Category Today’s Cosmic Weather

Jan 13 2012

Happy Friday the 13th! A little Love and Romance on an Inauspicious Day…

Not the stuff of superstition...

I have a bit of hard time understanding the superstitious fears around Friday the 13th… and this year we’ve got 3 of ’em! So sorry to be the bearer of that inauspicious news to those of you who don’t relish this infrequent date. (After this year there won’t be another Friday the 13th until 2026 according to Charles Walford, columnist for Mail Online in the UK in this very eye opening article.)

Here are a couple of bits of Friday the 13th lore: Friday is considered unlucky in the Christian tradition because it is the day of Christ’s crucifixion. 13 is considered unlucky because Judas, the last and 13th to show up for the Last Supper, was the same disciple who betrayed Christ resulting in his crucifixion. And 13 is the number of turns of the rope that tie the hangman’s noose.

In just doing a little reading I’ve discovered that auto accidents really do go up A LOT on any given Friday the 13th (maybe due to anxiety?) and the real estate business slows down to a trickle… people just don’t want to buy on this inauspicious date and many won’t even think about buying a residence that has the number 13 attached to it. Who knew?

Well this particular Friday the 13th doesn’t have any black magic attached to it that I can see. So take a deep breath and let your fears subside. 

This day looks to be largely about relationships according to the astrology at hand. Venus and Neptune are conjoined lending the possibility of  gentle romance, idealism, yearning for the Other (with the alternate possibility being deception or dissolution in relationships – so there is that to watch out for). Chiron, the Wounded Healer is involved with that combination as is the Moon – there is the potential for healing past transgressions now – particularly with family members and lost loves. And Saturn lends support to our relationships today, helping us to understand and define them and possibly helping to create stability. Mars strokes the Sun lending desire, strength of will and a bit of earthy assertion to the package while the Moon kisses Pluto and Mercury perhaps compelling some of us to want to dig deeply and emotionally for the truth in our relationships and, of course since it is Mercury, to talk about it.

If you are opting out of life today – staying home and out of trouble – watch romantic films, read  poetry, dive into art, or curl up with a good psychology book. Probably a great day to chat with friends, get the scoop on the stars (movie stars that is), and to re-connect. Have a glass or two of wine…

So, happy Friday the 13th! And have fun relating… family, friends, lovers – let them all know how you feel!

Jan 8 2012

The First Full Moon of 2012 – The Cancer Wolf Moon

I went outside about midnight to see how this very special Full Moon is shaping up here in Atlanta, GA. From my computer program I knew where the moon would be in the sky – directly overhead – but I wasn’t sure I’d see it due to the overcast night and drizzling rain. 

But there she was. Shining through the clouds and sprinkles with a hazy ring of orange and gold surrounding her as the clouds were swept by the wind. Despite the damp ground and the slight chill, I laid down for a little while to ponder and reflect. 

This Full Moon is the very first of the New Year – the first of the much awaited 2012. In Native American lore, the first Full Moon in January is traditionally known as the Wolf Moon. I find that fascinating as this particular Wolf Moon is in Cancer directly opposite a Capricorn Sun – symbolizing finding the balance between emotion and practicality, nurture and responsibility, The Great Mother and the Great Father, matriarchy and the patriarchy. My hope is that our goal will be to finally find equality between men and women, and between masculine and feminine energies. A healing is due in this area of our lives and our psyches. 

Wolf packs cannot be categorized as either matriarchal or patriarchal in governance… there is an alpha male and an alpha female who both share the running of the pack. They have found balance in their relationship as leaders – the one completed and supported by the other. As the first lunation of 2012, I believe this speaks volumes as to the landscape of the year to come. We must seek balance between the polarities driven by seeking security, safety and what feeds and nurtures us with how to be effectively and practically responsible to both our ambition and all who fall under our purview.  We can reflect on this idea from many different aspects of our lives: familial, in community, politically and beyond. 

The Cancer Full Moon illuminates the ideals of Mother, and this a beautiful time to cherish our families and both how we are nurtured and how we nurture others who we love and who we are responsible for. In your meditations or in your thoughts tonight and throughout the day of Jan. 8, direct your focus on what nurturing and being nurtured – emotionally and soulfully fed – mean to you. Open your heart and really FEEL what is inside you – what is in front of you and around you. Ponder family and tradition, home and hearth, children, safety and security. 

