Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of April 29th, 2019 - responsibilties ease or intensify, lines in the sand deepen or blow away, past issues need to be attended to, pushed to make a decision, arguments, choices, the gazillion things that need our attention, owning what we own, a solid and somewhat uncomplicated new beginning

https://www.deviantart.com/artic-art/art/Paulina-375882313

MONDAY - Saturn stations retrograde
TUESDAY - Saturn conjunct South Node, opposing North Node, Jupiter trines Eris
WEDNESDAY - Mercury squares Saturn and the North and South Nodes and sextiles Mars
THURSDAY - Mercury squares Pluto and trines Jupiter
SATURDAY - New Moon in Taurus, Mercury trines Galactic Center
SUNDAY - Mars opposes Jupiter

This is a tricky week with Saturn stationing retrograde and lots of Mercury busyness, communication and information! Adjustments. Decisions. What have we been procrastinating?

On MONDAY - Saturn stations retrograde at 20 degrees Capricorn. Every year Saturn stations for about 4 1/2 months and zeroes in on 6-7 degrees for a triple whammy. He will get all the way back to 13 degrees Capricorn on September 18th when he will station direct. If we have planets or points from approx 20-13 degrees of Capricorn and the other cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra) we will likely feel this retrograde strongest.

This period of re-grouping will relate to the theme of our natal Capricorn house and in general our careers, goals, the way we show up in the world, the structures in our life, our relationship with authority and our own inner authority, the way we handle our responsibilities, the way we deal with limits, our fears, time, depression, isolation, the past.

Old rules/restrictions can be re-instated. Old responsibilities may need to be attended to. Maybe a career opportunity returns. An old-boss comes back. We hit a reality-check.

Situations will conspire to re-inforce the stuff we have taken ownership of/or need to, that needs our grown-up voice, big girl pants wearing self.

Saturn rules karma - the cycles of cause and effect. This stuff stretches back many lifetimes and through our ancestral DNA. With Saturn retrograde it's almost like repeating a class in school - we get another chance to get it right. We can moan and groan about missing our friends at the beach or we can knuckle under and do what we should have done the first time (or the first five times!).

Any piece of 13-20 degrees Capricorn (and the other cardinal signs via squares and oppositions) that we skipped or glided over the first time - will be OUR REALITY CHECKPOINT.

Saturn hit 13 degrees Capricorn for the first time back in mid-January. This isn't a new issue although new situations can arise now that allow us to re-work what needs to be re-worked. Things can stall. It can feel like things are re-gressing. That's OK.  

Saturn wants us to measure twice before we cut.

There is something important here and we need to get it right!

Is our time being well-spent? Are we running our business or is it running us? What are our priorities? Do we need to validate our credentials? What have we been avoiding dealing with? Stop signs now mean we need a little more planning. Saturn over-do resulting in too much isolation, depression, pessimism, procrastination will show up more clearly to get dealt with, too.

Courses get corrected.

(note with Saturn and Capricorn ruling governments and banks and corporations - expect cosmic re-calculations over the next 4 1/2 months!)

For some, Saturn will hold our feet to the fire (primarily those with impacted planets and points). Others will get some breathing room and a chance to re-turn to the drawing board. Saturn retrograde is a time of karmic comeuppance - we get to own what we own. 

I have a post about this, as well as Pluto and Jupiter's retrogrades for the summer HERE (link coming as soon as post is up).

On TUESDAY, a retrograde Saturn will conjunct the South Node (again) and, keep in mind, since the Nodes are always retrograde, Saturn will be traveling WITH the South Node and opposing the North Node ALL SUMMER. Major endings. Major challenges with staying in our hearts. Major karmic situations. Let it go.

When I say we've been here before, I really mean we've been here BEFORE! Our father has probably been here, too, as well as our grandfather and his grandfather.

Jupiter trines Eris. Eris is the angry outsider and Jupiter expands upon contact and is retrograde. This is rebellion against patriarchal scripts that no longer work (and never worked for all of us) - which might have felt like they were keeping us safe (think of the way God doesn't need to be found in a church anymore and the way we can't get a nice job with a company and be guaranteed a future anymore), but was also keeping us separate because all this comfort was built on the backs of other people who were not comfortable at all and also built though rules and regulations that kept even the beneficiaries of patriarchy STUCK! Life is a wild ride!

On WEDNESDAY, Mercury (in Aries) will square a retrograde Saturn and the South Node, oppose the North Node and sextile (opportunity) Mars (in Gemini). And with Mercury in Aries - ruled by Mars - and Mars in Gemini - ruled by Mercury - both signs are STRENGTHENED NOW, making it easier to walk (Mars) our talk (Mercury).

It could be hard to get our new/fresh ideas and actions to move forward now. There could be walls. Limits. Issues from the past that need to be attended to before we can proceed. Mars in Gemini should offer choices.

We could be pushed to make decisions this week.

On THURSDAY, Mercury will square Pluto and trine Jupiter. This continues yesterday's focus on communication, talks, meetings, our physical actions, issues with authority. Pluto brings intensity. Transformation. Power struggles. Maybe issues around Plutonian themes - life/death, other people's money, taxes, loans, sex, reproduction, inheritances. The trine (brakes off) to Jupiter will move things along, expand whatever is happening or our plans for better or worse - whatever is set into motion will stay in motion. It can also pull Sag themes into the mix - travel, media, higher education, religion, politics, our higher thinking, big plans, legal issues.

On FRIDAY, things should start to ease up (especially once the Moon gets into Taurus in the late afternoon) and we have an almost all-workday Void Moon. With two major planets stationed retrograde within just a few days of each other and all this Mercury activity this week we could be exhausted. Slow down when you need to. This is Taurus season. Get out of your mind and back into your body - away from the computer and out into nature. Get a massage. Put your hands into some dirt.

On SATURDAY, we have our annual New Moon in Taurus, finally in 2019 we get a New Moon preceding a Full Moon and start to get back on our lunar course!

