Glow, Grow and Flow

Fresh off a New Moon in Aquarius and Radical Uranus’ turning direct motion at the tail end of last month, February greets us with its signature motto:  change and change now.  Resist at your peril.  Delaying the work only digs us deeper into the trenches of what must eventually be embraced.

Underscoring the relentless spark to change are the lunar nodes that have now shifted signs, from Aries and Libra to Pisces and Virgo; the north and south nodes of Earth’s moon define a narrative:  the north node indicates what grabs our attention and urges us forward.  This has now moved from fire and air to water and earth elements.  For the last 18 months we felt a call to action, to design collaborations and fearlessly wander into new territories.

Each nodal axis is laden with potent promise asking us to follow primal urges in a certain direction.   And by February, our directional true north now resides in Pisces with the south node in practical Virgo.  Their energy invites us to surrender to the divine universal flow of life, to dream and then take pragmatic steps toward creating our vision.  This is the promise of the Pisces-Virgo nodal axis.

The corollary caution is drowning in victimhood mentality, fearing rather than believing, not getting out of your own way, overthinking rather than following our intuition, needlessly suffering instead of dutifully serving, drinking and drugging rather than health and wellness routines, fighting instead of flowing.  The Pisces north node is the quintessential path of least resistance.  It speaks to us through imagery, intuition and imagination.

So it is important to pay attention to your dreams (both day and night visions), film, water, music, photography, video, the non-profit and charitable sector, what feels soulfully delicious regardless of what others say; knowing that:  use care with whom you share your dreams.  The invitation is to float now and February is the month to do just that.  Especially since what lies ahead in March is no picnic. Take up the cues offered now and swim with the tide, float along the gentle cosmic currents as February is fairly tame with few planetary bumps or grinds. Enjoy the relative calm while it lasts!

The first shifts to greet us occur on the same day, Tuesday, February 4^th when both Generous Jupiter turns direct motion in Gemini while Venus rolls into Aries.  Expect communication to flow more smoothly, forthright and clear.  This is enhanced by Venus which doesn’t have time to mess around now; in fiery Aries, Venus cuts straight to the chase.  The one caution is impulse control.  Definitely look before you leap with this energetic combo.

If you have been holding off on signing contracts or debating what technology or communication device to purchase, now is your time. With the tail wind afforded by Jupiter moving forward, seize the opportunity offered up by this giant cosmic YES!

We inch closer to the Full Moon in Leo on Wednesday, February 12^th . The Leo moon is endlessly creative, especially opposite the ingenious Aquarian Sun-Mercury pair. The possibilities for scientific, technology and creative breakthroughs are literally jaw-dropping now.  Yet while this is a highly innovative Full Moon with Mercury tightly conjoined to the Sun in Aquarius, it is also worth noting the stiff challenges posed by Radical Uranus in Taurus.  Fixed signs abound at the Full Moon and they do not budge easily.

Picture three heavyweight boxers in a ring, each in peak physical form, baiting and daring the other two, heels dug in, and you have an idea of what Sun-Mercury-Moon challenging Uranus looks like.  Uranus is finishing its passage through Taurus.  At an energetic crescendo, it demands we use resources more deliberately.  “Your fun and creative ideas are great and all that,” says Uranus, “but how are you going to pay for it?”

In other words, watch for obstacles on the financing front.  Admitted to your dream college?  Now you need to piece together several scholarships.  Finished that film script you’ve been working on for years? Now find a studio to produce it.  Develop a life-saving medical device?  Now find a company to mass manufacture it for a cost-effective price.  You get the idea.  Any resource hurdles we face now are NOT insurmountable; but they will require extra effort and ingenuity.

Fortunately the winds of change loom just over the horizon if patience allows.

Just two days later on Friday, February 14^th, Messenger Mercury moves into dreamy Pisces.  Over the next week, watch for smoke and mirrors, people selling you things you do not need, telling you one thing but doing another, and more.  Illusion is rife through Sunday, February 23rd as Mercury challenges Jupiter in Gemini, amplified by the Sun entering Pisces on Tuesday, February 18^th.  This is one time to ask the harder questions and look under the hood of any prospects on the table.  Let people show you who they are now and definitely believe them the first time!

