Spring 2010 Column:

Spring begins the build-up to this summer's T-Square pattern. You have seen this pattern building since Fall 2008 when the problems started in the real estate loan markets and in greed-based activities on Wall Street. More will be said about this in the summer column coming in June 2010, but for now, know that things are heating up.

Spring brings a preview of 2011 as well. Wounded healer Chiron tests the waters of Pisces beginning in late April through mid-July 2010. It then comes back into Pisces in February 2011 and stays until 2019. Because Chiron was not discovered until the late 1970's, and because it has a fifty year orbit, the transit of Chiron has not been experienced in an externally conscious way yet. The last time the maverick centaur was in Pisces was the early to mid-1960's.

Pisces rules drugs, music and spirituality. The 1960's had great music, so maybe the incoming cycle will finally bring some good music to the mainstream (am I showing my age and bias? But really, rap music and Brittany Spears, really!??). There was also LSD to open to spirituality with the Beatles and Transcendental Meditation, so there is no telling what new drugs the world will come up with- both good for healing and not so good social drugs.

Chiron was a famous healer in ancient Greece. He was an immortal god who became mortally wounded. He had to surrender his immortality to get rid of his suffering, then the Greeks put him into the constellations for eternity as a reward. So what part of your life do you need to surrender to release your suffering?

On a side note, spiritualizing Neptune will also move into Pisces in 2011, so there will be double Pisces impact. Join a group of like-minded friends to tune into these energies of intuition nd healing on a trip to Greece and Crete in the late Spring of 2011.

Watch the news for information on new technologies for healing the Pisces ruled oceans. The suffering of mercury-filled fish or whales having problems with naval sonar technologies or issues with whaling countries will be in the news. Also consider the impending political battles over the arctic region as global warming opens the seas to oil exploration and shipping lanes open. Russia has already made claim to the entire region by planting a flag deep on the Arctic floor.

Pisces rules the feet, so perhaps there will be new shoe technologies. Pisces rules dreams, so dream therapy and healing surrounding sleep issues will be in the news. Spiritual healing techniques will be further integrated into mainstream medicine. Compassion for the suffering people of the world will be in the news, perhaps through oceanic earthquakes and tsunamis. Pisces rules the film industry and we have already seen the start of new technologies in the recent Avatar 3-D movie.

And there are other previews coming that will be discussed in the summer issue. Expansive Jupiter peeks into pioneering Aries on June 5 through early September before coming back fully in January 2011. Aries is willing to try a new way, but this could first come through revolutions. Watch out for angry flare ups this summer as an indication of groups of people being fed up with their situation (Cuba, Tibet, Iran, the Uyghur area of China, racial unrest, etc.).

The planet Uranus makes its initial entrance into Aries at the full moon on May 27th through August 13th, before spending seven years in Aries starting March 2011. Uranus wants to throw a revolution and the low side of Aries is anger and impatience -a volatile combination. Uranus was last in Aries approximately 1927-1935, during the depression and the time prior to World War II. World events then included the assassination of the President of Mexico, killing of Jewish people by Arabs in Hebron, Mahatma Gandhi initiated civil disobedience, and Mao Tse Tung began is run for power in China. On a more fun level, Twinkies, transparent scotch tape, and Betty Boop were introduced to the world.

This is when the first Flight Attendants were introduced to air travel, and now flight attendants are up in arms over injuries due to excessive carry-on baggage now that you have to pay for luggage.

More will be said on all this in the summer issue and in upcoming lectures. For now, know that there is a combination of things going on. There is the intense build-up to this summer's assertive T-Square. Changes will have to be made in your life, and people who are already living on the edge of keeping their sanity will have a tough time with this. Keep your head about you by taking vacations, meditating, and practicing tolerance & boundaries with the unconscious masses.

At the same time, subtle previews of 2011 energies are gradually showing themselves. Know that big changes are coming and we are on the tip of the iceberg in the coming months. Remember that you volunteered to come to planet earth for this transformation, so take pride and joy in knowing that you are honored to be here at this time. Practice trusting your connection to the Divine in order to know what actions to take, rather than needing to know what the plan is in advance.

