Metaphysically Speaking

At the end of October 09 Saturn will enter Libra.  Under most normal cycles this would not be as interesting as it is this year. Why?  Because this Saturn ingress into Libra immediately brings a square to Pluto.  And further down the road there is be a cardinal grand cross. And all this has brought on a plethora of serious and sage predictions by astrologers.  Added with the now tsunami of hype about the year 2012, one has to sit back and give this some thought.

I HAVE RECEIVED SO MANY CALLS FROM THIS WEBSITE ABOUT THE WORLD ENDING IN 2012 THAT I WANT TO SAY THAT THE WORLD WILL NOT END.  WE ARE SIMPLY CHANGING CALENDARS AND HOPEFULLY CONSCIOUSNESS.  AGAIN, THE WORLD WILL NOT END WITH THE DECEMBER ECLIPSE IN 2012.
Saturn entering Libra brings the planet of judgment and karma to its point of exaltation.  Libra, the sign of the scales is the favorite sign of Saturn.  Here with the scales it can make judgments with the acuity and intellect of an air sign combined with the force and pragmatic assuredness of an earth sign.

Last time Saturn entered into Libra was in 1980. Many of my clients were not even alive at this time.  But those of us who were on the planet know that this was the beginning of the Regan years.  And that transition from the Carter to the Regan administrations was certainly trying.  From run away inflation to the greatest recession the USA had had since the “big on” of the thirties.   And interestingly enough that great recession hit in 1982 when Saturn was in CONJUNCTION with Pluto in Libra. This was in November in 1982.

So there are a lot of economic factors to consider here, but to my mind, the conjunction was power house enough to consider for a moment.   The fact of the matter is that the recession of the Regan years was worse than what we have gone through so far with Obama.  And there have been two different ways of looking at the economic crisis of the time - Regan had the percolate down economic outlook  and Obama has the stimulus package approach.  How this will play out is still coming down the pike.  However to my mind Obama and his health care battle makes his vision for the US so completely antithetical to that of Regan.     My hopes are that some health care can be passed.

HOWEVER WHAT DOES THIS INGRESS MEAN TO THE AVERAGE PERSON?

First, if you know enough about your chart to know which signs your planets are, then look for planets that make aspects with early cardinal signs.  Saturn squares or conjunctions bring an energy of analysis and in some cases crisis.  Something must be decided and something must be done.  When one ads to this the placement of Pluto in the mix, those of us who have early cardinal aspects must deal not only with judgments and must be made and acted upon, but transformational energies that may be particularly challenging.  Here we find situations which can no longer be swept under the rug, or kept under the rug.  There is the feeling of death and rejuvenation to this time.  Old modes of thought and action must be shed so that growth can take place.  And shedding old forms of thought and action cannot be the easiest thing to do.  It should easy enough to tell a client, “Well there are some significant transformational energies coming your way, look for change, whether you want it or not.  And it will come whether you resist it or not.”

The fact is that often change does not come in pretty packages, and not as simple as the pages in a psychology book.  There is pain.  And, for me at least, pain is never easy. Yet what one can learn is that pain can be dealt with by conscious discipline. Learning to identify the pain, where it is, how it feels, the shape and location.  Pain has a rhythm to it, and when looked at and dealt with, pain can become a part of a time of transition that is like childbirth.  The pain is there, but it will bring a new life.  The pain will go away. And the best approach is to learn to surrender to the pain and by that act get a grip.  It is when we think that we are in control and pain can get worse.  Putting pressure of control on pain only brings more intensity.

Okay, so there may be pain.  What else can we expect?  Real growth. Not pie in the sky growth, but measurable growth.  A project, a new way of really acting and being, a different way of relating.  Judgment and decision will make one chose one path over another so that there will be a sense of new direction or renewed  confidence in the direction one had chosen earlier.

For some of us, the early 1980s were fantastic.  New growth, new directions were possible in so many ways. The 1970s were winding down and the consciousness was towards a commitment to a direction that was more settled in.  Watergate, the War, Nixon were all behind us. There was a sense of direction in the flow of the innerself.   So many of my clients at that time we finding exciting paths on their journey in this life.  For those of us in California in particular, I think the 80s were very special.  It was not until the later 80s with the worry about aids (Pluto in Scorpio) that the decade became one of health crisis.