I will write a post - the Taurus New Moon is about steady, solid, uncomplicated birth and growth.

On SUNDAY, Mars (all over the place in Gemini, though aided by his mutual reception with Mercury in Aries) opposes a retrograde Jupiter. Remember last week we had Mars square Neptune. Mars is out of bounds now, so not playing by the rules! Arguments. Tension around ideas/errands. Who has a bigger/better whatever. Passion. Anger. Impatience. Exaggerations. No one will be taking any crap.

Maybe we just want to do this one big thing and are sidetracked by a gazillion little things ... or vice versa.

xo all - back with that Retrograde Spring/Summer post and the New Moon post!

photo by the talented Arctic-art

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of April 22, 2019 - plot twist, shock and awe, a flash of genius, fast change, karmic situations, reaping what we've sown, outgrown suits go back on the rack, we end the week with a caution flag, undermining actions, slow down

https://www.deviantart.com/rt13rosca/art/Crash-landed-Dreams-743288204


MONDAY - Sun conjuncts Uranus, Saturn conjuncts the South Node
TUESDAY - Venus conjuncts Chiron
WEDNESDAY - Pluto stations retrograde in Capricorn (for five months)
SATURDAY - Mars squares Neptune

Another intense week! Is there any other kind of week anymore? Didn't we say April would be life-changing?! Oh yes, we did!

On MONDAY, Uranus meets the Sun - the first time in Taurus in something like 84 years. And it's Earth Day! When a planet meets the Sun we start a new chapter or a new story. Uranus in Taurus is squaring Aquarius (Uranus's sign) so his journey through Taurus maintains this kind of natural square to himself - which brings tension/frustration, but is also the energetic we need to move past self-imposed restraints.

And this is unpredictable and chaos ruling Uranus so we know this new chapter

includes a major PLOT TWIST.

This is a light (Sun) being thrown on something unexpected (Uranus).

This is a strong urge (Sun) to be free (Uranus). This is a flash (Sun) of genius (Uranus).

A cosmic download of our future. We are given a crystal ball. What do we see? We are becoming the magic to such an extent that we have to be asleep to keep the old world going.

That is why we are being woken up!

This is shock (Uranus) and awe (Sun).

This aspect will often show us to what and to whom we are tethered. This might be shown to us in a way that doesn't feel so good. But not necessarily.

Uranus (the conductor of our fastest route from point A to point B) uses what works and sometimes the stick works better than the carrot.

Sometimes we just aren't hungry enough to even notice the carrot

(although I'm betting most of us are hungry for a little more stability and security right now).

We could meet this energy in the form of an actual person. Maybe someone new and unusual or our new and unusual self or thingamajig could attract a person/situation that lets it shine or brings it attention.

It is always better to use this kind of energy rather than be used by this energy.  

Do something NEW.

It doesn't have to be some huge, ginormous thing unless this stuff is hitting your personal planets and points and if that is the case it will most certainly be some big, ginormous thing.

Also if we have been in Lalaland - that long Mercury/Neptune thing - this could be a very big reality check week. If nothing out of the ordinary happens to us, maybe we do not require any major kicks from point A to point B right now.

Know whatever happens now (large or small) - will have its BENEFITS.

(Trump is being MAJORLY challenged this week, especially Wednesday/Thursday, but before we get too excited, keep in mind his strong Uranian nature, meaning his chart is ahead of the curve - I often say he IS Uranus - and the Mueller report dropped LAST Thursday - also with his chart interacting with the U.S. chart it could be a United States situation that is MAJORLY challenging - let's hope not)

Uranus (called the great awakener) only cares about getting us from A to B via the fastest route, he doesn't care if we land on our ass or if the route (like my GPS when I get near a certain body of water and it urges me forward although there is no bridge) drowns us in the ocean.

We will most assuredly wash up at point B, but we might not wash up still breathing. 

In other words - this transit is the impulse to quit our job, for example, but it doesn't provide any help once we've quit - the transit will be gone and so will our paycheck. This doesn't mean we don't quit our job, but it's something to keep in mind now.

Unnecessary risks could put us in dangerous situations.

We could damage/create chaos (Uranus) for our physical body (Sun). Uranus rules accidents and with my stellium in Aquarius (ruled by Uranus) I was one of the most accident prone children on the planet - my father would say "put a piece of paper on the convention hall floor and she will trip on it", so they sent me to ballet, where I continued to fall, but now with a little more drama. I fell going down the stairs. I fell going up the stairs. I fell when I was sitting down - really, what the hell was that?! :)

We could damage/create chaos (Uranus) for our reputation (Sun) - the way other people see us.

Of course, even this could be a good thing if someone is relying on us too much and we let them down.

Things are never totally bad or totally good.

It's probably not a good time to confront authority though. 

Our Taurus house gets a DISRUPTION - a new chapter kicks off. Unless you were alive in the 1940's (and probably even if you were) this is totally uncharted territory.

On the same day we have Saturn (stationing retrograde next week, so we get this aspect three times) meeting the South Node in Capricorn (and opposing our Node Node in Cancer - our way forward).

This is a major ending, a major letting go of the stuff that is no longer working - and it might just feel like it IS working. What we stop doing, dis-engage from or toss is as important as what we keep!

Is the role we played in the past still relevant?

I felt this energy in a major way on Easter - and the answer was a resounding NO. And that hurt. BIGLY.

The South Node and Saturn are both about karma. We reap what we have sown. Or what our ancestors' have sown (which might seem unfair until you realize you ARE your ancestors or until you win the lottery because your great-great grandfather was cheated out of his gold claim).

If we have been undecided about something this year - here is where our hand might be forced.

This energy is in play for the rest of the year, but today is one of the days we get the exact aspect.

We'll talk more about this in the dailies.

On TUESDAY, Venus meets Chiron at 3 degrees Aries. This might connect back to last week's Mercury/Chiron hurting/healing words. This feels like an opportunity to be brave. To love ourselves. To forgive ourselves for our weaknesses.

Maybe there is some kind of attraction to what hurts here.

