Oct 10 2008

Current Cosmic Weather

A friend wrote today with this: 

I wanted to tell you how much I love your astrology info mailings.  Also, though, I wonder if you could give us a breakdown of what this Mercury retro period is DOING TO US!  Any chance you can enlighten me?   Send me a link?  Anything?  

Below is my response. Please feel free to leave comments and send me questions! I’d love to hear from you!

Mercury Retrograde:  well, this one is in Libra, so while it does impact everyone, it will impact people with planets and points in all the Cardinal Signs the most, meaning if you have stuff in Aries, Libra, Cancer or Capricorn, you’ll feel it the strongest. The focus of this Retrograde is around relationships…specifically fairness and balance within relationships. It’s about how we participate in relating to others…not how we feel about it. If we’re typically involved with people on a level that isn’t balanced we’re meant to take a deep look into ourselves and figure out why. And then we’re meant to change it. If in typical Libra fashion we tend to put everyone else’s need s before our own, believing that they must be more important, then this is the time to really see that. Or if we usually think of only ourselves and go through life being a tyrant, making no true heart connections, we need to see that too. The Retrograde is the catalyst. Reflection is the key. Action is the solution (but only take action AFTER the retrograde is past…say beginning around the 20th or so). This is not the time to be looking outside and placing blame on those that we love. This is about what’s inside…self-responsibility. Right now Mercury Retrograde is connecting to Jupiter, so that if there’s any communication break down over the next few days, its likely to center around making our beliefs and philosophies on life understood. It’s also likely that we become overwhelmed by our thoughts…feeling like we’re turning on ourselves perhaps…the voice in our head can get really loud now. This retrograde can also hold us away from elements of all things Libra: beauty, art, design, our deepest and truest values. During the retrograde we might have a more difficult time finding these things…or we aren’t soothed by them as we usually are. That’s because what we love and value is likely changing dramatically, due to something else that’s going on in the sky.

Saturn/Uranus Opposition:  These two planets are completely unlike each other. Saturn wants to maintain tradition and the status-quo, while Uranus will do anything (ANYTHING) to break down the status-quo and change it for what it believes is better for the greater good. Sound familiar? In the political fight for the presidency, we see an uncannily resonating symbolism: Barack Obama is Uranus, and John McCain is Saturn. It’s like the quintessential battle between light and darkness. Luke Skywalker and Darth Vador. Right now these heavy weight sky gods are in a direct face off, with us in the middle. How do we respond? Do we hold on ever tighter to our old ways and traditions, refusing the winds of change? Become rigid in our beliefs and take on a dogmatic attitude? Or do we honor the change that is so needed, and bow to the needs of everyone (not just those who already have), and embrace the innovative, un-tested, wave toward the future that will enhance life on a broad scale? How do we know what’s best? Some scream for the tried and true and dig in their heels (Saturn), and some cry for equality and radical change for the economy, the environment, and for those without (Uranus). This polarization creates a huge rift not only in the political arena but also in our very Souls. We cannot help but be affected. We feel it at every turn in our lives. Saturn is gravity. Uranus is electricity. Saturn is the long-white beard, while Uranus is the brilliant upstart youth. Saturn is experience while Uranus is rebellion. It’s as though we are being pushed and pulled between these very different and opposing belief systems and we are absolutely required to choose. In the best case scenario, we will find a balance. We will be able to keep what is good, solid, sound, and secure from the past, while embarking on the innovative changes that will establish the new way that incorporates more freedom and more independence for everyone…not just those who already have all that they need. The lesson of this dramatically different opposition IS to find this balance. However, before that can happen realistically, the pendulum must wildly swing, first in favor of one way, and then in favor of the other. Since we’ve already experienced the swing toward tradition and the structure of creating boundaries between us and the greater world, it’s likely that we’ll see it swing the other direction by Nov. 4.

Chiron conjunct Neptune:  With this connection we feel our deepest wounds surface around the quest for the sublime…our journey toward God (whatever that means to each of us). Chiron, The Wounded Healer, and Neptune both have a spiritual connotation. When they meet it’s time to allow whatever isn’t healed within our psyche’s to surface, and to put our focus on everything that’s outside our 5-sense world. What lies beyond the physical realm? How can transcendence of mundane reality help us find our way? With this combination, we can almost touch it. And it is probably painful, but ripe for healing if we can suffer the contents of our unconscious selves to step into the light. What happens when this is too overwhelming is the need to escape. Watch for addictive behavior taking precedence over the better use of the energy…which is to deeply connect with your inner Divine and to heal the rift that keeps you divided from a transcendant spiritual awakening.

 

Sep 16 2008

Planetary Weather for September 2008 – Moving Forward while Holding Back

As all life seems to be, September strikes me as a month filled with dichotomies. Are you feeling it? Are we seeing it in the world? Early in the month both Jupiter and Pluto ceased their long-term backwards motion and moved Direct! Yet, coming up on the 24th, the trickster planet Mercury will begin its tri-annual backwards motion. As you’re pushing forward with one hand, you’re holding back with the other! Additionally, Jupiter and Saturn, two radically different energies are combining efforts for the whole of September, creating a background of pushing the limits toward a new future while simultaneously trying to maintain the status-quo. You can see this clearly in the political arena!

