Weekly Weather

Blue Full Moon May 31, 2007

9:04 pm EDT

6:04 pm PDT

10:12 Sagittarius Moon/Gemini Sun

It’s a Blue Full Moon ~ considered auspicious as in “once in a blue moon”, a blue moon happens when there are two full moons in a month. The full moon contains a lovely grand trine in fire between Jupiter, Moon in Sagittarius, Mars in Aries and Saturn in Leo. The grand trine reminds us of projects begun last December when Mars joined with Jupiter to begin a new cycle of creation and expansion. Back then, Saturn stationed to go retrograde saying we weren’t quite ready to proceed with our new dream. So we’ve spent the better part of winter and early spring resolving the unfinished business from the fall. Now, it is full speed ahead!

Full speed ahead to the next part of your life, with a few astrological conditions in mind.

Condition 1: We still have to get past the Saturn/Neptune opposition at the end of June. We are dealing with part three of a three part story ~ part one was last August 2006. Part two was at the end of February 2007. Saturn is about structures and Neptune is about dissolving things. Structures are dissolving. Authorities are disillusioning. Leadership is invisible. Watch out for the falling structures in your world ~ it is time for the old tree in the forest to fall. Time for a clearing out in the structures of your life. Move over. Get ready to move into a bright sunny spot in the forest of your life after the tree falls.

Condition 2: We need to keep working with our Saturn. Be an authority. Take Responsibility. Work at what you love. Understand what you love is unique to you and your Saturn. If you don‘t love your Saturn, who will? It is your Saturn! Love and embrace him, even if he squiggles a bit when you hug him. Do your Saturn.

Condition 3: We still believe in our Neptune. Watch for the dreams flickering in and out of your view. Watch for the imagined, luminal, delightful, dreamlike version of what you‘d love to have in your life. What have you dreamed about? Hoped for? What is your vision of what you could have up until now? Understand how your beliefs helped create your current reality.

Condition 4: Pull the two together. Don’t pick either Saturn or Neptune. It is NOT about picking. It is about integrating. You are standing in the middle of your chart as Saturn and Neptune move through your Leo and Aquarian houses. Wave at them. Look left and right to see where they are and what they are bringing to consciousness. Reach out to Saturn and Neptune and get them to hold hands across your body. Saturn and Neptune can work together! Look to where your Natal Saturn and Natal Neptune live. Look at your Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces ruled houses to see where the changes are taking place. Often when we have oppositions, we think we have to pick a side. Nope. The “sides” ~ Saturn and Neptune ~ have to LEARN to work together to create our new reality. And they are. We just have to get out of their. We have to NOT pick a side. The new reality isn’t going to appear until the end of June but watch for glimpses of it as you move through the full moon’s energy. They have to get together and understand how they can work together.

Condition 5: Adjust, adjust, and adjust. Saturn and Uranus are inconjunct to each other ~ separating but it still counts. I call this a table rocking energy. Remember eating at an out of balance table? How you put a sugar pack or a fork under it or move it around to make it stable? Or lay your arm across it so it doesn’t rock? Saturn and Uranus are asking you to adjust what your vision is in a VIRGO manner which means a physical, body or life adjustment was required. Don’t focus on the faults or criticize. Just look at how it could be improved and make the adjustments to improve it, handle it and move forward.

Condition 6: No whining. Mercury is in Cancer. If you whine you won’t do anything but annoy other people. You created it. You need to fix it or deal with or adjust or speak up of shut up or something. No whining. Quiet tears in your own room are okay. Touch is fine too. A pat on the arm or a hug do wonders when words don’t work. You can feel sorry for yourself for 5 minutes every hour and then on to the next task.

Condition 7: Venus is inconjunct to Pluto in a SCORPIO type inconjunct. Another table rocking energy but of an unspeakable or secret story. Psychological Issues are dancing all over the room! They are approaching. VERY Soon! Adjust, adjust, and adjust. It is a value issue. It is a love issue. It is a power issue. It is a control issue. It is about money, and other Venus issues. It is about triangles and other Pluto issues. Not pretty. Not fun. But you need to make an adjustment in your understanding of power, money and what that means to you. Own your part of it. Step up to the plate and say “Yep this is my part!” All three pieces of the triangle in the room together. Two against one is a problem. Healthy triangles. Not power over triangles. Cooperative triangles.

And last but not least: Condition 8: It is a full moon baby! We see stuff on full moons that we don‘t normally see as the lights are bright and opposite each other. Our emotions and our egos are at opposite side of the spectrum. The full moon is a rare one ~ as in once in a blue moon. Giving it a special label means it is a special moon! You know how astrology works! The full moon squares the karmic nodes of destiny. We figure it out now and move off to our future. If we don’t figure it out, we’ll get stuck working with it and dealing with it while Saturn is traveling through Virgo. Personally, I recommend you deal with it and get conscious and figure out what you love. Then you can use Saturn’s transit through Virgo to improve what you became conscious about. If you don’t get conscious between now and the end of June, you will spend your next two and a half years still struggling to be perfect in a way that doesn’t serve what you love in your life or where you want to go.

The Sabian image for the Sagittarius Moon 11 symbol is: IN THE LEFT SECTION OF AN ARCHAIC TEMPLE, A LAMP BURNS IN A CONTAINER SHAPED LIKE A HUMAN BODY. Lynda Hill’s interpretation of the image is:

Commentary: ‘In the Left Section of an Archaic Temple, a Lamp Burns in a Container Shaped Like a Human Body’ pictures a need for linking the spirit and the ‘Body’. Sometimes we need to remember to be “in our bodies” and this Symbol shows the reward that can come from regarding our body as our ‘Temple’. Logic is not always involved in this equation; it speaks more of emotions, spirit and physicality.

Oracle: Watching bodily rhythms can teach us something about the timing of our biology. There’s a need to eat when we need to, to sleep and exercise when we need to; to be alive and happy. The spirit within us can shine out to enliven the spirits in others. We can somehow amplify light ourselves, like the ‘Lamp that Burns’, shining outwards, projecting our spirit and personality. To provide clues to your current situation, it may be a good idea to light a ‘Lamp’ or a candle and place it to ‘The Left’ of where you’re sleeping, working, eating or exercising. The ‘Temple’ of this Symbol implies that there may be a need for peace and quiet and respect. There may be a feeling that one somehow doesn’t “belong” in their body. Is someone losing the plot and “leaving their body” in this situation? Is there a need for grounding your physical energy? How are you regarding your body and feeding yourself? Having faith and belief in one’s self can lead to knowledge and enlightenment. Rituals of many kinds can help link mind and body so that a healthier you can result. This period may mark an incredible leap forward in understanding and consciousness.

Keywords: Connecting the left and right sides. Working out, physical fitness and exercise. Yoga. Grounding reality. Sexuality. Realizing that body is the same as spirit. Remembering to be in the body. Light workers. The acceptance of the body and its functions. Sport and its physical rewards. Metabolic rates.

The Caution: Worshiping the body at the expense of the psyche or spirit. Concentrating exclusively on physical desires and needs. Rationalizing intuitive thought until it is rejected. Needing actual physical evidence to accept anything. Being caught up in the illusion of the body, the “physical self”.

The Sabian image for the Gemini Sun at 11 is NEWLY OPENED LANDS OFFER THE PIONEER NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERIENCE. Lynda Hill’s interpreations of the image is:

Commentary: The ‘Pioneer’ in ‘Newly Opened Lands’ shows someone who is ready to break away from old familiar ground and move out into unknown and more exciting territory. This new sphere, these ‘Newly Opened Lands of New Opportunity’ are open to ‘The Pioneer’, someone who is prepared to venture into the unknown for the benefits that may be there. It is the ‘New Opportunities For Experience’ that this Symbol is promising, a chance to explore the unexplored. Fear is often the greatest barrier to moving forward, but any fears must be put aside or faced and the familiar must be left behind for these new possibilities to occur.

Oracle: This situation is one that will fulfill its potential if you go forward, leaving the past and what’s familiar behind, to seek out potential new ‘Experiences’. Although it can take some time to adjust to a new place or space, different customs or unfamiliar conditions, striking out for what’s possible can be rewarding in the long run. However, if someone is merely trying to manipulate the world to give them exactly what they want, or are just moving on in order to get more control, they may be sadly disappointed. Don’t rush or expect too much but also don’t accept too little from these ‘Newly Opened Lands’. There may be some experiences that come your way that seem difficult, hard work or just plain undesirable, but that is often the result of venturing into new and unfamiliar environments. There may be a need to start life all over again in this new ‘Newly Opened Land’. You could be starting from scratch. Be open to whatever comes your way. Take the time you need to adjust to this ‘New Opportunity’ and enjoy the experience!

Keywords: Pioneering attitudes bringing rewards. Going off the beaten track. Coming up with new ideas. New spiritual realizations opening up vistas of hope and experiences. Opportunities to move on to new realms of being. Adjusting to new places. The Promised Lands. Be prepared to take risks. Moving out. New time zones. Foreign customs and languages.

The Caution: Clinging to the old and familiar when it is outworn and boring. Restricting growth and change. Not moving on. Invading other people’s space. Claiming what’s rightfully someone else’s. Hanging on when it’s time to let go. Running off to avoid involvement or responsibilities. Moving in and taking over.

Okay, so full speed ahead toward your best life with the 8 astrological conditions in mind while holding the light lamp shaped like a human body (your heart light and passion of Saturn in Leo!) as you seek out the newly opened lands which offer you opportunities for experiences ~ (the Neptune in Aquarius journey of hopes, dreams and wishes before you!).

