The Saturn in Sagittarius Transit for Creatives : December 2014 - December 2017 - Part II

Part I is HERE

The people who will feel this transit the strongest are likely Sagittarius rising and Sagittarius sun signs - then Gemini rising and Sun, then Virgos and Pisces (all the mutable signs).

But Capricorns and Aquarius always feel Saturn's changes strongly and everyone has Sagittarius somewhere in their charts. It will feel like an elephant has trampled into that corner of our life. This affects all of us!

If you are a Sagittarius rising, you have Sagittarius in your first house (the house of self) so Saturn's journey into Sagittarius is big news for you.

The Saturn in Sagittarius Transit for Creatives : December 2014 - December 2017 - Part I


Saturn is a slow moving outer planet. He takes about 29 years to cover what the Moon does in about 29 days. This makes his movements serious and important. A second chance to get a Saturn transit right will be a long time coming. We want to get it right now.

Saturn is the 2nd largest planet - a planet of contraction (Jupiter, the largest planet, is the planet of expansion so we expand a little more than we contract) - he's about boundaries, responsibilities, karma, commitments, self-control, solitude - the stuff that defines (meaning = outlines) us.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

http://sandandsisal.com/2013/12/mistletoe-chalkboard-printable.html

Olive has been hiding some fake mistletoe tucked into her bed cushion for days. She smuggled it out of the Christmas decoration box when she thought I wasn't looking. I think she is hoping for a holiday rendezvous with our neighbor's pup Murphy

(as in Murphy Brown not Eddie Murphy - Olive has always had a bit of a sweet spot for the ladies)

or maybe it is like plastic doggie catnip. Either way she seems determined to keep it. And I love a girl who knows what she wants.

Wishing everyone a little hidden mistletoe, some unexpected guests and a whole lot of love this Christmas! xo all

Part II - New Moon in Capricorn - Back to Business - the NEW Work


Part I is HERE.

Today, Sunday, is the Winter solstice (shortest day, longest night of the year). The Sun has moved into Capricorn. The energies at play now are a good indicator of the season ahead - as with all cardinal ingresses. We also have a New Moon today a few hours later.

With all this Capricorn energy this is going to be very much a season of work.

Now work isn't a bad thing. We may think we want to be lying on a beach somewhere drinking margaritas, and no doubt we would for a while. It would get old though (yes, I know I'd like to let it get old, too - but we all know unless our life is terribly off-course we are usually itching to get back to our real life and our life's work by the end of any vacation).

Work doesn't have to mean doing what we don't want to do (although it might). It usually does mean something that isn't easy, something with deadlines and something with ... stress.

Stress isn't a bad thing either. We need stress to get structures to stand (ask any engineer or astrologer). Sometimes, and maybe most of the time, we need it to get ourselves standing, too.

Lots of fire energy still so we are all fired up and ready for change and because Saturn is at his last degree before changing signs in a couple days we are reminded of our journey for the last two years. We are looking back as we prepare to look ahead. We used to be happy with this and now we need that. Think about what we want now and what that looks like. Saturn can represent our career or our public life. When he shifts (as he will on the 23rd) the way we structure our lives shifts, too.

We have a Grand Trine with Jupiter that promises support. Remember back in early autumn I was writing about finding our flock - I hope you did. Even if you didn't, trust that you are supported.

We might find that the people, places and things we used to love are not so inviting to us now. Sometimes when our frequency shifts and it's time for us to move on there is an empty, fallow space, and that is ok - it's part of the grieving process. It's one of the signals that we have changed and don't fit in the space we are trying to cram ourselves into. 

There is an ending energy to this Christmas. This will be different for everyone, but next Christmas we will all look back at this year's holiday and say "that was our last Christmas when .... (fill in the blank)."

There might be a feeling that if we don't do it now it might not happen. This is probably accurate. If we don't do it now we are saying it's not that important. The stuff that is important is the stuff that is drawing our attention right now. There may be a better time, but we don't know that. Now (the next two weeks) is probably that better time. Say YES!

Now, obviously, we have the holidays and some things cannot be fully started, lots of people are on vacation now and lots of things are not fully operational - that's OK - just seed your new thing in some way - take some action to get something new started. Set the intention (New Moon) and take some action (New Sun).

This is another zero degree New Moon - so we start a new lunar (emotional) cycle and a new season for the Sun and the sign is cardinal so this is strong instigating energy. This is about just getting started; the energy will be here to keep whatever we start now going.

Early this morning Uranus stationed and turned direct which is about chaos and change. Our job with this is just to recognize that change is inevitable and our anxiousness about whatever is out of control in our lives is perfectly normal. It's what will push us into the action we need to take. The action will be our way or the highway, most likely.  

Anything trying to fence us in will have a hard time - also remember this with anything we are trying to corral - we are going to need a very big and very loose lasso!

MONTHLY AFFIRMATION TIPS:

my capricorn locket - handmade and recycled
Some Capricorn new moon affirmation areas to think about: security, time, self-discipline, your brand and image, ambition, opportunity, goals, delegation, releasing control, father figures, reputation, your bones, knees, skin and joints

Some I will be working with include:

1. I easily recognize, welcome and enjoy the work that leads to success.
2. I receive and enjoy positive recognition for my work.
3. I easily set personal and work boundaries that create time for me to do the things I love to do
- I shoot for 10 (see Jan Spiller's site for some ideas with these - she calls them monthly wishes, if wishes feels right to you and better than the word affirmation use that)

Get grounded - we're in an earth sign now, so this should be easier - always make affirmations from a  positive place (positive meaning certain) - write your affirmations down by hand in cursive, we want the letters all connecting and flowing together, speak them out loud. I used to write my affirmations on strips of paper and put them into a bowl of rice so I can mix them around every now and then with my fingers if things got stagnant - then release your attention from them knowing that your intention is known.

Lately I have been burning mine and releasing the ashes into moving water. I feel a little more connected with the finality of the results when I do this.  

Know these things are already yours. xo all

December 21st - New Moon in Capricorn - Back to Business - the NEW Work - the Road Narrows Part I


I know you are thinking "wait a minute BACK TO BUSINESS" - I haven't even had my Christmas eggnog, put my tired feet up on the Yule Log (maybe don't try that if your Yule Log is in the fireplace) or found anyone to snooker under the mistletoe, yet!

Last year we had this New Moon on January 1st; this year it's December 21st ... that's how life rolls. I am still working in a few naps and a hot chocolate or two or three; you should, too!

A few hours before the New Moon, we have the Winter Solstice (Sun enters Capricorn). This makes Sunday's Moon an especially powerful time for a new beginning. We will begin to feel the hunger for "something new" right away. Whatever house of your natal chart holds Capricorn will be the part of your life where a fresh start can change your life.

A powerful New Moon on the longest night of the year, so fitting (all the important stuff from seeds in the ground, to seeds in our bodies come to life in the dark after all).

Capricorn is as earthy as an earth sign gets, is ruled by daddy Saturn and presides over the darkest time of the year so you know he is one serious dude.

