The Astrologer Weekly: April 2nd – 8th 2012

Sun conjunct Mercury: Think Fast
Communication is about to become a major part of your life, in a very noticeable way. Who you are and how you think are one and the same, and will be for the entire year. From business affairs to matters of the heart, you’ll know exactly what to say and when to say it. In fact, others may have a difficult time keeping up with you mentally — but don’t worry, they’ll catch up eventually! Focus on being as clear as possible, and remember that there are other ways to communicate besides speaking. Writing a note to a special someone in your life is more than just romantic; it’s an unexpected, tangible treat that will prove just how much you care. And you don’t even have to ‘say’ a word!Writing, in general, is a great way to make the most of your year. If you ever wanted to be an author or journalist, this is your year to go for it. Keeping a diary or a scrapbook is another way to channel all your mental energy. You might consider joining a book club, as your critical faculties are highlighted. It’s romantic if you’re already part of a couple, and great way to meet someone new if you’re single. Another great way to meet like-minded people is to take a class — learn to speak Italian, and you just might find someone to travel with you to Italy!

Sun conjunct Jupiter: It’s A Wonderful World
Why have one of anything, when you could have many — or all? This is one of the most favorable aspects, and your year will be filled with good luck, generosity and new experiences. You’ll be full of confidence in yourself, and you’ll have the optimism to believe that you can accomplish anything — and you can! The word ‘limitation’ won’t even make it into your vocabulary.Things will seem to magically work out for you, whether in love, money or family. Your natural generosity of spirit will make you a desirable partner — but then, who wouldn’t love you? Work relations will only improve, and you’ve got a great chance of earning yourself a raise or a promotion. Your thoughts and plans for the future will be more than successful; they’ll earn you the respect you’ve been hoping for.Take advantage of this expansive time by increasing your knowledge of the world around you. This can include taking a class or a trip abroad. Enjoy your time, as you really can make just about anything come true, if you really want it to. The only things you might want to watch out for are a slight tendency towards arrogance, and a big tendency toward overindulgence. The concept of ‘enough’ may be elusive this year. But, who can help being a little arrogant, when you are nearly always right, as you will be this coming year!

Sun opposition Saturn: Breaking Down The Walls
Picture this: You’re at work and your boss tells you that you didn’t get the promotion because she doesn’t believe you can handle the job. Now, ask yourself this: Does she not trust your abilities because you don’t trust them yourself? This is just an example of how boundaries that we create may appear to come from others. This particular case is not necessarily something that will happen — what’s important is that you pay attention to restrictions and limitations that others ‘seem’ to be putting on you, and make sure they aren’t actually of your own making.You’ll find that what goes around will come around in all of your actions this year. Do a good deed, and you’ll reap the rewards. Slack off, and you’ll pay the price. Sadly, the same rule does not fully apply to romance. Relationships may be hard. You may find some power issues arise, and it could fall on you to bear the burden. Step back for a bit and give things a chance to consider things. You’ve got enough to worry about right now without throwing another log on the fire, and you need a lover who can appreciate that.

Mercury in Aries: As Fast As Thought
Patience is a virtue that you’ll have a hard time learning this year. Your mind will be on fire, racing from one topic to the next, soaking as much up as it can before you get too bored. And get bored you will! At the same time, you’ll be exceptionally bright, and when you do take a few moments to ponder some conundrum, you’ll find you easily come up with a unique solution that blows everyone away. In fact, your quick-thinking wit could become your strongest asset these next 12 months — if you can slow down long enough to let that happen.Though slowing your mind down won’t be the easiest thing you can do, you’ll want to pay attention to make it happen. Your reactions will be impulsive and argumentative if you don’t take a moment to think about what was really just said and what your response will be. At the same time, you’ll be incredibly persuasive, and you’ll have the ability to win any argument because you’ll be so quick to understand what the real issues are. But again, your impatience could hold you back, as you’ll lose interest waiting for everyone else to catch up to your line of reasoning. Accept that others won’t be as fast as you and use that to your advantage by getting ahead at work and impressing your superiors.

