Astrology by Mary MacLean

Ah, at last…the moment we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived, the coming together of Venus and Mars for a beautiful embrace in mystical Pisces, which are now set to enter fiery Aries…the sign famous for initiating new beginnings without much thought or foresight.  When Aries gets a hold of an idea, it wastes little time thinking about the “what if’s” before marching off to fulfill its innate instinct to initiate something new.   It’s all too easy to get caught up in the thrill of the moment and get carried away by all the enthusiasm generated by this dynamic sign.  Out of my own personal curiosity, I wanted to know the last time Venus and Mars traveled together through Aries.  To my surprise, it’s been 24 years!!!  You may be wondering why I’m even mentioning this when my article is entitled Mercury Retrograde…how are these two related, and what does one have to do with the other you ask?  Life is an unfolding process where everything is interconnected.  Like the signs of the zodiac…each evolves from the preceding sign before it until we reach the end.   The upcoming Mercury retrograde, which is set to begin May 7^th, is intimately linked to the recent Venus/Mars conjunction that occurred on April 22^nd because Mercury will retrograde all the way back to 22 degrees Taurus…the same degree he was at on April 22^nd.   The fact that Mercury will retrograde back to this point in time makes this retrograde significant and important.

I love how Venus and Mars made their conjunction at 29 degrees Pisces…the very last degree of the zodiac, the end of all things before moving in to Aries.  Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and represent new beginnings.  Aries is associated with the spring equinox, the time of year when life begins anew.  Nobody like endings, but it’s a necessary step in the process called life…we were asked to end something, or to let someone go because it wasn’t serving our highest good…yes it was painful, but no doubt necessary.   Try to see it this way…you wouldn’t plant a beautiful garden without first preparing the soil.  You gotta pull the weeds that are decaying and fermenting your life so that new seeds have a chance to take root and grow.  What did you eliminated from your life?  Was it a person, a relationship, or a job?  A self-defeating attitude or belief, or long held dream or vision?  Whatever you thought you lost will now be replaced with something completely wonderful.  When one door closes another one opens simultaneously, and once again you’ll have something new and exciting to look forward to.  I feel I need to warn you not to get too excited or carried away with all the exciting energy because Mercury is about to go retrograde on May 7^th,  giving us extra time to think about our new ideas before moving us forward to the future…which is a good thing because Aries can be impulsive. 

Mercury rules our mind, thoughts, conversations, messages, short distance travel, technology, electronics, planes, trains, and automobiles, contracts, education and learning, siblings, aunts and uncles, and neighbors.  When Mercury turns retrograde we usually experience a disruption or delay to the things mentioned above.  The word retro means to go back and redo and repeat something.  The best advice I can give you during this three week interval is to make allowances for and expect some interference with your plans.  Nothing should be set in stone just yet.  In fact, it’s recommended not to sign important documents or put your name on the dotted line.  Do not start anything new or make major purchases…especially with electronics.  If you’re traveling, allow for delays and cancelled flights…you may want to give yourself some extra time to get where you’re going because there’s sure to be traffic jams!!!  Be careful while driving too…Mars in Aries makes you more impatient, and with Mercury retrograde, that’s could be a recipe for road rage!!!

 Whenever a planet goes retrograde it brings up people, things, and situations from the past.  We get to go back and review or re-due situations that have already taken place.  Whatever comes up is usually something that was left unsaid or unfinished…whether it’s our thoughts about a particular person or situation, or something that was over looked in the past, Mercury retrograde gives us a chance to slow down and repair what’s needed before moving us forward.  

Mercury is the ruler of Gemini and Virgo…to know how this retrograde will affect you, look to see what houses have these two signs on the cusps…you’ll also want to know where Mercury is currently traveling to know what area of life all the action is taking place and where you’ll feel it most.   You’ll need to know your rising sign to find this.  One particular note I want to make is that Mercury will be going retrograde in the sign of Gemini, and will be changing signs as it goes all the way back to 22 degrees Taurus before turning direct.  This means we will change our mind about something.  Both Gemini and Virgo are mutable signs, meaning we should remain open and flexible for the time being.  As Mercury enters Taurus, we may become too fixed in our thoughts and ideas which isn’t a good thing right now especially where communicating with others is concerned.   It may also suggest whatever delays or obstacles we encounter; we will have the patience to see it through.

