Spring 97

AS ABOVE, SO BELOW

by Miriam Klamkin

Jupiter graced the beginning of 1997 with a conjunction to Neptune on January 9th, magnifying our illusions on the one hand and providing opportunities to grow through our magic and our dreams on the other. The house which contains the end of Capricorn in your natal chart will suggest what this means for you personally.

Jupiter entered the sign of Aquarius on the 21st, beginning a year of community growth. Our social institutions come up for review and reform now. Ideals about community and groups give way as Jupiter shines a light on the true nature of our connections to each other. We must exercise detachment to determine which of our beliefs come from inside and which are herd behavior or rebellion.

Jupiter went on to spend the first half of February activating the Pluto-Uranus-Saturn configuration (the one that was covered in the Fall 1996 issue). If these transits touch your chart, then Jupiter's movement through early Aquarius undoubtedly augmented the effect, urging you to look at your issues from a greater perspective.

Mars is retrograde from February 5th through April 27th, beginning in early Libra and moving back into Virgo. This is a time to think before you act, especially if you have planets in early Libra, Capricorn, Aries, or Cancer, or late Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces, or Gemini. And that covers almost everybody. Keep your temper, sez the Caterpillar. The retrograde motion intensifies your desires. Pay attention to them, examine them, learn from them, but don't insist on them until Mars turns direct. You may feel differently by then.

Comet Hale-Bopp is paying us a visit, as you will no doubt already have heard. The Almanac below lists times for viewing this dramatic sight. Comets are always a bit of a challenge for astrological researchers, since they don't stick around long enough to give us a real chance to characterize their effects. In general, being anomalous celestial events, they do seem to coincide with anomalous events down here. Result: they're unpredictable. But that's what we love about them.

ALMANAC

All times EST

• 1 Saturn sextile Uranus
• 6-20 Good for predawn viewing of Comet Hale-Bopp
• 8 Pluto turns retrograde
• 8 New Moon at 18 Pisces 31
• 20 Spring Equinox: Sun enters Aries at 8:55am EST
• 23 Full Moon at 3 Libra 35
• 28-April 10 Good for evening viewing of Comet Hale-Bopp

• 7 New Moon at 17 Aries 40
• 14 Mercury turns retrograde
• 22 Full Moon at 2 Scorpio 45
• 26-May 9 Good for evening viewing of Comet Hale-Bopp
• 27 Mars turns direct

• 1 Neptune turns retrograde
• 6 New Moon at 16 Taurus 21
• 8 Mercury turns direct
• 12 Uranus turns retrograde
• 22 Full Moon at 1 Sagittarius 19

• 5 New Moon at 14 Gemini 40
• 9 Jupiter turns retrograde
• 20 Full Moon at 29 Sagittarius 29
• 21 Summer Solstice: Sun enters Cancer at 3:20am

Miriam Klamkin has more than twenty years of experience in the field of astrology. Her astrological practice, Night Vision Astrology, includes private consultations, chart services, classes, and workshops. She can be reached by phone at 508-921-0789,or via e-mail as miriam@earthspirit.com.