BOING - SPRING HAS SPRUNG !!!

The Sun blazed its way into the sign of Aries today, March 20th, at 1:15 AM EDT ... also known as the Vernal Equinox, equal days/equal nights, but more readily known as the beginning of Spring - something we are all bound to put a little more of in our step for now !!! ... being the first sign of the natural zodiac, many astrologers would agree this is the beginning not only of Spring, but the beginning of a new Astrological Year !!! ... with the Sun in Aries, one needs to shine in the following ways: through valor and bravery; shine assertively; shine by being first; seek recognition energetically and impetuously; and shine in ones total self-expression ... Since Aries is a fire sign, the Sun is very comfortable here and maybe works a little more efficiently ... we are certainly energized with a desire to start getting things done and begin new projects ... the astrological alarm clock has rung and we are awakened from the dream like state the Sun transiting through Pisces may have put us in ... but least we forget, the ruling planet of Aries, which is Mars, is currently in its RETROGRADE journey in the sign of Aries until April 13th !!!

Aries is a masculine/fire/cardinal (beginnings) sign ... it is active, energetic, excitable, impulsive, optimistic, and open to change and new experiences ... its symbol is the Ram - assertive, sexual and able to climb to great heights ... its glyph represents the horns and long nose of the Ram ... symbolically the glyph is two half Moons joined by a straight line, which indicates idealism tied to authority and leadership ... its key phrase is "I AM" and keyword is "ACTIVITY" ... anatomically Aries rules the head - Aries born people are often prone to headaches, and sometimes subject to minor injuries around the head and face, and they are also susceptible to harm from fire and sharp instruments as well as being prone to accidents involving high speed ... sometimes they have a tendency to get into violent and dangerous situations ... it is the sign opposite of Libra ...

Aries is ruled by the planet Mars - the ancient God of war, aggression and conflict ... it indicates courage, passion, and competition ... Mars deals with your animal nature, desire and sexual energies ... it shows assertiveness, force, power, construction, work, strife, and competition ... it also governs surgery and operations, weapons, war, accidents, inflammation, wounds and cuts, burns, scalds, violence, tools, iron, and steel ... the action of Mars is sudden, self-assertive, and sometimes very disruptive ... its energy can be used destructively and angrily, in a fighting manner, or with courage and strength ... if you've had a natal chart done, where you find Mars is usually where you expend the greatest energy ... my natal Mars is in the 4th house - the house of home among other things - and I work out of my home !!!

Aries is the natural ruler of the 1st house of the zodiac ... the 1st house keyword is "IDENTITY" and it is a house of life ... the cusp of the 1st house is known as the Ascendant or Rising sign - a very important point in the natal chart - often said to be the "mask" you wear to the outside world !!! ... it shows what the exact degree and sign was on the eastern horizon at the moment of birth - now you know why birth time is so important in Astrology ... the 1st house mirrors your personality, your natural disposition and tendencies, your individuality and the way you express yourself outwardly ... it shows how people see you - which may be totally different from your natal Sun sign - and the way you want others to see you ... the 1st house represents the way you "package" and "market" yourself ... it represents your physical body, your health and your early childhood years ... it usually characterizes your approach to life, your worldly outlook, your appearance and bearing, and the beginnings of all enterprises ...

The essence of the Sun in Aries is living through doing ... its the pioneer, the champion !!! ... this energy simply wants to get something started as the Will has free reign to express itself in this sign ... challenges that stir one to action are usually met with great enthusiasm ... patience is a lesson to be learned under this energy as the drive is so strong to move and move NOW!!! ... physical, emotional and mental extremes are all desired in Aries which usually make one all the better for experiencing them - but go too far and one can expect to be extremely lonely ... remember what springs from your body or mind is only as good as what dwells in your heart ... the energy of the Sun in Aries can be expressed in the following ways:

POSITIVE: assertive, go-getting, crusading, enthusiastic, direct, frank, one-pointed, straightforward, spontaneous, energetic, stimulating, courageous, good starter, warrior caste, leader type, confident, independent, strong-willed, single-minded, original being

NEGATIVE: overly aggressive, unreflective, fanatical, arrogant, blunt, tactless, blind to side-issues, simplistic, impatient, restless, irritating, foolhardy, bad finisher, argumentative, un-cooperative, pompous, self-centered, headstrong, thoughtless, intolerant

