2011 Writings


December 2011

A Venus-in-Aquarius Holiday (12.17.11)
As an influence over our holiday proceedings, then, Venus in Aquarius could be a godsend for those among us looking for a way to 'rise above' the drama.

Choosing One Over the Other (12.7.11)
If we hope for something better to come along, we must be willing to first choose to let go of the thing that falls short.


November 2011

Eclipse Time Again (and Mercury Retrograde Too!) (11.18.11)
Thursday Nov 24's solar eclipse happens just one day after Mercury goes retrograde… and with both events occurring in Sagittarius, the envelope will be provocatively pushed.

I Wrote A Book (11.13.11)
How I grabbed this era's revolutionary astrology, embraced a D.I.Y. sensibility, fought the negative self-talk, and sat down and wrote a book.

Mega Mars-in-Virgo Marathon (11.7.11)
Mars arrives in fastidious Virgo, for an unusually long 8-month visit, thanks to his upcoming retrograde in early '12.


October 2011

Catapulting Out of the Mud (10.27.11)
Venus and Mercury make it into Sagittarius, to join Mars in Leo for an ultra-fiery interval that'll help burn through any sluggishness of the past few weeks.

Scorpionic Sparks (10.13.11)
Venus and Mercury in Scorpio both take their turns opposing Jupiter, then squaring Mars in Leo.

Occupy Main Street (10.4.11)
Right on time, as Venus tangles with the Uranus-Pluto square, an anti-corporate-plutocracy movement called Occupy Wall Street enters the American consciousness.


September 2011

Libran Consequences (9.28.11)
Every bargain we strike, between indulging our most selfish longings and bending ourselves to fulfill someone else's, has its consequences. A trio of Saturn conjunctions in Libra forefronts the call to take responsibility for this always-in-effect negotiation.

The Latest Uranus-Pluto Triggers (9.13.11)
Venus tangles with the Uranus-Pluto square for a volatile weekend (Sep 16-18) especially with regards to relationships, with the Sun and Mercury following suit soon after (Sep 25-28).

Ten Years Later (9.12.11)
My reflections on 9/11, without which there would've been no 'astrobarry'.


August 2011

Virgo Plans for More Virgo (8.31.11)
The current travels of the Sun, Venus, and soon-to-be Mercury through Virgo mark a fruitful plan-making moment, to prepare us for Mars's upcoming 7-month visit to this pragmatist sig.n

The Quest for Knowledge in the Age of Information (8.29.11)
Part ode to knowledge-seeking inquisitiveness, part crotchety-old-man complaining, and part astro-meditation on the symbolism of Mercury and Jupiter.

On The (UK/US) World Gone Wild (8.14.11)
Last week's Mars-Uranus-Pluto T-square, the London riots, the US credit downgrade, and beyond.

Slippery Mars Shenanigans (8.5.11)
Mars enters watery Cancer, a sign where he's 'fallen', and moves into a weighty T-square with Uranus and Pluto.


July 2011

A Neptuney Case of The Merc-Retro 'Huh?'s (7.31.11)
Mercury contends with the double impairment of retrograde snafus and a befuddling Neptune opposition.

Damn You, Mars-South Node Conjunction (7.25.11)
Our instinctive individuating drives (Mars) are strongly, unconsciously influenced by reactive shades from the past (South Node): my personal story, along with Amy Winehouse's passing.

Jupiter trine Pluto: Pumping up the Passion (7.10.11)
A Jupiter-Pluto trine inspires us to go further in investing our passionate intensity—helpful if we've needed to muster more oomph, or potentially troublesome if we become arrogant or domineering.

The Story That Ends Just Like You Always Tell It (7.5.11)
Running through the same story about what could go wrong essentially guarantees we'll always be left in the same spot: worrying about the future.


