Horoscope Haiku for Friday January 27th, 2012

If anybody knows me, they know that I often go into horoscope hiatus. Right now I have legitimate reason in doing so, as I am currently working on a work of fiction that will be forthcoming this year. In lieu of long posts of horoscopy, I offer an alternative: the Horoscope Haiku. Every day I will be focusing on an important astrological event — a transit of the Moon, an aspect of a planet on another, a grouping of planets in a particular sign — and drafting a haiku that reveals the essence of the astrological event, and providing a short gloss.

And now for the Horoscope Haiku, enjoy:

End of cycle, one
last breath, eyes locked on waxing
Moon — a night’s splendor.

Gloss: The Moon is at the tail end of Pisces, in the Nakshatra known as Uttara Bhadrapada. The lunar luminary is also in the waxing phase, in its fifth night, and will be shining brighter over the next ten nights. The end of the cycle is in reference to the Moon nearing the end of the zodiac, which symbolizes a completion of the cyclical nature of our mental and emotional energies. Our eyes, or our vision turned inwards, should be directed towards this event, in that we should recognize a relief from the accumulated stresses that have been experienced over last last lunar cycle. It is a splendor to witness this, especially at night and even when the Moon is not visible in the sky — for we always have the capacity to look within and savor the vast riches of the mind.

 

The Field Beyond the Moon, Weekly Horoscope for Tuesday September 20th, 2011 to Monday September 26th, 2011

Le Pendu, the Hanged Man

As we contemplate the verities of astrology, our first path of thought should take us to the beginning, the point where the planets assumed their power and roles. Regressing the mind within the scope of time back to this point will take some free-form thinking: abandoning contemporary misconceptions on the art, even perhaps drifting away from the uncharted centuries it has had to develop into its own form. The most lucid insights into these origins, perhaps, are reflected in the ancient texts of Vedic astrology, and in this week’s post we will be exploring more of the magnificent opus, Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (BPHS):

Ch. 2, v. 3-4. The unborn Vishnu has many incarnations. He has incarnated, as the Navagrahas (nine planets) to bestow on the living beings the results due to their karma. He is Janardan, exciter of human beings. He assumed the auspicious form of planets to destroy the Asuras and sustain the Devas.

The creation story of Vedic astrology is revealed in the above excerpt. The unborn absolute, or an original state of consciousness prior to form and content, manifested itself in nine separate “spheres of power”, or planets, to facilitate the distribution of karma, or the results of action, to living beings. Moreover, the form of the planets “destroy the Asuras and sustain the Devas.” This directly attributes the quality of Vishnu, as the agent of maintaining order, to the planets – that the role of the planets is to keep the functional and anticipated processes of the cosmos, the world, society, and the individual in their natural step. Deviance to the natural order, or dharma, is the work of asuras – that class of beings throughout Vedic lore work to subvert and possess the power of the devas: Agni (Fire), Vayu (Wind), Apas (Water), Privithi (Earth), Indra (Storm/Lightning), Surya (Sun), Chandra (Moon), Soma (Immortality), Rudra (Knowledge of the Forest), Savitri (Dawn). That all things follow a natural order is not the basis for a theological argument, but rather is used as an empirical and ontological assumption about reality, the field we find ourselves in.

To dig a bit deeper, and to shed a loftier light on this matter, our consideration turns towards a tricky excerpt from the BPHS:

Ch. 2, v. 8-13. The beings with more Jivatmāńś (identification with the limited, individual self) are mortal beings. The high degree of Paramatmāńś (identification with the infinite, universal self) from the planets – Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Rahu/Ketu – facilitated the incarnation of the Avatars. After completing their roles on Earth, Paramatmāńśas of the respective Avatars again merge in the respective planets. The Jivatma portions from the planets take births, as human beings and live their lives according to their karma, and again merge in the planets. And at the time of Mahapralaya (universal destruction) the planets also merge into Vishnu. The one who knows of all this is versed in the knowledge of the past, present and future. Without a knowledge of Jyotish these cannot be known…

Enjoyable and informative in itself, the language of this excerpt could fare well with some distillation. The “light” of Vedic astrology is the same light that illumines the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Agamas/Tantras. Although the approaches differ in all of the texts, the result is the same: knowledge of the soul. Identification of consciousness with the limited, mortal body is integral to the process of karma and the field of action that we engage with. We find ourselves “wrapped up” in the engagements of life from the moment of birth to the time of death, for better or worse, and there is seemingly no reprieve. The endless process of action is perpetuated by the planets, as agents of karma, and not only is individual destiny bound to their grasp, but the expression or faculty of individuality itself “emerges from” their respective spheres. Humans enjoy only a limited portion of the total power of the planets, however, and this power is variable to a great degree. Limited identification of consciousness restricts the individual from fully blossoming into this power, and no matter how true or full a human embodies a planet’s energy, they will always be short of its full potential. At death, we are left with nothing, or possibly a trace of what we once were – but the planets remain. And at the great universal end, the planets themselves are nothing, and what remains is the Unborn. That our origin is planetary is a point of further consideration, to be sure, with the assumption that in reality, our source is nothing more or less than the infinite.

To come back to the reality of this week’s post, let us consider this point: that there are traditions that speak of “going beyond” the planets and their grasp. Assume for a moment that the language we are using is made modern, empirical to contemporary standards, and conceptually fit for a rational mind: that the totality of society, family, friendship, class, gender, species, even self-identification can be left behind, to posit that our true identity, before and after, and even amidst, all time and space and knowledge, is nothing but unborn consciousness. Further still, this unborn consciousness will live on, continuing even without name or form, through a continual cycle of universal creation and destruction – through innumerable Big Bangs and universal entropies. And that brilliant universal fire attracts us like moths to our own annihilation – and still, only the replete remains. To self-identify with this process, just for a moment, can unravel the gnarliest of karmic knots. From the Avadhuta Gita, the “Song of the Supremely Free”:

40. The absolute void and its opposite, all am I everlastingly.

41. Atman (Self) is not male or female, nor is It neuter; neither is It happiness or suffering. How dare ye pervert It?

42. Atman is not purified by the six methods of Yoga. Absence of the mind makes It no clearer. The teachings of a Guru reveal It not. It is all purity, in Itself, by Itself.

43. I am neither bound nor free. I am not separate from Brahman (Universal Self).

To come to this realization, and then act on it within the world, brings real change. Otherwise it is only fingers pointing at fingers pointing at the Moon. Our task is to shed more light on our dire situation, to think outside the confines of what has been grievously given to us, to accept that “nothing is true, and all is permitted.” We can step out from the field of planetary control, and through this come back with a clearer vision of what control is in a more exacting way.

To this week’s horoscope, then. On both Tuesday September 20th and Wednesday September 21st we see the Moon transiting through Gemini, Mercury’s duplicitous and airy sign. Mercury will be stationed at the tail end of Leo, the sign of the Sun, and the Moon will thus be eleven signs from there. This indicates that through clear and genuine communication and interaction, and engaging in constructive or healing actions, one will enjoy both gain and pleasure. The Moon and Mercury working together in this way will reveal insights into relationships with siblings and close friends, as well. Engaging with this dynamic is a two way street, like always, and whatever you contribute to your friendships, networks, or family will be rewarded duly.