Happy Solar Return to all you Aries born individuals .. this is your time of year to begin a new astrological cycle and shine ... for everyone it is a time for fresh new beginnings on many levels of ones life ... and even better yet - IT'S TIME FOR SPRING CLEANING !!! ... the Sun now joins Mercury, Mars and Uranus at the Aries party - that's a lot of fiery energy being unleashed ... but remember, both Mercury and Mars are currently RETROGRADE in Aries so just how much of a forward burst of energy we receive for now is anyones guess ... it may not really feel like Spring has truly begun until after April 13th when both Mercury and Mars will be back in forward motion ... the Sun remains in the sign of Aries until April 19th ... as for now just be aware - BOING ... SPRING HAS SPRUNG !!!

COSMIC CHAOS ... COSMIC CLARITY ... OR BOTH ???

Whether we like it or not - NOT !!!! - Mercury began its first RETROGRADE journey for 2012 early this morning, March 12th, at 3:49 AM EDT ... if you've been following my blogs, then you know pretty much what to expect during a Mercury Retrograde … as always - EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED!!! ... It is very important to understand that planetary retrogrades are NOT ALWAYS the harbingers of doom and gloom ... even though it is true they can cause disruption and misunderstandings, we have to realize these are simply Universal "time outs" which give us the opportunity to drop back and rethink and review our actions being generated by the planet which is retrograde, especially as the energy relates to the current sign that planet is currently transiting through ... bottom line - though we often joke about it, retrogrades shouldn't always be feared and dreaded but perhaps approached cautiously ... the Universe is giving us a chance to right our wrongs and redirect ourselves to achieve more beneficial personal growth !!! ... that being said, some of you may have noticed the energy beginning to move backwards already as Mercury entered its shadow point - the point where it will come out of the retrograde on April 4th - back on February 27^th at 23 degrees of Pisces ... it practically goes without saying that things somehow just don't seem to go right or as we planned, and we often find ourselves re-doing things especially after Mercury stations back into direct motion ...

Obviously communications are going to be challenged both to and from others - partnerships and relationships often hit the skids during these periods ... it is NOT a good time to make major purchases - especially Cars, a big NO NO - that goes double for USED CARS, computers or anything that involves electronics ... also purchasing homes can end up producing unforeseen problems and even the contracts can have unexpected difficulties along the way or at closing especially if the closing takes place during the retrograde period .... it is also not a good idea to enter into contracts or start new jobs as they will most likely not pan out and end up being dead ends ... and weddings, well I know it takes a long time to plan a wedding and some of them will just have to go on as planned, but if you can avoid a wedding in a Mercury Retrograde - DO IT !!! .... obviously one cannot put their life on hold, but if there is any way to hold off on these things until Mercury turns direct, it would prove beneficial in the long run ... I have frequently found, though, that in some charts I've done, people born under a Mercury retrograde sometimes seem to thrive during these periods because they innately understand the backward energy and how to work with it ...

To RE-peat, Mercury retrogrades are simply a time for reviewing and revision - as the saying goes, "it might be a good idea to drop back and punt" !!! ... this first Mercury retrograde journey for 2012 is a dual sign retrograde and will take place in the sign of Aries, from 6 degrees, back down to 23 degrees of Pisces ... during a retrograde journey it can be said that we are in a mental "down time" and often things will not register on a conscious level with us ... it is said that the use of Mercury retrograde cycles are to reconnect the individual with the Universal rhythm ...

Mercury retrograding in Aries will certainly give rise to issues concerning making new starts ... this is NOT the time to make vast sweeping changes - especially as Aries is ruled by Mars which is currently retrograde in the sign of Virgo which is ruled by Mercury ... get the picture ??? ... rather one should keep an eye open for possibilities that could prove more satisfying once the energy has returned back to direct motion ...