Have a wonderful, illuminating full moon!

Copyright © 2007 Anne Ortelee

Posted by Anne Ortelee at 03:15 PM | Permalink

Weekly Weather May 28, 2007

Another soft week arrives with a bit of extra whining as Mercury moves into Cancer. People are going to be sensitive, thin skinned and whiny, teary, weepy and feeling sorry for themselves. Last week’s Neptune station, in addition to creating the sentimental, soft, teary, misty energy, also brought a disillusionment of sorts to many folks. Neptune does that. It was a soft disillusionment but you saw things you kind of knew were there but not as CLEARLY as they became last week. Neptune is about the rapture, illusion and belief in the fairy tale. And then, when the fog clears, you see all the stuff supporting the illusion. You see you were deceived. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ever believe. Think back to a previous disillusionment. We all learned that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny weren’t “real”. Last week was like when we learned the bunny who hides candy and the fat guy who gives out toys were frauds. They lied! Frauds! Frauds!

The good part is this week, and the rest of the month as Neptune approaches his final opposition to Saturn, we get to sit with our new knowledge about Santa, the bunny and our situation. And we get to figure out what we want to do with it and about it. So, sit and figure. Start now. There are several steps to take.

Step 1: Let the fraud continue, jump off a bridge, close the email, hide the diary, ignore the lipstick smear, and go to work or back to sleep. Not a good choice. Pretending you don’t know the truth doesn’t make it go away.

Step 2: Step up to the plate, gather information and ask questions about the fraud. Figure out how you were tricked and where it came from. Part of the reason was your naiveté and willingness to believe. Part of it was from them and their desire. There were two in the tango! No fault here. Just look at it clearly, without emotion.

Step 3: Reframe it. Stop thinking it is a fraud or you were tricked. It is Not a Fraud. It is a lesson. It is a growth opportunity. You are wiser now. You can teach people what you’ve learned. You can help your friends and all you meet to handle this kind of situation going down the road.

Step 4: Take your lovely lesson (remember we are not going to use the “f” word anymore) and appreciate it for what it did for you. It gave you something. Money, time, space, hope, happiness, belief, life, joy, or peace. This step is, perhaps, the hardest. So, take it back to Santa and the Bunny for help with reframing it. Even IF it was your mother and father who pretended they were Santa or the Bunny, you STILL got presents and candy! There were good parts to the “lovely lesson”. What did it give you?

The problem with the bunny and Santa is that they go away once you find out the truth about them. No more bunny or Santa! Halloween is a much better and cleaner example of how to reframe the “lovely lesson” ~ you get dressed up and went around collecting candy in a bag. You rang doorbells. People thought you were cute. They gave you candy. Eventually, you were “too old” but you wanted to trick or treat with your friends! Remember ringing the bell as a bigger kid and having the neighbor say “Aren’t you a little old to be trick or treating?” It is like that. You are a little old to believe what you believed. It is ok. People are who they are. You believed. It did require the TWO of you to BOTH do what you BOTH did. Did the neighbor who called you “kind of old” still give you candy? Did you continue to ring doorbells? When did you stop trick or treating and start giving out candy yourself? That’s the kind of work you need to do with the disillusionment from last week between now and the end of June. Reframe that “lovely lesson”.

Step 5: Decide what you want to do going forward. Are you going to pretend that Santa and the bunny still exist? You can you know. What about when you get around a 2 or 3 year old child who believes in Santa and the bunny? Or are you going to tell them there is no Santa or bunny? Say to their bright blue eyes “Get over it kid! It is a cheap trick that society and your parents foster on you to make you believe in silly, stupid and dumb things! Banish bunnies and fat red men! There is no free lunch!” And then laugh at them when they start to cry!

Are you only going to support Halloween as it is a clear holiday with a defined give and take and a clear deal ~ trick or treat? Santa and the bunny exist for a reason. They exist for good reasons. The situation in your life existed for a good reason too. You probably don’t need the reason any more. So let it go. Appreciate the situation like you do Santa and the bunny. Appreciate the “lovely lesson” for the contribution to your life, for what it brought to you and for where it appeared in your world. Thank it for what you’ve learned. Decide what you want to do going forward. If you want to continue doing it in the future or not. Or perhaps only with the 2 and 3 year olds? Your call.

When I was younger and bemoaning a situation where I’d been a bit foolish, felt “taken”, “stupid” and all those other lovely disillusioned Neptune words, a wise person said to me that I’d made the best decision I could with the information I had then. Say that to yourself. You made the best decision you could. You might do something different now but back then you made the best decision you could. That’s how to look at the situation. That and stepping up to the plate and handling it like a grown up.

Monday, Mercury enters Cancer and starts to whine and maybe even cry. He’s very sensitive right now. Check the moon’s placement to see what Mercury’s up to. Today, while in Libra he’s about partnership. When he moves into Scorpio Tuesday, Wednesday, he’s about money and values. Sagittarius on Thursday, Friday involves legal matters while Capricorn on Saturday and Sunday has a practical nature to his energy about claiming his proper and rightful throne or castle. He also enters his shadow for the upcoming Mercury retrograde where all matters under negotiation now will tend to be revised and revisited. Venus in Cancer has adjusting aspects to Neptune as well as gifts of brilliance to Jupiter. It is a decent day for negotiations and moving things along. It will be revisited but not in a bad way.

Tuesday, Sun sees Santa in a whole new light. Why does Santa give the presents? What is in it for him? Why do parents say there is a Santa and not take credit for the gifts they actually buy for us? What is the whole concept of giving without strings attached (well, based on whether you’ve been good or bad so be good for goodness sake!)? Why do we think that kind of thing exists? There are always strings of some sort or other! We are, each of us, interconnected. Whether the string is named or unnamed, we know it is there, pulling away. How did that old guy know if I was punching my brother or teasing my sister? I believed he knew! He ate the cookies and drank the milk didn’t he? You’ve been learning about love and Santa Claus and the wanting to believe because, well, because you want to believe. Today, Sun’s aspect to Saturn says hmmm, why do I believe what I believe? What does it get me? Mercury’s aspect to Chiron and Sun’s aspect to Venus say, “Believe, that is how you got where you are today. What do you believe?” No judgment on it. Just look at it.

Wednesday, well we can blame your parents! They were the ones who started this whole silly Santa business! You learned it from them. Some silly guy in a suit drops down your chimney and gives you presents. Please! Back to your lovely lesson. You partnered with the situation because you wanted to be helpful, kind or whatever so you‘d get the goodies or the perceived goodies. That is okay. But you are older now. Sun‘s opposition to Vesta suggests you look at the old beliefs and see which ones you still want to keep and which ones you want to understand why you believed (they told you) and why you don‘t any more. All part and parcel of growing up.

Thursday, we have a lovely full moon so read the moon column on the site to learn more about the energy. The moon sets off the eclipse from last fall 2006 and March 2007. Stories from those times are back in your mind. Pluto and Ceres are talking to each other ~ getting us ready for a sneak peak at Pluto in Capricorn. Sun is looking Jupiter right in the eye by declination and saying, “Hmmm, so if I stop believing in Santa Claus does that mean I am not going to get any more presents?” Answer that question about your lovely lesson today. Have you received presents since you stopped believing in Santa Claus?

Friday is quiet except for the emotions~ Moon is busy in Sagittarius waking up the fixed energy and mutable parts of the kite. Do you see how your beliefs created this? Do you? No penalty. Just change. It will change when you change.

Saturn’s day, we have some adjusting to do. Aspects to the node will do that. Not pleasant but needed. Reality can suck. Partner with your vision and be proud. You got it.

Sunday, Venus has an argument with Pluto. Yep. There is no Santa. Deal with it. But now that you know, you are much more powerful and brave and bold. Adjust! Adjust! With vision and clarity comes freedom. Go ahead and punch your brother or tease your sister or be as bad as you want to be! No fat guy in a suit is going to determine how you behave from now on. Oh, so you want to collect money for kids who don’t have toys so THEY can have a Santa too? Cool. You’ve got it. Honest. That moment right there is when you did your Saturn! You just finished your Saturn in Leo transit. It is about the love given and the love received. It is about doing your Saturn ~ who else would be Saturn in LEO but a fat, old guy in a red suit! You are your own Santa baby!

Mundane: What a disillusionment I had last week when Congress voted to extend Bush’s war with no strings attached to the money! And, what a dishonor to our soldiers on the eve of Memorial Day to not exercise congressional oversight and tie war finances to a plan! Please people! You are giving a crack head money to go blow up and kill more innocent people!

We learned from our Republican Monica’s testimony how corrupted our judicial and civil service system has become under the Bushies. They probably felt they wouldn’t ever get caught ~ they do, after all, control the paper trail free voting machines and their tallies! One party rule for the next 100 years ~ wasn’t that Karl’s goal? They asked potential candidates for civil servant jobs as well as judicial positions if they voted for Bush. And, they removed all of Sadaam’s folks ~ De-baathization I believe they called it ~ from positions of power when they took over Iraq. Guess we can’t say they don’t know how it works or what they are doing when they ask if you are a Republican before they hire you! I think it is time for us to reread the “Fall of the Roman Empire”.

