DESPRE SATURN Well astro-pals, its that time of Life again when we get the pleasure (not) of Mars

Retrograde! He and tough-guy Pluto are both in Sagittarius, and both opposite Saturn in his brand new sign of Gemini, where Saturn hasn't appeared for 28 years. Mars, as you may know, takes roughly two years to travel around the entire Zodiac once, actually 11 months, 3 1/2 weeks. Every two years, the Warrior Planet goes retrograde for seven weeks. It is happening this week, and you should see it begin to manifest as early as today! Wake the kids and phone the neighbors! This Mars Rx lasts until late July. The thing that makes it particularly yucky is that Mercury is also retrograde the entire month of June. So do not make any major purchases in June especially, and sign no contracts either. Do the best you can to simply avoid major purchases and contracts until Monday, July 23rd, kind of like a typical Mercury Rx. First let's start with the importance of the Planet Mars at your birth or just as it moves around the Sun in general. Mars governs all physical energy. This means that it influences your personal energy as well as the energy generated by all types of engines and machines that produce energy. So this is also the Planet of Initiative! And being the Ruling Planet of both Aries and Scorpio (along with Pluto) this Red Planet governs the head, the brain as an organ of the body, sex drive, bleeding due to accidents, soldiers, engineers, pioneers, weapons as in knives, guns, and swords. Mars also governs hunters, fevers, surgeons and surgery, iron, steel and all things made of metal. As Mars governs Aries it rules wars, violent crimes, soldiers in combat, arsenals, the steel industry, and also the colonization of new territories. As a Ruler of Scorpio, Mars governs death, crime waves, taxes, secret agencies like the FBI and CIA, vice squads, police homicide divisions, organized crime, and resources of the our allies and enemies. A world example of all this comes to nations who are aggressors. Mars Retrograde guarantees they will lose. Let me mention some examples. In World War II Hitler invaded Russia on a Retrograde Mars, Argentina invaded the Faulkland Islands, Egypt attacked Israel in the 6 Day War, LBJ launched the bombing of North Vietnam, and all these things done under a Retrograde Mars. It is always the aggressor nation who loess under a Retrograde Mars. There are also major political consequences also. McKinley was inaugurated on March 4,1901 and was assassinated. JFK was inaugurated on January 29 1961. Lincoln was reelected in November 1864. All assassinated. When a ruler or elected official takes office or assumes power, the administration ill be plagued by defeats, loss of power, misunderstandings and ill will. This may lead to impeachment, disgrace, or loss of life. These are easy things for you research. There are some other effects for us individually. Start a new job under a Retrograde Mars and your best efforts will not please your boss and the relationship will be forever bad. Hire a new employee, sign a contract, arrange a partnership, move into a new house, or take title to property under a Retrograde Mars and all is a disaster. Do not start a lawsuit for the initiator of the action will lose. If you buy a car under a Retrograde Mars it will be

more accident prone. If the old car won't work during the Retrograde Mars Cycle, then rent one until Mars turns Direct. Have sexual intercourse with someone for the first time under a Retrograde Mars and the affair will end badly or you will see that sexual problems over time are the big area of hate and contention in the relationship. So I never ever would schedule a marriage under a Retrograde Mars. Never schedule elective surgery under a Retrograde Mars. Obviously surgery that can't wait must be performed, but if you are having a face lift, for example, wait until Mars is Direct. And if you wish to conquer the world, this is no time to begin a long or dangerous journey. I hope this helps to clarify the many questions you have about Mars Retrograde. I ask folks to pay particular attention to the caveat about not having intimate relations with anyone new during a Mars Retrograde. This is an odd idea, yet it does hold true. Any intimacy/sex with a new partner during Mars Rx is likely to either backfire or to be ultimately unrewarding. I think it has something to do with the fact that Mars represents our drives, and our urge to action, and of course sex, since Mars was the original ruler of Scorpio, which we know rules the private parts. This was back before Pluto was discovered, and Mars was traditionally given rulership of both Scorpio and Aries, then n.k.o.t.b. Pluto got Scorpio, a generally better fit. Yet Mars is still widely considered a co-ruler of Scorpio, the only sign that has the make up of two elements Water and Fire well, now you know where the Fire comes from. So in Western astrology, Mars is the ruler of Aries. Now, gentle pagani, with whom was Aphrodites most (in)famous tryst? Are you starting to grasp the Mars-as-sex-drive archetype now? Good. So dont boff anyone new during this time, unless you plan to regret it. Ah hell, you might say, even the worst sex is still sex! And since some folks live by the Cardinal Rule of Satyrs Never Say No please just be forewarned. Couple with current or previous partners, and tease the others until late Summer. Oh come on, like you arent doing this already! The other big dealio is Saturn's move into Gemini for the next 2.5 years, which he did the end of April. If you know any Taurean folk (and to a lesser extent, other assorted Fixed signs - Leo, Scorpio & Aquarius) and the time they have had over the past 2.5 years, this will be the case especially for those Mutable Air signs known as the Twins (and other Mutables in general - Virgins, Archers, and Fishies). Whenever Saturn is in your sign, the general consensus seems to be to work hard, yet prepare for a few setbacks. So keep your eye on your Gemini peeps, even though they can sometimes move as quickly as we blink! want to kick out a shout to a very happy Cappy and an equally thrilled Archer Girl! Congratulations Mulysa and Niki!!! You survived your Saturn Return! Nothing like Saturn in the wee degrees of Gemini to prolong this most major transit (see Saturn at the Rodeo). Yet you two got through it with flying colors! Enjoy the Summer, you've earned it! Finally, the best source for your monthly forecast is still Susan Miller. She is one of the most thoughtful and accurate Web astrologers since the Muffin retired. Also, for weekly planetary weather which replaces what the Muffin used to do, see Mark Lerner's excellent site, Planet Earth. Click on the link for Your Cosmic Kalendar halfway down, it is the best outlook of planetary

weather without regard to one's Sun sign, even more in depth than the Muffin. Two truly excellent resources