What is unusual about this placement is that Mars is going to be here for some time – almost eight months to be exact, until June 7 2010. So whichever part of your chart it is moving through will be buzzing. Mars is retrograde from December 20 2009 – March 09 2010, which brings in a whole other dimension, that I’ll discuss later.

Mars is about energy, fizz and crackle. In our natal charts it shows how we go about getting what we want.

Those with Mars in a water sign will use the force of their emotions to achieve their aims. Those with an earthy Mars work on the practical level and often excel at getting things together. Mars is exalted in Capricorn. Those with Mars in an air sign use their mental energy to move mountains and those with Mars in fire use an intuitive and spirited approach to facing up to life’s challenges. The way Mars performs is also influenced by whether the sign in question is cardinal, fixed or mutable.

There is no doubt that those with Mars in Leo in their natal charts have a powerful desire to put their stamp on the world in one way or another. They love to interact with their environment and the people within it in flamboyant colourful and dramatic ways. This position is great for anyone who works in advertising or the media, as it allows them to channel their imagination in a larger than life manner. They enjoy taking risks and are generally very full on. There is nothing half-hearted about them. Some of these people do have big ego problems too. For instance they don’t like to hear the word ‘No’, when they have already decided that is should be ‘Yes’. If you don’t mind a few fireworks you will get along with them fine. If you are the sensitive kind it may be best to steer clear or keep a low profile. Sex is also important to these people, so if you are drawn to someone with this combination and are hoping you will become lovers, make sure you can keep up.

Whilst Mars is transiting through Leo it gives us all an opportunity to get out the paints, clay, musical instruments, crayons, materials and anything else that is essential to our being able to connect with our inner artist. Fixed fire creates great warmth and supplies plenty of energy. So when Mars is in Leo it really helps to channel some of this fire into creative endeavours as a way of expressing ourselves and sharing our life force with the world. It is time to co-create with your inner child and learn how to play. How you fare really depends on where you are coming from. Leo is associated with the Higher Self and also with our current appreciation of who we are. If we are in the zone, then activities such as creating art, falling in love, starting a business, being with our children, entertaining and being entertained and above all having fun go smoothly. It is only when there are ego problems and hang-ups that our efforts become warped or stunted as we wrestle with internal dynamics which block our energy flow.

If we feel insecure about who we are, we may try to get attention another way by creating a little drama in our lives so that the eyes of those around us remain on us. We don’t need to do this when we are simply being ourselves and doing what we do. The drama and the fireworks that come out of this usually occur when the head interferes with the natural understanding of the heart. We want everyone to notice us and it isn’t happening, so we create a ‘scene’ which appears to bring us what we want temporarily, but works against us in the long term. Once again it is all about ego.

Temper tantrums may be a possibility, especially if life gets very frustrating – but with this combination there is not much fall out – it easy to forgive and forget – being a spur of the moment thing. It helps not to get too bombastic or to act like a know-it-all, unless you want everyone to go off of you very quickly.

Overall this placement is going to bring everyone a chance to find their courage, overcome their fears and make fabulous progress – unless planetary aspects or transits in the natal chart indicate otherwise. Mars stirs up the area of the chart it is moving through, so wherever it is, you will begin to feel invincible. Go for it and keep stepping out of your comfort zone for best results.

Saturn is exalted in the sign of Libra, and aside from a short period in 2010 from April 08 to July 22 when it moves back into Virgo, it will remain in Libra until October 2012.

As an air sign, Libra is associated with the relationship between one thing and another. The relationship can be between lovers, business partners, design elements, or the balance of ideas and ideals such as between justice and mercy.

It is about weighing one thing against the other and making necessary adjustments in order to preserve the relationship. It is all a delicate balance and sometimes the balance goes awry and things get out of kilter. But even this is a part of re-defining the relationship and making further adjustments until harmony is restored. It is not a static quality, but an active ongoing movement.

So when Saturn, the planet of overcompensation enters the scene, the scramble to find that perfect balance becomes more intense. This adjustment is usually an intuitive activity – such as when laying out a page of text or designing a new dress collection – it is an internal happening as you  shift things around until something inside of you – a sixth sense gives that OK feeling. You just ‘know’ that you have it right – and no one can tell you otherwise. When Saturn is around you may notice that your ability to ‘know’ has vanished. You now feel as though you have two left hands and tend to doubt your innate knowledge. Suddenly the little things become a big deal and that intuitive sense of rightness may go out of the window.

