With the Moon moving into Pisces today, it will place a further emphasis on that sign and the two that follow: Aries and Taurus. The Sun has been in Taurus since Wednesday. Retrograde Mercury returned to Aries (after a sojourn in early Taurus) yesterday. Venus is currently direct in late Pisces and on its way back to Aries now that its retrograde is concluded.

But then, there is Mars. Mars is currently in the unusual role of leading the pack of fleetest astrological objects. Earlier today, Mars left Taurus behind to blaze on into Gemini. Should you notice something along the lines of a shift to your interior scenery in the handful of days to come, Mars will probably prove to be a useful correlation.

Gemini likes to tell the story of any object it’s hosting – usually both sides of it. In the case of Mars, Gemini’s tale is likely to be more cerebral than would be the case with other signs – a factor you can put to use over the weekend and into next next week.

Among other things, Mars has to do with what you desire. In context with what’s going on with the rest of the zodiac, the specific form of desire corresponding to Mars beginning its foray into Gemini will likely have to do with your personal story.

Having a story to explain what you don’t know or understand is not necessarily a bad thing. After all, that’s how astrology started. Indeed, even the most disciplined intellectuals (many of whom despise astrology) are not exempt. Modern physics, for example, offers a comprehensive account of the universe with precious little empirical proof – mostly based on blind faith in an even more abstract narrative called mathematics.

Nor are scientists alone among yarn-spinners who should be smart enough to know spiel from the real deal. To cite just one other obvious case, look at the U.S. Supreme Court. How nine of the finest legal minds can refer to the same Constitution, the same case evidence, and yet disagree sharply in judgment can – in significant part – be plausibly accounted for by differing stories about each of those things in each of their minds.

It is therefore without judgement to say here that you have your own stories as well. As proof, simply observe what happens in your mind to provide a backstory when you read news accounts about about anything from a mysterious death to a sports event with an unexpected outcome. Then, go to just a bit of extra effort to see how those who disagree with your interpretations of those events do so in a manner consistent with what you know to be their own referential (and all too often , anecdotal) touchstones.

All of which leads back to Mars. Without going into too much story at all, the initial days of Mars in Gemini can reasonably be seen as an opportunity for you to explore another side of your own version of events. You would, of course have to begin by releasing what attachment you have to your default explanations.

Indeed if you only ask “what if” and go on to simply get curious about at least one other version not previously embraced, you will have consciously transformed the desire Mars represents. You will have turned what is at least sometimes a poor master into a great servant. Not bad – for astrology.

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By Amanda Painter

These next few days look like they could have a “push/pull” or “hurry up and wait” feel to them. With the Sun, retrograde Mercury and Mars all changing signs within three days, you may find that it pays to move slowly, consciously and with as much awareness of your decision-making processes (and impulses) as possible.

Snail at dawn; photo by Amanda Painter.

The Sun was the first of the three to change signs, which it did yesterday (Wednesday) when it left Aries and entered Taurus.

This puts us in the heart of the season: spring here in the Northern Hemisphere, with the days noticeably longer and warmer finally — and tree buds, flowers and allergies popping up all over. Yet one of the main benefits of having the Sun in earthy, sensual, don’t-even-think-about-rushing-me Taurus is that it may offer some needed grounding for the movements of Mercury and Mars.

This is not about getting stubborn. It’s about being able to feel both of your feet (or all four of your hooves) on the solid earth, and letting that sensory contact help you to stay present, focused and in your body.

This physical grounding can feel especially helpful when Mercury is in a particularly “quick” sign, or when it’s in retrograde motion. Both are key factors as we head into the weekend.

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With the waning Moon now in Sagittarius until late Sunday, don’t be surprised if this weekend began early on the inside. For public and political events, however, the tone could be decidedly different. The Sun is now on a home stretch of sorts while traversing the final degrees of Aries. Many of the planets are moving in a similarly conclusive context.

Tomorrow, Venus will end nearly six weeks of retrograde conjunct Chiron in very late Pisces. Meanwhile, Mars is moving through the tail end of Taurus. Saturn, in spite of its own recent retrograde station, is still occupying the same latter degree of Sagittarius it entered when the Venus retrograde began.

Then, there are Uranus and the lunar nodes. Uranus initiated its current tour of Aries more than six years ago. It would be something of an understatement to characterize events since then as consistent with what astrologer Robert Hand called a “crazy planet” (in a 2014 interview with The Mountain Astrologer).

If anything has been proven over the past 12 months or so (while Uranus was in a highly functional conjunction with Eris), it was that Mr. Hand does not exaggerate.

