Solar Eclipse: Prepare for a Shake Up

On July 11-12, the New Moon in Cancer is also a powerful total Solar Eclipse and it will make for at time of heightened awareness for all of us.

Although, this eclipse is total, it will not be seen by many people since its pathway lies over the South Pacific Ocean and will be visible only in places like Cook Islands, Easter Island and several isolated atolls. However, it is predicted to have very intense, interesting as well as profound energies that will impact all of us!

During a solar eclipse, the Moon is positioned in between the Sun and Earth, cutting off the light of the Sun. A solar eclipse always occurs during a New Moon and is considered to denote the start or beginning of something new in our lives. Eclipses challenge us to develop our lives in some way. We can turn our backs on the hints from the universe, but that usually means in a few day's or week's time we may end up having to make changes which are forced on us.

This solar eclipse New Moon in Cancer makes aspects to Neptune and to Mars, just as Mars begins to close in on Saturn in the last decant of Virgo. Saturn itself is less than a degree away from its entrance into Libra, where it will form an almost perfect square with Pluto, and where we will experience the most potent expression yet of its ongoing opposition to Uranus.

This particular eclipse is in a series that we have experienced before in 1991-1992, so if we look back to those years, we may get a hint of what needs to be given a shakeup in our lives. It may bring to a successful conclusion a situation which has been bothering some of us for a while. Don't worry if initially things seem worse, since you'll then turn a corner into better times ahead.

What is vital is that we get our heads and our hearts together and really focus. A solar eclipse occurs when the Sun and the Moon are together as seen from Earth in an especially sensitive zone. So we need to have our yin and yang in balance. What we want needs to be in alliance with what we should be doing. If we can focus, and act from our core center using all our energies, then the results will follow.

As a general rule, we feel the impact of eclipses in the areas that are governed by the sign or sector of the zodiac that the eclipse occurs in. This solar eclipse is in Cancer so all things Cancerian will be in focus. On a personal level, solar eclipses can have a major impact, if it occurs in conjunction with one of our natal planets. So be especially careful if your Sun sign, Moon sign or Ascendant is in Cancer. Where the eclipse falls in the chart is significant, as the energies expressed by its house placement will show the areas of life that are affected by the new beginning that is implied.

Uranus Turns Retrograde: Think Before You Act

Uranus, the planet of rebellion, turns retrograde on July 5.

Uranus is the oddball of the solar system. For starters, it rolls along its side -- on its equator -- instead of spinning upright in its orbit the way planets typically do. Uranus is also in retrograde for more than half of the year. This means it is only direct for two weeks, and is retrograde for about five months out of every Earth year.

Astrologically, Uranus liberates you from the shackles of convention and applies pressure to change whatever is stagnant in your life. Uranus rules electromagnetic energy and is like a lightning storm that creates chaos as it cleans the air, revealing a fresh new world once the storm has cleared.

This year, Uranus goes retrograde in Aries, and heads back into Pisces in August in its retrograde motion. Uranus can be reckless, especially in fiery Aries and can be too aloof and impervious and inconsiderate about other people's opinions and needs. There is always a risk with Uranus that you can turn everything upside down and then throw the baby out with the bathwater. So be careful and think before you speak or act. In addition, be prepared for your forward movement to suddenly stop or be put on hold for a little while.

Do not despair! Sometimes it is better to take a step back and really think about what your next steps ought to be. Take the chance to review and refine your plans with a more detached outlook. This is your opportunity to go inwards, ask your unconscious or your creative muse for guidance. You may lose some of that rebellious spirit which surfaced in late May. But now you have a chance to put more strategy in place. By next March, when Uranus moves firmly into Aries to stay for seven years, you'll be prepared to really follow your passion and not be deflected.

To know exactly what to expect, review the placement of Uranus in your birth chart. If Uranus is direct in a chart, intuitive and inventive impulses flow on a regular basis. However, when Uranus is retrograde in a birth chart, rebellious urges tend to bottle up and then burst forth, seemingly out of nowhere. A retrograde period seems to reawaken freedom urges within individuals, causing them to suddenly and unconsciously rebel against any ruts or confinement in life. Is Uranus retrograde in your birth chart? Should you be on guard against your own rebellious tendencies in the following months to come?

