Mercury Direct- Measure of a Man

Redemption - vance by Michael Taggart, CCL

Effective Date:  5/22/16


Helios Says:

Are you done?

Honestly, I truly want to know. The way you have been talking, and the way that you have been thinking lately, it sure sounds like you are! You sound like you have given up- That you cannot take another step forward. It would be absolutely understandable, knowing what we know about what has happened to you- All those secret struggles, every loss, the looming abyss that is the future expanding in front of you; with your position in it growing more precarious with every step that you take. No one could rightfully blame you, with all of that in perspective- No one but yourself, that is.

There is no harsher judge at the end of the day, is there? At some level it has to be that way, as a survival mechanism- If you are harder on yourself than anyone else can be, then that becomes something that you can control; No one can hurt you other than you. Pain can be managed, quantified and controlled- The damage inflicted is in YOUR hands, and taken from your enemies, those who would inflict the pain on you themselves. The obvious flaw in that logic, however, is that while you strip your enemies of their power to cause you pain, you turn that power immediately over to a more powerful enemy than you could ever beat, and knows exactly where to strike for maximum damage. You make an enemy out of your own mind, and then hand it the launch codes to your personal nuclear arsenal. Then, to preserve its power and its hold on you, the mind will start to jump at shadows, seeing threats everywhere outside itself, fearing its own intentions are shared by everyone that you meet. You spend all your energy and time on guard from allowing yourself to slip up, carefully selecting every word you say, every move you make- judging every interaction you have for possible exposure, or a chance to exploit a weakness exposed in another in case they ever try to come for you. Your mind is the true torturer: Mercury is far crueler and colder than Pluto can ever be, Pluto is simply more creative in his punishments.

Your real enemy, however, is fear. Fear is what caused you to first turn your mind's own sword upon itself- What caused you to commit treason against your own self. Through fear, you have allowed yourself to become less a man and more a beast every day. Fear has you hiding. Yes, fear is a completely normal and understandable response to the threats we face in our lives, and in the face of an extremely uncertain future, but allowing it to paralyze us is not. The longer we spend our time being frozen in fear of a less than perfect future, the more we assure that becomes a reality. Every moment we spend paralyzed is one that we lose of happiness. What we must do, of course, is face your fear. Now, we hear that a lot, it is a common thing to say and it is trite. What must be done in reality is that we must stop trying to run from pain, and instead turn and look it dead in the eyes. From there it will fling the worst-case scenarios at us. We must accept the reality that we will experience pain, loss and suffering- A lot of it. Such is life, and it is the way it has always been. Your mind will throw everything that it can at you to try and cling to its power, but you must be stronger than it- you have to withstand the onslaught. It will try to show you your failures, missed chances and opportunities, those you have failed along the way- These must be accepted. Throughout this process you will want to run from everything it shows you, but you have to remember that you are better than that- You have overcome so much already, and this is just another challenge, albeit one where your future is on the line, your present is untenable and your past is a weapon. Once you have stopped allowing your fear to insulate you from reality, and you accept it as it is, right now, you will win. Acceptance of what has come before, and bravery in the face of uncertainty will ensure that your future is a bright one, even if it takes a shape different than what you once saw for yourself.

Artemis says:

"It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him."  -- Tolkien

Cards:  King of Pentacles, 8 of Wands, 4 of Swords

So, I have good news.  Those are powerful words aren't they?  It's a nice feeling, to sense things shifting in a different direction.  A slightly more stable direction.  Like, instead of rolling down a hill in a flaming car, now we are outside of the car and tumbling down.  This is better!  We were in a 6 planet deep retrograde period, and now that Jupiter and Mercury have gone direct, we only have to deal with 4 more wolves (Saturn, Mars, Pluto and Juno).

We have learned who our friends are.  The internal burrowing we have done, deep down into the marrow of our bones, has purged a lot of our demons.  So here's the thing.  After you are done fighting the demons inside of you, you naturally bring them outside of you.  Now that Mercury is swinging back into forward motion, those things are going to become projected into your external world.  They are going to manifest as situations or people in your daily life, and you are going to have to take what you have learned and swiftly defeat these ghosts of your anxieties.  Don't panic.  This is a good thing.  This is the only way to defeat them once and for all.

We are almost done with this intense wave of internal war, and the external enemies are going to begin to poke their heads out of the woodwork.  Be swift.  Don't waste your time.  You have come out of this Mercury retrograde period with a deeper understanding of the workings of your own mind.  It's a scary fucking place, yeah?   So now it is far easier to understand the way that the darkness behaves in your external environment.  Your brain is going to shift focus to the external world once again.

With this Sagittarius full moon on the horizon, this is going to be an incredible time of action.  Decisions are going to be made, coffins are going to be nailed shut, and ghosts are going to be put to rest.  And thank the fucking gods because some of these things have needed to die for a long time now.  Mercury being in Taurus will make all of your actions very purposeful.  Don't give into the lazy energy of the bull, because if you don't put the externalizing issues to rest, if you don't do battle with your inner demon become outer dragon, you're going to regress tremendously.  Getting your ass kicked by the personification of your anxieties is a very traumatizing experience!  That's like double PTSD...  So take what you have learned during the past few weeks of demon days and utilize it.

