June BUG: Eclipse season and Mercury retrograde

As we ease into “reopening” our world, eclipse season greets us this week of June.  Eclipses are neither good nor bad; rather, they are markers of significant events depending on whether they impact your astrological chart.  If they do, eclipses offer gateways and thresholds for you to cross:  sometimes we go willingly by choice; often we struggle with events at hand.

June marks the opening of an eclipse series, three over the course of one month.  Two occur at Full Moon and one at New Moon.  We barely scratch the surface of June when the first eclipse happens on the Full Moon of June 5^th at 15 Sagittarius. 

It is important to note other planetary positions during any eclipse as the energy they carry impacts us.  If you have planets near the middle of Sagittarius, Gemini, Virgo or Pisces, you will feel the ripples of this particular Full Moon eclipse on June 5^th as Neptune and Mars in Pisces challenge both the Sun and Moon.

Whether or not you have planets at these points, how will you feel and what does it mean for you?

First, all Full Moons are laden with emotion.  In Sagittarius, we yearn for freedom.  Most of us understandably yearn to be free from quarantine restrictions, to simply get routine errands done such as our car washed and haircut.  We also seek truth and honesty both emotionally and factually, especially as the Moon opposes the Sun and Venus in communicative Gemini.  We are wise to watch ourselves, our thoughts and words through this stretch.  Challenging both Moon and Sun is Neptune in Pisces.  An unbridled pursuit of freedom, illusion, fantasy, and escapism, caution may be tossed to the wind and substance use or abuse let loose.

The open end of the eclipse (no planets) always holds the key to what we are to learn.  In this case, the open end is Virgo.  Health, work, diligence, routines, service are the answer.  Yes, we are all tired of monitoring our behavior and understandably want to be free of limitations.  But the clear message of this eclipse is applying effective systems that serve our wellness in all we do as we dip more toes into life with Covid.

With Neptune challenging both Sun and Moon, spin doctors and con artists are working overtime.  Watch where your thoughts travel…  What you choose to believe and how you gather information.  Ask:  what are the sources?  Are you learning what you want to hear, selecting only that which fits your narrative?  Or are you open to differing angles of knowledge?  Nothing less than your health and that of your loved ones, friends and co-workers is at stake.  So don’t hesitate to look under the hood.

The virus is not going anywhere and it is not done with us by a long shot.  The open end of the eclipse in Virgo says: do not forget the lessons already learned this year. Pay attention and stay vigilant.  Be mindful of health and work precautions.   The Full Moon in Sagittarius exposes and demands the truth as well as demands honesty in our actions and speech.  Sagittarius is the law, both earthly and cosmic.  We see the law for all it is now, for good or ill.  This includes the law of ourselves:  honoring our own truth, our own path, what we know to be right, honest and true.

The Gemini Sun continues to tangle with Mars-Neptune in Pisces through mid-month.  The positive use of this clash is versatility, creative imagination, inspiring flexibility and adaptability.  Meditation, yoga, silence, peace, listening to integrate collected information must be done in equal measure to talking, opining and sharing information.   BEING in balance with DOING.  Singing, music, water activities (including showers and bath) swimming, boating are perfect outlets for the first half of June.  These steer us mindfully away from fear, negative thought spirals, substance escapism, scapegoating or being victimized.  You can try to run but there really is nowhere to hide from yourself under the glare of this Full Moon eclipse. Remember:  wherever you go, there you are.

This message is driven home like a red flashing light as Messenger Mercury slows down and turns retrograde on Thursday, June 18^th in Cancer the Crab.  Our thoughts turn inward now through July 12^th.  For the next three weeks, practice the RE words:  Review, Rest, Restore, Research, especially as it pertains to the home, our nation, family and food sector of your life.  Your mother or how you mother/nurture yourself and others, house/residence, cooking, ancestry and heritage (including psychological and genetic) draw our focus thru early August.   Our thoughts will be more intuitive, empathetic and sensitive.  This gives us plenty of time to cautiously consider our next moves.  Hopefully we will take a cue think how our words might land on others’ ears.   In short, we think like a Crab moves:   deliberately.

Acutely imaginative, our Cancerian mind drifts gently, daydreams and fondly reminisces.  Allow for this especially during Mercury Retrograde:  practice radical self-care equally to the care you devote to others.  Three days later on June 21^st, dream time is underscored, as the Sun enters Cancer for the annual Summer Solstice.  This is no ordinary solstice. 

The second of the three summer eclipses, the New Moon occurs simultaneously as the Sun shifts into Cancer, both at a strong, attention-getting degree.  Cancer the Crab also rules our homeland, the land of our birth, as well as life endings.  First: our nation. Our country.  Deeply divided it is.  Wounds in need of healing for sure. It is time to tend to long-standing divides and solve them once and for all. Second:  Life endings.  These include the definitive end of an era, people passing out of your life by choice/moving/divorce and yes, by physical death.  ALL are natural passages.

As it is, Messenger Mercury’s retrograde in Cancer during the time of the June 21^st New Moon solstice eclipse, along with the third eclipse on July 5^th in Cancer-Capricorn, there is tremendous emphasis on our feelings, how we care and for whom, including ourselves.  The pace of life downshifts into low gear now and you will notice the change.  It is unmistakably softer, quieter and contemplative.  From the beginning of June to month’s end, we have evolves from Gemini’s frenetic mental energy to tenderness. 

