Oh, the joys of starting a new month with a Mercury retrograde!

My keyboard and mouse are not communicating with my computer today and I am not feeling like going through the troubleshooting protocol to try to patch it.

Tomorrow is another day, to paraphrase Scarlet O’Hara but it has made me late with this column and I apologize for the delay.

Mercury will be Rx until February 21st when the little dude goes direct at 11 degrees of Aquarius.

During this retrograde cycle, he will be conjunct Venus on February 14th and also Jupiter around the same time and so will be influencing the houses those two planets rule in your chart as well as the two houses Mercury rules.

That makes 6 houses that will be affected so it is, indeed, a month to double check things twice. At least the planets involved are not malefic ones!

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Welcome to the new year of 2021!

It feels lighter than 2020 already, just getting out of that repetitive numerical sequence feels like a relief of sorts! There will definitely be a bumpy ride for the start of the year but improvement will occur after the first quarter is completed.

This is a major course correction and those transitions are never easy to navigate but navigate we must, so set your intentions this month on the New Moon on January 12th if you haven’t already done so during the Solstice and Jupiter/Saturn conjunction on December 21, 2020.

The volatility cycle for January runs from January 1st through the 24th as Mars moves to an exact conjunction with Uranus at 6 degrees Taurus on January 20th, the date of the presidential inauguration in the United States.

Uranus is very powerful all month as it goes into direct motion on January 14th, which increases its power. The Sun also enters Aquarius on that date, ringing the bell of the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction a month earlier, that’s a positive note even though it will be squaring Uranus and Mars in a few days.

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Welcome to the last month of 2020 and as much as I wish I could say the wild ride is over, it is not.

We do have almost all of the planets moving in their natural direct motion through the end of the year, the exception being Uranus the rebel, still retrograde in the sign of Taurus, so that helps move the energy forward though financial uncertainty is still present for most people.

There is a total solar eclipse on Dec 14th at 23 degrees of Sagittarius, the last eclipse of the year, in the part of the sky associated with crone wisdom, or the wisdom of age, experience and hardship.

Mercury is moving past its conjunction with the south node at that time so there is still concern about the “truth” and the validity of the sources of where one gets their information. Venus spends the first half of the month in Scorpio, a sign of her debility, and then moves into Sagittarius the last half of the month. Relationships and finances could have a setback during the first two weeks of December so be a bit frugal during that time.

Mars moves through the 17-26th degrees of Aries which it retrograded back over in September/October so we all have the chance to correct any misguided actions taken during that time. Mars squares Pluto on December 23rd which could mean some warlike aggression happening in the world. In personal lives, it may just mean anger and frustration taking their toll on harmonious relations.

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This month has some very interesting planetary changes as well as a lunar eclipse on November 30th.

Mercury goes into direct motion on November 3rd, the date of the US elections, which will delay the final outcome of the election as the votes are counted. Kind of a bummer in all ways.

Mercury enters the sign of Scorpio on the 10th so there is plenty of intensity and secrets to be revealed as it goes back over the degrees it retrograded through and finishes those degrees on the 19th.

Venus enters the sign of Scorpio on the 22nd, adding to the intensity as it moves towards an opposition with Uranus in Taurus. People are likely to be anxious and relationships are likely to be volatile the last week of November. Be kind.

Mars goes into direct motion on the 14th at 15° Aries, which will give a boost to all stalled projects and plans, once it gets moving forward by the end of the month.

Jupiter will make a conjunction with Pluto on the 22nd at 22° Capricorn, which can create some big event that affects the world. Saturn is 5 degrees ahead of these two planets at 27 º Capricorn and that may actually calm things down as Saturn is powerful in Capricorn and likes to restore order. Follow the rules, folks, is a Saturnian dictum.

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The month begins with a full Moon in Aries conjunct the asteroid, Chiron, the wounded healer archetype. This suggests some emotional healing is needed at this time for everyone, not just Aries or Libra people. Take advantage of this time to enjoy the Harvest Moon’s rays and do some inner work on yourself.

The vibes this month are pretty similar to September’s as Mars is retrograde and squaring Saturn and Pluto for almost the entire month of October but is moving away from the exact degrees. It’s something, folks!

Pluto goes direct on October 4 and is therefore quite slow and powerful this month. This is transformational energy but it is also under stress from Saturn and Mars.

Jupiter moves forward to be very close to Pluto at the month’s end while squaring Mars through most of the month as well. There is some hope, however, it may feel like it gets overridden by the demands of the other planets. You have to keep going, no matter what and work towards a positive outcome. This energy is moving forward now so even if it is a struggle, gains can be made.

And just the time these planets start to separate from each other, the little dude, Mercury, does its final retrograde dance of the year on October 14th at 11 degrees of Scorpio. Mercury is within the 5 degree orb of opposition to Uranus in Taurus, so there may be some shocking events, particularly about money and assets at this time.

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As an astrologer, people often ask me, “so when will things get better?” Sometimes it is hard to say exactly when, particularly now when there are three planets all in retrograde motion in the sign of Capricorn, but we do have the beginnings of an opening for progress this month as Jupiter turns direct on September 13th, Saturn on September 29th and Pluto, lagging behind the group, turns direct on October 4th.

This will start busting up any internal or external stalemates to your energy and actions. It won’t happen overnight but this does signify a course correction towards a favorable outcome.

It is the outer planets with their slow-moving orbits that induce the deepest changes in life and when in their normal forward motion we gain traction and momentum…finally! So take heart, my friends!

There is one snafu this month as Mars, the masculine planet of will, action and energy, will go into its retrograde motion period on September 9th through November 14th. This signifies a return to or review of something started in July or August. Mars goes into retrograde motion less frequently than the other planets, roughly every two years. It happens this time in the cardinal sign of Aries, which Mars rules and enjoys taking charge in.

