BIZ Astrology for Friday August 29th - last holiday weekend of the summer!

peanut oak print

Friday is a nice day (duh!) - the Moon is still in Libra until noon and then goes void - there is a feel good quality to the energy (and, for many of us, having a holiday Monday doesn't hurt!).

With the Sun opposite Neptune in Pisces there is an opportunity for real intimacy this weekend, but if we do not hold firm to our personal values and have boundaries in place for ourselves we can end up sacrificing what is most important to us for someone else.

Let's not let that happen. Situations and ideas can appear better than they are now.

Any big decisions will need a second or third look - time to check in with our heart and also check in with our head. Does this make sense? Once the Sun clears Neptune on Sunday things will be clearer. See if those plans still hold water next week. We will feel a real push then toward the things we are supposed to create.

The best way to work with this Neptune energy is to respect it with our actions - get in the water, get lost in a daydream, work a spiritual practice, write some poetry. Feed him his daily dose of imagination and vastness. This is the last holiday weekend of the summer - let's enjoy it!

This weekend the Moon goes into Scorpio and aligns nicely with Neptune. This is excellent energy for efforts we make behind closed doors.

Saturday night will highlight a square to Jupiter so it feels like some extreme emotional changes. Caution is needed. Check ourselves. No flying off the handle. We may be given an opportunity to work through some feelings like envy or jealousy. Don't stuff it.

Negative emotions (if we don't stuff them with ice cream - clear your freezer now!) give us the opportunity to ask ourselves "what is it I believe that is creating this feeling?" - often it is something like "there isn't enough for me" or "I am not safe" or 'I am not enough".

Then ask ourselves "what would I have to believe to let this belief go?" - so then some opposite belief forms our affirmation. So we start an affirmation practice with something like "I am always safe and supported" or "There is always enough for me."

Affirmations are powerful tools. If practiced regularly they are like exercise - they must work when we actually do them. We don't have to do our affirmation and then take action. The affirmation is the action. Physical changes will work through us once we expose, accept, expand and release the negative belief. Our higher consciousness has already chosen. The Moon is a waxing crescent now and will support our plans to grow.

xo all

BIZ Astrology for Thursday August 28th - appreciating and expanding our relationships

happy letter shop - sunshine print

The Moon is in the balanced and tactful partnership sign of Libra today with friendly aspects to Jupiter in Leo - she is looking to expand our relationships.

What is the best way to do this? Think sandbox etiquette now. Play nice, share, don't bite. With Leo this expansion comes from our generosity and appreciation of others.

With the Sun in Virgo the small details matter - so showing someone they are loved and appreciated with a cup of joe, a grateful email or a kind word goes a long way today.

The Moon squares Pluto at the end of the day so anyone with hurt feelings about being left out (including us) at that time, probably needs a little extra appreciation (even if we feel like wringing their neck) - no coddling though, with our grounded Virgo Sun everyone has the ability to put their own feet on solid ground now.

The Moon opposes Uranus in Aries so this is the emotional test of finding harmony while taking action - how do we find peace in less than peaceful situations .... if an unexpected opportunity comes our way due to an ending or someone leaving today - we should probably grab it.

It we can't get what we want now - let's try something else. Jupiter gets a little testy if what we want are conventional ideas of success that are not part of our life purpose. Our intuition can guide us with this.

Jupiter also reminds us not to ask for too little. Some energies can only be engaged when we over-reach! The Virgo Sun encourages baby steps, but to get Jupiter's attention we need our own enthusiasm and heartfelt exuberance activated!

The Sun is starting its big opposition to Neptune which is kind of a checkpoint for us to see if we are on track. We'll talk about this tomorrow - also see last night's post about Neptune's current long transit.

Mercury is in Virgo which is his home space - but he does create this energy where we pick up every little detail and it can feel like too much. Communicate responsibly now.

xo all

Neptune in Pisces - the power and problems with being unbounded

lupen grainne photograph

The immense power of water - 70% of our human bodies and 70% of our earth's surface! Water changes things gradually over time and also in an instant.

When my mother was very ill with emphysema, sometime during the last few months of her life, she was released from a hospital (one of many hospital stays) but was not ready to come home.

She went into a rehab facility where they primarily worked with adults recuperating from accidents and where they were totally unequipped to help her. Her second day in rehab they wheeled her exhausted, tiny body attached to her oxygen tank into a wheelchair sized shower stall, turned on the water and she had her first actual shower in years.

I arrived just as she was getting back to her room and she looked exactly like our fluffy white cat when she had been caught in a rainstorm - hair plastered to her head, white as a ghost, shivering and totally exhausted. I was very angry and certain they had just given her pneumonia.

I helped her from the wheelchair into her bed where she slept for 16 hours and woke up more clear headed and less frightened than she had been in months and was basically a different person until her death a few months later.

Native American culture would throw a wayward man into the sea and tell him to call back his spirit.

(Hubs and I wanted to do this with his brother David a couple years ago and had serious conversations about how we could do it, without him drowning or us going to jail - I still regret we never had the chance!)

We have all heard the story of Pavlov's dogs (ring a bell?), but the ending to this story is not so well known. When there was a flood in the Russian scientist's laboratory none of his surviving dogs retained any trace of their conditioning.

This is the power of water to create a life changing disruption.

The New Moon this week was the first New Moon since the mid-1800's where the New Moon triggered an opposition to Neptune in Pisces. This opposition will likely show up over the next two weeks in the form of another person (this sometimes shows up as a process).

This can be a good thing or a not so good thing (sometimes this person shows up as someone who is deceptive or addicted or ungrounded). Whatever happens we probably won't be able to miss it.

Neptune is a slow moving outer planet. He rules over the watery realm of our dreams, imagination, intuition, creativity and compassion and inspires us with art, music, poetry and spirituality .

