Welcome to the New Age: Crossing the Revolutionary Threshold

“In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act”, George Orwell

December opens in the wake of a Full Moon lunar eclipse in Gemini and Sagittarius on Monday, November 30^th.  It is the first of two eclipses which set the tone for the end of 2020, a notorious year that has brought many to their knees and reminded the rest of us that we only control small elements of our lives; the major sectors, however, macro strings are pulled and orchestrated by a Force infinitely greater than we can imagine.  Anyone with planets in the early degrees of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius or Pisces are particularly affected by this eclipse.

The larger lesson of 2020 is surrender; let go of what you cannot control and focus on what is truly important:  your health, loved ones and living honestly.  The double eclipses on November 30^th and December 14^th on the Gemini-Sagittarius axis drive home that there is absolutely no room, a zero tolerance, for any behavior or language that is not 100% honest.  The Sagittarius Sun aims its arrow of truth and justice high and wide, then releases it sharp and long to pierce its target.  If you seek to cut corners, sneak around or shade the truth in anyway, you will be exposed.  Speak truthfully or face the consequences. 

This is Sagittarius:  truth, the law, education, learning, and the quest to understand.  It rules the law:  as above, so below, and applies to everyone regardless of age, money, power, or race.  Slick maneuvers to wiggle around the truth or law, perhaps what worked in the past, or where you got away with anything before, simply will not work going forward.  Like a rubber ball bouncing off of a wall, it comes right back at you.

The circle of truth, honesty and the law closes in now, surrounding and enveloping us with each passing day.  First, on Wednesday, December 1^st, Messenger Mercury joins the Sun in Sagittarius, sharpening our words with a blunt edge, not caring who is hurt or felled by its honest axe.  Like a baton passed from the Full Moon lunar eclipse the day before, Mercury picks up the sword of truth and carrying it forward across the winter solstice. 

For those seeking comfort in the Truth’s freedom, the circle of planets is liberating.  We are amongst our tribe, friends and community.  Conversely, this planetary loop is unsettling for anyone trying to end run justice or worm their way out of honest living.  Rather, these enveloping arrows of Sagittarian truth will feel like a constricting prison out of which there is no escape.  Don’t bother even looking for one.  You either told the truth or you didn’t.

The second eclipse on Monday, December 14^th slams the gavel down on the verdict.  Both Sun (our will) and Moon (our emotions) join forces in Sagittarius at this New Moon solar eclipse.  Release your arrows.  What you think, say, and project, you will become; so be extremely careful handwriting your New Moon intentions. 

The weight and gravitas of this pure, new beginning cannot be overemphasized:  Messenger Mercury closely joins forces with the Sun and Moon, and all three align with Mars, our energy and drive.  There is absolutely nothing we cannot do, be or become if we are aligned with our own spirit, truth and rightful soul path.  If you are off path, listening to spin doctors or worse, weaving illusions, denial and deceptive traps for yourself or others, the Gates of Consequence stand wide open now, awaiting you. Through the gates, your very own, custom-made harvest of plenty or punishment looms.

Why?

On the second eclipse, titans Jupiter and Saturn finish their tour thru austere Capricorn while Venus hits her final note in karmic Scorpio.   In short:  they bring IT.   Whatever you have sown, now you shall reap.  Capricorn and Scorpio never suffer fools or excuses.  Jupiter-Saturn form the planetary bridge between the interior and outer planets.  Hovering on the last, 29^th degree of Capricorn, the titanic duo act as witness, judge and jail keeper.  Skimmed or shirked your soul work?  Jupiter-Saturn usher you into your personal cell, your new home until you reckon with and obey the Truth.

What goes around comes home to roost now.  Saturn will not return to its own sign Capricorn for another 30 years.  Paired with Gigantic Jupiter, Saturn seizes this momentous opportunity to make sure you understand dharma, personal responsibility, integrity, and honor.  That what you put in, you really get out of life.  If you still refuse and resist to acknowledge your part in the result, well, you will have a good, long while to sit in your cell until you DO.  With Venus at the final degree of Scorpio, she power slams the door behind her and turns the key.  Locked. 

Again:  if you have played fairly, honestly and walked your soul path, you have nothing to worry about.  You can focus on creating the future you seek to manifest.  You may even be bestowed with special honors, awards, or rewards, whether financial or personal support.  If otherwise, though, karma awaits, and no, it will not be kind.  Ask for mercy all you want; but expect your pleas to fall on deaf ears.  Heavy mid-month planetary activity does not want to hear.  You’ve had your chance to walk honorably.

The day after the second eclipse, Venus picks up the Sagittarian baton on December 15^th, ensuring truth and justice prevail, especially in our relationships.  What we value in ourselves and others, whom we value in our lives, draws focus.   Venus asks:  what is meaningful and relevant about how you earn a living?   Are you pursuing work that gives you purpose as well as income?  Is it fulfilling, honest work you are proud of or passionate about?   Sagittarius Venus, Mercury and Sun seek to learn and pursue adventures that stretch us personally both in mind and spirit.