Moving into the heart of the week, Thursday September 22nd, Friday September 23rd, and Saturday September 24th will be a three day block of planetary confluence and upheaval. Again we see four planets transiting through a single sign – the Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Saturn all in the earth sign Virgo. Mercury, of course, is the lord of Virgo, and thus carries the most weight as he slips into the sign on Thursday, joining the other three planets. An incredibly lofty and brilliant mood, grounded in the strength of the world and the soul, will be manifest clearly on these three days. Coupled with the Moon transiting into its own sign, Cancer, and a fiery conjunction with Mars, these three days will certainly spell out intensity on all levels and spheres. Approach these days with a light and creative gait, and you will be rewarded. Emotions can definitely get the best of you if left unchecked, especially those that heat the blood.

To end this astrological week, we see the Moon coming into Leo, the sign of the Sun. All the other planets will be in their above mentioned signs. The Moon coming into Leo on Sunday September 26th is also imbued with the energy of the new Moon. This will be a night of processing, relaxation, and conversation. It will be a perfect night to set up for the next two weeks and one’s own projects, which will be strengthened and fueled by the four planets in Virgo. Set realistic goals and write them down on the new Moon night, and follow them with persistence and consistency. Anything is possible during these strange conjunctions, especially in effecting the “real world”. There is little to anticipate on the negative side of things, and only good can come from connecting with those that you care for and support you and your endeavors during this night. Tread lightly, still, as the sensitivity of the new Moon will be fully present.

Ultimately, of course, our true self lays just beyond the field of the Moon. But it is on these most curious of planetary and lunar nights that we can realize and embody this knowledge to its fullest degree.

The Waning Cycle of the Moon and of Time, Weekly Horoscope for Tuesday September 13th, 2011 to Monday September 19th, 2011

La Force, the Strength Card

We begin this week on the second day of the waning phase of the Moon, as our bodies slow down and settle into repose. The invigorating nature of the past two weeks, as the Moon was waxing to fulness, revealed new directions and opportunities, to be sure, and also signs of where our focus and awareness should fall on. There were difficulties and triumphs both, and now there is the call to rest.

The nine planets are always ready to speak to us, if we are ready to listen. Cutting off the chatter of the mind, resting the flap of the tongue, our bodies can best approach the planets on their own terms. Letting go of the constant need to go, to produce, to know, is a rejuvenating practice that allows for the conduction of reality and what the planets are in themselves – not what they have to show or offer, or what we can gain or lose from them.

A strange thing occurs when allowing the world to operate and the body to be – control vanishes, yes, and a ground remains that has no label, or purpose, or form. This solid sphere spreads out below in infinite directions, silent and unmoving, ready to absorb the dust of our body into its form. It can be called death, but when our body falls into this ground of being, the accumulated fruits of our action disappear, and liberation remains.
And just as this takes place, a wind can sweep over the dust, and stir us back into the world and movement and knowing.

As the Moon begins its waning cycle this week, our bodies will desire the same. Aside from the liberating nature of this repose, we can also discover hidden forms and bodies that are not always apparent, but become so when our concerns come to a halt. The discoveries of Wilhelm Reich, a scientist devoted to understanding the mind and body in the context of Freudian analysis, shed valuable insights into what remains when silence prevails. To simplify the discoveries of Reich, the mind and body operate mutually and fluidly by way of an observable, glowing blue field of energy he labeled orgone. Further, orgone exists in the human organism and its emotional and sexual expressions, giving a visible makeup of what many can only contemplate through abstract concepts or analysis. And further still, Reich discovered that orgone is observable in unexpected places – enveloping trees, animals, and even “inanimate” bodies such as mountains. Most surprising however, is the observation of orgone in high vacuum, which lends to the idea that life is woven throughout all things, everywhere, and this web of energy is our link to cosmic interdependence. Much more can be said here, and will be explored in future posts for the benefit of reader and author alike, but for now let us rest in the abundance of life that envelopes us, and continue on with the horoscope.

On Tuesday September 13th and Wednesday September 14th, the Moon will be transiting through Pisces, nearing the end of the zodiac. Drifting through the depths of Jupiter’s watery sign, the Moon – and hence, the mind – will be incredibly receptive and sensitive to the energy around it. Quieting the mind will reveal the true nature and depth of the situations in your life currently, and insights will abound in relation to your emotions, relationships, and desires. There will be some tension as the lord of Pisces, Jupiter, is currently retrograde, but this is only apparent tension, and does not truly reflect the situation as it is. Taking care not to overreact or extend yourself past the boundaries of comfortable observation will be rewarded. Keeping a journal your experience will be helpful and useful, as you will be able to look back at these deep observations with further clarity and purpose of action.

Going further into the week, Thursday September 15th, will prove to be healing and nurturing, as the Moon transits into the first half of Aries, and through the Nakshatra or lunar mansion of Ashwini – the lunar sign of healers and the healing arts. The effect of Mars on the Moon will be incredibly powerful, as a special yoga or “planetary placement” will be happening known as parivartana yoga, or “mutual exchange of energy.” Mars is currently in the Moon’s sign, Cancer, and the Moon is in Mars’ sign, Aries. Fire and water, the self and what we love, the power of the will and the subtlety of the mind will all be flowing together in a stream of healing and new ventures. The Moon will also be conjunct the retrograde Jupiter, and thus there will be a perceived, but not actual, bounty within this process. Either way, approaching the environments and bodies that speak to the passions of your heart will be rewarding. Do not settle for the concerns or trivialities of others on this day.

On Friday September 16th, the Moon continues its journey through Aries and its relationship with Mars and Jupiter, but now unfolds under the light of Bharani – the lunar sign of destructive forces. Although this asterism does present difficulties due to its possession of and movement towards destructive energy, we can still find purpose within it. Cutting out toxic things from your environment, mind, and heart will be beneficial and easy, as the Moon will be receiving the powerful effect of Mars in its sign of Cancer. You will find that defining and dealing with the things in your environment – physical, emotional, spiritual – that are holding you back will be supported by this planetary arrangement. Use this day as an opportunity to clear house, and happiness will be sure to follow.

And finally we are brought to the tail end of our planetary week and analysis. On Saturday September 17th, both the Sun and the Moon make transits into new signs. The Moon will join Ketu, the south node, in the earth sign Taurus, and the Sun will be conjunct Saturn and Venus in the earth sign Virgo. A simultaneous bout of chaos and order will ensue, as the Moon’s conjunction with Ketu is sure to confound any scraps of rationality that may be found in the mind, but this will be countered with the strength of conviction and creativity that will be produced when the Sun moves in with Saturn and Venus. This planetary configuration continues on Sunday September 18th and Monday September 19th, as well. Expect the unexpected, as this is the nature of Ketu’s influence on the Moon. Revel in the confidence that this is the beginning of a new solar zodiacal month, and the Sun will surely possess purity and purpose in Virgo, with the conjunction of Saturn and Venus. Solidifying the means of achieving your goals and building fresh habits to engage with the world and your passions will both be within your reach. It only takes silence, and the rest is effortless.

For more information, or your own personal reading catered to you and the interpretation of your chart, click the image below:

The Gravity of Planetary Bodies, Weekly Horoscope for Tuesday September 6th, 2011 to Monday September 12th, 2011

La Roue De La Fortune, The Wheel of Fortune Card

While the gaze of the social and the individual converge on the attractive, but limited, permitted zones of being, there is a simultaneous rupture of the divergent in our midst. The spirit of the time eclipses our dreary past in its own dark light, and projects itself forward into a clean, clear, luxurious future – a future painted by the refined oils of civilization: brilliant hues of consumption, the fine tones of happiness, sleek and sexy colors of health and wealth. The invisible face of present time is smiling, and the whole world is smiling back at it.

And yet the streets are on fire, and nobody knows why.