He also rules addiction, distraction, escapism, self-deception, vagueness, obscurity, unrealistic desires, illusion, confusion, intrigue and lies.

He moved into Pisces late in 2011 then sauntered back to Aquarius for a few weeks and has now been steadily in Pisces since February 2012. He will be here until 2025. So, we have Neptune the God of the Sea, governing water and dreams, in the watery, dreamy sign he rules (Pisces).

This is a whole lot of water for us to navigate - we all need scuba masks now!

Check your natal chart to see where Pisces was hanging out when you were born because that house is where you will feel this current transit. In addition, using Pisces house 1, Aquarius house 2, etc we can work our way around the astrological wheel with your Sun sign and see where else he will affect us. This sounds confusing and maybe it is - hit the LET'S CHAT button on the right with your birth date and time and I will work this out for you privately!

This is good information to have. This is the space in our life where we can dive in, but must build boundaries and safety nets so we don't get in over our heads. For example people with their Sun in Aquarius can make money through creative ventures, but just as easily lose it through carelessness or deception. If you are an Aquarius - a person you can make money with creatively or lose money through can enter your life now. This also applies to anyone born with Pisces in their 2nd house.

I have Pisces in my natal 4th house - which rules home among other things - and when Neptune moved into Pisces in February 2012 - hubby's brother (with addiction and mental illness), a walking talking Neptune in Pisces moved into our extra bedroom. I also got back into astrology again, much more intuitively now, after several years away from it which I do from home and since I work at home making jewelry my creativity has greatly increased along with, unfortunately, a distractibility and tendency toward depression I never had before. Boundaries around 4th house issues have become extremely important to me.

When we make time for dreaming, for poetry, for gazing at the moon, Neptune promises us in return he will offer up crisp focus when needed. He always reminds us we are much bigger than our current circumstances.

If anyone wants a personal heads up with this aspect just let me know.

BIZ Astrology for Wednesday August 27th - details, adjustments, release, peace

Today the Moon goes void in Virgo before entering Libra around dinnertime.

Void Moons are not a great time to start something new but they are a wonderful time to put the details into place and practice. Routines will make us feel nurtured and safe now.

Artists know that small details are never really small details.

This is an excellent day to attend to practical stuff. Clean our studio. Organize our paperwork. Eat right and light. Move our body.

We've got Venus in Leo wanting us to experience what we love - she is just moving off that tense square asking us what really makes us happy - when the Moon moves into Libra tonight and relationship spaces in our lives will take center stage.

With the Sun and Neptune starting to make an opposition many people will be feeling a spiritual calling now - with a Virgo Sun this could show up as health or work practices. What are we here to give?

There may be a feeling of unresolved wanting regarding a creative project, relationship, children, fun vs work or financial stuff today so if we feel some tension in those areas just know this is really a timing issue. Other things have to fall into place. This can frustrate us or make us push harder. Today feels like a day for the easier road. Give it time.

Jupiter in Leo is beginning to make a square to Saturn - these are the big boys of the zodiac so there are lots of opportunities coming our way. We will have to choose though. We can't have it all. This aspect is still a little bit in the future for most of us, but it's something to think about. We are grounded in Virgo now, what does our heart want?

Later this week I am going to put up a Neptune in Pisces post - we have this dreamy outer planet in dreamy Pisces from 2011 thru 2025. This is incredibly creative and powerful manifesting energy - magical makers listen up! It can also leave us ungrounded and without boundaries. Now that we are a couple years in and can see (through the haze) where all this might be going for us personally it feels like a good time to talk about it. Knowing the sun and ascendant signs from your natal chart will be helpful.

xo all

BIZ Astrology for Tuesday August 26th - responsibility and self love

ashley goldberg print

We still have the wonderful New Moon in Virgo (mutable earth - steady change) until tonight so use this space to set those intentions - see yesterday's post.

This is the best time of the entire year for universal, energetic support to set intentions and put new processes into place for Virgo matters:

Work attitudes, health, habits, employment, employees, tenants, servants, co-workers, pets, dependents, service given to others, routine matters, clothes, hygiene, aunts, uncles, unconscious mind, high school years, apprenticeships, food, small animals, solar plexus, bowels, productivity, nutrition, tools, analysis, coping with stress, chores, duties, your feelings about employment, work output, self improvement, dedication, devotion, loyalty, faithfulness, discipline, celibacy, bread, magic, harvest, criteria and our skills.

Let's DO THIS! Tomorrow the Moon is void (between signs) so take some action today.

The Moon conjuncts Mercury - so we get a little clarity today, but there could still be some stress around how to proceed. On Friday the Sun will oppose dreamy Neptune and the blindfolds will come off. Let's postpone big decisions until next week if we are undecided.

We have Venus square Saturn and Mars so this could show up as delays and frustrations in our creative life (also romance and money) - this is really about showing us where we need to put in the work (we may not want to hear this if we want to play these last weeks of summer - I hear you!).

Saturn is an aspect of the father/authority figure - the 2nd largest planet; the planet of contraction (Jupiter, the largest planet, is the planet of expansion so we always expand a little more than we contract). Saturn is about boundaries, responsibilities, karma, commitments, self-control - the stuff that defines (meaning = outlines) us.

He sets the rules. This is the aspect where if we quit, we quit (and sometimes we need to quit). This is the aspect that supports those who are not afraid (or too lazy or distracted - shakes fist at Neptune) to put in the work and the time and take responsibility for what we put out there without any guarantees about the outcome.

If we aren't sure what we should be doing and we think we need to be sure before we put in the work this is the universe giving us a little smack upside our head. This is not the way life on planet Earth works. We are living through a transition. A transition that we asked for. Transitions aren't the wobbly spaces between two stable places anymore - the places we work through to get to the other side - the entire space is the transition - there is no other side.

This is not because there isn't a rainbow at the end of our choices, but because the space of making choices is what we are here for - we didn't come for the rainbow!

