Seek and ye shall find: all that glitters is not gold

Try as we might to ease into December, the cosmic forces aren’t having any of it.  The dance between illusion and reality, what is really going on, kicks into high gear this month.  We felt it building all through the fall as Taskmaster Saturn moved into a tight challenge to Mysterious Neptune.   The latter, Neptune, the most famous trickster and ringmaster of illusion and delusion tantalizes us with all that glitters.  It is up us to decide, discern and figure out the hard way, if what glitters is actually gold.  Or not. Do we get caught up and slide into the vortex of what feels really delicious but may be oh, so unreal. Or, do we roll up our sleeves and get down to the gritty work (but immeasurably rewarding effort) of searching for veritable and lasting meaningful truth.

As I wrote this month’s blog I was torn about how to title my message:  do I use Shakespeare’s weighty line “All that glitters is not gold…” or the more optimistic, “Seek and ye shall find.”  Either way, it is up to us to sift through glamour, fog, and haze of what scintillatingly allures us to find the meat and bones, the structure holding up our lives.   As Walter Mondale famously asked, “where’s the beef?”  This December more than most others past, we quest for sustained and sustainable substance in our lives.

For those already on The Path, (following their hearts and conscience), their journey will have its challenges this month but not be riddled with eruptions and life interruptions like those who are off path.  You know who you are.  Are you chasing an unattainable something you think will make you happy…if only you had this job/ car/house/lifestyle, then life would be perfect/good, etc. OR, are you diving down deep inside yourself to figure out your source of unrest and lack of peace?   Saturn in Sagittarius demands pure, unbridled honesty with one’s self and others.   By the end of December when Uranus turns direct motion, those not following their hearts and conscience will receive a wake-up call for sure.

But first, let’s look at the opening days of December.  Saturn tightly conjoins the Sun (our Will) in Truth and Justice Sagittarius, both challenge deceptive Neptune…hence we are asked, invited (or pushed) to examine what is real/true/meaningful and what is not.  What will see us through the good times and especially the bad times.  Life’s downturns.   Driving this message home is transformer Pluto’s increasing challenge to radical Uranus.  We must really look hard at our desires, what drives us at our core, and how we can use alternative, untried and perhaps pioneering methods to achieve our goals/desires.  A word of caution here:  using illegal and unethical means to achieve said desires will fail utterly now.  Mercury in truth-searing Sagittarius aligning with out-of-the-box Uranus assures that:  we must tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. 

All through the first two weeks of December, Motivating Mars in Libra tightly challenges Pluto and Uranus.  Libra is about relationships, the cornerstone and centerpiece of our lives.  If someone or somebodies are not cooperating as you would like or expect them to, it is up to you, not him/her/them, to effectively manage the situation.  Alter your tactics.  What has not worked before is most likely not going to work now.  Time for a new strategy.   You do have options:   try something new, surrender your expectations, give it up and let go; talk to others in similar situations and find out what works for them and try that; walk away. 

December 4^th-6^th may be especially prickly as the emotional Moon moves toward Mars giving rise to feelings that have been unrealized or unspoken.  Suggestion:  be gentle with yourself and others during this time.  Patience and understanding, putting yourself in another’s shoes will work wonders rather than harshly judging.  Libra is about decisions, the process of decision-making and judgment.   And if there is one thing about Mars in Libra, you do not want to rush to judgment only to wake up and find you were on the wrong side of the scales.  Take your time and evaluate your options, consider your feelings and those of others.  Weigh all of the facts carefully and judiciously.  After all, what is the rush? 

Significantly helping our quest for the Truth now is Venus’ move into psychological Scorpio on December 5^th.   Scorpio is a veritable detective which plumbs the depths and leaves no stone unturned.  If someone is deceiving you, you will get to the bottom of exactly what is going on.  Ferret out every last single detail.  Fully supporting your efforts is Jupiter in detail-oriented Virgo squaring off with Messenger Mercury in truthful Sagittarius.  Those running away will not be able to hide.  And anything swept under the rug now will be tripped over as the truth is surely discovered.  Own it and own up.  Otherwise, face a stiffer penalty.

The point of these converging forces is simple:  live your truth.  Cosmic energy is not complicated.  It is elegantly streamlined.  It is just that human beings get in their own way and muddle things.  The aim of structural Saturn and dreamy Neptune is to build a solid foundation and dwelling for our dreams.   Neptune in Pisces asks us to believe in ourselves and our dreams while Saturn in Sagittarius asks the hard questions:  why do you really believe/want/desire this?  They ask us to understand what we believe; to have faith but also learn why and how to have faith; to educate ourselves about the very basis of our religion, philosophy, ideas, opinions, principles, theories…

In short, do not blindly follow ANY tenet/system/person/faith.  Do so at your own peril.  If you have lost faith or trust in someone or some aspect of your life OR are asked to place faith and trust in someone/thing:  ask questions.  Again, there is no rush.  The Mars-Pluto-Uranus trio demand we weigh our options.  Do not blindly follow.  It may feel radical to question the status quo but going along for the sake of getting along is a dead end trap.  The old ways, methods, routine just won’t work any more.  Put on your creative hat and find out what will work.

All this searching, truth-questing and detective work the first ten days of December gradually pays off around mid-month.   Scorpio Venus aligns helpfully with Neptune in Pisces, lifting the veil of what confused and confounded us, unifying, clarifying and demystifying answers we have sought, and further refining questions still to be asked, opening up the Path still to be walked.  There is tremendously powerful healing energy available to access December 7-20.

These are pivotal days.  First, Messenger Mercury moves into Responsible Capricorn at an attention getting degree on December 10.  You may very well hear vital news.  Capricorn’s key phrase is:  I USE.  So put all your knowledge collected over the past weeks and months to good use.  The very next day is the New Moon in Sagittarius on Thursday, December 11 forming a beautiful angle between the Sun (our will), the Moon (our emotions) and Uranus (our ingenuity).  If ever there were a New Moon to say a prayer, make a wish and set intentions for the time to come, this is it!!  Our creativity is off the charts now.

Guard your thoughts very carefully and focus precisely on what you DO want, not what you do NOT want to manifest on December 16 and 17^th when Venus helpfully aligns to the Messenger Mercury-transformer Pluto in Capricorn duo.  Venus rules love and money, so laser-like thought focus enables Venus to bring home the bacon and then some.  Venus continues to work its magic through the 20^th as it makes a harmonious angle to healer Chiron.  We will need every bit of her powerful love as the Sun challenges the lunar nodes exactly on the 18^th.  It is an evolutionary moment for every single one of us:  we are invited (or dared, depending on your viewpoint) to step into Love.  To unify through understanding and education rather than blindly dividing, further separating.  Become whole.  Recognize we are ONE.  That separateness is a fallacy, a lie, an untruth.  That each of us is a mirror to the other, our fellow human being(s).   

Hugely emphasizing this is Generous Jupiter’s conjoining of the lunar north node all month long in Virgo.  The North Node calls our name, calls us forward to our best selves.  Jupiter grants our wish.  In Virgo, this duo says through hard work, taking care of our health, being responsible, our wish is the Universe’s command.  The lunar nodes are evolutionary markers.  As they square or challenge the Sun (our will) in Sagittarius on December 18^th, we are called to do the work of telling the truth.  To ourselves and others.

The very next day, December 19^th, Messenger Mercury joins Pluto in industrious Capricorn to challenge the Moon and Uranus in Aries as the latter prepares to turn direct motion.  This is a highly explosive mix  as Mercury-Pluto see and hear life in black and white, right and wrong, you vs. me.  The Fiery Moon-Uranus duo doesn’t give a darn about black and white, and will boldly strike wherever and however necessary to get its point across.  This mix is strong to say the least.  Explosive…which can be positive or negative, destroying for the sake of it or creating breakthroughs for the better, love, self-love and healing.  Ask:  which side do you want to be on?  Destructive or productive?  To build or tear down?  It is a crystal clear moment, as evolutionary, pivotal choices are presented to us.  We can unify and heal or perpetuate the illusion of separateness.

By the 21^st, the Moon enters earthy Taurus where she is healthfully grounded and makes a gorgeous angle to Mercury-Pluto and Jupiter-North Node duos.  This could not be more helpful to us as we enter the heart of the holidays.  Our thoughts, emotions, desires and efforts are all brought together, centered and aimed realistically to achieve our highest purpose and fullest potential.  It is really, truly lovely energy.  Heightening this is the Sun’s entrance into pragmatic Capricorn at an attention-getting degree.

It is the perfect lead-in, almost too storybook in its effect, as the Full Moon falls precisely ON Christmas.  In its home sign of Cancer, the Moon is serenely content and may ensure a very sweet, thoughtful holiday with family, good food and lots of heart-felt nurturing.  We will need every bit of this compassionate nurturing and otherwise planetary practical focus as radical Uranus turns direct motion the very next day, December 26^th.   How we have felt up until now, life as we know it may very well be turned on its head as unpredictable Uranus shifts gears.  In short, have your ducks lined up and be prepared for anything!

