Midlife Transits

After Michael Jackson’s death, some people immediately and understandably asked me about the astrology aspect. Some people asked about MJ specifically, others about the weirdness of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson dying on the same day (soon after Ed McMahon). Of course, I thought about the astrology too.

But truth to tell I was too bummed by Jackson’s death to have much heart for the astrology of it. I wasn’t much of Michael Jackson fan, other than the fact that Billie Jean is one of my favorite songs of all time. And, like almost everyone else, I liked many of the songs from his heyday and would defend them when they weren’t cool in my circle. I also liked his quote about studying Fred Astaire and saying that one thing he learned from Astaire was that all the great dancers were angry dancers.

Michael Jackson was one of the best angry dancers of all time in my opinion.

But I also felt bad for him and disturbed by him as his times in the spotlight got progressively weirder. The past several years seemed to be just one battle after another for him. I sure did wish he hadn’t all those plastic surgeries. I cringed at pictures of him as a youngster in the Jackson Five, thinking about how unhappy he was during those times, and how drastically he altered any physical trace of that young person from his being.

I remember that he used to eat at a Sufi restaurant on Third Street that I liked and that he was about a block away from me when the infamous Pepsi commercial accident happened. One of my acquaintances was involved in the television movie about his early life.

But these things don’t amount to being a rabid fan–they’re just instances of being touched by his presence as a towering show business talent like so many people were. But you don’t have to be a rabid fan, it turns out, to be shocked and bummed out by the death of an icon.  It almost seemed disrespectful to go running for astro charts, as though they can make the death any more comprehensible or less sad.

So I’ll be a little more general. I’ve not made much of a study of sudden death in astrological charts. Death of any sort is not my astrological specialty; that’s for sure. But still, one encounters death in astrology as one does anywhere else. My limited experience with sudden death points to the following factors in most cases I’ve run across.

8th house involvement. Uranus involvement or sometimes Mars instead. A higher than expected number of occurrences during eclipse seasons. In birth charts, there will often be markers like Uranus in the 8th house or 12th houses, Mars in the 4th or 12th houses, or some sort of repeating theme in the chart that indicates violence, accidents, or something similar.

Another thing I’ve noticed is not exactly astrological. It’s that the person seems to have almost ‘used up’ their life energy as shown in the astrological chart. They’ve accomplished so much of what the chart seemed to indicate by the time of death, that it’s almost as if they’d done it all, done what they came for. Another thing I’ve noticed is that the death often shows up very strongly in the charts of people around them, sometimes more strongly than in the person’s own chart.

But none of this is predictive. I’ve seen plenty of people with the same factors, and they live very long lives. I’ve seen people get through the most dangerous astrological times of their lives and come out on the other side into astrological sunshine.

At any rate, there doesn’t seem to be any sort of a reliable birth time for Michael Jackson, so  I don’t really have a trusthworthy chart to analyze anyway. I suspect he had Uranus in the 8th or 12th house, by transit and natally. I suspect that the triple conjunction of Neptune, Jupiter, and Chiron hit one of the angles in his birth chart, given the circumstances of his death, and that Uranus being at the 26 degree mark as well placed his chart under additional stress.

But I could easily be wrong. And in the end, it may not really matter nearly as much as the wishes of people all around the world that he’s now in peace and that his contributions to our lives be remembered and celebrated.

It’s been staring me in the face for a week but I couldn’t see it.

A Neptune/Jupiter/Chiron conjunction signals massive fraud. I’ve been on the lookout for it. I’ve been warning clients about it. And when it occurs, I can’t see it. I was thinking massive fraud in the Bernie Madoff sense.

Instead, it was the Iran election. I noted the violence and missed the other half of the story. Massive fraud (Neptune) combined with idealistic (Aquarian) demands for justice (Jupiter). Aquarius happens to be the sign of democracy. Neptune is the planet of both deception and disillusionment.

The Iran election happened to take place just as Jupiter moved away from 26 degrees and toward stationing at 27 degrees. Stationing can indicate a stand-off; the planet’s not moving; it’s hard for things to get resolved.

Jupiter’s retrograde now, but it’s also back at 26 degrees. This is the same degree that Neptune’s stuck at (also retrograding) and the same degree that Uranus in Pisces is at. We’ll be in 26 degrees-land through the first week of July. Uranus will be at 26 degrees into August. Uranus is upheavals and disruptions. Pisces has religious overtones.

