2005 Writings


December 2005

New Moon Resolutions (12.30.05)
A constructive Capricorn New Moon, close to New Year's, invites us to pledge ourselves.

Christmas Fortune Cookie (12.25.05)
A holiday greeting from the Chinese restaurant.

'Worth It?' Asks Venus Retrograde (12.24.05)
Under the Venus-retrograde influence, we decide who and what matters most.

The Jupiter-Saturn Cycle: First-Quarter Quagmire (12.21.05)
Jupiter squares Saturn, drawing the zeitgeist set by the 2000 conjunction to its first-quarter crisis.

A Quite Full Full Moon (12.15.05)
Pluto opposing the Full Moon in Gemini asks: Whose heavy feelings, lingering in the air, are these?

Venus Preview: Two Weeks Only! (12.14.05)
Venus dabbles in Aquarius for a smidge, in preparation to head retrograde and return to Capricorn.

Direct from the Trenches: Mars Turns Back Around! (12.9.05)
Mars returns to direct motion, and I finally sleep through the night. The grand cross, alas, is still in effect.

Saturn in Leo II: Bailing on the Chief (12.6.05)
Bush scrapes the low-approval-rating barrel, as Saturn crunches his 1st-house Mercury/Pluto... and readies for its opposition to Neptune.

The Beginning of Retro-Relief (12.2.05)
Mercury turns direct in Scorpio. Insight (hopefully) returns, but no need to broadcast it yet.


November 2005

That's the Way the High Court Crumbles (11.28.05)
As Jupiter trines Uranus, a chunk of marble falls from the US Supreme Court Building.

Jupiter trine Uranus: Fathoming the Great Beyond (11.28.05)
The Jupiter-Uranus trine dares us to crack conventionality wide open, exposing radically creative ways to do it all differently.

1+1+1+1=4, or The Grand Cross (11.26.05)
Four planets—Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter and Mars—at cross-purposes, squaring each other, makes a mighty 'grand cross'.

Sagittarius Sneaks In (11.22.05)
How the Sun moved into Sagittarius without my having noticed.

The Taurus Full Moon Keeps You Rooted (11.15.05)
The Moon's full in the sign of Mars's retrograde, on the same day Uranus stations direct.

Double Retro Doo-Doo Deluxe (11.12.05)
Mercury joins Mars in retrograde-land, for double retrograde madness.

Saturn in Leo I: Hasta la Vista, Baby (11.9.05)
Governor Schwarzenegger takes a humbling defeat, thanks to Saturn in Leo and its 'challenge to the king's power'.

Settling into More of the Same (11.6.05)
Venus moves into Capricorn, to join Mars in the earth signs. Get comfortable. We'll be here awhile.

New Moon in Scorpio: Welcome, Dead! (11.1.05)
Setting intentions to commune with what no longer lives.


October 2005

Barry on the CBS Evening News… Finally (10.31.05)
My first foray into the national-TV spotlight.

Venus conjunct Pluto: Ooh La La (10.28.05)
A Venus-Pluto conjunction in Sagittarius lures us toward the big adventures, in spite of stubborn Mars retrograde.

Jupiter in Scorpio: Let the Healing Begin (10.25.05)
Welcoming Jupiter in Scorpio, and the expansive opportunity to dive deep into psychological issues and power dynamics.

Calling Out the Bird Flu (10.24.05)
Is the threat of an avian influenza pandemic a genuine concern, or a Uranus-in-Pisces example of hysteria over disease?

Ask Me Again Once the Scales Shift (10.23.05)
Mars retrograde keeps us off balance, opposing Mercury in Scorpio in the process.

Enough About You Already (10.17.05)
Letting off the much-needed 'me-first' steam, with the Oct 17 05 lunar eclipse in Aries.

The Eclipse Isn't Done with You (10.14.05)
The Oct 3 05 eclipse triggers natal placements of Uranus and Pluto at 10 Libra, affecting those born Oct-Nov 1970, Apr-Aug 1971, and Oct 1975-May 1976.

Bodies, in Rest or in Motion, Stay (10.11.05)
Mars retrograde in Taurus, and holding on.

Freshly Squeezed Planet Juice (10.7.05)
Two planets move into new signs: Venus into Sagittarius, and Mercury into Scorpio.

Two Sounds that Sound Great Together (10.3.05)
The Libran eclipse cries out for harmony.

A Whole New World (10.3.05)
Welcome to the redesigned astrobarry.com!


September 2005

Mars Retrograde vs. The Eclipse's Best Efforts (9.26.05)
Mars retrograde's slow, steady ass-backwardsness competes against the Oct 3 05 solar eclipse's dynamism.

Wishing No Ill Will (9.19.05)
The ethics of prediction, death-wishing and the 'curse' of President Bush.

Shock to the American System (9.12.05)
The Uranus cycle, and Katrina's significance in US history.