Vesta in Gemini- Whispers

Shh... It's OK. I'll Lie by Lindsey Martin, CCL

Effective Date: 5/16-7/26/16

“Flirting with madness was one thing; when madness started flirting back, it was time to call the whole thing off.” - Rohinton Mistry

Helios Says: Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to stop. Stop thinking so much. Give yourself one second of stillness. Try and take that to a minute. 5 minutes. 10. As long as you can stretch it. Now what are the thoughts that flood your mind when you snap back to reality? Are they self-depricating? Do they tell you how shit you are for wasting your time on such a pointless exercise? Are they thankful for the reprieve?

These are the questions you must ask yourself. I have said this so many times- Your thoughts, your inner voice and perception of what is real, create what is real for you. This echoes the teachings of the old sages and masters. You must be on guard with what you think, even from yourself. Hell, right now that should be ESPECIALLY yourself.

You have not been kind to yourself as of late, bemoaning your challenges, and setting yourself up to fail so that you can further belittle and accost yourself for your ineptitude. That has to stop. You have to ease up on yourself, these times are tough enough without you stepping in. You have to strip down the background noise and get back to what really matters to you. Get away for a bit if you have to.

The main challenge during this time is not to waste your energy chasing down meaningless side challenges, but rather sticking to your larger purpose. Keep that Taurean energy and focus going, and you will see success.

Artemis says:

“But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.”  - George Orwell, 1984

Cards:  the tower, the hierophant, 10 of swords

Fanaticism starts in the mind.  Watch what you say and how you say it, because words are a magical spell.  Your words, like seeds, weave intentions subconsciously; slipping themselves into your personal symbolism until one day they blossom and overrun your brain like dandelions on steroids.  Have you noticed the power certain ones have over you or a collective?  Call someone a “terrorist.”  Better yet, call a woman a “cunt” and see what happens.  Tell someone they “deserved” something.  The funny thing is, words are just puffs of air, blots of ink, or digitized nothingness.  They can’t really hurt you, can they?  I use to be a very sensitive kid.  I was very distraught over the fact that people weren’t kind to each other, and the smallest insult would send waterfalls down my cheeks.  My first grade teacher sat me down one day and repeated the words that just about every adult has said to a child, “Sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can never hurt you.”  She was wrong.

Words can sway entire nations.  Words can make you fall in love.  Words are the building blocks of the world, and no one knows this better than Gemini.  We give Gemini’s a lot of shit in astrology, but they really are the primordial power of air.  They are connection, tributaries, circuit board that brings all of the information together.  They are libraries and telephones.  They are the motherfucking internet.  Where Vesta in Taurus had us diving into what our foundations are, and our dedication to those foundations.  Vesta in Gemini will have us contemplating our dedication to certain ideas.  This is a combination for zealotry (hello hierophant surrounded by the tower and 10 of swords – both very destructive cards that alter our entire worldview).  Be very careful during this season.

If you built your idealistic foundation on something solid, then this ingress will have you developing its method.  If you are an artist of ideas and words, this is going to be a great time for dedicating yourself to your work.  Gemini is a mercurial sign, and therefore will not stop until every rock is overturned.  Their busy minds work like a locomotive, so use this time of mental dedication to develop your ideas.  Vesta is all about dedication and stoking one’s flames.  Without the eternal fire in our belly, there is no torch to guide us through life.  Vesta in Gemini will magnify our ideas and language and show us just how they fit into the ideology and passions that move us through life.  You will be shown just how powerful language really is. It is time to let false constructs fall, because building towers on shaky ground will only lead to complete devastation in the future (10 of swords) via fanaticism (hierophant).  The cards are heavily warning us here.  Please keep in mind that certain words can completely shut your brain off, while others can blast open a door of imprisonment.  Be careful to learn what makes up your personal ideology and what words have complete power over you when you hear them.  It could be someone’s name.  It could be whispering rumors.  To combat them, build weapons using your own words.  Ideas and words are the suit of swords in the tarot for a reason…

Pallas in Pisces- Bend

Beautiful Ballerina by Grace Trivino, CCL

Effective dates: 4/25-8/12/16, 12/30/16-4/3/17

Helios Says:
You know, I'm frankly getting tired of starting these off with a reminder of how bad things are right now. It's not like you guys don't know, you're living it just as much as I am. So why do I bother writing anything at all, you might be inclined to ask- Valid question, and one I ask myself often. While there are many reasons that I do what I do (and we do not have time to go into the deeper questions of purpose and meaning of life type of discussions in this particular post, that would give me an excuse to be even more rambling than usual), one of the main ones is to try and figure out the best way to move forward, regardless of how shit the conditions may be- for both my readers and myself. Luckily, that is where this particular gem of an asteroid comes into play....

