Thanks!!
Phil

The Thought for the Month and August’s Lunar Cycles will be posted today Wed Aug 3. Sorry for the delay folks. Bear with me. It’s hard to believe the delays that are coming up. Mercury’s having a hard time settling down. Mars is whipping up a storm. I explain very soon. I hope you’re doing alright. There’s a lot of stress in the air. Don’t worry. You’ll find a way of winning!!

Thanks!!
Phil

For Lunar Phases, please scroll down this page.

December brought what was arguably one of the most tumultuous Mercury retrograde phases we have seen in many decades. The planet of strategy found itself smack dab in the middle of a huge celestial hurricane that is afflicting our current epoch. As this month begins, Mercury is moving at a crawl like a train slowly chugging out of a train station. It’ll take a couple of weeks before it gathers some momentum and life gets back to normal, if the latter is possible.

Expecting the world to return to normality may be asking too much. Expect the unexpected whilst stubbornly clinging to a positive attitude. A sense of humour is essential, as is the willingness and ability to adapt to the changing landscape of our future.

As Mercury heads out to the far side of the Sun, it must pass through some treacherous territory which it already encountered in December. So, batten down the hatches around January 10, 11, 12 and 13. That period of time will bring disruptions to the normal flow of life. Watch our for a chaotic period in regards to travel, transportation and commuting. Glitches will afflict technology, the Internet and computers etc. The international cyber war being waged on the Internet with the techno-anarchists of the Wikileaks genre will continue.

The earth’s tectonic plates also look set to continue shifting and grinding, so there will, undoubtedly, be a higher than normal level of earthquake and volcanic activity. Already, as this month gets underway, earthquakes are striking Indonesia, Chile and Argentina.

The power of Saturn this month will reach a high tide point in its annual cycle. If it’s in a sensitive area of your birth chart you will definitely know about it. It’ll bring on the January blues and accentuate the tedious and monotonous side of life. The restrictive quality of Saturn might make you feel like you’re locked up in prison.

If Saturn is in a helpful area of your chart, you’ll be fine…no problem.

Saturn, ultimately, is good for you, but you will need to stock up on humour and jokes. Surround yourself with funny people, allow yourself the luxury of plenty of sleep and get out your videos of your best comic acts. You’ll be fine. If you feel that ball and chain getting heavier, invest in a good quality hacksaw. There is nothing so big you can’t handle it.

Keep your stream of thoughts focussed on positive outcomes. Everything that happens to you, even setbacks, is ultimately steering you towards fulfilment and success. The New Moon of January 4 will provide a surge of proactive energy that will empower you. A high-energy alignment between Jupiter and Uranus will come to the rescue. Catch the tide and let it take you. This is going to be a great year for you!

LUNAR PHASES FOR January 2011

Keeping in touch with the lunar cycle is absolutely and totally crucial to getting your life in sync with the natural rhythm of the universe. Be aware of these dates when they come and you’ll notice your life starting to change for the better. Here are this month’s important dates:

-

Full Moon—————-Tues 21 December at 3:13am ET in Gemini
Last Quarter———-Mon 27 December at 11:18am ET in Libra

-

New Lunar Month (29.5 days) – Tues4Jan2011 to Thurs3Feb2011
New Moon————— Tues 4 January at 4:03am ET in Capricorn
First Quarter——– Wed 12 January at 6:31am ET in Aries
Full Moon—————-Wed 19 January at 4:21pm ET in Cancer
Last Quarter———-Wed 26 January at 7:58am ET in Scorpio

-

New Lunar Month (29.5 days) – Wed2Feb2011 to Fri4March2011
New Moon————— Wed 2 February at 9:31pm ET in Aquarius
First Quarter——– Fri 11 February at 2:18am ET in Taurus

-

To convert to your local times:
BT (British Time) +5 hours ● CET (Central Euro Time) +6 hours
● CT (Central Time) –1 hour ● MT (Mountain Time) –2 hours ● PT (Pacific Time) –3 hours.

This is going to be a big month indeed as we shall see. Powerful astrological currents are swirling in a vortex of energy that is drawing us all towards a momentous point in human destiny.

