You may be itching to get on with this week, but the first astrological event does not take place until Wednesday, and besides with Mercury retrograde and about to return to Taurus you need to get clear on last week before you can proceed.  I know this because I had an unprecedented turn-out at my Customer Service Desk last week, all asking the same questions, and in fact am ordering new carpet set to arrive within the next month.  FAQs:  Why has this been such a tough week? Is it the Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron conjunction?  (Answer no) Is it the Mercury retrograde?  Is it the Full Moon?  There was a lot of confusion around.  It is true that the Mercury Retrograde event seemed to merge with the tension of the upcoming Full Moon.  But one of my regulars has asked me to reiterate that the larger formation of aspects going on is having a huge effect, so at the risk of boring you…and in the interests of clarity (what effects are derived from what), here is a guide for the overwhelmed:  The Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron conjunction is where you are building joyful constructs in your life.  Keep that pure.  The Uranus-Saturn opposition across two areas of your chart is where you are pulled by opposing forces, and where there is dismantling going on of lifestyle structures.  Keep your balance.  Pluto in Capricorn is where you feel most challenged psychologically at this time.  Try to understand the greater purpose for this.  In muddying up the waters, people may fail to act on the good that is coming into their lives, and you need to focus the light and wisdom of the triple conjunction now to see you through less inspiring times.  So don’t allow weeds of negativity and fear to encroach on those parts of your garden which are now coming into flower.  The first peak of the Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron conjunction is on 23rd May, which is less than a fortnight away, and for weekly bloggers like me just about one blog away!  Back to the week in hand, Mercury returns to Taurus on Wednesday (13th).  You may need to pick up on an old unfinished project from a couple of weeks ago.  By this time you may be feeling “I can’t do everything” but you may clearly see which project is your priority now.  Everything has its time.  There are three days to make headway, before the next set of aspects, which occur right at the end of the week on Saturday (16th).  The first is the Sun squaring Jupiter, but take note that it will in turn be squaring the other two planets of the triple conjunction (Neptune and Chiron) within a few days.  So if you are feeling a sense of excitement and anticipation – and rightly so – just be aware of the point where you might be going over the top.  This is getting some of the negativity out of the way prior to the actual extravaganza on 23rd.  The wild expectations and hype need constant and careful examination, and some last minute pruning.  But hold fast to the general wishin’ and hopin’ and thinkin’ and prayin’ and plannin’ and dreamin’ for soon after shall come a sign: the Sun sextile Uranus will show up an unexpected rainbow.  Follow the rainbow…but be sure to read next Sunday’s blog for the yellow brick road (preview: stationary Saturn).

Few aspects this week, but that will give you the space to work with what there is, and even the chance to master a couple of perennial chestnuts: the Mercury Retrograde and the Full Moon.  But first, the bigger picture, which is getting more colourful by the minute.  By now hopefully you will be able to identify the influence of Pluto in Capricorn in your life (the really heavy stuff), the Saturn-Uranus opposition (the dismantling) and the Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron (the qualified euphoria).  You may be finding extremes: laughter and tears, serotonin-rushes and adrenalin-rushes, all designed to make you more adaptable and open to change.  If you are following my souffle recipe, you may at this stage find a little egg on your face.  Just wipe it off, gently and discreetly, and carry on with the appointed task.  If you are eager to know more about the swine flu crisis, there are many Astrology blogs out there analysing the situation as it unfolds and examining the implications of each significant timing.  At the time of the bird flu epidemic a couple of years ago Neptune and Chiron were already in Aquarius (the sign of the bird totem and element).  It looks to me like the Neptune-Chiron conjunction in Aquarius represents the nature of the current crisis, with a semi-sextile from Uranus providing the out-of-the-blue element.  The current swine flu outbreak erupted around the time of the Taurean New Moon, Taurus representing the pig totem and element.  