Category Today’s Cosmic Weather

Oct 31 2020

The Halloween Full Moon in Taurus – October 31, 2020

Once in a Blue Full Moon – Hallowe’en and an Illuminating Clear Light Creative Podcast with Chiara Luce and Michelle Gregg

MY HALLOWE’EN THOUGHTS: Hallowe’en marks the turning of the year… it’s time for darkness, stillness, sleep, and honoring the cycles of death and life.

Any way you look at it, we anticipate this day all year long. For some, it’s a fun and spooky children’s holiday, full of costumes, trick-or-treating, and sacks of tantalizing candy (it’s fun to look up the history of this!) For others it’s about full-on adult beverage gatherings and vying for the best or most outrageous or most terrifying costume. And for others it’s a part of our sacred tradition, and the most important holy day of the year. We call it Samhain (sah-win) and this night, All Hallows Evening, which leads to All Hallows Day, is the time to honor our ancestors and our beloved dead and reconnect with them through memory and ritual – a time to begin anew. The ceaseless Wheel of the Year has turned, and we welcome a brand New Year.

For most of us, regardless of the meaning (or lack thereof) with which we hold this dark night of shades and shadows, All Hallow’s Eve is filled with images that are reserved for only this time of year – ghosts, goblins, ghouls, jack-o-lanterns, skulls and skeletons, witches and cauldrons.

We recognize our own mortality through these images, while the Earth and her flora, all the trees and and plants and flowers around us, quietly die and go to sleep until Spring.

Hallowe’en and Astrology 2020

The Hallowe’en Sun in Scorpio

Isn’t it interesting that every Hallowe’en, the Sun is in the dark water sign of Scorpio? Always. Each year, around the 23rd of October, the Sun moves into Scorpio, and the Autumn of the year is well under way. The harvest has ended, the nights are getting longer, the leaves are falling, and the afternoon light has a deeper angle… it just looks like Fall. We’re preparing for the annual “death” of the Earth.

Of all of the astrological signs, Scorpio is the one that honors our deepest desires, our darkest probings, our hidden thoughts, and most profound fears. The color for Scorpio is black – so appropriate for the darkening of life as the days become shorter and shorter, and the nights longer and longer.

At this time of year we enter the realm of Pluto, the Lord of the Dead, the God of Hades, and the astrological ruler of the sign Scorpio. It is through Pluto and Scorpio that we understand death and dying – and that this inevitable experience of loss leads to transformation, regeneration, and new life. Life is a cycle of day and night, of light and darkness, and by Hallowe’en we’re fully engaged in the shadowy side of that cycle.

The Hallowe’en Full Moon in Taurus

Equally interesting is that every time there’s a Full Moon between October 23 and November 22 – and it’s inevitable that there will be one – that Full Moon will always be in Taurus – the opposite sign to Scorpio.

Taurus holds very different meanings to Scorpio – because Taurus is, in fact, Scorpio’s polar opposite – which is what a Full Moon represents. Every full moon, regardless of the two signs involved, illuminates the opposing energies of the ego (Sun) and the emotions (Moon). Across Taurus and Scorpio we have the emotional connection to physical life in opposition to how we understand the necessity of death from an intellectual perspective.

While Scorpio is the depths of our deepest emotions and swims in the deathly, underworld waters of the River Styx, Taurus is about the tangible, physical body that revels in the heat of the Sun shining on its skin. Taurus is driven by the phyisical, tangible five-sense reality of life and truly finds its joy there. It’s not comfortable in the emotional psychology of Scorpio – it wants to plant its roots in the soil of Mother Earth and rejoice in its own form and strength and steadfastness.

The Full Moon in Taurus means that this need to rejoice in the body is at odds with the emotional probings into the abyss that is the life blood of the Scorpio Sun.

We literally have this dynamic of the corporeal (Taurus) meeting its demise (Scorpio.) We must balance physical life with death and the afterlife. And this is the true meaning of Hallowe’en.

We literally have this dynamic of the corporeal (Taurus) meeting its demise (Scorpio.) We must balance physical life with death and the afterlife. And this is the true meaning of Hallowe’en. How do we come to terms with our own mortality? We have to learn to understand and accept death, that of our loved ones as well as our own, as a natural and meaningful part of our journey as spiritual beings having a human, physical experience.

Our Hallowe’en Podcast
on Clear Light Creative

The Full Blue Hunter’s Moon in Taurus on Hallowe’en
October 31, 2020

This Hallowe’en – from the perspective of the Moon – is incredibly special! It’s the Full Blue Moon in Taurus that makes it so… and Chiara and I illuminate it all for this year’s All Hallow’s Eve!

Despite all the images we see every year of a full moon shining brightly over a cemetery full of witches stirring their cauldron, it’s actually a bit rare that we experience the full illumination of the Moon on Hallowe’en. When was the last time that happened? When will it happen again?

And what does it mean that THIS FULL MOON in TAURUS is CONJUNCT THE PLANET URANUS… that’s not subtle or stable…

Find out, and learn SO MUCH MORE, as Chiara Luce and I dive into the depths of this Hallowe’en energy for October 31, 2020.

HERE’S THE LINK TO LISTEN

https://www.clearlightcreativepodcast.com/podcast-episodes/episode-10-halloween-full-blue-moon

You’ll also find my Samhain Ritual at the link above… it’s a beautiful, perfect way to use this energy and connect with your ancestors and the loved ones who’ve gone on before you.

Here’s the breakdown of the entire podcast, to make it easy for you!