Jupiter Moves to Aries: Fortunate Times Ahead

On June 6, expansive, lucky Jupiter dances into dynamically go-ahead Aries to stay there until early September. This is the first time in 12 years that Jupiter has been here and it will have the feel of a new cycle of growth and good fortune beginning.

All signs will benefit depending on where Jupiter falls in relation to their sign. The Fire signs will benefit most of all in terms of confidence – Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. The Water signs – Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces – will get a career or cash boost. The Earth signs – Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn - will be emotionally better supported. The Air signs – Gemini, Libra and Aquarius – will be firing on all cylinders.

Jupiter in Aries brings either a positive fountain of inspiration or leadership abilities to the fore. However, beware -- the downside can be recklessness and over confidence. Be cautious when it comes to thinking -- there’s nothing you cannot do.

What makes this Jupiter in Aries all the more exciting is that it is conjunct (close to) Uranus on the 8th. This brings great relief as a lucky turn of circumstance will suddenly make life easier. Whatever good things happen, it will come in from left field and open your life up in a way that you could not have imagined. This may not be a life changing even but it will bring up more freedom and open up new opportunities for the times ahead.

Mars Opposite Neptune: Savor Some Downtime

The planet Mars, which has been in fiery Leo for an exceptionally long time (since last October), makes one final aspect on June 4 as it opposes (180 degrees) Neptune across the zodiac. These are entirely different energies. Mars is assertive, go-ahead, energetic and decisive. Whereas Neptune is vague, dreamy, and lack-lustre, with a can’t be bothered attitude. This is an odd combination.

Neptune is the oceanic watery planet so you may feel as if your will-power and motivation are being dissolved. Nothing feels as if it is going to plan. You may even smell failure in the air. Don't panic even if you feel slightly paralyzed. There's a way of turning this pause to your advantage.

If your physical energy is low, then sit down. Use the time to think. Mars and Neptune aspects can bring inspirations. It will also point out where you haven't thought things through well enough so you can remedy that. Mars has a habit especially in a fire sign of going full steam ahead but isn't always good about allowing you to recharge your batteries. Savor some down time with this transit.

The positive side of Mars, Neptune can bring glamour even publicity your way. There's a show biz feel to it with Neptune bringing dreams to life, with Mars powering up your motor.

Just take it steady until Mars moves into earthy Virgo on June 6. That's when you get real, get focused on details and really start shifting projects in the right direction. Maybe you will also imagine no one can do anything as well as you, so you will get impatient at other people's mistakes and dithering. Maybe this is the time to become more independent. Do your own thing and take pride in a job well done.

June Astrology Forecast

As we swing into summer in the northern hemisphere and winter approaches in the countries south of the equator, the June astrological sky is a busy one. The chatty, restless, multi-tasking Gemini Sun is around for the first three weeks so there’s not a moment to spare or the slightest chance of boredom. The conversation will be lively, varied and not too intense.

Some of us might get the odd sinking moment as watery Neptune undermines Mars’ forward gear in opposition on June 4, but that is only a blip of uncertainty. Expansive, confident Jupiter then dances into Aries on June 5-6 to join adventurous Uranus which moved in late May. They'll join hands in a conjunction on June 8 to produce a mood of high excitement and great relief. Jupiter and Uranus joining hands will bring sudden surprises of the positive variety which may get rid of tensions and put smiles on faces. Jupiter will continue in upbeat and wildly enthusiastic mood all month. It will be so much easier to be upfront about what you want since Aries is never backwards about coming forward to speak its mind.

Admittedly Mars does move into hard-working Virgo on June 7 for a few weeks which will keep career matters firmly in the foreground. But with such high spirits around nothing will seem like a chore. And with affectionate Venus in party loving Leo after mid-month there will be rather glitzy social occasions to add yet more sparkle.

