Summer Solstice 2012 New Moon in Cancer, water is the new oil.

         The Summer Solstice of 2012 jumps ahead this year (like the heat wave) and comes to us on June 20th at 6 09pm CST.
      This cardinal point in the sun/earth calendar marks the northernmost passage of the Solar Year, bringing us the longest day, and the shortest night. This year the moon will be just one day new and in the sign Cancer, a water sign of great immensity.  Water will be the oil of the future. Indeed, in our drought-haunted summers, which are the hottest on record in the USA, are making water the most important resource of our time. 
         Money is on the minds and in the conversations of everyone.  Money that exists is nervous, and why? Because what is backing world money? From 1940 to 2000 oil was the unquestioned resource, but twelve years ago, the short-sighted, numb-brained powers jumped in and re-declared that oil would stand.  But it hasn't. It is over, short and going on empty. Sure, there are a few moments left, but all can see the end.  No one likes endings. No one says they enjoy change, but as it trickles, change is upon us and temperatures are rising.  Not just the grass is dying but so are the trees. And it is only June.
       The world will not take care of us. It has become overwhelmed.  No one is managing to keep up at all, and in bureaucracies, the collapse is vast.  The time for entrepreneurship is here. We have to in every way provide for ourselves. Dig your own well, grow your own produce, and buy local. this way of life has gained so much momentum that it probably isn't realized as the current trend of survival. Now, the creation of our own work, the selling of basic goods, and the inventions of new technologies are the three things that are keeping the majority of us--employed. 
        Solstice is powerful, and this one calls for Water, and shows fire on the ground. Our community connections are all-valuable. Opportunity for making money will come right from our own tribes, neighborhoods, and close friends.  As we save ourselves, we are still bound in every way to the connections of our people.  Like-mindedness can exist in the working levels of towns and cities, doing what is best for each other will bring a great profit. A local, lasting means to profit comes the same way, in starting to do for ourselves, it is our close associates, maybe even our families who will sustain us as we provide for each other.
         Don't underestimate the power of water. Meditate on the Grand Canyon. It is also quite dry.

Venus Transit of the Sun, Venus Retrograde, Values Reversing, Re-connecting

Every 18 months, in its 245 day orbit around the Sun, Venus appears to Earth perspective to reverse direction and  recede, retro-grading through degrees in space already transited. Five of these retrograde phases compose 8 years, and in the geometry of Venus orbit, creates a five pointed star in its track in space. Venus is associated with all of biological nature especially the fertility of spring. Venus' fruit is the apple, which has a five pointed center.
          During this cycle we are looking unusually deeply into layers of love, value and sharing. All our values are being reassessed, from business values, business evaluations, and the evaluations we are making in out own lives, weighing and taking extra time to asses all the factors. Have your portfolio reviewed and look for evaporation in places that have become obsolete. Expect a moving target as you look around for all the opportunities that are flux right now.  Nothing is quite safe anymore, because everything is changing and everything is linked.
Back up your materials, hard drives, and maybe on paper for some stuff. Especially account numbers that have money involved. Much is advancing and improving but the speeds are in uneven warp, and there are chaotic issues. Many of them. Nothing is perfect, all is moving.
Direct motion of Venus returns on June 29.  New ventures will be well to begin after that date.  Watch communications, and all of its components.  Venus retrogrades now in Gemini, sign of every networking device ever imagined. All exchanges are in retro action, allow yourself to reconsider, and be aware of odd lucky finds.

Venus Transit of the Sun 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z9rM8ChTjY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Powers of Ten, the ultimate look at the universe--from Chicago no less--

This movie will amaze and awe. It is old, and yet perfect in its understanding of how it all works together.  Astrologers are always making this kind of stretch in what effects us and how far distant it is in the universe. Enjoy Powers of Ten

The Biggest Full Moon?? Are interest rates going to climb?