In relationships you may question ways of being together that you were fine with before. You begin to wonder – should I be more forgiving, less forgiving, should I be the one in control, am I getting enough out of this, if I were different would they love me more? Instead of being able to shift and flow along with each other as a couple sometimes giving, sometimes receiving, sometimes being in control, sometimes being more passive, you may feel a need to define the relationship and to create roles that tend to suffocate the free flow. Structure is part of every relationship, but with Saturn in Libra the structure or need to keep up appearances can take over, and the life and heart of the relationship may be stifled as a result.

So what is the best way to deal with this influence? It really depends upon which house Saturn is transiting through within your chart. If Saturn is moving through the first house, you will become very aware of your relationship with the outside world and of the need to project the right image. If your image isn’t in harmony with your authentic self, then it may seem as though you are encountering the outside world whilst wearing a mask – at some point it will crack . However, you don’t want to be too open and vulnerable either, so you need to use your image to enhance your authentic self rather than cover over it completely.

It’s a bit like make-up, which can either accentuate your natural beauty or give that beige-plastered and over-rouged effect that often looks worse than no make-up at all. If anything, you need to work harder when Saturn is in Libra in order to present authenticity in its appropriate form – and to be able to release that form when it is no longer working. Again it is a delicate balance.

If Saturn is transiting through your fourth house, it is your relationship to your ancestry, to parents and parental issues and to home and family affairs that takes precedence.  Trying to create harmony in the home is not going to work until you have dealt with underlying feelings, some of which may be quite negative and destructive. Your relationship to these feelings is also of importance, as is the way you deal with them. The point about these emotions is that they can be messy and are not wrapped in pretty packages that smell of scented perfume – they can be quite dank especially those that have been stuffed to the bottom of the pile.

Libra being an air sign is not at home with this kind of situation and may want to avoid bad feeling as it is not ‘nice’.  So when Saturn enters this zone, its presence may encourage these pockets of shadowy energy to surface – which won’t be a pretty sight. In this case creating harmony means admitting these feelings exist, being willing to feel them, to give them space to be, and then letting them go. If you do this regularly you will find that something wonderful begins to happen – the emotional charge that was taking up so much of your energy and making your life hell will decrease. You will find it easier to talk about relationship problems without having to justify yourself or be right. You will then have more authentic emotional space to create the harmony you are seeking.

It all comes down to acknowledging the underlying reality of the situation and working with this to create a harmonious structure that can contain it. It also means being willing to change one form for another when the outer structure has passed its sell-by-date. Yet when Saturn is part of the picture it becomes difficult to know what is appropriate and what is not. The form of the relationship and the roles each partner plays may be so solid that it is only when one or both parties begin to feel pained at being so inhibited, that change with all its unknowns becomes the best option.

If you begin to feel pained in your relationships whilst Saturn is in Libra, then use this as a signal to take responsibility and be more aware of where and how the structure is damning the flow, causing stagnation and a lack of real authenticity. The pain is pointing towards a need for dynamic change.

Celebrities and other famous people with Saturn in Libra are: Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Paris Hilton, Leonardo Da Vinci, Jessica Alba, Beyonce Knowles, Vladimir Putin.

Those with Venus in Cancer can be difficult to get to know and also quite moody. You can never be sure who you will encounter on a daily basis as the emotions rise and fall like waves on the ocean. Sometimes they can be tickled pink by the craziest things and at others driven to a sullen darkness by someone who has hurt their tender feelings. Which is why crabs never usually wear their hearts upon their sleeves. They can be very difficult to get to know. If they decide that they don’t trust you and don’t want to let you into their intimate circle you will have a very difficult job trying to get them to change their minds.

However,  once you have become their friend or lover you will find them very attentive. They may get weepy at the slightest thing, they love anything soft and furry, they have an interesting sense of humour and if you are anything like their mother or feel a need to mother them, they will hang onto you for life.

Venus in Cancer is quite nostalgic, those with this placement tend to keep their old friends and never forget their first love – they may even have married them. They keep old love letters bound together with original and now faded ribbon, and pressed flowers or dried roses that came with romantic gifts.

