Have you ever noticed that on some days you seem to run into a predominance of cheerful people but on other days it's just the opposite? Sometimes you find that the world seems to have gone crazy, and wherever you go someone is acting irrationally. On some days you see many more dangerous drivers than on others. There are days when during the first half it seems almost impossible to get anything done and then it changes, and everything runs smoothly again. The general mood of the mass of people swings one way, then the other, and then sometimes back the other way again, all seemingly with no rhyme or reason. This is Astro-Weather. Astro-weather is very much like physical weather except that it operates primarily on the mental and emotional levels, which in turn influence behavior. Astro-Weather represents a new level of astrological information with which you can make more informed decisions in your daily life.

    As the Moon and the planets move along their respective orbits they form continually shifting patterns and relationships with one another. These shifting planetary patterns, called aspects, signal to us the background energy in which we all function. Astro-weather is not sun-sign oriented. As the rain falls on the just and the unjust alike, the Astro-Weather is the context in which we all operate, whatever our sun sign happens to be. Astro-weather transcends sun sign astrology and provides much more valuable information that anyone can use for planning and understanding the world around them.

    Looking at the Daily Online Forecasts you will find the day's astrological aspects (i.e., energies) and the exact time of their occurrence on the margins of the page. The outside symbols are the planets involved, and the inside symbols are the angles the aspects that the planets are forming to each other. The text is the Astro-Weather forecast. This is my interpretation of these energies and how I think the largest number of people will see them in action. Of course, not every single person will have days exactly as I describe them. But those who watch the days over a period of time will find that the patterns do show up. Different people respond to individual Astro-Weather energies differently. Just as some people like rainy days while most people do not, some people enjoy challenging energies that most people consider hasslesome. Regardless of our personal likes and dislikes, the Astro-Weather is as it is. I have described it and offer suggestions for dealing with it. I hope that you will find it as useful as I do.

The Moon is said to be void of course between the time it makes its last major aspect in a sign and its entry into the next sign. During these times plans that are made, ideas that are had, projects that are started and major purchases almost always fall through or go wrong. This energy can be overcome but it takes two or three times the normal amount of effort and most people most of the time will not put that much out. Please watch these times and verify this for yourself.

    Moon void of course periods are among the most easily observed of astrological influences. Only a few days of watching these periods provides enough direct experience to take them seriously. A great deal of grief and frustration can be avoided by observing these periods. It should be noted that there are some positive uses for them. It is said that it is easier to break bad habits during void of courses. This is worth checking out. These periods are also good for breathing spaces in otherwise busy or hectic schedules.

A planet is said to be in retrograde motion when, due to our relative orbits around the Sun, parallax view causes it to back up in our sky.

Mercury has rulership of communication and transportation. This covers just about everything in one way or another. When Mercury is retrograde all things having to do with communication and transportation are prone to snafu and breakdown. You will notice during Mercury retros that the incidence of traffic light malfunctions, telephone service interruptions, lost and mishandled messages, general misunderstanding of information, missed connections and other problems in travel, and every other imaginable kind of trouble in these areas rises dramatically.

    Try to avoid signing legal documents and opening new businesses during these periods. If it absolutely can't be avoided then go ahead. But be aware that there will almost certainly have to be renegotiation and new beginnings at a later date and be prepared to deal with that.

    The way to handle these periods is to allow extra time for everything. Try to anticipate where problems are likely to occur and plan for dealing with them. The most important thing is to keep a good attitude. These periods occur three or four times a year for three weeks at a time. We've all lived through many of them in the past. They are annoying and frustrating but they always go away. You may want to watch these periods for a couple weeks on either side, especially right after one, for the shadow to pass and the planet to pick up speed.

Mercury Retrograde Periods:

• Wednesday, March 30th, 2011, through Saturday, April 23rd, 2011
• Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011, through Friday, August 26th, 2011
• Thursday, November 24th, 2011, through Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

The other two inner, or personal, planets are Venus and Mars. When they are retrograde, there tends to be more of a noticeable effect on our personal lives. When Venus is retrograde, all things related to Venus are called into question. Relationships of all kinds, especially the romantic variety, can be more of a challenge. Perhaps the most common and potentially troublesome manifestation of this is a tendency for relationships from the past to reappear. This can sometimes take the form of the actual person showing up. More often one can fall into comparing current partners with idealized memories of past partners. Old relationship habits and ideas also tend to return. All of these things can put stress on current relationships. Those who reestablish old relationships during Venus retrogrades often remember why those relationships ended when the retrograde ends. Of course, it is within the realm of possibility that the reestablishment of an old relationship is a good thing and a Venus retro is the time for that to happen. Discernment is of the utmost importance. Venus also rules such things as the arts and it is ill advised to drop a bundle on an expensive painting or other adornment during a Venus retrograde.

Venus Retrograde Periods:

• Friday, October 8th, 2010 through Thursday, November 18th, 2010

When Mars is retrograde, all things related to Mars are called into question. Mars has rulership of energy, and during a retrograde there will be somewhat less of it available. Bursts of energy will be followed by longer recovery periods. During a Mars retrograde, disputes from the past have a tendency to reignite. It is unwise to rip scabs off of old wounds at these times. Mars was the God of war and its retrograde periods are not the time to start trouble. Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait during a Mars retrograde, as an example.

Mars Retrograde Periods:

• Sunday, December 20th, 2009 through Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Alongside the written paragraph for each day's Astro-Weather forecast is the list of aspects and the times that they occur. They are included for those who can read them, for students who may benefit from them, and to stimulate curiosity in people who may want to learn more about astrology. Most of these will consist of the symbols for the two planets that are involved, with the aspect (angle) symbol in the middle. Some will have the symbol of a planet and an arrow pointing into the symbol for one of the signs. This indicates the ingress, or entry, of the planet into that sign. Fewer will have the symbol of a planet followed by a symbol which indicates the planet turning retrograde or one indicating that a retrograde planet is returning to direct motion.

Guy Spiro's Astro-Weather 2012 is a 160 page guide to the astrological conditions of every day of 2012. This book comes in one edition for each time zone - be sure you select the right one for yourself, your friends, relatives, neighbours and whoever else you are giving the gift of foresight to in 2012! We process our payments with PayPal so you can be sure they are secure.