If you are spiritual, the images of Mother Mary, Gaia, Demeter and Diana are perfect to hold as visions in your heart and mind. The idea is to connect with the energy of the instinctive Feminine offering love, sustenance, deep feeling and security to those she cares and is responsible for.  How does this ideal manifest in your life – whether you are male or female. If you are comfortable in this arena then this a time for you to be juicy and ripe and overflowing – both giving and receiving the blessings of the Cancer Full Moon. If this is an area where you are uncomfortable – feeling out of your element with the depth of emotion and domestic giving symbolized at this lunation, spend some time reflecting on how you came to be uncomfortable here and ponder how you might open your heart at least a little to create balance and a more abundant nurturing space in your life. 

So many facets and faces to see and discover! I wish you an enlightening Full Cancer Moon… perhaps, like the wolves whose name this Moon bears are wont to do, a bit of howling is in order to help us feel as deeply as we can and then release those feelings to The Mother. 

Jan 1 2012

The Birth of the New Year – 2012

Happy, Happy New Year!!! Welcome 2012!!!

Happy New Year One and All!! Birth chart for 2012 - Aries Wheel at midnight.

Intensity of Spirit, Purpose and Emotion welcome us in the first moments of 2012… There’s plenty of fiery enthusiasm and exuberant communication in the air in this New Year and the necessity to balance practicality, strong resolve, perseverance and commitment with high spirits, new ideas, unexpected change and polarized perspectives.  Soul healing is possible if you watch for the opportunities… Happy 2012 Everyone!!

Dec 13 2011

Dec 13, 2011 – No More Mercury Retrograde as of 8:43 PM Eastern time… Look at Mercury Retrograde as Your Own Personal Adjustment Bureau

Matt Damon and Emily Blunt in The Adjustment Bureau - A very Mercury Retrograde kind of movie!

So many of you have struggled with the current Mercury Retrograde… I’ve heard story after story from clients and friends – some of them quite funny and some of them very serious. I’ve had my own misadventures this Retrograde as well! 

When you realize that this Mercury Retrograde period coincided with the New Moon Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius on Nov. 25, the very powerful Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Gemini on Dec. 10 and Uranus going Direct (after 5 months of being Retrograde) at the zero point of Aries, you may begin to understand just how powerful this Retrograde has been. In conjunction with the eclipses it had the potential to be life changing. 

But as of tonight at 8:43 PM Eastern Time Mercury starts to travel forward again and we can begin to get our ducks back into their neat little rows ( or maybe new rows that align with us better) and make sense out of the glitches, accidents, and miscommunications of  the past 3 weeks. Mercury went Retrograde on Nov. 24 – Thanksgiving Day in the United States. I’m sure you’ll look back on that day and laugh about the arguments, travel mishaps and late guest arrivals – once a little more time has passed. 😉

I just want to remind you that if you did experience personal, business, relationship or career issues during the past 3 weeks, they happened either to wake you up to something or to remind you that something needs a little adjusting. Remember the movie The Adjustment Bureau with Matt Damon and Emily Blunt? That whole story was like one huge Mercury Retrograde. There was a team of officials who reported to the Universal Master Mind/God – and who behaved and looked like the FBI. These Adjustment Bureau officials were meant to keep people living in line with the course of their destiny. That film brought up all kinds of questions about free will and fate, but setting those questions aside – I tend to look at Mercury Retrograde periods as your own very positive version of an Adjustment Bureau – not an outside force trying to keep you on their track from the outside, but an Adjustment Bureau from within – as a human responding dynamically and with intention to the energy that is around you.

If you’re strongly impacted during a Retrograde, you likely to have planets or points in your chart that are in the same sign (or a sign squared to that sign) and near the same degree as Mercury during those 3 weeks of retrogression.  You’re being given an opportunity, via communication, transportation, contract, and/or technological mess-ups to pull back, re-evaluate, take a deeper look at and restore whatever it is that’s not quite in sync with who you’ve become and who you are in fact becoming from your own mental perceptions. You’re given the opportunity to adjust your mental attitudes, the way you think about things, the way you communicate with the folks around you. It’s kind of wonderful when you think about it!

This Retrograde was in Sagittarius traveling backwards between 20 and 3 degrees (there are 30 degrees in every astrological sign). So for the signs Sagittarius, Gemini, Virgo and Pisces, this would have been a great time to pay attention to any obstacles or cranks and ask why they were there. And then ask what you can do differently that would put you on a smoother track. Sagittarius is all about the belief system, your philosophies on life, your moral compass and how you judge yourself and others. It’s also about the freedom to expand and grow beyond your current parameters – which are almost definitely parameters that you have set for yourself – even if they came in the guise of job, career, or  family restrictions. So this particular Retrograde will have many of us questioning our current life path en toto – because this one is about adjusting what you believe in.

