Astrologer Bill Attride

Venus Sextile Uranus & Venus Enters Aquarius (March 1, 2011)

You appreciate what is different or new, yet classic, in something (or someone). With Venus ruling value (and about to leave Capricorn, see below) and Uranus ruling originality, you want to smell, taste, touch, hear or see something that is outside of your "normal". Enjoy a new aspect of an old classic, or appreciate something new for the classic qualities it expresses in a new way.

In relationships, respect those shared values that have bound you one to another, and then find and share with each other some new found way of expressing them. What keeps us together is what we share; what keeps us interested is discovering something new about one another.

Venus moves into Aquarius till March 26. The true basis of love shines through friendship now. You are with your beloved because at the end of the day you are also the best of friends.

The freedom to live out your true self is met in the space of relationships that are built on acceptance, tolerance and the celebration of individual differences. Be yourself with those who appreciate you for you. Friendship is forever.  

Sun Conjuncts Mercury & Mercury Sextile Pluto & Sun Sextile Pluto (February 25, 2011)

Here we go again... a triple play of Sun, Mercury and Pluto stirs the depths of our imagination while it reminds us that we must be doers as well as dreamers. And, most importantly, we must continue to learn how to exercise our free will while respecting the boundaries between one another.

Sun Conjunct Mercury. The Solar Wind meets Hermes fleet feet and boy are we thinking! This is the "superior" conjunction of Mercury with the Sun. This is really like a "full moon" because Mercury is on the far side of the Sun from our perspective. So, rather than a new beginning this alignment is actually a revelation, the culmination of what was released back on December 19th at the inferior conjunction.

You began with some hint, or idea or inspiration back then; now is the time to see what you have brought forth in all its majesty. With the Sun and Mercury in Pisces, that puts the Earth (and you) in Virgo. The revelation is about understanding how to balance and integrate the power of your dreams and imagination (Pisces) with your practical knowledge and skills (Virgo). The message is that you must always keep together and balance your power to dream with your power to do. Expect some strong conversations today between you and another over an important dream or vision (Pisces) versus some plan or procedure (Virgo).

Mercury in Sextile to Pluto brings a depth to the mind in this triple play. Pluto provides the power to pierce beyond the usual levels so as to allow you to perceive the underlying assumptions of the situation at hand; you go beyond apparent thought forms, peeling back the layers of underlying assumptions, and so see the issue with greater clarity. Do not let Pluto's "control issues" get in the way. Remember, real communication is not a zero-sum game with winners and losers; cooperation creates insights as we help one another to remove our "blind spots".

Sun in Sextile to Pluto completes our triple play. With the self (Sun) guided by Divine Will (Pluto), you are able to make deep impressions on the world and those around you.

At the end of December, the Sun/Pluto conjunction brought about an alignment of the self with the Self. You came to a deeper understanding of the nature of your free will. Now you have a constructive opportunity to exercise that free will. You can improve yourself and the lives of those around you by maintaining a balance of will between one another.

The lesson, as you express your will, is to maintain self control and so respect the sacred space that each life exists in. Sometimes we give way too easily and others trespass upon us; and sometimes we forget to respect the space of others and so trespass on them. Now move into the space of balance between self-assertion and selflessness.

 Always remember, the spiritual law of your will is: "Let Thy Will Be Done"!

Mars Enters Pisces (February 22, 2011)

Joy in "self less" self-assertion is what will move you forward now. When Mars moves through Pisces till April 1, you will not win any points by acting in a narrow or selfish manner. Now is the time for inspired actions; it is the time for dream-action, vision-action, sacred-action.

You are moved to sacrifice for another because you understand the truth that all are part of one great spiritual life. The truth of "I am, that I am" is seconded by the understanding that "I and thou are one".

You began the journey of Mars in the re-affirmation of your special place in the song of spirit. Now, having come full circle, it is time to reap the harvest of your spiritual journey as you think, feel and act in the greater life of spirit.

The great illusion of this world is that everything exists in apparent separation from one another. The Great Truth is that all are one in the great life that is Spirit. You cannot harm another without harming yourself. You cannot lift up another without lifting your own spirit too.

Give of yourself for something greater. You have struggled and strived to build yourself up, for what? It was so that you would be strong enough, conscious enough and caring enough so as to surrender your ego on the altar of service.

Now is the time....Sacrifice and make your life sacred, and so secure your place among the stars. Shine on!

Mercury Enters Pisces (February 21, 2011)

Hermes dashes through the mystic realms of Neptune's deep for the next couple of weeks. With Mercury moving into Pisces till March 9, you will find that the subtle and sensitive side of your mind is awakened.

Pay attention to your intuition and remember that spiritual messages often come in guises that are not at first what they seem, and may often arrive as a whisper or feel like the touch of a feather....so pay attention.

Compassion and sympathy, understanding and forgiveness are the expressions that matter now. Open yourself to the wider realms within and pay attention to your dreams.