They also hang onto memories, which is why it can be so hard to get them to let go of old hurts. They fear being wounded again which is why their approach to love resembles the zig-zag gait of the crab. Rather than being upfront and direct they find all kinds of ways to be in the aura of the one they adore whilst also managing to keep a low profile. If it looks like the prize is about to be snatched from their grasp they will change tack, rush in and grip with those pincers. But sometimes they are not quick enough and end up feeling like Cinderella who never got to go to the ball. Somehow, someway they have to learn to feel the fear and fall in love anyway.

Food may play a big part in their love life – with engagements and proposals happening over a special meal and many other occasions remembered with – you guessed it – another meal. Good food helps them to feel loved. Feed them tit bits whilst telling them how much you care, and they will be awed by your ability to have fathomed their weakness. If they are feeling down or sad they have a very real tendency to binge and get into comfort-eating – something to watch.

Venus in Cancer can be very loyal and deeply supportive. But some signs will find them too possessive and certainly overwhelming in their willingness to see to every aspect of your comfort and happiness. Sometimes you just want to  break free and come up from the ocean depths for some air.

With their ability to laugh and find humour in the simplest and yet most profound of situations they also know how to make you feel on top of the world. If you are friends with or have a partner with Venus in Cancer, you have someone around who can gauge your feelings and knows exactly what to do or say to lift your spirits.  Which has to be a bonus!

If you have access to a copy of your chart, check out if you have planets on or around this degree. Also check if you have planets on or around this same degree in other parts of the chart – as they and the issues they represent will be triggered. Notice in which house this conjunction is taking place as this too will have a bearing on the kind of events you can expect.

Trigger seems to be the operative word here, especially in the emotional sense. If a situation has been building up, but due to Mars being in Pisces nothing has been discussed, or if you or others have been in denial, this is when it may suddenly burst out into the open, and it is likely to be something minor that causes the explosion, rather like the straw that broke the camels back. If you find yourself feeling emotional then track back – stop and reflect on what the cause might be.

I personally find that such transits can show up in our lives a day or so earlier than when they are due to be exact, so that by the time the conjunction is complete the new idea, plan of action, or event has already manifested. But again it depends on the individual and their chart.

This combination of energies may also come as something of an awakening. One source of constant inspiration that may be particularly powerful this time is that of ‘big dreams’. If you already had some interesting dreams over the past week, then make a point of honouring them and take the time to get their message. They may contain guidance which will both inspire you and give you a kick in the right direction at the same time. Also be open to getting messages from the multi-verse about you, your life and your ongoing questions. These may come in the form of coincidences and synchronicities that may be pointing out the answers, or showing you the best path out of a current dilemma.

Whatever events occur at this time are going to come as something of an awakening anyway – you may be jolted out of your complacency by a short sharp shock. Even if you don’t much like what has happened – consider that it may have come at just the perfect time to save you from something so much  worse.

Mars/Uranus conjunctions especially in watery Pisces may also deliver a very real electric shock, so take extra care especially if doing any DIY today which involves water and electricity. if you aren’t certain how to go about it – call in an expert. It is also possible that lightening may strike both physically and metaphorically. The more this conjunction hooks up with your natal chart, the more intense the experience is going to be.

It is also a generational planet, in that its movement from one sign to the next marks out those crucial milestones that apply to vast swathes of humans at the same time. On an individual level there is no doubting its transformational effect when it aspects planets in our natal chart or connects with them via transit.

So its retrograde phase will coincide with a particular movement of consciousness within our psyches that enables us to look at those unresolved situations in our lives and do something about them. Pluto tends to push us into fateful situations when we unaware of how its energy manifest within us. Once you get a handle on it – once you sense the energy of Pluto in your own life and know how it feels when its presence intrudes into a relationship, a conversation, and a much desired outcome, or as dark and compulsive feelings which seem beyond your control – then you can begin to work with it to discover the other side of Pluto – the face that clarifies your destiny and enables you to work along with it rather than resisting it.

Pluto is currently retrograde in Capricorn, which gives it another edge. We have seen how its movement into this sign has coincided with financial upheaval on a global basis – leading to change at a grass roots level. Just prior to Pluto turning stationary retrograde, in fact earlier this week the G20 summit took place in London, which took global financial discussions to a new level. Now is a time of recapitulation. The tide goes in and the tide goes out. Time to rethink all that was discussed, to repair and tentatively restore the economy and to build solid foundations one brick at a time, starting from the bottom up. On an individual basis it is time to take a closer look at what works in our lives and what doesn’t.

