February 2011

The Aquarius new moon takes place on February 2. A new moon signals a fresh round of activities that basically culminate around full moon time two weeks later. The moon acts like a trigger as she comes along and activates and stimulates planetary exchange and activity throughout the month. The condition and position of the planets at new moon time tell us what type of energy is on board. Mars sits close to the new moon and his energy will be evident throughout the month. On the positive side of the ledger, we may very well be inspired by the true spirit of Aquarius, which connects us to our higher selves and also reminds us of our common bonds as human beings. We all want to be loved and respected and we all deserve to be nurtured and protected. Mars brings courage and bravery of the highest kind and it may be needed in order to attain our goals of peace and prosperity. Saturn lends a hand. He is in a triangular pattern with the new moon. Saturn is the true lord of Aquarius and he is in Libra, his sign of exaltation, meaning that we will receive the best that Saturn has to offer. His lessons are often stringent, but necessary. The combination brings cooperation and accord.

On the negative side of the coin, Mars offers war, anger and confrontation all the way around. All the more reason for us to take heed and strive to bring peace and understanding wherever we can. A cut from a sword will heal in a short time, but a cut from the tongue may fester for lifetimes. The full moon on February 18 will tell the tale. Mars is involved with the full moon and may shake things up locally and globally in boardrooms and bedrooms across the land. We know that changes are in the wind as evidenced by the reshuffling in our political parties that has jarred everyone awake from their deep slumber. Now we are experiencing the “Cardinal Onslaught.” It means that the big planets – Saturn, Uranus and Pluto – are moving through the cardinal signs Aries, Libra and Capricorn and they will not abate throughout this decade as they affect the horoscopes of Canada and the US and the rest of the world. It tells of a time of great movement and change as we gradually shift away from our materialism and move towards a more meaningful spiritual existence. No doubt we need to balance things out across the board, and we will. Next month The Royals… and the fates are riding high.

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Aries Jupiter has just entered Aries with Uranus soon to follow. It is a clarion call announcing big changes are in the wind. Get a move on. This year may be your greatest ever. Reach for the stars, open your heart and embrace whatever the universe brings your way.

Taurus Career opportunities and changes all around may be the case for Taurus. Once you start to really desire something, even if it means a big change, you will do it. Creative energies are high and you may be looking at re-evaluating many aspects of your life.

Gemini Your solar ninth house of travel, education, publishing and spirituality is strongly activated and it may prompt you to book a flight or sign up for classes, etc. Just beneath the exterior of your average Gemini whirlwind talker is a soul seeking liberation and spiritual ecstasy in one form or another. Great changes are coming.

Cancer Your curiosity is piqued in some way. It is time to do your natural thing, which, of course, is to dig in and discover what you may. Joint monies, partnerships, inheritances and mysteries, romance too, all figure in the cosmic dance throughout February.

Leo February is the general solar low of the year for Leo. Your view, versus the view of others, comes into play. Sensitive negotiations take place. It is time to nurture and care for yourself and others. Humility, honesty, patience and compassion get you through in fine fashion.

Virgo Your solar sixth house is Aquarius and while the planets move through this region throughout February, you may be inspired to do your Virgo thing, which is to mainly get your ducks in a row. It’s a no brainer. Health, work and everything in between get a work over.

Libra You are in the midst of an important transition. It won’t let up so you might as well get into it, gladly so. No one wants to lance the cyst, but we’re relieved once the toxins are removed. The planetary deities are paying close attention as they help you through this time of correction and redirection.

Scorpio When the going gets tough, the Scorpios get going. Where others give up, Scorpio is just getting warmed up. A major retooling is in the works and it is essential that you throw yourself into the process. Let the old you die off and the dynamic new you will appear on the scene soon enough!

Sagittarius Lord Jupiter casts his blessings as he visits your solar fifth house for the next four months. Romance, intellectual attainment, business opportunities and other such topics will do you well. Travel, education and spiritual upliftment are on the menu. Births take place literally or spiritually and possibly both.

