Annie's Astrology Musings

Monthly Horoscopes

2006-04-05T13:10:00.000-04:00

A stomach flu (pretty bad one) got me down this past week, and, as a result, Monthly Horoscopes for the latter signs were delayed. My apologies! I have resolved to work on them earlier in the month so that problems like the stomach flu don't interfere with the timely posting of horoscopes. The Monthly Horoscopes are expanded this month, and I hope you find them to be useful guides to the month ahead. Each sign is divided into decanates -- groups of three -- in an attempt to make such generalized forecasts less generalized! Be sure to read horoscopes for both your Sun sign and Ascendant. In fact, if you're only going to read one monthly horoscope, the one for your Ascendant would be most worthwhile.

Birthday Horoscopes, Numerology, October's Eclipse, and New Moon/Jupiter in Scorpio

2005-11-01T18:26:00.000-05:00

We recently added new features to the site: Birthday Horoscopes, with general predictions for the year ahead, and Birthday Personality Profiles. Because each feature is a large project, birthday content is added pretty much a day at a time. We've received quite a few emails from people with birthdays at other points in the year, wondering where the heck their horoscopes and profiles are! They simply haven't been added yet. My thinking has always been that partial content is better than none, so that is why I didn't "sit on" what I've written so far.

A new online report has been added to the site: the Numerology Report is entirely free. All you need are a birth date and a name, and you get a printable report that includes your life path number, lucky numbers, karmic debt and karmic lesson numbers, your current personal year number, and more. Interpretations of each number are, of course, included.

Last month's New Moon cycle was a powerful one, as it was a Solar Eclipse, and its focus was on personal relationships. Plenty of people are reporting some epiphanies in their ongoing romances that occurred last month. This month, the New Moon in Scorpio occurs just after Jupiter entered Scorpio as well, and intimacy can be a focus. Even though the New Moon is quite challenged in terms of aspects from Saturn, Mars, and Neptune, it remains a time when we can breathe more depth and vitality into our relationships. I have a friend who told me today that this past month has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride in her year-old partnership. She began the relationship under the Jupiter in Libra influence, and hadn't explored the partnership's depths until recently. Interestingly, she talked about the "crises" she had with her partner that coincided with this last New Moon in Libra cycle, and just yesterday felt like they had reached a "whole new level of understanding"--and of course the lunar cycle is drawing to a close today. With the New Moon in Scorpio tonight falling on their composite Venus conjunct Mars in Scorpio, it's quite safe to guess that this next month will bring the partnership to yet another level of intimacy.

Recent Additions

2005-09-04T17:09:00.000-04:00

We've been expanding the site quite rapidly recently. New tools for forecasting include a handy Retrogrades page, which sums up current and upcoming retrograde cycles of the planets. You can now read about what it means if, for example, Mercury is retrograding and transiting a particular house in your natal chart. Or, if Venus Rx is transiting conjunct your Ascendant, or any other personal point in your chart. Read about Mercury Retrograde Transits, Venus Retrograde Transits, and Mars Retrograde Transits in our Predictive Astrology feature. We now offer some graphs that show the current month's lunar cycles, lilly strengths, and declinations. You can find all of these tools here: Astrology Tools & Tables.

New Feature on CafeAstrology.com

2005-07-18T11:52:00.000-04:00

We've just added a service to our site that allows our readers to receive free astrology reports. The Birth Chart report includes some of our original interpretations of natal chart factors and more. The software for this program was created by AstroMart. We have added many of our interpretations to the program, and will continue to add more in the next few weeks. Also included are compatibility, transit, and horoscope reports.

Triple Conjunction involving Mercury, Venus, and Saturn

2005-06-26T09:16:00.000-04:00

There have been many new additions to the site in the past few weeks. As well, most of the pages have been updated with our new design. I have been busy writing interpretations of planetary aspects, starting with the Sun and its aspects in the natal chart, and adding them to the site. These interpretations can be accessed from the main Sun page. As I write the interpretations, I am attempting to do them in order--something that I rarely do! Those of you who have followed the site from the beginning are already aware of my tendency to skip around. I still remember writing and adding interpretations of the planets in the signs, and getting emails urging me to finish some of the pages. My policy has been that "some is better than none". One day, I had the greatest urge to write about Cancer, and the next, I really felt like writing about Libra...and so forth. Those of you with Uranus strong in your charts might forgive me!