A potent combination supports us as the earth shifts under our feet:   Venus moves into adventurous Sagittarius on December 30 enhancing our faith in life and in ourselves, while Jupiter and the lunar North Node converge, making anything and everything possible if we are willing to focus on our to-do list and do the work ahead.   

Of special note:   I wish each and every one of you a wonderful 2016.  These last few years have been very challenging for all of us and we continue to feel the fall-out from the Uranus-Pluto shifts of 2012-2105.  I am now a Level 3 Reiki practitioner and am now offering both complete astrological counseling and Reiki services under a new name:  Harley Holistic Healing.  You may continue to find me at www.hilaryharley.com to schedule either a Reiki healing or astrology reading.  It is a the perfect gift for anyone in your life, including yourself!  May your holidays bring you peace and contentment and a beautiful New Year. 

Pretenders need not apply

November opens with a powerhouse cluster of planets in earthy Virgo.  Generous Jupiter joins Venus and Mars to emphasize health, healing, well-being, duty and work.   Giving tremendous support to this combination is transformer Pluto’s helpful angle to Jupiter and wellness asteroid Hygeia in practical Capricorn.  The effect creates solutions for long-standing problems with work and health as Healer Chiron opposes the cluster.

We are being handed a step-by-step how-to guide to follow an unfolding road map.  We are asked to produce (or reproduce) structures (Capricorn) to build a stronger and healthier life and/or more efficient and productive workplace.  Virgo is all about analysis.  By crunching the data, searching for numbers and information, we can then study what we’ve gathered and apply it accordingly.   This sounds very cold and impersonal.  However, even in the most intimate and personal relationships we are asked to now stand back and assess.  Detach and be objective.  What is working about certain aspects of our lives and what is not?  Pro vs. con.  Depth of situation or relationship.  Ask the hard questions.  It is a great time to search for answers.  The power cluster lasts through the first week of November so put it to good use.  Work it!

Bolstering our efforts for creative solutions is Messenger Mercury’s move into intense Scorpio on November 2^nd.  Mercury rules communication, how we think and speak.  In powerful Scorpio our observational and intuitive skills sharpen dramatically.  Trust what you are being shown now.  Try not to doubt or dismiss what crosses your view.  You may want to just file away for future reference what comes to you or you may want to act directly.  You choose.  The key point is that Scorpio Mercury is like a detective following clues revealed.  Each new one we overturn leads to yet another.

The first two weeks of November is a great time for scientists, artists, engineers of all kinds, anyone looking for breakthroughs to stubborn matters of the mind.  Conversely, we may be shown problems that must be addressed or fixed.  The Virgo cluster helps process and analyze all that data to look for a better way of functioning and operating.

Mercury gradually pulls into beneficial alignment with Jupiter through mid-month increasing our ingenuity and insight.  Wow.  At the end of the first week, Venus joins the lunar North Node at an eye-popping degree of Libra.  Relationships, art, the beauty business, harmony are the focus.  This intensifies on the 11^th and 12^th as Motivating Mars and the North Node switch signs:  Mars enters Libra and the lunar Node reverses into Virgo for a long stay.  Both are still tightly clustered with Venus, love and money, to form a power trio.  It is critical mass for those relationships that are not functioning and scenarios can play out in a number of ways.

There is significant help available to those committed to getting back on the right track – for doing the work to salvage the relationship or to create a healthier dynamic.  This planetary combination also portends new relationships opening up – perhaps with people you have been familiar with for a while but haven’t had the time or opportunity to really get to know them. 

There will be those who decide to call it quits once and for all and leave, either their family of origin or partnerships; and not to be forgotten, shifts in relationships at work – the classic corporate shuffle, the reorganization of staff reassigned to other departments, jobs outsourced or cut altogether.

The cosmic shifts occur on the heels of the New Moon in Scorpio with Messenger Mercury at a highly visible degree of Scorpio.  Bells and whistles will go off now.  Attention.  Attention please.  If nothing else, Scorpio is about power.  The dim light of the New Moon paired with Mercury aligns helpfully with Jupiter in Virgo and Pluto in Capricorn.  This combination literally gives us X-Ray vision and hearing, knowing power if we tune into it.  Really be aware and focus on what you are being shown now.  Even the slightest bit of information might be useful down the road.

A word of caution about secrecy:  the Mercury, Sun, Moon in Scorpio troika is keenly adept at hiding information, money, anything.  The dark of the Moon ensures it.  But it is also acutely aware, psychic if you will.   If you get a vibe that someone is taking advantage of you, follow your hunch.  Ask questions.  You do NOT want to sweep things under the rug now or dismiss advice, messages, anything that looks odd or off-putting.  Ask:  what is that about?  Gauge whether it is the proper time to use the information you receive; if not now, just wait and the right time will appear. 

On the 18^th, mystical Neptune turns direct motion in Pisces.  The effects of Neptune are subtle and gentle yet offers a consistent cleansing and clearing result to push us toward our highest potential.  As it will over the next year to come, Neptune challenges Saturn in Sagittarius, causing us to sift through our beliefs, our systems of faith, educational methods and institutions, our spiritual lives, and our attitudes or interest in foreigners and foreign life.

You may have questioned your religious or spiritual upbringing and faith before but now find yourself challenged in a whole new way.  Do you relate to your faith at all?  Do you want to explore new spiritual fronts?  What works and what doesn’t work about your spiritual life?  You may realize during this passage that you have nothing in common with your traditional belief system, its tenets.  The push and pull between Neptune in Pisces and Saturn in Sagittarius is BIG.  Its effects can be applied to nearly every aspect of our lives – partnerships, whether business or person, the kind of work we want to do, do you even relate to/believe in what you’ve been toiling at all these years?  What kind of work feels fulfilling, what kind of people do we want to work with or live near?

It is essential now that we are REAL with ourselves.  Faking your way just won’t work anymore.  The X-Ray eyes of Mercury in Scorpio ensures that no stone is left unseen.  The Neptune-Saturn challenge is profoundly existential – asking us bare bone questions:  who we are, what do we believe in, our values, on every single level, earthly to spiritual, how much faith do we have in ourselves and our work.  Are we pursuing meaningful work for the greater cause of humanity.  These are all at play now.  Escapist Neptune deals in disillusionment and deception while Saturn demands Truth and Faith.  Ask:  where are you avoiding/denying/deceiving yourself about another or a situation?  

Sagittarius Saturn is the ultimate Truth Seeker and the questions only sharpen, one leading to another, when Mercury joins Saturn in Sagittarius on November 21.  The quest for Truth is ON!  Those trying to skirt the issues in motion will be tripped up by this Cosmic Truth Teller duo.  It will be harder and harder to hit the Escape button now.

As much as Neptune would like to escape Saturn’s cold grip on Truth, there is no way out.  Except surrender.  Where are you working so hard against the grain?  Neptune invites us to surrender to the flow.  To give up what no longer works.  The job, the relationship, the fight.  Wherever these two fall in your chart, you are being called to surrender with faith, and KNOW it will be all right.  It will all work out.  Ultimately, this time is about cleaning house and getting on the right path in order to evolve.  Move forward.

The quest for truth tide is unstoppable as the Sun joins Saturn in Sagittarius on November 22^nd, leading up to the Full Moon on the 26^th.  The Sun (our willpower), tightly bound to taskmaster Saturn and Messenger Mercury in Sagittarius opposite the Geminii Full Moon sends a powerfully potent message:  hop on the Truth Wagon once and for all.  The Gemini Moon will gather any information you need to help you forge a more meaningful and substantive life that aligns with your personal truths.  Straddling the Full Moon configuration is Neptune, yet again, wringing out all the dirt, making sure we stay honest and above board as we shift our priorities to align with our best selves.

A word of caution:  be aware of Neptune’s escapist desires.  Ask whether you are joining Neptune’s Great Escape by avoiding a situation, substance abusing; or, are you using Neptune’s higher strengths to clarify, reveal, cleanse the direction of your path.  You choose:  self-deception or authenticity.  One thing for sure is that the result of your choice will be spotlighted under the glaring Full Moon on November 25^th.  Run and hide if you must but know you will be found out and discovered.  Eventually.  Then what?

OF SPECIAL NOTE:   I am now certified as a Level 3 Reiki therapist.  I am thrilled to combine my astrological service with Reiki healing into a more integrated, holistic practice now known as Harley Holistic Healing.  Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing.  It is administered by laying on hands to activate the life force energy that flows through each of us.  If our energy is low, we are susceptible illness or greater stress.  If our energy is high, we feel greater vitality and well-being.  I am slated to receive my Reiki Master certification in February 2016.  In addition to personal Reiki and chakra cleansing sessions, I am available for Reiki house cleansings to purify your current or new home or office of unwanted energies.

