by Heather Roan Robbins

Once a year the Sun conjuncts catalytic Uranus, shifts our gears and pushes us out of our safety zone. Get ready to rock and roll next week as the Sun, Mercury and Uranus conjunct.

But first these planets align around the Pisces New Moon. Pisces draws us inward to restore our spirit, heart and body, and asks us to clean up unfinished work before we launch into spring. It reminds us that we’re all connected, and that our world is complex, interdependent and often messy; no simple answers for Pisces.  Pisces support a mystical, understanding and inclusive attitude, though can stray into whiny and indecisive. It’s easy to throw a pity party when we’re in the swamp, and hard to close the deal.

We’d probably drift away if it wasn’t for motivation from Venus and Mars trine in fiery Aries and Leo, but these fire signs add passion and emotional torque to all we do. Though with only Pluto in an earth sign at the moment it can be hard to remember what we’re doing and maintain a steady rhythm.  Let’s just put one foot in front of the other.

If the Pisces line-up can leave us feeling overwhelmed, this fire-sign energy gives us the spunk to deal. We can cope, even if we’re not so sure at the time. We may want to rebel against an oppressive situation or cop an attitude and rail against some externally imposed restraint; while this may not be wise or mature, at least it gets us moving.

As the weekend begins, we may realize we’ve recently lost an opportunity because we were off dreaming; some pain in the heart can wake us up and remind us to keep our eyes on the big picture. We may need to cut our losses or let go of a dearly held item or idea. We need to remember where we’re going in order to make sense of the moment, because although we can see the big arcs of fate, details about how to get there may be obfuscated as the Aquarius Moon conjuncts Neptune and Venus squares Pluto. Relationships need a sensitive, connected but not needy, touch, with lots of room for self-realization.

This weekend gets even swampier; the water rises as the Moon conjuncts the Sun, Jupiter, Mercury, and Uranus in Pisces. Keep an eye on the melting snow pack, watch for fog and flood damage, from swollen rivers to tea cups tipping near an important paper. Emotions may swamp us, tears spill easily. Our oldest and most familiar insecurities can seep up, but we will have no patience with them; these waters can then rinse out those illusions or bad habits that hold us back.

We are wildly intuitive right now, but just as imaginative, and it’s hard to tell the difference. As we paddle about the collective psychic soup our dreams co-mingle; because we can feel each other’s pain, some of us will prefer to hang out alone.  Just let the feelings flow and do not attach to anything that flows by. Ice is melting, everything is changing, but we can help direct the change as Mercury conjuncts Uranus.

In this flood, honesty can be a relative thing. Our stories may be more what we want to believe than factually accurate, but do portray an inner reality for those that have ears to hear.  The political arena will be soaked with irrational hyperbole on all sides as the health care bill and other issues reach a fork in the road; they paint the portrait of their hopes and fears, not what the future will actually produce. Those hopes and fears do need to be addressed, but let’s not pretend they’re logical.  This same pattern echoes on the home front; honor the hopes and fears, but don’t pretend they’re rational and don’t let them run the show. Look for the middle way.

If people help themselves to other’s resources and ideas, and feel entitled to do so, let’s practice holding healthy boundaries even while we become more aware that we really are all one.

The energy really shifts on Tuesday, what has been stuck or sluggish now gets a move on as the Moon and Mercury enter Aries, trine activating Mars all while the Sun conjuncts change-master Uranus. Anything can and will happen mid-week. We may have little energy to do what other people want us to do, but will fuel up wherever we’re impassioned.

Let life be fresh and new. Take the kids and dogs on an adventure and they behave, bore them and expect a rebellion. Pitch an innovation, put in an offer. We could just drop everything and move to Europe, but let’s not overshoot. Let’s do the minimum necessary needed change and not throw out what’s dear and valuable.

A headache maybe a sign we’ve been too good for too long and now need to be more direct and honest.  No need to be rude though, as everyone is still feeling thin-skinned and easily bruised and will hear better when that new honesty comes with kindness.

With Mercury in Aries for the next few weeks we do not want the long story, so keep comments to the point.  Send a message or draw up a proposal and expect a quick answer. Spiritual practice or school homework now goes better in short intense burst.

Friday, March 12:  Our responsibilities to others get complex; we may both love them and resent the need to compromise or feel trapped by their actions. If we see where this tension is our illusion, and take responsibility for our own conflicting feelings, we have the tools to proceed. The day is sociable if complex; frustrations around dinnertime need a sense of humor.  Community can support us if we are feeling blue, so gather with allies for some major event or humanitarian cause as Moon semi-squares Pluto and Venus.