Like we just want to wallow in it!

We might be extremely sensitive to Venusian issues now - beauty, love, our values, resources, our money. Painful feelings. Not being/having enough.

This could be about making peace with our looks, with our bank account, with our relationships - some things just can't be fixed from the space we currently occupy.

Some deep insights are possible now.

Heads up Tuesday includes an all-day Void Moon.

On WEDNESDAY, Pluto stations retrograde at 23 degrees Capricorn. He will get back to 20 degrees by October 3rd when he will station direct and walk these degrees AGAIN  and since I have a natal 21 degree Mercury in Capricorn I can tell you we have already been here multiple times over the last couple years, but this will be the first time we are doing it with Pluto conjunct Saturn and the South Node!

Pluto retrogrades can reveal our shadows through challenging situations.

What is controlling us? What are we trying to control? Outworn controls, rules and power systems will be re-looked at.

Structural revisions are needed. What is holding us up these days?

Sometimes when Pluto is retrograde we are forced to go "cold turkey" with an obsession/addiction. We are made to dis-entangle from the people/situations we thought we needed to survive. To do or die.

Merging. Purging. That's Pluto.

This week's energy feels alot like last year mid-April - if that time period was big for you, this week might be, too.

I will write a post about these retrogrades - Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn (who will station retrograde in just a few days) including my near-death experience story from last year when Pluto stationed right on my Mercury - ruler of my 8th house.

On SATURDAY, Mars (in Gemini) squares imaginative but sometimes delusional Neptune (in Pisces). This energy sounds kind of exhausting. Like we are running in ten directions at once and getting nowhere. This also could be about a disappointment. Or an addiction/escape where we undermine ourselves.

There is a caution flag out now.

We might take actions that are not in our best interest. Make decisions based on faulty information. We could be undermined. Things could look better than they actually are (this sounds a little bit familiar, doesn't it?!). Boundaries can be blurry and too easily crossed. We need to be cautious about who we trust.

It won't be possible to be certain.

And, of course, it is never possible to be certain, but right now it is CERTAIN we can't be certain. If things do not need to be decided right now, let's not decide right now.  

It's a caution-y, 'expect-the-unexpected' kind of week.

xo all

photo by the talented rt13rosca

Second Full Moon in Libra | April 19, 2019 - another chance to bring our relationships into balance, words or information that hurts, what are we overdoing, what needs to be finished, what beliefs are holding us back, who and what are we partnered with? who and what has our back? dogs aren't really eating other dogs


On Friday morning at 7:11AM EDT we have the second Full Moon in Libra at 29 degrees - Moon at 29 degrees Libra, Sun at 29 degrees Aries - our monthly Moon/Sun opposition.

We had the first Full Moon back on March 20th (Spring Equinox) at 0 degrees Libra/Aries. Two Full Moons in the same sign in the same year is VERY unusual. Coming in the relationship focused sign of Libra and the "we vs me" polarity of the Libra/Aries axis - something here is really wanting our attention! Maybe with such a focus right now on having to do this thing ourselves - it is more important than ever that we get really, really clear on who (and what) we are on this journey with!

We have had a Full Moon followed by a New Moon since the January eclipses (reflecting this whole ass-backwards, cart before the horse thing we have had going on all year) - we will finally start having a New Moon followed by a Full Moon in May!

A post on the FIRST Libra Full Moon is HERE - that might be helpful to reread and think about how those themes have moved forward in our life in the last 30 days.

Full Moons bring things to light, to a peak/culmination and to an END.

Let's unpack the chart.

We can see we have a fast-moving pile up in Aries right now, demanding we prioritize ourselves. Libra brings the focus to the way this plays out within our relationships.

The Sun is approaching his exact conjunction to the "fast-change" Uranus in Taurus. So, we might see Full Moon events play out when this conjunction is exact NEXT WEEK (around Tuesday), maybe giving us an Easter weekend break from whatever "new reality" this second Moon and Uranus are determined to bring to light!

The Sun/Moon are squaring the Pluto/Saturn conjunction - Pluto and Saturn will both be going retrograde over the next week or so, so this is going to ease up a bit before they come back together in the fall and take us into 2020's super conjunction. What you can't see from this chart is that right now, exactly in between powerful Pluto and powerful Saturn is the powerful South Node of the Moon (endings, release, past karma - collective and individual). We haven't had this kind of energetic in 500 years!

We have a retrograde Jupiter trining the Sun and sextiling the Moon.

It could be Full Moon events come through this space of our chart (Sagittarius house) or through a Jupiter-type person (could be a Sag person or someone who is a BIG thinker/talker/explorer) or situation where we - or a partner - are most likely OVER-DOING or exaggerating something or believing in something that needs a wake-up, shake-up call. 

The squares to the Nodes indicate tension/frustration around an OLD responsibility. Something we have already taken on/committed to - and we can't move forward until this is completed/lived up to.

This could also (since the Moon is focused on partnerships) be playing out through someone else in our life - happening to a partner, etc and impacting us - or impacting the partnership itself. Relationships are mirrors.

The full glow of the Moon will spotlight the ways something is out of balance or the way greater Libra diplomacy/cooperation/beauty is needed or not needed. Diplomacy/cooperation could be hard to come by (the Sun in Aries wants what he wants and he's got some help right now, look at all the Aries planets and Venus, ruler of this Full Moon, will be there, too, within hours).

Maybe we get to see who/what really has our back.

Things could feel very out of balance or out of control.

Mercury will conjunct hurting/healing Chiron this same day, so there might be some painful words heard or expressed now. Conversations/information that hurts. Conversations/information that heals. Sibling situations can also trigger old sore spots.

Maybe whatever relationship dynamics we had playing out back on March 20th (the first Libra Full Moon) are TALKED OUT now. Or new information comes out now. Mercury is freshly minted in Aries - we need a new conversation, a new story, a new way in - not to rehash the same old, same old.

The Full Moon in Libra can bring clarity.

