The Grand Canyon in Moonlight

From Images 108

In this alluring night skyscape recorded on March 26, a young Moon stands over the distant western horizon in conjunction with brilliant planet Venus. In the foreground, the Colorado River glistens in moonlight as it winds through the Grand Canyon, seen from the canyon's southern rim at Lipan Point. Of course, the Grand Canyon is known as one of the wonders of planet Earth. Carved by the river, the enormous fissure is about 270 miles long, up to 18 miles wide and approaches 1 mile deep. On this date, wonders of the night sky included the compact Pleiades and V-shaped Hyades star clusters poised just above the Moon. Bright planet Jupiter is below the closer Moon/Venus pairing, near the western horizon. ~Image Credit & Copyright: Malcolm Park (North York Astronomical Association)

Picture Captures a Billion Stars

From BBC:
"Scientists have produced a colossal picture of our Milky Way Galaxy, to reveal the detail of a billion stars.

It is built from thousands of individual images acquired by two UK-developed telescopes operating in Hawaii and in Chile.

Archived data from the project, known as the Vista Data Flow System, will be mined by astronomers to make new discoveries about the local cosmos.

But more simply, it represents a fabulous portrait of the night sky."
Read More

Earthshine & Venus Over Sierra de Guadarrama

From Images 108

What just above that ridge? The Moon. Specifically, the Earth's Moon was caught just above the horizon in a young crescent phase. The familiar Moon might look a bit odd as the exposure shows significant Earthshine -- the illumination of the part of the Moon hidden from direct sunlight by the sun-reflecting Earth. Also captured in the image is the bright planet Venus on the right. Venus and Jupiter passed only three degrees from each other last week during a photogenic planetary conjunction. The above image was taken two days ago near Madrid, Spain. The foreground horizon silhouette includes some of the Seven Peaks of the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range. Just a few minutes after this picture was taken, the Moon set. ~Image Credit: Daniel Fernández (DANIKXT)
************
Mar. 28 Tweet~ Apparently, the most precise SuperMoon of 2012 is the May 5 (PDT) Full Moon @ 16 Scorpio (antiscion = 14 Aquarius). Moon at closest apogee.

Mar. 27 Tweets

These Tweets refer to the 19 year Metonic Cycle that results in eclipses repeating at the exact same degree as the eclipses 19 years previous. 19 solar years = 235 synodic months, almost exactly.

1. Because of the correlation between 19 years and 235 synodic months, the 4 eclipses of 2012 repeat the degrees of the 4 eclipses in 1993.

2. 1993- Solar Eclipse May 21 @ 0.31 Gemini; T.Lunar Eclipse June 4 @ 13.55 Sagittarius; Solar Eclipse Nov 13 @ 21.32 Scorpio; T.Lunar Eclipse Nov 29 @ 7 Gemini.

3. 2012- Solar Eclipse May 20 @ 0.21 Gemini; Lunar Eclipse June 4 @ 14.14 Sagittarius: T.Solar Eclipse Nov. 13 @ 21.57 Scorpio; Lunar Eclipse Nov28 @ 6.47 Gemini.

The Metonic Cycle and the Saros

Quote of the Day: The root of the word education is e-ducere, literally, to lead forth, or to bring out something which is potentially present. ~Erich Fromm

~Current Planets~

Venus at greatest elongation

Mar. 26- Venus is at her greatest elongation 46° east of the Sun. That makes this the very best time to spot Venus during daylight hours.
Read more about it-> This Week's Sky
************
Taurus Moon quote of the day: If the Earth has a soul, it swims in you. ~Kolbein Falkeid
************
Mar. 26 Tweets

1. Sun translating Uranus-90-Pluto = big quake in Mexico, a 7.1 near Talca, Chile, and one in AUS: AustralianGeographic

2. Sunday's 7.1 quake near Talca, Chile: Mars = 6 Virgo = Ascendant/Midheaven (this time and place) 5 Virgo = Nodes 6 Sagittarius-Gemini.
************
Venus farthest from the Sun on Mar. 27

As seen from Earth today (March 27, 2011), Venus stays fairly closely tethered to the sun. These next few evenings, however, will find Venus at the end of its tether, at 46 degrees east of the sun – in other words, in the west after sunset. In astronomical parlance, this is called Venus’ greatest eastern elongation. What a grand night for an elongation of Venus! The waxing moon is nearby, and so is the second-brightest planet Jupiter.
Read More-> EarthSky

Merriman's Market Week

Comments for the week starting Mar. 26

Short-Term Geocosmics

Mercury is now in the middle of its retrograde motion, which lasts from March 12 through April 4. The midpoint is often a time when some markets may exhibit a sharp counter-trend reversal if they didn’t reverse within a day or two of the retrograde date. We are seeing this in the precious metals, which had been declining since February 28-29. They didn’t reverse that trend around March 12. They continued lower into March 22, which is near the middle of the current Mercury retrograde.

