21 January 2012: Happy Birthday Aquarius!

All star-sign Aquarians can start celebrating birthdays from 21 January - 5.11 am NZDT to be exact - as the Sun enters their sign. For this month* all babies born on this day, but before 5.11 am will be Capricorn star-signs - the changeover point commonly referred to as being "on the cusp".

24 January 2012: Mars turns Retrograde

Mars is not happy being retrograde! Mars is all about passion, desire and action and action is about moving forward not backwards. But as with all retrograde periods, frustration can be turned around to work for you not against you, don't allow frustration to turn to anger, for nothing will be achieved that way. What is Mars urging you to you do now? With his journey through the practical territory of Virgo he is giving you the chance to revisit the past — particularly the time around 18 November 2011. What were the circumstances surrounding your life back then, what new ventures were you embarking on? Reassess your action plan already put in place; you need to look for the finer details that may have been overlooked. Ignoring them now will only mean revisiting them later.

Pay attention to all things mechanical; during the retrograde Mars period it is not a good time to be buying a new car for example — but if you do, ensure it is thoroughly checked before purchase.

Mars resumes his direct  movement 14 April 2012 — with all finer details taken care of and the necessary systems in place, you can move with more confidence into the future.

8 February 2012, 3.04 am - Saturn turns Retrograde

Saturn is all about needing to give form and structure to all he comes into contact with. This is an extremely interesting point in Saturn's 2½-year cycle through each sign, as he enters the very last degrees of Libra right on the cusp of moving into Scorpio. But then he does an about-turn, as if telling you that his work while in Libra territory is not quite complete, there is a lot of tidying-up to do, unfinished business to attend to. In Libra he strives for perfect balance in all areas of his life.

Saturn turns direct 25 June 2012 showing the way is clear for you to proceed with the knowledge that with the solid foundations in place you can now start to build with confidence that the future is in your hands.

19 February 2012: Happy Birthday Pisces!

All star sign Pisces can start celebrating birthdays from 19 February — 7.19 pm NZDT to be exact — as the Sun enters their sign. For this month* all babies born on this day, but before 7.19 pm will be Aquarius star-signs - the changeover point commonly referred to as being "on the cusp".

12 March 2012 at 7.50 pm : Mercury turns Retrograde

I don't know about you, but for a couple of weeks before Mercury turns retrograde, there appears to be a distinct feeling that things aren't going quite to plan.

With Mercury, all matters dealing with communication — whether written or spoken — are highlighted. Trade and commerce, transport, papers, contracts and files are also under Mercury's influence. When retrograde, messages get garbled, instructions misunderstood, files lost, travel delayed.

In the days before its turn, this is often referred to as it's "shadow period", in that during the upcoming cycle, the Messenger of the Gods retraces his steps to a point that he has already trod. Think back to what you were doing around 27 February — chances are that whatever was set up or instigated then will at some stage over the next month be revisited and re-evaluated, changed or amended.

With this upcoming current Mercury retrograde period, Mercury had only a few days previously entered the fiery sign of Aries, only to travel so far before heading back into the more feeling and intuitive,  watery territory of Pisces. The mind wants to think of new paths to forge but uncertainties creep in; is this the right time to follow that particular option? Going with the flow seems to be the way to go for now.

If you're about to enter into an agreement, prepare now for the eventuality that may see you revisit what you have agreed or signed. Keep relevant files handy for future reference, ensure your computer back-up system is operating — all these things are susceptible under a retrograde Mercury. If travelling, check your tickets, confirm time schedules.

The 're' part of 'retrograde' urges us to revise, revisit, reconsider, re-evaluate — that great idea you get during the next three weeks — forget it! Nine times out of ten, by the time Mercury turns direct again (on 4 April) new information will come to hand that will throw a whole new light on your plan and lead you down a more rewarding path. By 17 April when Mercury returns to Aries territory, your mind should be clearly focused on the direction the new paths ahead will take you.

I'm updating this information during the 'shadow' period of Mercury through the sign of Sagittarius in December 2011 — you see, the Mercury energy can also be used constructively. And for me, it often heralds a time when a space opens for me to update that which has been sadly neglected since its previous retrograde period. Getting in touch with the energies and the messages reflected in each planetary cycle is what astrology is all about; and for that knowledge I am forever grateful.

My article Mercury Retrograde gives you lots more information on what you may expect during its retrograde cycle, as well as its upcoming cycles during the year ahead.

20 March 2012 -  Happy Birthday Aries !

All Mars ruled star-sign Aries can start celebrating birthdays from 20 March — 5.16 pm NZDT to be exact — as the Sun enters their sign. For this month* all babies born on that day, but before 5.16 pm will be Pisces star-signs — the changeover point commonly referred to as being "on the cusp".

20 April 2012: Happy Birthday Taurus!

All Venus ruled star-sign Taureans can start celebrating birthdays from 20 April — 4.13 am NZST to be exact — as the Sun enters their sign. For this month* all babies born on that day, but before 4.13 am will be Aries star-signs — the changeover point commonly referred to as being "on the cusp".

14 April 2012, 3.54 pm : Mars turns Direct
(Refer entry for Mars turning retrograde on 24 January)

21 May 2012: Happy Birthday Gemini!

All Mercury ruled star-sign Geminians can start celebrating birthdays from 21 May — 3.17 am NZST to be exact — as the Sun enters their sign. For this month* all babies born on that day, but before 3.17 am will be Taurus star-signs — the changeover point commonly referred to as being "on the cusp".

21 June 2012: Happy Birthday Cancer!

All Moon-ruled star-sign Cancerians can start celebrating birthdays from 21 June — 11.10 am NZST to be exact — as the Sun enters their sign. For this month* all babies born on that day, but before 11.10 am will be Gemini star-signs — the changeover point commonly referred to as being "on the cusp".

25 June 2012, 8.02 pm : Saturn turns Direct

Refer to entry for 8 February when Saturn turned retrograde. Saturn turns direct showing the way is clear for you to proceed with the knowledge that with the solid foundations in place you can now start to build with confidence that the future is in your hands.
 

to be continued . . .

last updated 25 December 2011

Looking back, looking forward:

Some thoughts on Pluto's transit through Capricorn . . .

Back in 23 February 2009 I had to smile at that morning's headlines in the New Zealand Herald:

"Tight times are here to stay . . . Finance Minister spells
it out for everyone - restraint is forever"

Forever is a very long time; but with the aid of astrology and knowledge of planetary cycles, astrologers can identify the influences reflecting the current times. Much has been said about the planet Pluto moving into Capricorn as the harbinger of the need to tighten our belts, to make do with less — restraint in all areas of life, particularly our finances.

After entering Capricorn in late January 2008, the signs were all there but perhaps not taken as seriously as they should have. After 6 months, Pluto retrograded back into the previous sign of Sagittarius bringing to light the excesses and greed that had taken place for so long. Pluto in Capricorn is now exacting payment, its effect  becoming palpable from late November 2008 as it settles in for the long haul throughout its sojourn through the sign.

So how long is forever? Pluto's transit through Capricorn lasts until 2024.

But it doesn't need to be all economic doom and gloom. With this comes a positive side; moderation is not all that bad is it? Getting back to basics — to growing your own food and enjoying the freshness and nourishment that comes from that, has got to be good; the establishment of community gardens, of communities working together. Sustainability is another buzzword of our time, respect for our environment and utilising our natural resources without destroying the ecological balance of an area.

Pluto breaks down and eliminates, destroys but in Capricorn it also rebuilds. More than ever before, we need to work with Pluto not against it. For if we don't change with the current times, the change will be made for us.

© Carol Squires 2011