Announcing the Now – a new category of astrological service which is actually an existing sub-category of the Year Ahead service, but could be handy for some. It’s a very short report of the planets as they are now in relation to your birthchart. This could be valid for up to a year, and can be requested with or without the Year Ahead. If you have a Year Ahead forecast, the personal descriptions of the planetary influences will take precedence over anything which appears in the blog by the way: you can use the blog as an indication of how others around you may be experiencing the prevailing conditions, and the Now as a background pattern, scenery or stage set (depending on how much of a diva you are). Pricing appears on the Astrology page. Having taken to heart some of your comments lately, I felt that maybe you needed this clarification. That, and Eckhart Tolle has got a lot to answer for!

Have another cosy lie-in this morning, unless you’re having to negotiate those Sunday transport services again, still under the Mercury retrograde influence…Happily though the end of this particular rail tunnel is in sight, as Mercury turns direct later this week. If you are having a meditation session today, an appropriate subject would be social relations on some level. There’s an awkward square between Venus and Jupiter tomorrow, which could result in men behaving badly and possibly some women too. Social intrigue is another hazard of this aspect, and those paparazzi will be hounding someone again. What one person thinks is funny may not be to another, and so on. So today’s reflections need to be along the lines of: are you being motivated by jealousy, can you be more charitable, does someone deserve the way you are thinking about them? Some soul-searching can nip this in the bud and iron out the problems in advance, then the effects of the square can be confined to minor faux-pas or even some comic incidents. You might find yourself saying: “A funny thing happened on the train home”. But if you are returning to work tomorrow, you may have trouble slipping back into the groove of the office culture, although the biscotti you bought them, plus the miniature Empire State Buildings to ornament their workstations might help matters. All this of course is academic and trivial next to the important aspect which occurs on Tuesday (30th), namely Jupiter sextile Neptune, which some of you may have allowed yourself to look forward to. It happens in the early hours of the morning (UK time) so sweet dreams, and interestingly is bolstered 16 minutes earlier by another sextile between Sun and Saturn, ensuring seriously constructive purposes and outcomes. Jupiter sextile Neptune is about peace and goodwill to all men and women, and religious unity, so any efforts in those areas will not go unrewarded even for the likes of Richard Dawkins. If you are astrologically savvy, you may be able to identify which two areas of your own life are affected and working in harmony for your own inner peace and in your wider ideals. And if it’s just not happening for you that day, just take time out in your lunchbreak to meditate or walk in nature to help it along. Wednesday 31st (Halloween) brings the first of two turnarounds: Neptune goes first stationary then direct and further strides can be made on the spiritual or mystical path. On Thursday (1st November) Mercury goes stationary prior to going full steam ahead, and we can in all confidence buy our season ticket to ride. But hang on – so why are engineering works on the line continuing on a Sunday into December? I don’t know, but maybe we will take them more in our stride with our new mystical mellowing. So by the end of the week, with Chiron, Neptune and Mercury all recently turning direct, we will all at least know where we are going. Next question?

The action starts on Tuesday (23rd) this week with the Sun entering Scorpio through the front door, meeting Mercury who is exiting Scorpio and retrograding back into Libra. This against the wallpaper of Saturn conjunct the True South Node which has been in operation over the last 3 weeks in subtly shifting nuances (first conjunct the Mean South Node then in a half-way alley between the two). So it will be an important day, and it may be difficult to disentangle the influences in your mind to know who is responsible for what. I could attempt to do the whole thing, like in charades, when it’s the only option if you are stumped to break it down…but on second thoughts I will first of all separate the three. Sun entering Scorpio brings a profound mood, echoes of yesterday when the Sun was sextile Pluto, reminders of mortality and questions of what are we doing here loom. Experiencing life in an intense way, and looking deeper than the surface of things. Mercury has already been there recently and has decided to nip back for a bit of light relief into Libra, hoping perhaps that going back in time they might have relaxed the public smoking laws. But there’s no escaping reality, and really from that Libra-Scorpio Beauty-Truth cuspal vantage point it’s actually glorious: the pink-gold of Autumn leaves, the art galleries of life. You just need to catch it at the right angle and hold your focus enough to take a snapshot for your favourite album. Actually, now I think I have done the whole thing and don’t have much more to add, except to say that Saturn conjunct the South Node says be at peace with where you are and your karmic efforts over the last two or three weeks. Sometimes there is only so much you can do, before you have to let yourself off the hook. Mercury’s entry per se into Libra actually happens on Wednesday (24th) he was only in the transitioning zone on Tuesday, so it’s a good day to catch up with any artistic projects, for instance have you got any unfinished potential masterpieces or manuscripts lurking under the bed (like I have)? You may now be inspired to take them up again. Hope you do that, because Venus is opposite Uranus on Thursday (25th) which causes disruption in the arts and also possibly in relationships, so you may be tempted to shove the potential masterpiece under the bed again, having only just dusted off the cobwebs. There may be unexpected meetings that day, but also possible estrangement. But estrangement is always temporary…Friday (26th) is as intense as Tuesday, serving up the Full Moon in Taurus opposite Sun in Scorpio, one of the most emotionally loaded Full Moons of the year, plus Mercury sextile Pluto which reinforces the theme but adds a constructive mental outlook. [Moonpodders, your jetlagged Full Moon questionnaires will arrive on the Full Moon itself this week, after I have flown back into the country, instead of the day before]. Take heart from the fact that Mercury sextile Pluto will provide you with the necessary psychological insight into your experience, plus the means to communicate that. And take heart, also, that you have the imminent aspect of Jupiter sextile Neptune to look forward to.