The forthcoming week will be interesting for other geocosmic reasons. The Sun will be in conjunction to Uranus in Aries on Saturday, March 24, followed by a waxing square to Pluto on March 29. This is also known as “the Sun translating the forthcoming Uranus-Pluto square.” It offers a preview of what to look forward to from late June 2012 through March 2015, when the first of seven exact waxing square aspects take place between Uranus and Pluto.
Read More

Earthshine & New Moon

From Images 108

Also known as the Moon's ashen glow, Earthshine is Earthlight illuminating the Moon's night side. Taken on Nowruz, the March 20 equinox, from Esfahan, Iran, planet Earth, this telescopic image captures strong Earthshine from an old Moon. The darker earthlit disk is in the arms of a bright sunlit crescent. But the view from the Moon would have been enchanting too. When the Moon appears in Earth's sky as a slender crescent, a dazzlingly bright, nearly full Earth would be seen from the lunar surface. The Earth's brightness due to reflected sunlight is known to be strongly influenced by cloud cover. Still, a description of Earthshine, in terms of sunlight reflected by Earth's oceans in turn illuminating the Moon's dark surface, was written 500 years ago by Leonardo da Vinci. ~Image Credit & Copyright: M. Taha Ghouchkanlu
************
Quote of the Day: “She didn't quite know what the relationship was between lunatics and the moon, but it must be a strong one, if they used a word like that to describe the insane.” ~Paulo Coelho
************
New and Full Moons 2009 - 2015
************
The U.S. Mars Dilemma

Earliest Spring Equinox In Over A Century

From SPACE.com~
"Across much of the United States, this has been an unusually mild winter, especially for those living east of the Mississippi. Not a few people have noted that spring seems to have come early this year. Of course, in a meteorological sense that could be true, but in 2012 it will also be true in an astronomical sense as well, because this year spring will make its earliest arrival since the late 19th century: 1896, to be exact.

The vernal equinox — the first day of spring — will arrive tomorrow (March 20) at 05:14 Universal Time, or 1:14 a.m. EDT. Even more intriguing is that for those in the Mountain and Pacific Time zones, the equinox will actually arrive tonight (March 19).

Astronomers define an equinox as that moment when the sun arrives at one of two intersection points of the ecliptic (the sun's path across the sky) and the celestial equator (Earth's equator projected onto the sky). One such intersection point is located in western Virgo; the sun arrives there on Sept. 22 or 23, and appears to cross the equator from north to south, marking the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere.

The other intersection point, in eastern Pisces, is where the sun will be tomorrow. The sun is now migrating north of the equator, hence this is the "vernal" or spring equinox. At 5:14 UT next Tuesday, the sun will be shining directly over the equator from the point of view of a spot in the Indian Ocean, 757 miles (1,218 km) southeast of Colombo, Sri Lanka." Equinox & Solstice graphic

Aurora over Iceland

From Images 108

If you see a sky like this -- photograph it. Three nights ago in Iceland, an adventurous photographer (pictured) chanced across a sky full of aurora and did just that. Afterwards, by stitching together five smaller photographs, the entire aurora-lit sky was recreated in this 180-degree panorama taken from Vatnajökull glacier. Auroras are sparked by energetic particles from the Sun impacting the magnetic environment around the Earth. Resultant energetic particles such as electrons and protons rain down near the Earth's poles and impact the air. The impacted air molecules obtain excited electrons, and when electrons in oxygen molecules fall back to their ground state, they emit green light. Auroras are known to have many shapes and colors. ~Image Credit & Copyright: Daniel Lopez (El Cielo de Canarias)

This and That

The energetic shift into fiery Aries and the birth of Spring, is further empowered by the Mar. 22 Aries New Moon which highlights the Uranus-Pluto world transit that perfects it's first exact square June 24. A massive awakening and profound revolution of consciousness is in the works, but the form(s) it takes are not fully determined until human beings intervene. "Everything in the future is a wave, and everything in the past is a particle."

The period from Mar. 24 to Mar. 30 is especially subject to shocks and upheavals as the Sun translates the epic Uranus-Pluto square.
************
A good argument for the US having it's natal Pluto (obsessions) in the 2nd house (money & assets).
How America's Obsession With Money Deadens US
************
A 7.4 earthquake struck near Ometepec, Mexico today (3/20). And according to this video there's another mega-quake predicted for Mar. 22- which is the Aries New Moon that conjoins Uranus (sudden shocks) and squares Pluto (upheavals).

Of course, the Spring Equinox just occurred, and astrologers refer to this chart as the Aries ingress (Sun entering Aries), which sets the tone of events for the whole year, generally speaking. In Ometepec, the most important aspect- a mutable grand cross between the Moon, Neptune, Mars, and the Moon's Nodes, is powerfully focused by angularity.