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The month begins with an interesting conjunction of Venus and the North node in the late degrees of Gemini through the 8th.

This can cause extremes in all Venus ruled areas of life, particularly relationships as Venus in Gemini wants to talk, talk, talk about the relationship now. Choose your words carefully.

Venus then leaves Gemini on the 8th and enters the sign of Cancer where she remains through the end of the month, happily transiting that feminine water sign. Mercury is also in the sign of Cancer through the 6 th so security, home and family are issues that are up and in focus now.

Mars, the god of war, remains in Aries at 18 degrees and will advance to 27 degrees by the end of the month. We have been in the shadow area of the upcoming Mars retrograde since July 24th so what is going on now with Mars related situations. i.e., men, weapons, aggression, conflict, soldiers, police, will be reviewed during the retrograde phase beginning on September 9th through November 14th. Get ready for a wild ride with this retrograde.

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The month begins with Mercury retrograde joined to the Sun’s 9th degree and cazimi, which means a planet is within 15 minutes of the Sun’s position.

With a fast-moving planet like Mercury, this period doesn’t last very long and in this case it’s only 7 hours, beginning at 5 PM (MDT) on 6/30 and lasting until 1 AM on 7/1.

This means that Mercury, the messenger, is so close to the Sun that he “has the ear of the king” as represented by the Sun. Important conversations are going on at this time between advisors and rulers of nations. Stay tuned.

This event is followed by the full Moon lunar eclipse at 13 degrees of Cancer/Capricorn, on the birthday chart of the USA. Interestingly, Pluto was retrograde at 27 degrees of Capricorn in 1776 and while not at the same degree as it is now (24 degrees Capricorn), you can see the large scale, and somewhat dark, deadly and transformational events happening in the daily news. The United States’ Pluto return doesn’t occur until late February 2022, so this is a process we will be in for years.

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Welcome to eclipse season, as if we needed any more drama in the world right now! We have 2 eclipses this month and one more in early July in this cycle so, in addition to some other planetary factors, it could indeed be a tense and bumpy ride.

The month begins with Venus retrograde combust the rays of the Sun through the 8th. Things could get testy within relationships as people are a bit frazzled and fried right now. On June 5th, there is the full Moon lunar eclipse at 15 degrees of Gemini/Sagittarius, which may add to the drama of the times.

Lunar eclipses can manifest as a rather immediate event and this one has Mars making a square aspect to those degrees on the 6th. No one will be very comfortable during this first week of the month. The second week has the Sun squaring off with Neptune on the 11th, followed by Mars squaring Neptune on the 13th and Mercury going retrograde on the 18th. This is a recipe for deception and misinformation running rampant in the world.

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Welcome to the merry month of May! Most of us are still living with self-isolation restrictions but May is still a time when the earth starts to blossom and glory in its flora and fauna. Revel in the beauty that surrounds you, it is truly restorative.

It is my deduction from the astrology of it that the end of May and early June signifies greater freedom for the majority of folks. Mercury breaks out of the grasp of the north and south nodes, a condition known as Kala Sarpa yoga in the Vedic astrology tradition. This will help all of us to get out again as the little dude likes to move around. The rest of the planets remain trapped between the nodes until the Sun breaks free the third week of June and Venus escapes in early August. This condition really defines what happened since March, 2020 when the Kala Sarpa yoga began as did the quarantine/self-isolation restrictions for most of us.

We also have 3 planets going into retrograde motion all within 3 days of each other from May 11-14 and this energy will facilitate a return or review of behavior and action. Saturn kicks off the action on 5/12 at 1 degree 57’ Aquarius, followed by Venus on 5/13 at 21 degrees 50’ Gemini and finally Jupiter on 5/14 at 27 degrees 14’ Capricorn. Caution and careful deliberation is favored as Saturn and Jupiter don’t cover much cosmic ground as they move very slowly through the end of the month.

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And here we all are, in home isolation or home quarantine under orders from our state or local governments. However you want to label it, it’s no joke. This situation underlines some of the symbology of the Saturn Pluto in Capricorn conjunction, i.e., restrictions from government (Saturn in Capricorn) with possibility of death (Pluto) if we don’t.

Within this circumstance is also the possibility of great transformation within ourselves and for society if we use this “timeout” constructively and with positive intention.

When will it end? I think there will be some positive news around April 15th but it may take another 2-4 weeks for the isolation orders to lifted, depending upon where you live and the incidence of infections in that area.

So, hunker down and have a plan of action for self-improvement, rather than just binge-watching Netflix shows and snacking at will. I don’t even know what to say about the TP hoarding phenomenon but it just seems fear based to me (Saturn) around the survival root chakra (Pluto), as one possibility.

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March has some very interesting planetary energy pairings beginning with Venus conjunct Uranus at 4 degrees of Taurus and the Sun conjunct Neptune at 18 degrees of Pisces on the 8th. That day and the three days leading up to it have a kind of a magical mystical mystery tour vibe if you ask me. Lovers, mystics and artists should have a very good time with it as the energy is wildly creative, romantic and exciting but everyone can enjoy it in some way as well.

Mercury goes direct on the 10th at 28 degrees of Aquarius. The minor speed bumps of the last three weeks will begin to straighten out through the end of the month. Don’t sweat the small stuff as it can always be corrected and many times the delays turn out to be of benefit in some way.

Mars is now cruising through its sign of exaltation, Capricorn, and is strong, competitive with a drive for achievement. You can definitely use this martial energy to accomplish things. It is primarily positive through the 20th when he joins up with Jupiter at 20 degrees of Capricorn. But after that, Mars gets into malefic and volatile territory when it meets up with Pluto on the 22nd.

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