As Aries rules the 1st house, there might also well be issues regarding your personality, natural disposition, your individuality, the way you express yourself, the way you want others to see you, the way others actually see you, the way in which you package and market yourself, your physical body, your health, issues from early childhood years not dealt with, your approach to life, your worldly outlook, your appearance, as well as the beginnings of all new enterprises ... Since Aries is ruled by Mars, there could also be issues in regards to your assertiveness, competitiveness, surgery and operations, accidents, inflammations, cuts, burns, violence and anger management issues ... Mercury actually retrograded in Aries last March/April of 2011 … think back and see if you can remember what was going on in your life … will it resurface this time ???

 Then on March 23rd, Mercury returns to the sign of Pisces for the completion of its retrograde journey ... at that point the emphasis will shift to an opportunity to rethink old habit patterns and how we emotionally respond to life’s challenges ... As Pisces is ruled by Neptune the planet of illusion, delusion, the spiritual and enlightenment, we can certainly expect our minds to become distracted either by constant confusion and misunderstandings, already a given in a Mercury retrograde, or strongly drawn to our intuitive abilities and the pursuit of the "ideal" ... also as Pisces, whose planetary ruler is Neptune, naturally rules the 12th house, there could be issues regarding dealing with our inner strengths and weaknesses; endings on some level of our lives; places of confinement - jails, hospitals or mental institutions; the desire to withdraw to places of solitude so we may quietly reflect on our life and where we are heading; our frustrations; inner consciousness and the subconscious mind; charitable endeavors; we could also be inspired if we have an aptitude for art, music, dancing or writing; or maybe we will be dealing with actions that could ultimately result on our own self-undoing ...

In regards to overall health and well being, remember Mercury is the natural planetary ruler of the 6th house which rules health, so there could be more chances to have health issues in general during a Mercury retrograde ... and with Mars, planetary ruler of Aries, currently retrograde in the sign of Virgo, the natural sign on the cusp of the 6th house, these issues could be heightened ... while Mercury retrogrades in Aries there is also an increased chance for issues concerning the head as that is the part of the anatomy Aries naturally rules ... while retrograding in Pisces, there could be an increased chance of issues with the feet as that is the part of the anatomy Pisces naturally rules ...

If  you've had a natal chart done and know where 6 degrees of Aries back down to 23 degrees of Pisces lies, you may find additional insight as to what area of your life may be more affected by this retrograde and also whether it will involve one or two houses during the retrograde period ... Aries and Pisces born, this retrograde has some special illuminated significance for you, and of course for Gemini and Virgo born as Mercury is your ruling planet, this is yet another period for you to review and reflect on your life and what has been going on since the end of the last Mercury Retrograde back on December 13th ...

Below I have reposted the "Mercury Retrograde Survival Manual" written by my teacher Lyn Hammond Gray ... hopefully it will help out :

"Here is your Survival manual: Mercury retro always creates a repeating action. The Re-Words are common. Some re-words that you will notice during this time are:

Repeat – The action you are making during the RX period you will probably repeat again during the period or later.

Repair – The need for repair will arise. If possible, put if off until Mercury turns direct (December 13th).

Reverse - You will be amazed at how many times you change your mind or reverse your thinking during this time. Watch out for that racecar driver that is driving in reverse down the emergency lane on the freeway. Yikes!....

Recall - Your mind will wonder back. You will think of people from the past or you will encounter someone from the past. If old lovers show up, don't bet that it will stick. Believe me... it is just for a "review." (And if it does last, I want to be the first to know about it. E-mail me and let me know). And you know what, I wouldn't start a new romance during this period either - wait until after April 13th - Mars needs to be back into direct motion as well!!!

Review - If you are reading instructions, you may find it necessary to review repeatedly because they simply don't make sense. Sometimes the publisher has actually left out a step. It happens!

Regroup - In corporations, it is a common experience during the Rx to hear the boss say, 'Alright, we are going to rework this thing and get it right.' Later when the period is over, they go back to the old way doing things. It is a laugh a minute. Stand back and watch the comedy.

Reboot and Revise - The computer world is a definite place to watch the comedy. It is common for one to suddenly, without fore thought, decide to revise their system during the Rx. Oh! Mercy! That revised system may never function in the normal way. Oh, please! Do wait until the period is over. However, it is fine to do your shopping for the new components during the Rx. When you do go to purchase your parts after December 30th, you will find better deals and buys.