Pallas Athene was the goddess of wisdom, crafts, and battle strategy. Keen-eyed readers will remember her from our recent post on Arachne. When she is not tormenting prideful humans (something she likes to do [Also revealing her fatal flaw, if you know what you are looking for]) she is the one you look to while everything is falling apart, even her father Zeus, chief of the Greek gods, trusted her counsel above all others. In short, she IS the way forward.

At this point in time, Pallas has just moved into Pisces. As everything falls apart around your ears and the very ground beneath your feet turns to shifting sand, our old approach no longer works, not at maximum efficacy anyways. Carrying yourself through this with nothing but affirmations, sheer force of will, and pure grit will not work- Keeping calm and carrying on is not the way. No, to get past this round you will need to get creative. You will need to *shudder* allow yourself to be vulnerable. With all of the retrogrades, and the torture the cosmos has decided to dole out, we are already exposed; we are cautious and afraid- And for good reason. Your first reaction is to turtle up, withdraw further within yourself to hide your soft spots. This could get you through, I won't lie- but it will only mean that you are fighting to hold your ground, and at best you will not lose any; at worst, you will lose everything. The only thing that is sure however, is that you will not go any farther than where you are at now.

What you must do is shed that armor, like a skin that you have outgrown and has become patchy and is already starting to flake off. It clearly doesn't suit you anymore (plus it's out of season anyway) so why do you keep lugging it around? Sure, it helped to shield you from a few hits back in the day, but you can't hide behind it forever! More importantly, it is holding you back from what you really want. With your masks and armor up, you cannot be seen by those who are looking for you and could be potential allies. In this time of uncertainty, authenticity is more valuable than gold. Removing your armor to show your true, authentic self will be frightening, but now is the time to unmask yourself. The time for charades is past. The challenge will be to actually do it.

Artemis Says:
“Everything in the universe has a purpose.  Indeed, the invisible intelligence that flows through everything in a purposeful fashion is also flowing through you.” – Wayne Dyer

Cards:  8 of Swords, Knight of Cups, 3 of Pentacles

 Pallas Athena sprung into life from the forehead of her father, Zeus, fully clothed in battle gear and ready to fuck some shit up.  She is the goddess of Wisdom, Victory and Strategy.  Warriors prayed to her for success in battle, and academics paid her homage so she could bring them illumination.  Through her, we learn how to connect information and use it to our advantage.  Athena teaches us how the pieces fit to form the whole.  Unfortunately for Athena, her fellow deities pretty much ignored her as a sexual object.  Because of this, Athena’s babies are the babies of the mind.  She shows us where our greatest ideas may take place, but she can also be obsessive.  What part of your life do you ceaselessly investigate in?  Where are you gifted with the ability to make swift connections?

So, what does it mean now that she is drifting into Piscean waters?  Pallas in Pisces is actually my natal placement for this asteroid, so I may be able to intuit a thing or two about this energy.  The combination of 8 of Swords, Knight of Cups, and 3 of Pentacles, tells me that this energy is the ability to see the spiritual building blocks of the world.  Pallas in Pisces tells me that we will be able to have confidence in our creative and spiritual connections.  The world political climate will become increasingly more idealistic (Pisces rules religion and spirituality, so expect more of that to be brought up as well).  The fantastic part about this energy is that Athena is forced to FEEL, not THINK in Pisces.  We go from over rationalizing our strategy to feeling out intuitively how we should move toward our victories.  This surge of creative intelligence will be amazing for unraveling old patterns that have us blindfolded in regards to our next move.  Pallas in Pisces coupled with the Knight of Cups tell us that your ability to charm your way out of a situation will dramatically increase.  This is great fuel for those who are already swimming in the waters of creative intelligence.

Pallas in Pisces will give us the opportunity to explore the architecture of our spiritual world.  I bet that we will be seeing a lot more synchronicities, more spiritual groups coming together due to realizing connections, and an overall merging of people’s spiritualties.  The fish make Pallas a lot softer than she usually is, giving her the ability to have insight on healing and creative interpretation.  This is the position of the mystic and psychic and the ability to see spirit where others do not.  This is where Pallas shows us how the spirit world connects to the bigger picture, and how fantasy and creativity play a role in bridging the causal and acausal worlds.

Full Moon in Sagittarius- Worst Enemy

Monster by *Nicole C, CCL

Effective Date: 5/21/16

Helios Says:  “The Edge... There is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over.”- Hunter S. Thompson

Don't push me, because I'm close to the edge... that is very much the feel of this Full Moon. With the pressure of the multiple retrogrades, the mutable meltdown, and the looming specter of Uranus meeting up with Eris, who could blame you for being just done? Not a damn one of us, because we are all there. These times aren't just hard, they're ruthless.

And this is not the day where I tell you that it is all smooth sailing from here. No, we have miles and miles to go before we rest.

Artemis says:
“No, no! The adventures first, explanations take such a dreadful time.” 
― Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

Adventure.  What could be more holy than the very pilgrimage one embarks on to find the “light”, the “answer”, the “whatever the fuck it is we are looking for?”  There is always that insatiable itch inside of us that screams, “GO OUT THERE AND FIND IT!”  (Whatever “it” is.)  The world is so big and vast; of course the answer must be out there!  Well, let me let you in on a little secret.  God is like an onion.  Stay with me here.  God is like an onion.  You keep peeling back layers and layers, hoping to reveal something, but all you're really revealing is more and more of the same - all the way to the core.  As above so below.  We are the very fabric of what makes up this universe.  Explore yourself by exploring everything around you.  Your exterior reality is like a mirror.  Don’t be afraid to peer deeply.