Back to the week ahead, and Mercury Retrograde which occurs on Thursday.  Be ahead of the game, and get going with your communications from the outset of the week.  In fact, I should have been ahead of the game myself last week and recommended this, but there is still time to do as much talking and travelling as you can muster before Mercury goes retrograde.  You can also do some homework by reading “Mercury Retrograde” by Chrissie Blaze or “Mercury” by Pamela Tyler.  Needless to say, don’t count on smooth-flowing communications towards the end of the week.  The books may help you build fortifications for the week ahead if you so require.  The first aspect of the week comes on Tuesday (5th), with Sun at 15 degrees Taurus trine Saturn at 15 degrees Virgo: more hard graft, and perhaps building up of fortifications.  If you want to build cast-iron structures, fortresses or defences this week, Tuesday is the day to do it.  Liz Greene’s book on “Saturn – A New Look at an Old Devil” is still possibly the classic on the subject.  The Mercury retrograde arrives next, on Thursday (7th).  Remember that the outer reflects the inner, so centre yourself, be calm and clear in your communications (if you still have a backlog, don’t worry about it) and let everything flow from that.  Mercury is revolving in the first degree of Gemini all week…of course my Mayan friends remind me that a week is an artificial construct and does not actually begin on a Sunday morning.  The last feature of the week is the Full Moon at 18 degrees Scorpio on Saturday (9th), which could be hair-raising if you have a fear of Scorpions.  Recommended reading for the run-up to this in order to build your spiritual muscle is “The Labours of Hercules” by Alice Bailey,  something to wrestle with and when you have stopped wrestling everyday cares will seem like a breeze.  Centre yourself again, breathe deeply…and relax.  The Full Moon is a time when even if you are centred there can be panic in groups, especially when there is talk of a pandemic.  The Louise L. Hay affirmation for ordinary flu applies even more here: “I am beyond group beliefs or the calendar.  I am free from all congestion and influence.”  That doesn’t mean you won’t need masks as well.  The Full Moon in Scorpio may put you in touch with some of the issues surrounding Pluto in Capricorn.  Someone recently asked when the Pluto transit finishes, and I said that it doesn’t, if you are continually working on it, and especially while Pluto is in Capricorn.  If you want to get to grips with this aspect of our current experience, three books stand out: first “The Astrology of Fate” by Liz Greene, philosophical but not for the faint-hearted.  For the faint-hearted I would recommend Donna Cunningham’s “Healing Pluto Problems” full of practical and alternative health wisdom, such as flower remedies.  My favourite is “Pluto: The Evolutionary Journey of the Soul” by Jeff Green, who was taught Astrology in his dreams, a book which provides spiritual uplift and gently elicits your own insights.  Just going for a nap…

This week’s aspects are looking like a chequer board: three squares today, two of them involving Mercury, making travel and communication difficult, though they will have healing lessons.  Already I can hear the pitter patter of footsteps leading to my Customer Service desk…honestly, I don’t have a say in the aspects.  But I will try to give a positive antidote to each square this week, in order to deflect some of the complaints.  Mercury squaring Neptune can cause vagueness, mis-understandings and absent-mindedness, as well as complications in journeys early in the day.  The positive?  The tunnel of illusion ends in the emergence into reality.  At the same time Mercury squaring Chiron could bring minor health crises which could be self-inflicted, such as hangovers.  Out-of-hours doctors and Chemists may find themselves busy, as well as herbalists and homeopaths.  The positive?  It’s better out than in, revealing the problem can also show the solution.  Another positive spin I can put on this, is that the peak has already passed by the time you are up and reading this.   However, don’t ignore symptoms or irritations, or let tension build up, for mid-afternoon Mars squares Pluto and confrontation is inevitable.  If you are being honest, be kind as well.  If you need to let rip, pay attention to safety, especially that of innocent bystanders.  The positive?  You now see what you are dealing with, and have the opportunity to exercise self-control.    If you are at a dinner party today, as I will be, just keep your head down and avoid controversial opinions.  