The power of these times is being trumpeted by hot magma, deep in the Earth, bubbling through orifices in her crust. No sooner does Indonesia reduce the alert level on Mount Merapi, which more than a month ago killed more than 350 people, than Ecuador’s Tungurahua volcano promptly began erupting. Boiling hot magma is searching for an outlet.

Pluto’s alignments to Saturn, Jupiter and Uranus have been building up energy down deep in the Earth. Pluto is slow to release what it holds. It boils like a pressure cooker and then without warning, it explodes its lethal charge with repressed force.

The big explosion is yet to come. Exactly how and when, it is hard to say, but the timing is linked closely to the unpredictable high-voltage power of Uranus. For the time being, and at least another year, we will continue to see sudden and unexpected bursts from volcanoes and powerful titanic shifts in the Earth’s crust in the form of earthquakes.

Uranus is extremely potent and powerful now as it returns to direct motion on Sunday December 5. It is has begun moving towards the battle zone of the planetary gods like an aircraft carrier surging through stormy seas. Uranus exposes and reveals the truth. When it collides with planets in your own personal birth chart, hidden and unconscious information comes to light. Take for example, Tiger Woods and the revelation of his philandering lifestyle or Bill Clinton’s saga with Monica Lewinsky. These were all the results of harsh Uranus alignments in their personal birth charts.

Wikileaks is one major reflections of what Uranus does. Political secrets are being exposed through the medium of the internet. The question now is will the internet remain open and free or will a totalitarian style wave of repression, characteristic of China and Iran, just to name two countries, become the norm in our free Western world. Julian Assange and Wikileaks are a clear manifestation of Uranus, the maverick and renegade.

Uranus, like a huge juggernaut, is slowly, this month, gathering speed and heading into the war zone. It will reach the edge of the storm next summer. Its dramatic entry into the eye of the storm doesn’t come until the year 2012.

Mercury, the communicator, will, during the month of December, translate the issues raised by these epic alignments as it retrogrades. Mercury turns backwards on Friday December 10 and continues moving backwards through to Thursday 30 December.

Sunday December 5 at 12:36pm ET brings the New Moon when the fate-spinner crosses between us and the Sun and begins a new 29.5-day lunar month. Be alert to the proactive energy that begins stirring in your being. It’s a big wave of energy that will carry you through to the Full Moon in Gemini on Tues December 21. Not only will it be a Full Moon, but it will be a Total Eclipse of the Moon that will be visible throughout North America in the early hours of that day.

That Gemini totally eclipsed Full Moon is drawing our attention to communications, the internet, power grids, the World Wide Web, transportation and technology. In the coming days, we’ll hear a great deal more concerning the escalating cyber war that is being fought on the Internet.

More on all that in the Thoughts for the Day, that will appear here in the coming days and weeks. In the meantime, focus on getting your game plan in order. Retool your strategy and fine tune your plans. Mercury will make December a time to pause, regroup and huddle. Mercury, your personal merchant, is returning to home port with a ship full of wares that he’s collected in his journey around the Sun that began last September. The sea is stormy. Gale force winds are blowing. But he will get through and bring you the raw materials you need to prepare for the next four month journey.

LUNAR PHASES FOR December 2010

Keeping in touch with the lunar cycle is absolutely and totally crucial to getting your life in sync with the natural rhythm of the universe. Be aware of these dates when they come and you’ll notice your life starting to change for the better. Here are this month’s important dates:

-
New Lunar Month (29.5 days) – Sat6Nov to Sun5Dec
New Moon————— Sat 6 November 12:52am ET in Scorpio
First Quarter——– Sat 13 November at 12:39pm ET in Aquarius
Full Moon—————-Sun 21 November at 12:27am ET in Taurus
Last Quarter———-Sun 28 November at 3:36pm ET in Virgo

-

New Lunar Month (29.5 days) – Sun5Dec2010 to Tues4Jan2011
New Moon————— Sun 5 December 12:36pm ET in Sagittarius
First Quarter——– Mon 13 December at 8:59am ET in Pisces
Full Moon—————-Tues 21 December at 3:13am ET in Gemini (ECLIPSE)
Last Quarter———-Mon 27 December at 11:18am ET in Libra

-

New Lunar Month (29.5 days) – Tues4Jan2011 to Thurs3Feb2011
New Moon————— Tues 4 January at 4:03am ET in Capricorn
First Quarter——– Wed 12 January at 6:31am ET in Aries

To convert to your local times:
BST – add 5 hours; CT – subtract 1 hour;
MT – subtract 2 hours; PT – subtract 3 hours;

Volcanoes are huffing and puffing, tectonic plates are grinding, extreme weather is sweeping over us and the frightening spectre of terrorism is looming over the world as this lunar month enters the last 7 days of the 29.5-day lunar month which began October 7.