From Mundane Charts 2

Note the red planet Mars, lord of Aries, at it's highest point (conjunct the Midheaven), and precisely square the fateful Lunar Nodes.
************
Nowruz: Rite of Spring - in pictures
************
Mar. 20 Tweet~ 6/4 lunar eclipse 14 Sag -0- helio nodes of Uranus. Eclipse @ NYC: MC = 16 Pisces = Mars 16 Virgo, AS = 8 Cancer = Pluto 9 Cap = UR 8 Aries.

In other words, this eclipse could be more radical then one might otherwise think. And with Mars, Pluto, and Uranus all sharply focused at New York City, the eclipse seems to portend highly volatile, violent, or destructive events coming to the Big Apple.

From United States

Sunspot Group 1429

From Images 108

What's that on the Sun? Over the past two weeks, one of the most energetic sunspot regions of recent years crossed the face of the Sun. Active Region 1429, visible above as the group of dark spots on the Sun's upper right, blasted out several solar flares and coronal mass ejections since coming around the edge of the Sun almost a month ago. Fast moving particles from these solar explosions have impacted the Earth and been responsible for many colorful auroras seen over the past two weeks. The picturesque foreground features trees and birds near Merida, Spain, where the above image was taken about a week ago. Although AR 1429 has continued to rotate to the right and gone around the limb of the Sun -- as seen from the Earth -- monitoring of the region will be continued by one of the STEREO satellites, however, which is orbiting the Sun well ahead of the Earth.
************
Quote of the Day: It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! ~Mark Twain
************
The Vernal-Spring Equinox is Mar. 19 at 10:14 pm, PDT, and the dynamic Aries New Moon occurs Mar. 22 at 7:38 am, PDT.

This is Not Your Grandmother's Astrology!

Scholar Describes Integral Role for Astrology in Dynamic New Paradigm That is Emerging in Western Civilization

Armand M. Diaz, PhD, is a consciousness researcher and professional counseling astrologer with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Columbia University, a master’s degree from Hofstra University and a doctorate from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, where he won an Esalen scholarship for his study on the lives of psychic mediums. He currently is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Hofstra and Brooklyn College. In addition to astrology his interests are in the areas of Jungian psychology, the astrology of healing and the healing power of non-ordinary states of consciousness. He studied divination and oracles for many years, primarily working with Tarot and the I Ching.

In his latest book, Integral Astrology, Understanding the Ancient Discipline in the Contemporary World, Diaz describes how astrology relates to a new paradigm that is emerging in Western civilization led by transpersonal psychology, chaos and complexity theories, general evolution theory and the human potential movement.

“Leading developmental researchers are extending psychology upwards, linking it with mystical states to embrace spirituality. Coordinating fields of information both old and new, integral theorists are creating a truly holistic approach to the many ways of knowing that are part of the human experience," he says.
Read the interview-> ANS

************

International Astrology Day

International Astrology Day (IAD) is an annual observance/holiday celebrated by astrologers and astrology enthusiasts. It is held on the spring equinox, the day the Sun enters Aries, which is the first sign of the Tropical Zodiac, and has long been considered the astrological new year. Our local event is Mar. 17 at the First Unitarian Church beginning at 10 am, and the great astrologer Rob Hand is keynote speaker...yes! I'm excited to be attending.

Earth Day is observed Mar. 20
Wikipedia~ Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the City of Saint Francis, patron saint of ecology. Earth Day was first observed in San Francisco and other cities on March 21, 1970, the first day of Spring. This day of nature's equipoise was later sanctioned in a Proclamation signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations where it is observed each year.

The actual 2012 Vernal-Spring Equinox is Mar. 19 at 10:16 pm, PDT. And the dynamic Aries New Moon (2 Aries) that occurs 3 days later will bring the new season in with the waxing force of the epic Uranus-Pluto square that informs world events for the next 3-5 years. This New Moon is the optimal time to plant seeds in the garden, or in the mind as intentions to be realized as this year unfolds.

************

A beautiful time-lapse video from the Very Large Telescope in Chile: Paranal Skies

************

Quote of the Day: We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow beings. ~Herman Melville

************
Mar. 16 Tweets:

The special June 6 Venus transit/passage conjuncts the antiscion of Sirius- the Dog Star. Neptune on royal Fomalhaut is focused here in SF

5/20/12 Solar Eclipse = 0.20 Gemini -90- Neptune 3 Pis. Last eclipse at 0.31 Gemini was 5/21/93, with Saturn at 0.00 Pisces -90- the eclipse.

