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Mercury and Neptune Station Retrograde
Venus Enters Gemini
By Shelley L. Ackerman
[From my 'Shimmering Stars' column in
The Westchester Guardian, © 2008]
SHELLEY ACKERMAN
Photo: Rich Press
Within 24 hours of the departure of approximately 1600-1800 astrologers from Denver, the area was hit with a deadly tornado. Nevertheless, the week in Denver was clearly a smash hit, the biggest astrologer’s convention in decades –and the world took notice!
How gratifying it was for us to have the Associated Press cover our conference in, and to have the story of our work, our focus on the upcoming election and the economy, the need for accurate birth data, and the gathering itself of close to two thousand astrologers/or students of astrology in the mile-high city featured prominently on major news outlets throughout the world, including The Washington Post, USA Today, MSNBC, Newsweek, The NY Times, Yahoo, on AOL’s home page and an albeit brief interview on NPR and my on-air visit with MSNBC’s Contessa Brewer!
We are thankful to two reporters in particular-both have the Sun in Capricorn: James B. Meadow of The Rocky Mountain News, who wrote two fabulous pieces on the conference, and AP reporter Pete Banda. We are especially appreciative of Banda's spot-on reporting and meticulous handling of the story which highlighted the importance of precise birth times for reliability in astrologers’ work. His professionalism helped to establish the tone for the many radio and TV outlets that picked up on the AP story but who inevitably truncated what we had to say: That coupled with uninformed editing and the need for sensationalism- disappointed several of my colleagues who are not used to the way the mainstream often gets it wrong. For example: Fox News recorded two out of two hundred astrologers on the faculty saying that McCain was going to win and promptly put on their web-ticker “Astrologers Pick McCain”. Needless to say, many of us were mortified, especially since the consensus for the win in November was and is Obama- with one caveat: It may not go completely as expected and selection of the running mate and a 12:30 pm (instead of a noon) swearing in time on Jan 20, 2009 could make or break the entire situation:
Most news outlets were only interested in our prediction of the winner. One wanted to know who was going to win American Idol-say what?! Yes, friends, it’s all about the horse race, nothing about the bigger picture ramifications or subtleties. Oy Vey.
At the conclusion of the conference, seven big name astrologers: Robert Blaschke, Robert Hand, Edith Hathaway, Hakan Kirkoglu, Sandra Leigh-Sero, Gloria Star, and yours truly) participated in a panel to forecast (not predict) who the next President will be. The panel was moderated by conference organizer and president of ISAR (International Society for Astrological Research), Ray Merriman.
Though some of the astrologer-teachers at the conference spoke of the likelihood of Hillary hanging in, few of the panelists mentioned her at all. But I still feel that it is too soon to count her out. Most felt that Obama would win, but that his safety is in question. Robert Hand expressed concerns saying that the current administration is “capable of anything”, referring specifically to the impact that the August 1st solar eclipse (right on Washington DC) would have on the chart of George W. Bush! Hand also stated that since we have completely unreliable birth times for the three top candidates (as no one has so much has seen a birth certificate with their own eyes), much of what we say about the results of the race at this point is speculative (he used the word “garbage”) at best.
We are approaching the last round of Democratic primaries and with that, many anticipate that the nomination process will finally conclude with Barack Obama as the party’s choice for President of the United States. The Democratic National Committee- now being sued by some Floridian dems- is scheduled to meet on May 31, before those June 3rd primaries, to figure out what to do about the Florida and Michigan delegates though technically, even if counted- those votes wouldn’t be enough to keep Hillary in the race.
But Mercury (the “Trickster”) is retrograde through June 19th, and won’t pass the ‘shadow degrees’ and game-changing square to unpredictable Uranus until just after July 4th. One week later, (on July 10th), Mars and Saturn conjoin at five and a half degrees of Virgo, and clamp down on McCain’s Sun and Obama’s Pluto. All of this activity (and the aforementioned solar eclipse) points to a bumpy ride and a volatility that does not bode well for settling anything. Neptune approaching the US Aquarius Moon (a transit that will last at least two more years) amplifies the confusion and speaks of the potential for voting irregularities, fraud. and unreliable counting of the votes all together, not to mention a media which is complicit (with those in power) in keeping much of the population dazed and spaced-out. Fun times indeed!
On Election Day, the opposition between Saturn and Uranus at just under 19 degrees of Virgo-Pisces has been on every astrologer’s radar. Several candidates have planets or points at between 18-23 Virgo-Pisces, or planets squaring those degrees at 18-23 degrees of Gemini-Sagittarius:
If Hillary was born at 8 AM, her Moon is at 22 Pisces. Obama’s Mars is at 22 Virgo. McCain’s Venus is at 22 Virgo, and his Saturn is at 20 Pisces. Joe Biden’s MC/IC is 19 Virgo-Pisces, and Mitt Romney’s Sun is at 21 Pisces. John Edward’s Sun is at 19 Gemini. All of these planets tightly aspect the square in the US chart between Mars at 21 Gemini, and Neptune at 22 Virgo-which is being 'set off' by the current Mercury Retrograde in Gemini square Uranus in Pisces! My goodness, they’re all in there and activated NOW aren’t they? I honestly don’t think we can call this one until we have the chart for the moment that each candidate accepts his or her party’s nomination.
Mercury and Neptune Turn Retro on Memorial Day: What, Me Worry?
While it’s not feasible to stay home, I must report what the planets are doing and leave the rest up to you: Whenever Mercury stations (three times forwards and three times backwards per year), it’s a time to slow down and to think twice about writing an email or getting into a vehicle. Planetary 'stations' are when planets change apparent direction,and for that day, it's good to slow down and not force anything. However, life does goe on, especially during retrogrades. This time (May 26), Neptune, the planet of fog, dreams and dissolution stations retro too! A double whammy if ever there was one!