Even as Uranus is now separating from its last exact conjunction with Eris, it is simultaneously moving into the last five degrees of Aries. At the same time, the intangible, perpetually opposing and constantly oscillating lunar nodes are winding up about a year and a half on the Virgo-Pisces axis.

Whenever an actual object or calculated point is concluding its tenure in a given sign, corresponding events often do correlate with what happens in the stretch run of a race. A sense of fatigue is to be expected. At the same time, intensity tends to reach a crescendo. All the while, there is no absolute certainty regarding the final outcome. Finally, all that has taken place since the start is reaching its final distillation.

Even though the Moon is now moving towards the end of its current cycle, the two weeks after a Full Moon (which took place only four days ago) usually represent more of a warm-down than a wind-up. In addition, and regardless of phase, the Moon in Sagittarius is nearly always a more lighthearted time than the previous couple days in Scorpio.

Of course, the choice of how to engage with contrasting astrological trends is ultimately yours to make. On the whole, however, it would probably be a good idea to go with what the Moon is offering and detach from the proverbial rat race for the next few days.

If the Sun, many of the planets and the lunar nodes are an accurate indication, any public scenario now approaching the end of its run will still be doing so on Monday. With only some exceptions for location, the weather at this time of year is between climactic extremes. Unless you are unavoidably caught up and unable to get off the political merry-go-round that this weekend looks to be, you could do a lot worse than to find some personal peace outdoors  — away from discouraging words.

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You may pre-order all 12 signs of the 2017 Spring Reading this week for just $39.39. What we’re living through today is not written about in any book. We’re its pioneers in consciousness, and INVOLUTION will be your guide.

By Amanda Painter

By now, you’ve heard about (and likely watched a video of) the man getting forcibly hauled off a United Airlines flight, as well as the public outrage surrounding it and United’s initial defense of the action. You could say that this incident, and the mass awareness of it, is one way that the Sun passing through the Uranus-Eris conjunction in Aries is being reflected. But it’s not the only way this astrology can manifest; and indeed, it’s related to another important current astrological event.

Dahlia, blue vase and salt lamp; photo by Amanda Painter.

Since Uranus is separating from Eris, the Sun made its exact conjunction to Eris on Wednesday, and will make its exact conjunction to Uranus on Friday at 1:30 am EDT. Yet the aspect is still in force.

For sure, the Sun (which represents consciousness) seems to be heightening collective awareness of the current environment in this country: one marked by a kind of militancy. We see it in reactions to the launching of tomahawk missiles in retribution for the use of chemical weapons in Syria. We see it in how eager everyone is to jump into attacking or defending of almost any event on social media.

With Uranus often representing revolution and Eris often representing a subversive element, this can have its constructive side. Historically, consumer actions such as boycotts of a company needed significant time to have an effect, if they had any effect at all. These days, “we the people” seem to wield more power than ever thanks to social media. When a corporate misstep is brought to attention online, backlash can snowball at astonishing speeds.

Does that backlash have an effect on the company in question? Frequently yes; but how deep does the reform go? An apology is great; monetary compensation to an injured or aggrieved party is helpful. But once that happens and makes the news, how often does it lead to systemic reforms, or to a sustained, multi-level, intersectional movement?

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“You take away the breath I was keeping for sunrise.”
— Pete Townshend

Early this morning (or late last night (depending on your time zone), the Libra Full Moon with retrograde Jupiter nearby was a breathtaking sight for those of you fortunate enough to have clear skies. Retrograde Venus is likewise impressive in the East just before dawn. In fact, retrograde is currently the rule for all visible planets orbiting the Sun except Mars.

Up until relatively recently, the celestial situation was much different. Before Jupiter initiated its Libra retrograde in the first week of February, all the sign-ruling planets had been in direct motion for about a month. After that, things changed rapidly.

On March 4, Venus commenced a retrograde in Aries, which has since returned it to Pisces. Then came April.

On April 6, Saturn shifted into reverse conjunct the Galactic Core in the same degree of Sagittarius it still occupies. Last weekend, Mercury followed suit to begin its slowest retrograde of the year in the same degree of Taurus where it is presently positioned.

Venus will break the retro pattern when it resumes direct motion this coming weekend. On April 20, however, Pluto will restock the backpedal collection. At that time, it starts a period of over five months just to retrace less than three degrees of Capricorn.

What to make of so much recent change in planetary direction would be a rational question for you to ask about now. It’s also probable that you would not need to be an expert in astrology to derive a workable answer. All you really need to do is look back to your experience of the sky last night, and compare it to all that’s transpired in your life over the last two months or so.