Let us surrender to this Saturn/Pluto square from Libra to Capricorn.  Open our hearts to the true decisions that we have to make to correct our darhma  and keep our karma moving towards mukshaw.  There will be the descent into the world of the shadow and yet the resurrection in the light.  These are truly the very best and worst of times.  Never before has the planets had so many resources to do things right or to do them wrong.

Never before has the individual been blessed with the best of technology.  Never before have we been cursed by the best of technology. There is a core within our soul that can find expression through all this, which can find a way to manifest a greater growth, a great depth of self realization through these times, if only we take a moment to step back and look at our true goals of spirit as how these goals have been advanced or thrwarted by our previous decisions.  We must learn to surrender to the direction of these deeper goals, to accept the pain and transcendance that can be experienced here as we stand collectively and individually on the threashold of a time never before experienced by either the personal or collective self.  And, I am convinced if we all look inward with love and the dermination for spiritual growth that somehow the greater picture will take care of itself.

There is an aspect of the noetic sciences here.  The collective consciousness and personal consciousness generating a great field of being for one and all.    More later.  Yet the end of the book, Lost Symbol,  offers a beginning in understanding how this collective mind may yet heal us all.

September is truly a powerful month. In fact an argument could be made that the week of  the fifteenth and the eighteenth will put more astrological energy into our lives than we have experienced for awhile, and we have had quite a bit coming our way lately.

September brings two events to light: First, on the 15^th is the exact opposition of Uranus and Saturn.  These two planets have been dancing in Pisces and Virgo since November 4^th 2008.  And the dance will go on until the last exact opposition in April 26 2010.

We need not really point out (or do we?) that the first exact opposition, occurring on Election Day 2008 gave us our first Afro-American president and the first president since Clinton who could speak in complete, cogent sentences.

When we stop and  further realize that all this was happening while Jupiter was conjunct Neptune in Aquarius we should be thankful that we are spending some soul fulfilling incarnation  time on this planet at the present point in history earth’s history,  for things are going to get really interesting.  (For some of us war babies, we checked in to catch the beginning of the atomic age.)

In this century, we are witnessing the U.S.A. try to reinvent itself.  We are also experiencing the transformative process that we as a people and as individuals on both a personal and societal level are going through at this time.   We are seeing the largest national debt, the biggest economical bailout, the rabid battle over health care, all while two wars are still going on, draining money and effort that could be spent elsewhere and what about the prospect of China eclipsing the US as a world power growing on the horizon.  Global warming is looming more and more dangerously as an immediate threat as the planet heats up at an amazing pace.  We must go green to survive!

And another chapter is going to be written with the energy released in September.  Why?  Because on the 18^th of September we are witnessing a new moon conjunct Saturn and Mercury (retrograde).  Three are personal planets (Sun Moon Mercury) that will be right on the opposition points of the big daddies of power, Uranus (ruler of Jupiter and Neptune by the way) and Saturn . And it is a new moon, I think that with just a little fudging we could almost rate this with a minor eclipse.

What omelets of energy will be dished up here! It would appear that everyone will get their own serving of this exciting astrological event. September will be a month of renewing our emotional and soulful connections in a moment in history where there will be great fireworks in government and social norms.  Some even view this as a count down to the changing of the Mayan Calendar in 2012!

A lot has already been written about the electrical surge of creative power that will be unleashed, about the great changes that will have to happen for everyone. But let me add my own thoughts.   The power released this September will be completely traumatized by the square of Saturn and Pluto at Halloween.   There will be huge changes flowing almost continuously until 20013 when the great cardinal cross starts to abate.

So I am not predicting any real events as I am offering this metaphor taken from weather forecasting.  There is a hurricane season starting this September and there are going to five or six of these cyclones passing through.  What I am telling people is to be prepared just like one would for a hurricane.  Hunker down.  Look to the foundations of your personal beliefs and the actual material events happening in your life.

All that us have will be tested.  Changes will come and those who have built their house on a firm setting above the water line will do well.  For the rest of us who have overextended ourselves in some way, this will be a time of adjustment.  The roof of our personality may be blown off.  The windows of perception may well be shattered.  Possessions and money may be just whisked off into the air.  We will have to hold on and repair after each storm, building stronger and better. It is going to be a challenge, it is going to be exciting, and it is bringing change.  Soul growth is the greater goal here.