On June 23^rd, Neptune turns retrograde in its home sign Pisces, accentuating the ebbing tide we feel.  With three planets now in water signs, Sun, Mercury and Neptune, our will, mind and soul are in absolutely no hurry about much of anything, to go anywhere or make decisions.  Instead, the last week of June and first two weeks of July, we feel like drifting, perhaps on a float in a pool or a kayak on a lazy river or simply resting upon your imagination at home.  We crave soaking up, steeping in serenity, floating to nowhere in particular, watching time and space fall away with our worries. For just a moment, we forget the world, any universe but the dreamy one we inhabit.

Two days later, Venus rolls forward motion in Gemini on June 25^th.  For the past 40 days and nights, after reviewing our relationships and finances, we resurface.  What were some of the key lessons learned?  Hopefully, you emerge with greater insight and awareness of yourself and significant relationships.  Ordinarily, I would say proceed with large purchases and investments; however:  Messenger Mercury continues its retrograde through July 12^th. 

Helpful to note as we are in the middle of three eclipses, it’s best to hold off on signing major contracts and documents of significance until mid July.

 If you do need to buy big items of value (car, home, boat, etc) be sure to read ALL of the fine print, understand the warranty and return policy; in short, know your rights as a consumer and buyer.  If you can hold off on these purchases, use the next two weeks to research and review your options.

You may find yourself chomping at the bit to get going; especially as Motivating Mars moves into its own sign of Aries on June 28^th.  Giddy up!  Feel that fire under you?  We want to go-go-go now.  Taskmaster Saturn aligns to Venus-Mars these last few days of June and our ingenuity cranks higher on all engines. If you find yourself backed into a corner, plenty of solutions abound.   Look around and ask questions.  Consider new tactics and methods.  Talk to people relevant to your situation.  In such unprecedented times, it is the wise who understand there is nothing to lose and possible success waiting round the bend.

Venus retrograde in Gemini

VENUS:  she’s a real beauty.  The Goddess of love, money and relationships.  Who doesn’t want more of that?!

Venus is one of two beneficent planets in our galaxy, the other being Jupiter.  She rules Taurus and Libra, one earth and the other an air sign.  Both cultivate beauty in all forms imaginable, whether the flowers you plant in your garden, songs you write and sing, or the table you set for a dinner party.  Venus is grace, style and elegance.  But most especially, Venus is Values.  She rules our skills and talents, how we earn money through the application of these, our relationships, self-esteem, possessions, our worth.

Next month, Venus turns retrograde motion.  Most of us are familiar with Mercury retrograde as it occurs three times a year.  However, once every eighteen months Venus turns retrograde as well. From Tuesday, May 12^th to Thursday, June 25^th, Venus reverses gear in the sign of Gemini. 

What does this mean for you? 

First let’s look at Gemini.  The air sign of intellect, Gemini rules the mental realm:  thoughts, language, communication, speech, cause and effect…no small thing.  It is the Information Gatherer in Chief, along with disseminator of said information.  Think of a radio, which Gemini rules, giving and receiving messages constantly.  Thus, Gemini rules our rational, conscious mind, what occupies our thoughts presently, in the now, at this very moment.  It is the great connector, so ground transportation:  cars, buses, trains and the rides we take via these modes.  

This is also the arena of our immediate environment, our neighbors, neighborhood and community and the extent to which we are engaged in it.  Last, the sign of duality, Gemini the Twins, rules siblings and pairs of any kinds. In Gemini, Venus has an intellectual bent.  She wants to know, engage, discuss, read, write, be informed and share information.  She attracts smart people and wants to be in the thick of their knowledge. Venus in Gemini encourages us to be conscious of our thoughts, words, and language. She understands the cause and effect of thoughts and speech:  that kind words sooth and inspire; that insults hurt or do worse; that our thoughts affect our emotions which affect our actions.

If you know where Gemini occurs in your natal chart, you will find Venus going back and forth across that sector of your life this Spring.  For 40 days and 40 nights, she reverses gear to mark her shift from super bright evening star to the first to rise before the Sun as morning star.   That bit about 40 days and 40 nights….sound familiar?  Hmmmm, yes it does. 

Jesus wandered through the desert for this length of time.  And the Sumerian goddess Inannna descended into hell to meet her wanton sister Ereshkigal.   As did Ishtar and Isis, the Babylonian and Egyptian versions of Inanna, all forerunners of Venus.   Each relates a dark night of the soul we do not associate with Venus.  Whether it is the story of Jesus’ confrontation by the devil in desert or Inanna crossing through seven gates of hell to redeem and own her shadow sister side, the mission remains the same:   We are invited to pause and dance with pieces of ourselves we either do not know or acknowledge.  Emerging on the other side of this period, we will know who we are better than we ever did before.  No matter the sign it occurs, Venus retrograde is reflective and thus deeply psychological.