Copyright © 2007 Anne C. Ortelee

Posted by Anne Ortelee at 12:51 AM | Permalink

Weekly Weather May 21, 2007

It is going to be a softer week ~ perhaps a tad depressing, sad or teary, maybe a touch rainy or cloudy or water filled or misty, but soft. Very soft. Be kind. Seek soft. Be soft to yourself. Be soft to all you meet. Soft. Gentle. Kind. Soft is NOT weak ~ it is Soft! Neptune stations mid-week to go retrograde until the end of October. Get out a soft blanket, cozy cashmere wrap, hold and smell a freshly woken baby or cuddle up with your favorite pet. Hold hands, nuzzle, curl into yourself, and rub your belly to comfort yourself as a mother does with a fussy child. Soft. Soft. Soft. Seek out soft in your life. Remember soft is not weak!

Mercury and Venus are both out of bounds this week. Last month, while the Sun was in Taurus, Venus brought quite a bit of physical, financial or emotional excess into our lives while she was out of bounds. Or made us aware of those excesses and energies. Now, while Mercury rules the Sun’s journey through Gemini, expect to hear MORE interesting out of bounds stories. Mercury is going to dish. He is dishing the good stuff too! Venus and Mercury have many aspects this week so emotions and thoughts are flying around, in an out of bounds manner, as they connect with other planets. Great for brainstorming! However, these are NOT the most practical versions of their energies. They are out of bounds. If it sounds too good to be true, it IS too good to be true.

Be aware, very aware, of folks who say one thing and do another. Look at their behavior ~ do not listen to their words. Watch for commitments or offers that seem too good to be true. They are NOT true. Watch for triangle contracts where one person can take over the other one’s responsibility (or not) as Mercury is fast approaching an opposition to Pluto in Sagittarius. That is what we watch for on out of bounds Mercury ~ Mercury will try to break the rules. In addition, double check contracts and reread the fine print ~ that is part and parcel of the energy. If the clause is troubling, ~ it WILL be trouble down the road even if they say, “Oh, we’d never would enforce that!” They will. Have them take it out. Remember Mercury is the trickster and con man as well his other lovely qualities. When Mercury is out of bounds, he acts with excess and behaves as though the laws of man do not apply to him. In addition, the laws do not apply right NOW ~ in a myriad of ways. Mercury is able to get away with things when he is out of bounds. But he will come back in bounds again, and THAT is when you can catch him provided you lay an appropriate trap. He is a bit cocky right now too. He thinks he is getting away with it. However, the rules will ONCE again apply, soon enough (When Saturn gets into Virgo). No betting the mortgage or the rent money!

After Neptune stations on Thursday, Neptune is going to go back towards part three of his opposition to Saturn in Leo. That will take place the last week in June but we will start to feel the energy of Saturn and Neptune opposition build after this week. Back to the last week in August 2006, the last week in February 2007 and now, the final approach toward revising and changing the structures in your and our world. The analogy I used last fall was of a tree falling in the woods and creating a clearing for all the other plants to get more sun light, rain and nutrients. Watch for falling trees in your life ~ both physical and emotional ~ structures that you assumed would always be there are leaving now, tipping over now, and going away now. They have served their purpose. You don’t need them any more. Those emotional and physical structures around you are going to be changing and collapsing. You will be fine. You will, however, have to adjust to the new order of things in the forest and your life. The way to adjust, with the minimum of stress and anxiety, is to do your Saturn. Remember, you can pick the Neptune side of the opposition and see unrelenting roadblocks thrown up by Saturn and be depressed, drunk or drugged as Saturn seems to hold you back. Or you can pick the Saturn side of the issue, do your Saturn’s work, do your work, and watch Neptune dissolve the roadblocks before you, almost magically.

Monday, Sun enters Gemini and begins to offer us choices. Gemini is the time of seeds grown up into lots of cute baby plants ~ seedlings of possibilities. Each of the baby plants or seedlings can grow if it gets its own pot of dirt, sunshine and a bit of water. We have to start thinking about thinning our choices. If we have enough dirt, we can plant ALL the seedlings! But, maybe, you want to focus on a few of the seedlings and give the others over to someone else to take care of? Whatever you choose in the weeks ahead (until the end of June) will be what you are going to be working with, watering, weeding and de-bugging for the next couple of years while Saturn is in Virgo. Choose wisely. Mercury has a closing aspect to Saturn and joins with Venus by declination asking you to choose what you LOVE, wisely, and without FEAR influencing your decision. Use all the Saturn in Leo lessons you have been working on understanding since July 2005. Moon in Leo over the next few days says take an honorable approach, integrating the lesson’s you’ve learned over while Saturn is in Leo. Saturn in Leo is Loyal, honorable and very creative. Show the world you emotionally understand what Saturn in Leo has been trying to teach you.

Tuesday, Venus needs to be soft, soft, soft (not weak) as she checks back in with Chiron’s wound from last week. Hey, wounds make us who we are. Look at the scars on your body and remember the adventures they represent. Chiron is a scar on your soul. However, that Chiron scar is what made you who you are today. Let us redeploy Chiron’s wisdom from the experience that was so scarring by using Venus in Cancer’s wisdom. Let send Venus in Cancer out into the world! The experiences made you who you are and gave you the gifts you have today come from your chart and your Chiron. Now you just have to figure out how to use those experiences. Neptune is involved so listen to your dreams and the quiet whisperings in your mind when delayed or held up in your daily activities.

Wednesday, Mercury talks to Neptune today. He actually might have eavesdropped on Venus’s conversation with Neptune yesterday! He does get around that trickster Mercury! Pay attention to what you hear and see today. Remember Venus and Mercury are BOTH out of bounds ~ it creates a special kind of connection between them ~ think two con artists winking at each other by pulling their ear or saying the secret code word. Look and see if the person you are dealing with has bent pinky fingers ~ if so, proceed with caution! They are the con man version of Mercury. Chiron is activated today by an opposition of declination to Pallas ~ I want you looking at the patterns around you and making your OWN conclusions. You have that Chiron wound of yours for a reason. It is talking to you now. Understand how it keeps you afraid and can encourage you to make less than healthy choices for yourself. Be brave. Adjustments are needed between things of value to you and legal matters or contracts ~ AVOID grandiousity! While you are special, you are NOT that special (and you know I do not usually say that to you). Caution in contracts and deals. No inflations.

Thursday, time to pull the trigger as Mars in Aries has an aspect with Neptune while Neptune stations. It is going to be a muffled kind of gunshot ~ listen for it and forward you will go. If you have been feeling hinky or not clear about the terms of the contract, re-negotiate yet again. Back to the drawing board. If you DO sign contracts today, those clauses you were worried about will very likely be problematic down the road. I often see aspects like this when someone is at the tale end of a divorce, wants the darn thing over and is willing to give up virtually all the stuff they are entitled to just so they can move on. Again, Mercury and Venus are out of bounds! While at this moment, it seems that IS the best thing to do, put in an escape clause ~ an all bets are off and we are back to the drawing board if either side materially misrepresents their position or some such option. When the other person balks, say “You aren’t misrepresenting yourself to me are you?” and they will mutter their displeasure and probably sign.

Moreover, YOU have an out, IF you WANT to use it, down the road. You might, or you might not, decide to use it but you have an option! That is what Mercury and Venus want you to pay attention to. Out of bounds means if you or they have materially or knowingly misrepresented your or their position. If people have negotiated as a weenie, they get in trouble down the road. So, WHEN the other is caught (and they will be), it will be big trouble! So you (or they) can enforce the escape clause! Saturn in Virgo is about the technicalities while Saturn in Leo is about the love, loyalty and honor. Love, loyalty and honor is good and all that but those Virgo technicalities exist for a very good reason! The technicalities exist for you to catch the weenies who do not operate with love, loyalty or honor! Pay attention to the technicalities! The Moon in Virgo today with harsh closing aspects to Pluto suggests you will be able to execute the break away clause or get out in the instance of material breaches. Be sure to include technicalities that work in your favor.

Friday Venus has a celebratory aspect to her as she canoodles with Uranus in Pisces and wraps up the week with chocolate, champagne and cashmere. Mercury’s aspect to Ceres suggests the seeds planted this week are going to ripen over the next months and years. Understand how the universe works with an equal and opposite reaction to every action we take. Neptune suggests setting up or creating a quiet time at home. Seek softness in your world and being. Soft is not weak! They are two separate energies. You can be soft and strong as all get out! Soft is not weak.

Saturn’s day, Venus is worried about her deal. Not to worry. Venus is out of bounds so she can get rather emotional today. Take Venus out for a massage and an extra dose of softness. She deserves it. You deserve it. Moon in Libra starts to question things decided on ~ should I, shouldn’t I? Oh why did I do that? You know how Libras can get crazy and drive the rest of us nuts when they are indecisive? Comfort Venus with softness. While we LIKE to think astrology gives us a leg up (and it does some times) we ALSO are here to experience our chart, for positive or negative, those karmic experiences. This baby happens to be one of the karma stories ~ where even as conscious as we’d like to think we are, we aren’t 100% clued into whatever we are supposed to be clued into because we are supposed to experience it. So approach it as honestly and as cleanly as you can. Check for negative hidden emotions on your side, watch for where your buttons get pushed, know where you can self sabotage and take a leap of faith with a bit of trust in the process of life, evolution and the universe.

Sunday, Mercury’s opposition to Pluto while Mars trines Vesta suggests you get to work to fulfill your side of the deal. You cannot make them do their side. However, you can do your side. All you can do is your side of the deal. So start doing it. Do your Saturn. It all comes back to Mr. Saturn. The trees in the forest are going to start to fall. Be grateful for your life. Understand how it got to where it is. Know where you want it to go next, without fear, holding hands with your Saturn and skipping off into the sunset.

