Tests of Faith

February opens up three planets and asteroid Chiron in watery Pisces:  Venus (love and money), mystical Neptune, Motivating Mars and Healer Chiron.   Like no other water sign, Pisces calls us to pause and reflect.  So with Messenger Mercury in retrograde motion, the first ten days of the month may feel a bit murky as we sort through ourselves and our lives.   Nonetheless, retrograde Mercury complements Pisces nicely as it invites introspection, meditation, reflection…all of the re- words.  You know them!

With all this water enveloping us, let’s talk Pisces.   The final sign of the zodiac, it rules mysticism, music, dreams, universal love and consciousness, faith and the brotherhood of man.  On a good day.    In more difficult times, it may have us drowning our sorrows in drugs and alcohol, devouring any faith we ever possessed, surrendering to prisons or hospitals, or chained to overwhelming fear.  You see, Neptune and the sign it rules Pisces, represent the very pinnacle of humanity as well as the lowest of lows.  Why?  The Divine may be found in all of these, each of us, no matter what our human circumstance.

Cycling through Pisces, Vibrant Venus is exalted in this sign, casting a Mother Theresa effect on her motions, especially with her conjunction to Neptune during the first week of the month.  This pair lends a Universal Love to our relationships, those we already know and those we want to know better, including how we treat ourselves.  Since Neptune is mystical, often stirring confusion in its wake, it can cause tremendous blind spots wherever it is found in a chart.    No one likes to feel s/he is unware; yet in certain segments of our lives, we undoubtedly are.    Neptune prompts the question, “How did I not see that before?”  When the person/situation/your SELF have been there for so long, we can feel like a failure for not realizing or understanding earlier.   Don’t.  Instead, think of it this way:  Neptune leaves room for growth and development.  Eventually, over time, people, situations, life events and self-understanding become clear.  Clarity, pristine insight.  That is the highest intention of Neptune.  Consider it a journey.

Prodding us toward such clarity, Motivating Mars and Healer Chiron are half way through Pisces during the first week of February.   Pay attention, this pair says, focus on soul matters, where and what needs clarifying, understanding and healing.  They call us to bear witness to where we have strayed from our path.   Highlighting where have let others, ourselves, down, been less than our best selves, best friends, spouses, parents, co-workers, Mars-Chiron prompts a course correction.  In Pisces, this duo says:  swallow your pride and reach across the table.  Do what must be done to save the friendship, business, relationship, marriage, yourself.   Say the words, as hard as they might be to utter, even if you have to write them down and rehearse.  Or, draft a letter to the loved one, the co-worker.  Write affirmations FOR yourself and stick them on the bathroom mirror where you can’t miss them every day.   Conversely, open up to others trying to reach out to you:  listen, focus, hear what someone is saying, what it is they really want for you (not from you):  good health and well-being, a perspective you might not have considered, lending a hand financially, practically, or otherwise…  Here’s a clue:  let them.  We are one, a brother and sisterhood of humanity.  Each of us carrying the other along.

For the better part of February, helping us reach out to others and reach across ourselves, Messenger Mercury is cycling through ingenious, detached, and inventive Aquarius.  At the first week of the month, Mercury makes a helpful angle to Saturn in fiery Sagittarius, jump starting new ideas, adventures in living, how we approach events and situations, people, even our thinking.  Remember:  it takes 60 days to establish a new habit or routine.  No time like the present!  This angle assures us if we but try, we can succeed.  Sagittarius is about QUESTS.  Where do you need to journey?  To evolve, grow and develop into the person you are intended to become?  This involves faith.  Journeys, whether inward or external, require exactly that:  faith in ourselves to examine what is “under the hood”, ie, why you are the way you are and operate (think/make choices) as you do; conversely, in external quests, we push forward often against extreme odds, naysayers and haters, lack of money, etc.