Enter the “Re” words.  As with all interior planet retrograde phases, the Re words are ready for prime time and take precedence.   In the case of Venus, because she rules relationships, this really means RElationship REview, including and especially with our primary relationship:  our Self.  Reflection:  Who are you?  Have you checked in with yourself lately?  Given the extraordinary time we are living through now, most of us have been forced to hit the pause button and consider exactly how we conduct our lives, who we’ve become and most importantly, do we want to continue living the way we did before Corona virus?  

Reflections of self-worth are as much about our wallet as they are how we feel about ourselves.  Between May 12 and June 25^th we take stock, conduct an in-depth inventory of our skills and talents, both those we acknowledge or barely acknowledge or even perhaps, have yet to be discovered.  The virus has sparked necessity, the mother of invention.  If you find your bank account rapidly dwindling, Venus retrograding through Gemini has us thinking on all cylinders about new ways to apply skills and talents to earn money.  Have you been working a dead end job (which maybe no longer exists) simply to make ends meet?  Venus retrograde has you considering more soulful pursuits.  In alignment with yourself, your purpose, your confidence lifts.

In Gemini, we review information, journal, reconnect with neighbors and our community in ways that harken to days gone by, in a simpler time.  Take car rides and let your imagination flow, to local destinations, state parks and recreation spots.  Watch the conversations unfold along the way.  Expect heightened involvement with siblings, perhaps those you’ve become distant or even estranged; at a minimum, ponder your sibling relationships.  Others from earlier in your life may also REsurface:  old partners, friends, relatives.  

The caution of Venus retrograde is temptation.  Enter mythology or biblical parables:  this is where the Devil comes to entice us.  Hit the pause button:  do you really want to indulge in an affair with your ex boy/girlfriend?  In Gemini, there is also the temptation to misuse of language, either thought or spoken.  It is vital to understand the power of your words, both positive self-talk and the information you share.  Watch, in particular, your thoughts and where they lead.  Are you mentally spiraling into hollow pits of negativity?

Covid 19 has sparked fear mongering of the worst variety, triggering all manner of psychological hijacking.  The great news is that now is a perfect time to REtrain your brain.  Use affirmations, mantras, meditations, positive people, books and conversations to REdirect your thoughts. Along the same line, gossip is never a good idea but especially this May and June, your words may come back to haunt you.  Information exchanged and shared during this period must be based on proven facts, evidence, science and NOT magical thinking.   It is essential that you speak the truth as best you understand it.  The words you speak represent who you are, your character and your worth.

By the same measure, since Venus rules the stock market, our possessions and how we earn a living, May 12-June 25^th is not the time to invest in things we cannot afford, whether cars, luxury items, or pipe dreams.  Gemini is the salesman of the zodiac and its versatility with language is also its biggest vice:  avoid deals and situations that seem too good to be true.  Hit the pause button and sleep on it.  In the morning, check in with your gut.  What does it say?  Mid-May through June is not an optimal time to start a new job either, but for anyone receiving unemployment now, new work is best begun this summer.

In brief summation, some brief Do’s and Don’ts of Venus Retrograde in Gemini:

DO:                                                                                                                                

REconnect with siblings, neighbors, community, old friends, family and relatives

REflect on your relationship with yourself, your life, especially on a car drive

REview  information, messages, your spending habits, finances, mental/thought processes to REtrain your brain

DON’T:

Fall for temptation  

Be seduced into negative mental spirals, sexual affairs, purchasing luxury items/cars/homes

Engage in gossip

To read more about Venus, her cycles and connection to your life, I highly recommend the works of Ronnie Gale Dreyer and Arielle Guttman.

To book an astrological consultation with Hilary, please contact her: hilary@hilaryharley.com or www.hilaryharley.com   to enroll in her on-line beginner astrology course, please visit:  www.spirituallifepathinstitute 

And a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to John Marani for inviting me to guest blog on his marvelous site:  Metaphysical Meanderings.  Find him at:  johnmarani.blogspot.com; to book a professional tarot reading:  hierophant@cox.net; or to enroll in his on-line tarot course:  www.spirituallifepathinstitute.com.

Winds of Change

May brings a head spinning number of cosmic gear shifts:  3 retrogrades, 4 sign changes, and the lunar node shift bearing changes of mind, focused communication and connections.  Where April found us making small steps forward, May offers completely new perspectives as we adjust to living with Covid-19.   This is exactly the point:  we need all the help we can get.

To be direct, Covid-19 is not going anywhere.  It may morph and shape shift but it will be with us for some time.  It is we, human beings individually and collectively that must change and change now.  This is no small task as humanity resists change small and large, with all its might.  We tend to go kicking and screaming into any new routine or system. 

Since our refusal to save the Earth from humanity’s destruction, we are now being given no alternative via global pandemic.  The Earth is alive and well and has bounced back remarkably fast with cleaner air and water since the onset of the virus.  Now, this very month, we will have no choice but to shift how we think and approach our lives going forward from the simplest tasks and beyond. 

Leading the charge to change is a lunar node shift on May 5^th.  Every 18-20 months, the nodes of the moon (which draws our attention toward our true north directional calling) shifts from one astrology sign to another.  On Tuesday the 5^th, the north and south lunar nodes move out of Cancer the Crab and Capricorn and into Gemini and Sagittarius, from water and earth to air and fire; from nurturing, home and practicality to communication, flexibility and adventure. 