Mundane: Not to speak ill of the dead, but Jerry Falwell dying, as Pluto gets ready to leave Sagittarius, is a very good thing. We have been hearing how Jerry’s Regent University regular and law students have infiltrated our government, particularly our judicial system, fired our federal prosecutors and replaced them with Regent folks willing to do the special interest bidding of the Bushies and religious right. Apparently, there are Regent graduates sprinkled all over our government working toward their religious zealot vision of America! It seems Attorney General Gonzalez let the Regent students do whatever they wanted to do ~ clearly they reported to someone else besides him! Do I smell Karl Rove again? Not a good thing. Their Medusa, Jerry Falwell, was beheaded this week. However, the snakes on her head and her eye continues to blink even AFTER Perseus killed her. Pay attention.

The beheading energy of last week’s new moon on the fixed star of Algol continued with Paul Wolfowitz being booted from the Presidency of the World Bank for taking care of his gal pal. I keep flashing back to him spitting on his comb in Fahrenheit 911 and running it through his hair. I cannot imagine ANYONE willing to knock boots with him! Ah well. The world is full of surprises! As my friend Maryann says, “There IS a lid for every pot!”

We witnessed a few other leaders (Blair, Chirac) stepping down or being pressured to resign (Wolfowitz, Gonzalez) with the ending energy of Medusa’s beheading and quite firm time to go now physical energy in Taurus. There will be more. Think of the new moon as a cosmic house cleaning of the leaders from the garden patch to get ready for the sobering and rebuilding energy of Pluto in Capricorn. The leaders leaving are our Pluto in Sagittarius leaders ~ operating with excess, religious fervor or their own dogmatic convictions. They believe the rule of law does not apply to them while they can impose it on others. Or that they are so powerful they can disregard, bend or break the rules the rest of us have to follow. That is not how the world works… Watch for more beheadings of a Sagittarian/Taurus nature. Soft is not weak. Do your Saturn.

Copyright © 2007 Anne C. Ortelee

Posted by Anne Ortelee at 11:43 AM | Permalink

New Moon May 16, 2007

3:27 pm EDT

12:27 pm PDT

25:33 Taurus

Cosmic Sneak Peak! Cosmic Sneak Peak!! Upcoming attractions! Our new moon in Taurus on May 16, 2007 will give us a sneak peak at what our journey of Saturn through Virgo will entail. We are going to see a cosmic movie trailer of what our Saturn in Virgo journey will involve. Saturn in Virgo will ask us to work with or on our Saturn skills to develop, perfect, assess and balance Saturn’s contribution to the world. We will become apprentices to Saturn while we work with him and through him when he is in Virgo. Now Saturn in Virgo doesn’t officially “happen” until September when he leaves Leo and enters the sign of the skilled maiden and valued craftsman. However, like all things, our future is based on the choices and actions taken in our past and present. The New Moon in Taurus will cosmically sum up and conclude what we’ve learned from our journey while Saturn was in Leo and get us ready for our next step ~ Saturn in Virgo starting in the fall. Ready or not here it comes!

First, I want you to cast a chart for the Saturn/Jupiter conjunction for May 28, 2000 at 11:05 am EDT Washington, DC (or your current location on earth and your natal chart). Make the Saturn/ Jupiter chart be the base chart. Next I want you to put the May 16, 2007, New Moon chart for Washington, DC (or your current location on earth and your natal chart) against that Saturn/ Jupiter chart in a synastry wheel so you can see what I am talking about. Any planets that within 5 degrees of each other count as having an aspect! Pretty amazing eh? For those of you without a computer handy, SJ is the Saturn Jupiter chart, NM is new moon chart in the paragraph below.

Skip this paragraph if you have the charts in front of you and can analyze them for yourself: A) SJ Saturn and Jupiter are joined to the NM Sun and Moon in Taurus. B) SJ Sun is joined to NM Mercury in Gemini. C) SJ Mercury is joined to NM Midheaven (Washington, DC chart) in Gemini. D) SJ Ascendant and Athena are joined to NM Saturn (Washington, DC chart) in Leo. E) SJ Ceres IN VIRGO in the second house) is joined to NM Equatorial Ascendant, Part of Fortune and Ascendant (Washington, DC Chart) ~ what the whole point of the Saturn Jupiter conjunction in Taurus is for! F) SJ Pluto is joined to NM Vesta in Sagittarius. G) SJ Chiron is joined to NM Jupiter in Sagittarius. H) SJ Uranus and Juno are joined to NM Neptune and Chiron all four are in Aquarius. I) SJ Moon is joined to NM Mars in Aries. And those are only the conjunctions! There are a number of cross, square, trine and inconjunct aspects too! What a juicy and delicious New Moon in Taurus this one is going to be ~ pointing us forward and towards the purpose of the Saturn/ Jupiter conjunction that kicked off a new 20 year cycle in May 2000. Don’t you just love astrology?

What the paragraph above means in English: A) the New Moon elicits from the conjunction of form, creation and earth in May of 2000, a new vision of what and how to move forward with that dream of expanding and building your life. B) You can verbalize and describe what you want to do ~ put words to the purpose so to speak. C) The communication and idea back in 2000 was a vision but not clear. The path is now laid out before you and offered to you, provided of course, that you want to walk it. D) You see a strategy and an approach to take towards your goals. E) You understand the various values of what you want, how it can serve you and others as well as how it has brought you to this place in time. F) It is about going back into your soul or you heart’s fireplace hearth for warming, finding and embracing the burning embers in your being and depths. G) The old soul wound from before is bathed in the healing energy of purpose. If you hadn’t experienced what you had to go through, you wouldn’t be able to use it NOW to help others and create the life you want. H) The whole point of life is to figure stuff out and teach others in the community and tribe how to do it too. We build on the shoulders of those who went before us. I) Impatience is a virtue! While your emotions were fiery, passionate and clear in 2000, how to EXECUTE on your emotions and soul/heart call is clearer now. You are ready and able to take direct and concise actions to build your life.

The New Moon in Taurus illuminates what and how we are to do the next phase of our Saturn/ Jupiter journey. Often when a new cycle starts, we go “hmmmm how is that going to show up?” We look for clues in the chart of the conjunction to see what it tells us about the cycle about to begin in our world. Both Saturn and Jupiter joining in Taurus want us to make a concrete, earthy, solid, and valuable contribution to the world and humanity while they travel around the zodiac in their 20 year journey through the heavens. We were each born to serve a purpose as described by our chart. We are here to learn what our soul sought to experience by incarnating on the cross of matter at this time in human history.

The purpose of Saturn heading through Leo over the past few years was to SQUARE the 2000 Taurus conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn and get that conjunction moving along and creating things. The purpose of the square was to make you take action with, crystallize, clarify and clear OUT (via a crisis of consciousness or familiar emotional conflict) any old Taurus stuckness, slowness or plodiness. It was about giving yourself permission to do what you love. The square harnessed Taurus’ bull. The square got the bull to plough the fields and plant crops. The square brought Leo sunshine, joy, creativity and love join into the mix of what you are creating in your life via the 20 year Jupiter/ Saturn conjunction. Now that Saturn has almost finished his journey through Leo, we’ve seen how our fixed parts required a bit of sunshine, creativity and love from us to help us make our lives. They are about as glorious and wonderful as our fixed parts can be right now!

So why is this new moon in Taurus a sneak preview of our upcoming journey of Saturn in Virgo? Well, Pluto is inconjunct, in a Virgo style inconjunct, to the Sun and Moon in Taurus. We are learning how to adjust and transform our individual vision to create what we want. So often we don’t understand the process of creation. We, by contributing emotional, intellectual and spiritual energy towards our wishes, help create those same wishes in form. Now, we can create easier stuff or harder stuff. We create what our soul said it wanted to learn about when we were up on the cloud before we incarnated.

And, like all things in astrology and the world, there are better uses of the energy and more difficult versions. How the planets show up on a good or bad day so to speak. Energy, as described by the planets in signs, houses or aspects are not right or wrong. They are only energies. We can use energy well or not so well. It is our call how we choose to use it. That is why we are conscious critters so we can be aware of our choices!

The problem with the lunation chart, if one can call it a problem, is the Sun and Moon are sitting on the fixed star of Algol, bringing Algol‘s energy into the chart. Algol is one of the nastier stars in the sky ~ associated with great tragedies: war, mass murder, violence, mass disasters like earthquakes, piles of corpses, fires, plagues, and mob violence. Algol was Medusa’s eye on her beheaded snake covered head! Algol is a blinking star ~ an eclipsing binary ~ which like a giant cosmic eye blinks for two hours every 68.818 hours. Additionally, our star watchers announced a major collapsing star right near Algol in the heavens ~ so we astrologers pay attention to THAT kind of news! Once we are aware of it, we integrate the new cosmic energy into the charts to see what they tell us. So major collapsing star near the most difficult star in the heavens all involved in the new moon lunation. Hmmm. Going to be fun.

We can expect a sudden collapse of things as the way the Algol energy will show up in addition to the usual Algol characteristics ~ literally transforming or disappearing in a “blink of an eye”. When you hear people using that catch phrase about something that left their life, it is often Algol’s position or action in their chart. As Saturn and Pluto are in opposition declination to each other, it will probably be structures that we think of as secure and safe ~ financial institutions, governments or corporations’ as well physical building kind of structures. Going to be interesting.