H:The Sun, Moon, and Mars- Okay, so let's start with the good news. You finally have energy! You feel like you can take on the world and can do whatever you set your mind to! The bad news? You are being blocked at every turn, leaving you to pace back and forth like a caged animal. All that energy just gets dissipated and squandered, leaving you annoyed, and feeling like a failure for not achieving as much as you wanted, further adding to your annoyance and frustration. This can lead you to lash out at those around you, especially those who offer to help you or talk. Since you don't think there is anything they can do to help, you lash out in anger and frustration, driving away your allies and support network when you need it most. All you want is just to fly above the problems that assault you, but you are shackled by your obligations. 

A:Sun (The Fool), Moon (Ace of Wands), Mars (2 of Wands):  For the full moon in Sagittarius, I pulled the Ace of Wands.  What we imagine, we become.  We tend to build an image of ourselves and stick with that image like it is the one true god.  Guess what?  You can become whoever you want to be whenever you want to be.  Your imagination is even more powerful than you could ever imagine (ooo paradox).  We build the reality around us, which means you build your own prison by choosing to allow others to dictate your reality.  This card is reminding us that we are lit as fuck and there is nothing that can smolder our divine fire.  Don’t fear doing your work or finding your way.  Everyone is honestly just terrified – like, all the fucking time.  Everyone claims that they are looking for truth, but few are brave enough to look at it.  When you stoke your fires, so to speak, there will be people around you who will try and smolder your light so they aren’t forced to see.  Fuck these people.  For the Sun, I pulled The Fool.  Reset.  It’s time for you to do something you’ve been afraid to do.  It’s time for you to take that leap of faith and possibly tumble off a cliff to your doom.  BUT, if you do survive, and your instincts were right, you could stumble into some form of great personal enlightenment during this full moon.  With the 2 of Wands representing Mars in this reading, I would go on to say that a major decision needs to be made.  I know the Mars in retrograde energy has everyone aggressive and unmotivated, but if you can actually make a clear decision about your future actions – if you can develop a vision – you will be surprised by the surge of energy you receive to spearhead this vision.

H:Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Pluto- This section deserves its own post, quite frankly. This is the source of the shitty astro of the moment- Mercury is about to go direct, but before he does he has one last, assholish trick to pull, and he has the Super Saiyan energy to pull it off. Mercury is going to throw up every nightmare and fear you have, and blow them way out of proportion: With Neptune and Jupiter they will be insidious and able to get under your skin like nothing else, while being exaggerated and overwhelming. Saturn makes sure that you are reminded every minute that you are insignificant, worthless, and no one wants anything to do with you, while Pluto makes sure that you are too terrified of your own shadow to do anything about it. You will not get rest, and you will not get respite. You will be a prisoner of your own mind, and these phantoms will be relentless. You will have a very hard time telling what is real and what is fake. What you really need to watch though, is your self-talk; now I was new to this concept until I heard @LordMoonstone talk about it in a video detailing his mental issues and suicide attempt-  You must be very careful of how you deal with your self, and how you treat yourself with all this chaos swirling around inside your own head. Just because something shitty is happening to you doesn't mean that you are in fact, shit. These guys do not need ANY help tearing up your mind and your ego, least of all you cheering them on. You are going to want to find an outlet, a way for you to cope with all that noise- And you don't want to turn to drugs or booze, because they will only exacerbate the problem, trust me.

A:Mercury (The Star), Jupiter (7 of Cups), Saturn (Page of Swords), Neptune (King of Wands), Pluto (The Moon):  We're about to drop off a very nasty cliff the next couple of weeks, so you better start learning to fly.  You also need to stop fighting the retrogrades.  Sorry, you can’t run from the forced introspection.  The planets have put a magnifying glass to your soul for a reason.  You can’t fucking hide from your own mind.  So you better get your adventure party together and quest to the center to face your own great beast.  With the card combinations present, it looks like the outer planets are gearing for some reality rattling.  For Pluto, I pulled The Moon, which means he is going to continue digging at you until you realize what subconscious forces have been pulling you toward the horrible chaos in your life.  You are choosing to march in these directions.  But why?  What inside of you keeps you circling back around to the trash piles of reality?  For Neptune I pulled the King of Wands and for Jupiter I pulled the 7 of Cups.  We are brimming with ideas right now.  Our heads are swimming with so many things we could be doing and experiencing, and our very urge to go and explore every nook and cranny is going to inflame our imagination.  This comes with a bit of a warning, though – check yourself at every step to see that the pieces are fitting together correctly.  Saturn being the Page of Swords suggests that insecurity is not over yet.  Saturn knows that we know how to assume our power in this world, but he also knows we need a big push to do so.  This is tough love, guys.  He fucks our shit up so that we can become stronger and wiser.  Don’t fear your knowledge.  Trust it.  Trust yourself and do what you need to do.