SHOW NOTES

(1:30) Episode Intro

(2:07) Where to find the Samhain – Halloween rituals (link to it)

(3:11) What’s making Chiara happy 

(3:36) Episode Corrections

(5:19) Astrology Interview Starts

(5:50) About Michelle’s Transit Support Group

(7:48) How Chiara got Libra New Mooned + Mercury Retrograde woes

(10:24) What happens when Venus is on your Ascendant 

(13:53) The definition of a Blue Moon 

(15:17) The astronomy of Full Moons

(15:50) The zodiac signs that will be most affected by this Full Moon

(16:28) Strange things that happen during the Full Moon

(17:35) What happens when the Moon is conjunct Uranus 

(19:46) The Psychology of Opposites – Moon vs Sun – Taurus vs Scorpio

(23:01) The origins of Halloween + Practicing Samhain Rituals + Full Moon Rituals and their importance

(25:25) Aha moments to watch out for this Saturday

(28:34) Comparing the energy of this Full Moon and the Taurus eclipse cycles in 1994-95, 2003, 04, 05, and 2012, 13, 14

(33:25) Where to find a real Pagan Samhain Ritual + A Ritual to honor and communicate with your ancestors.

The Halloween 2020 Chart – Oct. 31, 2020 at 10:49 AM Eastern / Atlanta, GA

Sep 9 2020

Mars Retrograde in Aries Begins Today – Have a listen on how to navigate!

Mars Retrograde Begins on
Sept. 9, 2020 at 6:22 PM Eastern

Unlike Mercury Retrograde, which happens three times a year, and Venus and Jupiter Retrograde, which both occur once a year, Mars Retrograde only happens every two years. This means we’re not quite as accustomed to, or as comfortable with, the energy of Mars (forward motion and determined action) stopping, and then heading backwards. It might take some adjusting.

Mars Symbolizes ACTION and Forward Motion

Mars symbolizes initiating action. He is very much about connecting to your own will and your own desires, and then taking action to get those desires met. When Mars goes Retrograde, that need to get the party started and the ability to push for what you want loses steam. Mars Retrograde is less about taking action and more about figuring out what you really do want, and how you go about getting it. How DO you take action to get what you want? Do you take action on your will positively? With self-mastery? Or could you elevate your consciousness and ultimately your actions in this arena?

How to Navigate Mars Retrograde

For the next several weeks, until Mars goes Direct on November 13, if you use the Mars Retrograde period optimally, you’ll have the opportunity to answer those questions. With this planet retracing his steps, we’re also meant to retrace ours. We’re meant to recover the ground we’ve been actively covering since since the last full week of July.

Give some thought to how you’ve been taking action on your desires since that time. And think about what you got excited about in mid-August… with Mars Retrograde you now have the opportunity to align your actions more consciously. If your pet project begins to flag, this is a clue that you’ve got some tweaking to do. The idea is to get a little introspective about how you do what you do, why you do these things, and your motivation behind them.

Energy is Pulled Back from Forward Motion, Often Leading to Frustration or Anger

While Mars is Retrograde we may find that our “push” becomes ineffective, or our interest wanes, or due to circumstances we didn’t foresee, we can’t move forward any longer the way we’d like to.

Try not to despair… with conscious navigation of this time, when the Retrograde is over in November (or more likely when we get beyond the shadow of the Retrograde in early January 2021) we’ll have uncovered what we need to change about how connect with our desires, how we take action, and will have learned what we need to do to align the two appropriately.

Frustration is often the hallmark of Mars Retrograde periods, but knowing that we’re meant to be retracing our steps and re-imagining our desires can be SO helpful in ameliorating that frustration. For many, pushing forward unchecked and without introspection ends not only in frustration, but in anger – and taken to extremes, rage.

This Isn’t Just Any Mars Retrograde – Pluto, Saturn and Jupiter Are Involved. Extremes Are Probable.

This particular Mars Retrograde definitely has the potential to go to extremes. Between now and early January, Mars is in an explosive conversation with the planet Pluto. And Pluto is everything extreme and intense… Mars is also throwing out a dare to Saturn and Jupiter during much of the Retrograde period, further complicating the energy and adding to the potential for frustration.

So please proceed with caution. Understand the need to engage introspectively – to recognize your motivations and re-align with your desires. And practice empathy for those around you who haven’t been educated on how best to use this time. They’re probably going to need it.

Listen to My Conversation with Chiara Luce about the Astrology of the Fall Season and Mars Retrograde

(YOU CAN ALSO LISTEN ON SPOTIFY!)

Chiara Luce, host of the Clear Light Creative Podcast, and I had a discussion about the astrological weather of this coming Fall Season. Where we landed had everything to do with the Mars Retrograde.

We talked about both the personal implications of Mars Retrograde, with respect to the pandemic, as well as what it may mean socially and politically.

Hope you’ll click below and listen for a deeper understanding of the times in which we live.

https://www.clearlightcreativepodcast.com/podcast-episodes/marsrx-covidastrology

This is what we cover in the podcast.
The Astrology segment begins at 15:07.

15:07] Astrology interview begins.

[18:28] What happens when Jupiter goes direct.

[20:09] All about Mars Retrograde.

[23:22] How to see how Mars Retrograde will affect you.

[24:49] Listen up if you’ve got personal planets in cardinal signs.

[25:48] What to do during Mars Retrograde.

[30:41] How Mars interacts with the COVID clump/conjunction planets.

[34:39] More things to do in order to have a successful Mars Rx.

[36:10] What the transits of the fall mean for the pandemic.