When Algol is involved in a lunation or planetary picture, it often means we as a culture (or as individuals) must come to terms with violence and the darker side of the human experience. We don’t have to STAY in the dark side but we DO get to go through it, witness it and watch it. We must confront and assimilate the harsher aspects of the human condition into our being.

So, confront your fears and look at the things you are afraid to look at in your life. Understand how they were part and parcel of how you got to where you are now. If you continue to embrace your fears and refuse to look at the things in your life that require looking at, you will have a long, and not particularly fun, struggle with Algol while Saturn is traveling through Virgo.

The entire point of Saturn in Leo is to get your to LOVE your fears. The entire point of Saturn in Leo was to get you to LOVE at your fears as the creative wellspring of your being even if you‘d rather cut their heads off and kill them. Your fears are what drive you. So get to KNOW what your fears are and MORE IMPORTANTLY, understand how those fears inhibit or contribute to your behavior. That is really what Algol asks us to do ~ look at our shameful, embarrassing or difficult parts. Then we are to confront and assimilate these harsher aspects of ourselves into our being rather than giving them away to someone else. They are part of us! We need to claim them and take them back. Once we claim ownership, we can begin to work with the energies instead of having them flying willy nilly all around our lives being brought to us by the folks in our lives.

If, on this new moon, you look at your fears, understand their source and acknowledge how they drive your being, Saturn in Virgo will be about learning how to productively work with your fears, (your karmic material) like a skilled craftsman works with basic raw materials, to get those fears of yours integrated into you and training them to do your bidding. We construct our lives out of those basic materials ~ what we fear and love.

If, on this new moon, you avoid or let your fears grow or run unchecked or unfettered, Saturn in Virgo will be about your fears get more and more critical, wild, crazy, worrisome or problematic.

It is your call. If you go hang out and work with your Saturn, he’ll take care of you! As the lunation, with Algol blinking for two hours every couple of days, lights up the Taurus Saturn/ Jupiter conjunction from 2000, work with your Saturn! The reason I’ve keep telling you to do your Saturn is because Jupiter can take care of himself. Saturn is why you incarnated. Saturn is for what and why you are here this time. Saturn is your job. Now, we tend to want to side with Jupiter and ignore Saturn. Saturn will not be ignored! He knows, even if you don’t, that the reason you are here is to do your Saturn ~ all the other stuff is frills and sparkle and glitter and butterfly barretts for your hair. The other wandering stars are decorations to support your core purpose ~ your Saturn.

The Sabian image for 26 Taurus is A SPANIARD SERENADING HIS SENORITA. Lynda Hill’s interpretation of the image is:

Commentary: ‘A Spaniard Serenading His Senorita’ is a lovely image of singing, music, romance and love. The ‘Spaniard’ pours his heart out to his beloved in the hopes that she will listen and respond to his advances. Beautiful words and music can lift the spirits and we all need a little romance now and then! The ‘Spaniard’ is ‘Serenading’ his love, his ‘Senorita’, who may or may not know the depth of his feelings. Whether she accepts his advances or rejects them, this will not stop him from celebrating his feelings in a show of emotion.

Oracle: In this situation there is no guarantee of getting your message across, but you must act if you want any chance of success. It is by being brave and confident enough to put our feelings on public display that we can convince others of our sincerity. It is possible that the worst that could be damaged is your ego, so think positively and play your role with enthusiasm and passion. However, be wary of any insincerity or coming on too strongly. This Symbol can also point to people covering up their real feelings because they are looking for a calculated response from another. This ‘Serenade’ should not be like some kind of desperate act, but, instead, an act of devotion and love. True expressions of feeling can lead to grand actions and reactions. The situation around the question is full of emotion and passion. To say “I love you” or “I care for you” or “I believe in you” or “I trust you” to those who want to hear it makes it even more special and encouraging. The confirmation of deep feelings is rewarding to all involved.

Keywords: Looking through pretense. Shared feelings, love or passion. Spontaneity. Welling expressions of romance. Being in tune with another. Soul mates. Chivalry. Reverting back to the old methods of relating. Spinning tales to get a response. Knowing what to say and when. Music, singing, crooning, talking. Instruments. The use of the voice.

The Caution: A ruse performed to achieve a goal by deception. Lies, deceit and propaganda. Not believing messages being given by loved ones. Feeling like something is missing from a relationship. Superficial judgments how things should look or be. Emotional manipulation. Selfish agendas.

For long time readers of my column, the Sabian Image reminds me of the Bullfight/Medusa story we went through in Fall 2005. Now, having completed our bullfight and slain our personal Medusas, we’ve moved on through the sign of Saturn in Leo. We’ve found and begun to embrace our one true love, our dear little Saturn. We will begin to Serenade our own lovely Saturn with passionate songs of creation, love and joy ~ and all the other Leo words. Get out your guitars, flutes, drums, pianos, or violins! Start practicing. It is time to serenade your new love with all your heart and soul. And, please know that you will be serenading your love in public, in front of the marketplace, your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers as well as cranky folks who don‘t have a clue WHAT you see in your love and will criticize you. Yep, singing in the square, practicing with your Saturn, in public, for all the world to see! Start practicing! Do your Saturn!

Copyright ©2007 Anne C. Ortelee

Posted by Anne Ortelee at 09:41 AM | Permalink

Weekly Weather May 14, 2007

Going to be another busy week ~ a lovely new Moon in Taurus, Mars moves into Aries, Neptune triggers Ceres and Eris in Aries adding fuel to all the fires that are burning as Saturn dances with Pluto by declination. Plus, Mercury in his favorite sign of Gemini makes oodles of aspects to just about everyone bringing things to our conscious awareness. But more about these aspects later.

Most important, to my mind, in the week ahead, Chiron will station on the world axis, at 15 Aquarius bringing your soul’s woundedness to the surface after last week’s cosmic roller coaster ride and revelations. And it will bring your soul’s woundedness to the attention of the world~ or at least your part of the world. It might hurt a bit, that Chiron station. Or it might not hurt at all. It might be a revelation of sorts where you go “Ah ha! NOW I get it!” Regardless of what happens, be gentle with yourself. Be kind to yourself. It is your wound stopping in the sky to give you guidance. Don‘t go picking at it. Don’t make bleed all over again. Understand your soul’s wound, whatever it is, is an intrinsic part of your being. Your soul’s wound is part and parcel of WHO YOU ARE!

If you didn’t have your soul’s wound, you wouldn’t be you! You wouldn’t have the life you’ve had. You wouldn’t have made the decisions you‘ve made or grown up the way you‘ve grown up. It is not a BAD thing to have a soul wound. It is a given. We all have soul wounds. Every single one of us! Soul wounds are like your eye color or your freckles or the size of your toes or whether your hair is curly or straight or has independent cow licks that do what ever they decide to do regardless of mousse, hairspray or cows licking it. The point of getting used to the “given” nature of your soul wound is to learn to work with your soul’s wound in a more conscious and connected manner.

I often imagine we sit as un-incarnated souls on a cloud in heaven and make a shopping list for our next life (I am a Virgo after all) of the stuff we want to do. We tell whoever is in charge of these things what we want to do and learn about. And they, using the planets, aspects and houses, design a chart that gives us the life we requested. Then, when the time is right, they tell us what uterus (or these days which test tube) to go and put our cute little soul into. And we go hop right in there and get ready to be born! And, of course, we leave behind our list.

Remember going shopping when you’ve left your list at home? You remember some stuff ~ cat litter, orange juice, and half and half. But, often, you forget an essential ingredient. Saturn in Leo has been reminding you about the important, essential ingredients that you love and MUST absolutely have in your life and your refrigerator. Think of this week as an extra trip to the store to pick up that thing for the life you are making ~ your life‘s recipe.

Sometimes, to create the experiences we asked for back on that cloud, our chart has difficult aspects (or weird and strange ingredients). It has stuff we don’t much like or know exactly how to work with in a productive manner. It can be like fish sauce. The stuff SMELLS incredibly nasty but YET is an essential ingredient to get the recipe to come out tasty and good. Chiron is like fish sauce!

So, if we take it a step further, like your Chiron Soul Wound is part of you, your chart is your chart. When we don’t like parts of our chart, we give those parts of our charts or those areas of our lives to OTHER people. We let OTHER people go and do our chart for us. Then those OTHER people go and cause us all sorts of problems! We look at those ‘problems’ in our lives and get rather cranky. We use the problems to draw negative conclusions about ourselves. We say we are bad at relationships, we are poor single mothers, we can’t get our career straight, our finances are a mess, our health is a problem, our co-workers are mean to us, our mother is insane, our boss is a bully or whatever we are prone to saying over and over and over again.

Start to think of your chart as an energy system. Energy isn’t right or wrong. Energy is. Energy HAS to be used up or it leaks out and gets rather messy. The point of Saturn going through Leo is to get you to love your chart and learn how to love to use your energy in a new way. If you actually THINK about it, you wouldn’t go giving your stuff to someone else to use however they wanted to! Why do you give other people your chart to use however they want to? That is what Saturn has been trying to teach you for the past couple of years. You own your chart. You’re thrilled, excited and passionate about something, no matter WHAT other people think about it. So take your chart back and guard it like the precious jewel it is. YOU are in charge of your chart and what it does and how it shows up in the world. You are in charge of YOU. Chiron stationing this week is going to point that out loud and clear. Pay attention and get ready!