Think of this as a pivot point – reaching the end of one road and picking up the thread of another, totally different one.  With it, our attention switches direction, from emotional to cerebral.  The North Node that calls your name through the end of 2021 is mental energy:  thought, language, connection.  You will also notice a decided uptick in areas ruled by Gemini:  siblings, neighbors, community, cars, car rides, conversations in cars, and your conscious, present mind.  In other words:   what is on your mind right now.

Gemini is the “salesman of the zodiac” known for its powers of persuasion.  Talkative, versatile, adaptable, Gemini gathers and shares information.  Over the next year and a half, watch for a deluge of information, overload perhaps, coming your way.  Gemini connects the dots and serves as a link by disseminating the knowledge it gathers.  As we begin this energetic shift in our attention, we may find it challenging to discern between what is essential, necessary, information, and what is not.  Remember:  less is more and KISS:  Keep It Simple Stupid.  This is particularly true all month long as Venus in Gemini challenges Neptune in Pisces.   How will you know if someone is pulling the wool over your eyes or full of mullarkey?  Ask questions.  Trust your gut.  Speak up if you are uncertain.  Question to discern fact from fiction, truth vs. illusion.

The intensity of both the lunar node shift combined with the smoke and mirrors effect at the start of May is amplified by the Full Moon on Thursday, May 7^th.  Intense is the word, too, as the Full Moon occurs in Scorpio opposite the Sun in Taurus.  I call this the money and magic axis.  Scorpio and Taurus rule the money houses:  Taurus (2^nd house) our daily bread, how you earn it through applied skills and talents opposite Scorpio (8^th house):  inherited/found money, death and realms beyond the veil, power, regeneration/sex.   May 7^th is the show-me-the-money Full Moon.   Watch for power plays especially regarding economics, bread and butter kitchen table issues of how to make ends meet while states and nations debate when to “re-open” businesses.

A few days later marks a series of planetary gear shifts:  the first of the two titans turns retrograde.  Taskmaster Saturn reverses on Sunday, May 10^th followed by Jupiter on Thursday, May 14^th.  In between, Venus, goddess of love, money and relationships turns retrograde on Tuesday, May 12^th.  What does all of this retrograde activity mean, especially in such close proximity? Let’s unpack it one by one:

Saturn:  Planet of dharma and karma, taskmaster Saturn first dipped its toe into Aquarius earlier this year; now, for the remainder of 2020, it will back into its own sign to finish some lessons we may be failing to learn, namely, austerity, personal responsibility, integrity, sound structure, honor.  Saturn and its sign Capricorn rule the bare bones (literally the skeletal system), the basics and basic functions of life. In its last, final sweep through its home sign, we are pushed (or given the opportunity, depending on your point of view) to get it together and focus on what really matters.  If you haven’t gotten the message by now, or by the end of 2020, chances are you will not and there will be a price to pay.

Venus:  from May 12^th to June 25^th, for 40 days and nights (sound familiar?), the planet of love turns retrograde motion.  An interior planet closest to the earth, we feel Venus’ reverse motion the most of these three planetary reversals.  Forty days is the period of Lent, marking the same time frame that Jesus wandered in the desert where he was tempted by Satan.   Not coincidentally, similar lessons apply to us over during these six weeks:  our shadow side emerges for reckoning, old relationships resurface, seduction and temptation, both financially and inter personally come into play. 

The best use of this energy is to take stock of yourself.  Conduct relationship and financial review; assess your values, skills and talents and how best to make use of them to earn a living going forward; evaluate your spending and saving habits and how to bring your financial house in order; discern whom and what you value in yourself, others, and in life.  As Venus retrogrades back through Gemini:  watch your tongue and limit gossip; siblings, neighbors, community and automobile concerns emerge; watch your stream of consciousness and thought process; practice awareness of your thought spirals and how to steer the direction of your mind.

One thing is for sure – how you spend your time during this period will either be filled with relief or regret on the other side of it.  This is NOT the time to make major purchases (car, boat, house, etc) luxury items or otherwise, gamble or invest in the stock market or business ventures.  Romances begun in this window will likewise fizzle over the summer and fall.

Jupiter:   turns retrograde motion on May 14^th.  Generous Jupiter, the titan of abundance, rolls back into the sign of Capricorn for the next several months.  The planet of education and expansion, taking chances and adventure, is not at its best in restrictive Capricorn.  Our life experiences continue to be limited.  Boundaries are strictly enforced and our growth potential curbed.  Jupiter will join Pluto a total of three times over the course of 2020.  This intense pairing pretty much sums up our year:  back to basics, fun and travel curtailed, bolstering or creating fundamental foundations.  If we concentrate on getting the structures right, we will have solid basis on which to stand and progress from in the future.