This brings us to the grand planetary challenge for 2015:   Neptune in Pisces squaring (facing off with) Saturn in Sagittarius.  Simply said, we face big tests of faith.  The challenge has been brewing for some time already at the end of 2014.  We have seen it play out in our individual lives and on a global scale via Islamic terrorists wedded to extreme forms of faith they insist on spreading worldwide.    So let’s take this challenge apart for a look at the mechanics to better understand how it affects you.  First, Neptune is the soul.  As it cycles through its home sign Pisces, it clarifies and discerns precisely what our soul needs.  Taskmaster Saturn, on the other hand in adventurous, spiritual Sagittarius is on a search for TRUTH.   These two planets ask us now:  “Can you handle the truth?”    This question opens us to even more searching:  “What will you do when you find the truth?”  Will you recognize when truth crosses your path?  Since Neptune can be a major blind spot, look for what you might be missing, missing parts, words, pieces to the puzzle.  Be wary of blind faith in someone/something.

At play here are some BIG quests for answers.  Consider how these figure in your life currently:  What do you believe?  What are your dreams vs. reality.  How are you making your dreams a reality?  Are you escaping (Neptune) your reality/responsibility (Saturn)?   What can you get away with?  Are you trying to get something for yourself only or are you sharing/serving others?  How do you give back to your fellow man?  Matters of faith vs. doubt.  Denial, deferral, and delusion (Neptune/Pisces) vs. right action, honor, doing the right thing (Saturn); How is your current/established belief system or tradition of faith challenged?

These are very weighty questions indeed.

In their most difficult forms, Saturnian fear and Neptune’s blind spot can paralyze us.  Try thinking of their efforts as catalysts:  to create better versions of ourselves, lives, and world.  Understand that it is necessary to stop, take stock, assess what and who we are (beliefs) and where we are going from here.   If nothing else, the dance between Saturn and Neptune throughout 2015 breaks open this blind spot causing us to question the arenas of our lives in which we and others are operating.   Look to see what arena this is for you:  work, profession, marriage, friendships, goals, physical body, values, thoughts/speech, home/family, creativity/art, money/money/money, and spirituality.

 In ancient astrology, Joyful Jupiter ruled both Sagittarius and Pisces and they still share some common threads, that of spirit, higher consciousness and faith.  On the Full Moon of February 3^rd, Jupiter affords a grand opportunity for leaps of faith and belief in ourselves, as it conjoins the Full Moon in creative, risk-taking Leo at a highly attention getting degree.  Do you have something to celebrate?  This is THE day!  The spotlight is uber bright today, definitely not for the shy and retiring types.  So get out there and let yourself SING!  Emotionally, we are fearless, brazenly hopeful with the courage of lions.  YES YOU CAN is the mantra now.  Believe in yourself says this Full Moon.

Supporting this can-do spirit of Brand New, Brave New World, is Joyful Jupiter forming an incredibly helpful angle to Radical Uranus.  All month long, Jupiter in Leo bears abundant creativity, romance, athleticism, opportunity for risk-taking to stretch ourselves, all magnified by inventive Uranus in pioneering Aries inciting us to blaze new trails.  Yes, we are being waaaay pushed out of our comfort zones there is no doubt.   But is there anything worse than stagnation and withering lack of growth?  Uranus prods us to go where no man has gone before (YES, it really IS OK, you have permission), jump into new businesses and creative ventures, relationships, unheard of methods to achieve your goal, to try, try, try anew even where you have experienced rejection or failure before.  The slate is clean.  The magnanimous generosity of this pairing cannot be overstated.  Truly, we feel the entire Universe supporting our efforts now.

By the 11^th, Messenger Mercury turns direct motion, still making a beneficial angle to Saturn in Sagittarius.  Exalted in Aquarius, Mercury’s helpful alignment to Saturn finds ingenious, untried methods to respond to life.  Ask:  what path haven’t you explored yet?  Jupiter-Uranus breaks us out of our ruts and routines.  Shows us how to best apply our imagination.  If nothing else, Aquarian Mercury is wildly imaginative, and human beings are blessed with this gift like no other creature on earth.  Think:  Thomas Edison, famous Aquarian.  Expect breakthroughs now.  With Mercury direct for the next three months, proceed with plans, contracts, signing key documents, launching initiatives and projects.  Mid-month also finds an interesting pairing:  Nurturing Ceres (Mom Persephone from Greek Mythology) coupled with Transformer Pluto (god of the underworld), from February 12-16.  Both challenge Uranus to awaken us; so do not be surprised if you are caught off guard, broken open emotionally, or perhaps dragged into the underworld of your own making for a cold, hard look at the seamier parts of your life. 