We find ourselves living in times when the weather gets stranger and headlines in the newspapers get more forbidding. The level of stress and tension keeps on spiking to ever increasing heights with the threat of economic catastrophe, environmental disaster and terrorist disruption. Conflict, war and insecurity have become endemic features of our world.

It’s growing increasingly obvious that something important is going on. These are dramatic times. It makes you wonder if the end of the Mayan Long Count Calendar on December 21, 2012 has some significance. No where is it written that the world will end on that day. A lot of fear-mongering has been perpetrated by Hollywood and the media. Their images of destruction may just be projections of humanity’s own fear and violent consciousness.

Yet, I do earnestly believe the Mayans were on to something. Their cryptic warnings for the age we now live in have come from only three books that survived the destruction by the Spanish Conquistadors and from reliefs and sculptures on their magnificent pyramids that have been excavated out of the jungles of Mesoamerica. Much is open to the interpretation of symbolic images. Their message remains a mystery. There is no final word. Time will reveal the truth. And the way things are going, it doesn’t look as though we’ll have to wait too long.

November brings an amazing turning point for us all. The Venus retrograde which began on October 8 will come to an end on November 18. Venus on October 28/29 crossed the critical inferior conjunction point when its orbit took it between the Earth and the Sun where it formed a straight line.

The days surrounding that event were punctuated with an increase in seismic and volcanic activity, cyclones and hurricanes and a thwarted terrorist attack. Depending on where Venus is in your natal birth chart, you may be going through very tough heartbreaking times or you may be experiencing something quite wonderful.

Either way, you are living through the turning point in a major 8-year cycle. If your heart is sad, know that it is an essential stage in the growth of your wisdom. The universe is guiding you. Don’t lose hope. You’ll look back on this as the point where reality delivered a hard knock that redirected you onto a better trajectory. You’re on a new path headed for fulfilment.

November 18 marks a wonderful turning point for you. Not only will Venus return to direct motion on that day, but so will Jupiter, the planet of opportunities and expanding horizons. It is extremely rare to have these two beneficent planets converge in such a manner.

Where you have felt thwarted in your journey, you will now find the tide turning in a more favourable direction. Regardless of what sign you are, some aspect of your life will turn positive.

By November 10th, just after the New Moon of November 5/6, Venus will reappear as a Morning Star and a beacon of hope in the east at dawn. A new 8-year cycle governing financial and relationship issues will have begun. Meanwhile, Jupiter (your rich and loving, albeit eccentric uncle) will be the brightest light shining in the early evening. The cosmos will send you gifts.

Look to both these lights. Make your wishes. Write them down and keep them in your wallet or somewhere where you will be reminded of them from time to time. Don’t forget your dream. Shoot your arrow and never lose sight of it. Where it lands is where your new world of happiness will be established!

LUNAR PHASES FOR November 2010

Keeping in touch with the lunar cycle is absolutely and totally crucial to getting your life in sync with the natural rhythm of the universe. Be aware of these dates when they come and you’ll notice your life starting to change for the better. Here are this month’s important dates:

New Lunar Month (29.5 days) – ThursOct7 to SatNov6
New Moon————— Thurs 7 October at 2:44pm ET in Libra
First Quarter——– Thurs 14 August at 5:27pm ET in Capricorn
Full Moon—————-Fri 22 October at 9:36pm ET in Aries
Last Quarter———-Sat 30 October at 8:46am ET in Leo

-

New Lunar Month (29.5 days) – Sat6Nov to Sun5Dec
New Moon————— Sat 6 November 12:52am ET in Scorpio
First Quarter——– Sat 13 November at 12:39pm ET in Aquarius
Full Moon—————-Sun 21 November at 12:27am ET in Taurus
Last Quarter———-Sun 28 November at 3:36pm ET in Virgo