December 17^th, Taskmaster Saturn enters Aquarius and paves the way for Generous Jupiter to join two days later on December 19^th.   The significance of this shift cannot be overstated.  The titans unite every 20 years.  The last time was 2000, in Taurus.  Now in 2020, this pair have united at the end of Capricorn and the beginning of Aquarius, two remarkably different signs.  Capricorn is the old; Aquarius is the new.  The mission of their alliance in these two signs and at these notable degrees sends an unmistakable message:   out with the old, in with the new.

Capricorn, where Saturn and Jupiter joined forces for much of 2020, stamped a seal on established customs, traditions and ways of life that have had their say and seen better days. The Old Era is now done, done, done, over and gone with a clear, certain finality.  In quick succession, the gate to the old is firmly closed and the door to a new way is opened.  

A revolutionary threshold is upon us:   Will you cross over?

Within two days, titans Jupiter and Saturn move from dense and deadly serious Capricorn, to light, inventive Aquarius; taking us with them, we shift from the heaviest earth energy to a light, frothy frequency.  All new, all the time is on the agenda for the next 12 months.  The Titans usher us into a brand new age:  inventive, connected, avant garde, non-mainstream, highly individualized marching to its own drummer yet operating within a team, marked by networking and technology, and radical, rebellious, and revolutionary. Aquarius pushes boundaries and tweaks us out of our comfort zones; gets off on exchanging information and ideas, from the simplest concept to solving steep problems to reaching for the most extreme, far-fetched possibilities. 

By December 20^th, we are now firmly in the Age of Aquarius.  There is nothing too wild we can imagine.  Consider, after all, one hundred years ago electricity (ruled by Uranus and Aquarius) had just been “discovered”.  Imagine how we will live 100 years from now?  The Aquarian mind says there is no limit.  So get out of your own way and hop into your imagination.

As Einstein said, “the imagination is the gift, the mind is the servant.  Man has made the mind the master and the gift a slave.”

No more. 

We will now live the inverse of this tenet where imagination rules.  Jupiter-Saturn demand we rise to meet life in brand new ways throughout 2021.  The doorway to our new life is highlighted and emphasized by the Winter Solstice on Monday, December 21^st, when both Sun and Messenger Mercury enter practical Capricorn.  Greeting us at the threshold of the next season, Sun-Mercury steer us to apply our fired-up ideas and inventive notions in a realistic, useful way.  You may have all the creativity in the universe but if it isn’t useful to your neighbor, what good is it? this pragmatic duo asks.

The best place to start solving problems and answering questions is right in our own backyard, in our own home, family and community.  We see the importance of this under the growing light of the waxing moon, climaxing to Full in its own sign of Cancer the Crab on December 29^th.   Doing your own thing is great and all, says the Cancer Moon; but first, let’s connect to our own beings and our loved ones; then gradually extend care and compassion outward like great ripples, embracing each other as one, unified whole.

 Of special note:   I am thrilled to announce the launch of my podcast Mystical Messages on Friday, December 18, 2020.  Tune in to hear experts from the alternative healing and metaphysical fields as well as my astrological forecasts for your month ahead.  You may subscribe to Mystical Messages via Apple, Google, Spotify or Stitcher.  To learn more, please visit:  https://mysticalmessages.libsyn.com/mystical-messages...  

 

Brace For Impact

We are really IN the thick of it right now.  Some may say we are in FOR it.  Wow and how.  Either way, you can cut the cosmic weight and gravitas with a knife.  Pushed, pulled, squeezed and contorted we are. Cosmic cues abound.  Careful you do not twist yourself into a pretzel or a tangled, hot mess as you make your way through each day.  Anyone worried about the future?  If so, the best remedy is to put your head down and focus on your work, what is right in front of you.

A wise therapist told me years ago:  control what you can and let the rest go.  Expending energy on the momentous shifts occurring every day is a complete waste of energy.  This is magnified as November opens in the wake of a Full Moon on Halloween.  Tightly conjoined to change agent Uranus, the Full Moon in Taurus is a shake up and shake down of values:  whom and what we value, in ourselves, others and in life.  Opposite the Sun in Scorpio, we are shown in unmistakable clarity any misuse or abuse of our values along with power, sex, and resources – whether material or spiritual.  We see now what has been hidden, avoided and swept under the rug what we’d rather not discuss or address.

The Halloween Full Moon needs a warning label:  CAUTION:  unsettled energy and paths ahead.  Some may feel the actual ground shifting beneath them or electric currents running through their bodies (Uranus rules lightning and electricity).  Venerable customs and traditions, established structures of our lives, stalwart pillars holding reliable systems together come tumbling down around us.  Scorpio, the sign where the Sun is opposite the Full Moon is ruled by Pluto.  Think Plutonium:  this Full Moon is nuclear.