To change metaphors: buckle up, the ride is going get really bumpy.  We’ll all get air sick, but after awhile we will adjust to the conditions and even the lightening bolts will be seen as exciting, even though threatening. It will bring thrills, chills and spills.

More with later astrological weather reports! And as you can see by the way I put myself out there, I am not your normal astrologer. Perhaps because I come from a red and green planet a galaxy away

For astrologers and students in Los Angeles the eclipse of the century starts at 7:34 PM July 21 2001 and will last over 6 minutes. It occurs at 29 degrees of Cancer.  While the this eclipse is visible in India, China, parts of Indonesia and Japan, do not doubt its power, for we all will feel some impact,  especially if it hits key parts of your chart. The next eclipse of this size and this impact at equinox levels will not be seen until 2114 over a century from now. So it is an event of historical importance!
The last eclipse of anywhere near this power was in 1973 which saw the firing of Spiro Agnew as Vice President and the appointment of Jerald Ford as VP.  1973 was also the year that President Nixon’s tapes of conversations in the White House signaled the fall of his presidency because of the Water Gate scandal.
Clearly huge eclipses can have great consequences in mundane astrology and we can be prepared for a strong impact on world events.  Since the eclipse passes over China, probably the impact may indicate further riots which started there on the Lunar Eclipse of July 7th at the 15 degrees of Capricorn Cancer often indicating a conflict of personal rights and leadership (flat charts IC and MC mid points). From my point of view the power of eclipses is that this particular new moon has much greater impact on the solar wind and electromagnetic fields between the sun and the earth.
While all this mundane interest is of great importance, it is my purpose here is to suggest how one might consider this eclipse in relation to the natal chart.

First find where the 29th degree of Cancer is in your chart.  What house does the eclipse occur, for it will be in this area that eclipse will impact you. Also consider the house of the opposition — 29 of Capricorn.

If this eclipse hits a planet and activates any angular configurations, consider them very carefully.   For example this eclipse is close to my Pluto in Leo and within 2 degrees of my Moon in Aquarius!  This sets off my Moon-Pluto opposition, indicating that I will have to watch for some strong emotional transitions coming my way. And to be forewarned is to be prepared! This also eclipse hits nearly exactly on my wife’s nodes, so she too can look for changes in her first to 7th house axis, indicating her focus on the goals and future plans will be impacted especially on in areas of self growth and in open relationships, both good and, ah, not so good, such as person who can be a pain in the neck.  Certainly in my house the eclipse will create a lots of dynamic energy.

Often, especially in older astrology books, an eclipse of this magnitude will be considered malefic, or dangerous with possibly negative effects.  This is not alwaystrue.  While some of eclipses of this size have caused large mundane events, the effects in the vast number of natal charts can be very mixed indeed.  I have had clients who have had favorable results from eclipses.  Changes will occur in areas around the focus of the eclipse which will produce favorable outcomes.

Also consider that this eclipse occurs right on the cusp of Leo. The domestic and nurturing meets the leadership and the dramatic.  It is in this focus that we must consider what this means in our charts.  Each of us has situations at home and our outer life which will need to be scrutinized.  If there are areas here that changes have been resisted, this eclipse will affect a change so that growth can continue.

This will be an exciting time for this is truly a magnificent event to experience personally and in terms of the greater world of mundane events.

One final thing–we must consider the “bending” of an eclipse.  This bending occurs roughly 90 days after the eclipse, when the sun forms a T square to the axis of 29 Cancer/Capricorn.  This is often a time when the greatest impact will be seen.  Consider the eclipse in 2008  February and the great Cyclones that hit Burma and Thailand in Taurus. Large areas in Asia were hit with great natural disasters.  That is an example of the “bending” which is truly dynamic.  Most bending are less dramatic than this, but the concept watching events 90 days after the eclipse is something to be considered when one is studying how an eclipse will not only focus in the immediate areas of one’s chart and further on down the line.

All this being said:  be aware, be alert, look to the now and to the future with anticipation and preparation for some roller coaster events to bring dramatic changes and opportunity for personal growth and transformation.

Astrologers all over the world are writing articles and articles about the conjunction of Jupiter and Neptune at 26 of Aquarius and Uranus at 26 Pisces. And lets not forget Chiron right there with them, what could we do without the wounded healer in the mix. What conjuntions!  And rightly so, for the conjunction of Neptune and Jupiter, in any sign, is a significant moment in the cycles astrologers love to analyze. Consider a couple of these–September 1945, World War Two ends, also, January 1984, the first Apple computer is created.

