Death by hanging: how to change a marriage law.

Ahead of a vote scheduled May 15, this eerie photo was taken in Beirut where women hung wedding dresses along a beachfront to protest an archaic law allowing rapists to avoid punishment by marrying their victims.

With the look of corpses “swaying in the breeze,” the 31 dresses represent the days of the month that women suffer legalized abuse at the hands of rapist husbands.

This startling and profound visual has all key ingredients of one of this year’s signature planetary aspects: Jupiter in Libra opposing Uranus in Aries. Inventive Activism seeks emancipation by advocating change in archaic laws governing relationship. Amen!

Not just Sleepless in Seattle

Did you toss and turn last night?

You’re not alone! With Venus-Chiron in Pisces squaring Saturn in Sagittarius, those pesky skeletons were rattling our psyches, doing just about anything to get attention.

Meanwhile the Aries trio Mercury-Uranus-Moon was spinning at warp speed, searching for new perspectives on whatever has us tied in knots, so we can walk confidently into the future instead of running from the past.

Our bodies take the brunt of this mental nightmare, and if the Taurus Sun has its way, an afternoon nap is in order.

Later this evening, when the Moon leaves Aries to align with the Sun for dark Moon, sleep should come more easily. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll dream up a solution for what ails us!

At least, let’s be open to the possibility!

Zero in or Zero out? You decide.

Today, the Sun and Mercury meet at Cafe Zero, down by the clear mountain stream* to share some nice food and a bottle of wine. When last they met, some six weeks ago at an undisclosed seaside location**, Mercury was in a terrible rush and left without saying much except that he planned to scout out the terrain in Taurus.

Fortunately, today he’s not in such a hurry, plus he realizes this may be the last decent meal he gets for the next three weeks, so he’s happy to savor this brief time with his friend. The Sun is ready to catch his breath after a hectic run through Aries. He’s anxious to hear Mercury’s news about what lays ahead, in the relaxed atmosphere of Cafe Zero. He knows he can count on the chef, whose Moon is in Aquarius, to ensure there’s ample time between courses for stimulating conversation and analysis.

How the meeting will go is anyone’s guess. Will The Sun and Mercury zero out and cover all the topics they hope to discuss ? Or will they zero in on one item in particular? The Sun has had his fill of speed and risk for a while, and is focused on growing something with lasting value. Will Mercury’s experience in Taurus provide practical suggestions?

With Pluto also stationing retrograde today, we can be sure that when the meal is over, Mercury will skip out the back door with apologies about having left something important back in Aries that he absolutely must retrieve.  The Sun, comme d’habitude, will be left holding the bill as he walks to the front entrance.

As for us, we may be left wondering whether we’re coming or going. The Pluto station reminds us that we may have to change some behaviors or shift our direction slightly to make headway towards our goals. What are we doing to excess? The Sabian symbol for 19 degrees Capricorn reminds us that the bottom could fall out from an overloaded shopping bag. How do we find balance?  Are we working too hard? Shirking our duties?  We’re so intent on making progress, but do we really believe in what we’re doing?  Hopefully we’ll have learned a few lessons by the end of September, when Pluto stations direct.

*Sabian symbol for 0-1 degree Taurus.                                                                                            ** March 7 at 17 degrees Pisces

What sacrifice is too great, Venus?

Love them… the look, the idea, the larger than life feeling, but then there’s the next day. After last night, I do believe I’ll deep six these for a while.

Venus-Chiron in Pisces, you’re so DIRECT!

Flying the white flag Easter weekend: “Suffering Psyche!”

With April’s heavy retrograde load we can’t really blame the overworked replay button for freezing up… but did it have to pause on the scary Monster lurking in our psyches? Suffering Psyche, indeed!

Whether our Monster represents money, the future, career, family, health, or relationships, each of us is struggling to steer the proverbial ship as it rears its head out of the depths and brings us face to face with what we fear most. To surrender at a time like this may feel like we’re courting death and the pain– either real or imagined– that goes along with it. 

In some ways surrender is exactly what’s needed. By acknowledging what’s finished-over-kaput, even if done in desperation, we open up to new solutions.  