Civilization and its subjects continue to redact into the incorporeal world of information, design, and marketing, while the world and its bodies have become heavy and toxic and bright with curious flames. A cultivated symptom of centripetal order and regiment in society is countered by the movement of bodies to the far out orbit of obscurity, defining trajectories on their own terms. Terrains that have been dematerialized, washed of the dirt and stink and taint of the body are being explored by the hands and feet of wistful rogues.

Defining the destiny of order has been the object of astrology for millennia. Within this, there is also the inverted knowledge that order is forever bound to chaos. The planets in themselves do not regiment our world, but on the contrary are only a reflection of our own individual and collective desire to do the same. There is immense power in the correspondence given between planets and roles in society – “The Sun and Moon are royal, while Mars is the army chief. Prince apparent is Mercury, and the ministers are Jupiter and Venus both. Rahu and Ketu (the nodes) are the army” – this is taken from the Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra, and reflects a general consensus in society as to what bodies rule and for what aim and purpose. The text digs deeper, however, and attributes the faculties and elements of the body itself to the correspondent bodies in the sky – “The Sun is the soul of all, while the Moon is the mind. Mars is one’s strength and will. Mercury is speech, while Jupiter confers knowledge and well-being. Venus governs semen (potency), and Saturn grief.”

The use of the body and its faculties, then, is what is important to our objective. You, dear reader, do possess a soul and a mind and a will, and strength and speech and knowledge, and potency and grief. How to use them, in whatever divergent and obscure fashion, is up to you. Explore without reserve, forgetting the sad confines of control, leaving the tainted luxury of society behind to contemplate and deal with itself.

To this week’s sky, then. On Tuesday September 6th the Moon transits through Sagittarius, the fiery sign of Jupiter, which is currently in retrograde. Our aims will be high, to be sure, but the follow through and release will be skewed. A lot of the ambition and drive that has been building up the past couple weeks will be realized, and this will also precipitate unanticipated changes in one’s sphere. What I mean by this is although the objectives that are within our scope of vision are in our reach, we are also ignoring other necessities and obligations that could be detrimental to the final goal. Cultivate awareness in a holistic way, and don’t focus too much on the particulars.

Wednesday September 7th sees the same sky as Tuesday, the Moon in Sagittarius, Jupiter retrograde in Aries, Mars in Gemini, the Sun, Venus, and Mercury pregnant in Leo, and Saturn in Virgo, but it is also the eleventh night of the waxing Moon – a night that is considered sacred to many in the world, and for good reason. As the Moon waxes on the eleventh night of its cycle, it is also the furthest away from Earth for that particular lunar month. This is a night of clearing, both inner and outer. It is the perfect night to relax the desire to perform and consume, and to simply be – and this can be facilitated by forgoing food and even conversation. Shine your own light on our body and mind on this night, and see what it reveals.

Moving into Thursday and Friday, September 8th and 9th, the Moon transits into Capricorn, the hard and rigid sign of Saturn, which is currently stationed in Mercury’s earth sign, Virgo. This flows perfectly from the calming lunar night on Wednesday, as the detailed and determined natures of Virgo, Capricorn, Mercury, and Saturn will all be projecting their character onto the receptive and open Moon. Working from a clear inner and outer space, which could be cultivated on Wednesday, these two days will prove to be productive and focused. Setting plans into motion, tackling difficult situations, and setting up a desirable infrastructure in one’s life will be rewarded.

We see more drastic changes, however, at the tail end of the week. On Saturday September 10th we will see the transit of the Moon into Aquarius, the airy sign of Saturn, and also Venus into Virgo, which will then be conjunct the ol’ man Saturn. A stifling blanket of ethereal passion and desire – difficult to define, difficult to ignore – could cover us all, or it could be a heady venture into realms of dedicated and realized visions. It is, of course, what you make of it, and much of the results of this transit and conjunction will be dependent on how well you prepare yourself for the task of creation. Expanding the scope of what that means could be aided with the Latin, “destruam et aedificabo,” or, “I destroy to build.”

And this leaves us to our night of brilliance, the much anticipated full Moon, on Sunday September 11th. There will be a collective resurgence of knotted and twisted emotions on this night, to be sure, teased out by the pallid light of the Moon. But our passion is too replete, brimming with possibilities and intrigues, to be sullied by the consensus of society. This night is yours, dear readers, and I only offer the simple advice of bathing the body and brain in the sweet light of the Moon. The rest is up to you.

Riding the Wave of Desire, Weekly Horoscope for Tuesday August 30th, 2011 through Monday September 5th, 2011

The Hermit Card

While the heat of summer is waning, and the prospect of autumn glimmers on the horizon, we are all riding a steady and balanced wave of planetary energy forward, reaching our goals and realizing our visions. The planets are tumultuous, brash, and even unforgiving, but they are also tender and ready to bend to the desires of those who pursue their own course, those who map their own terrain and do not bow to the power of control. WS Burroughs posed the question, “If control’s control is absolute, why does control need to control?”

The planets do not control our instincts, our intuitions, our thoughts, or even our actions. But the sum of these processes of the body and mind and soul all occur within the space of time. And it is in this sense that our instinct and intuition and thought and action relate to the planets. The planets function to “seize, lay hold of, obtain” (from the Sanskrit, graha) the destinies of humans in the terrain of terrestrial time – and thus they are implicit in the function and operation of time, and time’s relationship to human experience. They are also “signs of recognition and perception.” Their continual and exacting and perpetual orbits around the central Sun, and their transit through the zodiac, both reveal their quality of control – regimented and regulated movement, predictability, anticipation and expectation of results based on these transits.

The response to the question posed by Burroughs is simply, “Control needs time,” which is countered by the next question, “Is control controlled by our need to control?” The planets are sign posts of time, marking the natural rhythm and cycles that are found on Earth – day and night, seasons, the maturation experienced in all stages of life, death, birth, the cyclical experience of the mind and mood and menstruation, celebration and the emergence of festal time. To pursue this rhythm, which also expresses itself in a variety of inexplicable natural phenomena, from the mating cycles of horses and other fauna, to great boiling cauldrons of gathering crustaceans in the oceans, to the flowering and eventual death of all living things, is to engage directly with time and partake in its splendor.

To know the planets and their transits is nothing more than to know the flow of time related to our engagement with it. Society is reflected in the planets only because society has geared itself around their markings and characteristics. This is a point that while being assumptive does not need much explication, for do we not follow a seven day week, each day ruled by a planet? Are our months not the result of solar and lunar observation? While engaging with the planets as they relate to time, society has rendered itself into civilization, which codifies control and determines the individual’s experience of time itself. And it is from this conclusion that I analyze the planets and their transits, not to bolster the belly of the beast of control, but to slice it open to reveal the potential of time outside of the space of death, the great nothingness devouring the land.

To get to the horoscope, then. On Tuesday August 30th we begin with certainty and balance in the skies. While Mercury will no longer be retrograde this week, Jupiter will begin its movement retrograde on Tuesday, in the sign of Aries. Last week I mentioned that engaging with Jupiter’s bounty would be a fruitful endeavor if done with the passion of Mars, and this week I will still say the same. However, Jupiter retrograde will put up a stifling, almost overabundant and excessive energy that must be cut down with the fire of Mars. Too many opportunities and paths, without focus, can result in empty action. Be aware of spreading your energies and concentration too thin. Instead, seize singular, manageable opportunities that will build your potential step by step, planting seeds for your new tomorrow.

