I know this posting is a little past the start of the latest Mercury Retrograde Cycle, but I think it's a good time to look back at what's happened since May 6th, when Mercury started it's Retrograde Cycle. Especially important I think is looking at the "Shadow", the time before Mercury goes direct which is the degree to which Mercury will return in the retrograde cycle. The reason this is important is because it almost always seems like events that happen pre-retrograde in this shadow will somehow change during the actual retrograde cycle. It's almost like you're playing a game of cards and suddenly mid-game you find the cards in your hand have actually changed, and it's like you're playing a different game than the one you started. . .

We're almost finished with this Venus Retrograde: but it's important to point out, it's not over yet! There always seem to be points in the Retrograde cycle where I think things can't still be going backwards, miscommunications and horrors of all kinds can't still be happening, and more surprises aren't on the way. But then I realize that in fact, Venus is still going backwards: that we're not done yet! Although it may not make a lot of degree progress backwards, so that for all intensive purposes it's almost stationary, for the next week, until April 17th, Venus is indeed still not making any progress forwards and is in fact going backwards. It's an important thing to remind yourself because there have been some intensely cathartic aspects that may make one feel that you're in the clear. On March 27th Venus Conjuncted the Sun during the retrograde cycle: this usually is a point that gives us great insight into what this particular retrograde cycle is about for us. Oftentimes it's a turning point, where some information is found out and realizations occur about what your values are compared to the values of someone else. Sometimes an ethical choice is presented to one and one has to decide where one stands with a particular situation. It might then seem like things would take a turn for the better: at least I thought they might in my life at that date. However, the rest of Venus retrograde is still playing itself out: it's not done yet. And I knew that for sure when on April 2nd-3rd Venus squared Pluto and the reconciliation with a friend that I thought had happened at the Venus conjunct Sun point, was blown out of the water and as it turns out, such a lack of humanness was shown that I realize I cannot be friends with this person anymore. 

Yes, it's that time again! Venus, the planet of love and harmony will go retrograde tomorrow March 6th through April 17th. It's one of those 40 days and 40 nights things, that I think has some strange reference to the Bible, but can't quite remember exactly what (and I went to an Episcopal school for 1st through 12th grade so you'd think I'd remember). Whatever the case, the shadow for this retrograde period started February 1st and it ends May 20th, so as you can see this Venus retrograde will give us all plenty of time to reflect on how well or poorly as the case may be for me, our love lives are going. 

I'm starting to have that "Calm Before the Storm" feeling again! Yes, Mercury Retrograde is coming up again tomorrow January 11th and will be retrograde for the next three weeks, until February 1st! During this time not only will we get a new President of the United States, but we'll also have a New Moon, a Chinese Lunar New Year and a solar eclipse all on the same day of January 26th! You can view this eclipse if you happen to be living in South Africa, parts of India, Australia, and especially Indonesia and South Pacific islands. 

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm more than a bit jet lagged from all the events in 2008! Especially December which was a Retrograde-free-zone that we haven't seen since, well, let's just say I can't even remember a time when none of the official planets of astrology have not been retrograde for a whole month! 

Today is very interesting day astrologically for an election, especially a Presidential election, for the United States of America. I happen to be very fortunate in having the day off today, so I popped out of bed after sleeping in a bit, and walked my two blocks to my polling station only to find that there was the longest line I have ever seen in my some 17 voting years! And I've been voting at this polling station for 7 of those. Every other time I've gone to vote, I've waltzed on in and waited maybe max 5 minutes to vote, mostly less as I always remember my Election District (which you can look up online if need be!). The line snaked so far that as I do have the day off I decided to walk the two blocks back to my apartment and maybe get some breakfast and coffee before I head back out again in case I have to wait an hour or so to cast my ballot! But I have never not voted in an election therefore I will wait if necessary.

And while waiting I will think not only about how the inadequate polling accomodations (that granted have been adequate so far in the past because most voters were apathetic and didn't bother to cast a ballot) may make it so that some people who had obligations they could not avoid will not have their vote heard today. But I will also think about the major astrological configuration affecting the day, which is a Saturn Opposition to Uranus. This aspect can be summarized as Tradition vs. Change. And we can see that in our candidates, but what's key to understanding polarities is that the resolution between the two planets cannot be accomplished by either one or the other of the planetary influences but instead by trying to come to terms with both.