Deep Shit (9.5.05)
Hurricane Katrina strikes, as Uranus hits the natal Pluto of New Orleans.


August 2005

Mr. Clean Makes His Mark (8.29.05)
Virgo organizes the disarray, while Venus and Jupiter in Libra pretties it up.

You Have to Believe We Are Magic (8.22.05)
What is it that we astrologers think we do?

Transition in Three Parts (8.15.05)
Mercury goes direct, Venus moves into Libra, and Jupiter trines Neptune for the final pass.

Did You Catch the Big Astro-News? (8.8.05)
2003 UB313, a newly discovered way-far-out planet larger than Pluto, enters our consciousness.

From astrobarry, and Into the Ethers (8.1.05)
Barry's personal account of retrograde Mercury in Leo, and monthly New Moon matters.


July 2005

Stable (and Slightly Slothy) Seeks Slowdown (and Enchilada Pie) (7.25.05)
An energetic downshift, as Mars moves into Taurus for a seven-month tour.

Almost Too Much to Bear (or Write About) (7.18.05)
A buildup of planets in fire signs and a Saturn/Chiron-flavored Full Moon combine for fast-paced intensity.

Just Me Being Me (7.11.05)
Becoming an adult in parents' eyes, as Saturn moves from Cancer to Leo.

One Month at a Time (7.4.05)
Every New Moon is a chance to commit to a month-long span of sustained effort.


June 2005

Moving From In Outward (6.27.05)
The transitional dialogue between Cancer and Leo, as Mercury and Venus move into the Sun's favorite sign.

The Pendulum Swings Back (6.20.05)
Solstice reminds us of the extreme seasonal differences we experience at different points on the globe.

The Serious Business of Self (6.13.05)
A review of Saturn's transit through Cancer, and a preview of its movement into Leo.

Goodbye Trudge, Hello Run-and-Jump (6.6.05)
As Mercury, Venus and Mars all change signs, we witness a dramatic atmospheric shift.


May 2005

Inconjunctivitis (5.30.05)
Realizing I'm still angry about 9/11, on the occasion of Saturn moving into an inconjunct with Pluto.

Bad Psychics (5.23.05)
The earthquake didn't happen when they said it would, and don't believe it when they claim to predict the future.

The Babble and the Flap (5.16.05)
Venus in Gemini and the TV's 'flood of information' distract Barry from being sick.

Surprises Don't Always Just Come (5.9.05)
Mars and Uranus conjoin… and conspire to dare us in making our own surprises.

I Wish I Could Tell You Exactly What's Going On (5.2.05)
What to make of a Neptune-influenced New Moon in Taurus, a Mercury-Saturn square, and two outer-planet inconjuncts?


April 2005

We Must Work With What We've Got (4.25.05)
Getting real with the Sun and Venus in earthy Taurus.

Will We Get What We Want? (4.18.05)
Desire versus detachment, as Chiron squares the April 25 lunar eclipse in Scorpio.

What We Want… (4.11.05)
Readers respond to my call to put our desires out there.

What Do You Want? (4.4.05)
Releasing our personal desires into the ethers, to mark the April 8 solar eclipse in Aries.


March 2005

Give War a Chance? (3.28.05)
Considering the polarity of war and peace, alongside the Aries-Libra axis.

Happy New Zodiacal Year! (3.21.05)
The Sun crosses into Aries, coupled with Mars in Aquarius for a 'think globally, act locally' tone to things.

'I've Got it All Figured Out…' (3.14.05)
A first-person account of Mercury turning retrograde in Aries.

Remembering The Social Contract (3.7.05)
Jupiter trine Neptune, and the cosmic appeal for a little more togetherness.


February 2005

A Toe Dipped One Step Deeper In… (2.28.05)
Chiron enters Aquarius, and bridges our present consciousness with the vastly different one ahead.

The Right Thinks the Left Should Be Stronger (2.21.05)
Polarity and opposing signs in the zodiac.

Romance is in the Air (2.14.05)
Venus conjunct Neptune makes the perfect Valentine's Day astrology.

How Well Do You Get Along With Everyone? (2.7.05)
Aquarius makes the perfect talk-show host. Just ask Ellen Degeneres, Jerry Springer and Oprah.


January 2005

Is the Shit Coming Up? (1.31.05)
The Mars-Pluto conjunction, and pushing through our stinky crap.

Fun is in the Full Moon, but the Water Weathers it Wet (1.24.05)
A Full Moon in Leo is dampened by Saturn in Cancer, with Mars conjunct Pluto in Sagittarius.

Hard-Asses Rule (1.17.05)
An homage to the tenacious Capricorn archetype.

'The Peace Before the Storm...' (1.10.05)
The 'backward' shift of the lunar nodes from Scorpio/Taurus to Libra/Aries, on the day of the tsunami.

What a Way to Start the New Year… (1.3.05)
The devastating Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of Dec 26 2004, the Saturn-Chiron opposition, and Mars square Uranus.