Weekly Weather

Weekly Weather January 28, 2008

Another week of changes are upon us ~ actually the cessation of changes and the freezing of action. But freezing the action can be as powerful as movement and often is MORE powerful, transformative and earth shaking! This week, Mars stops in the sky and turns direct and starts moving forward right after Mercury stops in the sky to begin to move retrograde or backwards. Those dual stations going in opposite directions will make the beginning of the week a strange combination of energies as the stations happen on Monday (Mercury) and Wednesday (Mars). The Planet stations affect the day or so before and after in the case of Mercury and the three days before or after in the case of Mars as they slow to a stop and reverse directions. Essentially the resonance of their stations is in place from last Saturday, January 26^th through next Saturday, February 2^nd.

That means the entire week is turbulent, rocking, rolling, stopping perhaps as something strange is taking place. Mercury rules the Virgo and Gemini houses and planets in those signs as well as in YOUR chart. Currently in the sky, Mercury is in charge of Saturn in Virgo and soon stationing to go direct Mars in Gemini. Please notice that ~ Mercury is in charge of Mars in Gemini stationing to go forward even as he, himself, Mercury, is stopping to go retrograde. Mercury is in charge of the Lord of Karma, moving retrograde, even as he, Mercury, is stationing to go retrograde himself. Do you think Mercury is going to be paying attention? No, not at all. Mercury‘s way too preoccupied and distracted by his own stuff. BUT Mercury SHOULD BE PAYING ATTENTION! He is in charge of Mars, Saturn and Himself. But is Mercury is also in the fog of Neptune so he’s not with it in his usual fine fashion. Expect cloudy Mercury moments all over the place.

So YOU, yes YOU, must pay attention instead! You have to help Mercury. He’s got too much on his plate to be withit. Give Mercury the gift of yourself as second pair of eyes, ears and hands. Mercury, in a double negative with Saturn (two retrogrades ~ his and Saturn’s) makes it an OMPH kind of week for karma stuff to surface in your life. Big time Karma stuff! By karma stuff I mean those noticed or unnoticed revolutionary shifts that in hindsight we go “Wow, THAT moment was pivotal!” Meeting people, first dates, moments that mark a directional shift for you into a new place. It marks the moments in time when we DO KNOW we are shifting into the next place. It marks the moments in time when we don’t know we are shifting into a new place even as we do. If you’ve been having that anticipatory anxiety or sense of something about to change but you don’t know what or where, that is the energy I am talking about. If you look, you’ll find it in your Mercury or Mars ruled houses or perhaps in your Aquarius house. You’ll know what the anxiety energy is about this week. You’ll ground that energy a bit and see it more clearly. Not completely clearly as Mercury is stationing to go back into Neptune’s fog. But a bit more clearly. Hold on to the fleeting glimpse of it. The glimpse is important!

Let’s talk a bit about Mercury moving back into Neptune’s fog. I think of Neptune as, among other things, the Universe’s way of keeping you clueless and helpless. Neptune has a set of cosmic blindfolds that he puts over your eyes. You don’t see stuff with Neptune or during Neptune transits. You are kind of clueless. All your friends can see it clearly but you? Nope, not you. You are caught in the rapture of Neptune. You are, also, on occasion, a bit helpless and way too trusting during Neptune transits. Your job during a Neptune transit is to trust the process and stay open to it while at the same time noticing that the hot guy you met sucks wind through his teeth and maybe, perhaps has a wife hidden some place because that is why he won’t give you his home phone number and it explains the white mark on his left ring finger. When clients have a Neptune transit coming in their chart, I often tell them the universe is about to blindfold them so they don’t or won’t get nervous about the changes that are coming. If they can’t see the changes, they can’t get anxious. Or so the universe or Neptune thinks. But even saying they can’t get anxious gets those of us with control issues anxious ~ blindfolded by the heavens or Neptune, we go and get hyper alert to every little thing.

Did you ever play that trust and team building game where they have you don a blind fold and agree be led around a room by other people you don‘t know? It will be like that this week. Remember how you became hyper-alert as your sense of sight disappeared and you began to move forward? The world is going to be hyper alert this week. Hyper, hyper alert and very, very, very sensitive! Think of it as having a giant blindfold on so the entire world will be extremely anxious. The world is not seeing things clearly. And with that in mind, the world desperately wants to take action as Mars stops in the sky. When the world or heavens reflect that stopping story, it becomes indicative of our story down here on planet earth.

Remember, we live in a live system ~ our human body. Our heart pulses, lub-dub, 60 to 80 times a minute. Our blood rushes through our veins and arteries. Our billions of individual cells exchange oxygen and CO2 as our lungs breathe in and out. We are not static beings ~ ever. We move, at least on the inside, constantly, all the time, day and night, 24/7/365 for all the years of our life. So when Mars, the planet of movement, stops it throws our resonance off. Our bodies go ~ what? Something stopped. Mars stopping makes us FEEL we are stopping. Stopping, to our body, is the equivalent of dying. When we stop breathing, we die. When our heart stops beating, we die. When Mars stops, it creates a resonance in us that makes us think we have to take action or we are going to die. Our action planet, Mars, stops at the same time the planet in charge of our breath, Mercury, stops. When our breathing stops, we think we are going to die. Mercury, the planet in charge of our breath is stopped too. That is an enormous amount of STOPPED tension resonating through the solar system into our bodies. You are not going to die if you don’t take action. You are not going to die if you don’t know immediately. And with the wild eddying currents of energy, you are better off watching what is going on than taking action. Breathe. Watch. Notice for Mercury and Mars, while they are preoccupied with their stations, what is going on. Be Mars and Mercury’s eyes and ears.

The reason the karma is going to pop to the surface this week is because the Mercury and Mars stopping energy, involves 5 of our 12 houses ~ Aquarius, Gemini, Virgo, Scorpio and Aries. That is WAY too crazed energy being held up to keep an eye on controlling the karmic parts of the chart. Turbulent energy has a way of letting or causing things to pop to the surface so we can see them. Call it a Freudian slip if you will or perhaps a moment of clarity or a blurt out of crystal clear truth or a paper you find on a desk top or a five year old going off to draw on the wall with a crayon what they saw at daddy‘s house last weekend. Do watch for it. Watch for Mercury and Mars. Pay attention. There is a very big karmic message coming through the turbulence. Remember Mercury and Mars are preoccupied. Watch for it. The message will be there.

As the turbulence begins, we also enter the Spring eclipse season ~ The eclipses are coming! The eclipses are coming! Think back to Spring 1989 and 1970 to see what the eclipse season will hold for you ~ echoes of the same energies so watch for them. There are a number of very positive energies this week ~ trines and beginnings and movements toward what you want. So while all the turbulence is going on, make sure to bring your project list for the next 13 years and do some work on it. Jupiter has lovely aspects including a conjunction to Venus! Jupiter‘s still got that hammer of his so make sure Jupiter has something to hammer on!

Monday, Mercury stations to go retrograde as he joins with the nodes and Juno. Back to noticing what you partner with. Who is the villain in your story? If the villain left OR you ignored the villain, what would happen next? Mercury promises to bring all sorts of interesting Ghosts into your life as he moves backwards through mid-February. He’s going retrograde during the eclipse cycles so the ghosts can be VERY old ghosts from long ago. Think back to the lessons from Spring 1989 and Spring 1970 and Spring 1951 to see what you see about how they relate to now. It is all a big cosmic circle. Hyper alert begins today.

Tuesday, Venus has an aspect of brilliance with Pallas as she pokes at Neptune and Mercury traveling with their blindfolds on. You get the hang of the blind fold today ~ or maybe you figured out how to peek underneath it at the floor through the gap by your nose. Just being able to see your feet is grounding! Take action today to take advantage of the Venus trine to Saturn to follow-up on something you’ve let slip ~ particularly around money or value or what you desire or are owed. Sun, in the form of ego, has to swallow his pride a bit and ask for what he needs or wants. This is the middle day ~ Mercury is stopped, Mars is stopped. And Venus is pushing on Saturn to pop the karma story into the light of day. Watch for it! Watch for the karma to pop!