Here’s a little visual to summarize…Spring is finally here in all its glory!  We waited for what feels like eternity for its arrival and now that it’s here, you can’t wait to get started on making plans for your future.  It was a long winter for sure, which gave us a little extra time to see what needed to be released from our lives and preventing us from reaching our future destiny (Venus/Mars conjunction at 29 degrees Pisces…symbolizing the last day of winter).  Then on March 22^nd, Venus and Mars made a conjunction with Venus direct, symbolizing a new beginning…just in time for the spring equinox, coincidence???  Think of a garden…before you can think about what seeds to plant, you first had to take a closer look at the garden to see what needed eliminating.  It’s amazing how fast those pesky weeds grow!!!  Ok, so you pulled out the weeds and everything else that was rotting and decaying in preparation for your new garden…yes, it was a lot of work!!!  But, doesn’t it feel good to have all that hard work behind you now?  I don’t know about you, but I can hardly wait to visit my local nursery to buy new plants and flowers for my garden.  I have to admit though, there are times when I do things on a whim without putting much thought into them…I get this idea in my head and I just have to do it.  Sometimes I jump the gun a little too fast, and because I’m an Aries…prone to impulsiveness, I’m not always happy with the final outcome.  With Mercury going retrograde, we are given a little extra time to think about our garden and the seeds we want to sow before planting them into the soil where they will take root and grow.  So while you’re eager to plant those seeds, my best advice is to wait until Mercury turns direct on May 31^st before moving forward…chances are you’ll change your mind a million times over before finally settling on a plan or design that will truly make you happy.

Happy planting J

Catherine Schultz 5-1-09

Venus Direct

Ok, how many of you broke astrology rule #1…never begin or end a relationship while Venus is retrograde???  How many of you had cosmetic treatments that didn’t exactly turn out the way you had planned or hoped???  How many of you purchased something expensive you thought you couldn’t live without and are now having buyer’s remorse???   Don’t be too hard on yourself…Venus in impulsive Aries makes temptation nearly impossible to resist and holding on to that energy only turns inward causing you to feel angry and frustrated…it’s a no win situation if you ask me!!!   As you may recall from my last article, Aries likes to initiate and take action without delay…being held back and told to wait is pure torture for people with Aries strong in their chart.  I don’t know about you, but enough already…let’s just get on with it!!! 

 I have to admit I was one of those people who didn’t follow the rules or listen to my own advice about waiting for Venus to go direct before starting something new.  I accepted an offer for a date and was disappointed… nothing turned out like I hoped or planned.   For starters, I completely rearranged my schedule…even took a vacation day to accommodate his busy schedule.  I cleaned my entire house, ironed my sheets, bought candles, expensive incense, painted my master bathroom, hung a new light fixture, and was going to cook a fabulous meal for us.  As you can see, I put a lot of thought, effort, time and energy into planning a very romantic evening with someone I thought was special and worthy of my affection and generosity.  My date didn’t call me until 9:00 pm that night…said he just got done with work!!!  To make a long story short…I decided not to spoil the night by getting mad or upset.   Instead, I accepted an invitation to his place.  The question I keep asking myself over and over again, and the question I want to ask all of you who didn’t follow the rules is, was it worth it?  Venus rules values and self-worth. 

I’m a true believer that everything happens for a reason which is why I say don’t be too hard on yourself if your relationships aren’t going according to plan.  So you jumped the gun and were a little impulsive and impatient to make something happen in your love life…only to be met with some kind of challenge or resistance.   I say, welcome the challenge because it means your growing.  Besides that, what would Venus in Aries be without a challenge…boring!!!  We have been living with this Venus retrograde since March 6^th,

which feels like eternity if you ask me.  But really it’s been longer than that…Venus stations direct at 29 degrees Pisces on April 17, the same degree she was last seen on February 2^nd.  Think back to what was going on in your life

then?  Then hold on to seat because we get to do this all over again!!!  Only this time the roadblocks will be removed and it won’t feel like you’re in a torture chamber.  How does that old saying go?  ”If only I knew then what I know now things would be different!!!”   Well, everything that was initiated during the Venus retrograde, including the shadow period, will be revisited and you’ll get a second chance to start over again…only this time you’ll know now what you didn’t know then!!!  Hopefully, you have learned some valuable lessons along the way!!!   

