It's Been Nearly Two Months: Where Do I Start?

At the beginning would make sense, but too much has happened since we rang in 2011.

Hmmm.

Basically, I have been too swept up in Uranus's last gasp of Pisces to sit down and write insightful, witty posts about the state of the world, Valentine's Day, my own life, and the upcoming Oscars.

It does seem that with Jupiter now back in Aries, as it was for a good portion of 2010, the relative calm that defined Jupiter in late Pisces has ebbed. The overthrow of the Egyptian dictatorship is a good example of what happens when hordes of people, many of whom are young adults, decides that they are mad as hell and aren't going to take it anymore.

Another way of looking at it is that if Jupiter in Pisces expanded societal focus on reflection, spirituality, art, and escape, Jupiter in Aries is about expanding bodily energy, and being headstrong and brave (at least, in the beginning, which is what Aries is all about).

I predicted that 2010 would be a good year for the arts in general, and Pisces especially shines its underwater glow on movies. I am more interested in watching the Academy Awards ceremony this year than I've been in a while.

My astrological predictions: The King's Speech will win Best Picture, since the Moon and Venus will both be in Capricorn tomorrow night (I associate Great Britain with this status-seeking, class-conscious sign of authority), and Colin Firth, whose Sun and Moon are both in Earth signs, will win Best Actor. I think Michelle Williams has a good chance to win Best Actress, since her chart is also very Earthy. (I do think that Jesse Eisenberg did a good job portraying Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, but as he is a double Libra, he may get passed over in favor of the Earthier actors. However, this movie may very well pick up an award in the directing/editing categories.)

On a more personal note, as my progressed Moon entered my 9th House, a very special Sagittarius (which rules the natural 9th House) joined me in my apartment. As a classic Pluto Rising I was very worried that I'd go crazy from lack of privacy--but actually, due in part to our differing schedules, I haven't lost too much downtime.

Oh, and my "We Regeneration" article, which was included in last year's 1st International Blog-a-thon and made the top 5 of most-read articles, will be printed in the March issue of NCGR's Ingress. If you haven't already read it, you can go into my article archives; I posted it on March 5, 2010. It's gratifying that an article nearly a year old is still going strong!

Signs of Spring: Welcome Venus in Aries!

I can't speak for the rest of the world, but this past weekend certainly felt like spring in New York City.

Unless you happen to be a fan of the N.Y. winter that began with a deep freeze and continued with ever-deeper snow, you may tip your hat in the direction of Venus in Aries, the first harbinger of spring. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, the beginning of which marks the vernal equinox, which happens this year on March 20, 1:32 p.m. EDT. Venus shows what is loved and valued. Although Venus is about the passive or receptive side of love, Aries is far too headstrong to cool its heels and wait for a suitor to come a-callin'. Hence, Venus in Aries is said to be in its "detriment," as it is a challenge for the aggressive sign of Aries to express itself effectively via the refined rays of Venus. Think of a high-spirited, profanity-spouting teenager tracking mud into a pristine, dainty living room and that's Venus in Aries for you. Nothing subtle, yet such energy can be refreshing, especially if you don't mind getting a little down and dirty and are not shy about setting boundaries (actually, make that not shy, period).

Yesterday featured a beneficial trine aspect between Venus and Mars (which is finally about to turn direct at 0 degrees of fiery Leo this Wednesday), so if you were feeling neither romantic nor randy, neither creative nor in the mood to carpe diem, I'm going to bet that you reside on a planet other than Earth...or that you are extremely sensitive to the fact that Mars is still Retrograde. If the latter is the case, in less than 48 hours you should begin to thaw out and embrace some early spring fever.

I can't comment on The Hurt Locker's sweep of the Oscars last night because I haven't seen the film, yet I am pleased as punch that Avatar (see my 12/28/09 post-viewing rant for more details) did not walk away with all those golden statuettes. I would also like to humbly thank the Academy Awards committee for scheduling, since 2004, the ultimate celebration of our most Piscean art form during the Sun in Pisces period. I wonder if the Oscars planning committee finally got around to consulting an astrologer? One aspect of last night I did not predict was the short-lived but highly dramatic war between Cablevision and ABC, which ended 20 minutes or so into the Oscars ceremony, yet it certainly had the mark of Venus in Aries.