…and we’re off to the races again…but this week, slooooooow down! As you know, Mercury turn retrograde at 7:15 PM ET on Sunday, backtracking through early Taurus and late Aries. There are plenty of great things you can accomplish during a Mercury retrograde, like REview and REvise your website or your business plan…or REconnect with people you haven’t seen in years. Here’s your strategy for the next few weeks:
Even if you know nothing else about astrology, you may have heard the term “Mercury retrograde” before. Often it’s accompanied by curses and groans, and that’s a shame. Yes, all of the flights on American Airlines might be grounded because of a computer glitch. Or the entire country of Finland might be offline because there’s a transportation strike. Or some trickster might set off all the tornado warning alarms in Dallas — that actually happened yesterday. But there’s much good that can be accomplished when the Messenger Planet appears to be retracing its steps.
Mercury—which in the language of astrology refers to mindset, travel and communication—will appear to move backward through the sky until May 3rd. It’s not really moving backward, but that is how it looks from our perspective here on Spaceship Earth. Mercury goes retrograde 3-4 times each year, for a period of 22 days.
Contrary to popular belief, Mercury retrogrades are no reason to freak out. Mercury retrograde gets a bad rap because we are geared, in this crazy modern age, to always be thinking, doing, moving FORWARD. You know what that gets you? BURN OUT. We need our down times, and Mercury retrograde is a perfect time to give our minds a rest. Why else would your computer, phone and/or car choose THIS time to malfunction? Because you are supposed to be slowing down. And as you slow down, it is vitally important that you FOCUS.
When Mercury is retrograde, be prepared for travel delays, scheduling screw-ups, mechanical breakdowns, computer crashes, having to repeat what you’ve just said, misunderstandings, the past coming back for a second look, surprise reunions and having to repeat what you just said. Use your FOCUS and double check important details, like whether the restaurant you’ve chosen for a meet-up is still in business. Or whether it is booked for a commercial shoot or a private party — all of which has happened to me during Mercury retrogrades.
If you are looking for a job, Mercury retrogrades are a perfect time to reach out to people from your past. Mine your address book and trust that your contacts will be happy to hear from you. However, do not be frustrated if your target is away on vacation or keeps rescheduling meetings. Also, triple check your emails and resumes before you hit “send,” as there is a higher probability of typos and other sloppy snafus.
In your business, you’ll need to make sure all communications have been received and are clearly understood. Be mindful of the higher potential for communications equipment to go on the fritz. MAKE SURE YOUR FILES ARE BACKED UP. Also be aware of a higher than average probability for delays in shipping and travel arrangements. For this you will need an extra dose of patience.
You may also find it profitable to REview a project from the past. Maybe you shelved it then, but now is the time to REconsider. However, be advised that a spontaneously, “out-of-the-blue” idea for advancement may not be so sound when Mercury turns direct. This is why the conventional wisdom advises against finalizing and/or signing contracts on deals during Mercury retrograde. An exception might be supported if you are REnegotiating or RElocating. If you absolutely must close a deal, triple check everything. The key is not to RUSH.
This is a good time to schedule a corporate REtreat. Any activity that affords the opportunity to REview past performance is encouraged. REsearch on a new strategy is also favored.
Mercury retrogrades are not favored for launching a new website or a new communications systems. There is a higher than average probability of technical glitches and confusion. REvisions, however, are A-OK.
In general, adopt a playful attitude of flexibility to whatever twists you encounter. Avoid making major purchases (especially electronic ones). Don’t believe everything you hear or read in the papers. Rumors have a higher probability of spreading during Mercury retrogrades. Avoid losing patience — that’s a big one.
When in doubt, be silent!
Do plan on RElaxing, REviewing, REsearching, REorganizing, REgenerating, REconnecting and REcreating….and REviewing your life with your astrologer.
So do take it easy on Monday, on a day driven by the Moon in people-pleasing Libra. As much as Libra seeks balance, fairness and harmony, the patterns leading up to the Full Moon — exact at 2:08 AM ET on TUESDAY — suggest anything but. A literally jovial contact between Jupiter and the Moon at 6:58 PM ET heightens emotions and builds to a possible power play at 9:54 PM ET, when the Moon is challenged by Pluto.
After the Full Moon face-off against the me-me-me Aries Sun, balance and harmony may be further disrupted by another face-off between the Moon and rebel Uranus at 7:31 AM ET. Yes, it’s that weekly clash among Moon, Pluto and Uranus — augmented through the summer by Jupiter’s expansive influence. Not only that, but this Full Moon also connects with Eris. You may remember that Eris symbolizes those who may stop at nothing to secure a place at the table, having previously been dissed. In mythology Eris is the goddess of discord — perhaps a feminine counterpart to Mars. It’s an apt time to be a warrior woman, with the following caveat to those who would get in a warrior woman’s way: “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”
But wait — there’s more. While the Libra Moon is disrupted by Eris, the warrior Aries Sun joins forces with Uranus at 1:29AM ET on FRIDAY. This is the other shoe dropping after the first one fell last week. We have been tracking these quarterly clashes among the Sun and the Uranus-Pluto square since 2012. Here’s a sample from 2016.