Wednesday, Mars stations to go direct as Uranus squares Juno. The change is here! Mars is in charge of the MOON today too ~ so the stop and shift will be highly emotional and bring up stories from the bullfight/ Medusa story in November of 2005. You are integrating the story from that fall, two long years ago, into your life. So whether you were a helicopter pilot, the Bull, Matador, Perseus or Medusa, the universe is asking you to go back and see how the stories all relate. Isn’t it amazing? Remember when things seem to stop they actually are stopping to go forward in a new direction! This pause is for a new direction to take place in your life and to offer you a new vision of what you want to do. Mars is activating the early September energies from last year~ when he entered his shadow and the middle of November 2007 when he stopped moving forwards to go backwards. Mars entered his shadow, following the eclipse that took place in September at 18 Virgo where Uranus is soon to oppose. All the changes going on in your life since last March are part and parcel of the same story. Link them together. Do you see how they are related?

Thursday, Neptune joins with Vesta~ go paint your house, do a liver detox or clean something. Clear out the energy in your space. Or throw a towel over the piles to decorate them. Neptune wants you to purge your system, home and body ~ clean it, clear it, purify it, make it a temple. This is a terrific day to undertake a cleanse or start to release into beauty and creating the vision of what you want your life to become. Smudge your home or office. Sprinkle it with salt water and ring bells throughout your space to clear the energy of stagnant or stale parts. Or maybe rent a sad movie and cry on your couch? It is a cleanse and stay clear of the world kind of day. Besides the Moon is void all day long. You can’t do or go much of any place any way. Take advantage of the void and kick back into the Moon’s arms to relax and refresh.

Friday, Venus joins with Jupiter as the Sun has a power aspect with Pluto. Yep, time to start again. If you fasted yesterday, make today be light, light, light and give your liver another day of time off. Start or update your symbolic or visual journal with what you want to do. Remember to breathe.

Saturday, Mercury joins with Vesta as well as with Neptune. Clear vision of what isn’t clear. Blindfolds about what is not to be seen. Saturn or karma popping to the surface for all to observe. It is changing. Things are changing. Sun squares Ceres saying you can’t go home again and you don’t really want to. Cry, clean, paint, dream, stay in bed depressed with the covers over your head, walk with a blind fold on, be silent. Listen to the sound of your heart beating. Chant. Change. Forward to the eclipses we go. Lots of activity as the planets settle into their new directions and the world starts to move again.

Sunday, Pluto joins with Vesta ~ transformation of the home and hearth takes place now. Venus is active with the nodes in semi-stressful aspects but it will all be fine. Might not be exactly what you want but it is a start. And a start, after a week like this, is a mighty fine thing. Did you see what the karma was that popped this week? Interesting eh?

Mundane: The wild and wooly stock market will be rather crazed for a few more weeks! Then it will calm down. It is going to REALLY be bad starting next fall when the major crash happens ~ Saturn opposite Uranus as Pluto enters Capricorn for good. What is happening now is child’s play. Get your financial houses in order. Pay off debts. Refinance into fixed rate mortgage if you can. Take some of your money off the stock market table ~ out of gambles into euros or gold or stable somethings. The total cycle is 13 to 14 years. The hardest part is the first 4 years ~ starting now. You will be fine. How much of the stuff on that 13 year Jupiter/ Pluto list of yours required money? See, it is that simple. Forward you go. You will be fine!

Copyright © 2008 Anne Ortelee

Posted by Anne Ortelee at 11:21 PM | Permalink

Full moon January 22, 2008

8:35 am EST

5:35 am PST

1:54 Leo Moon and Aquarius Sun

The first full moon for the new year arrives with a large stellium of planets, Sun, Chiron, Vesta, Mercury, Neptune, North Node and Ascendant (for the Eastern USA folks) in Aquarius. The balance of the planets are scattered across the heavens and chatting with each other in largely supportive ways but in isolated sections of the heavens. It means the focus of the full moon is all over the place, not centered nor as directed as our last few lunations have been. There are numerous DUETS taking place in the heavens.

Duets are where two planets talk only to each other and exclude the rest of the world and the other planets. Think cocktail party with lots of animated, yet private couple conversations going on all around you. You will be roaming around the various corners of the party looking for folks you can connect with, attempting to catch up but perhaps not quite being able to. There is too much to do, be or see and not enough time to do, be or see it in. So focus on the most important things or people to YOU. Make sure to connect with them first! Get it accomplished. Take their business cards and move on to the next person. Other folks are in the same situation as you. There is too much to do and not enough time so other folks are scattered and flying around the room too.

The Moon in Leo, in charge of our emotional nature and needs is in a duet with the Aquarius Sun. Having no other major aspects with any planets, Moon is only listening to Sun. She is NOT in tune with what the rest of the world wants or needs from her. So keep your own counsel and focus on your dreams while traveling through your life. Others are not quite able to be there for you emotionally right now. You are on your own for the time being.

Mars, Venus and Pluto finished their cranky aspects with each other so the emotional triangle tensions from last week are abating. Venus and Pluto both change signs this week so they are each experiencing the last, shout out degrees of Sagittarius ~ varied, fiery, changeable, direct, foot in mouth, shoot for the vision, volatile, and sparkling ~ what a lovely energy. Venus and Pluto are in a duet with each other so are like a couple at the party who only have eyes for each other. They are about to part for a while so are snuggling, planning their future passions for when they get back together. Everyone eddies around them, leaving them alone with their public display of affection. Like an impassioned goodbye scene, Venus and Pluto know they will not be catching up with each other again until at least November 12, 2008. Venus is about to go dance around the zodiac while Pluto stays in Capricorn and begins his work. Venus wants what she wants so be clear about what you want this week. Pluto can actually and will get it for her. Pluto is the Lord of the Underworld so like a Mafia Don; there are not many who will refuse him. So ask for what you want. There might be a cost associated with it but ask any way.

Saturn’s only aspect is his separating trine to Jupiter so he is sitting by himself in Virgo with a huge pile of stuff to do and no distractions. He is also on the Sun/Chiron midpoint so everyone he calls is busy, preoccupied or other wise engaged in their own life and unable or unwilling to help Saturn. Get busy putting your Saturn to work. Have that Saturn of yours working with the one in the sky, get stuff together, organized and moving. His ruler, Mercury, is immersed in Neptune as well as stationing to go retrograde. So directions or tasks can be a bit cloudy at the start. That is okay. Just start! START! Pick a pile of work and get to work on it. When you finish with that pile of work start on the next pile of work. Eventually Neptune will help the piles all dissolve.

Mercury and Neptune are in another duet. They are receiving the energy of the approaching trine from Mars retrograde in Gemini. However, Mars will not reach them before he stations to go direct! That means our minds can be of two parts, pieces, or angles, but they are NOT things we should take action on. Rather we should notice what we see about what we WANT to take action on! We need to see how what we want to do it part of our story too. Our fantasy of how it will work is running into the reality of life. Our dream of conquering, besting, or winning is active. We need to see how it ties into or does not tie into our path. My bet is it does NOT tie into your path. It is part of your old life. Remember there is not enough time to do all we need or want to do right now. Still, that vision thing is important and Saturn is willing to tackle his piles. Look at it as a nice to have and if you get to it, give it some energy. Otherwise, focus on the important things before you.

Jupiter in Capricorn still has his hammer. He has no aspects except his separating trine from Saturn. GIVE JUPITER SOMETHING TO DO!!! Give Jupiter a job to do while the rest of the planets are busy talking among themselves. If you do not direct Jupiter, he is likely to build a boat in your back yard. Give Jupiter a job to do or a task to accomplish while the rest of the world eddies around him. An untethered Jupiter in Capricorn with a hammer is not a good thing to have roaming around the your chart undirected.

I was complaining about a difficult character in the New York astrology world to a friend of mine. He had managed to meddle in a situation of mine where he had no business or interest (see the Mars, Venus, Pluto aspect from last week!). Nevertheless, he, in his usual Scorpio/ Virgo fashion, inserted himself to control, direct and ‘correct’. My friend’s comment to me was “Think of him as the villain in your story. The villain is what makes every story interesting. Look at him as an integral and interesting part of your story! How boring would our lives and our stories be if there were no villains? Happily ever after? Ha! WE LOVE OUR VILLAINS!! Villains add the spice to our life! Villains add the challenge, the difficulties and all the things that distract us from our goals.” She was right. We love our villains! And how much of my energy and time had I spent huffing and puffing about my villain over the past week or so? At least in my quiet moments! So notice who you have been huffing and puffing about over the past few weeks. Are they the villain in your story? How are they, the villain, distracting or delaying you from living your best life? Interesting concept eh? I thought so. So get your Saturn to work on his piles and dreams. Send Jupiter with his hammer to go build you a deck or something. And ignore the villain in your story! He or she will go bother someone else. Villains always do. We do love our villains!