Venus and Jupiter Framed

From Images 108

Bright planets Venus and Jupiter are framed by the National Solar Observatory's McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope in this very astronomical scene. The photo was taken at Kitt Peak National Observatory on March 9. A heliostat sits atop the 100 foot high solar telescope tower to focus the Sun's rays down a long diagonal shaft that reaches underground to the telescope's primary mirror. Of course, after sunset shadows were cast and the structure illuminated by light from the nearly full rising Moon. Opened to begin the night's work, the dome housing Kitt Peak's 2.1 meter reflector is included in the frame, while the Pleiades star cluster shines above the heliostat tower. The angular McMath-Pierce was commissioned 50 years ago to study the Sun, but has also made many observations of these two bright planets. On this night it was conducting observations of sodium ions in the tenuous lunar atmosphere. (APOD)

Table of Eclipses 2008-2014

- 2008 -
Solar Eclipse Feb 07 2008 at 17° Aquarius 44'
Lunar Eclipse Feb 21 2008 at 01° Virgo 52'
Solar Eclipse Aug 01 2008 at 09° Leo 32'
Lunar Eclipse Aug 16 2008 at 24° Aquarius 21'

- 2009 -
Solar Eclipse Jan 26 2009 at 06° Aquarius 30'
Lunar Eclipse Feb 09 2009 at 20° Leo 59'
Lunar Eclipse Jul 07 2009 at 15° Capricorn 25'
Solar Eclipse Jul 22 2009 at 29° Cancer 27'
Lunar Eclipse Aug 06 2009 at 13° Aquarius 43'
Lunar Eclipse Dec 31 2009 at 10° Cancer 15'

- 2010 -
Solar Eclipse Jan 15 2010 at 25° Capricorn 01'
Lunar Eclipse Jun 26 2010 at 04° Capricorn 46'
Solar Eclipse Jul 11 2010 at 19° Cancer 24'
Lunar Eclipse Dec 21 2010 at 29° Gemini 21'

- 2011 -
Solar Eclipse Jan 04 2011 at 13° Capricorn 38'
Solar Eclipse Jun 01 2011 at 11° Gemini 02'
Lunar Eclipse Jun 15 2011 at 24° Sagittarius 23'
Solar Eclipse Jul 01 2011 at 09° Cancer 12'
Solar Eclipse Nov 25 2011 at 02° Sagittarius 37'
Lunar Eclipse Dec 10 2011 at 18° Gemini 11'

- 2012 -
Solar Eclipse May 20 2012 at 00° Gemini 21'
Lunar Eclipse Jun 04 2012 at 14° Sagittarius 14'
Solar Eclipse Nov 13 2012 at 21° Scorpio 57'
Lunar Eclipse Nov 28 2012 at 06° Gemini 46'

- 2013 -
Lunar Eclipse Apr 25 2013 at 05° Scorpio 46'
Solar Eclipse May 10 2013 at 19° Taurus 31'
Lunar Eclipse May 25 2013 at 04° Sagittarius 07'
Lunar Eclipse Oct 18 2013 at 25° Aries 46'
Solar Eclipse Nov 03 2013 at 11° Scorpio 16'

- 2014 -
Lunar Eclipse Apr 15 2014 at 25° Libra 16'
Solar Eclipse Apr 29 2014 at 08° Taurus 51'
Lunar Eclipse Oct 08 2014 at 15° Aries 05'
Solar Eclipse Oct 23 2014 at 00° Scorpio 25'

Venus & Jupiter Conjoin Tonight

Tonight's sweet Venus-Jupiter conjunction completes a grand trine with Mars and Pluto all in productive earth signs. But Mars, Saturn, and now Mercury retrograde can muddy the waters a bit.

This Week's Sky

The most anticipated planetary event for 2012 will be the transit of Venus in early June, when it will appear to pass in front of the Sun. Venus retro pentagram

The Vernal-Spring Equinox is Mar. 19 at 10:14 pm, PDT.

March 2012

With three planets retrograde, March will be a tricky month to navigate, unless we head the celestial call to review, reconsider, and refrain from initiating major projects for the time being.

The Feb. 29 (PST) first quarter Moon aligns with Her fateful Nodes now conjunct the powerful royal stars Aldebaran- Eye of the Bull at 10 Gemini, and Antares- Heart of the Scorpion at 10 Sagittarius, that define the so-called 'nuclear axis'.

The Full Moon in Virgo on March 8 will highlight health matters, so it's a good time to review one's health related routines, especially diet and exercise. Our bodies are the temples of our soul's and require proper care, which means balance in all things.
The Full Moon's conjunction with Mars adds an element of fire that can used constructively, or not.

Retrograde Mars will be at its closest approach to Earth on 3 March, as the Sun and Mars form an exact opposition. The red planet will then rise in the east precisely as the Sun is setting. This fiery Sun-Mars aspect brings high energy and initiative at best, but may also exacerbate conflicts.

Watch the skies as the two benefic planets Venus and Jupiter conjoin on 14 March in the sign of Venus ruled Taurus. Enjoy the abundant blessings of life with gratitude.

Mercury shape-shifts into the trickster on March 12 as it turns retrograde, moving backward from the 7th degree of Aries to the 24th degree of Pisces where it stations-direct April 4. As Mercury joins Mars and Saturn already retrograde, it's time to review, re-pair, rethink, and reconsider our long-term plans and strategies. Although, the Jupiter-Pluto trine of Mar. 12 in earth sign is a very favorable influence for most endeavors- aligning drive with enthusiasm.