For readers who do not live in the Pacific NW: I write a column in New Connexions Journal. Although I am biased, I have to say it is one of the best metaphysical publications I have seen in the western USA. Here is my May-June article for NCJ or check out their full publication at www.newconnexion.net: (My past articles are archived in the "cosmic" section.)

Peeking into Your Future Self

Choices ahead! That pretty much sums up the incoming planetary energy for the next several months. You are being prepared to initiate a new paradigm in your life – or did you just think the universe has been screwing with your head these past few months?

The simplest and most grounded starting place to look at these incoming energies is the notorious Mercury retrograde cycle in place through May 11 th. As the communications planet travels through its mentally disruptive cycle in the sign Taurus, you must review finances, values, prosperity consciousness and what possessions you want to carry with you into major changes coming this summer.

Taurus also represents your throat and thyroid. So, have you been speaking your truth? If you have been trying to make everyone happy, someone is in for a rude awakening with tip-of-the iceberg planetary revolutions that are just beginning to surface.

The revolution, or cataclysmic awakening, arrives alongside the full moon on May 28 th. Uranus moves into pioneering Aries for a temporary three-month visit, then returns full force for seven years beginning in March 2011. You get a preview about where and how aspects of your life will open to innovative dimensional shifts in the years ahead.

The last time this happened was 1927-34 when there were a variety of revolutions, assassinations, earthquakes, and problems on Wall Street. The first cyclotron to study nuclear physics was established in South Dakota. Now, there is a resurgence of nuclear power plant options in congress, safer mini-nuclear power plants for smaller communities, more problems at Hanford nuclear reservation, and there is no telling what will come of the nuclear issue in Iran.

There were also advances in television and in aviation. Amelia Earhart crossed the Atlantic. Now, Virgin Galactic is preparing to commercialize space journeys. Flight attendants were introduced to air travel when Uranus was last in Aries. Now, flight attendants are in the news again due to increasing injuries related to carry-on baggage excesses.

Uranus in Aries is a topic in and of itself, yet there is more. On June 5 th, expansive Jupiter temporarily enters Aries through early September as a preview to new energies, and then will fully enter Aries in January 2011. Jupiter is associated with your belief system, and the god of thunder requires you to take a leap of faith to manifest your dreams.

It is difficult to say exactly what this fiery combination will bring because a keyword phrase for Uranus is “expect the unexpected.” Jupiter has the keyword phrase of “do it really big.” Avoid going into fearful thinking if you see big earthquakes, fires or attacks in the months ahead. In the series of books, “The Life and Teachings of the Masters of the Far East” by Baird Spalding, the masters describe that when patterns of energy become too fixed, it is necessary to shake things up to manifest needed transformation.

You can help yourself by not giving in to fear or buying into hysteria promoted by slick-talking people wanting to sell their books or philosophy. There is opportunity here, and you are just at the starting point.

If you have been feeling like you are treading water or exhausted in this life, then have the courage to renew yourself. Aries energy will support you in getting out of your “better the devil I know than the one I don’t know” rut. Indeed, the ram will kick you out of your comfort zone.

To keep from frightening you off to some cave in the mountains, know that softer energy is running concurrently with the intensity ahead. You must choose whether you will become absorbed solely in the intense energy ahead, or you can allow incoming gentle energy to share your attention.

Wounded healer Chiron makes his initial entrance into compassionate Pisces April 20-July 19, then will be fully in the sign of psychics from February 2011 until 2019. Pisces is a flowing energy that naturally wants to merge with the source of all that is.

Half-horse, half-human Chiron was a famous healer in ancient Greece. He was mortally wounded through no fault of his own, and an immortal god cannot just go to a mainstream medical doctor. The centaur is associated with alternative healing practices, and Pisces is tied to spiritual and intuitive practices. The integration of mainstream medicine and alternative healing will leap ahead in the years to come.

On a personal level, you get the opportunity to stretch your own intuitive and healing abilities. There are lessons ahead in trusting your inner knowing, and then taking action steps to follow your psychic insights.