Venus slamming into this bad-ass boys' club brick wall today shows us if we need some outer source (even our partners) to make us feel good, it's going to be a long day/week. Thin skinned people better grab a sweater, too.

Trust that lots of things are coming together for us - patience (and patience isn't about waiting), adjustments, responsibility is needed now. Virgo is like a cosmic Martha Stewart - she wants it done right and at the end of the day this will be a good thing.

xo all

BIZ Astrology for Monday August 25th - New Moon in Virgo (the small stuff matters now - new beginnings)

my virgo aromatherapy locket by polarity

The astrology wheel is the hero's journey of self discovery. When the sun moved into Virgo this weekend, it is the hero's first encounter with service.

The hero is learning when to help and when helping isn't really helping. Virgo is the modest healer with the critical eye that takes care of the details. Meaningful work and competence are key now.

Virgo knows we are not here to do the work we love - we are here to love the work we do. There is a difference. This is the difference that changes the world. This is the difference that changes us.

Every sign has something to learn from the sign that follows it.

Leo learns from Virgo (and we all have Leo and Virgo in our charts somewhere - its placement will affect how this activates in your own journey) - to do the work. Virgo teaches Leo to let go of the need for the spotlight and recognition and to just focus on the work.

It is no coincidence that Virgo comes in autumn; the time of the harvest - the time we separate the wheat from the chafe.

Virgo's shadow is perfection. Perfection is a ferocious teacher and many people with strong Virgos have the battle scars to prove it. There must be self acceptance here.  

If a Virgo is unhappy with what she sees in the mirror, she will be unhappy with what she sees everywhere else.

Self-esteem is the key to avoiding self-destruction. Despite Virgo's need for careful planning (a well planned job is half done is certainly one of her mantras) she must learn to live in the moment and to live there with compassion (for herself and everyone else).

This is everyone's lesson now.

Today we have a NEW MOON in Virgo and the energies at play are as complex as any Virgo we will ever meet. We are truly laying the groundwork for our new beginning. This is a big week.

We have the Virgo New Moon opposing Neptune in Pisces and the New Moon's ruler (Mercury rules Virgo) sextiling the Mars - Saturn malevolent conjunction (war with physical consequences) in Scorpio we are all dealing with.

Saturn is the foundation builder. And when Saturn is galvanized by Mars he will build them even stronger (bulldozers aren't moving these babies once they're up) AND nothing demands a more concentrated and sustained effort than Mars with Saturn in the depths of Scorpio.

NOW is where we hit the wall.

We either muster the energy to scale the damn thing or we go in another direction - there is no one answer here. There is no right answer either. What is our heart telling us?

We can work harder (with Saturn) sustained by the knowledge our second wind (Mars energy) will be there

or we can release what isn't working for us and begin to move in a new direction.

There is a finality to the energy now. Lots of endings. Lots of old stories being addressed. So what are we going to do?

This isn't about making a big decision today - we've still got this Neptune in Pisces opposition fuzzing things up.
   
This is about little decisions.

This is about tying our shoes and going for that long, sweaty walk. This is about putting a pitcher of water on our desk and not getting up until the work is done. There is great power in sticking to a schedule now.

The next two weeks are very important.

We are starting a new two year period with this Mars - Saturn cycle about our purpose in the world (and our relationships). We are laying a foundation - we may not be able to see exactly what we are building yet (we will by the end of October), and that's OK, but whatever this new structure is, it is our job to ensure the labor that builds it be practiced and detailed and precise.

Venus in Leo squares Mars - Saturn. This is about a need to evaluate our personal and professional relationships. On Friday the Sun opposes Neptune and relationships may get even more confusing. We need to ground ourselves (the Virgo sun will help us with this, spend some time in it) so we can see people for who they are and not who we want/need them to be. Patience is rewarded now.

We each have it in us to do what we are called to do and we are the only one who can do it. When our belief becomes that we are here to serve the world, that is exactly the space that will open up for us.

Today is the day for excellent energetic support for affirming what we want.

A Virgo New moon is the perfect time to focus on Virgo areas such as : health (diet and exercise; the maintenance of our health), work/job, creating order, relaxing perfectionism and helping others.

Examples of some affirmations:

1. I am easily attracted to foods that are healthy for my body. I establish routines that create total health for me. I easily swallow vitamins (ugh).

2. I easily complete tasks with minimal stress and maximum efficiency. I create routines that give me time to relax. All tendencies to postpone necessary tasks and errands are totally lifted from me. I create financial abundance for myself while adding value to the lives of others.

3. I restore my work space to order on a daily basis. Any resistance to 'cleaning up the mess' is lifted from me. I create order in my home.

4. I am free of critical judgements of myself and others. The compulsion to 'be right' is easily lifted from me. I use positive language.

5. I consciously feel satisfaction from being of service to others in my work.

AFFIRMATION TIPS: get into a happy frame of mind - always make affirmations from a  positive place (both definitions of positive apply here; the one that means certain and the one that means favorable)- write your affirmations down by hand in script, speak them out loud - I always write my affirmations on strips of paper, burn them and release them into moving water - as we release them we release our attention from them also knowing that our intention is known. Know these things are already ours. xo

BIZ Astrology for this Weekend - Getting Clear, Choosing a Tribe, Keeping Our Cool, Getting Some REST

susan newberry designs

Let's take a big picture look - on Sunday we have a New Moon in Virgo and we go from fire to earth. Next week starts our Virgo sun period of the year - work, organization, focus and direction. So big changes ahead for everyone. We have a new 2 year period beginning (which means a 2 year period is ending), a new 12 year period beginning (and yes, this means a 12 year period is ending) and stuff we have been incubating since last November is coming up for our decision. No one gets a pass on this, no one gets a free ride.

