Sun-Uranus Opposition: Like Mairzey Doats, Jangly and Jivey

Though it was more of a gray night than a white night, as I managed to sleep a little bit here and there, it was such a restless, scattered night I might as well have not slept at all. This is pretty much to be expected on a Sun-Uranus opposition (exact today at 4:58 p.m. ET) on an upcoming Lunar Eclipse (exact at 6:51 a.m. tomorrow).

The signs involved in both oppositions are Libra and Aries, so we must all contemplate who we are in relation to others, especially significant others, while not shelving our individual selves. This challenge can result in a pretty heavy identity crisis, especially because Mercury is currently retrograde in Scorpio; it is hard to know exactly what to think, and neither Libra nor Aries is able to truly feel, albeit for very different reasons. As a sociable air sign, Libra's MO is communication, harmony, and partnership, yet is uncomfortable dealing with dark, messy intimacy and knowing what it truly wants; by contrast, as an aggressive fire sign, Aries knows exactly what it wants, must be the first in line (just as it is the first sign of the zodiac), and if that means stepping on others' toes, so be it. Aries personifies the rugged invidualist, the polar opposite of Libra's "you complete me" orientation.

Do keep in mind that I am not claiming all Libra Suns are pretty party people, nor are all Aries Suns pushy me-firsters; I am talking now about the purity of each sign's expression, not an entire chart that includes the Moon and all the other planets in our solar system. Depending on all these other planetary placements besides the Sun, it is entirely possible to be an antisocial Libra or a meek Aries.

Perhaps too much emphasis is given to eclipses, but if you know that the upcoming Lunar Eclipse falls near your Sun or Moon, other planets, or the angles of your chart, it will certainly be more significant than a regular Full Moon.

Sun Square Saturn: "Father?" "Yes, Son?" "I want to kill you."

If you are chafing under the collar and champing at the bit of the PTB (powers that be) and Authority with a capital "A," relax: you are simply responding to the Sun squaring Saturn (exact tomorrow, 1/19, at 4:20 p.m. EST). Or don't relax. Saturn won't let you anyway, and besides, it's not so simple. The Sun in the final degree of Capricorn squares Saturn in the final degree of Libra, so if you have one or more natal planets at 29 degrees of a Cardinal sign (i.e., Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn), the feeling of repression/oppression is especially intensified.

Lest you think from the title of this post that I am advocating patricide, far from it: Please, kids, do not try this at home. I am just quoting directly from the Doors' lighthearted little ditty "The End." Interestingly, Jim "Lizard King" Morrison did kill his father in a way--by telling the press that he (plus his mother) had died in a car crash, even though his family was alive and well and probably wondering what they had done to deserve such a slap in the face of their son's newfound fame.

Still, if you are on the outs with your father, or boss, or any authority figure, now is the time to confront it (unless it has already confronted you) and find a way to deal with it, even if you cannot resolve this thorny issue as if you were a character in a half-hour TV sitcom.

Also consider the possibility that you may be your own harsh father figure, putting yourself down and punishing yourself for any and all mistakes you make instead of accepting your own humanity.

The Sun square Saturn indicates structural challenges of all sorts, from one's own skeleton (aching bones, anyone?) to the houses and buildings we live and work in to government. One timely example: the SOPA/PIPA wars, a proposed "anti-piracy" bill that has led to a Wikipedia blackout (Saturn) in protest. Opponents of this very Saturnian bill maintain that if the bill passes, it will be tantamount to Internet censorship and a violation of First Amendment rights.

If you feel that you have been making slow, steady progress under the recent harmonious Saturn trine Neptune, you may now feel as if you are taking two steps back at best or getting knocked off the mountain by a landslide at worst.

But to quote another rock 'n' roll giant, "All things must pass," and this too shall pass. The Sun square Jupiter (from 1 degree of Aquarius to 1 degree of Taurus) this weekend will be an entirely different ball of wax. Stay tuned...

Full Moon Fever: Relationships in the Hot Seat

Your faithful astrologer attempted to post this update last night, but her computer was out getting loaded, and the dashboard wouldn't load.

Anyway, we are still in the Full Moon period (exact at 2:10 a.m. EDT) and the Moon in Aries still has a few aspects to other planets to make before it moves into Taurus tomorrow, so this post will still have plenty of Full Moon food for thought.

In astrology, the "relationship aspect" is the opposition, and Libra is the sign of the zodiac that is the most naturally attuned to the concept of relationship. Therefore, this particular Full Moon highlights relationship issues. They need not be romantic connections, particularly if you are not involved with anyone romantically; issues in business partnerships may be of concern at this time. Yet since Libra is ruled by the "love" side of Venus (the "material" side of Venus, i.e., money and matters of the flesh, is the domain of Taurus), it's most likely that any issues that have been building within a love partnership have reached the boiling point with the Moon in fiery, aggressive Aries. If you are single, this weekend may have been a time of being "on the hunt" for a lover.

The conflict between this Full Moon that can also lead to its resolution is "me or thee?" Aries, the polar opposite sign from Libra, is all about the self. Unlike its romantically inclined fire-sign cousin Leo, there is very little awareness of "the Other." This does not, of course, mean that Aries is incapable of having relationships--just that this very first sign of the zodiac is more concerned with being for itself. Aries can be a great leader, and also, despite its potential for extroversion, a great loner.

