Happy Birthday Geminis

A Wrench in the Works

Happy birthday Geminis, the versatile, charming, intelligent, verbose of the Zodiac. Before you get too caught up in birthday celebrations, take heed of a wrench in the works. Mercury, Gemini's ruling planet now in Gemini, is retrograde (appears to be moving backwards) until 19 June 2008. Mercury influences communications, short range travel the day to day getting stuff done. Careful with those clever quips, somebody's liable to misunderstand or take offense snowballing into some real nasty conflicts. Best to concentrate on using those Gemini charms to develop relationships, with more down to earth communication.

On a larger scale, the next few weeks could be tense-big time power plays. This is a good time to concentrate on serious quiet planning. Thinking about switching jobs or responsibilities? Sit down with pen to paper, draw up a chart with the pros and cons, assess your own strengths and weaknesses, clarify your goals. Even if you're not thinking of switching jobs this is a good time to start planning projects, but hold off on starting. Good luck to us all!

Onward and Upward, Paula

(¯`*•.(¯`*• Happy New Year •*´¯).•*´¯)

"A wise person knows the stars, a fool is ruled by them." ~Ancient Chinese Proverb

No, I haven't flipped out wishing you a Happy New Year in April. The sun recently entered the sign of Aries, first sign of the Zodiac. So in Astrological terms, we are beginning a new year.

Astrology is a fascinating subject. It's not simply a matter of what the sun sign is, rather, the constantly changing positions and aspects (angles) of the other planets. Personally, I don't believe that Astrology determines who or what we are, nor our futures. But I do believe that human history makes a strong case for the influence of the stars (planets) on us and all of Creation. When we get right down to it, the forces of Nature are complex and complicated. Think about it. 200 years ago, people barely knew what electricity was. We've long since harnessed it's power, but do we really understand the influence of electricity and electro-magnetic fields? Not by a long stretch! So let's give Astrology, the influence of the planets, a little credit too.

The past few years have not been the calmest in recent memory, marked by political as well as natural disasters and upheavals. This coming Astrological Year, we should see a tempering of these aggressions. There is strong indication that there will be more tranquility as we learn lessons from the past. We can expect more balance between reasoning and aggression--possibly a tendency towards more versatility in problem solving, more willingness to compromise. Issues concerning beliefs and morality are likely to be on the forefront, tempered by a willingness towards diplomacy although the patience required to gather and sort through facts will not always be present--this could prove to be a real snag in the works.

Before you get too excited, remember that the stars can be gracious but they are rarely completely gracious. We're likely to see a lot of grandiose ideas tossed around (no surprising in an election year) that are impossible to implement and way too much optimism. Humm, suppose that's better that too much pessimism.

Chances are we'll see strong and persistent concerns for financial stability with a strong work ethic, but economies are likely to remain thrifty for some time to come, concentrating very strictly on profits. We should be particularly careful in money matters.

Whatever this new year brings, it'll be interesting to see how accurate this post was this time next year.

Onward & Upward, Paula

Got comments or feedback?

Happy 50th Birthday Peak Year Boomers

SunSign Bling--The Hottest! Now days, we think of Baby Boomers as those born between 1945 and 1964, with those of us born from the late 40's to early 50's being the Flower Children. But, how many folks realize that according to the U S Statistics Bureau, the Baby Boom actually peaked in 1957. In other words, more Boomers were born in '57 than any other year of this time span. And, in astrological terms, they are actually a different generation from us earlier Boomers. Many of us Flower Children have Neptune, the planet whose sign indicates the "Sign of the Times" in Libra. So it makes perfect sense the we were putting a lot of energy into promoting peace, diplomacy and harmony. By 1957, Neptune had moved into retentive, stick-to-it, business savvy Scorpio, where it would stay for the next 12 years or so. Remember all the financial, money-making investment talk of the early 80's? The young Boomers, still in their early 20's were eating it up. They weren't into ideals, they just decided to do it! Saturn, the planet of restrictions, responsibilities, reputation and career was in Sagittarius, sign of the higher ideals. Ever wonder why the Liberal Arts education that was so valued a few years earlier was no longer such the thing to do? The '57 Boomers were a lot more serious about their careers, and their education was seen as something to put those careers into action. Also, these guys were young adults at the beginning of The Reagen Era--ready to accept a much more conservative view of morality and behaviour than we older Boomers were. Finally, Uranus, planet of innovation, associated with High Tech was in the egotistical, authoritative Leo in '57. It's not surprising that so many Boomers of this era were among the very first to get degrees in Computer Science. When we older Boomers were in high school during the late '60's and early 70's, computer studies were still thought of as something along the lines of auto mechanics. Uranus would be in Leo for several years to come; so it's not surprising that many of these younger Boomers are the High Tech execs today. '57 Boomers born in the last half of the year have Uranus at a very favorable angle with Saturn, so they even got a little extra boost! Hum m... what can we make of this? Our High Tech Trail Blazers are turning 50 this year. Wonder if they're still as serious now as they were then. They've certainly had more successful and probably more rewarding careers than us older Boomers. Their retirements have got to be better. But I bet we sure had a lot more fun and our grandkids, great-nieces and nephews will certainly enjoy our Woodstock stories a lot more! Onward & Upward, ~Paula