Unless you are an earthly exception, life has offered more than a usual share of breathtaking experiences since January. Admittedly, you could probably have done without some of them. Even so, that which proves cause for a pause in the rhythm of respiration is, by practical definition, important. Regular breathing is vital to remaining alive and healthy. Anything that instinctively brings you to interrupt such a vital function must, therefore, be highly significant.

If there is anything to correlating a recent abundance of retrogrades with an unusual number of breathtaking events, that could be vital information for you to keep in mind during days to come. That’s because the astrology for this week implies you will have reason to understand how a seldom-used synonym for taking a breath is the word “inspiration.”

In order not to miss your chances to be inspired, it will be necessary first of all to breathe consciously. Such a practice in itself is healthy in more ways than one. This week, however, you will have yet another reason to be more present than usual to your exchange with the atmosphere. After all, anything that takes away the breath you were keeping for sunrise is something you would not want to miss.

Offered In Service

You may pre-order all 12 signs of the 2017 Spring Reading this week for just $39.39. What we’re living through today is not written about in any book. We’re its pioneers in consciousness, and INVOLUTION will be your guide.

Whether you were up late or are just finding out now, there should be no surprise in the headlines. No, not the sports star misbehaving headlines. Not even the shocking celebrity revelation du jour. What is truly not surprising is that the more things change, the more the U.S. government (in particular, but not exclusively) stays the same.

One century to the day after the U.S. military entered a war the president vowed to avoid, another campaign promise was broken. Once again, yet another American president has played his one trump card early in his term. Now, the rest will almost certainly be a long effort to distract from an obvious truth.

Somebody (probably a man) once asserted that the business of America is business. At one time, somebody may have believed civilian commerce and private enterprise were the prime movers in the economy of a nation distinguished, for many, by its implicit (albeit false) promise of prosperity for all. If there is one blessing to living at this time, it could well be that nobody paying attention can be fooled anymore.

Abraham Lincoln (perhaps the last U.S. president to in fact be in command of the military) famously justified the American Civil War as an effort to preserve a nation unique in its founding principles. Maybe he was lying too. We will probably never know.

Now, however, it should be clear that the government Lincoln captained has been of, by and for war (and not “the people”) for a very long time. Even more to the point, one other practical (if not formal) fact should now be evident: every four years U.S. citizens vote to elect somebody who ultimately acts to keep the business of war going strong.

The zodiac chart for the U.S. cruise missile attack in Syria last night has a feature not often seen. It has to do with Mars. Interestingly, that feature has two sides.

Mars is one of the “traditional” or “classical” planets we have been aware of ever since human beings started paying conscious attention to the sky. For that reason alone, the mythical character of the same name cannot be denied or dismissed — especially in a civilization that traces at least some of its origins to the cultures that gave rise to the mythology.

For ancient Greeks and Romans, Mars was the god of war. While modern astrologers can legitimately say Mars also means a lot more than war (and that alternative interpretations are frequently more correct), it would be sheer denial to ignore the original meaning as a matter of policy.

Assuming you keep the mythical personality of Mars in mind, the current astrology says a lot, which should be no surprise at all. With the exception of the two luminaries (Sun and Moon), Mars is now advancing around the zodiac faster than any other tangible celestial presence.

To have Mars be the apparent speed demon of the planets is not exactly a common event. It should therefore not be surprising if Martian corollaries (including the original one) are being advanced ahead of others at the same time. Yet, there is another side, which could ultimately correspond with our modern masters of war finally being shown the door.

The other side of any single planet’s position, movement and aspects is the context represented by the rest of the zodiac. Mars will never move faster than the Sun (which can be said to correspond to your conscious awareness) or the Moon (which, among many other things, has to do with dreams). By the same token, those who have sold out to the perpetuation of war cannot either fool you or displace your dreams of a world without war unless you at least give your silent assent.

In addition, Mercury (representing your mind, among other things) will not always be as slow as it now is, just prior to its retrograde station on Sunday. The same can be said for Venus (emblematic of love and related values) which is currently in the midst of its first retrograde since 2015.

Just as with the relative speed of planets on the zodiac, things will change. By next month, Mercury will return to a direct motion much faster than Mars, after painstakingly revealing some truths during its April review. By the time the Sun enters Cancer to start a new season in June, Venus too will have resumed direct motion and started to catch Mars from behind. Nothing stays the same for long in the sky.