Now – the Retrograde motion itself is officially over tonight – but the planet doesn’t reach it’s normal speed until early January – the same time as it passes the 20th degree which is where it started its backwards movement. That means we aren’t “out of the shadow of the retrograde” until the first couple of days of January. So you have time to continue to reevaluate, relax, re-do, and restore whatever is appropriate. I encourage you to wait until after Jan. 1 to sign contracts and push forward fully with anything that has come into question. You’ll definitely feel the difference and do begin to flow with the forward motion. Just give yourself plenty of time to plan and lay a strong foundation for any changes that you’re making as a result of this time of adjustment.

And give thanks! Your personal, internal adjustment bureau is looking out for you – not making your decisions for you… just showing you the best places inside or out, that need a little conscious tweaking.

Dec 12 2011
Aside

The energies for the day focus on the Moon, Mars and Venus… think passion, acting from the heart, erotically charged energy with a desire for security in combination with opportunities for courageous encounters, harmony, beauty and loads of charm mixed in. 

Marilyn Monroe: Beauty, charm, eroticism, passion & insecurity - a perfect example of today's combination of Moon, Venus & Mars.

Moon in Cancer and Mars in Virgo are in a sextile combination – a sixty degree angle between them. That creates a fantastic time to act on your passions and to create some beautiful harmony and beautiful opportunities. But this is short lived so act now! It’s a perfect time to act courageously for a cause you really believe in – to be a champion for something worthwhile – particularly women and children.

Moon and Venus are moving into an opposition as the day progresses… if you balance these two energies well you get love, beauty, charm, and a lovely social environment. There can be a dreamy quality within. You may feel inspired by art – either creating or appreciating it. If these two energies are out of balance for you then you may feel a real longing for love and perhaps a need for security. You may feel that you have to choose between love/desire and security. This energy is strongest late night and into early morning Eastern Time. 

“Falling in love” is a phrase that comes to mind when I think of today’s energies. I don’t mean with a person per se, though that of course is possible. But falling in love with anything beautiful and worthy of your passion – a cause, art, a film, a child, an organization that champions something you believe in… let your heart go in this direction and see what you find yourself in front of.

When I think of the Moon, Venus and Mars combined, I can’t help but think of Marilyn Monroe. She was feisty and passionate like Moon/Mars, sexy and erotic like Mars/Venus, and always craving security, protection and love like the Moon in Cancer (today’s Moon placement and it’s natural  home).

Marilyn said:

I always felt insecure and in the way, but most of all I felt scared. I guess I wanted love more than anything else in the world.  (moon in cancer/venus)

Dreaming about being an actress, is more exciting then being one.  (moon/venus)

I’m selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best. (moon/mars/venus)

I don’t mind living in a man’s world as long as I can be a woman in it. (mars/venus)

There’s huge potential for bold action, pleasure and love today. Use these energies wisely and you may create wonderful opportunities!

Today – Love, Beauty, Charm, Passion & Marilyn Monroe

Dec 11 2011

How Does the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse Impact You?

If you have questions about how yesterday’s Lunar Eclipse impacts you and your birth chart – what areas of your life are most profoundly affected and how you can best utilize the energies at hand – please contact me at astrology@michellegregg.com for your choice of a Mini-Session (phone or Skype) or a full Individual Consultation (phone, Skype or in-person). We’ll go over where both recent Eclipses occurred in your chart, what that means to you, and how best to navigate. A Mini-Session is 20 minutes/$30 and a full Individual Consultation is regularly $150, but offered now at the Holiday Rate of $95.

Talk with you soon! And Happy Holidays!

Dec 10 2011

Total Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Gemini – Dec. 10, 2011

There’s a Total Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Gemini tomorrow – today really – Dec. 10, 2011. Those of you who have Gemini, Sagittarius, Virgo or Pisces strongly represented in your charts will probably feel this event more strongly than others. Don’t just think of your Sun sign in this case – your Sun sign is a small part of the entirety of you as symbolized by your birth chart. Look at your Moon sign, your Ascendant, stelliums, planets on the angles, etc. to see what you have in these 4 signs. (If you don’t know your chart, send me your birth info.) 

Some of you, like me, may still be reeling from the New Moon Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius on Nov. 25, 2011. This one will solidify, or layer what happened then. Eclipses bring endings and transformations. You may feel pushed forward into something that makes you feel anxious – but really look at the events and opportunities that are happening in your life. Understand that there’s a reason for the (eclipse) season!