Mercury retrograde: Mental Murphy’s Law
No matter what your plans are, you can definitely plan on something going awry this year! Your mental style, all forms of communication, travel, and even your electronic gadgets have the potential to be more problematic than usual. Everything from learning a new language to buying a new computer will likely involve a series of unexpected obstacles you’ll have to work around. Emails will get lost, meanings will be misconstrued, flights will be delayed; you can pretty much expect that nearly every aspect of your life, from romance to work, will be affected in some way by all these trials. Murphy’s Laws were likely written for times like this. Basically, if something can go wrong it will. Remember, though, that careful planning, double checking, and vigilant attention will help you minimize most problems. These situations will be annoying nuisances, not life-changing upheavals. There will be times of frustration, and you may have to mop up some messes. On the bright side, you’ll also find that whatever you have to deal with this year will actually help prepare you for future obstacles. This is also a good time to take up journal writing as you will be more introspective than usual.

Mercury conjunct Jupiter: Intellectual Pursuits
Have you ever tried to consider the size of the universe; to grasp just what it meant for something to go on forever and have absolutely no end? Normally, that’s a pretty overwhelming task, but as this year progresses, you’ll find you crave just that sort of mental stimulation. You’ll do everything you can to stretch your mind just as far as it can go.Your mental abilities will be strong this year, and you’ll have no patience for small talk or idle chit chat when you could be contemplating some of life’s most challenging questions. Immerse yourself in brainiac activities — join a philosophic organization, volunteer at a hands-on science museum or delve deeply into the debate of who we are and why we’re here. Because you’ll have such a hunger for knowledge, this will be an ideal time for travel, as well. Wherever you go, you’ll easily pick up even the smallest nuances of the culture, and with each location you visit, you’ll understand humanity that much more.When it comes to love, you’ll desire a partner who has similar intellectual interests. Regardless of who you’re with now, or who you meet later on, you can bet they’ll love your company. You’ll be so eager to try new things and expand your horizons that your mere presence will be enough to create an exciting atmosphere.

Mercury opposition Saturn: A Cynical Soul
Beware of the cold and calculating soul who lives within. You know you’re generous and that you care for others, but you’ll have a rather cynical tendency this year, and if you’re not careful, others might begin to suspect that this negative person they see is actually the real you. Prove them wrong by remaining courteous and attentive in any and all situations.Battling that devilish negativity could be made even more challenging as you discover that many people around you will personify your somewhat depressed attitude. Don’t let it get you down. Remember that while it may seem like you’re trying to see how you can turn every situation into a personal advantage, your intent will actually be an attempt to put everything to good use. Unfortunately communication won’t go quite as smoothly as you’d like, so convincing others of your true intentions won’t be easy. This doesn’t mean that you’re alone though! If things start to get too tough, pick up the phone and call a friend or family member. Someone who’s been with you through the hard times will stick with you through this year too.

Venus in Pisces: A Dreamy Unification
A beautiful, friendly connection exists between you and everyone with whom you come into contact. Over the coming year, you will develop a great understanding of the depth to which love’s power can and must penetrate into this world. You will be able to imagine all the ways in which feelings of unity can bring all people together under the guidance of the heart. And though it might be a challenging task, you will attempt to use your own sensitivities to the love of others to try to bring just that sort of unity to life.You will be a highly compassionate soul, and you will easily see the divine in everyone. However, if you go too far with this, you could over-idealize those you care most about, and at the risk of pushing them away. Your imaginative depth is incredible, and you should use it to put yourself in the shoes of others to see how your energies might be affecting them. This same imagination can also produce the dreamiest, most aesthetic artwork imaginable. You will practically be a vessel for bringing dreams and all their imagery and symbolism into reality. Enact the powers of your imagination properly, and your dreamy demeanor could attract whomever you desire.