On November 1^st and the days following, we still reverberate with the fractured shards warning us to pay attention.  Look for breakdowns and breathtaking breakthroughs, often intertwined.  Resist with all your might if you must but know that it is better to embrace change and now.  There is no going back from here.  We are past the point of no return.  Boat rockers and chain rattlers are in their glory.  The rest of us do what we can to smooth ruffled feathers and simply survive.  Mother moon shows us in her glaring reflection how far we’ve strayed from basic fundamentals of life:  care and compassion for each other and our Mother Earth. “Better get your act together kids,” she wags a cosmic finger.

Two days later on November 3^rd, Messenger Mercury turns direct motion in Libra aligned to the lunar North Node in communicative Gemini.  It is no accident that this is election day in the United States. When any planet stations, or stands still before turning direct or retrograde, it sends extra strong energy.  In this case, Mercury sends a crystal clear, irrefutable message.  The clarity and power of the election message is strengthened the next day when the Moon conjoins the North Node.  Dispute the results all you want but a New Order is imminent.  Politically yes, but in the macro we begin the shift from 3D to 5D existence.

We are living history now.  What a time to be alive. Bear witness one and all.

The routine of our lives sits amidst the upheaval and dust stirred up between October 30 and November 4^th.  Fortunately, Venus in her own sign of Libra aligns to the North Node from November 9 to the 15^th.  We need all the relationship help we can get now as Venus, planet of love, money and relationships graces our lines of communication and smooths over the rough edges of our lives, partnerships and ventures.  As she challenges Jupiter-Pluto (conjoined for the final time for the next 12 years), she fosters much needed discussions about the balance of power.  Have face to face, in person conversations rather than from behind a screen, Venus reminds us.  She refines the way and opens the door graciously for her counterpart Mars as he turns direct motion on Saturday, November 14^th.

For a lonnnnng two months, since September 9^th, Motivating Mars has been reverse gear in its own sign of Aries.  The planet of action and initiative in its own fiery sign is especially out of its depth in passive, retrograde, reflective mode.  Ordinarily, Mars spends two months in a sign,  Due to its retrograde cycle, it spends six months in Aries, from late June 2020 to early January 2021.  Much of that time, Mars dueled with the Capricorn trio Pluto, Jupiter and Saturn, prodding us to change old established patterns.  Much of the discomfort we have felt in 2020 has resulted from this clash.

Now, on Saturday, November 14^th, Mars finally revs its fiery engine and kicks into overdrive.  As Mars shifts forward motion, it is unaspected, meaning tremendously emphasized.  Think of the Indy 500:  Gentlemen, Start Your Engines, or the Apollo rocket at blast off.  Such is this moment.  The forward thrust is IMMENSE.  Do not squander this energy.   Especially as guess what?  The very next day is the New Moon in Scorpio!  Divine timing is perfect, sending a laser focused message and affording ripe opportunity.  If ever there were a time to write your intentions and sow what you desire to manifest, the New Moon on November 15^th IS IT!  This is one New Moon that is raring to go out of the gate. 

With both Mars and Mercury now direct, proceed with ALL large purchases, signing contracts and deals, launching initiatives.   Harness the raw power at hand now, grab it and hold on for dear life.  If you think it’s been a wild ride so far, just wait.

Mid November is not for the faint of heart or mild and meek.  Again:  control your immediate environment as best you can and release the rest to Source and Spirit.  Flow is the key word now, especially as Neptune in Pisces prepares to turn direct on November 29^th.  Watch for the unexpected, surprise and yes, perhaps shocking on November 17^th and 18^th as Messenger Mercury opposes change agent Uranus in Scorpio-Taurus for the final time this season. 

The first time these two dueled, President Trump was diagnosed with Covid.  Revelations, blessings as well as curve balls out of left field will unfold now. KARMA, Scorpio’s signature, is playing bigtime this week. The mysterious is unveiled and revealed increasingly through the weekend of November 21-22 as Mercury hits a bell-ringing degree of Scorpio while Venus and the Sun change signs.  Venus joins mercury in Scorpio easing our financial and psychological burdens while the Sun rolls into Sagittarius.  The Scorpio duo turns up and over what must be seen while the Sun in Sagittarius demands truth, honesty and yes, justice.

Watch for a frenzy of activity as the Moon joins Mars on Wednesday, November 25^th the day before Thanksgiving.  Mind your mouth and guard your tongue carefully with considered replies to others, particularly family members on Wednesday as this day is a minefield of angry triggers.  Put your listening hat on and cue up your ears instead:  you never regret the things you do not say.  The final stretch of the month is super charged as we head into a Full Moon Eclipse in Gemini, on Monday, November 30^th.  Gemini IS communication, which we often forget is a two way street: talking and thinking as well as listening and hearing.  If ever there were a time to heed the lyrics of the musical Hamilton, this Thanksgiving and kick off the holiday season is it:   Talk less, smile more.

OF SPECIAL NOTE:  Hard to believe, but the holidays are upon us!  Looking for a distinctive gift for that hard-to-buy-for someone?  Consider the gift of a personal astrology session.  Gift certificates are available via my website:  www.hilaryharley.com

How Do You Need to Heal?