For those with Pluto aspecting planets in their natal chart – they will be experiencing the retrograde phase of their transit. Many Pluto transits occur in three parts – although they can also occur in five parts with two retrograde phases. Pluto will be retrograde right up until September 11 2009 this time around. Internalizing Pluto means that we have a chance to watch it at work in our lives and to begin to make changes in areas in which we have felt impotent.

In Capricorn, ruled by Saturn, it may be those patterns handed down from generation to generation – which stick like some kind of ancestral glue that are the ones we need to address most urgently. The Cancer/Capricorn axis is very much about family and ancestral karma. These patterns may come down through either side of the family, but they can be easily identified, as family history begins to repeat itself. The characters and scenarios may be different, but the storyline will have striking similarities. This is where the ‘ sins of the father are visited upon the children’ and it is during the retrograde phase that an opportunity develops to become aware of these hidden storylines that have dominated our lives for so long, and to begin to untangle them. If you are moving through a powerful Pluto transit, then you are being directly challenged to make those much needed changes as soon as possible. Family and ancestral karma can be the most difficult of all to detect as the patterns that form the bedrock of our lives are ones we take for granted. They can be virtually invisible because they are so very present.

In its retrograde phase Pluto’s focus may be more intense than usual and will encourage plenty of inner detective work. Dreams may contain powerful and potent symbols that can bring great richness of understanding to our lives and again help us to clarify our destiny. Often the parts of us that are most despised, most unacknowledged and most repressed contain great energy and may in reality hide precious treasures waiting to be discovered. Pluto has two faces – so any situation that appears as black as black, can be seen from a more life-affirming perspective when we are prepared to stand back from the pain and allow another viewpoint to emerge. Not easy – but then this is part of Pluto’s challenge. Often during the retrograde phase we may have access to greater inner strength than usual – as though we have a direct ability to harness our personal power should we choose to use it.

Pluto retrograde gives us a chance to clear out the clutter from our inner closet, banish a few of those skeletons and to begin to see the beauty that was always there but hidden by unconsciousness, shame, fear, humiliation and at times, a denial of what is. It is a chance to do some much needed soul-work.

Pisces is ruled by the planet Neptune which means that Mars is going to be operating in a very different way to its usual shoot first ask questions later mode.

In Pisces Mars achieves its ends by a variety of means – but out and out confrontation is not one of them. Whining and adopting a martyred approach may aggravate others enough so that they take action on your behalf. This is at the lower end of the spectrum of what is possible with Mars in this sign. Mars in Pisces is associated with passive aggression – the Neptunian way of rebelling.

Mars in Pisces can make chameleons of all of us, as we find it much easier to alter and adapt our personality to blend in with those we are with. If you happen to be dating someone with Mars in this sign you may notice that they are always changing and shape-shifting which can be fun for some – and very unnerving for others.

The best way to make use of Mars in Pisces is to use your imagination as one of the most powerful tools you have to bring about changes to your reality.  Of course you can do this anytime you like, but you will get off to a great start if you begin your quest between now and April 22. Mars is associated with desire – so when it is moving through Pisces this is a good opportunity to drop the seeds of your desires into your subconscious mind, where they will take root and begin to blossom.

You can also use this transit to explore your dreams, especially those that have a vivid and compelling quality. Mars tends to energize whatever it comes into contact with – so when in Pisces you may find yourself naturally drawn to explore dream symbols and the many adventures that dreaming will open up for you, especially if you keep a regular dream diary. Following the clues that dreams bring and also learning how to dream consciously, are all ways to expand your level of conscious awareness and live to your full potential. Your dreams can give guidance on every area of life, and can also help you to see what lies ahead if you continue on your current trajectory – giving you an opportunity to change your path.

Mars in Pisces also ties into a more mystical approach to life in which you can get an idea of what it means to truly surrender your will to that of a higher power. Surrender is not a passive act. It involves an awareness in which it is possible to let go of all resistance to a problem, an issue, a person or challenge and in doing so get the ego out of the way. The surrender has to be complete – it cannot be 50% – only 100% will do.

True surrender means that we reach a state in which are completely at peace with whatever happens – with whatever way an issue pans out. Because we are not interfering and trying to manipulate the situation it may turn out very differently to how we expected – maybe there will be a miracle, maybe not. The main point is that we are free and deeply at peace. This puts us in a neutral space in which intuitions can flow and from which we are able to view our problems from fresh perspectives that can catapult us to new levels of awareness and action. It is the still point from which all creativity flows.

