“Never, never give up”, said Winston Churchill. Saturn, like Churchill, is a planet that at its best, believes in patience, persistence and fortitude.
Recently, as Saturn completed a quincunx aspect with Neptune (the planet of letting go, release and surrender), we may have experienced a strange juxtaposition between forces encouraging us to “Never give up” and other pressures which told us to “let go” or “surrender”. This paradoxical pull between different cosmic energies makes for a starry soup that is a bit hard to swallow.
Why? Blame it on the quincunx. The quincunx as an aspect is confusing precisely because its hard to see the parties (planets) involved clearly. There’s a disconnected feeling between the two energies as they try to make sense of each other’s differences as well as their places of understanding. We have to gently wear a groove with the quincunx, taking time and building trust. This is a slow aspect that works better over time, as we grow comfortable, or at least more understanding, about the wedge that it forms.

Currently, we are moving into a whole new wave of Saturnian energies as the ringed planet moves into its place of exaltation in Libra and forms another opposition to Uranus, now in Aries.

Unlike the quincunx, the opposition is bold and obvious. We know exactly what’s involved with an opposition: conflict, tension, challenge. Call it projection, love, or hate, the opposition stirs up strong feelings that are designed to help us experience the extremes in life. With the opposition it’s always black or white, hot or cold, left or right. There are no shades of gray, no uncertainty. The truth, (at least on one side of the equation), is obvious. Oppositions offer us lovers or enemies, but rarely anything in between.

The Saturn/Uranus opposition which began under the Virgo/Pisces regime and has since moved into Libra/Aries, brings us into a place of stark awareness of the places of polarity in our lives. This opposition, like all oppositions, asks us to learn how to integrate two seemingly different paradigms and find a place of understanding somewhere in the midst of it all.

The Aries/Libra theme fits the relationship oriented nature of the opposition aspect perfectly, carefully enhancing the planetary pattern already so nicely laid out. These two cardinal signs evoke the energies of self/other, peace/war, justice/corruption, beauty/ugliness, etc.

Where will this drama play out in your life? Look to the houses of your chart with the signs of Aries/Libra on the cusp for further understanding of how these themes will effect you.

Below are listed a few brief tips about some of what you might expect during this Aries/Libra time:

Aries/Libra on the 1st house/7th house-Defining your own identity in the context of a relationship, or defining your relationship in the context of your identity.

Aries/Libra on the 2nd house/8th house-Defending and asserting your values, skills and resources, while finding balance with shared resources, or finding balance with your own resources while courageously exploring the resources you share with another.

Aries/Libra on the 3rd house /9th house -Bravely speaking your own truth while diplomatically learning to listen to others truths, or, learning to defend your beliefs and philosophies with balance and moderation.

Aries/Libra on the 4th house /10th house -Forging new territory at home, while keeping the peace at work or out in the world, or, blazing trails out in the world, while keeping the peace at home (or within yourself).

Aries/Libra on the 5th house /11th house -Acting on your creative breakthroughs and new inspirations for self-expressing and using these to seed beauty out in the world for others to share, or, bravely taking action on behalf of others while continuing to make time for yourself to have fun and relax.

Aries/Libra on the 6th house /12th house -Blazing new trails in your health routines, or taking risks to serve others while you maintain a sense of inner peace, or, having spiritual adventures while keeping your body in balance.

“Henry! Henry! I can’t find Dorothy! She’s somewhere out in the storm!” from the Wizard of Oz

Pluto shows us the underbelly of life. The deep, shadowy places that we can’t see clearly, the reality that is hidden from plain sight. Though this realm can be hard to understand, the power of Pluto’s depth and the call of his murmuring voice draw us closer. There is an authenticity and raw energy to this intense planet that is hard to resist, even if we try to cover our ears and look away, towards some more acceptable, “nicer” version of the truth.

Saturday’s Full Moon Eclipse in Capricorn makes several important aspects to other planets, but Pluto is the star of the show. We’ve seen the signs of this eclipse coming over the recent months, most dramatically and tragically in the Gulf Oil Spill. As Pluto comes round to conjunct the Moon in Capricorn this weekend, the spotlight shines on the underside of the bureaucracy, the “system”, the structure. The hard Capricornian stone crumbles and we watch the bricks fall.