Other than Friday’s Sun-Uranus meet-up, there are no other exact aspects among the planets except to the Moon this week. In these apparent “empty spaces,” there is room for much to fall, in the way that a giant chunk of ice breaks off an Arctic shelf and crumbles into the sea, as if no one saw it coming.
And now, the news.
Let the record show that the Full Moon at 21 Libra-Aries will challenge P45’s Venus and Saturn in Cancer. You can’t say that this man doesn’t value family ties. It is fascinating to note that Stephen K. Bannon’s natal Uranus hits P45’s Venus and Saturn. It’s a disruptive influence on P45’s family ties, no? How interesting that during this current Venus retrograde — when social graces fly out the window and you can’t help but tell people how you really feel — a blow-up between P45’s son-in-law (Jared Kushner) and Bannon made headlines. Was their effort to “bury the hatchet” a success? Given what is known about the latter’s horoscope, let’s see what happens in mid-May and mid-June.
Back to P45. We’ve established that this Full Moon hits his unique horoscope. Transiting Mars (the energy of action) will also make contact with planets and angles in his horoscope on April 13th, 16th and 21st. Do you know when Mars is scheduled to hit your Mars and your angles? You really should and I can tell you! When Mars hits these sensitive points we see increased potential for outbursts of energy: anger, assertive, accidents. I had a field day tracking Mars in the horoscopes of headline newsmakers last March.
So P45 is likely to be feeling provocative and provoked this week. Not only that, but he’s likely feeling expansive, thanks to the second hit of his Jupiter return at 17 degrees of Libra. Talk about luck! But there’s a wild card factor to the expansive action potential, given that rebel Uranus is also hot in his chart, especially on April 5th and 20th. Keep that in mind when watching the news.
Meanwhile…
It’s not just the U.S. seemingly falling apart. South Africa has its own political crisis, with massive demonstrations last week calling for President Jacob Zuma to step down. Thousands are marching against the socialist government in Venezuela. There were “unauthorized” protests in Russia, too — earlier this month. France is facing its own potentially volatile elections on April 23rd and in May. In Alabama, the scandal-plagued governor — Robert Bentley — is finally facing impeachment hearings. Papers were filed a year ago.
In the non-political arena, I see many stories reflecting the women of steel/no mercy potential of the Pattern of the Month: Saturn square Venus. Google stands accused of extreme pay discrimination against women. Conservative pundit Tomi Lahren is suing Glenn Beck for wrongful termination, saying she was fired because of pro-choice remarks she made. I was not familiar with the 20-something Ms. Lahren until I saw a clip of her being interviewed on the Daily Show.
On the other hand, women in British Columbia can no longer be required to wear high heels at the office — and this isn’t the only place in the world where this is a subject of debate. I will bet fifty cents that Fox News requires its women on-air talent to wear heels, and that it is not the only broadcast network with that policy.
In other news…
In a horoscope, when Uranus (lightning in a bottle) makes contact with cosmic sugar daddy Jupiter, sudden windfalls are more likely. When Uranus makes contact with Venus, we see the potential for disruptive revelations in relationships and matters of worth. That is what is going on in Bill O’Reilly’s horoscope, as we are learning about the $13 million in fees paid to five women who accused O’Reilly of sexual harassment over the years — with more accusations made in recent days. The settlement fees were paid by Fox — his employer. Dear Avid Reader, has your employer done as much for you?
I wrote about O’Reilly back in early 2015, as well as Brian Williams — who also raised eyebrows last week (Williams is still gushing over guns). While advertisers are ditching the O’Reilly Factor in droves, O’Reilly’s book on hahahahahahaha family values is an instant bestseller and his ratings are through the roof. Did you know that April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month?
Here is Alec Baldwin, portraying O’Reilly and P45 over the weekend on SNL. Mr. Baldwin is also on a roll…as predicted earlier this year.
Friday’s story about the girl in India who was reportedly being raised by monkeys felt so off to me — and not at all in tune with the harshness of planetary patterns — so I did not mention it. Now it turns out that she is not believed to have been raised by monkeys. She is believed to be disabled and was likely abandoned by her family. Right. That is harsh. Fits the patterns.
Add harshness and ambition to the power and resources suggested by Saturday’s Sun-Pluto meet-up, and you might see an in-depth NYT article about how the rise of solar power is killing jobs in the U.S. (because China has taken the lead in developing renewable energy). Meanwhile, solar power broke the 50% threshold in California last week, pushing prices into the negative. Wow!
And last but not least, meet John Goodenough, an inventor who revolutionized battery technology decades ago. Now he’s done it again. His latest patent is for a battery that is so effective it make electric cars ridiculously affordable and efficient, killing off the need for petroleum-fueled cars. Mr. Goodenough is 94 years old. So if you think you’ve done everything possible in life — don’t be ridiculous. You’ve got years ahead of you! And yes, yes, YES…we see the potential for Mr. Goodenough’s scientific genius and empowerment in his horoscope at this time.
When will your genius potential break out? What’s going on in your horoscope? Here’s the 411 on consultations.
Thank you for reading this forecast and sharing it with your friends. You have awesome friends, and I know this because they consult with me when you share these posts. And this enables me to keep on posting, posting, posting…cue the Cosmic Tip Jar now, please….with much gratitude for your appreciation.