March 2019 - Mercury's Retrograde through Pisces | this is our brain on drugs, dazed and confused, visionary ideas, having second thoughts, time to listen, time to remember, time to re-think this thing, feeling other people's words, a divine intervention, our past is given a voice, talking to ghosts

Mercury will station retrograde at 29 degrees Pisces at 9:19PM EST on March 5th.

(and yes, this is within hours of Uranus's ingress back into Taurus and yes, 29 degrees Pisces, an uber powerful degree anyway since it is the LAST degree of the zodiac, is also the degree Chiron spent much of 2018/2019 dissolving and March 6th is also when we have the New Moon in Pisces which is at the degree Mercury is going to station direct at the end of her retrograde at the end of March - this is BIG).

So, we get all the way to the very end of Pisces

(and keep in mind that Mercury rules Virgo and is in his/her detriment in Virgo's polarity sign of Pisces, so we already aren't thinking straight, and keep in mind the very end of Pisces is the very end of EVERYTHING) -

we get to the final decision/the final conclusion/the answer is just about within our grasp (the whole Chiron through Pisces victimization/self-sabotage/loss of faith journey, everything, everything that we need to release) - and then ...

Mercury (as us) - that whole brain on drugs thing - I am blaming legal weed for this one - is required to re-think something.  

Another look is needed. We missed something. The "i's" are not dotted (and no, hearts don't count). Maybe there is a "t" left uncrossed, somewhere back in chapter seven. Everything is not the way we thought it was. The truth shifts. Our reality shifts.  

We have to re-think this!

And we have to re-think this with a brain that is frying on the sidewalk. 

We are going to have to DOUBLE CHECK everything.

And yes, it makes me tired to hear this, too. I want ease and comfort and somebody to tuck me in and read me a bedtime story ... and someone to finish this annoying jigsaw puzzle that is taking up my entire coffee table with its excessive amounts of baby poop colored browns and winter-dreary grays.

What do we really know?

Keep assumptions to a minimum because we could be looking through rose colored glasses now (or baby-poop colored glasses - things won't be quite as good or quite as bad as they seem). Boundaries are blurry. It can get harder to stay in our own lane. Answers only bring more questions.

Avoid alcohol and drugs under this aspect - the effects will be magnified.

Mercury is going to make a sh*tload of aspects during this retrograde and at the same time we are going to be dealing with Uranus moving into Taurus!

Something big is happening. We are going to be all over the place with something.

Between March 10th and March 24th, Mercury will - inconjunct Pallas, trine the North Node, sextile the South Node, conjunct the Sun, square Jupiter, sextile Pluto, conjunct Vesta, sextile Mars, sextile Saturn, conjunct Neptune and square Juno. Then on March 29th she stations direct at 16 degrees Pisces (on top of Neptune), and does alot of this again moving forward (some of the planets will have moved on). 

We are stepping into a portal where realities merge, identities dissolve. Very high frequencies can be experienced. But Mercury IS the trickster and Pisces/Neptune is tricky, too, AND always willing to show us that not only do we not know everything, but we are not even quite up to the task of providing a complete list of things we want to know about. Life is simply bigger than we are. So is Neptune.

A karmic past life cycle is completing. There is no stopping this ... and please don't try, because you are just going to have to do this all over again (or your children or their children will) and you will just be holding the rest of us up (not exactly, but since Pisces is also connected with 'guilt' I thought I'd toss that in there). The Age of Pisces is ended (ending) - the Age of Aquarius is here (coming). By the time Pluto moves into Aquarius in 2023, we will have already had Saturn and Jupiter in Aquarius - everything is going to be different.

If we can release the need to try to control how this whole thing works this is going to go a whole lot easier.

As with all Mercury retrogrades - we do the "re's" - re-think, re-do, re-examine, re-search, re-peat, reunion, reminisce, re-vise, re-move (clutter ie the stuff that gets in the way of our life moving efficiently), re-visit, relax - this time focused on whatever is happening in our Pisces house.

The stuff we have done/said hastily or from too detached a space, will now be re-analyzed and gone over from a more intuitive/emotional vantage point. We downshift. Life slows down (or maybe drifts off course a bit).

This can be frustrating, but necessary. Maybe we will know how far apart our heart is from our head, by how far out of whack things get now. Mars will be in Taurus the whole time, kind of holding down the fort. By the time he gets into Gemini at the end of March, encouraging us to get moving on what we have learned, Mercury will be direct, too. By mid-April when Mercury starts covering brand new ground, we will be, too.

Situations and people from our past can show up because we are looking backward.

Pisces rules our collective 12th house - imagine the wheel of the zodiac and we are standing in our 1st house - we can't see the 12th house because it is BEHIND us. But just because we can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there helping and hindering us.

Well, now we can see it!

