This week Venus reappears as the Evening Star, in the sign of her exaltation (Pisces) and conjunct magnificent Jupiter. I would expect nothing less, as she’s been kicking ass during her recent underworld journey (which began just as Tiger Wood’s furious wife took a golf club to the cheater’s SUV). In my Oregon town (often called “land of a thousand goddesses” for its many bright and talented single women), a sudden string of sexual attacks brought out angry marches, attended by both women and men. Here in Ashland, Venus was not trembling in fear. From many of the Super Bowl ads it seems that men may be the ones trembling today, hoping to reclaim their grunting authority from the powerful Venuses in their lives (or maybe that was just the retrograde Mars). At the Grammys, Venus divas dominated: Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Pink and Taylor Swift, all reminding us how much fun it is to be a girl. We’re halfway through this current Venus cycle and it’s worth recalling how it began: when Venus emerged as the Morning Star, so did the breakout popularity of Susan Boyle, who showed us that even a middle-aged Venus in a frumpy dress can be a diva. Boyle’s song was “I dreamed a dream.” Now as an exalted Venus rises with the sky god Jupiter, it is perhaps time to live our dreams too.

My hard drive crashed on the solar eclipse—just as Mercury was stationing, directly into the Saturn/Pluto square. The next day, the hard drive on my new laptop–the one I’d purchased in December and had just taken out of the box–also crashed. There was no receipt in the box. I’d bought it online and my only record of purchase was on the other crashed hard drive. My feeling of being awash in rubble and utterly helpless was nothing compared to the horrific devastation of the Haitians, and yet I felt a kinship. So this was how the archetypes were visiting me. My loved ones were still alive, my house was standing, I had a warm place to sleep and food to eat, but my psyche was running helter skelter through the streets of Pompeii. Aaaaaaiiiiieee! I work with symbol, intuition and soul as an astrologer, but the nuts and bolts of my profession are all computerized. I was panicked; for days I was too emotional to fully learn what I’d backed up and what I’d lost.

Of course this was a gentle disaster. I’ve heard from many in real difficult circumstances this past month. The massage therapist living in her car, unsure about whether to give up her cat in order to enter a woman’s shelter. The mother whose son has disappeared. The widow who is materially doing fine, but wanders lonely and without purpose through the rooms of her large house. I cannot watch the news anymore, the stories are disappointing and sad. As Saturn and Pluto square, I sense a lot of us standing at the pebbled wall of destiny, running our fingers over its cold stones and wondering… so this is where we are? Yet when we can peel the gloom away from it, there is something else: the very mystery and awe of what we’re being called to do. For if we are to pray properly to the archetypes of Saturn and Pluto, we must remain open. We must awaken and respond to the very structure of reality, however it appears right now. Even if it’s beautiful.

I discovered I’d been clever enough to back up most of my data files, but not clever enough to have invited a smart techie into my life, so the business of setting up my computers again has been mostly left to me. I am not good at this, so it goes slowly, with many hair pulling moments when what is supposed to work just doesn’t. Am I blessed? Absolutely. Between Saturn/Pluto and the Mars retrograde, I’ve been utterly slowed down. I am fully here. Not even wondering what comes next.

Ten years ago, along with several hundred other pilgrims, I took a retreat with walking-meditation master Thich Nhat Hahn. We learned to walk very very slowly, mindful of every step, with little concern for our destination. All that mattered was just the rise and fall of each foot, one at a time. This past week that education has really paid off. With Mars and Mercury both retrograde, and the collective jittering with the lunar eclipse, there’s no going anywhere fast. I keep reminding myself of that as cars inexplicably slow in front of me. I hear Thich Nhat Hanh saying “I breathe in, I breathe out,” as every grocery store or theater ticket line I choose moves like molasses in winter; the people ahead of me all seem to be having complicated problems. When there’s no moving quickly, there’s just this delicious choice: Become impatient and frustrated–or deepen one’s appreciation for life. That’s the rich offering of this strange astrological time.

