Taurus Full Moon - October 26, 2007

This Full Moon is the apex of an Arrowhead, otherwise known as Thor's Hammer or a Quadriform. Venus in Virgo is square Jupiter in Sagittarius, and both planets sesquiquadrate the Moon in Taurus. A square is a 90-degree aspect and a sesquiquadrate is a 135-degree aspect, all "hard" or stressful aspects.

Venus square Jupiter has the quality of Taurean overload. All things Venus -- Taurus' ruling planet -- are expanded and exaggerated by Jupiter. It is the planetary combination of over-indulgence and over-spending. Granted, Venus in Virgo will be cautious about what she eats, and will question if she really needs another purse, since the one she has contains compartments for her cosmetics, supplements, car keys, change purse, first aid kit, lip balm, Blackberry ....

The conflict between Sagittarian going-all-out and Virgoan health concerns -- combined with the amplified desire to experience pleasure, regardless of how one goes about doing it -- must be resolved by the Moon in Taurus. This is patently unfair, because obviously the Moon will side with Venus. The planet of pleasure rules Taurus, and both the Moon and Venus are in earth signs. Yet, the fire of Jupiter in Sag is part of this configuration, and cannot be ignored.

Part of the problem is that Jupiter in Sag can be moralistic, or downright judgmental. Can you enjoy a glass of dessert wine and a bowl of ice cream if you feel that such indulgence disconnects you from God? It really depends on your conception of Higher Power. Some gods don't want us to experience sensual pleasure, and others want us to revel in the joy of being in a physical body. It's up to you to decide which god -- if any -- you want to worship.

Maybe the key is to moderately indulge in foreign foods (Virgo/Taurus/Sag) or go on an adventurous nature hike while snacking on fruits and nuts. Go ahead and do what feels good ... but as they say in the alcohol ads, do it "responsibly."

The Fine Print: The Full Moon is at 2 Taurus. Venus is in the last few minutes of 15 Virgo. Jupiter is at 18 Sagittarius. Oh yeah, there's also a Scorpio Sun in there somewhere. As well as some soft aspects to Mars in Cancer and Saturn in Virgo. You figure it out.

Jupiter square Uranus and the Revolutionization of the Music Industry

Record sales are plummeting, as more and more consumers download music for free or buy individual songs for 99 cents instead of purchasing full albums. Chalk it up to the mutual reception between Uranus in Pisces and Neptune in Aquarius -- technological advances like peer-to-peer networks (Napster) enabled us to get our songs from many other internet users, instead of from a single authoritative source. And the RIAA responded by suing college students and grandmothers for stealing music.

Recently, a few mega-successful artists have thrown some kinks into the recording industry's business model. This month, Radiohead is offering their new album for download on a "pay what you like" model. You can get their music free, pay $18.98 ... whatever you wish. Also, Madonna -- after completing her current contract -- will work exclusively with a concert promoter, foregoing a record company completely. Many musicians recognize that the real money to be earned is from concert tickets and merchandise, not the actual recordings of their music, so some of them are choosing just to give their songs away.

It is no surprise, then, that these radical shifts in the music industry coincide with the 90-degree angle ("square") that expansive Jupiter and revolutionary Uranus are making for the third and final time in the mutable signs of Sagittarius and Pisces. Uranus seeks to break the rules and upset the status quo. This outer planet also relates to technological breakthroughs and the belief that all people should have equal access to cultural products. Jupiter expands this principle and revels in its success.

The signs in which these planets are currently residing speaks to the issues going on now. Pisces governs musicians and their creations. Sagittarius, which is ruled by Jupiter, relates to marketing, publishing, promoting ... all the responsibilities which have been traditionally taken on by the recording industry. The artist makes the music, and the companies sell albums -- by selling the public on the image of the artist. So during this Jupiter-Uranus square, Uranus is disrupting Jupiter, shaking up the way songs are shared with an artist's fans.

As Pluto enters Capricorn, we can expect a breakdown in the corporation, accompanied by said companies trying to maintain as much power as they can. They are making money off the artists, and don't want to give up a business model that is crumbling underneath their feet. It's now easier for major artists to connect directly with their fans, and emerging musicians are better able to find audiences through avenues such as MySpace and niche blogs. It is only a matter of time before the moguls find they are obsolete.

Stupid friggin' Mercury retrograde

As we become a more technologically-dependent society, do retrograde cycles isolate us more from our fellow human beings?

We now connect more with people outside of our local community, via personal computers, cell phones, Blackberrys and Treos. When these devices go down during Mercury's backwards turn, we're cut off from sources of social support, not to mention news, gossip and essential information like passwords, checking registers and phone numbers. (God forbid we actually call someone on the phone instead of texting them!)

I'm only writing this because my stupid friggin' Palm won't Hotsync today, and I'm not getting my Salon.com and NYTimes fix that I usually read over AvantGo. Do I actually have to buy a newspaper? Or read movie reviews on my laptop during breakfast! What an inconvenience!

Libra New Moon - October 11, 2007

Attention Newsletter Subscribers: It has been brought to my attention that I wrote in the Subject line that the New Moon was on Tuesday instead of Thursday. My bad!

Sometimes an eye for precision is required to create fairness in a relationship. You may need the assistance of carpentry level.

Of course, this attention to detail is not Libra's forte, unless she's matching colors in your living room. We need the craftsman-like skills of a Virgo.

Libra is ruled by Venus, and during this New Moon in Libra, Venus is in Virgo. Granted, the goddess of love does not feel blissful in the sign of her fall. She tends to feel self-critical (as well as other-critical!), harping on her own or her partner's flaws to help improve efficiency and create a more perfect marriage. And although she approaches lovemaking as skill-set to hone, at least she cares enough to be attentive in bed.

Unfortunately, Venus is conjunct strict Saturn during the New Moon, and She completely merges with Him on Sunday, October 14. As if being in Virgo were not enough of a challenge, she's now being whipped into shape by the Taskmaster, who demands that she shed pounds in preparation for her Long Marriage to the God of Responsibility and Commitment. Which is not such a bad thing, but boy, the hoops He makes Her jump through! It is a grueling workout, and sometimes all Venus wants to do is throw in the towel and stay an Old Maid.

However, Saturn doesn't let Her off easy, and by the time she's through, Venus knows exactly what she wants in a relationship -- no more and no less -- and isn't willing to put up with any BS along the way. So "plant your New Moon seeds in the fertile soil of love," or whatever New-Agey phrases turn you on during this Libra New Moon -- but remember what's going on in the background.

The Fine Print: The New Moon occurs at 17 Libra and will be most powerful for people with planets or angles between 15 and 20 degrees of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn). The New Moon is semisquare Venus at 2 Virgo. Venus will conjoin Saturn at 4 Virgo, so people with planets or angles around 2 to 7 degrees of the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) will be impacted by this energy.

PLUG: Add the Lunar Tunes widget to your Facebook!