The Cardinal Climax brings you opportunities - the rest is up to you to take those opportunities and to make them work for you.

I have the Cardinal Climax hitting my 10th house of career. I didn't need to make the changes I am making in my career. I could have just let my whole career path be shaken up and buffeted around by the winds of change. Instead, I chose to look at this as an opportunity to make my career more exciting. Instead of limiting myself to making appointments in person and waiting for people to show up at my house, I chose to stop doing readings that way and to try other avenues that satisfied a more basic need.
I chose to start something new with offering astrology questions for $25.00 each - I chose to start recording cds and dvds and offer them online.

I am choosing to start researching ways in which to offer online classes, video conferencing of astrology coaching, and making ebooks and on astrology and finance available to the public.I'm also writing some exciting new astrological reports on subjects like the Mayans and 2012, relationships, vocation and career, past lives to name but a few.

You can choose to see the squares and oppositions in your chart as limitations or you can choose to see those same squares and oppositions in your chart as opportunities for growth.

I choose to see mine for growth.

How do you choose to see yours?

Firstly, for those of you who are new to astrology, let me explain the word “cardinal.” Cardinal applies to four signs: Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. Each one heralds a new season and signifies something new, a pushing forward with changes ahead. Each one of those star signs in their own way likes to be autonomous, doing their own thing and not being bossed around by others. They like to spearhead new inventions, ideas, plans, process, structures, relationships, careers…They like to push the boundaries and move into uncharted territory. Cardinal signs are leaders by nature, they don’t like to be told no and they don’t take kindly to orders or interference from others.

Now, in the heavens we have a configuration of three very powerful planets in Cardinal signs making difficult aspects to one another for the next 3-5 years. They are: Pluto in Capricorn, Saturn in Libra and Uranus in Aries. You might ask, what about Cancer? Good question. The fact that the other three cardinal signs are activated means that Cancer is the balancing point and will also be directly affected by this cardinal formation. So what will it mean for you on a personal level?

Those of you who have either your Sun, Moon or Ascendant in a Cardinal sign will be greatly affected by these transits.

Firstly, it is important to know your Ascendant or rising sign then you will be able to place these planets into your chart (or have a professional astrologer do it for you) and see in which houses they fall. This will tell you the life areas that will be activated for you during these powerful transits.

For example, if you have an ascendant of 1 degree Aries, you will have Uranus on your Ascendant which will have a direct impact on the way you see yourself, the way you would like to come across and a feeling of impatience and a need for freedom in all areas of your life. Saturn will fall on your Descendant affecting all your relationships. There will be endings or completions and possibly some new relationships on the horizon, but you will have to go very slowly and carefully to ensure that you don’t get into a relationship with someone who is controlling and who wants to have power over you. You will constantly be trying to balance the energy of Uranus on your Ascendant which brings turbulence, change and a desire to break out of old patterns and habit with Saturn in your 7th house which wants you to look at your relationships from a realistic viewpoint and to discard those that are no longer working and to make a concerted effort to improve those that you want to last into the future. Any transit of Saturn through your 7th house places a strain on your existing relationships and if you are in a serious relationship it could come under severe pressure during this time. If however, your relationship survives this transit, you will come out of it with a stronger more enduring relationship than you ever had before.

As if this isn’t enough, you also have to contend with having Pluto on your midheaven or somewhere at the top of your chart. This indicates huge changes in your direction in life. You may decide to take on a serious form of study for several years, you may move from one career into another, you may leave a job suddenly or you may receive a long-awaited promotion. Whatever isn’t working for you in your work area will be stripped away from you and you may find yourself without a job until you find your new direction in life. This is certainly a life-changing aspect. However, it does move slowly and you may find that the changes take place over a period of years. Just don’t expect your career or life direction to be the same 5 years from now.

Depending on where this cardinal climax falls in your natal chart will tell you what areas of your life are going to be most affected.

On a broader level, the whole world will be changed by these aspects. We are already seeing the build up of its effects. The totally avoidable oil spill in the Gulf is an example of these aspects. It was through greed and avarice that so many people and animals and our planet is suffering. Both on the macrocosm and the microcosm we will see vast changes. We will each need to look inside carefully at the areas in our lives that are out of kilter. Areas where we are taking too much, areas where we have entitlement issues and think that the world owes us a living, areas where we are giving too much or taking too much in our relationships.

If this configuration affects your 2nd house of money, you can be sure that you will have several severe lessons about money that you must learn during these transits. It could be that you need to get yourself out of debt and learn how to be more responsible with money. If it affects your 8th house, then you may have to take responsibility for someone else’s resources. You may have issues with an inheritance, you may have issues with banks, accountants or financial advisors.

If the aspects fall in your 4th house of home and family, then expect upheavals in this area of your life. It could mean a move out of your home, your state, even your country. It could mean selling your home for less money than you anticipated just to get out of debt and walk free. It could mean having severe renovations to do on your home. It could mean having to deal with issues from the past concerning your family. You may have to face things you have been avoiding for years.

