Astrology Predictions for the Week of February 1, 2010; Continuing Patterns for 2010

It’s been quite an intense week with the square of Saturn to Pluto coming to exactness this week; it will be peaking again in August 2010 but the influence will be with us for the whole year.  Saturn and Pluto acting together is an intensely contracting and straining force.  Saturn restrains, cuts back, and inhibits things, which Pluto greatly intensifies whatever it connects with; so it is an extremely penetrative and potentially transformative equation. On Monday, February 8, 2010, the Sun makes aspects to Saturn and Pluto, bringing the energy back to our attention.

Nothing is very “bad” anyway in the great scheme of things; in fact the “worse” things are the better their effects on our psyches.  If life is all sunny and pleasant; laziness, sloppiness, and neglect are soon to come riding in. You could say in the land of plenty that is America, we have become fat, sloven, and depraved in our materialistic comfort.  However it is fast becoming the land of deprivation for more and more of the populace, seemingly on the track to becoming a third world nation itself.

As I have written about in Mounting Challenges 2009-11, 2010 is going to be a pivotal year chiefly because of the square between Saturn and Pluto, which will be buttressed by other planets in a grand configuration which has not happened in a long, long time.  So while President Obama waxes boastingly about the good things in store for the US, the force of exploding debt and geo-political change is about to eclipse all.  Energy prices could skyrocket, wars may expand, and the US itself could be threatened by a combination of military and economic pressures from Russia and China.

There will be positive spiritual progress, but it is crucial that people work together and stay focused on the positive.  2010 would seem to be the year of change, as to how far and deep that change is will be up to the individual as he or she dares to believe it possible and strives to make it happen.  These words could almost be considered clichéd, however with the patterns in the heavens above us they also happen to be apropos.

Day by readings with results, events may fall even a few days from the predicted peak days.

Sun, Jan 31
Carrying over from Friday a very serious cast can come to this day, the potential for sudden clamorous feeling to erupt are high. Sudden or shocking developments may occur, possibly on a large level. The feeling of loss, hardship, or the urgency to have to work very hard will be acute; however a very strong determination will arise as you keep a persevering attitude. (Saturn square Pluto, Mars sesquiquadrate Uranus)

Mon, Feb 1
While the energies of the weekend are only just subsiding, a more positive influence may capture your mind and outlook. Discussions, study, and investigations should be fortuitous. (Mercury semisquare Jupiter)

Tues, Feb 2
Issues positive and negative regarding communication in relationships will be highlighted, what is communicated and what is perceived may be entirely different matters.  (Mercury square Juno)

Wed, Feb 3
Deeper issues regarding relationships will be triggered: obsessions, hidden agendas, pathological motivations, etc.  It may not be the brightest of relationship moments, but it is an opportunity to uncover the darker sides to our connections.  Breakups and estrangements are possible.  In other areas intellectual and communications issues are going to be brought to bear; ideas, discussions, and business matters may take on greater significance.  Later on, relationship dynamics will start to heat up.  (Venus sesquiquadrate Saturn, semisquare Pluto, Mercury conjunct North Node)

• CBS News anchor Katie Couric faces pay cut, CBS news deep layoffs, Couric's high salary becoming a point of resentment for fellow reporters. News story
• Obama rips Republicans for 'obstruction', presumably acting tough to save face from recent Democratic Party losses news story

Thurs, Feb 4
Passionate and competitive relationships may strike up early on; there might be a little background acrimony involved.  Later on a darker cast may come to thoughts, words, and actions; there may be a greater tendency to be pessimistic or to be come depressed.  Persevering thinkers however may find greater order, realism, and practicality to their plans.  (Mars tridecile Juno, Mercury tridecile Saturn)

• Stocks tumbled Thursday, with the Dow and S&P 500 near 3-month lows, amid fears of sovereign debt woes in Europe and a rise in weekly jobless claims ahead of Friday's big monthly employment report; i.e. bad news and negative thinking. News story

Fri, Feb 5
Progress may slow to an “intolerable” pace, opportunities may seem blocked and enthusiasm may be hard pressed to sustain itself.  This is actually a good place to be, this means you’re accomplishing things, overcoming heretofore insurmountable obstacles.  Keep on keeping on; it’s always darkest just before dawn, as they say.  (Jupiter quincunx Saturn)

• Obama admits health care bill may die News story
• US stocks continue downward on further European debt fears and US unemployment. At the end of trading there was a 60 point rally bringint the Dow to -40 from yesterday.  News story

