Mercury, Venus and Mars Retrogrades of 2012, 1st half

People with major points in their charts at Mid-Mutable signs are catching the brunt of some tricky energy this year from the Venus and Mars Retrogrades.  Mutable Signs are about refining things and finishing things up.  Mutable Signs are closers.  Probably even the Geminis if you can keep them from getting distracted or chain them to some Scorpios or other Fixed Signs.

Mars stationed Rx on  Jan 23, 2012 at 24 Virgo and then stationed D on  Apr. 13, 2012 at 4 Virgo.  It will return to its point of Rx, 24 Virgo on June 19, 2012.  This means that 4 through 24 degrees of Virgo are probably a little more impulsive and inspired than usual. Mars usually has a retrograde aspect about every 2 years, I think its slightly more than 2 years but don't quote me and I'm not looking it up.  Virgos may be feeling like they are getting picked up by the nape of their necks and pulled along at very fast speeds right now.  The other Mutable Signs might be feeling like they are getting pushed

A major aspect of any Mars Retrograde is that it includes an opposition from Mars to the Sun.  This occurred this year on March 3 with Sun at 14 Pisces opposing Mars at 14 Virgo Rx.

The last Mars Rx was in Leo-Cancer and included an opposition from Pluto over the important 1 Cancer/Capricorn points.  This was right around the time that the Saturn, Uranus t-square would have been forming.  

March 3, 2012  between 3:00 pm and 3:24 pm EST, NY, NY

This Sun-Mars synodic cycle might promise Success for those afflicted ro affected as Mars was in a Grand Trine with Jupiter in Taurus and Pluto in Capricorn.  At the time of the opposition Mars was in the 2d House and Sun was in the 8th House.  This doesn't seem like the world's most ethical combination but it does seem lucky.  

I remember reading once, but can't verify the truth of, that Mars has the most erratic cycle of all the planets.

All the planets outside of the Earth's orbit will have an opposition like this.  This is called a Synodic Cycle.

The two planets which are inside the Earth's orbit, that's Mercury and Venus, will have conjunctions to the Sun instead of oppositions.

Venus is currently traveling through the sign of Gemini.  She will go retrograde on May 15.  She will then be in conjunction with the Sun on June 5.

Venus and the Sun have a very regular cycle in which they are in conjunction every 18 months.  This is a very interesting cycle because of all the cycles it is the most precise.  5 of these cycles in a row puts them back almost in the same spot in the Astrological Wheel.  This cycle makes up a star pattern on the wheel which looks like a pentagram.  This Venus Rx is the end of an eight year cycle which is rare.

Venus will be in conjunction with the Sun on June 5 this year at 16 Gemini.  It will square Mars at 17 Virgo and widely trine Saturn at 24 Libra Rx.

June 5, 2012  about 9:13 pm EDT  NY, NY

Marketing angst.  Mental Angst.  Communications Angst.

Angst.  Angst.  Angst.

I would assume that Gemini's are getting some extra help by this Venus transit but I'm certainly not.  And a composer-artist I used to know who was born on June 5 or 6 committed suicide last year.  Venus and Sun together can often have that effect.  At least that's my observation, but most astrologers would probably like to say that this is a great time to get married.  June is a big month for marriage.  Why not wait until October this year?

And speaking of Angst.

Mercury, that nervour little beast, was in Rx in March and April. and was in conjunction with the Sun at 2 Aries.  It was also in conjunction with Uranus.  The rewiring of the world.

March 21, 2012  3:13 pm about, EST  NY, NY