To book either an astrological reading or Reiki healing, please contact me at hilary@hilaryharley.com or visit www.hilaryharley.com

Truth Be Told: It's Decision Day

After the rock ‘em, sock ‘em cosmic ride of September, with double eclipses and Mercury retrograde, October will feel like an oasis of calm.  The next four weeks offer scant planetary activity, giving us a break from the constant push and pull tug of war we experienced last month.  Other than the Moon (which changes signs every two days), only one planet, Venus, switches signs during October while Messenger Mercury finally turns direct.  That’s it folks!

Good thing, too, that this month will be calm celestially.  I for one welcome it.  But it's not like we won't have anything to do.  No.  We will need every bit of peace and quiet as we walk out and survey the wreckage following September’s planetary storm.  September flipped over the tables.  Time to roll up your sleeves and get down to business.  While havoc may not have swept across your doorstep (good things do emerge now as well), quite a lot has been churned up for us to deal with and manage. Perhaps your entire approach to living requires adjustment since our perspective, the lens through which we look at life, has pivoted.  Maybe wildly.  So whether you are facing a big ol' TO DO list or figuring out how to put one foot in front of the other on this radically new landscape, we may feel daunted by what faces us.

To avoid feeling overwhelmed, start at the beginning, and start small:  What needs attention first, second and third in your life?  What pockets have you ignored?  Where have you lied or deceived yourself?  The good news is, first, with Saturn now firmly planted in truth-telling Sagittarius, we can clearly see the tasks ahead.  Let the great clean up begin!   Nothing like the Great Taskmaster Saturn to call us on the work to be done:  to hear our truth, speak our truth, live our truth.  Anything less will not stand.  Second, as a direct result of being who we really are, living our true selves, there are decisions to be made and followed through with.   A word of caution here:  do not expect to be liked or admired for some, any or all of your choices as you honor your soul.

As October opens, these two key directives are highlighted:  honoring personal truth and working through the consequences and choices of honoring your personal truth.  These directives remain the primary message the entire month long.  Saturn in Seeker Sagittarius helpfully aligns with the lunar North Node, calling us to step up and stick to our True Path.  All month, the North Node is at an attention-getting degree of Libra, bolstered by Messenger Mercury and the Sun (our will) to aid our decision-making.

In the light of day, as difficult as some of the choices confronting us are, it is essential, imperative really, to listen and follow your internal guidance, your natural GPS, otherwise known as intuition.  Ignore the Truth now at your peril.  For the next two years, Saturn in Sagittarius demands we honor our truth and promises consequences for those who do not.

Helping us sort through our lives the first week of October, Generous Jupiter and Motivating Mars pair up in industrious, health conscious Virgo and align beautifully with transformer Pluto in pragmatic Capricorn.  Projects, work, health care concerns offer promise now if we apply ourselves.  Virgo rules the future and we are assured a stable and healthier life if we commit to a plan during this time.  Sketch out ideas, create a pro-con list, outline a step-by-step guide to your goal(s).  Then once Mercury turns direct motion on October 9^th, sign the deal, move ahead with your plans. 

The very same day that Messenger Mercury turns direct, Venus changes signs from dramatic Leo to reliable Virgo, joining the Jupiter-Mars duo.  This troika in hard-working Virgo offers abundant opportunity by underscoring the need to form good habits and healthy routines now.  Your efforts will be rewarded so go to it!    One rather large stickler to this energetic trio is their opposition to nebulous Neptune.  This is tricky stuff.  On one hand, at its best Neptune clarifies even further the work to be done by the three planets in Virgo.  At its worst, Neptune wants to do what it likes most:  run for the hills and escape the quest for perfectionism and honest details insisted on by the Virgo trio.   However, it will be really hard to run away from the work at hand this month as it is glaringly, unmistakably HUGE.  Remember that massive to do list from September’s storm?  If left unattended, it will only pile up.  So as always with planetary challenges:  balance.  If you do the work, one bit at a time, Neptune will welcome you with relaxation, music, tranquility. 

Meanwhile, it only gets harder to ignore the work in front of us.  Saturn in Sagittarius insists on the Truth.  Won’t let us get away with a thing, much less escape into Neptune’s hazy mists.  There is not a lot of room for deceit now.  Little to no wiggle room to wiggle away from reality – harsh as it may be.  Venus’ challenge to Saturn at this same time, October 9-12, guarantees that.  Our relationships and money (Venus rules worth and self-worth) may be picked apart in finite detail (Virgo) as Sagittarius Saturn seeks to weed out the Truth of what’s really going on with our bank account and relationships.   In other words, the very essence, building blocks and cornerstone(s) of our lives are under scrutiny and possibly up for grabs if we stand by and do nothing to fix what needs attention.  After the turmoil of September, the New Moon on October 12^th offers us a clean slate.  So set your intentions with honor, integrity and soul baring truth.

The Virgo drive for accurate information and attention to detail increases at mid-month when Jupiter and Mars tightly conjoin from October 15-19^th, offering greater purity, clarity, pristine understanding of yourself and the situation(s) you find yourself in.  Healer Chiron in Pisces directly opposes Jupiter-Mars, gently insisting on the highest and best interest for us to mend our deepest wounds.  Where do you need to connect (or re-connect) to your hurt, abandoned child?  It is not only OK to take care of yourself and your needs, it is essential now – critical mass as they say.  Past high time.  Yes, you may surprise some and tread on the toes of others who expect you to stick to the same old drill.  So if you make changes, put yourself first, being disliked is part of the process.  Really, truly,it is more than all right to lose parts of your life where you are taken for granted.  But to stay the course and risk lack of growth, to wither on the vine, what could be worse?

From a different angle, using different words, Chiron underscores the same theme Saturn in Sagittarius harkens to. Where Chiron says “attend to your deepest needs”, Saturn says “honor thy truth”.  Do it.  This energy only continues to build during the third week of October, 20-27, as we approach the Full Moon.  It is incredibly important to stay grounded now.  The Full Moon in Taurus greatly helps keep our feet firmly planted, helped by the convergence of Venus, Mars and Jupiter in down-to-earth, pragmatic Virgo.  Wherever Virgo falls in your chart, good health and work habits soak up a great deal of our energy at this time.  Remember:  the purpose is to bring each of us to our highest and best Self.  Honor your Path.  Do the Work.  Your soul’s work.  There is nothing less at stake.

September Celestial Mash-up: Double Eclipse and Mercury Retrograde. Whew!

Some months are crazier than others, both celestially and by human calendar.  With back to school and return from vacation, September is typically a very busy month.  But to the usual mix on tap this month, add more cosmic twists and turns, pushing and pulling us every which way and make us pine for quieter weeks.   Whew!  Only we will just have to wait until October for a calm stretch.   Because in the next four weeks we have two eclipses with Mercury retrograde wedged in between, plus Venus and Pluto turning direct motion like book ends at the beginning and end of September. So what does all this celestial activity mean and how will it affect you personally?  Let’s take a look.

September begins with a number of planetary pairings, four to be exact.  The first involves the Moon and Uranus in fiery Aries making a beautiful angle to Mars and Venus in passionate Leo.  This foursome encourages unusual alliances, emotional breakthroughs, creative connections both with others and/or your own imagination, and in some cases there will be high interpersonal drama.  You may find yourself buying clothes or makeup, getting a whole new look, a completely different hairstyle, splurging on yourself, your children or friends who feel like family, to an extent you would otherwise never…

This combination is wildly creative and inspired on all fronts:  emotionally, artistically/scientifically/ intellectually, athletically.  Decorating your home with a flair is highly possible, (think new wall colors, fabrics, furniture) or even buying a whole new house or second home on the spur of the moment.  With that in mind, the word of caution here is impulse.  Take heed. Particularly when it comes to spending large amounts of your heart or money, (like moving in with your new lover at the blink of an eye or buying that sports car you spied in the dealership), just stop. Take a breath.  Venus (love/money) is in the waning days of her retrograde as September opens, chasing the heels of Mercury (communication) about to turn retrograde, so try not to commit to anything that cannot be easily undone.

This is especially true as Neptune (deception and disillusionment) oppose the 3^rd planetary pairing, the Sun and Jupiter in down-to-earth Virgo.  Normally the annual conjunction of the Sun (our will) and Jupiter (abundance) brings about expansion, joy, growth and opportunity.  And it still does this year.  However, this pair’s challenge to Neptune strongly suggests we ground ourselves in practicality and the nitty-gritty details of precisely what we are getting ourselves into.  It is FABulous to be inspired, whether in work, relationships, major purchases (home, car, appliances), friendships, deals and ventures of any kind, but remember to keep your feet on the ground.  Sun/Jupiter in Virgo helps enormously to enter any decisions with eyes wide open.  Do not be afraid to ask any and all questions, even if they make the other person(s) uncomfortable or nervous.  Use your head.  This is absolutely a time to trust your gut instincts and intuition.  You have these for a reason!  You do not want to wake up the next day or down the road asking yourself “what was I thinking…?”