(Creatively when we need a change but feel very directionless we can always look to Neptune for her guidance - right now Neptune is in Pisces so anything connected to Pisces can be clarifying. This includes being in or near water, getting extra sleep, drawing, writing, visiting libraries and museums, visiting people who are in the hospital or jail - yes, jail and you can visit me if hubs keeps parking in the grass. I wouldn't visit a jail this weekend though - too much fire right now.)

Today the Moon finishes up in Cancer (not a good day to start something new since the Moon is void most of the day) and moves into Leo around dinnertime. This Moon highlights relationships, projects, we will be reminded of all the irons we have in the fire now. It is easy to be impatient.

This is a lot of relationship energy - new tribes are forming - asking ourselves "Do I still fly with this flock?" is a valid question. Lots of karma has dropped away. As our individual energy changes the way we all fit together changes, too.

With all this Leo tonight and tomorrow if we are excessively prideful or pushy or wanting everything to go our way, especially on Saturday, things will not go smoothly. Pride is a good thing until it isn't. People can be testy now and relationship stuff gets tested a bit. Keep things cool and easy.

There is an urge to jump into new things now, but there is also a need to think first. This weekend's yod points to Uranus so yes we have to be ready to try something new - Uranus loves new, and Uranus doesn't care if we are ready. He always wants us to just jump in, he doesn't care if we land in the sticker bushes or on our neighbor's new cement patio - we might, so take a moment and think first.

My advice for this weekend is play it low key (and PLAY) if we have some big stressful shindig going on - take a step back from it and get some perspective. Breathe. Slow it Down. Make Extra Time - time has sped up, but that means it is also flexible now.

Allow ourselves to feel any emotions that come up, don't let them spill all over other people - we are not allowed to scald anybody with this stuff. Anger is real and natural and can be righteous. It's the nature of boiling water to roll after all. Holding onto this stuff creates inflammation in our bodies - we have to find a way to release it. The goal now is clarity.

BIZ Astrology for Thursday, August 21st - when uncomfortable is the new comfortable

Complicated astrology this week. We have Mars meeting up with Saturn and these guys are not exactly  friendly (think Seinfeld vs Newman, Betty vs Veronica and Edison vs Tesla) so this could show up in our lives as work and career blocks and frustrations. We might feel like we are pushing boulders uphill at times - that's OK - we are building the muscles we will need later.

If we need to discuss some important stuff and especially stuff that has been pushed under the rug with loved ones (or business associates or even clients) Pluto, Mercury and Venus are in a position today to support us in finding the right words to heal things or I should probably write "the right words to help the situation grow in a positive direction".

Using the word 'heal' can be tricky - because when we say 'heal' some people hear 'all better, good as new' when healing is a process that can take us to 'better than new' but we have to get through the inflammation and often that uncomfortable itchy part first.

Doors are closing, other doors are opening (or will be) - since Jupiter changed signs (he changes signs about once a year) last month into sunny Leo he has been highlighting for us the roads to our happiness. So far he has been doing this with his extreme squares to Mars and Scorpio and exposing where things are no longer working for us.

Pluto is very much in play right now - so big dreams (and even real dreams - do you remember last night's dream?), especially career related and dealings with authority figures. Pluto is the planet who says we either work on our stuff or our stuff works on us. Do what has to be done now. Legal stuff, taxes, paperwork, etc.

The Moon is still in Cancer (it's a balsamic moon tomorrow) - it's in a Grand Trine - making a trine to Chiron (the wounded healer) in Pisces and a trine to Mars in Scorpio - this is mostly a positive thing.

It does require adjustments and courage on our part. We want stability and comfort but we have multiple aspects including Uranus in Aries forcing change. Change can be uncomfortable. There is a feeling today that we need to take some kind of action. There could be some hard things unveiled in the next couple weeks, so if we are wanting to sit still - we probably will find things outside our control not allowing us to do this.

I once had a co-worker, who we will just call Cyndy Bennis (because that was her name - no, not really) and she had an obsession with the office temperature -

it was too hot - it was too cold.
 
The thermostat was, of course, right next to my desk. One day after my gazillionth temperature adjustment. I said: "no flippin' more!"

(or maybe something a little bit stronger, this office was in Jersey)

and Cyndy said: "I'm sorry. But I just don't like to be uncomfortable."

She kind of rocked my world that day because although I would never have voiced this out loud - and groaned when she did - I was making choices that were creating exactly that kind of life!

Today - maybe the best advice would be "don't get too comfortable." There are some money aspects today that could be requiring us to make some adjustments.

BIZ Astrology for Wednesday, August 20th - maybe stay home and water the plants, best hookey day of the week

sugar and bean print co - follow your heart print

We have a new Moon in 5 days, so we are headed into the Balsamic Moon period of the month - HERE is my post on Create and Thrive about that. This is a rest period - so start wrapping things up now.

The Moon moves into sensitive, emotional Cancer this morning - her home base. The Sun is still in his home base of Leo. We have a Moon trine with Neptune later today, so any Cancer tendency for emotional overwhelm followed by withdrawal will not be supported (the withdrawal part anyway). Those emotions are going to come out, probably as tears, lots of water energy today. This is a good thing, I promise. Even with this Moon at the end of her cycle, in her favorite sign of Cancer we will have the emotional strength we need now.

Production and good solid action is still favored with this current Mars/Saturn conjunction so if "hookey" has become more the norm than it should be for anyone lately - you can totally get stuff done today.

We are about to head into Virgo work, work, work season (which yes, feels just like back to school - from the kids' point of view, not the parents!) and will have some tense aspects this weekend.

The tension ramped up when Mars went into Scorpio in July. This is playing out in the world as lines being drawn by everyone over what we will and will not accept. So we have governments telling citizens what they won't accept and citizens telling governments. We have police telling the military and the military telling the police. We have one country telling another country.