The New Moon in Pisces on February 18 at 00 degrees Pisces conjoined to Neptune prompts either complete confusion and disillusionment (the “How did I get here, how did this happen to me,” syndrome) or pristine clarity, pure AH-HA understanding, and rare, raw insights.  Either way, it is a great day for meditating on what you DO want to occur.  The next day, February 19^th, Mars enters fiery Aries as does Venus on the 20^th.     While these two gradually converge with the South Node of the Moon and Uranus, we are called to action, to begin new ventures and relationships, and most vitally to RELEASE old, outmoded ways of being, habits, shed people or practices that no longer serves you.   The Moon is thrown into the mix also on the 20^th, sparking strong emotions and a giant push to do something.  Aries is DO-ing energy, not BE-ing energy.  So this is not a “be” or “being” time.  With Messenger Mercury now direct, we are catalyzed forward.  Galvanized into activity, especially as all three planets, Mars (energy), Moon (emotion) and Venus (love/money) make a gorgeous angle to Saturn in Sagittarius.  Get going guys and gals!  Stand back and behold.  Surprise yourself! 

For so long, Uranus has been hanging out by itself in fiery Aries, trying to get the party started.  However, by month’s end, five planets are fully, firmly in fire signs:  Mars, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Uranus.  Feel the shift?  This energy is the harbinger of the blazing Spring to come.   Only one month away, Spring’s watch words are renewal and resurgence.   This Spring promises to be a full-on break-down-the-doors time. As the Sun passes by Neptune in the final week of February (24-28), tightly conjoining our Will with our Soul, both challenging Taskmaster Saturn, have faith.  Have faith my friends.  Believe and it shall be so.

OF SPECIAL NOTE:

Come get your Goddess on!   Please join me for a very special pre-Valentines Day celebration on Saturday, February 7, from 11 AM- 3 PM at The Sanctuary for Yoga and Reiki, 164 Galen Street, Watertown, MA.  Join me and two amazing healing practitioners, Susan Jenness and Cher Kore, for yoga, reiki and crystal healing sessions, aromatherapy, and astrology readings by yours truly.  $75 fee for hours of relaxation and healing!   Email me at:  hilary@hilaryharley.com to join us!  Only three spots are left. 

PRACTITIONER OF THE MONTH:

 Cara Russell of Hearts and Stars Healing.   I cannot recommend Cara highly enough!  She is a Spiritual Intuitive, Angel Messenger and Psychic Medium.  Her mission is to awaken people to their inner peace and wisdom so they may heal and shine their light.  Cara’s Angel readings are intended to empower individuals and illuminate their path by highlighting the knowledge and wisdom already residing within each of us.   “Everyone is capable of accessing this magnificence within …and using it!”  she says.   I have had several readings with Cara and she is incredibly accurate and offers a plethora of information and guidance.  To schedule a reading, contact Cara at:  heartsandstarshealing@gmail.com or visit her website:  www.heartsandstarshealing8.com.

Magical beginnings, magical month: Potential Unleashed 2015!

I’m not sure how many of us are more than happy to say good riddance to 2014 but I bet it is the overwhelming majority.  There is something to be said for doing all of the heavy, internal work required of us for the past two years while Saturn has cycled through intense Scorpio; however, the day to day living experience of getting through this work was grueling.  I know many days I felt I’d been put through a wringer and hung out to dry. In many cases, the losses and life altering circumstances have been profound.  Saturn in Scorpio was meant to change us on the deepest levels and in most cases we’ve had no choice.   As we lick our wounds, still learning the lessons in front of us, please remember the basis of each lesson is LOVE.  Often the hardest of these is self-love.  Once this is mastered, everything flows from there.  So now that Saturn has moved into adventurous and spirited Sagittarius, let’s point ourselves to the New Year with hope in our hearts.  Let’s say a collective BYE BYE to 2014:  all together now!