This Lunar Eclipse will illuminate something to do with duality, logic, reason, mental workings, curiosity, information, knowledge – all things related to Gemini. And as all things occur on a continuum – in unbreakable relationship to what is opposite – Sagittarius meanings will be in play as well: seeking meaning, expansion, morality, judgment, education, enthusiasm, religion. Uranus, the planet of independence and revolution, goes direct at about the same time, so there’s likely to be a feeling of expectation and antsy pants… a need for something new. And Mars is squaring this lunation – so tempers may flare. At the least there will be lots of energy.

As you ponder what this eclipse can mean in your life, see if you can remember what was happening in June of this year (the first Total Lunar Eclipse of this Eclipse Cycle) and also try to remember about 19 years ago in December of 1992, the last time there was a Total Lunar Eclipse in Gemini. What was going on then may give you a bit of insight into what this event is all about.

Just remember that all endings make way for new beginnings. Cliche I know – but cliches are true for a reason!

Sep 23 2011

Fall Equinox 2011 – The Power of a Rainbow

Beautiful double rainbow...

Rainbow Story…

This morning on the way back from dropping my son off at school, my mom, who because of progressive dementia is usually not very cognizant of what’s around her, leaned over and said with joy in her voice, “There’s a rainbow!”

Her joy was contagious and as I looked heavenward and found the arching hues, I was astonished. Not just one rainbow – but two, following the same path, one over the other. On a morning that had been the typical rush and push out the door, my equilibrium was immediately restored. I felt my breath deepen, the corners of my mouth lifted into a genuine smile and my eyes were shining with delight. All because of a rainbow – or actually two.

Mom continued to look up and as we moved through neighborhood streets she craned from side to side to keep the gorgeous spectrum of colors in sight. She started talking about the rainbows she had seen as a child and lamented that she never saw them anymore. She asked with wonder what could possibly cause a rainbow? And I described to her the process of light refracting through water droplets in the atmosphere… I could see that she didn’t understand and because her short-term memory is completely gone I was asked how a rainbow is created several times… but it was so nice to be sharing something in real-time with her, both of us steeped in the natural glory of this phenomenon of light and water in the morning sky.

As I drove along with mom at my side, window down to the cool breeze, truly enjoying my new-found happiness, I realized something with a jolt. Today is the Autumn Equinox! A day when light and dark are equal… a day of equilibrium! My pleasure increased yet again. Here we were, rapt by the vision of the reaching colors, feeling connected, feeling joyous and centered – on one of two days in any year that symbolizes balance, equality, mystery and beauty – the balance to be found between dark/light, good/evil. When we stopped at the next traffic light, I took a picture so that I’d have a way to remember my lovely feelings and symbolic realizations.

Fall Equinox 2011 Astrology…

This particular Autumn Equinox occurred at 5:05 AM EDT, Sept. 23, 2011. Considering our feelings during that rainbow drive, it’s not surprising that the astrological alignments today have much to do with balance and beauty.

The Equinox happens annually when the Sun moves out of Virgo and into Libra – and Libra is all about balance, equanimity, grace, and gaining and maintaining equilibrium. Venus, Libra’s ruler, also has everything to do with pleasure, aesthetics and what we value – if you think about it, it is the things we find most pleasing that we tend to value, hence the connection. And not only is the Sun in Libra, but so is Venus herself, as is Saturn.

Venus and the Moon are in a lovely angle to one another today, and when they combine the energies brighten with a desire to socialize with loved ones and create harmony and peace. There is a gentleness to this combination.

And since Venus is also in a very nice combination with Mars, there is an alluring eroticism in the air just waiting to be tapped into by ardent lovers. (Don’t let this one pass you by!)

Saturn touches Venus as well… some may argue that this combination is barren and austere, putting the brakes on our relationships. But the orb is still wide and there is a bright side to these two coming together… Try tapping into these: Simple beauty. Enjoyment of clear forms. Pleasure through structure. The peace of stillness.

There are other prominent energies today… Uranus is opposite the Sun branding us with some volatile energy that revels in the unique, sudden and revolutionary. This coupling also unleashes the quality of the trickster – so be aware that all is not rainbows and unicorns! Still this is an opposition and mirrors the energy of finding balance and equilibrium that Libra portrays.

And of course, we have the long-standing Uranus/Pluto square, which the Equinox is energizing as the Sun is opposite to Uranus and squared to Pluto creating a T-Square, that brings our attention to the combined archetypes of revolution and breaking down the status quo with destruction, re-construction and transformation. But we’ve been mired in that energy for a very long time…

Today, for this beautiful Autumn Equinox, enjoy the more fleeting energies represented by the Sun, Moon, Venus and Mars… go find a little pleasure.