Venus sextile Pluto: Deep Connections
There is no such thing as a shallow love for you. Everything you do for the next 12 months will be done at the absolute deepest level, and you won’t have any patience for small talk or superficial acquaintances. Get to know people for who they really are on all levels, especially your partner (or someone who may soon be your partner), and you’ll discover a whole new world of relationships. It is through this knowledge that you’ll achieve understanding, and it’s through understanding that you’ll achieve acceptance. You’ll find that the more you know and understand people, the harder it is for you to feel anything but true affection for them.You’ll find this acceptance also draws you to people in need — you’ll want to help anyone you can. Channel your subconscious, creative energies, and you’ll come up with unique and successful methods to assist anyone who needs it. By effectively communicating your most basic values, you’ll also find that you’re more likely to come into contact with those people with whom you can have the deepest connections. You can use this skill to avoid those shallow associations that will drive you crazy.

Mars in Aries: Coming In First
Drive and determination will take you far this year, as you’ll find yourself willing to fight to reach your way to whatever success you desire. You won’t be happy unless you can manage to be first in whatever it is you’re trying to do. From work to romance you’ll do whatever you believe is necessary to make sure things work out in your favor. As long as you can keep your temper from getting in your way, everything will go the way you want it.You’ll love all things spontaneous, and you’ll prefer to leave the planning and details to others. It’s your goal to go after the big picture, and you’ll have the courage to take some pretty major risks in order to see your ideas come to life. You may even act a bit impulsively — in fact, there will be plenty of times you will definitely act without thinking — and you could become a bit hotheaded if you don’t feel like something you’re working on is getting started as quickly as you’d like. What you’ll need is a channel for all your excess energy. Focus on a project, like fixing up your house, solving a problem at work or starting a new exercise routine.

Mars conjunct Uranus: Rebellious Energy
‘Rebel without a cause’ doesn’t even begin to describe you. For the next 12 months, it will practically be your goal to stand out from the crowd, whether you have a good reason to or not. However, if you put this energy toward a good cause for creating a positive change, then your rebellious nature will take on a unique, activist-type approach that will benefit you and those around you. You are about to become a warrior for new and improved ways of doing things. Whether that’s a faster way to mow the lawn or attempting to end world hunger, your efforts now will put you ahead of the crowd. You’ll have energy to spare when it comes to putting your plans into action. Just make sure there’s reason and method to your madness. Creating change for the mere sake of creating change is not necessarily the best approach. Realize that some routines are there for a reason, and altering things could make life more difficult for anyone involved — including you. If you find yourself filled with an unusually strong anger or passion, put it to good use. Volunteer for a political campaign or join an organization that stands up for a cause you believe in: Just get out there and do something positive with your energy.

Mars square Pluto: Controlling Your Lust For Power
Do you remember Princess Leia’s comments in the original Star Wars about ‘The more you tighten your grip, the more star systems will slip through your fingers’? Well, you may not be dealing with star systems, but the lesson there will become brutally obvious to you this year: The more you try to control something, the less control you’ll have. Nonetheless, you will be relentless when it comes to attempting to achieve absolute control. That will be your goal, and you will go to any dark and dangerous means necessary to try to satisfy your lust for power. Using devious measures and manipulation to get your way may seem like a good idea at the time, but this will ultimately lead you into trouble from which you’ll have a hard time escaping. Don’t think for a moment that control in a romantic relationship is anything to strive for. You’ll easily confuse anger with passion, and the result could be that you end up alone. In fact, going it alone may be your best solution this year. There are some deep and dark roads to self-discovery you need to head down, and the fewer people you take with you, the better of you’ll all be in the end.

Jupiter in Aries: Major Breakthroughs
Seeing your big ideas turn into reality will be no problem for you. You will have an incredibly fresh and innovative way of viewing the world, which will help motivate you to kickoff new projects this year. As you embark on whatever new path you choose, you’ll intuitively know how to push your old methods aside to make room for the new ideas and people that will be coming your way.Breakthroughs will be a major theme in your life for the next 12 months. Your enthusiasm and eagerness will help you get started on projects, and the growth and understanding you develop as you move through the year will allow you to see these projects through to the end. In fact, individual growth will be one of those breakthroughs you’ll experience, and once you get past any ego hang-ups that may be slowing you down, you’ll be on a direct path to knowing exactly what and when things need to get done, as well as knowing how to do them. Are there any negative sides to this? Well, realizing that you’re right so often might make you a tad arrogant, so you’ll want to watch out for that, but on the whole, this will be your time to make something great happen with your life.

