Neptune Retrograde: Revealing The Illusion

Greetings, Gifted Reader.

what does all that mean?

Holy Retrograde!

In July, Mercury will join Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Pluto in a parade of retrograde planets.

Meanwhile, in August, as Jupiter goes direct—Uranus will turn retrograde. 

My stars! What does all that mean?

Some Astrologers see retrogrades as disasters. Since the orb of the planet slows down, it appears to be spinning backwards. Therefore, goes the thought, whatever that planet represents will also spin out of control.

But planets appearing to be spinning backwards are not out of control. They are deliberate in their shifting of gears. Therefore, there are many ways in which retrogrades can be of value.

For instance, Neptune is a planet that naturally obscures and veils. It’s associated with mystery, magic and illusion. But when Neptune is retrograde, moving in backward motion, the curtains fall and what was hidden becomes fully exposed. Remember the Wizard of Oz?

Neptune rules Pisces...

Neptune rules alcohol and drug addiction, self-imprisonment, hospitals and mental institutions; and, it’s currently in its own sign of Pisces.

...and the seas

Additionally, Neptune rules dreams and glamour. With Hollywood being so magnetic and bewitching, it probably has a prominent Neptune in its chart. But watch out when Neptune is retrograde because it will open the windows wide and allow you to see the dirty truth inside.

Santa Monica beach (almost Hollywood)

Where is retrograde Neptune in Pisces transiting in your chart? Its House position and any aspecting planets will indicate what it is being revealed.

Although we no longer maintain a website, you can always check out our Urban Goddess page on Facebook and our T_zing t-shirts on Cafe Press.

until we meet again on September 30…

Good luck, light and love.

Gypsy Stars

Sprung Over Spring

Greetings, Gifted Reader.

springing!

As they say, “spring has sprung” and with it so have the cosmos.

Besides the Sun entering Aries on March 20, Mercury also moved there earlier on March 14. And, Venus before that on February 4. Further, the planet of love and all things material went into retrograde motion a month later on March 4.

With so much fiery Aries energy coming at you, it’s good to remember that this is a combustible time. Aries is a cardinal fire sign that's aggressive, always moves forward and likes to lead, but rarely follows. In other words, Aries is the boss.

Aries’ ruling planet, Mars, was in also in Aries until March 10 before entering that plodder Taurus. A fixed earth sign, Taurus brings a stability to Mars that it needs in order to get things done. Otherwise, Mars in Aries tends to generate a bunch of ideas that are rarely solidified.

Those personal planets—Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars (along with the Moon)—affect individuals more so than groups of people, while outer planets like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto stay in a sign for a longer period and tend to influence generations. However, both Jupiter and Saturn can be considered somewhat personal as they do have shorter orbs. 

Since February 6, transiting Jupiter has been retrograde in Libra opposite Aries. If you have a personal planet in Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter,  you may have felt as if there were a wall hindering you from achieving something. But it all depends on where you have that Sag placement. Areas where you can feel as if you’re stuck might include overseas travel, higher education and overall luck and fortune—a Jupiter domain. No worries, the planet will go direct again on June 10. Note that Saturn has been lingering in Sag, adding further hinderances and causing even more craziness as it goes retrograde on April 6.

So what does all this cosmic activity mean to the average person? Truthfully, not much unless you know your Natal chart. There are lots of websites that offer free charts these days, so input your birth info and take a look to see where the above planets intersect with yours.

For instance, if you have Aries Ascendant at 21 degrees, when Mercury hit it exactly on March 25, it likely triggered a communications emphasis for you. Whether that was a positive or negative experience depends on if Mercury created any aspects with other planets, both transiting and natal, and what Houses those planets were located in. Houses are areas of life in your chart and there are 12 of them.

Okay, that’s a lot of information to absorb if you aren’t already a serious student of Astrology. There’s nothing you can do, but study like mad. Oh, and by the way, that retrograde Venus goes all the way back into Pisces on April 3 before going direct on April 15. In general, romance and personal possessions could be given a second chance. Did you lose one or the other?

sakura, sakura
a cherry blossom spring

As for our own Saturnian issues with delays, Facebook has forced Gypsy Stars into creating a business page which is still pending. Right now, you can like both the Gypsy Stars or The Urban Goddess pages, but there hasn't been much activity with either recently.

