parker's perspective

Its Spring! Just into the blooming season here in the Northern Hemisphere. So much potential. The Sun is in Aries and so is Mercury, and Uranus.

New starts. Fresh ideas. HOPE. We begin again the cycle of possibilities.

The round of Solar and Lunar Eclipses have just finished. They are never really 'done' as they push some towards new goals, relationships, and life situations. Each time a faster moving planet (Mercury, Venus, or Mars) crosses over that sensitive point it opens up the chance to implement the strengths and changes that the eclipses presented. Whatever house the eclipses fell in has another layer of information added to it.

These Eclipses were at 19 Pisces, (New Moon) and 4 Libra. (Full Moon).

Where these degrees fall in your chart is the highlighted area. If a personal planet is near one of these degrees- the astro message is -  SUPER strong: "change- or be changed" is what the symbolic shout out is.

 People pretty much know where they need to get real, improve, take a chance, and or grow. Very rarely are we blind to how we need to mature. The eclipses help us to have the courage to make changes- as they often usher into our lives circumstances that provide the stimulate to do so.

 For example- the Solar Eclipse falls in your 1st house of self- (the body). You've not taken good care of your body. Suddenly at a check up your doctor tells you - that if you don't stop with the sugar, you will be diabetic in the future. SO..... being smart- you make diet changes. You are pro active. You don't wait for the 'trigger' point of the eclipse to happen and ignore the doc's advice..... Because the second time around (the trigger point) usually is a MUCH BIGGER NOTICE...(information that you can't ignore without suffering the consequences). The energy is such that - first there is a get your attention flag... if you see the flag - do something about it. The second and sometimes third flag is usually much more difficult to deal with then the first.

Eclipses also bring WANTED change. They bring the 'big stuff'. Marriage, Birth, Job changes, Health issues, Fame, and even death. But death is really happening all the time in smaller cycles. Just like the seasons. And now we are in Spring season.

CELEBRATE the births that are possible in your life. The ones that the eclipses made you aware of.

We have lots of fire energy in the sky right now. Not just Aries, but Mars the ruler of Aries is also in a fire sign, Sagittarius.  Mars LOVES movement- and fast movement is the best! But we have a different song playing out in the month of April; the background beat of RETROGRADES. I want to speak in depth about the use of retrograde periods- because by the end of April there will be FIVE planets in retrograde motion!

We will start with the planets that are currently retrograde, Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter is the planet of how you relate to others- the way you 'believe' or how you view religion. The part faith plays in your life (or not). Jupiter also deals with the law, higher education and luck. Its a big planet. Jupiter doesn't like to be limited in ANY way. Its currently in Virgo moving backward at 15 degrees.

Saturn is about the long haul. It is what we fear that we are not 'enough' of. Saturn also deals with 'the rules' and contracts. Saturn is known as father time. Its also not the most flexible planet, but that's because of the need for boundaries. Saturn rules our bones and teeth. Saturn is currently in Sagittarius at 16 degrees and retrograde.


 Jupiter just did combat with Saturn.


 Jupiter says: "My Uncle is smarter and richer than your Daddy". Well, "my Daddy is more RESPECTED and FAMOUS than your Uncle"...says Saturn. Venus stepped in and reminded both of these over blown egos that SHE the GODDESS OF LOVE  reigns!  At 20 Pisces she currently is the most beloved, because of her developed COMPASSIONATE view towards ALL, rich or poor, famous or unknown.

So, Jupiter sat down (taking lots of space) and reviewed what she said.

Not to be out done, Saturn STOOD TALL and pondered what she said.


They are both smart. They are both to be respected; they stopped and listened. REVIEWED THE SITUATION at hand. Deliberated what they had to offer. What was the best course of action. How they could be more helpful, useful, optimistic and true to their life's path.

Was more study needed? Perhaps returning to school might be a good idea. Maybe I don't know it all~ yet... thought Jupiter. Maybe I could deepen my faith, and not be so arrogant. And hey, my waist line is getting a bit LARGE...might I do something about that............