Same goes if you are a blogger.  Luckily you have the whole week to recuperate from the consequences of your actions, for there are no more aspects until Saturday (2nd May).  Meanwhile, on Thursday (30th) Mercury enters Gemini, and you will find it easier to talk about what is on your mind, if you have been having to hold back while Mercury has been in Taurus.  Conversation-wise in fact you might find the floodgates opening as others too will be more chatty, and re-discovering their inner Parrot.  They may be more voluble, but the conversation itself may not be of deep quality.  But there will be a sense of releif and release of nervous tension.  Lastly, on Saturday (2nd May), Venus squares Pluto.  I have tried to keep this on your mind, dear regular readers, as it is not an apsect which came and went: it came, and hung around.  So by now you may be well aware of personal emotional issues of a deep nature which need resolution, and hopefully after this last application of the square you may be in a position to start to heal.  The positive?  You find out what a relationship is really made of, and in some cases can experience a rebirth because energy is always recycled.  The wider backdrop of things still shape our lives generally – Pluto in Capricorn throwing light on reality, Saturn opposing Uranus, pulling us in two ways, and the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron in Aquarius highlighting an opportunity in one area of your life.  A cautionary note though – the conjunction between Neptune and Chiron has thrown up the new swine flu virus in Mexico.   Jupiter (usually a benefic) will join that mix at the end of May.   Most of the weekly aspects I post on a Sunday morning in relation to that wider scene are more fleeting and of a lesser consequence. The connections that the outer planets make to your own chart will affect you even more.  So even though there are squares to contend with this week, their effects may not continue beyond the week.  It’s easy to get astrological aspects out of proportion.

Everywhere I’ve turned this week I have seen Vincent Cable, Treasury spokesman and deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat Party: on the bookstands, on the television screen, in my weekend magazine.  What’s going on in his chart?  The South Node is transiting his natal Pluto, sextile his Mercury in Gemini.  This highlights that the man has something worthwhile to say.  His bestselling book “The Storm” decodes the present economic crisis.  He’s a money-savvy Taurean who states that life has taught him that “All things come to those who wait”.  Perhaps it was his Taurean Sun sign, which swayed him in his decision not to run for leader of the Liberal Democrats, as Taureans tend to prefer the supporting role.  He has a breadth of mental vision which is down to his Mercury sandwiched between Saturn (the old style of thought) and Uranus (the new style of thought), a perfect equilibrium or balance for a prominent member of the LibDem party.  Another feature of his chart points to seeing both sides of the political argument or life in general: his Mars squares Saturn and trines Jupiter.  He has a family-loving Moon conjunction with Jupiter in Cancer, and his karmic mission (North Node conjunct Chiron) has a healing aspect.  It’s in Leo, so maybe there is a showbiz side to his aspirations.  He came into the public eye around the time when Mingis Campbell resigned in 2007, when his progressed Sun reached his natal Jupiter.  I do not have a birth time for him, but the Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron triple conjunction this year trines his natal Venus.  Venus is the ruler of his Sun sign, and on a personal level this could bring him emotional healing, but as Venus also represents his outlook on money, people are going to take even more note of this in the coming year.  October (Party Conference month) could be difficult for him, with Saturn squaring his Venus then transiting his Neptune, but early in the New Year Jupiter trines his Venus exactly which may restore his balance, financial or otherwise.  He is one to watch, but he’s not necessarily on a conventional career ladder.  I am puzzled by his poorly aspected Neptune (its closest aspect is a square to Venus): his love of dance and association with oil (as Chief Economist for Shell in the 1990s) would suggest a strong Neptune. If he has a Pisces Ascendant or Neptune rising, this may strengthen his Neptune and its roles.  The transit of Saturn to his Neptune in October may reveal more about this mystery: he may commit to Strictly Come Dancing, or there may be news about his links with oil, which tell us more about his life and character, and the meaning of his chart.