Painful? You bet. Powerful? Yes, that too, for Pluto symbolizes the strength and intensity that we gain through suffering and letting go. This god of the underworld demands change and release as the price of entry into his realm, but Pluto doesn’t want to keep you down there, flat like a scorpion at the bottom of the earth. For the other part of this magnetic planet’s intention is birth and regeneration. The price of exit from the land of the dead is new life and growth. If you can keep from getting stuck in the first half of the cycle, transitioning out of the land of the dead when the time is right, you can then rise like an eagle, powerful, free and strong.

Since we’re now at the beginning of Pluto’s thirteen year transit of Capricorn, collectively we’ve just began an initiation. This is the time of letting go, release, and paying witness to the secrets hidden deep underground.
Pluto rules over all things that arise from the depths of the earth: oil, metals, coal.

So it’s a magical, comi-tragic twist that oil is the star of the biggest show on stage these days as we head towards this Full Moon eclipse. Pluto’s got something we need to hear now, a message that there’s no way of avoiding. We’re asked to pay attention to what it is that is dying, take note of what is being released and to listen to the undercurrents of life.


Mercury’s joins this eclipse line-up, as do Uranus and Jupiter. Mercury in Cancer allows us to grasp the magnitude of what is happening in an emotional way, going beyond the “just the facts ma’am” practicality of Capricorn. Mercury in the sign of the Crab is intuitive, and imaginative, gently opening us to the secrets of our dreams: the oceanic nocturnal waves in the sea of life. Uranus’s influence brings us these sleeping and waking messages from strange and surprising places, making us speak the truth , no matter how shocking it might be. This planetary trickster, like Bugs Bunny, is hard to catch and good at creating chaos. Jupiter expands the desire to forge ahead, joining Uranus in a wild two-step, that urges onwards, towards new adventures and experiences.

So what’s our role in all of this?Some of us might want to hide under the bed during the passing storm, waiting for the trouble to pass, for Pluto’s heavy gaze to move away from our direction. Others may need to confront transformation directly, moving boldly towards the next round in the spiral of life. This eclipse brings topsy-turvy change like Dorothy swirling in the eye of the hurricane, in between two lands and two realities. Our work may just be to spend a little time in Oz before we find our way home.

The first Aries new moon of the year is traditionally treasure map time in the Wisestars World. This great idea is borrowed from Jan Spiller’s New Moon Wishing book (and she in turn borrowed it from another astrologer….)

This year’s Aries New Moon takes place on April 14th at 5:29 am pdt

A sextile to Neptune at 12:23 pm, just before the Moon goes void of course makes this Moon an especially good one for dreaming and visioning your future.

Try to do your Treasure Map between 5:29am and 12:23pm if possible, or wait until 3:55 pm when the moon moves out of  void of course and into Taurus.

See below for instructions………
I can help you fine tune your treasure map work by doing a reading
focusing on the Aries areas in your chart. Contact me at fern@wisestars.net for a short 15 minute reading or a longer more in-depth look. We can highlight the possibilities that are most likely to manifest and give them some super-charged energy to get things moving in the right direction.

Happy Rainy Spring!

Spring Equinox Treasure Map

(done on the New Moon in Aries following the Spring Equinox. Can be done up to two days after the New Moon.)

Materials needed:

Good Music

Friends can be nice to do it with, one year I had a party….other times it’s better alone-you decide….

Magazines

Scissors, glue, cardboard or posterboard

Leaf through the magazines, cutting out pictures and words that catch your eye and set them aside. Arrange the images however you want on the board. Create your map with words and images that feel happy to you and that look like what you want to manifest this year.

Hang in a place you will see it regularly. Enjoy observing the map coming to life in suprising and unexpected ways. Be patient, it may take more than a year for some of the biggies…..

Mars first moved into Leo last October, then went retrograde on December 20th and finally went direct today, March 10, 2010 (still in Leo).

So what’s it all mean? Projects, relationships, plans and well, “things”, that began last October have been in review stage for the last few months. Hopefully, you’ve done *plenty* of reviewing, as now that Mars is direct-life will pick up a little speed.

