PREVIOUS THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY January 26 2015 to February 1 2015 Monday January 26 More on Mercury Retrograde Dear Jonathan, On Friday, you said Mercury is retrograde. I thought we were just ending a retrograde period! I'm confused. Nicole Dear Nicole, You're confused? It must be Mercury retrograde! These cyclical opportunities for review and reflection can give rise to uncertainty. If a misunderstanding arises, a car develops a fault or a computer crashes, someone says, 'Oh, it must be Mercury retrograde.' Because the dates are rarely listed in diaries, someone else nods knowingly. But often, that's unfair blame! These phases last about three weeks. We get a couple per year. One is happening now. It's not Armageddon! Tuesday January 27 New Kids in Town? Several readers have asked me to comment on the discovery of new planets at the edge of our solar system. Such discoveries tend to coincide with emerging new social orders, technologies and solutions to old problems. There's some doubt though, about whether these are 'dwarf planets' like Pluto and Ceres. Though astrologers disagree with 'classification by size', we traditionally respect the wisdom of astronomers and will want to know much more about their names and specific orbits before we start the slow process of attributing symbolic meaning or linking zodiac signs to these new members of the solar system. Wednesday January 28 The Adams Legacy Jonathan, You published a letter from someone who explained that when atomic clocks travel in planes, high above the earth, they go faster than those on the ground. Is that really time travel? When we turn the clocks forward in spring, is that time travel? The vibrating of a crystal regulates many wristwatches. But when they slow down we change the battery, not our place in the fourth dimension! To quote from the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy: 'Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.' Paul Dear Paul, Perhaps the answer to all of your questions is 42! Thursday January 29 Mercury Retrograde Gets A Head Hi Jonathan, I heard Stephen Hawking implying there's no such thing as free will. It's just a series of chemical reactions. What are your thoughts? Barry Hi Barry, Perhaps the great professor himself is just a series of chemical reactions. Dear Jonathan, I'm Virgo. A day before Mercury went retrograde in 2014, I took a teaching job. Last week, as Mercury went retrograde again I applied for two headteacher jobs. Interviews commence the day after Mercury turns direct. What are my chances? Neil Dear Neil, They're good. But even with Mercury direct, a Virgo can't do three jobs! Friday January 30 News on the Horizon About New Horizons In January 2006, NASA launched a probe called New Horizons towards the edge of our solar system. The route included a close approach to Pluto. But, just seven months later, astronomers downgraded Pluto to 'dwarf planet'. Nobody asked the astrologers. If they had done, we'd have said, 'don't be so hasty, size isn't everything and Pluto reveals amazing things whenever we chart it in a horoscope'. Nine years and three billion miles later, New Horizons is getting close. Pictures should start coming through next month. We predict astronomers will soon be thinking again about Pluto... if not about astrology! Saturday January 31 Your February Monthly Forecast As the month goes by, the outlook gets brighter for us all. I don't mean to imply that February's first couple of weeks will inevitably be disappointing. It's more that, via a retrograde Jupiter and Mercury, the heavens are posing a cosmic conundrum. As individuals (and as nations) we are glimpsing clues about our future. Many of these seem more baffling than inspiring. The harder some of us think, the greater the headache we give ourselves. Later in the month, we will get clearer, more hopeful indications of what lies ahead and will wonder why we were so worried. Sunday February 1 Your Week Ahead - Love Focus Remember, your Love Forecast today doesn't just cover romance. A love forecast may also have something to say about your family life, your closest friendships and even some of your most important working relationships. Back to Index   Click here for Jonathan Cainer's Daily Zodiac Forecasts