Except for a brief return to Scorpio in mid-2015, Saturn will be in Sagittarius through 2017.  Here, the cosmic taskmaster asks completely different questions and demands from us.   Where Saturn in Scorpio through us completely off course and dug up gnarly psychological wounds, Saturn in Sagittarius prompts us to ask why.  Do some deep, existential and philosophical pondering.  This does not have to be a chore.  In fact, look at this next two years as an adventure, a chance to explore, an opportunity to broaden your horizons.  Open and embrace the new.  Accept the different in yourself and others.  Remember:  we are one.  Each of us is a mirror to another.  So breathe. 

Sagittarius rules higher learning, travel, adventure, spirituality and long journeys.  The beginning of 2015 marks the next two years of wandering to the mountain tops of our lives, whether actually or metaphorically.   Travel to the mountain top, see what you can see, understand and learn, then decide what is important to carry on with for the rest of your days.

Sagittarius is a fire sign.  For a long while, radical Uranus has been hanging out all by itself in fiery Aries.  Then last summer it was joined by Jupiter in another fire sign, Leo.  Now, with Saturn in the third fire sign, Sagittarius, fuel is added to this blaze to really get our lives roaring.  Feel the energy shift?  From heavy, dense, wet blanket internal energy to exciting, risk-taking, enticing and adventurous vibes.   So very, very different.  A brief note how this energy shift has already affected me:  For my entire life I have avoided gyms and aerobic/cardio exercise of any kind.  I’ve been a yoga/walking/low-impact kind of gal.  Then late last month, as Uranus turned direct motion and Saturn shifted into Sagittarius, I shocked myself, my family and everyone who knows me by waking up one day and signing up for a gym membership.  Guess what?  I love it.  Love the facility, the staff, my new routine, new world of women and community opening up to me.  Needless to say, I have so much more energy, feel healthier and wonder what on earth took me so long to do this!  What a brand new adventure and it is just around the corner…You see, you can travel to another world and barely leave your neighborhood!

Where do you feel the cosmic fire kindling new life in you?  What are you urged to create?  Where will you travel, search and soar?  What will you learn and bring back to share with others?  2015 promises to be so exciting!  Like stepping out on a brand new stage of life.  As January begins, a powerful combination is at play:  the Sun (our will) is tightly conjoined with Pluto (transformation) while Messenger Mercury and Venus (love and money) travel together all in uber practical Capricorn.   The latter pair make an incredibly harmonious angle to the Moon in earthy Taurus, where she is exalted, meaning, in her dream home.  These energies create a magical quality enabling us to apply our will and desires, our thoughts and our hearts to manifest what we want.   Truly this year, with focused attention and continuous effort, what you sow and plant, so shall you reap.   If ever there was a New Year’s Day to make realistic, healthful and productive resolutions that will stick¸ this January 1^st is it! 

Only two days later on the 3^rd, planet of love and money, Venus, enters inventive Aquarius, prompting an interest in unusual people, relationships and opportunities to earn that we ordinarily would not consider.  Step out of yourself.  Go on that date, sign up for a trial membership of anything, explore alternative job prospects.  What have you got to lose?  Nothing.  What do you gain?  Experience.  Who knows what might come of it?  Two days later:  Mercury joins Venus in Aquarius where it is exalted, meaning, offers us our highest expression, keenest insights, break through ideas.  Coupled with Venus now, this pair creates a beneficial angle to Saturn in Sagittarius.  Aim your arrow high.  The inventive, out of the box, outre, and avant garde are completely available to you now, and, have it all over the ordinary, hum-drum, run-of-the-millers.    Under the bright light of the Full Moon on January 4^th, we step out.  Do a different dance.  Let it all hang out.  Let it all go.  Be groovy.  Be bold.  Tell a different tale now.  Sing another song. 