[37:08] Jupiter+Pluto conjunction – Nov 12th a spike in fatalities? Soooo SOCIALLY DISTANCED HALLOWEEN PEOPLE.

[48:00] Oxygen mask on first. Practice personal development during this time.

Aug 10 2020

Looking for an Astrology Podcast? I’m Guest Podcasting about Astrology with Chiara Luce on Clear Light Creative!

Clear Light Creative Podcast with Host Chiara Luce and Astrologer Michelle Gregg
Clear Light Creative Podcast with Chiara Luce and Michelle Gregg

Astrology Podcast: Very Cool & Topical Astrology Topics on CLEAR LIGHT CREATIVE PODCAST with CHIARA LUCE and MICHELLE GREGG!

If you’re interested in hearing some full-on consciousness streaming (and consciousness raising) conversation about astrology, how to use it now, and how it’s significant to the times in which we live, I invite you to join me, Michelle Gregg, on Chiara Luce’s new podcast, Clear Light Creative!

The last 15 to 20 minutes of each of her podcasts we get together and dish on some incredible astrology topics like:

  1. Debunking Sun Sign Astrology
  2. George Floyd, The 13th Amendment, and Black Lives Matter
  3. The 27 Club: Suicide at 27 from an Astrological Perspective
    (we look at Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, & Kurt Cobain)
  4. Uranus in Taurus – What this Shift Means for Us Now (Money/Earth)
    (and a look at it historically, politically, financially, ecologically)

And that’s just the first four! We’ll be talking about many more topical astrology subjects throughout the coming months, as it applies to the current state of our culture and government, as well as how you can use astrology for greater understanding and fulfillment in your life.

Besides Astrology, the Clear Light Creative Podcast is All About Inspiring You Creatively!

The first hour-ish of each of Chiara’s podcasts are interviews with amazing, creative, and inspiring humans.

Clear Light Creative Podcast is a new and expansive resource for:

  • Aspiring Artists
  • Wellness Seekers
  • Astrology Enthusiasts

Chiara interviews creatives in every field, from all walks of life, who provide their stories, unique experiences, and guidance on how they achieved their professional and artistic success. These artists and professional creatives inspire and motivate with every episode!

There are also episodes with Chiara deep diving with guest experts from all branches of the healing modalities, covering beliefs from Eastern and Western viewpoints, as well as esoteric traditions.

Who is Chiara Luce?
(And there’s a bit about me at this link too!)

Well, first – her name. In Italian, Chiara means “clear” and Luce means “light.” So it seems that in creating this amazing platform called Clear Light Creative for artists, creatives, wellness seekers, and astrology enthusiasts, she’s living up to her name in a gorgeous way!

Otherwise, Chiara is a copywriter and career creative who has explored and experienced many facets of the artist’s life. From creating and directing for Cirque du Soleil, acting off-Broadway, to singing in the Notre Dame Cathedral and helping create some of the coolest sets in Hollywood, Chiara has left her mark and garnered quite a bit of wisdom along the way… and she loves to share it all…

And to top it all off, she has a full-on passion for astrology!

Astrology every episode!

The last 15 to 20 (and maybe even 30) minutes of each episode of Clear Light Creative focuses on a specific topic in astrology that Chiara and I are excited to explore, and to bring to you to contemplate and engage with. We’ll be sure to keep every episode juicy, relevant, fun, and fascinating!

Where can you listen to this awesome podcast?

Clear Light Creative (and our exciting astrology chats) can be heard on:

Follow Me and Clear Light Creative on Instagram!

@michellegreggastrologer

@clearlightcreative

Hope to see you on the Gram!

I hope you’ll give us a listen!

I’m really SO EXCITED to be bringing all this exciting astrology info to you with Chiara on her motivating and inspirational new podcast, Clear Light Creative!

Give us a listen and let me know what you think!

As always, be well,
Michelle

Jul 20 2020

New Moon in Cancer – July 20, 2020 – Protecting Home

Photo by Markus Spiske on Pexels.com

There’s just something about the New Moon in Cancer… you know, with the Moon in her own sign, feelings are everything, and everywhere. We relish them. We want to share them with others and give and receive nurture. We want to focus on home and family and feel safe in that sweet bubble of love…

Or do we?

Well yes, AND more… Cancer is famous for its protective qualities. It doesn’t rest until everyone is safe. So before we can cuddle up with cookies and milk and bask in the glow of familial love, we have to shore up the holes in the castle walls.

And the feeling of this particular New Moon in Cancer is extremely qualified by restrictive Saturn in a super tight opposition to both the Sun and Moon in Cancer. The operative word here being “opposition” and everything that you would normally think of when you read that word. And from a political perspective (yeah, I’m going there) when we focus on where the New Moon in Cancer is active by transit in the birth chart of our country (July 4, 1776, 5:10 PM, Philadelphia, PA), the warm and fuzzy slips right off.

For those familiar with the language of astrology, the New Moon at 28 degrees of Cancer conjoined our country’s Mercury at 24 degrees of Cancer and opposed our country’s Pluto at 27 Capricorn. Transiting Saturn at 28 degrees of Capricorn was exactly opposed to the New Moon and conjoined the country’s Pluto. (There’s a pic of the chart at the end of this article.)

This is powerful energy about power – and how the voice of the people can counter and impact, via opposition, the force of authority and government. It’s not your typical New Moon in Cancer. This one is tapping directly into the intensity, fear, and necessary transformation of the times we find ourselves living in.

As with every New Moon, this one is about a new start, and this new start has something to do with our ideal, as the people of this country, of how home should be and our responsibility to that ideal.