The planets, however, move into a more complicated pattern around the middle of the month. A rather discouraging Saturn square Sun (90 degrees) on the 19th is followed by lack lustre Sun Neptune trine (120 degrees). But it is what comes next that will be interesting though challenging. Just as we celebrate the Summer Solstice, the Cancer Sun is in a rebellious square to Uranus from June 21, then a lucky and over-confident square to Jupiter and then in a powerful opposition (180 degrees) to Pluto. And all in the span of four days! This could be a time for lucky breaks, though it will also involve a fair amount of pressure. Events will happen suddenly which require determined handling. There will be good luck as well as some stress.

As if that were not enough there is a Lunar Eclipse on June 26, which is a powerful Full Moon. Eclipses always bring a sense of heightened anticipation. This one will challenge you to re-balance your life. Be warned - there will be no time to think - the choices are either this or that. Some of us may have to find a way to balance contradictory demands. But if you get it right then it'll keep you on an even keel in the months ahead.

Uranus in Aries: Promote Your Uniqueness

Uranus is the planet of rebellion. It brings with it a new way of looking at things and its approach is best met with an expanded consciousness. Originality, inventions, computers, cutting-edge technologies and future events are all ruled by this planet. Uranus sees no need for the status quo, preferring instead to break with tradition and create a new mold. It takes Uranus 84 years to complete its trip around the zodiac and it changes signs every seven years or so.

On May 26-27, Uranus will dip its first toe-in-the-water into Aries, a planet it has not been in for 84 years. However, this is for a brief sojourn, since it will retrograde back into Pisces on August 14, and will get into proper forward gear in Aries only in March 2011.

Uranus wakes things up and rattles the bars of the cage you’ve constructed around one area of your life. You’ll suddenly find out where you’ve been compromising too much, trying to fit yourself into a square hole to suit others when really you’re a round peg. Uranus wants you to exert your independence and promote your uniqueness. Be yourself no matter who you startle or shock. Admittedly it isn’t always co-operative and can be downright rebellious but it will trail blaze you into the future. Uranus is the torchbearer who leads the way into the unknown or into what you haven’t previously experienced. It may feel initially unsettling but the end result will be to liberate you if you accept the challenge.

Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, fiery, full of initiative and energy. The combination of Uranus and Aries will be revitalizing, a kick start to get you moving faster. It’ll clear your head of cobwebs and odd delusions which have been fostered by Uranus in Pisces. You’ll be moving straight ahead without a moment to waste.

Just three hours before Uranus shifts sign there is a Full Moon in Sagittarius. Cancer and the other two Water signs, Scorpio and Pisces may be hyper-sensitive since they tend to react to the mood swings of the Moon on the opposite side of the zodiac from the Sun. But, this is one of the less emotional Full Moons of the year so they won’t be edgy for long.

Jupiter Opposite Saturn: Expect Extremes

On May 23, Jupiter in Pisces will be exactly opposite Saturn in Virgo at 180 degrees to one another. This is called an opposition in astrology and means they are quite literally pulling against each other, wanting to go in quite contradictory directions. Jupiter and Saturn are polar opposites of each other and when they oppose each other, they test the balance between our desire to grow and expand, while at the same time they expose the limitations of what we can do.

Jupiter is the planet of possibilities – happy, optimistic, enthusiastic, confident, though not always realistic, whereas Saturn is cautious to the point of pessimism, grounded, practical and dismissive of Jupiter’s grandiose ideas. Yet, both need each other.

Dreams and visions inspired by Jupiter sometimes turn into disappointments when they are not anchored and Saturn helps us deal with these. On the other hand, Saturn’s discipline and hard task-master ways need some of Jupiter’s joy and expansiveness to make them palatable. You can almost say that Saturn may be the dough for good bread and Jupiter is the yeast that makes the bread rise. You cannot have one without the other.

What a Jupiter - Saturn opposition demands is the capacity to see that our hopes can be carried forward if we are willing to accept a few compromises and imperfections. Life is never perfect – there is always the shadow between our ideas and how they pan out – and it is our ability to deal with troubles that shapes us. A Jupiter – Saturn opposition can make us swing between extremes – from high to low, complete confidence to utter despondency in a short time. If we want to use the positive energy of this opposition for real achievements, we will need perseverance, a strong sense of purpose, unflinching focus, concentration, and determination and tenacity to work on our own to further our real interests. We need to take steps to grow, but be careful about overextending ourselves since we are bound to face limitations.