Return - Now here is a good one. You'll find that this period is a popular time for family or class reunions. Should you stay are home? Absolutely not! You go because this is a review that you don't want to miss. But funny thing is that in spite of the fact that you tell these people 'lets stay in touch' it will become lip service and you won't live up to your suggestion.

Rebirth – Often one will go back into the past and bring up old creative projects to work with during this time frame. Sometimes it sticks and sometimes it doesn't. Only you will be able to activate the discipline to keep it going once the retrograde period is over.

Recover - You can bet that you will dig into your files, boxes or storage to recover something that you need…you can also bet it won't be an easy find. It is likely that you will be looking for a legal document· While it is possible that you may not find what you are looking for, you may find something that you would like to put back in to use. Fun!

Re-examine – Well, just about everything.

Reduction – Over the years, I have been amazed at how many times a company or person decides to eliminate a job or to leave a job during the retrograde. It is my experience that a job changed during this period is 95% of the time regretted. Can you wait until the period is over, dear heart?

And so it is. Three times a year we live this cosmic "going to teach you patience routine". All and all when this retrograde period is over you may "Realize" this simple truth: The flow of the universe is very, very interesting and it is going to have its way with us.

Good luck and may the Universe bestow upon each one of you a special wisdom and unique insight into your journey through this life at this point!!! "


Back to me now ....Those born between March 11th and April 4th will most likely have Mercury retrograde in their birthday chart for the whole year ahead ... below is a repeat explanation of what it means to have Mercury Retrograde for the whole year in your birthday chart summed up by Mary Fortier Shea in her book titled "Planets  in Solar Return":

"The significance of having Mercury retrograde in your yearly birthday chart or, as we refer to it in Astrology, a Solar Return ...

A Solar Return is the time every year that the Sun returns to the same degrees and minutes it was at when you were born - all the more reason to know your birth time now isn't it, hmmmmm????? ... a new chart is run for you at the time your solar return occurs in that given year and it is run for wherever you are at the precise time of your solar return ... this produces a new horoscope chart which shows what energy you may or may not run into for the year ahead - that is from the current birthday until next years’ birthday ... its energy can be felt from one to three months out before the actual solar return occurs ... often people will relocate for the return time in order to get a particular energy in their solar return chart ...

Mercury is usually retrograde in a solar return chart every six years ... during this time it's best to be introspective ... you should be learning and thinking on your own rather than depending on others ... the mind is like an overstuffed drawer seriously in need of re-filing and reorganization ... in other words the time has come to "process" ... the mental processes are not very receptive to new information at this time ... it's time to go back and re-examine and review things in your life which may have been started but not carried through to fruition or maybe interrupted and suddenly abandoned for some reason ... by focusing inward you might be able to see that your own opinions, thoughts and decisions work best for you rather than those made by others ... at the same time be very receptive to the feedback others are giving you especially if you have missed the mark in regard to some endeavor ... another side effect of this energy is secretiveness where you decide to withhold information or sometimes outright lie ... and why ??? .. because you have secrets that need to be kept or else were you to express your opinions and thoughts outwardly it could cause tension in your relationships ... have plenty of ice cream around to soothe the tongue you are most likely going to have to bite frequently this year !!! ... this is a great year to keep a journal and put your thoughts down on paper and also to write original material ... sometimes you can see things differently when thoughts and ideas are written down which is a very helpful way to get organized ... this is a year where you will probably realize old opinions and beliefs are now outdated thus encouraging you to reassess your thinking, reformulate previously developed ideas, and shed new light on something on some level of your life that needs to be addressed ...

It doesn't really have to be a bad  year ... done wisely, fast forwarding to the past and clearing out the "clutter", you can propel yourself further ahead in life than you originally may have thought !!! "

