Cristina Laird’s Astrology

After finishing the year with an Annular Eclipse Full Moon in Cancer, on the 31st of December, starting it with a Solar Eclipse New Moon in Capricorn, January 15th, here comes the Full Moon in Leo, the first Full Moon of the year.
What makes this Moon special, is that the Moon in Leo is 1º away from Mars also in Leo, as we know, and the Sun is at 4º away from Venus, meaning, that not only the Sun and the Moon are opposed as it happens in full moons, but Venus and Mars also are.
Whenever we speak of Mars and Venus we immediately think of man and woman and their relationship, especially their love and erotic relationships. That is OK, except that Venus, apart from being the Goddess of Love and Beauty, represents also our Values, our Ethics, and Mars, our actions, our assertion, our reaction to crisis, especially when defending what is ours, our territory.
So, when the Moon, which reigns over our instincts, our emotional world, our feelings, often unconscious, is near Mars, we can expect reactions to feelings that come from the depth of our being, in a very assertive, often violent, at least, aggressive of ways.
On the other hand is the Sun, next to Venus, and this is a much more calm and diplomatic combination. Venus helps the Sun to BE gentle, charismatic, seductive, and since this is happening in Aquarius, unconventional and detached.
What a great opportunity to resolve, in an unemotional way, issues that have to do with defending what is ours, even if this means a part of ourselves, or of our personality that is being attacked by others or by circumstances, involving people that deep inside we feel like strangling them, yet, being able to sit down at talk. Even, in cases, just simply walk away, without giving in to our anger and frustration.
What an emblematic situation, representing Reason vs Beast! Diplomacy vs War.
I am thinking of all these people in Haiti, with homes and families destroyed and having to “queue” to get water or food!
There must have been a lot of this, during last week in everyone! Depending of each personal situation.
Since there is the Saturn (in Libra)-Pluto (in Capricorn) square becoming exact for the first time, at the same time, the situations and issues to be affected have to do with themes that have started 6 or 7 years ago, or, 13 or 14, 20 or 21, 27 or 29, 56 to 58 years ago, coinciding with Saturn’s cycles. Pluto’s cycles are longer than that.
Think what is being moved in your life at the moment, that has started in those periods of time and that your are now called to face up to.
Think what needs to be defended, fought for, re-structured, right now, that has been made evident during last week. Is it your job, your family, yourself?
Business reunions, legal issues, meetings with lawyers is a good one, situations with your partner, which require that you neglect a side of your personality, in order to keep the peace. All of these and more are possibilities triggered by this Full Moon.
Cancer, Capricorn, Aries, Libra, Aquarius, Leo, Taurus and Scorpio are the signs most affected, but since most of us have some of these in our birth-chart, we can safely say that it is a collective situation which we must respond to.
When these big bodies dance together their cosmic tango, we, little creatures on the surface of Earth must respond to the music and move accordingly.
Feel free to comment and share your story in this blog, so that you help me build an astrological conscious community, so that we can all grow up and take responsibility for what happens in our backyard. If only we did that, there would be less wars, there would be less need to fight violently and we could redirect our Mars energy in a more positive and creative way. We need to become aware of the Cosmic Dance, so that we may understand our helplessness but also, our power.

On January 18th, Venus entered the sign of the Aquarius, a day after, Jupiter moved to Pisces. One of the differences between these two cosmic events, is that Jupiter will stay in Pisces for a year, whereas Venus will stay in the sign of the Water Bearer, only 23 days.
In spite of having a symbol that represents water, Aquarius is a very Air sign, in fact, i would venture to say, the most Air of the Air signs, in some respects.
Speak to an Aquarian about relationships and you will see what I mean.
So, what does the Goddess of Love, Beauty and Money convey in this sign?
For one thing, she won’t be seducing like she normally does, let’s say in Taurus, or Cancer for example, since Aquarius’ sensuality or emotional world are slightly different to most other signs.
In fact, Aquarius IS different in every possible sense, to all the other signs. Mainly, because that is their purpose in life. TO BE DIFFERENT.
There is nothing more terrifying for Aquarius, than to feel they are like most people. They spend most of their energy trying to differentiate from whatever might be the NORM. Whatever society repels, they will happily explore. This is very especially with Venus (our values) in Aquarius.