As September opens, the fourth and final planetary pairing finds Messenger Mercury joined to the lunar North Node (our directional focus) in Libra.  This is where accurate decision making really comes into play.  Libra is the Great Deliberator of the Zodiac:  this sign will sit on the fence trying to make up its mind, looking at the issue from every possible angle.  With Mercury (speech and writing) joining the North Node, it is imperative to follow your true north.   What feels most honest, right and true about the decision at hand, whether it is a job offer, a relationship (to enter into, continue or discontinue) or major purchase, etc.   Any planet bound to a lunar node carries extra weight; so with Mercury and the North Node, communication is key.  It is imperative to think things through before speaking or committing. Mean what you say and say what you mean as others will believe you now and take you literally for your word.  It is OK to step back and meditate on any decision.  Spend a good old-fashioned night sleeping on any matter of concern and see how you feel in the morning.  If it is intended to be for you, part of your life, it can wait 24 hours.   Possibly longer.

Life kicks into high gear the first weekend of the month, on Sunday, September 6^th, when Venus turns direct motion.  Finally.  After 40 days and 40 nights, the planet of love, money and beauty moves forward at a highly visible degree of Leo.  Still joined to Mars in Leo, both Venus and its male counterpart Mars harmoniously align with Radical Uranus in Aries, making this a bold, fearless Venus, totally game for anything, incredibly inventive and provocative.  Can you say Romance with a Capital R?  That also goes for Passion, Creativity, Risk-taking, and yes, Drama.   Leo is very direct and goes after its prey unashamedly.  With this troika we realize there are no barriers except those in our mind.   So what do you want?  Name it. Pursue it.  Claim it.  

The timing is ripe, as one week later we have a New Moon solar eclipse on Sunday, September 13^th.  At 20 degrees Virgo, the eclipse is a terrific second act to the all those grand gestures bestowed by Leo.  For the New Moon, sit perfectly still and meditate even for only 5 minutes whenever you are alone, in your home, car, place of worship, or best of all, outside in Nature.  Cast your intentions.  In your mind create a practical plan of how to accomplish the tasks ahead, perhaps 3-5 manageable goals so as not to overwhelm yourself.  Where do you see yourself this time next month, next season, next year?  Where do you want to be?  Whom do you want to be?

Solar eclipses mark beginnings.  In industrious Virgo, we find abundant pragmatic methods to achieve our aim.  Virgo is about health, work and service.  This eclipse asks us:  are you taking care of yourself, your health (including mental and emotional health)?  Are you working at a job that is fulfilling and serves your needs and ideally those of others?  With the continual gun violence in the United States and war around the world, we are asked to create a healthier, more humane, civilized planet for all.  Virgo also rules pets and the animal kingdom at large. In many respects the mere existence of animals teaches us compassion, to honor the rights of others, all living creatures, to be better human beings.  In the wake of the murder of Cecil the Lion, humanity is called to serve and protect all life unselfishly:  man, animal, plant, ocean, air.  It is far past time to recognize that the behavior of one affects each and all of us.

Only days following the eclipse, Mercury turns retrograde in Libra on Thursday, September 17.  Here comes that fence to climb up and sit on to deliberate.   For the next three weeks you may feel torn between two very distinct choices or courses of action:  to stay or go, to accept or decline, to speak up or stay silent, to buy or refrain.  Helping us to evaluate our options are the Sun-Jupiter pair in Virgo.  The key words for Virgo are:  I analyze.   Strap on your analytical hat and make a list:  pro-con.  Which list dominates?  If neither, do more Research – canvas the opinions of those you trust.  Read.  Use the Retrograde time for all the RE words:  review, recall, reflect, research, etc.   Ask:  are you missing anything?  Remember, during Mercury’s retrograde, until October 9th, it is wise to hold off signing on the dotted line for anything of significance.  If it is truly important, it, or they, can wait.

The very next day, the 19th, Saturn enters sagacious Sagittarius for the next two years.  Our focus and involvement will be drawn to education (your own, your children’s, or teaching others), writing, adventure and life experience, foreigners/foreign travel/foreign life, the law, higher consciousness, all forms of spirituality including established religions.  The differences between West and East will heighten to fever pitch now.  Isis continues to clash with anything Western, be it Christianity, Western values/morals/lifestyles or simply what is perceived as non-Muslim.  Saturn in Sagittarius is about understanding.  The key words for The Seeker Sagittarius are:  I understand.   It is not that we do understand.  It is that we now seek to understand.  Through education, educating ourselves and others we can bridge and overcome our differences.   To learn that we are not really all that different. That in fact, we are one. 

The 23^rd and 24^th finds the Sun (our will) and Motivating Mars switching signs.  The Sun joins Messenger Mercury and the North Node in Libra while Mars joins Jupiter in Virgo.  Mars is our elbow grease and energy, what makes us get out of bed in the morning.  In Virgo, it drives our analytical aptitude and worker bee talents.  Here, we are not afraid of hard work; we’ll get the job done and done right.  Applying our analytical mind, we can find answers and solutions to all those perplexing deliberations provoked by the Sun, North Node and Mercury in Libra.

Two days later on September 26^th, powerhouse Pluto turns direct motion in earthy Capricorn.  Pluto now makes a beautiful angle to Joyous Jupiter in Virgo, helpfully grounding all that airy Libra energy that muddles our direction and asks us which way should we turn?  Jupiter’s alliance with Pluto gives ample resources, useful information and people, and practical, realistic answers to meet our needs and desires.   The pairing of these two in earth signs could not come at a better time as we roll into the second eclipse of the month on September 27-28^th(EDT/GMT).  The Full Moon Lunar eclipse brings conclusion to events and/or relationships and wraps up loose ends.   Ideally, questions and decisions sparked by the Libra deliberations will be answered.  At month’s end, no matter what age we are,  we find ourselves standing at the crossroads of our lives.  Which way will you go?

Envision, empower, enlighten!

August opens with four planets turned retrograde motion, sparking more internal review than if these were operating directly.  Chief among these four, Venus moves back into the sign of Leo prompting review of our creativity, romantic life, sexuality and urge to take risks.  It is not a great time to get married during Venus’ retrograde or to initiate romantic pursuits.   All month long the planet of love, relationships and money cycles in reverse; so for the meantime, settle back and look over your spending habits (or overspending habits), how you can be a better partner/parent/participant, where you can be more creative, and how to put yourself out into the world in new and joyful ways.

In addition to Venus, three other planets pass through Leo during the first week.   Leo the showman takes center stage (exactly the place he enjoys being!) as four planets cycle through this passionate and pleasure-loving sign:  Generous Jupiter, Messenger Mercury, the Sun (our will) and Venus.  Leo is very direct, generous and fun-loving.  So the stickler during this first week is that the two helpful planets, Venus and Jupiter, challenge heavy-weight Saturn in Scorpio.  The effect thwarts or sparks our attempts at fun, creativity and romance.   Have you been selfishly self-absorbed?  Have you neglected or ignored your creative impulses and potential?  Have you been focused so much on pleasure at the expense of reality, budget or day to day concerns? 

We will be keenly aware of these arenas the first week of the month especially as Sagacious Saturn turns direct motion on the 2^nd.   As the planet of karma and dharma moves forward into the final degrees of intense Scorpio, it beautifully aligns with Mars in nurturing Cancer.   We are asked to focus on family, food, home, profound self-care, Mom or mother-like people.   Have you been eating poorly?  Neglected elderly, children or other family members?  Does your apartment or house need repair?  Scorpio rules shared resources…so it is OK to invest in time and money in family, house and home.  Long-standing problems with trusts, family property, estates can be resolved now.  It is a terrific time to decide to eat healthier, exercise and avoid toxins.  This alliance is particularly wonderful for psychological healing, particularly of a long-standing nature, whether involving relatives, sexuality, self-care, etc.

This same week, revving our engine of ingenuity and out of the box thinking is the uber harmonious angle between Messenger Mercury (how we think and speak) and Radical Uranus, both in fire signs.  It is a fantastic combination with the Saturn-Mars alliance offering truly inventive and pioneering approaches to stubborn problems.  Mercury-Uranus says:  no idea is a bad idea, too crazy, too out there.  Just try it.   I just finished reading David McCullough’s book about the Wright brothers.  Literally everyone thought the Wrights were crazy-stupid trying to fly and guess what?  They created flight!  So make like the Wright brothers:  Apply some Saturn-Mars elbow grease, and Mercury-Uranus ingenuity, keep trying and voila!  Solutions abound.  Artists and scientists alike:  the first week of August promises amazing results.  Go to it!