Happy Earth Day

SunSign Bling--The Hottest! Happy Earth day! Sun moved into Taurus today, the first of the Earth signs. It's very ironical though that Earth Day falls on the first day that Sun enters Taurus. Yes, Taurus is an Earth sign, ruled by Venus, but has absolutely no association with ecology. Rather, it's the sign of materialism, comfort, and financial ability--not particularly ecology-friendly attributes. The Astrological Sign associated with Nature and ecology is Sagittarius, a fire sign, also associated with Philosophy, Higher Learning, and Faith. Big, jolly Jupiter is the ruling planet of Sagittarius; and guess what, Jupiter is now at home in Sagittarius for some time to come. But, the real kicker is the fact that today, Earth Day, there are planets in all of the Fire Signs at favorable angles with Jupiter. Mercury, planet of communication, short distance travel, and intelligence, is in aggressive, me-first Aries. Saturn, planet of restrictions, duty, nose-to-the grindstone, do-or-die is in authoritative, love-the-lime-light Leo. Three planets in the same element, in this case fire, action, each at about the same degree gives us a Grand Trine. A Grand Trine is a very positive influence, balancing the best qualities of the signs and planets. As if all of this is not enough, Pluto, the power planet, big-time karma, kick-you-where-it-hurts-when-you-need-it, is also in Sagittarius -- ever wonder about all the natural disasters and religious fanaticism the past few years? Humm...this Earth Day just may be one to remember. Even Google's Home Page has an ecological theme today. Guess there's just no fooling Mother Nature! Onward & Upward

Riding The Dragon's Head

SunSign Bling--The Hottest!

MoonTrekking is back, with a new look, new outlook and riding the Dragon's Head. No, I haven't totally flipped, but if you're reading this BLOG, it's obvious that there have been no posts in a long, long time. Frankly, I'd given up on astrological blogging--too much to do in serious marketing matters--gotta get those clicks, track sources and stats, right? But a funny thing happened on the way to the pursuit of clicks. A couple of weeks ago, a friend asked me to do an astrological reading for her. Since she's always been such a good friend; evening hosting me in her home a couple of times a year, I really couldn't turn her down. After walking around in circles for a couple of days realized that my ability to concentrate had flown the coop, to the point of hardly being able to find the astrological files in my computer (Saturn's current retrograde sure wasn't helping matters.). To make a long story short, after finally managing to prepare the chart and a few false starts in composing a reading, a little voice asked, "Are you paying attention at all; can't you make the simplest connections?" And there it was, the connecting factor, the North Node. Here's a short explanation without boring you to death. The North Node is one of the Lunar Nodes--you guessed it, the other being the South Node. In simple terms, the North Node is the ascending point where Moon crosses as it moves to the north. So, the South Node is the intersecting point when Moon crosses on its descent to the South. The North Node is called the Dragon's Head and the South, the Dragon's Tail. In astrology, North Node indicates what one should strive for, which energies one should exploit. So the South represents traits that one needs to shake, at least put in proportion. Unfortunately. The Nodes are one of the most sensitive yet ignored points in astrological charts. Makes sense when one remembers one of Nature's primary laws, opposite and equal forces, doesn't it?

In any case, not only did I finally remember a couple of things, but got that flash of insight that we often need to keep going. The North Node in my natal chart is in Pisces, the sign associated with the undercurrent, the subconscious, and the unseen driving forces. So the opposite of Pisces, Virgo, is my South Node. Virgo's analytical, critical traits are the ones that I most need to put into proportion. What really blew me away was the fact that currently, the North Node is again in Pisces within a few degrees of mine--a double whammy from the Stars influencing me to look beneath the surface, trust instincts more. It's also interesting to note that Pisces is the sign associated with the study of astrology--note MoonTrekking's rebirth. But this isn't the end of the story. Have always wondered about my compulsion to visit this friend a couple of times a year. All this time, the simple answer was right there! Moon, the "star" of nurturing, in her natal chart is almost in the same position of my North Node. In other words, she instinctively knows which buttons to push to keep me on track--now that's incredible!

One final note on the North Node. As mentioned above, North Node is currently in Pisces until this December. On the larger scale, this is a strong indication that the general trend is to look below the surface, search out hidden agendas, get in touch with the emotional side of issues. Not a bad idea before election year!

Onward & Upward,

~Paula

Haven't Given It Up

Happy Birthday Leos!