New Moon in Taurus: Lay Out Your Plans

On May 14, the tactile, indulgent Taurus Moon aligns with the placid, earthy Taurus Sun giving us a New Moon for the month.

In astrology, the Moon plays as important a part as the Sun. It is the Earth’s companion satellite and it is large enough to be responsible for stabilizing the Earth’s orbit and producing the regular ebb and flow of the tides. The Moon changes zodiac signs approximately every two and a half days, and completes its orbit around the Earth approximately 29 days – from new Moon to new Moon – the beginning of the Lunar month.

Each phase of the Moon is associated with a particular power or purpose. The New Moon is a time to begin new things, to be spontaneous and to sow the seeds of whatever you want to bear fruit in the weeks and months to come. Although there is nothing spectacular about the New Moon, it is just a faint sliver of light in the night sky, the crescent moon phase is an information-gathering phase, and a time to implement initial plans. It is vital that we put our hearts and minds behind this idea, so all our energy is pulling in the same positive direction for the new idea to really start taking root. You can plan for an emotional new beginning during a new Moon or target this time as the time to start a new project. Although there is a New Moon every twenty eight days, each new Moon has a different energy and its own promise for the year ahead.

A New Moon in Taurus calls for tangible results for our hopes and dreams, so take your time planning your actions. The best activities for a Taurus New Moon could be financial activities, applying for a loan, starting a long-term relationship, planning a home decoration project. Make sure your resolution gives you enough time to pamper yourself and spending time with loved ones.

Mercury FINALLY Turns Direct Again

Mercury, the planet of communications, goes direct in Taurus on May 11 after being retrograde for three weeks, and our forward momentum is once again restored.

Mercury retrograde periods should be considered as times of preparation, a time when delays in the outside world give us an opportunity for deeper thinking. You will now be able to give form and structure to ideas and plans and thoughts that you might have been mulling over recently. And now is the time to act on these!

It may be as simple as reaching out through an email or a phone call; Mercury direct will give you a noticeable nudge. Since Mercury is in earthy and practical Taurus it may have also spurred you on to tackle more down-to-earth matters that may have been pushed aside. The time may be right for you to see through the forest of possibilities and make important choices. Your judgement should be sound and you may be more practical and realistic, fully aware that good planning is behind every success. However, a word of caution -- Taurus hides what it does not want you to see -- make sure you do not have blinkers on. Remember there are more things on Heaven and Earth than you can see, feel, touch and smell. Let your imagination fly.

Pluto Turns Retrograde - Transformation Time!‏

Pluto, the planet of transformation, takes a whopping 248 years to complete a single cycle of rotation around the Sun. On average, it spends 21 years in each sign and 5 months of each year in retrograde.

Pluto turns retrograde in Capricorn on April 6 at 7:34 pm PDT (2:34 am April 7 UT), signaling in a time of destruction and rebuilding along with rejuvenation and regeneration. It is a time for fresh starts and dead ends. The things that are most important to us and we hang on to the tightest, may suddenly be taken away from us. In addition, we may be forced to reevaluate the things we cherish most.

A Pluto retrograde period makes us focus on, eliminate and release the old, outworn, outdated and obsolete in our lives. We will be urged to let go of old attitudes, communication and thinking patterns that no longer serve our purpose. We may feel the need to re-evaluate our needs for security and asked to eliminate rigid emotions that no longer serve us. This is an excellent time to undergo an internal form of house cleaning, and look into ourselves to determine exactly what we do and do not need.

Pluto retrograde imparts an intense power for investigation, so we should use this time to assess what reoccurring patterns in our lives make us feel out of control, where and why do we continually give our power away, and under what circumstances do we react so defensively that we elicit attacks from others. Pluto retrograde marks a time wherein we should seek to gain greater control over our lives.

Another important astrological event happening on April 7 is retrograde Saturn, moving back into Virgo for a final time in its retrograde motion. Saturn is the planet of self-discipline and duty and Virgo rules work and health, so now is the time to get serious about everything practical. Evaluate work processes and streamline for efficiency. Saturn is firm about putting down limits so at times it will feel like all work and no play. Learning to be good to yourself is also part of Saturn's lesson, so now is the time to learn not to overdo things. If you're realistic now, then by mid July when Saturn moves on into fair minded Libra, you will be healthier, better organized and ready for Saturn's direct influence.