Much of the action this week involves Mars, Venus and two of the signs which  they rule (Aries and Taurus).  So it is a week that may highlight the roles of the sexes, how they can adapt and interchange, and gender issues generally.  Within each person, the sexual subpersonalities will be interacting meaningfully this week, too, e.g. your inner male may need to support your inner female, or your inner female may need to evolve into a peaceful warrior.  This week is a minor round, and a step towards peace, in the war of the sexes which has not yet been resolved, in a society still seeking balance.  By the end of the week, there may be a subtle shift of position in your inner territory and possibly this may translate into outer changes as well.  Late tonight in the UK (please adjust your timing if you are reading in other parts of the world) the Sun shifts into Taurus.  We have been working for a month with the primordial male energy  of Aries and Mars, and perhaps been active and productive (mowing lawns, setting up new business projects to impress Sir Alan), and now need to rebalance and take on the feminine qualities and activities of the sign of Venus-ruled Taurus (hosting dinner parties, and emulating the food ethics of Jamie Oliver).  Taurus is a complete change of pace, and in fact cannot be hurried.  It put the “Go Placidly” in the famous poem Desiderata.  This cuspal interchange of Mars-Aries and Venus-Taurus reaches a defining moment on Tuesday evening (again, UK time) with the actual conjunction of Venus and Mars.  For those working literally and stereotypically on their male-female roles this could mean a romantic encounter across a dinner table or crowded room.  But for others it may mean a peaceful centring of their own energies, e.g. the left and right side of the subtle body coming together.  On Wednesday 22nd the energy balance tips again, for Mars leaves Pisces where he was a fish out of water, and regains his inner ram in his own sign of Aries.  It’s a macho sort of day, with a dose of the Apprentice and Aries Sir Alan on our screens in the evening.  It will be interesting to see if the boy’s team wins…Early on Thursday (23rd) Mercury squares Jupiter which is the worst sort of aspect for prospective Apprentices who might be staying up late to watch themselves on TV.  Business and Sales get their wires crossed and costings shoot over budget, and there will be regrets over silly statements made.  All good fun if you are watching, but not if it is your livelihood, so be cautious and pay attention in communications.  The Sun trines Pluto that day, something can be salvaged even if you encountered difficulties late Wednesday/early Thursday.  Something can be made out of nothing, and the phoenix can rise from the ashes.  It is a suitable day for profound change and transformation.  On the morning of Friday (24th) Venus concedes temporarily in the battle of the sexes and enters the male-dominated territory of Aries, but knowing that she will eventually turn the tide when she reaches Taurus, being placid.   She can wait.  And when she is in Aries, she is entitled to be just as selfish as Mars, look after her own interests and have her needs met.  In Pisces, she had been maybe too self-effacing for her own good, though exalted and on a pedestal.  So Friday’s message is “hold your own”, it doesn’t benefit anyone to give away your integrity.  Also on Friday the Sun squares the mean Nodes, which is a karmic feature also requiring integrity and seeing fairness.  Later, towards the evening, Mercury sextiles Uranus which restores some ground to business – a new idea may take hold, perhaps one which you tossed out when brainstorming in the middle of the week.  The ideas will be snappy and their execution will be zippy, so have fun.  The week ends with a placid New Moon in Taurus (at 5 degrees) on Saturday, and hopefully a new way of viewing our relationship to planet Earth.  A feminine note for the end of the week, reminding us to keep the heart open to the solution which benefits all.