But for my purposes here let’s look at the last time this conjunction took place in Aquarius was in 1843 when hypnotism and  psychology was beginning to open the depth of the unconscious mind.  Chemistry was advancing, photography was really getting launched. Steam was changing shipping. Surgery was changed by the use of ether to perform painless procedures.  The industrial sewing machine started to change how our clothes were pieced together.  Psychologists started thinking more specifically about dreams. Utopian ideas grew out of the thin air, Dorthy Dix started a movement for the reform of asylums and prisons.  While slavery was still around, part of the deepening drive for reform strengthened the antislavery sentiment and the battle over new states being free or slave holding was starting to get very heated in congress.

Needless the say many will say that Neptune Jupiter conjunctions happen every 13 years.  Well not in Aquarius, again, remember the last was 1843!  Obviously we have to turn our eye to social reform and efforts to bring historical problems into a better perspective.

Since I am also a palmist let me say this.  What makes astrology such a wonderful craft is that it takes in the whole history of man, whereas palmistry is always about the individual. A palmist will not be able to write about historical tends from the lines on the hand.  However when it comes to interpreting individual character palmistry can more than hold its own.

But what about Uranus?  It is at 26 of Pisces.  What might that mean?  Well it means a lot, Uranus is still in its dance of opposition with Saturn and this further indicates change to established ways of thinking and fundamentals.  Symbolic of this is that the first exact opposition of Uranus and Saturn was the November 4, 2008 and the election of the first Afro-American president in American history! Is not that indicative of a change in historical and fundamental ways of thinking.  Uranus brings change, inventiveness, revolutionary ideas, social reform, and a spike in the process of national individuation.  Saturn has to reorganize its structural parameters, the boundaries of the possible and the necessary.

In shorthand, Jupiter (expansiveness) Neptune (vision)  Uranus (change) are going into a synergy of energy which promise to really broaden the coming decades.  There are many scholarly articles and books which you can find on Google to study further if you wish.

In the moment of all this twenty-six degree analysis let me point out that what I want to focus on is the new moon at one degree of Cancer on June 22, 2009. You will get the big thrust of the twenty-six degree and so much more.
JUNE 22 09  NEW MOON

I predict that this new moon will be the most powerful one in years.  It is not an eclipse, but that does not diminish the power at work here. This is a mega new moon. The sun, moon and asteroid Vesta are all together at one degree of Cancer being opposed by Pluto at two degrees of Capricorn.  The north and south nodes both form an inconjunct with this configuration.  Here in Los Angeles, the ascendant will be twenty-six of Virgo directly opposite Uranus.  The extra sweetness in this mix is an exact trine of Saturn in Virgo with Mars and Venus in Taurus at sixteen degrees.  What an incredible configuration!

Every planet is in aspect to something except Mercury, which makes this singleton very important, in Gemini,  communication is the only answer.

I often tire of long drawn out delineations of planetary configurations.  What I want to express here is that the time of this new moon is the best meditative moment in the whole year of 2009.

Everyone who reads this blog should make plans to meditate during this time. Personally I will be getting together with some seasoned practitioners of meditation to seek a personal direction as we enter into the deeper astrological events to follow.  It is a time to seek the release of old visions, old structures, old thought forms and to purify the inner being with the powers of not only the outer planets but of the personal as well.  The heart, the soul, the core of self is going to be tested as we go forth from this new moon.   And Mercury as the sole unaspected planet is key in the sense that it is dignified and, on the west coast, in the ninth house.

But the important thing is that this solistace point will be a watershed of some kind. We must start counting these moments as the clock starts to tick down to 2012. The upcoming Cardnal Cross of 2010 lurks ahead, as does the conclusion of the Saturn Uranus conjunction in September of 2009.

T.S. Eliot once wrote that there are moments which are the touchstones of an age, points which define a generation.  Eliot wrote the poem, “The Wasteland” as the expression of the despair of the first half of the twentieth century and the two world great wars–which I might add ended not with a whimper, but with the bang of an atomic bomb.

