Mars Retrograde in Cancer: Egg-pocalypse Now

December already feels much longer ago than it really is, yet many of us feel that we are going backward. For a change, the planetary culprit is not Mercury retrograde (Rx), but Mars Rx, which began its long, slow, stumbling dance back-assward on 12/6. Until 1/6, Mars was in Leo; not the best sign for Mars to transit, but by no means the worst, though Mars in Leo did form two dodgy oppositions to Aquarius planets (Venus and Pluto) during the holiday season. This could've led to confusion re friends with benefits, "situationships," and other dynamics that confused the heart, the head, and the nether reaches throughout the end-of-year festivities.

But that is ancient history, at least until Mars reenters Leo and opposes Pluto again. I am here to discuss what Mars is up to now. Traditional astrology maintains that Mars in Cancer is in its "fall," i.e., debilitated, even more so than Mars in the Venus signs of Libra or Taurus. This is because the sign of Cancer, though Cardinal (i.e., able to start things and lead), is ill suited to the nature of Mars. Ruled by the Moon, Cancer is indirect, sensitive, subtle, reflective, intuitive, and moody; none of those traits are associated with the go-getting, aggressive, straightforward MO of warlike Mars. Mars retrograde in any sign unfortunately indicates a period of time in which bullies prevail.

On 1/6 (a day that may or may not live on in infamy in the US), Mars slipped back into Cancer. On 1/15, Mars opposed the Sun in Capricorn (which manifested in the L.A. fires and the loss of Capricorn genius David Lynch), and on 1/23, just three days after Inauguration Day in the US, Mars sextiled Uranus in Taurus. A sextile presents as opportunity for revolution; unfortunately, in this case, the revolution is unfolding on the wrong side of history, and the Fourth Estate (the free press) has been bought, sold, and muzzled. It is worth mentioning that the United States of America is a Cancer Sun, as well as Elon Musk, the power behind King Trump (much as I hate to mention it, being a Cancer Sun myself). The Project 2025 architects and executors are feeding on our fear and suffering (as David Lynch put it, garmonbozia, which looks like the worst creamed corn imaginable). With Mars retrograde in the sign of its fall, the US is being attacked (Mars) from within (retrograde). I also tend to believe that any planet Retrograde must deal with its shadow side, although since the sign is Cancer, any confrontation is more like a moonwalk. Also on 1/23, Mars opposed Mercury, marking the beginning of the purge of federal employees, who were pressured to resign or simply fired via email, as well as Trump issuing executive order after executive order on acts designed to isolate the US from the rest of the world and not help a single non-billionaire American.

A fittingly grim metaphor for Mars Retrograde in Cancer is the avian flu that has rendered eggs, if you can even find them anymore, a luxury good. This is because the sign of Cancer rules eggs, and an afflicted Mars can lead to health issues (specifically fever, inflammation, and "attacks"). If this flu spreads to cows, look for the same thing to occur with dairy products (also Cancerian foods). And now that the US has been withdrawn from the WHO and the CDC now stands for Censored Denied Communication, we are flying blind and are vulnerable (Cancer again!) to infectious disease, including a new pandemic. But worry not: soon an anti-science, anti-vax ex-junkie with a worm in his brain will head the Health Dept. and we can all sleep better at night.

Today Mars trined Saturn in Pisces, with the Moon in Cancer heightening the intensity. A trine is the most harmonious aspect, since the two or more planets are of the same element (in this case, Water), but the planets involved in this trine are at odds with each other: if Mars is the motor, Saturn is the brakes. Saturn, which is structure, rules, discipline, and authority, also does not do so well in dreamy, escapist, boundary-free Pisces. I am just hoping that for a change, the news (or whatever sane-washing articles pass for the news) does not turn my stomach.

Speaking of which, if your stomach has been more sensitive than usual, you can thank Mars in Cancer. I happen to have this placement natally, and I have had more upset stomachs in the past month than in the past year.

I also really wish that project managers would read this so they can stop pushing untenable deadlines on their teams. The combination of winter sluggishness (yes, the days are lengthening, but it's been a cold, snowy winter for many of us) and Mars retrograde can really put a damper on one's energy levels. If there was any justice at all, we could all hibernate or take a break for the next two weeks, until Mars finally turns direct on 2/23. But that is simply not the gung-ho, powering-through American Way.

What about protesting in the streets? If you insist, but with Mars doing anything in Cancer, call your elected officials from the comfort of your home instead.