We get a second chance to bring something into balance. With everything happening in cardinal signs there is a fresh start built into any ending now.

The Sun is coming off this week's trine to the Galactic Center - so there is fresh information here, a new timeline has crossed into our own and here we are poised at the brink of every conceivable possibility.

Something is still hanging over our head though - something still not finished. A prior commitment maybe or some responsibility not stepped into/lived up to. Something to think about, but not dwell on because things are going to start speeding up now.

We came for the journey. For the experience. Our arrival at our destination was assured as soon as we left home. This isn't a race. No one is keeping score.

Keep in mind always this year that North Node in Cancer. We have to somehow prioritize nurturing. Taking care of ourself. Being kind/compassionate to ourselves and to each other. We have to somehow stay open and vulnerable. If we let ourselves become brittle or jaded or hiding out to stay safe or buying into this "every man for himself" mode of thinking that got us into this mess in the first place, the stakes will just keep getting higher and higher.

The stuff that is really keeping us safe isn't the stuff that looks like it is keeping us safe.

Which reminds me of a day in hub's shop when one of his customers, a young laid-back kind of guy not some crusty curmudgeon, probably watching too much Walking Dead or playing too many video games, was telling us about his business problems and how this was a dog eat dog world, and hubs and the other men present, I believe caught up in some kind of testosterone group hug, without any actual hugging, of course - boy germs and all, were all nodding and agreeing with him and going on and on about survival of the fittest.

And I was like, "Wait a minute, this isn't a dog eat dog world. This isn't even a dog eat squirrel world. This isn't a survival of the fittest world. This may be a non-survival of the very least fit (the one gazelle the lion is able to actually catch), but there is a whole lot of surviving going on."

This was followed by a lot of dead air. Then shuffling feet. Then good-byes.

I always did know how to clear a room.

It is NOT a dog eat dog world, but at this Full Moon compromise could be hard to find. We will want what we want and if we have to fight to get it we will. Someone is likely to be pissed off or disappointed in us - oh well. The last Full Moon and this Full Moon have given us a MONTH LONG ending/culmination. We know by now who has our back. We know by now who are on the same page we are. But ultimately this is a solo journey. Our life (and care) is in our own hands.

Too much certainty assures we are shown the very things that will make us question ourselves. Maybe because when nothing is certain, anything is possible, right? I think so, too.

 Enjoy the Full Moon. Be sure to get outside and walk in it.

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of April 15th - it's full steam ahead, big love, the cost of our big dreams, not knowing when to stop, returning to dry land, now we know, we are stardust, are we doing this together or not, painful words, coming back into balance, endings, culminations and fresh starts

https://www.deviantart.com/snjezanajosipovic/art/s-165975704

Lots of Venusian energy and it's FULL STEAM AHEAD when Mercury finally exits Pisces. Expect change and clarity this week as THREE personal planets change signs - two from water into fire and one from fire into earth - AND we have a big and unpredictable second Full Moon in Libra!

Some of the major aspects in the week ahead include -

MONDAY - Venus squares Jupiter
WEDNESDAY - Mercury enters Aries, Sun trines Galactic Center
THURSDAY - Venus squares Galactic Center
FRIDAY - Full Moon in Libra, Mercury conjunct Chiron
SATURDAY - Sun enters Taurus, Venus enters Aries

On MONDAY, Venus (in Pisces) squares Jupiter (retrograde in Sagittarius). Squares bring tension/frustration/crisis, but when our two beneficial planets are squaring each other, things can't be that bad, can they? This speaks of love, compassion and expansion, but maybe also an inability to know when to stop. It has me thinking about the cost (Venus) of going after what we want (Jupiter) - adjustments around this may be needed now. Keep in mind we still have yesterday's trine between the Sun and Jupiter in play - making us lucky and confident.

If we have taken the time to sort out the various knots, disappointments and annoyances of the last few weeks - this is the energy (coupled with the Sun's trine) that can deliver the rewards.

On WEDNESDAY, Mercury finally leaves Pisces after TWO MONTHS and enter fiery Aries. The fog lifts.

With Mercury in Aries our language and thinking becomes more focused, clear-headed and passionate. We don't want to talk about/think about everything (Pisces) we just want to talk about this one specific thing (Aries). We get clarity.

Mercury (ideas, thinking, language) in Aries puts our instinct into words.

Our mind gets faster. Our tongue gets sharper. Words get pushy. It is easier to speak up for ourselves and ask for what we want/need. We can also more easily pick an argument as language becomes more competitive. Mercury in Aries says, "I know what I think and this is what I think."

One of the best uses of this energy, and Mercury will be in Aries until May 6th, would be exactly this - saying what we really think - and yes, this can get us into trouble, so let's not be fools about it - keep in mind Aries impulses can be either self-aggrandizing and immature or passionate and sparking a needed fire. Other best uses include - solving a problem (fire burns off the old gunk and brings fresh insights), initiating a new course of study/learning/teaching or starting a bold, new plan.

Think: fresh start with Mercury themes - words, thinking, writing, learning, teaching, ideas, sibling issues, transportation, your local community. Also bringing fresh words and ideas into your Aries natal house.

Whatever we do with this energy it FINALLY (coupled with Venus's exit from Pisces on Saturday) gets us out of the Pisces water this week. This has been a long journey, but now we know.

At the same time the Sun, still in Aries, but only for a couple more days will trine (brakes off) the Galactic Center. What do we want to manifest? Here is the energetic to change our vibration. Our Sun (as us) is reclaiming our true identity as part of source energy. There could be more reassurance now we are on the smoothest path.

To get the most from this week's transits we need to stop attaching ourselves to our obstacles!