In other words, the Iranian powers that be picked a hell of a time to rig an election.

This year, your birthday month sees a lot planets in fixed signs, plus Saturn in Virgo in your solar third house of daily life.  Earth energy is abundant too, with Pluto in conservative Capricorn and Mars in stubborn Taurus for half the month. Add it all up and you seemingly get a recipe for stable month with slow and deliberate action, with not much change in your routine. But that’s only half the story.

The rest of your solar chart is just rolling right along like a train on greased wheels, not entirely under control. For one thing, we’ve got eclipses this month (July 7 and 22) that affect you and your partner sign of Capricorn. We’ve got Uranus in your solar house of travel, stationing, getting powerful, and then retrograding. We’ve got jumpy Gemini energy bouncing around the sector of your chart that deals with the subconscious mind.

The eclipses indicate rapid personal growth for you, whether you’re in the mood for it or not, often occurring in surprising or even bewildering ways. Partnerships and your love life may be affected too. Uranus in your solar 9th house likes group travel or travel with friends, and it indicates that broadening your horizons in some way could be very beneficial, even if that simply means studying some interesting subject. And the Gemini action indicates that your subconscious mind is percolating with spiritual growth.

The bottom line is that during the next 12 months, you are going to be going a great distance–mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and/or physically. Next year at this time, it will be your career that will be ripe for action and change, but for the moment it is your personal development that is key. If you were born at the very beginning of your sign, the depth and breadth of your growth will be tremendous. All areas of your life will be affected. But even Cancers born later in the sign will be going and growing this year. You’re at a turning point, Cancer–and hopefully that’s good news.

For years now, your solar chart has had this fear of you getting into some sort of rut. Uranus in Pisces has been the planet in charge of this fear, and it has done everything in its power from 2004 on to prevent you from being able to settle into some sort of stable routine. Some of you have had to wait a long time for visible changes, while for some the changes started back then and haven’t stopped. The most likely sectors of change for you recently have been your love life, your relationship with your children, your social life, or your need for friendship and companionship.

In July, the focus of change switches over to your career and possibly to your residential living situation. We start a series of eclipses in July (on the 7th and the 22nd) that affect these areas of your life and that will continue to do so for the next year and a half or so. This new focus is in addition to the sweet vibes currently animating your social life and friendship sector.

Eclipses in angular houses (astrology speak) can be difficult at times, or so the tradition says, but for you these are more likely than normal to be a piece of cake. If you’ve been responding to your chart’s urgings, you’ve built up quite a support network by now. It’s likely that some of your friends idolize you.

Of course, if you were born during the first three or four days of your sign you’ve been dealing with these changes, especially in career matters, since last year, so you’re an old hand at these things. Whenever you were born, the time is favorable this month to lean on others, and perhaps even to date someone new if you’re in the market.

This month sees a lot of planets in fixed signs, including planets in your own sign. You’ve got Venus in your sign until July 5. You’ve got Mars on your side until July 12. Mercury enters Leo on the 17th, and the sun enters Leo on the 22nd. And of course, we’ve got a whole mess of planets in Aquarius still.

All these fixed planets create the possibility of feeling stuck or as though you’re between a rock and a hard place. So let’s look at some ways to deal with that.

The strongest planets are the Aquarius planets that are supposed to be helping your career. And they can do just that if you adopt a positive attitude and find  a way of buffering yourself against daily stresses and strains. If you feel stuck, try being a giver, for the planets are showing you that the more you give, the more you get. Your altruistic side can also help. Do something for someone else, and you’ll likely feel great, rather than stuck between unpalatable options.

If you can’t handle something on your own, enlist a group to help you out. The more people you get involved, the better you’re likely to feel. You may not be able to control the situations you encounter this month, but you can control your reaction to them.

July sees a lot of planets in fixed signs, plus a lot of planets in earth signs. That usually translates into a big focus on security. For example, as the month opens, Mars and Venus will be in the stubborn and danger-hating sign of  Taurus. Saturn will be in the worrying and risk-averse sign of Virgo. And Pluto will be in safety-conscious Capricorn.

Sounds like kind of dull month, right? Wrong. Not only do we have eclipses on July 7 and 22nd (usually good for livening things up), we’ve also got Venus and Mars moving into your sign this month. Venus arrives on July 5 and Mars on July 12. Once these two get going, you’re likely to be so busy that you’re more apt to be tired than bored!