The best news of February awaits us yet when on Monday, February 24^th Motivating Mars finally turns direct motion. HURRAY!  Although still cycling through Cancer the Crab until mid-April, Mars moving forward gives us a big breather, allowing for a major exhale.  Take advantage of the stretch of clear energy offered this week before more planetary waves stir the ether throughout March.  Sign key documents and purchase large ticket items now between February 24^th and March 1^st.

Set your intentions on the New Moon in Pisces on Thursday, February 27^th.  With five planets and the lunar north node in dreamy Pisces, it is essential to take reflective time to dial up your intuition and really listen.  Pay attention to lyrics in music, imagery that speaks to you through film, photos or video, ideas, messages and thoughts while you are in/on/around water including snow, ice and steam.  What are you hearing and seeing? 

With the deluge of water energies at month’s end, we can feel awash in emotion.  Grounding yourself is essential now. Focus your attention; move and speak with intention. Handwrite three to five goals or dreams that you seek to manifest over the next month or season.  Carefully set these alight or bury them in the earth. While still one month away from springtime; and heading into the very murky waters of March, it is imperative to practice life with the utmost kindness and compassion toward yourself and all others.

Of Special Note:

The 3 Wise Women is off and running!  Join us!  We are three veteran metaphysical practitioners offering community, conversation and connection via zoom every first Tuesday of the month @6 pm eastern.  For just $10/session, feel safe among like-minded seekers to ask your wildest woo questions and learn from each other.  To enroll:  www.cathyripleygreene.com

Mystical Messages features my monthly astrology forecasts if you prefer listening via podcast.  Also featured are cutting edge healing arts practitioners.  Tune in and listen through Youtube, Apple or Spotify or hear previous episodes:  www.hilaryharley.com

 

 

 

 

Going Where We've Never Gone Before

The word unprecedented is so overused these days; it is, however, accurate to describe how 2025 is to unfold.  Mankind is in the midst of the most pivotal growth spurt in history.  We are evolving from homosapien to homoluminous; meaning:  shifting to a heart and soul-centered way of living, where mind is the servant, the instrument and tool of the heart, rather than the other way around.

This is the most significant jump in human development since man evolved from Neanderthal to cro magnon.

What began notably in 2020 with the Covid pandemic continues to play out.  If we learned anything from that, hopefully we learned not to take anything personally, and to look for silver linings of which there were so many.  Likewise, the most helpful approach to 2025 is curiosity and wonder, rather than fear or its counterpart victimhood. 

And 2025 asks us to be intrepid, gentle and compassionate.

With these watchwords in mind, let’s take a look at what is in store for the ever-unprecedented year ahead:

From the outset, the year demands (or invites) change.  With Powerful Pluto opposing Motivating Mars, we are pushed out of our comfort zones.  The old ways simply will not work.  Pluto joins the Moon in avant garde Aquarius from Day One. Now in Aquarius through 2043, Pluto prompts our invention, innovation and non-mainstream approach to life.

There is no rush. All three interior planets Mercury, Mars and venus will be retrograde, back to back, now through mid-April, giving us ample time to feel into how we can reinvent ourselves and rise to the demands posed by 2025.  Take advantage of these slow motion planets because by the end of April, shock and awe greet us at nearly every turn.

What makes 2025 so cosmically unusual is the planetary changing of the guard en masse.  Fully five outer planets change sign within eight months-time.  This is very rare indeed. Why?  Planets beyond Mars move very, very slowly, especially the outer three. From November 2024 through July 2025, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto will shift energetically.  We move from earth and water to fire and air elements, turning from practical, grounded and intuitive (earth and water signs) to creative, innovative, idea-oriented and communicative (fire and air signs). You will feel these shifts.

Our lived experience at the beginning of 2025 will be incredibly different than by the end of the year.

So it is really important to sink into the interior planetary slow-going afforded us during the first few months. January opens with Motivating Mars retrograde motion.  Mars is the gas pedal of the zodiac, the kick in the pants to get us out of bed in the morning.  Retrograde, Mars turns our energy inward, focusing on self-nurturing, home, family and ancestral patterns as it cycles through Cancer the Crab from January 4^th through April 17^th.  Deep in mid-winter, it is a convenient time for this passage.

Our energy feels sluggish through the end of February.  Watch for lack of motivation and general inertia.

Key themes with Mars retrograde in Cancer are:  food, family, self-care, diet and digestion, house, residence, home improvement projects, ancestors, hospice and life endings, maternal figures in your life (mom, sisters, aunts, grandmothers), psychological conditioning and programming, biological inheritance, nation, country.