Saturn realized maybe he'd limited himself as well, but in the other direction- not PLAYING enough! Maybe I need to lighten up a bit. Have some serious FUN, instead of BEING so serious all the time. Maybe there was more to life than "FAME" and "STATUS". Maybe I might help someone from another country, whose never known the comfort of three meals a day. I could volunteer and perhaps give my time somewhere......help someone UP the ladder instead of just climbing it myself....

And so it goes.

This is how we use retrograde periods. Review. Examine. Debate within what is needed to become a deeper person. A deeper human being. How we can be the best we can be.

On April 17th MARS turns retrograde at 9 degrees Sag. He'll be in reverse movement until June 29th. He returns to SCORPIO on May 27th.

Mars in Scorpio is some very very intense energy.  NO SHADES OF GRAY.  ALL SUMMER SCORPIO will dominate.

 Interesting to me, that at Los Angeles County Museum of Art there is a show of Mapplethorpe's work.

 Mapplethorpe

 He was about as Scorpio as it gets. And he was partner to a Scorpio born on the same day as he! No boring moments in that household.

He was driven. And also very self destructive. At the same time he was a creative maverick. Not everyone was happy about his work. He photographed the darkest elements of the roaring sexual underground gay world of s/m in the early 90's.  This is some heavy stuff. Dark compulsions intertwined with taboos being brought to the day of light. Scorpio is a truth seeker. Some truths people would rather not know. But, if you pretend its not there- it doesn't go away- it just becomes an ingrown - element, that still lives.

He was a conflicted man, who chose not to HIDE. Brave. Especially, when you know what you reveal will not be enjoyed or understood by the masses. Point being- most people do not understand the relationship of pain and pleasure that exists for a limited group of humans. They want this for themselves. Its the darker side of Scorpio energy-this extreme energy. But not any darker than the happiness some feel when another suffers. That's the same vibration. And since Mars will be traveling in Scorpio all summer- and RETROGRADE... makes me wonder if we have an astrologer on staff at LACMA, or...if like always- "as above, so below". He also photographed flowers in their beauty. He was a complex man, who helped America see its hateful side, by all the ugly energy that surfaced in the REACTIONS to his work. Its a loaded area - but that is what Scorpio is all about- the light and the dark= the extremes.

On the election front - Mars in Scorpio will make things very very very pitched battle front. It will get ugly.

Trump and his followers will only get more out there with the hate mantra. Brace yourself. Pretending that hate isn't in America won't make it go away. Shedding light on it is part of America's needed maturity.

Retrogrades are- and always have meant- to LOOK WITHIN.

Where are you holding anger? How can you transform it to something POSITIVE. Use the Mars retrograde period to scan where you have held so tight to 'your beliefs' that no longer is it about 'faith' but its about 'righteousness'. Winning at all cost- sometimes just isn't winning at all. Review for yourself, if you won anything that really matters. Only you will know.You are your own judge, and jury. You have to live with yourself. Make sure you are happy with your winnings. And don't cheat! Because if you do- when Mars is in Scorpio- you'll be found out.

On April 18th (the day after Mars stations retrograde) PLUTO goes retrograde! Its in Capricorn at 17 degrees.

Lots of 'hidden' energy in these retrograde dynamics..... Pluto loves to hide. Transform the energy by digging out your power trips and letting them go. The ones you give to others- the ones you put on yourself. The only real power is the mastery over our bad habits. What habits work against your better well being? Shed some light on them. Dig them out. Be free of them.

THEN.........we still aren't done........

MERCURY turns Retrograde on April 28th!!!

I take it back.........mercury screams..........I didn't mean it........erase my signature! give me back my endorsement! I want a refund!

All in all........... this is the time to move forward, and yet- simply push that pause button when you feel unsure. Listen to the wind, be silent, and still. And you will KNOW, when and what to release or keep. IF you feel unsure about things, people or moves, just wait until the urge to take action once again comes over you from within.

No one can stay on toe forever, so don't try. What goes up, must come down, let it.