Lake Tekapo, South Island NZ. Pic by me a long time ago!

The Moon is in Pisces today and my focus has flown off for the duration.

Today I have been unproductive and even more easily distracted than usual (my boss isn’t reading this is he?). I spent the day looking at the same spreadsheet I opened at 7am and the longer I looked at it the less the numbers made sense & the more they started to blur into each other.

I have updated Facebook with more useless drivel than I usually do, and faffed around with bits and pieces that haven’t actually contributed much to anything. I have jumped at every ding from my laptop that could mean an email or instant message or something else that could distract me from what I am supposed to be doing.

I updated minutes and risk registers and recorded a few pre-emptive Talking Toms’ to Five Foot Nothing (FFN) “Don’t forget to clean out the dishwasher”, “Stop annoying the dog” and “stop watching episodes of Bondi Rescue & do your homework.” I sent some virtual and dreadfully sincere sympathy to a friend in need of some TLC and cleaned out the pod-casts on my ipod.

At lunch time I had scheduled myself to complete tomorrows piece on Venus/Neptune aspects but instead went for a walk around IKEA. (It was raining here in Sydney & the IKEA store near my work has miles and miles of arrowed paths…) I did get some inspiration for book cases, though.

When it got really bad, I sketched out the changes that I want to make to the site (I will probably find it in my computer bag in another 3 months & wonder what it is), started to think about re-aligning post frequency and categories eg Venus posts on Fridays, Mercury ones on Wednesdays etc. But, after plotting out the schedule on some draft calendars it all looked like way too much hard work…and I still have a manuscript to procrastinate over finishing.

Then Mercury stepped into the fold for some fun. During the school holidays I am doing a mini road trip through the South Island of New Zealand with FFN and Ms Sparkles (a fellow astrologer- you would think I would know better than to travel during a Mercury retrograde with a Gemini!). We had pre-booked a ferry crossing at the end of our time to take us to Wellington in the North Island from where we would be (separately) flying out. The good people at InterIslander have cancelled our crossing which means FFN and I won’t make our flight. This is actually a good thing because it means I get to catch up with another dear friend in Wellington that I otherwise wouldn’t have seen. See, Mercury retrograde can work in your favour!

Now home, I have been attempting to complete this blog entry for over an hour. In between I have checked FFNs maths homework, supervised a noisy turf dispute between Kali the killer cocker spaniel & my parents’ royal corgi the Tynester, and sorted out FFNs swimming championships entry for tomorrow night where she inadvertently entered some O35 years races.

Obviously the Universe is telling me that I am trying too hard to get in touch with my Virgo opposite & should just give into the Pisces within. So I have just poured a glass of pinot noir. Perhaps if I had done that earlier today I may have actually got something finished that I was meant to get finished. And yes, that spreadsheet with all those nasty numbers will still be there tomorrow…right where I left it.

Cheers.

Oh and the sky? Take today and repeat.

dreamstime.com

The New Moon isn’t until Monday morning 12.32am Sydney time, but this one needs some preparation!

There are a heap of statistics that re out there telling us how many people break their New Year Resolutions. There are a heap more that want to estimate how many people fail to honour them… same thing really? Either way the number is estimated at anything between 60-88%, depending on the source you read. Even though I have this theory that 94.5% of all statistics are made up, I tend to believe that these numbers are pretty close to the mark. But Astrology, or more specifically the New Moon in Aries, is here to give you another shot at it.

Whether yours is to lose weight, quit smoking, reduce debt, cut back on other nasties or accelerate your 5 year plan with a 2 year deadline, the chances are that sitting here now in April, things have fallen off the tracks.

Just when is the right time to utter those fateful words “This year I will….” remains up for conjecture.  Should you do it before during or after the New Years Eve party? Should you say it exactly on the 1^st, last or whatever stroke of midnight? Should you take your time to think about your goal (and for the after effects of the NYE party to wear off) and make your resolution for the 1^st New Moon of the year- in Capricorn? Should you wait still further until Chinese New Year, or even the astrological New Year when the Sun moves into Aries at the end of March?