(We are part of a spiral galaxy known as the Milky Way. It is 100,000 light years across and includes over 200 billion stars including our closest star, the Sun. All the stars we see in the sky are part of the Milky Way Galaxy. At the center of our Milky War Galaxy is a super-massive black hole - the Galactic Center. This is the place where time and space were created so you and I would have a place to learn and grow and work and play. This isn't the black hole photographed last week, but google that pic anyway if you haven't seen it yet)

On THURSDAY, Venus (in Pisces) squares the Galactic Center. Venus as a trigger planet tends to bring opportunities to see clearly what we really value, to feel love or any lack of love and the ability to see the beauty in the situation. Squaring source/God/what we are made of - might bring a situation/opportunity for us to feel what is out of alignment with the star-stuff we truly are.

On FRIDAY, we get the SECOND Full Moon in Libra. This Moon brings us back into balance. After this month we won't be having a Full Moon followed by a New Moon, the whole out-of-time thing we have had going on this year - we will finally start having a New Moon followed by a Full Moon!

Like the last Full Moon (at the very beginning of Libra), this one also, coming at the very end of Libra, will be focused on our relationships. What have we learned in the last month? We are getting another look at the spaces we are being overly dependent/independent. And this Moon is ruled by Libra's ruler Venus - who is squaring the Galactic Center and Jupiter! The Sun (opposing the Moon at the end of Aries) will be conjunct anything-can-happen Uranus AND Mercury will be conjunct hurting/healing Chiron.

Expect a BIG post!

On SATURDAY, Venus enters fiery Aries.

Aries Suns and Aries Ascendants become more attractive - both easier on the eye and able to attract what they want. All our natal Aries houses become more attractive, too. Attracting both what we want (Venus) and what we line up with energetically - as the house itself gets woken up by attractive and loving Venus.

In Aries, Venus functions best when she puts herself first.

In Aries, Venus will be thinking, "what's best for me?".

In Aries, Venus is a WARRIOR (and love is a battlefield ... cue Pat Benatar).

Something to keep in mind as we give ourselves permission to go after what we want (always that fly in the ointment) is the impulsive nature of Aries. If Venus was always in Aries our relationships would last 15 minutes and the things we bought/valued would very quickly fall out of favor and we'd be on to the next thing. Maybe not such a good long-haul energetic, but as a transit, ie transitory, Venus in Aries can get on with the business of getting us what we want in a very effective manner.

On the same day the Sun moves from 'Action Jackson' Aries into "stop and smell the roses" Taurus where he starts answering to VENUS and will begin to shine a light on all things Taurus and energize our Taurus houses until May 20th.

This doesn't mean life slows down - especially with Mercury charging off the starting line, but we will feel much better if we make the time to enjoy those slower moments, care for ourselves (and others, but especially ourselves) in loving and practical ways and appreciate what we already have.

If Taurus is stubborn, it's only because it rules really important stuff - the kind of things that have to be nurtured and preserved and seen through to the end.

Taurus is the nuts and bolts of life. She rules our second house of everything important money can buy and everything important money can't. She rules food and nourishment. She rules the sensual touch that feels like love. She rules our resources - our money, the planet. She rules our self-esteem and values.

Ruled by balanced and beautiful Venus our lives could get maybe more imbalanced until they topple over or we are forced to remove something from the more loaded side or add something to the weaker one.

Taurus is the space in your natal chart that naturally encloses what we are here to nurture, preserve and grow. It may be a space we have a bit less passion and ambition because we most naturally feel the need to sustain what takes root here. A bird in the hand thing usually applies to the theme of whatever space Taurus occupies in our natal chart. The energy is cautious because the thing we are holding/carrying here is precious.

It can also become the fear-based space where good things go to die - and then we carry around a bunch of dead stuff like a crate of rotted vegetables and wonder why we are so tired all the time ... and smell like brussel sprouts. So, there's that, too. Sorry Taurus, you know I love you!

(and keep in mind who else is in early Taurus ready for his first conjunction with the Sun here in decades - that fast-change maker, ass-kicker Uranus - we'll talk about that more NEXT WEEK)

This is a big week with lots of twists and turns. The big news is that second (a very unusual happening) Full Moon in Libra

AND we finally swim out of the Pisces energy. Things start to dry out.

I love Pisces and am extremely grateful for the old and ancient personal, family, and ancestral karma this energy carries for us with the purpose of helping us clear the residue of those old traumas and wounds, but two months is enough! It feels good once we clear it, but it can feel like major overwhelm and constant trigger points until we do.

We should feel much relief with that this week. If we were doing the rose-colored glasses thing or didn't know what to do/think - that should ease up now, too. Mercury and Venus in Aries will make it pretty clear what we need to do.

xo all - back with the dailies to flesh it all out

photo by the talented Snjezana Josipovic

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of April 8th - stress, limits, dealing with authority, power plays, big shifts, lost opportunities coming back around, inspiration, love and money gets sticky, pointed in the right direction, a rollercoaster ride, do you feel lucky

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Look at all these aspects!

Mercury is on a journey. The Sun is on a journey. Venus is on a journey. There are enough twists and turns this week for a Tolkien novel. And do we get a "happily ever after" ending? I wrote about how I worked through most of this week's energies last week and it ended in disappointment. Ugh.

Maybe this is the week we get a better ending! Do you feel lucky?

TUESDAY - Mercury trines the North Node, Venus semi squares Uranus, Vesta conjunct Chiron, Ceres stations retrograde
WEDNESDAY - Jupiter stations retrograde, Sun squares Saturn, Venus conjuncts Neptune, Mercury sextiles Pluto
FRIDAY - Mercury squares Jupiter, Venus sextiles Saturn
SATURDAY - Sun squares Pluto, Venus trines the North Node
SUNDAY - Sun trines Jupiter, Venus sextiles Pluto

On TUESDAY - Mercury trines the North Node for the third (and final) time. A trine is a 120 degree aspect in astrology. Two planets (or points) are forming one side of a triangle. They are working in harmony, stimulating each other toward increased activity and success.

We want (and always have) some of these in our natal birth chart. They are our subtle super powers. We can't see through a wall, but maybe we can see when someone is bullshitting us. We can't leap tall buildings with a single bound, but maybe we can leap over obstacles without getting mired in indecision.