I'd call him "sir" if I were you. I'm sure he shops at Barneys and carries a platinum card (which he has earned). He is most decidedly not a trust fund baby and does not believe in the 4 hour work week.

This new moon is all about hard work, ambition, common sense, perseverance, efficiency, organization and responsibility (results are to be expected but not overnight results).

For most of us there will be no doubt about the rug that has been pulled out from under us, the brick wall we are facing or the sure thing that no longer feels quite so sure (the next steps may not be totally clear, new moons are dark and the season is dark, but we will definitely know what is not working) - we just have to set the intentions for change that set the wheels in motion.

Intention is action.

Our old plan has been torn down anyway - the only direction open to us is another direction. I am not sure it matters which one. Toss a coin. Or better yet, get quiet and grounded and decide. We don't want to give so much weight to the 'steps' that we get paralyzed. We can change the direction of our steps. We can hesitate. We can fall on our ass and get back up. Lots of paths lead to the same place. Our intention must be fixed though.

"... and the truth is that as a man's power grows and his knowledge widens, ever the way he can follow grows narrower. Until at last he chooses nothing, but does only and wholly what he must do ...." - Ursula K. LeGuin

A good use of the day would be to focus our vision and intent for the new year. I know it feels early to do this, jump the gun a little. This is a supercharged moon and stuff will manifest quickly, for good or bad.  Set your intentions in a positive and affirmative manner (more on this tomorrow).

Uranus is also stationing direct (that's tomorrow's part II along with Saturn's new role). Uranus is the part of us that is rebellious and individualistic. Few prospects are more terrifying than stepping away from the pack.

You will have to stop back tomorrow to see where I am going with this. I have a hot date with a rebellious Uranus ruled Aquarius, a certain Mr. Bilbo Baggins and a bucket of popcorn. xo all

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xo all

Full Moon in Gemini on Saturday, December 6th - talk less, say more, clever conversation - language is magic

My Gemini Locket
The Sun is in Sagittarius so we know our beautiful, hopeful and happy - Full Moon on Saturday will be in Gemini (Sagittarius polarity - although with mutable sides things are not so polar opposite).

This is the culmination of June's New Moon in Gemini, so something from that time is finishing. Also energy from the New Moon two weeks ago is reaching its peak now

The Gemini/Sagittarius polarity is mutable. It's flexible, adaptable and thrives on change.

Mutable signs are restless and prepare us for the change of seasons. They are the breakdown and break away before the breakthrough.

Gemini is ruled by Mercury

(who also rules Virgo - Mercury was the messenger of the Gods and the Messenger God, after all)

and Mercury rules our 3rd house of day to day communication and language. It also rules siblings, neighbors, local travel, early education, transportation - movement. Its polarity sign is Sagittarius, where our Sun is hanging out this month, rules the 9th house of the larger world aspects of movement. So big picture thinking and processes, philosophy, higher education, foreigners, long distance travel, etc.

During a Full Moon we always have the Moon and Sun in their polar positions (that's what creates the full moon!) so the energy we are working with is the play between the two signs in this case Gemini and Sagittarius, their 2 houses - the 3rd and 9th and their ruling planets Mercury and Jupiter.

We have a bunch of other stuff going on this month including the 6th of the seven Pluto/Uranus squares (the last was this one in April) and I will post about this during the week because it's very impactful and important. These squares are the breakdown of corrupt social policies and systems - the dissolving of the safety nets that were never real anyway - no matter how strong you make a net there are still a whole hell of a lot of holes to fall through, and a hell of a lot of people have.

On a personal level, this is pushing us to connect with our hearts and our purpose and understand the Hopi message that we are the ones we have been waiting for (the processes connected with these lessons have sometimes been hard especially if we are determined to hold onto the things that are leaving). This is the roller coaster ride we came to planet earth to experience.

For now, this Moon is a sort of 'party break' before the square happens later in the month, so let's enjoy it.

The holidays are approaching and we are all super busy. This is the perfect weekend for a celebration and if we can work in a heartfelt toast to get the party started even better

Mercury (ruler of Gemini) is the Magician card in tarot - the magical, invocative power of voice, language and craft to shift reality. The power of our words to create magic is especially potent now.

This Full Moon in Gemini is all about communication so things will probably come up now that have us thinking about the way we get our point across, the way we present our ourselves, the way we show up and most especially what we are a voice for.

We are at a collaborative turning point for our collective - we are all in this together. Grateful, generous hearts are needed. Grateful, generous words will open the hearts of others. The less we say the more powerful our words are when we use them - keep this in mind. Our words will be remembered so let's make them memorable ... and kind.

Get outside tonight and tomorrow night and walk in that full moon- the energy is especially strong in the winter and this is our last full moon of 2014. Breathe deeply. xo all

10 Ways for Makers to Balance Work and Family During the Holidays


The holidays can be a very stressful time for makers. We have to make the money while the money is there to be made kaching!

(see my post from last year's Team Eco Etsy blog on 16 Ways to Sell More on Etsy this Holiday Season)
and we want need to have an actual holiday with our families.  

The memories, like the money, don't get a do-over in January.

Before I was a maker I had a mall cart business and before that I was a bank manager.

When I was a bank manager the winter holidays were easy-peasy. We had three holidays in November and I always used a personal day or two in December for a long shopping weekend. Clients weren't so focused on their money and upper management took a lot of time off, making my job much easier.

I was still busy but had time to do all the family and school holiday stuff. Cookies were baked, stockings were hung, presents were wrapped, carols were sung

(yes, I'm channeling Seuss this morning).

When I started my mall cart business my holidays did a complete 180. I would open every year on Halloween, work every day until Thanksgiving (which I would COOK - what was wrong with me?!), re-open on Black Friday at the crack of dawn and come up for air at 3pm on Christmas Eve.

We'd put our tree up that night and the gifts I gave my family were purchased during slow times within 50 feet of my mall cart.

My daughter was a teenager then and I'm still convinced, although I have never been able to convince her, this was not a totally terrible way to do the holidays. Some years she was lucky and I was near Pac Sun and Claire's. Other years she would spend Christmas morning moaning over Yankee Candles and Mrs Fields Cookies. She still grumbles about it - I think it was character building.

Selling online is kind of the middle ground. We go totally nuts, if we're lucky and prepared, and then things slow down when it becomes too late to ship and we get a few days of holiday time with our families. Hanukkah falls into that last week this year, too, so if we celebrate that one, we just need to close a couple days earlier.

Here are some tips I think will make the next few weeks easier:

1. Let's get our own holiday shopping done NOW. Our days of casually strolling the mall and local shops during December ended when we decided to open a business and sell the things we make. Also it goes without saying if we want people to buy our handmade whoseewhatsee we should be supporting other makers by buying theirs. If we want people to be shopping local we should be shopping local. If we want people to be shopping online we should be shopping online.