Solar Eclipse in Capricorn: Love and Partnerships in the Limelight!‏

The astrological energy from January 13-15 is almost epic. On the 13th, Saturn turns retrograde in Libra; two days later, there is an annual solar eclipse of the Sun at the new Moon of Capricorn. This eclipse is in conjunction with Venus, on the very same day Mercury turns direct after several weeks of retrograde motion. Globally, this transit should be beneficient and pleasurable, releasing built-up tension and leading toward a brand new beginning for the world.

On a more personal level, this solar eclipse can have a major effect on our personal lives when it occurs in conjunction with one of our natal planets -- especially our natal Sun, Moon, ruling planet or the Moon's nodes, ascendant, mid heaven. Where the eclipse falls in one's chart is significant, as the energies expressed by its house placement will show areas of life affected by this eclipse's implied new beginnings.

This eclipse has love karma written all over it! Love and partnerships are serious business right now! If you have it, how do you keep it? If you don't have it, how do you get it? How do you deal with the reality that both you and your partner are human?

The new Moon is also time to set an intention. Venus is the ruler of the new Moon, while Saturn is in Libra. Mercury turns direct later the same day, but Mars is still retrograde and Mercury is in Capricorn, so expect things to be slow for a while.

Saturn Turns Retrograde -- Make Plans!

Saturn turns retrograde on January 13 and all of us will feel the energy of Saturn retrograde in Libra in one way or another. Saturn is charged with the duty of teaching us our lessons in life -- giving us the ability to grow and persevere, granting us the will to succeed and the strength to accomplish the tasks at hand. As we learn, we are rewarded by Saturn when the lesson or job is done.

The energy of Saturn retrograde is a fairly powerful force. This is an excellent time to grasp that retrograde energy, to bring projects to completion, and to let go of old problems and issues. By letting go of self-limitations, the future becomes more exciting and clear.

While this may not be the best time to launch new projects, it is a fabulous time to start working on those plans -- particularly because of the Libra energy entwined in this retrograde. The plans you make now, if the foundation you have built is solid, will most likely begin to manifest when Saturn goes direct on May 30, 2010.

Keep Your Balance!‏

We end this year and begin the next one with a powerful and emotional lunar eclipse in Cancer on December 31. But just prior to this big celestial event, on December 28, the relationship planet Venus squares Saturn when you may be questioning the validity of some of your important relationships. Mercury's conjunction with the north node on the same day reminds you to initiate conversations that will help you make practical decisions.

Mars Turns Retrograde: Slow Down and Evaluate!

Mars, the planet of action, turns retrograde in the sign of Leo on December 20, 2009, just before the Winter Solstice on December 21. Mars is the energy that helps all of us go for it and express our desires. So when Mars travels retrograde; its excited, active energy becomes covert and calculated, its motives are hidden. When Mars is retrograde, everyone's thought patterns are more introspective and we tend to think about ways of acting on issues and concerns which relate to the sign involved.

Positively, Mars retrograde can give us a chance to think before acting; to assess our motives and aggressions before reacting; to find our inner demons and send them packing before they continue to interfere with our life.

Mars turns retrograde only once every two years and two months, but the effects of each period differ, according to the sign in which the retrograde happens. With Mars retrograde in Leo, people with Sun or Moon in Leo, or Leo rising, will be especially prone to such introspection. We will reconsider personal views and opinions about life, since it presents an opportunity to gain insight into unconscious motivations, the hidden motivations that cause us to act without thinking. Since Leo is a fixed Sign, the other fixed Signs, Taurus, Scorpio and Aquarius, will also feel the effects most keenly. Scorpio in particular is liable to conflict and headstrong behavior in the arena of career and public image, because Mars rules Scorpio.

Mars retro in Leo may generate an aggressive, egocentric mood, and those most affected may be inclined toward grandiose gestures and improbable schemes. Enthusiasm and inspiration, however, seem muted during this phase, as anxieties develop around image and ego-desires. This may not be the best time to start a new creative project, and if you do, you may abandon it or just lose energy for it when Mars stations direct. It is, however, a great time to complete long-term projects. Mars turns direct again on March 10, 2010, in the first degree of Leo.