-

New Moon————— Sun 5 December 12:36pm ET in Sagittarius

Clocks move back to Standard Time on Sun 7 November at 2:00am

To convert to your local times:
BST – add 5 hours; CT – subtract 1 hour;
MT – subtract 2 hours; PT – subtract 3 hours;

Mercury begins the month by moving into the heart of the toughest and most challenging astrological configurations ever seen since the 1930s. It involves the exuberant energy of Uranus/Jupiter at 9 on the clock face, stern Saturn at 3 and dark Pluto occupying 12. We here on planet Earth are at the center and feeling the brunt of it.

This configuration is called a T-Square because of its shape. It has brought a global economic crisis, an escalation in terrorism and war, an increase in volcanic and seismic activity, extreme weather and growing ecological troubles such as the Gulf Oil Spill. It has also brought a sharp polarization of viewpoints in the political scene of every country in the world.

With Mercury, the planet of thought and communication, now entering that storm as this month begins it will translate the tension of that T-Square formation into our daily lives. Glitches and disruptions will affect schedules, appointments, communications, transportation, technology, the Internet and computers.

Patience is essential in your daily activities at home, work and out there in the streets. Stay cool if someone decides to take issue with your style of driving or if your foot accidentally bumps a table and sends everything flying. It’s all part and parcel of the jittery and anxious mood reflected by the current astrological situation.

This sort of turbulence and intensity brings unexpected developments. And some of those are going to be very lucky. The winds may blow hard, but if you maintain a positive mood through it all, they will sweep in a very timely and most fortunate opportunity straight on to your lap.

Venus turns backwards on October 8 just as the new 29.5-day month gets under way. All the planets go through these retrograde cycles. It’s when they stop and turn backwards for a certain period of time. Venus performs this retrograde cycle once-every-19-months and they last about six weeks.

Venus rules love, sexuality, romance, money and all matters of the heart. It will be taking place in Scorpio which rules debt, so we can expect the state of the global economy to be fiercely debated during this period of time. Demonstrations in Europe look set to heat up.

If you’re concerned about the state of your love life, you will find it goes through a complete and thorough re-evaluation. This will last all the way through to November 18 when the Venus retrograde ends.

If certain issues in your life get too intense, don’t despair. Everything is going to work out just fine as long as you believe they will. Developments could prove most fortuitous especially if Venus is well-placed in your birth chart. A certain important and dearly cherished dream could happen. Despite all the chaos of this mad world, the universe promises to bring you some most welcome surprises.

LUNAR PHASES FOR October 2010

Keeping in touch with the lunar cycles is absolutely and totally crucial to getting your life in sync with the natural rhythm of the universe. Be aware of these dates when they come and you’ll notice your life starting to change for the better. Here are this month’s important dates:

New Lunar Month (29.5-days) – WedSep8 to ThursOct7
New Moon————— Wed 8 September at 6:30am ET in Virgo
First Quarter——– Wed 15 September at 1:50am ET in Sagittarius
Full Moon—————-Thurs 23 September at 5:17am ET in Aries
Last Quarter———-Thurs 31 September at 11:52pm ET in Cancer

-

New Lunar Month (29.5 days) – ThursOct7 to SatNov6
New Moon————— Thurs 7 October at 2:44pm ET in Libra
First Quarter——– Thurs 14 August at 5:27pm ET in Capricorn
Full Moon—————-Fri 22 October at 9:36pm ET in Aries
Last Quarter———-Sat 30 October at 8:46am ET in Leo

-

New Moon————— Sat 6 November 12:52am ET in Scorpio

To convert to your local times:
BST – add 5 hours; GMT – add 4 hours; CT – subtract 1 hour;
MT – subtract 2 hours; PT – subtract 3 hours;

Have a great Sunday!!

For Lunar Phases, please scroll down this page.

A strong 7.0-magnitude earthquake which struck a hard blow in New Zealand, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake in the Aleutian Island of Alaska and an eruption of lava and hot ash from the Mount Sinaburg volcano on the Indonesian island of Sumatra all emphatically punctuated the start of this month.