H:Venus and Uranus- Okay, so where do we go from all of that nonsense? Well, strangely enough these two might be the best antidote to the chaos I just talked about. All of those phantoms, spooks and nightmares have one fatal flaw- They only have any power if you take them seriously. Venus and Uranus right now have this great, heretical trickster energy, and it can cut straight through the dark, dank fears you have. The shadows fear laughter more than anything. If you refuse to give them any sort of respect, and just mercilessly ridicule them, they have no power over you. For instance- I saw an amazing tumblr post where a user was saying that from now on, their coping skill to deal with the anxiety, depression and negative self-talk was to imagine that it was coming from Donald Trump. Now as the Donald is a natural buffoon, and its impossible to take anything that comes out of his idiot mouth seriously, this is absolute genius. Make your fears afraid of you by refusing to take them seriously. Its just crazy enough to work, aye?

A:Venus (Queen of Pentacles) and Uranus (6 of Swords):  Venus is trying to tell us that in order to find pleasure right now, we must soak ourselves back into the earth.  Get outside.  Go climb trees and roll around in the grass and have a hike.  The crazy thing about nature is that it teaches us everything we need to know about pleasure and beauty.  It teaches us about the severity that is also necessary from time to time.  But, regardless of how horrible the severity is in any natural climate, there is still an awesome beauty to it all that cannot be denied.  Venus is telling us to find the beauty in the pain.  There are no mistakes.  Everything is a part of the greater echo system.  Take a different perspective.  And that is exactly what the 6 of Swords for Uranus is telling me.  It is time to move on from our old ways.  It’s time to come up with new methods.  Your habits of the past aren’t going to cut it for the next level.  The quest is long, we have no idea what is at the core, but I’m going to bet the infinite things we experience on the journey paint a mirror image of the destination.

Jupiter Direct- Confession

2 by andy188uk

Helios says:
“Man approaches God most nearly when he is in one sense least like God. For what can be more unlike than fullness and need, sovereignty and humility, righteousness and penitence, limitless power and a cry for help?” -C.S. Lewis

Okay, so I know this transit is going to be overhyped and touted by other astrologers, and they will trumpet this as the breaking of the dawn after a long night, but I am in the opinion that our long night isn't quite over just yet. Full disclosure- I do not work well with Jupiter OR Virgo, so that should be kept in mind with everything I say from this point on. This will not devolve into a shit-post though (at least, I will endeavor not to let it become that) at least, not on the transit- The factors that led up to it though...

Okay, so this barrage of eclipses, retrograde on top of retrograde, trips to the underworld, and a looming specter of doom on the horizon have all brought up some serious issues. They have exposed our weaknesses, bared our souls and forced our greatest fears in our face. Issues that have been compounding for years have been brought up, and you see where you have compromised your ideals and your core beliefs along your path.

To make the most of this transit you will need to face the issues of where you have compromised- You have made some sketchy decisions to get this far, and those will need to be faced. Now I am the last person to EVER suggest taking any pages from Christianity, but in this ONE case, there is merit to do so- Please don't immediately close out of this because I am saying that (like I would). During this time, you seek purification: You want to admit your mistakes and unburden your soul. This is what you need to proceed. Note- You do not need to go the full monty and seek forgiveness for any of these things, but it doesn't exactly hurt (at this stage in the game) but this transit will hound you like the nun from last season of Game of Thrones, walking behind you with her bell, saying "Shaaaaaaaaame" for hours.

Now, turning it over to any one (or more) of the myriad of gods/goddesses or universal forces is not a bad idea as well, as the whole thing of Jupiter is that he is God, he is THE Guy, the chief force, the one who is (supposedly) bigger than you, and the one to turn your troubles over to- In Virgo, God walks among his people, he takes on that meat suit in order to better appreciate his creation. It makes sense to surrender (Pisces) what is more than you can handle so that you can move forward without the extra weight of your burdens. If that is too much for you to do (with the Christian connotations and all) hell, you can just go into the woods at night and whisper your confession to the wind- But you will want to actually do this, turn it into ritual if you have to. Seek purification to pursue wholeness. Subdue the monsters within you, because we have a long way to go from here.

Artemis says:
"Why are you so afraid?
I can see you waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting
Withering away 
I can see you dying, dying, dead, dying, dying
Why?  Why?
Baby see
Try" - Banks

Cards:  The Star, King of Wands, 8 of Cups

HOLY FUCK YES YES YES YES YES, JUPITER HAS GONE DIRECT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (H: See, what did I tell you?)

Can you tell I'm excited?  Jupiter, the god of Prosperity and luck.  Jupiter, the god of expansion and adventure and philosophy.  Jupiter, the storm king of JOY!

Jupiter has been retrograde for 4 months now, and we have been downtrodden and out of luck.  When he moves backwards, he takes our joy and our luck with him.  Shit is just more difficult than it needs to be when we don't have him giving us his good graces.  The Storm King has officially given us back the light at the end of our tunnels.  Since January, we have been forced to turn inwards.  Unfortunately, this took a shot at our self esteem and manifested a series of unfortunate events (that got worse and worse as more and more planets joined in with the retrograde), but things are about to CHANGE.