Something I find particularly interesting that illustrates this, is the debacle going on in Portland, Oregon, where the voice of the people (symbolized by the country’s Mercury in Cancer) is being triggered by Saturn into an oppositional stance with the force of authority. Federal troops are grabbing protesters from unmarked cars and arresting them, without identifying themselves or giving reasons for the arrests. The new “voice of the people” rising up at the New Moon is a massive wall of marching, chanting moms – that’s right. Moms. This New Moon ushered in a new group of mothers (Cancer) out en masse protecting protesters from the big bad wolf that the federal government (Saturn) has become. They are protecting home and family – their kids, other people’s kids, their homes, their businesses, their way of life – but they’re doing it in a way that directly opposes an authority that by the day is becoming more and more frightening and violent. They are a wall (Saturn) of protective, concerned motherhood (Cancer.)

This is what Heather Cox Richardson, from Letters from an American, reported last night, July 19:

“There was a new force on the Portland streets this weekend: moms. Dressed in yellow shirts, wearing helmets and masks, several hundred women are forming chains between the officers and the protesters. They call themselves the Wall of Moms, and are chanting: “I don’t see no riot here; take off your riot gear,” and “Feds stay clear, moms are here!” Officers tear gassed them last night, but they came back tonight in bigger numbers. Tonight’s protest was one of the largest this month.”

Sometimes I’m still dumbfounded at how literally the planetary energies play out in our lives… this is one of those occasions.

On a more personal perspective, this New Moon in Cancer opposite Saturn is very much about protecting our own, and the responsibilities that come with that territory. It’s about creating a new familial structure that echos the imperatives of the times we live in. It’s about balancing family and necessity, and learning to understand when to be hard and diligent, and when to be soft and gentle, and recognizing that both are required in equal measure.

So yes. This New Moon in Cancer IS about home and family and feeling safe in that sweet bubble of love… and everything we have to do make that possibility a reality.

Inner Wheel: United States Sibley Chart: 1776 at 5:10 PM in Philadelphia, PA. Outer Wheel: New Moon in Cancer on July 20, 2020 at 1:33 PM Eastern, in Washington, DC.
Inner Wheel: United States Sibley Chart: 1776 at 5:10 PM in Philadelphia, PA. / Outer Wheel: New Moon in Cancer on July 20, 2020 at 1:33 PM Eastern, in Washington, DC.
Aug 30 2019

New Moon in Virgo – August 30, 2019 – The Liberation of Discernment

New Moon in Virgo – August 30, 2019 – 6:38 AM Eastern

Discernment: the ability to distinguish; the ability to judge well

Discernment is one of the highest characteristics of Virgo, and at this New Moon there are FIVE planets in Virgo. These five planets are all of the PERSONAL planets: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars. It’s time to be discerning – about YOU. The way you communicate, how you commit and why, the way you react (turn that into responsiveness), what you allow into the NOW from your past (beam your light toward the future), the way you take action on your desires (make those actions masterful), and the way you LOVE.

Ground yourself through that discernment to free yourself to be exactly, UNIQUELY, brilliantly who you are meant to be. Let your genius shine through your service to yourself and others. Don’t just begin something new at this new moon – begin the RIGHT THING that rings the TRUE YOU.

This is moment of intention. Intend with keen discernment toward the AUTHENTIC YOU. We have Uranus in a very easy conversation with all that Virgo energy. What an opportunity to find yourself in the details of your TRUTH, and to liberate yourself from self-deprecation and hyper self-criticism – the agonizing pitfall of Virgo. Question old limits and lean into what feels risky, which is what Uranus is asking of us… it’s an odd combination. The grounding, practicality of Virgo being liberated by revolutionary Uranus. Find the best in both.

New Moon in Virgo Astrology Chart

New Moon in Virgo – August 30, 2019 – 6:38 AM – Atlanta, GA

Dec 7 2018

New Moon in Sagittarius and the Astro Spirits of Past, Present, and Future.

beautiful-cold-girl-247246

Happy December my lovely friend… yes, it’s been a minute. And here we are riding the final exhale of 2018, a year that for many, myself included, has been rife with challenges and uncertainty. Personally, I can’t say that I’m sorry to close the door on this year, and to deeply, consciously inhale the potential of a new one.

And you have the opportunity to do exactly that on this New Moon in Sagittarius today, Dec. 7, 2018 (Dec. 6 Pacific). I encourage you to shake yourself off, open wide, and embrace the joy of this new beginning. Every new moon each month is the opportunity to refresh yourself and start anew in some area of your life – but this one is kind of spectacular. The questions to ask are: What is my journey? Where am I heading? And perhaps more importantly: Is my journey a happy one? Does my journey help me to expand my consciousness and grow as a human being? And then: What area of my life is this New Moon impacting? (We can see that by the house within which it occurs – and the other planets it touches by aspect.)

At this New Moon allow yourself to be filled with the shining possibilities that Sagittarius always offers. When both your emotions (Moon) and your ego and purpose (Sun) combine (New Moon) in this particular sign, you can tap into an extraordinary font of positive, optimistic, and joyous energy. It’s exciting. It projects you into the future. It’s adventurous and certain of the best possible outcome, even without knowing what that outcome may be. More than anything Sagittarius is about the journey rather than the destination. And that means enjoying and celebrating along the way, and finding meaning along the path. And when Jupiter, the ruling planet of Sagittarius, is involved, as he is at this New Moon, the impetus, the purpose of this energy is to infuse you with this optimistic sense of things. He requires you to do something positive, something exciting, something that grows and expands who you are and how you feel about yourself. He is pushing you toward new experiences, the resulting wisdom of those experiences, and a sense of omnipotence. Wherever the New Moon happens for you, that’s where you’re meant to become Zeus – larger than life and as expansive as the heavens. A big thought… but Jupiter is always big. (And yes, there is a lower vibrational way to use Sag and Jupiter energy… I’ll simply frame it as self-aggrandizement and self-righteousness… but why go there? It’s a choice.)