June 2011

A Uranus/Pluto Eclipse Capper (6.26.11)
The third in a trio of eclipses (a new-moon solar eclipse in Cancer on Fri Jul 1) forms a grand cross with Saturn, Uranus and Pluto... a doozie of an opportunity to declare care-based intentions, in the face of change bearing down from every end.

Aiming My Eclipse (6.14.11)
In honor of the June 15 total lunar eclipse in Sagittarius.

Jupiter in Taurus: Enjoying Basic Pleasures (6.7.11)
Jupiter's yearlong transit through Taurus returns our attention to the essential building-blocks of a materially stable and satisfying life… though we must remain on the lookout for outbreaks of gluttony and sloth.


May 2011

Chapter-Turning (5.31.11)
The Wed Jun 1 solar eclipse in Gemini (trining Saturn in Libra) reminds us to reprioritize our social connections, to open our own social energies and our capacity to be altered, in thinking or attitude, by continued exposure to other people and their offerings.

Creation/Destruction (5.19.11)
A Uranus-in-Aries-inspired meditation on the virtues of creativity over pure short-sighted destructiveness.

A Taurean Downshift (5.9.11)
During the week ahead, Mercury, Venus and Mars all move out of the Aries firestorm and into Taurus, a slower-and-steadier earth sign.

Where in the World is astrobarry Going? (5.1.11)
As part of my experiment with actively courting serendipity, I ask you for suggestions and help in putting together travel plans for my end-of-2011.


April 2011

Aries Continues to Dominate (4.22.11)
Five planets in Aries for three more weeks means the time to pause, assess, and regather one's senses hasn't arrived quite yet.

Pay Attention (4.18.11)
The more 'intoxicated' everyone else seems to get, the clearer we ought to aim to become.

Neptune in Pisces: First Whispers (4.4.11)
Neptune enters Pisces for the first time since 1862, to spend many years spreading compassion and spiritual significance far and wide through its invisible psychic undercurrents.


March 2011

All About Aries (3.28.11)
A rare concentration of planets in Aries, including a Mercury retrograde and Mars as final dispositor, ignites fiery beginnings left and right.

Equinox Reflections: Japan and Beyond (3.16.11)
Striving to be both insightful and respectful, as I address the Japanese triple-disaster of earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown.

Uranus in Aries II: Surges of Wild Individualism (3.7.11)
Uranus in Aries is the rebel spark in our arsenal, ready at any minute to enliven us with the bravery to reject polite submission.


Februrary 2011

A Preparatory Farewell to Neptune in Aquarius (2.27.11)
Reviewing how the world has changed, both culturally and in the development of my life as astrobarry, since Neptune first entered Aquarius in 1998.

Prescient Pluto-Square Power Problems (2.22.11)
As Jupiter squares Pluto, revolts across the Mideast and North Africa (and America's heartland!) point to the revolutionary power struggles ahead once the Uranus-Pluto square hits full effect.

Lost, and Found (2.15.11)
For those of us less equipped to deal with Mars's sustained conjunction with the Sun, there's a fine line separating 'riding high' from 'melting down'.


January 2011

Evolution Calls for Chaos (1.27.11)
If you set out to take a giant leap of growth, you're unlikely to avoid at least one giant mess at some point in the process.

Jupiter in Aries II: Back in the Hot Seat (1.23.11)
Jupiter's back in Aries again, turning up the heat on our drive to individuate.

My Late-Onset 2010 Detox (1.17.11)
Revisiting last month's Mars/Pluto/North Node conjunction in Capricorn, in relation to the Tucson shootings, the Queensland floods, and my awful cold.

Your New Sign is B.S. (1.16.11)
I address the recent astro-kerfuffle sweeping the Web: Yes, astrologers already knew the constellations in the sky don't line up with what we often refer to as 'the signs'. And no, your zodiac sign hasn't changed.

A Running Start into 2011 (1.2.11)
The first week of the year brings a solar eclipse flanked by Mars and Pluto, a Jupiter-Uranus conjunction, and Venus's departure from Scorpio at last.