The Sun enters the sign of Aries at the Vernal Equinox on Mar. 20, and the astrological new year begins. The Aries ingress chart that sets the tone for the year features a grand mutable cross/square between the Moon, Neptune, Mars, and the Moon's Nodes. (A grand mutable cross suggests high tension, and fluid, changeable conditions.) The Moon-Neptune conjunction in Pisces will heighten mass empathy and compassion at best, but also vulnerability of the masses. World events involving moving and/or violent water- such as storms, tsunamis, hurricanes, epic floods, and ocean related incidents are probable manifestations of this aspect. Geo-politically, instinctive reactions of self defense or aggression will tend to play out on the world stage. But truly democratic movements such as the Arab Spring or Occupy Wall Street gain in strength.
Moreover, the Aries ingress grand square is activated by the Nov. 28 lunar eclipse at 7 Gemini. And as the fixed sign Scorpio rises here in SF and Sacramento at the Vernal Equinox, the Aries ingress chart has greater staying power in this region. Therefore, the transit of Saturn to the Aries ingress Ascendant (6 Scorpio) that coincides with the Nov. 28 lunar eclipse on our local horizon, is a red flag. If stressful events and upheavals/earthquakes are predisposed to occur here, they will likely happen in late Nov. 2012. (Mercury conjoins Vindemiatrix in the 2012 Libra ingress chart, and they are rising here in San Francisco and Sacramento. Mercury was conjunct Vindemiatrix when the Loma Prieta earthquake struck the Bay Area Oct. 17, 1989.)

The energetic shift into fiery Aries and the birth of Spring, is further empowered by the Mar. 22 Aries New Moon which highlights the Uranus-Pluto world transit that perfects it's first exact square June 24. A massive awakening and profound revolution of consciousness is in the works, but the form(s) it takes are not fully determined until human beings intervene. "Everything in the future is a wave, and everything in the past is a particle."

The 2 Benefic Planets Hook Up

From BBC News:

"The pairing of Jupiter and Venus in the sky is set to reach its closest point in the coming days.

Despite being vastly far from one another in space, the conjunction will make them appear just a few degrees apart in the sky - about the width of a pair of fingers held at arm's length.

The pair can be seen to the west-southwest, shortly after sunset.

Venus is the brighter of the two, and Jupiter will appear to move in a line past it for the rest of the month.

The Slooh network of telescopes will be broadcasting the conjunction live on the web from 02:30 GMT on Monday morning.

This is an active period for planet-watchers. Last Monday, Mars made its closest approach to Earth in more than two years.

But the spectacle is not over. February saw the Moon join the celestial dance with the planetary pair; it will return in late March, appearing to head up and past the descending Jupiter and then Venus.

The most anticipated planetary event for 2012 will be the transit of Venus in early June, when it will appear from some locations on Earth to pass in front of the Sun."

What Buddhists Believe About Astrology

'I believe in astrology but not astrologers.'

From the very beginning of time man has been fascinated by the stars and he has always tried to find some links between them and his own destiny. His observation of the stars and their movements gave rise to two very important areas of study, namely, Astronomy and Astrology. Astronomy can be considered a pure science which is concerned with the measurements of distances, the evolution and destruction of stars, their movements, and so on. Of course all these calculations are always made in relation to planet earth and how these interplanetary movements affect mankind on a physical level. Modern astronomy seeks to find answers to the still unanswered questions regarding the origin of man and the final, possible end of his existence as a member of the human race. It is a fascinating area of study and our new knowledge of the universe and the galaxies has put much pressure on many religions to evaluate their age-old postulations regarding the creator and the creation of life.

Buddhism does not face any dilemma, simply because the Buddha did not encourage His followers to speculate on things beyond their comprehension. However, He has made many allusions which in the light of our new knowledge gained through science, shows us that the Buddha was very much aware of the true nature of the Universe, that it was never created in one glorious moment, that the earth is merely a tiny, even unimportant speck in all of space, that there is constant creation and destruction, and that everything is in constant motion.

Astrology, however, is a completely different area of study altogether. Ever since early man began to think, he was deeply concerned about his relationship with the universe. When human societies became involved in agricultural activities man progressed from hunting as a livelihood and began to notice a link between the movement of the sun through the years and his own activities of planting, harvesting, and similar projects. As he became more sophisticated he was able to predict the movement of the sun and he invented time measurement, dividing into years, months, days, hours, minutes and seconds.

He associated this knowledge with his existence whereby he felt that there was a relationship between his own life cycle and the movement of the planets. That gave rise to the Zodiac--A study of these movements in relation to a human being's personal life is called a horoscope.
Read More-> BuddhaSasana

Lick Observatory Moonrise

From Images 108

As viewed from a well chosen location at sunset, the gorgeous Full Moon rose behind Mount Hamilton, east of San Jose, California on March 7. The lunar disk frames historic Lick Observatory perched on the mountain's 4,200 foot summit. Both observatory and Moon echo the warm color of sunlight (moonlight is reflected sunlight) filtered by a long path through the atmosphere. Substantial atmospheric refraction contributes the Moon's ragged, green rim. Of course, the March Full Moon is also known as the Full Worm Moon. In the telescopic photo, Lick's 40 inch Nickel Telescope dome is on the left. The large dome on the right houses Lick's Great 36 inch Refractor. (Image Credit & Copyright: Rick Baldridge)

The Worm Moon?