This New Moon in Sagittarius that conjoins with Jupiter is also in a challenging connection to Mars and Neptune. The downside of this combination has the potential to seduce you into perpetuating the idea that you are, or have been, victimized, misunderstood, used as a doormat – or that your codependent tendencies are out, loud, and proud – or that your inner escape artist is poised to descend into whatever may be your avoidance tactic of choice (binge watching, pot, alcohol, sugar, drugs, social media). Mars in Pisces connected tightly to Neptune could have you feeling inadequate to the task (the celebration), or rationalizing that no action at all is a plausible choice. BUT! The UPSIDE of this combination is sublime. SUBLIME! If Jupiter is your joyous moral fibre and optimistic compass leading you into the future, then Neptune is your inner Divine nature who reaches into the transcendent realms toward God/dess. Neptune with Mars lends the capacity to act on your exalted imagination, your expression of Divinely inspired artistry, your ability to connect to beauty on every level and merge with it. See? Sublime!

The take away of the total energy of this New Moon is – travel happy. Despite everything. Choose to find the goodness and beauty in front of you, make decisions and take actions from your inner Divine nature, and walk forward in that state of mind. TRAVEL HAPPY! That can be your New Moon mantra.

Ghost_of_Christmas_Present

And that brings me to this. You must choose what you think, what you feel, what you say, which direction you turn, and what actions you take in all the moments of your life. Every single moment is a confluence of decisions. And all those moments string together and become your past, your present, and your future – your LIFE. So it makes sense to choose the high ground, to divine meaning, to seek and find the positive (even when that feels almost impossible), and even to laugh out loud, in as many moments as you possibly can. It’s appropriate and wonderful, right now, to embrace the Green Man, the symbol of joy and vitality, of sparkling life and merriment. Witness the Green Man as the Ghost of Christmas Present as he visits the sour faced Scrooge on Christmas Eve, as Father Winter, and as the fat old elf Santa Claus – all gift bearers. They all have a shared history and mythology, and all are faces of Jupiter, who dominates the energy of this moment.

If you want 2019 to be your year...
I recently reposted a message on Facebook that was originally posted by one of my wisest friends. It goes like this: If you want 2019 to be your year, don’t sit on the couch and wait for it. Go out. Make a change. Smile more. Be excited. Do new things. Throw away what you’ve been cluttering. Unfollow negative people on social media. Go to bed early. Wake up early. Be fierce. Don’t gossip. Show more gratitude. Do things that challenge you. Be brave.

 

 

Almost all of these are qualities of Sagittarius and Jupiter! That struck me when I read it – how perfectly this encouraging advice aligns with the meaning of this wonderful New Moon. So take these words to heart. Read them repeatedly. Print them out and put them up somewhere where you will see them often. Let them become your cheerleader to move you into 2019.

Now let’s look briefly at the past of 2018, the current energies, and into the future of 2019 – sort of like the spirits of Past, Present, and Future, who visited old Scrooge, just before he made that brilliant transformation from a truly miserable and miserly curmudgeon, into a joyful, loving, optimistic and happy (Jupiterian) man:

PAST
The driving force of 2018 was the Mars/Uranus square that was active from April through October. What to say about this? We experienced a disruptive, highly energized force that had us constantly on the inhale… the feeling that everything was up in the air with no place to land. Impulsive actions and a sense of urgency were markers of this time. The challenge was how many plates can you keep spinning at once? Very volatile, very forceful energy. For some this was an exhilarating foray into new territory that was refreshing and enlightening, even if challenging. For others it was unsettling and anxiety was high. And for still others the disruption of all that was known was at hand with the rug yanked hard from beneath their feet. The question was “Have you found self-mastery through your actions despite the chaos?” And it’s certainly not too late to answer that question.

PRESENT
We get to exhale. 😊 First, Jupiter moved into Sagittarius on Nov. 8, 2018. I certainly felt that shift! It felt like a lift up – a heart opening. Second, Mercury went DIRECT yesterday, Dec. 6, 2018, and by the 12th will be in Sagittarius along with the Sun and Jupiter, and where this New Moon and your new beginnings occur. So your projects and ideas can begin to move forward if they’ve felt back-burnered during the retrograde, and your communications with others can be optimistic, brightly clear, and incisive (except when Mercury squares Neptune between Dec. 20-28, when communication can be blurred, artistic, beautifully muddled, and/or wisely compassionate.) Third, we’ve got this fabulous New Moon in Sag, which is what the bulk of this writing covers. And finally, this Winter Holiday Season is the first we’ve had in two years when Mercury was not retrograde throughout, and the first in 12 years with Jupiter in his own jovial sign of Sagittarius. There’s a lot of happy/merry to tap into this year!
(Apparently gift-giving & spending are way up!)