I have read a number of blogs and articles recently suggesting that the best time to make a New Year Resolution is actually now… well in the next couple of days with the New Moon in Aries- the 1^st New Moon of the astrological year. And this certainly makes a lot of sense. During the Balsamic phase we get rid of everything we no longer need, perform whatever banishing rituals we need to perform and wipe the slate clean. At the New Moon, we start the cycle again.

The New Moon energy is always one of new beginnings. Just like in the Powderfinger song:

Gonna burn your name right across the sky so I’ll never forget what the feeling’s like.

A New Moon, especially an Aries New Moon turns the sky into a great big empty blackboard that you can write your intentions on… I love that. And there is nothing quite as new as an Aries New Moon.

The Aries energy is one of new, almost childlike enthusiasm to explore, to be the first, to start something brilliant. And first things can never be repeated- you can’t share a first kiss twice, or go somewhere for the first time again or get on a plane for the first time…well, you get the idea.The Aries energy is the New Moon energy. Most importantly, Aries New Moon energy is about you. So right now, there is nothing more exciting and new and first than you and your potential.

History, it seems, agrees that the best time to make a New Year Resolution is in the northern Spring. I read a column by a Dr Rick Miller (from a University of Nebraska Kearney online publication) who wrote that the earliest recording of New Year Resolutions was by the Babylonians 4000 years ago. It seems, however, that the most common goal of the ancient Babylonians was not to shed 20 kgs or be nice to that girl/guy in the next partition- it was….wait for it… to return borrowed farm equipment.

This New Moon is absolutely super charged. Conjunct a Jupiter that is just bursting at the seams with optimism to crash through boundaries and grow, grow , grow and opposite Saturn who is reminding us that structures need to be respected to enable us to do what we need to do. Structure and stability is all very well, but Saturn can also bring fear and restraint and a warning to be careful and not grow or expand too quickly. The right pace is somewhere in the middle, as of course, it always is.

To make life even more interesting Mars and Uranus are conjunct in the 1^st degree of Aries. Mars is particularly energised by his recent move into Aries and is ready to do major mischief with Uranus. If you are feeling trapped in any way, there may be one hell of a temptation thrown your way. Exciting? In fact so exciting I had to post this a few days early!

So, for those of you with next doors lawnmower, shovel, trailer or whipper snipper that you borrowed aeons ago from your best mate (and you know who you are…), make like the Babylonians and include in your First New Moon of the Astrological Year Resolution to give it back…and then grab what is on offer with both hands- without that whipper snipper in the back shed, you will have plenty of room.

The Fool, Rider-Waite Deck

Mercury is stationary and will be officially retrograde by the time Sydneysiders are munching on their breakfast toast tomorrow. If you want to know all the rules and usual bits about Mercury retrogrades, check out Don’t Look Back in Anger. Over the next couple of weeks be prepared to stand back and look back at … whatever.

You might get news of old friends, old loves, someone coming back into you life that you have been missing. You might get a chance to review, re-do, replenish or re-balance. You may find yourself also doing more than your fair share of rework or repeating old mistakes or retreading old paths. And let’s face it, is there really anything so wrong with that? There are some mistakes I have made that I would love to repeat, and paths that I would go off the main road to tread again. Then again, there is also the opportunity to make the outcome different this time. With Venus in Pisces, perhaps it could be … These are just some of the reasons why Mercury retrograde isn’t all bad, and can actually be quite cool- as long as you remembered to back up your PC (which I haven’t) and double checked appointments (nope) and re-confirmed all travel bookings (sorry)…

In any case, for people like me with a crappy Mercury, essentially it just means the rest of the world is now thinking like a Piscean with a retrograde Mercury in the 12th house- I live with it every day, so what are you all making such a fuss about? In any case the Universe is easing us into it with a Pisces Moon just a couple of hours after the official retrograde start. So, not only can you be thinking like a Pisces, you can also feel like one too…scary thought? Not when it is situation normal for those of us with these positions natally.