Capricorn Venus visits Capricorn throughout February bringing blessings of love, harmony and happiness. You may have to deal with some unpleasant factors that need attention and correction. Fateful dates are February 8, 9 and 10. A total reassessment of your values may be in the works.

Aquarius The Aquarius new moon on February 2 has Mars involved in the play bringing courage, passion, action and reaction your way. Positive use of the energy is important. It is an excellent time to pioneer something new. The full moon on February 18 brings revelations and clarity.

Pisces Out with the old and in with the new is the basic energy to be dealt with in the first few weeks of February. The Sun enters Pisces on February 18, soon to be followed by Mercury and Mars. This planetary combination will certainly ignite a powerful and dynamic round of activity.


 

January 16, 2011 – OPHIUCHUS The 13th sign.

Hey, what’s your sign? This particular question was considered a pick up line back in the sixties. Things were simple then. You were an Aries or Cancer, Libra or whatever. People became increasingly aware of their Sun, rising and Moon signs. Some of us are born on the cusp, which means that the Sun was moving towards the end of one sign or had just moved into the next sign. Because of the wobble of the earth’s polar axis the Sun doesn’t always enter a sign on the same day each year adding more confusion.

Then along comes Parke Kunkle the Astronomer from Minneapolis who proclaims that the signs and dates are wrong, thus invalidating western astrology and its adherents. He tells us that the Sun moves through Ophiuchus, a constellation between Scorpio and Sagittarius, for 19 days before entering Sagittarius. This has thrown a monkey wrench into the works causing confusion and consternation, and might need some explaining in order to get it right.

The Two Zodiacs

In the world of astrology two zodiacal systems are used. We have the Western Tropical Zodiac and the Eastern Sidereal Zodiac. The two zodiacs matched up in 285 AD according to N.C. Lahiri, and his Ayanamsa is generally accepted and used in Vedic and western astrology. Over time it appeared that the sidereal zodiac positions were drifting away from the fixed tropical zodiac. This difference is called the ayanamsa. There are several disputed ayanamsas with Lahiri’s being the most accepted. The distance between the two zodiacs today is approximately 24 degrees of longitude.

The tropical zodiac is based on the seasons starting with the sun’s entrance into Aries on or close to March 21 heralding the vernal equinox. The 12 signs are equally divided along the ecliptic which is the path of the sun’s apparent motion through the 30 degree sections called the signs. In actuality it is the Earth’s path around the sun, giving us the illusion of the sun’s moment through the constellations that are near or on the ecliptic. The ancient Babylonians developed their astrology through hundreds of years of observation and they were able to compare the character and affairs of man to the different placements of the sun, moon and planets measured amidst the back drop of the stars.

The Sidereal Zodiac

The sidereal zodiac starts when the sun reaches the first point of the star group Aries. Vedic or eastern astrology is a system based not on sun signs but on the position of the moon and the sign that was rising in the east at the time you born, plus the planet that rules that sign. Western astrology is solar based, while Vedic astrology is lunar based. Both systems are valid.

The two chart systems are similar in some ways and very different in others. We hear people exclaim that they are Sagittarius through and through and they would never have the qualities of Scorpio. We hear other Sagittarius people proclaiming that although they are Sagittarius their behaviour is very like a Capricorn. Go figure. What is happening here is that the first person has the qualities of Jupiter and Sagittarius, while the second person has Saturn very prominent in his chart thus compelling him to behave in a saturnine way. Personally I would never do a reading for a client without studying both systems thoroughly. The astrologer that just adheres to one or the other system is losing out on a great raft of information.

So you can relax, nothing has changed, astrology is valid and is a sacred tool in helping us to understand God’s handwriting through the stars. The ancients knew that the moon cycle took approximately thirty days to move around the earth and worked out a system of 12 signs at thirty degrees each making up the 360 degrees of the zodiac. The 13th sign would never be valid and would never work. Unfortunately the astronomers just cannot accept the fact that astrology works. If they cannot see it or measure it then it must not be valid. I’m sure that most of them do not believe in God either. Godless men with a truncated measuring stick with nothing else to do except to take another swipe at something they have not studied and probably will never understand. Too bad, so sad.