Uranus Turns Direct: Independence and Freedom Heightened!

(I apologize for not doing this every time I am notified about it)

Uranus is the oddball of the solar system. For starters, it rolls along its side -- on its equator -- instead of spinning upright in its orbit the way planets typically do. Uranus is also in retrograde for more than five months out of every Earth year.

Uranus, the planet of rebellion, turns direct on December 1. Astrologically, Uranus liberates you from the shackles of convention and applies pressure to change whatever is stagnant in your life. Uranus rules electromagnetic energy and is like a lightning storm that creates chaos as it cleans the air, revealing a fresh new world once the storm has cleared. It is a new day -- almost a new year -- and the road ahead needs your help in paving it. It’s not every year that Uranus turns direct within hours of a full Moon! (The full Moon in Gemini occurs on December 1 PST, and December 2 EST). This year, your desire for independence and freedom is heightened, and the full Moon dials up your emotions even more.

(Discover where Uranus appears in your own birth chart -- and what role it plays in your life -- with our birth chart or natal readings. These reflect the factors at play in the universe at the moment of your birth; these readings also hold significant indicators of qualities and tendencies that make up your personality, as well as the potential within you.)

Mercury Turns Direct: Tread Softly for a While

Mercury turns direct in the sign of careful Virgo, in the early morning hours of September 29 and the third Mercury retrograde of this year will become history.

Ever since Mercury turned retrograde in reasonable yet indecisive Libra earlier this month, (September 6 - 7), you may have changed your mind a number of times! And you have probably done a fair amount of fence-sitting as you have revisited some of your recent decisions and conversations. On September 17, when Mercury re-entered careful Virgo your analytical powers may have received a boost.

Now as this slow-moving planet turns direct in the midst of a fertile sextile to energetic Mars, anything you have to say to the world, your mate, children or spouse will get plenty of attention. So be extra careful and mindful to communicate your ideas thoughtfully and clearly.

Communications can unintentionally heat up and escalate due to Mercury’s connection with the ongoing Saturn/Uranus opposition, which locks in next week just after an emotional full harvest Moon in warrior Aries on October 3-4.

Fall Equinox

On September 22, the Sun enters Libra, marking the autumnal equinox in the northern hemisphere, and the vernal equinox in the southern hemisphere.

Days get gradually shorter as we near winter and the last quarter of a most difficult year. This year’s fall equinox occurs as Mercury connects with the Saturn-Uranus opposition, emphasizing the importance of weighing the pros and cons before you make important decisions during this period.

The word ‘equinox’ is derived from the Latin word that means ‘equal’ and Libra is a sign that is interested in fairness and equality. It is time to compromise, and those who know how to conduct themselves with poise will be miles ahead of everybody else. Meet people halfway when possible and seek common ground rather than highlight your differences. The Sun also squares Pluto now, intensifying all of your relationships. Yet, at heart, Libra is a social sign and relationship oriented, making this a perfect juncture to reach out and spend quality time with those you love!

This is also the time of the harvest -- a time of gratitude and abundance -- so look back on the past year and reflect on what you’ve experienced and learned. The equinox provides a perfect opportunity to release excess baggage and stagnant energy you may be carrying.

Saturn Opposite Uranus: Change is in the Air - Again

Change is in the air. Again! Saturn and Uranus will be exactly opposite each other again on September 15, forming what is known as an 'opposition' in astrology -- two planets positioned 180 degrees apart. This is the third of five such oppositions that started on November 4, 2008, and it will continue until July 26, 2010. These oppositions always come in a cycle, and happen approximately every 45 years. The last time these two planets formed oppositions was 1965 to 1967, and before that from 1918 to 1920. The Saturn-Uranus opposition that sent us on a roller coaster ride last fall and earlier this year returns for an encore to evoke more major shifts, both in your personal life and globally. Think back to November 2008 and February 2009 - what was happening in your life back then?

You may be in for another round of changes - this month and beyond - which will no doubt accelerate your personal growth. It isn't always fun, but it's sometimes necessary.