All at once, you might ask? For most of us, alas (well alas in my case), no.
Like a train, once Mars goes into forward motion, it takes a little while to pick up speed. Expect a slow and steady pace, but by mid-May, Mars will be at the exact place it went retrograde last December, so we’ll have a chance to move on to a new phase at that time.

What’s it mean that Mars is in Leo?
Leo is the sign of self-expression, creativity, generosity, heart-filled emotion, appreciation, fame, luxury AND selfishness, grandiosity, drama, narcissism, superficiality and bossiness. Like all the signs a mix of both the highs and the lows of humanity.

So….collectively, we’ve had a chance to RE-view, RE-assess and RE-think (getting the picture here?), our own relationship to Leonine qualities and characteristics, particularly as they play out in our charts.

For example-I have the sign of Leo in both my 10th and 11th house cusp, so I’ve been looking at how much appreciation I’ve been getting and how much I want from both the public at large and my community in general. I’ve re-assessed what I want out of my career, my future and my friends. Do I have answers? Some. Do I have questions? Yes, lots. My hope is that as Mars picks up speed in its direct motion, some of these questions will be answered.

You can look to what house/s and planets the sign of Leo falls in in your chart to explore your own questions and answers for this time.

Check out astro.com for a free chart copy-or contact me for a reading of how Mars direct plays out in your chart.

Chiron and Neptune in Aquarius are conjunct today at 9:07 pm pst. Like a luminous net being woven throughout the galaxy, these two celestial bodies are joining together to remind us of our connection to each other and to the planet.

Chiron brings us an awakened awareness of the wounds of alienation. As the Centaur, Chiron offers both an instinctive, animal like knowing of the wound and also a more rational abstract knowledge. As Chiron has traveled through Aquarius, the sign of groups, friendships, technology and the future, we’ve seen a hunger for forms of more collective connection in the form of Facebook, Twitter and other social networking mediums.

Are we wounded in our ability as humans to connect with each in a humane way? Yes. But Chiron also shows us the pathway to healing by adjusting, like a Chiropractor, our perspective so that we can understand the wound in a slightly different way. As the sign of “holy experimentation”, Aquarius has allowed us all the chance to engage in one big human science project, exploring what it means to connect with others through the medium of space, time and computers.

Neptune joins the Centaur, bringing magic, mystery and a touch of confusion. Are we really making connections on-line? Does it count if it’s not embodied? If so, then what is the value of the body in social connection? Beyond our intimate partners, how do we benefit from physically connecting with groups of friends and communities? With Neptune involved there’s a nebulousness or diffuse awareness that permeates all of our questions and all of our answers.

Through the fog we can’t see very clearly now, but the soft focus perspective sure looks good. Neptune with Chiron blurs our relationship with the body, leading us to question how the physical realm fits into the grand scheme of things. Like the movie Avatar, it raises the question of how much of our reality and engagement with life is limited to our experience in a human form and how much is possible with just the mind, emotions and spirit.

As Neptune and Chiron both begin a slow transiton out of Aquarius and into Pisces over the next several years, we may find that our compassion and sense of humanity begins to evolve, growing more finely tuned, more sophisticated. It is during this experimentation time now, that we have the chance to practice and take chances, learning what creates explosions and chaos and what gives us our desired outcome.

I just finished reading Jane Juska’s books-A Round heeled Woman: My Late Life Adventures in Sex and Romance. It got me to thinking about love outside the box and this Aquarius new moon. I thought the book was well-written and engaging, and also was interested to read about how so many people in Juska’s life seemed to respond to her desire for love and sex. Many, though intrigued, were also a bit shocked-because the idea of a 67 year old woman seeking love in this way, (they said and later wrote), seemed so strange, so odd, so just plain WEIRD.