"The next full Moon is on Thursday, March 8, 2012.  The Moon will be 180 degrees away from the Sun in Earth-based longitude at 4:40 am EST, and will appear full for about three days around this time, from Tuesday evening through Friday morning.

The full Moon in March is known by many names: the Worm Moon, Sap Moon, Crow Moon, Crust Moon, Sugar Moon, and Lenten Moon.  According to the Farmer's Almanac, the native tribes of what is now the northern and eastern U.S. named this the Worm Moon after the earthworm casts that appear as the ground thaws.  The more northern tribes knew this as the Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter.  Other northern names are the Crust Moon, because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night, or the Sap Moon as this is the time for tapping maple trees.  Europeans called this the Lenten Moon."
Read More-> NASA Blogs

************

The Visual Astrology Newsletter

************

Mar. 8 Tweet~ On Tuesday evening, April 3, 2012, Venus will appear to the left of the Pleiades star cluster. The May 20 solar eclipse conjoins the Pleiades.

************

Please show your support if you feel inclined: Stellar Insights Astrology

************

A coronal mass ejection hit earth's magnetic field today Mar. 8: SpaceWeather

Conjunction over Reunion Island

From Images 108

You don't have to be on Reunion Island to see this week's planetary conjunction. Only if you want to see this picturesque seascape as well. To see the conjunction from just about anywhere in the world, look to the west after sunset. The first planet you may notice is Venus, the brightest object in the western sky. Above Venus, the second brightest object is Jupiter. The hardest planet to spot is Mercury, which is visible only briefly after sunset as a faint dot just above the horizon. Picturesque rocks leading out from Reunion Island to the Indian Ocean populate the foreground of the above picture. Taken last week, the distant planets Venus and Jupiter were joined by a bright crescent Moon, which has now moved away. (Image Credit & Copyright: Luc Perrot)

Mar. 7 Tweet

Tweet~ Virgo Full Moon that conjoins Mars is Mar. 8 at 1:39 am, PST. Emotional tensions and/or awakenings are mirrored by the Moon-Uranus parallel.

************

Quote of the Day: “Some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge.” ~Eckhart Tolle

************

Old news, but a neighbor just left this article in my mailbox: Ancient Horoscope Found at UC Santa Cruz

************

Mar. 7 Tweet~ The first SuperMoon of 2012 is 4/6 Libra Full Moon = Venus/Neptune. Venus/Neptune = romantic-erotic dreams, ideals, fantasy, &/or illusions.

Did the Moon Sink the Titanic?

(Reuters)- A century after the Titanic disaster, scientists have found an unexpected culprit of the crash: the moon.

Anyone who knows history or blockbuster movies knows that the cause of the ocean liner's accident 100 years ago next month was that it hit an iceberg.

"But the lunar connection may explain how an unusually large number of icebergs got into the path of the Titanic," said Donald Olson, a Texas State University physicist whose team of forensic astronomers examined the moon's role.

Ever since the Titanic sank in the early morning of April 15, 1912, killing 1,517 people, researchers have puzzled over Captain Edward Smith's seeming disregard of warnings that icebergs were in the area where the ship was sailing.

Smith was the most experienced captain in the White Star Line and had sailed the North Atlantic sea lanes on numerous occasions. He had been assigned to the maiden voyage of the Titanic because he was a knowledgeable and careful seaman.

Greenland icebergs of the type that the Titanic struck generally become stuck in the shallow waters off Labrador and Newfoundland, and cannot resume moving southward until they have melted enough to re-float or a high tide frees them, Olson said.

So how was it that such a large number of icebergs had floated so far south that they were in the shipping lanes well south of Newfoundland that night?

The team investigated speculation by the late oceanographer Fergus Wood that an unusually close approach by the moon in January 1912 may have produced such high tides that far more icebergs than usual managed to separate from Greenland, and floated, still fully grown, into shipping lanes that had been moved south that spring because of reports of icebergs.

Olson said a "once-in-many-lifetimes" event occurred on January 4, 1912, when the moon and sun lined up in such a way that their gravitational pulls enhanced each other. At the same time, the moon's closest approach to earth that January was the closest in 1,400 years, and the point of closest approach occurred within six minutes of the full moon. On top of that, the Earth's closest approach to the sun in a year had happened just the previous day.

"This configuration maximized the moon's tide-raising forces on the Earth's oceans," Olson said. "That's remarkable."