Jupiter and Saturn are still having their little tug of war across the divide. Jupiter’s enthusiasm is waning already, so he will soon be on his way. Saturn is still trying to remind him of all the things that could possibly go wrong (he calls it structure and caution, Jupiter reckons it is out & out fear mongering & is in whatever mode…).

With the Moon moving into Pisces we are also moving into the Balsamic phase- that time where we get rid of the old to make room for the new. Whether you need to de-clutter your kitchen junk drawer, get rid of those “friends” on Facebook that aren’t really or remove the habits and thoughts that are holding you back, the next few days is crucial. Monday mornings (Sydney time) New Moon in Aries is an absolute… I can’t find the words to describe what it is…but it has everything…and more!

I’m excited for so many reasons, in fact so excited that I will post the New Moon post early…just to add some optimism into the Mercury retrograde gloom & doom.

© Edward Bartel | Dreamstime.com

Mercury has slowed right down and is getting ready to turn retrograde.

Now we all know the basics about Mercury retrograde:

• The planet isn’t really going backwards, it just appears that way from where we stand here on Earth
• During any retrograde cycle of any planet we bring our attentions within. The energy of the planet is intensified, and that energy is brought within. In that case of Mercury that means how we think, how we transmit messages and how messages are communicated and understood around us
• this is your signal to slow down, go within, review, revise, rewind. We review and revise in our head the nature of the area of life this retrograde is happening in for us. With our brains occupied in a different way we lose focus on what is happening around us- and that is when things, generally shitty things happen.

We know all about the re words:

• Take the time to recharge your batteries
• Revise your goals
• Review your bright ideas
• Regain your faith in the future
• Recommit to habits, goals, the things you need to recommit to
• Reconnect with colleagues & friends you haven’t seen or spoken to for some time
• Renew and refresh whatever is jaded and old
• Revisit places, books, movies that mean something to you
• Rest and relax

We know the type of things Mercury retrogrades can impact:

• Appointment times
• Travel times & arrangements
• Computers, phones & other electronic devices
• Getting to & from places
• Contracts and other documents

And we know how to mitigate the possible damage:

• Re-confirm appointments
• Check & re-check your travel arrangements
• Insure your luggage and tickets and make sure you have copies of all travel documents- preferably not in your bag
• Avoid mechanical problems, by making sure your car services are up to date
• Back up computers
• Avoid purchasing any major technology over this period
• Avoid signing contracts, but if you have to, make sure you have read & re-read all the fine print
• If you must commence a new project, do the scoping work carefully- and seriously people, we should be doing this anyway!
• If you have any changes going “live” or being implemented, test, re-test, regression test, test the back out, test the install & test again. Test.

We even know the people most likely to be impacted by the retrograde cycle:

• People with strong Mercury charts eg people with the Sun, Moon, Ascendant or Mercury in Mercury ruled signs ie Gemini or Virgo.
• People with these planets in the 3^rd house
• People who have the Sun, Moon, Mercury or Ascendant in the sign which is receiving the retrograde
• People who have planets or chart points at the position where Mercury stations- either to go retrograde or direct.

Essentially those who have a crappy Mercury (such as my own- the worst Mercury in history) tend (with some exceptions) to escape relatively lightly. Why? Because natally our Mercury operates in the same way as when it is retrograde- we review and revise and go into our own heads as part of a normal day.

So, what makes a bad (and when I say bad I don’t mean evil bad, I mean that it works differently to the way Mercury is supposed to work…personally mine is crappy, but it suits me- if you know what I mean)  Mercury?:

• Mercury in Pisces (check)
• Mercury in the 12^th house (check)
• Mercury tightly aspecting Neptune
• Mercury retrograde natally (check)

This year all the Mercury retrogrades take place in fire signs. This changes the playing field a little. First cab off the rank is Aries (of course…).

This means that:

• People who have the Sun, Moon, Ascendant or Mercury in Aries will be impacted by this retrograde
• If you have planets or chart points (eg Ascendant, Midheaven, Descendant or IC) at 24 Aries (where Mercury stations to go retrograde) or 12 Aries (where he stations to go direct), you will also feel this one.