These dramatic developments happened along the highly active Pacific Ring of Fire. This is a horseshoe-shaped area around the basin of the Pacific Ocean from the west coast of South America and North America, up through the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia and then down through Japan, Indonesia, Philippines and New Zealand. It’s an area that hosts a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

August’s astrological alignments have built up a tremendous amount of pressure that remains bottled up deep down in the collective human psyche. This is reflected in the image of the Chilean miners trapped in a chamber far below the surface. The Earth seems to be trying to release that pressure in the form of crunching tectonic plates and deep-throated puffs of volcanic smoke and flowing lava.

Mercury’s backward journey through Virgo which began on August 20 will end on the 12th of this month. This period of negotiations, fixing problems and retooling your strategy will end, so be ready to move ahead with vim and vigour soon after that point. Mercury, much like a big heavy train pulling out of the station, will take some time to gather up some decent speed in forward motion. And as it does, you’ll sense the change in mood. Much, of course, depends on where Mercury is in your personal birth chart, but generally speaking you will notice the tide starting to move in your favour.

Pluto’s backward journey which began last April will return to forward motion on the 14th. Its influence will be extremely strong, so if it’s in a sensitive area of your chart, you will feel under a tremendous amount of pressure. If you find yourself now suffering from a sense of gloom or even depression let not your heart lose hope. Be at peace. You will find the wherewithal to overcome your worries and concerns as Pluto moves on. The universe is teaching you a crucial lesson. Absorb it quickly and you will find a way to break free.

LUNAR PHASES FOR September 2010

Keeping in touch with the lunar cycle is absolutely and totally crucial to getting your life in sync with the natural rhythm of the universe. Be aware of these dates when they come and you’ll notice your life starting to change for the better. Here are this month’s important dates:

New Lunar Month
New Moon————— Mon 9 August at 11:08pm ET in Leo
First Quarter——– Mon 16 August at 2:14pm ET in Scorpio
Full Moon—————-Tues 24 August at 1:05pm ET in Pisces
Last Quarter———-Wed 1 September at 1:22pm ET in Gemini

New Lunar Month
New Moon————— Wed 8 September at 6:30am ET in Virgo
First Quarter——– Wed 15 September at 01:50am ET in Sagittarius
Full Moon—————-Thurs 23 September at 05:17am ET in Aries
Last Quarter———-Thurs 31 September at 11:52pm ET in Cancer

New Moon————— Thurs 7 October at 02:44pm ET in Libra

August begins with the Sun in the hot ‘fixed’ sign of Leo. The 12 signs of the zodiac are divided into 3 qualities. Each are made up of 4 signs. The 3 qualities are Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable. Fixed signs come in the midst of each season –Taurus in spring, Leo in summer, Scorpio in autumn and Aquarius in winter. The fixed signs are known for their steadfast and consistent determination to achieve goals.

Mercury is on its way back to home port after a journey around the Sun that began last May. The planet of negotiation is your personal agent. It is working hard to find you that deal, agreement or opportunity needed to reach your goals.

Its forward motion is gradually slowing down and will grind down to a full stop on Friday August 20 at which point it will move backwards (retrograde) for 3 weeks until Sunday September 12. Now is the time to work hard at achieving positive results with your dreams and aspirations that were on your agenda in April and May.

Once Mercury goes retrograde on the 20th, the emphasis will change to modifying and improving your game plan. Your life will enter a work in progress period of time – a sort of construction zone when you’ll be building the foundation for progress and success that will carry you forward to December.

August begins with Mercury at approximately 5.5-degrees Virgo, which is exactly where it will be when the Mercury retrograde ends on September 12. This is important for you. Take a look at the issues you are dealing with now. What’s on your agenda? Is there a problem causing you concern? Whatever it is, you’ll reach the resolution or breakthrough around the time of September 12.

So be prepared for that time. Work hard now on getting your strategy and plan in a positive mode, so that when early September comes you’ll be in a position of strength.