Moving forward:  Jupiter moving Direct frees you to see and experience greater optimism, to make positive advances and to continue your growth and expansion. Jupiter was Retrograde from early May until early September. During this period, you most likely felt that whatever area in your life was being impacted by Jupiter’s backward motion needed more effort and more time than you originally imagined or allotted. This area probably brought you less joy than it did originally. (The area of your life is determined by the House occupied by transiting Jupiter in your personal birth chart) But now you can once again move toward progress with optimism. What a relief!

Moving forward:  Pluto, planet of death, transformation and rebirth, the planet of shared resources (and debt), of magical, profound and subtle healing, was Retrograde from the beginning of April until September 8. With this newly direct movement of Pluto comes the forward momentum for deeper transformation in whatever area of your life that’s being impacted. When Pluto was Retrograde, it could have enhanced the feeling of being out of control of the transited area of your life. Powerlessness is often experienced with this retrograde. You may have felt fearful and were required to do some soul searching. Something in the realm that Pluto Retrograde touched needed to die away, to be reborn in a purer form; but the death has felt too long coming and painfully difficult. The depths to which Pluto can take us might blind us to the true purpose of the required transformation until a later time, when we’ve had the chance to process fully. The shadow now begins to move into the light as Pluto starts to move forward. A release is imminent. 

Holding back:  Another interesting dichotomy is reflected in the trine between Jupiter and Saturn during the entire month. Jupiter expresses, while Saturn reflects. Jupiter expands while Saturn contracts. Jupiter loves excess, while Saturn appreciates frugality. Jupiter represents wealth, while Saturn represents poverty. The combination of these two very different energies can operate harmoniously (as indicated by the trine) creating an atmosphere of restrained and careful positive growth that has the potential to be maintained over time. Think about what’s happening in your life, and ponder on what areas you could best utilize this type of subtle and lasting expansion. Seek new territory and wax philosophical…but still do the work! Throughout September you may be able to express a sense of optimism while being equally grounded by your sense of reality. The downside of this combination, if you aren’t able to utilize it positively, could find you being pulled back and forth between optimism and pessimism, trust and mistrust, or gain and loss.

Holding back:  Mercury goes Retrograde (yes – again!) on Sept. 24 in the sign of Libra, and stays Retrograde until Oct. 15. Mercury Retrograde in Libra bids us to ponder the question, “What is the quality of the relationships in my life?” It’s not so much about how you feel in your relationships. It’s more about how you participate in them. What are the patterns? What techniques do you always use that could stand some true revamping? What sort of creative or social patterns do you generally employ in relationship? Do they work? Do they suck? We’ll probably be given some twists and turns to work out in these areas, slowing us down enough so that we actually spend some time reflecting on these tough questions. Don’t be surprised if you find it more difficult than usual to relate and communicate during this 3-week period. Internalize a bit, keep to yourself more than usual, watch and reflect. Socially this retrograde will be very interesting! To watch this energy at play in the ways that the Presidential Candidates relate to each other could prove quite frustrating. The Retrograde will end less than 3 weeks before Election Day. I feel pretty confident in suggesting that as we move through this period traditionally associated with difficult communication, our own knowledge of the true mind-sets of these opposing forces, and perhaps even our own, will not become much clearer. We probably won’t have any real clarity on who is pulling forward and who is losing ground until about 2 weeks before The Day. I even expect some camp-switching very late into the race. But, for the last week of September (and throughout the Retrograde), focus on yourself and how you can change patterns and habits in your own relationships. Don’t push; simply learn.

Sep 15 2008

Happy (and Challenging) Full Moon!

On Sept. 15th at 5:13 EDT we experienced the Full Harvest Moon. This is traditionally the Full Moon that falls closest to the Autumn Equinox, which occurs as the Sun moves into Libra on the 22nd. Happy Fall! The Full Moon is always a time to reflect on our accomplishments and to see where we have achieved clarity and resolution. It’s also a time of tremendous emotional energy. This Full Moon in Pisces, opposite the Sun in Virgo, is ULTRA charged emotionally, operating with the influence of the radical awakener Uranus, and the powerful transformer Pluto. What does this mean to us? That it’s time illuminate new ways of serving the greater good, using both our ability to discern and judge as well as valuing and working toward our highest ideals; time to see the details of our lives as the bridge to understanding the unity of all life and our role within that total fabric. Uranus will demand change and unleash the maverick mentality (change, maverick…heard those words anywhere lately?), while Pluto will either powerfully destroy or heal the putrid matter that still clings to the progress that is rushing us toward the future. Virgo’s enlightened task is diligent, practical service, but when in shadow, is hypercritical and slandering. (Slander: an untruthful statement about a person that harms the person’s reputation or standing in the community. Seems to be ALOT of that going around!) Pisces’ enlightened task is to imagine the ultimate utopia and unify all disparate sources into one. Yet, when in shadow, Pisces is confused and falls into escapist tendencies. We can clearly see both the light and the shadow sides of these two forces operating strongly in the political race toward the presidency. This Full Moon will mirror full light onto the intricacies and the idealism of both parties, and push them to reconcile reason and logic with chaos and the numinous. In order for one party to win and the other to lose, one must retreat farther into the shadow, and one must step fully forward into the light. Work with this same symbolism in your own life during this Full Moon. What did you begin in March that is either coming to light or stepping into the shadow world at this time? Use the energy of this Full Moon to harvest what is working, to cut away what is not, to boldly and radically step into new emotional territory and to cut away what is dead and transform what still has heart.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.

