May 22nd, 2004
IT IS NOW THE YEAR OF THE WOOD MONKEY!!!
HIGHLIGHT: MOON ENTERS CANCER!
These trends are generic to ALL people. Some are very slow aspects, such as Venus, Neptune and Pluto retrograde - these aspects will last for at least the summer. These planetary trends reflect the energies of the Tarot beautifully. Each planet is a unique "Archetype" of its own and they move at their own pace. For instance, the large planets, eg Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, not to mention little Pluto have hardly moved at all since yesterday. The Moon on the other hand, moves swiftly through the twelve signs - it makes a full circle through all twelve during each lunar month (28 days). This reminds us of the noble energies of the Tarot, which do not tell your "fortune" but help you attune to the shifts, dynamics, and intricasies of our Universe.
| CURRENT ECLIPTIC LONGITUDE AND EQUATORIAL DECLINATION | |||
PLANET | SIGN | DECLINATION | RETROGRADE? |
| Sun | 01 GEMINI 41 | 20 N 30 | NO |
| Moon | 07 CANCER 08 | 27 N 35 | NO |
| Mercury | 07 TAURUS 19 | 11 N 03 | NO |
| Venus | 25 GEMINI 43 | 26 N 36 | YES |
| Mars | 09 CANCER 33 | 24 N 20 | NO |
| Jupiter | 09 VIRGO 22 | 09 N 15 | NO |
| Saturn | 11 CANCER 02 | 22 N 39 | NO |
| Uranus | 06 PISCES 39 | 9 S 47 | NO |
| Neptune | 15 AQUARIUS 25 | 16 S 16 | YES |
| Pluto | 21 SAGITTARIUS 20 | 14 S 11 | YES |
Tarot Aspects for Today
Moon in Cancer
The Moon cycles are very brief - it moves through each sign at a rate of about 2 to 3 days in each sign. Today the Moon moves from lively Gemini to the more nurturing, motherly sign of Cancer. This is a powerful placement for the Moon, who also represents strong, female energy. At this time, we all become lovers of comfort and ease. We also become changeable, versatile, and keenly emotional. If surrounded by home comforts, good food and drink, we feel friendly, sociable, imaginative, and generous. At this time, your environment plays a large part in your attitude and outlook. In fact, you are acutely sensitive to exogenous influences, and tend to adopt a kind of protective colouring from the people and places with which you associate. It makes us more conservative and domestic by nature, and fuels a love for home, family and ancestry. We feel a stronger attachment to our mothers during this transit. You are more intuitive, and are better able to express how other people think and feel. There is a strong attraction to water at this time, you will enjoy living on or vacationing by large bodies of water or traveling by ship during this moon cycle. You become more sensitive, intuitive; perhaps able to display psychic abilities. The Moon card, the Number 18 of the Major Arcana fits this energy perfectly - not just because we are talking about the Moon, but the Moon in Cancer. This card speaks of psychic ability, intuition, and deep inner emotional work. This emotional work is important - it can either free us and help us to reach epiphanies or it can drag us down into moodiness, depression or even delusion. The Moon card urges us to rely on our instincts and intuition, (not our ego) when seeking possible solutions to our problems.Moon Sextile Mercury
The Moon and Mercury are exactly 60 degrees apart, with the Moon at 7 degrees Cancer and Mercury at 7 degrees in Taurus. Communication in your relationships is of primary importance to you now, and you will like nothing better than exchanging plans and ideas with others. You will find it necessary to have regular contact with your family, friends and associates during this brief transit. You will prefer the company of mentally stimulating people and will form intellectual contacts. Your acquaintances now are likely to be business people, academics, students, teachers or educators. A great time for facilitating in learning groups or teaching a self development seminar. The tarot card that resonates to this energy is the Six of Cups, signaling the energy of reminiscences but also bearing fruit from our past right actions now, in the present. It leads us to spend time with family and old friends, to digest our past into a holistic acceptance and to learn from our past mistakes. This card speaks of great harmony, that has its roots in our past. It also predicts new opportunities that come from this past groundedness.Sun in Gemini:
For the next 28 days or so, the Sun Sign will be in Gemini which brings a livelier air to our lives: our energy begins to quicken. This is the cycle for natural communication, with a never-ending thirst for knowledge. Gemini cycles bring out the student in us all. The prevailing energy is intelligent, pushing us to be always on the move, always trying to satisfy our mental curiosity. This is a good time for picking out what is salient in a situation, acquiring knowledge easily, and sharing it with others. The nuance of Gemini is bright, bringing out our multi-talents and enthusiasm, but we must guard against scattering our energies in too many directions. The Tarot card that resonates to this new energy is the Knight of Wands, ushering in change but doing so with eloquence and charm. This Knight blesses us with energy that does make us change our minds swiftly, and sometimes, unpredictably but also gives us a sophisticated air that helps us to achieve our goals. Use this cycle to get up to date on your correspondence, to share "heart to hearts" with your significant others, and to write that best-seller! Plan long lunches and cozy fireside chats to fully express your heart and souls to those who matter most to you. This energy will prevail for the next thirty days, peaking around the end of June.Mars Sextile Jupiter