Even so, when it comes to events on Earth, the lessons of the sky are sometimes either denied or ignored. This has been especially true of war. Some have remained resigned to its inevitability. Others somehow remain convinced war is necessary. Then there are those who actually think of war as a wholesome family value that puts food on the table and kids through school.

Yet it need not always remain so. It is not necessary for anything to stay the same. It is possible to say no. It may take a while, but the destiny of the most audacious national founding in human history can still be changed to finally conform with the letter of its initiating documents.

The American Revolution initiated as a war, but the results are still not final. The final battle is now being fought within Americans, as we decide who and what “the people” will in fact be.

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By Amanda Painter

Have you ever been involved in some sort of group project that lacks a clear leader within the group, though there might be an external authority to answer to when the project is done? And maybe you feel excited because you just know that you have the right ideas and could totally direct your team to success, if only they’d listen to you — even though nobody has vested you with the position of leader or ‘authority’? Well, a major aspect pattern between now and the weekend looks a little like that.

Photo by Amanda Painter

The Sun is moving from mid to late Aries right now. As it does, it enters the loose cardinal grand square that’s been hanging out for a while.

This grand square involves planets in all four cardinal signs: Uranus and Eris in Aries; Vesta in Cancer; retrograde Jupiter in Libra; and Pluto in Capricorn. The pattern is beginning to separate, but all the major players are still resonating with each other. Between Friday and Saturday, the Aries Sun makes exact contact first with Jupiter (an opposition, exact on Friday), and then with Pluto (a square, exact Saturday night into Sunday).

Oppositions usually signal energy coming to a peak of some sort, possibly a confrontation. Yet Jupiter is known for putting a positive spin on most aspects — even the more ‘challenging’ ones. As notable astrologer Robert Hand describes, Sun opposite Jupiter can give a real boost to optimism and confidence, enabling a person to project very positive energy to those around them.

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Today is Equal Pay Day in the U.S. It’s not an official holiday. Equal Pay Day is instead a measure of something unfortunate: the disparity between salaries made by men and women for an equal about of work. On average, to earn as much as a man made in 2016, a woman would have had to work all of last year, and up to this point this year.

By now, nobody should be surprised if current events resonate with astrology. Even though it is not useful to consider some celestial objects basically female and others essentially male as a matter of strict policy, the context of Equal Pay Day this year does come with some telling cosmic events on tap.

Today, the Moon (often interpreted as a feminine astrological quality) leaves its Cancer dominion behind and enters Leo, where the (so-called masculine) Sun rules. In the meantime, the ongoing retrograde of Venus has temporarily taken it from the putative first sign of the zodiac (Aries) to the last (Pisces).

Perhaps most sobering, Saturn (and its common association with an established order) is about to end a full month of slow progress through one single degree of Sagittarius. It will initiate a retrograde of its own Thursday.

Up until now, there has indeed been slow but significant progress regarding wage equality. Of course there are exceptions in the U.S. and elsewhere. Nonetheless, in 2016 Equal Pay Day was on April 19. But later last year, the nature of the established order changed.

Now, the three constitutional branches of American government are potentially — or in actuality — turning back the clock when it comes to equal treatment in a workplace. Of course, there have been (and will continue to be) exceptions to that trend as well.

Many women can, do and will continue to manage (often at great personal sacrifice) to make it to the top of their profession on their own merit. From such examples, all people can take inspiration to reach their own potential, and also to give deserving others a helping hand.

Unfortunately, advancement for women based on merit alone is still not the the rule. All too often, increased prestige and income requires aiding and betting the hegemony of certain powerful (if unconscionable) men. It tilts the playing (paying?) surface even more if you are the right man’s daughter or wife.

Yet, there is astrological reason to believe that even the most disturbing recent developments regarding equal pay for equal work are not indicative of a permanent trend. No celestial object or point remains in retrograde forever. In addition, the net motion over time for every tangible object in the solar system is direct, and thus representative of inevitable progress. Even so, what happens in the sky is not destined to be emulated here below.

Astrology is not destiny. Progress on Earth is made to happen, or not. However, movements on an ever-dynamic zodiac can (and often do) indicate something of the moment, as well as what led up to it and choices to follow.

When it comes to astrological indicators (and their earthly parallels) at this point, at least two things are clear. First, it would be helpful if you were alert for situations where the time is right to forego traditional perceptions and protocols. Then, it would be necessary to make a convincing case for others (of either greater influence, or influence in numbers) that it’s in their interest to make way for another way.

It won’t be easy for new possibilities to find acceptance, but it will be crucial. Otherwise, the way things are going, Equal Pay Day will cease to have meaning after nearly everybody has been devalued to a point almost nobody wants to see.

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