At any rate, I am disciplining myself to add interpretations of planetary aspects in logical order. Some of the interpretations are turning out to be more wordy than I originally intended them to be. Again, I am going by my conviction that adding interpretations page by page is better than waiting until the whole set is complete and posting them only at that point. Adding interpretations to the site is not a simple process of "copy and paste" or even plain copying. I am giving thought to each and although they're pretty much all in my head, verbalizing the interpretations takes a bit of time.

The triple conjunction involving Mercury, Venus, and Saturn is occuring as I write this post, and will still be in effect for some days to come. Some information about its astrological implications can be found in our feature, This Week in Astrology. I chatted with a friend (who is not an astrology "follower") this morning. She has a number of personal planets in the late degrees of Cancer (where the triple conjunction takes place) as well as her Moon in the late degrees of Scorpio. She told me that she was sitting in the movie theater with a man she has been seeing for about 5 or 6 months, and suddenly a feeling came over her. Up until that point, she hadn't truly thought about her long-term expectations of this relationship. Well, she hadn't given it serious thought. As she sat with him last night, she held his hand and a thought--or perhaps better described as a conviction--came over her that she didn't want to give him up. In other words, it became clear to her in that moment that she felt strongly about him and truly appreciated the relationship. She kept her thoughts to herself, but decided later in the evening to tell him about them. Although Saturn seldom is connected with "sudden" or "out of the blue" events, I believe that the triple conjunction was very much responsible--not that it was some magical event that truly came out of nowhere. Instead, the triple conjunction offered her clarity about a situation that she hadn't yet formed solid opinions about.

Homolka & Bernardo's charts

2005-06-01T13:25:00.000-04:00

I have heard far too much about Karla Homolka these days, and I am sure there are others who share my sentiments. She and Paul Bernardo committed some gruesome crimes, and part of me tends not to want to give her any more press than she is already receiving. A Hollywood movie, entitled Deadly and based on the crimes, is set to be released in the fall. However, even I was curious about the astrology behind the individuals and the couple (blame it on a research-hungry mind), and I thought I would post their charts on our site for those of you with a similar curiosity. We can never "blame" any part of their charts for what happened - we all have a choice and are responsible for our actions. In other words, I cannot believe that anything in the charts of Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo "explains" their actions.

Be sure to check out our new feature, This Week in Astrology, which outlines the planetary energies of the upcoming week. A general, daily forecast is included on our main page.

New Design & Eros

2005-05-15T22:48:00.000-04:00

Our new design for CafeAstrology.com is in place, but there are, as yet, quite a few pages with the old design. We are updating them every day, and hope that our readers enjoy the new layout. We think the layout is considerably more intuitive. The whole idea behind the re-design is for our readers to "get around" the site more easily.

Those of you who are not yet familiar with the asteroid Eros and its significance in astrology might want to read our descriptions of Eros in the zodiac signs. Don't know your Eros sign? Find it quickly in our Eros ephemeris table.

News at CafeAstrology.com

2005-05-05T09:22:00.000-04:00

We are busy re-designing the site with the goals of both a more intuitive and visually appealing design. CafeAstrology contains many articles, and the way the site is currently designed, I think readers need to dig in order to find them all. Expect the new design to be up and running some time during the next few weeks. New topics to come include horary astrology, an expanded Predictive Astrology section, and more talk about current transits.

The New Moon Report is currently popular. We update the report a few days before the New Moon occurs. On May 8th (Mother's Day), the New Moon will be in the sign of Taurus. New Moons are times when we can absorb and reflect upon the energies of the zodiac sign.

Terry Fox Run 25 Year Anniversary

2005-04-13T10:13:00.000-04:00

I read news reports yesterday that it was the 25th anniversary of the Terry Fox Run. On April 12th, 1980, at 4:30 AM, Terry Fox, who was 21 at the time, began his cross-Canada run in order to raise money for cancer research. His goal was for every Canadian to contribute $1 to the cause. His run was aborted because the cancer that had originally taken most of his right leg in 1977 had spread to his lungs, but he reached his goal of $24.17 million dollars by February 1981 before his death in June. That September, the Terry Fox Run was held, and Fox's legacy lives on with the annual run held in over 60 countries. I read that the Terry Fox Run has raised over $360 million for cancer research to date.