FUTURE
First, we can look forward to a January and February during which no planets are retrograde! The potential here is that things really begin to move forward on all fronts. Yay! Second, January is eclipse season with a New Moon Solar Eclipse in Capricorn, and a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Leo. More to come on those later. Third, the biggest shift we’ll experience, beginning in March of 2019 and continuing for the coming 7 years, is Uranus moving from the fiery Aries, where he was potent and aggressive, into earthy Taurus. With Uranus, the Great Liberator, meeting the immovable force that is Taurus the Bull, we have a dynamic of RESISTANCE meeting a dynamic of CHANGE. Wherever that energy impacts your life via your birthchart will be an area that will require a tremendous amount of attention to navigate well. Those with planets in Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, will be profoundly moved by this influence at some time during the 7 year cycle. Everyone is feeling this shift of energy, and these 4 signs will require the greatest changes. On a global scale the shift of Uranus into Taurus will strongly influence technology and innovations toward earth friendly devices; the weather and climate change; the environment and our connection to the Earth as advocates and caretakers; and our finances, investments, banking, the stock market, and our possessions. We’re obviously already seeing much of this as Uranus has already visited Taurus briefly from May through November of 2018. DO NO FREAK OUT. Uranus is always somewhere breaking down the status quo and ushering in a new way. He’s just shifting his position and changing his focus for the coming 7 years, and we will shift and change with him.

For right now I wish for you a beautiful, loving, peaceful, and joyous Winter Holiday! Choose all your moments wisely, and TRAVEL HAPPY into 2019!

 

Dec 21 2017

The Winter Solstice and Loving Responsibility

Winter-Solstice-Yule-Stag-Fox-Blessings

A Joyous Yule to You!

As we reach the moment of this Winter Solstice, when the Sun moves into the sign of Capricorn (11:29 AM Eastern, Dec. 21, 2017), we see the trees with their stark, naked limbs as reminders that we are in a natural time of retreat from the fullness of life, and entering a time of deep reflection. At this shortest day and longest night of the year, the dark offers us solace and the space to replenish.

Since the Autumn Equinox and its moment of balance, the Sun has diminished in power and strength, moving continuously Southward in the sky, until this day, December 21, when we become lovers of the darkness, and welcome her opportunity to introspect on the year’s passing; all that we have fulfilled, and all we have yet to accomplish. The Winter Solstice is the “one step back” in the natural “two steps forward, one step back” cycle of life, bringing us the opportunity to withdraw, to rest, to restore ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I love to imagine the hibernating animals in their dens, sleeping peacefully until the first thaw. Metaphorically, this is the image we can hold in our psyches to help us find comfort and to understand this time of harsh, bleak weather in the Northern Hemisphere.

The movement of the Sun at this time each year gives us food for thought as well. The Sun actually appears to stop once it reaches its southernmost point. He pauses in place for 3 days around the Solstice – in fact, the word “solstice” means “the sun stands still.” This is the space in which we can also stop and explore our inner workings, contemplate how we will rise to the coming year, as the sun begins to rise again after the third day.

MAAS-Winter-Solstice-Return-of-the-SunWhile the Winter Solstice is physically a time of darkness, the thing we celebrate at this time of year, as we have for thousands of years, is the return of the light – the return of the Sun. Ancient humans saw the annual decline of the Sun as a time of hardship, the time when they were tested in their ability to survive until Spring. But just after the Winter Solstice, even though the weather was still bitter, the Sun began again to rise northward in the sky, gaining in strength each day. They rejoiced in this, knowing that the days of cold, darkness, and little food would pass with the rising of the light, and their survival would become easier.

This hopeful message is also our experience during this time of year. Our hearts are lighter as we give gifts to our loved ones and celebrate with family gatherings. Our homes are brighter with candles, fires lit in fireplaces and fire bowls, and twinkle lights hanging all around. We are symbolically welcoming and calling the light back, to feed, to nurture, and to heal us. We have faith our fears will subside with the coming of the Sun, and we evoke life by bringing in evergreens to inspire us in our own continuity. It is a glorious time during which we welcome the purity the light promises and brings.

The message of this particular Winter Solstice, as viewed from an astrological perspective, is one of loving responsibility. Pause for a moment and lean into that phrase, “loving responsibility.”

The horoscope for 11:29 AM Eastern on December 21, 2017 shows a strong Saturn influence, not only from the sign of Capricorn into which the Sun just entered, but Saturn himself conjoins the Sun and Venus at this moment. The influence of Saturn is one of commitment, duty, and practical management. He asks us to work hard toward our dreams, and to put strong structures in place that will stand the test of time. Venus shows us the beauty of harmony, fairness, and the blessing of our loved ones. As these two energies combine with the Sun, the message is one of holding our loved ones close, and of doing our best by them so that we strengthen our bonds, grounding them in reality. At this time, may we also use Saturn and Venus to extend loving responsibility to all our fellow humans, and indeed to all our fellow beings.

So, I invite you to light your Solstice fire and to look intently into the flames as you ponder the year just past. Allow the flames to inspire you toward a profound sense of loving responsibility as you welcome the glorious return of the Sun.

A Note:

There is another face of Saturn that I believe we often forget – the idea of rich rewards for work well done – of digging in and doing the hard work when it is required, and then reaping the rich rewards of that committed effort; of creating a solid structure from which good things can grow and thrive. As you sit before your Solstice fire introspecting about the year just past and setting your intentions for the year to come, remember this dynamic of Saturn as well, and remember to extend your loving responsibility beyond yourself and toward all within your reach. Your blessings and rewards will be great.

If we remember our mythology, it was during the reign of Saturn that humans enjoyed The Golden Age, which was then celebrated in Rome for centuries as Saturnalia at this very time of year. For a week each Winter Solstice, Rome was rich with feasting and evergreens and merrymaking to honor Saturn and that mythological Golden Age.