Mercury Conjunct Mars & Mercury Conjunct Neptune & Mars Conjunct Neptune (Feb. 20, 2011)

Triple Conjunction of Mercury, Mars and Neptune!! Now we're talking... and thinking... and acting on our dreams.

A conjunction, like a New Moon, marks a time of beginnings. It is a release of a seed of new inspiration for the coming cycle of the planets which are at the conjunction. But here we have a special case, a triple play of energies, messages and inspiration. So, what are to make of this triple alignment?

Mercury and Mars speeds up your mind and nervous system with an infusion of energy. You can become so excited that you definitely need to be reminded that the most important part of speaking is.... listening. Make sure that your eagerness does not lead you into "foot in mouth" syndrome. Be excited, sure. But lose your impatience. You are sharper, faster and more assertive now. But let the measure of your message be in its thoughtfulness not volume.

Mercury and Neptune combine to infuse your mind with a greater lucidity. You can pierce beyond the here and now so as to see what might be or be possible. Listen carefully for the whisperings of spirit now. Find a quiet place for meditation and contemplation. Enjoy the beauty around and within yourself. Truly experience the oneness of all life and be prepared for the third conjunction...

Mars and Neptune conjoin to stimulate your imagination and capacity for self-less action. Usually the energies of Mars are devoted to self-assertion, but Neptune is about compassion, empathy and sacrifice. So what are you to do? What you must realize is that a major reason for the development of a strong self is exactly in order to create the capacity to sacrifice your "self" for something greater than yourself. The alignment of Mars and Neptune inspires you to seek to take strong, inspired and self-less actions. You must continue to learn to be self-assertive in non self-centered ways.

Sacrificial action is called for now. But remember, the word sacrifice means "to make sacred"; you give up the lesser in your life for that which is greater. Honor your core principles by acting in fellowship with those who share them with you. The greatest good comes from the action that is taken without personal attachment to the outcome for oneself. Join your companions with whom you share this vision of a better world. Help one another to bring your dreams (Neptune) to life (Mars). Now is the time: "All for One, and One for All!"

Sun Enters Pisces (February 18, 2011)

The Sun entering Pisces begins the month that ends the Astrological year. It is a time of summing up, review and renewal. The year ends as it began in the realm of the spirit from which all gifts come. We have come full circle and must prepare to begin again. We harvest the meanings of our year just lived and plant them in the soil of the year that is to come. We turn with hope to the future and draw upon our greatest gift, the gift of Pisces, which is the supreme gift of what it means to be human... Imagination.

You meet the world everyday as it is; presented to you as "fact" that you seemingly must accept. Yet the world you meet every day is the product of what you and everyone else intuited, felt and acted upon yesterday and a thousand yesterdays before. The great good news we can take from this is that it is we who made this world, so we can re-make it too.

The spiritual source of that ability is our supreme gift, the gift of the imagination. We encounter the world today as it is, we dream of a different world; and by using our imagination, (combined with love and will), we bring into being a new world.

But of course, we do this rather imperfectly because we are limited. We are limited by our lack of understanding which creates the principle limit to our creative power, fear. This is the challenge of Pisces: are you fearful or faithful? Do you believe that life is more fated and that you just have to accept what comes your way? Or, are you more faithful and believe in your power to make a difference?

We can overcome our past and create a better future when we confront our fear by shining the light of understanding to dispel the darkness that is fear. We know we can be better, we know we can grow because it is in our nature to believe. We have faith, imagination and the knowledge that it is we who make the world we live in.

We all find ourselves somewhere on the continuum of life between fatalism and free will. The principle determination of where you come down between fate and free will is your state of understanding. The less you know of yourself and the world around you, to that same extent will your life be "fated". And, the greater your knowledge of yourself and the world around you, the greater will be your free will or self-determination.

The entire journey around the zodiac depicts (for us) the process of human unfoldment. We begin at the Alpha moment of Aries, the springing forth with the joy of new beginnings. We come now to our Omega, the time of Pisces, in which we gather in, harvest the meanings and distill the essence of our experiences so as to create the seed of the new life we will plant again in Aries.... and so on.

We grow in understanding, day by day, year to year. But what sustains us on our journey is the spiritual gift of dreaming and imagining a better world that we know is possible....and so it is. 

Aquarius Full Moon & Venus Square Saturn (February 18, 2011)

The Aquarius Full Moon juxtaposes the energies of Aquarius from the Sun that are reflected in Leo by the Moon. The alignment poses this issue: how do you reconcile your need to be independent and free, with your need to be respected and appreciated? If you over-emphasize how free or different you are, then your life becomes meaningful only to you; but if you too much follow the dictates of what brings approval from others, then you end up being untrue to yourself.

When faced with an opposition and a choice, your challenge is really NOT to choose but to take the path of synthesis. The answer here is to honor and express your true, unique self while you enjoy the companionship of those who respect you for that. The noble, spiritual path is always the "middle road" of integration.