With the first major aspect of the week occurring on Wednesday (15th), there is time over the next few days to digest last week’s events and lessons.  Was there a drain on your energy at the beginning of the week from Mars opposing Saturn?  Did it rain or shine on Good Friday?  It was half and half for me as I travelled to the Midlands, but fortunately I had ignored my own advice, and packed my umbrella just in case.  Have you eaten your fill of chocolate this weekend?  If so, give thought to the “potential and possibilities” of the Cosmic Egg as mentioned in the April blog by Celia Fenn.  Most edifying.  The Sun does make a sextile to asteroid Chiron before Wednesday and so this is a time for healing wounds, coming to terms and acceptance.  On to Wednesday (15th) when Mars sextiles Uranus at 24 degrees Pisces.  This may bring new scenarios, or news out of the blue.  Another Apprentice will be fired by Sir Alan in a shock decision. If, of course, you are able to use your intuition it may not be quite such a shock.  I won’t be watching anything else on TV that night, but if you are watching any soaps the same evening notice whther they reflect the aspects of the day.  It’s uncanny, when you consider they are filmed way in advance of transmission, how they often do.  During the evening there is a harmonious link of a sextile between the Sun and Neptune, so you may feel involved and aware of the illusion of life or reality TV at the same time.  If you are a photographer, amateur or otherwise, you may take a spectacular snapshot that day, maybe of a couch potato.  On Friday (17th) Venus is stationary prior to going direct again.  Normally this would bring relief in relationship difficulties, but it is still in the path of its square with Pluto, so emotional overload may be ongoing.  The early hours of Saturday (18th) or Friday night (which is binge night in the UK) there is a quick sobering up brought about by Mercury trine Saturn, a sensible appraisal which may help steady the revellers.  If you are also evaluating the bigger picture and working with the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron, you may have found that Pluto in Capricorn or the Saturn-Uranus opposition has disrupted plans. For those who are following my souffle recipe, you may therefore need to take the souffle out of the oven at this point to check it.  If it seems too complex to carry out, then make a quick and easy substitute dish for this conjunction at the end of May.  But if you are sticking with your original vision, make any necessary adjustments and then put it back in the oven, as a twice-baked souffle.

Sunday opens with Mars opposite Saturn, a feature which may begin for some on Saturday night out.  This could be a tussle between two, or within one.  Either way it could make Sunday a bit of a slog, e.g. tiredness on waking, listlessness, not getting done all you’d planned.  Plan the bare minimum, don’t expect too much of yourself, and don’t have too high expectations of another.  Otherwise, you should get along fine.  From that lacklustre start (did I mention your car might not start?) the week gets steadily better, unless you are a full-moon-phobe.  By Tuesday (7th) things should be running more smoothly with Mercury sextile Neptune.  You may see more flow in your affairs, but also could put together rational ideas with spiritual and imaginative ones, and sort through a few more illusions.  Mercury is also sextile Chiron that day (which is currently conjunct Neptune did I forget to mention?).  So you can put together conventional and unconventional modes of healing, harmoniously.  This is a preparation for the triple conjunction at the end of May, which combines Jupiter with this duo, and will enable goals to be attained which involve spirituality and healing but also many other areas of life.  For more information read the recipe I prepared earlier.  Mercury enters Taurus on Thursday (9th), and minds complete rational tasks and move on to artistic and musical possibilities, as well as earth-centred projects.  The Full Moon this month is also on Thursday, and graces the sign of Libra which does try to keep the peace, and though it opposes the Sun in Aries, it does so with grace and attempting to blend with the needs of the other person.  It is one of the gentler Full Moons, and is applying to a trine with Neptune in the early hours of Friday morning, so what could be more accommodating?  If you really feel that’s too nice, try reading Kelly Bryson’s book “Don’t be Nice be Real” for inspiration abut not being quite so nice, especially if you have Moon in Libra natally.  Friday (10th) also brings a lovely sextile between the Sun and Jupiter.  Could the Sun shine for Good Friday?  It is tempting to think so.  Take a chance that day, leave the umbrella at home.  There is also a good chance that the car will start that day.  Mercury trines Pluto on Saturday (11th), so that favours deep thought and conversation about things that matter.  So Frivolous Friday, followed by Studious Saturday.  Finally, Venus retrogrades back into Pisces, so love will turn from brash to sentimental some time over lunch (if you are in the U.K.).  This will be early morning in the U.S., and in the evening in Australia.  Bear this in mind if you are lunching or breakfasting with the object of your affections.  If you have been having difficulties in your love life lately, it might just help to know that, if you’re into shapeshifting, he or she may turn suddenly from a ram into a fish.