 

Winter-Solstice-Chart-2017

The Winter Solstice 2017 – 11:29 AM Eastern, December 21, 2017, Atlanta, GA

 

Sep 22 2017

The Autumn Equinox and the Moment of Balance – September 22, 2017

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Sunset in Autumn

Balance.

This is the word we reflect on at the Autumn Equinox. As we see and feel the shifting of the light and the crisping of the air, the Sun, just entering the astrological sign of Libra, continues its descent across the Southern sky, gradually weakening in light and height. This day is the day of equal day and night hours, when light and dark are not battling for the sky, but equal in strength. The equinoxes, both Spring and Autumn, are the only times when the Northern and Southern Hemispheres are equally illuminated. In the Northern Hemisphere we are now in-between the extremes of the heat of Summer with its long, languid days just past, and in anticipation of the short, dark, cold days of Winter. We are betwixt and between… a time of equilibrium, a time of balance. A time of transition. It is as though we are between a deep inhale and a powerful exhale, where the moment hangs shimmering and poignant, before it passes away.

The-Red-Vinyard-at-Arles-1888-Vincent-Van-Gogh

The Red Vinyard at Arles, Vincent Van Gogh, 1888

Before we started buying our food at grocery stores and super centers, the Autumn Equinox was a celebration of the harvest – the time when, both exhausted and jubilant, we’d successfully brought in the fruits of our labors, preparing and storing them for the winter. It was a time to mark the importance of working together for a common cause, a time to revel in our community as the stronghold of our survival together. This is an idea that is central to the energy of Libra and to this time of year: equality, balance, community, peace, beauty – the peace and beauty of the dying sun, of the vibrancy of the trees in their final blaze of glory, of our relationships and what we create when we are equal together, honoring all sides, balancing all views, and coming to diplomatic solutions that strengthen and protect us all.

Equinox is from the Latin aequinoctium, meaning “equal night.” Today the night is equal to the day, yet as we move through time away from the Equinox and toward the Winter Solstice, the days become shorter and and we have less light to live by. What was known to our ancestors, before technology gave us permanent days with electric light, is the part darkness plays in the work of spiritual transformation. The darkness, to which we are absolutely heading as each day passes, is a place that restores us, a space where we germinate, and regenerate. But before we reach the full darkness of the Winter Solstice,

Libra-Symbol-Glyph

The glyph for Libra represents both the scales and the Autumn sun setting over the horizon, a symbol for equilibrium and peace.

we have the opportunity to learn from the harmony and symmetry of the Equinox. We tap into the beauty of internal balance, that sense of equilibrium we need in order to start preparing for the darkness. In this space of anticipation, when the light is gorgeous, the air is temperate and cooling to the skin, and the riotous, rich colors of ‘Nature in her Fall’ imbue our spirits with gratitude, with generosity – and because we are feeling externally delighted – we find it easy to extend ourselves in love, open to both giving and receiving. The crispness of the season is reviving to the spirit, and for as long as we dare, before the dark and cold drive us inside, we strive toward company among others, pleasures, beauty, harmony, and love. This is the message of Libra.

The particular message of this Autumn Equinox, found in the astrological chart drawn for the moment the Sun moves into Libra at 4:03 PM Eastern on September 22, 2017, has much to do with balancing our wounds with our identities, and where we want to shine. Often the places where we feel wounded, excluded, abandoned, or victimized so interfere with our potentials that we can’t seem to get past ourselves to achieve our goals or take the next step toward healing. Sometimes we even project our talents, our greatness, onto others, not quite believing that we can ever fulfill the dreams we long for, leaving it to others to lead creative, fulfilled lives. This Autumn Equinox season brings the opportunity to pull in those projections so that you can own your own dreams and potentials. This energy also includes showing you the the ways in which to attain the tools you need to bring your gifts into reality – if you are willing to see and take the challenge and do the necessary work. So again, we are back to balance. Being out of balance is living only in a dream; or conversely being so focused on duty, responsibility and work that you don’t allow yourself to have a dream. Use this Autumn Equinox energy to open you to the balance of both creating a vision from your dream, using the tools before you, and doing the work to manifest the reality that you yearn for. (Sun in Libra opposite Chiron in Pisces, both squaring Saturn.)

Autumn-Equinox-Sept-22-2017-Atlanta

Chart for the moment the Sun enters Libra, heralding the Autumn Equinox. Drawn for Sept. 22, 2017, 4:02 PM Eastern, from Atlanta, GA

 

 

Sep 20 2017

The Virgo New Moon – A Calling – September 20, 2017

pottery-cracks-filled-with-gold-text

This early morning New Moon feels like a calling to me.

At 1:30 AM Eastern today, September 20, 2017, the Sun and Moon conjoined in one of the most astute signs of the Zodiac: Virgo. And, the degree of this New Moon set off the degree of the Solar Eclipse just past – so there’s an intensity, and a force behind this moment.

The combination of this intelligent Virgo New Moon with the Autumn Equinox in two days, on Friday, Sept. 22, is asking us to work on something that is bigger than we are, even if it requires personal adjustment, and long-term effort. We can begin anew for our families, communities, and our country – and the goal is to serve the greater good with our intellect, with our genius, with our actions, with the certainty that the future will be better than our now. And we can begin anew with our vulnerable, wounded hearts on our sleeves – the same sleeves that we must roll up so that we can get to work.

The business at hand in this new beginning is action in service toward healing each other.

Let me just say that again. The business at hand is action in service toward healing each other. Healing you and me. Healing them. Healing us. And that means letting others in to help you heal you – while you’re doing all you can to help heal others. Another way to put it is reciprocity in love, service, and compassion.