So, "me or thee?" For those of who you may have been doing too much for that "Other" in your life, this opposition challenges you to take better care of yourself, even if that means doing it on your own and detaching from your partner in order not to live through him or her. For those of you who have been living out the Aries side of the opposition, this Full Moon may motivate you to consider the needs of your partner above (or at least as much) as those of your own, to develop a better give-and-take situation instead of mostly taking and not even saying "thanks."

This is not a typical horoscope blog, but individuals that are likely to experience the highest degree of conflict with this Full Moon are Cancer and Capricorn natives, followed by Aries and Libra (although these two signs stand the most to gain, as well). Leo, Sagittarius, Gemini, and Aquarius are more likely to resolve relationship conflicts without ultimatums, and even if there is a loss or a break, these four signs are most likely to not let icky emotions like fear and neediness get in the way of personal growth.

This is also the Harvest Moon, so regardless of what sign you are born under, it is a time of reaping what you have sown back in the spring. The Full Moon always brings a culmination to the monthly lunar cycle. What has not been resolved during this period is not likely to fix itself over the next two weeks as the Moon wanes. This does not mean you should throw in the towel if your relationship seems to be going down the toilet, but not to force any needless issues, particularly since we are coming up on a difficult Mercury/Uranus opposition (exact today at 5:06 p.m. EDT). Under such an aspect, it would be far too easy to snap during a conversation. A real breakdown in communication may result, along with a break. You may instead wish to consider quietly gathering your forces for the New Moon in Libra on 10/18, which will give you a fresh chance to unite your own emotions and needs with that of your partner's. And once again, if you happen to be single, this will also be a good time to consider what relationships mean to you, and how you can strengthen your relationship with the one person who will never leave you: yourself.

Equinox: Not Just a Gym. Get Ready for Fall!

We've gone through some fairly stressful astrological aspects during the past week, as we reach the end of the Virgo period. As much as I wanted give real-time updates, it was too painful at the time. My self-identity is undergoing a serious transformation, courtesty of Saturn conjunct my Pluto and Asc. Basically, I am trying to cast out my bad habits and compulsive behaviors without being too hard on my imperfections. Also, an unconventional, relatively-short-yet-long-enough-to-feel-real relationship broke up (Uranus conjunct my Desc.) and although it ended pretty jarringly it's really for the better, and has also made me ask myself some pretty hard questions about relationships in general and the kind I've been trying to have in particular.

The Dark of the Moon period (9/16 to 9/18) was perhaps the darkest a Dark of the Moon can get: the Sun, followed a day later by the Moon, opposed Uranus and conjuncted Saturn. The Uranus/Saturn opposition is one of the more difficult aspects out there, so it's a good thing it doesn't happen very often; this time around (2008-09) it's manifested in the terrible economy, a repolarization in politics that culminated in the election of the first black president of the United States (black as a color is represented by Saturn; yet President Barack Obama, given his relative youth and his landslide victory, is more Uranian), the swine flu panic, and the health-care debate. Throwing a Mercury/Pluto square into this already uncomfortable mix, it's a wonder more of us didn't go postal last week: Uranus is all about reform and revolution, while Saturn is about structure and the status quo. The Sun highlighting this opposition made it a far more personal struggle for many of us, since the Sun represents our conscious sense of self. Egos were definitely trampled on by other egos, and unless you're an air sign (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) it was probably hard to detach.

The Jewish calendar is lunar, and so the Jewish holidays do not fall on set days of the year, but in accordance with the Moon. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, fell on this New Moon; the next two weeks will lead up to the Harvest Moon, in which we hopefully reap the bounty of all that has been sown this year.

We officially leave summer behind today with the fall equinox at 5:19 p.m. EDT, and enter the Libra period. Since the first major Solar aspect in Libra is a difficult square to Pluto at 0 degrees of Capricorn (exact Wednesday 9/23 at 10:21 a.m.), it will be a challenge to keep our balance, particularly regarding relationships (Libra) and authority, power structures, and the status quo (Capricorn). If you are currently employed, this would not be the best time to ask your boss for a raise or test his/her patience in any way. In fact, it might be better for everyone in your life, especially yourself, if you take a personal "mental health" day tomorrow. On a more positive note, light will be shed (Sun) on last week's unpleasant Mercury/Pluto square; even if you can't fix it or take back your words or your actions, at least you'll have a better understanding of what went down.

Second Thoughts? Welcome to Mercury Retrograde.

Mercury turned Retrograde on Labor Day, which makes me really glad I'm not starting school or a new job right now.

Mercury will be Retrograde in Libra and Virgo until September 29, so for the love of whatever god you do or do not believe in, don't sign anything--don't commit to anything you can't easily get out of--expect heavy second thoughts regarding relationships until September 18, and then second thoughts regarding your job, your health, your diet, any writing you might be engaged in, and any service-oriented activities until the 29th.

The Sun signs most affected by this particular Mercury Rx transit will be Gemini, Libra, and Virgo. Gemini and Virgo are ruled by Mercury and thus are that much more attuned to the quicksilver planet's energy than other signs; Libra will also get mired in the muck this time because Mercury is Rx in Libra until the 18th, when it slips back into Virgo. Virgo natives will be most strongly affected between the
18th and the 29th, but at least the 18th also brings the New Moon in Virgo, which should give some much-needed "starting over" energy to a sign that will need it more than the rest of the zodiac.

No matter what sign you happen to be born under, the next three weeks are an excellent time to reflect, retreat, and take stock of the events of August for the purpose of deciding whether or not you want them to continue into the fall.

In the meantime, don't be surprised when the check doesn't arrive in the mail, the phone doesn't ring, and everyone around you seems to be elsewhere.