Change is on the way in your financial houses (an area where perhaps you wouldn’t mind a little more security) thanks to the eclipses. And travel may be on the way for those who respond to the lure of Mercury and the sun in Leo from the 17th on.

Geminis born during the last week of the sign can also grow through long-distance travel. If you haven’t booked your summer vacation yet, there’s still time. Get out of town and have a ball!

Your partnership sector (read: your mate) has been the focus of so much planetary activity in your solar chart for so long, Leo. It’s as though there’s some never-ending situation for you to deal with–and yet things refuse to settle down and become stable. That’s still the case in July, although the fact that all the planets in Aquarius are now retrograde may make things a little bit less hectic. We can hope so.

In fact, there’s a lot of fixed sign energy this month, including the sun and Mercury moving into your sign. You may even feel like things are slowing to a standstill in some areas, although your social life should pick up this month. You may also encounter some surprising news about your job situation. Hopefully it will be positive.

The first few days of the month may be a bit wobbly as Mars in your career house clashes with all those planets in your partnership sector. Call on your friends for assistance if you need to. Other wobbly times are around the lunar eclipse on July 7 and around the solar eclipse on July 22nd. It’s unlikely that you’ll be affected by both, but there may be a general lack of stability in the air.

Things get better after the 22nd, and the last week of the month should see you feeling fine and having some fun I hope.

Summer! Time to get outside and hang with your friends. Yeah, I know you need to work. Maybe you even need to work like crazy this month, but you need your social time too.

Take a walk in the park with your best buds, catch up on all the gossip. It’s not just that you need the refreshment of companionship (which you do); it’s also that your senses need refreshment. Feast your eyes on the greens of nature and feel your mind calm down. Wear your hat, of course; we don’t want your delicate Virgo skin getting a sunburn.

If you have to stay inside, your chart still needs you to be sociable and involved in group activities. There’s a sociable vibe in the job sector of your chart, for example, so maybe you can benefit from being part of a small team at work (about 3 people would be ideal).

Finally, if you’re single, I have to tell you one more thing. You may or may not be looking for love, but it’s entirely possible that love is looking for you. The days around the 22nd will let you know if you’re on Cupid’s hit list. I’m not guaranteeing anything will happen, I’m just saying….you know, it could. Have fun.

The first part of the month is all about career and home and then finally the sun moves in Leo and it’s time for a social life again. Admittedly, there may be some surprises afoot on the aforementioned career and residential fronts, so you’ll probably be glad to welcome cheery Leo energy as of the 22nd of the month. Fortunately, both your social life and your love life are likely to be just fine and there should be no need to look towards making dramatic changes in those areas.

Things are not likely to stay as they are on the home front, though. You’re entering a cycle that will last about a year and a half in which things at home will need to be upgraded or changed, even if you feel you’re not quite ready to make a move just yet. The same basic idea applies to your career path, as well. The universe is scheduled to gently or not so gently push you toward progress in both those areas.

Given that changes are to come, July would be an excellent month to write out some goals. Consider it time for your mid-year resolutions. Pretend that July 1st is your mini-new year (well, it’s the first day of the second half of the year) and set out daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, and long-term ambitions.

Then start implementing them ASAP. You’re visible this month, and there’s no escaping it. If it would help your career, this might also be the month to take some classes or incorporate public speaking skills into your repetoire too.

July is eclipse month, Scorpio. What this normally indicates is that you’ll be making decisions that could greatly alter the routines of your daily life. The decisions may not be easy, as there is a great deal of fixed energy in the skies, all of it clashing to some degree with your sun sign. Too much fixed energy could make you feel stuck, immobilized or even check-mated for awhile.

Some of you may feel resistant to change at the very moments when you know you need it. Still, whatever decisions you make, know that action is likely to be less painful than sitting around wondering what you’ll do if the doomsday scenarios in your head play out. This is especially true if your fears are financial.

Turning to a spiritual practice could help. Some Scorpios will even be joining a new church, as eclipses in the sector of your chart that deals with religion could open up new possibilities for you this year and next. Or you may be thinking of travel as a way to get away and get some perspective on your situation.

Finally, if you can turn your attention away from money issues, this is also a good month to think about your career and what you want to do with that.