His research determined that to reach the shipping lanes by mid-April, the iceberg that the Titanic struck must have broken off from Greenland in January 1912. The high tide caused by the bizarre combination of astronomical events would have been enough to dislodge icebergs and give them enough buoyancy to reach the shipping lanes by April, he said.

Olson's team has sought to use tide patterns to determine exactly when Julius Caesar invaded Britain and prove the legend that Mary Shelley was inspired by a bright full moon shining through her window to write the gothic classic "Frankenstein."

The team's Titanic research may have vindicated Captain Smith - albeit a century too late - by showing that he had a good excuse to react so casually to a report of ice in the ship's path. He had no reason at the time to believe that the bergs he was facing were as numerous or as large as they turned out to be, Olson said.

"In astronomical terms, the odds of all these variables lining up in just the way they did was, well, astronomical," he said.

The research will appear in the April issue of "Sky & Telescope" magazine.

Individuation: The Process of a Lifetime

Not overtly astrological, but this is an excellent article.

Jungian Analytic Praxis, Inc.

************

Queen of Heaven - Ancient Tales of Venus: Terry Lamb

************

Electional Astrology: Bruce Scofield

Warped Spiral Galaxy ESO 510-13

From Images 108

How did spiral galaxy ESO 510-13 get bent out of shape? The disks of many spirals are thin and flat, but not solid. Spiral disks are loose conglomerations of billions of stars and diffuse gas all gravitationally orbiting a galaxy center. A flat disk is thought to be created by sticky collisions of large gas clouds early in the galaxy's formation. Warped disks are not uncommon, though, and even our own Milky Way Galaxy is thought to have a small warp. The causes of spiral warps are still being investigated, but some warps are thought to result from interactions or even collisions between galaxies. ESO 510-13, pictured above digitally sharpened, is about 150 million light years away and about 100,000 light years across. (APOD)

Mercury & Mars

Mercury entered the Mars ruled sign of Aries today, and with Mars currently retrograde in Mercury ruled Virgo- these two planets can work well together now. The mind/intellect and the will/physical energy are productively aligned, so putting ideas into action comes easier. Reflexes and eye-hand co-ordination improve. In astro-speak, this kind of planetary combination is called a mutual reception.

************

My friend Linea wrote this-> 2012 Retrogrades and Mutable Signs

************

Quote of the Day: Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. ~Henry David Thoreau

IMAX Hubble 3D / Space Flight

3D space flight simulations constructed from Hubble images as seen in 'IMAX Hubble 3D' set to Arvo Part's "Tabula Rasa - Silentium".
YouTube

Enjoy...

Heads Up! The Writer's Astrological Almanac

by Kathy Watts ~ March 2012

Happy windy month of March!  We begin on a Thursday (Jupiter's day) with the Moon in Gemini all day.  Start big, or at least think and plan big.  Sprouting and growing are big parts of what spring is all about.

Fri Mar 02 the Moon is still in Gemini when Mercury changes signs and enters Aries. Our words can be more fully and truly our own.

Sat Mar 03 the Moon is in Cancer all day.  Today the Sun opposes Mars retrograde.  This is when Mars transits at your local midnight and shines the brightest.  Weather and schedule permitting, go out and look.  If you've never seen it before, you may be amazed. Refrain from confrontation (except perhaps in works of fiction) and direct your extra energies into activities that try to solve problems. Any success will only be reflected back on you.

Sun Mar 04 the Moon is still in Cancer when Venus opposes Saturn. This is the classic tug of war between self-indulgence and self-sacrifice.  Good plot complication material, here, if only because it's so true to life.

Mon Mar 05 the Moon is in mighty Leo all day. Venus changes signs and enters her diurnal home sign of Taurus. It's a good day to give and receive compliments. Make them sincere. An hour later Mercury conjuncts Uranus in very early Aries. You know, some surprising ideas can have a big audience.

Wed Mar 07 the Moon conjuncts Mars retrograde in Virgo.  Work slowly, steadily, and carefully.  Don't let anyone tease you about it, either.  Your results will speak for themselves.

Thu Mar 08 is the Full Moon at 18Vir. Consider how powerful a modest but flawless presentation can be. Ask for better appreciation and skill with the details of those things that you love to do.

Sat Mar 10 the Moon conjuncts Saturn, goes void of course, then enters Scorpio three hours later. Be gracious (but not cloying) socially, and hope it takes some of the edge off the normal Scorpio seriousness to come.

Sun Mar 11 the Moon is in Scorpio all day. To add to the gravitas, tomorrow Mercury begins the first retrograde period of the year.  Heads Up. Mercury will be swishing back and forth over the first six degrees of Aries and then the last seven degrees of Pisces.  Give a care to what you begin, what new things you acquire, and what new people and ideas come your way.  Make your normal Mercury retro preparations, maybe get a spare hot pot or other small appliance that you rely on, in case it decides to check out without warning.  Otherwise, stay calm and don't skip teatime. Be good to your morale.