Since Aries is the natural ruler of the first house and also represents the “self”…maybe we are not putting enough worth and value on our “self.”  Maybe we’ve been too focused on “others”!!!  One thing I’ve learned is; focusing too much on others tends to draw in people who are self-centered.  Whomever we draw into our lives become our great teachers!!!!   Venus in Aries teaches us to put our own needs first while still being considerate of others.  When we put first things first, we hopefully attract people who see our real beauty and worth, who also appreciate our kindness and generosity without taking complete advantage of us.  Loving yourself is the first step to a healthy relationship with others.  The new moon that occurred on March 26 at 6 degrees Aries was conjunct Venus retrograde…reiterating this fact. 

Venus is not an aggressive sign by nature and is not use to putting her needs first in relationships.  That’s because Venus is the natural ruler of the 7^th house which rules “others.”   It’s been a bit of a struggle for Venus to

think of herself first for a change, and I don’t think she’s is very comfortable in her own skin at the moment…like a fish out of water.   But this is exactly what she needs to do if she’s ever going to find love, peace, and happiness within her relationships.  Luckily, she will get another opportunity once she units with her one true love, Mars, in the sign of Pisces.   Mars is the ruler of Aries and he will lead the way for Venus.  This should be a truly magical time when these two lovers come together…I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking romance par excellence!!!  I’m talking about the kind of love affair made only in heaven…like the hand of God taking man and woman and joining their hearts together forever!!!    Pisces is ruled by Neptune and is the higher octave of Jupiter.  It’s the kind of love that knows no boundaries and where differences are transcended. 

One thing you should also know about Pisces and Neptune is that they can be a little delusional and not seeing things as they really are.  One becomes a martyr and capable of selflessness in the name of love.   Sometimes we have to sacrifice one thing in order to gain something else.  Sometimes we need to let go of our attachments to that which we think we can’t live without.   If we can open ourselves up to the universe and its possibilities, by putting faith and trust into something we cannot see, imagine, or have control over…then real magic begins to transform our lives and the impossible becomes possible.   The higher manifestation of Neptune’s energy, which is unconditional love, is difficult to obtain because we often have to release something else in its place…usually the lower vibration of Neptune’s energy which has everything to do with addictions, fantasies, delusions, and illusions.   Neptune’s infinite energy is scary to us mortals who live in a world ruled by Saturn who tells us there are limits to everything…thank God we have other planets in our solar system, otherwise life would be nothing but all work and no play!!!  Neptune wants to open our hearts and mind to the possibilities…it’s where we get carried away by lovely dreams and fantasies that takes us to uncharted territories…to a new world filled with hope, faith, and unconditional love…a coming home feeling.  Neptune has a way of clouding our vision with smoke and mirrors causing us to feel confused, and when Neptune’s fog lifts, we are left with a sense of loss, suffering, grief, and great sadness.  But once we realize that what we were holding on to wasn’t real to begin with, healing and transformation can take place.  Sometimes we need to lose ourselves before we can be found.   Venus re-enters Pisces and stations at 29 degrees before going direct…the last degree of the last sign of the zodiac.  We are being asked to let go and release something from the past that which no longer severs our higher purpose so we can move forward and begin a new chapter in our life.  Don’t worry… this will get easier once Mars and Venus move into Aries.  Mars and Aries are very courageous and tread where others fear most.  I think it will be refreshing and believe it will put the spring back in your step…you’ll love the new you and you’ll find that traveling without all the extra bags exhilarating. 

Venus will conjunct Mars in Pisces at 29 degrees on, April 22, once Venus goes Direct….they do not make an exact conjunction in Aries.   It takes Venus a few months to catch up to Mars where they will kiss on June 21, the first day of summer, at 15 degrees Taurus.  While things will definitely pick up speed and start moving in the right direction once Venus goes direct before then, pay close attention to the themes that arise in your life around April 22 because Mercury will retrograde all the way back to this point in time on May 31^st.  Something will probably get held up or delayed for a few weeks!!!  I don’t think that will be much of a problem though because Venus and Mars will be in the constellation of Taurus…which is famous for its patience.  By June 21^st there’ll be no more delays, no more waiting, nothing holding you back from all that you desire, and moving your plans forward will be a breeze.

To summarize, this Venus retrograde has taught us about the value of self-love and putting first things first.  It’s shown us how we compromise our values and self-worth by putting too much emphasis on others in relationships, and how we compensate for the feeling of insecurity by buying things and surrounding ourselves with material possessions, or investing in products and procedures that will make us look and feel more attractive.  In the end…none of that can really fill the void or lack we feel inside.  Take a good close look at what hasn’t worked and get ready to release and let it go.  Get set to embrace the new by realizing your own self-worth and move forward from that place.

By Catherine Schultz, April 8^th, 2009