The Moon will be conjunct Saturn in the sign of Virgo, which is ruled by Mercury, on both Tuesday and Wednesday. This is a combination of intense and disparate planets. While the Moon rules the more subtle, internal dimension of the mind and emotion, Saturn governs the hard, real manifestation of the body and the world. When the Moon and Saturn are together, one’s own feelings and thoughts that are often harbored silently within, find expression and come out to shape your current environment. This can be difficult if one’s internal life is in dysfunction, as the internal is, in part, a reflection of our environment. Thus, issues that need addressing or clarification will be at the fore, especially on Wednesday. This day can also be perfect for solidifying plans and desires that have been developed in harmony with one’s environment and the people within it. Devote yourself both to the soft reflections of the Moon’s light, and also the reality and strength of Saturn, and there will be balance.

Seeking this sort of balance will be easy, especially when the Moon transits into Libra on Thursday and Friday. That potent mixture of the Sun and Venus, which was mentioned last week, will find their place in your thoughts and desires these two days, as the Moon passes through Venus’s sign. Letting go a little bit and enjoying the last leg of summer seems to be what the Moon wants most at the tail end of the week, and one will find happiness in social activity, love, and intoxication. Enjoy yourself as the Moon, and the strong creative energy emanating from the Sun and Venus in Leo, all create a space of well being, contentment, and joy.

On Sunday and going into Monday, the anticipated arrival of Mercury in Leo, which will then be conjunct both Venus and the Sun, will give fuller expression to the creative potencies and juices that are dwelling there. Mercury’s addition to the mix lends to discovering the best medium and tools for your pursuits and pleasures, as it carries the technical and mediated qualities that are needed to realize a strong creative ambition. Writing, conversation, and reading will all be simple and effective ways to process the potential of Venus and the Sun. Seek out new ideas and people, and there will be much to learn the next few weeks, as these three planets flourish in space of Leo.

And all the while the Moon waxes, ascending the arc of light, reflecting the Sun at every turn. As we ride the wave of desire across the duplicitous and tumultuous ocean of creation and destruction, we remain full and replete and content. Our consensus is found within as an individual, bearing the reflection of a whole array of planetary drives and directions. To abandon control and the regiment of time-as-death, we find that a beautiful and colorful spectrum of light is woven in the world around us. Let us pursue that fabric of reality, without reserve.

The Dwarf Star, Horoscope for Tuesday August 23rd, 2011 to Monday August 29th, 2011

The light of the stars is shining once again, as summer draws to a close, the Moon waning in the near autumn sky. Unthinking vanity flourishes on the surface, and from beneath there is a rumble blossoming in real lack. The reflection of one shines forth in the other. Our forest of appearance has become rarefied, splitting itself into seemingly limitless fractals of invisible and indivisible roots, further discovering vanishing pockets of the authentic to ground itself in. And that authentic ground itself has entered the market to be divvied up, labeled, and pushed back into itself for analysis, consumption and growth. Collectively we ride this boat labeled in diverse ways as Humanity, Civilization, Society, Work. And even here, in the midst of the totality of excess and glamor that has been promised, there are those that are jumping ship.

In this vein, the time that we are looking forward to this week is not anything other than the waning fortnight of the Moon, as the great river of time approaches the night when the Sun and Moon dwell together. The meaning of this is relevant to seekers who recognize that time, being a reflection of the skies, has a working balance that is achieved in its cycles. This week is dedicated to clearing, healing, learning, space, nurturing.

In our general sphere, both Venus and the Sun will be conjunct in the sidereal sign of Leo, which results in both the desire for and the eclipsing of creative energies. The Sun, being in its own sign, and in the height of its favorite summer month, has peculiar strength that must be engaged with directly. The sign of the Sun, Leo, will especially feel an urge towards independence, coming back into oneself, and solidifying your goals and roles in life. The bright element of Venus, a planet that in Sanskrit is called Shukra, or ‘semen’, will add further desire to achieve independence and a strong sense of self and purpose. One may find this in the reflection of action, the flowering buds that shine in the space of oneself.

Jupiter holds a strong place in Aries this week, sitting nearly directly in the center of the sign. Since the planet of unlimited growth and potential has passed that crucial mid-sign mark, it is now matured and ready to open doors of opportunity and new environments for those that seek them in the next six months. What is important here is that one must engage with Jupiter’s energy of bounty with a strong and fiery will. Mars rules Aries, and thus Mars is the gateway to what Jupiter has to offer.

There is a strange triadic relationship between Mars in Gemini, Saturn in Virgo, and Mercury in Cancer that points us towards an understanding of intent, loss, and communication this week. While both Mars and Saturn, the two natural malefic planets, sit in each of Mercury’s signs respectively, Mercury is transiting through the Moon’s sign, Cancer. This indicates that any issues that relate negatively to health, finances, communication, or interpersonal relationships will be temporary and reflective of the position and phase of the Moon. Mercury, never able to be pinned down or defined, will be defining the character of both Mars and Saturn.

As August 29th approaches, the night of the new Moon, anticipate a near complete withdrawal from the activities of the summer, and redirect your gaze forward into the empty, but pregnant, potential of the winter. A strong, one-pointed gaze of the will can work miracles during this time of potentialities, where many paths lay open before us all.

To simply be – in Sanskrit, bhUta, ‘to become, to have been, to exist presently, the real’, from bhU, ‘the earth, place of being, space, being’ –  might be the real lesson from the stars this coming week. The new Moon night – in Sanskrit amAvAsya, ‘to dwell together’, the night the Sun and Moon are finally united – is an emptying of light, to be sure, but it is also the inaugural night of growth, of flowering. And when the only light that shines forth – in Sanskrit, avabhAsa, “a splendor shining down [into the earth]” – is in being, one’s own self, then there is no mistake in saying that we are our own fertile ground, and this truth is as bright as the full Moon, even when it is empty.

All’s Quiet Under a Still Night Sky, Weekly Horoscope for Sunday May 22nd, 2011 to Saturday May 28th, 2011

                                                                                                                                                                                                           

This week is marked, primarily, by the relative stillness of the planets in our solar system. Where we can always anticipate the transits of the Moon, like clockwork ticking through each sign and phase with haste and predictability, the other planets, of course, transit at a slower pace. Keep this in mind as we explore this week’s planetary rhythm – the glories, dreams, rises, and falls of the past week will be reflected, in a major way, in the events of this week.

Aries – The confluence of Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury continue their slow march through the fires of your sign. All things are coming to a head for you, and the fruits of many past desires and labors are being realized as this creative, expansive, and vigorous conjunction proves most beneficial to you. Mars, the most visceral of planets, lord of battle and of the will, and also lord of your sign, is at the head of this conjunction, commanding the direction and general flow of its manifestation. Whereas, on its own, a Venus and Mercury conjunction may only produce a simple creative urge, or with the addition of Jupiter an expansive creative desire, with Mars in the mix there is a full fledged negation of self in the work and detailing and art that you are throwing into your surroundings. Enjoy the conjunction while it lasts, as the other signs only know in part this power.

Taurus – All of the signs should, verily, pay a respectful homage to you this whole month, as everybody knows that when the Sun finally makes its appearance in your sign, the curiosities of the world increase, smiles spread across even tired faces, and an amorous and playful mood is enjoyed by all. You will embody this energy, and especially this week you will find that the world finds you most alluring, charming, and free. Invoke this tendency to its fullest extent, and allow for the pleasures of the world to naturally come your way – like so many spring flowers in bloom.

Gemini – The ever-changing and flitting charms that you carry will be in full strength this week, as the lord of your sign, Mercury, who always reflects the influences of its surroundings, stays in conjunction with Mars, Venus, and Jupiter. Your creative urges and desires should have a singularity of purpose that is often lacking in your sphere, and they should be aimed at lofty and expansive goals. Where Ketu, the shadowy south node, still remains stationed in your sign, it is only a matter of weeks before this changes. Thus, you are in a way at the end of a year and a half long spiral that has born the marks of a controlled chaos, blind realizations, shadowy and fleeting pleasures – and what better way to break the spell of Ketu’s transit than to fly, like an arrow, into the depths of the dark, and to land willfully in the light. 

