Forecast for week of April 30-May 6, 2012

By Kathy Biehl

This week we’re alternating between the accelerator and the brake pedal. No wincing at the prospect of braking! It may prove more welcome and beneficial than you think.

The start/stop vibe offers opportunities to breathe and acclimate as events speed up. It can also be fun, especially if you decide to take advantage of the braking times. Fortunately, they’re on a predictable schedule this week, which means you can plan for and work with them.

Mars, the planet the rules action and motivation, is propelling us forward. The pressure on him (form the Moon’s nodes) is squeezing us to move from old, knee-jerk behaviors into healthier, more conscious approaches. Memories of the past do not need to control. The fact that some are surfacing — and painful ones, at that, thanks to tension between Mars and Chiron — just as easily means that they’re coming up for airing, addressing and healing.

While Mars is pumping the gas pedal, other forces are bearing on the brake. Every other day this week, the Moon is void of course for at least eight hours at a stretch.

Brief refresher on voids: A void starts when the Moon makes its last aspect in one sign and ends when she enters the next. Although the nature of that last aspect colors the void, all voids have certain characteristics in common. They are diffuse, dreamy and hard to steer. During the void, it’s really best to sit back and let things happen. Nothing lasting generally comes of matters that start or are pushed then, so do not schedule important meetings or contract signings during them. Use the time instead for quiet, renewal, brainstorming, contemplation and generally letting life play out.

The start/stop schedule runs like this: All systems are go Monday until mid morning, when the Moon goes void from 10:18 AM – 7:43 PM EDT. We’re back online Tuesday. Wednesday we’re down again for the entire day, with the Moon void from about 7 AM till around 10 PM EDT. Thursday gets a green light that lasts till early afternoon Friday, when the Moon goes void from 2:02 PM – 10:20 PM EDT. Saturday is westward, ho! (and a Full Moon in Scorpio, too; look for my forecast on the site by Friday.) Sunday is truly a day of rest, with the Moon void from 8:14 AM to 9:40 PM EDT.

Start/stop. Start/stop. Start/stop. Do not let this drive you nuts. Use the flow and ebb. The pace will zoom, and then it won’t. By the time that happens, you’ll be craving a break. Let up; think; ponder; take it what’s just happened in the flurry; regroup.

Think of this week as a long car trip. When you’re moving, you’re making great time and gobbling up the miles. When the voids hit, pull off the road and stretch your legs. Explore the thoughts and emotions you’ve pushed back while in the thick of the action (all of which will grow more and more noticeable as the Full Moon approaches). Have a snack. Head for a scenic overlook and enjoy the view. Snooze, even. The change of pace will clear your mind, recharge your stamina and make your attention all the keener and sharper.

My five-minute podcast offers another, shorter take on this week’s events. If you like it, please give it five stars on iTunes! (Don’t want to use iTunes? Visit my Podcast/Video page.)

Want to understand how all this is affecting you? Book a reading with me!

Monday: The skies are pushing us out of our comfort zone, and hearts expand in the process. Tackle the uncomfortable and emotional rewards will follow. (Possibly financial ones, too, or at least glad tidings regarding them.) Schedule big pushes before mid-morning. The Moon is void of course for most of the day, from 10:18 AM to 7:43 PM EDT. Inside the void, the atmosphere is uneasy. It’s as if you’ve unknowingly walked into a house of mirrors (an old-style carnival funhouse designed to disorient and distort). Stay calm. Don’t believe everything you see and hear. Trust yourself. If you remain puzzled (or are simply curious), put writing materials near your bed.

Tuesday: The dreamworld runs through yesterday’s developments — and running is likely what you’ll feel you’ve been doing all night when you step out of bed. Motivating information flies through the overnight hours and culminates in an abrupt mental course correction. It’s beneath the jitteriness in the air (and possibly your nervous system) early morning. Think of that discomfort as incentive to leave yesterday’s lollygagging behind and get moving while the skies are cooperating. Some of yesterday’s funhouse effect, on the other hand, is still affecting communication. When something doesn’t make sense, trust your instincts and wait for the fog to clear before relying on any statement. This is not the day to investigate detours and rabbit holes; keep your focus on the road. The second half of the day has the potential to be extraordinarily productive and satisfying.

Wednesday: The Moon is void of course from 6:58 AM to 10:34 PM EDT. That floaty atmosphere has undercurrents of relationships and agreements that are out of alignment. This is the moment in the long drive to walk off from your traveling companions and take quiet time for yourself. People are on edge, including you. Talk (if you must) but not push to fix anything. Proceed gently, maturely, responsibly, soberly.

Thursday: Mercury is highly active, making this a busy day for all methods of information exchange. Some of what flies will be aggravating; translate that into motivation and incentive, instead of an excuse for letting off steam at someone. Some will excite and ignite and have you running after more. Some will build social bridges and open the door to mentally stimulating delights and companionship. It will be nigh-on impossible to make it through this day as a recluse. Even if you do manage to stay inside your own head all day, you will undergo a mental adventure that lands you in a far different place than you occupied at sunrise.

Friday: After yesterday’s flurry of communication, emotional processing and assimilating is the order of the morning. Much of that occurs in the dreamtime, so take notes of dream fragments if you don’t wake up clear on what yesterday means to you. The Moon meets Saturn before going void of course from 2:02 PM to 10:20 PM EDT. The afternoon is contemplative, grounding and internally productive. This is the moment on the trip when you stop to refuel, check the oil, wipe the windshield and clean all the bags and wrappers out of the car. The efforts have no staying power. You’re going to use up the gas and oil, the windshield will get dirty again, and clutter will return to the interior. Still, the effort is worthwhile. It makes the next stage of the journey more comfortable, not to mention possible.

Saturday: Moody day. Actions are unclear or confusing. It’s easy to misread motivations, or have yours misunderstood. No one’s much inclined to work out what’s going on, either; cooperation is in short supply. People are saying no, or putting up walls, or laying obligations onto you. The evening’s Scorpio Full Moon, on the resource axis, has everyone hyperaware of cost/benefit analyses, as well as issues of self-worth and intimacy. What are you getting back from your investments of time, money and emotion? The instinctive reaction will be to see lack. Strive to perceive what is present as well. More’s in my mooncast, which will be posted by Friday.

Sunday: Give yourself a day off. The Moon is void of course from 8:14 AM to 9:40 PM EDT. That breather applies to intense or involved interactions with others. You’re not the only one chewing on what’s come to light under the Scorpio Full Moon. Social dealings are bristly, so push confrontation at your own risk. It may not be much calmer to stare into the depths of your own being, but it’s certainly more fruitful.
© Kathy Biehl 2012. All Rights Reserved. You may forward this article as long as the copyright notice is intact. No part may be used or reprinted without my prior written permission. Karma, ya know.

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