2. Focus on what works. If our Etsy shop is outselling our website this isn't the time to re-vamp our website. Focus on our Etsy shop. If we sell better at craft shows, put our focus there. If our best selling product is our floral lime green belt focus on selling that in other places or other sizes or other colors. Don't waste time thinking about how to sell that thing that never sells. Our time is limited - do what works.

3. Say No. We can't do everything. "No" is hugely empowering and yes, we may have to live with the stomach upset afterwards. That's what ginger is for. Really, it works, buy some this week.

4a. Stick to a strict schedule. Let's determine the dates for our last supply orders, last discount sale, last shipping, etc - now. These kind of things need to be pretty much written in stone. We know how long it takes to make our whoseewhatsee, set a work schedule that works. I have a giant calender and like to write things down. Technology tools are available. As soon as we have the dates for the kid's play and concerts and any holiday parties we want to attend, add them in.

4b. Don't stick to a strict schedule. There are no absolutes. The days of someone telling us how to do all this ended with our final paycheck. If our schedule can't be a little flexible there is no point in being self employed. It's usually the only perk.

5. Eliminate distractions. We don't have time to be checking Facebook or Instagram or answering emails all day long (I  do this stuff while my tea heats and my kettle whistle puts a stop to it). A TV on in the background makes me nuts and I doubt makes anyone more productive. I could be wrong though. I get a few Audible books to listen to while I work, although on really crazy days I need silence. And yes, I can hear my racing heart as the clock ticks toward 5pm when my post office closes.

6. Get help. Delegate. It's all hands on deck time. It's not really illegal to use child labor if they are related to you and paid in gingerbread cookies. Any time saved on one activity adds time for another activity. You can't just triple the amount of things you normally do and expect to function. Hire or beg for help.

7. Let stuff go. The housekeeping police will not be at our house checking for dust bunnies this holiday season. Something has to give.

8. Respect other people's holidays, too. Let's not have some poor woman in Peoria overnighting us supplies on December 15th we should have ordered in November. Expect that the mail will be slow. We don't want to freak out at the post office and create a scene that will be the talk of the town for years to come, trust me on this one ....

9. Everything that can wait until after the holidays waits until after the holidays starting today.

10. Family comes first. They have to because we have to live with them plus of course we love them and all that jazz. Prioritize accordingly. We really don't have to be shipping until the very last minute. December isn't the end of the money train. Next year and new opportunities will be here soon enough. xo all

New Moon in Sagittarius, November 22nd - FRESH START & LEAP OF FAITH

my sagittarius aromatherapy locket
On Saturday, the Sun moves into firey, fun loving Sagittarius and the Moon follows a few hours later. This gives us another zero degree New Moon.

(if the New Moon was 5 days after the Sun, we would have a 5 degree New Moon, etc)

Once again we won't have the preparation we usually get with the Sun clearing the way ahead of the Moon and easing us into new territory - it will just be BAM 

welcome to the the bright, new world of Sagittarius!

This will feel much better than last month's headfirst dive into the murky waters of Scorpio. This one will feel like we are pulled out of the deep ocean and tossed onto the sand and into the LIGHT!

(there could still be alligators patrolling the shores though, so don't lose a leg coming aground eyes closed and blinded by the sun - take a little time to get your bearings but don't take too long)

Sagittarius is a fun-loving sign that rules travel, freedom, adventure, legal stuff, higher education, good luck, faith, religion, prayer, optimism, problem solving, truth seekers, boldly going where no man has gone before, the quest  -

it also rules carelessness, taking shortcuts, thinking we are right, making assumptions, throwing pink paint on problems and hoping they will go away, overconfidence, impatience and superficial fluff.

Sagittarius is a mutable sign. The mutable signs prepare us for the change into the next season.

Mutable signs are service signs and Sagittarius is in service through the exploration of Truth - this could be legal truth or political truth but its most especially spiritual truth - its highest purpose is enlightenment and expanding what is known. The lower level energies rule religious wars, legal battles and political bullshit.

Sagittarius is a fire sign like Aries and Leo.

Fire signs like action - their reasons for taking action are different though. Aries energy wants to climb the mountain, first because it's there and second because there is a competition going to see who can get there first.

Leo energy wants to climb the mountain because they have heard there is a film crew waiting at the summit and they have a new GoPro themselves and will be broadcasting daily to their fans through Facebook.

Sagittarius energy wants to climb the mountain to see what the hell it feels like to climb a mountain and how it feels to reach the top. They want the adventure; they want the quest.

(they could be unprepared and throw their back out 100 yards from the summit, too, then they will turn their convalescence into a party for the sherpas and make THAT the adventure)

This is the energy we are all stepping into now. What part of your life can use a little adventure? That's the space to use this energy most effectively.

For makers during the holiday season there are a couple things to think about:

First, fire signs are great initiator energy (see my post here about using astrology to determine the best dates to launch). So, if you have something new to get out there - the two weeks after this New Moon - don't use the zero degree Saturday - are prime time for a universal kick start! Most especially when focused on Sagittarian ideals.

Second, this is great energy to over commit and take on too much. Then we will under-deliver and disappoint. Better to under promise, over deliver and come out on top. Set up your deadlines right after this New Moon and give yourself some cushioning. Keep plans do-able for now. It is easy to get carried away when we come into this much light this quickly.

The real gift of Sagittarius is the freedom to be who we really are - how are we going to use this gift?

As always, write your New Moon affirmations down - I sometimes use strips on paper and bowls of rice, so I could jiggle them around now and then - but again this month I am feeling the urge to burn them and just know they are done. You don't have to make stuff happen with this, you just have to see what comes up and then take the action that feels right on that.

Trust the process. We have cast our spell.

People always say that affirmations "only work if you take action". And this is true, but not in the way most people think because the affirmation is action.

It sets the energy in motion. Words are not just words. If done properly, in the right frame of mind, it lines us up energetically with the thing we are seeking. The new moon is a time of darkness but there is lots of hidden action in the dark.

(yes, even that kind, all creation starts in the dark after all)

Look at what kind of experiences have been coming your way lately. How have you called them into your life?

There is often a wave of resistance that arrives when we begin stepping into our power. This resistance can manifest as physical health problems, relationships that mirror our shadows, self-sabotaging "mistakes" or when it seems like “fate” intervenes and creates road blocks or sends us  back to “feeling and playing small” - back to square one.

This "upper limit" thing, set by familial programming and energy patterns (although I believe we came on to this planet vibrating at exactly the frequency that drew us to our family) that is so common when we are in the process of shifting our self-definitions and expanding our influence and responsibility. Something gets in the way, often something that appears to be outside our control - this is all illusion of course, but how do we work through this? How do we move outside our energy patterns?

A thing we can do right now and it sounds like a small thing but there are no small things - is to set a few affirmations within the energy of this New Moon - it will just take you a few minutes of concentrated effort. Do it SATURDAY MORNING or afternoon if possible. xo all

just because she's beautiful doesn't mean you aren't - part V - repairing our comparing gene

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/416512665510246265/


See Parts I, II, III, IV

So, I have been re-languaging my verbal life and finding it actually is re-languaging my inner life. We are either congruent or we fall apart after all.

