Sun in Taurus and Moon in Sagittarius, 2012

Beginning Sunday 6 May at 6:40p PT | 9:40p ET | 1:40a(M) UT
through Monday 7 May
/moon goes void-of-course Tuesday 8 at 6:35p PT|9:35p ET|1:35a(W)UT
until Luna enters Capricorn Tuesday at 7:01p PT|10:01p ET|2:01a(W)UT

*Resolutions and Progress*

There is always a temptation to divide times into "good" and "bad," which is a too-simplistic tendency of the human mind, and I have to resist it--with the result that these forecasts may seem confusing, because I have to say a particular period is good for this but not for that. Nor is it possible to say exactly what the "this" is rather than the "that" or to define it precisely, although I believe I am getting better at it. So we press forward and hope that whatever "comes through" my intensive study of the aspects and positions may be of some help to you.

This time my tendency is to say "Good, good!" but I am resisting it because overoptimism seems to be one of my failings as an astrologer. I just re-read the story of Balaam and Balak in the Book of Numbers (chapters 22-24) and this time it seemed to me a parable of the prophet or astrologer being pleaded with by a client to say what the client wants to hear. That is always a danger in astrological counseling. Balaam's ass knew better than he to resist the temptation and listen to the Highest. Had the prophet listened to the ass, he would have saved himself a lot of time and trouble, but we would have been deprived of an amazing and inspiring story.

Yes, this looks like a good time. It could be well to look to your business affairs and settle as much as you can on Monday and Tuesday. We are gifted with two almost-complete days of the moon not being void-of-course during a Bright Hermetic Epoch. True, there is some impatience and irritability, with Mars quincunx Uranus, as if you had to prod a lazy mule to get something done, but we have the phenomenon of two grand trines (by Ptolemaic orb), the second a new one, Venus beginning her trines with Saturn on one side and Neptune on the other. Business dealings and decisions are favored. With Venus involved, so are relationships, but they are probably more on the sideline, giving you confidence and inspiration for the work you need to do.

You can focus the spotlight of your genius on whatever is of practical import, and get answers. If sometimes you still have to wait for the final solution of a given issue, you can trust that it will be something good as long as you have done all you can. Destiny chooses her times.

A danger of grand trines is resting on one's laurels too much. Things seem so promising that one just waits for good things to happen. It would be wise to resist that tendency.

Martian aspects are good except for the quincunx with Uranus. With whom do you have an issue which might require a fight or a determination not to give in? That can be met with success. If you run into someone who is just determined to be "right" or to win regardless of the truth or merit of the case, you will find the right words or responses if you are quiet within and pray silently for an answer. Such individuals, whose "cause" is causeless, will yield to the truth more often when unopposed or opposed gently.

With precision you can snip away at little details which have hindered you and get pleasing results. Finally that has been taken care of!

What has been restraining you? A location, or lack of the best location? You may feel you want to escape one place for another, and this could be possible, if you are completely sure of your choice. Or you may simply make an unusual trip within your local situation for some purpose, and feel freer as a result. There are ways of being free wherever one truly has to be.

Times of rest are feasible, but you will probably want to keep them brief, absorbing from Nature, the air, or your ideals (if not from the Supreme) energy for renewed endeavors. While the rest lasts, however, you can put the worries and struggles completely aside--or offer them up for transformation.

Mysteries and miseries surrounding friends and partners can be dealt with through faith. Have you ever been completely abandoned? And yet there are times when any of us can feel we have been. Let's say a little prayer for our Chinese dissident friend who has been in the throes of dislocation or no-location and who as of this writing appears headed for the U. S. and NYU. He was never really abandoned by friends and well-wishers but had to be separated from them (through imprisonment) because of his principled stand. Let us hope for and expect similar good conclusions to our personal stories.

{Late Sunday, Monday, Tuesday} *Resolutions and Progress*

Cosmic Piper