In the midst of these major planetary shifts, Messenger Mercury and Motivating Mars change signs.  Mercury moves into Gemini on May 11^th and Mars into Pisces 13^th.  While Mercury will be in its home sign, Mars is not at its best in spiritual, fluid Pisces.  During the major cosmic gear shifts between May 10-14, these two interior planets will clash, prompting overthinking, spin doctoring and deception.  This stretch of May is dicey indeed!  Really use caution with your words (Mercury in Gemini) and managing your expectations (Mars in pisces).  The best use of energy this week is to focus intentionally on what you DO want to happen, not what you don’t want.   Water, creative endeavors, music, yoga, meditation are KEY positive outlets at this time.   Avoid distractions such as negative mental spirals, binging on food, substances, TV or video games. 

This continues to be vitally important through the following week as Venus prolongs challenging Neptune through May 22^nd.  At the same time, the Sun turns into Gemini on May 21^st right before the New Moon on Friday, May 22^nd.   Take care during this very slick and slippery passage.  Sun, Moon, Venus, Mercury and the North Node square off with Neptune or Mars in Pisces.  Really watch for relationship and financial delusions, fantasies, deals sounding too good to be true.   Be cautious of those wheeling and dealing, proclaiming to have cure-all solutions, or easy and quick fixes.  Remember to ask questions to learn more, especially if you have doubts or are uncertain.  One thing is for sure:  your word is your bond.  If you make a promise, nothing less than your good name is at stake.  The heavy hitting planets in Capricorn (Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn) remind us now:  reputation is everything. 

If you are uncertain about a direction to take, hit the pause button.  Take time to contemplate, meditate or pray about your dilemma or intentions (Mars/Neptune in Pisces).  Draw or write your musings with pen and paper.  Look beneath the surface of matters at hand, what is easily seen.  There will be more to something than meets the eye.  Once you discern your needs, focus precisely on what you want to manifest in the coming weeks and months.  Hand write 3-5 intentions and plant them in the Earth.  The power of FOUR planets and the North Node in communicative Gemini offers us a tremendous magnetic force.  Use this energy wisely as it is highly potent.

In the final few days of the month, Messenger Mercury changes signs again, for the second time this month.  On Thursday, May 28^th, Mercury moves into nurturing Cancer, mindful of family, home, food and devoted self-care.   Mercury in Cancer focuses on essentials, what is of utmost importance during this time of steep, radical shifts:  your personal health and well-being – body, mind and soul, as well as those you love.  It is the core of our existence. 

Here is a mantra I find very helpful when my mind jumps to a negative track: 

All will be well 

And all will be well

And all manner of things will be well.  – Dame Julian of Norwich

Of Special Note:   Consider the unique gift of an astrology reading for Mother’s Day.  Gift certificates are available by contacting me at:  hilary@hilaryharley.com or www.hilaryharley.com.

Wrecking Ball

How I wish I had gentle and encouraging words to share in this forecast!  However, April opens fraught with energy hungover from March.  Jupiter and Pluto are virtually neck and neck now for the next several months.  Jupiter magnifies and teaches us Pluto’s intense and harsh lessons in cold, calculating Capricorn.

Together they are taking a gigantic wrecking ball to our routines, customs, and established systems.  With humanity so deeply divided, a single solution settled upon us to completely deconstruct what is in order to start over from scratch: the coronavirus.  Like death or divorce, nothing will ever be the same afterward.  What unfolds next from the rubble will inevitably be an improvement. In bringing us face to face with unrelenting facts of Biblical proportion:  who shall live and who shall die, and the realities of Social Darwinism, the virus prioritizes our lives. 

In the reality of life or death, the virus shows us in stark terms, classic Capricorn black and white no nonsense, what actually matters.  Some may remember grandparents talking of equally difficult times in days past; the wise listened and took their stories to heart to recall in the present moment.  No, this is not fire, flood or famine.  Yes, we have electricity and technology to connect and entertain us.  But self- isolation reveals how health, love and personal human connection are indeed all that matters.

In taking us down to ground zero, Capricorn planetary heavy weights ask:  So how does the pursuit of power help you out now?  Ego has no place here in the land of life and death. 

I am not one to sugar coat anything and there are surely brighter days ahead; but first we must wade through the slog before us.  April begins with Taskmaster Saturn distancing itself from the intensity of Jupiter-Pluto, having moved into Aquarius.  Here, it is joined by Motivating Mars.  Both challenge Uranus in Taurus.  You may very well feel the chafing, something like gears grinding against one another caused by the uncomfortable friction of this troika. 

The purpose is to awaken us through fluctuating resources, alternative allocations of our supplies, and applying our talents differently to earn income.  Restaurant workers and those on health care’s front lines now are feeling this deeply.  The troika squeezes us to find new sources of money as well as inventive ways to connect.  How many of us sequestered in our homes are using FaceTime and Zoom like never before?  Even the good old fashioned telephone is getting a workout.

The challenge to innovate and come up with other means to survive, work, exercise, and yes, play is strong through April 8^th.  Helping us problem solve, Venus shifts into Gemini on Friday, April 3^rd, helpfully aligning with Saturn-Mars in Aquarius.   Wide open communication, versatility and flexibility rule all month long.  This alignment evokes Darwin’s Survival of the Fittest:  it is those who are most adaptable who survive hard times, not necessarily the smartest and strongest. 