Or we could think of them like a tool we are carrying in our pack for this lifetime. We need a screwdriver. We pull it out without thinking, we use it, it works, we put it back. It's something that's there. And it's helpful.

Today we have Mercury (communication, conversations, ideas, information) in Pisces trine the North Node (destiny, our collective way forward) in Cancer. This is the quiet voice that urges us forward. The encouraging word that keeps us going. This is the conversation or idea or information that changes or confirms our direction. This is that thing we read at exactly the right time. So pay attention now. Trines don't jump off the shelf and announce themselves, "HEY YOU, yes, you, over here, listen to me!".

They are like that screwdriver.

Except this time it's not in the backpack we were given at birth, it's only available to us for a short time - and if we are not paying attention we'll miss it. The screwdriver will float off to wherever it is screwdrivers go when we don't need them (partying in the junk drawer with the flash light and extra batteries probably).

Keep your eyes and ears open. Talk to people. Because this ain't our first rodeo (this is the third trine in a series of three) - we have probably heard/said/thought this before, we have re-vised it, re-visioned it, re-viewed it (maybe unconsciously with Mercury in this long slog through Pisces - it could have even come through a dream) - and now here is when we get the final answer, the words we can move forward with. This is a water trine, so it could be more of an intuitive knowing we have been feeling our way through. Allow the words to flow. 

We also have Venus (love, money, resources, values, self-esteem) in Pisces semi-square Uranus (in Venus ruled Taurus) - this is one to pay attention to. Semi squares are baby squares. There may be some tweak we can make now to prevent a more frustrating challenge (something unexpected) later on.

Vesta meets Chiron at 2 degrees Aries. This is going to focus our attention on our Aries wounding. Maybe we need to stand up for ourselves. Maybe we need to make a brave move. If we are feeling insecure or uninspired (unable to initiate) events can transpire that bring this to our attention.

And finally - every day this week is like a week! - Ceres will station retrograde (our first retrograde since Mercury went direct) at 14 degrees Sagittarius. This is the same degree Jupiter will station direct on August 11th - so if you have planets or points near this degree you have an important chapter working itself out. It is time to re-view something we are nurturing, maybe something we don't have control over. In Sag things can expand quickly and maybe too optimistically. So now we get a chance to slow down and either allow something to nurture itself (over-watering kills plants as well as lack of water) or allow situations out of our control anyway to unwind a bit.

On WEDNESDAY - Jupiter, who has been hanging out at 24 degrees Sagittarius for days, stations retrograde. There is something we have taken as far as it can go for now with our Sag house. We now have both Ceres and Jupiter retrograde here. It's Aries season, so any kind of slowdown can make us antsy, angry and could lead to impulsive errors. Take a breath. Stuff that just keeps growing and growing is NOT sustainable. With Jupiter in Sag and intent on giving EVERYONE a lucky break this year - here is where (over the next few weeks) an opportunity can come back around!

For now though it could be that we feel we have missed out on something or maybe an opportunity/potential is withdrawn or turns out to be disappointing.

We also have the Sun (in Aries) squaring Saturn (in Capricorn). We talked about this in the New Moon post. Here's that stop sign. A limit. A road block. Maybe someone/something in authority is preventing our progress. Maybe we want to do this new thing, but have this other responsibility. Maybe there is a tremendous pressure to get this job done right. This can feel depressing. How are we getting around this?

At the same time we have benefic Venus meeting dreamy Neptune in Neptune's home sign of Pisces! This is our dreams on steroids, so maybe the Sun/Saturn square is actually supporting this. Keeping this thing stable, so it has the time/resources to be done right. Venus is building toward a trine to the North Node in a couple days - something here is moving us forward. With the North Node in Cancer it should feel nourishing, like Mom and apple pie, like safety, like we can allow our soft underbelly to come out of its shell and we won't get eaten! Maybe something connected to home, family, real estate, a home business, food, our maternal heritage.

Mercury is sextiling (opportunity) Pluto, so there is an opportunity to go deeper into a conversation, maybe a contract. Words are more intense. Powerful. Take care not to manipulate. Excellent energy for research. Secrets come out.

On FRIDAY - Mercury (in Pisces) will square a retrograde Jupiter in Sagittarius. This is good for making big plans. For re-vising long term plans. With Mercury sextiling Pluto and squaring Jupiter we can see the forest AND the trees now. The details and the big-picture. The big picture is the one getting tweaked.

Venus continues her story this week with an opportunistic sextile to serious Saturn.

There are opportunities now to stabilize a financial/partnership/resources situation. Think quality over quantity. Think rewards for hard work. Long term investing is favored. Disciplined spending and savings pays off. Putting the time and effort into a relationship will pay off. This is good energy to pay down/off debt or to start a savings plan. Relationships launched now could be long-lasting, security-focused or between a younger/older person. Think mentor. People will be looking for a commitment. What do you value enough to make a commitment to?

On SATURDAY - the Sun (in Aries) squares Pluto (in Capricorn). Again this is the Sun continuing our New Moon journey through those Capricorn squares. Here is where we maybe find a deeper problem. This could also be an ego conflict (Sun) with a powerful person/situation (Pluto). The Gods are fighting. Adjustments are required. Tense issues/power struggles are likely to come up.

Venus trines the North Node in Cancer - something is pointing us toward a more secure and more satisfying direction, toward something MORE REAL than likes on a screen or pats on the back from your boss - something is pointing us home (literally or home to ourselves). Maybe this reconfirms Mercury's message from earlier in the week, builds on it or it takes multiple happenings to GET OUR ATTENTION.

On SUNDAY - Venus, yes, our girl is BUSY, trines (brakes off) the same Pluto, the Sun (our ego) had so much trouble with. He is putty in her hands now. What did grandma used to say "you catch more flies with honey than vinegar"  - something like that. Try being nice. Try diplomacy.

Here is where our money/relationship dreams- connect with other people and other people's resources. Mergers and acquisitions. Things are intense in a good way. 

We also have the Sun trining Jupiter retrograde. Is this the best day of the year? Do you feel lucky?