Mechanical stuff can encounter glitches. Rushing around will only result in stubbed toes, stressed out interactions and dents in our car (I once had three car accidents in a month when Mercury was retrograde, two of them in my own driveway!).

Something isn't quite ready for prime-time. Here's another chance to get it right.

Taking our time with important decisions, hesitating, being unsure of which direction to take, needing to think things through slowly and carefully and taking the time to listen and allow things to fall into place in their own right timing - are par for the course now.

This is not the best time to plow full steam ahead.

This is not the best time to sign a contract either, because things will come to light later that require revisions or our thinking (Mercury) can change after Mercury moves direct (end of March).

Now, sometimes things can't wait and contracts and papers must be signed and if that is the case - this would be a good time to READ THE FINE PRINT. No skimming. Get a lawyer or maybe better yet get a psychic - if they have any kind of game at all, they should be on top of it now - the psychic I mean, the lawyer will probably miss stuff, too. I would get one anyway though.

Use clear spoken and written language - and this won't be easy with Mercury moving backward through Pisces - we need to be doubly sure people are understanding what we are saying and that we are understanding other people, because wires get crossed now. And people will lie and maybe not even know they are lying. Secrets/behind door dealings will come out.

Double check that email before hitting 'send'. Mercury, the fleet footed messenger, rules things that are fast moving from our computers to our cars. BACK UP YOUR FILES. Check your oil.

Pisces is a water sign. We are going to be feeling what people are saying. We will be more intuitive. Other people will, too. On the other hand, our ability to "trust our gut" is dependent on what we have been putting in it. If we have just eaten a Big Mac and downed a Coca-Cola and we are thinking we know that this other person is telling us the "truth" or that some decision we are making is the right decision based more on feelings than facts, I would sleep on the whole thing and give that stuff - the words and the food - a couple days to digest ... first. Or even better, avoid that compulsion to pull through the golden arches in the first place.

Mercury/Pisces confusion is a collective thing. So we will all be sucked into it, BUT keep in mind your natal Pisces house has ALWAYS been the part of your chart where your boat isn't so tightly tethered to the dock. This isn't a rock-solid, stable area of life for you anyway. Mercury will bring your attention here, and his retrograde behavior will bring the need to revise, re-think, etc, but it's not like she is coming into a neat and orderly place and kicking up a mess

(of course, we do have Uranus into Taurus on the same day to take care of that part - ack).

Now, this is what is happening in the physical world. There is another level we are all working with, and in this higher level, in the ethereal realms, something else is happening. 

We are surrendering, allowing, receiving (Pisces) a new way of thinking/communicating (Mercury).

Mercury is doing a fast back and forth over our "divine wound", the ground Chiron just spent the last few years triggering. This is the space of shame, victimization, betrayal, grief, loss of faith and self-sabotage AND also the space of healing connection.

This retrograde is truly a divine intervention.

We are listening to higher frequencies. We are reminded of our old dreams, our past life stories and the stories of our ancestors (both helpful and hindering) that were passed on to us to see what we could do with them! 

The past and all that has been forgotten in that 12th house - is given a voice (Mercury) now. 

Our mind is going all spiritual ninja on us.

It will be important to stay attuned to what our body needs while our mind is thinking it's 5:00 somewhere.

We will need more sleep. We might need a couple days of escape. Let's schedule some rest/relaxation into our calendar now, so we have something to look forward to. Just keep in mind with Mercury retrograde our plans will need to stay flexible, and if traveling, it is best to re-turn to a place we have been before.

We are going to need to drink more water. We are going to need to meditate or do some mindfulness exercises. Time spent outdoors, and with grounded animals and plants (and babies!) will be time well-spent. We will be very sensitive to music while Mercury is retrograde in Pisces (and song lyrics and tunes will get stuck in our heads) - maybe now is the time to try something LIKE THIS.

We have made the transition internally - we are just tying up some loose ends. We really can all relax and see where our new intentions lead us. But, it may not feel like that because we are going to have Uranus ingressing into Taurus at the same time! I will do a post on Uranus into Taurus this week and the New Moon in Pisces post next week will kind of bring everything together.

xo all

note for people with addiction issues and for people who love people with addiction issues - this Mercury retrograde in Pisces could be treacherous, but also exactly the energy needed for a true breakthrough/healing

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of March 4th - the week when everything happened at once

This week's major aspects (and they are all SO major, they have their own posts) are:

TUESDAY - Mercury stations retrograde in Pisces (29 degrees) - that post is HERE
WEDNESDAY - New Moon in Pisces (15 degrees) - that post is HERE
WEDNESDAY - Uranus into Taurus - that post is HERE

We are in uncharted territory now!