         The Full Moon of May is called the Full Flower Moon, it is associated with balmy perfumed spring nights, and is one of the most sensual of the year. The Tibetans name it the Full Blessing Moon. It is during this full moon of May that the ancestors come to the highest point of earth, the Himalaya, and give the blessings for humankind for the coming year.
         This full Moon opposes the Sun in Taurus, sign of abundance, beauty, and value, occupying Scorpio.  Scorpio is the point of transformation and sharing of all the substance held at Taurus. This is the marriage point, where one crosses over into the other, and something of value that is shared will bring empowerment.
         The vows of belonging are until death. These two signs are life and death. Taurus of the life giving season rules the throat, which is the organ of death. Scorpio the sign of death rules the organs of life, the sexual organs.  We give value from our lips and our kisses... ruled by Taurus. The kiss is the sexual exchange and if we do not kiss, the exchange is the other Taurus icon, money. Money, love, death and power are the Taurus/Scorpio axis.
          Notice what you care about during this full moon. It is a good time for vows.  The size of this full moon is only minutely larger than usual. The moon will be Perigee, that is, in its 12 month orbit around the earth it will lean closer and father at equinoctial intervals.. Saturday, May 5th the Full moon will be neat the Planet Saturn and the Star Spica
               Investments have just a few weeks to be the best in a decade. The interest rates will begin to scramble and waver by June.  If you can get it now, your investment opportunities will be golden. This is especially true of real estate. Land is ruled by Taurus.  Jupiter has been in Taurus for 11 months, and has only five more weeks in that sign. Jupiter shows us the 12 year cycles of ups and downs in real estate values. Prices are beginning to rise.  Buyers will be coming soon, from all over the map. Spend some good money Now.

The Conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, beware the Ides of March!

The money that has been frantic since the Jupiter Saturn conjunction in Taurus in 2000 has finally found a safe moment, a more definite thing, and a sure security. The Ides of March will bring a mighty moment in the sky, and one that we can live on, count on and bank on. The sign of banking is Taurus, all values are ruled by this sign, and the world currency dilemma is being soothed by this grand conjunction in the almighty sign of worth. The losses in world finance were caused by the oil greed of the year 2000. Oil had just a few more years to last since its triumphal placement during WWII as the dominating need to back the money of all the world. But oil has run out. The little bit left, being clung to by the last few will not make everyone rich anymore, and there is not enough of it to justify its meager trickle through the space/time of our technologies. The new oil is WATER. Water is already the currency that will back the future.

Venus as bright as she gets. Planets in the February sky.

The clear skies of February are my favorite, diamond bright and so intensely black with stars like crystal. They say that the beauty of the heavens is so enormous that it must be reduced to just pinpoints of light. If we beheld the total magnificence, our human hearts would burst.
Venus in our lifetime will never be as bright as she has been in early 2012, and will be for another two months. As she moves closer to the sun we will loose sight of Venus in May. Then after a spectacular crossing over the Sun's face on June 6, 2012 Venus will move into her hesperidies position, that is, she will become the star the of morning.
Enjoy Venus' brilliance in the twilight near the western horizon, as she reaches magnitude -4.7. Venus is the brightest object in the sky after the Moon. To give you an idea of star brilliance and magnitudes... Jupiter is at the zenith at sundown, at its brightest of magnitude -2.9. Great Sirius, who flies at the heels of Orion, is steady at -2.0. This year ruddy Mars rises in the east at a magnitude -1.2. It is very obvious, even thought not large, because we are not used to seeing a star there. In the constellation Leo, it shines an amber color.It is listed as transiting Virgo in our Tropical Zodiac. And there,it is shattering our assumptions.
The Mayans were highly interested in the eightfold cycle of Venus, she was the mighty herald of big events, or great changes, an auspicious beacon of War and change. Venus makes an eight-pointed star by counting the corners of her retrogrades which complete the geometric form every eight years. The visible transit across the sun. It would be called an eclipse if Venus were the optical equivalent of the Sun. will be a rare event, and one worth getting special protection to see. Venus transits in only June (Gemini) or December (Sagittarius) which fits our esoteric naming of Venus as the soul connector of Gemini and the karmic lover of Sagittarius.
Venus rules all that we value, be it money or beauty or gold or invention. Where Venus shines, wealth will follow. There have always been wars for gain, and here in 2012 another battle rages in our times for values as morals (do unto others) and values as currency (it's over, oil). Art outlives nations, and gold outlives the human race. Both are created and held by Venus. Investing in Art will not be as ridiculous as the one in gold.
In this year we will see changes to all value, as the systemic changes happening right now are transforming the very food you eat and the ground you walk upon. Our infrastructure, our cereals, our grains, our roads, our computer channels, our water, and the details of communication are all going through a minute yet fabulous resurrection. Not everything we expect will survive the changes. And over it all Venus transits the Sun. Not in all the 20th century did she do this. Once, these transits made world headlines, and people flocked from all over the world to the best viewing places to watch this star. So now,we will wait more than a century hence to see this again. Look to the West after sundown. Venus shines next to the crescent Moon on February 25th, send prayers to the meeting of these lights.