The question that I pose is, “What is going to be the touchstone of the opening of the twenty-first century?” September 11 was the true beginning of a century that may well get completely out of control. Humanity will be tested as never before. We must pass this test if the younger generation is even to have a planet to inherit!
Still, it is my belief that for each of us who meditates, that during the new moon of June 22, 2009, there will begin a depth of insight and vision, and there will be something magical to this point in time–a time where there will be a wave of vibration, a vibration so important that to miss this wave will be like the poor surfer who missed the greatest set of waves in a generation, simply because he was not in the ocean that day.

Be sure you get into the magical moment of June 22, 2009!

As I write this blog, Mercury is about to go retrograde.  This is a big event in the astrological field. Many people will not travel, sign contracts or start new projects during this time.  Some of this may be rethought when you think that Mercury is retrograde for two months and a week every years. In my own practice I find the last week of the retrograde is the strongest and where one has to be most careful.

Critics of astrology will argue that this fact of two months a year of retrograde activity alone renders Mercury retrograde as a myth.  Mercury is such a small planet, so close to the sun, that who can say it even has any effect?  In this respect, science proves the critics wrong.

There are facts to point out that Mercury is actually a powerhouse with a magnetic field stronger than that the Earth’s, which is hard to believe, but that is what we have learned from flyby satellites.  Here is part of a NASA report about this surprising fact.

The magnetosphere is a region of space around Mercury enveloped by the planet’s magnetic field. Gusty solar wind buffeting the global bubble of magnetism can potentially trigger magnetic storms and other space weather-related phenomena.

“During the first flyby, MESSENGER measured relatively calm dipole-like magnetic fields close to the planet. Scientists didn’t detect any dynamic features other than some Kelvin-Helmholtz waves,” said James Slavin of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Slavin is a mission co-investigator and lead author of one of the papers.

“But the second flyby was a totally different situation,” he says. MESSENGER observed a highly dynamic magnetosphere with “magnetic reconnection” events taking place at a rate 10 times greater than what is observed at Earth during its most active intervals. “The high rate of solar wind energy input was evident in the great amplitude of the plasma waves and the large magnetic structures measured by the spacecraft’s magnetometer throughout the encounter.”

What can one say, but “Wow.”

This magnetosphere is important when considering the mental attributes generally given to interpreting the Mercury in the astrological chart. Thus in a clear sense, the definition so often given to Mercury, that of mental skills and the nervous system, is reflected in this new information from NASA.

With this in mind, it might not be just a superstition that Mercury retrograde foretells  communication problems.  Why is it that it is when Mercury is retrograde that my computer or cell phone decides to give me problems.  Watch the accident reports, the power outages, the negative news (which is usually negative enough!) and it will amaze one that it is possible that there is an increase in problems.  Is this the full moon superstition which critics are always yapping about: the fact that when compared to data collected over a long period of time that the full moon periods do not seem to produce the wild emotional swings that many astrologers and members of Wicca, etc.point out. But lets not go there.
What I want to do here is not to get into a general argument of the meaning of retrograde. What I want to do here is to share with readers of this blog the fact that Mercury, when studied by scientists, has proven to be a powerful planet.  And with its power that close to the sun, could one not also argue that Mercury may in fact have something to do in some slight way with the streaming of the solar wind.  Remember, it takes only a little motion to create a big effect.  If we consider that, according to fractals, a moth’s wing could cause a whirlwind in Iowa, the amazing title of an article from a professor at MIT!  then why not Mercury creating changes in the electromagnetic sphere here on earth.

Think about it.

Chiron is a puzzling member of the sub-sized members of our solar system.  Scholars debate its origin as a comet, a traveling planetoid, or other type of roaming space rock just rambling around the universe and presently in orbit around our sun, but someday will leave us to go on its journey.\

The important thing about Chiron is that it relates to wounding and healing.  Chiron, the Centar was the wisest of his race of half-man, half-horse.  He was wounded by a poisoned arrow of Herculies in an unfortunate accident.  Being immortal he could not die, but had to endure his wound, to reconcile with it and move on, teaching and healing.

Where Chiron is in your chart is where you will experience a significant pain, something that will affect your life and which must be healed through a deep awareness of the nature of this psychic wound and how to understand and work through the effect it has had on your life.

Presently Chiron is about to make a conjunction with Neptune in the sign of Aquarius.  To my mind, this will be an opportunity to look at how each of us relates to the pain and healing of the collective. We are all involved with the pain of lack of vision of many leaders of the various forces in the world and personal  areas.  Greed has wounded our financial markets, aggressive religous fanatics and jingoism threaten the very fabric of the world community.  The rape of Gia the mother earth continues. As a culture we have fallen into a culture that is polluting the planet.