Cancer – The Moon will intimate your fate this week, as we start out with a direct aspect of the Moon on your sign on Sunday, swelling your capacity to listen to the people and energy that surrounds you, flashing signs for you to follow, casting a bright and viscous glow on the soft paths that you will walk down. The Moon’s light will be waning, however, as we head away from the previous week’s blinding glow in the celestial sphere. Finding a calm inner space to wander will suit you best this week, as the enjoyable air of Spring settles lightly on the world. Sit with the elements: water, wind, earth, and enjoy them with the ones you love.

Leo – The bright shine of your face continues this week, as your sign benefits from the pleasurable track of the Sun through Taurus. But there is also a continued awareness of loss, as well, as the four planets that sit in Aries are stationed twelve signs away from your own, indicating a deep, almost subconscious penetration of death and dissolution. This doesn’t necessarily have to take the path of material loss or death, however, as oftentimes the most profound secrets and insights are gained through quick whispers bubbling from the internal spring of the mind. In reality, the strong, proud nature of your sign will dissolve into the unbound potential of the four planets in Aries, revealing the curious creations and expansions therein.

Virgo – To bear the burden of Saturn retrograde for yet another week will find you taxed, to be sure, but do not let this bring you down, burying your potentials and glories in the hard cold ground. Just like many other signs, you will participate fully in the conjunction in Aries, as Mercury, the lord of your sign, continues to flit about amongst the bright, expansive, and ruddy planets there. Move slowly, cautious and wise, about the world this week. As Saturn moves backwards in the sign, and specifically through Hasta, the lunar asterism that is symbolized by a hand studded by five stars in the night’s sky, your own potential will be realized through the work you do by your own hands.

Libra – Finding further balance this week will be done with ease, as no single planetary influence will tip your scales one way or the other. Whereas there will be a relative absence of aspect, conjunction, and transit in your sign this week, there will be a full bloom of energy that will influence your sign by way of Venus and its role as lord of your sign. With its by now well noted conjunction with Mercury, Jupiter, and Mars in Aries, the fiery depths found there will reveal themselves in a balanced harmony of dual forms in your experience – tempered pleasure, well thought out adventures, and just the right amount of hardship. Nothing will be too heavy or light, and thus will you wander the world with a healthy gait and light heart.

Scorpio – Your own hidden depths will be plumbed this week, as the impetus to inner exploration and outer revelation will be further encouraged by the strong planetary weather in Aries. Mars of course will be leading your way, as you find yourself amongst fresh and new surroundings, lit by the soft light of the Sun in Taurus, and paired with the creative duality of Venus and Mercury. Those seeds that you find in the depths will be brought to the surface, watered and tended to by the gentle hands of Jupiter. Do not turn your back on this expedition into the surreal, the quixotic, or even the uncomfortable and macabre terrains that dwell within you. The time is nigh for this journey, so make haste!

Sagittarius – The dark, brooding movements of your sign this week will be further inflated by the influence that the lord of your sign, Jupiter, will be projecting onto your sphere. Where the north node of the sky, Rahu, is still perched quietly in the first degree of Sagittarius, ready to exit within a few short weeks, the last remnants of this incredibly potent karmic period will be found basking in an eerie glow. The hidden potential of this week remains to be seen, and its fate is placed squarely in your hands – where the planets will determine the amount and quality of the energy that you can channel, the direction that it takes will be dictated by your will alone. And it is this will, aimed up into the skies, that the fiery archer of your soul will let loose as a flaming arrow in the night. Be prepared for a week of tumult, to be sure, but also of ephemeral beauty. 

Capricorn – The soft, palpable beat of the Moon will be felt deep within you this week, as we begin on Sunday and Monday with the lunar orb transiting through your sphere. The bright directive of desire, with its long arcing shadows cast on the ground far beneath, will only be half illuminated by the waning, decreasing light of the Moon. There may be sudden bursts of spontaneity, trips to unknown places, fresh vistas and unexpected revelations to keep your interest piqued. Your body will know the Moon in all its intimate ways, as it gladly narrates its secrets and poetry and fears to you. Take time to listen, to bask underneath the Moon’s beams, imbibing them with a supple mind and body, allowing its gestures to move you, to elevate you to its lofty sphere.  And conversely, take the time to feel the ground, to know its solid terrain with your feet, mapping your future path with its contours and shapes and mood. Your body is a temple, strong, earthy, serene, for sure, and this week will certainly show you its true power.

Aquarius – An emotional week indeed, as the Moon travels through your sign on Tuesday and Wednesday, and with it will be spreading the karmic seeds of retrograde Saturn. The month’s build up and eventual culmination of long suppressed impulses will be released this week. When it rains, it pours, to be sure, but keep in mind that this just clears the clouds so that the bright Sun will shine just as bright. It will not be all bad, either, as once the Moon exits your sphere, you will be left with a quivering, cathartic body and mind that is ready to take on any task. The atmosphere is ripe for creativity and expansion right now, and although the bulk of its planetary cause will not be directly influencing your sign, you can take advantage of this general mood once the Moon frees you of the dark within.

Pisces – There are few sensitivites, very few occult intimations, that you will miss or be unaware of this week. Of all the signs maybe you will be affected most by the potent confluence in Aries. Send a long forgotten loved one a letter, put your creative talents to work, use your body in a way that truly challenges it. Listen to your body, for of all the signs you feel most deeply the current planetary weather. When the Moon enters your sign on Thursday and Friday, the deep, brooding waters of your soul will be stirred, and its tide will wash onto the shores of reality, leaving its relics to dry on the stable land. Wander amongst these wonders, these curiosities, these obscure objects that you hide in your depths, and show them to the world in the light of this waning, dark Moon. There is never a limit to your potential, and this week there will be no impediment to its full expression.

Divining the Personal in the Planets, Weekly Horoscope for Sunday May 15th, 2011 to Saturday May 21th, 2011

Let us apply a major change to the method and scope of our weekly experiment here. Being aware that this is a relatively new horoscope, I have, as an astrologer, tried to put certain observations before others – my intention was to tease out broader and more sweeping insights from the planets and the world around me. But, as an astrologer, and being aware that “all is in flux”, I have decided to do a more traditional weekly horoscope going forward, that will focus on one’s Sun sign and what to expect for that week. In all of the manifestations of horoscopes that I have written over the past several years, I have only done this type once for a period of roughly six months – it was when I wrote for a monthly alternative newspaper that had wide distribution in the state of Wisconsin. I was frustrated with the form and content, however, and it was a short lived venture.

Before we get into the heart of the horoscope, I will preface it with saying I do my astrology using the sidereal zodiac, and that the presumption of your Sun sign is, in reality and most likely, different in this context. Information is widely available in regards to the tropical versus sidereal zodiac. If you are unsure about what your sidereal Sun sign is, please contact me.

Aries – Your sign, the fiery commencement of the zodiac, is filled to the brim with a congregation of diverse planets, and from this your sign is definitely the most affected and important this week. Wherein the creative duo of Mercury, the planet of communication between any two entities, and Venus, the bright morning star, moved into your sign, imbuing the fires of Aries with a brighter and more attractive gleam. They met with Jupiter and Mars, sympathetic planets, but both with their strong personalities and exertion of will. Mars, of course, rules your sign, and when Mars transits through Aries you benefit from an overflow of active consciousness – your very blood is enlivened, the heart of your sign beats true, and you feel what it means to be an Aries. Jupiter here allows these three planets to bloom, expanding to the limits of their potential – martial and active will, creative urges, an inclination towards art – but Jupiter also brings these things to excess, disrupting the normal course. Be aware of these potencies this week, but do not look to temper them.