We feel this reality more intensely building toward the Full Moon on Tuesday, April 7^th.  The Aries Sun barrels onward, all guns blazing opposing the Full Moon in gracious Libra which seeks appeasement and peace.  Balance is key now:  finding common ground somewhere between economic disaster versus keeping the public healthy and safe and reducing the viral spread.  The struggle is real indeed.

The scales may very well tip in favor of putting the economy ahead of public health concerns as Messenger Mercury shifts into fiery Aries joining the Sun on Saturday, April 11^th.  Our will aligns with our mind; our thoughts jump forward regardless of the results.  Aries is I AM energy, focused on self rather than others.  The caution here is making impulsive decisions that you will later regret or cannot get out of.  If ever there was a time to heed the consequences, this would be it. 

While Mercury, Sun and healer Chiron in Aries are terrific for courageous advances on the healing front in the battle against the virus, it is also critical that we continue using safe health practices until the spread diminishes.

The days to really watch out for occur at mid-month:  April 12-15.  You will feel the conflict between exercising caution and throwing caution to the wind.  This will be magnified on a collective level as the Moon joins Pluto-Jupiter in Capricorn challenging the Aries Sun.  Our will chafes against the forces that be.  It is essential to balance your personal well-being and pressing on with the work at hand.

Violence will be an option for some as friction erupts, so expect it this week.  For the rest of us, when used well, this can be an incredibly productive time.  You’d do well to find the in-between mindset of Aries I AM and Capricorn I USE.  The possibilities are endless.

Cooler heads will prevail on or after April 20^th as the Sun enters Taurus and joins change agent Uranus.  With all great shifts such as this period now, key opportunities abound for the savvy and ready.  Taurus offers us a time to plant, sowing seeds waiting to grow.  The New Moon in Taurus wedged between the Sun and Uranus on Wednesday, April 22^nd invites us to till the soil of our lives.  This is not a time to rest but rather invest, to dig deep and develop.  What do you want to grow?

Three days later, Transformer Pluto turns retrograde.  An outer planet, we may not immediately feel the effects of Pluto’s reverse gear.  However, it affords us an opportunity to review our desires, what we want and want to accomplish.  In Capricorn, Pluto steers our desires back to basics – meeting the rent or mortgage, putting more effective systems in place, refurbishing fundamental structures from which to operate.  This isn’t sexy or glamorous work; rather, it is akin to repairing a leaky roof or replacing the hot water heater in our homes rather than redecorating the living room or building on a new addition.

As Bill Gates recently said, “Whereas some see the Covid-19 virus as a great disaster, I prefer to see it as a *great corrector*.  It is sent to remind us of the important lessons that we have seemed to have forgotten and it is up to us if we will learn them or not.”

We are guided that much further to realign with elementary pieces of our lives on Monday, April 27^th as Messenger Mercury turns into earthy Taurus.  Over the final few days of the month, the messenger planet joins Uranus and the Sun.  Communicate, awaken and identity are three words associated with Mercury, Uranus and the Sun.  In Taurus, simplicity, authenticity and resources rule.  Combined together they form our guideposts:  communicate simply, awaken authentically, resourceful identity, to usher us into May and more peaceful, healthy days.

Of Special Note:

I am again offering mini readings at Soni Masur’s Spring Show, April 30, May 1 and 2, in Dover, MA.   If you are interested in a mini reading, please contact Soni at Sonyamasur@gmail.com with your birth data:  exact time, date and location of your birth.  Soni will confirm whether her event is on or not given public health recommendations.

Help if you need it

To my dear clients near and far:

This is a defining and challenging time we are moving through.  For those of you who may feel the need for extra counsel, I offer options for as-needed guidance.  Beyond regular natal/birth chart, solar return and current forecast readings, I am also available to clients for as-needed sessions by phone, FaceTime or Zoom via draw down account or fee for service.

If you prefer the draw down account, the amount of time used will be drawn against advance payment by either Venmo, Paypal or check.  

The second option is fee for service; the minutes used for a session are then charged accordingly.

My rate for as-needed guidance is $2 per minute, so $30 minutes is $60, etc.

Please know that I am here to help you navigate through this time.

Blessings be,

Hilary

Reward or Ruin?

Very few of us believe that current times are ordinary.  We suffer no such illusions.  To say that monumental shifts in our national, global and personal landscapes are underway is far from an understatement.

As we are in the midst of Mercury Retrograde in mystical Pisces when March opens, with the Sun gradually joining dreamy Neptune, the ruler of Pisces, reflection about our lives and the current state of affairs is apropos. 

The balance of March finds FOUR heavyweight planets in bare bones and businesslike Capricorn.  Thus our reflections take into account the structure of our lives:  what works and what does not work. Capricorn is deadly serious; its planet Saturn rules dharma and karma.  Both work to eliminate anything or anyone that does not fit into the emerging framework on which our lives will operate going forward.  What and who does not fit into this framework becomes more glaringly obvious as we move through the final ten days of Mercury’s retrograde review.  We cannot help but perceive essential changes to be made if we are to pursue healthy, and ideally peaceful, meaningful lives.

