Currentalign

With all the astrological events going on - not the least of which was last Friday’s (April 26, 2002) Full Moon (in Scorpio!) - a lot of us are intensely (there’s that Scorpio word again) experiencing the dramatic emotional (Moon = emotions) effects of the current alignment of Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Mars, and Venus.

Mercury, Mars, and Venus - the “personal planets” - as well as Saturn, the notorious “party-pooper” but more fairly the planet of “necessary controls” - are (through May 19, 2002) all crowded together in Gemini, emphasizing the duality/variability/extremes of all our emotional urges and feelings. Saturn’s nature, as you may recall, often manifests as obstacles or delays. By adding Jupiter (currently in Cancer) to the mix, we get a degree of emotional (Cancer) optimism (Jupiter) despite the Saturnian restraints. Generally, anyone with planets in the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces) will feel the effects more deeply.

Practical effects that we are all likely to feel to some extent include a sense of restlessness (both mental and physical), difficulty focusing our attention (distractions of all sorts), and feelings of delays or frustrated energies.

To get through this time without too much turmoil, it would be helpful to:

	Remember to focus intensely when we're driving, biking, or even walking. On the way to the office this morning I had a distracted pedestrian jaywalk directly in front of my car across a busy major street. He was wearing headphones and was obviously somewhere else. Then, there was the young couple with two young children in strollers that were directly in the flow of traffic and in quite a vulnerable spot, seemingly oblivious to the risk they were putting their family in. Defensive driving is the keynote message here. If we're not totally focused on what we're doing, we're asking for trouble.
	Recognize that most of us have a lot of things happening concurrently in our lives. It's helpful to keep a list of important appointments and tasks so they don't fall by the wayside. These lists may seem a bit obsessive, but the frustration caused by forgetting something important is best avoided any time, but now in particular (With Mercury Rx returning, this takes on added importance).
	Be especially patient with the significant others and children in our lives. The cumulative influence of all this stuff can be fodder for silly disagreements, hurt feelings, or worse.
	Realize that we're all experiencing these feelings of impatience and restlessness and many folks have a really, really short fuse on their temper right now. It's not just us! By recognizing that we all are feeling basically the same thing, it helps to condition ourselves not to act or react out of anger. Situations could easily get out of control. Resist the urge to gesture or shout at that imbecile that cuts you off in traffic -- they may not necessarily be armed but they may indeed be quite dangerous.
	In summary, of course these suggestions make sense all the time -- but by incorporating them into our lives now may help us to minimize our vulnerability and to defuse some potentially very uncomfortable or even hazardous situations. And now that you have an idea what to expect, you'll probably be quite keenly aware when you see the effects of this celestial alignment on the behavior of others.

Footnote: We’re also coming upon the 3^rd and final (mercifully) Saturn-Pluto opposition of this phase. On May 25 (7:33 pm Tucson time) the opposition will be exact. Many have credited the September 11 events to the earlier face-off of these celestial heavy-hitters. This is the astrological equivalent of an irresistible force meeting an immovable object. In general, when this opposition occurs it suggests necessary, inevitable destruction for rebirth and restructuring.

Individuals may also experience these influences, particularly if components of their natal chart are triggered by conjunction, square, or opposition (once again, this event noticeably influences anyone with planets in the mutable signs [see above] especially in the 15-19 degree range of any of these signs). So, on a personal level, some part of ourselves must be sacrificed or otherwise relinquished in order for us to continue to grow.

And, lest we forget, Mercury is once again preparing to Retrograde in May. It certainly shouldn’t be a boring month!

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