Saturn presents us all with certain lessons as defined by its place in our natal charts as well as the aspects it makes, and the transits that it trips off as it moves from sign to sign.  Each placement of Saturn has its own trials and tests and each offers opportunities for profound growth and a move towards greater awareness.

When undergoing a difficult Saturn transit time seems to slow down, so that each moment appears to last forever.

Face Reality

In order to make the best of your Saturn it helps to be willing to face up to the reality of the situation you are in. However, reality is a tricky word as we all live in different worlds according to our perception of life and our interpretation of the way it is. Although we appear to be one sprawling mass of humanity on planet earth – there are billions of viewpoints which create billions of different worlds. We all see life differently depending on where we live, the sum of all that we have inherited from our parents and ancestors, and the circumstances that have shaped us as we have grown up.  

So the reality of any situation that is causing a problem is not so much the outer circumstances, but the inner thoughts and emotions that have become hard-wired, complicated internal patterns that channel the energy of the universe in very specific ways, producing specific results. If you aren’t happy with any area of your life it helps to slow down and observe yourself, rather than bury your head in the sand. If you don’t, Saturn will force you to pay attention.

Saturn is  linked with these internal patterned structures deep within our psyches as well as the structure and boundaries of our body, the skin and skeleton and the many structures we are all so familiar with in our everyday lives and the community we are  a part of.

It is when we identify so deeply with such inner patterns or structures that we lose our ability to flow with life – this is when the influence of Saturn becomes a problem. If we feel imprisoned by an issue, this is when we have identified with it to such an extent that we are unable to see beyond it or detach from it to allow the flow of life to reveal possible solutions. What can we do to dissolve the bars and go free when we are in the midst of trying times?

The principle of Saturn helps create the illusion that matter is dense and solid, and that our life situations are somehow fixed and highly resistant to change. When we are in the midst of a dire situation the last thing on our minds is the possibility that we are dealing with an illusion.

Unravelling The Problem

When faced with major trials and tribulations we can do something to break the deadlock and create flow. It involves the ability to slow down and be present precisely at those moments when we most want to run away – when we would prefer to go into denial, or to utilise one of our many escape routes – whether this is food, drugs, alcohol, other people or whatever.

As we slow down and breathe, we take note of our thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations. Take whatever is there in the moment and use this. If you thoughts are going round in circles, notice this and begin to watch them instead of being entangled in them. If you have sensations in your gut or heart centre or anywhere, notice these. If your feelings are running high, again step back and detach without judging yourself or any aspect of what is going on.

Bit by bit let go of each strand of the situation that appears to have you bound. If you are immersed in a situation that has been going on for a long time, it is going to take some time to release each aspect of it and unravel the illusion that has had you caught in its snare. Some people can undo years of resentment in an hour, for some it may take weeks and for others much longer, some times it can take minutes. But if you practice letting go of even a little bit of it, every time that situation comes around again it will have less of a hold over you – some part of it will have disappeared forever. You will know when you have completely untangled a particularly knotty problem when it vanishes from your mind – you don’t even think about it  – and this is when you achieve freedom.

However to follow this process and to be committed enough to focus on our inner processes on a moment to moment basis, especially when times are tough means work and discipline – both Saturnian properties.

In the way that it is possible to use a thorn to remove a thorn, so using the principle Saturn i.e. that of focused and disciplined attention - to detach and release whatever is happening in the moment, brings immense freedom and a wonderful feeling of spaciousness. Mostly our main concern is that our situation turns out the way we want it to, and we are hell bent on manipualting it so that it does. But doing so can cause a constriction in the flow, sometimes giving us the opposite of what we want.

It helps to hold into our dreams and goals lightly and to let go of negative doubts and fears, perceived difficulties, even unexpected joy and elation, and so to open up a space in which our life can manifest in ways that are bigger, more exciting and more filled with all good things than we ever thought possible.

As a comparison it is interesting that to note that Saturn’s rings which appear to be solid, are mainly space with only 3% of the volume of the rings made up by matter. So although Saturn may seem the problem – it is also the answer – and a rather noble one at that!

Resources

Learning to let go is something that we are not usually taught – but it is an extremely valuable skill.

Following are a list of resources which will give you more information and ways of learning how to do this.

