Phases of the Moon, as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. The Southern hemisphere will see a mirror image of this phase. (Source:Wikipedia)

Phases of the Moon, as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. The Southern hemisphere will see a mirror image of this phase. (Source:Wikipedia)

Hello, everyone.

This is a strange week.  When I checked the planetary aspects for the week, there were none.  There is the New Moon on Thursday, which is always a major turning point, and Mercury returning to direct motion on Tuesday, but other than these two events there are no other major planetary aspects.  This is the first time since I’ve been writing this weekly forecast, almost a year ago, that there have literally been no major aspects!

Knowing Mercury is still retrograde while I write this, I checked and rechecked:  surely there was something wrong with my software!  But no, no other major aspects.

Maybe this is a good time to explain some details of these Weekly Forecasts.  To begin I run an inquiry in my astrology software for the period of the coming week.  I ask for all aspects except those involving the Moon.  The Moon moves so quickly in its orbit it traverses the entire zodiac every month.  Within that month it forms every imaginable aspect with every planet.

The Moon represents the daily happenings of our lives, who we meet, how we feel, the moment to moment activities that bring form and structure to each day.  The Moon’s aspects are the subject of the Astro4Business Forecast Today series, examining the tenor and opportunities of each day.  I only include the Moon in the Weekly Forecasts if it is New or Full as these represent important pivotal points in the month.

The other planets’ activities are indicative of longer lasting and more impactful impulses and they are the subject of these Weekly Forecasts.  These aspects give a tenor to the week as a whole. 

A Rare Week

So what is the meaning of this rare week, with Mercury changing direction and the New Moon but no other major aspects? 

The New Moon is always a time of stillness.  The couple of days before the New Moon are for winding up projects, the actual day of the New Moon is for conception, and the couple of days after are for the first emergence of the new idea, the new plan, the new intention, the new endeavor. 

And the days just before and just after Mercury turns direct are also emergent; yes, it is time to move forward with plans, negotiations, and contracts but it takes a few days to really wake up, to turn our conscious attention toward the outer world of sales and commerce.  It’s like those first transition moments when we come out of a particularly deep meditation.  Our normal brain wave activity returns slowly as we focus back on the physical world.

In Sanskrit there is a term for this:  the madya.  It is described as the point of awareness between the in-breath and the out-breath.  It seems to me the universe has given us a madya this week.  There are huge astrological events coming this summer signaling change, adjustment, opportunity, and destruction:  the Cardinal T-square with Pluto, Uranus, Saturn, and Jupiter; the ingress of Jupiter and Uranus into Aries; this summer’s solar and lunar eclipses.  This week serves as a week of stillness, a time to let go of the past and steady ourselves for the future.

What to do when there’s not much to do

You may find that you’re not that busy this week or you may feel you’re spinning your wheels.  Believe me, it’s just the calm before the storm! The events of this summer will require you to be responsive, intuitive and nimble.  If you feel like you’re standing still this week, take it as a necessary pause to gather your energy and prepare for the weeks ahead.  Here are some concrete actions you can take to use this week to your advantage.

  • Restock your shelves
  • Catch up on your bookkeeping
  • Check your account balances; make sure your cash position is solid
  • Take some time off
  • Lead your staff through a strategic visioning exercise
  • Spend time team-building
  • Make sure machinery is in good working order
  • Do a cost/benefit analysis of a project you have in mind
  • Spend time with customers, getting to know them better, and finding out how you can serve them in the future

The Moon will continue its normal active romp throughout the week and form aspects to all of the planets one after another as it moves through the signs.  For daily guidance, be sure to check back in every weekday for the Astro4Business Forecast Today.

For an overview of the month, see the Astro4Business Month Ahead – May 2010

For tips on how to use these last couple of days of Mercury Retrograde to your advantage, see 10 Best Practices for Mercury Retrograde.

Don’t forget. If you have an astrology-related business question (or a business-related astrology question) send it to me at ellen@astro4business.com. I’ll answer it in these posts, anonymously of course, and we can all learn from each other’s experiences. I look forward to it! Have a question now? Email it and let’s get started!