By the end of this week, all the outer planets will have moved into their positions for the big game (or the pre-show, depending on how we look at this). The transpersonal planets (bridge between outer and inner) are both strong in their home signs - Saturn in Capricorn and Jupiter in Sagittarius.

On TUESDAY,  Mercury will station retrograde at 29 degrees Pisces (the end of the end of the end which we can now see isn't the end after all, go figure).

I wrote a post about that HERE.

It is our time to do the "re's" - re-think, re-vise, re-visit, re-view. You know the drill. In Pisces, this retrograde might include some re-grets and re-morse. Pisces is an emotional water sign - this is just part of the process we need to go through to complete this cycle.

Taking our time with important decisions, hesitating, being unsure of which direction to take, needing to think things through slowly and carefully and taking the time to listen and allow things to fall into place in their own right timing - are par for the course now.

Our thinking could seem more scattered, our memories less sharp, our thoughts might belong to that guy next to us (like why are we craving potato chips when we hate potato chips .. wait, does anybody hate potato chips?), we will need to wash our hands (and vegetables) more thoroughly because it will be easier to connect with everything. We will need more sleep.

Our guard is down, even when our guard is up. Keep this in mind.

We will talk about this more as we move through it.

We have just had Chiron through Pisces for the last few years. This is Mercury doing a quick back and forth cleaning things up. We have earned a breakthrough, let's not squander it on too much wine and Netflix marathons (although both will come in handy at some points during March). If you have a spiritual practice - this is the month it will pay off - and keep in mind, gathering information isn't a spiritual practice! Listening to Hay House radio isn't a spiritual practice.

To have a practice we have to be actually practicing something!

I have had some insane Neptune transits, which I am going to write about this month - some best practices I have found are 1. give Neptune his due - meditation, mindfulness exercises, long quiet walks, hot baths, prayer, knitting, ironing, coloring, drawing, painting, singing, dancing, listening to music, prayer - if you find yourself losing your keys, the word you were just about to say, getting to the store and not remember actually driving to the store - give Neptune his due. THEN 2. do something very hands on, think Virgo here because Virgo is the polarity sign of Neptune's Pisces - clean the floor, do yard work, scour the sink - and yes, I know it scratches these damn stainless steel sinks like the one I have in my kitchen, but I can't help myself,  I love to scour - or maybe I love to scowl ..it's one or the other, maybe both.

Instead of holding space for our dreams as we go through our day to day reality-based life, we are going to have to be holding space for REALITY now.  

Our spiritual practice will keep us sane AND it is going to bring in a higher level of awareness - we will talk about this as we move through it and please read the Mercury Retrograde post! And yes, you can start this practice right now. Create a space for it - an actual physical space and a regular time/energy commitment. 

On WEDNESDAY, we have the New Moon in Pisces. I wrote a long post about that HERE. I like this New Moon. Alot. Our Piscean intentions are getting multiple avenues of support this year! Mercury is going to station direct here at the end of the month

and all this repetition is providing a means for something unconscious to come out in the open.

Also on Wednesday we have Uranus out of Aries and into Taurus for the NEXT SEVEN YEARS (sorry for all the screaming - I blame Uranus) - I wrote about that HERE BY SIGN - this is the biggest aspect of the month/maybe the year.

Changes, likely something that challenges our sense of security, could start off with a BANG.

We have Venus in Aquarius answering to Uranus (and Saturn), and now Uranus in Taurus answering to Venus - both Venus and Uranus will get an EXTRA BOOST by being in mutual reception (an energetic loop) for the next couple weeks.

Aries stabilizes - yay Aries! Taurus gets a shake-up. Aquarius (both of your rulers are now in earth signs) is more grounded - you will still have to deal with the squares though, so will Leo, and Scorpio will have the crazy oppositions. It's all in the Uranus post so don't miss it.

And keep in mind this is a seven year transit - it won't all be happening this week and it won't all be happening for the entire seven years!

The week could be cray-cray for many people though, so lighten your load as best you can. Expect to be more emotional.

Don't rush or over-schedule. Expect some shifts and backtracking, a quiet new beginning that might actually be kind of LOUD. Swift change as something stabilizes and something else starts to rock and roll.

Everything we need is here - and probably a couple things we aren't going to want.


xo all


I have been saying Trump is Uranus since the election (with Uranus on his Sun and North Node natally), so we'll see how Uranus's change of position - from fire to earth - will work for him. Will he stable out a bit? get stuck in the mud? or double down on his scorched Earth maneuverings until he (or we) burn out?

A Quick Sky Map | the Astrology of March 2019 | we don't know if we are coming or going because we are both coming AND going, the ground shifts, surrendering to a new way of communicating, mining spiritual gold, relationship issues, practical action, building the dream, releasing limits, releasing control, tuning into a new frequency, wait for it ...