For Jupiter going direct, I pulled The Star, The King of Wands, and the 8 of Cups.  The Star is a clear indication that hope has returned in our lives.  When you are lost in the woods your mind, forced to go so far into your own psychology by the fucking retrograding Jupiter, Mars, Pluto, Mercury, Saturn death squad, Jupiter finally going direct is a speck of hope.  Once you find the north star, you can find your way out of any dark forest.  Once you latch on to something that is unmoving and solid in your life, that fills you with an eternal knowing of yourself, that you can't deny or destroy, you learn to re-orient yourself.

Jupiter is all about going out and exploring the world.  You have all played Oregon Trail, yeah?  This few month retrograde period has been like watching your whole wagon crew get mauled by bears.  Every adventurer knows the dangers of their pursuit, but their eternal optimism and curiosity is what keeps them whacking their way through the thick underbrush.  They keep their mind on the trail, on the goal, and on the fascinating things they find along the way.  Don't let the setbacks of the past couple of months crush your spirit.  Jupiter going direct is having our spirit re-ignited.  The King of Wands showing up is a clear indication of this for me.  Jupiter going direct in Virgo also tells me that we will be gaining a lot of good luck if we peruse Virgoan ideas (like self improvement, service to others, intellectual pursuits).  Don't sit still.  It's time to get up and EXPLORE your world and try things you would have never tried before.  Do things that scare you.  Don't hold back.  The positive outbursts of energy and the enthusiasm that you throw back into the world is now going to bounce right back at you.  It's time to manifest your destiny - manifest change -be a pioneer (remember, Sagittarius, the cowboy of the zodiac, is associated with Jupiter).

The last card I pulled is the 8 of cups.  This is GOOD.  The waters are starting to move, and our baptism is almost complete.  In the deck that I am using, 8 of Cups is called "rebirth."  It is time to let all of the shit we have been internally contemplating die.  It is time to let all of the shit that is shackling us to our sad lives die.  Jupiter doesn't sit around and restricting himself and punishing himself like Saturn.  He wants to see things, experience things, laugh, and participate in higher thinking with others.  He is prosperity and expansion in all parts of our life.  He is like the waters, seeping into every crack effortlessly and with immense curiosity.  It is time for us to start doing the same and see all the crazy connections that come to us because of this.  If you don't leave your normal routine, how will you ever find adventure and prosperity?

Get out of your comfort zone.  Luck is back on our side.  Stick your nose in something that has been poking at your curiosity and inspiring you.  Don't be afraid!  You see your North Star, now run to it!  And don't forget to laugh.

Mercury Retrograde- Obstinant and Ornery

Stubborn by Anna, CCL

Effective date: 4/27-5/22/16 (Shadow period til 6/8/16)

Helios Says:
Guess what time it is! That's right, its time for everyone's favorite transit- Mercury Retrograde! This makes the fifth planet we have going retrograde right now, and man, could it be any less fortuitous? Well, yes actually- but it definitely isn't great timing, that's for sure. This year its all about the earth signs, first and foremost being stubborn-as-all-hell Taurus. So what is shifty Mercury up to in this sign?

Supposedly, Mercury in Taurus on its own is viewed as kind of a terrible placement. Now, I see where they get that idea, because he gets the best billing in the air and fire signs where his synapses are firing on all cylinders, and a few cylinders that he rents on the weekend. Hell, even Capricorn and Virgo get good press when it comes to Mercury, and Scorpio is no slouch either (think every self-narrated film noir detective protagonist, ever) but never Taurus. In Pisces he gets to be the tortured soul/brilliant artist type, but in Taurus Mercury is slow, plodding and taciturn, which is a nice way of saying as dumb as a bag of hammers. Well since this is my own placement, I  guess it falls to me to defend him! I can attest that there may be some truth to the criticism- but Mercury in Taurus has a lot of great benefits that could very well be the key to navigating this tricky season!

The truly great thing about Merc in Taurus is that he gives this great focus, exclusive to this sign, that you will see referred to a lot as either blinders or tunnel vision. The simile is extremely accurate, as this sign has an almost preternatural ability to shut out any and all distractions in pursuit of a goal. While the rest of the retro planets are off causing chaos and hacking away at what is no longer important in your life, Mercury is going to ensure that you do not allow it to knock you off track in pursuit of your greater aims. Now, the challenge here is if your major life goals are up on the chopping block- This placement is not one that can course-correct with ease. No, it is more like the Juggernaut from X-Men: An unstoppable force once set in motion, but without any initial movement toward an aim, it is easy to give into the inertia, never getting started and wasting your time on pointless distractions that seemed important at the time.

