Return of the Wishing Star ~ 10 July 2008


Last Saturday night while surveying the monsoons storming about Arizona, a break in the clouds offered up a glorious view. In a beautifully angled row stood, bottom to top, Regulus, Mars, Saturn and Moon, precisely aligned in Virgo. I regretted that I had not assessed how grand that alignment would appear so that I could have given all a heads up to wander out and take a look. Today, though, and thus tonight, Mars and Saturn form their precise conjunction, as measured on the ecliptic. I encourage a look upward tonight to check out the alignment that seems to have solidified the emotional substrate of the last week. You’ll be seeing Mars just “ahead” of Saturn, indicating that the apex of the pattern stands complete. Whew! We’re on the waning side of this intense bugger now (or shall be after within two hours of this going out).


Mars, the lord of action and getting stuff going, shares zodiacal residence with Saturn, the task/work/time master, who seems to demand effective propitiation to keep things advancing progressively and smoothly. While it is a pattern for drawing a line in the sand and indicating one’s position with an intractability that reveals one’s inner confidence, I’m not convinced that the recent missile tests by Iran, the U. S. defense pact with the Czech Republic and the responses to both offer positive manifestations to the Mars-Saturn pattern. Regardless those mundane conditions offer clear delineation of the alignment. Add that to economic considerations, wild fires, hostility in divorces that make the news and pondering what’s happening out there can wear a worrier ragged. That’s not to say anyone cannot have a degree of valid concern. The point is, Virgo, the sign sake of Mars and Saturn, does have a knack for fretting details.


The point of resolution and antidote for fretting per Mars-Saturn aligned as they are within a vast complex of black holes remain: Capture all tidbits of innovative inspiration. Weave them into objective facts - those that follow the letter of the law and take a clear path of action that will actually work to solve present problems and stick with it. Define it. Declare it. Do it. Destinize it (Okay, I made up a word).


Again we can see the mundane applications: Yesterday U. S. Lawmakers passed a terrorism/security law that violates the rights of our Constitution. Today the Chairmen of the Federal Reserve declared we need new economic rules and guidelines.


Is there relief coming? Yep and soon. First, Mercury, excited by a mental challenge, uses today to move from the thought-oriented Gemini into Cancer. This indicates a general shift from head to heart, thinking to feeling. Some of the mental stress will pass surrounding one’s personal “lines” if the feelings are expressed instead of miring down in a perspective-based pissing contest about “facts.” To most, it probably feels like Mercury has been in Gemini since the Ice Age given it retrograded in home turf but weeks ago. Once this evening arrives, no fair calling your astrologer to ask if Mercury is still retrograde. It’s the Mars-Saturn thing that stirs the mind. Can you feel that?


But is there relief ahead? Yes. Within a couple days, the lovely Venus, sashays into Leo, according to the Earth’s point of view. From the Sun’s point of view, Venus entered Leo last week and tomorrow stands at the closest point she makes to the Sun in her orbit. As she does, she engages the North Node of Neptune. All this in preparation for her grand re-emergence as the evening star. Halledamnluah!!


When Venus reigns as the evening star, she becomes the “wishing star.” Once a few degrees clear of the Sun, she’s bright and generally the first body seen of an evening. Though not a star, she gets the wishes. It’s not a bad idea to wish on her actually and is better than the other reactions she stirs: Often air traffic controllers in cities with east-west runways try to give her clearance to land and she has often been reported to the authorities as an unnatural light/possible UFO. Former U. S. President Jimmy Carter, while governor of Georgia (the one in the U. S.) reported Venus as a UFO.


Anyway, here comes the wishing star back into clear and increasingly brilliant view. Or more accurately, the optically inspiring planet who represents material concerns, economic urges, status and success agendas and relationship desires. This planetary re-emergence and all the implications there in, swiftly on the heels (or is it heals) of being as close to the Sun as possible, recently received a reinvigorated, gravitationally infused conscious look at real world priorities. The Venus-Neptune Node relationship serves as the “stir the destiny” trigger point of Neptune’s inspiration, idealism, spiritual aspiration, creativity and hope (Saturn wants me to mention deception, trickery, deceit, lies and the addictive side of Neptune, but I’m not going to do it).


Once Venus returns for easy viewing after a tough day of applying Mars-Saturn and grinding out successful efforts, a relief rendering sigh can be uttered as the view of the second planet refreshes optimism, hope, a reminder of the cyclic nature of life and the heavens and wish power. With Venus becoming clear again, perhaps some global economic relief can reappear and as Venus brightens, so can the belief that life might get back to some semblance of economic order, thus de-stressing the masses. Perhaps in so doing, care of the downtrodden can appease Neptune’s concern for those disadvantaged.


Venus, while in Leo, urges the spirit to speak boldly, confidently and to remain in touch with one’s purest inner working - the soulfulness of the being. She encourages people to make the call to attempt to create what appears to be impossible success and open the door for fantastical successes.


Take a look at the cool pattern of Mars-Saturn tonight. If you search around, you’ll also see the powerful benefic fixed stars Arcturus and Spica in the neighborhood (more on these as Mars nears them). Further east, the bright red heart of the Scorpion, Antares, adds inspired richness to the view. Next week, keep looking westward after sunset. Maybe you can be the first kid on the block to claim the wishing star and get everyone in your midst charged up and inspired. It works. Mars loves being first and Saturn loves staking a claim. Reclaim your inspiration and let your fervor spread.


Next week in the GT, we’ll deal with Pluto really going into Capricorn. To think ahead and offer a real world example, a vintage jug bearing the nomenclature Pluto French Lick Springs Indiana, with devil logos bracketing the text, is up for bid on e-Bay. Right now it’s $575 with more than five days of bidding to go! Holy Pluto in Capricorn, Batman!! I thought my bid two days ago of $66.60 was not only generous, but significant per numerology. As Mercury leaving Gemini reminded me: There you go thinking again.