Fire Mercury is assertive, impulsive, demonstrative and energetic. Aries Mercury is all of these things plus you can add combative and aggressive to the mix. So, the types of things we may expect (in addition to the above) are:

• Decisions made impulsively may be regretted later
• Discussions & communication to be more combative & aggressive than usual
• Ideas come fast & furious but may be abandoned just as quickly
• Tempers may flare quicker than usual for seemingly insignificant reasons

So, some extra Aries type stuff to remember:

• It doesn’t matter if you lose an argument- especially if you hadn’t thought the consequences through in the 1^st place. You are not always right.
• Sometimes an idea is actually pretty crappy and has no chance of ever working. Walk away from it without flexing your muscles in the process.
• Save the temper for something worth fighting over.
• Just because you’re bored is no reason to pick a fight.

For all of us, check out where 12-24 Aries falls in your chart. This is the part of life where you need to do extra re stuff. As an example, in my case this transit is in my 2^nd house. Mercury will pass back across Venus and station direct exactly (to the minute) on the cusp of my 2^nd house. Values, ideals, money & possession are the key words around the 2^nd house. Mercury natally rules the relationship and home sectors in my chart and is in Pisces in the 12^th house. Venus rules the 8^th (debts, other peoples money etc).

This retrograde period I intend to spend some time on budgets. I know I have major changes on a financial front coming in the next 6-9 months, so a re-think and some discussion with my husband regarding our finances & spending patterns is definitely in order.

This is all happening as Jupiter is tearing through my 2^nd house…and Jupiter transits of the 2^nd we know are renowned for over indulgence, over-spending, over-reaching and over-commitment of personal resources!

With so many material changes on the horizon, I will also be doing some good hard thinking over just what is really important to me…and finishing some UFPs (UnFinished Projects) around the house…I have a mind to be doing some landscape reconstruction in the near future, and still haven’t re-decorated our bedroom…and Five Foot Nothing is talking about re-doing hers as well….

Where does Aries fall in your chart? What are your plans for this particular retrograde? With the fire energy being enhanced and amplified by the recent battles for supremacy between the Sun and Pluto, and Saturn and Jupiter, perhaps frustrations and obstacles coming out of these transits will have a bearing on how you spend the next few weeks? Is there any anger you need to let go of? I’d love to know…

© Stryjek | Dreamstime.com

Here we go again. That time every few months where computers spontaneously contract viruses and dump files. When travel plans get stuffed up and appointments are missed. When arguments blow up out of all proportion to the original misunderstood or clumsily communicated message.

We all know the rules, but I will be posting a refresher and some hints specific to this retrograde shortly.

Rather than running scared, what about trying a different tack…what about just letting it happen? If we are seriously honest with ourselves, viruses infect our computers because we have either neglected to immunise it or somehow inadvertently let it in (such as I did last week). Dumped files only matter if we have forgotten to back up and lost luggage is only a problem if we have failed to take out travel insurance. Actually, I take that one back, lost luggage is always a pain in the arse, but, with insurance, an opportunity perhaps to buy new shoes?

Arguments explode because we haven’t taken sufficient care to either think about the message and how to communicate or we haven’t thought sufficiently about the possible ramifications of that message and the feelings of the recipient. In short, shit happens. We can blame Mercury, we can blame the Universe, we can take responsibility or we can let it go.

It’s actually OK to be so stressed and strung out that you need to take a step back and go within to re-assess your work/life balance, your go forward strategy or the brilliant idea that is quickly looking to become brown sloppy stuff on the fan.

It’s OK to ask for help, to go back to the drawing board or to admit you are wrong (Scorpio and Aries- I’m looking at you…).

Revision isn’t just something that is best left to Virgo. We can all use this time to look at the setbacks and obstacles that may have been presented over the last few days, few weeks, few months, whatever (depending on how reliable your rear vision mirror is…me, I have old eyes and can’t see that far without glasses) to decide how we are going to tackle them going forward.

Mercury is retrograde officially at 6.47am (Sydney time) 31/3/11