Jupiter opposition Saturn: Choosing The Right Path
You’re coming up to a fork in the road: Should you take the road toward expansion and optimism, or the path that leads to responsibility and achieving goals through hard work? Unfortunately, it’s not really a decision that you’ll be able to make. During the next 12 months, this dilemma will pop up over and over again, mostly resulting in confusion. Your options will be completely polarized and finding a middle ground could start to feel impossible.You’ll find yourself torn between grand life schemes and the details and effort that will be involved in bringing them to life. It would be nice to just be an idea-person, but your ideas can’t turn into reality without a lot of hard work. You’re going to have to try to find a balance between these opposing forces. And then you’ll also be faced with deciding when to fix past mistakes and when to forge ahead with your future. This will require great mental strain and possibly even physical effort, but if you succeed, you could be on the track to great prosperity. This probably won’t happen immediately, but rather, by the end of the year, you could be much wiser and on the path to personal, professional and romantic prosperity.

Saturn in Libra: Hard Decisions
Indecision is waking up, shaking itself off and getting ready to rear its ugly head. You might want to prepare yourself for a lot of unpleasant decisions in the coming months. That doesn’t mean that you’ll have to choose between a rock and a hard place, but choosing between something like two people with whom you’re in love is never a fun choice to make either. As you struggle to deal with whatever options are placed in front of you, you may begin to suffer from feelings of self-doubt.The first step toward fixing these issues will be to accept that they exist. If you’re in denial about any of your fears — and those include fears of compromising yourself or losing your balance in life, as well as indecision — your world will only become more complex. On the other hand, if you can face your fears and come to terms with them, you’ll have a much healthier approach to the decisions you have to make, which will help make your future choices much easier to deal with. Taking on a responsible perspective with your options will also allow a natural balance to come back to your life, almost without any extra effort from you.

Saturn retrograde: Back To The Drawing Board
The drawing board is where it’s at this year, and that’s where you should try to spend most of your time. You could turn into a planning machine if you give yourself half a chance. And these won’t be what-to-do-on-Friday-night plans, but rather, what-to-do-with-the-rest-of-your-life plans. Keep in mind though, that the year is about plans, not so much about taking action. You’ll have the rest of your life to figure out how to turn your ideas into reality, so, for the time being, you should just focus on coming up with those ideas.One of the problems you’ll face — and this would be especially true if you were to try to go big with your plans — is that you’ll feel inhibited by some sort of authority figures or societal rules. Whether your boss isn’t in the mood to listen to your proposal, or you can’t get a permit to open a store in your neighborhood, you’ll start to feel like you’re being blocked every step of the way. So relax a bit and follow the rules for now. The time will come soon enough when you’ll know that your planning needs to turn into action.

Saturn square Pluto: Challenging Learning Curve
Ugh! You know exactly what it is you have to do to get ahead, and yet it seems like everyone and everything around you is trying to slow you down, stop you or even push you backwards. From your disgruntled boss who doesn’t want to promote you to getting stuck in terrible traffic on your way to an interview, you’ll begin to feel as though the universe is in a conspiracy to hold you back — even worse; you’ll be right. The planets have aligned themselves in such a way that these next 12 months will be about learning to deal with severe adversity.Resisting these forces could become your only goal this year, but if you find that happening, you might want to rethink what you’re doing. This is a time for you to learn. These dilemmas and challenges will pop up for a reason and you need to pay attention to them and see how you can work with them. What might they be telling you? Are you trying to head in the wrong direction? Are your expectations too high? Should you try to make an even more dramatic transformation in your life? The obstacles will inevitably be frustrating, but they could lead to changes that are necessary for you to progress with your life. So try to take everything with a grain of salt and a level of detachment.