Welcome to the world of Aquarian love, a love that breaks down our barriers of what love and connection should be, that shatters our limitations and energizes us with new possibilities and potentials. Over the last year we’ve had the chance to explore Aquarian themes like friendship, community, technology and the future in a whole new way. As Chiron, Jupiter and Neptune moved posse-like through the sign of the Water Bearer, there’s been a chance for collective merging, expansion and healing around issues of who’s “in or out”. Everyone’s inner exile, outcast and rebel has been clamoring at the gates, seeking some kind of healing or at the very least, understanding. Stuff and more stuff has been stirred up, as collectively we’ve witnessed both the damage we’ve sustained by feeling left out and misunderstood and also any possibilities for redemption.

It’s time to turn a new page at the New Moon in Aquarius tomorrow evening. This New Moon closely conjuncts Neptune and Chiron and also makes a loose conjunction to Jupiter and Venus (newly in Pisces). The strong Pisces/Neptune aspects make this an excellent time to forgive and release old hurts from the past. This is the moment to step forward into a new understanding of what it means to be human.

Not to mention that it’s Valentine’s Day! Whether you love or hate this holiday of love, the astrology this year can’t be beat. We are all reminded now to exercise our human right to love and be loved. Love big, love bold, love weird and love well, as the stars align to support your grandest, most impossible dreams for love.

December 2009 is a busy month in the sky above (not to mention the earth below), as the planets change signs, moving forwards and backwards and clustering together in all kinds of interesting arrangements. The kicker is a Full Moon eclipse in the sign of Cancer (the second of two full moons this month), taking place on New Year’s Eve. So what does  this high octave rearrangement of the cosmic forces mean for you and for those you love?

As Venus settles into Sagittarius tomorrow (December 1^st) and the Full Moon lights up the sign of Gemini (also December 1^st), this is as good a time as any to embrace the sacred art of storytelling.

As an astrologer, part of my job is to weave a story of power, possibility and hope for my clients using the threads of their natal charts as the basis for the important themes and cycles that will shape their lives. But ideally, I can go even further and encourage people to track the movement of the stars and planets on their own, in this way they can begin to weave their own stories about their charts and their lives.

So think of my “star story” for December as a template for you to work with, a way for you to begin to develop your astrological literacy and move forward in the direction of shaping your personal planetary narrative.

The starry landscape of December is a paradoxical story, one that tells of change and awakening, but also stops and starts. Uranus, which goes direct after a five month retrograde period, is like an arrow shooting outward into the Piscean realm of imagination, creativity and spirituality. We now are free to explore the realms of possibility, having received the steady hand and focused attention of Saturn in Virgo, as it opposed Uranus in Pisces over the last year. Jupiter, the ancient ruler of Pisces and the modern ruler of Sagittarius, the archer, is further accentuated now as Venus joins the Sun for a month long visit with this expansive and optimistic fire sign.

So at first glance it would seem that all systems are “go, go, go”, yet mid-to late December, brings us a bit of a “no, no, no” vibe, slowing down our flying arrow of change and asking us to reconsider, regroup and re-energize both our thoughts and our actions. As Mars in Leo goes retrograde from mid-December until March of 2010, we have to keep our hands on the reigns of our desires. This will be a time to really explore whether our hearts are driving our will or vice-versa. Mercury retrograde in late December adds to this internalized energy, encouraging a time of introspection. We’re asked to put the breaks on now and slow down a fast moving vehicle, curbing its speed and directing a force and power that may at least appear to be out of our immediate control (Saturn/Pluto square).

This landscape of planetary possibility during the Winter of 2009-10 is only the backdrop for a larger story, a collective cosmic tale that may shape and effect your own personal narrative, but which also has a power all on its own. As you track the movements of the stars and planets in relationship to your natal chart, use your imagination to integrate the archetypes and myths of the sky into the day to day events of your life. As the days grow shorter and the nights longer, ask yourself, “What is the story that you want to tell around the Solstice fire? What is the story that gives your life meaning?” The story that warms you in the dark? This is the story that will help you keep your inner fire and light alive through this season of darkness and this is the story that is yours alone to tell.