The Release Technique – www.releasetechnique.com

The Sedona Method – www.sedona.com

The Secret Of Letting Go – Guy Finley

Freedom From The Ties That Bind – The Secret Of Self Liberation – Guy Finley

The Power Of Letting Go – A Practical Approach To Releasing The Pressures In Your Life – Patricia Carrington

Although I am not affiliated with any particular religion – the Buddhist practice of Vipassana is also excellent for slowing down,  awakening to the moment and learning how to let go.

The idea is that a crystal is allocated to each of the 360 degrees of the zodiac. The information needed to create your own crystal chart can be found in Marina Costelloe’s book ‘Crystal Astrology’. For each degree she gives a number of  associations including the Sabian symbol - but for this post I will focus on the crystal and its expression alone.  

I wondered how Marina chose which crystals to link to which degree and found out that she did so by a process of research and sensitive attunement. When working on a crystal chart and especially when assessing the Sun and its position, she encourages the reader to look at the degree before and after that of the particular planetary placement. The earlier degree represents what we come into this life with – our karmic bequest. The middle degree represents our current focus, those things we need to integrate into this life, as well as any challenges, and the following degree reveals where we are heading and gives hints as to possible outcomes and potentials.

The crystals corresponding with the planetary degrees for Barack Obama’s chart are as follows:

Sun – Paua Shell enhances truth and prophesy skills and contains the wisdom of the oceans. The previous or karmic degree gives an association with Richterite which enhances interpersonal communication skills. The following degree or Quest degree is associated with Kunzite which aids in channeling unconditional love, kindness and intuitive awakening.

Moon – Watermelon Tourmaline promotes love, protection and family acceptance. Joyful ceremonies bring together family and community.

Mercury – Pyrolusite imroves self-image and acceptance through enhancing depth of perception.

Venus – Mica (Muscovite) illuminates future plans and personal goals.

Mars – Yellow Topaz is a powerful attraction and manifestation crystal and aids in visualization and projection techniques.

Jupiter - Aragonite facilitates prayerfulness, emotional and physical stability and connects the spirit to the earth.

Saturn – Chrysocolla purifies self and immediate environment and helps release pent up emotions.

Uranus – Rainbow Fluorite acts as a bridge between the spiritual and the physical.

Neptune – Magnesite Rock enhances intellectual ability, inquisitiveness and accuracy.

Pluto – Freshwater Pearls accentuate aura colours.

North Node – Blue Opal helps ideas flow freely and gives confidence in acting on intuition.

South Node – Quartz Buddstone equates with spiritual understanding, acceptance, surrender and hope.

Chiron – Sardonyx promotes self-control mindfulness and conscientiousness.

Taking Barack Obama’s natal chart as the main focus and stepping off point for for astrological study I would use the additional information provided by the crystal chart to enhance the energy of the overall configuration. To give fresh perspectives to areas of difficulty and to add another dimension of understanding to areas of skill and creative ability.

For instance his natal Saturn is in Capricorn in the twelfth, and trines Mars in Virgo in the eighth (equal house). According to the crystal chart his Saturn degree corresponds with Chrysocolla and his Mercury with Pyrolusite, which suggests that a capacity to release deep-seated and potentially negative emotions stored in the twelfth house will enable him to reach for and attain positive goals through dynamic visualisation, and attention to detail. If he chose to dwell on negative issues his ability to achieve his goals would be greatly impaired. Similalry if he becomes too much of a perfectionist he could tie himself in knots.

I need to experiment more with this, but it may add something to a chart reading by suggesting new possibilities and potentials.

It encourages me to believe that whilst Mercury is retrograde we are more easily able to move out of our habitual mental ruts and tap into other dimensions, if we can open our minds to this possibility.

Most of us moan on about the lost letters, the disappearing data , the crashed computer, the missed phone calls, and a host of other related effects that seem to haunt us. But if we knew that we could also access a powerhouse of creativity would we be quite so put out by it? 

It started with a dream of another blogger,  whose work in my opinion is excellent. I dreamt they were lying in a hospital bed, having had their nose cosmetically enhanced – something they had opted for. The bandage was light, and any scarring or bruising seemed non-existent. In short it looked like it was a complete success. We chatted but I don’t remember what was said.

I always try to take action on my dreams by doing something to honour the dream message – so I emailed them about my new blog – but didn’t mention the dream. They emailed back explaining that they had come across my blog the previous day – and not knowing it was mine had been particularly struck by the theme and layout – so much so that they noted it down and were considering the possibility of changing the theme of theirs and perhaps the blog platform. I shared the dream and decided to so some research into the aspects that were in force at the time – in both our charts.