Saturday, March 13: Morning is low key; liquids and waters can misbehave. The water level rises in our soul as the darkening Moon enters Pisces. It is a good time for a kindly personal inventory, a long talk with our soul over the art supplies or other creative, non-goal-oriented endeavor. We’re vulnerable, but impatient with our vulnerability. No matter how impatient we get, feelings are too raw for us to push. Keep the mood safe, supportive and dreamy, and trust that next week will bring change.

Sunday, March 14: The day abounds in fortunate dreams, serendipitous interaction, but zip practical efficiency.  We wander across what we really need; meander and pay attention. Talk about whatever and listen to what comes up. Ceremonially let go of unproductive blueprints and call in new, fresh ones. Expansive afternoon, late evening sensitivities can make us edgy, cranky, and reactive; sleep, meditate, or watch a good movie instead.

Monday, March 15: And now for something completely different; the dream changes or the dream causes a change as Mercury, Uranus, Sun, and Moon all conjunct in Pisces tonight. Experiment first in the imaginative realm, and then be ready to make it so tomorrow. Inventive, expressive vibe demands we avoid repetitive work. Bend the rules if it furthers the goal, make it safe to innovate.

Tuesday, March 16: Enough dreams, we want action: We need a clear path (even if it’s just for the short term) and our own satisfying work to do; chop wood, carry water.  The mood is volatile; count to five before responding. Political rebel and willful children wrestle as the Moon enters Aries, opposes Saturn and squares Pluto. If we feel resentful, it’s time to take responsibility. Do not try to dominate, do not be dominated; change the game instead.

Wednesday, March 17: Experiment as the Sun conjuncts Uranus, don’t jettison something we’ll need later. Pitch innovation. Work with others to create a larger change; support one another’s action but don’t try to work in tandem. Take break and feed the soul with spontaneous moments. Electrical bursts or explosions are possible. Fighting words spark for St Patrick’s; dance rather than fight as Mercury trines Mars.

Thursday, March 18: The mood gets serious, may clamp down after yesterday’s freedom. Doubts return but we can hammer out the how as Mercury opposes Saturn. Communications may be off, arguments spark midday. Bones can ache. Don’t try to hurry, steadiness will get us farther. More information or understanding tonight as the Moon trines Pluto, remember the hope as well as the problems.

Visit Heather Roan Robbins’ website

First discovered in 1930’s Arizona, Salado pottery created a debate among archaeologists. According to VanPool, the Salado tradition is a grassroots movement against violence. The mystery of the pottery’s origin and significance was known as “the Salado problem.” This southwestern pottery was found among three major cultural areas of the ancient southwest: the ancestral Puebloan in northern Arizona and New Mexico, the Mogollon of southern New Mexico and the Hohokam of central and southern Arizona, all with different religious traditions. Even though the pottery was found in three different cultural areas, the pottery communicated the same, specific set of religious messages. It was buried with both the elite and non-elite and painted with complex, geometric motifs and animals, such as horned serpents. Instead of celebrating local elites, the symbols in Salado pottery emphasized fertility and cooperation.

“In my view, the fact that the new religion is reflected solely in pottery, a craft not usually practiced by men, suggests that it was a movement that helped bring women together and decreased competition among females,” said VanPool, who is an assistant professor of anthropology in the MU College of Arts and Science. “Women across the region may have been ethnically diverse, but their participation in the same religious system would have helped decrease conflict and provided a means of connecting different ethnic groups.”

Salado pottery dates from the 13^th to 15^th centuries in which there was major political and cultural conflict in the American Southwest. Brutal executions and possible cannibalism forced thousands of people to abandon their native regions and move to areas of Arizona and New Mexico. Another source of conflict appeared after the female refugees and their children arrived in their new homelands.

“Conflict was defused through the direct action of women who sought to decrease the tensions that threatened to destroy their communities,” VanPool said. “The rise of the Salado tradition allowed threatened communities to stabilize over much of modern-day Arizona and new Mexico, altering the course of Southwestern prehistory. Given that the Salado system lasted from 1275 to around 1450, it was most certainly successful.”

VanPool’s research has been published in Archaeology magazine. A more extended version has been published as a chapter in Innovations in Cultural Systems: Contributions from Evolutionary Anthropology, published by MIT Press (2010).

John Van Auken is an internationally renowned speaker, longtime staff member, and current director at Edgar Cayce’s A.R.E. A popular leader of A.R.E.’s life-changing tours to Egypt and other sacred sites, he is also the author of several best-selling books, including Edgar Cayce on the Revelation, Toward a Deeper Meditation, and Ancient Egyptian Mysticism. In addition he is a regular contributor to Venture Inward magazine and the Venture Inward Newsletter. His extensive knowledge of the Cayce readings, the Bible, world religions, Gnosticism, and ancient Egyptian mysticism is combined with years of experience as a teacher and meditation retreat leader, to bring a deeper understanding of this ancient mystical tradition that enhances the understanding and skill of today’s spiritual seeker.