If I sound unpatriotric, I am not. I am upset, tired, and in mourning for what America has turned into, thanks to the fact that 1/3 of eligible citizens did not cast a vote and a plurality voted to reinstate (against their own self-interest) a twice-impeached failed-businessman personality-disordered felon for a variety of reasons ranging from low information (e.g., the promise of lower gas and grocery prices) to delusion (Trump has learned his lesson, doesn't roll with Project 2025, and will surround himself with good, smart people) to racism (not wanting a Black woman to be president) to wanting a strongman to Make America Even Crueler Again. We are now a third-rate Banana Republic that soon won't have a single ally left in this world, which will probably make certain other strongmen dictators very pleased indeed.

And this is really for another rant that around 11 people will read, but we in the US (and probably other increasingly right-wing countries as well) haven't seen anything yet. Once Neptune leaves Pisces and enters Aries this spring, the fun will really begin.

Grand Cross: The Way Things Are Going, We're All Going to Be Crucified

Uranus squares Pluto for the 555th (oops, I meant 5th time) on April 21st, just as Jupiter squares Mars and Uranus and opposes Pluto, Mars squares Pluto and opposes Uranus, and have I left anything out of this cacaphonous clustercuss of Cardinal signs? Should we be relieved that Mars is not only in Libra (talk about hamstrung placements), but RETROGRADE, so that some of us may in fact survive World War III and/or a natural (or unnatural) disaster?

Uranus in Aries to Pluto in Capricorn: Off with your head!

Pluto in Capricorn to Uranus in Aries: Oh, you don't want to eat cake? To the poorhouse (or even better, newfangled Auschwitz) with you!

Jupiter in Cancer to Pluto in Capricorn: Tsk-tsk, what would your mother say?

Pluto in Capricorn to Jupiter in Cancer: Who knows? I've been far too busy dividing and conquering to give a damn about her opinion.

Uranus in Aries to Jupiter in Cancer: Back off, sweetie, it's far too hot in here for a big softie like you...though maybe, if you really want to help, you could write a patriotic song for the revolution.

Mars retrograde in Libra to Uranus in Aries: Why can't we all just get along?

Uranus in Aries to Mars rx in Libra: Wimp.

Pluto in Capricorn to Mars rx in Libra: I feel the sudden urge to tie you up and beat you senseless, but I won't do it because you'd like it too much.

Mars rx in Libra to Jupiter in Cancer: I feel the sudden urge to run off to Las Vegas with you and elope and gamble...but I think I'm already married.

I am offering a special this month on Grand Cross readings. Even though this rarer-than-rare aspect is challenging all of us, it affects all of us differently depending on where it falls in your chart and if it contacts any of your natal planets. Please email me at plutorisingastrologer@gmail com for my rates. Please note that all readings will be via Skype.

Mars Retrograde to Me: You're Fired. Me to Mars Retrograde: Up Your Nose with a Rubber Hose.

Okay, so Mars is retrograde in Libra and I really shouldn't have been shocked by what happened right after I got to work on Tuesday, on the approaching Moon-Mars conjunction.

But what the hell, the Sun was also exactly trining my Neptune and Mercury (forming a grand trine in water). I thought that would be more than sufficient protection. In fact, I was no longer waiting for the other shoe to drop; I was plenty tense the day before, figuring if there was gonna be any blowback from the events of last Friday night, it would happen on Monday.

I couldn't have been wronger. It was on Monday that my fate was sealed via an upper-management meeting. The so-called team with whom there was some unpleasantness on Friday night (which was not my fault -- it was a design issue, not my department) turned out to be a bunch of turncoats. This Gang of Four apparently didn't complain to my mild-mannered, lower-than-low-key Libra supervisor (who hadn't been there on Friday night when the team gang-up occurred, though the other evening-shift person had been, and she claimed without my asking her that she'd never seen anything like the shit that happened, shit that involved my methods and my competency being called into question, so I'm not crazy). No, the team went straight to upper management to get rid of my troublemaking ass. I even know which one of them was the instigator to throw me under the bus: she was the classic down-masquerading-as-an-up with tacky dyed blond hair and a face that only a Mack truck would love. This was the charmer who had never bothered to learn how to spell my name correctly even though it was right on my work email.

Fittingly, my Libra supervisor was the henchman on Tuesday. Due to some typical snafu my name was not in the corporate reimbusement system, so my supervisor paid me in cash for the cabs I'd had to take home two nights in a row from staying at the office till 1 a.m. to get the tons of absolutely necessary work done, then he wanted to know if we could talk for a minute. I felt like a regularly scheduled prostitute being given the boot after above-and-beyond services rendered.

