Month: April 2011

The Planets Now for April 22

Position of the planets based on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
 
Sun:
02° 21′
in Taurus
 Moon:
05° 19′
in Capricorn
 Mercury:
12° 54′
in Aries
 Venus:
02° 01′
in Aries
 Mars:
15° 59′
in Aries
Jupiter:
20° 18′
in Aries
 Saturn:
12° 24′
in Libra
 Uranus:
02° 24′
in Aries
 Neptune:
00° 40′
in Pisces
 Pluto:
07° 10′
in Capricorn
Aspects:
Conjunction: Mars Jupiter 4º
Conjunction: Mercury Jupiter 7º
Conjunction: Mercury Mars 3º
Conjunction: Moon Pluto 1º
Conjunction: Venus Uranus 0º
Opposition: Jupiter Saturn 7º
Opposition: Mars Saturn 3º
Opposition: Mercury Saturn 0º
Semi-Sextile: Sun Uranus 0º
Semi-Sextile: Sun Venus 0º
Semi-Sextile: Uranus Neptune 1º		 Semi-Sextile: Venus Neptune 1º
Sextile: Moon Neptune 4º
Sextile: Sun Neptune 1º
Square: Mercury Pluto 5º
Square: Moon Uranus 2º
Square: Moon Venus 3º
Square: Saturn Pluto 5º
Square: Uranus Pluto 4º
Square: Venus Pluto 5º
Trine: Sun Moon 2º
Trine: Sun Pluto 4º
The Sun in Taurus
Tradition, stability and loyalty are strong influences as the Sun travels through Taurus. Generally, taking a practical approach to life is favored at this time. It is likely risks should be avoided at this time. Substantial financial gain can be made while the Sun is in Taurus. This is also a good time to enjoy the good things in life as long as indulgences are not allowed to become excessive. Making headway towards reaching goals could be challenged by a general stubbornness and resistance to change.

Sun Sextile or Trine Moon
Keeping a healthy balance between autonomy and the need for personal relationships is very important at this time. The degree of one’s success may be significantly increased by maintaining healthy relationships with family members and friends.

Sun Sextile or Trine Neptune
Artistic pursuits and mysticism may be very attractive at this time.

Sun Sextile or Trine Pluto
A “head on” approach to life is favored at this time.
Moon In Capricorn
Autonomy is favored in this period. Many will actually view their emotional needs as weaknesses and may neglect them.

Moon Opposition or Square Venus
Passions may run high during this aspect. Many are likely to desire deeper emotional relationships, but have difficulty defining the form they would like these powerful emotional bonds to take.

Moon Opposition or Square Uranus
The need for adventure and risk is likely to be heightened during this aspect. Many will be so influenced by the powers of this aspect that taking on new challenges may become a short term addiction.

Moon Sextile or Trine Neptune
Avoiding chaotic situations is critical to maintaining a healthy balance and moving forward towards one’s goals.

Moon Conjunct Pluto
Usually hidden, fiery passions may scream to be released upon the world.
Mercury In Aries
Mercury in Aries is an influence that does not favor diplomacy. Many will be far more outspoken than usual. Dissension will be prevalent. Traditional approaches to handling challenges are likely to be replaced by new, more affective strategies. The need to be on the cutting edge of things will be strong.

Mercury Conjunct Mars
Debates and analytical thinking are likely. The candid words of some may be so frank that they may be seen as offensive to those on the receiving end.

Mercury Conjunct Jupiter
Seeking the “essence” of things may become a preoccupation. The need and ability to share ideas is strong.

Mercury Opposition or Square Saturn
This aspect provides a favorable window for tackling complex intellectual problems.

Mercury Opposition or Square Pluto
This aspect will influence many to look beyond the obvious to explore the inner-workings of everything. Exploring life’s mysteries will be an irresistible adventure for some.
Venus In Aries
Emotions may be high. The need for love is heightened, as well as the need to fulfill needs of loved ones. Physical desires and sensuality are likely to be very strong.

Venus Conjunct Uranus
The need for personal freedom will be very acute in many, and may cause strain in their personal and professional relationships.

