Libyan liberation imminent?

I'm watching BBC News Live Feed on the Libya situation at the moment, hoping that the final stages will happen with the least bloodshed possible.

Can you visualise 'retrograde'?

Mercury is most of the way through its retrograde period now, in the fire sign of Leo. It goes direct again on the 25th August. 
We've had the usual computer go-slow problems, delayed post, wireless network signal constantly 'weak'. Oh, and one of my appointments postponed twice. 

I'm re-reading Erin Sullivan's Retrograde Planets - it seemed appropriate use of retro Mercury time. Meanwhile I've been trying to recreate retrograde motion in my head. I'm not very good at that, and since other people might not be either, here are some videos I've found online that might help. Actually, I'm a bit nerdy and enjoy watching them anyway: bonus! 

Saturn = father

With Mars currently exactly square (today at 2.13pm) my natal Saturn (in my 10th house conjunct my MC), Dad went into hospital today. This was unexpected (Uranus) for me, since I only found out when Mum rang this morning...

UK riots continue...

This continues on from the London Riots post. 

Wednesday 10th, 1.48am BST. Mars is now separating from the square to Uranus (it was exact at 5.33pm BST, Tuesday 9th). See the chart at the very bottom of the blog page for current planet places (click 'show current chart' if you need to update it for exact time)  
I haven't talked much about this aspect yet...

Mars-Pluto continued...

Aside from the ongoing London Riots, other headlines from BBC Online today caught my eye today, reflecting the applying Mars-Pluto opposition at the moment.

Riots in London

As with everyone else, I've been shocked by the violence happening in London over the last few days, even though Mars has recently entered Cancer and formed a tense aspect with the ongoing long-term cardinal square between Uranus and Pluto. 

Oslo bombing

The huge bomb in Oslo and subsequent shooting this afternoon, are reflected in the current conjunction of Mars to the South Node . This alignment is hitting Pluto in the national chart for Norway. Pluto is conjunct the Sun in the nation's chart.