This people are not interested in the conventional set of values of society at large. They want to develop their own. When they are young there’s seem to be the sensation that everything they like or makes them tick, is not acceptable. Not NORMAL.
Most Aquarians end up leaving their nest to find other lands where they might feel less weird.
Yet, what they don’t know in their young times, is that this sensation will accompany them all their lives. It’s part of who they are.
This feeling comes from the fact that they can connect with the future, very easily, therefore, if they are in a very traditional environment, they can always see, how things will be in the future, something most people can not do.
In their struggle to be different, which is almost a compulsion in Aquarius, they often forget they are also human. There is an arrogance and sense of superiority sometimes in Aquarius.
Truth is, they find it easier to connect with people at a mental level, than at an instinctual level.
“When you let the emotions take over in a relationship, then that is the end of it”, an Aquarian once said to me.
Me, being a water sign, I asked him:, “so, how is a relationship without the emotions being involved?”
But, that is Aquarius. They can easily be called: detached, cold, aloof.
Barack Obama with his Aquarian Ascendant comes to mind or even better, David Bowie, also an Aquarian Ascendant.
The Punk Revolution of the 80’s also comes to mind, when Saturn ( the traditional ruler of Aquarius) was in Libra as well as Pluto. The early 70’s and the “free love” generation when Uranus was in Libra is also a representation of the Venus in Aquarius archetype.
Venus in Aquarius, has something else to do, other than just taking her clothes off, to seduce, in this sign.
Airs of Pallas Athena and her intellectuality also come to mind.
Aquarius is interested in humanity at large, but not necessarily in individuals. Yet, they are great listeners and invaluable friends.
Friendship is Aquarius favorite relationship. It suits them well, since involves the understanding, the affection and yet the freedom of being themselves, without judgement. That’s what friends, real friends, do.
Aquarians feel attracted to bisexuality, homosexuality, simply because is not the “normal” thing.
Whatever is different will tempt them. Often they may be inclined to the freaky side of things.
They make excellent artists and musicians. Electronic music is their speciality.
But we are now talking about the transit of Venus through the sign of Aquarius, which lasts only 23 days.
So, the encounter with people described above is possible. Experiencing your freak side may be the case. Since Venus also rules money or rather spending money, you may indulge in buying yourself some electronic (Aquarius) device, or spend some money repairing a damaged electronic device, or, an Aquarian ex lover, might turned up, to say hello.
These are some of the infinite possibilities of this period of time. But what is sure is that we will encounter one way or another, often unexpectedly, the archetype of Venus in Aquarius.
If you have any Aquarius in your birth-chart, I’m sure you know what I am talking about.
Be Aquarian, and turn your freak on.

This is a New Moon and an Annular Solar eclipse, when the Moon is in its apogee, its furthest point from the Earth. A Solar Eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, and an annular eclipse is when the diameter of the Moon is seen smaller than the Sun, therefore leaving a sort of ring around the Sun, partially covering it.
I’m not going to get into the Astronomical side of this Eclipse since you can get that here: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/ASE2010/ASE2010.html
From the Astrological Point of View, this is an interesting Eclipse since the Sun and the Moon are alined with Venus, Goddess of Love, Beauty and Money, at 25º of Capricorn. Cancer, Aries, Libra are going to be hit stronger than other signs, but Virgo and Taurus will also be affected in a more subtle way.
Whatever has been going on in the past 3 o 4 days, even a week, should tell you about the issues you need to work on.
Unexpected spending, relationship upheavals are a possibility, but in a deeper level, the confrontation with some hidden aspects of our psyche could bring opportunities for growth.
At the time of the Eclipse, the energy of the Sun, is blocked by the Moon, stopping the radiation of the electromagnetic energy coming from the Sun.
An opportunity to see the dark side of our nature, is there, for us to embrace and learn from it.
Mercury is also stationing direct at the same time, to re-initiate its forward motion.
Paper work, legal matters, communication in these areas should be restored from now on.
Since its all happening in the sign of Capricorn, our finances are an issue, as well as our relationship with people of authority, like our boss, our father, our spouse, especially if he is older.
None of this should be interpreted as something negative, on the contrary, this a golden opportunity, for us to see what needs to be done during this year, as part of our development.
Don’t throw away this lessons, as you will appreciated later on, when it all makes more sense to you.