Mars and Jupiter are now in an exact Sextile, with Mars at 9 degrees Cancer and Jupiter at 9 degrees Virgo. The energy of this spect means that we all can more effectively use our resources of mind and body to gain our objectives. During this aspect, we tend to establish ambitious and demanding goals, but we are prepared to take any steps necessary to see that these ideas are constructively implemented. We can apply mental-physical muscle workouts that prepare us for later confrontations with serious opponents. This interaction helps us to assert ourselves under pressure and to develop our talent for effective communication through dramatic delivery and clever use of words. You will be able to document what you say with convincing evidence. We tend to become more quick to defend anyone who cannot defend themself or is not trained in the art of persuasive argument. You will project yourself amazingly well now and can gain many admirers for your effusiveness. Young people may especially be impressed with you and may even regard you as an example to aspire to. Try not to be too blunt in saying what is on your mind though. The tarot card that relates to this aspect is the Queen of Coins who brings practicality, shrewdness and financial success to the mix. The regal addition of this energy to the strong metaphysical energy of the retrograde planets is a fortunate one. She will help you to succeed in the material world despite the upheavel of inner transformation. You won't lose your shirt while your inner world is turned upside-down and inspected for purity and resilency. She brings the capacity for hard work and sound solid advice from experts, particularly female ones, which are very helpful for succeeding in business.Mars Conjunct Saturn:
If you look at the table, you will see that Mars and Saturn continue to be almost in the exact same position even though both are progressing - Mars is now at 9 degrees Cancer while Saturn is at 11 degrees. This profoundly affects each of us, no matter when we were born. Mars conjunct Saturn helps us to use our energy in a constructive way. The normal desire to assert yourself on impulse is balanced by realization of the consequences of such an action. This quality of restraint can mean great accomplishments for you because you don't waste energy on unproductive efforts. Your sense of economy and efficiency come out, helping you to achieve success; you know how to use your talents purposefully for specific objectives. You are realistic in applying good judgement before taking any action. The World card, Number 21 of the Major Arcana matches this sort of deliberate energy. It also represents change, but change that is done in a careful way ensuring a successful outcome. It indicates financial and material success, but even more importantly, it points out spiritual success. This attunes well with the slow aspects that Venus, Neptune and Pluto are holding for the long-term: aspects that demand that we all attune more to our Spirits and Hearts. The following three aspects will continue for several moons to come - Venus will be retrograde for most of the summer; Neptune and Pluto extend even longer. Notice how slowly they move each day - for instance, Neptune and Pluto have not moved at all since yesterday.Venus Retrograde in Gemini:
Venus is now resting in Mercury's sign, Gemini - a wonderful event if you are inclined to relax and enjoy the beauty of life. This is the perfect time to take stock of what is aesthetic and beautiful in your life: and to change what is not. Our spirits and hearts need beauty and refinement in order to express themselves fully. This is a good aspect for this: Art, Creation, Gardening, Magic and Self-Development are all favored if we can approach Venus' backwards movement with care and respect. She can help us discover what or who it is that we truly love,..and to sift through the "stuff" that makes our lives seem boring or even ugly. Venus correlates to the Goddess, Aphrodite who is exemplified in the Empress Tarot card of the Major Arcana. She brings artistic creativity, inspiration, feminine wisdom and caring, and a general sense of well-being.Neptune Retrograde in Aquarius:
When Neptune is retrograde it is time to build up your strength and resistance both physically and spiritually. It is the perfect time to engage in healthy and healing past times such as meditation, fitness activities, healing sessions, chakra work, being out in nature especially water, gardening, walking, visiting a spa, going on vacation to a relaxing secluded place and so on. A perfect time too to learn and practice Eastern philosophies and exercises or First Nations rituals. The Aquarian energy urges you to think of the future and of humanitarian causes. Neptune retrograde brings the danger of infections, allergy distress and being more susceptible to bacteria, viri and the like. Boost your immune system with vitamins, herbs, chakra work, homeopathy and such. Natural medicines work better now than traditional ones. Watch out for poisons and pesticides at this time. Remember you are responsible for your own health. Feed your body, your mind, your spirit with positive nutrients by eating well, thinking well and engaging in daily spiritual practices that bring you peace and harmony. The Tarot Number 1 Major Arcana card, the Magician, reminds us of Neptune retrograde, bringing new confidence, good communication, and skillful, intelligent self development energy. Your strength of will and ability to channel your energies into achieving desired results will ensure your success.Pluto Retrograde in Sagittarius:
Pluto is the planet of transformation, calling us to right our lives, to change what is unhealthy and unwholesome and begin to lead a clean and aesthetic life. One that involves charity and kindness and the ability to withstand the fires of purification and change. If you resist the change, you suffer. If you flow with the changes, you transform and rise like the phoenix, shining. It's as simple as that! Pluto will support and protect you when you accept the changes and move along without resistance. Or, if you resist, it will school you in the arena of hard knocks. You have no choice - you must change! You must transform! But do so not out of fear or coercion but out of maturity and willingness. Follow your intuition, be kind to all around you and help others around you go through their own transformation.The Sagittarian energy moves you to become fit, to travel, to add adventure and new experiences to your daily routine. The High Priestess, the Number 2 card of the Major Arcana, lends energy to this aspect: she urges us to make decisions with our heart rather than our heads; she affords wisdom, guidance and foresight; and brings good judgement and self-reliance. She also reveals that which is hidden, in our hearts and souls. Truly time for a holistic spring cleaning!