Terry's plans to run across Canada were hatched some time in the fall of 1979. However, the run began on April 12th, 1980, at 4:30 AM in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. The run was not "successful" in the strictest sense of the word because he did not make it to the other side of Canada, but the true goal of raising $24.17 million for cancer research, as well as the awareness that the run brought to the public, was fulfilled many times over. I include the data for the "birth" of the run here for interested astrologers. In electional astrology, many astrologers look to the Moon and its applying aspects. It is interesting to note that the Moon's first applying aspect is an opposition to Saturn, with an orb of almost 9 degrees! Then it makes a square to Neptune, trine to Uranus, before conjuncting Mercury as its final applying aspect before changing signs. Mercury is conjunct the Ascendant in Pisces. Perhaps most symbolic in the chart is a grand fire trine involving the Sun, Mars (which is tightly conjunct the North Node!), and Neptune at the top of the chart. The Sun is also involved in a yod configuration, as it quincunxes Uranus and Saturn. In this case, the Sun also opposes Pluto. The yod is considered the "ultimate challenge" and holds with it the quality of perpetuity that is entirely apt in the case of the Terry Fox Run. Terry Fox was born July 28th, 1958 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. I am unsure of his birth time. Of note, his Sun was conjunct Uranus in Leo, and these were involved in a T-square with Mars and Neptune.

Astrology Books Online (Free) & Sun/Moon Midpoints

2005-04-13T09:35:00.000-04:00

From our Astrology Book Reviews page, we offer a link to a list of astrology books that are available online free of cost. The process of reading a book online is somewhat cumbersome, but it's a great way to browse a book nevertheless. Most of the books are classics, some are more current titles. Enjoy!

Never underestimate the power of Sun/Moon midpoints in relationship analysis! When you are calculating the aspects between person A's Sun/Moon midpoint and person B's planets and points, do include the sesquiquadrature and semi-square along with the other hard aspects (conjunction, opposition, and square), and treat them as equally potent. For example, I know a couple who have been together for 21 years and counting. On first glance, we don't see any Sun and Moon interchart connections, and their composite chart only includes a very wide (10 degree) square between the Sun and Moon. If we didn't consider the semi-square and sesquiquadrature when analyzing Sun/Moon midpoints, we wouldn't see any activity between each person's Sun/Moon midpoints and personal planets/points. However, the fact is that her Sun=his Sun/Moon, and his Venus=her Sun/Moon midpoint. The aspects are semi-square and sesquiquadrature.

Astrology Reports and Heavy Neptune Transits

2005-03-08T10:35:00.000-05:00

Back to Cafe Astrology
We've added a few computer reports and chart services to our site that can be accessed on our Astrology Orders page. The Romantic Compatibility Report is based on a report that is available elsewhere, known simply as Compatibility. The interpretations in the report were written by Gina Ronco and she did a great job with this report. What I did was I re-wrote some of the interpretations to reflect my findings and experience with relationship astrology. I did this, not because I lack any respect for the report as written, but because I wanted to offer a somewhat different computer report. I have left a lot of the text as is, but I have changed some of it to communicate my own experiences with synastry and composite charts. I have committed myself (in my head, at least!) to one day taking on the gargantuan task of writing the entire text of a computer report on relationships. That will happen in due time. For now, I am content (as content, that is, as a Virgo with her Sun conjunct Uranus and Pluto can get) with the re-worked text of this Romantic Compatibility Report. Of course, computerized astrology reports are limited by the fact that they cannot integrate the different factors of an analysis as an astrologer might be able to, but they contain a lot of interesting detail. They can also be quite inexpensive and, in this sense, make astrology all the more accessible.
I don't talk astrology with everyone I meet, of course, but I certainly do think astrology often enough. I met an interesting person recently who told me about dramatic life changes that happened to him in the last year. He had experienced a "burnout" after working himself too hard. He was prescribed anti-depressants, which he reacted to in unusual and debilitating ways. Guess what major transit he has been going through? Neptune transiting conjunct his Sun. His Sun is found in his 12th house, and rules his 6th. (I didn't exactly talk astrology, but I did ask for his birth data).