On January 15th, 1991, there was an eclipse in the same degree as now, if you were alive then, you may ask yourself what was happening then in your life, and see if you find any correlation with what is going on today.
Saturn square to Pluto is almost exact now, with Mercury going direct alined with Pluto. These are not superficial times. These are times to contact you most private secrets and bring the out into the light to purge yourself of unnecessary guilts and emotional torment. Good deep conversation with friends or your shrink will be of great benefit.
Discover the Goddess inside and be it. Men and Women.

Jupiter has a 12 year cycle, which means that every 12 years, comes back to the same point and sign, where it was when we were born. It’s what we call in Astrology, a Jupiter return. It also means that it spends about a year in each sign. It is now moving from Aquarius where it has been since January 2009, which got us all communicating through Facebook, Twitter, and all the other social internet communities. It made a triple conjunction to Neptune and Chiron, bringing the attention to healing within the group. It brought the 5 Rhythms of Gabrielle Roth into my life.
If you think for a moment of what happens in the first Jupiter return, when we are 12 years old, it is normally the moment where most women get their first period, opening a series of possibilities, for us women and of course for men, which are often quite overwhelming. It also coincides with the time that we leave primary school to start Middle and High school, also a pivotal time in our education and development, impulsing our intellect to a whole new way of studying and learning.
The second Jupiter return happens at 24. This is a time when many of us venture to another country or simply out of one’s neighborhood. Moving to a different environment is common. Getting married and experiencing a complete new way of living. More often than not, if you have been studying or training at something, you begin to teach or to work independently. The urge to expand to new horizons is very strong at this point.
Think back at those turning points in your life to see how Jupiter affected your life.
The position of Jupiter in your birthchart will be an indication of the sort of experience or the area of your life which gets enhanced at the time of the returns.
The last time that Jupiter entered Pisces before now, was in February 1998. If you are reading this article, you were most likely alive then, so you may ask yourself: What was happening in your life then?
The time before that was in February 1986. Can you remember what was going on then?
Jupiter brings the opportunities for expansion and development, but it is one that must act upon it.
With Mars we begin the action. It is the red planet that gives us the first impulse to move, to get up
and go, to obtain what we need or want. But it is with Jupiter that we dare to expand and venture a bit further on. Our neighborhood is not enough anymore, we need to see how people live in other places.
The adventure starts in the mind, the moment we begin to question: who am I?. Who are we, apart from being the daughter/son of so and so? What are we doing here? What is the meaning of life? These are all Jupiter’s questions. Expansion, joy, optimism, are also Jupitarian words.
Jupiter isn’t necessarily profound or very analytical, it will not take us to psychoanalysis. It is more interested in concepts, ideas, beliefs.
Pisces is the sign where we understand that we are but ONE, with Nature, with others. The concept of the “Drop in the Ocean” is a Piscean concept. Everything that erases the limits between us all, is a Piscean experience. Music, religion, the collective unconscious.
Pisces’ real challenge is to define itself as separate from the rest. To draw limits. Not an easy task for Pisces.
It is the Piscean in the family that becomes the carrier of the family shadow. The victim, the black sheep, the scapegoat. Of all the siblings, it is Pisces the one who will look after the old or sick parent.
Truth is, they can really feel the pain of other people as their own. It is quite unbearable for Pisces to watch the suffering of others and not be mortified. The impulse is to do something about it but quite often they don’t, unless they have some Aries in their chart.
Re-hab clinics are full of Pisceans, since quite often, the pain of such an “unjust world”, needs a little numbing in the shape of alcohol, pills or something else. Anything that will stop the pain. Think Michael Jackson (Moon in Pisces) and many others.
Jupiter rules Pisces, in traditional astrology, so this is quite an important transit for Jupiter. It will be the impulse we need to take responsibility for our world.
We have now become aware of global warming and its effect, the hunger and how many children die a day, because of it, the financial abuse of banks, bankers, business men.
We now know. Are we going to do something about it? As a unit? as ONE? or are just going to sit one more day at the pub, or the café, commenting how terrible everything is, and then go back to our routine, as if nothing was happening?
Jupiter in Pisces will open those questions once more. It is up to us to do something.
Jupiter will transit Pisces quite quickly to begin with, so much so that it will enter Aries on June the 8th, where it will have its first encounter with Uranus, a conjunction that will repeat 3 times. First one in Aries, second and third one in the last degrees of Pisces.