This morning’s conjunction of Mercury and Venus sets the tone of a communicative and congenial Sunday.  Whether you are on Twitter, hosting a dinner party or preparing to attend the G20 you will be gratified by the feedback you are getting.  The North Node is sextile Mercury, Venus and the Sun early this week, so the karmic compass could be re-set to favourable if it has slightly gone off course lately, especially in relation to group work.  Tuesday (31st) brings a conjunction of Sun and Mercury, much needed mental clarity for pondering the world’s economic problems or the problems within your own immediate circle.  You may suddenly be able to home in on what the problem is, and how it should be tackled, providing you have put in the homework in recent days of mulling over the scenario from every angle to familiarize your subconscious with what it needs to process.  Communication and debate will be lively on that day, and some words will be mightier than swords.  If you are a reporter, get that down.  There are no aspects for Wednesday April 1st, so I did think about making up a spoof aspect, but why not create your own?  You don’t need to be limited by the planets in our Solar System, there’s a whole Universe out there, and the unlimited imagination of the human consciousness.  Revel in the freedom from aspects, and the permission of April Fool’s Day.  The G20 Summit takes place on Thursday (2nd), and with the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron in his 11th House of group endeavour, Gordon Brown is trying to prove that the economic woes of his administration are indeed global in nature and putting into practice all he has learned from his bedtime reading of “How to Win Friends and Influence People”.  Any practical jokes which backfired on Wednesday need to be put right by Friday (3rd) when retrograde Venus (difficult enough on its own for some) squares Pluto.  As an aftermath of the G20 summit, it looks pretty intense, as Venus represents money as well as relationships.  Passions are likely to have been inflamed, or to be smouldering from the day before.  This is probably the most weighty aspect of the week, and in relationships if you have been twittering inappropriately, or practising dishonest negotiations, the time of reckoning has come.  You have to be absolutely sure of your integrity to the best of your self-knowledge.  Saturday (4th) brings some recovery from Friday’s wobble, with Mercury sextile Jupiter, i.e. some good news may come of the week’s proceedings.  Shortly afterwards though, Pluto, following Venus, goes stationary prior to retrograde and a cautionary note may be sounded.  Between them, they wish to leave no stone unturned where money and love are concerned and all the combinations in between.  Lawyers and mediators will be busy with financial settlements, and reporters will be busy recording allegations and revelations.  Turning to lighter matters, as you may have noticed I have thought about nothing other than the Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron conjunction for weeks.  Hope that pet project is shaping up, and I hope to resume blogging about that next week.

Hopefully if you experienced a blip in your long-term plans last week, you are back on track now, having learned what you need to know in relation to the coming triple conjunction of Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron at the end of May.  Though I have mentioned its pitfalls, from feedback this week, it seems I may not have stressed enough that it is an opportunity to move forward.  Anyway, do enough to keep things ticking over on the bigger plans this week, because the week holds its own challenges and distractions which may demand more attention.  This morning a sparky conjunction of Mercury and Uranus brings an unusual twist to communications, a different way of seeing things.  This will be welcome to some, too radical for others.  It’s a day when you may not be able to hold back your truth!  Verbal banter could proceed at a lightning pace, and then ascend into telepathy.  Whether you are taking part or merely viewing, it should be a fascinating process.  Just remember there is karma of thought, let alone speech, because you don’t need to carry over repercussions to Monday.  Monday (23rd) has its own drama of Sun square Pluto, and if you do manage to keep a calm hand over your own life, there is always the news to watch, listen to or read about – more than likely broadcasting the negative or sensational aspects of life.  I hear so many people say they have stopped buying newspapers or watching the news, yet they always know the current affairs.  It always reaches them somehow.  The question for Monday is: what drama in your life are you creating and why, and do you need it?  If you are a Drama Queen, is it time to change to a different Archetype?  Perhaps pick a new card from your deck of “Ask your Archetype Ascension Angel Healing Cards” which you purchased two years ago, opened at the time, then put away.  