It’s time to prepare for the dance of Neptune and Jupiter (not sure who to give top billing to) on October 30th, so it’s time to give it some thought. Jupiter represents religion and Neptune spirituality, and it’s an opportunity to create right relations between the two, either in your own psyche, in your own life, or on the world stage. I would say that this aspect has the potential to create religious tolerance and understanding and peaceful conditions which relate to these matters, but since there are no signs of this golden age materializing this month, the best that can be done is to promote these ideals as far as you can now to contribute to some future utopian time. Time to sow seeds of understanding and sew stitches of connection between the different races and religions. Goodwill, harmony and peace are trying to establish themselves between two areas of your life depending on how they fall in your chart, and in the outer world in the realms of ideas, thought and debate. Those working on inter-faith and intra-faith issues need to look at the underlying universal truths between them. With Jupiter at 19 degrees Sagittarius and Neptune at 19 degrees Aquarius, you stand a good chance of making the best of this aspect if you have a planet (any planet will do) at either of these positions. If you remember back to the end of January 2006 and any projects you were setting up at the time when Jupiter was square Neptune and posing the question, this aspect could provide the answer. As this website was set up at that time, I can say that what I learned was that you need to add humour to the ingredients – otherwise no one’s going to take you seriously!

Sunday (14th) morning surfaces with a conjunction between Venus and Saturn. Bit of a dampener if you look at life from the Venusian point of view, but a heartener if you are of the Saturnian cup-half-empty disposition. Know who you are… Saturn is still conjunct the South Node, so everybody is looking to pay up their karmic dues, unconsciously if not consciously. There is an air of revisiting old haunts, maybe even from past lives. Two handy tips: if you are visiting, make sure your visiting present is suitably non-allergenic for your host (check in advance if she or he has any food sensitivities such as wheat or nuts or goat’s cheese). Tip two: just adopt a zen-like attitude when you are travelling back under the Mercury retrograde regime combined with Sunday public transport service. Did I make that joke last week? I may even recycle it again before Mercury goes direct. Tuesday (16th) brings the cheeky aspect of Venus sextile Mars: light flirtations, more balancing between your inner male and female, more life in your artwork or musical jamming. Compose that painting, poem or song on Tuesday night, because there’s more to follow on Wednesday (17th) so you can capitalize and maybe combine all three into a multi-dimensional synaesthetic extravaganza. Wednesday’s jubbly aspects come from Mercury, perhaps countering some of the communication difficulties of the retrograde motion. It’s sextile Venus first of all: that sets the harmonies and articulates the words or meaning, and then it’s trine with Mars so that you can bring on the action, liven the pace, and maybe inspire others to be involved. If you are looking to set up a band, get it together now. If not, watch the final of The Restaurant, unless you are still on the LighterLife sachet diet. Another solid aspect from Mercury arrives on Friday (19th) which may bring about sensible decisions about communication. Personally, I found the last Mercury-Saturn sextile perfect for filing, so try that if you are at a loose end. And finally, the Sun is sextile Pluto on Saturday (20th), time to honour the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.