(This shows up in small ways too - we just got a 'parking on the grass' violation notice from our town on hubs truck window - for parking next to our driveway - the way we have been doing it for 20 years. Of course we are drawing our own line back through noncompliance - this could end badly for us, maybe not life in prison with no chance of parole kind of badly, but more like a couple weeks in county with a roommate named Ginger who really, really likes my hair - although anyone liking my hair these days would be a good thing, so I guess this will be a win-win either way)

We have lines being drawn in the sand and with Mars the warrior in dark, murky Scorpio bringing up everything that is hidden (until mid-September) and the square between outer planets Uranus and Pluto which began in 2012 - no one wants lines imposed on them - this is all about freedom vs. oppression. We have Uranus and Pluto squaring off again mid December and the last exact aspect is March 2015 - by the end of next March we will see what we are rebuilding.

For today - stuff having to do with property, renovations, real estate, family, relocation, parents is favored for most of us. So business meetings regarding property or real estate are win/win. In the best case this is a good day to stay close to home and nurture who and what needs our loving care - and that includes ourselves. Go with our heart today.

TIP FOR HEARTFELT ACTION  - I believe the most powerful business technique we can nurture is a quiet mind.

I know from my own life when I am unbalanced and "trust my gut" I come from a place of fear (think : knots in your stomach, things we can't stomach, eyes bigger than our stomach) - I always attract exactly the crap I am trying to avoid.

When I am actively quieting my mind on a regular basis and "trust my heart" I come from a place of love (think : heartfelt, heartful, know by heart, change of heart, close to your heart) - things always go smoother. There is a total guarantee of happily ever after with this because this kind of happiness is not circumstance dependent.

I have decided forecasts by sign will probably put me in a strait jacket right now - since as soon as I write one thing I think of 10 more things I want to say about it .... short and sweet is not my writing style - actually I have never been called short (maybe short on patience) or sweet (although they have been found in my desk) either ....

xo all

BIZ Astrology for Tuesday, August 19th - saying YES to Mickey Mouse

itty bitty book co - play more print

I had some unexpected company yesterday and never got the weekly posts I wanted to write done, so will do another general daily post for today and shoot for tomorrow for the outlooks by sign.

Today we've still got the Sun in Leo and the Moon in Gemini - some really good, playful energy here. Lots of ideas and conversations going on. A Gemini Moon does not want to make choices - she chooses everything so although she will not help us make a decision, her position with Pluto today can give us a clearer picture of the spaces we can release.

Later the Moon is Void so it will be easier for our thoughts to come together without too much emotional unbalance. Keep the ideas coming, our whole soul is supporting our intentions now. We don't have to know what we want, we just have to know how we want to feel and all of us have had enough contrast in our lives to know that.

We just had Jupiter and Venus make a big conjunction. We've got Venus square Vesta so we are fundamentally ready to make a big change now.  It is time to understand what doors are opening - everyone has multiple opportunities with this energy.

Yesterday I wrote about putting off decisions if we can now, for situations that are fuzzy - this still applies. It is OK to green light (or red light) stuff we have clarity on. If we are grounded enough to see clearly what is and isn't working, we always have support for choosing our own happiness.

Venus is going to square Mars and Saturn over the next week - so some restriction and doubt could come in for us, possibly some creative blocks and hurdles for makers and artists. Any tendencies we already have in our emotional make up to speedball from joy to despair in 2.2 seconds will show up for us to get a handle on. Our emotions are here to give us clarity on what will really make us happy. We can't stuff them unless we want them to show up later as dis-ease or dysfunction.

We need to keep our bodies moving now to shift this energy out. Get outdoors and walk.

We still have Neptune opposing Mercury - so we could continue to be a bit unfocused. If we are able to focus on what makes us happy - the stuff our heart wants - with all the mixed cosmic weather, we will pass this test.

Life wants to give us Disneyland, why are we settling for a trip to Pittsburgh?

(no offense to Pittsburgh, but I need Mickey)

BIZ Astrology for Monday, August 18th - decisions, decisions and kindness always counts

bad decisions make great stories bracelet - recycled cork

This morning we have Venus joined with Jupiter and this is a great conjunction leftover from last night - feels breezy like summer ENJOY IT for as long as you can.

We also have practical, hard working Saturn quintile clear headed Mercury for some clear thinking that can get stuff moving.

Later in the day Mercury opposes dreamy Neptune moving us away from focus into a less clearly defined state of mind. By now we are all used to living with a certain amount of uncertainty, right?!

Creative people who can channel the mind's wanderings into imaginative production will have the upper hand now.

We are living through some challenging times. We have Mars conjunct Saturn then later in the day our Moon quincunxes Pluto and Mars. Most people are working hard and some have been under some harsh aspects for a long time. Be respectful of this. If this is you, be kind to yourself and give yourself a break - if this is someone else in your life give them a break.

Everyone has been pulled from their pot, roots dangling - I don't know anyone who can stay grounded for more than a few hours. It's not you. It's the way things are now. Don't fight it - just move through it.

Many people are challenged by decisions now.

Sometimes when we can't make a decision there is a buried issue we do not want to face, something we need to deal with first. Sometimes we are waiting for others to - pass their judgement (so time and energy is wasted preparing to have to support our decision to others) or give their approval (our choosing to explain ourselves allows others to mind our business instead of their own and we should not be wanting to teach anyone that).

In most instances though, it is simply a matter of timing; all parts of the picture have not come into view and a decision made now would be premature.

Decision making is challenging when the ground is shifting like this anyway and we have Neptune (the planet of imagination and illusion) in Pisces (the sign of imagination and illusion) hitting lots of places in people's charts she has never been in our lifetimes.

Neptune is an outer planet so her real goal is big picture planetary changes - in our personal life she shows up to ask us, "what part of my life needs more intuition and less logic?" and its polarity "where am I most vulnerable to mistaking fears and dreams for reality?".

We all face some Neptune aided doubts and delusions now, so if you are undecided and it is possible for you to step back for a bit and put a decision on hold until next week at least, do so.