We'll flesh all this out in the dailies - but what a week! Did I miss anything? I'm sure I did. Big things will be happening in the collective this week, too.

xo all

photo by the talented living loud photo

New Moon in Aries | April 5th, 2019 - starting something new, fast breaks from the past, roadblocks and limits, don't shoot your eye out, cleaning up an old mess, how many monkeys can you carry, not being allowed to skip a step, too much her-story or just enough, a karmic emptying that creates a vacuum so be careful what you suck up


On Friday, April 5th, at 4:50AM EDT the Aries Moon will meet the Aries Sun giving us this month's New Moon at 15 degrees Aries.

This is the first New Moon of the astrological year AND in the take no prisoners, get fired up, let's start something NEW sign of Aries!

Aries energy is very self sufficient. This is the energy of "me". The sign of "I am". The baby of the zodiac, Aries can't always see the other person's side of things because if they did they wouldn't be able to take quick, decisive action and that quick decisive action is what they are here to manifest.

Aries is the sign of the warrior.

Let's unpack the chart.

Remember at the time of the New Moon, the Sun and the Moon are at the same degree. Every connection the Moon is making the Sun is making, too - so everything is amplified.

The New Moon is applying to a square to that Capricorn pile-up and the North Node in Cancer - Saturn, the North and South Nodes and Pluto. The squares are wide, but since they are applying, meaning this is stuff we haven't faced yet, they are important.

(now when I say "haven't faced yet" that may or may not be true - I have actually been through this entire New Moon chapter over the last 10 days with a real estate transaction and maybe you - especially if you have a strong Uranian/Aquarius signature, might be ahead of the curve with all this, too)

The Moon does in two days what it takes the Sun a month to do.

So the Moon is going to square these energies pretty quickly - squaring Saturn at 2:01PM EDT, Pluto by 7:50PM EDT and trine Jupiter at 10:14PM EDT TODAY.

The Sun will square Saturn on April 10th, the North and South Nodes on April 12th and Pluto on April 13th.

The squares are going to bring tension/frustration/road blocks. There will be limits. They (maybe authority, maybe a lack of something, etc) are going to slow us down. Saturn is going to make whatever we are starting now - play by the rules. There will be limits and red tape. There will be walls we will need to scale. I hope you have a pair of those grippy socks like the kids wear in the bounce houses to keep from slipping. They will come in handy.

With Pluto (lord of the underworld) at the tail end of this thing it make me think we have unfinished business to take care of first. Like we have another mess to clean-up before this new thing can move forward. The ground we are trying to plant in needs to be raked out and fertilized before this month's seeds go into the ground.

Those squares to the Nodes of Fate make this New Moon set up look like a skipped step in Evolutionary Astrology, so this could indicate a time when we don't want to do what we have to do. Maybe we don't want to do anything. There is something here we have needed to do before and haven't done. We have skipped a step in our Capricorn house (in this life, previous life or ancestrally) and now we won't be able to proceed in a straight line without dealing with it. Skip it, and it will "trip us up" later, so our feet will be held to the fire with something.

Maybe there are bigger problems than we know about with what we are already doing. We have our hands full already, but we just don't know it yet. Maybe we don't have the resources/money to do something and that is where the limit will come in. We have to deal with that first.

The delays and restrictions will work to our benefit later. Adjustments will be needed.

Keep in mind if we are still waiting for someone else to do this for us, that isn't going to happen.

Bottom line - this is Aries. Aries is self-sufficient. This mess isn't going to clean itself and trust me there is a mess in your life somewhere that needs a clean up crew right now. And THAT would be YOU.

After our Moon (today) and our Sun (over the next week) face these challenges, they are going to trine Jupiter in Sagittarius (the Moon tonight and the Sun on April 14th).

Fire trines create opportunities. Fast opportunities. With Jupiter strong in Sagittarius - expansion and good luck.

So, it could very well be there IS something real here with whatever we are doing/starting and we just need to work out a few kinks before we get to the good stuff.

Or maybe the good stuff - renewed confidence/passion - comes through the clean up process somehow or through the disappointment of what we don't get/what doesn't happen.

Karmic clean ups (those square to the Nodes) create HUGE opportunities to move past OLD blocks and boundaries. The blocks are gone, a natural vacuum is created and sucks in the Capricorn stuff we have, but don't know we have!

With Pluto sitting with Saturn sitting with the South Node and Jupiter approaching this whole thing set to amplify it at the end of the year - this is really a time of endings more than beginnings. And focusing too much on the beginning without 'closing out' properly whatever needs to be closed out mucks us all up. There are times we need to sit fallow. Endings change us. We aren't going to value/want the same things after we have had true closure. We need to work the process of that. We are all grieving something!

Again, this is part of this year's Neptune/Saturn sextile energy - making our dreams into something real/giving up something to get something MORE VALUABLE TO US NOW.

This is an excellent time to eliminate a bad habit (something like smoking for example) and replace it with something nourishing, something we do just for us. If it hasn't worked before, that doesn't mean it can't work now. This is right timing. We are releasing lots of toxic junk. All the ways we haven't taken good care of our bodies before can be replaced with improved habits very quickly now.

What we don't want to do with all this South Node/Pluto energy, and please listen up because this is important (releasing old karmic obligations) - we don't want to jump into some crazy complicated commitment now. 

Like we get one monkey off our back and it feels a little light up there, so we go out and get some more monkeys!

Or we take on somebody else's monkey! NO.

If we are doing something like this - we really need to know what we are getting into. Do your homework. Know you are taking on a karmic obligation and you are going to have to see it through. Is it really worth doing? Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. Think about our guiding star this year - that North Node in Cancer. Does it nourish you? Does it create the warm feeling of home and family? Does it stabilize something? Is it real? Is it what you need or what you want because you wanted it in the past? Does it allow you to be open and vulnerable or just create another scenario where you will have to watch your back/not make the tiniest little mistake?

This will be something we will have to "stay the course" with, so make no decisions lightly.