Positive language (positive meaning certain) is a nemesis of scarcity thinking. Scarcity thinking results in comparison. Comparison is the thief of joy (to quote Teddy Roosevelt). Nobody gets to steal our joy and we certainly don't want to be tossing it away ourselves. Let's not do that.

If it means we have to step away from Facebook or Pinterest or the cafeteria at work or whatever space triggers the 'compare' gene for us, just step away for awhile. Maybe a long while.

Another way to keep from comparing ourselves to others is by pursuing things that cannot be measured. This isn't some kind of cop-out, this is the actual stuff we are here for. Love, happiness, generosity, empathy, compassion, beauty, humility - how can we measure any of this? The more we remove ourselves from society's definitions of success the less negative impact these representations have on us.

Aging is a perfect example. There is simply no way for women to grow older and stay sane without letting go of modern society's definition of beauty. And, of course, the same can be said for men and women of all ages and photo-shopped images and surgically corrected people.

Aging is particularly powerful because we either hold on to something that is definitely leaving or we let go, trusting something better is on the other side. And it is. Anytime we let go of our need to "compare", we win, because the spaces we think we are coming up short have no power over us anymore.

We can also literally change what we are looking at. Anytime we find ourselves comparing our inside to someone else's outside - and this applies whether we come out on top or bottom of this no-win head game - we can take a walk. Go outdoors. We can allow the change in our surroundings to create the change we need in our thinking. This always works. And if the feeling comes back we can just take another walk - not only will we have calves of steel, we will have made friends with all the dogs in our neighborhood and maybe even an actual person aka neighbor.

(of course if this change in scenery takes us to our neighbors gorgeous flower gardens let's not compare them with our own wilting begonias - remember if the grass is greener over there, it's probably because they water it)

I used to be envious of a neighbor's beautiful roses until I started growing my own. They are a lot of work. Mine will probably never be up to her standards of remarkableness. I am perfectly happy with them though. And now, knowing how much work she puts into hers I am grateful I get to enjoy them without having to actually maintain them! I moved my desk this summer for a better view.

Which brings us to gratitude - another way to stop this comparing syndrome is to be grateful for what we have (which always attracts more).

Look for chronic patterns. Some moms get tense when other moms are bragging about their kids. So, if we do this - we recognize it. We don't bury it. We don't judge it. We just look at it. We ask ourselves what this tension is really about. It is never about the other person - the one who is annoying us with her story about Janie's latest win on the soccer field. They are just mirroring an issue for us.

The Sun is in Scorpio until November 21st - this is the time to look deep at what is really going on with our triggers. There is great energetic support to release the stuff that isn't working for us now.

Something I have found that really helps with the 'compare gene' is Bach's Flower Therapy treatments. I took a course about them and have a couple books. I am not an expert though so do your own research and trust your heart.

(I would say trust our gut but if we have been filling it with junk food, it's not much good to us)

I like Oak, White Chestnut, Willow, Chicory, Impatiens. I am going to do a post about them next week. Until then enjoy this amazing Autumn weather - although it felt more like July than late October here in New Jersey today! xo all

New Moon Solar Eclipse in Scorpio, October 23rd - let's go for the NEW


prestige by iNeedChemicalX

We have a magical New Moon in Scorpio on Thursday. This is happening at 0 degrees so its ability to start something potent is extra powerful! First the Sun will move into Scorpio, followed by Venus (our values, love, money), then the Moon joins the party.

We had this same degree solar eclipse in October 1995 - so think back to what "new" was created for you then and what has happened since. The New Moon energy boost lasts about two weeks (so take some new action within this time frame). The stuff put into motion now can last for years.

Scorpio is powerful so be prepared to commit to what you start nowActually commit as if your life depends on it ... because it does.

There are multiple beneficial aspects to this one for all of us. This New Moon is conjunct magnetic Venus which adds up to a major new beginning around love, money, values or self-esteem. Neptune in Pisces removes our rational upper limits and encourages us to dream big. Mercury stations direct two days later and we get the answer we need to move us forward. On Monday, Mars moves into Capricorn and we have the energy and drive to make this thing happen.

If you have any planets 0-4 degrees in a fixed sign (Scorpio, Aquarius, Taurus and Leo) you will feel this eclipse energy the strongest.

Scorpio is the sign of elimination so old desires will end now - the void left behind will attract new stuff that lines up with who we are becoming.

This is the time to jump on to a more beneficial train track - why head to Camden when there is a train to Maui leaving, too!

The void we might feel now does not need to leave us with shaky legs - we can know the right stuff will find us. Shaky isn't always a bad thing. We can be shaky with fear or shaky with excitement. In its highest incarnation Scorpio is the Phoenix who rises from the ashes. There is no more powerful sign in the zodiac.

With a Scorpio what you see is what you get - and what you don't see is hidden on purpose. Keep that in mind now. This eclipse, as the energies play out over the next couple weeks, will create focus. I wrote an earlier post about how Scorpio allows focus that might make this point clearer.

A New Moon is always an opening - let's trust in our ability to make an amazing life in this wild, wonderful world!

my scorpio aromatherapy locket
As always New Moons are excellent times to plant seeds with our intentions - everything starts life in the dark after all.

Setting intentions for Scorpio stuff during a Scorpio new moon is very powerful.

These intentions can include (list courtesy of astrologer Jan Spiller) - empowerment, change, crisis skills, self-mastery, sex, soul mates, financial partnerships, avoiding power struggles, secrets, psychology, charisma, restoration, forgiveness, obsessions, compulsions, strength, loans, debts, taxes, inheritances, contracts, revenge, jealousy and guilt.

I usually list my affirmations here but this month mine are words I need to write just once and burn - here is a link to an example of affirmations and tips from another month. xo all

just because she's beautiful doesn't mean you aren't - part IV - the I should be doing "more" syndrome & women who wear purple

she's probably in here somewhere

See Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3

(yes, if you are reading this in one sitting, you will need a cup of coffee ... and a muffin ... and maybe probably an aspirin)

I thought I was doing pretty good re-languaging my life when we went out to dinner for my daughter's birthday last week and half way through the meal my daughter said I was driving her crazy (in the way only a mother can do) by repeatedly saying "that's not bad" every time I ate something new.

You might remember from my last post this was exactly the kind of language I have been trying to avoid! Ugh!

I thought ditching the "n'ts" when I was saying something positive would fix this - I did keep myself from saying "this isn't bad".

I said the exact same thing in a different way though.

I guess it's a challenge for me to say, "this is good", or great or delicious without consciously pushing my tongue to use positive language. When I stay unconscious with my language I just naturally want to go the other way. I can see my rules need to be expanded and I am an Aquarian with a Scorpio rising (plus an oldest child and tone deaf singer). I really hate rules.

(and now that I have written this I can see clearly how my rule making is negative, too - always about what not to do - see how this stuff works? - it is deep and tricky - it's like I have swallowed a whining David Blayne.)