Begin to practice trusting your intuitive connection now, so that it will be easier when all of this pioneering energy is fully grounded in 2011. For now, you are getting a peek into the future you. Be encouraged, because unlimited possibilities are just around the corner.

Spring 2009 Column:

Triple Alignment of Neptune, Chiron & Jupiter in Aquarius

Note: I am keeping this column up for the rest of 2010 because Neptune and Chiron are both still aligned. The third planet, Jupiter, has moved into Pisces for 2010- see winter column.

Something is happening this spring and it will come back again at the end of 2009. I looked back over one thousand years and did not see where it happened before in the same way. So how do you explain something that has not happened in the conscious memory of humanity?

Two planets and a planetoid are coming together. This happens in the sign Aquarius and strongly effects anyone with natal planets in the later degrees of fixed signs (Aquarius, Leo, Scorpio and Taurus). For example, if you were born between the 14th and 19th of February, August, November or May, your natal sun position would be at the degrees of the zodiac that are challenged by this triple configuration.

Aquarius represents the higher ideals of humanity. It works to serve the group consciousness to strive for those higher aspirations of the collective consciousness. Yet, Aquarius also wants to keep its individuality. Think of retired hockey great Wayne Gretzky or President Lincoln who both had strong Aquarius placements in their natal charts. Gretzky was a team player but individually excelled. Lincoln wanted to keep the ideal of a unified country rather than letting the states separate. Aquarius is associated with the space industry, aviation, revolutions, inventions, innovation, batteries, electricity, light, transmitters, and your ankles.

Consider that the transmission of a digital television signal was delayed until this alignment was exact. The airline crashes of early 2009 were part of a strong Aquarius alignment. The person who comes up with a better battery for solar power storage is going to get very rich. The space industry is making new gains with a new telescope and new journeys in the works.

For you personally, it is time to look at your friendships, organizations and associations. Who belongs in your life, and where do you need to open to new social settings? It is time to invent new ways to live your life so that you are not trapped by the world.

The triple alignment begins in May (although it has been building up since January 2009). Neptune represents spirituality, illusions, compassion, addictions, the ocean, the film industry, and your feet. You are being called to a new vision, and must be willing to go in that direction, trusting that you will find it even as you walk through the fog to get there (and still may not know where the path leads). Neptune calls you to trust your clear intuition. Be willing to cleanse and forgive anything that gets in the way of crystal clear vision.

Chiron is known as a maverick or wounded healer. He was a centaur, caught between worlds, being half-horse and half-human. He was wounded through no fault of his own, in his animal hind quarters. Chiron released his immortality, became mortal, died of his wounds, and was installed in the stars for eternity. He had to surrender his immortality to relieve his suffering to get back his immortality. What do you need to surrender? I like to use the phrase 'half steps" when Chiron is active. You need to forgive the past and move on in spite of your wounds. Be willing to take half steps to get to the next place rather than expecting it to all fall into place right away.

Note: Chiron moves into Pisces in 2010. Mark is planning a trip to Greece to take advantage of these energies. We shall tune into these energies at sacred sites in this ancient cornerstone of our modern civilization. When our group went to Egypt in 2008, an Egyptian temple at Edfu (part of the mixed energy of Egypt, Greece, rome), I experienced profound feelings that brought tears to my eyes- and I am not really your sensitive male. So going to ancient Greece feels like remembering a part of me, and it would be fun to go with a group of like-minded people. Check back to this web site this summer for more information on the trip.

Jupiter spends about one year in each sign, so he was last in Aquarius in 1997. Think back to how your life was expanding then to get a hint about what is up for you now. Jupiter is a philosopher, traveler, coach, mentor, teacher, sales manager and seeker of higher truth. He requires that you transform your belief system and take a risk on your greater good. He will help you, but you must make the leap of faith to get where you are going. I like to reference the Indiana Jones movie where Indy has to take a step into a giant chasm to get to the other side, then choose the correct Holy Grail to save his father's life. What leap of faith is being called for by you?