What is with the Internet anyway—a Uranus domain--also currently in Aries. Our T-zing t-shirts have been stymied since Cafe Press changed its rules. Grrr.

No matter, here’s to a productive spring and, until June 30,

Good luck, light and love.

Gypsy Stars

p.s.Happy Birthday, Lily! We love you forever!

 

Age Of Aquarius; Or, The Month Of Anyway

star-tled!

Greetings, Gifted Reader!

Don’t be shocked, but the Sun entered Aquarius today. You know, that electrified sign that likes to astonish, stun and shock us?

A Fixed (Triplicity) Air (Quadriplicity) sign, Aquarius, is considered intellectual and a bit nerdy due to its absentmindedness. Often, those born with Sun in Aquarius are unusually good looking, which is ironic because they also tend to be rather asexual.

Still, Aquarians have a way of surprising us because of their contradictory nature. Like their ruling planet, Uranus, Aquarians never move in a linear, or predictable manner. Rather, they seem to thrive on being unconventional, rebellious and embracing that which is not of the status quo.

back to hippie?

Remember that little thing called the 1960’s? Remember the hippie movement back then? What was one of its national anthems? Perhaps that song sung by The Fifth Dimension…something about…this is the dawning of The Age of Aquarius.

When the moon is in the Seventh House

And Jupiter aligns with Mars

Then peace will guide the planets

And love will steer the stars

This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius

Okay, so the lyrics are referring to an entire Age, which it's still not clear exactly when that will begin. Each sign of the Zodiac rules about 2,000 years and there’s no consensus about when the Age of Pisces ends and Aquarius begins. But doesn’t that just reflect Pisces confusion and Aquarian unpredictability?

Read about it here. And, please watch the video for some great music:

http://earthsky.org/human-world/when-will-the-age-of-aquarius-begin

Aquarians love meaningful graffiti

contradictory much?

But back to that 'peace and love' thing. See, Aquarius is supposed to be insightful with an intuitive sense for humanity. As much as these folks are individualists, they also tend to prefer relationships involving groups of people as opposed to those that are one-on-one. Like its symbol, the Water Bearer--a man pouring water to the masses from a large jug slung across his shoulders, Aquarians are inspired to assist large, anonymous crowds rather than a single familiar face. After all, Aquarians are sometimes commitment phobic in their quest for personal freedom—which also contradicts their need to be of service to others.

By default, Aquarius rules the 11^th House of Friendship, Social Groups, Wishes, Hopes and Dreams. Whatever sign and planets fall there determines the way you deal with those areas of your life.

sculpture for The Aquarian Age

And, where is Aquarius in your chart? That’s where you are the most independent. Is it on the Cusp of your Fifth House? Then, you could be more of a friend than parent to your child. Or, maybe you like to have unusual love affairs. Aquarians can be kinky, too, as they love to experiment with the unusual. Anyone for a threesome?

The planet Uranus has an 84-year cycle through the 12 signs. Therefore, when you reach the age of 42, it’s exactly opposite of where it was in your Natal chart when you were born. That's what we in the West refer to as the “midlife crisis”. In an effort to recapture our youth, many of us behave suddenly and unexpectedly in our 42^nd year--especially males with money who often purchase red sports cars and begin dating 20 year-olds. When Transiting Uranus opposes your Natal Uranus, it triggers planets that form aspects to that House. Just check it out if you’ve already passed that age to see how you behaved during your Uranian opposition.

Meanwhile, welcome to the Sun in Aquarius until February 18.

Don’t forget to ‘like’ The Urban Goddess on Facebook, and if you have a celestial service to share, by all means, post it on our page there. You can also friend Gypsy Stars and buy a T_zing t-shirt at Café Press.

Until we meet in Pisces,

Good luck, light and love,

Gypsy Stars

www.gypsystars.com

Is This The End?!?

6 days and counting!

Greetings, Gifted Reader!