Tomorrow, or tonight,  I am going to post a little forecast for each sign for the week, if you know the time you were born and can find your rising sign the forecast could be most accurate (you can use your sun sign, too). xo all

BIZ Astrology for Friday August 15th - yes, it's Friday .. and it's summer .. but there's still work to be done

judy clement wall - focus print

Around lunchtime today Mercury (intellect, communication) moves into earthy get-to-work Virgo (where he will hang out for the next couple weeks) and the Moon moves into earthy Taurus, so any fuzzy thinking will give way to clarity and Mars sextile to Jupiter will give us the energy and motivation to get stuff done.

Mercury energy asks the question "what are we a voice for?"

This is powerful stuff. 

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 are glib or hot-headed or rude, when we believe that talking about something is the same as doing it; when we say what we think someone wants to hear when it isn't what we really believe.

The "stuff" to get done will probably include paperwork, health stuff, pet stuff, talks about people we might work with, stuff around children, decisions, meetings, sales, writing - the pace will pick up.

Neptune has a nice trine to Vesta this weekend making it a great time for positive changes to our homes and work spaces. Our outer world reflects our inner world and just like inner work must show up in our outer world - the same holds true in reverse. By warming up our outer world, our inner flame must respond to meet it. Think graciousness and spaciousness now.

Some of my favorite feng shui workspace tips I have been given include:

1. Have a clear view of the entrance from our work table/desk - this allows us to see outside opportunities

2. Put symbols of future goals above our eye level - I like to keep a plant on top of a bookshelf to represent growth to me

3. Have organic materials in our workspace - wood, ceramic, wicker, crystals - this will make us feel supported

4. Draw attention to our achievements - frame awards, articles, diplomas - hanging them on the left side of the room is good, also have a light that reflects upward to increase our visibility (lighting  a red candle at our desk each day can help with this, too - ceremony is always good, life supports intention).

On Saturday our Taurus Moon will be opposite Mars and Saturn so situations will come up that allow us to look at 'what is really important to us' so we can focus on that. There is some ending stuff going on, too. The Moon is void of course for most of Sunday, but still feels like a good day for creative projects to me. Next week stuff heats up, so get some rest and have some fun this weekend, too!

BIZ Astrology for Thursday August 14th - Who Says Only Men Are From MARS Anyway

17th and Oak / Rocky Balboa Typography

Our Moon is still in action Aries and we've got Mars, in Scorpio for the last couple weeks, sextiling (60 degrees apart) Pluto. This is another day where the energy is robust and favors action. BUT maybe think about Rocky Balboa's decisive punches and grounded feet with this one - we want to be strong, focused and precise now. 

Today we have our independent Aries Moon lining up with independent (and rebellious) Uranus.

Uranus is the planet of rebellion and revolution and is in Aries from March 2011 through May 2018 (all Aries rising signs, Aries Suns and Aries Moons will find themselves questioning authority and find it necessary to move through life without social approval at some point during these years - who cares what everyone else thinks, not an Aries these days) - no planet is more unpredictable.

We could get some unexpected news. We could pick a battle that really costs us. Of course, if we are grounded we could get a real breakthrough. There is an aspect between Jupiter and Neptune today that could affect our ability to see clearly (it could also expand our creativity makers and artists!), so although decisive action is still favored today - if we find ourselves rocking the boat too much we will get wet, maybe quite wet.

Neptune kind of weakens the barrier between consciousness and unconsciousness - between ego and soul he makes us more vulnerable to illusion, but also enlightenment. With Jupiter's expansive powers making him more powerful - he could bring us mystical visions and a more compassionate heart now or weaken us with delusions. Anyone feeling a need to firm up some resolve with a 12-step meeting today, find one.

Also Venus is parallal to one of the 8 Uranian planets (discovered by German astrologers during the early 20th century) called Admetos. Admetos has come to represent something that is un-moveable, steady as a rock or something that has run its course. This could bring an ending to something creative or some kind of obstacle within a partnership. If something we thought was going one way suddenly does a 180 on us, we will just think of our argonaut Admetos and know we are on our own quest to find the Golden Fleece after all. We are always safe and supported.

TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO BE THINKING ABOUT - Who are our people - where is our tribe? People say we are a combination of the 5 people we spend the most time with. New people will be coming into our lives soon - probably very soon - maybe this has already started. Feeling grateful for the ways the universe supports us will draw more universal support to us. Never be afraid to ask for support. We can never ask for too much.

BIZ Astrology for Wednesday August 13th - Forward Motion on YOUR Journey

studio 3 ten print by Suzanne Millius

The Moon moves into action Aries this morning

(after being void of course since last night - if you have overslept a bit, forgive yourself - void of course is the period of time from the moon's exit from one sign and her entrance into another - it's a slightly fuzzy period when it might seem that whatever we do or say is the wrong thing - luckily most of us pretty much slept through it this month).

This Aries Moon is trining

(an aspect formed when planets are three signs apart or approx 120 degrees - it's a point of ease and harmony, some might say luck)

Venus and Jupiter sitting in Leo so we are likely to get some clarity that we can take action on now. Aries is life force energy, the first astrological sign. There is nothing - then there is Aries. Aries does not guarantee victory (we don't get that kind of ironclad contract), but he does guarantee movement if we take up his challenge to be courageous.

Later today Venus will square Ceres and we may be reminded somehow this journey is OURS - this might take the form of a clash between family values and our own personal dreams. Know this is just life's way of bringing us back to our own center - what do we want now?

Mercury's movement this afternoon may require us to look at and take action on things that aren't working for us anymore - 80% of our business income comes from 20% of our business - how can we focus on the 20% - what gets to stay, what gets kicked to the curb. A small business's biggest asset may be our ability to pivot on a dime.

TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO BE - getting clarity and offers or ideas about what to do now to get what we want.  Moon’s trine to Venus and Jupiter is a beautiful universal HELL YEAH (plus it's shark week)! But remember Aries is still the first sign, the kick off energy at the beginning of the race (and crisis sometimes follows Aries like a shadow) - there is still work ahead for us. And that's OK - we are here for the quest after all.

Today is a day for forward motion - it doesn't have to be a big giant leap - baby steps are totally allowed - but it does have to be NEW and it does have to require COURAGE - whatever we have on our plate that meets that criteria is where our attention can be rewarded now.

BIZ Astrology for Tuesday August 12th - Venus joins the parade in Leo / Princess POWER

michelle baron studio print

If the Sun were the king and the Moon were the queen, the princess of the sky would certainly be Venus. After the sun and moon she shines brighter than everything else (and is the closest planet to Earth).

When we are moved by something (poetry, music, art) - we are touching this part of ourselves. A natal chart with a prominent Venus (she rules Libra and Taurus and our 7th house of partnership) may not make us a great artist or musical genius (although it might), but it will surely give us appreciation for these things.

An artistic eye, a musical ear or a poetic heart (the ability to show appreciation) is just as valuable to a vibrant world and evolving planet as the ability to create these things.

If we deny Venus in ourselves or our business or deny ourselves or our business of Venusian qualities we miss out on much more than the ability to don a paper crown and prance around the room like a magical princess - although I would not underestimate the power of prancing either! LET'S PRANCE!

Venus joins the Sun, Jupiter and Mercury in fiery, active, generous Leo today.

TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO BE THINKING ABOUT - How can I bring out my inner gift so it can be appreciated? What beauty am I appreciating? What moves me? How can I be seen? 

This is an action day, so let's take some action to make our work more visible. Venus will provide a kind of irresistible allure for us now.

BIZ Astrology for Monday August 11th - hell yeah, it's shark week

jessica mingo shark print

After last night's full moon (and I hope you got outdoors and took a moonbath ie maybe a walk around your neighborhood - you don't have to take these monthly baths walks in your birthday suit but showing a little skin never hurts - this is true for most things in life) we are all starting the week with our emotions a little over the moon.

Action oriented back to work Monday mornings - and it's SHARK WEEK after all, hold little appeal to our moon. The moon's job is to feel, not take action or make decisions. Left to its own devices the Moon would have us dream our life away.

Our moon seeks to live in imagination where all our possibilities are kept alive simply because we never choose to live them out. We need to spend time in this place, too - we can pitch a tent here now and then, but of course, we'll build our house on more solid footings.

After the Aquarian distance from ourselves this weekend - are we holding onto the stuff that hurts or the stuff that heals? - the Moon heads into dreamy Pisces where it meets up with dreamy Neptune.

This can be a wonderful time of high creativity for creatives - passion can also lead to things being a bloody mess for a while. You want to fight any tendency to want to be the victim in anything that pops up now. Remember we have the Sun in Leo partnered up with Jupiter. There is royal power for all of us in this.

(anyone "breaking up" with someone or something right now - a partner, customer, job, etc - could see things get messy or too emotional - remember we can affect the situation in big ways with our language - use words like dissolve and dismantle rather than "break" now - not to the other party since this will most likely just piss them off, but in our own minds - intend for things to drift apart in gentle ways, know that you will always find a safe harbor)

TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO BE THINKING ABOUT - How are we different? What do we do best? How can we focus our energies and attention on that 1% of ourselves that we have literally been created from the stars to manifest and not waste our focus on the 99% of ourselves that is just like everybody else?

This is a great day to go from the frying pan into the fire or maybe I should say from the sinking ship into the shark infested waters if we don't get this focus thing right - but if we do set off in the direction of our heart we will find great loyalty and generosity there.

Full Moon in Aquarius 2014 - banding together as individuals

my aquarius aromatherapy locket

On Sunday, August 10th, we have a full moon (2nd of 3 super moons of the summer) in the freedom loving sign of Aquarius (my sun sign).

This is a culmination of January's Aquarius new moon.

If you remember back to April's Cardinal Grand Cross that shifted our center into the new paradigm of the Aries/Libra polarity (balancing self and other, male and female, work and home) we can see how this moon fits into our ongoing process.

Aquarius is a rational, detached and objective sign. The sign of equality and community. Aquarius does not like compromise, but Aquarius loves collaboration - Aquarius wants everybody to win.

Aquarius is the sign of genius - the sign of the revolutionary, the scientist (yes, often of the madder variety - I count myself among these) and the exile.

As one of my favorite astrology teachers, Steven Forrest says (I am paraphrasing from memory from one of his teachings here).

"Eve (no doubt an Aquarian) was tempted by the serpent

<--- (the glyph for Aquarius - this pair of wavy lines often mistaken for ocean waves - are actually two serpents and represent knowledge)

to eat from the forbidden Tree of Knowledge. She did and got her and her hubs tossed from the Garden of Eden. In that single act of Aquarius rebellion, our current history's first modern woman gave birth to something far more valuable than safety - she gave birth to freedom."

If you are an Aquarius sun sign (how we process life), Aquarius moon (how we feel your way through life) or Aquarius ascendant (how we appear to other people) and especially if it is 13-23 degrees Aquarius (or the other air signs Gemini or Libra are within 13-23 degrees in your natal chart) you will feel the effects of this full moon the most. Most likely within the Aries/Libra polarity of balancing self and other, relationships and work.

With Aquarius we cannot compromise to fit in. We cannot pretend to be something we are not even when being ourselves might hurt those around us. Aquarius detachment isn't about being heartless (although the polarity sign of Aquarius is of course the big hearted - and sometimes equally big ego - of Leo) - but she knows to value safety before freedom will surely be the death of her.

At Sunday's full moon - something from late January/ early February will wrap itself up (check what house Aquarius resides in your natal chart), this could be about finding partners that share our vision, how can we collaborate and benefit everyone? Get outdoors and walk in this full moon. 

