As soon as I heard the sad news about rock star and reality TV celebrity, Bret Michaels, having a massive brain hemorrhage, I instantly thought, "Something Mars, maybe Aries." My second thought was, "No, with all those hats and headscarves, that must be the crown of Leo!"

So, a quick jump from Wikipedia, where his birth date is given as March 15, 1963, to the ephemeris, and we see, of course, he's a Pisces with a Moon in Scorpio. Then, there it was....Mars in Leo on the day of its direct station, which emphasizes the activity of a natal planet! Furthermore, transiting Mars, of course, has been moving over the conjunction to this natal Mars in the last few months of its retrograde movement, probably setting the stage for the occurrence.

With a natal Sun-Jupiter conjunction in Pisces, Michaels must be a lucky guy, and with transiting Jupiter moving over those planets now while he is in emergency care, Providence with him. So, we wish him a healthy recovery.

John Marchesella

Saturn opposite Uranus: April 26, 2010

We are approaching the 4th Saturn/Uranus opposition in the sky on April 26. It’s time to once again take stock and see how these two planets are trying to raise our consciousness. Saturn is the builder. He wants to keep structures firm and strong. He tests, depending on what house he currently transits, areas of our lives where we need to learn lessons. Some lessons are painful and others are more satisfying depending on whether you’ve been doing your homework or not. His job is to keep the status quo through effort, hard work and discipline. Uranus on the other hand asks where we need to divorce from Saturn’s confining nature and reach out and try things in an unconventional way by taking risks and breaking past the chains that Saturn so firmly wants to hold on to. Uranus wants enlightenment. So by house look at where these two giant energies are falling and see in what area of life you need to get serious by working hard and exerting effort in order to get a payoff in the material world (Saturn) and in the other area where Uranus is sojourning look towards the future and new opportunities that are calling and beckoning you to be more adventurous, free, rebellious and forward seeking. Uranus demands a break from the status quo. The secret is to combine these two diverse energies so that you don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. It is a balancing act to see where we must keep the old forms and make them stronger and where the old forms can welcome new innovative ideas that eventually make a new foundation in our life. And of course don’t forget to see what planets are being aspected by this transiting energy. One more thing, since this opposition is again at the end of the mutable signs we must be processing mentally by thinking and planning what it is we want our reality and future to be. So do your homework and trace back over the past few years beginning on 11/4/08, 2/5/09, 9/15/09 and now 4/26/10. These are the planning stages and while things have definitely been active, especially if you have planets at the late mutable degrees, the action really fires up as we approach 7/26/10; the final opposition of Saturn and Uranus at 0° Aries/Libra smack on the cardinal axis. Have fun!

Joseph Addeo

Steven Forrest: Sample Evolutionary Astrology Reading

Pluto Stations Retrograde on April 6

As Pluto stations retrograde it’s time to resuscitate issues that we thought have been long dead and buried. Honor the past by paying respect to those people, emotions, feelings and thoughts that get under your skin in a relentless and unconscious way. Perhaps we may view these things in a negative light but Pluto demands we get conscious about our addictions, obsessions and paranoia by transcending and transforming them into something greater, more within our conscious control rather than left in the recesses of our memory where it controls us. Or perhaps it really is time to purge and kill things off in one final death blow. It’s all about emotional processing so dive into the abyss and don’t be afraid to face the dark side and come out the other end even stronger. Expressing negativity is much healthier then suppressing it – just find trusting people and environments.

Joseph Addeo

Saturn in Libra

The Spring 2010 Ingress is all about SATURN IN LIBRA with articles by John Marchesella, Faith McInerney, Elissa Serrano and Annabel Gat.

Saturn goes back into Virgo on April 7, stations on May 30 and then enters Libra completely on July 21.

In our issue, Faith McInerney talks about past expressions of Saturn in Libra, especially regarding marriage and relationships.

John Marchesella further explains the situation by examining past Saturn-in-Libra events. Read John's complete article here

Elissa Serrano shares the wisdom of Martha Graham who was a famous Saturn-in-Libra person.

And Annabel Gat discusses Saturn in Libra in the context of its current square to Pluto and the profound psychological questions it raises for people.

If you are a NY chapter member of NCGR, you should be receiving your copy in the mail any day.

If you are not a member, you can purchase a copy for $5.00. Email editor@astrologynyc.org for more information.

Pluto Problems Got You Perplexed?

Here's What Helps...

Check out DONNA CUNNINGHAM'S International Astrology Day blogathon with articles by NCGR-NYC members.

"What to Tell Astrology Clients about Pluto in Capricorn" by John Marchesella

"Dealing with Transiting Pluto on the Angles" by Lawrence Grecco

See the articles HERE

It Must Be Getting Better! They Said So On TV

Oh, sure. The Economy is getting better. The recession is just about over. People are starting to buy. Everything is loosening up. Even real estate is showing signs of recovery. Yes, it’s all true. This is happening
on the Planet ZORCAN maybe.

So then, a little nervous are we these days, huh? Even bordering on totally insane? Finding yourself plop into the middle of a complicated enmeshment you can’t pull out of? Feel sometimes as if you’ve made so many stupid mistakes the only way out is through the window? Although it may not seem possible at moments, you actually can straighten everything out--if you give yourself time and provided you can bear the pain of change. It’s a matter of faith and trust, followed by swift action.

Just think about your life right now. Are you or are you not making choices that will affect your future for a long time to come, even though you may feel squeezed into doing so? Collectively as a society as well, it is becoming clear that the old way doesn’t work any more. Talk about a new paradigm. This is something history will remember as a turning point in human social evolution.

As astrologers our observations are based on charts and graphs describing the movements of planets and stars, but when you think about it, listening to astrologers is no crazier than depending on the notions that economists come up with through their more-often-than-not erroneous computer models and economic projections. You simply have to have some respect for the accuracy of astrologers and how we make hypotheses and predictions.

Astrologically, never before in our lifetime have three outer planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto reached the last quadrant of the Zodiac and formed this configuration at the same period in time. So it’s a big deal. Something is over, but certainly not the end of the world. And despite the beliefs of many, there WILL be a 2013. When we see Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto squaring and opposing the United States Venus and Jupiter over the next couple of years, we know there has got to be a greater stress on the American resources and the value of the dollar.

Uranus at the end of the Zodiac? Think Good Friday (the first one) around noon and you’ll get the picture.

We have to be hip to what planets are doing, how they will affect mood and attitude, what is likely to happen to the economy and real estate and stock. Most important, however, we need to figure out what’s happening for ourselves individually as well, how to regroup, recoup and reinvent ourselves even during a period when we may think all hope is lost.
It isn’t.
And ever new beginning has to follow an ending. And every dawn has to follow night.
So stay tuned.
Michael Lutin