The Sabian image for the Moon is AN EPIDEMIC OF MUMPS. Lynda Hill’s interpretation of it is:

Commentary: ‘An Epidemic of Mumps’ can indicate a situation, illness or event that is affecting a number of people. An ‘Epidemic’ is something contagious, like an illness that is racing throughout the populace or raging through a chain of friends or family. Although it can affect people on a large scale, it may have started with just one person. The disease ‘Mumps’ can lead to sexual impotence, in men it can literally happen, and a feeling of being ineffectual and useless.

Oracle: In the situation facing you, this Symbol can talk about the literal spread of disease, but it can also symbolize news or gossip, e.g., a story that’s gotten completely out of control. This “infecting influence” could be affecting you or someone else in the group, and it is likely to be spreading regardless of whether anybody wants it to. This situation, or “disease”, needs to be harnessed as soon as possible, as this ‘Epidemic’ may spread fear or upset to all those involved. The situation may indeed get worse before it gets better. Finding the origin of the “infection”, or the extent of it’s spread or how far it has reached will go a long way to resolving the situation. It can at least act to slow it down so it can lose energy and dissipate. Therefore it can be important to discover the facts about how or when it started, or perhaps how best to stop it. There may be a need for some kind of separation or isolation, and then some time for recovery. Remember that laughter can be infectious. Spread joy and love instead of fear and worry!

Keywords: Hysterical feelings. Ideas of immunity. Things getting out of control. Common threads that link people and places. Infectious diseases. Medicine and cures. Discovering the truth of a situation and acting accordingly. Viruses and bacterial infections spreading. Rumors. Colds. Flu. Fear in general. The cat let out of the bag.

The Caution: Fear of bad health. Hypochondria. Rampaging gossip. Widespread fear or upset. Stories that get out of control. Rashes and skin problems. Deprivation. Hiding one’s self away for fear of contagion. Fear of sharing one’s self with others. Obsession with health. Embarrassment. Impotence.

The Sabian image for the Sun is AN UNEXPECTED THUNDERSTORM. Lynda Hill’s interpretation of it is:

Commentary: ‘An Unexpected Thunderstorm’ symbolizes something coming out of the blue. It may be sudden, confronting, overwhelming and somewhat frightening. Thunderstorms, especially those that are ‘Unexpected’, are awesome powerhouses of energy that can unleash incredible levels of tension and release. However, ‘Thunderstorms’ often clear the air after an extreme buildup of energy, and can leave us with a sense of awe and wonder at the extreme power, majesty and beauty of natural events. Flashes of clarity often come like bolts of lightning that shoot through one’s mind, spirit and body. When the air clears, there can be a purging or clearing up of issues through incredible states of illumination.

Oracle: You may find that you are suddenly tested, taken by surprise or something shattering arises. This can overtake and overawe your sense of stability, and can happen when you least expect it. Perhaps you saw signs of something big coming, but didn’t quite know what to expect, or what was going to be unleashed. Your inner strength and stability is likely to be put to the test but you can learn a lot from the experience, especially if you strive to stay at the center of the ‘Storm’ and not get swept up and away by it. In fact, the effect can be quite liberating, after the initial shock. The best course of action to take is to not panic, but to see your true place in the scheme of things and help others cope with what’s going on. You may need to let go of control in this situation, as trying to be in charge of what’s happening may well be impossible. Endeavor to be a conduit for the unleashed energy in some way; let the energy run through you and into the ground. Stay with the feeling of grounding the energy as much as possible.

Keywords: Sudden visitations of natural wonder. Something that drops on you, seemingly from out of nowhere. Things erupting and happening fast. Storms in a teacup. Shocks and confrontations with raw energy. Thunder, lightning and electricity. The Tower card of the tarot. Being a lightning rod. Water and rain that quenches and revives.

The Caution: Losing control without warning. Emotional instability. A “back draft” of emotions. Bottling up and blowing up. Confused by sudden outbursts. Loud bangs and crashes that shock and stun.

Copyright © 2008 Anne Ortelee

Posted by Anne Ortelee at 03:26 PM | Permalink

Weekly Weather January 21, 2008

I feel like weeks (as in the next three or so weeks) like this should have a cosmic TIVO recording all that is going on so we can keep track of it! Kind of like Christmas morning where it can be a massive free for all of unwrapping presents and you miss them opening their “big” one from you! It is going to be hard to focus or stay on point with what is going on. And, frankly, during weeks like this, treading water and watching the world go by is a great idea. Not that you will be able to tread water and watch but that is a great idea!

There is going to be lots and lots of stuff going on all over the place in the heavens! That means there is lots and lots going on in your world and the world around you. So, hang on tight! Remember to breathe. There are oodles of planets active, shifting, changing signs or directions, facing challenges, starting new beginnings or wrapping up and putting a close on old stories with fresh endings. Plus we enter the approach to the powerful spring eclipses coming early next month, adding oomph of clearing out/ cleaning up/ exposing hidden things/ showing for all to see spurts of the energy as well as a karmic twist of sorts. Mars gets ready to stop in the sky and turn direct after his three month retrograde journey so Mars will be driving the points home as he comes to his station degree. The world is full of dual messages right now. What you are receiving, while the truth, has other parts of truth too. It is a partial truth but yet a whole truth. And there are other truths out there. You have to figure out YOUR truth. Focus on YOUR truth like you’d hang onto a life raft. Remember, multi-dimensional, as it there are many, many dimensions, is part and parcel of the story we live while here on earth.

It is a week of seeing dreams coming into form in the world assisted by the grand trine forming in the sky and Mercury dancing with Neptune. Or perhaps your dreams will dash or slip away to be replaced by new dreams. Or you could finally figure out WHAT you want your dream to be ~ in solid images and with a clear vision of how to get there. The element of earth wants to bring things down to ground, to settle things, to make them firm. If earth can’t make things firm, then it wants to move on. Earth trines are about creating power, form and structures in the world.

The week ahead features a strong and active full moon at 2 of creative, performing Leo Moon opposite the witness and collective energy of Aquarius Sun. The full moon combines with three significant and rather personal feeling conjunctions, marking brand new beginnings after the needed or desired endings of an earlier cycle. Mercury joins with Neptune asking us to speak up and talk to or about our dreams. Gotta ask for your dreams ~ at least to yourself. Our old dreams have finished an important chapter. Our new dreams haven’t yet begun but will soon (see Saturn go direct in June!). As Mercury joins with Neptune talk of your dreams. Give those dreams of yours a voice, a picture, a sculpture. Encourage yourself to describe your vision ~ even if is fragmented or partial. Get it out there.

Uranus joins with Pallas to say perhaps you need to change your strategy to get your dream. And you are actually in the mood for a change. My apartment, lived in for 30 years with the appropriate amount of stuff accumulated, was “magically” painted last week. It is causing me to think about where I want everything to go for the next part of my life. It started with a single living room wall that collapsed on the Neptune/Saturn conjunction last June/July, morphed into the entire living room and suddenly was the balance of the apartment with the contents of the eleven bookcases being emptied and moved as well as the kitchen being dismantled. (see New York City Rent Stabilization Laws and the painting regulations!). Out of the blue, all those thoughts came into form in the form of boxes of stuff and books piled every where. The stuff/books can now go any where or no where (goodwill?) or back where it was! My call. Change your strategy and embrace change in your life.

The final conjunction is Venus joined with Pluto. This is not always a pleasant aspect for our love or money or desires in relationships BUT we do need to have those kinds of energies or conversations on occasion. If you have a rather fraught emotional relationship, now, this week, while the planets all are shifting and scurrying around is a lovely time to have “a talk” about your vision of where you‘d like the relationship to go. Ask them if they think they can help you create that vision of a relationship. Speak to their strengths. Speak of your dreams. Ask them what they would like from their relationship with you. And, if it is something you can do, commit to doing it. You might not like what they say but that is okay. Remember Mars and Mercury are both getting ready to shift direction ~ negotiations about actions are a good way to describe that energy. You are simply hooking your wagon to the stars and taking advantage of that have negotiation around actions desired energy.