On July 24th will station retrograde and will dip back into Pisces in September 23rd. It will go back to the 23º of Pisces until November 19th, when it will station direct when it will start its forward motion, and it will finish 2010 at 26º of Pisces.
At the end of July, it will be part of the Great T-Square, in conjunction to Uranus at Aries 0º, Opposing Mars and Saturn at Libra 0º, and all in square to Pluto at Capricorn 3º. Charming!
What does it all mean? That is the question! I don’t know what is going to happen, but I do know that these are some of the most important moments of our (all of us alive at this point) lives, not necessarily individually, but as a collective.
These are major change and re-adjustment times. We are being called to act, to put an end to whatever is not working anymore in our lives. This is a T-Square in Cardinal signs, which call to ACTION! Natural disasters where we are needed to collaborate, is also a possibility.
We are being made aware that YES, there is something we can do, if we all act together.
The last time Jupiter conjuncted Uranus was in February 1997, in the sign of Aquarius. It was the year when “Dolly” woke us up to Cloning, and to the possibility of Human cloning. It was also the year when divorce became legal in Ireland. Great Britain gave Hong Kong back to the Chinese. But of course, it was also the year when Diana, Princess of Wales, died.
Jupiter-Uranus, scream: “Freedom”, from unwanted self-inflicted chains, from habits that stop or prevent us from progressing, from evolving. Freedom sometimes means death. So it is quite common to see Jupiter by aspect or by transit when someone dies. Death as freedom from form.
For those Pisceans lucky enough to be in the creative world, this could certainly be a fantastic year, full of possibilities, where the issues of immigration, religion, will be seen in film, dance and other works of art.
For the rest of us, if you are Cancer or Scorpio, this could also be a year when you see your efforts rewarded, if you have been working hard at something.
For those born in the middle of the 60th, which have been affected by the Satun-Uranus opposition, coming to and end in July, as well, the 2nd and 3rd encounter of Jupiter-Uranus in Pisces (September 19th and January 4th, 2011) should mean a true step to individuation, when we finally come to our senses and decide to follow the path that our soul requires.
Listen to yourself more than ever now. These are not time to “Follow the Leader”, these are times to decide for yourself what is the best thing for you now. We must believe, not in a God that separates us, but in the one that unites us. And why not, the ONES that unite us. We don’t need anymore jihads, we need to work together and Jupiter in Pisces, will pave the road for what is to come when Neptune finally moves into Pisces, in April 2011, and February 2012, where it will remain until 2025.

Here comes the last Full Moon and Eclipse of the year. If falls in the angle Cancer (Mon)-Carpricorn (Sun), which is also a Supermoon, meaning, a Moon at its perigee, its closest point to the Earth and in line with the Sun and the Earth. A super powerful lunation that has strong influence on the waters of this planet, included our body. Emotions run wild giving us an excellent opportunity to purge, let it all out, say what we have been meaning to say for a long time and didn’t know how.
As with most Full Moons, this is a time of conclusions, a time of sorting things out, ending situations that probably started in the last New Moon or even the one before.
Although it has brought some tension especially for those with any Leo, Aquarius, Taurus and Scorpio, due to the Mars retrograde in Leo, it has also given a chance to Cancer, Capricorn, Libra and Aries to feng shui their emotions and situations with people close to them that needed to be aired and sorted.
Many questions have been answered and a sense of tranquility and calm will arrive after the storm.
Unfortunately, this is the way with us humans. we need the storm to clear the skies. We don’t know how to do it, during the sunny periods.
Still, since is the end of the year, many resolutions will be taken to continue to feng shui our lives, to start the year anew. We need to clear the gettho in order to think clear and be able to let the new come in.
People and situations will probably depart from our lives and only those with true love will stick around.
This is one more opportunity to open to new possibilities and restructure our lives and since is in the sign of Cancer (our home) and Capricorn (our finances, our profession) it will affect these areas of our life, for sure, and it will give us the impulse we need to continue in this incredible, magical adventure we call OUR LIFE!
Happy New Year to you all and we will speak about the Solar Eclipse in Capricorn of the 15th of January, after the celebrations!

Today, Christmas day, Venus enters the sign of Capricorn, after spending some 23 days in Sagittarius.