Steve Jobs’ 2005 Commencement Address at Stanford

Aug 29 2008

I Can’t Help Myself…A bit of politics please

 
Compliments of Sarah Palin

Compliments of Sarah Palin

Last night I witnessed the remarkable speech of Barack Obama as he accepted the Democratic nomination as Presidential Candidate. What a historic moment before 80,000 people in Denver’s Mile-High Stadium!! There’s plenty already being written about this event, but I simply wanted to share how incredibly hopeful I’ve become about the future of our country and the possibility that once again I’ll be able to hold my head up with pride to be an American…instead of feeling awash with shame at the state of our government and the way we treat others under the dubious leadership of George W. Bush.

Basking in the glow of this heady feeling, I learned this morning that John McCain has announced his Vice Presidential running mate. My glow fell from its place of grace around me, and I took on a black cloud as my mantel instead. These two words pierced my brain, and I saw red: Sarah Palin.

Unbelievably the woman that I have waged war against for 2 years is now chosen as the possible Vice President of our country! Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska, aka Wolf Murderer. This is a woman who, against the majority of her constituents wishes, promotes and supports the annual winter sport of aerial wolf gunning. Wolves are driven from cover after the first snows have fallen and chased to exhaustion by small planes and helicopters. Once they’ve been run down, they are gunned down in cold blood. They are calling this savagery “predator control”. Their goal is to bring up the moose population. Why bring up the moose population? So that the Alaskan hunters can shoot them during hunting season!! And, it might interest you to know that Sarah Palin herself, as well as members of her family, are…you guessed it clever reader…moose hunters! That’s quite a step to protect your own self interests. Despite the tens of thousands of petitioners in Alaska signing against the brutality of aerial gunning of wolves, bears and wolverines, she persists in this treacherous slaughter. She has even offered to give a $150 bounty to every hunter who guns down a single wolf.

Sarah Palin is a conservative religious fundamentalist and a pro-life advocate. She now has 5 children…that alone is irresponsible in this time of starvation and child-labor and millions of children who need loving families but cannot be adopted…but her 5th child, born just a few months ago has Down’s Syndrome. How much does Sarah Palin love her newborn? Three days after his birth she was back to business as usual, holding a meeting about the gas pipe line. She announced that she had decided not to take maternity leave. That sort of negates all the gooey press she’s been giving about how blessed she feels to have the opportunity to be mommy to a Down’s baby doesn’t it?

I’ll be looking at the astrological implications of Sarah Palin to see how she fits in to the bigger election picture…and I’ll let you know what I find!

Aug 26 2008

A Total Eclipse of the Heart

The Total Solar Eclipse that honored Planet Earth on Aug. 1, 2008 at 6:22 AM EDT, is one that’s almost purely LEO energetically. At the time of the Eclipse the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, the South Node of the Moon and the Ascendant (the Ascendant from an Eastern Daylight Time perspective) were all in the creative, courageous sign of Leo! And these planets were situated such that they didn’t connect strongly with any other planets. Eclipses are major movers and shakers. They stir up stagnant energy and open new vortices of power. They are intense, hard to ignore and can be felt for months (some claim years) after the event. Eclipses proclaim, “Out with the old and in with the new!” What does it all mean? It means that right now, and for many months to come, the heart, the organ of life and vitality ruled by Leo, has the capacity to be fully engaged. This Eclipse sets up a long-term energetic pattern that supports our ability to connect to our heart’s desire’s, our life purpose, and pushes us to fully and creatively engage in determining our perfect future. It means that if we ever wanted to be the benevolent, strong, courageous ruler of our own life, now is the time to embark. It means that this is the time to listen to your heart, and then act on what it’s telling you! What brings you joy? What makes you feel vitally alive and true to yourself? What sparks your creativity and gets you completely enthusiastic? Answer these questions and you’ll get the answer to your life path. Right now we are being asked to listen fully to our hearts and to commit to our Soul purpose. If you’re saying “YES” and getting goose bumps — then go ahead and allow a total eclipse of your heart! The Universe is supporting you!