If these planets fall on the angles of your chart i.e. the Ascendant, the Descendant, the Midheaven the IC (bottom of the chart), then they will have apparent physical effects in your life. If they fall in other positions, chances are that the changes could happen on a more internal level first and then move to the external parts of your life.

This can be one of the most stressful, intense, exciting and challenging times in your life. It is often one when people do feel the need to consult an astrologer to see what is going on.

If you would like to ask me about the effect of this Cardinal Climax in your life you have a few options:

You can ask me a question for USD$25.00 which I will answer in an email of up to 150 words
You can book in for a reading:
10 minutes for $35.00
30 minutes for $65.00
1 hour for $95.00

and we can discuss what is going on in your life, what the cycles are that you are experiencing and gain some clarity of direction for your future.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I look forward to being of service to you during these transient times.

www.yourastrologysigns.com

Mercury is almost retrograde, yet already we are seeing huge frustrations and blockages in travel throughout the world. It is, however, in its shadow from 4th April until 28th May, so we can expect to see more disruptions during this period.

With Mercury going retrograde in Taurus, this means that “earthly” challenges can result. The volcano is spewing out ash from the earth, we have had a huge amount of earthquakes in various parts of the world over the last few months and this is set to increase.

On a more personal level, during this Mercury retrograde in Taurus, it is a great time to sort out any repairs, annoyances around the house that you have been putting off doing. It’s time to get your practical situation in order and to solve any blockages that are preventing you from being productive in your everyday life.

The other aspects astrologically that could have contributed to the volcanic ash are the fact that Saturn is opposing Uranus. Uranus rules air travel and with it being opposite Saturn this could mean delays, frustrations or restrictions. Uranus would indicate disruptions and sudden changes.

We also have Neptune in Aquarius quincunx Saturn in Virgo. The Neptune in Aquarius could relate to confusion and uncertainty in air travel together with challenges, obstructions and difficulties coming from Saturn in Virgo. Virgo rules routines and they are certainly being disrupted during this aspect.

Let me just recap the things to watch out for during Mercury retrograde:

Avoid:
Signing legal documents
Closing big deals
Launching new projects
Scheduling meetings to make a big decision
Backup your hard drive before the retrograde
Avoid installing new computer software during the retrograde
Do needed repairs on machinery before the retrograde

It’s a good time to:
Do follow ups on a project already started
Complete a project already started
Research a new project thoroughly
Catch up on paperwork
Hold an information-sharing meeting

Except for a brief period between April 8^th and July 21^st, Saturn is in Libra until October 5^th 2010. Saturn is exalted in Libra which means that this is one of its most powerful placements. Saturn represents reality, challenges, structure, foundation, obstacles, hard work, obligations, restrictions, and limitations. As he transits through the houses of your birth chart, he teaches you important lessons that will improve the quality of your life in the longer term.   Libra governs partnerships and all kinds of relationships, both personal and business. Libra is objective, fair-minded, logical, social, charming, friendly, seeks balance, and appreciates the aesthetic beauty in its surroundings. Libra does not like conflict and will try to keep the peace at all costs. Saturn doesn’t operate on that level – if there is some unpleasantness to be experienced, then it is all for the bigger picture and the sooner we face the issues, the sooner we can construct new structures that are supportive and helpful in our lives.  With Saturn in Libra, we have lessons to learn about the challenges in our relationships, our commitment and work we need to put in to maintain healthy connections, the balance of power within our partnerships, and the objectivity that is sometimes needed especially when passions and emotions come to the fore.  Those of you who were born between 1982 and 1984 may be experiencing your first Saturn Return (embarking on adulthood); and those of you who were born between 1952 and 1954 may be going through your second Saturn Return. The way you dealt with your first Saturn return will have a strong bearing on how easy or how challenging your second Saturn return will be.  Let’s take a look at how Saturn will be affecting you through the various houses:
The 1st House represents you, your self-image, your being, your potential. Saturn's transit through house might bring self-awareness of your limitations due to various obligations in your life, situations forced upon you, or mental and physical challenges. This transit is about rising above whatever is pushing you down and keeping you from the success you desire; having the confidence and belief in your own determination and drive for achievement despite the odds; making lemonade out of lemons. At the beginning of this transit you may feel quite lost – as though much has been taken away from you and you are back to the beginning. This is because Saturn gets rid of anything that is extraneous and of no value to you and gives you a chance to rebuild your life. Decisions that you make during this period are the start of another 14 year period in your life. So take your time and don’t allow yourself to be rushed.

The 2nd House represents your material possessions, your income, your values, and your self-worth. On a higher level, it represents stability, inner peace, and being grounded through your own self-sufficiency. In these difficult economic times and employment worries, Saturn's transit through the 2nd house reminds you that your true worth does not lie in your possessions and inner peace cannot be achieved through material means alone. You may be forced learn to live within your financial means, discard the unnecessary, and have your resilience truly tested. This is certainly a time to be frugal and to make best use of the resources available to you.