Van Auken will present a program on the Kabbalah March 12-13 at A.R.E. Headquarters (details available at EdgarCayce.org/conferences), and his DVD on the subject will be available soon at ARECatalog.com.

Edgar Cayce founded the non-profit Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) in 1931, to explore spirituality, holistic health, intuition, dream interpretation, psychic development, reincarnation, and ancient mysteries-all subjects that frequently came up in the more than 14,000 documented psychic readings given by Cayce, who died in 1945. A.R.E.’s publishing arm, A.R.E. Press, has been publishing books since 1931 as well, with the mission of furthering the work of the A.R.E. by publishing books, DVDs, and CDs to support the organization’s goal of helping people change their lives for the better. In 2009, A.R.E. Press launched its second imprint, 4th Dimension Press. While A.R.E. Press features topics related to the work of Edgar Cayce in the fields of spirituality, intuition, psychic abilities, ancient mysteries, philosophy, comparative religious studies, personal and spiritual development, and holistic health, 4th Dimension Press allows us to take our publishing efforts further with like-minded and expansive explorations into the mysteries and spirituality of our existence. For more information about Edgar Cayce’s A.R.E. and the work of A.R.E. Press, please visit EdgarCayce.org and AREPress.com .

So what can your fingerprints reveal about your destiny?

Palmistry emerged as a divination tool in India over 5,000 years ago. Now, modern day Hand Analysis combines ancient palmistry with the latest scientific data and current advances in human psychology and philosophy. It is a scientifically validated system based on thousands of hands. At the core of the Hand Analysis system lies the deciphering of your changeless fingerprints. In 1979, Richard Unger, founder of the International Institute of Hand Analysis and author of Life Prints, discovered that the fingerprints carry Soul level information unique to its owner. According to Richard, “Five months before your birth, a wave energy imprint appeared on your developing fetal hands. Whatever one may call this wave energy that leaves its mark on your body- be it Soul energy, DNA or the Life-Giving Breath of The Great Spirit- this indelible fingerprint map reveals your unalterable core psychology (your Life Purpose) in detail”.

What is Life Purpose? It is not something you do, but who you are. It is a Life-scale journey and a continual unfolding of consciousness into your highest actualization. It is available right now, and not dependant upon circumstances. Your Life Purpose has been the guiding force behind all the events in your life. When we are in direct contact with our Purpose, we experience a deep level of satisfaction and fulfillment. This is when our heart shouts “YES!”

What’s your biggest blind spot? Since the fingerprints carry Soul-Level information, they also reveal our Life Lesson or shadow side. This is your least evolved emotional skill and manifests as repeating negative patterns. As uncomfortable as it may be, your Life Lesson is a necessary and essential component to accomplish your life-scale goals. As an example, an individual with the Life Lesson of “Reclaiming Your Power” will continually face situations that trigger a sense of powerlessness. As these feelings are acknowledged and met with awareness, they can be transmuted and perceived as an ally that forges the sense of personal power needed to accomplish the Life Purpose.

Also hidden in the fingerprints is your Life School. This is the overall theme of your life. Within this context your Life Purpose and Life Lesson find expression. Much like a training program designed to develop specific skills, the Life School is a soul-level initiation that serves a developmental role in your personal growth and the expansion.

The Life Schools represent the four themes of human development; Service (the inclination to serve others), Love (recognition of the heart and empathy), Peace (feeling safe in your body), and Wisdom (the development of awareness and intellect).  Each of these schools serves as a background for the events of your life to unfold.

In addition to the information decoded in the fingerprints, Gift Markings (distinct lines and formations on the palms or fingers) can also serve as an indication of the Souls path. If you have a “Gift Marking” it is something to pay special attention to. These specific markings are an indication of a particular ability or talent this is seeking expression. Each gift marking is to be considered a central focus of your life in addition to your Life Purpose. There are sixteen gift markings that can be found in the hands. Some examples of these markings include; Star of Wisdom, Gifted Healer, and Line of Clairvoyance.

Life Purpose Hand Analysis is non- predictive and is a learned and repeatable system. It is a tool that deepens self understanding through the exploration of the entirety of the hand. It explores the interplay of personality, purpose, emotional style, and spiritual gifts to unearth the unique and intimate “story” of who you are today and who you could be at your highest potential, shedding new light on past events and current circumstances. It’s as if we have been given a personal road map to the best version of ourselves, and it’s all our fingertips!

