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Back in the saddle

by April January 2, 2008 Jupiter , Mars , Newsmakers , Pluto , Transits
2008 Glancing at my spanking new 2008 Pocket Astrologer I was startled to note today’s Mars/Pluto opposition (1:28 pm PST), since I can usually feel those puppies coming from a mile away. Yet this one had flown right below my radar, obscured by clouds of mellowness and mindless television. (El spouse had 11 days off work and, other than a brief junket to L.A. for a couple of days, we spent them relaxing, reading, visiting with friends, and sleeping late. Completely fabulous.) Looking back at a blog entry from late September, I see a woman frazzled and overworked as the last Mars/Pluto opposition knocked me down, kicked me hard, and stole my lunch money. It’s amazing what a mini-vacation can do for a gal; today’s opposition finds me relaxed and cheery, with an utterly free day ahead of me. Not to brag, or anything.

I was on a near-total media blackout for the past week and a half, but a few big stories managed to squeeze through. The Bhutto assassination was shocking, which is weird considering it was entirely expected. I gather the U.S. presidential hopefuls have been practically wetting themselves in their efforts to woo the fine people of Iowa. A tiger got loose in the San Francisco Zoo, killed someone, and injured a couple of other people. Robin Wright Penn gave sourpuss Sean Penn his walking papers, and presumably Lindsey Lohan got up to something or other. But here in the Kent household, all was happiness.

A holiday expedition to a bookstore garnered a couple of fine reads – How I Got Published, a collection of essays by writers about their experiences getting their stuff into print (which should more aptly be titled, “How I Got My Mystery Novel Published,” since the overwhelming majority of contributors seem to be from that genre… not that there’s anything wrong with that). Not a lot of surprises here – “persist” seems to be the thrust of the thing – but it was an enjoyable read nevertheless.

I also picked up something called You, Inc. (coincidentally, also the title of my latest essay for the Llewellyn Moon Sign book, out this summer in the 2009 edition) which is a surprisingly readable, inspirational without being goopy, Jupiter-in-Capricorn appropriate guide to pimping yourself effectively and mercilessly. A perfect primer for yours truly, because despite my Leonine swagger and bravado I’m trembling in my boots at going forth into the cruel world and promoting my tiny cupcake of a book. Ack!

Well, anyway. Happy new year and all. Pluto goes into Capricorn soon and of course there’s that Saturn/Uranus opposition this year, so I’m enjoying the peace and quiet while we have them. Buckle up.

12 comments to " Back in the saddle "

  • Reply
    Jeffrey Kishner
    January 2, 2008 AT 11:07AM

    Happy New Year! This Mars-Pluto opposition didn’t hit me as hard as the first one, either. But it’s not over yet….

  • Reply
    Gilbert
    January 2, 2008 AT 3:47PM

    This is an uneducated question but I’d like to know, does the whole idea of planets in opposition signify gloominess of some sort or are there oppositions that are beneficial? I am just getting into this stuff and it would be beneficial to know this.

  • Reply
    April
    January 2, 2008 AT 3:58PM

    A bueno 2008 to you, too, Jeffrey! Here’s hoping Mars/Pluto continues its benign neglect of us.

    Gilbert, I wouldn’t say gloominess is a function of oppositions. “Gloom” is, I think, a noun more generally reserved for all-purpose buzz-killer Saturn (in most any aspect to any planet – not that I hold it against him, but Saturn can be a tad glum). Generally, when two frisky, cantankerous, and explosive planets like Mars and Pluto connect in a high-energy aspect (conjunction, square, or opposition), we can expect fireworks of some kind or other. Transpose the current position of these planets (29 Gemini and Sagittarius, respectively) into your own chart to find out where sparks will fly (generally, the houses of your chart where these degrees fall). Close aspects (especially conjunctions, squares, oppositions) between these points and the planets or angles in your chart generally point to important developmental opportunities rather than just passing, free-floating irritation.

  • Reply
    Michele
    January 4, 2008 AT 4:01AM

    May the new year contain many joyful moments for you.

    First I would like to thank you for a year of inspiring commentaries. Sometimes when life gets a bit heavy, I log onto your site and find the inspiration I need to “change my attitude”. Which is often all I can change. Thank you for sharing your gift of the “larger perspective” with your readers.

    In reading your recent posts, I noticed that you are considering a major move. Five years ago, I moved 8,000 miles. My life changed quite dramatically. I started researching and found an astrologer Julian Lee, who specializes in locational astrology. He read my chart for the new location and described my life very accurately in this new place. The technique is not difficult. Basically you figure out GMT for your natal birth chart. Then you keep the same GMT and change the location of your birth to the new destination. Of course, what changes is the ascendant and house positions of the planets. It is not that your natal chart goes away, it is just that now there is a new layer of influence.

    Presently, I live in a very international city so it gives me the opportunity to question friends who have lived in many places over their lifetimes. It is a small sample, but all respond the same way – the focus of their lives are different depending on where they live.

    Hopefully this information will help in your decision making process. It is a small attempt to thank you for all the times you have helped me.