Venus Opposition or Square Pluto
This aspect can bring one’s passions to a boil. The need for both physical and spiritual love may seem almost insatiable in some. In some cases passions may erupt into jealousy, as some will feel the need to be in control of every facet of their relationship to feel secure.
Mars In Aries
Action is the keyword at this time. Those who act quickly and decisively should be favored. Self-sufficiency and the ability to act alone are valuable assets. Many will do well by focusing on short term goals.

Mars Conjunct Jupiter
Success in all arenas is possible. Energy levels and optimism should be relatively high.

Mars Opposition or Square Saturn
This aspect favors launching projects and starting relationships that one intends to commit to for the long term. Substantial progress in ongoing projects is likely as well.
Jupiter In Aries
Self-reliance and optimism are favored at this time. Those who enjoy challenges and competition are favored. Adopting a never surrender attitude is a key component to attaining success.

Jupiter Opposition or Square Saturn
This aspect tends to muddle the distinction between what is real and what one wishes to be real. Setbacks can be experienced due to this nebulous vision of reality.
Saturn In Libra
Intimacy may be more of a chore than a pleasure. Some will find their progress towards strengthening intimate bonds and attaining goals muted by feelings of inadequacy.

Saturn Opposition or Square Pluto
This aspect may make it difficult to commit one’s self to anything beyond the moment at hand. However, those who do take on new goals will put the full force of their nature into achieving them.
Uranus In Aries
The astrological influence of Uranus is measured in increments of 7 years. What this means is that the effects of Uranus influence an entire generation. Day to day the Uranian influence may be imperceptible, but when the period is viewed as a whole the impact of Uranus is likely to be strikingly apparent.

Iconoclasm, independence and self-sufficiency are likely to be major themes during this period. Traditional values will be challenged. Those with a pioneering spirit will flourish.

Uranus Square Pluto
A mental restlessness and the need for complete personal freedom are possible influences of this aspect. In some the need for total autonomy may be so strong that they will challenge any attempt to subdue their independence.
Neptune In Pisces
Because Neptune takes approximately 14 years to move across Pisces its day to day influence may be imperceptible, but when the period is viewed as a whole the impact of Neptune in Pisces is likely to be strikingly apparent.

Gentleness, creativity, and the pursuit of spiritual truth are strong influences at this time. Many may find mysticism and unorthodox religions very attractive.

 
Pluto In Capricorn
Because Pluto takes approximately 15 years to move across Capricorn its day to day influence may be imperceptible, but when the period is viewed as a whole the impact of Pluto in Capricorn is likely to be strikingly apparent.

Strong economic gains can be made during this period. Pluto in Capricorn favors those who are able to make logical decisions and devise pragmatic solutions to the challenges before them.

Your Deck of Ancient Symbols Card for Today

Your Deck of Ancient Symbols Card for Today
 
 

The Magus

The Magus is the physical embodiment of decisive action based upon knowledge and aimed squarely at specific goals. Thoroughly Yang by nature and firmly set in the material world, he none-the-less has a powerful spiritual connection as well. His knowledge, wisdom and skill are all encompassing. He is complete. His power as a creator is unmatched on our earthly plane. He is self-aware and unafraid to act. His enormous strength gives him the freedom to act as he chooses. However, responsibility comes with that freedom. Because he is not bound to the restraints of others he must choose how to act. The question that always lies before him is should he act morally, or forsake ethics for personal gain.

As a daily card, The Magus suggest you currently possess a tremendous power and freedom to move your life in any direction you choose. In short, you can make things happen. Your true challenge at the moment is to move forward without trampling the dreams of others. Fortunately your moral fiber is strong as well, and will guide you down the right path.

Green Outdoor Weekend Activities

Green Outdoor Weekend Activities

posted by Greennii
 

Spring has finally arrived here in Northern California and all this sunshine begs for fun things to do outside, which often also happen to be green. I tend to go outside at even the slightest hint of sunshine (then again, I’ve also been known to walk the dog in the rain just for fun), and do whatever it was I was doing inside, out under the sky. For instance, I’m sitting at an old-fashioned school desk, replete with wooden cross-bars under my seat for holding my books, and peeling green paint; outside; half under the Wysteria-covered arbor and half in the sun (the computer screen is oh-so-much easier to see in the shade); occasionally throwing the ball for my dog, who earlier got a little bath during the watering of the lettuce.