Like an engine driving the wheels of ingenuity, the Sun-Pluto combo are smack in the middle of Saturn and Mercury-Venus, demanding how.  So you have all these brilliant (and I mean brilliant) ideas.  How are you going to make it/them work, apply the genius, roll it out for your use or better still, make money from it?  Consider:  throughout this month and in fact all of 2015, Saturn challenges Neptune.  At odds with each other, this energy begs us to dream and dream BIG.  But the Sun-Pluto mid point between Saturn-Mercury/Venus insists we pull our dreams into realistic vision.  We can do anything we desire and dream up…but how?   Sun-Pluto in Capricorn says we must think through what we want to accomplish, create an action plan.  A step by step guide.  What is too much or too little?  It’s great to be excited for the future and all there is to do.  Just be sure to enlist help (and the right kind…you know what I mean:  not the energy-draining, vampire sucking kind but rather, the down-to-earth, get your hands dirty kind) to get the job done.  Otherwise it is easy to be overwhelmed or lost in the details.

On the 12^th, Mars enters watery Pisces adding a visionary lens to this wildly creative mix.  While fiery Mars is not typically at its best in sensitive Pisces, there are significant benefits as it cycles through this reflective sign.  Conjoined to Neptune and challenging Saturn in Sagittarius, motivating Mars heightens our dreams (day and night), meditations, intuition and sets the stage for Mercury to turn retrograde the following week.  Music, prayer, writing, channeling ideas flow abundantly now and/or are deeply soothing.  Be very careful not to dismiss the signs and messages, both seen and heard and often delivered through other people including loved ones, that are given to you now.  Pay attention.  Be open to receiving, hearing, following through.  What are you invited to hear and know?   How can you apply what you learn and encounter to grow, manifest your desires?

This same day, the Moon joins the north node in Libra (our directional calling) to form a gorgeous angle to the Mercury-Venus duo.  Emotionally connect to your magic, your ideas calling you forward.  Creativity unleashes this week.  WOW.  Remember, each of us is essentially and vitally creative.  We all offer creative ideas, products and solutions that enhance our world.  Someone once said to me that she didn’t think of herself as creative because she didn’t paint or draw.   Her remark is a very limited vision of what creativity is.  Creativity is not limited to artists.  Athletes, business and technology people, spiritualists, not-for-profit workers and volunteers bring critical and essential skills and know-how to our lives every day.  Where do you creatively contribute to life and how can you build, expand and develop your potential in 2015 and beyond?  For if there is one word for 2015, it is expansion.

The planetary combinations at mid-month are ripe and rife with limitless direction.  Take advantage!   The Sun enters Aquarius on January 20^th, the same day as the New Moon.  Because Mercury turns retrograde motion the very next day, this New Moon is especially strong for meditating, prayer, writing, creativity of any kind, and setting intentions.  Meditate on what you DO want, not what you do not want.  Yoginis of all varieties will love this period of time.   Now in the dead of winter, we can settle in for a long winter’s nap.  Embrace all of the retrograde RE words:  Reflect, Review, Renew, Restore, etc.  Imagine, dream and vision forward.  Channeling and intuiting can be particularly mind blowing and/or deeply healing now at a minimum, especially as Mars joins wounded healer Chiron in Pisces during the 3^rd week of the month, making a greatly helpful angle to Pluto.  Resolution to deep-seeded wounds or matters are available now.

And when Messenger Mercury reaches a critical degree of Aquarius on January 25^th forming an extremely beneficial angle to Radical Uranus, the Lunar Nodes and the Moon, you may have lift-off.  Emotional, intellectual and creative barriers and blocks be gone.  Stand back and behold.  Expect surprise.  The shocking.  The key insight or phrase you’ve needed to hear, believe, understand and digest, answers long-searched for, breaks through now.  GET IT?

Two days later on January 27^th, Venus enters Pisces where she is exalted.  The Mother Theresa effect I call this.  The magnificent giver of Divine Love.  As Venus slowly joins Neptune, Mars and Chiron in Pisces for the remainder of January, we are invited to think of others as much as ourselves, to envision our ideal world, what it looks like and how we may go about creating that ideal.  Your thoughts create your actions.  Create with the highest intentions possible.