This series is not about negative language and this is all subconscious stuff although I do think this way of going through life makes us more prone to a scarcity mindset. It doesn't matter which comes first or what creates what with this stuff - I do know we can often change something by changing something else.

I attended an astrology class years ago and one of the other students was always complaining about work. She loved her job but her relationship with her co-workers was a mess. I can't remember the specifics. I do remember this woman always wore purple. Maybe just this one thing was enough to annoy the hell out of people. I don't know. Totally possible.

One day the teacher turned to her and said, "Enough already about your co-workers. Get a dog". Now this teacher was a master astrologer and enough of a guru to this woman for her to immediately head to the nearest shelter and pick herself out a beautiful blue eyed Akita mix.

Within days her relationship with her co-workers had greatly improved (pets and work are both 6th house in astrology - as well as health, routine, etc -  so a problem with one often can be fixed with attention on another). She even started to join her office mates on their long Wednesday lunches, something she always griped about before. She thanked the teacher for his wisdom.

We noticed over the next few weeks she never complained about work anymore. She complained about her dog all the time though. This woman had Aries in the 6th house and Aries needs an adversary. I am not sure if an adversary who pees on the carpet is better than one who sits next to you in a cubicle, maybe she could have just joined a gym and fought with the treadmill .... changing something by changing something else works though.

I don't think negative feelings that come up after seeing someone else's bright shiny new thing is about jealousy. I don't want anyone else's life. My life is pretty freaking amazing. I just know after seeing some of this stuff I don't feel so great.

For me, it creates the "I should be doing more" syndrome. For example my Facebook friend who is always on vacation has me thinking "why haven't I created a business that can run without me so I can be laying on the beach somewhere warm and tropical while lockets and cork continue to fly across the country and into my customer's waiting hands and mailboxes." I feel like what I am doing isn't enough because I actually have to do it. What kind of ridiculous thinking is this? We can't win this game.

I will tell you my next two steps in my final post next week. The pie really does have an infinite number of slices - there really is enough for all of us.

xo and happy weekend all

NOTE - We have a New Moon in Scorpio next week (I will post about it then) - it's an eclipse and at 0 degrees Scorpio - a 0 degree eclipse in the complex sign of Scorpio is a true new beginning. Stuff we have been trying for could now line up for us. Mercury will move direct two days later and we will know what to do. Get ready.

We are heading into Scorpio season - shop for a Scorpio locket necklace for your favorite Scorpio and get a FREE extra lid set now.

FULL MOON Lunar Eclipse in Aries October 8th - relating to other people without losing ourselves

https://www.etsy.com/listing/63197504/you-at-last-smiling-moon-illustration?ref=shop_home_active_7&ga_search_query=moon
you at last by meluseena

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth and Full Moon form a nearly straight line and the Moon passes through the Earth's shadow. We don't need any special gizmos to view it and it won't hurt our eyes like a solar eclipse, so we can feel free to go outside and get a really good look! The lunar eclipse is from about 6:30-7:30 AM EST tomorrow morning.

An eclipse is powerful stuff. It will eclipse something out of our life or out of our way.

Some people may have felt the effects of this around September 8th-10th or will feel it around November 8th-10th; most people will feel it within 5 days of the actual eclipse.

This Full Moon is in Aries and is the culmination of that monster New Moon we had in April with that bad-ass Grand Cardinal Cross. Aries is the sign of the warrier (and the worrier) so there is no sitting this one out.

Just before the Full Moon, the Moon will square Pluto and conjunct Uranus setting off a Uranus/Pluto square. This is the energy that creates big changes.

Pluto in Capricorn will be squaring Venus in Libra. This feels very possessive - we want what we want with this one. What will we do to get it? What if we finally get clear that what we want is not what we thought we wanted at all .... well, I guess we are going to find out.

This eclipse energy is about opportunity. 

This is the Aries/Libra polarity (which is more than a locket - warning shameless plug ahead - but the locket is pretty awesome, too) of independence vs. interdependence, how we give, how we take, how we relate to other people without losing ourselves, what flock we are flying with these days and of course our closest relationships.

We've got Mars in Sagittarius wanting us to move into new territory and take action with something foreign to us (maybe spirituality or travel or higher education or people from another country or distant relatives or grandchildren) and we have Jupiter in Leo aspecting the Sun and highlighting something expansive that gives us purpose and is something we can be proud of.

These may be the means we use to move through this - "me vs. us", "assertion vs. compromise" stuff - everything we see played out in the larger world is happening in our own lives and heads, too. We probably won't be able to sit on our feelings right now (try to keep a cool head though) or the sidelines either. And we won't want to!

If something in our life is doing the opposite of this - that could be the stuff that will make way now.

If it seems like really good and important stuff is being eclipsed out - relook (Mercury is retrograde the "re's" rule now) at the situation - we may be able to see the honor in the timing of this passing away and the gift left in its wake.

Here's to clear skies and long walks in the moonlight tonight and tomorrow night everyone! xo

just because she's beautiful doesn't mean you aren't - part III - re-learning clear speech & Mercury Retrograde


Mercury is retrograde. We are in the season of "re" now.

(redo, reconnect, rethink, repeat, revise, redesign, recuperate, repair - you get the idea)

It is the perfect time for big universal energetic support to re-language our thoughts and conversations to dismantle our negative talk and limiting beliefs which I am convinced are at the root of the scarcity mentality that creates so much pain in the world (at least my world!).

See Part I HERE
See Part II HERE

Limiting beliefs are the thoughts, stories and 'spells' (more on spells a bit later in these posts) that we invite, through our own words, into the deepest spaces inside us and sometimes expel out into the world as conversation that inhibit our potential and limit the choices we make in our life.

For most of us, there is less question about whether or not our words are powerful as there is about how to best use this power to improve our world.

I have always loved anagrams and cryto-quotes and similar kinds of word puzzles. I had a bit of an obsession with them as a kid actually - also mythology, astrology and Rumi.

(And yes, all these things will work there way into this series. I was also obsessed with my metal wheeled roller skates, Ellen O'Neal and Tiger Beat magazine - luckily for you, dear reader, I will leave them out of this one.)

Words are powerful.

I love how "word" and "lord" can be combined to create "world". And "uni" meaning one and "verse" meaning word or poem or song makes "universe". And a spell is a s-p-e-l-l.

And dog is God spelled backwards (maybe especially that one).

You might be familiar with the Bible story of the Tower of Babel - which is the story of God's displeasure at humankind's progress after the great flood. Everyone speaking the same language and working together meant soon nothing would be out of humankind's reach. This worried God so much that he scattered everyone all over the planet and changed their one language into many as a way to dis-empower everyone.

One nugget to take from this story is that Babel babble = dis-empowerment. This is the same story we work through every Mercury Retrograde. Mercury is the God of communication. We honor Mercury when we speak our truth, when we think through our thoughts before we say our words, when we say more and talk less.We dishonor Mercury when we babble. We also dis-empower ourselves.