Next up, Mars gets out of watery and indecisive Pisces and into Aries. Mars starts a new Mars cycle in the zodiac’s world. Forward we go. Leave that Mars square Pluto behind and the destruction it brought in it‘s wake last week. It is time to go build your life. Mars loves to be in Aries and can accomplish great things. Or at least begin great things! Start the project(s)! Get going! Mars in Aries isn’t great for war aspects as wars escalate rapidly but grand, absolutely grand, for everything else.

Third, the glorious new moon in Taurus is going to give us a sneak peak at what Saturn in Virgo will be like for the next few years. The Sabian Symbol is a SPANIARD SERENADING HIS SENORITA. We are all going to start singing love songs to our Saturns! How cool is THAT!? Read my new moon column on this site for more information about how to use the new moon energy and what clues to watch for as Saturn gets ready to start playing in Virgo. Think of the new moon as an upcoming movie trailer for your life for the next few years!

Fourth, Saturn contraparallels Pluto by declination. This is a nasty one. Saturn opposite Pluto was happening in the Zodiac when 9-11 took place. Saturn opposite Pluto by declination is an even more potent force as it happens across the face of the earth and straddles the equator. Both Saturn and Pluto are in fire signs. They also are in trine aspect to each other by the Zodiac and in grand trine with Ceres and Eris in Aries. As the ancients would say “That is way, WAY, Way, WAY, way too much fire and heat!!!” So we have uncontrollable fires burning in California, Catalina, Florida and Georgia as well as the volatile F5 Tornado wind storms in the mid-west (whipped up by heat). We are entering a period when Mars gets closest to the Sun (perihelion) so we can expect the solar eruptions and Mars transit to trigger more volatile weather patterns in the weeks ahead (through the end of June). The energy coming at Earth will be richer, riper and very hot and spicy so protect your energy, balance out the fire, nurture your overloaded senses and listen to your dreams for guidance about how to take care of yourself with all this fire energy flying around in the ethers. No unattended candles!

Finally, Mercury is busy, busy, and busy. He’s going to be bringing things to the surface and telling the tales of what has been going on behind the scenes! Secrets don’t stay secret long when Mercury is in the mood to dish! And dish, REALLY GOOD STUFF, old Mercury will! Adding him into the volatility of the Fire grand trine, we can expect VERY interesting news. I often find it is easier for folks if they don’t “officially know stuff” but dance around the edges. Once you “officially know stuff” you feel you have to take some sort of action. Whatever it is, it is stuff we’ve kind of known about (are they having an affair, is he gay, maybe they are stealing, using drugs, gambling etc) but we weren’t, for whatever reason, ready to address the issue. It is in our face this week as Mercury dishes the dirt. You can’t fix or control them or it. You are, however, in charge of YOUR response to them. This is what Saturn in Leo has been teaching you! Be conscious in your actions. Take back your chart. Saturn is about responsibility.

Monday, Mercury’s getting the scoop from Saturn in Leo as Venus struggles with Neptune’s lack of clarity. Put the pieces of the puzzle together and see what you see. It is ok. Not right or wrong. No blaming yourself. No judging yourself. Just notice what IT is. Understand IT is laying the seeds for the future. Assess it. Don’t add fuel to the fire if you can help it.

Tuesday, Mars joins with Ceres by declination as he enters Aries ~ there is a natural desire with this much fire energy to feel like someone threw accelerant on an already out of control and wildly burning fire. Yep. That is what is cosmically happening. Watch it burn. Think about your strategy and where you want to go eventually. Right now that fire is rather unpredictable! Eventually it will act like every other fire. Eventually, it will burn itself out. It is going to be a busy news day!

Wednesday, we have a lovely new moon that shows us what our future will be while Saturn is traveling through Virgo as the Sun and Moon both aspect the North Node and Pallas. If you can see the patterns you can catch the energy and harness it to your desires. Venus and Mars are both aspecting Chiron. Here you can pick at your soul wound yet again and make it bleed or understand what and why it is in your life and nurtures it. It was part of your list back on that cloud. Be nice to it. It is part of YOU! It is what makes you who you are.

Thursday, Mercury is dishing. Here it comes ~ the secrets are about to be revealed. He’s out with the news that you’ve kind of sort of known but maybe weren’t quite ready to admit to yourself. Hey, once a problem is on the table, we can see it for what it is. We can deal with it. Think magnifying glass on your skin. See the pimples, blemishes, enlarged pores and blackheads? Now that nice facial lady is going to get after each and every one of them. She’s going to get all of them, pick, pick, pick (Saturn in Virgo) eventually. Or tell you how to work with them, conceal them or minimize them so your skin looks flawless.

Friday, Saturn opposes Pluto by declination as Venus pushes against Vesta ~ security and value issues are paramount and prominent. As Saturn represents our security and boundary issues and Pluto represents the destruction or transformation of whatever he talks to, it is a lovely day to evolve into the next chapter of your life. It is also a day where structures that have become unstable will start to collapse. It is time for them to collapse (or perhaps go up in flames or crash in flames as Saturn and Pluto are both in fire signs) Time to get ready so the new can be built by Saturn in busy and productive Virgo over the next few years.

Saturn’s day, Mercury trines Chiron ~ ah the secrets we’ve all been thinking but no one has been saying out loud come to light. Some one says it! Yes! It is true! And, on some level, you’ve known it for a very long time. So now that you know, “officially know” that is, it is time to take action to help it along or take care of it as Venus trines the North Node. Venus’ square to Juno suggests there is a partner or person around who can help you figure out what you want to do with it. You do NOT have to do this all by yourself. Get support and ask for help. Others have walked this route before you. It is not strange territory ~just new to you.

Sunday, Mercury is opposite Jupiter and square to Uranus as Chiron stations. Mars has an aspect of frustration with Saturn. Whatever is said today is true, even if you wish with all your heart that it wasn’t true. The next question is what you want to do about it. You are NOT supposed to decide right now, right this second what you want to do about it. You are to sit and deal with the what is true part. You are to wrap your mind around the what is true. And, eventually, you are supposed to gather your data and figure out a plan and take action. Yep, gather data and figure out a plan and take action. There will be time enough to fix it down the road apiece. Right now, just brew a cup of tea and sit with it and wrap your mind around it. Be nice to yourself. Secrets are toxic. They have to come out or they poison us. The secret is out. You are going to be fine. Everything is exactly the way it is supposed to be. Breathe.

Mundane: Fires, fires, fires ~ they seem to be every where. Grand trines in Fire in the heavens will do that! Fires like to burn things down so you can start over again. On the news this morning, the report was the firemen didn’t know what to do with the fires as they were so unpredictable. Mom Earth is on fire. When my Leo mother used to get mad, we all took off for other parts of the house. Fire mothers do have a way of getting your attention! So light a candle or three in your house (and don’t leave them unattended) and talk to the fire energy in your world. Ask what you can do to help it. I know my mother always calmed right down if we took responsibility for whatever made her mad and fixed it right up and made it better, or cleaner or more organized or whatever. Ah Saturn in Leo heading into Saturn in Virgo. Don’t you love astrology?

Copyright © 2007 Anne C. Ortelee

Posted by Anne Ortelee at 10:47 AM | Permalink

Weekly Weather May 7, 2007

One more week of cosmic roller coaster ~ time for the very big hill right before the end of the ride. You know that long, slow climb up to the tippy top of the high, so very high, hill of track? Your anticipation grows, your anxiety builds and perhaps a bit of dread builds in your stomach as the roller coaster seems to climb and climb? Remember how the ground looks further and further away!? So WHY did you decide to take a ride on this silly roller coaster anyway? Well, no getting off now! It’s almost time for the grand finale! The next few weeks are what all your Saturn experiences and work over the past few years (since July 2005) were for!

Now, let’s review what Saturn wants you to learn during his journey through Leo. Leo is about love, creativity, children, passion, generosity, benevolence, the “I adore what I create” energy. Leo is about loyalty, strength of will, determination, excellence and value. Honor is critical ~ the intent of the deal instead of the technicalities. It is the handshake contract where both sides always behave properly in fulfilling or executing the deal. The negative side of Leo is pride, autocracy, lack of humility and the inability to accept or work within your own or any given limitations.

When Saturn goes through Leo, he asks us to look at the part of our lives that are ruled by Leo. We reflect on the shiny planet’s house as outlining the purpose of our lives ~ where we want to shine in our lifetime. Saturn, by waking up Leo’s house with his journey, also invites our Sun into the mix. So, the house that Leo rules is the AREA WHERE we are supposed to shine in our life. The Zodiac placement of our Sun says HOW we are supposed to shine in our life. Saturn going through the Leo’s house and waking up our sleepy Sun, asks us to look and see. Saturn tells us our work is to give ourselves permission to shine in the area of life we are supposed to shine in ~ even if we are a bit afraid or anxious about shining or getting a sun burn.

So, even if we aren‘t sure we are loveable in that area, act loveable. Even if we aren’t confident of our creativity in that area, act creative. Even if we aren’t generous with ourself in that area, be generous with yourself. Even if we don‘t feel a bit like a Leo, move toward Leo’s passion and benevolence. Adore what you create. Be loyal. Execute with your complete strength of will. Watch for any opportunities to develop determination, excellence and value. Honor is critical ~ the intent of the deal instead of the technicalities.