The Star Stats

December 1

Full Moon in Gemini

Uranus in Pisces (23 degrees) goes direct

Venus moves into Sagittarius

December 20

Mars in Leo goes retrograde (19 degrees)

December 26

Mercury in Capricorn goes retrograde (21 degrees)

December 31

Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Cancer (10 degrees)

Venus is moving through Scorpio for the next few weeks, making the rest of November  a prime time to intensify all acts of love and pleasure in your life. Sex is probably the most obvious outlet for the lusty and sensual energy of Scorpio, and with Venus involved, food and art combine to make an excellent warm-up for a romantic evening alone with your sweetie (or just a romantic evening alone with yourself….). To fully experience the possibilities of this transit, try dessert and a movie “Venus in Scorpio style”, indulging your senses with both richness and depth. Read on for a sample recipe and a movie review that honors the Goddess of Love and Pleasure in her Dark Goddess guise….

Dessert:

Procure chocolate and hazelnut ice cream. Top with a generous amount of pomegranate seeds, (representing juiciness, mystery and the gifts of darkness). Sprinkle with chopped crystallized ginger (for a Scorpionic bite) and finish with shredded coconut (for endurance and strength).

Movie: (Warning: spoiler alert)

Venus, the planet of (among other things….) pleasure, leisure time and relaxation, will be forming a square to Neptune at the end of the month , so this is a good time to escape into the illusionary world of film. What better way to leave reality behind than by watching the Venus in Scorpio themed movie. “The Waitress”, starring Keri Russell. This picture is ripe with Scorpionic themes: illicit sex, violence, birth, death, inheritances, and the magical powers of pie.

Russell plays Jenna, a waitress whose pies inspire people to fall in love, remember their youth and live their dreams. Unwillingly pregnant by her abusive husband, she begins a secret affair with her doctor, wooing him with a “Marshmallow Mermaid pie”.

The sweetness of Venus threads throughout the movie, resplendent in the close-ups of rich chocolate being poured over bananas, the “on-the spot” poetry of an enamored suitor, and the easy camaraderie shared by Jenna and her waitress sisters. Like the goddess Persephone, Jenna returns home every night to the realm of the underworld, held hostage by her possessive and brutal husband. Naïve and helpless, she is a child-bride, trapped in a nightmare. As she bakes her way throughout the movie, creating pies with names like “”Bad Baby pie , “Falling in Love Pie” and “Naughty Pumpkin Pie”, her power slowly awakens, culminating in the arrival of her newborn daughter.

Like a vengeful Kali, moments after giving birth, Jenna finally gathers the courage to tell her husband to disappear, then she breaks up with her lover and rides off into the sunset with baby Lulu, creating the pie palace of her dreams along the way.

Adrienne Shelly, who wrote, directed and co-starred in “The Waitress”, was murdered on November, 1, 2006, months before the movie was actually released. On the day she was killed, the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter formed a stelllium in Scorpio. The transiting Moon was in Pisces, triggering her natal Mars in Gemini, which was in turn squared in her birth chart by Uranus and Pluto. Shellie’s final movie is a moving testament to the rich sensuality, love of the feminine and witty dialogue that is generously reflected in her natal chart. With her Sun conjunct Jupiter in Cancer, Venus in Taurus trine Pluto and Mars in Gemini square Pluto and Uranus, Shellie was a perfect channel for this story of love and transformation. As we journey through the remainder of the Scorpio season, honoring the memory and the spirits of our beloved dead, Shellie’s movie reminds us of the sweetness of life. May she be remembered and so live on, her art remaining as a testament to a creative, passionate and heart-filled spirit.

It’s looking like the curtains are ready to rise on a whole lot of action this Fall, as stuck places loosen up and wheels start to turn. Many of you may be waiting with baited breath now, wanting to get going already, put your hands on the reigns and ride free, finally, (without all those damn restraints), towards the future.

My Mars in Sagittarius and Moon in Aquarius are right there with you, ready to embark on whatever adventures await as the seasons of the skies change once more. But my Sun in Virgo and Venus in Cancer is experiencing a wistful sort of tug, remembering the sweetness of the slow and steady routines that make up the weave of life. Though I’m ready for change, eager for it even, the Moon in Taurus today has encouraged me to meditate on some of the more simple pleasures, the ones that already exist in this present moment.