Sat, Feb 6
Relationships may hit stumbling stones.  In other areas, opportunities may present themselves which may be too tempting to decline.  A feeling that you cannot fail because yours is the righteous cause may surge, and all sorts of arrogance and misguided egotism may come out.  Some people may win out; others may risk much and lose it all.  Creative and spiritual causes are favored as well.  (Juno square Nodes, Jupiter sextile Pluto)

Sun, Feb 7
No peaking influences

Mon, Feb 8
Early on a more pessimistic, albeit realistic influence may come over affairs; problems, delays, setbacks, and other frustrations may ensue.  Be careful about falling back into dysfunctional or pathological mindsets and behaviors when things get difficult.  A deep determination to overcome can be seen to manifest though, so don’t give up so quickly.  Unusual or very beautiful relationship situations may come about but be wary of self-deception in relationships, seeing what you merely project out of your own psyche onto another person, thus seeing the elusive “other half” of you which you can only love.  (Sun hard aspect to Saturn and Pluto, Venus conjunct Neptune)

Curtis Burns
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Astrology Predictions Week of January 25, 2010, Mars at Opposition with Venus, Saturn Square Pluto

This week there are very strongly aggressive and dangerous astrological configurations forming.  Mars is now at opposition to the Sun.  Mars is closest, brightest, and highest in the night sky; this potentially could be severe in its astrological effects.  This is also called Mars at perigee, closest to Earth.  Further accentuating the intensity and potential for shock this week is the aspects of Uranus and Pluto also on Mars.  Saturn also is reforming its square to Pluto.  All in all, it is a very astrologically malefic week.

It's hard to pin down exact dates because nearly every day has an important aspect forming.  There will also be a full moon, which will be at perigee as well.  The stars seem to be all about Mars this week.  Mars is currently in the sidereal sign of its debilitation, Cancer, which pushes things to the more problematical side.  The dysfuncitonal side of Mars can be very impetious, reactive, and vindictive; Mars agitating the emotional waters of Cancer.

There could also be a sort of passive-aggression happening, simmering resentments starting to roll to a boil but which may not break to the surface; nevertheless souring the atmosphere of daily life.  One way Mars act (or over-reacts) is) is on a theme of powerlessness; i.e. when Mars feels threatened or unable to vanquish his enemy he overcompensates by displaying exaggerated toughness. 

There will also be a strong contribution from Venus this week as it also makes an opposition to Mars, certainly rising up the heat of love.  What is love anyway besides a force the draws together separated parts of ourselves in a most healing fashion?  We may come together on the outside, but there is also in internal psychological reconnecting with various parts of our psyche.  Like the chicken or the egg, which comes first: the internal psychological change or the outer relationship?

Relationship Dynamics Unfolding

Love’s paradoxes this week we may get a chance to examine, as well as other things having to do with obsessions, compulsions, aggressions and the fears which drive us to “fight” our enemies.  Have you ever known a couple who were intense lovebirds in the beginning, but in the end turned out to be hostile combatants? Are these just extreme manifestations of the same thing: a relationship based on going after something in others when that very thing is found first internally?

If we don’t find it in ourselves, then we certainly won’t find it in another.  Then it is just a matter of finding an acceptable way of demonizing the other justifying the separation, freeing us for greener pastures.  However we weave a very tangled web now in the 21st century, coming together and breaking up are just not very simple.  Can we just do it a little more civilly though?

Tough Times Through the Saturn-Pluto Square

Saturn re-perfecting its square to Pluto again probably resounding in the US national political scene with the tough times for the Obama Administration and the Democratic Party with strategic losses in the Massachusetts senate race and a possible loss of the health reform bill.  Now they have to do damage control to not look completely ineffective. All of a sudden Obama is tough on the banks and talking about creating jobs, realizing a little too late what is important in the minds of the electorate.  The Democrats (and Obama) may take a hit in the November 2010 elections.

The Saturn-Pluto square as I outlined in detail in Mounting Challenges 2009-11 is resulting in a lot of intensive movements toward a more controlling and dominating type of statehood with such things as the aforementioned health reform legislation, the push for H1N1 vaccinations, the Copenhagen Conference, and the recent Supreme Court of the US ruling giving unlimited power to corporations to contribute to political campaigns.  These are all deeply abusive of the population and very financially advantageous for the insurance companies, drug companies, banking houses and trading firms; they require the strict rule of law with very heavy penalties for not complying.  In a word it is a strong push for fascism.  So far it appears to be falling short, the principals reaching too far.