October opens smack bang with a Full Moon in fiery Aries on the 1^st.  Joined to healer Chiron, possibilities for emotional release and all manner of healing grace us.  How do you need to heal?  Opposite the Sun in Libra, this Full Moon says it is up to us to balance and bring order where our lives are off kilter and uneven, especially in proportion to how much we give to ourselves versus others.  In Aries, this Full Moon illuminates all new healing modalities and strategies:  whether getting your household or finances in order, trying a new exercise practice or alternative healer. 

Libra’s superpower is bringing order from chaos.  We all can use more order, grace and consideration.  In the words of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, “Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one’s ability to persuade.  You can disagree without being disagreeable.”

Mind, you don’t have to be an astrologer to know that there is immense pent-up rage right now.  It seeks an outlet.  With this feisty Full Moon, watch your words, especially in response to those who are not careful of theirs.  Words once spoken cannot be retrieved.  Think peace; be peace.  Extend a helping hand.  Ask:  are you part of the solution or adding to the problem?

The next day, October 2^nd, Libra’s planetary ruler Venus shifts into practical Virgo.  Here, the planet of love, money and relationships focuses on how to be of utmost service.  How can you be of use to resolve a problem?  Over the next weeks, Venus aligns with the heavy hitters, Jupiter-Pluto-Saturn in Capricorn to manifest our material needs and goals.  Boosting this alliance, transformer Pluto turns direct motion on October 3^rd.

Since late April, Pluto’s retrograde had us reviewing our desires.  With the Capricorn trio now moving forward again, we use our assessment to build what we aim to achieve, grow and expand.  Pluto is tightly sandwiched between the titans Jupiter and Saturn (expansion and integrity).  As Pluto rules power, this packed troika in Capricorn means business.  Veils of pretense are ripped off, exposing anything hidden and overhauling any ingrained, established customs and traditions, or junking them entirely.

Honor, dignity and integrity are October’s watchwords.  Act Responsibly.  Do the right thing.  Not because you should; but rather, because you know better.  Your higher self is calling.  Pay attention.  Be responsible out of respect for yourself, others and our Earth.

Wednesday, October 7^th may prove to be full of surprises as Messenger Mercury opposes Radical Uranus.  Buried secrets, long term mysteries and stubborn problems are uncovered and solved.  The pieces of the puzzle come together.  Watch for Ah-Hah and Eureka moments.  Remember, “What you seek is seeking you,” – Rumi.

Over the next week, Messenger Mercury begins to slow down for its final retrograde cycle of 2020.  Tuesday, October 13^th, the Communication planet stops to reverse gear and retrace ground in intense Scorpio.  As we approach the last 2 weeks of October, a time when the veil between Heaven and Earth is thinnest, Mercury pours forth revelations.  Anything swept under the rug crawls out and makes itself known – especially secrets having to do with sex, money, taxes and power.  Past abuse or misuse of these will resurface, come knocking, seeking redress between October 14 and November 3^rd, Election Day.  If guilty, pay the piper.  Scorpio rules karma and it is here to collect.  With both Mercury and Mars now retrograde for the next three weeks, it is especially important to do the RE words:  reflect, review, renovate, revisit, renew, etc.  Life may really feel like an uphill battle through the end of the month.

Two days later, the New Moon in Libra occurs on Friday, October 16^th.  In an uneasy year, this is an unsettled New Moon.  Catalytic, yes.  More like:  KABOOM!  Moon-Sun (our emotions and will) clash with the Capricorn trio Jupiter-Pluto-Saturn and oppose Mars, still retrograde in Aries.  The Libra Moon-Sun seek peaceful resolution, grace and harmony.  There may be none to be had as the Capricorn Heavy Hitters and Mars are locked in a tug of war between old ways and new ones.  Each wants the final word.  The open end of this dynamic rests in Cancer the Crab:  our nation, homeland, country and how we care for it, as well as how we care for ourselves, our families, children and elders. 

The planetary void in Cancer holds the answers to the riddle of the New Moon:  If we are to find new ways (mars in Aries) for peace (Moon-Sun Libra) with honor and integrity (Capricorn), we must nurture each other with compassion (Cancer the Crab).  It is infinitely easier to be kind than exert wasteful angry energy.

A week later, the Sun turns into powerful Scorpio on October 23^rd, joining Messenger Mercury.  Our will and our thoughts plumb the depths; we feel ALL of the feels.  Psychotherapy, shadow work, financial management and deep research are the best use of this energy.  The caution with Scorpio is addiction, power games or power struggles, and money/resource misuse.  Helping us tow the line, Venus now aligns with Jupiter-Pluto-Saturn, all in earth signs, providing material gain, opportunity and outlets to lift us toward our goals.  If we only look, we find the answers.  Ask and you shall receive.

October ends on a gracious note with Venus rolling into its own sign of Libra on Tuesday, October 27^th.  Here she smooths ruffled feathers and inclines us toward harmony, the arts, beauty and calm.  Libran Venus graces us with balance and peace.  In these truly cataclysmic times, she says Give Peace a Chance.