Venus and Pluto enter Capricorn this week, after their conversation about what they envision for their relationship in fiery Sagittarius. Now, remember, Sagittarian energy can put the foot in the mouth. While what was said was true, it might have stung a bit as the arrows from the archer's bow can and do sting. That said, isn’t it true ~ just a bit? Do you want to change it? Now Venus can ground it and create form. While Venus is in Cappy is the time to go to work to make the changes discussed in your conversations. Provided, of course, that you want to make and actually CAN make the changes.

Once, I’d been in a lazy phase and not colored or cut my hair. My gray was showing and it was pulled back in a pony tail. My friend Sandra looked at me in the sunlight and announced “Ortelee, you look like a Mennonite! Do you want to look like that? Kind of mousy brown?” I got over the shock and, figured out it wasn’t a compliment but it WAS the truth. Whenever I see my gray roots start to show, her Mennonite comment comes to mind. I take care of those gray roots.

We have Pluto entering Capricorn for the first time since 1762, yes you read that right, 1762. It has been 246 years since Pluto’s been in Capricorn. This event is worth you taking time to go Google 'Pluto Capricorn' and read a few of the myriad articles on the shift. Pluto enters Capricorn ~ and shifts out of it in a few months ~ to re-enter it next fall right after our USA elections. He‘ll stay there until November of 2024. We’ll be covering the changes we can expect Pluto in Capricorn to deliver to our world over the next few months. But it will be big, VERY big!

Mercury stops in the sky and turns back wards to go retrograde next Monday, which means we’ll be feeling his station energy build towards the end of the week. Can’t you feel the energy building, building, building?

Also big news, we have the THIRD of five passes of the opening trine of Jupiter to Saturn in Earth signs culminating on January 21, 2008. The first trine was March 16, 2007. The second trine was May 5, 2007. The fourth trine will be September 8, 2008. The fifth trine is on November 21, 2008. The first two were the vision thing. These next three trines are in earth so it is time to take your visions and bring them down to earth. And think back to the project you began in May of 2000, when Jupiter and Saturn joined at 23 Taurus. The project begun then has a culmination of sorts now ~ you’ve received or will be receiving a confirmation from the universe that you are on the right track towards your goal. Trines are our cosmic rewards for doing good work. Watch for your reward.

During a week like this, with so MUCH going on, the best approach is to pay attention and try to avoid making firm or final decisions. Gather data. Listen. Have the conversations but say you’ll get back to them with your decision. No need to decide right this moment any way. It is time to pay attention. Once it all calms down, you can start to move forward again. Watch all around you going a bit crazy or being out of control with this energy. Wait until the dust clears and the heavenly turbulence settles down to make any firm or final decisions. And, IF you think you can make firm decisions, think again. Saturn is retrograde. Mars is retrograde. Mercury is stationing to go retrograde. So make ideas of what you want and sit with them. When those planets all reverse again, we are truly able to move forward.

Monday, there are a few squabbly aspects as adjustments are needed. The trine of Jupiter to Saturn culminates, part three of five. Something concrete will appear in your life to mark the shift of energy and remind you of what you began back in May of 2000. Take a moment to be proud of yourself. You done good! Pat yourself on the back. Read or write your progress report. Give yourself an appropriate grade and a loving comment about how terrific you are. 

Tuesday, Mercury joins with Neptune by both declination and conjunction. Time to have that conversation with Neptune about your dreams!? Time to be clear on what your vision of your future is!? Give words to your dreams if you can. They don‘t have to be perfect words but they do have to be said. Venus has a working aspect with the nodes to help bring your vision of what you want out and help create it in the world. The flip side of this energy can be depression or emotional conversations. A burst into tears kind of energy, this can be a VERY, very teary and emotional day. So be kind to yourself. Be kind to those you meet. You might give yourself over to some soothing process that supports emotional release ~ music, massage, body work, (but remember THEY are feeling emotional too!). It doesn’t have to be perfect, it only has to go out the door. Label it a draft of what you’d like. You can refine it later.

Wednesday, revise your strategy as Uranus joins with Pallas. Still an emotional day, you have what you have because of your past actions and events. You are now about to move forward. Yes, parts of the past sucked. Parts were wonderful. Parts you wouldn’t give up for all the money in the world. Other parts you’d change in a heart beat. Today is a change in a heart beat day. Uranus says change your strategy, your vision. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither were you. Your future is built based on the choices you make today. What do you want to change about your future?

Thursday, Venus joins with Pluto and then zooms off into Capricorn. Hang on. Breathe. Right as she goes, she might poke you REALLY HARD in the ribs and take your breath away as she aspects Chiron. Venus can be like that. The image I get is when I unkindly commented (I thought quietly), to a friend while on the subway about another woman’s rather elaborate nose jewelry. As the woman left the subway, she walked by me and pivoted her spiky heel into my foot. Deliberately. When I said “ Ouch”, she smiled at me a Mona Lisa smile and exited the train. It taught me to keep my mouth shut on subways! I suggest you keep your mouth closed today. Listen. Experience the energy. Know your vision. Get it out there. If you like your nose jewelry big and bold, then pivot your heel in their nasty mouthed foot as you get off the train. If you are going to say something snarky, you are going to get a pivot from the universe. It is fire into earth as Venus changes signs.

Friday, Pluto enters Capricorn. A thousand words and thoughts. But more about that later ~ it’s Capricorn you have to wait! We are going to be working with the energy until 2024, so we have plenty of time to get used to it. Just watch and observe what happens in your world. And yes, as Pluto has an aspect to Chiron, it might hurt a bit.

Saturday, give yourself time off to adjust and breathe. We have very busy weeks ahead of us. You need to recreate and rest to get ready for them. It can be a day of heightened emotions too. You are right where you are supposed to be. Breathe.

Sunday, Mercury is at his station degree. Communications taking place today are VERY important. Watch for what you hear. Venus has an aspect of brilliance to Uranus even as Sun has an adjusting aspect to Saturn. Remember to Adjust. Adjust. Adjust! Regulate. Tinker. Modify. Alter. Fiddle with. Fine tune. Bend. Amend. Tweak. Tinker. Tweak. Are you yelling at your unripe tomatoes again? That doesn‘t help them ripen you know. Maybe you can nurture those unripe tomatoes?

Mundane: Oprah starting her OWN network called OWN, for Oprah Winfrey Network, was lovely imagery to paint last week’s Mercury, Vesta and Chiron aspects. Apparently, she wrote it down in a journal 15 years ago ~ Saturn cycle any one? And Oprah, an Aquarian, is ruled by Saturn. Three cheers for her newest venture. So, write it down in your journal this week and see what you can make manifest in the world. We are waiting! How are you going to create your very own patch of the heavens here on earth?

As Pluto gets ready to leave Sagittarius, we have OJ Simpson in the news again. OJ marked the beginning of our Pluto in Sagittarius journey. OJ helps us wrap it up. Think back to what you were doing in 1994 -95 and watch it reappear, kind of, in a strange way, like OJ is. Pluto in Sagittarius ends. Pluto in Capricorn begins. Off we go!

And the stock markets! It is going to get MUCH worse before it gets better! The media has gotten to calling it a "potentially large recession" ~ can we call it a Depression folks? Pluto in Capricorn, Uranus, ruler of crashes, return to the 1929 stock market crash area, Neptune on the USA moon in the second house of the second house, the meltdown of the housing market, deregulation of the banking and brokerage industries and the soon to come unwinding of the hedge funds (holding all those Boomer pension accounts and disappearing virtually ovenight). The upcoming depression is going to be with us for a while. Depressions are a good way to get rid of that pesky middle class that thinks it is entitled. So look at your 13 year Jupiter/Pluto list. Get started on the stuff that doesn't cost money. Get yourself busy. Money, while lovely to have, is an illusion. We've valued as a collective, bits of paper with numbers on them, pieces of greem paper specifically. We've given it a whole lot of stuff (and masses of emotional content) it doesn't really need or want. Free yourself from worshipping or worrying about it! You'll be fine. It is all about what you think is important!   

Copyright © 2008 Anne Ortelee

Posted by Anne Ortelee at 10:51 AM | Permalink

Weekly Weather January 14, 2008

It is going to be kind of a quiet week. Focus on getting things out the door and out into the world. Do as much as you can possibly manage in the week or so ahead to clear the decks and get things started. When we get closer to the end of the month, we enter the spring eclipse season, Mercury stations to go retrograde, Mars stations to go direct and Pluto enters Capricorn for the first time since 1762. The planetary turbulence at the end of January and beginning of February will be fairly profound! So take advantage of the quiet, not so turbulent time to get a jump on things.