It seems to me that Chiron in Aquarius gives usthe chance to seriously work on healing this wound.  The time is right for people to start working towards solutions to these problems.  It road will be difficult, but new is the time to make a start as each individual realizes that he can do something like recycle, using less energy, cut back on products that continue to pollute.  We have seen a popular new President rise up during this time, it is a time to heal the planet and our vision as a people.

On a personal level this passage of Chiron through Aquarius gives us the opportunity to re-examine the personal vision of our lives, those areas where we have be wounded by making wrong choices, where out side events may have also wounded us to our very soul. This is the time to look to resetting goals for our journey, to find a new and meaninful direction in self achievement and definition. There is a lesson and the  potential for growth in even the most unsettling forms of pain if only the wound is seen as something that can be worked through.

Death, accidents, prejudice, divorce are just a few of the pains we humans must endure.  But during this time of Chiron is Aquarius,the potential of astrology can be most helpful.  The astrologer knows that the solar system keeps on moving, that new planetary configurations will transit the natal chart.  The secret is to use the knowledge of astrology to understand that all is transitory, all will change.  And in this constant change we are governed by the choices we make as the evolving planets move on.

Our challenge then is to heal ourselves through the insight of astrology.  That it is our ability to continue choosing the best choices that the concept of happiness is generated from within.  To continue to dwell on the pain of a wound is to be captured in a moment that keeps one from moving forward.  As deep as the pain may have been, astrology teaches us that we must move on, we must learn, and continue to learn how to cope with the challenges that life, that the transits to the natal chart, gives us.  It is the only way for growth.  Just look at those who have dealt with their pain and moved on as to those who continue to carry their pain with out letting it go.  The obvious answer is to move on, those people who have learned from their pain and created a larger vision for themselves are the role models to emulate.  This is the lesson of Chiron, to heal ourselves both as a culture and as an individual.  And thetime of Chiron is Aquarius is the time to get in touch with the larger collective, the true revelation of ” as above so below” metaphor that can guide us to the true miracle of astrology, to see in the signs and the planets a way to discover and heal ourselves.

     Until April 17, the planet Venus is retrograde.  The cycle of this retrograde is 40 days, as period of time that carries a lot of significance outside the world of astrology.  The great rain of Noah lasted 40 days, the Jews wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.  Forty days Moses was in the mount, Exodus 24:18; and to receive the Law, Exodus 24:18. Forty days Moses was in the mount after the sin of the Golden Calf, Deuteronomy 9:18, 25. Forty days of Elijah in Horeb, 1 Kings 19:8. Forty days of Jonah and Nineveh, Jonah 3:4. Forty days Ezekiel lay on his right side to symbolize the 40 years of Judah’s transgression. Forty days Jesus was tempted of the Devil, Matthew 4:2. Forty days Jesus was seen of His disciples, speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, Acts 1:2.

Could the significance of forty days in the bible?  During their time in Babylon and in Egypt the Hebrews were exposed to some of the finest of ancient astrologers.  Could these stories be told in a way that mirrors a length of time that directly corresponds to the retrograde cycle of Venus? It is hard to say.

          However the retrograde cycle of Venus does give us all time to pause.  Venus rules Taurus and Libra, the second and seventh house. In my opinion, this is time to reflect on the traits of these two signs. Venus is first and foremost a planet of love. The myth of Inanna shows the power of love and betrayal in Inanna’s descent to the under world to see her sister.  So love and the consideration of the issues of love are the first order of business in Venus retrograde.  Where has love been rewarding in one’s life?

Where has it lead to heartbreak?

          Venus in Libra is also the diplomat, the social politician who can navigate the ways of negotiation and compromise.  This then would also represent a time of reflecting over the challenges of one’s social relations, business negotiations and charitable activities.

          For me as an astrologer, this is a time of reflection on the meaning of life, a time to go inward like the great biblical leaders who reflected forty days on matters of deep spiritual importance.  After forty days of spiritual prayer Abraham leaves his father to seek his own way.  This is so important.  During Venus retrograde we each have a chance to meditate and consider finding our own way, our own path.  During this time I suggest to my clients that they go inward and think about their life, their loves and loses, their successes and failures.  From this reflection they can move forward sure that they are renewed and full of positive energy to continue their journey through life.