Electional Astrology

2005-02-16T13:05:00.000-05:00

Those of you who practice electional astrology might agree with me that these days have been a little trying regarding finding a "good" date to start something new—anything of real significance, that is. One of the main reasons for me is that Jupiter and Saturn have been in a square, and they will be for a couple more months. Not only that, both Jupiter and Saturn are retrograde. Jupiter's retrograde, which began at the beginning of February, and Saturn returning to direct motion near the end of March, will pull them out of orb of the square by the end of April. When Jupiter does go direct on June 5th, Saturn will be inconjunct Pluto. None of these aspects or conditions are ideal for starting a business project. In the meantime, I did notice that tomorrow morning (February 17th, around 11-11:30 AM EST) there is a pleasing configuration under which people might consider initiating something other than a business—something that is artistic or intellectual. Why? The Moon will be in Gemini forming an applying trine to Jupiter in Libra and Venus in Aquarius. Venus is conjunct Neptune in Aquarius. The Moon is applying to an opposition to Pluto, which may not seem fantastic on the surface of things, but I like that there is a challenge to this very dreamy Grand Trine in Air signs. Otherwise, it may be too self-contained, and too passive as well, considering the "players" in the picture (Moon, Venus, and Jupiter) are somewhat passive. The Sun will be in the last degree of Aquarius, which suggests some kind of ending. However, the last applying aspect of the Moon is a trine to that Sun. Jupiter, of course, is still square to Saturn, and Saturn squares the Moon's Nodes as well. All in all, it remains a challenged election. Nevertheless, I am going to initiate something creative tomorrow. I wouldn't begin a significant project for some months, but I will try to revive something that I have lost interest in during this upcoming window. I guess I am just tired of waiting for the outer planets, that move far too slowly for me these days (arrgh), to create a happy, pretty picture.

Synastry and Relationship Astrology

2005-02-06T10:32:00.000-05:00

We've revamped and added articles to our Synastry and Relationship Astrology section of the site. It just occurred to me that it's pretty much right on time for Valentine's Day. You can access most relationship astrology articles from this hub page. More articles can be found near the bottom of the page. I wrote an article on House Overlays in Synastry that I hope readers will find particularly useful. I find it extremely illuminating to find where personal points in one person's chart fall in the other person's houses, and vice versa. Comparing the two results can reveal compatibility (or lack thereof) in the basic expectations of one another and of the relationship itself. I have found that many people want to know what their partner or potential partner really thinks of them and expects from them. Of course, we can't get into the minds and hearts of these people, but we can certainly get an idea of how each person in a relationship or potential relationship impacts one another using synastry methods. It's also useful for looking back to relationships that "failed", and for a clearer understanding of current relationships.

"Saturn Chasing the Moon" and Lemony Snicket

2005-01-29T19:31:00.000-05:00

I was reading a book by Celeste Teal, Predicting Events with Astrology, and came across a section entitled "Saturn Chasing the Moon". Essentially, this phenomena occurs when Saturn is transiting the secondary progressed Moon. Because the secondary progressed Moon and transiting Saturn move at approximately the same pace, this transit can last for years. Transiting Saturn acts to test, re-organize, make accountable, and crystallize the planets it transits, as well as the house that it transits. I have had Saturn chasing the Moon for some years, and will for many years to come, as transiting Saturn is conjuncting my progressed Moon. It is following my progressed Moon, so to speak, through the houses. In her book, Celeste Teal points out that this phenomena can also occur when transiting Saturn squares, opposes, trines, or sextiles the progressed Moon as well. Under normal circumstances, when Saturn transits a point, it can last a few months or close to a year. However, with the progressed Moon involved, it can last years, and even decades.
On the same day that I read about Saturn chasing the Moon, I went to see the movie, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, which is a black comedy, of sorts, for kids (teens) about the Beaudelaire orphans, based on the children's book series. After the children's wealthy parents die in a fire, the children are passed from one guardian to the next, and are chased by a most sinister man, Count Olaf, who is after the Beaudelaire fortune. The adults in their world are rather inept, never quite believing these bright and inventive children. The series tells the story of the children's misadventures, one after another. From time to time, there are brief reprieves for the children. Each child possesses a special talent, and their individual strengths combine in such a way as to get them out of difficult situations, albeit only to find themselves in the middle of another "unfortunate" circumstance.
The basic message of the movie is that even when faced with a seemingly relentless "series of unfortunate events", there is strength to gain, and "sanctuaries" to be found. The children find strength in each other and the bond between them.
Interestingly, I went to see Lemony Snicket with a friend who is also experiencing "Saturn chasing the Moon" through an opposition aspect. She had mentioned to me some time ago that she feels like her life isn't going anywhere—that small progresses happen from time to time, but then she encounters setbacks. Instead of "two steps forward, one step back", she feels like her life is more on the lines of "one step forward, one step back" and, at times, "one step forward, two steps back". We both loved Lemony Snicket, which is filled with humor, dark humor mostly (Saturnine humor). If you have experienced the particular brand of humor that a person with prominent Saturn possesses, you will understand what I mean. As is often the case with comedies, the extremes and larger-than-life events depicted allow us to laugh at ourselves.
After enjoying the movie, of course, I couldn't help but see some of the parallels, having just read about the "Saturn chasing the Moon" condition. As Saturn moves from direct to retrograde and back to direct motion again, it effectively moves away from the aspect (offering some sort of reprieve) but then Saturn and the progressed Moon align once again. Those experiencing this astrological configuration will not face the sort of tragedies that the Beaudelaire children face! However, little setbacks may seem relentless, perhaps until the person involved understands the nature of transiting Saturn and works with instead of against the energy. Generally, when we first experience a Saturn transit to our personal points and houses in our natal charts, we may feel thwarted and unsupported by the outside world—even criticized, harassed, and beleaguered—in the particular areas of life ruled by the house and the parts of our personalities ruled by the transited planet. With time, we learn to look within ourselves for support. We learn about our own strengths. We find "sanctuaries". Saturn never offers us lessons that we are not already equipped to learn. The Beaudelaire children encounter unfortunate circumstances, and they draw upon their individual talents and strengths in order to overcome them. Perhaps without these circumstances, they would not put their talents to use. Klaus Beaudelaire, for example, is a voracious reader who not only loves to learn, he remembers everything he learns. When faced with a difficult situation, he calls upon that knowledge and applies it, with the help of his older sister, Violet, who has an especially inventive mind. Anyone studying astrology will see some parallels between the story and the astrology of trines and sextiles (talents) and the challenges of the "difficult" aspects and transits. Difficult circumstances force us to discover and draw upon our inner strengths and talents.