For all of us, this becomes a time to review and rethink what is going on in our lives and especially what may have been started or done during the last Mercury Retrograde, that being November 23rd/24th through December 13th, 2011, or actions we undertook since the last Mercury Retrograde ended on December 13th, 2011 ... whatever the case, it is for sure that there will undoubtedly be lights going ON in our heads regarding these actions as well as other lights going OUT as this Mercury Retrograde energy wreaks its cosmic havoc for the next 24 days - especially with Mars currently retrograde in Virgo, ruled by Mercury, until April 13th ... and therefore it is my personal opinion that this first Mercury retrograde could be especially challenging from March 12th until March 23rd until Mercury leaves Aries and returns back into Pisces ... fortunately, or a Universal gift perhaps, once Mercury turns direct it won't return back into the sign of Aries until the Mars retrograde is completed !!! ... Mercury remains retrograde until April 4th... so slow down and try not to act too impulsively or the day may come in the near future when you live to regret what you did ... be aware tempers will flare and patience may become scarce, but that personal sense of humor, being one of your greatest allies, should be called upon frequently as the Mercury Retrograde merrily wreaks havoc and/or bestows enlightenment ... so in the end my fellow beings of light, as this first Mercury Retrograde period of 2012 is now upon us, the question becomes will we become the constant victim of Cosmic Chaos, become the recipient of great Cosmic Clarity ... or BOTH ???

PHYSICAL GRATIFICATION - JUST A "TOUCH" OF LOVE !!!

Venus - the planet representing attraction, love, affection, beauty, happiness, value and values, how we relate, and social or artistic expression -  began its transit through the sensual, dependable sign of Taurus, the Bull, today, March 5th, at 5:25 AM EST ... Venus is very comfortable and at home here as this is one of the two signs of the zodiac it naturally rules - the other being Libra of course !!!

Venus in Taurus usually enjoys physical gratification - including food, drink, possessions, finances, and sensual indulgences - often to the point of becoming overly indulgent !!! ... it deeply enjoys sensations, appreciates nature, and truly savors the five senses more so than usual - especially TOUCH !!! ... this energy is often relaxed and easygoing in relating to people and it appreciates loyalty and stability ... affection is expressed physically and steadily - sometimes to the point of being too possessive ... the drive for pleasure is very strong and could easily make one excessively self-indulgent ... the handling of money and possessions is usually done sensibly, but there could be the tendency to overvalue comfort, luxury and/or attractive physical objects ... there is a desire for comfort in love relationships and one responds to sensual energy from other people ... an appreciation of beauty and artisitic talents can lead to personal satisfaction and success ... whatever this energy loves it will love completely and totally ... it believes relationships can last forever ... sometimes the relationships last longer than they should ... the saying that old habits die hard is especially true with Venus in Taurus ... and this energy continues to think about all the time it has "invested" in its object of desire !!! .. this is a steadfast love ... it also is prone to the love of good food so gaining weight could prove a challenge under this energy ...

The essence of Venus in Taurus is loving through stabilizing ... it's Nature's connoisseur ... there is a pronounced need to show physical affection in order to feel loved - mere words will NOT suffice ... the secret here to obtaining the object of your desires and maintaining a stable relationship is to understand that anything or anyone outside of yourself can only become a part of your life when your value and values are a reflection and in harmony with Nature itself ... this is one of the very strongest Planet-Sign combinations that indicates a genuine love of Nature ... the ultimate truth here is that what you love and care about is only as solid and secure as you feel inside ... the energy of Venus in Taurus can be expressed in the following ways:

POSITIVE: attractive, earthy, affectionate, artistic, aesthetic, peaceful, sensuous, satisfying, steadfast, loyal, wholesome, constant, sympathetic, encouraging, comforting, pleasure-giving, nature-loving, deeply trusting, sound values, conservational

NEGATIVE: greedy, materialistic, self-indulgent, overly sensual, self-satisfied, stubborn, possessive, smug, too abiding, misguiding, dissipating, insatiable, limited viewpoint, gullible, weight-gainer, jealous, insecure

Taurus born individuals this is your time to reflect your inner beauty outwardly and ask for what you want - you just might get it if it is what you truly desire ... for the rest of us, we can now see what it might be like to be born with Venus in Taurus, as well as getting a glimpse into how Taurus born individuals may operate in their quest for love and defining where their true values lie ... Venus remains in the sign of Taurus until April 3rd ... this is the last full transit of a sign Venus will make before it takes its retrograde journey for 2012 on May 15th ... what a challenging start we've had to 2012 - Mars retrograde followed by Mercury retrograde followed by Venus retrograde and then soon followed by yet another Mercury retrograde ... the Universe undoubtedly is making sure that we slow down and rethink and review many areas of our personal lives ... it will be interesting to see how well this earthy Venusian energy operates with the current Mars retrograde in play and with the first Mercury retrograde for 2012 set to begin next Monday, March 12th ... For now, remember that what makes us feel loved is our own persistent faith in our individual love nature !!!