As Saturn wakes up Leo‘s house and our Suns, we notice all the things we do SO well for others and yet have SO much trouble doing for ourselves are alive and talking to us from the center of the room. Go over and sit with Saturn. Understand that ALL your life is geared towards making you love your Saturn and figure out how to work with it in an effective, conscious and life generating manner. Fear it, or avoid it, or be humiliated by it, when you were young or unconscious. But, now, as you age, don’t you see how Saturn is SO much a part of the structure of your life? If you approach Saturn with what the Buddhists call “loving kindness” then Saturn will show you how to live your very best life. And conversely, if you dishonor or avoid or don’t show up or ignore your Saturn, particularly right now while Saturn is looking at you and asking you to change your fixed parts, you’ll get learn MORE of the unpleasant Saturn lessons over the next seven years. I know which side I am voting for! I hope you choose wisely (Wise is a Saturn word )!

So, in our week ahead, Sun comes along to illuminate what Mercury talked about and activated last week. Sun is going to square Saturn and Neptune as he sextiles Uranus and has an aspect of adjustment to Jupiter. Here, essentially, is decision time for your soul. Choose for your best vision of your future. Do the Leo version ~ honorable, benevolent, loyal, proud, creative and generous ~ of the Saturn choices before you. This is the week when you see what the whole craziness of the past couple of years was for. Don’t you just love astrology?

Now, the other side of the story (because there always IS at LEAST one other side of every story) is about the folks who haven’t been reading this column and doing their Saturn as diligently as you have been doing your Saturn. They are going to be rocking and rolling in the week ahead! Sun is coming to square all those fixed planets. That means it is “exposure” time. The best disinfectant for just about anything is Sunshine! Shine a bright bolt of Sunlight on a thing and you’ll see it VERY clearly! All the flaws! All the flaws are right out there for the world to see. That is the other part of the week ahead. Exposure via Sunlight. I personally love these kinds of weeks as they tend to have juicy, jolly and quite fun news! Remember Venus the ruler of the SUN in Taurus is OUT OF BOUNDS! That means Venus is NOT going to be following the rules she normally follows. Venus is going to be like Toto in the Wizard of Oz. Venus is going to run over and pull back the curtain to show you the TRUE Wizard. Venus is going to expose the situation and people involved for what and who they are.

So advise the folks you know going through difficult times with Saturn to make sure to be a good version of Leo Saturn. Encourage them to do the honorable thing. Even IF the honorable thing is VERY difficult for them to do, encourage them to take that high or hard road. Mention that next up comes Saturn in Virgo. Do they want to be building and perfecting their best life or dissecting and taking it apart over the next 7 years? No, it isn’t quite as dire as all that right this minute but it will be very soon if appropriate choices aren‘t made while in the fixed energy of Fire Leo. Once the energy moves into Earth and Virgo, the energy becomes much more heavy and hard to move. (Go carry a candle flame around and them pick up a shovel of dirt to see the difference between fire and earth!) The myriad details of Virgo will take over our worlds as we become consumed with that process in the fall. Virgo can be a process of building and improving or dissecting and criticizing. That is the choice facing all of us now.

Monday, Mercury finishes his illumination journey with the fixed planets as he squares Neptune. Once Mercury emerges from the fog of Neptune, the crystal clear vision of the Sunlight energy is going to take over. Mercury offers Pluto a last opportunity to get it right today. Based on the decisions made, Mars joins with Juno by declination and starts a two year partnership of creating or dissecting.

Tuesday, Venus enters Cancer today. Remember Venus is still WAY out of bounds. Decisions are being made regarding her connections and family of choice or origin ~ she’s in a Cardinal sign. No more vacillating or going back and forth. When Venus enters Cancer she hunkers down a bit and says “hmmm”. Security is paramount. Action is taken. Plus, the moon is WAY out of bounds too so emotions and the tides of energy are running high! The Sun begins his aspects with Uranus and Jupiter. Expect unexpected turns. Make adjustments in your position as you receive new information! Especially as other kinds of information comes to light. And, trust me, new information WILL come to light as Sun lights up the dark and hidden spots! We’ll see the flaws in everything. Remember, flaws are part and parcel of life. No throwing out the baby with the bathwater ~ clay feet are real. The other stuff you were looking at is NOT reality.

Wednesday, Sun squares Saturn. Decision day. And yes, it is a karmic decision you are making today as Mercury wakes up the North Node of Destiny. Choose wisely. Now, remember KARMA, while overused a bit in this day and age, is THE CONSEQUENCES of ACTIONS. Your actions today are going to plant the cosmic seeds for the next 7 years of Saturn. Now, you might be able to pluck some of the seeds out of the ground over the next few months or pull the plants out as they start to grow roots. But today, those seeds are scattered to the wind! Going to be a great news day too! Remember how easy it is to pluck a dandelion (a Leo weed if there every was one ~ dandy lion) while it is yellow, round and bright before it forms that seed cluster of baby dandelion potentials that scatter to the four corners of the world on the summer wind!

Thursday, Mercury and Jupiter have harsh aspects to Pluto and Uranus respectively. I call these pulling the trigger aspects. While I love to believe, as a Virgo, that all things are ‘fixable‘, some times things aren’t fixable. Mercury is in his last degree of Taurus, ruled by an out of bounds Venus, as he aspects Pluto by inconjunct. Ouch. Remember the out of bounds planets are unpredictable! What you “THINK” they will do, based on your past understanding of their behavior, is NOT what they are going to do, especially if HONOR or some other sort of LEO word is involved. This is one of those Straws that break the Camel’s back kind of days. You know how it seems like “it was such a LITTLE thing” and POOF a relationships is gone? Well, it actually was a rather large build up of tension over time. Today is the last straw day. Time for the relationship to shift and change as we get ready for Saturn to move out of Leo and into Virgo.

Friday, Mercury enters Gemini, leaving Taurus with his marching orders and instructions from out of bound Venus about what to do next. Mercury has an aspect of unusual energy with the brilliance of Uranus near the north node. Remember back a week or so ago when Mars and Uranus joined to start a new journey? That was the shot across the bow. Today, Mercury heads out to meet them with the operating instructions from Venus. Remember Venus is what we honor, value and desire. She’s in charge of our second house of values as well as our seventh house of relationships. She might be one of the smaller planets in the solar system but from OUR perspective on earth, we see her as one of the biggest wandering stars. People do their Venuses. Venus is our desires. We act to fill our desires. Watch the actions today, not the words ~ they will tell you what the person honors and values.

On Saturn’s day, the Sun squares Neptune ~ once Sun gets past Neptune‘s fog, everything becomes much clearer. The correct course of action is seen like a cosmic yellow brick road before you. Mercury is shouting across the heavens to Jupiter and suggesting the plan that Venus had. And from the internet: Maybe we should celebrate May 12 as Girl's Night Out? This will be the first time Ceres will be conjunct Eris since they were both elevated to planet status. They'll be forming a beautiful grand trine to Jupiter and Saturn, with Neptune and Chiron as kite tail/anchors! Eris is the Goddess of Discord. She started the multiyear Trojan War with that golden apple of hers! It started because she felt disrespected by not being invited to a christening. Talk about a Saturn in Leo energy!

Sunday, Mars makes his opening square to Pluto. Mars and Pluto often show up in our lives as WAR or fights. Mars is still in the last degrees of Pisces so while the actions might be minor, all the feelings are riding high and wild. Pluto in Sagittarius says “What is Right?” Sagittarius is the higher version of the law. Mars in Pisces says it is for the collective, the greater good, the vision of connection between cause and effect. It might be a slap in the face of honor. Remember how there used to be duels over honor? That is the energy. Lawsuits filed today or actions undertaken are for justice and right, not for the money or whatever the words, papers or appearances say they are for. Actions taken are to prove a point. Sun, still ruled by Out of bounds Venus, is in a bi-quintile aspect to Pluto. What happens today is for the greater good and evolution of the species or individuals involved. Under similar aspects, people have protested for their rights, died while defending the rights of others or stepped up the bar to say, “Nope, we are not going to do this any more!” Rosa Parks on the bus. Gandhi’s hunger strike. Peace Protests. It might be a small or large incident. But it will be a shot heard round the world ~ or at least heard around YOUR world. Notice what it is. You are going to spend most of Saturn’s time in Virgo dealing with it.

Mundane: I love the Washington Prostitute outing the high ranking officials who came and used her employee’s services. Talk about an Out of Bounds VENUS! Whee haw! Saturn’s coming to call. Saturn’s not stopping. Going to be a great news week! George, Dick, and Karl’s charts are quite active. No updates on the astrology of atlantis in the bee colonies but I am still reading up on it.

Copyright © 2007 Anne Ortelee

Posted by Anne Ortelee at 09:38 AM | Permalink

Full Moon May 2, 2007

6:09 am EDT

3:09 am PDT

11:38 Scorpio Moon/ Taurus Sun

Our full moon in May features Venus, the Taurus Sun’s ruler Out of Bounds! Venus, the ruler of all the Taurus and Libra planets and points (Ascendant, Sun, Mercury, Juno and Vertex in the full moon chart cast for Washington, DC.) is unrestrained, with her hair down and flowing, her corset loosened, her passions released into a flirty, chatty, connected and connecting kind of desire energy. Venus has myriad conventions of gracious and kind behaviors in her book of fine manners. Not now! She’s Venus Gone Wild!

An out of bounds planet adds an extra boost of excitement to the chart. Imagine Venus not being restrained by the proprieties that usually contain her and govern her ideal of proper behavior. The Sun, who Venus normally tells to chew with his mouth closed and not to do xyz yet again, is freed up a bit too. His ruler, Venus, is out of bounds SO she is NOT telling Sun to stop and think about it. She’s not minding him. She doesn’t know what he is doing. Sun is getting to do what HE wants. She is distracted by something else.