There is a lovely set of three conjunctions this week that harmonize and sing together. Conjunctions always begin things. Mercury in his exaltation in Aquarius joins with Vesta and Chiron. Vesta joins with Chiron. Mercury rules communications, words, thoughts, ideas, siblings and all matters of the market place as well as transportation. Vesta is the asteroid in charge of home and hearth as well as the tradition of keeping the flame burning. Vesta tends the fire, banking it carefully each night so the fire continues to burn and so the flames can rise up again each morning. Chiron is about our soul’s wound and how our woundedness actually helps us become who we are meant to be.

When I was meditating on the three of them joining to start something new in our heavens and thus below here in our world, it occurred to me that I had no idea how to bank a fire. We have central heating so not much fire tending or banking is necessary! How do we bank a fire? So, I looked it up on the internet: Throughout the age of hearth cooking, fires were banked down at night with a layer of ash and rekindled in the morning. In this way, the hearth fire was kept burning for months, and even years, at a time. Wait to bank the fire until the logs have burned down in the late evening and are mostly embers, and then cover them with a few inches of ash (about 7.5 cm). In the morning, dig into the mound of ashes to uncover the glowing embers. Add kindling, and blow the fire to life.

So while we may not have hearths, the symbolism is alive for us. We each will work with Vesta to tend our hearths and keep our flames alive. We are the keepers of our own flames. We are warm blooded creatures, kept at 96.8 degrees or there about by our marvelous bodies. So our body must know how to do this fire banking thing! Our body preserves our heat at a fairly standard body temperature to allow functions to take place.

If we add Mercury and Chiron to the mix ~ well that felt like the way we talk to ourselves about ourselves. It describes how we reinforce, or blow on, the fire of the wound with words. Have you ever steamed your face over a pot of boiling hot water with a towel over your head? When you blow at the water, the steam rises. You can get a fabulous sweat and clean out your pores with only a few solid exhales of breath on that hot water!

So let us combine the planets like the heavens are doing. We keep alive the flames or fires by banking and subsequently blowing on the embers to start them back up. Now if we are starting up good things, when we blow on them, great. It is like blowing on the hot water and raising a head of steam to clear out our pores. That is fabulous! However, if we are blowing on and starting up bad fires that hurt or burn us, well, that is not so good. And, now, is a fabulous time to STOP doing that kind of activity.

The conjunction of Mercury, Vesta and Chiron asks us or offers us an opportunity to try new ways of working with or blowing on our banked fires. We don’t have to keep those hearth fires burning for months or even years, IF WE DON’T WANT TO. We can let the fire go out. Now is a lovely time to put out that fire, if you would like to, as the conjunction promises an ending before the beginning.

OR WE can start to bank or tend our fires in a new way. One of the things I learned while investigating “banking a fire” was wood and coal burn differently ~ wood burns from the top down while coal burns from the bottom up. Who knew?

And, that brought up the whole issue of fuel for the banked fire! If you fuel your fire with positive fuel that burns in the direction you want your fire to go, AND you bank the fire properly, you can keep those hearth fires burning for months or even years.

But let’s be realistic here. Let’s say you start experimenting with different fuel types. Different fuel will get different outcomes as it burns differently. You might not (and probably won’t) get it completely right all the time or every time! And, as a result, your fire might go out. Experimenting with fire and fuels can do that.

The heavens are saying you need to change your fuel. Don’t you need to change it? You need to adjust the mix. You want a different outcome than the one you have right now. So change your fuel. And don’t worry about it. As long as you have matches in the house, you can always relight your fire in the morning if it goes out. And, in the meantime, you can continue to experiment with the techniques you are putting into place. Learn how to bank your fire. Learn how to blow on it. Learn how to reignite it. All part of the process of life.

So let’s take it to how we hurt ourselves ~ Chiron is in the mix! How about if we each recognize the way we talk to ourselves as a fuel of sorts. The way we talk to ourselves (or to others) is a fuel that either wounds or heals. It makes fires flare up, banks them or helps fires go out. Essentially, we blow on the embers of our being to cause the fires to flare up. Or we listen when other folks blow on our banked embers. What if we were to change the way we blew on our fires by changing our mix of fuel, words, air and our technique of banking the fires that keep us going.

I read a book over the holidays called, This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel Levitin. It got me thinking about the stimulus I provide to my brain via the noise, talk, words or music I expose it to. Since coming home, I’ve been experimenting with my auditory stimuli with interesting results. My resolve was to incorporate positive upbeat music, largely jazz or instrumental OR sappy sing along songs that make me happy. It has resulted in an enormous upswing in my productivity as well as my mood. So I am going to take advantage of the upcoming conjunction to make sure that I provide good fuel to my brain on a daily basis that helps it stay jazzy, swinging or singing. Next up, well probably time to get serious again with my piano. It always makes me happy too. Or maybe a different kind of fuel for me? It is time to experiment and see what works. And I have my matches in case the fires go out.

So what fuel do you want or need to change in your life? What fire needs to be banked? What fire needs some firm blowing on or fresh air? What mix of air and fuel is the right mix for you? Are you willing to experiment? Can you be bold in your experiments (you DO have a book of matches in case your fire goes out)? Not to worry if it goes out. Just light a few fires under the things you want to start to cook.

Monday, Mercury entered his shadow yesterday for his upcoming retrograde so expect to find out the story Mercury will have you working on redoing until March 9, 2008. Sun asks us to join with what we love or desire even as Mercury is in the mood to argue with traditional nurturing. It is a darned if you do and darned if you don’t kind of day. So just do what you want. What is fuel for you? Aries Moon can be a bit sharp, cold and detached as her ruler, Mars in Gemini is still retrograde, still out of bounds and answering to Mercury exalted in Aquarius but now in the shadow of his retrograde. Words hastily spoken today can come back to haunt you down the line.

Tuesday, Mars is in the mood to fight with the creative forces today as he has an aspect of adjusting to same old/ same old. Why does it have to be same old/ same old? It doesn‘t have to be. You can change it. What is stopping you but you? Moon in Aries has the same cautions on his words as he did yesterday. Do something different rather than complaining about the way things are. Take action. Mercury is looking to partner with freedom and being exalted as he is in Aquarius, he knows it is a mindset. Yes, freedom is a mindset. Often times while in a reading, people will complain about some situation in their life. When I ask if they are willing to change to get it to change, they say no. They want it to magically change to be what they want it to be. Unfortunately, that is not how these things work. We have to be the change. As Mohandas (Mahatma) K. Gandhi said, “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.” So change your fuel today. It is that easy.

Wednesday, Sun has an aspect of adjusting with Mars. It is a mind or Scorpio kind of adjusting. Adjust. Adjust. Adjust. Adjust! Regulate. Tinker. Modify. Alter. Fiddle with. Fine tune. Bend. Amend. Tweak. Tinker. Tweak Venus has a lovely creative aspect with Neptune saying that any Adjust. Adjust. Adjust! Regulate. Tinker. Modify. Alter. Fiddle with. Fine tune. Bend. Amend. Tweak. Tinker. Tweak you do will result in a lovely new experience. Mercury joins with Vesta and learns how to bank the fire using the new fuel. Practice makes perfect. Adjust. Adjust. Adjust! Regulate. Tinker. Modify. Alter. Fiddle with. Fine tune. Bend. Amend. Tweak. Tinker. Tweak. Moon in Taurus is a bit more flexible than usual as Venus in Sagittarius aspecting Neptune softens her up for change. Like water on soil, Moon’s fluid today.

Thursday Mercury joins with Chiron ~ there can be a flare up of harsh feelings today. While blowing on the hot water does make the steam rise, it can be a bit intense. Once the steam gets moving under the towel over your head, it has a back end kick to it. Can you come up with other words to say to yourself? If someone says something nasty to you today, understand it is Mercury joining with Chiron. Now is the time to speak up and say, No, Nyet. Stop. Nope. Not going to do it. It is a training thing. You have to train people, some times, on how to treat you. They get raised in their house. You were raised in your house. There is a common ground. Try and find it today. If not, gently but firmly correct the behavior. If you don’t correct it, they will think it is perfectly fine to do it over and over and over again to you. Don’t you want different fuel for that fire? Moon in Taurus is still sensitive from yesterday but can be a bit too sensitive with her square to Neptune. Watch for drugs, alcohol and emotions to be rather heightened today.