Those possibilities, though not entirely unexpected, arrive out of the blue with this weekend’s Sun- Uranus conjunction in Aries, requiring courage and action, albeit more quickly than we’d prefer. What’s worse? Fears about our current situation or taking a step into the unknown?  

Lest we imagine all is lost, Saturday it’s Venus to the rescue as she tacks direct in helpful Pisces, followed on Easter Sunday by Pluto stationing retrograde, helping us identify what has us feeling so damn out of control. We’ll have until the end of September to gain mastery in the areas of our lives where we need it most. 

We are not alone, after all.

Ghosts from the past, Meet power broker Pluto

The color of tonight’s full Moon is decidedly retrograde. Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn, cast eerie illumination on the past. Add the patina of Chiron sitting on a Venus-Saturn square, and the effects are no so subtle!  

We know from new research in the field of pain management that, in the absence of broken bones and damaged tissues, the pain we feel today often reflects somatic memory. In the case of this lunation, ghosts from the past appear to remind us of old experiences around betrayal, loss, and separation. 

Artwork by Ashley Logan Wright

We may not have had any control when wounding events occurred, but fast-forward to this moment. The over-arching container of this lunation is Pluto in Capricorn mediating a T-square involving Jupiter-Uranus in opposition, suggesting that we’ve got what it takes to break the death-grip of the past. We’ve grown up and now have the wisdom, experience, and power to confront perpetrators and rewrite outcomes so that we can move forward. Be on the lookout for emotional realizations and breakthroughs.

For those with planets or angles in Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn) between 17-24 degrees, this full Moon could be one to remember. 

Retrograde traffic intensifies

Today Mercury arrives on center stage in our astrological awareness, stealing focus from yesterday’s Venus-Saturn act with that thrice yearly trickster maneuver of stationing retrograde.

As mythic Messenger god, Mercury’s the dude with wings that fly him hither and yon to make deals, broadcast news, spread ideas and perform the kind of magic that keeps our big world connected, and he’s got the stripes to prove it.

He’s quick, he’s bright, he’s busy, and being a mercurial sort once in a while he enjoys a change of pace.  At 4 degrees Taurus, the rainbow’s edge, he removes the wings from his feet and sinks his toes into the earth, fixed on exercising more down-to-earth qualities for the first part of his retrograde jaunt.

Over the coming days he takes a few steps backwards to gain perspective on the state of affairs, paying special attention to whatever or whomever affects his comfort and material well-being. He may even get around to re-evaluating his bucket list, prioritizing the things he intends to work towards, once this retrograde is over. 

For now we imagine him soaking in a hot pool and having a deep tissue massage. Just don’t get too relaxed, Mercury.  When you revisit Aries in just over a week, and team up with Uranus, you’ll have to have your wits about you, so enjoy the bits of pleasure while they last. 

Gogo’s weekend traffic report

The skies are a-buzz with the arrival of time-travelers, retrograding Venus and Saturn, who square-dance through and around our consciousness, reminding us of the ties that bind, of relationships with substance, the ones that have survived the tests of time-distance-loss-separation and still show up devoted and strong, wearing a burnished patina that fairly shimmers with years of familiarity and deep connection. 

We may not always get what we want, but we CAN get what we need when Venus and Saturn come to visit. Ritual and traditions that have become meaningful over time express this planetary connection. Use them to get memories flowing and rekindle the sense of belonging. 

April’s Rx dance: Venus-Saturn square gets serious

Tomorrow Venus limps back into Pisces during her marathon through Aries. In spite of the Sun’s insistence that there’s a race happening, Venus knows full well that this is no sprint as she moves into square with Saturn for most of the month, and that slowing down to attend to injuries, hydration, and succor is both responsible and essential if she expects to cross the finish line into Taurus on June 6.

It feels like there’s a lot at stake in the world and in each of our lives right now, and with so many planets –Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto– retrograding in the April sky, solutions are hard won and exceedingly complex. 

If there’s good news to be had, we can take heart that in Pisces Venus is exalted. She may be the underdog in this race, but don’t expect her to go down without a fight.