…still a noticeable uptick in the sirens wailing through the neighborhood…who needs an alarm clock anymore?

I’ve got last weekend’s volatile/forceful Mars-Pluto square on my mind this morning. If you recall this was the third and last challenge between these two planets since Mars has been in Libra for what now seems like forever. The first challenge was at the end of the December; the second was during April’s Cardinal Grand Cross, in which the reality of climate change reached a tipping point. The third in a series of planetary patterns drives the point home, much as the third act of a play. And there was President Obama delivering a commencement address in which climate change deniers were openly mocked. What a difference a year makes. Not that this will stop said climate change deniers from filing lawsuits that attempt to block sustainable energy objectives, said one of the deniers, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (at a press conference with three other state governor-deniers).

Which brings me to a discussion of idealism, suggested by mental Mercury hooking up with the Sun on Thursday — in Gemini. Traditional astrologers use the term “combust” to describe a planet that is so close to the Sun (ego drive) that it blinded by (the ego’s) light. With Mercury, which refers to how we need to think, there’s a challenge seeing the forest for the trees. Which can be expressed as idealism.

So naturally I had to look up Bobby Jindal’s horoscope for suggestions of an idealistic mindset, and immediately noticed Mercury and Venus (social expression) opposed by Jupiter and Neptune. Jupiter-Neptune aspects suggest a need for spirituality and/or faith, and this would color his mindset and social expression in rose — big time. But wait – there’s more: stern Saturn is also hooked up with Venus, suggesting a reserved, chilly and/or controlled (controlling?) influence in matters relating to women, art and money. Color that black! There’s a contradiction here — so the question is, how might this be expressed by the person bringing the horoscope to life?

Currently Jindal’s natal Mercury at 6 Gemini is being challenged by nebulous Neptune (now retrograde at 7 Pisces).  He’s been wearing a super-deluxe pair of rose-colored glasses for months, and will continue to do so into 2015. On the plus side, Neptune-Mercury transits suggest vision, spirituality and creativity; on the down side, they suggest fantasy and delusion. Bobby Jindal also made headlines on Thursday when he signed two bills restricting information and access to reproductive health care  in a church, because that’s where the Founding Fathers intended for legislative bills to be signed. The bill restricting information reads: “no individual or organization that performs elective abortion or its affiliates may provide instruction or materials in public elementary and secondary schools or in charter schools that receive state funding.” In other words, no free speech for certain people, despite the First Amendment. A few days later, Jindal gave a speech in Ohio and said, “I’m here to tell you one of the most important fights we have is to stand up for our First Amendment religious liberty rights.”

So that’s an example of how contradictory patterns in a horoscope may be expressed…and in this case, under the influence of a potentially bewildering Neptune period of influence.

What I really meant to share today was a bit about Neptune retrograde — which happened last week — and which appears to have turned up in Beth Owlsdaughter’s always-engaging Tarot Card of the Week. Because over the weekend I found myself turning inward for inspiration and guidance, which is what is suggested during Neptune — and Mercury — retrogrades. I was drawn to RE-read Dr. Eben Alexander’s marvelous book, Proof Of Heaven — because I was tired of reading all the headlines about wars, violence and bickering about freedom, climate change and so forth. I wrote about Proof of Heaven last year — oddly enough, in a post that also mentions Beth Owlsdaughter. Here’s an excerpt; the whole post is worth re-reading, if I do say so myself:

Astrology can identify the potential for great good or evil suggested by a planetary pattern. We can surmise reasons why someone with a disconnected consciousness might choose evil over good. What astrology doesn’t do is answer the bewildering question of WHY anyone who allegedly has a soul and consciousness, as all humans presumably do, has the option of inflicting such damage and pain.  Why is there evil in the world?

As it turns out, over the weekend I happened to read Proof of Heaven by Dr. Eben Alexander. Dr. Alexander was in a coma for seven days and had an amazing out-of-body experience that transformed his life — and just might transform yours, should you read the book.  And in the book the question of why there is evil in the world was addressed. And the answer was something like this.  Evil exists in places where beings with souls and consciousness are learning the lessons of free will. Earth is one such place. If evil were not an option, we would not be able to make choices and thus learn the lessons required in the laboratory called Planet Earth. There is relatively little evil in the Universe compared to the amount of good, and this is very, very good. And there is probably far more good on this planet than evil — though there have been times where one wonders

What I found especially helpful reading this book for the second time was the reminder that this life we experience on Earth is maya — illusion (see the Tarot Card of the Week for more).  Things are not as they seem to be…and in reality, everything is much better than we think. So while we’re living this illusion, we are well-advised to make the best of it. Don’t worry, be happy, etc. Seriously.

I also was delighted to re-read this quote, attributed to Isaac Singer:

We must believe in free will. We have no choice.

Dr. Alexander has a new book coming out this fall…

Thank you for reading — and sharing — this forecast.

What’s going on in your horoscope? Mercury retrogrades are excellent times for reviewing your life with an astrologer. Here’s the 411 on personal consultations.