Taurus – The sidereal calendar has marked the transit of the Sun into your earthy sign this past week, and thus you will be graced with the solar power for roughly a month. The lord of your sign, Venus, like mentioned previously is currently stationed in Aries, conjunct three other planets, and thus you will be feeling the overflow from that combination. Your sign shines bright, and you will notice that you exert a strong pull on the world around you – people and resources will come your way with ease, and it will seem like you are the center of all. This is true, but it’s something that you are used to – the fertile and amorous month of May is suited best to your disposition, and the identities and personalities of the other signs will feel inclined to pursue this tendency that you embody.

Gemini – As the dual nature of your airy sign is being affected by the presence of the south node – Ketu, that shadowy figure from the recesses of myth – you should be glad to know that Mercury, the lord of your sign, is traveling in good and powerful company, and thus will exert a positive, albeit chaotic and vigorous, affect on you this week. Where Mercury carries the quality of absorbing the energy from its environment, and willing little of its own, your experience  will be colored by the conjunction of Mars, Jupiter, and Venus with Mercury in Aries. By your very nature you take on the appearance of many faces, wearing the mask that best suits your environment and the conditions you find yourself in. This week your mask might even surprise yourself, with the strong and potent embellishments of Mars, the grace and charm of Venus, and the bigger than life power of Jupiter.

Cancer – The most important day for you this week, lovely Cancer, will be May 16th, as the Moon finds itself in the balanced and airy sign of Libra, in the full brightness of its form. The full Moon always gives your aura a radiant gleam, emanating from within, and the natural and tender beauty that you embody is fully realized on these nights. Be aware, however, of the Moon’s transit into Sagittarius on Thursday and Friday, as the Moon will then be conjunct with its eternal enemy, the north node, Rahu. Chaos of a high and deep order can descend on you after the bright glow of the full Moon earlier in the week. Keeping this in mind, approach this week with a receptive caution – bringing in what is healing and good, and avoiding what can obscure your brightness.

Leo – The earthy beauty and charm of the Sun as it transits through Taurus will be the main narrative of your sign this week. Keeping in line with the transit, you should look to pursue what gives you most sensual pleasure that is appropriate for this time of year – amorous tendencies, the freedom of Spring, outdoor activities, the pleasure of the garden. The strength of your sign lies in the fact that your determination can supersede the strongest of planetary influences. You stand, at times, alone in your fiery and regal sphere. But with the Sun’s energy integrated into the world, into the earth, your strong egoic tendencies will be tempered by the release into the broad and sweeping environment around you, and you will lose yourself in the same.

Virgo – With the constant and perpetual presence of a retrograde Saturn in your sign for the foreseeable future, we must look elsewhere to narrate the planetary weather that you will experience this week. Like mentioned previously, Mercury, the lord of your sign, finds itself in the motley company of Jupiter, Mars, and Venus, and this will effect your sign similarly to the other sign ruled by Mercury, Gemini. Where Gemini succeeds in adapting, for better or worse, to the fickle and changeable nature of Mercury, the earthy and virginal energy of your sign absorbs the energy into itself, and leaves little mark of change. This week you will notice the palpable effects of that congregation of planets in Aries, as the expansive realms of creativity, aggression, and exertion of the will are going to be easily apparent for you. Use these forces to the best of your ability.

Libra – Not only is the lord of your sign, Venus, conjunct that by now well talked about confluence of planets in Aries, but they are also all casting a direct aspect onto your sign. The subtlety of balance is your strength, of course, so as there are few people that will not be effected by this grouping in Aries this week, you will be able to strike the chord of balance even through the tumult of this transit. Develop this tendency of balance, and direct your aim towards a successful week of business, communication, and worldly pursuit of Mercury and Mars – but also with the spiritual impulse of Jupiter, finding wisdom in the changes around you.

Scorpio – This week will not grace your sign with the beauty or potential that many other signs will take for granted. For as Mars, the lord of your sign, wanders through Aries, the strength of this transit and the conjunction with the other three planets there will exasperate your natural tendency for destruction – or rather, plunging the depths of the real. The consequences of your constant pursuit to get to the bottom of any matter are sometimes innocuous or unseen. This week, however, the strength of the conjunction in Aries, with the fiery disposition of Mars being exasperated there, will in a way plunder many of the gains that you have seen over the past few months. What you will possess when you come out of the depths of your explorations, only you will know. And that is the real beauty of your sign, the hidden relics of the world are always within your grasp.

Sagittarius – The shadowy north node – Rahu – is of course stationed in your sign. The effects of this chaotic planet will be tempered, however, by the powerful influence that Jupiter, the lord of Sagittarius, will shower on your sign this week. Where the expansive nature of Jupiter has been duly noted, the combination with the martial, mercurial, and the venusian will give you a potent and diverse blend of energies to explore this week. The paths will lead parallel, and so choosing one will be your main goal this week. Will it be the creative, sensuous path of Venus, leading towards enjoyment and pleasure? Or perhaps the transactional, heady path of Mercury, headed towards financial gains? Or will it be the fiery and active path of Mars, ending in a burst of the unknown?

Capricorn – The hidden, and even occult, power of your sign is revealed in the sweeping effects that Saturn, the lord of Capricorn, will be having on you this week. When the very foundation of existence, the bare forms and foundations, the blueprints themselves, are at odds by way of something as simple as Saturn turning retrograde in the celestial sphere, you know that you partake in a very special and unique power. The world will be viewing you as an example of how to deal with this retrograde Saturn, that is in fact reversing many of the gains that have been experienced over the past couple months. As you perpetually embody the earthy and solid strength of your sign, the temporal changes in the heavens have little to do with the depth of your conviction and truth of purpose. This quality will bloom full this week, and its fragrance will permeate the world around you.

Aquarius – The more subtle nature of retrograde Saturn, lord of Aquarius, will be effecting you this week, in the airs of your dreams. Whereas Capricorn embodies the solid, rigid, and earthy aspect of Saturn, Aquarius holds the contemplative, atmospheric, and encompassing qualities of the same. Saturn being currently retrograde will put in effect a reversal of terms in the dialogue of your dreams, and the hue of your atmosphere. You will meet opposition, face to face, and the impediments that normally seem so easy to overcome in the free and airy course of your nature, will now impose themselves with great force. Look not to avoid, as you are wont to do, but rather transcend these obstacles, not by a going beyond, but a going within.

Pisces – As the expansive potencies of Jupiter are realized in its conjunction with Mars, Venus, and Mercury in Aries, this historic astrologic time will be fully embodied in your sign this week. The watery depths of Pisces know no bounds, to be sure, but sometimes what is found there is nothing but the vapid trappings of one’s self. But, as the strength of the planets in Aries – Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Mercury – simmer together in those fires, the water that boils is your own. Spilling forth freely onto the other signs and into the world, this week will be a prime time for you to dive deep within to find those passions and movements of the will that will direct you for the weeks to come. The light of the mind and the brilliance of the soul may not be there, but the blind potency of creativity will.