The tools at our disposal are both practical and spiritual in nature. Call on your ability to discern what is useful and what is pointless – what is healthy and what is sick. Call on your ability to ground and stabilize whatever is necessary to create new structures, structures that are built with compassion and acceptance for everyone. Call on pragmatism. Call on determination. Call on commitment. And do the details… while keeping a broad view.

Show your broken heart – the heart that is full for those who have lost everything, for those who now live in fear, for those who are maligned and beaten and murdered – and know that in showing the cracks, you become stronger by the loving compassion of others that fill them in. Accept the love and compassion with gratitude and give it back in full. This is the most powerful tool possible.

Will you accept the call?

Aspects in the New Moon chart referred to in this article:
Sun conjunct Moon in Virgo
Sun/Moon in Virgo in opposition to Chiron in Pisces
Saturn in Sagittarius square to Sun/Moon in Virgo and Chiron in Pisces
Mars/Mercury in Virgo in Opposition to Neptune in Pisces
New Moon at 28 Virgo (Sun/Moon) semi-sextile to Aug. 21 New Moon Solar Eclipse at 29 Leo.
Sun/Moon in Virgo quincunx to Uranus in Aries (also eclipse degree)
Sun/Moon in Virgo semi-sextile Jupiter in Libra (eclipse degree and in opposition to Uranus)
Jupiter in Libra opposite Uranus in Aries

New-Moon-Virgo-Sept-20-2017

Chart for the New Moon in Virgo, Sept. 20, 2017, 1:30 AM Eastern, from Atlanta, GA

Aug 7 2017

What’s Being Eclipsed in Your Emotional Life? Full Moon Lunar Eclipse Aug. 7, 2017

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August is Eclipse Season!
Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius on Aug 7, 2017
Total New Moon Solar Eclipse in Leo on Aug 21, 2017

Eclipse Season is here, with today being the first of two eclipses this month. At 2:11 PM Eastern on August 7, 2017, the Moon is full at 15 Aquarius, which means the Moon is in Aquarius and the Sun is directly opposite at 15 Leo – and we are, Earth is, in-between the Sun and Moon, with the Earth casting a shadow on the Moon. Isn’t that interesting to think about? The Earth casting a shadow over the Moon…

I love the image above that gives a pretty amazing visual of how that happens. This eclipse is a partial eclipse, so the shadow over the Moon will only cover a small portion of her face, a lot like the very cool image below.

Read on with the understanding that the Full Moon is about harvesting whatever you planted before (which certainly smacks of Karma), and that eclipses are disruptive harbingers of change – and that change lasts over a nice little chunk of time, not just on the day of the eclipse.

The Full-Moon is always about culmination – what has been building up to now that’s reaching its fullness – where we are ripe.There may be a sense of closure (or the resistance to a closure), or the need for a transition. When the flower blooms or the fruit is ripe – well, it’s gorgeous, but it is near the end of its beauty and its life. The Eclipse serves to intensify the experience of the possibilities of endings. What’s culminating now is something that possibly began as long ago as 1998/1999, or 2008/2009, or as recently as this past Feb. 2017 if we’re thinking in terms of short term intentions.

Let’s think about what this Full Moon Lunar Eclipse means in your life. The Moon represents your emotions, your instincts, your family and your home – she is all things nurture and mother oriented, and she represents women in general. When she is eclipsed, it’s possible that these are the arenas of life that are coming to fullness, but we have to reach back into the past, or into the dark for answers. The shadow side of who you are in terms of these areas can be intensified and this intensification is the prequel to a letting go or a transition, because whatever the lesson, it is culminating.

With the Moon in the sign of Aquarius, the sign of logic and reason, there’s emphasis on being liberated from something – or on being independent and unique – or of breaking your status-quo, whatever that may be. We are emotionally attuned to that Aquarius type of “individualistic” energy – and since it’s opposite Leo, the sign of the heart, perhaps part of the process here is to balance when and how to step back, with when and how to engage. This eclipse can serve to highlight the difference between logic and heart, and how you may be fostering one of those over the other. With any opposition, and the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse is the mac-daddy of oppositions, the key is balance.

It’s probably close to impossible NOT to know that there is a Total Solar Eclipse coming our way on Aug. 21. You have 2 weeks left to prepare what your new beginnings will be as you’re in the throes of pondering what you’re leaving behind… and those new beginnings revolve around being loving, listening to your heart, and engaging with others (and your inner child) in real way. That’s because the Solar Eclipse is in Leo… So leading with your heart (Leo), yet still engaging the genius in your head (Aquarius.)

If you now your birthchart look to see which houses involve Leo and Aquarius – these are the areas of your psyche and your life that are being powerfully impacted by both eclipses this month – the effects of which will be much longer.

I wish you clarity, balance, and love!

Eclipse Facts:

Eclipses always occur 2 weeks apart, one at the New Moon (Solar Eclipse) and one at the Full Moon (Lunar Eclipse). These 2 eclipses create an “eclipse season.” Sometimes the Solar Eclipse is first in the season, and sometimes the Lunar Eclipse is first.

There is an “eclipse season” every 6 months.

A Lunar Eclipse will not be visible in the part of the world where it is day.

A Solar Eclipse will not be visible in the part of the world where it is night.

 

Partial-Lunar-Eclipse-3

 

Full-Moon-Lunar-Eclise-Chart

Full Moon Lunar Eclipse Chart – from Atlanta GA at 2:11 PM on August 7, 2017