Thursday, January 30^th:  Game Changer Uranus turns direct motion.  You may feel a marked gear thrust forward.  In Taurus, Uranus awakens our values, self-worth, skills and talents, relationship to money and all resources.  Notice where this is active for you.

February is a remarkably quiet month cosmically speaking.  I strongly recommend taking advantage of the calm before March madness descends!   Generous Jupiter turns direct motion in Gemini on Tuesday, February 4^th.  Jupiter is the titan of abundance, learning and expansion.  In Gemini, communication flows more easily; information you are seeking or sharing is readily available.

Monday, February 24^th:  Motivating Mars finally turns direct motion!  Notice how your energy picks up steam.  Where we felt lethargic, Mars now lights a fire under us, actively urging us to tend to our self-care, family, our home, elders, and how we cook and feed ourselves.

Enjoy the last week of February when all the interior planets are briefly direct motion to book travel plans, sign major contracts and documents, purchase large ticket items.

March Key Dates:   Very busy cosmic month

Sunday, March 2^nd Valuable Venus turns retrograde in Aries.  Watch temptation on all fronts: tempting love affairs heading nowhere and impulse buying things, especially luxury goods that you do not need.    Also watch for all variety of relationships from the past resurfacing:  old friends, relatives, romantic partners.  Venus is retrograde March 2-April 13^th and it is not a great time to initiate any relationships or launch businesses.

In the midst of this stretch, Friday, March 14^th delivers the first eclipse of 2025, a total lunar eclipse in Virgo.  Health, wellness, service, work, habits, practices and routines move front and center now.  We are asked to surrender what we cannot control.

The very next day, Saturday, March 15^th:  Messenger Mercury turns retrograde in Aries until Monday, April 7^th.  The great news is we get both Mercury and Venus retrogrades out of the way at the same time!  Watch for communication snafus, heated arguments and misunderstandings, overpromising things you cannot commit to, avoid signing major contracts or key documents, and hold off on booking travel plans or buying phones, tablets, laptops when possible until mid-April. 

Life kicks into overdrive with the second eclipse on Saturday, March 29^th, a partial solar eclipse in Aries.  Look where you are incited or invited into action?  Standing up for yourself, defending the vulnerable, and/or trying anything new to you, be it methods, exercise, travel, food, methods of thinking, and more are on the table now.

Underscoring the urge to explore the untried and new to us is soulful Neptune’s shift into pioneering Aries on Monday, March 31^st.  Neptune is the planet of the soul, dreams, the subconscious.  Ephemeral Neptune is not especially comfortable cycling through Aries, the first sign and first fire sign of the zodiac.  Its key phrase is I AM. Rules the head, identity, self, war, conflict, battle. Known for physicality, leadership, athleticism, initiative, impulse, lack of follow through, action, doing (not being), up for/willing to try anything.  Personality type:  the Warrior, the pioneer, the executive, the Great Initiator. The best possible combination of Neptune in Aries is pioneering solutions benefitting all of mankind; the downside is religious zealotry.

By the end of May, Taskmaster Saturn joins Neptune in Aries.  You will surely feel the fire under your fanny and your feet when these two join forces!  This duos inspires and commands our soul craving something brand new, what we’ve never done before.  What is that for you?

Monday, June 9^th Generous Jupiter moves into nurturing Cancer the Crab for the next full year.  Exalted in this maternal sign, Jupiter offers endless silver linings to any challenges we may endure.  Look for the helpers, as Mr. Rogers said.  Earth angels abound if you only ask for assistance.

Just after the 4^th of July holiday, change agent Uranus moves into communicative Gemini.  Aligning to Pluto in Aquarius, watch for smoother connections, proliferating idea exchange, technology developments, and surprising solutions to stubborn long-term problems.

It is important to remember that the planets impel, the do not compel; meaning, you have free will and choice how you respond to planetary stimulus.  Joy and light are my personal words for 2025 and offer a way for me to rise up and greet what crosses my threshold.  What are your words for the year ahead?

 Of Special Note:

The 3 Wise Women is off and running!  Join us!  We are three veteran metaphysical practitioners offering community, conversation and connection via zoom every first Tuesday of the month @6 pm eastern.  For just $10/session, feel safe among like-minded seekers to ask your wildest woo questions and learn from each other.  To enroll:  www.cathyripleygreene.com