Your Milky Way Horoscope May 1-7, 2011

By Milky Way Maid

Mars and Jupiter are conjunct at 22 degrees of Aries at 12:26 am Sunday, May 1. These two planets when conjunct or even square can denote risk-taking, fortunately with Jupiter protecting the risk-taker from the worst that could happen (but best not to count on that, folks). People may buy handfuls of lottery tickets, take off for the wide blue yonder without filing a flight plan, go to Vegas, gamble on a penny stock, go over Niagara Falls in a barrel, etc. You get the idea. Please, file the flight plan, have a plan B for whatever, and if gambling, keep to your established stop-loss amount.
The Sun at 11 degrees of Taurus is inconjunct Saturn in Libra at 9:34 am Monday. You have been chafing at restrictions or the lack of some necessities, but now you have an opportunity to figure out some way of adapting more happily to your situation. You could experience an easing of said restrictions and lacks. Perhaps you arrange to barter or trade with others, or find an inexpensive alternative to your usual purchases.
The New Moon is at 2:51 am Tuesday, at 12 degrees, 31 minutes of Taurus. The Sun-Moon are inconjunct Saturn, so let’s hope that you manage to make do with less, and do it more successfully. Sun-Moon are trine Pluto, helping you to take control of your life again. (Perhaps you also get a little help from friends in high places.) Sun-Moon are also square Pallas and Vesta in Aquarius; a lawyer, advisor, or advocate may be able to help you resolve problems, although you will have to set things in motion. So keep asking around for someone or some agency that may be able to help.
Taureans might do a candle lighting, and sit down to write out their Venus-ruled wishes for the month, such as ‘to find beauty everywhere’ or ‘to hear beautiful music’ or even ‘to pay off X loan or debt so that Y will finally be truly yours.’

What Stupid Thing Did I Do During Mercury Retrograde? Shop

by Milky Way Maid
Having written about Mercury retrograde does not keep me from doing stupid stuff while Mercury is in fact moving in retrograde motion.
Witness the fact that I went shopping a bit last Friday, April 15. I knew Mercury was retrograde. I knew that if one goes shopping during a Mercury retrograde, one ought to examine the merchandise pretty carefully for damage and make sure it fits. One cannot count on being able to return the item for a cash refund, you know.
I figure used items fit well into the Mercury retrograde theme, so I go to resale shops. So far, so good, because I find three pairs of shoes at the local Salvation Army store.
And I really needed shoes so I was happy to find anything that fit my wide feet. Maybe I was a bit too happy, because I did not lift the shoes up or flip them over.
Item Number One: One pair looked like it had never been worn. These were the Earth Shoe sandals in a mahogany color. Kind of like huaraches. Very nice, I’ll take them.
Item Number Two: Another was a very simple pair of basic loafers. Gotta have some loafers, right? Only $5, worth every penny if they fit. I could get my feet into them at the store, so in the cart they went.
Item Number Three: The third pair was another pair of sandals in split leather or a lookalike, with a little rosette cut out near the toe and a T-strap. They seemed quite roomy in the toes and so I said to myself, hey this is my lucky day, girl. In the cart they went.
Item Number Four: The last item was a leather-look purse or portfolio with a Kathy Lee brand logo. Pretty good shape, a bit dirty but I can clean it up a bit. Will hold a lot and looks very sturdy. At $2.99 this is the steal of the day. And I only found this after about giving up looking for purses in another section of the store. This was hanging with the backpacks and above the luggage.
Now you get three guesses which item or items were the clunkers.
ANSWERS: Over the weekend, I tried to put on the basic loafers and I could not even get my feet into them. What?!? Well, they were obviously unworn so I put them back into a plastic bag and would return them Monday while on some errands. Had to hunt a bit for the receipt, but yes here it is, in the bag it went with the shoes. One of the hallmarks of Mercury retrograde is having to do things over again: go back to the store to make a return, tear out the floor you just did and start over, redo the document that you just lost to the cyber gods, etc.
I stop at the gas station while out on my errands. I am wearing sandals, Item Number Two. I feel kinda funny while standing there pumping gas into the tank, and bend over to examine the sandals. You know what? These are REALLY ventilated. The outer seam where the uppers attach to the base is ripped out from my little toes to the heel section. Wow. When did this happen? Before they were donated to S.A., or when I wore them while doing laundry over the weekend? I will never know. I do not want to make another trip home to put on other shoes, so I could take these back with the loafers.
I decide to tough it out and just take the loafers back for now. I go into the store with the bag and receipt and explain the problem with the loafers to the clerk at the checkout.
She stated that normally they only take clothes as returns, but would take back this pair this time only. I thank her. She asks if I want a store credit or would like to shop a bit today. I tell her I will look around and if I cannot find anything today, I will take the store credit, thanks.
So I wander back to the shoe section and lo and behold, I find a nice pair of white shoes, wide in the toes and properly snug in the heel. These are the kind that are cut low in back and I normally do not look twice at that style. These catch my eye because they look nice and summery and I sure need the toe room. They fit wonderfully well and I gladly take them back to the checkout lady. They are the exact same price as the loafers and so I do not have to cough up more nickels and dimes.
OK, I got an even exchange on the loafers for a nice pair of summer shoes. When I get home, I take off the tan sandals and look at them more closely. I had in mind that maybe these could be reglued by a cobbler or something.
But these are a disaster. Not only have the uppers come apart from the base all along the outer edge, but the soles have deep cracks if you bend them. Both shoes. Made in Spain, if that means anything. The rain in Spain gets your feet wet because the shoes are falling apart.
I decide that well, I did not do too badly. In the end, I got two pairs of shoes and a sturdy purse for a total of about $24. The purse alone was worth that. One pair of shoes in a mall would have cost me at least that much. So I did not cry too much over the lost $6.99 or whatever for the Spanish sandals. Except that I am so broke right now that I cannot easily spare that amount. But mustn’t cry over spilt milk. Count myself lucky to find anything at all. Yep, life can be good sometimes. Even under a Mercury retrograde.