The second phase of the mortgage crisis is about to surface with the coming due of millions of adjustable rate mortgages.  Payments will skyrocket in an already contracting economy; there could be a veritable explosion of foreclosures.  There are further developments astrologically in 2010, not all of them good either.  As I said in the ebook above, 2010 will be an interesting year.

Day by Day with Results:

Sun, Jan 24
While some aspects of life today may be meaningfully slowed down, it may be possible to find balance, practicality, and shrewdness to your actions. But in other ways self-deceit and self-deception are distinct possibilities; be careful of seeing not what is really there but you would like to see (projecting your fanciful hopes and dreams onto people and situations). The reading of important details may be at risk, which is a danger to operating machinery, etc. (Sun trine Saturn, Mercury semisquare Neptune)

Mon, Jan 25
There may be moments of stressed out urgency and alarm, even the possibility haste causing accidents and injury; but for a time the pace of life may go from lukewarm to white hot suddenly. Equally, relationships of an unusual (disparate types of individuals coming together) or sudden (and quickly ending) nature may come about. The key to letting them happen successfully is not to let tendencies to clutch at or to be possessive of others come out. (Mercury contraparallel and quincunx Mars, Venus semisquare Uranus, Juno parallel Uranus)

Tues, Jan 26
Relationships and the desire to get together certainly will be accentuated, the tendency to project the most coveted and attractive qualities onto others will be stimulated. Funny how what we really need is found in someone else, or at least that’s how it seems to be. The ability to break free of heretofore limiting mind sets and circumstances will be accentuated. (Venus opposite Mars, Mercury quintile Uranus)

• toyota recalls eight popular car models due to problems with the accellerator pedal sticking, shutting down entire factories until the issues will be resolved. 
  

Wed, Jan 27
No peaking influences

• North and South Korea exhange artillery fire  News story
• Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner grilled by House Oversight Committee, accused of gross misconduct/incompetence for role in the attempt to hide crucial information of the bank bailouts News story
• John and Elizabeth Edwards legally separated News story
• Obama makes his first State of the Union address to Congress

Thurs, Jan 28
Initiative, urgency, and the motive to make things happen will be strongly stimulated. Intensive and demanding application of force may be occuring; over-zealous and inappropriate manifestations of behavior may be triggered including sexual. Be careful being in danger zones; mechanical or electrical devices may breakdown (including physical bodies). (Mars biquintile Pluto, Sun semisquare Uranus)

• Winter storm blasting southern Plains with ice, snow news story
• Ben Bernanke reappointed by US Senate for a 2nd term as Fed Chairman, even with his involvement in the AIG bailout scandal.  It was a margin of 70-30 even in the face of the bad press.  Was there a bit of "intimidation" brought down on the Senate? 
  
• More artillery between North and South Korea. 
  
• President Obama announced Thursday that the federal government will spend $8 billion developing a nationwide high-speed train system  News Story

Fri, Jan 29
Urgency and precipitous action may be the theme of the day as well as dangerous impetuosity. Be careful of being in risky situations (crime, war zones, etc.) and the danger of accidents and injury. In other areas relationships may get a lift, new possibilities may open up. (Sun opposite Mars, Juno semisquare Jupiter)

• Former Prime Minister Tony Blair faces harsh questioning on the 2003 decision to invade Iraq, he avoided a direct confrontation with protesters by going to a back entrance.
  
• U.S. announces $6.4 billion arms deal with Taiwan News Story
• Russia tests its first stealth fighter jet News Story
• Obama spars with GOP in no-holds-barred debate News Story
  

Sat, Jan 30, Full Moon
A very bright (full) moon conjunct Mars serves to amplify conditions already cited for this week.  This full moon is also perigee (closest to earth).

Sun, Jan 31
Carrying over from Friday a very serious cast can come to this day, the potential for sudden clamorous feeling to erupt are high. Sudden or shocking developments may occur, possibly on a large level. The feeling of loss, hardship, or the urgency to have to work very hard will be acute; however a very strong determination will arise as you keep a persevering attitude. (Saturn square Pluto, Mars sesquiquadrate Uranus)

Mon, Feb 1
While the energies of the weekend are only just subsiding, a more positive influence may capture your mind and outlook. Discussions, study, and investigations should be fortuitous. (Mercury semisquare Jupiter)

Curtis Burns