A Glowing Conflagration in Our Night Sky, Horoscope for Sunday May 8th, 2011 to Saturday May 14th, 2011

A strange week indeed, where we have seen a certain flare and outburst of long hidden and latent energies – of misplaced fear and ignorance that reared its ugliness on May Day, symbolically subverting the true meaning of the day that communally belongs to the people, the day that marks, in time, a collective desire asserting its independence from control. That astrology could, perhaps, serve as a tool to break the spell of the intricate ordering and machination of control, is something that we can investigate – to explore the immediacy of the planets in relation to our lives. We abide in a territory of both reality and unreality, of an immediate naturalness and a mediated artificiality. Peppered throughout the landscape of this duality are bodies and specters. These bodies are composed of a varied composition of the natural world’s four elements – earth, water, fire, and air – and are as diverse in identity as can be imagined: the human body, the animal body, the plant body, the celestial body, the body of the earth. And the specters have their origin in the long-standing lineage of civilization and its institutions, which has culminated in this greater spectacle, and which perpetually consumes the bodies in its territory and offers them back to us not as bodies but as images, phantoms, apparitions. 

To begin, then, with a line of thinking and investigation that takes us back to the reality of bodies and the elements, we can start a process of demarcation. The virtues of human passion – love, loyalty, wisdom, understanding, health – arise not out of a nothingness, of a void in the self, but rather through the direct communion between multiple bodies. The special and unique communication between two bodies – two lovers in a sweet night, the farmer’s hand and the soil, the astronomer’s eye and a newfound star – is what defines these passions, and the unique individuality of the bodies narrate the character of the same passion. There is, then, a recognition that the territory of bodies and the immediate attraction between them, are perpetually diverse and never replicated. There cannot be a systematization of passion or virtue – for it only originates in the dialog of distinct entities. Any work to replicate, systematize, or order the passions of bodies results, without fail, in mediation, exploitation, and illusion – and this can be seen easily in a variety of social realities: food has taken an unrecognizable form, absent of anything that can be found growing from the earth; the passion of love or lust can be consummated remotely, through screens and speakers, never once mingling the touch or breath; battles can be waged for a people who only digest its image, and the melancholy of witnessing death, face to face, breath to breath, never need take place.

As an astrologer, it is my prerogative not only to divine the workings of fate, but also to communicate the reality of the celestial bodies, and their relation to our own. To bring all of this together, I will relate a small portion of knowledge that pertains to the esoteric, or hidden, region of astrology. We can raise the question, “How do the bodies of the planets commune with the human body?” And this question is the crux of astrology, for without it we could simply relegate the planets to be alone, cold, inert in their lofty abode, only serving us as objects of visual contemplation. One response to this question, which I have through my own introspection found to work in experience, is that the human body has within it centers of consciousness that commune directly with, and reflect the movements of the planets. They are known in the body of knowledge of Tantra as chakras, from the Sanskrit, “wheel, circle, discus”. In the classical outline of the chakras there are said to be in total seven. Further, it is said that each of the seven physical planets preside over one of the seven chakras – so that each chakra is a nexus, or point of communion, between the planets and the body (note: I will provide, as an appendix, a full chart of correspondence between the human body and the celestial bodies, with details on the chakras, on this site soon).

This nexus, or link, has physical attributes – as the planets transit through the signs of the zodiac, they immediately affect the body and its consciousness through these chakras, resulting in unique actions and circumstances that can be read through the astrology chart. But also they share more essential qualities, or psychical attributes, in the sense that the planets are bodies and have characteristics and a personality that is their own, just as any being, and that these are reflected in part in each of the chakras of the human body. Thus, the personalities and passions of the planets can be observed in the immediacy of human society – the planets, literally, walk amongst us. And just as the planets traverse through the sky, and its diverse regions of elements and natures, so do we travel through the same.

It is in this sense that we begin our weekly horoscope. We begin the first three days of the week – Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday – with a strong presence of planets in Aries, the first fiery sign. Jupiter, Sun, and Mars – three of the four masculine planets – are here, and this intimates a period of tumult and change, that can take place with a rapid or sudden event. The Moon will be drifting alone in Cancer, its own sign and watery abode, and this will provide a temporary cooling effect to the heat building up in Aries. Mercury and Venus are still paired together in Pisces, and their conjunction always represents a time for creativity. Thus we start the week with a lot of conflicting but strong conjunctions and transits – watch out for overzealous attitudes or outbursts of destructive emotions; but also look to cultivate the natural and cooling lunar energy that will abound, and the present creative condition of Mercury and Venus in Pisces.

But it is in the middle of the week, Wednesday and Thursday, that we see a great movement of planets into fiery signs, in a way bursting into a “glow of conflagration”. Not only does the Moon find itself in the fire sign of Leo, that independent and fierce domain of the Sun, but Mercury and Venus, which formerly were in Pisces, now transit into Aries, conjunct the masculine retinue of Mars, Jupiter, and the Sun. Just as last month we found these same five planets in the dreamy and watery depths of Pisces, we now have them in energetic and unpredictable fires of Aries. Thus it can be said that Wednesday and Thursday will be marked by these flames – you will feel the heat rising, and you will witness the power of fire and the changes it can exact around you. Temper the flames if you must, or add your own fuel to the massive fire – either way, the middle of the week will allow for destruction, renewal and clearing, both internally and externally. In the immediate sense, the planets congregating in such a display in the fiery signs can give us a great amount of power to effect the changes that can only happen with a decisive and one-pointed will. Spare no old habit or pattern, no vestige or specter, that remains in your consciousness that inhibits your growth as a free being – burn it all.

The week ends with Friday and Saturday, and the Moon transits into an earthy conjunction with retrograde Saturn in Virgo. This will naturally temper the flames of the middle of the week, and ground the mind in more realistic but difficult pursuits. While Saturn remains retrograde, our actions are all seemingly marked by an inherent difficulty, as if even with great ambition and purpose we follow our pursuits there are small impediments in the way. The Moon’s conjunction with this difficult Saturn will make us aware of the small things that we can work on – the nuts and bolts of our projects and desires – so that we can pursue them with the smoothest course.

Certainly this week will demonstrate, with palpable examples, the immediacy of the planetary bodies as they move through the signs and the elements. It only takes a small amount of awareness to awaken these perceptions. And, to me at least, they provide more satisfaction than the spectacle that is commonly offered.

To Bear the Fruits of the Planets, Horoscope for Sunday May 1st, 2011 to Saturday May 7th, 2011

Last week, as you have noticed, there was no horoscope to report – maybe it was a combination of the flux of the waxing Moon and its culmination in fullness, which without fail has its effect on me. Or maybe I could attribute it to the revolution of Spring, and the fresh and forgotten feeling of the Sun amidst the deep, damp penetration that the rain exacts on Eugene. Go even further and combine this with the celestial atmosphere of planetary imbalance in Pisces and a retrograde Mercury and Saturn – and yes, there are new movements now, new paths have emerged, new hopes and dreams and desires for us all to follow – surely this has been the case in my own sphere. Let us continue that momentum here, taking a break from the abstraction of previous horoscopes, and instead glean the fruits straight from the vine that the planets offer. For it is only logical that the planets bestow, in equal parts, the fruits of their passion on living creatures, as they themselves are living – where they orbit each other with precise attraction, where their very gravity emerges from fits of polar duality, where their mass and volume trump with ease all order of species on Earth – we can only assume that they bear an attraction and passion so great that it is only known to us in part.