Venus, ruler of Taurus and Libra and the 2nd and 7th house of the Birthchart, as we all know , is the Goddess of Love and Beauty, but it is also the planet that represent our values, our likes and dislikes, our desires, the way we seduce or like to be seduced, money and the value we give to it, the way we make our money, the Other, our relationships, the way we see ourselves within the relationship, what we want or need from the Other in order to feel complete, etc.
Capricorn, the sign of the Goat with a fish tail, ruled by Saturn, and representing the archetypes of authority, limitations, social status, ambition, career goals, structure, land, our desperate need for order and control.
This is not an easy journey for Venus, since this Goddess enjoys the pleasures of life without worrying much about social status or limitations. Enjoying the pleasures of life Capricornian style, might prove to be quite expensive.
Carla Bruni, in spite of not having Venus in Cap, is a good example of a Capricornian Seductress. She has the Sun in Capricorn and in square to Saturn. Brad Pitt, Caroline of Monaco, Scarlett Johansson, Justin Timberlake, are all good examples of Venus in Capricorn.
Self steam in Capricorn might be measured by financial achievements and/or the social status reached in life.
Jane Austen, the English writer, is a true Mars-Pluto in Capricorn with Moon-Saturn in Libra. Her love stories are stories that represent Venus in Capricorn. Arranged marriages, families aspiring to a marry their daughters with men of better social standing to go up in the social ladder, love stories full of limitations, etc.
Venus initiates this journey through Capricorn with a contact to Saturn and Pluto, which are in a square (90º) at the moment.
Relationships of any kind will be hit, intensely. If you are starting one at the moment, it’ll always have this pattern of limitations and responsibilities. Possibly with men or women with children from previous marriages, for example. Or with one of them with parents in their charge, is another possibility.
If you are in one, it might be undergoing a crises of re-evaluation and re-structuring of important dimensions.
The point here is to understand and develop some kind of self-value that does not respond to the opinion of the Other. The fact that someone does not value us, does not mean, we have or are of no value.
The fact that the Other might not appreciate us, does not mean we are of no value.
The love for oneself, must come from the inside, and it must be directly linked to who we are and what we do, and NOT to other people’s opinion of ourselves.
Venus will stay in Capricorn until January 18th, will link with Pluto early on Dec 27th and with Saturn on the 29th. Cardinal signs: Cancer, Capricorn, Libra, Aries or anyone with Ascendent, Moon, Venus or Mars will be the most affected.
Venus in Capricorn will give us the sense that we can aspire to a better life, and that love is something you work on each day, as opposed to “being in love” which may just happen to us.

>Here we go, Mars goes retrograde today, until March 10th, 2010 in the sign of Leo, which has been transiting since October 16th.
From the 19º where Mars finds itself today until 0º of Leo, when it will station direct again.
So what does that mean for us humans?
Since Mars, the planet of our self assertion, the way we act, the way we express ourselves physically, sexually, heroically, when we want something, when we are angry, when we simply need to channel our energy, when we claim what is rightfully ours, etc., is in Leo, we do all this in a big way. Leo is about finding a way to express whatever we carry inside, out into the open. Our creativity, our need to say, HERE I AM, THIS IS ME, THIS IS MY TERRITORY.
Mars in Leo expresses itself in a very generous way. Grandly and with a lot of charisma. For many people, their way is a bit too much. But this does not worry Leo, who simply needs to do it this way. It is their own personal way and that it what matters.
Since Mars entered Leo in October, there has been an impulse to do and express our heart in a creative way. A newly found confidence has helped us plan our way forward, planning big things for ourselves and trusting our talents more than ever. The problems has been, that perhaps not everyone around us has agreed with it, and the challenge has been not to argue, not to give in to a battle of Egoes.
Yet, the energy has been forward and positive. But now, Mars goes retrograde and as with all other retrogrades, is time to Re-view, Re-think, Re-consider, RE-evaluate our actions, our projects.
The reality of our decisions, begins to creep in and we are forced to consider the other people involved, if any, the timing, the dimensions of our scheme. We will be forced to WAIT, become aware of developing PATIENCE and PERSEVERANCE. Never a bad thing.
What it seemed to work well, now slows down, and we may find ourselves becoming impatient, frustrated and angry.
With Mercury also going retrograde as from December 26th, the Holiday Seasons will seem like a good excuse for slowing down if not right down stopping the activity. Except that this time, may seem longer than ever.