The second week of August sign changes and shifts abound:  Messenger Mercury enters health and work-minded Virgo on Saturday, August 8.  The Sun in fiery Leo picks up where Mercury left off, aligning with Uranus.  Here, our will to see the big picture, power through and get things done is second to none.   Mars moves into Leo on August 9^th, stoking our energy and adding fuel to this incredible mix.  Last, Generous Jupiter joins Mercury in perfectionist Virgo on Tuesday August 11^th.  These two will see to every last single detail to make sure no stone is unturned, every nook and cranny is thoroughly examined and cleaned, every project is finished down to the last detail.  The sheer power of this second week is nothing short of extraordinary.  A note of caution:  given the strength of this week, be sure your energy is directed with an eye toward the highest and best intentions.  Avoid toxins and temptations.  Do your best.

All of this planetary force makes for an incredibly powerful New Moon on Friday, August 14^th.  What do you want?  Envision it and set your intentions.  Light a candle and ask/pray/wish for your vision to become real.  It won’t be hard on this New Moon to do so as Venus, the Moon (our emotions) and the Sun (our will) align with visionary Uranus.  The very next day, the Moon joins Generous Jupiter and Messenger Mercury nitpicking through all the details and laying out plans to follow through on that vision.  These three make a gorgeous angle to Pluto in enterprising Capricorn.  The following week, Sunday, August 23^rd, the Sun moves into Virgo, conjoining Jupiter and aligning with hardworking Saturn.   Now four planets are cycling through grounded, practical earth signs:  Sun, Jupiter, Mercury in Virgo and Pluto in Capricorn.  The time could not possibly be better for investment, in dreams, stocks, property, yourself, anything you hope to manifest.  Go for your desires.  So build baby build! 

By the end of the month, we have four key pairings of planets at the time of the Full Moon on August 29^th.  First, Mercury joins the moon’s north node (our true north direction) bearing very strong messages about relationship, beauty, love, balancing our lives, and honoring our true Self.  At the same time, interpersonal planets Venus and Mars (our relationships and energy) are tightly conjoined in Leo emphasizing creativity, passion for life and love, pleasure.   Third, the Sun (our will) and Generous Jupiter pair up in Virgo to heighten our industrious nature, both opposing the Full Moon tightly bound to purifying Neptune in Pisces.  Talk about cleaning house, getting healthy and working hard!  Full Moons have to do with culminations, endings and bringing things to fruition.   Four planetary pairings pack a punch and the message this Full Moon bears is that it is time to get serious about balancing the aspects of our lives:  health, work, play, home, partnerships/relationships, creativity.  It is a very tall order but we can do it.  Say yes.  Yes you can!

Pow-Pow, Bang-Bang: Venus and Uranus turn Retrograde. Are you at 6s and 7s?

July opens with the first of two Full Moons, on July 2^nd and the latter, July 31^st.   The July 2^nd full moon is supercharged.  The Sun is tightly conjoined to Motivating Mars in maternal Cancer, aligning our will and energy. Both oppose the Moon (our emotions) and transformer Pluto.  In other words:  something’s gotta give…and explosively since Mars challenges the lunar nodes, the directional points pushing us away from the past and pulling us into the future.  

Because of the action-oriented signs and planets involved, family dynamics are drawn into special focus.  Mars is not comfortable in nurturing Cancer and can really make waves.  Emotions are at a peak the first week of July.   Expect movement and decisions regarding the home front, real estate/property, children and family figures, and relationships of all sizes.  Including your nation. Cancer rules one’s native land and your relationship to it.   With Mars-Sun challenging the Moon and Pluto in tough-minded Capricorn, an impact to and/or a transformation of the homeland is indicated.  Since ISIS is in the global picture, terrorist threats are very real around the beginning of the month.

The silver lining of the July 2 Full Moon is Venus (love) tightly conjoined to Jupiter (abundance) in creative Leo.  This pair forms a beautiful angle to change-agent Uranus all month long granting radical, abundant love in the most unexpected places:  our work, our creativity, our homes and family, our nations, or ourselves.  Discovering how much we do in fact treasure our very own talents and gifts is one of the greatest benefits of this planetary mix.

Absolute Love abounds all month long with Venus-Jupiter-Uranus.  In many cases, this means breaking out of the old mold and starting fresh.  Discoveries, breakthroughs and revelations abound both interpersonally, personal ah-hah moments, as well as scientifically and in business.  Wow.  If someone, something, a person or job, has not been working for you in any capacity, remember:  you do have rights.  Venus-Jupiter in brave, courageous Leo will give you more than enough strength, support and downright chutzpah to make the necessary changes incited by Radical Uranus. Thus there may very well be drama with huge showdowns.   Expect show offs and those seeking to show-up and upstage others.  Leo rules bigtime drama and Radical Uranus is sassy.  This cluster doesn’t care whose toes it steps on, insults or hurts.  Despite the potential for enormous love with this mix, terrorists will use the power of this for maximum effect as we’ve seen already in the last week of June with three attacks on Friday, June 26^th.

Struggles of the deepest and most serious kind are at play now as Venus-Jupiter in Leo increasingly squares off with heavyweight Saturn as it dips back into Scorpio for a final passage.  Saturn rules current events and in the last degrees of intense Scorpio, we are asked to dig deeper than we ever thought possible to work through psychological, financial, sexual and power struggles.  Saturn’s challenge to Venus-Jupiter calls us to be brave like never before, to transform ourselves, situations and relationships.  To tap into the mighty brawn of this energy and use it for constructive, positive purposes (not destructive as in the case of ISIS or the Charleston shooter), we can effect change for the better far faster than ever possible.  The miraculous power of forgiveness exhibited by the relatives of the Charleston victims spawned a tidal wave of love and unity precisely the opposite of what the murderer intended.  Calls for the Confederate flag, a symbol of slavery and oppression, to finally be removed from official government buildings in the South are falling like dominoes, one after the other.  This is the power of LOVE.  It can blast through the most hardened of hearts and outdated systems.  Radical love:  the outpouring of community and national love.  That is Uranus’ twist to this troika:  surprise, radical shifts and outcomes. 

This too applies to the hard-fought win by gay activists in their battle for marriage equality under the US Supreme Court.  Love indeed conquers all.  Under this Full Moon on July 2, our messages are clear and targeted as Messenger Mercury aligns beautifully with our hearts/gifts (Venus-Jupiter) sparking change by Uranus.  Over the July 4^th weekend, we feel lighter as the Moon joins this cluster.  Freedom can be found.  Be ours. 

July 8^th, Mercury moves into nurturing Cancer joining Mars and the Sun.  This second week of the month the Messenger planet sharply challenges the lunar nodes, testing the accuracy of our message(s), challenging our ideas and thoughts about relationships and the direction these need to take.  A particularly nice aspect this week from July 11^th – 14^th is Neptune’s harmonious angle to Motivating Mars and Messenger Mercury, joined by the Moon at mid-month, to heighten our intuition, energy, thoughts and emotions.  Lovely. Stop and listen:  if you feel a vibe about someone or something, TRUST it now.

July 16^th brings the New Moon in Cancer.  Both Mercury (thoughts and speech) and Mars (directed energy) in nurturing Cancer oppose Pluto in hard-nosed Capricorn.  So mean what you say and say what you mean especially in regard to any family members or matters pertaining to house, home, food, trusts/estates, children and the elderly.  Mars rules fire and in its opposition to Pluto (the undertaker), use extra caution in the home.  Be sure all cigarettes, gas stoves and appliances are extinguished or turned off.  It wouldn’t hurt to be a little OCD (obsessive compulsive) around the time of the New Moon – go back and check to make sure the front door is locked and equipment is unplugged if you are leaving on vacation.

July 18^th, Venus enters Virgo, the sign of work and health, offering level heads and practical solutions both interpersonally and at work.  Venus is not especially comfortable in analytical, hardworking Virgo but adds exponentially to our work ethic.   In Virgo, Venus gets the job done.  And she headlines the news this month as she first tightly conjoins Jupiter but then turns retrograde on July 25^th.  The planet of love and money revisits Leo all through August and will station direct motion (go forward again) just after Labor Day.  Relationships of all kinds, sizes and natures, family, romantic partnerships and work are given a thorough review and housecleaning.  Our relationship to money, be it healthy or not, is also under scrutiny.  This is an excellent time to take a hard look at your spending habits.  Are your credit cards maxed out?  Do you have a rainy day fund or college fund for the kids?  Is your homeowners or life insurance paid up?  Do you even have any?  All monetary accounts are due for a hard look.  Take stock while you have a day off in the summertime to go over your financial files.