Another boon to this transit is its concept of impact when it comes to your words. Right now, you will be challenged on the things you say and think, and of course since that is Merc's wheelhouse, that takes on added importance. You will find yourself zone-ing out a lot, being able to still your mind without even trying to (especially when you consciously have something to distract one of your other senses and can then shut out entirely, is a trick I have found works WONDERS). You must also be very cautious in the things you say- Take your time in expressing what is going on in your head, chew over your words a few times before you let anything slip out. Say more with fewer words, cut out anything extraneous. No fluff with this one. Say something that really matters. Also no matter what, be honest at this time- Brutally if needed. Now is not the time to skirt around anything in order to spare anyone's feelings. 

One thing you do really want to watch out for is that time passes much more quickly under this transit than you realize, even though while its happening it can feel like you are trapped in a quagmire. I guarantee that you will wake up one day, when we are mid-Gemini, and suddenly realize that your to-do list is woefully uncompleted, and that you haven't shown up to work in three weeks. It's just the way it goes down. So use your time wisely, while you have it!

And obviously the standard Mercury Retro disclaimer- No signing any contracts (especially when it comes to things like phone bills or your cable/internet), no major life changes or big purchases, basically put nothing in writing if you can help it. The less you change in terms of your finances, and the day-to-day running and banality of your life, the better.


Artemis Says:
"There's solace a bit for submitting
To the fitfully cryptically true
What's happened has happened
What's coming is already on it's way
With a role for me to play
I don't understand
I'll never understand
But I'll try to understand
There's nothing else I can do."  - Fiona Apple, "Red Red Red"

Cards:  Justice and 8 of Pentacles

I was born during Mercury Retrograde, so an over active mind has been a staple of my existence. Add my Aquarian sun/moon/ascendant/Venus to that and I'm essentially a strange intergalactic being. So how do I fight through the alienation and over thinking?  Fortunately, we have the answer to that question in the sign that Mercury is retrograding in (and the sun has just changed to) - TAURUS. In order to bypass the shit coming from Mercury Retrograde, use Taurean direct, honest, and plain speak. Or, you know, get ready for shades of this alienation to consume you. It is descending up on us... again...  the most frequent and relentless of the planetary retrogrades; that of Mercury, the Messenger.

So what the hell happens during Mercury Retrograde? In short, all things related to communication begin to break down. Your ideas become cloudy, you say shit you don't mean, you misunderstand others (flavored by your murky thinking), mechanical things break - essentially connections go haywire. It's not a very pleasant energy, to say the least.Some people are obviously more adapted to it than others. Some people thrive during Mercury Retrograde because they have learned methods that help them communicate through their own alienation. Because of this, I personally find Mercury Retrograde to be an easier time for demented writers (you know we all are demented, right?). It is a good time to WORK. Not to finalize things- Hell no! But WORK because with this Jupiter Retrograde in VIRGO (the detail whore) and Mercury retrograde in TAURUS (the obsessive freak), you will be able to see all the faulty pieces of your plan. And remember, Mars is also in Retrograde going from Sagittarius to Scorpio. In this state, he projects the plotting serial killer energy. Scorpio is the psychic detective of the zodiac - deeply inspecting human psychology. Don't forget! Scorpio must learn the lessons behind power in their lifetime, so expect challenges to dominance to increase during Mars Retrograde into Scorpio. These are tools, guys, not enemies. Use the Sun's energy right now (in patient Taurus), and stay calm through the chaos that is ensuing. Get still. Get obsessive. Get detailed about your WORK.

The 8 of Pentacles card I pulled is a work order. You can turn this energy to your favor - just like anything else. Bend it to your will. With Saturn also being in retrograde, you can expect this Mercury retrograde period to be flavored with torture. Things you may have said months ago could suddenly come back to haunt you out of literally fucking nowhere. I pulled the Justice card to go with the "go to werk" message from 8 of Pentacles. This means you should expect unfinished business to walk up to you as you're in line for coffee, or trying to peacefully cross the street, or when you are attempting to hide from all of humanity on a hike through the fucking wilderness - it will find you. It's time to tie up all the loose ends and verbal contracts. Mercury is going to be testing our ability to remain consistent with what we have learned by throwing us shit back at us that we didn't deal with appropriately in the past. I feel that Justice is also trying to tell me that we must constantly watch our speech for injustice / breaks. This is your mantra for the next few weeks: Taurean direct, honest, plain speak. Use it like Justice's sword.

Mercury IS in Taurus, and Taurus has a heavy hand in finance. With the full moon in Scorpio descending upon us, and a beautiful grand earth trine coming during the Mercury Retrograde period, you can expect financial opportunities to emerge. Pluto joined the Retrograde party this past weekend, bringing our inner demons to the surface. With Mercury getting anxious in his retrograde state, expect people's demons to come out in communication. Pair Mars in the party, and expect a lot of very loud outbursts. The Sun moving from Aries to Taurus (April 19) couldn't have come at a better time. Keep your eyes on the big fiery orb, folks - meaning - keep yourself GROUNDED and focused on the things that are real in your life, say what's on your mind, and try and channel all of this "bad" energy into Venus-like pursuits. Taurus is ruled by Venus. It's time to transform your pain, and it's time to structure your way to your fortune.