Sep 2 2011

Moon, Venus, Jupiter and the Sun = Lovely Day!

Despite the fact that politically, financially and environmentally things feel like they’re falling apart (the inevitable growing pains of transformation and evolution), and despite the fact that the astrological weather of late has been – well, let’s just say a little intense – today can be a  truly feel good day if you tap into the right energy.

The Moon is in Scorpio – not a light emotional expression to be sure – but it’s in lovely angle to both the Sun and Venus in Virgo. We can find opportunities here for a warm, caring social atmosphere (a neighbor who I see daily just walked by and for the first time smiled and waved at me through my window!) and sincere, deep expressions of caring and service are possible.

Add in a connection between the Moon and Jupiter and you have a recipe for balancing instincts with the intellect… a moment in time when spirits run high and we have fertile ground for pulling together our ethics with our emotions. And anytime the Moon and Jupiter get together we can tap into simple joy – an abundance of noble emotion is there for the asking.

The last feel good ingredient in today’s cosmic soup is a flow of good vibes between the Sun in Virgo and Jupiter in Taurus… at the least we can step forward with gentle confidence (nothing overt as Jupiter is retrograde) and with the assurance of success on some level.

It’s a great day to ponder the meaning of life and your place in it and to share those thoughts with friends and family. Enjoy this moment to catch your breath and relate to those you love!

Jan 15 2010

Today’s Solar Eclipse, New Moon, and Mercury Direct

It’s probably no surprise to any of you that there’s alot going on in the sky at the moment – because there’s alot going on down here. I’m going to try to break it down a bit in astrological terms for you.

This morning, Jan. 15, 2010, at 12:45 AM EST an annular Solar Eclipse began, and at 2:11 AM EST we experienced the New Moon, both events in Capricorn at 25 degrees. This powerful energy, demanding a new course, is filled with the earthy, practicality of Saturn (Saturn rules the sign Capricorn and there are currently 5 planets and the North Node in this sign. That’s alot.) as well as the challenges, boundaries, and restrictions that are also the domain of Saturn.  Known traditionally as the Grim Reaper and harbinger of death, Saturn energy can be  harsh and cruel (Charles Dicken’s Scrooge before his happy transformation is a great example of the shadow personality of Capricorn), and it can also be clear minded, sensible, responsible and will carry through with complete perseverance to the end of whatever is set before it to accomplish. The way I see it, the earthquake in Haiti and the huge response to it is showing us both sides of the Saturn/Capricorn coin pretty clearly.

New Moons always equal New Beginnings and Eclipses require us to change direction or course, and have been known historically to occur simultaneously with huge, life changing events. The ancients believed that an Eclipse was a omen of doom. I don’t cater to that belief as the only possible outcome of an Eclipse, but see them as portals into something new. I believe there can be miracles and evolution – certainly transformation – within every catastrophe, whether personal, local, or global. This New Moon Solar Eclipse has provided us with a very real, very HUGE, portal into evolution and transformation in the very tangible form of this tragic and devastating earthquake. The transformation is certainly occurring for Haiti and Haitians, but also for all of us as our hearts are wrenched, our feelings of helplessness rise, and as we move forward despite hardship to rally forward to help. It is our job to see the miracles that are occurring moment to moment during the rescue and relief missions, and to continue to see them as countries from across the globe pull together to bring relief to this small Caribbean country as it rebuilds, after the shockwaves have dissipated. I am hopeful that somehow the spotlight on this suffering place will open eyes, minds,  hearts and wallets – that it will shift enough people – so that a critical mass occurs and something is done to finally bring Haiti out of such horrific poverty and long-term disease. It IS possible.

If you’ve been reading here, you know that not only is there a Solar Eclipse at hand, but there’s also a Saturn/Pluto square, which is “actual” for about 9 months (Nov. 2009 – Aug. 2010) and”felt” for alot longer. When we combine this energy with the New Moon Solar Eclipse, Mercury going direct, and Saturn going Retrograde, we come up with moment in time and space that is DEFINING. Resources are limited, so we are forced to do more with less, which is a HUGE lesson of our time in our culture.

Mercury going direct means that the channels needed for transporting goods, services, ideas, technology, vehicles etc. are opening up – but slowly. Communication can begin to get back on track. The shadow of the Retrograde continues until the first week of February. It may be that long before the road blocks are cleared and traffic can move effectively, and before we have confirmation of the full extent of the devastation and loss of life in Haiti.

I’ll inform you of the significance of Saturn moving Direct tomorrow.