If after the radical aspects early in the week, you are still struggling for a new perspective, Wednesday’s (25th) holds the hope of a fresh outlook as Mercury moves into Aries.  The Sun’s entry into Aries last Friday certainly felt fresh and lovely here in the UK where we did have sunshine, though the temperature was quite brisk.  Mercury’s entry into Aries emphasizes that mentally we can make a new start, and perhaps leave behind some of the Piscean emotions that were colouring our mental outlook over the last fortnight or so of its short stay in Pisces.  If you were suffering from seasonal affective disorder, you may be able to throw it off now, and in the words of Will Young “Let it Go”.  In the ups and downs of this week (now beginning to resemble a snakes and ladders board) Thursday affords us an opportunity for another rise in optimism and another fresh start, with the New Moon in Aries.  New Moon in Aries is the New Moon of New Moons, the world-is-your-oyster of New Moons.  With the trio of Sun/Mercury/Venus all now in Aries as well as the Moon, it is an opportunity to really leave behind the concerns of the winter season.  Or is it?  Mars (ruler of Aries) is still hanging on in Pisces, so some angst may still be lingering in the smaller picture.  Don’t forget that the bigger picture is dominated by the triple conjunction…It’s still there, willing us to improve things.  Still on the bigger picture, we are still in the midst of dealing with Plutonian angst (which is bigger than Martian angst), and are reminded of that on Friday with Mercury square to Pluto – part of the up and down theme of the week.  By the way don’t forget to enjoy the highs, even though you know the lows are not so far behind (they may even be simultaneous).  Mercury’s square to Pluto is about recognizing on a mental level the realities which were pointed out to you on Monday by Pluto’s square to the Sun.  You may find yourself for instance dealing with paperwork you would rather be avoiding.  Deal with it, and you’ll be free to bask in the evening’s conjunction of Sun and Venus.  Pour yourself a nice sparkling mineral water for your efforts at equilibrium this week, and swing gently on your hammock.  I like a happy ending.

Mars entered Pisces in the early hours of this morning (for the UK, late the previous night for the US).  The high-spirited idealism of Mars in Aquarius gives way to the true service of Mars in Pisces.  The story which leaps out from the pages of the Sunday papers this morning is that of Mohamed Nasheed, the President of the Maldives, leaping ahead on climate change, announcing plans to achieve carbon neutrality for his country in a decade.  His words are: “Climate change is a global emergency.  The world is in danger of going into cardiac arrest, yet we behave as if we’ve caught a common cold.  Today, the Maldives has announced plans to become the world’s most eco-friendly country.  I can only hope other nations follow suit.”  Perhaps his role is indicated by his Sun and North Node (karmic mission) in the Earth sign of Taurus in his natal chart.  But he has a number of transits which possibly indicate his response to the urgency of climate change: Jupiter trines his natal Mars (a green light for action), Uranus trines his natal Neptune (mental illumination triggering his sensitivity) and transiting Saturn sitting on his Pluto (an urgent recognition of the seriousness of the issue, and a pressure to act carefully and responsibly).  Thursday (19th) brings the next major aspects of this week: first Mercury opposite Saturn.  If you are building up major plans for the Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron triple conjunction of late May they may seem to hit the buffers around now.  Re-shaping may be needed because of the ballooning or mushrooming effect of the triple conjunction, so you may need to take action to prune things or keep things under control and make sure that big ideas become workable.  You may fear that you have taken too much on, or that your plan may have to be abandoned altogether, but this may not necessarily be so.  There can still be a happy ending, especially if you adhere to the recipe mentioned last week.  A more positive aspect on the same day (Mars sextile Pluto) hard on its heels, ensures the courage, strength and energy to go forward despite setbacks and fears.  Friday (20th) is the Spring Equinox, and here in England trees are happily budding away in anticipation of the event.  The climate is still following some semblance of the traditional order.  Let’s hope that President Nasheed’s is the first of many such declarations, of willingness to put the planet first.  The Sun’s entry into Aries represents pioneering action, and the scheme being announced for the Maldives is a step further than other schemes (such as the Norwegian) in its aim to totally decarbonize the local economy.  The energy of the Spring Equinox may inspire more proclamations of high intentions.  It’s a good year, and a good season, to make this effort, with the triple conjunction in Aquarius in May.  Anything which can be done, should be done now.