As Saturn begins its final tour through sign of Capricorn in 2020, the first few weeks of March it tightly conjoins transformer Pluto, Generous Jupiter and Motivating Mars, in a crescendo of energetic emphasis.  You would have to be dead not to feel this cosmic power play.  WOW.   Wherever these 4 planets cycle through your chart Responsibility is the name of the game.

Game?  Who said anything about games?  Saturn and Capricorn limit our fun, ability to play, times infinity conjoined to the above mentioned planetary trio.  Responsibility, honor, duty, integrity:  we rarely if ever associate these words with fun and games.  The fearsome foursome in Capricorn underscore the gravity and gravitas of our Times.  Serious Saturn leads the charge; Pluto intensifies while Jupiter magnifies and Mars drives the seriousness of our work ahead. Wherever your life is out of whack or alignment, if you are not actively working to bring order to that sector, life circumstances will force your hand.

Capricorn and Saturn do not mess around:  you either get it or you don’t.  The current Coronavirus epidemic and possible burgeoning pandemic is a key example of how this energy works.  Health is based on science which is based on data and facts.  With disease, there is no room for illusion or spin.  Either take precautions or get sick.  Governments take heed.

The great news is that for those who are ON path, keeping their intentions focused on soul lessons and doing the work, this same planetary foursome in Capricorn brings rewards and honors.  At a minimum, if you are working responsibly, expect a smoother road with resources available to you. Capricorn is an earth energy and is master manifesting energy.  For those living and working honorably, Saturn delivers.   In short:  do the work and be rewarded; avoid the work/game the system and face the consequence.  Reward or Ruin.  Life doesn’t allow for much room to game the system.

A few days into March, Venus shifts out of feisty and fiery Aries and into her home sign of Taurus on March 5^th.  Our focus sharpens on what we value:  in ourselves and others, our skills and talents to earn income.  Over the next few weeks, gracious Venus, planet of love, money and relationships gradually aligns with the powerhouse planets in Capricorn.   As this strengthens, practical solutions overflow to grow viable opportunities.  Venus takes the harsh edges off of the Capricorn foursome and points out our gifts and potential, how best to apply our existing resources and multiply them.  Under the waxing moon, Venus asks, “do you see your blessings?  Here’s yet another way to use them.”

The Full Moon on Monday, March 9^th occurs in efficient Virgo opposite the Sun-Neptune in inspirational Pisces.  This is one highly industrious Moon as it aligns with Mars and Jupiter in Capricorn, keeping our feet on the ground while we set our dreams in motion.  The timing is especially key as the very next day on March 10^th, Messenger Mercury turns direct.  Take complete advantage of this robust energy!  For the next six weeks (until April 24^th) all ten planets are pushing forward in direct motion.  I cannot emphasize how helpful this six week phase will be.  Truly, it is time to seize the day as winter gives way to spring.  While you crawl out of the darkness and into the light, roll out all of those plans and preparations you’ve stored up over the last few months. 

Sign the documents and contracts, book the travel plans, and invest in major purchases.

The stretch between March 11 and the end of the month gains momentum.  We feel it build like a steam engine until the Spring Equinox on Friday March 20^th.  The Sun enters fiery Aries.  As it does so, it challenges the lunar north and south nodes, catalyzing our push forward.  The Cancer-Capricorn lunar nodes caution the impulsive Aries Sun:  make sure to cover all your bases.  Know your projected costs, both in your home budget and at work; ask questions to fully understand possible outcomes; gather the necessary people and resources to tackle your vision and plans.

Two days later, on March 22^nd, Saturn shifts into avant garde Aquarius, giving us a taste of this non-mainstream and inventive energy.   For the next three months, our focus turns toward groups, networks, alternative ideas, concepts, as well as what connects our lives together, what goals serve a broad spectrum and a greater good.  An air sign, Aquarius seeks to advance our world, often by breaking barriers and existing thresholds.

The Equinox tees us up beautifully for the New Moon on Tuesday, March 24^th in warrior Aries.  Ladies and gentlemen:  start your engines.  With both Sun and Moon in fearless Aries, you may feel on fire as both our will and emotions are galvanized by this self-starting energy.  Winter is done and over.  The reflection and introspection of Mercury retrograde has finished.  What do you want you 2020 to look like?  Outline 3-5 goals or wishes you seek to accomplish and cast in a moving body of water with an outlet, plant in the softening spring earth or gently burn. 

The final week of March, Generous Jupiter and transformer Pluto combine for a once- in-twelve years pairing.  The duo is joined by Mars now, all in Capricorn, intensifying and flexing our manifesting potential:  if you do the work, you will realize your goal.  Venus aligns with this powerful troika March 25^th into April.  This is premier construction and constructive, built-to-last energy.  Where do you want to lay a firm foundation?  How will you construct your platform and structure given your available resources?  Choose wisely.  For those who are willing, the world and reward await you.

Of Special Note:

*Please enjoy my recent interview with Michael Zildjian on his podcast Zilosophy as we discuss the benefits of astrology and reiki:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-zilosophy-podcast/id1450947099#episodeGuid=tag%3Aaudioboom.com%2C2020-02-12%3A%2Fposts%2F7502797

**Learn the basics of astrology in my on-line Astrology 101 course OR give the gift of my introductory course to another:  www.spirituallifepathinstitute.com  Enroll or gift my course $99 for three hours with complimentary follow up.