So watch for Venus and Sun combinations acting in strange ways especially those younger woman and older man combinations. Venus and Sun are NOT acting the way they usually do. It is time for them to step out of their boundaries of former behaviors. It is time for them to do it differently than they have in the past. It is time for them to explore all their options, even if you don’t think they will or can‘t imagine that they would. They might just surprise you! Out of Bounds planets have a way of doing that ~ surprising you. Surprising all of us.

Mercury in Taurus is also ruled by out of bounds Venus. Mercury is very close to the Sun. Such a tight conjunction is called combust or “under the sun beams”. Mercury can’t think for himself when he is that close to the Sun! Mercury doesn’t see things objectively or independently. Mercury sees things from the point of view of the Sun. Mercury has trouble separating his perceptions from the Sun’s ideas when he is catching all the powerful sun rays. Mercury, as our mutable, changeable fellow of communications, thoughts and ideas often assumes the nature of the planets he is near or aspecting. When he is SO close to the Sun, Mercury says what the Sun tells him to say. Mercury doesn’t contradict the Sun. The Sun is right. There is no discussion, no negotiation, no nothing, nada, in deviating from Sun’s vision, thoughts or ideas. Single mindedness of purpose is dominant in the world right now ~ even as the purpose or vision may be a bit over the top or not 100% rational due to the out of bounds Venus. The singlemindedness of purpose is ruled by an out of bounds, indecisive, out of control Venus in Gemini whose not acting at all like herself as she tells Sun and Mercury what to do. Going to be fun to see how THAT shows up in the world!

Mercury and Venus are also chatting with each other in a special way as they are in mutual reception to each other. Mutual reception sets up special secret communication channels between planets. Mutual reception planets can pop in and out of place or swap places with each other ~ all out of bounds in energy due to Venus‘s position in the sky. As a result of the super energy connection, be careful and cautious around communications about money, love, value, honor, purpose, relationships, friendships, and financial connections. These areas are particularly fraught with excess emotion and quite tense right now. Stuff seems to happen out of the blue! (but not really). While it might be “unexpected”, it has been thought of before AND brewing for a while even if YOU only just heard about it. Now, it is time for it to be acted upon. So don’t take sudden endings or strange deals personally or get your self worked up. Venus is trying to get that Taurus fixed energy to move to where it needs to go. While you might feel a bit jostled, when she gets into her retrograde in Leo later in the summer, you will be able to renegotiate bad or difficult situations kicking up right now.

We add all the out of bounds and mutual reception energy of a crazy set of Taurus planets to a planets making powerful aspects to each other in a grand trine in fire and mutable cross linked via Jupiter in Sagittarius going retrograde. What a bunch of fun.

Think of it as a very unstable mass of energy kind of humming in the heavens. When this much energy is bouncing around in the sky AND connected to each other AND amplified by a full moon, we human folks tend to have meltdowns or crazed moments or break throughs or break outs or JUST ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO xyz RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE. Our anxieties can accellerate.

Plus, I didn’t even MENTION that the ruler of the Moon is super charged by his recent conjunction to Uranus, starting a new 2 year cycle of creativity and connection. Mars in Pisces is clipping along and feels submerged or overwhelmed or charged up by his conjunction. That only ADDS to the emotional volatility of the moment.

So, if it is something you have been postponing or avoiding or dreading or not dealing with, it is moving, and moving NOW, whether you want it to or not! If it is something you’ve been meaning to do and not getting around to, you might find yourself doing a LOT of what ever it is, kind of willy nilly and wild if a bit crazy just to get it off of your plate. If the OTHER guy is rocking and rolling before you, let them go off and figure it out by themselves. LET THEM BE! In all honesty, you don’t want them to send you their extra crazy energy.

People are feeling they have to right now, this very minute, make a decision that will affect them for the REST OF THEIR LIFE if they don’t make it RIGHT THIS SECOND. It is a false sense of urgency ~ but it IS a true sense of URGENCY. It is a combination of Saturn pushing forward and folks feeling the need to take action and do something!

So, direct that extra cosmic energy toward tasks you’ve been meaning to get to. They will FLY!!! The closets will clean themselves, the data will be entered miraculously into your computer, the proposal will write itself or the wedding will fall into place. It only needs the slightest teeniest bit of direction on your part. Duck if the energy comes heading your way via another person ~ especially that younger Venus Mercury and older Sun combination. Make your VERY BEST effort to deal with each and every one you meet in a direct, honest and clear way. Remember Value and Honor are Taurus’ key words. We are not feeling Valued or Honored if he’s acting up in front of you. If you are NOT understood, readdress the issue once Venus gets back in bounds and that Taurus bull before you calms down a bit.

And remember to smell the flowers. Out of Bounds planets offer us unexpected gifts of time or space or transitional moments. Take advantage of those moments. Quick fit in an errand. Send the note. Follow the instinctual call of spring and move toward your evolution.

The Sabian Image for 12 Scorpio Moon, A BRILLIANT ASSEMBLY OF DIGNITARIES AT AN OFFICIAL EMBASSY BALL as interpreted by Lynda Hill is

Commentary: ‘A Brilliant Assembly of Dignitaries’ is shown at an ‘Official Embassy Ball’. Everyone is expected to be dressed-up, have good manners and follow certain, established codes of behavior. As it is a ‘Brilliant Assembly of Dignitaries’, we can be sure that some of the people here have worked long and hard at getting themselves into a position of power and prestige. They must really be “someone” in order to be invited. If they weren’t special in some way – powerful, political, influential or somehow well connected, they probably wouldn’t be at the ‘Ball’. Those that are invited range from the jaded consulate of some country who’s tired of the social whirl all the way down to someone who’s “on their way up”. The younger and possibly more naive of those present are probably excited about being allowed to participate in the splendor and finery of the evening. To be invited to the ‘Official Embassy Ball’ is quite important or special to some people, whilst others may take it for granted. Others wouldn’t care to go if their life depended on it because of the perceived stuffiness and formality of the occasion.

Oracle: This Symbol speaks of a pleasant, almost party-like atmosphere, but one that is often caged in somewhat strict protocol and rules of behavior. The rules and manners of society can be rather limiting, but there are often good reasons for them. Without codes of ethics and manners, societies, business dealings and relationships can fall apart. Look at yourself and observe whether you are being true to your natural sense of self. Do you have to put on a false show in order to belong to the group? Do you have to put on “airs” and impress people in order to be accepted? Would you rather be in a less stuffy, less formal atmosphere? Listen and learn from those around you. Some interesting and useful information can come to light. Put on your best face and behavior as connections with “the right people” can be made.

Keywords: Political game playing. Manners and protocol. The importance of dressing and looking right. Who knows who and what it’s worth. Social and political standing. The Cinderella story. How one approaches people. Knowing etiquette. Looking for social connections and outcomes that are not necessarily immediate. International relations. The “My Fair Lady” story. Social engineering.

The Caution: The habit of role-playing. Not being taught how to behave in “polite society”. Having to learn how to fit in without having instruction. Dining, drinking and enjoying life whilst others can “eat cake”. Diplomatic standoffs. A failure of diplomacy. Gate crashing and feeling out of one’s depth. Political point scoring that ignores the human dimension.

The Sabian Image for the Sun at 12 Taurus interpreted by Lynda Hill is A YOUNG COUPLE WALK DOWN MAIN-STREET, WINDOW-SHOPPING

Commentary: ‘A Young Couple’ are walking down the ‘Main-Street, Window-Shopping’. They may be looking with hopes for the future, or perhaps they are just seeking to while away the time together. Regardless, they are an image of youth and the expectations of bigger and better things. If this ‘Young Couple’ have goals in common and a path to share, all will be well and things will unfold naturally. It may be that in light of their social position or their financial possibilities, they can only ‘Window-Shop’ for the moment. Is this ‘Couple’ really ‘Window-Shopping’ together, or is only one of them dreaming of what they could have and how things could be better? Are they “together” or do they both want different things out of life?

Oracle: Things are probably out of reach for you at the moment, including the stability of your domestic or emotional needs, but that shouldn’t stop you looking or planning for the future. However, care may need to be taken, as jealousy and greed can rise up easily when there seems to be so much, so close and yet so far away. Enjoy the display and the quiet moments of togetherness without rush, and then get back to your real life. Realize that even though things feel far off in some way, things of inner worth are available to you, right now. Is there an issue concerning commitment to relationship, or is this a situation of just having a look to see what might be possible for the future? Now is possibly not the right time to make any firm decisions, but rather to look at your possibilities and options. ‘Window-Shop’ a little and share your dreams. See how they turn into reality.

Keywords: The longing for “things”. The allure of ownership. Consumerism. Trying to raise money. Worrying about the “cost” of things. Weddings and engagements. Credit cards. Finances that are shared. Shared dreams. The future and its possibilities. Young people. Planning.

The Caution: Denying happiness because of material deficiency. “Keeping up with the Jones”. Not focusing on your partner/friend. Unsure of where one stands. Being unwilling to commit to anything just yet. Avoiding the heart of one’s relationship. Focusing on the financial side. Issues of ‘who pays for what’. Arguments over money or possessions. Merely ‘Window Shopping’ not committing.

Copyright © 2007 Anne Ortelee

Posted by Anne Ortelee at 12:10 AM | Permalink