On the day of the dream Mercury was stationary in Aquarius in the eighth and opposing my natal Uranus in Leo in the second, an aspect that will repeat two more times. This aspect in itself is associated with information that comes through all at once, as though from a higher frequency. But the additional impact of Mercury Retrograde softens and opens up our awareness making it easier to interact with these kind of messages. This serial synchroncity which occurred out of the blue, is going to be mutually beneficial.  

As for my friend, I couldn’t help noticing that they have transiting Pluto coming up to conjunct Jupiter in the third – which suggests a reconstruction and transformation with regard to the way they interface with the world – their blog being one of these ways. It also suggests to me that any changes will add massively to their overall success. Dreams show us what could be possible, as do the transits in our charts. There are a variety of futures out there – and we have a choice as to which we opt for.

Although this coincidence may seem minor in the vast scale of things, it had a certain quality about it that marked it out for me. The event seemed to have arrived as a complete package - something like a cosmic zip file. Once I became aware of the interplay of synchronicities it began to unzip.

I believe we have access to a state of timelessness and abundant creativity at all times, but during Mercury Retrograde we can more easily locate and work with a variety of choice points, because our focus naturally changes. Keeping a regular dream diary is one way to assess what is happening on an inner level during such a time, and by acting on the guidance received during our dreams we begin to see possibilities that may have escaped our rational and linear approach to life. Mercury Retrograde offers a window of opportunity into this magical realm.

For those who enjoy shamanic journeying, or who enjoy playing in the twilight zone between sleep and wakefulness – the coming weeks may be especially productive.

Although astrologers, myself included, advise clients not to sign important contracts,  commit to agreements or purchase big ticket items at this time, there is so much that can be done that will empower us and align us with our passion and true purpose in life. Synchroncities abound and life takes on a special quality.

So next time you are tempted to whinge about how Mercury Retrograde is causing no end of grief, it may be because you need to switch tracks. Relax, pay ttention to your dreams, take note of those synchronities and reconnect with your soul. You will then emerge from this period with a new vision, able to make real progress in life when  those cosmic gears synchronise once again.

For anyone wanting to learn more about how to navigate through life using the power of synchroncity I can recommend a book by pioneer dream explorer Robert Moss called ‘The Only Three Things’. Read more about it at his website www.mossdreams.com

Mercury is retrograde from January 11 to February 01 – however there is a phase in and phase out period in which our linear focus is not quite at its usual strength – offering still more opportunities to connect more deeply with our inner magic.

Jupiter is associated with good fortune, opportunity, faith in yourself and the ability to step out of your comfort zone. It is an expansive planet that encourages exploration in terms of travel, and the search for knowledge in an intellectual and metaphysical sense. Jupiter is linked with intuition and its guiding principle is that there is always more to be had – more to be experienced and more to know, and it is worth the gamble just for the adventure. It symbolizes the larger perspective and the search for meaning.

Jupiter in Aquarius is going to encourage exploration in scientific and technical areas as well as in New Age and metaphysical subjects. So how is this placement going to be lucky for you?

One of the best ways to tap into this mine of potential wealth is to get yourself an online presence or Internet business. Everything online is certain to go through the roof over the coming twelve months. If there is a way to do anything online that hasn’t already been done, someone is going to make it happen. Think back to the last time Jupiter was in Aquarius in 1997, this was when the Internet phenomenon was beginning to get underway. This current phase is going to take it all a step further. Expect new platforms or methods which enable the Internet to be even faster and more efficient than ever before. If youu already have your own online buisness and it is making money, then focus on ways of making it even more profitable or think about branching out into other areas.

Virtual worlds such as Second Life will become even more sophisticated – get involved if you dare! The gadget mountain will grow even higher with more people having more gadgets than ever before.

Online dating will also be very popular – moreso than usual, and social networking sites will have to find ways to allow for the inevitable expansion that will take place.

Jupiter in Aquarius also encourages big dreams. Make time to check out your current list of goal and change anything that no longer has ‘heart’. Networking and teaming up with others will enable you to bring your dreams to life more easily.

Celebrities with Jupiter in Aquarius include: Barack Obama, Marilyn Monroe, Albert Einstein, Princess Diana, Robbie Williams, Meg Ryan.