Full moons are a powerful time for giving thanks - if we are noticing what we appreciate and noticing what we are grateful for, we can't be noticing (ie putting our attention on) what we don't want or what we don't have. The full moon always shows us what story we are holding onto. 

Feel your moments this weekend and you will know if you are holding onto a story that heals or a story that hurts. xo all

Biz Astrology for Tuesday August 5th - work like a captain, play like a pirate

bs custom designs

Venus aspects Neptune this morning which could make everyone a little thin skinned especially for people like me whose epidermis already resembles onion peel.

Our Moon in Sagittarius wants us to speak from our hearts this afternoon (which could lead to tears this evening for some).  

The moon trines Jupiter in Leo and makes for a day we can expand through playfulness and laughter.

The best universal biz advice for today would be to do what you have to do with a light heart and make it fun - but again do what you have to so. Makers could have some real progress to show for effort put forth now by week's end.

*If you are looking for a day to play hooky this week - today's energy may be your best bet. xo all

(am finishing up a course that requires me to do a daily horoscope, so will likely post it over here this week, too - although general I hope someone finds something useful)

she's gonna sing ....

It's November 21, 1934 and a skinny, 16 year old high school drop out, orphan and dancer named Ella Fitzgerald is called up on stage at the famous Apollo Theater during amateur night after her name is randomly drawn from a hat.

The announcer probably says something like, "And now ladies and gentlemen our next contestant is Miss Ella Fitzgerald and she is going to dance for us tonight".

Maybe the audience shifts in their seats. Certainly ice cubes tinkle against the sides of glasses and cigarette smoke fills the room.

Maybe Ella tugged on his sleeve or maybe she whispered in his ear.

"Hold on now everyone", the announcer suddenly continues, "Miss Fitzgerald has changed her mind. She's not gonna dance. She's gonna sing."

(she then goes on to do three encores, win first prize ... and change music forever)

NOTE - many years later during an interview with NPR, Ella admitted she switched from dancing to singing that night after deciding she didn't measure up to the talented dancers in the act that preceded hers - she even admitted she flubbed the first couple lines and the announcer had to step in to calm her nerves and protect her from what he thought would be a jeering crowd ... then she started AGAIN and brought down the house ....

Here's to following our hearts right now.

Biz Horoscope for Monday August 4th - the early bird catches the worm

rachel lewis - sleep late

We start the week with a LEO Sun, a SCORPIO Moon, the Moon conjunct Saturn and Mars firing hot or maybe mis-firing.

(if we have something we fired off in haste over the last few days we need to make amends for or correct, maybe wait for the Sagittarius moon later in the week when cooler heads will prevail - today's Scorpio Moon makes it a great time to dig deep and figure out how we got to this place though)

If you have a business or a life that requires you to get down to business today - get stuff done early. Saturn rewards a good game plan. It's not the best time to wing it. The moon turns void of course in early evening so don't start anything new then. And if you feel a bit un-ruddered yourself tonight, just call it a day. Sleep fixes everything (truly, we build a new body while sleeping and wake up a new person - we can reinforce fast life change by sleeping on a different side of the bed, moving our alarm clock and changing our morning routine!).

We have a lovely Moon/Venus trine that rewards the creative biz working from a place of personal integrity with popularity now.

This is a great day to:

Work hard
Be the early bird (of course, the opposite strategy works best for the worm - if you have already overslept just consider yourself a wise worm and get to work!)
Plan our next move - think strategy with this
Have some fun (this is still summer after all - but get your work done first or you will not enjoy your fun as much)
Skip any kind of manipulation - don't do it or allow it
If we have done something impulsive or "misfired" somehow - this is a good day to figure out why we did it
Have an emotional connection with our creativity - what calls to your heart now?!

 xo all
(am finishing up a course that requires me to do a daily horoscope, so will likely post it over here this week, too - although general I hope someone finds something useful)

when there is no 'away' ....

 
In my early craft show days with recycled jewelry I had a sign in my booth that read:  
don't throw it away - there is no "away"

I found the sign this morning, a decade later. Today I not only can't throw anything away - I can't look away, get away with it or run away either! Life has definitely pushed me into the here and now and rooted this formerly rootless girl to the ground I stand on.

Maybe the whole idea of "away" is going away!

I had an astrology teacher who regularly said "during this time of apocalypse"

note - the word apocalypse is often used to describe a great devastation, but the actual, literal meaning (ancient Greek) of apocalypse is an unveiling or revealing.

She freaked us out at first, but over time we got de-sensitized to the word and could feel gratitude to be living at a time when the truth is being revealed to us - even as we fight daily to stay grounded at its unveiling on both personal and global levels.

The internet is the physical manifestation of revelation after all.

With the Sun in Leo right now there is an emphasis on courage and confidence, celebration, somber awareness, and of course, powerful creativity.

I have a friend who recently accepted a new job. After giving her two weeks notice at her old job she realized she would not get a vacation for many months (and she hadn't had one in her old job for almost a year). She then delayed the start of her new job (with the help of a white lie) by a few days so she could get away. She rented a little cottage in the woods, but with the white lie and new job 'hanging over her head' she could not enjoy herself.

This is kind of how the energy of the next couple weeks of Leo may feel to many people.

When Mars moved into Scorpio on July 25th, whatever we held back for the last 8 months while he passive-aggressively worked his way through Libra- turned into active aggression (we see this in world events, too), truth will sting, we will be much more productive and since Mars is joining Saturn - the breakthroughs and struggle can lead to a new stability.

For me, personally, with a Scorpio ascendant (first house of self) - the extra fire/heat made me physically sick and I am still working through it. I should have seen it coming and now have to work harder to rebuild my immune system - the warning signs of illness come as “permission” to slow down and recharge - we ignore them at our own peril.

xo all