Forecast for June 15-21, 2006

by Ellen Zucker

I recall the second dive I took after receiving my scuba certification. It was a charter off of Boynton Beach, Florida. Our dive site was a sunken wreck in 90 feet of warm clear Gulf Stream waters.

We were told to follow the rope down to the bottom. Water pressure increases very quickly in the first 30 feet of water. I had difficulty acclimating my ears and so it took me much longer to descend than everyone else.

As I fiddled around, I kept my eye on the rope. But as I finally descended the rope, the bubbles, and the activity had receded far into the distance. Finally I reached the sandy bottom. I saw the occasional half buried stingray and endless smooth sand all around.

It was calm, it was serene, it was beautiful, but ... where was the rope? Where was the wreck? And where was everyone? And, finally, what in the world was I doing 90 feet below the surface all alone as a newbie diver?

Following my training I surfaced. I looked out to find my boat.

It was a speck, all the way out in the distance. Fortunately, the captain saw me waving, came, and picked me up.

The current, so gentle that I did not feel it, had taken me hundreds of yards out into the open sea.

Some planetary energies are like that current. They come in gently, smoothly. And before you know it, you've been sucked way out beyond your comfort zone. But you often don't know that you've been pulled out until the intensity of the energy peaks, like a symphony's crescendo.

This tends to happen most often with contacts made by slow moving outer planets. Their effect can creep up on us until we realize that we are in uncharted territory. And then we have to rely on our training, our life experience, our wits, and perhaps a helping hand or two to get us out of our predicament.

This week a planetary configuration comes to exactitude, a crescendo. It's a big ocean out there and not everyone will feel its intensity. But if you do, you'll know it.

I began to describe it last week. Briefly, Mars meets up with Saturn at 8 degrees of Leo this weekend. In the meantime, Jupiter has been inching towards a crossroads with Saturn. When they finally come to a head, fiery Mars will be squarely in the mix.

Mars is the warrior planet. It is the part of us that goes after and fights for what we want and need. Saturn is the planet of structure and restriction. Together they generate huge amounts of heat and concentrated energy.

When they come together and cooperate, they literally move mountains. And when they are at odds, a high degree of frustration and anger are the result. If you can channel the energy towards a goal it will be your powerful friend.

Jupiter, the planet of expansion is in Scorpio, the sign of power, control and transformation (and credit and loans among other things) is at odds with the Mars and Saturn. It becomes exact next week, but it is close enough that you can feel it now.

Jupiter is a lot like the current of the Gulf Stream. It makes us feel pleasant and optimistic. But with the conflicting square or 90 degree aspect it makes to Mars/Saturn, it may entice us to extend ourselves too far.

We might be better served by keeping our hands on the rope.

To sum up, what is it that you want so badly that you are willing to mortgage the future? Since this configuration directly impacts George W. Bush, you're liable to read about its effects in the headlines.

P.S. If you don't like how it plays out, Jupiter and Saturn will gradually move away, then meet again in late October. So you'll get another crack at it then.

June 15
There is a dreamy quality to this day as Venus squares Neptune. Let yourself float, but don't let the current take you out too far.

June 16
Moon moves into Pisces. Given our 'druthers' we would continue floating as we did yesterday. But Sun faces off with Pluto at this waning quarter moon. We are prodded to face down our fears.

June 17
It's an up and down day. Mars meets up with Saturn today, a situation I described above. Early this morning Moon's mellow enounter with Jupiter has us feeling good. There could be a surprise as Moon meets Uranus. Late tonight, people find themselves wanting to talk about the events of the day.

June 18
Feelings are stirred up as Moon squares Pluto and moves into its waning quarter position this morning. It's best to let things alone until late afternoon when Moon enters dynamic Aries.

June 19
Today Uranus appears to come to a halt in the sky before beginning what looks to us as a backwards motion. Astrologers call this stationing retrograde. We feel unsettled with Uranus' electricity in the air. We may feel flashes of insight and/or the day doesn't go exactly as planned. Remain flexible.

June 20
Moon starts out in Aries. We have a lot of energy to burn and we still feel unsettled from yesterday. The Moon enters Taurus during the early evening (6:23 pm EDT) helping us feel more settled.

June 21
At 8:26 am the Sun reaches its most northern point in the sky. This is the Summer Solstice and the Sun's entrance into Cancer. It is a major turning point as the days now begin to shorten in the northern hemisphere.

It is a happy and productive day.