Friday is a busy day as well as a bit stressful as there are blind spots and adjusting aspects all over the place. Moon in Gemini squares Saturn in the middle of the day. Make sure to take yourself out of the office for lunch or a break if people are cranky. Adjust. Adjust. Adjust! Regulate. Tinker. Modify. Alter. Fiddle with. Fine tune. Bend. Amend. Tweak. Tinker. Tweak. Your fire may go out. Not to worry, you have matches and dry fuel. It is a process. Life is a process. Vesta and Chiron join. No negative self talk to yourself. How can you reframe the situation or revision it? Once you know you have a blind spot, you learn to look before you pull out. If you didn’t know wood burned from the top down and your fire went out, you learned a valuable lesson today. Wood burns top down. Coal burns bottom up. Now you know! Tomorrow is another opportunity to bank your fire. No negative talk to the other guy either ~ show them what you need. Teach them how to bank the fire. It is an acquired skill. Gentle corrections go far today. Watch for flare ups too.

Saturn’s day finds Venus opposite Mars in the evening. The world is not cooperating and folks are in the mood to fight over sex or money or silly things. Do the dishes. Silence. Watch. Observe. Adjust. Adjust. Adjust! Regulate. Tinker. Modify. Alter. Fiddle with. Fine tune. Bend. Amend. Tweak. Tinker. Tweak the strategy. Moon in Gemini is answering to the cold, detached yet exalted Mercury in Aquarius. While you are not wrong, today is probably not the best day to say anything about it. If you can, be quiet. You probably won’t be able to be silent. But I do suggest it. Sun at the last degree of Capricorn wants to criticise SO BADLY!! Be aware. Word can hurt. Words can fuel the fire. Can you bank it please?

Sunday, the Sun enters Aquarius. While Sun is still co-ruled by Saturn in Virgo, Sun feels like it has more freedom and power when it gets out of earthy Capricorn and starts to fly high in Aquarius. Plus Sun gets to side more with Uranus in Pisces. Remember to breath. Sun wants to fly but not so high that you can’t safely land. This is a day for overdoing so be conscious of that energy afloat in the world. Blow gently on your banked fire. Watch the embers flare. See the new fuel catch fire, alight and start to burn. See, you are getting the hang of it after all. It isn‘t that hard. Just a new technique. And you don’t need much breathe at all to get the fire to flare if you manage to bank it properly.

Copyright © 2008 Anne Ortelee

Posted by Anne Ortelee at 11:05 PM | Permalink

New Moon January 8, 2008

6:37 am EST

3:37 am PST

17:33 Capricorn Sun and Moon

It is an extra, special and potentially very lovely and creative New Moon at 17:33 Capricorn. Most of the planets involved in the lunation are answering to Saturn in Virgo. That is great!! Mercury, in charge of Virgo, is found in his exaltation in Aquarius. Furthermore, Mercury is feral ~ having no Ptolemaic aspects (conjunction, opposition, square, trine or sextile) to any planet or asteroid in the sky. Feral means gone wild and is used to describe animals or plants that live or grow in the wild after having been domestically reared or cultivated or who are typical of a wild animal. When used to describe a planet, it means it can operate at its maximum levels ~ in this case, exaltation! That means Mercury gets to operate wildly and with OUT any of his normal relationship restraints with other planets. Completely exalted in his vision while not responsible for or answering to anyone ~ we’ll get to see the brilliance of our Hermes in his full glory and bloom. Watch out world here Mercury comes!

Next, Mercury DOES have two bi-quintile aspects to Mars and Saturn and a semi-square aspect to Uranus. Bi-quintiles are gifts of Genius. Bi-quintiles answer to the fifth harmonic of the chart’s deepest creative and most profound purpose for existence. We are incarnations of the heavens at the moment of our birth ~ you could say we were created to fulfill heaven’s (or God’s) intent of love and creation. We are each the fifth house of the universe‘s chart! If you think about it, the purpose of each and every life is to propagate themselves so the species and life continues.

Thus the 5^th and 9^th houses ~ as the children and children’s children, act in a creative, harmonious aspect to the Ascendant of each and every chart. We live to create. Then, once we are done creating, we are supposed to move off stage to let the young un’s take over and create their things. Now, if you think about it a bit more, some of us create children, or books, or art. But each and every one of us is here to create ~ that is why the fifth house is the house of pleasures, love, fun as well as children. We have fun when we create! We are a creation ~ a vision of the sky at the moment we were born. And if we are the Universe’s fifth house, then our creations are the Universe’s 9^th house. And so the cycle of life goes round and round!

But I digress, back to our dear feral, exalted Mercury’s bi-quintile to Saturn and Mars. Mars is still out of bounds, still retrograde and now Mars is in Gemini ~ so he also answers to Mercury, feral and exalted. And we know that Saturn in Virgo answers to Mercury, feral and exalted, while Saturn is in Virgo. Imagine, if you will, the lunation’s Mercury as YOUR toddler. Mercury strolls over to a harpsichord and sits down. You expect a plink, plink, plunk ~ Mercury’s a toddler after all. All of a sudden, instead of a few random, plunked notes, you hear profound music coming from the instrument as your toddler starts to play. It is as if Mercury already knows how to play, has practiced for years and all of a sudden, is creating and making music before your startled eyes. And, THAT is how you discover your toddler of Mercury is Mozart.

Fifth harmonics describe those kinds of Mozart skills available to each of us. And, yes, we all have fifth harmonic aspects to use and exploit on this lunation! Even you! You only have to look at your chart, especially your 5^th harmonic chart, to see how it relates to this lunation chart to spot what or where the creative aspects are. Or just push, a teeny tiny bit, at the forward direction you’d like to move in ~ that will do it too! Or listen for Mercury to whisper an idea in you ear. He will. Pay attention!

There is enormous creative energy available to us under the lunation. We also have Mars and Saturn in a quintile aspect to each other ~ the same kind of energy but a bit more practice is involved. A lesson or two is needed to draw the skill out. And Mars is approaching an air trine to Neptune ~ even MORE creative and inspiration energy.

The energy of the lunation is particularly profound in its gifts of creative energy. Fifth harmonics are the things we do effortlessly that other folks struggle with. They are the things where folks drop their mouths open and go “wow” at how easily we do it. Push the energy a bit to see how fast it can move you forward.

On the lunation, we have feral, exalted Mercury in a semi-square aspect to Uranus ~ we can get scared, sometimes, when we turn around and see everyone with their mouths open and staring at us. They are staring at us because they don‘t know how to process what they are seeing ~ a toddler playing Mozart. We go, “What, what did I do wrong?” Nothing. Don‘t listen to any criticism offered under this moon for something you do naturally, for some thing that seemingly evolves and appears out of nowhere. It isn‘t out of nowhere. It is time to move on. You figured it out. The open door is the universe’s sign to you to move forward. You are ready. You’ve done your work.

When we track the energy of the lunation back to where it finds its source, we keep returning to that Mercury, feral, exalted and involved in fifth harmonic aspects with Saturn and Mars. Saturn in Virgo, goes to it and back to itself as the ruler of Aquarius. Vesta, Chiron, Neptune and the North Node, all answer back to Mercury in Aquarius. The Capricorn based planets, Moon, Sun, Jupiter, all go back to Saturn and end up with Mercury in Aquarius as their ultimate ruler. Mars in Gemini goes back to Mercury in Aquarius. Venus and Pluto in Sagittarius ~ ruled by Jupiter in Capricorn go back to Mercury in Aquarius. Ceres in Taurus goes to Venus and through that route back to Mercury.

Mercury and Saturn are in mutual reception, allowing them to swap places with each other ~ amplifying the creative, productive energy even more of the Aquarian Mercury and Virgoian Saturn. Saturn, Ceres and Jupiter are in a Grand Earth Trine, pushing the creative energy to a new, higher and more profound level. Even if it is only the tiniest, smallest, more infinitesimal beginning, I want you to begin something under this new moon. If you can, begin 300 things! Begin 1001 things!

Begin things with the idea that you can change your mind down the road apiece if you want to. Begin things! This is way too powerful of a lunation to skip over because Mars is retrograde ~ besides Mars has quintile and bi-quintile aspects to Saturn and Mercury. So, yes, Mars is retrograde but SO MANY things have been born out of actions meant to go one way while the other way provided the eureka moment ~ mistakes so to speak ~ but powerful mistakes. Such is the new moon energy.

