by Maya del Mar

Each month we will give the dates of the month’s planetary "stations" in this spot.

From Earth’s standpoint, planets periodically reverse their direction. We call this a retrograde period. It is a time to assimilate that planet’s energies, to bring them home to us and work with them on inner levels. During retrograde times, people are idiosyncratic—more true to their natures—in their expression of the retrograde energy.

On the days surrounding a planet’s "turn," it is moving very slowly or standing still in the heavens. We call this a station. Energy is very pronounced then, and events on earth reflect that emphasis.

For instance, Mercury is a mover. Earthquakes commonly occur on Mercury stations. Mercury turned direct on February 25, and we had big earthquakes in San Salvador, China, and 4.5 in the San Francisco Bay area that day. Today, February 28, there was a 7.0 quake in the Seattle area.

Checking the astro-maps for the year, I see much energy running through the West Coast for the entire year. Forces are particularly strong at the coming June 21 Solar Eclipse and during the very dynamic month of August.

The New Moon of February 23 ran right along the West Coast, setting new foundations there. This New Moon was in Pisces, not a very firm or grounded sign. Furthermore, Mercury at that time was stationing in Aquarius, ready to turn direct. If Pisces can be called a shaky sign, Aquarius is a shake-up sign.

At the coming Summer Solstice Eclipse, the West Coast is loaded with energetic forces—Moon, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Pluto, Uranus, and again a retrograde Mercury. Saturn and Neptune are nearby, and parans bring in a Venus-Uranus influence. Thus all ten of the major planets impinge on the West Coast at this time. Intense action during the following month (June-July) is guaranteed. (However, it’s comforting to see that Washington DC doesn’t get its big shake-up until August. At least the West Coast action does not appear to be national disaster material—although in fact that might not upset the new Administration enough to show on the maps.)

Anyway—by paying attention to the station dates—in the news and in our lives—we can get a relatively pure notion of how that planet is manifesting at this time. Magnetic forces are making a shift then, and often we simply feel restless, anxious, or off balance.


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