Hi folks! It’s your friendly Sagittarian Astrologer intruding into your life again. The tone of the coming week is set by Venus re-entering Virgo on Monday (8th) and trying to maintain standards. Venus has high standards and fine taste in everything while in Virgo, and you may find, if you catch her mood, that you’ll be trying not to lower the tone. Taureans, Librans and Virgoans in particular will be settling for nothing less than organic, locally-sourced ingredients. But Tuesday (9th) brings rebellion and high kicks, with Jupiter sextile the Sun and square to Uranus. While Mars sextile Saturn may attempt to keep things under control and maintain some decorum, the influences of Jupiter and Uranus will probably dominate in favour of progressive values, while Venus in Virgo frowns or averts her gaze. Jupiter square Uranus is a theme which has been around most of this year, starting at the end of January when you might have noticed exciting new avenues in connection with technology, electronics and computers, and possible disruptions to them as well. Then came more of the same in May, but Tuesday brings a culmination of sorts to these proceedings. You may have been installing some complicated and sophisticated computer system which has taken months to get right for instance. If that’s not your thing, then alternatively you may have been engaged in a project throughout this period designed to bring a new and different vibe into your lifestyle. Look back and recognize that you’ve done something amazing this year! So between adjusting the tone and the vibration, you may strike the right balance. Hopefully we won’t be caught off guard, even if Gordon Brown announces he won’t be holding an election. Welcome in the New Moon in Libra on Thursday (11th), providing us with another chance to practise balance and equilibrium in our relationships, which may have wobbled a bit at the last Full Moon. There may be an air of people being careful with each other or treading on eggshells with Saturn conjunct the Mean South Node (it’ll be conjunct the True South Node later in the month, so you’ll have a chance to compare effects). Mercury goes stationary on Friday (12th) and you’ve guessed – it’s going retrograde again, and that could increase the rail and postal disruption, especially at Cambridge Station at weekends (speaking more as a Commuter than an Astrologer here). Just make sure that you get your communications loud and clear in those relationships which need clarity and don’t need confusion. And Saturday (13th) dreams up a lovely trine between Sun and Neptune, so you couldn’t wish for a more gentile aspect to entice Venus from behind the scenes. It favours painting, dancing, channelling, making music and generally using the right side of your brain. Time to let your left brain off the hook, breathe in trust and hope on the in-breath, and release any paranoia on the out-breath.

Feels like a new era this week: new month, new season, new horizons…This week, we’ll follow the fortunes of 3 characters: the University fresher, the traveller on a late holiday break, and the novelist. We’ll leave behind the hapless office worker at her desk, having a mundane week, sharpening her pencil and resisting the relentless advance of the “paperless office”. She may be back next week. The week revolves around the sliding doors of two aspects this week, and hopefully we’ll cover them in a little more detail than usual. First to present itself is the ever practical Mercury sextile Saturn tomorrow, the door to the mental tone for the week. It’s an aspect which involves attention to detail, bringing its own rewards. Our fresher finds himself in endless registration queues filling in endless forms, but in his newfound maturity knows it brings him ever closer to the serious business of Having Fun. Before meeting those clever debator dudes in Soc Soc, you have to actually join the thing and hand over the money. Next up our tourist: the journey is a chance for a serious catch-up with her travelling companion, and touching down on foreign shores it’s the serious but worthwhile challenge of getting the tongue round those strange-looking vowels in the phrase book, and mastering the local currency to three decimal places. And our novelist? There’s definitely a new chapter to be written, if not a new volume to the trilogy. What a responsibility – you really need to plan in fine detail, even though you’d love to just let it flow. Now it’s volume three you really have to think about getting your message across, and it’s a day to knuckle down. So to sum up generally then, once you have laid down the structures of your week on Monday, you can relax and let things unfold. Emotionally, the climax comes on Wednesday (3rd October) through Venus trine Pluto, the door to the emotional plane. For the fresher, you may find that the posh totty down the corridor (it’s all right, she’s not reading this) is already spoken for back home. But, faint heart never won fair lady, especially if she is majoring in the novels of Jane Austen. The Shirley Valentine abroad meanwhile needs to mark her diary with a heart on Wednesday, as that’s the day she is most likely to have a romantic brush with a stranger, eyes locked across a crowded swimming pool. This may also serve to put into context her relationship with the One she left behind back home. This aspect goes deep, and reveals the secrets of the psyche. She’ll weigh the shallow pool encounter against those deeper waters, and guess which will win….? As for our struggling novelist, it’s time to tackle the thorny question of the sex scene. Remember you ducked out of it in your last trilogy, despite the urgings of your literary agent. It may help to picture your prospective readership and pitch it accordingly: whether it be the Sun readers, broadsheet readers eagerly awaiting their weekly instalment (are there still broadsheets?) or New Age Aspirants ascending to other dimensions…Oh, and we can’t resist a peek at the office worker. What’s she up to? Daydreaming her life away…