Of Special Note:

Coming SOON!!   Mark your calendars for Friday-Sunday, October 2-4:  Soni Masur’s Big Fall Show!  Come browse truly beautiful work by artisans at the Winsmith Mill Commerce Center, 61 Endicott Street, Norwood, MA.  Once again, I will be offering 20 minute mini readings at the special show rate of $30.  Please stop by and see all the artwork including paintings, ceramics and pottery, handbags,  bouquets and succulents, shell creations, candles and more.  To book a mini reading with me, please contact:  Sonyamasur@gmail.com.  This is a socially distanced with masks event.  Vendors will be widely spaced apart with plenty of hand sanitizer and masks provided.

 

Entering the Cosmic Birth Canal

 Don’t let the title of this month’s blog scare you.  It aptly describes the momentous shift occurring now.

An oozy, bluesy Full Moon greets us on September 2^nd.  Conjoined to dreamy Neptune in Pisces, the Full Moon opposes the Sun in practical Virgo, continuing the theme of sorting fact from fiction and truth from illusion.  There are those who still adamantly refuse to remove their rose-colored glasses, trapped in a web of nostalgia for days gone by and defiantly resisting changes here to stay; for others, the rose colored glasses were ripped off by stark reality of circumstance; then there are those who chose to take off the glasses and see with pristine clarity the facts of what is actually happening.

Let’s be clear:  the way of life we knew before March 2020 is gone. 

The blessing of this Neptunian Full Moon is gentle encouragement to accept what is, so helpful in these divisive times.  The Moon-Neptune in Pisces (feelings, inspiration and compassion) align with Generous Jupiter in Capricorn and Uranus in Taurus (reality based goals and values).  It spotlights what is truly valuable in our lives, what works vs. what most decidedly what does not work.  For some, opportunity abounds.  For all of us, the Sun in reality based Virgo helps us stay as grounded and centered as possible to gain perspective. 

Notice that the pace of life is decidedly slower now.  There is good reason:  Five planets are retrograde at the onset of September along with Motivating Mars crawling to a halt soon enough.  It will become harder to gain traction on any project or relationship.  We are now fully in the midst of a collective re-set.  The Old is rapidly deconstructing to make way for the New.  This process has been underway for some time. We are now entering the final stage with the onset of cosmic labor pains about to be in full swing as September is rife with planetary gear shifts.

The preamble to these occur on Sunday, September 6^th as Messenger Mercury shifts into Libra and Venus into Leo.  Our mind and communication (mercury) and relationships and values (venus) have been working collaboratively for much of August.  This dovetail continues into September, yielding creative partnerships, pursuits and messaging.  A good thing, too, as we can use all the help we can get as Motivating Mars turns retrograde on Wednesday September 9^th for the next two months!

In its own fiery sign of Aries, Mars the Great Initiator will push our buttons as it rewinds.  Mars and Aries are all about the forward thrust, getting on with it and moving ahead.  To say as humans we are supremely uncomfortable with Mars’ reverse motion is an understatement.  This period is notoriously rife with frustration.  So let’s take a look how to best manage this passage by remembering Mars retrograde Dos and Don’ts:

Between September 9 and November 14^th, AVOID:

Purchasing anything mechanical, with an engine or motor:  appliances, cars, laptops, cell phones, electronics such as TVs, etc. 

Wait until after November 14^th to launch a project, product or relationship. 

Mars and Aries are all about new beginnings, the BIG LAUNCH…so if you do try to push forward with an endeavor between 9/9-11/14, you may find yourself spinning your wheels and stuck in cosmic mud.

The Dos of Mars retrograde include the RE words:  Review, Research, Reflect, Relax, Renovate, Restore, Renew, Repair, etc.  Mars and Aries are all about ACTION so apply your energy toward all that needs a solid gut job – whether reviewing and getting a handle on your finances, clearing out a neglected space and refreshing it, revisiting a relationship or possession and repairing it.

A major cautionary note with this Mars Retrograde in Aries:  the red planet has been challenging the three heavy hitters Pluto-Saturn-Jupiter in Capricorn in August and now with its reverse gear, will continue to butt heads with the trio for the rest of 2020.  This, along with the extraordinary number of planetary transits, has sparked upheaval this year.

Ordinarily, Mars moves through a sign in 6-8 weeks; being 2020 of course, Mars will linger in Aries for six months, from June 2020 to January 2021, due to its retrograde cycle.  Its back and forth motion boxing with the big gun trio results in the New (mars in Aries) clashing with the Old (Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto in Capricorn).  In every possible way, any established tradition, custom, mindset, way of life is challenged by Mars in Aries, representing brand new energy.  The current period of history is akin to the early 20^th century when agrarian way of life gave way to modern industrialization and monarchies collapsed like dominoes into rule by and for the people via democracy and communism.