The 3rd House represents short trips, communication, commerce, writing, speaking, thinking, planning, and ideas. Saturn's transit through this house might mean that you take up a serious course of study, one that will take a few years to accomplish. This should be in a field that will further your career. Remember that Saturn is a slow-moving planet, so don’t allow yourself to get bogged down with the details. Instead, focus on actively taking baby steps towards your future. For those with siblings this transit might highlight how relationships and interactions with them can be improved. You may feel as though your movement is restricted in some way – this is just so that you stay focused and don’t scatter your energies.

The 4th House represents the family - present or issues from the past, the home – buying or selling a house, moving, re-financing, re-decorating, remodeling, and your private life. On an emotional or personal level, it represents coming to terms with the past or unresolved family issues. A Saturn transit in the fourth house might prove truly challenging. Here, you are urged to put your raw emotions aside for the sake of reason and what's achievable. You may do renovations on your property. For example, you may insulate it and put in double glazing to save on heating bills for the winter.

The 5th House represents self-expression, creative projects, love and romance, fun, playfulness, and children. Saturn's transit through the fifth house makes you aware of your responsibilities while at the same time making sure that you have time for fun and pleasure too. This is not a time to speculate on the stock markets or property market, but rather a time to conserve what you have. It could be a good time to solidify an entrepreneurial venture that you have been working on for some time. It can indicate increased responsibilities with children or young people.

The 6th House represents health, work, service, comfort in routines, and finding order in the details. This transit might bring about forced lifestyle changes and changes in your health habits, your diet, exercise, how you work. You may have to take on the role of being of service to other people.  It could be a time for you to set clear boundaries in relation to the people with whom you work. If there is a tendency for you to take on too much, you can expect to be extra-burdened during this transit. The key will be for you to learn to say no. It’s an important time to take care of your health and if there are any issues to get them seen to as soon as possible.

The 7th House represents partnerships and all your one-to-one relationships, committed relationships, and known enemies. Forced or long-awaited and much needed changes to relationships -- equality, cooperations, compromises, agreements, how we relate to others, how they relate to us -- might be issues that come up now. Long-term ties that have been significant in the past may be severed during this transit. If you are in a relationship, it will be sorely tested during this transit. If your relationship is solid, then once the transit is over, you will come out of it stronger and more together than ever. If however, your relationship is unbalanced and not nourishing, you may well separate.

The 8th House represents sex and shared resources or finances. On the psychological level, it represents power struggles within your own psychological makeup and your ability to embrace the darker version of yourself without it overpowering you. On a spiritual level, it represents transformation and regeneration -- the need for something to die in order for a rebirth to occur. The transit of Saturn through the 8th house can be very difficult but also very empowering as it requires endings and cutting off ties. What you have to give up and completely let go of depends upon the sign that Saturn is in and whether or not Saturn is aligned to any of your natal planets. This transit can result in financial loss in a partnership activity or with a banking institution. It’s a time to be very careful with your finances.

The 9th House represents personal and spiritual growth through higher education, adventures, travel, and cultural influences. The pursuit for continuing education or higher learning and the challenges involved in actively pursuing them might be issues that surface during this transit. The 9th house also represents publishing so, if you've authored a novel, non-fiction, or poetry and have been dreaming of having it published, then that dream may manifest during this transit. It’s a time for hard work connected with your education and learning. You may find that you have to travel on business.

The 10th House represents your professional pursuits, your long-term goals, and your public reputation. If you have been focusing on your career for some time, you will find that much comes to fruition during this transit. If you have not been focusing on a particular career, you may find that you change career altogether and start fresh. You may cut down the hours you work and focus on something that is more of an avocation to you. You may redefine your long-term goals.  Your interactions with your superiors or those in authority may be challenged now. The need to establish or re-establish your public reputation might also be highlighted now.

The 11th House represents friendships and associations; your personal view of world, its state, and its varied societies; humanity as a whole and your place in it, as well as your collaborative responsibility to it. Existing friendships undergo changes that can either strengthen bonds or can end these connections altogether. New friendships may be created during this transit. You may find that you become more aware of the global situation and your beliefs and ideals change dramatically during this period. It’s also a great time to put some flesh on the visions that you have held and to set clear goals for the future. You may find that you take on some responsibilities in your community.

The 12th House, is the house of the subconscious, solitude, spiritual consciousness, secrets (ours and those kept from us), hidden enemies, and it represents institutions like hospitals and prisons. A Saturn transit through the 12th house requires a period of "aloneness" in order to "recharge your batteries" and sort through issues that are being presented subconsciously and psychologically to you. The most effective way to process the transit through this house is to surrender ... to give in to the much needed spiritual healing offered. You will find that clarity will follow. It’s a time when you might feel quite isolated and unable to connect deeply with others – this is because you have inner work to be done that can only be done in quiet moments when you are alone.