The very next day, July 26^th, Uranus turns retrograde too!  This motion in combination with Venus’ retrograde can truly make us feel like we are at 6s and 7s with the world around us.  What on earth is happening here?  It can be deeply unsettling and unnerving.  Uranus rules earthquakes and lightning strikes, the unexpected in everything.  Surprise and Eureka are its watchwords.  Prepare as best you can for your day and week as we are often caught off guard around Uranus retrograde.

July ends with a Full Moon on the 31^st leading us under its daring, creative bright light decorated by festive Venus, Jupiter, Messenger Mercury and the Sun in Leo.  Be bold.  Be daring. Be courageous. Make like a lion and roar.

Finding, then following, the Middle Path

As the month of June opens, the Full Moon in Sagittarius occurs on Tuesday, the 2nd.    This particular Full Moon asks us to honor our emotional truth.  To be emotionally honest.  This is not the easiest of Full Moons as it forms challenging angles to Neptune in watery Pisces and Messenger Mercury and the Sun, our will in communicative Geminii.    All Full Moons bring to a piece of our life to culmination and shines a bright light on what work we have yet to accomplish.  With the planets and signs involved, it is essential to focus and strive for clarity and truth in both our purpose and message...the messages we deliver to others and messages it is critical for us to receive.

Since Neptune is entwined in this mix, confusion, deception, and disillusionment are all at play, especially regarding thoughts, speech, or anything written.   If you are considering significant changes in life circumstances and relationships, take your time. Think things over.   Neptune and the sign it rules, Pisces, deal with illusion, govern image, film, the movies, and photography.  So there is a very strong possibility that situations or people appear not to be what they actually are.   Appear one way when they are in reality, something very, very different.  Think:  false images.  Mirages.  Through June 12^th, before Mercury turns direct motion, really do your homework on all fronts.  Make lists and ask pointed questions.  Re-re-research.   Read the fine print and in between the lines especially of insurance policies, any kind of contracts or significant documents to be signed.  Review words and language, both verbal and written.

Because Neptune rules water, matters concerning water also draw our attention now:  be it plumbing, appliances using water, swimming, bodies of water, and overflowing water.  Folks in Texas, Oklahoma and parts of the American Midwest know exactly what I’m referring to after the unprecedented rains flooding that region.  June will bring cleanup to the havoc caused by recent weather there.  The upside of Neptune is that is also the great cleanser, like a planetary washing machine, bearing much healing potential.   What needs to be (or should be) washed clean from your life?  Where do you need to do some housecleaning/keeping either actually or emotionally, psychologically, financially, etc?  The beginning of June is an excellent time for a thorough review and an in-depth honest look at what is not functioning well in your life, to contemplate approaches to fix and correct these areas and make a coordinated plan.  Once Messenger Mercury turns direct on June 12, proceed full speed.

And we’ve been itching to hit the accelerator of our lives.  The immense power, strength and creative ingenuity driving us now derives from the on-going alliance between Generous Jupiter and Radical Uranus.  In fiery Leo and Aries respectively, these two powerhouse planets offer us a plethora of creative solutions throughout the summer.  Feel the Force?  Depending on where they align in your chart, you are afforded an absolute treasure trove of riches to find your way and forge new paths. 

This energy is tremendously helpful for making new starts in life, relationships, work or projects.  So before Mercury turns direct motion on the 12^th,  just stop for a few moments; take time out from the hustle and bustle, that incredible engine driving us onward, the noise that drowns our lives, including our own voices.   Take only five minutes a day to really listen, hear, what your soul is trying to say:  dare to reach higher, deeper, leave the job, relationship, break free, you can do it, yes you can.  Start fresh, try something completely different, unknown to you.   Right now the cosmos is offering immense support for how to accomplish the work, follow your heart, and fulfill your potential.

Heart. Passion. Romance. Creativity.  Generous Jupiter Leo gives us tons of these qualities and then some throughout the summer months, while Uranus in Aries fires up our energy and drive.  Where do you want to go?  How do you want to live…what sort of lifestyle?  Who do you want to be?  Fire away my friend.  You’ve got this!  The Force only grows stronger as we move ahead into June.   

Beneficent Venus passes from sensitive Cancer to join Jupiter in festive Leo on Saturday, June 6^th where she will remain for the rest of the month, adding to the creative rocket boost formed by Jupiter-Uranus.  Any parties, partnerships, creative projects, romantic pursuits, sports activities (all ruled by Leo) take off now.  This fire sign also rules pleasure, good old fashioned FUN so June has the potential to be an outright blast.   Let go.  Let your hair down.  Do the happy dance.  Or the hippy, free-to-be-you-and-me dance.   Join hands and sing to your heart’s delight.  After a very long winter in North America, so much toil, take time off for relaxation, to celebrate a job well done.

Leo is also about cosmetics and costumes, and…clothing.  Ladies:  when was the last time you cleaned out your make-up drawer and bought fresh lipsticks and mascara?  Gentlemen:  how about a new grooming or shaving set?  It is high past time.  For all of us:  have you looked at your clothes lately?  Use Mercury’s final week of retrograde motion to clean out your wardrobes and closets.  Then do some real shopping.  Invest in some new threads.   Where is your wardrobe lacking?  Shoes, lingerie, sportswear, accessories, business attire?  Take a thorough study, make a list and hit the stores.   A little something new always makes you feel better, look nicer, too.   The timing is key especially at mid-month when Venus’ (beauty) in Leo (costume/clothing) helpful angle to the Lunar North Node in Libra (beauty).  Decorate thyself says this pair.  Now is the time to spruce up your self.  Leo likes to strut its stuff so prepare to take center stage!

Given that Leo is also about F-U-N and pleasure, use the first half of June to plan the vacation you always wanted to take (or at a minimum, need to take).  Then when Mercury turns direct motion near mid-month, buy those tickets, get set and go!  The very same day, Neptune turns retrograde.  So subtle in its effect, we often feel Neptune but do not know why something is happening, much less how to react/what to do about it.  Often, no action is called for.  Try to remember that Neptune is the great purifier, bringing us to our highest and best selves, no matter how hard we resist or how well we flow with life’s currents.  Better to flow than fight…right?!

With Messenger Mercury’s continuing challenge to Neptune for most of June, we may feel as though we have a low-grade fever or are in a fog.  What is wrong with me?   You might ask.  But you just can’t seem to put your finger on it.  So let's take a closer look:   Mercury in Geminii is acutely wired to the mental plane.  Cycling through this sign, the messenger planet figures out how to linguistically and logistically maneuver any which way on a dime.  Not so fast says soulful Neptune.  Instead of skidding along the surface as Geminii and Mercury like to do, take a deeper, richer, slower look at your life prods the ruler of the Deep.

That mental hangover you feel, that low-grade “what is wrong…?” sense that just won’t go away gently pushes us to ask the stronger questions, or, pay attention to those in our lives asking/showing

us what is critical to focus on.   Because...also on June 12th, this sense is exacerbated by the challenging angle between Mars (our energy) and the Sun, our will, in chatty Gemini and Healer Chiron (our deepest wounds) in Pisces.  Even if we try to ignore the callings of our souls, the heart-felt entreaties of loved ones telling us what we must know, this troika will not let us escape.  Forced to face up and focus, how will you respond?  With loving kindness and thoughtful compassion?  If talks get too heated, take a breath.  Step out of the room.  Walk around the block and get some air.  Carefully think through your words, what to say.  Does the other person have a point?  What is this person/situation trying to teach you?  Do you really know everything or is it time to let go and let God (through another) help out a bit?

Meanwhile, be mindful of Venus-Jupiter-Uranus tugging at you to party-hearty into distraction instead of doing the soul-searching work required.   Let’s just say, if we don’t seek to balance the pieces of our lives, Saturn’s return to heavyweight Scorpio on June 15^th makes sure we do.  For the rest of the summer, we must revisit lessons still waiting to be learned.  With its x ray vision, Scorpio leaves no stone unturned while taskmaster Saturn’s final passage thru this sign ensures we will feel our soul’s work yet to be finished like no tomorrow.   Where the Neptune-Mercury’s challenge seeks an escape hatch, Saturn in the last degrees of Scorpio says, go ahead:   I dare you.  Try it.  See what happens.  You will just be wasting your time…   Because there is no escape from soul work.  There is only honoring your truth.  Sticking to the path.  Doing the work.  The old-fashioned way:  with patience, hard work, grit and elbow grease.  The key lies (as always) in a balanced approach.  And, especially at mid-month, the lunar North Node in Libra draws us to balance all aspects of our lives:  family, work, play.   Do the work then play.  Escape for some fun. 