As I sit here considering the glistening, black-bottomed pool, I’m also considering the possibilities for the weekend:

1. Plant some organic lettuce. It’s so fun to open up your front door (or back door, or kitchen window) and snip off a few pieces of lettuce for your sandwich, a garnish or your dinner salad. I love lettuce and would have thought it beyond me to grow such a delicate, frilly, easily wilty plant, until my husband forced me to do so by planting a half-dozen little teeny baby lettuce plants and then promptly leaving them in my daily care. Turns out, lettuce is easy! Oh joy! So hop on down to whatever nursery is nearby and pick up a couple of six packs of the lettuce varieties which suit you. Then, rummage around in your backyard, ask your neighbor, scour the garage sales and thrift stores, and find yourself some shallow, wide pots (you could also plant each lettuce in its own pot, which would be very cute, but perhaps space-consuming). Stop by your local ACE and pick up some organic potting soil (or grab some where you get your lettuce). You’re ready to plant! Lettuce wants its little neck sticking out a bit, so don’t plant all the way up to the leaves. Keep the soil moist. Cut leaves from the bottom as soon as the plant starts growing.

2. Visit the Alameda Point Antiques Faire, held the first Sunday of every month, which just so happens to be next Sunday, April 3. Take a list with you of things you were otherwise going to buy brand new and see what you can find. I have not yet been, but I have it from a reliable source (read: friend who loves antiques and has discerning taste) that this is the best show in the Bay Area.

3. Go to any of the local farmer’s markets held all around the Bay Area. Most have food (the kind someone makes for you, not the kind you buy and take home as ingredients) vendors, so you can take your appetite and eat there. Take your refillable coffee mug along and get your morning dose from one of the local coffee shops along the street. Use these guides to find the market closest to you:

4. Unplug your life (and that of your family or a group of friends) and go outside with a picnic made from the organic stuff you bought at the farmer’s market (or at least from a small, local market). If you drive in a group, you’re lowering your carbon footprint, as well as not using all those electronic devices you’d be using if you stayed at home. Check out any of the local beaches, state parks or local parks and enjoy nature. The California State Parks system is vast, and their website has great ideas and guides for getting outdoors:

I’m likely to do at least two of the above, unless I decide to help my husband and our friend finish changing a Land Cruiser from right-hand-drive to left. I’m guessing the beach will win out over that. At least for me and the dog.

-Jocelyn Broyles

Revisit The Lorax On Earth Day 2011

Revisit The Lorax On Earth Day

posted by Ronnie Citron-Fink
 

When my children were young, I read The Lorax to them every Earth Day. The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss has been the go-to environmental book for kids since it’s publication in 1971.

As we embark on Earth Day this year, let’s revisit The Lorax’s cautionary tale:

The Once-ler devised devious ways of cutting down Truffula trees for the “biggering and biggering” of his manufacturing operation. The smogulous smoke that spewed into the air from his Thneed factory made the Lorax “cough, whiff, sneeze, snuffle, snarggle, sniffle, and croak.” The beautiful Swomee swans were no longer able to sing, so the Lorax sends the birds away to find cleaner air. The Once-ler “biggered” to the point where he poisoned the Lorax’s eco-lovin’ life with polluted water, polluted air, and left him in a sunless panorama of Truffula stumps. Poor Lorax.

While there have been so many measurable strides made on the environmental scene, our ecosystems are still under constant siege. Between the threat of natural disasters, and the changing tides of political ideas, we’re not out of the woods.

The Clean Air Act is just one example of a highly successful environmental policy that is at risk. When air pollution plagued the world, the ramifications of acid rain and smog were a blip on the radar of most folks. As the ecological science began to mount, environmental awareness kicked in. It became a non-partisan priority to legislate for clean air. This paved the way for the Clean Air Act.