First up, Sagittarius, I’ve got to warn you about something. July is the first month in which a series of eclipses in your financial houses will take place. In my experience, solar and lunar eclipses in the financial houses are more strongly correlated with loss through theft than anything else I’ve encountered. Keep a watchful eye on your handbag, don’t take risks, and take appropriate security cautions with your home if you’ll be away on vacation this month.

Of course, for most of you nothing untoward will happen. Still, you may be faced with major changes in your financial life over the next year or two. They may be wonderful changes that will have you singing happy songs, but with eclipses there is usually something of an adjustment period.

There may also be some brief issues or upsets on the home front during the first part of the month as Mercury clashes with Uranus. The good news is that there’s also great energy for getting out and about with your partner or spouse this month.

You may be busy at work, but your partner is still likely to be lovingly attentive, calling to check in with you. And that’s a nice thing.

A lot going on in July, Capricorn. First, an eclipse series in your sign starts this month (July 7, lunar eclipse). Eclipses put pressure on us (well, they’ll put pressure on you) to act on issues in your life that have plagued you for too long. What those issues might be only you know for sure (something to do with relationships perhaps?).

Over the course of the next year and a half or so, you’ll make changes, probably in fits and starts, that will resolve the issues and put you on a higher plane than you’d been operating in the past. If you were born within the first week of your sign, the pressure to act over the next couple of years will be intense, but you’ll be much better off for having faced what you need to face.

There’s also a lot of action in Gemini in July, and for Capricorn, that means a lot of activity on the job. Fortunately, most of the vibes at work are good, thanks to Venus in Gemini from the 5th of July on. You may even be in line for a nice honor; don’t be too bashful to accept it.

Conflict with siblings may also be on tap at the beginning of the month, as Mercury in Gemini clashes with Uranus. Putting a little space between you may help ease the tension. The other area of focus is partnerships and committed or contractual relationships of all kinds. There’s an eclipse in this sector of your chart on July 22nd. Things may be a bit bumpy in this area for a bit. It is possible that either you or your partner are outgrowing something in your current situation. If that’s the case, you’ll need to decide how to handle the growth. There’s no one right answer, and you don’t need to decide everything right away.

June was slow, Aquarius, but July is likely to be busy, at least in an astrological sense. First off, let’s talk jobs and health. July sees the inauguration of a series of eclipses that could eventually bring big dramatic changes in your job or health status. The two eclipses this month take place on July 7 and 22nd.

The sun and Mercury will also be in Cancer to the 22nd. (The sun actually entered Cancer on June 20.) If you need a new job or have a health matter to attend to, now’s the time to take action. If you don’t take action, the changes may be forced upon you by outside circumstances, since that’s how eclipses typically work their magic.

The changes in job status do not affect your career aspirations, as your career house is the only angle of your chart not lit up in July. It would be the form of your job only that would be changing.

The other angles (1st house of personal concerns, 4th house of home and family, and 7th house of partners and mates) all see energy this month. There could be changes in any of these areas. This is a year of change in your personal identity and how you present yourself to others anyway. Some of you will even be taking the plunge and getting married this month or next.

In other words, you’ve potentially got a lot on your plate this month. Prepare for an active summer!

July has something for everyone. We’ve got a bunch of fixed sign energy; we’ve got a bunch of mutable sign energy; we’ve got eclipses in the cardinal signs of Cancer and Capricorn. No one goes lacking. So…what’s it all mean?

Well, first off, you’re likely to start the month off quite busy. The busy nature of your daily schedule may even interfere with your need for rest and recuperation, leaving you a bit foggy during the first few days of the month. As July progresses, activity in the sector that represents your job heats up, meaning that you’ll probably need to keep your mind on your work from mid-month on.

Meanwhile, things on the home front seem to be begging for your attention almost all month long. Get help if you need it. Siblings or neighbors may provide the most assistance (or the most headaches!). If you need to talk through things on the domestic front with your partner, you may get a chance to do so toward the end of the month.The first week of  the month is not the time to bring things up, as things might get a little crazy around then.

On a personal level, those born during the last week of the sign may find themselves bouncing off the walls with energy. Meanwhile, eclipses affect your solar 11th and 5th houses on July 7 and 22nd respectively. This is the lose a friend, gain a lover configuration. Single Pisces folks may find themselves unexpectedly involved in a new romance. It’s quite a month!