Make wise choices, ones that you will not regret.  Prepare for the New Moon in Geminii on Tuesday, June 16 by meditating on the best possibilities to maximize positive results.  Then plant those seed at the lunar first quarter around June 22, when we are graced with the Sun’s movement into compassionate Cancer.   The summer solstice grants us the longest light to see ourselves and our world more clearly.  Forgive your past mistakes and the transgressions of others.  Pull up the weeds around the flower bed of your life to allow and give permission to fully blossom.

The Solstice promises to be mighty festive indeed with party girl Venus at a super strong degree of festive Leo and conjoined to Generous Jupiter.  Two days later on June 24^th, motivating Mars joins the Sun in Cancer where both challenge the Moon and its North Node in Libra.  This combination draws our attention like nothing else to family, relationships, nurturing, food, relatives, house and home.   Remember, family does not have to be blood ties.  It can also be those we consider family, either friends and loved ones in mutually nurturing relationships.  Consider also your own home:  apartment/house and physical body.  Where we have neglected our responsibilities on the home front, whether a leaky roof, eating junk food, children or elderly relatives, we are called now to take care, nurture and remedy the situation. 

By month’s end, the Sun-Mars duo in caring Cancer forms a deeply helpful angle to Neptune, aligning our will, energy and intuition.  This is a powerful combination.  That vibe you are feeling, that gut instinct stirring inside:  pay attention and follow through on it.  See where it leads.  The small whispering voice is the source of truth….unlike ego which bellows and brags.  Sun-Mars-Neptune offers a strikingly subtle contrast to Venus-Jupiter now tightly conjoined in boisterous Leo aligning with chatty Mercury in Geminii.  Try not to be overwhelmed by the latter trioka’s noise, distraction and hullabaloo.  Again, follow the call of the lunar Libra North Node.  It points the way to a balance between answering our truth and a festive flair for living.   Balancing the polarities of our lives, the yin and yang, fun and work, is always challenging.  It takes poise and a whole lot of practice.  So make like a Buddhist and walk upon the Middle Path.

Double Take Gemini: What's Underneath the Hood?

As we turn from April into May, our awareness is heightened by the waxing Moon.   Under its strong light, old issues are dug up to look at beneath the inescapable glare, especially involving family:  either your own or the larger human family that we share.  

For the past two years in the United States, the centuries-old disgrace of racism has been scrutinized as scenes of police brutality (white police harming or killing black males) repeatedly emerge from every region of our country.  Just when you think it cannot possibly get worse, something worse occurs.  The scourge of racism is just one example of a seemingly buried/solved/ignored (insert word of your choice) problem continuously claiming our attention, to be reviewed and ideally, corrected and healed.   Such crises are occurring on an individual and collective level everywhere.  It is the continuing fall out from transformer Pluto’s challenge to radical Uranus but now highlighted in extreme by the approaching Full Moon on Sunday, May 3rd.

In deep, dark Scorpio, this Full Moon (our emotions) pulls into an exact challenge with Jupiter, and both challenge the Sun in Taurus (our will).  Big and grand, Jupiter slices precisely in between our emotional selves and exterior identities, pushing and shoving its way to get our attention.  The Scorpio moon cuts like a gut-wrenching, emotional laser while the Sun in pragmatic Taurus says get real.  Let’s look for realistic solutions.   Usually, generous Jupiter smooths over our concerns to help find solutions.   Now, however, in this difficult configuration Jupiter only adds to the harried juice as it cycles through Leo.  Drama rules the day, exacerbated by Jupiter’s otherwise helpful alignment to Rebellious Uranus.  Immense drama combined with outrageous rebellion is never a good mix.  The result:   horrific tumult in Baltimore.   The loaded cosmic cocktail rants, raves and rages like a giant toddler.  It pulls out all the stops to make us pay attention.  And as any two year old knows, negative attention is better than no attention at all…right?!    We are forced to SEE what we have refused to look at.    “So you thought that [racism]problem was solved?” asks this planetary trio.  Really…?  “Well, look again!”      See all those disenfranchised, unemployed youths wailing away, destroying Baltimore?    Dramatically taking their angst to extremes.  Making us feel their emptiness, pain from lack of purpose.  Such is the effect of this planetary punch. 

And, the cataclysmic earthquake in Nepal (Uranus rules earthquakes) is another result of this combo.

On an individual front, if we have ignored our emotional work and life lessons, this Full Moon glaringly demonstrates what we still have yet to do.   The energy of April's last week and the first week of May is hammered home by taskmaster Saturn and messenger Mercury.   In truthful Sagittarius, Saturn demands honesty and integrity while opposing Mercury in flexible Gemini looks for innumerable ways of answering, speaking, or responding.  Or, a way out.   Gemini Mercury tends to play both ends against the middle, acting like a magician, maneuvering deftly through sticky situations; whereas, Sagittarian Saturn demands we tow the line, period.  Be sure you speak in equal parts from your heart and head, honestly, carefully, adeptly, adroitly.  Due to the BIGness of these cosmic effects, there is a sense under this Full Moon that “all eyes are watching” right now.  So speak the truth OR the truth will be spoken for you, in front of you, to spite you, to ensure right language and intent are conveyed by all. 

Just remember:  you can run but you cannot hide.   Karma will bite you in the fanny if you but try.

Other notes to watch during May’s opening salvo:  Jupiter in Leo wants to party hard.  So aim for fun but be careful of your intake, both with alcohol and food.  Accept a designated driver, leave the party at its peak when everyone is having a good time.   With the Sun and Full Moon’s beneficial angle to both transformer Pluto and asteroid Hygeia in nurturing Cancer, there is optimal healing available.  Go slow.  Take your time.  Exercise emotional patience and tolerance.  Count to FIVE before answering.  You’ll find steadier ground to stand on when you do.

On Thursday, May 7^th, Venus moves into tender Cancer nurturing relationships, work and projects we care for.  Over the next two weeks, Venus forms a hugely helpful angle to Neptune, heightening our intuition.  Trust your gut!   If something or someone does not feel right, follow that lead 100%.  If you are already committed but have grave doubts, flexible Mercury in Gemini will help you talk your way out of a binding agreement.  But be sure of the direction you do want to go because once Mercury turns retrograde on Tuesday, May 19, words, contracts, situations get way trickier to negotiate and navigate.

Mars enters talkative Gemini on Tuesday, May 12^th, gradually joining Mercury for the remainder of the month.   Mars is action and Mercury is how we think and talk.  So be mindful that this combination, especially with Mercury turned retrograde, yields prickly words and sticky language.  Do your part to speak and live honorably.  Venus in caring Cancer helps smooth out feathers that Mars/Mercury in Gemini may ruffle up.  Still, it is key to remember now:  once words are out of the mouth, they cannot be taken back.  Thinking before you speak is critical as we head into Mercury’s reversal the following week.  Harness the planets for better instead of worse; use the energy to your advantage:  the Mars/Mercury combo is great for research, writing, meditation, reviewing language, thinking things over.  All of the Retrograde words come into play at mid-May:  read, relax, rewind, renew…

The New Moon on Monday, May 18^th, the day before Mercury turns retrograde, is perfect for contemplation, goal setting, putting out intentions.  Sit still.  Make like a fixed Taurus New Moon and park yourself on the spring green grass beneath a tree.  Immerse yourself in quiet solitude even if for ten precious minutes.  Close your eyes.  Calm your mercurial thoughts.  Breathe into them.  Chant a mantra. What do you feel?  What do you hear?  What do you know? 

With Jupiter at a powerfully strong degree, 15 Leo, making super beneficial angles to both Mercury and Uranus, envision the person you can be and step into those shoes.  Believe you are that person and so you shall be.  With Mercury/Mars in Gemini, it is essential to align and infuse your thoughts positively.  Carefully guard and protect your thoughts from negative energy and yourself from negative people who may pull you, literally, in the wrong direction.  This planetary combination manifests reality like crazy so only aim for what you do want, not what you do not want to create. 

Just days later on May 21, the Sun enters Gemini too, joining Mercury and Mars, maximizing our magician-like abilities to create our own reality and be optimally flexible.  It is toward positive manifestation that we must point ourselves as we enter the final week of the month.  Of note:  Mercury crosses back over Mars, mixing up and sharpening words and language from May 25-28^th.  If ever there is a time to bite your tongue, swallow words before speaking, hold off on signing significant contracts, documents and purchases, this is it! 

After Mercury turns direct motion on June 11^th, go for broke.  In the interim, do your research (Re!) homework.  Look for the best possible deal.  Dig beneath the surface and ask questions.  Even if those questions seem invasive.  It never hurts to ask up front what is under the hood:  of an appliance, a relationship, a contractor, a prospective employer, etc.  After June 11, dive in to products and projects.  The extreme benefit of Mercury/Mars/Sun in Gemini the last week of May is the gift of thinking and rethinking.  I’m not one to recommend over-thinking anything; but this month, we are prone to do so and with good reason.  With all of the tumult and conflict in our world, this month is an exceptional time for Reflection and contemplation:   what steps will you take to create your best self?  To create your most inviting reality?