We are not just witnessing history; we are each living history.  2020 marks the Great Shift when the old is disassembled to birth the new.  Mars retrograde from September 9^th to November 14^th marks the arrival of the train in the station.  You have just over two months to decide if you will climb aboard.  Some who long for the old ways will refuse to get on the train.  But the Train of Change is here and you can either get on and ride into the future or you can stay stomping your feet on the station platform.  Will you let life pass you by or will you venture into the unknown, uncertain yet promising?

A few days later, the first of the two titans turns direct motion.  Generous Jupiter  moves forward in Capricorn and gradually rejoins Pluto and Saturn through the rest of the fall season.  Over the next week, September 13-18, the Virgo Sun aligns with the three heavy hitters, all in earthy, practical energy.  The potency and power of this week abounds.  Planning and preparation (Virgo) team up with the goal and results driven Capricorn trio.  It is incredibly industrious, focused and realistic, boots on the ground energy.  Anything you are working on:  keep your eyes on the prize.  Do not let Messenger Mercury in Libra distract or second guess you from your purpose as it challenges the Power troika.  Especially, as in the midst of this week, the New Moon in Virgo occurs on the 17^th.

This is one healthy, vibrant work horse of a New Moon. Both the Sun (our will and Self) and Moon (emotions) in humble, down-to-earth, responsible Virgo collaborate beautifully with the heavy hitters in Capricorn.  Wow.  This is a CAN DO New Moon; a feeling of there is nothing we cannot do.  Six out of ten planets are in pragmatic earth energy.  It is time to gather yourself together, get a handle on your resources, make a plan…more like a business plan, for your hopes, dreams, your life.  Prepare action steps.  If you ever asked yourself exactly how you were going to get from point A to point Z, this New Moon spells it out for you.  Again:  it is a matter of focusing on your outcome.  Think streamlining.  Eliminate the unnecessary and unwanted and stock up on what will move you closer to the finish line. On the 17^th or 18^th, hand write 3-5 intentions and plant them in the ground. 

The following week the Sun rolls into Lovely Libra.  Art, beauty, collaboration draw our attention as well as what is fair and just for everyone involved.  Libra seeks balance in all she does:  work/life balance, relationship peace and harmony.  So remember your own self-care and well-being in equal measure to your devotion to others.  Messenger Mercury in Libra opposes Mars in Aries and both challenge the Power Trio in Capricorn…resulting in a slow burn.  Resentment can build if you forget to pencil yourself into your own life.  Better to save a slice of cake for YOU or walk around the block to step away from a heated situation.  Fresh air breathes new life, ideas and momentum into tricky relationships and helps to pivot discussions.

The final week of September, Messenger Mercury shifts into Scorpio and opposes Radical Uranus in Taurus on September 27^th.  VALUES anyone?  What are yours?  Who and what do we value in ourselves and others?  What is the right use of money, power, our skills and talents.  Mercury and elder sibling Uranus raise our consciousness about how we earn a living and spend or share our time, energy and resources. 

The next day, Saturn turns direct motion.  Within two weeks, both cosmic titans Jupiter and Saturn, have shifted gears.  In achievement-oriented Capricorn, the giants crack the whip as they challenge Mars.  We feel the weight of Responsibility, very much with a capital R.  Watch your frustration,  It may surface as others grind your gears…provoking, antagonizing, triggering.  These are Cosmic Labor Pains birthing a new consciousness.  How will you respond?  With the same old, same old replies or…new tactics?

Hard as it may be to do so, step back and step away.  Let nature take its course.  We are full on inside the Cosmic Birth Canal now.  Prepare for individual and collection change, emergence, elevation.  Remember:  out of chaos comes creation.  Out of chaos comes order.  But first: the mess, the dark and the dissent.

 

Of special note:  I am now offering coaching for those clients who seek on-going counseling.  My rate for this is $75/hour.  In addition, I am pleased to now offer mentoring services to those exploring Lightwork.  To learn more about Lightwork or whether you are already a Lightworker, you may book a 30-minute free discovery call.  Last, I want to highlight a special service I offer:  if you have a quick question or imminent decision to make and don’t need a full astrology session, I am available for short-term readings.  The rate for this is $2/minute for a minimum 20 minute session.  You may explore all of these new offerings on my updated website:  www.hilaryharley.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Burning Down the House

A feisty full Moon on Monday, August 3^rd opens the final month of summer.  It certainly sets the tone for the weeks to come.  In avant garde Aquarius, the Moon opposes the Sun in Leo and both challenge Radical Uranus.  If used well, this troika affords incredibly creative energy; however it may also highlight how stuck and stubborn many of us really are.  All three of these planets at the Full Moon are in fixed signs, meaning, we can be very dug in, entrenched and resistant to change, not budging from the particular opinions and beliefs we hold. 

Yet, this is precisely what we are called to do this month.

Engrained programming and conditioning that we have inherited, passed down through the ages, or reflexively adopted to which we may cling are being questioned and tested now.  In response, its best to ask:  what are you holding so fast to that needs to be shifted or released altogether?  As Einstein said, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.  We know what does not work.  It is time to try something else to see if that works. 