Wow! Completely missed July. And before you ask, no, the guys in the white shirts haven't caught up with me--yet. Mercury, ruling planet of both Gemini and Virgo was in retrograde most of July. Since Mercury rules short-range travel and communications, some of us were hit pretty hard in the "getting stuff done, and done right department". OK, excuses, excuses, but that's the way it is sometimes. At any rate, the Stars aren't standing still. MoonTrekking will continue to bring you news from the Stars. Have a great month, ~Paula

This Month in the Stars

Happy Birthday Gemini and Cancer. And a Big Congratulations to the Class of 2006

This month in the Stars is likely to be a little more exciting than last. By month's end all three outer planets, Uranus (ruler of Aquarius), Neptune (ruler of Pisces), and Pluto (ruler of Scorpio) will be in retrograde, appear to be moving backwards. This configuration has been known to portend serious shakeups in world events, and of course we've recently seen the influence of Pluto's retrograde in Sagittarius, the sign associated with Nature. As if that's not enough, there are some stressful aspects, angles, between planets. As usual, the Stars provide us with the balance of more calming effects. But still, let's all hope and pray for the best and do the best we can in our own circles. Sun, ruler of Leo will be in Gemini until the 21st, when it moves to Cancer . Sun will be at an optimum angle with Neptune, in Aquarius from now through about the 27th. This could be a good time to absorb ideas, grasp intuitive matters, and be less judgmental of others. Remember that Neptune's in retrograde, so take extra care not to be too easy with others. Examine any new ideas carefully before jumping on the bandwagon. Unfortunately, things are never so simple. From the 10th through about the 24th, Sun will be opposing Pluto, the Planet of Power, now in Sagittarius. This is a very difficult aspect, portending aggression and defiance. Let's strive to keep it in balance and benefit from Sun's gentle aspect with Neptune during this time. World leaders, are you listening? Mercury, ruler of communications, short-range travel, and the signs, Gemini and Virgo moved to Cancer a few days ago, and will remain there until the 29th, when it moves to Leo. Mercury is cutting us some slack this month--whew! All month long, Mercury will be at a very optimum angle with Venus. This aspect portends diplomacy and tact in speech as well as more easygoing attitudes--nice balance for Pluto's power trips, hey? From the 10th through the 16th, Mercury will be at an optimum angle with Uranus, in Pisces. This aspect can portend flashes of insight, especially in humanitarian matters. But watch out! Uranus, the planet of rebellion, and Mercury's higher octave, goes into retrograde on the 19th. This could push Mercury's cool logic into some unexpected directions--expect the unexpected! Venus, rules personal relationships, money matters, the physical appetites, and the signs Taurus and Libra. Venus will be in Taurus most of the month, then moves to Gemini about the 23rd. But watch out. From about the 3rd through the 11th, Venus will oppose Jupiter, in Scorpio. This is not a good aspect for personal relationships. Be careful of tendencies towards over-emotional behavior and an exaggerated desire for luxuries. As if that's not enough, from the 1st through the 9th, Venus will be at a very uncomfortable angle with Saturn, in Leo. We may feel restricted in relationships and find it hard to socialize. At least Mercury and Venus are giving us a little help! Mars, planet of aggression, self-projection and energy, ruler of Aries moves to Leo around the 4th. Now the fun really starts! On the one hand, Mars will combine its high energies with Saturn for most of the month portending high energy to work smart--sounds good, hey. But be careful of tendencies towards anger and hard feelings. On the other hand, Mars will be at an uncomfortable angle with Jupiter for most of the month. Moderation will not come easily; our hard work could go completely unnoticed. Again, thank goodness for the Mercury-Venus aspect all month! Jupiter, planet of higher learning, growth and understanding, ruler of Sagittarius will be in Scorpio until about 1 December. Jupiter in Scorpio may portend economic growth and serious tendencies to dig for economic opportunities. Don't we hope! Jupiter will be at a favorable angle with Uranus for most of the month. Could we possibly expect some cutting edge progress in economic areas? Again, expect the unexpected! Saturn, the planet of restrictions and responsibilities, rules Capricorn will be in Leo for the next 2+ years. Leo is the sign of ultimate self-esteem and Saturn tears down this quality--not such a pretty picture. Saturn in Leo gives a strong need for achievement and recognition, yet creative expression is restricted. And here we are, back to our good friend Saturn, the taskmaster. At least he's still moving straight, and giving us some help directing our energies. Thanks Big Guy, we need all the help we can get. Uranus, the innovative, wildcard of the planets (Uranus rules Aquarius and is associated with High Tech.) will be in Pisces until March 2011. Remember, Pisces represents the subconscious, seeing what's going on under the surface. These next few years could bring aside, Uranus was in Pisces at the time of the birth of the modern state of Iraq. It will be interesting to see the results of this influence over the next few years. Neptune, the planet of faith, religion, spirituality, dreams and wishes will be in Aquarius until April 2011. Neptune, more than any of the planets, represents the spirit of the times. Neptune also represents the broader economic currents. Therefore, in keeping with the Aquarian Spirit, expect to see economic reform or revolution, a new spirit, a new vibration as well as scientific and artistic evolutions--sounds a bit nostalgic, doesn't it? Pluto, the planet of power, is in Sagittarius until 2008. Pluto In Sagittarius is absolute no nonsense about the right and moral thing to do--even if it hurts like hell and is totally unpleasant--absolute and ultimate Karma. Pluto will be at a favorable aspect with Saturn, in Leo, later this year. Depending on other influences, Pluto's power tripping could be put to some really good use. OK, that's it for now. Have a Great Month and may the Stars always be gracious to you, ~Paula