So, the first step in my "Mercury Retrograde re-languaging, limiting belief busting, scarcity thinking mindset dismantling practice" is to eliminate the word "want" from my vocabulary, yes in all situations.

Want isn't the step before have. 

Want is the opposite of have. 

This is important. 

And I don't mean this in a "The Secret" kind of way. I mean this in a mindful language - say what we mean because what we say matters - kind of way.

We have heard this all before - how saying want keeps us in a state of wanting, but what it actually does is keep us in a state of not having.

I started this last week. I would never have believed how often I use the word 'want' - just changing this one thing has my head spinning.

I am also eliminating the 'nts when I mean yes. For example by saying things like "doesn't it taste good? isn't it great? didn't you love it? wouldn't you like one?" - I don't use negatives often in this way. I have caught myself a couple times though. These sentences should be "does it taste good? is it great? did you love it? would you like one?". Also eliminating the word "but" which we all know negates everything that comes before it.

So, the first step in our re-languaging this Mercury Retrograde season (which lasts for 3 weeks and is just enough time to establish this practice as habit)- eliminate the word "want" in all forms - substitute "desire" or "choose" or change the sentence around entirely to make it more powerful and eliminate babble.

For example - I just caught myself saying - "I want to be alive to dance at Sully's wedding." I did a quick mental CANCEL (gently imagined myself hitting the keyboard delete key) and then said "I will love to be alive to dance at Sully's wedding!".

I also said, "I want the tiramisu" and then re-languaged it to, "I'll have the tiramisu."

step 2 - eliminate "but" in all forms. Use "and" or form a new sentence.
step 3 - eliminate the shortened version of not "n't" when we are not saying not. (got it?!)

Up Next in Part III - just because she's beautiful doesn't mean you aren't - speaking our reality, why this stuff matters

just because she's beautiful doesn't mean you aren't - part II - scarcity thinking


Part I is HERE.

We live in a world where everyone's "bright shiny new thing" that is happening to them is visible to us. We have always sort of lived in this world, our world is just a whole lot bigger now (or smaller depending on how you look at it), so there are a lot more bright, shiny new things to see.

When we were kids and the neighbors got a new car, everyone probably hopped in for a ride and then we walked home with parents wondering aloud if the Browns could really afford that. Or maybe, if we were lucky, we walked home with parents excited for their friends' good fortune.

I want to be the person excited for everyone else's good fortune.

(and yes, I know as soon as I write this, life will offer me the opportunity to learn how to do this through practice by providing some really great fortune to someone I know - I hope it is YOU - please buy a lottery ticket and ... remember your friend Cat from Jersey)

I don't want to be the person grumbling to myself about how someone could be on vacation again. But I am. The grumbler, I mean. I want need to stop.

And yes, I know that everything isn't as wonderful as it seems in Facebook land and other public places. I realize I cannot be comparing my inside to someone else's outside unless I am determined to come up short (my inside is probably a rather messy place after all).

But there is some kind of scarcity mindset at play here.

I truly know we either live in a world of lack or a world of abundance and we get to live in the world we believe we live in. Yup, it's as simple as that.

I know this. It doesn't always stop the grumbles though.

(although a slice of pizza might - giving up dairy is making me batshit crazy folks)

The topic of scarcity interests me because I never feel as if I have enough time.

I know this is just something I believe. I also know this is not an absolute truth. It is just something that I have made true for me. I am determined to un-make it.

I'm busy, You're busy. We're all busy. Some people though are still creating time for hobbies and vacations and to get their car registered online before it's too late and they have to waste half a day at the DMV and they find the time to pay their credit card before the $35 late fee kicks in and to get to a freakin' dentist.

Psychological research has shown that when we experience emotional deprivation in childhood, this feeling of not being important or lovable enough can persist into adulthood as a “deprivation mindset.”

(since I am a student of evolutionary astrology I am not so quick to blame our childhood, since I believe we pretty much magnetized ourselves into exactly the situation we not only needed to be in, but that we were already a match for)

We may never feel as if we have enough of the things we need.

And actually this post is starting to feel like the leaky cup stuff  I wrote about almost 2 years ago (see time really is flying!), and the timing of this makes perfect sense to me actually (more on that later).

This "not having enough of the things we need" can show up as money stuff (I know from my days in banking that almost no one ever thinks they have enough money, no matter how much they actually have) and relationship issues, but any perception of lack can have its roots here.

This scarcity way of looking at things; this thinking that someone else having something means there is less for us is an unconscious thing. 

(it's not like I think someone has actually taken my seat on that airplane to Mexico after all)

But it affects what we notice, how we weigh our choices, what we decide and how we behave.

It's a bit like negative thinking - negative thinkers can reach the finish line just like positive thinkers can (I don't actually believe in finish lines, but I think you know what I mean here).

Positive thinkers see the opportunities and are able to act on them, negative thinkers see the problems and are able to avoid them. Both ways of thinking can get us from A to B - one of them is just a hell of a lot more fun and is nicer for others to be around. I think my own life could be a hell of a lot more fun and less frantic with some mindset tweaks. Next post I will tell you what I am doing and you can see if anything resonates with you and might be helpful..

UP NEXT - just because she's beautiful .... part III - how to know there is enough for us

New Moon in Libra September 23 - 24, 2014 - bringing us into relationship

my Libra Polarity Locket - 20% off thru 10/23!

Remember to check my daily forecast on the Armchair Astrologer today!

We have a New Moon in Libra late Tuesday night (either very late Tuesday or Wednesday morning is the best time to set New Moon intentions). Libra is ruled by Venus; Goddess of Passion. She is the ethereal force of love, attraction, kindred spirits, beauty and our aesthetic sensitivity.

(the opposite of aesthetic is anesthetic - there's a reason all our senses spring to life in autumn!)

She brings things and us into relationship.

(it was during the Libra Sun that our ancestors, finished with Virgo's harvest, settled back into their homes and local communities - back into balance with each other)

She entices us out and away from our tedious work on a cloudy afternoon just before the skies open up. We take refuge in a book shop where we trip over a lazy man's wet umbrella, knocking exactly the book we need to finish our job off the shelf and into our lap. Or into a coffee shop where we will meet our Mr. Darcy - or this is the way I like to imagine things anyway.

(she may just hang around the Match.com company's headquarters these days)

Venus attracts. The stuff we are attracted to are vital clues to our job here on planet Earth.

Libra rules marriage, negotiations, teamwork, harmony, sociability and diplomacy. It is an excellent time to have the best energetic support for new beginnings in these areas.

MONTHLY AFFIRMATION TIPS:

Get grounded - we have moved from an earth sign into air so this is important - always make affirmations from a  positive place (positive meaning certain) - write your affirmations down by hand in cursive, we want the letters all connecting and flowing together, speak them out loud. 

I used to write my affirmations on strips of paper and put them into a bowl of rice so I can mix them around every now and then with my fingers if things got stagnant, now I burn them and release the ashes into running water - then - and this is the important part - release your attention from them knowing that your intention is known.  