North Node in Sagittarius: Personal Belief Systems
Yours is an expansive future, one in which you’ll have the most success when you can look around you and put everything into a larger perspective. There is a holistic nature to all things, an inherent connection between everything you do and see, and it will be up to you to try to find the purpose and meaning to these events. Create your own belief systems that take everything you understand and use that knowledge to make sense out of the world. This will help you push forward with your own personal development. Intellectual studies, education and travel can all assist you to pursue that elusive goal of the meaning of life. Your ability to collect facts and information will be strong, and you’ll be able to piece together ideas and systems of thought and turn them into principles to live by. Once these are in place though, you may discover you have tendencies to stick so strongly to your beliefs that they become dogma. However, it will be your openness to new ideas that will be one of the most crucial aspects to enhancing your life experience and your view of the world. Be spontaneous, optimistic and broad-minded as you venture down your journey of life.

Neptune in Pisces: Altruistic Motives
The truest compassion is not something that comes and goes depending on your moods or the circumstances, but rather, it’s a state of being. It should be given out as unconditional love for all creatures, good and bad. The most real feelings of brotherhood and sisterhood will come to you this year when you are able to develop a genuine empathy for all creatures on earth. You will feel something of a craving to get out and help those in need as much as possible, and that’s one craving you should certainly give in to. Volunteer at homeless shelters, children’s organizations, hospitals, etc. — anything that will leave you satisfied with the work you’ve done.Your spiritual connection will also become much stronger, and you’ll feel an overwhelming desire to transcend the rational world and move more fully into your belief system. Again, feel free to give in to the desire. Let your dream world and your imagination guide you along the path to enlightenment. Just be sure you don’t fall astray into the world of escapism. Though you might enjoy yourself there, you will not fully complete yourself until you leave the physical realm behind your entirely.

Pluto in Capricorn: Societal Transformation
Your mission for the year will be a total overhaul of all the outmoded forms of society that can no longer measure up or function as they’re supposed to. Sound like a big job? It is. But you can start by just focusing on the structure of your own life and trying to transform that before you even attempt to tackle societal issues. One of the key areas you might want to look at improving, though, will be your social status. The higher you can raise your social standing, the more freedom you’ll have to make more necessary changes later on.In fact, if you can increase your social status, you’ll actually be on the path to breaking up some of society’s most useless structures, which involve placing power in a small minority. Your goal is to work your way into that minority and try to break it up from the inside. Again, this is by no means a small task, and you should only focus on your own life this year. Maybe a promotion at work can help you reset some of your corporate structures, giving you practice for a bigger job later on. If you want to jump right in to freeing society from the power of the social elites, then see what kind of luck you can have in your own town. Volunteer for an elected official or get your own name on the ballot for the next election.

Uranus in Aries: The Energy Of Life
All beings, all forms of life, everything that moves — it all requires energy to keep going. Humans are special in that they can choose how they use this energy. This year, your goal, should you choose to accept it, will be to transform yourself and possibly the world with the pioneering and radical energy that will bubble up from within you. Creative and original currents of ideas will course through you, and it will be up to you to see them through to creation. Your mind will be active and engaged, and your inner urges will encourage you to move into action. Any challenge placed before you will be one you will happily meet, but remember that there’s more to overcoming adversity than just meeting it: You must follow through, as well. Once you’re able to overcome your difficulties, you’ll find that your progressive nature is able to bloom on its own. Basically, this all boils down to figuring out the most effective uses for your mental powers. Fortunately, you’ll be practically fearless about change and about your approach to life. When you know where to point your aggression and intelligence, a powerful, progressive transformation will begin.

Uranus square Pluto: Pressure Buildup
Imagine a tea kettle. You’ve put the water in, and turned up the heat. Then you wait as the water begins to boil, and that’s when it starts to get interesting. The pressure builds and builds until so much steam is being forced out of a tiny opening that it begins to whistle — and then it screams. And if you leave it long enough, the lid might just pop off. Now, imagine that’s your life. Some or most of your life is building up a lot of pressure and it’s about to explode. Things could get really messy for a while, but the relief you’ll feel when the pressure is off of you will be well worth it. You’ll finally be able to move on to something else.If you want to make things a little easier, you can find aspects of your life that clearly need improvement and begin to make the changes yourself. That will help release some of the pressure early, so you won’t deal with quite such a big eruption. Something you’ve depended on for a long time will suddenly disappear — your car might die or your computer might crash completely — and you’ll need to simply accept that as fact and go out and get something better.