Mon Mar 12 the Moon is in Scorpio when Mercury goes stationary retrograde.  Heads Up. Use this time to check any of those tempting self-indulgent impulses and stay focused on what matters, in addition to yourself of course. Stay calm, organized, and patient with others, with their machines, and tolerant of their bad driving. Safety first for all. You can still be productive through all this, you know.

Tue Mar 13 the Moon is in Sagittarius all day.It has the makings of a big day. In the evening Venus comes to life when she trines Pluto.This can be a big, even if quiet, evening. Four hours later Venus conjuncts Jupiter. It doesn't get bigger than this. Be extravagant with your words, and maybe try to hold it there.

Wed Mar 14 the Moon spends a second full day in Sagittarius. Heads up, though.  If yesterday was for Venus, today is for Mars. Mars retrograde trines Jupiter. You can quietly keep the lid on things and still make it feel like growth. Three hours later Mars retrograde trines Pluto. Some good big change may be on hold. Who knows but you might get a great acceptance letter, a month or three from now. Don't even bother being impatient.

Thu Mar 15 the Moon conjuncts Pluto in Capricorn. I always like to take this aspect and soak it in full-bore focussed hard work on something I love.

Sun Mar 18 the Moon is in Aquarius when Mercury retrograde conjuncts Uranus in Aries. This is a ton of Aries energy being poured out over the world. Collect your share of it and do something smart and responsible with it. It's also the last day of the month that the Sun spends in the sign of Pisces.  You want more of the fire of Aries?  It's coming tomorrow.  Heads Up. Today, though, the Sun in the last degree of Pisces brings us one of the most severely touchy-feely supersensitive days of the year.  You bet, Heads Up.

Mon Mar 19 the Moon conjuncts Neptune in early Pisces. The Moon is still deep in Pisces when three hours later the Sun changes signs, crosses the celestial equator on its way north, and enters the sign of Aries the Ram.  It's the vernal equinox, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. Cast a chart today for your location and get a glimpse at your next three months. Heads Up in a good way.

Wed Mar 21 the Moon is still in Pisces when the Sun conjuncts Mercury retrograde. Heads Up.  If emotions overflow, direct the stream into your writing. One more Heads Up - tomorrow is the New Moon. Keep your emotions, pride, and all other ego-involvements under the best restraint you have.  This won't stop you from doing what's most important to get done.

Thu Mar 22 the very dark Moon conjuncts Mercury retrograde, then two and half hours later we get the New Moon at 02Ari. Heads Up.  Celebrate that new things can still be started in this world. Choose one to start yourself. Four hours after this, the very young Moon conjuncts Uranus. Heads Up. If you haven't already settled on what to start, something stirring and bizarre may choose you.

Fri Mar 23 the Moon is in Aries when Mercury retrograde reenters Pisces. If you thought that thinking was muddled and slow before, well,...this state of mind can be very productive for writers, though, so long as you don't get attached to it, because a lot what gets written may not be especially good.  Still, writing is writing.  It's what we do.

Sat Mar 24 the Moon is void of course in Aries when the Sun conjuncts Uranus at 04Ari. Heads Up. This can be one of the more rebellious days of the year. Cherish independence and that rebel spirit, be brave and bold, but try to not let the revolution eat you and your children.  This is the stuff of history as well as the stuff of fiction. It's a good day to reread A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens.

Sun Mar 25 the Moon conjuncts Jupiter in Taurus. Celebrate with one small yummy treat.  One.  And maybe share it.  Feel virtuous and spoiled at the same time.  Writers need this on occasion.

Mon Mar 26 the Moon conjuncts Venus in Taurus. it's the Moon's day of the week, too, so be confident that you have an audience and other kindred spirits who love what you love.  Write more of it.

Tue Mar 27 the Moon enters the sign Gemini, where it will be until Thursday morning Mar 29. Write, talk, communicate, dabble, indulge in all things intellectual and social.  But don't forget to write.

Wed Mar 28 the Moon is in Gemini all day.  So, write.  Mercury retrograde may slow this down a bit, but only a bit. It may help minimize some of the usual scatter and distraction, actually.  Make this retrograde your friend.  It's not too late. This is the last Wednesday of the month, and four of them have seen the Moon in a mutable sign. Hopefully people have not eaten up too much of your Wednesday time. The Moon leaves Gemini tomorrow afternoon, Thursday, so the clock is running.

This has been a month of tremendous, even heady ups and downs. It makes for a lot of drama, doesn't it? Put as much of it as you can into your work and keep as much of it out of your daily life and dreams at night. Unless this is your method for getting inspired, of course. March has been the first month of the year for many people for many years. It's still true in some parts of the world that the New Year comes with spring. You can take up that outlook too, and become more active and outgoing. You will always need your private creative time but when the world calls out like this (actually, I think it's shouting), well, it may be unwise to try and block it out. Have a brilliant dynamic month of March and of all the spring.  Send stuff out, submit, contact new markets, heck, just introduce yourself.  It's what Aries is all about.  Heads Up!

**********