  • Reply
    Maria
    January 4, 2008 AT 10:27AM

    The principals in your cupcake book have helped me choose glorious wedding times and dates for friends, who now swear by it! You are in the happy-making business, baby, and not the empty-carbohydrate kind. Sure, the audience is not Grisham-sized but I can totally see the benefit astrologers would have with this book. It’s a beautiful thing they should all read and have on their shelves.

    And be proud of your leonine self for the accomplishment! 😀

  • Reply
    Maria
    January 4, 2008 AT 10:35AM

    P.S., I was the frazzled mess for you, having taken care of The Frenchman and his knee all December. So there! No disappointments! ;-D

  • Reply
    April
    January 5, 2008 AT 8:26PM

    Michele, what a lovely and greatly appreciated comment. Thank you. I’m gratified and frankly a bit humbled by the notion of someone finding inspiration here! – I constantly have to fight the nagging feeling that I’m being a downer in my writing, and wonder why I can’t have a simple, happy, positive attitude about life. I guess maybe a lot of folks feel that way, though. I know the bloggers whose work I enjoy most are not afraid to share their spiritual and emotional journeys, even when things get a little bleak or they’re feeling grouchy.

    Thanks, too, for sharing your fascinating tale of astro-locality in action! And thanks for your graceful explanation of its basic concepts, which lays it out very nicely. I haven’t written much about relocation, but I confess I’ve been poring over charts for myself and my husband for all over the globe. You should see my chart relocated for the city in New Zealand which is our most likely relocation target: it’s where my Moon/MC and Uranus/North Node/Ascendant lines intersect! Interestingly, after my father died my family moved to Los Angeles, where my natal Sun/Neptune square (an aspect associated with the loss or absence of the father) is precisely on the Ascendant and Midheaven.

    Maria – Oh, goodness; I hope your lovely Frenchman is on the mend, and that you’ve had someone in your life who could take care of the caretaker! Sending warm thoughts and healing energy toward your happy home. I appreciate your vote of confidence, and I love thinking of myself as being in the happy-making business! My worry is that the book doesn’t include any cool technical advice about actually choosing wedding dates; it’s strictly a mainstream, sun-sign book. I worry, quite a lot actually, about disappointing readers who are familiar with my usual stuff and may expect something quite a bit more advanced or deep. I’ve made my peace with this, mostly, and am growing fond of my fluffy pink princess of a book. I’m not expecting any rave reviews in the Geocosmic Journal or anything, but I hope that even people with a more advanced understanding of astrology can find something in the book to enjoy!

  • Reply
    Maria
    January 7, 2008 AT 1:10PM

    Ah! I finally just now actually read the book description. I assumed it was a wedding horary book, but in some ways this is better because it’s more accessible and can potentially reach a larger number of people. Rock on, lady! 😀

    And yes he’s on the mend. Thank goodness. I do need a vacation.

  • Reply
    Michelle
    January 7, 2008 AT 6:19PM

    Happy New Year and New Moon!

    I look forward to another year of checking in to see what “April has to say about the current transits or whatnot”. I always enjoy reading your words; they are indeed inspirational, almost always clever and witty, and very visual. I suspect that you must have taken your turn at writing poetry along the way, yes? You seem to have that sensibility to me. Anyway, I guess my only complaint is that you don’t write often enough on your blog!
    This year’s energy is going to make us all work harder at something — so, I hope your work doesn’t keep you away from the blog’s keyboard too much….

    I gotta hunch that for many of us the creative part of ourselves is going to be put on the back burner this year while we toil away at something necessary….or at the least, it’s going to take extra effort to keep the creative juices alive.

  • Reply
    April
    January 9, 2008 AT 12:44PM

    Michelle, I’m overwhelmed. Heavens! I’d love to write more on my blog; the days just seem to get away from me. It’s a new year’s resolution for me, though, to keep up with it a bit more. Nice comments like yours and the others in this thread are certainly a great motivation!

    You’re probably right about everyone working harder in the year ahead. Weirdly, though, I’m feeling great since Jupiter entered Capricorn. I always seem to identify more with Cap than with Sagittarius, though the latter sign is on my Ascendant and I have fifty planets in the 9th house. When Jupiter was in Sag I felt pressured to be adventurous, upbeat, and positive all the time; it was a strain. Somehow, I feel Jupiter in Cap will more amply reward my intrinsic seriousness, workaholism, and cranky disposition. Here’s hoping that even if we work much harder in the coming year, we’ll enjoy it more!

  • Reply
    Amy Herring
    January 22, 2008 AT 1:04PM

    HA! I wrote a modest fun little article a while ago called You, Inc., which basically gave a little blurb on each of the planets’ function in the corporation of you to keep it running.

    Popular title 😛

  • Reply
    April
    January 23, 2008 AT 8:41PM

    Hey, Amy! Hee… yes, the title of your article caught my eye when I read your newsletter, and I chuckled a bit at the coincidence. “You, Inc.” is a great idea whose time has come, apparently!

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