Lunar New Year/ January 23, Year of the DRAGON

Ah the year we have all been waiting for, the Dragon.
The ancients knew of four dragons, the earth (earthquakes) air (tornadoes) fire (lightning) and water (hurricanes). Fossil remains of dinosaurs made Greek and Chinese historians convinced of the existence of Dragons, and the calamities of the earth and its atmosphere proved beyond a doubt of their ability to devour and consume humans, villages, and towns.
So is the year of the Dragon a consuming one? or a devouring one? It is a year of great changes, innovations and new adventures. The sign in western astrology that corresponds to the Dragon is Aries, the springtime and all new beginnings.
Look to your adventures and to your creative ideas. All innovations are in favor. With retrograde Mars beginning on the same day, the old is breaking apart and the next

MARS, god of war, retrograde in Virgo, sign of systems

Mars, mighty planet that faces the universe on the outside of the safety of earth's orbit, is our protector, our armor, our will and our blood.
The retrogrades of planets are the cycles of change, for good or for ill, they indicate the timing of fabulous shake-ups and brilliant solutions. This one should be mild, being in analytical, careful Virgo. However, Virgo rules all the things most important to our daily existence, like food, the making and growing of it; and health, the breakdowns and the healing places and people; and basically all systems. Oh yes, all the systems, clerical, electrical, digestive, and communicative. Whoops, that IS everything.
What we look for in Mars retrogrades is change. Fluctuations in all our systems will be a certain thing, and yet there will be many chances to solve problems. Mars rules action.Taking action in Virgo means fixing things and refining everything, making it work more efficiently. Retrograde, Mars gives us extra time to figure things out, go over it more than once. Take your time in the next several months. Mars is stationary from January 16 till the 21st, when it actually begins the backward orbit. It will go direct on April 11, and finish in Virgo in June.
In the sky, look for it rising in the East around midnight, a bright orange star centered on the horizon. Its retrograde lasts till April 11th, and it will hold that south eastern spot for the next 5 months.
This is also a dangerous planet. It was a Mars retrograde in fiery Sagittarius that brought us 9/11. It was retrograde on Bill Clinton's ascendant in Libra when he was set up for the impeachment trial. It rules anger, war, athletics, violence, machinery, tools, weapons, steel and iron... and men. All of those things will be evident in ordinary places. It is a time when new tools can be invented, or old griefs aired in odd ways. Take a second look at all temper tantrums, don't react in haste, and consider carefully what is offered during this phase. Check all the systems in your cars, trucks and vehicles. Machinery and fire in home situations should also be reviewed. Above all, realize that Retrogrades offer change, and change upsets the stability that was. It is a perfect time to activate change, experiment, and discover. Risks are not required, but risks in invention, thought and everyday systems will prove useful. Education is included in Virgo systems,so
dust off your ideas, and review and refresh your files. Back up all the computer systems. And get your flu shots.

2012 the end of times, the year ahead, Jupiter and Venus

So it is here at last. What is it in our human pessimism that so loves an end-of-the-world scenario? How many times since I have been an astrologer (since 1978) have I been asked if now is the end? Every year. So comes now an old piece of archaeological information that has swept the collective imagination. The world ends at the Winter Solstice of 2011? or of 2012?
All worlds end over and over. Our destructive seeds were born in us. The planet has been made and remade over billions of epochs that seemed important and ultimate in their height. Like us, now, we have reached an apex of civilization, and yet there is still country music. We are mired in our baseness after all.
In planetary positions, this is a year much like many others, not nearly so remarkable as the spring of 2011, and the great oppositions of Jupiter and Saturn which have been exact all of 2010 and 2011. Those oppositions were bound by the Pluto position at right angles in Capricorn, and every month was a perfect square completed by the Moon.
So far, the remarkable planets are the beautiful visibility of Great Jupiter, brightest it will be for the next 12 years. And of Venus, war planet of the Mayans as bright this January and February as she ever gets. Those glowing nighttime companions are our most beneficial planets, they should be a good omen for the year's beginning. Testing period comes in late January when Mars retrogrades in Virgo opposite the sun, and retrograding Mercury in Pisces. Look for health issues and the cyber war. So shore up your data, dust off the electric typewriters, and learn your account numbers again. This is a messy group in a messy arrangement, and has little to do with the Mayan predictions other than showing how details can unravel a great set of systems.
Party like it's 2012!