Some astrologers have tried to predict whom will win this election with the astrological forces of the day. I am not one to say whom will win, as I don't think of astrology as something akin to fate or something that is unchanged. What I will say, is that interestingly the moon is mimicking the polarity between Saturn and Uranus with the main portion of the day having the Moon is in Capricorn, a more tradition oriented planet ruled by Saturn and then at 4:01 pm PST/7:01 EST the Moon switches to Aquarius, the planet that is alligned more with Change and Uranus.

Even though most will say that McCain stands for the Saturn/Capricorn portion of the polarity and Obama for the Uranus/Aquarius portion of the polarity I think the truth lies in the center. That while one might be leaning more one way than the other, whichever candidiate wins will have to deal with melding the two energies. One cannot have change for just the sake of change, that leads to the negative side of Uranus and Aquarius which is anarchy. Just as one cannot stick to tradition just for the sake of tradition if it doesn't mean learning something new and accomodating and growing with new situations, that leads to stagnation and pedantism which is the negative side of Saturn and Capricorn.

And more proof that whomever wins will have to deal with making change in a stable, grounded fashion that does not lead to anarchy while not doing too little that leads to stagnation, is that this Saturn/Uranus polarity will continue to happen at various degrees through retrogrades and direct motions until 2010. So remember that whether your party wins or not, Change will happen this election. Either we will have an African-American President or the first Woman Vice-President. Both of those are historic changes even if you disagree with the politics of the candidates. And conversely whomever gets into the White House will have loads of Tradition to deal with (not to mention  financial debt) that most likely will not allow Change to happen immediately. The problems of today will not disappear overnight whomever gets into office. But astrologically it does seem that over time and through tradition and working with the political structures that are currently in place, things will change.

Tomorrow we will find out whom will lead the country in this Change in cooperation with Tradition! For the meantime go out and vote!

I'm beginning to think of Mercury Retrograde as some kind of Cosmic Las Vegas where crazy things seem on the level at the time and then in the post hangover recovery on the plane back to your city (aka Mercury Direct) you realize that you left things there that are better off staying there. . . that is until the next time you visit.

So with this application to the Economic Downturn that has been the talk of the talk shows, the towns, the nation, the election and practically everyone on the globe, it should be noted that the dramatic meltdown and drops began whilst Mercury was Retrograde, aka the Las Vegas of the Zodiac. And since everyone has been talking about Parallels to the Great Depression, I just had to investigate whether there is any astrological similarity between the planets now and back in 1929 when the stock market permanently plunged for decades.

Lately I haven't been focusing on new lows to which Wall Street can apparently go. Instead I've been asking questions like "Do I have enough Frequent Flier miles to get me to Tahiti? What is Bora Bora like at this time of year?" 

Now I realize that people are not clamoring to hear about the state of the economy from AstroMuse, but I must let everyone know that I am deeply dissapointed that the 700 Billion dollar bailout package was passed today, during a time of Mercury Retrograde of all days!

Does anyone remember another time Mercury was retrograde in Libra? Say the 2000 Presidential Election Day of November 7th when for half the voting day Mercury was still Retrograde? Remember how people complained that Bush "stole" the election because of hanging chads? Remember how much confusion there was regarding "justice" in the election? Note that Libra is the sign of Justice and that during retrograde things don't move "forwards"? Putting this together we have a picture of Justice having trouble being made, and perhaps having in fact a lack of Justice.

Well flash forward to 2008 when Mercury is Retrograde in Libra and what do we have? The President claiming the sky is falling and we should bailout failed banks and Wall Street with more money than anyone has ever heard of. Does anyone give a reason why it's so much? Is 700 billion a nice round number? Will we ever get the money back? I have a sneaking suspicion that this will turn out to be Bush's worst decision yet! Worse than the War in Iraq even! And even more dissapointing is that both presidential candidates voted for it! Neither one suggested we think this through, maybe get a team of economists together to determine how we got into this and maybe think about other alternatives to simply throwing money at a problem.

But isn't this the American way? Let's throw money at the problem? Isn't that what we consider justice? If you win a case, you get money and lots of it right? That's why there's lawyers right to get money from other people.

Only history will tell, but my opinion on this economic decision is: It's Bad News! It's always best to wait on making decisions during a Mercury Retrograde and I don't think this decision will prove to be different.

I don't know about anybody else but it feels like I've been on some sort of cosmic "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" from some nether region of the Solar System. The eclipses of August are still being felt it seems. Change and the unexpected, from the Presidential Race to Wall Street continues to be the norm. And now things are just going to turn even more upside down with Mercury going Retrograde this coming Wednesday the 24th of September.