The Venus/Saturn alignment lays down a challenge and choice about your self-worth, values, and love. Venus Square Saturn reminds you that it is time again to re-examine your self-worth in order to understand a choice you must make about values.

In order to have a proper relationship with anything or anyone, you must have a way to consider what that relationship is worth to you. By re-assessing your values, by discerning what is of meaningful value within yourself, or what you find worthy, by doing that you are able to correctly assess what value there is for you in that relationship.

So, although it might appear as if you are facing a choice and challenge in your financial life, or in your relationship life, the real challenge is to be found within: do you understand your worth, do you value yourself truly? Do you love yourself unconditionally?

To the extent that you do, to that same extent you have the means to form meaningful relationships with the life around you. The challenge now is to re-examine your self-worth, values and love of self by facing squarely within yourself what is right and true and should be re-affirmed, and what might need to be questioned or eliminated.

The content of the challenge this time is between Venus in Capricorn facing the challenge posed by Saturn in Libra. Venus is speaking from the voice of tradition, of time tested values and the practicality of maintaining the status quo. But Saturn in Libra is reminding Venus that just because something has lasted, or has "status", or "works", does not make it true, worthy or loving. Saturn in Libra asserts the principle that a truly loving relationship is based upon a mutual understanding, a dynamic equilibrium and balancing of shared values, and a fundamental sense of fairness that is founded upon an open, conscious agreement.

Look within so as to challenge and question your assumptions of what makes you worthy, and by doing that you can eliminate those "false" values which lead to less self-love. Look outward and examine your relationships, in the light of this re-affirmed love of self, and make certain that you do your part to make those relationships worthy and loving too.   

Sun Conjunct Neptune (February 17, 2011)

The Sun represents the total potential of your being in this life, your life potential. Neptune rules dreams, visions and imagination; it is your capacity for illumination. The alignment of the Sun and Neptune reminds you that it is always possible to imagine what you wish to be, to dream or re-dream your life... and then make it so.

Neptune rules your perception of yourself and the world around you. You have a vision of what you are and what you face. But it is limited by your assumptions and consciousness of what is real for you. Your reality, your universe, is always circumscribed by what you perceive. You may share many of these perceptions with others and your reality overlaps with theirs.

The alignment of the Sun (Self) with Neptune (Illumination) allows you to perceive the truth that there are multiple realities in and around you. You actually live in one universe within a "multiverse". You have the opportunity now to let go of a lesser, more limited sense of yourself, at least for a moment or two, and discover a more complete you within a more integrated reality. Now you have an opportunity to dissolve, let go, dream great dreams, and move into a new space of self-realization.

This should be familiar to you; you do this all the time... when you are sleeping. Now, bring that wondrous experience into this waking world so that your dreams can become substantiated. It is confusing at first, but that is the path to a more complete understanding

Remember, the path of spiritual illumination leads from Certainty to the dawning of Doubt to a time of Confusion so that you may finally come to Disillusionment. It is then, when you have dropped your former assumptions and certainty, that Spirit will enter in and bring to you Illumination.

If you are certain then you are not paying attention; if you are questioning then you are preparing the way; and when you are Faith-Full then you are fully present and know that you can create whatever you imagine....and so you shall.

Dream on!

Mercury Trine Saturn (February 14, 2011)

Your mind is steady; your thoughts are grounded. Solutions to problems that have eluded you are available now. You will make a good impression with those that count. Fresh insight combined with an authoritative foundation leads to success.

With Mercury in Aquarius your mind is receptive to social ideals, visions of the future and ingenuity; while Saturn in Libra provides poise, stamina and social sensibility. Their combination means you cannot but impress others... and yourself.

When the stars align, your ideals become the reality you have always dreamed for. Dream, think...create.     

Venus Conjunct Pluto (February 9, 2011)

Diving deeply into values is called for today. Superior insight about the true nature of love is available to you when you move beyond appearances and discover what is most heartfelt in relationship. With Venus ruling values, and Pluto ruling the will-power, this alignment is all about love and control.

When you value yourself, when you truly love yourself, then and only then do you have the capacity for self-control. And it is that centering of will that makes it possible for you to give yourself willingly to another. You can take that step into the space of vulnerability, the space that is the meeting ground of two hearts, because you have found the love within and the will to make a choice.

But the greater mystery here is that is only through relationship, only when you come together with another, can you penetrate beyond the illusionary self and discover your truer self. Because in order to come together, when we meet one another in that crucible that is relationship, we each must sacrifice and surrender the lesser values between us. We affirm to one another what we truly share; we re-discover and strengthen our greater values which form the true song and substance of our love.

The mystery of Venus and Pluto is that by joining with another more deeply, you end up coming closer to your own true self. You surrender your lesser self so that you may meet your higher self, who is revealed to you by the smile in your lover's eyes.

So, today, go deep and give yourself to love and find yourself and your love in one another.