Post-it notes were a mistake. Chocolate chip cookies were a mistake. Rubber was a mistake. The pacemaker was a mistake. Silly Putty was a mistake. Coca-Cola was a mistake. Scotch guard was mistake. Christopher Columbus meant to sail to Asia and made a mistake. Penicillin was a mistake. The telephone was invented for blind people ~ not the rest of us. You get the idea. Out of mistakes or mistarts, powerful things can be created. Such is the type of creative new moon we have this month. Get yourself, your ideas, your vision, your-whatever-Mercury-is-telling-you-to-do, and your beginnings out the door and into the world so the universe can help you create.

Louis Pasteur, said, "Where observation is concerned, chance favors only the prepared mind," so make sure to observe the events that take place under this lunation too~ you never know what you might spot with Mercury so feral and exalted! All the planets answer to Mercury so talk your dreams out loud ~ you might mention a dream near someone who can help you make the dream come true~ how do you think Cinderella got to the ball? And wasn’t leaving her glass slipper a lovely mistake? It helped her prince find her!

It helps to remember the first myths about Mercury under this moon where Mercury is so prominent. When Mercury was a day old, he stole 50 cows from his brother, Apollo. On the lunation, Mercury is opposite to the asteroid, Apollo ~ the story of the two brothers will be active. From the Internet:

So make sure to listen when Mercury whispers in your ear on this lunation! He is telling you things you will be fortunate to listen to!

The Sabian symbol for the Sun and the Moon, interpreted by Lynda Hill is:THE UNION JACK FLIES FROM A NEW BRITISH WARSHIP

Commentary: The Symbol ‘The Union Jack Flies From a New British Warship’ is an image of the need for protection and control. It pictures having to oversee and protect a large “empire” where reliability and leadership are vital to the welfare of the people. Having to make one’s presence felt and to guard one’s territory can be a tiring responsibility, but there is an awareness of the guidance and protection of “all who went before”. Effective supervision needs to be employed to protect what’s been won, sometimes at great cost, from others who might want to take it away. Countries, and things such as social and political constructs, all the way down to the individual, all need this surveillance and protection from those who might invade, attack or threaten. We invest the “armed forces’ with this responsibility, so that we, as individuals in society, may enjoy our secure lives.

Oracle: This Symbol is about the need to defend our ideals, lifestyle or culture from outside influences. It important to show one’s power, but also to continually renew strength. This can be a show of strength put on for others, but also an affirmation of safety for yourself and those who are in your circle of influence or protection. If there is a threat from either outside your boundaries, or from within, there needs to be a swift response to snuff it out. However, if anarchy erupts within the ranks, political ploys may be used, such as the concept of “divide and rule” – the political rule that government is more easily maintained if factions are set against each other and not allowed to unite against the ruler. Distrust or disrespect for “authority” can lead to problems with people branded traitors. Being confident in your ability to hold, maintain and protect your own “turf” will ensure others will, as well.

Keywords: Colonialism. Protectionism. The government, big business and the media. Class-consciousness. Power and political displays. Displays of “law and order”. Border patrols and protection. Strength and might. Nationalism. Royalty. The ruling elite. Supervision. The armed forces. Patrols. Pitting people against each other. Empires. Victory bringing riches. The mother country. The struggle against decline. Flags. Imperialism. The commonwealth.

The Caution: Artificial shows of strength. Bullying from the “big guys”. Being armed “to the teeth”. Strong-arm tactics. Disrespect for authority. People or institutions that throw their weight around. Anarchy. Traitors. Being antiestablishment. Social disintegration. War games. Civil wars. Feeling squeezed by authority. Rebellion. Civilian lives lost for political causes. Governing forces that deny individual rights. Invasions.

Copyright © 2008 Anne Ortelee

Posted by Anne Ortelee at 03:37 PM | Permalink

Weekly Weather January 7, 2008

Our new year begins in earnest this week! Happy 2008! And it is a ONE year ~ new beginnings all around us. New beginnings abound!! And, for the first time in a fairly long while, we actually have cooperative, productive aspects. So let us all make sure to take advantage of the heavens offering us goodies this week and make sure to get busy!!!

First up, Mercury moves out of Capricorn and into Aquarius on Monday. Expect brilliant ideas and fascinating things to arrive on your doorstep, mail box, inbox, email account and phone message box now that Mercury’s moved into Aquarius. FOLLOW UP!!! Or initiate! Or do something! This is a terrrrriiiiffic week to launch new stuff! Yes, launch even if Mars is retrograde ~ the new stuff is going to evolve like the rest of your life does. Just get it out into the world! ~ retrogrades are part of life too! At least get a working prototype out to the world. Go for it! Label it a draft so you can revise it down the road when you want to!

Second, Venus joins with Juno, suggesting new partnerships start with things that are profitable, helping you grow, evolve or change. You are not your mother, your father, your family or your past. You are your current YOU ~ whatever you’ve grown to become! What are you? Who are you? I received an interesting email from two very creative friends, Wura and Ana, who wrote of watching a movie where one of the characters asks: why are we so afraid to try new things? Every day when we wake up we experience a new morning, it's never the same, it's always a first, and we're not afraid of morning. So they and two other artists began the year with the creation of a new calendar which complements their project of making art for 366 days ~ a painting or sculpture or writing or whatever new wants to emerge. Each of the four artists is taking the quadrant of the day they love the most and blogging about their creative process. Read more about their project and the things they create at http://penzitspronouncedpants.blogspot.com/

What you partner with, especially with Venus involved, especially when she is in fire, change, expand, Sagittarius, you create! What do you want to partner with as Juno in Sagittarius invites you to partner with your fire, your spark, your passion, your vision of your life? What do you want to create? As Venus joins with Juno, the asteroid of partnerships, they BOTH starts a new cycle of creative partnerships! Off you go into your future. What can you commit to Venus and Juno (and maybe ask a friend or three to hold you accountable, laugh and play with) to do each and every day, to partner with, to co-create your future? It doesn’t have to be big ~ it has to be about creation. Creating the new in your life. Creation is about making something. My dictionary says Creation is 1. the bringing of something into existence; 2. earth and its inhabitants: the world and everything on it; 3. something created by somebody: a product of human imagination or invention. You create your life anew every day when the sun rises again in the east! You are part of Creation! Create!

Third, right behind the conjunction of Venus and Juno and the movement of Mercury into the brilliance of Aquarius‘s all seeing detachment, we have a lovely new moon at 17:33 Capricorn on Tuesday. New Moons are New Beginnings. It is a very amazing New Moon as everything in the chart relates back to exalted Mercury in Aquarius and Saturn in Virgo. Read the New Moon report on this site for more information on the energy. It promises to be a fun, creative, profitable and productive Moon. It has a collection of planets clustered in late Sagittarius, Capricorn, and Aquarius ~ where ever that powerful bundle of energy ends up in YOUR chart is going to be super charged with new beginnings. Begin 525,600 minutes of new beginnings on this New Moon!

The lunation trines the Virgo eclipse from last September bringing up solutions to problems which surfaced back then. Mars meanders backwards, still out of bounds, still retrograde but NOW, because Mars is in Gemini until the end of the month, he’s in a much better frame of mind! Mars is ruled by that brilliant Mercury in Aquarius instead of crabby Moon based Cancer! Mars is not feeling so whiny, scared or needy. Mars is feeling visionary, brilliant, wild, wily, smart, creative and clear eyed. And Mars is!

So back you go to when Mars entered his shadow, last September 15, right after the Virgo/Pisces eclipses. Dare to dream now. You weren‘t quite ready to take advantage of creating your life because of what was going on back then. There were too many things drawing your attention, distracting you or not clear yet. Now, you are clear eyed and a bit more ready. Clear eyed and ready ~ what a great combination! So, forward you go, in a backwards kind of way until the end of the month when Mars goes direct, to clean up, redo, remix, restart, revisit projects or dreams from September. Get it all organized for going forward at the end of the month when Mars turns direct. Vision your big picture!!! Or at least keep it in the back of your mind.

And do a bit, each and every day, like my friends Wura and Ana are doing to create your future. They are wonderful artists so creation of art IS their work. But, truth be told, we are all wonderful artists who create, consciously or unconsciously, our own lives by our choices and actions. We each are the artists of our lives. Start to take a little creative action each and every day to move toward your 13 year plan from the Jupiter/ Pluto conjunction a few weeks back. What you partner with, you create. It is as easy as that!