I was never even given an opportunity to defend myself. That hardly seems fair -- especially since if anyone should've been fired, it shouldn't have been me.

But fairness seems to be in rather limited supply these days. My oldest friend, who shuffled off this mortal coil nearly seven years ago, had some old-school astrology book that claimed when Mars was retrograde, "bullies prevail." That's it in a nutshell.

So much for snitches winding up in ditches. In this case, it's the rats that ratted me out for the heinous crime of wanting to do my job correctly that won. Last Friday night, the Sun was within half a degree of opposing my Pluto -- I was right to be paranoid, but never dreamed I'd get fired over the kerfuffle, and never figured my best defense would be to go on the offensive and complain to my supervisor over what had transpired. The other evening-shifter told me on the phone on Wednesday that Libra Supervisor was "a nice guy, but won't stand up for us when there's a problem." As a result, I am back to square one, where I was in January, newly cut off from EUC, not making enough coin as a full-time freelancer, raising worrying to an art form.

So much for thinking that I wasn't going to have to deal with the fearsome-sounding Cardinal Cross in April, starring Uranus, Pluto, Jupiter, and...oh yes...Mars. Stay tuned (as opposed out out of tune).

Sometimes We Have to Go Backward in Order to Go Forward

...so sayeth New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, but it's very true on a cosmic, astrological level as well -- though just like the MTA, major delays are small consolation when you need to get someplace right now.

As we enter the final week of Venus retrograde in Deep Freeze Capricorn, my head's-up advice (which I hope that I myself will be able to follow) is to make the first five days of February count -- and I mean really, really count. This is because we will have barely recovered from six weeks' worth of Venus retrograde when Mercury turns retrograde, ensuring that communications, plans, travel, and contracts will face delays and get snagged on snafus for the remainder of the month (for those of you who want exact dates, Mercury retrogrades on 2/6 at 4:43 p.m. ET and turns direct 2/28 at 9 a.m. ET).

And PS, the day after Mercury turns direct, Mars stations retrograde for nearly three months. That is a shit sandwich I'll describe in a future posting, but in case you are wondering, no, it is not at all common to have three inner planets turning retrograde within a three-month period. Right now, all you need to know is that you have five full days in which Mercury, Venus, and Mars are all direct. Five full days in which to move forward, even if it turns out to be baby steps.

Pluto Blushes for the Camera

(Photo copyright NASA, ESA, and M. Buie, Southwest Research Institute)

In a neat little bit of what Jung, who also practiced astrology, would term "synchronicity," NASA has just released 350 amazing close-up photos of Pluto; the Moon (which rules, among many other things, the public) is currently transiting Scorpio, the sign ruled by Pluto.

Apparently Pluto has been growing redder and brighter during the two-year span of these photos (2002 and 2003). No official reason has yet been determined.

My feeling is that Pluto is either camera-shy and blushing at having its privacy invaded via Hubble Space Telescope, or it is prophetically pissed off, knowing that by the time these photos were released, its stature in our solar system would have been demoted to "dwarf planet" and would suffer such headlines as: "Pluto, Former Planet, Ready for Its Close-Up."

More than any other planet, Pluto needs good PR. I hope these photos will help reintegrate this planet into our collective psyche, for Pluto will not go gently into that good night. Demoting or belittling its energy is like trying to close Pandora's box, or put a skeleton back in the closet. Attempting such a thing has already enabled the negative aspects of Pluto--manipulation (also known as power-tripping), repression, oppression, resentment, and yes, plutocracy--to dominate Pluto's positive traits of transformation, mediumship, literal and figurative X-ray vision, healing at the root level.

It is heartening to learn that some members of NASA who are involved in another Pluto project, which involves a robotic spacecraft (carrying the ashes of Pluto's discover, Clyde Tombaugh!), believe that Pluto should still be categorized as a bone fide planet.

PS: My late-to-the-party Groundhog Day predictions: we'll be getting the first signs of spring on March 11, when Mars turns direct...yet we'll also be dealing with the effects of Mars retrograde until mid-May. I still wish I could crawl into a burrow and hibernate for the next five weeks instead of having to pretend it's business as usual in the Borough of Kings.

Baby, It's Cold Outside: Mercury Retrograde in Capricorn

As I warned in my last post, which was posted on the last day of 2009, we are collectively entering 2010 looking backward. Mercury is still Retrograde in Capricorn, and at least on the East Coast, we have been in a deep-freeze unit. As I remarked to a friend last week: "My gloves need gloves." Yesterday, I finally cracked and dug out a pair of itchy woolen mittens. I have given up all pretense of stylishness until the mercury (as opposed to the planet Mercury) rises above 35 (on second thought, make that 40) degrees.