Don’t look now, but we’re just 6 measly days away from the end of the world. That is, if you believe that 12-21-2012 will signal the termination of life on Earth as we know it. Whether you think that human consciousness will ascend to the next level, or think it’s all just a bunch of ‘stuff’, one thing we can all agree on is that Winter Solstice takes place on 12-21.

What exactly does Winter Solstice mean anyway? Here’s a quick explanation.

http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/december-solstice.html

And, here's more about 12-21-2012 from an Astronomer.

http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=686

those clever Maya built this

While Gypsy Stars has many thoughts about what will happen on 12-21-2012, my understanding is that Earth aligns with a portal to the Milky Way every 26,000 years and that day will be December 21. For whatever reasons, those clever Maya knew that. Think about it. They would have had to live through at least two 26,000-year cycles to prove their theory.

However, if you’re reading this after December 21, we can surmise that a lot of folks have misinterpreted that Maya Long Calendar.

distinguished Seattle Astrologers: David, Jim and Dave

As for Astrology, the Sun moves into Capricorn on December 21 this year. A sign that concerns itself with status and reputation, Capricorn has rulership over government. It likes structure. Capricorn also rules the 10^th House of career along with the 10^th House parent, which is generally the father. With Saturn as its ruling planet, Capricorn is the quintessential stern dad teaching his child through rigorous discipline.

Pay close attention to Saturn right now since it entered Scorpio on October 6. Where is it transiting in your Natal or Progressed charts? Are you experiencing loss, or harsh lessons, in that area of your life?

Last Thursday, Uranus went stationary direct in Aries, and we experienced some shocking news especially involving violence (Mars rules Aries, the sign of the warrior). But on the positive side, this is a good time to begin a new enterprise that involves something unusual and downright freaky thanks to Uranus’ attraction to the weird.

Remember, Gypsy Stars is on Facebook. You can also 'like' The Urban Goddess where we promote all metaphysicians. And, don't forget our T_zing t-shirts At Cafe Press.

Until 2013, if we make it there, folks… 

Good luck, light and love,

Gypsy Stars

http://www.gypsystars.com

Cardinal Climax And Metaphysical Mixing

Welcome back, Gifted Reader!

Someone pointed out that while last week's blog noted that Saturn ruled Saturdays, it omitted its sign-- Capricorn. That wasn't intentional; it was because the focus was on it being Saturday or Saturn's Day.

The one thing you'll soon discover about Gypsy Stars is that we're all over the metaphysical map. So, while writing about an Astrological event, we might also add something about an Ifa goddess of the Yoruba deities--like Oshun whose character traits are very similar to the planet Venus. Let us digress. In Astrology, we say that Venus rules "all moving things"; in particular, love and money. Venus is beautiful and she loves beauty. Well, the goddess Oshun is also physically lovely. And, while Oshun is a seductress, she also possesses a genteel manner. In either case, feminine idealism is at its zenith.

But back to the nature of this blog. The name Gypsy Stars came about because the word Gypsy felt intuitive and attached to cards, like Tarot; while Stars refers to the Astrological elements that makes up our studies of the occult.

Speaking of Astrology, our group of Astrologers meets monthly and today we had a meeting. After our leader passed around Natal charts for the U.S., we discussed the Cardinal Climax. Because this blog is not meant to cover highly technical aspects of Astrology, let's just say that our consensus was that the next few months are going to be on the difficult side. The Cardinal Climax involves several planets--Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Pluto--all in Cardinal signs (Aries, Libra, Capricorn) and all within a few degrees in forming an opposition (Aries, Libra) and a square (Pluto in Capricorn). Pluto in Capricorn often predicts meltdowns (Pluto) in government (Capricorn). And, Uranus always brings the unexpected. Mars is violent and rules war and warriors. You already know that Saturn is a harsh taskmaster. That leaves Jupiter, who is often presented as benevolent. But Jupiter is also excessive and can be overindulgent.

It will be really interesting to see what this grouping of planets is going to bring about in the near future.

Meanwhile, do check back next week as we present our very first guest, George Patton, author of Black Jack--a book about his great uncle who was a magician during the Harlem Renaissance.

You can also friend Gypsy Stars and like The Urban Goddess on Facebook. And, please visit our online store, T*zing, at CafePress.

Leaving you with good luck, light and love;
Gypsy Stars