In fact my mother (who lives in Slovakia) emailed much the same message this morning. She wrote: Last year I fell on the ice when I was carrying in an armload of wood. Some logs landed on my dogs and I laid there frozen in place, trying to figure out a way to get up amongst the dogs licking my face. I just began to laugh hysterically while I worried about a possible broken hip and fear of not being able to get inside my house or anyone finding me. Obviously I did manage to right myself unscathed and not repeat my episode that winter. Yet the memory looms as I again set out with armloads of wood and the fear perched relentlessly on my shoulder. On warmer days I make 2 or 3 extra trips inside with enough wood to carry me over for the times the ice man wags his finger and tells me “Not today!”

Mercury goes direct on January 15 (just after the solar eclipse). Mars is retrograde until March 10.

Here’s a moment that best sums up my experience of the Pluto/Saturn square: I was stuck in a car with an emergency break that wouldn’t release—as a speeding bus headed toward it. “It’s going to hit us,” my son yelled. In that slowed-down time of impending doom, I was oddly comforted by the realization that I had absolutely no control over what would happen next. I relaxed and the bus stopped within an inch of my rear fender. I’ve had other Pluto/Saturn challenges this month—as have many clients and friends, our country too. The world is heavy with these two planets, accelerating us towards impasse, sudden losses, or situations so out of control even strong wills can’t fix them. With Pluto and Saturn, what is broken must eventually shatter and be remade. But what do we do in the meantime? What is being asked of us?

I was trying to hurry out of town the night my emergency brake stuck. After I called AAA, hopelessness and self-pity readied their voices for a familiar dark song against my life—when I was touched by grace. I was moved to do and think nothing. I just sat. I watched my son texting to his friends. The cell phone I rarely use was in my hand. “Can you show me how to text?” Soon we were texting back and forth. Like a small gift sent by a secret admirer, it was an unexpected joy. I’ve faced bigger problems these past two weeks—my partner got laid off, my father is ill, my dog is sick too. But it has helped to remember that night’s simple teaching: At an impasse, just sit and surrender to the place of not knowing. Not knowing what will happen, what you should do, or even who you’re becoming. Wait until your eyes get used to the dark. You’ll see the one small step that comes next.

I remember an exquisite moment after the World Trade Center Towers fell. The international outpouring of compassion and grief grew so strong, it seemed we might suddenly ascend and enter a whole new era, one in which the forces of love and peace became stronger and more viable than the forces of violence and hate. Sadly, the moment quickly passed and the US leadership drove us in the opposite direction. Still, creating a new and better world is just the kind of the spectacular potential that’s available whenever Pluto—planet of transformation—meets Saturn—planet of the status quo. In 2001, Pluto and Saturn were in opposition. Now and through 2010, they are in square, in fact, exactly so as we approach this Scorpio New Moon. It’s important to look at current events in this light—particularly those experiences of violence and grief, like the recent massacre at Fort Hood. We should wonder about the shooter’s motives, but more deeply, we should wonder about the insanity of war itself. Is such institutionalized mayhem really viable? What does today’s world gain from killing so many innocents and maiming the ones who live?

Pluto/Saturn transits represent a strong invitation to transform our world. All great transformations begin with sacrifice. When there is a sacrifice, but no transformation, we’re left with just meaningless violence.

I know. There’s way too much media exposure for this ridiculous balloon boy drama. But what do you expect from a gas giant? Jupiter brings luck, opportunity, and optimism. Also inflation, excess, and irrational exuberance. When Jupiter stationed direct last week, the Dow hit 10,000. The very wizards who ruined our economy announced handsome profits and awarded themselves fat bonuses. Meanwhile the country was transfixed on a runaway helium balloon–with a helpless boy on board! Or so it was believed. The bulbous spacecraft was a perfect costume for Jupiter in Aquarius. “Keep your eye on the shiny object,” he cheered. And we did. Partnered with Neptune, Jupiter sent us a hoax, which is likely also true of the stock market’s optimism and the idea those guys deserve their bonuses. Here’s my latest bumper sticker: “The finance wizards ruined our country and all we got was this pathetic balloon.”

When I was in first grade, a boy from my class followed me home from school; midway, he hit me in the back. I hurried home without turning around; he must have slunk away. Years later I learned this boy had a crush on me. It was my first in a lifetime of puzzling encounters between the masculine and feminine–or Mars and the Moon. The Warrior and the Divine Feminine do not come together easily. How do we reconcile Mars’ desire with the Moon’s vulnerability? How do we hold space for both–for aggression and compassion, for daring-do and protective instincts, for nurture and the need to win?