Please err on the side of caution and for Pete’s sake, lay off the sauce and all recreational substances, I mean really, how much Neptune do any of us need?!
Chart: Mercury Stations Retro
Click for larger view
May 22: Moon v/c in Sagittarius, enters Capricorn @ 11:55 am
Sun square Saturn @ 2:25 pm
May 24: Moon v/c @ 8:26 pm, enters Aquarius @ 11:52 pm
Venus enters Gemini @ 6:52 pm
May 26: Mercury retrograde at 11:48 am, Neptune retrograde @ 12:15 pm
Venus square Saturn @ 1:10 pm, Moon v/c @ 10:50 pm
May 27: Moon in Pisces @ 9:38 am
*Moon v/c = ‘void of course’, a time of disconnect until the Moon enters the next sign
ARIES: Take nothing for granted-especially that which is most familiar and easy to overlook or under appreciate. With Mercury going in reverse in your 3rd house of communication and transportation, the simplest commute could turn into a chore. By the same token, an innocent remark can be seriously misinterpreted. So to celebrate Memorial Day, take a vow of silence and skip the day trip. Stay home and clean out those drawers, papers, and get to those weeds.
TAURUS: It’s tough to get projects moving forward when those who you were counting on have suddenly dropped off the face of the Earth. But you’re not alone in this frustrating predicament: For what it’s worth, the bizarre set up of two planets wrecking havoc in the same part of your chart: Venus entering and Mercury goes reverse in Gemini, is as crazy-making a set-up as one could imagine. The best approach is to breathe deep, delay buying anything expensive, and to enjoy the sport of window-shopping to the hilt.
GEMINI: Mind games anyone? As a rule, your unwillingness to commit and talent for doubletalk and a little seemingly innocent deception presents a huge problem, but now it’s possible to put those quirks to good use: For the next three weeks, though you’ll look wonderful and can count on magnetizing man, woman, child, and animals to you alike, it’s best to not waste time luring in new-comers. Your ruler, Mercury, in reverse in your sign, encourages you to focus on hooking with people from your past instead and to clear up all and any misunderstandings once and for all.
CANCER: Though it will be a challenge for you to remain in the present in the here and now for the next few weeks, you have no choice but to try. Mercury, the planet of thought and communication will be retrograde in your 12th house of hidden agendas and past transgressions. And while a review of what has transpired is a healthy exercise every now and then, getting stuck in a never-ending replay of what could have or should have been said is not. Be kind to yourself and take a little extra alone time to heal.
LEO: As a rule, your generosity knows no bounds but now is not the time to buy your pals an expensive gift or the rest of the world a proverbial coke. It’s downright painful to put yourself on a financial diet but nowhere near the amount of pain you’ll experience later if you don’t. Needless to say, your true friends will hang in with you and love you just as much through the lean times.
VIRGO: It’s odd- professionally, it appears as if nothing’s happening and yet you feel more popular and appreciated than you have in a while: Yes, you’re in a strange holding pattern, but it’s one that will work out very well for you and soon. Think of yourself as being on display in a prestigious store window. In a sense, the public is eyeing you and will probably purchase whatever you’re selling when they finally get inside the store. Just relish the attention for now.
LIBRA: In the past few weeks, you’ve given much of yourself and have asked for little or nothing in return. Unbeknownst to you, you’ve laid some serious (and positive) groundwork for the future. Some of what has been put forth will begin to bear fruit very soon. Be prepared though for double duty: a return engagement and a whole new round of work to come in at once: Think about pricing now so that you’re ready to roll at a moment’s notice. Ask for guidance if you need it.
SCORPIO: With Mars at the top of your chart, you’re rarin’ to go, but the cooperation between faction in your life and the financial backing you were counting on has hit a temporary reversal. This is a test of faith and of patience. You may need to rework a plan that you thought was air-tight. Take the next four weeks to re-evaluate and to have some serious discussions about getting everyone on the same page. You do not have to commit, and are well within reason to bide your time until the second week in July.
SAGITTARIUS: Someone close is having a rough time and the last thing they need is for you to insist that this is a simple one-two fix when it isn’t. Even though what they’re going through stands to delay a move forward that you’ve wanted for a long time, it’s a necessary part of the process. Be okay with this minor set back. It sounds like a cliché, but it’s a blessing in disguise. Your career is about to be completely reconfigured in July and this time-out is part of the plan.
CAPRICORN: Pay close attention to the financial details- as extra spacey-ness on your part could make it very easy for some things to fall through the cracks and other things to slip your mind all together. So for now, consider getting a back-up system in place to cover you just in case. At the same time, a befuddled underling could use some guidance. Don’t let your impatience with their less than stellar performance show-it would be crushing and counter-productive. Their work will improve.
AQUARIUS: You can’t please all of the people all the time, and this week, it’s almost impossible for you to feel as if you’re pleasing anyone. The operative word is feel. Neptune, the planet of dreams and dissolution is stationing retrograde in your sign and you seem to be in an other-worldly trance. While this is a very creative space to be in, it’s awful for driving and/or keeping a tight schedule. Promise nothing and make as few demands on yourself as possible. Your legions of fans will just have to make do.
PISCES: As far as home improvement goes, the spirit is willing but the team you need and were counting on is suddenly unavailable. Rather than let this delay destroy what could still be a very productive week, do what you can on your own. You may be working on and in two locations, and if that’s the case, try to keep the back and forth commute to a minimum. A spouse, significant other or BFF may want more of you than you have available right now. Assure them that come July, they’re center stage.