Saturn is the planet of authority and experience, and represents the tough and conservative disciplinarian, while Uranus is wild and unconventional -- the maverick planet of change. Saturn rules the status quo, while Uranus rules reform.

Saturn and Uranus are mortal enemies in mythology, and their combined energies in astrology signal tension and transformation. Issues that have been festering beneath the surface emerge, and the rules of the game shift. Uranus energy brings innovation through instability. Sudden and unexpected events shake our foundations and force us to look at things in a new way.

In order to make wise decisions during these times, we need to look at where Saturn and Uranus is located in our charts to help us assess where to make changes in our lives, and how to break out of established routines. Astrology shows us the themes that are in play, and guides us by providing important information. Yet, we are the ones who have to decide what to do with that data. Make sure you're not on the sidelines now. This is the time to get involved!

Pluto Turns Direct: Accelerate Your Progress

Pluto, the planet of transformation, has been retrograde since April 4 of this year, and turns direct in Capricorn on September 11.

Pluto is a tiny, distant body, invisible to the naked eye. Yet, Pluto is incredibly powerful, a force for total transformation, regeneration and rebirth. Pluto asks us to go beyond what we know, redeem ourselves in the process and come out stronger as a result. Pluto represents how we direct our lives.

It takes Pluto a whopping 248 years to complete a single cycle of rotation around the Sun. On average, it spends 21 years in each sign and 5 months of each year in retrograde.

During a Pluto retrograde period, we will feel pressured to eliminate and release the old, outworn, outdated and obsolete in our lives. We will be urged to let go of attitudes, thinking or communication patterns, security drives, and rigid emotions that no longer serve us. This is an excellent time to undergo an internal form of house cleaning, and look into ourselves to determine exactly what we do and do not need.

Now, after being retrograde for five months, Pluto turns direct on the 11th. This will accelerate progress in all your financial dealings including mortgages and loans, business endeavors and health-related activities. It's time to put your personal power to work in a positive way, too.

Enlist the energies of your progressed chart to understand where to focus your energies for maximum return. The continual movement of the planets through your life affects the events that shape your future. A progressed chart locates the signs, the aspects and the house positions for each of the planets for any given year and tells you how long they will remain in those positions. These changes show you when to act on the potential revealed by your natal chart and when to embrace growth in your life. Awareness of your progressed chart helps you to make informed decisions about every aspect of your life. -astrology.com

Explore your dark side:
Pluto is the ultimate healer because it exposes the dark places that keep you from being all you can be. The really nasty stuff, like hatred, jealousy, dominance, revenge and subterfuge are manifestations of the negative side of Pluto. These behaviors are a quest for power by people who feel powerless. Even if you aren't struggling with such debilitating emotions, you probably have other quirks that keep you feeling less than powerful. Such issues may be family patterns that no longer serve you, low self-esteem that holds you back, problematic relationship patterns, inner blocks to manifesting prosperity, or the belief that life's a struggle and will always be a struggle no matter how hard you work. Whatever you're dealing with, retrograde Pluto will likely bring out some of your inner demons so you can eliminate them, which is a necessary step toward empowerment.

The best way to handle Pluto energy is to take a clear-headed assessment of your life, accept your imperfections and make a commitment to yourself to change what isn't working. If you've been putting off seeing a doctor, it's time to make that appointment and take care of your health. If you've been suppressing some anger with your spouse, it's time to have a heart-to-heart talk to resolve the problem. If you're stuck in a dead-end job (or have just gotten laid off), it's time to reassess your talents and values and focus on manifesting a job that aligns with your true destiny.

The Sun Enters Aries

For all you Aries out there, including myself, the sun has now entered into Aries. Oh how this will be a very interesting and exciting time for the rams as well as everyone else!

March 20: Sun enters Aries

It's time for a new journey as the Sun enters the first sign of the zodiac marking the Spring Equinox for those of us above the equator, and the Fall Equinox for those below. Aries is the sign of the pioneer, so draw upon the fiery bold nature of this sign to help you get exciting projects moving. Although Aries is known for impatience, this warrior sign also has risk-taking attributes that lead to success.