Although Mercury turns Direct on the New Moon and Solar Eclipse this Friday, 1/15, Mars remains Retrograde until 3/11. If only I could petition the Powers that Be and explain that no one should be expected to perform up to standard as long as the planet that is most responsible for determining one's personal drive is Retrograde in the sign that is all about ego (in the sense of "I am," not necessarily a bad thing and in fact a requirement for a healthy sense of self) and performance. If only I could pass an emergency law, effective for the rest of the winter, that is sort of an anti-stimulus plan: one that would encourage mass hibernation, with brief excursions for food (unless you prefer home delivery).

Rather than give an entire overview of 2010 in one post, I'd like to concentrate on a "biggie" aspect that we experienced back in November 2009, which will repeat at the end of January: the Saturn/Pluto square. Any lessons learned, or not, back in November will have to be repeated again at this time. I already posted details about the meaning of this square the first time around, but it's worth repeating here: any issues of resentment and rigidity will become heightened. This is a time in which skeletons (Saturn) will come out of the closet (Pluto). Various political (Saturn) and sex scandals (Pluto) are likely, all involving abuse of power. But so too is the ability to slam the brakes on a painful situation. A square between these two heavies of the solar system can indeed bring a lot of pain, but again, if you reach your personal breaking point, it may force you to say "never again," and really mean it this time. We will be getting yet a third Saturn/Pluto square this July, giving us all yet another opportunity to say "never again." (Third time's the charm, right?)

On 2/17 Jupiter ingresses into the emotional, visionary, compassionate sign of Pisces, and I hope this means that some of the friends we have found with Jupiter transiting through Aquarius will blossom into soul mates. If you find that you need to spend more time in solitary reflection and meditation in the coming months, though, you're right on schedule. Also, this Jupiter placement should benefit creative writers and artists, especially those working in the medium of film (both movies and photography).

More to come, and in the meantime, keep warm!

Once in a Blue Moon New Year

That's right, my Western Civvers: it's New Year's Eve (even though it's still morning in my neck of the woods) and it's happening on a Blue Moon, which means the second Full Moon of the month. The last time we had a Blue Moon was May 31, 2007, so you can see the expression "once in a blue moon" in literal action. This Blue Moon is even rarer, though, since it's also a Lunar Eclipse.

I realize this New Year's Eve recommendation may not make me popular among my not-impressively-vast readership, especially since none of you specifically asked for my advice, but this is not the New Year's Eve to party to excess, unless it is a dinner party that culminates in a food fight. Yes, there's a lot of Full Moon energy out there, and it's a Lunar Eclipse, and you may feel as if you are being magnetically pulled out of your home or your comfort zone. This is because of the opposition and possible conflict between the Sun in publicly-oriented Capricorn and the Moon in home-oriented Cancer. You may have the opportunity to attend a party that will increase your public standing or your influence--but only if you don't mess it up by getting plastered and generally loony. You may have the opportunity to spend New Year's Eve with family, which could be quite comforting as long as your family is unmarked by dysfunction in any way.

Still with me?

It takes guts to gently decline getting together with people, many of whom you may barely tolerate, and say no to spending money you do not have on the most loaded night of the year (in the sense of having expectations of tons o' fun, not indulging in your favorite poison--though that naturally goes with the territory). This night is doubly loaded because of the media spotlight on bidding adieu to the naughty aughties, the less than zeroes, or the Decade of Decline; never mind that the next decade doesn't actually begin till January 1, 2011. Yet not only is the Moon in the most home-oriented of signs tonight, Mercury and Mars are both Retrograde. You may be having second thoughts about whatever commitments you made for tonight (Mercury Retrograde in Capricorn), and you may also be confused about what you really want in order to express your joie de vivre (Mars Retrograde in Leo). Collectively, we are entering 2010 as a breech birth: looking backward, pulling inward. A Caesarian section is indicated.

If you can manage a quiet night in with your nearest and dearest, I don't think you'll regret it. If you have no nearests and dearests, it might still be better for you to be a party of one instead of with pseudo friends or desperate strangers.

As for me, who just so happens to be born under the sign of Cancer, I will most likely put my socializing off until tomorrow morning. There's an interesting sounding after-party going on not too far from me, and on a Moon/Uranus trine (exact at 10:43 a.m. EST) it might be worth it to get to sleep reasonably early tonight, wake early tomorrow, and head over there. If that actually happens, I'll be the freshest daisy in that crowd.

Stay tuned for 2010 predictions.