***April 30, May 1 and 2:  I am delighted to once again offer mini astrology readings at Soni Masur’s Big Spring Show in Dover, MA.   Please book your 20 minute reading for $25 in advance:  sonyamasur@gmail.com or hilary@hilaryharley.com

February Break

For countless years, the public schools in New England take a week long February vacation in the midst of the long, cold winter.   When I first moved here, I was skeptical about why.  However, when my children were school age I realized the week off accomplishes several things:  it breaks apart the winter to make it shorter; affords families the opportunity to actually enjoy the snow; and gives schools a chance to air out during cold and flu season.

After the December holiday hustle and tumultuous January, this February offers the same respite for all of the soul weary. 

Just three days in to the month, Messenger Mercury turns into dreamy sensitive Pisces.  Not the most comfortable fit for the incisive communication planet, mystical Pisces softens our words and may  cleanse and clarify our thoughts….or totally confuse them.  We feel drawn toward music, water elements and activities, to trust our intuition, to dream and, yes, to simply, purely believe again.  Piscean Mercury seeks to unify, wants us and our world to be whole, not fragmented, to include rather than exclude.  We may also fantasize about just chucking it all and running away…to a sunny south seas island, somewhere/anywhere to escape the madness of our world.  We imagine what that must feel like until we pause and ask, is that really a solution?

And that’s just it, isn’t it?  We learned over the past brutally honest year:  wherever we run, there we are.  You, me, us.  There is no escape.  But there are endless possibilities everywhere if we apply this energy well to visualize and set intentions.  Mercury in Pisces invites us to be still and silent in solitude, to hear the music of our own imagination, to let it intuitively guide and inspire us.  Will you?  Give yourself a gift, your very own February break:  step into tranquility this month by stopping, listening. 

What do you hear?

Our imagination is in full flow the first week of February as Mercury aligns to the lunar North Node in cozy Cancer the Crab.  Snuggle up with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book Friday night February 7 before Venus shifts into fiery Aries the next day, when she joins healer Chiron; together the duo seeks all new relationships and outlets for our inspirations, to kindle faith in new possibilities under the Leo Full Moon aligned to Mars in adventurous Sagittarius on the 9^th.  We feel there is absolutely nothing we cannot do – virtually no mountain high enough or obstacle too steep to climb over.  Stoke your Piscean dreams and see where they lead.  We are filled with robust energy and ready to explore.

And just how will you make that happen?  Ask three heavy hitting planets in pragmatic Capricorn?  Slow and steady win the race.  It’s fine to be filled with dreams of glory and all that, but how will you accomplish said venture?  Titans Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto want a plan.  What resources do you have to manifest and conquer?  These three keep us firmly on the ground even as our head and heart float up to the sky on lofty ideas.  The cosmic mixture makes for a viable Valentine’s Day with a new love or old, to propose…something more permanent?

Friday, February 14^th, Motivating Mars shifts into Capricorn joining the above mentioned Big Three.  Mars relishes its passage through business like Capricorn and our attention drives straight to the bottom line.  Empowered by the Power Planet Troika, Mars cuts to the chase:  does it (insert your body, relationship, job, work-life dynamic, etc) function…well or at all?  This powerful foursome demands quality over quantity, efficiency, and definition:  you are in or you are out.  While Piscean Mercury swerves and blurs our mind and thoughts, the Capricorn Combo insists on straight, linear lines.  Connect the dots in the most direct way.  Best to apply this planetary pattern by allowing your mind to wander and dream and our efforts to build that dream.

Because the very next day, February 17^th, Mercury turns retrograde in Pisces for the following three weeks. The engines of operation, doing and building are best directed toward the RE words.  Rest, research, review, reorganize, reset, relax, renovate, restore, renew, etc.  REmember that February break?  Now is about the time for it.  Especially as the Sun shifts into Pisces on February 19^th, joining Messenger Mercury and Soulful Neptune.  This trio draws us to dip our toes in the water, whether a luxurious, candlelit bath in your own home, a romantic get-away, or a more protracted adventure.

The sound of music, sirens of dance and concert call our names this third week of February.  Indulge.  REmember the joy of BEing, not doing.  The next three weeks offers intense clarifying and cleansing energy, to purge all that clogs our thoughts, finances, homes and more.  Surrender and surrender now what you cannot control.  You choose:   Flow do not fight, let go and let God.  This period is definitely not the time to push back; if anything, REsist the temptation to dig your heels in.  Doing so, you may find yourself sinking in a quagmire of quicksand, slipping backward and not gaining traction.  Progress?  No.  Not right now.  That will have to wait until March 10^th when Messenger Mercury turns direct motion.

Until then, use the time to meditate on what you do want, REseach and plan where you want to go. REview why you want certain goals.  Prepare your intentions for the New Moon on Sunday, February 23rd by handwriting 3-5 wishes or dreams and casting these in a moving body of water with an outlet or plant in the ground to manifest in the coming weeks and months.  Focus inward now and breathe out the Light of your Being. 

Give me love, Give me love, give me Peace on Earth  -- George Harrison