So I wanted to invite  those of you who might appreciate it, to take some time before the pace of this cosmic game of musical chairs picks up,  to look around you. Observe all the things that are in your life right now that bring you  small moments of appreciation, those simple, but sweet times, that fill up the spaces  between the big events.

In my garden I’m noticing: the sweet smell of the last roses of summer, the tomato plant that never quite got going and only now is growing a small green fruit, the pink jasmine that hasn’t bloomed but that I hope will this Fall. I’m appreciating: my dog’s little dinner dance and my lover’s ability to always make me laugh, the Mayberry on acid vibe that permeates Fairfax and the golden haze that the light brings with it now.

I’m almost ready for that show of planetary fireworks ahead, but it may find me in the kitchen, indulging my very own Venus in Cancer as I finally try that recipe for Lemon Poppyseed Cake I’ve been waiting to make all summer. At least I’ll have something to serve at the party that is sure to accompany Venus as it transits into Libra and Mars as it roars into Leo (ready to party for a looong eight months, but that is a whole other blog….)

When I was in my early 20’s and fresh out of college, I trained as a river guide with a non-profit outdoor organization. I came to spend most of my weekends on the wild rivers of California, navigating white water and leading groups of inner city youth through nature’s twists and turns. It was a scary and exhilarating responsibility, assessing the rapids and making judgment calls based on nothing but my training and my instincts.

Though I haven’t been on a raft in nearly 17 years, I am reminded of these times now in my work as an astrologer, as I assist my clients in navigating the rivers of their lives. Giving a reading is a bit like moving through a rapid, as I guide people through  turbulent areas, but also point out possibilities for growth or new opportunities or  direct them to the calm resting periods of their lives, when it’s time to just take a break.

The people I work with trust me with their vulnerable places, their secrets, their dreams and their hopes for the future. They also gift me with stories of their success and I’ve had the privilege to witness many of my long-term clients blossoming through the years, growing more fully “into themselves” as they embody the story of their natal astrological charts in their own perfectly individual but perfectly wonderful ways.

I love the excitement of a reading, knowing that we’re going in a general direction, with a point A to a point B, but not knowing exactly how we will get there. Like my time as a river guide, with readings, I depend on both my training and my intuition, watching for signs of which path to take with a client, pulling back if there appears to be danger ahead, and sometimes taking a bold leap forward, pushing through a challenging place with them and arriving together on the other side, exuberant and alive.

Both river rafting and astrology involve reading and interpreting the stories that the natural world offers up to us. These stories are a gift from the earth, the stars and the sky, a sacred gift that teaches  us how to navigate the challenging areas of life, learning to move with the energy of the natural world rather than against it. These stories  also help us to maximize the opportunities and possibilities that exist in life, learning to time our actions with the cycles of nature.

Today’s New Moon conjunct Saturn in Virgo and opposing Uranus in Pisces is a reminder of this “earth gift”. Awakening our attention towards the “hands in the dirt” practicality of Virgo, we can grow more attuned now to not just our individual bodies, but also the body of the planet. This lunation raises the question: How can we maintain the health of both of these two forms of life that are so irretrievably connected? Uranus in Pisces simultaneously reminds us of the realm of spirit, flow, trust and compassion. Can we also dare to dream and imagine a heart-filled future, rooted in an awareness of our inter-connection?

The Saturn/Uranus opposition highlights both ends of the spectrum, reminding us that service to each other is also a service to ourselves and service to ourselves has the potential to serve others.

This planetary configuration shows up by transit in my own chart along my 6^thhouse/12^th house axis and conjunct my nodes in Virgo/Pisces, so this has been very much a time of questioning for me, as I look at how I serve and how my service serves me back. The quiet Saturnian light of the Virgo New Moon has reminded me of why I love being an astrologer, focusing my attention on the rhythm that beats at the heart of my work.

The ongoing and continuously unfolding story of the earth is the story I want to tell, the story that feeds and enchants me and keeps me motivated to keep exploring the wild rivers of the soul. Every person I work with is a unique manifestation of this story, a thread in the greater tapestry of life, and listening to and articulating these stories serves me, allowing me to flow into and merge with that great Piscean stream that makes us not just wonderfully divine, but also simply human.