If you face a dilemma or decision, ask:  are you using your beliefs as a litmus test for others?  Are you sacrificing family and friends for your unbending opinions?  Or as a wise man once asked:  Is this the hill you want to die on? Or is it something you can let go of?  One thing is for sure, anger, discord and conflict are not going anywhere.  Fiery emotions will be with us through early 2021, yes, for the next six months, due to Motivating Mars extended tour through Aries.  So check yourself and monitor your responses.  Words and actions are not easily retracted or rarely forgotten.

As with all Full Moons, the energy leading into it increases the week prior to culmination.  In this case, during the final days of July and through the first weekend of August.  At hand, we have wildly inventive and ingenious energy built into this Full Moon…if we can move past ourselves and try new solutions. Be open minded and willing to listen to others.  We may be surprised how similar we are to our fellow man and how easily problems are solved when working together.

Groups are at play with this Full Moon in Aquarius as it challenges Uranus, the ruler of Aquarius; expect radical, rebellious, shocking and surprise events.  And DRAMA…with the Sun in “Look at ME Leo”, lots of drama.  This exponentially increases two days later when Messenger Mercury enters Leo.  While our minds overflow creatively, really keep an eye out for ego-based maneuvers…your own and others.  Know your motives.  Are you trying to make a splash and call attention to yourself?  The higher use of the Sun-Mercury in Leo is generosity, bravery and creativity.  Discern the difference between making drama and behaving with dignity.

At the end of the first week in August, on the 7^th, Venus enters Cancer the Crab for the rest of the month.  Our love of family, home and nation shines with this placement, helping to sort out what is best for our welfare in the wake of the pandemic. What is best for our children, parents and teachers (who also have families) as the school year approaches?  How do we govern with care and compassion for the greatest benefit of our nation?  Remembering our own self-care, Venus in Cancer helps us factor our personal needs into the equation.

A week later, on August 14^th, Uranus turns retrograde.  This is a big deal and requires a warning label especially with all of the national discord now.  Uranus’ reverse gear occurs at the same time Mars challenges its elder sibling Pluto.  By itself, this angle provokes and instigates.   The window of August 14^th-17^th is particularly dicey.  Take extra care with your words and actions.  If you need to launch a project, idea, collaboration or event, aim to do it before August 14^th or after the 17^th.  Over that weekend, expect surprises, the unpredictable and unexpected.  Move and drive slowly, with deliberation; use caution as these planetary shifts occur during the darkest phase of the Moon cycle.  You may not know what hit you.  Know that you may be caught completely off guard or flat-footed. In hindsight, you will realize you never saw it coming.  You aren’t supposed to with these cosmic coordinates.  Think lightning from a clear blue sky…  It may be a game-changing few days.

Life eases up with the New Moon in Leo on Tuesday, the 18^th.  Conjoined to Messenger Mercury and helpfully aligned to Mars in Aries, this is one powerful New Moon.  You will feel energized and ablaze with ideas.  Set your intentions.  Hand write 3-5 goals, prayers or wishes you seek to accomplish in the next month or season.  Alight these in a fire pit, set adrift in water with an outlet or plant in the ground to grow.

A few days later the energy noticeably shifts as the Sun and Messenger Mercury both move into Virgo.  From fire to earth, feel your energy, mind and thoughts turn toward the practical, healthy and useful. The Sun-Mercury gradually align with Uranus in Taurus and heavy hitters Pluto-Saturn-Jupiter in Capricorn over the remainder of August.  Avail yourself of realistic solutions and pragmatic opportunities arising from this earth energy alliance.

For all of the difficulties 2020 has presented, calling upon us to re-prioritize our lives and our values, the final ten days of August bears invaluable ingenuity.  Grab hold of what comes to you now and take advantage.  Because when September rolls in, the final quarter of 2020 will not be so kind.

Getting Our House in Order

We spend the balance of July recovering from the cosmic whiplash of the past two months or more.  There is notably less planetary activity this month giving us a chance to take a breath, catch up, and take stock.  We are still mid journey through these tremendous energetic shifts, learning how to navigate the new terrain.  Like being a visitor to a foreign city, it will take us a while to get the lay of the land, our sea legs if you will, and figure out what is where.  Above all, be patient and gentle with yourself and others.  One thing we can all agree upon:  this is an extraordinary and unprecedented time in our lives.

As July opens, we are in the home stretch of eclipse season.  This past month has been a really tough time.  A particularly rough patch in a very difficult year.  And while we are not done yet, or rather 2020 is not yet done with us, July and August do offer a bit of a reprieve. 

First, we must pass through the final eclipse of the summer series.  A lunar eclipse, the Full Moon bears culmination, fruition and endings.  It occurs on July 4-5^th depending on your locale.  It is indeed significant for this eclipse to occur on the birthday of the USA, our Sun.  We are closing chapters on our history that are better left for the record books.  Done and gone but not forgotten.  In no nonsense Capricorn, this is one tough love Full Moon as it joins Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn in tight formation.  Opposite the Sun and Messenger Mercury in Cancer the Crab, we are pushed to get our house in order. 