And, just to prove you ARE your mother’s child ~ even as you are your own self too ~ remember what she used to say when she didn’t like one of your friends? Do you have a friend (and your ‘friend’ can be your cigarettes, drugs, drink, food or playing endless games of solitaire on your computer) you are wishing you could separate from and maybe not spend so much time with? You are about to be judged by what and where you choose to spend your time! Pluto is moving into Capricorn. We are all going to be much more accountable ~ for everything ~ once THAT transition happens.

People spend time with and on the things they love. What do you love? Can you spend more time with what you love? Can you spend less time with the difficult or not such great friend of yours? Can you spend less time with the not loved parts of your life? I’d put any negative self talk or friends who talk harshly toward you in that pile. And maybe any harshness towards your soul’s purpose too! You incarnated to be the best version of the heavens you could be. What is it? What is the best version of you you can be?

Remember the issue with Saturn in Virgo is we can be very, very critical of who, whom, where, how, when and what we are. We are who we are. If we don’t like who we are, every Virgo worth her salt can tell you, it only takes a moment to make a teeny, tiny change. Change a bit here and voila, it gets the ball rolling. And the rest of the change can often take care of itself.

The positive version of Virgo assesses how ripe her tomatoes are. The positive version of Virgo knows what to do with the different versions of tomato ripeness before her ~ eat them, cook them, can them or let them sit on the vine a bit more. The negative version of Virgo yells at the tomatoes to ripen already and stop being so darned green! Are you yelling at your unripe tomatoes? Do you think that helps your tomato to ripen? What do you love? Can you spend more time with what you love today instead of shouting at your tomatoes?

Monday. Are you yelling at your unripe tomatoes? Do you think that helps the tomato ripen? Mercury enters Aquarius today ~ shifting out of rule and earth bound Capricorn to flying high, brilliant air Aquarius where he can conjure, plan, create and plot to his heart’s content. There are a number of very stressful yet interesting aspects with Mercury today as he leaves Capricorn. He’s having conversations with his brother the Sun by declination about how he wants to shine and with Pluto about his skills and talents that he wants to take out into the world. Listen to Mercury’s messages today.

Tuesday. Read the New Moon column on the site for extra insight on how to work with the energy of the New Moon. Begin 1, 30, 300, 1001, or 525,600 things today. Begin! What do you love? Can you spend more time with that today instead of shouting at your unripe tomatoes? Mercury’s aspect of brilliance with Uranus might look like a mistake but it is actually a profound revelation! Watch for all things that appear to be mistakes and transform them into miracles!

Wednesday. Are you STILL yelling at your unripe tomatoes? Do you think that helps the tomato to ripen? What do you love? Can you spend more time doing what you love today instead of shouting at your tomatoes? Venus has rather harsh aspects. Are you being your own worst critic? What does that get you? Mercury has a gift of brilliance to Saturn and Mars. As Ana and Wura noted why are we so afraid to try new things? Every day when we wake up we experience a new morning, it's never the same, it's always a first, and we're not afraid of morning. Move past your fears to your hopes. Move to your loves. Act from the place that you love to be. It is that easy. That said, Mercury has a message for you about the ease of creation when you are in your center, especially when you are in your soul’s or charts creative center. Create? Create. Create! CREATE! C-R-E-A-T-E!!!!

Thursday. Are you yelling at your unripe tomatoes again? What do you love? Can you spend more time with what you love today instead of shouting at your tomatoes? Not much in the way of aspects except the Aquarius Moon has an eclipse with Neptune. If you didn’t sleep too well last night, can you act on your dreams’ messages to you? If you did sleep well, watch what happens around your creative ideas today. The moon is pushing you forward. Leave those unripe tomatoes alone!

Friday. Yelling at tomatoes? Do you think that helps ANY tomato to ripen? What do you love? Actually, today IS a day when we might want to shout at our tomatoes. Or maybe not ~ maybe we understand that ripe tomatoes take time, Sun, soil, water and a good patch of earth. Venus has sextile aspects with Chiron while Vesta sextiles Juno. And Venus and Vesta are talking to each other as are Juno and Chiron. These four energies in Aquarius and Sagittarius are chatting back and forth, planning and creating. Can you give yourself some time today to listen to their advice? Can you create a space of time to love yourself, right where you are? At the level of ripeness you are at? Can you settle down for a moment and let the creative forces of the universe wash over you? Light a candle, or look at light and take a deep breathe. Mercury has an aspect to Venus sending all his brilliance into her being and thus spreading it among Chiron, Juno, and Vesta. Mercury and the Sun are involved with magnifying energies today ~ good or bad they are active.

Saturn’s day ~ so what do you love? Can you spend more time with that today? Venus squares Uranus causing a break in the energy of creation. Or perhaps a breakthrough. There is a somewhat cranky energy between Mars and the way we’ve always done it gal Vesta. Gotta remember ~ Vesta is charged with keep the hearth. She has to bank the coals properly, in the traditional way, or the fire goes out. She’s not big on changes. She doesn’t want the fire she tends to go out. Everything changes.You can too. Sun has a fabulous aspect for letting go of a bad old behavior you want to release ~ it will drift out of your life like it never existed. It will burn out and be an dead ember in the fireplace. We both know it existed. But today is a day to let things leave your life forever, if you’d like them to. It is a day to let the fire go out. And if you do, it or they will be gone~ the combination is like magic.Or like water on a hot ember ~ and then the fire is gone.

Sunday, Mercury needs to adjust. Right after bi-quintiles, the inconjunct appears in aspect order. I always think of it as being an interesting concept ~ first the gift and then the anxiety from the gift appears asking us to deal with the other guy’s reaction or maybe our own reaction to having the previously unnoticed skill. Adjust. Adjust. Adjust! Regulate. Tinker. Modify. Alter. Fiddle with. Fine tune. Bend. Amend. Tweak. Tinker. Tweak. Are you yelling at your unripe tomatoes? Do you think that helps your tomato to ripen? What do you love? Can you spend more time with what you love today instead of shouting at your unripe tomatoes? When I was in my first ever astrology class, I would go home and read, rather obsessively, on the topic(s) we‘d covered. I’d return to class the next week, loaded with zillions of questions. Astrology was my Mozart, my bi-quintiles, my passion, my obsession and ultimately an enormous gift and now my career!

However, there was Another Student, a bit of a curmudgeon, who sat on the couch with me. She would bark at me “Now WHERE did you get THAT from?” whenever I asked a question, especially the ones that came from my readings. She was a Triple Virgo ~ trust me, they can shout at their tomatoes or at least their fellow students! In a quiet moment with my teacher, he gently pointed out that Triple Virgo did that barking /shouting thing with every one in the class, not only to me. So I watched Triple Virgo bark and shout for a bit. And, sure enough, my teacher was right. Triple Virgo did bark and shout at lots of other people in our class. I’d only noticed her doing it to me! So I learned to not let people, particulary Triple, Double or Single Virgos, barking and shouting at me about my astrology bother me. I share this story because that might happen to you today. So if someone shouts at you today as you do something you love, smile at them and go on doing what you love. Saturn is very active today. Maybe that shouting and rather cranky curmudgeon before you is working out their own stuff which has absolutely nothing to do with you at all! Or maybe they like to shout at their tomatoes. You, however, are doing what you love. Ignore them.

Mundane: A few weeks back, our number two in the USA State Department, John Negroponte, went to Pakistan for a visit with the powers that be. I joked to a friend, “Oh, great, NOW we’ll have death squads in Pakistan! Whereever dear old “black bridge” goes death squads appear!” Well, it feels like the world wide chess game got a bit wilder with Benzair Bhutto‘s assassination! These folks don’t mess around. Better a crazy guy we control with nukes and a mustache than a woman returning from exile to lead her country out of the darkness and wildness of military rule. As the south node entered Leo, the sign of kings, queens and leaders, we lost her.

I think it is fascinating that Bhutto’s 19 year old son, or Sun, will be taking over the political party of the family. Her son, of course, was profoundly affected by the recent eclipses. They are the same eclipses that took place when he was in the uterus of his Mother. Any pre-natal eclipses activated mark major turning points in our lives! And, now, at the return of the eclipses 19 years later, he lost his mother. And the upcoming series of eclipses? Well, the Sun and Moon are on the Sabian Image of “A Man Unmasked.” We live in interesting times.

Copyright © 2008 Anne Ortelee

Posted by Anne Ortelee at 04:25 PM | Permalink