Your Milky Way Horoscope April 24-30, 2011

By Milky Way Maid

Venus in Aries squares Pluto in Capricorn at 3:21 am Wednesday. Venus-Pluto squares are said to signify romantic or sexual obsessions; one can’t get someone out of one’s mind, for example. In some natal charts it can denote some kind of emotional or sexual hangup, but then again who doesn’t have at least one of those? But seriously, you need to devote your attention to the matter at hand instead of letting your thoughts stray to that certain someone. It’s for certain that he sure isn’t spending every moment thinking of you, so let that dose of reality sink in.
The Sun in Taurus trines the same Pluto in Capricorn at 9 pm exactly. Pluto is evolution on all levels, and personal power. With the Sun, Pluto helps one to take control of self and situation. You have a bad habit? Pluto can dig down to the root causes of your need for this habit, and can root it out at the source. You feel like your life is out of your control? Pluto can help you at least change your self, the only thing you can change.
Venus opposes Saturn in Libra at 8:14 pm Saturday. Also Mars conjoins Jupiter in Aries overnight, at 12:26 am Sunday, May 1. Aries may feel pretty frustrated with blocks in their path; Aries doesn’t like to have to wait for others, or ask permission. Saturn can be authority, and basically the only authority that Aries accepts is their own. But Saturn demands you toe the line like everyone else, and so you have to deal with it. Mars-Jupiter can tempt you to take unusual risks; um, just be safety-conscious, OK? We don’t want you to crack your head open (again?).