When you put all three of these planetary bodies together, this spring asks you to revision your life. Consider where you can take half-steps to your greater good. Look at your belief system to see what needs to be changed. If you believe the media fears that the sky is falling in, then it would benefit you to remember that we live in an unlimited Universe (there is free prosperity enhancement guide at this web site to download).

Because this alignment begins in the Spring of 2009 (specifically during May), now is the time to begin to formulate new ideas for your life. How can you bring higher vision into your life to see beyond your current situation? Begin to take baby steps now so that come fall, you can take larger steps towards this new vision. Remember that Neptune is involved, so forgiveness and trust are key issues. You may not be able to see this higher vision now, but you have to trust that it is waiting to open up for you. Chiron has you feeling caught between worlds, and Jupiter wants you to go beyond your comfort zone.

Spring 2008, Pluto enters Capricorn through 2024

Note: I decide to keep the spring 2008 column up here. I did so because Pluto will be in Capricorn for such a long time. This destructive Pluto energy can be seen in the economy, infrastructure needs, government, taxes and the integrity issues in big corporations such as AIG, banks, and others. Although it would be easy to talk badly about all these groups, it is true that we have know these changes needed to come to the world for a long time. It has brought up many fears in people when their lifestyle has been restricted due to investments, jobs, real estate and all the rest. Please understand that while this is totally uncomfortable, it is also totally necessary in bringing about a world that is aligned with higher Universal principles. So, I thought it might be useful to keep the Pluto in Capricorn issue up a while longer.

A major shift is occurring this Spring. Transforming Pluto begins it long journey through Capricorn from January 25-June 13. This is just a teaser to begin your process of regeneration as Pluto retrogrades into Sagittarius for the summer to help you clean up old business since Pluto first went into Sagittarius in 1995. On November 26th, just in time for the holidays, Pluto re-enters Capricorn and will stay until 2024.

This will change the world. Think back to the last time Pluto was in Capricorn- the USA went through the Revolutionary War! Issues like the Stamp Tax and the Boston Tea Party tax were up. Now, tax-talk is everywhere ranging from infrastructure taxes like bridge and road tolls to giving tax money to the people to spend to provide an election year bump to the economy.

In esoteric astrology, Capricorn is the sign of initiation into a higher vibration. It is not about being able to beam off of Mother Earth never to return; rather, it is similar to being a bodhisattva who brings a greater energetic frequency into service in the world. Although this sounds nice, know that Pluto is responsible for breaking up old patterns of belief and behavior. This transforms the core foundation of society including stressed out bridges in Minnesota, tax structures, elder care, to corporate responsibility. "Accountability " will be an important word for both individuals and the collective in the years to come. In the book Esoteric Astrology by Alice Bailey, wise teacher Djwhal Kuhl advises that Capricorn helps you manifest your worldly desires. Once these desires are met, they are then transformed into the higher vibration. An example would be the person who longs for and eventually finds the romantic love of their life, then must take that love to a higher form as that lover becomes ill and begins the transition beyond this world.


Pluto in Capricorn is going to rock your socks. Pluto brings "burn your bridges" change into your life, and you wanted it! Know that those deeply felt needs and desires are coming to the surface to take an active part in your life. Like the little chick breaking free from its safe eggshell, you must be willing to go beyond your comfort zone. Capricorn urges you to go beyond personal gain in order to serve the collective. Pluto helps you step into your power and this power must be used for the greater good of all.

In the body, Capricorn rules skin, teeth, the skeletal structure knees, and hair. Be sure to stretch and/or do yoga to keep your body flexible. Patience and discipline are key words for Capricorn, so consider a long term plan for your life during this initial phase of Pluto in Capricorn. It may be the end of the year or in 2009 when you really get the entire process on line, but now is the time to plant the seeds and make preparation for that long term plan.

And lastly, and just because I love the blues: Ben Franklin (you know he was an astrologer like many of the founders of the United States, right!?) provided an inventive improvement to the harmonica the last time Pluto was in Capricorn. So maybe that is good news for the blues world.