LUNAR PHASES FOR August 2010

Keeping in touch with the lunar cycle is absolutely and totally crucial to getting your life in sync with the natural rhythm of the universe. Be aware of these dates when they come and you’ll notice your life starting to change for the better. Here are this month’s important dates:

New Moon————— Sun 11 July at 3:40pm ET in Cancer
First Quarter——– Sun 18 July at 6:11am ET in Libra
Full Moon—————-Sun 25 July at 9:37pm ET in Aquarius
Last Quarter———-Tues 3 August at 12:01am ET in Taurus

New Moon————— Mon 9 August at 11:08pm ET in Leo
First Quarter——– Mon 16 August at 2:14pm ET in Scorpio
Full Moon—————-Tues 24 August at 1:05pm ET in Pisces
Last Quarter———-Wed 1 September at 1:22pm ET in Gemini

New Moon————— Wed 8 September at 6:30am ET in Virgo

To convert to your local times:
BST – add 5 hours; GMT – add 4 hours; CT – subtract 1 hour;
MT – subtract 2 hours; PT – subtract 3 hours;

The Cardinal Climax of Saturn, Uranus and Pluto will reach a resounding crescendo at the end of this month. There will be more to come, but this one is extremely critical. The deep volcanic power of Pluto will bite hard and events in the world will serve as proof. The recent Partial Lunar Eclipse on Sat June 26 took place with the Moon in the early degrees of Capricorn. As mentioned in this column, it indicated a worsening of the world’s economic crisis. Within days, on Tuesday June 29, global markets fell sharply amid concerns over European banks and the health of the global economy. Fears have been expressed over the start of another bear market phase kicking in.

The astrological drama at the end of this month looks set to drive home the hard truth of what Europe and Canada were trying to tell US President Barack Obama at the G20 summit. Namely, what CNBC market commentator Rick Santelli screamed out on television: STOP THE SPENDING! The message isn’t getting through, but it will by the end of this month and early August. Obama will be facing the biggest crisis to his presidency yet. Credibility is falling fast and looks set to get worse.

The Partial Lunar Eclipse of June 26 spanned the Pacific. Western Canada and the US watched it as it set. Asia watched it as it rose. It joined Asia and the Americas in much the same way that they are joined by the financial markets. As one continent’s markets close at the end of the day, the other’s open.

Another eclipse is coming this month on Sunday July 11. This time, rather than a lunar eclipse, it will be a Total Eclipse of the Sun. As the Moon moves across the face of the Sun a black circle will appear in the western South Pacific Ocean. And like a cosmic finger it will draw a line from west to east over a huge expanse of open ocean. It will only make landfall on the Cook Islands and Easter Islands, and finally ending at the southern tip of Chile and Argentina. I’ve found that Solar Eclipses give clues about events that will take place for several months before and after the actual eclipse. The increase of earthquakes, extreme weather, volcanic activity and the Gulf of Mexico oil gusher are lined to this eclipse.

With Uranus (upheaval and volatility) turning backwards on July 5th and Jupiter (expansion) doing the same on July 23, you will find that life becomes highly charged and active. This will prove good for you. The energy is available to pursue your dreams and constructively work towards their realization. Your preparations now and over the coming months will reach a pivotal point in November. Opportunities for advancing your cause abound. Success awaits you.

LUNAR PHASES FOR July 2010

Keeping in touch with the lunar cycle is absolutely and totally crucial to getting your life in sync with the natural rhythm of the universe. Be aware of these dates when they come and you’ll notice your life starting to change for the better. Here are this month’s important dates:

New Moon—————-Sat 12 June at 7:15am ET in Gemini
First Quarter——– Sat 19 June at 00:29am ET in Virgo
Full Moon————— Sat 26 June at 07:30am ET in Capricorn
Last Quarter——— Sun 4 July at 10:35am ET in Aries

New Moon————— Sun 11 July at 3:40pm ET in Cancer
First Quarter——– Sun 18 July at 06:11am ET in Libra
Full Moon—————-Sun 25 July at 09:37pm ET in Aquarius
Last Quarter———-Tues 3 Aug at 12:01am ET in Taurus

New Moon————— Mon 9 Aug at 11:08pm ET in Leo

To convert to your local times:
BST – add 5 hours; GMT – add 4 hours; CT – subtract 1 hour;
MT – subtract 2 hours; PT – subtract 3 hours;