Your Milky Way Horoscope April 17-23, 2011

By Milky Way Maid

Sunday, April 17 is not only Palm Sunday, it is also a Full Moon, this month at 27 degrees 44 minutes of Libra. It is exact at 10:44 pm ET. No aspects occur between this FM and when the Moon enters Scorpio at 2:19 am Monday; in other words the Moon immediately goes void-of-course. However, earlier Sunday we have the Moon opposing Mercury and Jupiter, and inconjunct Venus in Pisces. Other aspects in force are the applying Mars-Saturn opposition (exact on Monday). Negotiations are not favored, tho you can gain insights into yourself. You want to be generous, but resist if others demand generosity from you. Do not rush into anything; others who seem to block you may be trying to get you to see other options.
Mars at 12 degrees Aries opposes a retrograde Saturn in Libra at 12:02 pm Monday. Be prepared to accept that some projects in their final stages may totally fail now. Mars-Saturn aspects can denote accidents, but more often they denote arguments, frustrations, delays, ‘roadblocks’ of some kind, etc. Let your stumbling blocks be stepping stones, as they say, tho easier said than done. Find the lesson, and learn from it.
Retrograde Mercury is conjunct Mars at 13 degrees of Aries at 10:58 am Tuesday. Thirteen degrees of cardinal signs is one of the critical degrees; things will really shake loose and start happening, possibly even before the aspect is exact. Check if it contacts or aspects a natal planet, natal house cusp or progressed planet or house cusp. Mercury-Mars conjunctions often put a huge emotional wallop into our spoken expression, sometimes to the point of shouting matches. Retrograde Mercury means things may slip out that you were trying to conceal. Opposing Saturn means that there is no sympathetic listener, to say the least. Relationships can founder and partners walk out on each other. Please, Jupiter nearby gives you the option to seek counseling and learn other ways of communicating with each other. Also bear in mind that Mercury will chase Mars and catch it again for another conjunction, in Taurus, on May 20.
The Sun enters Taurus at 6:17 am Wednesday. Happy birthday to all the Tauri out there. A Sun in Taurus usually lends natives a pleasing voice and a love of beauty and the good things in life. They generally try to prove their worth by accumulating material goods, altho they do also have non-material values. Taurus likes to be comfortable! A good chair, a foot rest, a good supper, a cuppa decent coffee or tea or something stronger, these are the things that keep them happy. They are willing to work very hard for their pay. They can uplift others with their talents, altho too often they leave them unused in favor of something that delivers a steady paycheck.
This ingress features the Sun rising (Ascendant is 19 degrees Taurus in Minnesota) in a crowded twelfth house. The Sun is inconjunct a seventh-house Moon in Sag; changes gotta be made in relationships, especially male-female relationships. You represent a female ideal to the general public in some way. The Sun sextiles Neptune in Pisces, and squares the MC. Ruler Venus is conjunct Uranus and squares the nodes; a romantic entanglement with a foreigner or eccentric person may not pan out, but may provide the soul growth that you seek. A T-square is still in effect with Mercury in Aries, Pluto in Capricorn, and Saturn in Libra. Stress can affect your health (Mercury and Saturn are on the health axis), so take measures to relieve stress with walks, music, massages, bubble baths or anything else that will help soothe you.
The Sun in Taurus sextiles Neptune at zero degrees Pisces at 4:43 pm Wednesday. Study spiritual matters or meditate; you are more attuned to the cosmos now. Physical energy may not be high, so if you want to exercise, try swimming, tai chi, yoga, dance, or the arts such as painting or photography.
Venus enters Aries at 12:06 am Thursday. Venus in Aries can run hot and cold romantically. Venus here has a gift for taking the initiative in social situations, introducing others, sending out invites, being a real mover and shaker type. Has a knack for developing the initiative and skills of others. Likes to show others how-to techniques and tips so that everyone can become as self-reliant as Aries.
Venus joins Uranus at 2 degrees Aries at 10:28 pm Friday (Good Friday, Earth Day). Can be a day to fall in love, hard, with a foreigner or eccentric person. May not last but it will sure be interesting. Can be a good day for investing decisions if you have investigated your options. Looking for excitement? Expect the unexpected.
And at long last, Mercury goes direct at 6:04 am Saturday, at 12 degrees, 54 minutes Aries. Again, this is another critical degree in a cardinal sign (13 degrees). Check if it contacts or aspects a natal planet, natal house cusp or progressed planet or house cusp. The news may report a major event. Personal expression takes off, and you may finally find the right venue for self-expression, whether its a blog site, your own website, Facebook, a novel or screenplay, nightclub or coffee house, a song, etc.

An Open Letter to Barbara Hand-Clow

by Milky Way Maid

The following is a letter I am sending to Ms. Clow care of her publisher. But it might get to her sooner by posting it here, maybe.

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Dear Ms. Barbara Hand-Clow,

I have been a reader of your books, though not for as many years as I would have liked. With regard to the theories posited in Catastrophobia and in The Mayan Code, I believe I have found some interesting material that intermeshes with yours.