The uber harmonious alliance between generous Jupiter and radical Uranus continues throughout the summer, granting time to harness its wildly exciting opportunities.  With time to ponder now, why not accept May’s invitation to slow down, dig into the earth, the soul of yourself and reveal buried treasures lying in wait?   Just waiting to wind past the gates of summer so you may flower into your full potential.

We have lift-off!

April opens up between two eclipses.  The first, on March 20^th, was a total solar eclipse on the New Moon, while the second falls on Saturday, April 4^th, Easter and Passover weekend.  It is a total lunar eclipse of the Full Moon.  The period between eclipses is a notorious void, not unlike a black hole where what you initiate during this time frame can fall flat.   Best to wait until after the second eclipse on April 4^th to invest in anything you hope to grow and develop.  Better still, if you can push forward with plans on or after Wednesday April 8^th, Joyous Jupiter will give you and your plans a gigantic boost as it turns direct motion.

If there is one word to describe the time on and around the April 4th eclipse, it is volcanic.  With Mercury, the Lunar South Node, the Sun, and Uranus all tightly conjoined in fiery Aries and challenging transformer Pluto, expect radical surprise, a change of will and change of heart.  Explosive growth, eureka/ah-ha discovery-revelatory moments are at hand, especially as stationary Jupiter makes a highly beneficial angle to the Sun-Uranus-Moon trio.   This April is one of those overnight sensation or life-turning-on-a-dime periods, when the completely impossible becomes very, very possible, and very, very real.   Really.  Truly.  Miraculous.  Thus it is imperative to align your thoughts positively, and keep negative thoughts, words and behavior at arms-length.  Believe and trust that all will be well.

Because with Messenger Mercury in this super-charged mix, if you think it, so it will be.  That’s how powerful this time is.  In other scenarios, those who have put up and shut up about their living or work situations for far too long will now find the courage, strength and voice to speak up.  Where in your life have you held back, been too restrained (kind/cautious), not said your piece, spoken/lived your truth, stood up for yourself or another, more vulnerable self?  In a relationship, job, dream you haven’t pursued out of fear, money or inconvenience…?

The good news is there are grounding elements that help us maintain a foothold while we think our world is spinning out of control.  This helps root and brace our bodies, minds and souls during the havoc and tumult pre and post eclipse.   In earthy Taurus, Venus’ wonderful angle to Pluto in pragmatic Capricorn firmly plants us in the work at hand, what must be done, and how to go about it with a practical, step-by-step guide.  Also in Taurus, Mars aligns helpfully with Neptune and the healing asteroid Hygeia, the latter two in water signs assist with cleansing, compassion, and clarification.  With Neptune’s continued challenging angle to taskmaster Saturn in Sagittarius, the truth comes to the surface.  Beautifully dovetailing these truths, Messenger Mercury pairs with the Lunar South Node to deliver messages all around.  Stop and listen to the words of others.  Really hear children….”out of the mouths of babes…”, or those passing through your life for just a moment, the words and lyrics of songs on the radio, listen to the vulnerable.   Take messages to the heart, then act.

With the eclipse challenging Transformer Pluto, facades, fakes and phonies are exposed to stand naked under the radical light of this planetary combo.  Terrorists and the unstable will feel fully justified for any extreme measures they exact.  With Messenger Mercury in impulsive Aries conjoined to the eclipse energy, it is essential to slow down, use the grounding earth energy that Venus, Mars and Pluto now offer to think before you speak and definitely before acting.   During this critical, pivotal time, ASK:  am I helping or hurting, adding to the problem or solving it, am I part of the cure or part of the disease?  Are your choices productive or destructive, to you or anyone else?

As with any cosmic energy, it can be used or directed positively or negatively.  There is tremendous positive energy available with this eclipse so be sure your intentions are aligned with the highest and purest purpose.  Create well.  Turn toward good, wholesome, positive.  When Jupiter turns direct motion on Wednesday, April 8^th, launch projects full steam ahead.  The same day, the Moon conjoins hardworking Saturn in Sagittarius igniting our beliefs and faith in our potential, what we hope to accomplish either personally or professionally.  This combination really says the sky is the limit.  How high can you aim your arrow?

Toward mid-month, Venus enters talkative Geminii on April 11^th unleashing your curiosity, interest in broader topics, your community, siblings and world at large.  Opposite Saturn, Venus probes the truth of relationships and the circumstances you find yourself in, including money matters and/or how you earn your living and those with whom you work.  Do you like how your job?  Is there some more engaging, stimulating way to spend your time (Saturn), your waking hours?  The Venus-Saturn opposition prods us to ask if we are being honest in all of our relationships including with ourselves?

Three days later, Messenger Mercury joins Mars in earthy Taurus on April 14^th, lending a pragmatic beauty and practical realism to our thoughts and ideas.  Mars is moving into a highly beneficial position with transformer Pluto, incredibly helpful for preparing, planning and planting projects:  anything we want to build, create or grow, including healthy relationships.  The challenge herein lies with Mars difficult angle to Jupiter.  In festive, fiery Leo, Joyous Jupiter beckons us to party hearty, create like there is no tomorrow, while the Mars-Pluto alliance says go deep or go home.   This planetary mash up suggests using your time and energy for the highest and best good.  In other words, assign (and use) a designated driver.  Don’t be stubborn and think you can get behind the wheel of a car.  Do not take on more than you can handle now, at home, in the community or on the job.  Ask for help if you need it.  On a higher plane, this planetary trio is wildly creative and productive, giving us ample stamina and drive to drill down to the very essence of a problem/theory/creative endeavor to be solved or produced.  It is the kind of energy that leaves absolutely no stone unturned and penultimate, awe-inspiring beauty in its wake.  Think:  musical/artistic/scientific genius.  Pure brilliance.  Shine bright like a diamond…

Be sure to leave behind you a trail of beauty and solutions or cures rather than a mess to be cleaned up by someone else.  Let Mercury in Taurus be your guide.

On Friday, April 17^th, Pluto turns retrograde motion.  In its continued, albeit softer challenge to Radical Uranus, unfinished business still works itself out in the arenas where these two impact your chart.  With Pluto in Capricorn, big business, government, the established and traditional structures of our lives continue to be transformed.  Or unraveled.   This is not easy. So it is very helpful to remember that “life happens for you and not to you.”  You do have choices so take your pick: because how you approach life tremendously affects the outcome.  A positive or negative attitude, one of optimism or pessimism, faith or doubt.  Pluto now turns inward, grinding away at areas we need to unearth, bring to the light, and acknowledge.  Meanwhile, Uranus works from above ground, inciting change through lightning strikes and earthquakes (literally) or via life situations that zap and rattle us to the core.  Ch-ch-ch-change.

Assess your situation.  Because the very next day, on the New Moon in Aries, we are invited to break free, blaze a trail, launch fearlessly ahead.  GO FOR IT!  With Motivating Mars and Messenger Mercury conjoined in Taurus now, it is an excellent time to sow thoughts, ideas, projects, endeavors, partnerships, deals.  What do you want to grow?   This season?  Today, next month, this year?  As Mars-Mercury challenge Joyous Jupiter, do not take NO for an answer.  This trio calls for grit and perseverence.  Dig deep, plow ahead, stand your ground.  Be brave and bold.

Bolstering our thoughts (Mercury) and action (Mars) is the Sun as it enters practical, sensual,down to earth Taurus.  Let us now pause and praise The Earth.  Mother Earth, Mother Nature.  From her, all blessings flow.  Wednesday, April 22^nd is Earth Day.  Stop and ask:  how can you give back to Gaia, Mother Earth?  Replenish, restore, renew her?  Thank her for all she gives to you.   At the same time, the Moon and Venus in airy Geminii makes a flowing angle to the Lunar North Node in Libra.  Ideas, intelligence, wonder abound, allowing for maximum flexibility in relationships, whether personally, professionally, to Nature, to yourSELF.   Language and words are particularly strong this day due to the Mars-Mercury pair hitting a critical, super visible degree of Taurus.  The power of of words, what you read, hear and speak around April 21-23 cannot be underestimated.  When speaking, choose your words with utmost care as they will have a deeply lasting affect and impact now. 

Heading into the final days of April, the Sun (our will) aligns with Neptune to cleanse and clean how we aim our will.  It is an amazing time for anything involving music, spirituality, poetry and lyrics, meditation, higher consciousness activities, connecting with each other, to the Universal One Mind, and especially with Nature.  After the chaos and upheaval of March and the eclipse cycle, these are the loveliest of days.