Also let's keep in mind the Moon's closest aspect - a trine to Ceres (in optimistic and expansive Sagittarius). This speaks of a few things. Since Ceres in our charts is about something "outside our control" and trines create a smooth flow, there could be something within our control here. The power is on in our hands right out of the gate. But, the trine to the Sun could make something seem too shiny, too good to be true. Or maybe we are over-identifying with our maternal her-story in some way at this time. Do we want what our mother wanted? Do we still want it? The Moon trine Ceres feels more balanced. Not so over the top. Like something gliding easily into place and clicking.

This New Moon - which sets the lunar stage for the year ahead, too - tells us to initiate. This doesn't mean grabbing onto just anything that comes our way. We already know what we need to do. We are playing a long game and our pieces were on the game board LONG before this Moon. Keep things in balance. CLEAN UP THE MESS. Do your homework with anything you are starting. Take other people into consideration because all month we are building  toward that second Libra Full Moon, BUT this has to be about us, first. Aries - "I am". We are making a statement about WHO WE ARE with the actions we take now.

Aries energy won't allow us to be paralyzed with indecision, so don't worry about that happening. We will decide. We will move forward. The square to Saturn speaks of patience, but Saturnian squares build real, solid things over time. Stuff that won't be knocked away easily. Stuff that can't easily be taken away from us.

What step have you skipped? What mess needs to be cleaned up? Start there.

New Moon Affirmations

This New Moon is an excellent time for energetic support to make changes with things ruled by Aries - the head (headaches, acne, eyes, brain), the overall physical self, exploration, initiative, courage, leadership, strength, stubbornness, impulsiveness, temper tantrums, anger, stress from inaction - what do we need more of in our lives? What are we needing to release?

AFFIRMATION TIPS: get into a calm, centered frame of mind - always make affirmations from a  positive (meaning certain AND happy/calm) space - write your affirmations down by hand in script, speak them out loud - with a fire New Moon maybe write your affirmations on strips of paper and burn them - 
now release your attention from these things knowing that your intention is known.  

Know these things are already yours

xo all

So my stuff over the last ten days went something like this (here is where I toss in a boring story disclaimer) - we are looking for a space to move hub's business. Time is running out. Through one of his customers we hear about a piece of property for sale. The sellers need a fast deal because they are being fined for a needed environmental clean up (not a chemical clean up, wood/wood chips, etc). Other customers say they will help us clean it up (to help keep hubs in business and they have the equipment, etc). We make the seller an offer. He, playing authority/Saturn here, says no, then yes, then no, then yes. We are now thinking we have to move fast before he changes his mind again.

We think we can clean it up, have resources in this area he doesn't have and know what we need to know. This all played along with last week's energies, too. The town tells me seven days to obtain open records on the property, but the title search comes back clean, so we are thinking maybe we don't need the town's records. Again we are thinking we know enough. We know the place needs to be cleaned up. We will clean it up (note - we still have our old mess to clean up at our existing location; a different kind of mess, but still a mess is a mess). And did I say we are paying 1/10th of his original asking price from the year before?

This is all too good to be true, but we aren't thinking this way. I actually worry that we could be taking advantage of the sellers and might incur a karmic debt from that. But, then we look at this massive clean up and think, no, this is a fair price. We ask an attorney to write a contract and firm up our offer. That same night the seller's wife emails us property info that includes a list of 150 trees, 100 bushes, etc - we are like .. hmm, why is she sending us this? Maybe there is stuff we don't know here. The list says the trees need to be 6' tall and I once bought a 6' tall tree and it cost $300. So now, this sounds like not only alot of work, but alot of money, too. Then a customer with a farm tells us we can plant 100 trees (6 foot tall saplings) in a day and saplings are $20 each if bought in bulk. So, we are still moving forward, but slowing this whole thing down. We are looking deeper.  Looking underneath. Hitting Pluto.

I finally get the DEP on the phone and we find out the property not only needs to be cleaned up, but it needs to be RESTORED back to the way it looked in the 1980's!

(there is a connection now to an astrological cycle in 1983)

She tells me 150 trees are not nearly enough. Hubs walks the entire 20 acres and wonders what is under the 15 foot tall piles of wood chips (cement/asphalt/dead horses - we start hearing all kinds of stories of stuff that has been dumped here and have I said this is New Jersey - who knows where all the bodies are buried?!).

We finally reach an environmental specialist who tells us we actually have 1 usable acre because it looks like 19 acres are wetlands - which can't be used in NJ for anything other than wildlife habitat. We love trees and frogs, but maybe not enough to spend our life savings on them right now.

And all the while I can hear Ceres calling to me (she is conjunct Pluto/Uranus in the 10th house of my natal chart) coaxing me to clean up this land, to help her, to help Mother Earth, to nurture this place back to health .. telling me I could make it into a paradise ...

Anyway, it took alot to stop us (yes, we stopped) and it's probably a good thing we did. Roadblocks can be a good thing. But we are disappointed.

I have given the short version here, but the bottom line with this example is - be careful jumping into a big commitment now. If other people are telling you - are you sure you should be doing this? Maybe you need to take a breath. Maybe you have your own mess to clean up first. Sometimes when something is finished we feel the need to move into something else too quickly.

This is how we get trapped in new karma. If that feels familiar - slow this puppy down.

On the other hand there is strong energy now to start something and we only get three fire New Moons a year and this is one of them! We can be starting, moving ahead and still work smartly. Mercury is still in Pisces - there is still something we don't know. So, know there is stuff you don't know. It's going to come out over the next couple weeks anyway. It's already coming out. Just leave yourself some options. Stay in your own shoes. Don't allow yourself to get trapped cleaning up someone else's mess.

Even if something is disappointing now (release your attention from that), let's keep in mind the trine to Ceres NOW and upcoming trine to Jupiter - where is the potential here because the chart shows there is some. What can grow in this soil?

Get those seeds into the ground - set your New Moon intentions. Fire New Moons are too rare to miss!