Lots of love, everyone.  Be good to each other.  I know all you want to do is shoot people until they bleed out slowly right now, but really, it's all just a big misunderstanding!  Isn't it usually? 

Mars Retrograde- Long Way Home

NA_Biketour_2009_208 by Jole Kiraly, CCL

Effective date: April 17th - June 29th (Shadow period from June 29th through August 23rd)

“If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.” - David Livingstone

Helios Says: BRRAAAAAP!! BRAAAAAAP!! Hear that? That's the alarm ringing, early as shit and you were out partying the house down last night. That is how we're starting this one, all right!

Oh, and you're late.

Mars is making a strategic retreat out of Sagittarius, stuffing his suitcases as best he can, trying to get out of Vegas before casino security makes it up to his penthouse suite to collect on his severe debt, the size of several Balkan states' worth of GDP (I'm good for it you guys, I swear!!). Unfortunately, with his back against the wall, 40 stories up, he only has one place to go- back into Scorpio. Yes, everyone's favorite, blood-curdling torture den, the stagnant underworld he once called home.

This is the best news you will have all week. You see, apart from being where all the good stuff is (sex, passion, other peoples money, and not to mention all the riches of the earth [apart from oil, which Pisces gets for some reason. Go figure]), Scorpio gives one wonderful, uncomfortable and usually unwanted, yet still completely vital gift: The Truth; the Scorpio truth is one that hides nothing- it is the naked truth. Scorpio will expose the falsehoods, allowing you to take action.

Yes, you read that right; this is not going to be a sit-on-your-ass retrograde, oh no! You will need to make moves, and you will need to make them now, at the least opportune moment. You see, you are already feeling this. You are seeing the truth right NOW, seeing that there is a great deal that is just NOT working in your life. You are not the same person that you were 6 months ago, and the strategies developed then will not serve you now. Currently, you are being overwhelmed by the enormity of how much dysfunction you are facing, and you are frozen in place. You fear losing ground, so you refuse to work with the change that has already occurred. If you do this you will waste valuable time trying to defend a beachhead that you have already lost, and you will make far less headway towards your new goals than you would have otherwise.

There is another option- give up the high ground. The marginal, quantified success that you have made at great cost to you over this last year has been hard fought, I know- But its not the way. It has come at such a cost because you were fighting the way to get here, and you thought you were overcoming the odds. You thought it was what you wanted, you thought it was for the best- You were wrong. If you can face that, and you can accept it, you can change and move forward in the right way.

You faced the call last year to throw your middle fingers up and walk the path alone, daring you yo  plunge into the unknown with no guarantees. It understandably terrified you, and you returned to safety, not knowing that you were running full-bore into a slow death, losing that precious progress that you had made. You went against your own best interest and acted against your own self-love. Of course, you didnt know this at the time- Now you do. The dysfunction you face is because of this, and it is also the solution to your problem: The areas in your life highlighted by the dysfunction you must correct by acting in your own best interest- By loving yourself first, and making the best choices accordingly, you will succeed. This will not be easy, and it will seem like you are surrendering. That is the fear mentality talking- Your fear of failure must be overcome here and now, because there is just no other way. Embrace what seems to be a failure, and fuck what everyone else thinks. Act in your own best interest, because you're going to die anyway- might as well be the one in the driver's seat!


Artemis Says: 

"You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger."  -Buddha

Talk about being on edge...  We are being told two contradictory things from this planet.  On one hand, we have the Saggo aspect urging us to move forward and start a new phase of our lives.  It is the turning of the seasons in many ways for us right now.  And then, on the other hand, Mars going into retrograde is telling us to HALT.  It's feels like we are pressing the gas and pressing the brakes at the same time.  It doesn't feel very pleasant, does it?

When Mars starts moving backwards in the sky (retrograde), we lose our vitality.  We are in the shadow period for Mars retrograde as I write this.  A looming silence is on the horizon, and it threatens to thwart all of our plans.  It is a pretty well known thing that anything initiated during Mars in retrograde will likely fizzle out.  Financial plans, new projects, romances, etc.  Mars rules sex and industry, so expect setbacks in both of these areas.  With Venus in sexfest Aries, this will bring very conflicting feelings.

Arguments are easy to come by during Mars retrograde.  Everyone is constantly a hair away from losing their shit, and the smallest things seem to annoy us.  Sounds aggravating, doesn't it?  This aspect is not only rough for your personal life, but it can create major rage fests in the political sphere as well.  With our current political climate, that doesn't sound very good.

We are going to want to change - be dying for it in fact.  But Mars is going to tell us NO.  Taurus season is coming, and we are going to need to slow the hot Aries energy.  The 4 of Swords tells us that people will withdraw and obsess (which will get even worse once the sun moves into uber obsessive Taurus).  We have a very hard full moon coming our way, and with Mars in this aspect, we are going to need to get as much healing done as possible.  This is a time to rest - both mentally and physically.  Be very delicate around those you love because the smallest annoyances can lead to giant flare ups.  Be kind to each other.  We are a long way from home and we are all we've got in this strange land.  

Cards:  The Wheel and 4 of Swords