I thought of this as NASA sent its rocket to crash into the Moon last week and emails from irate Moon-protectors exploded in my inbox. Because I’m a so-called “moon expert,” many wondered what I thought. My reaction was much like it was the day little Kevin socked me in the back. I wasn’t sure what to think. Except that it was definitely a Moon/Mars moment. And if there hadn’t been a Moon/Mars connection in the sky that day, I might have had to quit astrology! Sure enough, Mars was in the Moon’s sign, conjunct the Moon’s south node. Mars is debilitated in Cancer’s territory and at the south node, we fall into reactive habits. Meta-moon-fizzies held vigils, worried that the vulnerable Moon would be harmed by a patriarchal NASA acting like a wife beater or a stupid boy exploding firecrackers in a poor frog’s ass.

NASA, however, was just carrying out a controlled physics experiment in a search for water (that might bring us life-saving information in the future). Last June, the Japanese sent its own probe into the Moon’s surface without much world protest. The truth is the Moon is constantly attacked by space debris that’s far more punishing. Look at all those craters! What bothered me about the event was how easily we literalized–and misunderstood–the archetype. In a world where children regularly go hungry, where girls and mothers are raped, and where vulnerable men and women are bombed, didn’t we misplace our outrage? The Moon is a symbol of the Divine Feminine–something whose essence NASA cannot harm but that each of us, on a daily basis, can surely shatter–by our refusal to listen to the person in front of us, by our inability to show compassion to someone who confuses us, by the screams and criticism that drive men and women apart. If we really want to protect the Moon from the ravages of Mars, we don’t need to look to outer space. Just stay close and look within.

I was as surprised as everyone else that Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this morning. It’s a peculiar recognition: not for tangible accomplishment but for something abstract. He was honored for changing the tone. For capturing the world’s attention and building hope. For moving in the direction of greater international diplomacy and cooperation. The decision of the Norwegian Nobel Committee was apparently unanimous and reached with ease. But I suspect the prime mover was actually Saturn, with his tongue in his cheek perhaps, as he readies himself for his Libra robes.

“Peace” is a Libra word; Saturn will be entering this sign soon (Oct. 29). The award will certainly be a burden to Obama, as is any Saturn gift. But it’s also a mandate for the rest of us. It’s time to take our ideals seriously and start living up to them. The only zodiac sign with an inanimate object as its symbol, Libra is an air sign too, emphasizing the movement of breath and thought. The implication is that ideas—justice, balance, artistic aesthetics—may be as potent and vital as living beings. And while our passions might be roused now, it’s important to look deeply into the ideas that are guiding our choices. How can we live our values, without polarizing into one or the other camp? Saturn saddled the most visible world leader with this mantle, but the rest of us will soon be wearing it too. Saturn will be in Libra until October 2012. Our personal and global success may depend on how actively we work toward genuine harmony and peace. Let’s hold good thoughts. And make sure Obama does too.

Mercury stationed direct on Tuesday the 29th–the day my internet went out. A car down the street spun out of control and my neighbor’s house fell out of escrow. Astrologers say that life gets better when Mercury goes direct. But Mercury awakens from its sleep time slowly. The ideas we race forward with may yet be unstable—or even upside-down. (Indeed: The Democrats failed to pass the health care public option in committee, but did agree to fund abstinence-only education, something proven not to work!) During the days of Mercury’s direct station, we are still dreamers awakening from a dream. Go forward carefully, and wait for that moment (you’ll feel it) when your mind is clear, your will is strong, and your feet are touching the ground. Enjoy your competence. And make plenty of progress before Mars goes retrograde in December!

When your brain feels like cotton candy. When the hair salon calls wondering why you’re not there for your appointment today. When, smiling on the freeway, you sail past your exit. And your friends never got your email because you didn’t actually send it. This is the sleep time of Mercury’s cycle. The dog leash is in the refrigerator. You omit essential ingredients from a recipe you’ve made a hundred times before. The cable goes out. The internet goes out. Enjoy this Rip Van Winkle time. Soon enough (September 29) Mercury will be direct and your fine mind will be whirring again. Until then, find a good chair, settle in, and stare blissfully into space, like an idiot or a mystic.

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