There is a particular affinity that we all have for the first of May – May Day – whether it be for the unconscious instinct of new beginnings, to till the ground and sow our seed, to strive and aim for what is within ease and reach, to engage in the rites of fertility (from the Latin, fertilis, “formation”; and from the Greek, pherein, “to bear”; and the Sanskrit, bhara, “bearing, carrying, granting, bestowing, raising a great cry, a war or battle or contest”; this is, surely, the time to cherish and participate in our own creation, or align with the natural fertility that environs us, or to raise a cry to contest and sublimate the powers that inhibit this process). And following this last intimation, there is that other aspect of May Day, that is well known in the industrial world, to assert the power of the social over the barren terrain of Capital, to directly confront that elusive power that maintains the division between natural fertility and our desire to participate in it – so we see organized resistance in Germany, France, Greece, the US on May Day, which possibly seeks both consciously and unconsciously to create the space where the natural order can reign again.

Let us look at the dynamic of the planets for May Day. The Moon finds herself in the lunar mansion (in Sanskrit and Vedic astrology, nakshatra, the lunar zodiac composed of twenty seven equal parts, where the Moon travels through one by one daily) of Ashwini on Sunday – and this star holds manifold significances. It is by order of the lunar zodiac the first mansion of the Moon, as Aries is the first sign of the solar zodiac. Ashwini’s etymology from the Sanskrit begins with ashva, “of a horse” or even the “number seven”, as there are seven horses of the Sun – which has been supposed elsewhere to correlate with each of seven colors, the seven chakras, the seven physical planets – but further the etymology evolves into the two charioteers, the Ashvins, a pair of twins that traverse the skies appearing in the sky before dawn in a golden carriage drawn by horses or birds. The bear treasures, but more importantly they bring the knowledge of healing arts used to avoid sickness and misfortune. The power of the lunar mansion Ashwini is the power of healing. The Moon in Ashwini sets the mood or feeling for the day to achieve healing and catharsis. The power of the Moon to realize this energy is further enabled by the conjunction of the Moon in Aries with the Sun. Although this does mean that the Moon will be nearly devoid of her light, the exalted and vigorous position of the Sun in Aries will enable the dynamic of the soul and mind – the Sun and Moon, respectively – to further the ideals that we all strive for on the first of May, whether they be directly aimed at fertility, or inversely at resistance.

We then find ourselves in the midst of the new Moon on Monday, May 2. This is a particularly potent lunar event, as well. It is the Moon’s day – Monday – and the power of the new Moon is fueled by the lunar mansion it falls in, Bharani. Coming full circle from what has already been detailed above, Bharani’s etymology is, of course, tied to the Sanskrit, bhara and bharaNa, “bearing, maintaining, carrying in the womb, nourishing”. Bharani’s symbol is the womb, an inverted triangle, and its power is the domain of birth and death. There is an anomaly, however, in Bharani as the deity presiding over the star is known as Nirriti, the goddess of curses and calamity, of destruction, dwelling in the inauspicious southwest. So while Bharani is the power to bear through the creative soil of the womb, it is also the power to take that life away. This energy reveals the root nature that will still be playing itself out from May Day, blurring the lines of both creative and destructive acts, as we may find ourselves mired, but fully engaged, in our own manifesting and pillaging.

On Tuesday May 3, there is yet an important planetary transit that will have a strong impact on the next couple weeks. Mars will be transiting from Pisces – leaving the crowded sign that still houses Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter – into a conjunction with the Sun and Moon in Aries. That this event happens on Tuesday, the day of Mars, and that the Sun is exalted in Aries, and that this will be the first day of the waxing Moon, all will augment the dynamic potential here. The Moon will now be in the lunar mansion Krittika. The etymology of Krittika is from the Sanskrit, kRtta, “cut or divided”, and the power of Krittika is tied directly to this definition,. The group of stars in this lunar mansion is symbolized by a razor or knife, or sometimes as a burning flame, as the deity presiding here is Agni, the god of fire. The six stars that compose the lunar mansion here at the end of Aries and first part of Taurus were in the oldest Vedic myths known as nymphs who became nurses attending to Mars, the god of war. The exertion of Mars asserting himself in his own fiery sign of Aries, along with the exalted Sun and a sharp Moon, will prove to be an opportune day to carve out your own destiny and path, free from the confines of past habits, assumptions, or disposition. There is a dangerous freshness here, in that what you desire you may just get.

Coming to the middle of the week, Wednesday May 4, we gain a much needed reprieve from the rollercoaster intensity of the week’s first days. The Moon takes leave from the transient madness building in Aries, and finds the soothing oasis of her own exalted sign, Taurus, and also the Moon’s most favored star, the lunar mansion Rohini. To say that Rohini is the most desirable of all the twenty seven lunar mansions is understating the significance it is given in the myth of the Moon. It is said that originally the Moon neither waxed nor waned, but rather moved freely and equally amongst each of the lunar mansions, which were each personified as wives of the male deity of the Moon. Each day, just as now, the Moon would visit one mansion, or wife, at a time, and spend that day and night there, and thus determine the nature of that particular day for life in his sphere of domain. This ensured the regular but predictable diversity of activity that living beings engaged in – some days, depending on the mansion the Moon inhabited, it was a day for construction, healing, and song; and on others, a day for battle, risk, and abandon. Without notice or consent, however, the cycle came to a halt as the Moon became entranced by the beauty of his wife Rohini, who dwelt in the sign of Taurus. Life came to a standstill, as there was no new day, no opportunity for revival or change, no chance to erase the past or move towards a future. There was just the Moon, shining bright and consorting solely with Rohini, lost in her gazelle eyes, immobilized in her mansion. Her name could be derived from the Sanskrit, ruh, “ruddy”, or, “to ascend, mount, attain”. She was the daughter of Daksha, the feared and strong magician. All of the living beings, tired of the Moon’s never ending consorting with Rohini, approached Brahma and pleaded for a remedy. Brahma in turn made the request to Daksha to end the amorous stalemate. And thus Daksha, who was adept in blessings and curses, warned the Moon of his impending doom. The Moon, filled with pride for his elevated position in the sky and power over living beings, ignored the threat. Immediately Daksha cursed him, and immediately the Moon began to lose his luster. Daily the once full and bright light of the Moon diminished, waning with each sunset and sunrise, until the Moon was completely empty, dark, unable to be seen. All living beings protested, for as much as they hated the Moon’s immobility and insistence on staying exclusively with Rohini, they longed even more for just a glimpse of the Moon’s cooling light. Rohini, too, lost interest in the Moon that now was devoid of his luster. Everybody went back to Daksha, and pleaded that the curse on the Moon be removed. Daksha advised that although he cannot remove the curse completely, that he would remove it partially if the Moon consents to resume again his daily movement through each mansion. The Moon, of course, agreed, and now we have the waxing and waning phases of the Moon, culminating in the full and new Moons. This was a long winded way to say that Wednesday holds a special light for us, a day of pleasure, of abandonment in desire, fulfillment in the other. Seek what you truly enjoy on Wednesday, and the Moon will smile gladly on you.

And to come back to normalcy and turn our gaze away from myth, we end our week with the Moon’s transit through Mrigashrisha, Ardra, and Punarvasu – which, although equally significant relative to other lunar mansions, do not carry the same weight as the others this week. In future horoscopes we will dive into their myths, symbols, and energies when appropriate or when they correlate with other relevant celestial events. Until then, it is meaningful to note that on Friday and Saturday the Moon will be conjunct with Ketu, that shadowy body of eclipse, and that extra precaution could be advised in our daily dealings. The continued conjunction in Pisces of Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter, will of course further the creative urge that many are currently enraptured by, and the new conjunction of Mars and Sun in Aries will add an interesting, if not slightly subversive or dangerous, element into the mix.

Ultimately, the week is filled with surprises, marked by revelations and raptures, not something borne in laborious or extraneous conditions, but rather manifested brightly in a state of enstasy, to be lost in the “stance within”. And yes, I admit, I am excited for what may come.