I am not saying that we will feel frustrated until March the 10th, but the fulfillment or our adventure, may have to wait a little.
The only way out to avoid frustration, might be to become aware of how much we can control, and how much we can’t. Our limitations.
Scorpio, Aquarius, Taurus and Leo, especially those born within 0º – 19º of those sings, will feel it more dramatically and avoiding arguments and confrontation could prove to be a real challenge.
For Cancer, Capricorn, Aries and Libra the challenge starts as Mercury goes retrograde in Cap. Especially closer to the end of the year, as the Lunar Eclipse in Cancer takes place.
Be aware, be very aware. Realize your limitations and be humble and patient.
At the end of all these, you’ll realize the positive side of it all, as you will be better prepared to make your dreams come true.

Here comes the last New Moon of the year and since is December, falls, of course in the sign of the Sagittarius, Archer, the Centaur, shooting his arrow to the Heavens as if trying to pierce it to find out what is out there. As if, trying to obtain from it, the answers to the questions that trouble his soul. Who are we?, where do we come from? where are going to? what is the meaning of life? Is there a meaning to any of this or is it just a random experience?
This is a true symbol of the spirit of Sagittarius, a fire sign that never stops questioning, no matter what. The search for truth is the main characteristic of this sign, even if it takes going around the world to find it.
Although they enjoy traveling and they often do trot the world, like Siddhartha, their journey takes them to the center of their soul, where they can really find the answers.
Yet, in order to get there, we need many teachers, many faces, many lives, to understand this truth.
Through the centuries men have looked to the Heavens for the answers and many times, it does it unconsciously, as if by a simple reflex of the posture. Like when tennis players or any other sportsman score. Their first look is up. What or who are they communicating with? Is it God, is it Gods and Goddesses? is it the Planets? Do they know? Do we know?
Truths is we don’t know, it is a mystery, and like most mysteries, a potential fascination for Sagittarius.
The other aspect of this sign is the Teacher. In their intensive search, they learn, and they love to pass it on.
This New Moon carries with it the potential for questioning. With the help of Pluto and Venus, which are very close by, the spirit of this moon change, is to direct our questioning to our relationships or rather to ourselves within the relationship.
Whichever situation we find ourselves in with or without a relationship, we need to find out or analyze a little further what is that we expect from the other. What do we expect of ourselves with the other? Why do we argue? Why do we feel we don’t get enough? why do they ask for things we cannot give? what are these forces we cannot control?
This moon invites to journey through our emotions to understand that without these answers, we simply blame the other and sort nothing out. When we get involved in power struggles, what are trying to gain? to be right? and then what? to be powerful? and then what?
Mars stations retrograde in on the 20th until March 10th, 2010. But at the moment it is close to a trine to the Sun and the Moon will form the trine to Mars before approaching the Sun. This will fuel our emotions and will allow us to enjoy the feeling of power, even if, for a fleeting moment.
The most important aspect of this Moon though, is the square to Uranus, which is one of the most powerful of squares. Especially when it comes to understand that there are things we CANNOT control in this life and that it is vital that we respond to the impulse to be ourselves above everything else. Uranus does no care for social rules, cultural background or parental expectations. It needs to be what it is. It needs to create out of nothing. Unexpected, is an Uranian word. Unexpected encounters, unexpected situations, unexpected events are under the rule of this planet. So be prepared for this, if ever possible.
Finally, this New Moon happens just couple of degrees away from the Galactic Center, this apparent black hole at the center of our Galaxy, which emanates all kind of magnetic force and that we know so little about. What we do know is that things that happen near the 26º of Sagittarius, which is where the Galactic Center finds itself at the moment, take on a powerful force which we will be able to experience one way or another.
So if you thought that all New Moons are more or less the same. Think again

Although Mercury retrogrades 3 times a year more or less, this is the fourth retrograde this year. (Read my other articles on Mercury retrograde in this blog).
This time Mercury will station retrograde on December 26th until January 15th when stations direct right at the same time of the Solar Eclipse, and 2 days before Jupiter moves into Pisces after a whole year of transiting Aquarius and forming the triple conjunction with Neptune and Chiron which brought a clear awareness of the need to face up to global warming, as well as the connections through the Internet via Twitter, Facebook, etc.