Debbie Davis, “The Life Purpose Specialist” is a professional Hand Analyst and a graduate of the International Institute of Hand Analysis. Debbie’s clients range from television personalities, accomplished authors and entrepreneurs to troubled youth. Within the framework of Hand Analysis, Debbie blends her intuitive skills with her in depth training to help each client discover their own creative gifts and spiritual talents that when brought into conscious realization and expression, manifest as Purpose. She can be contacted through her website www.TheLifePurposeSpecialist.com

As the weekend begins we may still feel awash in slushy weather or sloshing feelings, tired of feeling needy, under the weather, or at the mercy of the fates.  Over the last few weeks complex and thoughtful dreamy aspects have encouraged us to chew over our life and dream of possibilities. These dreams may have precipitated a subtle shift in how we perceive ourselves, our work or our life as the Sun, Venus, Mercury Jupiter and Uranus lined up in receptive, permeable Pisces.

Those dreams now begin to change in how we operate and what we do as Venus heads into fresh, renovating Aries on Sunday and brings in a more can-do approach. Venus in Aries also trines energizing Mars in Leo, these two planets of emotion work together in energized fire signs to give us a major green light but takes away our patience. If we’re in a situation that drains our energy, we get fed up and start mapping our revolution. There’s no need to hurry, we’ll have more gumption over the next few weeks as Mercury and the Sun enter Aries, but the impulse and planning begin now.

But first, as the weekend begins, let moody people unwind in their own way; go for acceptance and not intimacy. We’re ready to make connections over the weekend but have a short attention span; we need a break and get farther if we make the work playful.

We may be sorely tempted to make a radical and impulsive emotional decision early in the week, and need to take a big deep breath and see if it’s really worth the cost. Something we want can feel just out of our reach, but whether our job is to release temptation or take it as a goad to leap across into new terrain will depend on how our chart is affected as Venus enters impulsive Aries and trines Mars in Leo, and Mars turns direct. We’re also tempted to pick a fight, back a cause, run away and join the circus, and generally get more passionate about life, but luckily our energy level may still be low enough to keep us out of trouble.

It is important to engage our heart in our life, and take this impulse as a reason to reinvest in what feeds us, feeds our life force. If we have been wavering in some longstanding decision, it may now become clear to us which way we really want to proceed.  What has been stuck now begins to loosen. Venus forms tough aspect as the week progresses and suggest to us that make progress on one road, we have to say good bye to another. First, check to see if both paths can be woven together. But the fork in the road may be real and need to be faced before we progress.

On Wednesday, Mars turns direct; it has been retrograde since December 21 2009. Since Mars is the planet of motivation, resistance and physicality, it now releases energy which may have been dammed up for months. As mars turns direct we see what people have been planning behind the scenes, their motivation now becomes apparent. Plans that have been blocked now get a green light. But not all those plans were nice ones. It’s a good time to avoid people with which we have longstanding feuds, avoid war zones and hold those within in protective light.

It is a good time to get resumes ready, and take advantage of a window of opportunity between now and mid-April, when Mercury retrogrades, to put in place the plans for the next few months.

Friday, March 5: Discontent can rattle us and make us clumsy, but can shift if we find one thing that works this afternoon as the Scorpio Moon trines Uranus. Later we get easily inflamed and out of sorts if pressed, but can reconnect indirectly later on if given enough room.

Saturday, March 6: The day is wandering and sociable; we need a break from pressures and mucking about in our psyches. Chance meetings or spontaneous moments renew. Learn something new take a more philosophical perspective. Don’t take any communications glitch seriously around dinnertime, generous spirits return later.

Sunday, March 7: The day is ripe with possibilities as long as we don’t ask people to be too practical or specific. Let’s shine our light but keep it honest as Venus trines Mars and Mercury conjuncts Jupiter; an illusion of limitation is ready to dissolve. It may be time to testify, broadcast what we care about while still honoring what works for others.

Monday, March 8: Hit the ground running this morning, make contacts early and attend some waiting urgency. Midday, cut to the chase as the Moon enters Capricorn and conjuncts Pluto, get to the tough work. Listen to a wave of doubt or grimness, but don’t believe the litany it sings.

Tuesday, March 9: Structural work is needed to support creative enterprise; build good foundations. Tough stuff and hard work can make it hard to be warm and fuzzy as Venus opposes Saturn; don’t take the distance personally. Support one another’s work. Employment or labor issues, tend to the work at hand. We may want to tell them just what we think, but why burn that bridge; when under stress, get more polite and professional.

Wednesday, March 10: Productive morning, try again where efforts were stuck or stunted these last few days. People are more willing when they understand the point. People want plot, cooperate with a focused goal, but resist busy work. Afternoon is friendlier but stubbornness can bruise feelings this evening; sadness speaks to us but is more environmental than personal.

Thursday, March 11: We have no time for trivia, practical work is productive but emotions can be all over the place as Venus squares Pluto. We can long for something we can’t have, and cause needless pain just for an emotional charge. If we’re going to angst, we may as well reach out in some real compassionate action.

Visit Heather Roan Robbins’ website