THE WINDMILLS OF YOUR MIND ...

... may truly be spinning in overdrive for a while as Mercury swiftly flew its way into the sign of Aries yesterday, March 3rd at 6:41 AM EST ... Mercury takes approximately 1 year to go through the 12 signs of the Zodiac ... it spends anywhere from 15 days to roughly two months in each sign - the longer amount of time being the roughly 20 to 24 days during each of its usual three retrograde periods each year ... that being said, while Mercury transits the sign of Aries, and with it being a Fire sign, energy and action will be expressed either in an inspiring, creative, independent, or impulsive/aggressive manner ... in Aries, the Mercurial energy is being pushed into overdrive ... the mind will be frequently on overload as well as our actions too ... we may find our selves moving too quickly and causing mishaps or accidents - especially behind the wheel where we will no doubt be using even more hand gestures than usual !!! - we will also most likely come up with what we determine to be "scathingly brilliant" ideas but not all will be driven to fruition after they lose their initial novelty ... a lot of us will constantly be the victim of "foot-in-mouth" disease as we will have the tendency to speak before we think since the mind is processing so much so fast ... we may also experience sleepless nights or have difficulty going to sleep as we find that when our head hits the pillow the mind is still racing .... we will certainly have to be on guard about starting arguments and trying to stir up controversy simply because we feel like our words are the ultimate authority ...

With the mind and the tongue working rather quickly here, there is definitely a talent for debate and/or using words that are biting, ironic, and sarcastic ... communication will be made directly, forcefully and with confidence ... new ideas are always being sought here as it becomes necessary to be active in order to learn - even if the lessons end up being harder than we anticipated ... under this energy one is usually interested in courage, self-reliance, freedom and self-expression ...

The essence of Mercury in Aries is thinking through doing ... the energy truly expresses the well known phrase that actions speak louder than words!!! ... just as fresh new ideas and experiences are sought out, there is the tendency at times to dwell on old grievances as well as on outworn interests ... failing to sustain enough mental input or assertion of ones intellectual outlook, there is the risk of nervous and/or physical restlessness that can develop into more serious mental or emotional conditions accompanied by matching circumstances ... slow down to clarify your objectives and then have the faith that you'll rise to the occasion ... make sure your force has a worthy cause attached to it ... realize that the tongue is indeed a sensitive muscle - so learn to "hold it" and appreciate what it is attached to !!! ... the energy of Mercury in Aries can be expressed in the following ways:

POSITIVE: quick-thinking, spontaneous, quick-acting, decisive, mentally forceful, stimulating, fighting spirit, fiery, frank, witty, to the point, observant, initiates ideas, thinks on ones feet, mentally active and agile, eloquent, verbally assertive, intellectually confident

NEGATIVE: impatient, irritable, quick-tempered, premature, headstrong, quarrelsome, spitting, thoughtless, sarcastic, terse, precocious, snap opinionated, snap decisions, verbally/mentally restless, one-sided viewpoint, intellectually arrogant

Mercury remains in the sign of Aries until ... WAIT FOR IT ... May 8th/9th, depending on the time zone in which you live, due to its upcoming first retrograde journey of 2012 on March 11th/12th which embeds it in the current Mars retrograde in Virgo which is ruled by Mercury - (insert loud collective groan here) ... so it will effectively be in Aries for the next 45 days not counting the 26 days it will return to Pisces as part of its retrograde journey - a lot to think and rethink about !!! ... so exactly how fast will those windmills in our minds be spinning and, what will get "lost in translation" or have to be rethought ??? ... Aries born individuals may become infused with an overabundance of ideas and plans in addition to speaking out more so than usual - yikes ... but indeed we all may even if we aren't Aries born !!! ... as I have stated in past blogs, and I find it to be relevant here, all of us might be well advised to keep a lot of ice cream or something cool and soothing on hand as we are sure to have a sore tongue because we've had to bite it so often to keep from allowing our hasty words causing too much damage !!!