Moon-Pluto

2005-01-21T13:50:00.000-05:00

Recently, I received a review copy of a fascinating book, The Astrology of Film. (It's fantastic, by the way, and a review on CafeAstrology.com is coming soon). Before that, I had stumbled upon an online article written by one of the editors of the book, Bill Streett (he also wrote some of the essays in the book). After finding more of his articles on his web site, I found myself impressed with his research and explorations of the archetypes of planets through pop culture, and his gifted writing ability.
I was initially attracted to his Sun-Uranus article (which is actually only a portion of a larger essay entitled The Astrological Sun and the Outer Planets) for personal reasons, as I have a tight conjunction of Sun and Uranus in my natal chart. When I found his articles about music and astrology, I was floored. In one essay, he explores themes of Moon-Pluto natal combinations through songs by musicians with that combination in their natal charts. I have always been strongly attracted to certain types of music, feeling a tremendous need for it in my life. It sounds melodramatic, but I remember telling more than one person growing up that I don't just like the music I listen to, I need it—how could I survive without it? The need for the music I listen to feels very basic and primal to me. After I had had a serious accident, for example, family members were trying hard to convince me to stay in the hospital a little longer, but I was adamant that I would heal faster if I could go home and surround myself with the things I was familiar with, including plenty of music. Streett's article reminded me that it is more than likely the Moon-Pluto aspect in my own chart that makes me feel the need for emotional release through cathartic, evocative, and emotionally powerful music.

Love and Money...

2005-01-18T21:55:00.000-05:00

A couple of years ago, I picked up a copy of Magi Astrology the Key to Success In Love and Money. I will pretty much read anything "astrology", except for sun sign manuals. I am always eager to explore new techniques, especially in the field of relationship astrology. Later, I discovered the Magi Astrology web site. This society makes a lot of claims, and I personally find the tone of both the book and the site rather patronizing. However, I like the fact that they push aspects in declinations (parallels and contra-parallels) as extremely important both in synastry and natal astrology. Every once in a while, I put some of the theories to test in my own files. One of their articles asserts that Juno is not about marriage. Instead, it is said to be about sex without commitment. I am busy checking into that whole idea these days...

Psychic?

2005-01-16T11:26:00.000-05:00

I have received a number of emails from people who were in a bit of a panic regarding a "psychic reading" they had had. The reading was strikingly similar for different people, saying that positive things would come about BUT "you must be in the right place at the right time" during a period of "56 days". In order to know the right place and right time, the "psychic" suggests contacting someone "competent" (perhaps her?). She often refers to the period of 56 days as a "period which is composed of 2 moons" or "two favorable moon configurations". Note that very similar readings are given to multiple people...be wary.

AstroFaces

2005-01-15T22:24:00.000-05:00

There is an interesting site on the web called AstroFaces. This site assembles photographs of people and groups them according to their Sun, Moon, and Ascendant signs. Anyone can contribute a photo to the project—obviously, the more the better, although it would be best if those contributing pictures are very certain of their birth time. The photos are sorted in different ways, and one page on the site shows photos of people who have their Sun, Moon, and Ascendant in the same sign. Very interesting!