You may have your own ideas about these Internet communities but one thing is certain and is that they allow us to become aware of collective issues pretty quickly and connect and voice our opinion in a way that we wouldn’t even thought possible few years ago.
This Mercury Retrograde falls in Capricorn, you know, finances, authority, institutions, career, parents, father, obligations, limitations, etc. So, time to review financial transactions you may be involved with. Contracts, business deals, communication projects. They should be re-evaluated taking into considerations your financial reality. What sounded great to begin with, might not be the ideal situation for you now.
Review your bank balance before you take any major decisions. You might be forced to go back on your word or someone might do that with you.
All the cardinal signs (Cancer, Capricorn, Libra and Aries) will be affected the most, best way is to see where these angles fall on your birth-chart, for you to understand where you will be most confronted by this retrograde.
Most of us, shrink at the thought of a Mercury retrograde, mostly, because it means delays and confusion of some sort.
Since this year it coincides with the Holidays, it’ll seem more normal, the possible delays, but truth is, this Cosmic event, will give you the opportunity to think things through, enabling you to make a better decision in whatever you need to.
Finances and career are in focus. This is the nature of Capricorn and Saturn.
Mars turns retrograde on the December 20th until the March 10th, 2010. Being in Leo at the moment, if you have any association with people of this sign or are Aquarius, Scorpio, Taurus, Leo yourself, be aware of your
emotional demands, or you’ll be blaming others for whatever goes wrong in your life.
Scorpio and Taurus have been more irritable at the moment, you must confront yourself and try to understand what is that that is making you so upset.
Always remember, that it is your ego, that is upset, not your Soul. These apparent difficult times, are here to enrich you life by allowing you to analyze and discover the secrets hidden in your unconscious.
This retrograde happens in signs and degrees similar to that of 1930, which also had a similar T-Square like the one we are about to experience in July 2010, involving Pluto-Saturn-Uranus.
IT was the times of the Great Depression, as it was called that crises, and look where we are now.
As you may have read in countless astrological blogs: These are real changing times, where we are ALL going through great moments of change and awareness, which can only take us to better things, even if it gets rough for a while. We are becoming more conscious and that is the only way to improvement of any kind.
Be prepared, be aware and do what you can.

Tomorrow and Wednesday we have a Full Moon in the sign of Gemini, which means that the Sun is in Sagittarius, just as Venus moves to this sign of the Centaur as well.
As with any Full Moon the feeling is that of having arrived to a pick situation which started at the time of the New Moon, this time on November 16th.
Try to remember what was happening in your life then and you will understand what it needs to be addressed and sorted.
The Gemini-Sagittarius angle deals with how we express (Gemini) our inner truth (Sagittarius)
Are we channeling, communicating, processing our ideals, our aspirations?
When we speak, are we saying what is in our heart or are we just talking from our head?
Are we studying what we’d really like to study? Are we writing what we really want to write about?
Things change. And at the moment things are changing fast. Perhaps we all travel more, we all speak more languages, we all watch TV and use Internet.
Information is at our fingertips and knowledge has been democratized but are we learning anything?
James Hillman in The Soul’s Code, tells us that we all come to this life with a “calling” and it is our privilege and our obligation to develop that calling and own up to it.
What kind of further development will help us truly express the essence of that calling?
The Moon is in trine to Saturn at the time of this Full Moon and the Sun to Mars. There’s a kind of contradiction that it isn’t such. There is an impulse to act first and think later, yet the waves coming from Saturn reminds us that there is always someone we have to answer to. And it is only when we develop inner discipline and authority that we may not encounter them outside of us.
This Moon is a reminder that the power struggles with people of authority has an inner meaning that we need to learn.
We may learn from those who face us with our inadequacies even though it may enrage us in a first instance.
Saturn tells us that there must be some kind of order, some kind of law, some kind of limits in our lives to be able to learn about real freedom.
In Greek mythology, Saturn severs Uranus (his father) testicles and throws them into the sea, and from the foam that they create, Venus is born.
Perhaps we need to separate from the ideals and desires of our father to be able to find our own, for our own creativity to emerge from the sea of our unconscious.
Jupiter, ruler of Sagittarius, is coming to the exact conjunction to Chiron, the symbol of Sagittarius. This should bring our ideals closer to earth so that we may have the chance to find a middle ground where it should be easier for us to accomplish and live up to them.