Some affirmations I am working with today are:

1. I effectively negotiate my situation with ____ creating a win-win for both of us. 
2. I feel internally balanced and peaceful.
3. I easily attract, recognize and begin working with the right people for my highest happiness.
4. I am easily at ease in social situations.
5. I have total clarity and am able to take action to make my relationships more satisfying.
6. I easily make decisions.
7. The habit of wanting 'peace at any price' is easily lifted from me.
8. I easily take actions that successfully restore perfect health to my adrenal glands.

Jan Spiller recommends ten, so I will come up with two more! The New Moon gives us a full two weeks to make something happen, but it really culminates 6 months from now with the Libra full moon. This particular New Moon has no major aspects to any planets - so it is very peaceful and powerful. Stuff started now will be around for a while. The Part of Fortune on the Ascendent and Jupiter's position encourages us to move toward what we are attracted to! xo all

(if what you are attracted to is one of my Polarity Lockets use coupon code NEW MOON until Friday for a 20% discount)

just because she's beautiful doesn't mean you aren't - part I

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/75/5c/b2/755cb2421d5fc2b7856d8b36bcde9919.jpg

When my daughter started high school she tried out for the school soccer team. She was going from a very small elementary school

(and the only school in the district that was K-8th and didn't funnel students to the same middle school)

into a very large high school. A lot of talented girls took the field on try out day. I could see my daughter was nervous. I was nervous, too - in that way mothers get when they know their children really, really want something that is outside their control.

I said - "I'm so glad there are so many good players here today."

she said - "Huh?

she thought - (my mother has lost her freaking mind - where do I get a new mother)

I said - "You're a good player, too. You'll fit in with these girls."

she said - "What if they're too good?" 
I heard - ("what if I'm not good enough?")

I said - "Just because they're good doesn't mean you aren't."

she said - "There's only so many spots mom." 

As she ran onto the field I could hear the other parents yelling after their girls, "GO THERESA!", "YOU CAN DO IT!","GO SALLY!"

I started thinking my advice was kind of lame. What had I been thinking?!

My daughter needed warrior energy now, not advice from Dr. Phil!

I channeled Athena and managed to screech out something like "GET 'EM!" at exactly the moment the other parents got silent.

(my daughter's memory is that it was something like "KILL 'EM")

Last night at dinner I found myself saying something similar (they're good and you are, too) to hubs about another business down the street and him replying something like, "there's only so much work though."

(I did manage to restrain myself from screaming "GET KILL 'EM" this time)

Hubs isn't on Facebook. If he was he could see this guy announcing his new location and his new equipment and his relaxing vacation to Bermuda with his gorgeous wife and 2.5 smiling, towheaded children. George would never sleep again.

It has me thinking about the tools we need to live in a world where everyone's bright, shiny new "great thing that has happened to them" is visible to us. Also everyone's pain.

So, I'm starting a business series about this next week. We'll see where it leads.

We have a Balsamic Moon now - get some rest today!

this time for sure, I think

OK, so I really am moving the daily astrology forecasts on to my other blog this time. Check today's post HERE - it's right under that scary picture of me my daughter took, that's been strategically lightened in photoshop to blow out all my wrinkles. She likes it, so it stays for now. After today if you forget to bookmark the new blog just hit the link on the top right of this one. xo all

keep moving by latte design

the enemy of my enemy is my friend

insects by the amazing gollybard
We need wasps.

You may or may not remember the family visit in July that had me running around like a maniac, quickly followed by lying on the ground in a sweaty puddle of overwhelm quickly followed by me running around like a maniac.

One of the things I did to get ready for their visit that was totally unnecessary and pretty much just designed to make myself crazy was - paint the shutters. My shutters have been - black, lilac, mint green and now lemon yellow. Taking them down is precarious business with a two story house especially since we know from previous paintings that wasps (paper wasps) have built elaborate condos and townhouses behind them.

Plus I had been attacked by yellow jackets a few day earlier and was am still suffering from PTSD.

(I am serious as a heart attack and if you do not believe me just buzz in my ear or have your phone set to vibrate go off in my presence and see what I do - I will totally embarrass myself plus I might break your phone or ... nose.)

The back of every shutter (12 total) housed 6-10 wasps. And they were quite pissed. Of course being a law-abiding landlord I had sent them all the legal notifications and was totally clear they could return home and would even have a spiffy new lemon yellow exterior for their trouble. They didn't care.

Paper moths are not usually dangerous - but if you mess with their nests, it's a whole other story. They even send out pheromones that other wasps can pick up for miles that signal "HELP, our house is on fire" and the other wasps will rush over to keep their neighbors from being evicted, probably so they don't have to move in with them.

It was not a good day - for us or the wasps. There were a few casualties, but most of us survived. To cut to the chase (and yes, my friends it was a chase) - we hung some pretend paper bag nests on the lower porch to try and discourage them from building new nests behind the freshly painted first floor shutters, but we thought they would return to the second floor shutters.

They didn't; maybe because rainy weather kept us shutter-less for over a week. I don't know where they went, but it is obvious now, they have moved on. We used to see them all the time around the yard, but we have been pretty wasp-less since mid-summer.

At first this seemed like a good thing. I didn't have to worry about them stinging Olive if she trampled one or dodging them while watering my hanging baskets - but we soon discovered a major drawback to our wasp-less state - MOSQUITOES - we are over-run! And caterpillars and spiders.

On the plus side my shutters look very bright and cheery, just don't stand outside admiring them for more than 30 seconds or you won't be.

There is a business lesson in this, too - the enemy (well, in business I guess we would say rival) - the rival of my rival in my friend. Also eco-systems are fragile (I hope Etsy is listening).  xo all

BIZ Astrology for Tuesday, September 16th - manifesting mud pies

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Br4pTeBIUAASpQb.jpg:large

A few things going on today - the Moon moves into mothering, nurturing Cancer late this morning - Gemini's chitchat will go away and we can have some nice emotional grounding. We will want to pull into our shell and go quiet. That's OK (return calls though- today is a great day to make contact with someone important!). The Moon forms a nice trine with Neptune tonight that can make even uncomfortable conversations go well - do the Cancer nurture thing and make the other person all comfy cozy and welcome first. 

Lots of fire with Jupiter in Leo and Mars in Sagittarius, lots of exhilarating energy now and we also have Saturn making us focus. We can see the truth now.

The Virgo Sun's earth coupled with the Cancer Moon's water (think about your own magical mud pies today) makes this a wonderful day for manifesting.

Mercury crosses the North Node of the Moon which can bring people from our past (and past lives if you resonate with that way of thinking) back into our lives - you may not recognize them, but you will recognize them, if you know what I mean.

There are destiny aspects here. We could meet the love of our life now (and yes, maybe that guy from ancient Persia who we cheated out of a camel and now he is back to steal our car). Romantic risks can pay off. We could also meet someone younger who inspires us. We could sign a contract. Our new tribe is starting to form (more about this next month) - the wires keeping us in our chicken coop are all in our head - we can fly right out of there. Lots of clean slates now.