EPA statistics indicate that since the Clean Air Act, the US has decreased toxic fume emissions by 109 million tons, which has reduced pollution and improved the air quality 48 per cent. Recently, the EPA released the Mercury and Air Toxic Standards. It’s the first-ever national policy to regulate mercury and other nasty stuff spewing from the coal plants that provide us with electricity. These standards have been 20 years in the making. While many responsible coal-fired plant owners have installed the technology, they are now faced with fending off a bombardment of pro-polluters who would like to abolish the regulation.

I recently joined the Moms For Clean Air Force because I worry about handing over a world to our kids like the one the Lorax left behind. We can’t forget the importance of reorienting environmental values away from economic and political points of view, and towards common sense science.

Did you grow up heeding the Lorax’s message? If so, you learned that we are all interconnected, and collectively we can take responsibility for the health of our planet and its inhabitants. Those Once-ler-type polluters are still figuring out ways of “biggering”. Let’s not let them continue to blow their smogulous smoke at us.

On this Earth Day, I’ve committed to keep the air clean to breathe. Will you join me in protecting our precious planet?

Ronnie Citron-Fink is a writer and educator. Ronnie regularly writes about sustainable living for online sites and magazines. Along with being the creator of http://www.econesting.com, Ronnie has contributed to numerous books about green home design, DIY, children, and humor. Ronnie lives in the Hudson Valley of New York with her family.

Weekend Lunar Love Horoscope for April 22 to 24th

Weekend Love: Lunar Love

by Jeff Jawer

The Need to Break Free

April 22 – 24

The Moon enters earthy Capricorn on Friday, which usually signals a serious approach to relationships. A lunar emphasis on tradition, rules and order means that most people will appreciate a well-planned weekend. Yet there’s a surprising twist on Friday night as the love planet Venus hooks up with unconventional Uranus. This is a volatile connection that can disrupt moods and alter events in an instant. An urge to flee any situation that feels restraining is understandable now.

But this transit can also encourage experimentation with new forms of pleasure or different types of people. It’s a radical break from the cautious Capricorn approach, which can create tension in couples when one partner is hanging onto tradition while the other is hungry for change. Impatience can lead to an impulsive move that might be regretted the very next day.

Saturday is good for clearing the air since Mercury, the communication planet, ends his confusing three-week retrograde period and begins moving forward again. Conversations that have been put on hold are now ready to resume. Resolving old misunderstandings is not only possible but necessary. That’s because the ambitious Capricorn Moon continues creating restless aspects to planets which can fire up arguments or make a newly formed couple jump on a plane to Las Vegas for a quickie marriage. Whoa, stop and take a deep breath! These complicated decisions certainly deserve more careful consideration, especially on a day when leaping too far and too fast is so tempting.

Cooperation overcomes the need to dominate on Sunday when the Moon shifts into friendly Aquarius, where tension is more easily dissipated and cooler heads prevail.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for April 22nd

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for Everyone:

28: Excessive Pressure

Friday, April 22nd, 2011

Hexagram 28

 General Meaning: Something is out of balance. This hexagram points to some pressure that is threatening stability and needs correcting. But if a dam is about to burst, moving out of the way is the first priority.

When a person in a sagging mine shaft feels the earth begin to tremble, it is time for quick, instinctive action and nimble footwork. At a time like this, only extraordinary measures will work. When the roof is collapsing, run first, choose your destination later.

Extraordinary times bring out the best and worst in people. Natural disasters bring with them stories of great heroism — but also looting and rioting. When the pressure is on, powerful moments present opportunities to make positive gains. Everything is in a state of flux. One can either move towards positive change and improvement or towards stagnation.

This may be the moment you’ve been waiting for. Although a current challenge may seem to be more than you can handle, remember that a flood reaches its high-water mark for only a few brief moments, and then begins to subside. Action must be taken now to ensure opportunities for success later on. You will never discover the true extent of your own abilities until you, at least once in your life, dive into a crisis with complete abandon, dedicating every ounce of your energy, every fiber of your being, to the cause at hand.

Dare to win.