…I didn’t predict that I wouldn’t be blogging from sleepy Snailwell this morning, but I did predict that there would be awkward customers on Friday. Anyway, a Happy Equinox to you all! The focus as the Sun enters Libra this morning is on balance, inner and outer, wherever you are and whatever you are doing. Deep and meaningful discussions are possible on Monday morning with a sextile between Mercury and Pluto. Perhaps you will assess the true meaning of the Autumn Equinox in our lives and the life of the planet. Or if you are back to work, you may have an idea to revolutionize working conditions. Those snazzy new paper clips you ordered from Stationery on the New Moon may be coming into their own and be just the job. From then it’s onward and upward to the Full Moon on Wednesday (26th) which comes with a trine between Mercury and Mars in tow (it makes such a change to be reporting good news). Mercury trine Mars helps you achieve your goals for this Full Moon in Aries opposing the Sun in Libra. It is another focus for balancing this week and for equalizing the power struggle between male and female. Mercury enters Scorpio on Thursday (27th) and this may slightly tip the balance again, especially on the mental level, necessitating the acknowledgement of deep emotions and how they need to be fitted into the equation. And late on Friday night, Mars enters Cancer, again leaving aside theoretical equations and pouring in more emotion to be taken into consideration. It’s a good time to nurture the inner child or any newborns who have recently come into incarnation, and to honour their life force and the new energies they have brought in with them.

There have been a few reports in the news over the last two weeks about people recovering from brain damage or coma and speaking in different languages or accents. As a regression therapist, I would be inclined to put this down to activation of a link with past lives. The region(s) of the brain connected with language(s) may be the holding place for languages known in other lifetimes. Dyslexia too can show clues to its origins in past lives, e.g. a language block acquired in medieval times can result in medieval spellings, while a Russian or Tibetan style of forming letters can point to a lifetimes spent in those countries. You may conversely be one of those lucky people who instantly know another language wholesale without having to learn it, which points to a clear access to that part of the brain, mind or even the cells of the body which connect with past lives. If you are learning a language, try programming yourself before sleep to recall a past life in that country.

A sea of squares and oppositions this week for us, and a couple of positive aspects to keep us afloat. Take a deep breath (I’m talking to myself here) and assess the healing benefits of last week and how you came to them, presuming you were not too stung by the eclipse. Those healing benefits are still there, as some ephemerides will still show a sextile between Jupiter and Chiron. That vibe is still capable of acting as the wind beneath your wings today. The first square is tomorrow, though you may already be experiencing some hot-headedness in you or those around you as we come up to this skirmish of Sun square Mars. But hard on its heels is the soothing balm of a sextile between Mercury and Venus, the gentle parent looking on at the fighting toddlers exhorting that they kiss and make up. The assistance of Mercury-Venus will be one of the floats this week, so you may find that fine words can mend situations, and words carefully chosen can be mighter and ring longer in the memory than the arguments. Linger along to Wednesday (19th) and the other serendipitous aspect to get you through comes with Mercury’s trine to Neptune. Whatever flights of fancy your mind takes you on could be illusion, but then again they could be real – “how amazing would that be?” is a question you can ask yourself. Dream the impossible dream. That combo of Mercury-Venus-Neptune forming the core of the week can produce a poem, a symphony or a mandala, whose spiritual benefits are tangible. Back to reality very rapidly for the same day holds a square between the Sun and Pluto, and it is difficult but not impossible to hold the vision and see how to put it into practical action. It seems like things fall apart and the centre cannot hold, but actually if you just refold the origami – voila you have part of the original plan and you wonder why you couldn’t see it all along. Everything is flowing along the right lines, it just needed a little restructuring. And at the end of it you could be closer to your vision. On Friday (21st) however, you could feel torn apart by the old and the new order (but still hold fast to your cosmic vision) with two oppositions: the first to arrive is Mars opposite Pluto so keep your wits about you as you can come across a plague of undercurrents from the collective unconscious in the shape of awkward customers, angry drivers and stormy weather. Pack your umbrella and deal with the awkward customers as humanely as possible, then give yourself some tender loving care in the evening for Venus opposes Neptune and the vision may vapourise, leaving only its spirit or essence (be grateful for that). Friday night, really, is only suitable for cranio-sacral massage in the hands of your most trusted therapist, so book an appointment now. If you are taking part in or hosting one of those whacky New-Agey workshoppy event-type things, beware. Next week’s blog by the way is billed to come from the Mandala Workshop in sleepy Snailwell…