OK back to this manifesting energy today - listen up!

FIRST - with Mercury (and Venus) hitting the North Nodes today we may get some clues about our life direction. Our North Node is the direction our growth lies in this lifetime (our south node is the space we push off from). The house our north node is in is very important. Check your natal chart! This we need to memorize (if I have done your chart email me and I can tell you the house or email me your birthdate, place and time!).

Let's say we have a north node in the first house (or in Aries) - the house of self. Well, in this lifetime we need to focus on developing our own unique identity. Our south node will be in the 7th house (polarity) of partnership (Libra) - this is where we kick off. But if we try to gain our identity from partnership we will feel like we have been thrown into the ocean with anchors on our legs.

If something opens up now (or someone enters our life) connected to that North Node house - consider that a big old GREEN light.

SECOND - In a Tarot deck Mercury is the Magician card - an archetype many makers are familiar with even if they have never heard of him.

The Magician is the alchemist - the great conjurer; the maker of something out of nothing - we channel this energy all the time. I have a post on Mercury HERE that would be good to read now. This is an excellent day for ritual, for lighting a candle and setting the intention for what is truly ours to find us. This is a day where our words will matter.

BIZ Astrology for Monday, September 15th - a logical approach now

http://www.designlovefest.com/2013/11/dress-your-tech-33/

Action Mars entered fiery Sagittarius on Saturday - this is a great transit for a fresh, energized new start. If you are normally a risk-taker you may have to dial it back a bit so you don't run off a cliff somewhere, but for the rest of us this energy will get us moving. Doors are opening.

With both today's sun (Virgo) and moon (Gemini) ruled by Mercury - a logical approach is supported now. Do your homework. Stuff comes to light today.

Decisive strategies are favored now. 

The stuff that came up for us in the last few days is in some way the stuff we will be dealing with next summer - how was your weekend anyway?

(the world news was all about Isis - maybe the media shouldn't nickname a group they do not want to be powerful after a powerful female Goddess at a time of rising female energy unless of course, somebody wants a powerful enemy for a never-ending war - Hilary in Iowa, Scotland's bid for independence - this one is in the shadow of Mercury retrograde so will no doubt be back if it fails.)

Mercury squares the North Node in Libra - many have cleared a lot of relationship and personal power gunk over the last few years - the Aries/Libra polarity (what house is Libra in your natal chart?). We are stepping into new waters now. Our story might look the same on the outside (although it probably doesn't), we might be doing something we have done before, but we are not the same people - we can do it differently this time.

Tomorrow Venus meets the Nodes (more on this tomorrow) and we could attract someone from our new tribe (especially someone younger than us or with newer ideas), hear some important news or get a significant contract - this could happen next week, too. We need to be clear on what we value now. What is it time for us to contribute? What have we learned? Where do we really want to go? Mars in Sagittarius (the archer) will get us to our target.

No going backwards to repair stuff right now - don't focus on what isn't working - see what is working and focus on that.

The positive spaces this new energy will focus - ARIES: education, legal matters, long distance travel, publishing, religion, encounters with the exotic TAURUS: loans, taxes, debts, inheritance, fertility, partner's money, sex, GEMINI: partnerships, marriage, intimacy, equality, CANCER: health, work, co-workers, routines, skills of value to others, LEO: children, creative projects, romance, the spotlight, play, VIRGO: home business, renovation, moving, leaving something behind, family, LIBRA: meetings, communications, siblings, open talks, clarity, speaking, teaching, writing, SCORPIO: money that is earned, security, what you value, management of resources SAGITTARIUS: personal identity, goals, your physical energy level, ambition, authority over your own life, CAPRICORN: secrets, stuff that isn't developed yet, stuff that is hidden or forgotten, meditation, spirituality, AQUARIUS: friendships, tribes, public life and image, concrete direction PISCES: career, what you are here to give, authority, destiny

BIZ Astrology for Friday, September 12th - establishing priorities and standing tall in our story


brene brown quote
Today, our practical Virgo Sun meets our practical Taurus Moon and makes a great day for establishing priorities and putting down roots - a solid, practical day. I like things simple, we just need to be sure we are not settling for easy today because it might come back to bite us later. Get stuff done. There is money to be made later from the work we do now.

This is a great day to venture into something creative. Celebrate any victories now - this will attract more and bigger reasons to celebrate. This is the space in our story where we stand tall and breathe a little; the place where the hero takes a hot bath and looks at how far he has come (and freaking amazes himself). Every story is hard. Every story is unique. Appreciate ourselves for the strength we have shown so far. We can do this.

The moon makes a square to Jupiter so it is important to stay positive. Mercury has been in this intense cardinal cross and this weekend Mercury opposes Uranus so something unpredictable and exciting could happen. This kind of pushes us to find a new way to handle something; see a new perspective. We can meet new people or a special person now.

When the Moon moves into Gemini this weekend, the winds will pick up. Youthful enthusiasm rules.

(now it is good to be prepared, but if we are the kind of person who has to prepare for every eventuality- well, things may not ever go terribly wrong for us, but they may not ever go terribly right either)

On Saturday night Mars (action) moves into optimistic, expansive Sagittarius thru October 26th and it's been almost a year since we have had Mars in fire. This is mostly a good great thing because this will make everyone a little more optimistic, a little more adventurous, a little more curious about the world.

This will be the push many people need to get moving, make a decision or do something else. Stuck stuff will get unstuck during this transit.

Now the downside (yes this is a planet of contrast, there is always a polarity and it's not always my adorable little locket - warning shameless plug ahead - check out some new necklaces here) is our impulse control might go bye-bye now. We can leap before we look (which sounds nice on a poster - leap and the net will appear, should say 'leap and the adventures will appear', I think). We can be overly trusting.

That smart executive on vacation who wandered into that cave at 3:45 and drowned when the tide came in 10 minutes later because the guide - a distracted and overworked 20 year old scuba instructor with a bad haircut; someone the executive would not have normally trusted his life to, of course - told the executive to leave the cave by 4:00 and hell, it was only 3:55; that trusting guy on an adventure, um, that trusting dead guy on an adventure (and this story is totally made up) was probably a Sagittarius.

Leaping is good during this transit, but there definitely needs to be some looking first - fortune favors the bold, but not the reckless now -

because Saturn is going to join this little Sagittarius party and he will see to it the stuff we put into motion now will stick.

(yes, first we get unstuck then we get stuck again - this is why we need to be following our passion and living from our heart, so if we fall on our asses at least we will have a craft room filled with yarn and pillow inserts to cushion our fall)

It will not be so easy to extricate ourselves from this stuff quickly - we could set something into play that reverberates until Saturn vacates the premises in 2016.

The house Sagittarius sits in our natal chart (print out your natal chart!) will be where this all plays out - this is where we can expand our awareness through the gathering of unfamiliar experience.

We need to be conscious of anything we are creating and signing up for now through the end of October because come December and for the next couple years we will have to live with this.