A repeating, notable theme pervades July:  we are being shown exactly who we are in no uncertain terms.   The question is:  will we respond to what we see?  If so, how?

For many, this is a time of restructuring Cancerian domain:  your home, family unit, our nation, how we feed ourselves – literally, both individually and on the whole.  With our identity and will, the Sun, and our mind and thoughts, Mercury, in Cancer, we focus on everything related to how we nurture.  Opposite the planetary heavy hitters, our awareness rises:  do we nurture?   How exactly do we take care of our bodies, minds, spirits, each other?

This Lunar Full Moon Eclipse puts front and center the level of our care, compassion and concern for loved ones, our country or Mother Earth herself.  It shows with unmistakable clarity what must be addressed.  The heavy weights Jupiter-Pluto-Saturn demand we get back to basics, fundamentals and the rudimentary structures of our lives.  For the second time this year, Gigantic Jupiter joins Transformer Pluto while Saturn has returned to its home sign for one last pass.  Opposite the eclipse, the trio mandate deconstruction of old systems that no longer function and rebuilding from the rubble what will work well going forward.

If you know your astrological chart, you can see how this lunar eclipse impacts you by the house, or life sector, in which it occurs.  Remember:  eclipses are neither good nor bad, but draw into focus what demands our immediate attention.

In the days that follow, Motivating Mars joins healer Chiron in Aries, aligning to Venus in Gemini.  The troika invites us to heal our deepest wounds, including those we have carried for generations, in brand new ways.  You may opt for a brand new therapist, become involved in community activism for the first time, try alternative healing modalities such as acupuncture or Reiki.  This urge to experiment, at least one time, what you thought you never might, is exactly what we are called to do now.  In the wake of three eclipses, we cross through gateways and thresholds to new ideas, people, opportunities.  In a year of utter upheaval, this aspect affords us one of the most helpful and useful to find our way with clarity and to heal.

Then Sunday, July 12^th, what we have ALL been waiting for:  Messenger Mercury turns direct motion.  Hooray!  Anything you have put on the back burner is cosmically blessed to proceed.  Sign the documents; make the big purchases; commit to the deal, relationship or pursuit.  For the next two months, a period of clear cosmic energy graces us.  Take advantage.  If you have key decisions to make, the second half of July and all of August afford calm to move forward, claim opportunity.  These summer months are a time to invest in ourselves and all we deem worthwhile.

The days leading into the New Moon on the 20^th highlights a continuing theme of the summer eclipses.  The Sun still opposes the planetary big guns, Jupiter-Pluto-Saturn in Capricorn, testing our will, even our identity (…who we are or, who are we?) within the context of our family, profession, home, our nation.

How do we want to structure our lives, beginning with basics of self-care, such as the food we eat, the quality and type of nourishment, how often we eat…overindulgence or not enough?  Our care ripples outward – to the residence we live in, or not, as some are homeless or on the verge.  What kind of home do we live in or want to live in someday?  Our psychological roots – consider your conditioning from childhood:  can you let go of outdated belief systems or shape them to more a more relevant framework that suits you current life?  As well as stewardship for our country and Earth:  how do we revise and restructure our care for, or lack of, both of these essential homes?

The New Moon on Monday, July 20, 2020, is the second New Moon this year in Cancer the Crab.  This is highly unusual, particularly in the same sign.  Along with Messenger Mercury’s extra-long tour through this sign, Cancer dominates the early summer landscape.  In the final degrees of the water sign, the Moon, our emotions, the very essence of Cancer, pairs with the Sun, our identity as an individual and global whole; while Mars-Chiron challenging Mercury catalyzes us to heal our deepest wounds, feelings and psyche.

Cancer is ruled by the Moon, a gigantic planetary mirror reflecting the Sun’s light.  The prevalence of this water energy gives us a prolonged reflection, shown in pristine clarity exactly who we are.  As Maya Angelou said, “when people show you who they are, pay attention.”  Will you pay attention to what you see in the cosmic mirror?  Do you like what you see?  If not, will you do anything to change the image?   Jupiter-Pluto-Saturn opposing this second New Moon in Cancer gives us yet another chance to deconstruct, purge and re-order what is outdated, dysfunctional and in need of overhaul.  Beginning with our SELF.

With each of the interior planets now in direct motion through Labor Day, Venus-Mercury-Mars, take small steps toward building what you most want to be in this world, how you choose to live from day to day.  Be the change you want to see in the world – Mahatma Ghandi taught.  The rest will flow from there. 

Two days later on July 22^nd, the Sun enters festive Leo firing up our creative energy.  The Sun gradually aligns to Mars-Chiron in Aries during the remaining days of the month.  Our motivation to source new methods of healing overflow.  We may even create our own healing modalities from scratch through art, movement, sound, and more, from skills and talents we discover or recover.  Necessity is the mother of invention indeed.  What will you create?

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.