 2 other friends. We are like family and it felt so right to do it with them. We started them together. I know that there are several people who have little parties where they invite those close to them over. It is a lot of fun to do them with others--..We would all pass around the magazines.. "Hey, I found a great beach bungalow does anyone need a beach vacation? Or it would be, "I have got to lose 10 pounds, any ideas what I should put on my map?" and low and behold someone will come up with a good suggestion.

Do I have to finish it all at one sitting?

No. Often I used to cut my stuff out with my friends. Maybe glue a little thing here or there and then take it home and finish it over the course of a day or two. 

Can my kids do it with me?

Yes! It is great for them to focus and think about what they want. Have them build their own maps. They also might give you their thoughts about what they think you should have in your life. Helps them to think beyond them, right?

Does it work?

Yep. 

Okay. I don't want to sound like a spoilsport but I’m just not interested in building a collage, can I do something else?

Sure you can take a nice piece of orange paper and write down wishes or affirmations during Treasure Map time. My wishes can sometimes feel like prayers and they are much broader in my desires. At times I felt like I needed to switch to 'less is more' after several years of mapping. However I would encourage newcomers to make the actual maps. But if you really don't feel the call then just write your desires down. I like orange paper. So,vibrant. So Aries. 

Is it ok to have things continue over to the next year? Long-term, ongoing stuff that has progressed but needs to continue to progress?

Yes. Of course. But with a small caveat. My experience after doing these for years is that when something really takes time and doesn't gel in the first year then there is something still not right. It might be something you are aware of or you might not be aware of a hurdle.
You may need to shift something about your long range goals. My sense is that they need a wee bit refining or broadening. Just a thought. But definitely don't give up on the dream. And remember sometimes desires may need a physical move. For example one mapper had a baby on her map for a couple of years it was not until she and her husband moved that the baby arrived. Perhaps the baby needed a new community, a new energy to land in? Same with jobs? Or meeting a partner? Just might need to be in another city. If you are feeling drawn to a move it might be for a bigger reason. Just sayin’ 

I'm really excited is there anything I can do now before Treasure Map to help my map?

Yes, yes, yes.... I said this in previous years and I'll remind everyone now. Get rid of clutter. Get rid of things that are bugging us. Get rid of ick. Try if you can to clear some space in your life so you can be ready for the treasure map. Remember, Einstein said, "NO TWO THINGS CAN OCCUPY THE SAME SPACE." Read that several times... now ask yourself, do I have space in my house, my family, my time, my life in general and my brain for more? If the answer is no. Then start housecleaning! 

Clear out the stuff between now and April 5th. Now do you understand why it is important not to start your map before the new time? 

By the way, I personally don't buy any of my supplies before the New starts. But I know some of you can't do that and if you must buy before please put aside and don't touch it until the new. Don't thumb through magazines. Leave it all be. 

Good luck and dream big!