I don't usually post a monthly, but I want to free up some time this month to do some big-picture Age of Aquarius posts and finish up that Trump series. This will be here in case I get behind with a weekly! It's rough, and much is excluded, but I think it covers the gist of things (along with the links).

The first week of March is a time of change. Courses shift. There could be sudden unexpected events and slowdowns. BUT, and this is a BIG BUT (not that kind of big butt, stay with me people!), there is real-deal manifestation energy here, too. Mega.

MARCH 1st through 6th : Venus moves into Aquarius (trining Chiron), coming off a disruptive square to Uranus. I write about that HERE. Mercury stations retrograde in Pisces. I write about that HERE. Uranus (after eight years) exits Aries for Taurus. I will write about that HERE and then we have the Sun and Moon meeting (on Neptune!) for the Pisces New Moon. I will write about it HERE. Most of this is happening on the 5th and 6th!

(a couple of the "HERES" are not up yet, but will pop to the top of the blog as posted and then I will fill in the links)

MARCH 10th through 15th : Mars - our action, initiative, passion and anger (plodding his way through the rich soil of Taurus which Uranus is now busy shaking up - hopefully Uranus is going to help Mars in the same way a rototiller helps the gardener - maybe not as much fun for the worm though) is going to sextile Neptune - bringing movement to this year's Neptune/Saturn dream building/limit releasing story. There is opportunity here - with earth/water it will probably not fall right into our lap, we are going to need to work/reach for it. Which is OK because soon after, Mars moves into trine (brakes off) with "the work" Saturn. The pilings are going in. Keep in mind Mars is in his detriment in (Venus-ruled) Taurus and can get pretty freakin' lazy, maybe wander off to smell the roses or take another bath, and these aspects are subtle. We can miss them. So let's not. The Moon is growing. We need to take some practical action here. Now, Mercury is retrograde, so we are still doing more listening than talking, we are still looking backward and within, we are doing the "re's" - but life isn't stopped, something is being built, too. We get the first Quarter Moon - a waxing square - between the Pisces Sun (answering to Neptune, strong in Pisces) and the Gemini Moon (not so strong and answering to a retrograde Mercury). This is tension/stress around whatever was kicked off at the New Moon the week before. There could be alot of questions now. Confusion. Revisions. Maybe we won't know what to do with something or most likely we don't know what to think. We could be running around like headless chickens if we get too out of touch with this month's more mystical energies. Slow down the pace. Sit with it. Meditate. Pray. Hydrate. Quiet your mind. Our intuition will be high (with some caveats). We are moving on faith, people.

MARCH 20th through 22nd : The Sun moves into Aries giving us the Spring Equinox and kicking off the astrological Solar Year. The Sun will conjunct hurting/healing Chiron, so something may not feel so good, but the Sun will also be trining deep, transformative Pluto. Change is healing and won't be stopped now. The Libra Moon moves into a fast opposition with the Aries Sun giving us this month's Full Moon (a zero degree Full Moon, so another lunar ending and beginning rolled into one!). Full Moons bring things to light, to a culmination or to a conclusion. This is the Aries/Libra polarity. Too much Aries and we get selfishness, anger, foolish impulsivity, lots of fast starts and then nothing gets finished. Too much Libra and we get boundary issues, indecisive waffling, avoidance of conflict and co-dependency. Relationship imbalances will show up now. We need to really take a look at the disagreements/situations we are having with others - what are we projecting onto other people that we need to take ownership of? Full moons are about release - how can we let go of what isn't working? Diplomacy, cooperation and balance will be needed as well as action, courage and staying aware/taking care of our own self-interests. The Full Moon includes an auspicious kite formation - we'll talk about this as we move closer and I have more time to think about the energies as we approach it. We have another Libra Full Moon next month, so we will sort of get another crack at this - of course some of the other players will have moved on.

Then - EVERYTHING SHIFTS FORWARD .... (Mercury won't be covering totally new ground until mid-April)

MARCH 26th through 31st - Venus moves into Pisces where she is exalted. She can work her magic here. This is the spiritual/creative gold we have been mining by turning within this month, noticing synchronicities and affirming very deep and very old soul connections. Keep in mind, the lines between us and other people, between acceptance and avoidance, between our money and their money, between love and "what the hell was I thinking" - will blur now. The opportunities for financial gains (and losses) increase. Resistance dissolves. We could find those unusual Aquarian attractions from the last couple weeks drifting out to sea. Then we get the last quarter Moon as the serious and rule-abiding Capricorn Moon squares the impulsive and independent Aries Sun and at the same time Mercury, finished with his/her revisions and tired of swimming backwards, stations direct conjunct Pisces ruler Neptune - exactly where he/she stationed retrograde on March 6th and where we had the New Moon this month and there is a connection to around February 20th. Here is the reality of the situation. The month ends with Mars move into Gemini (answering to a newly direct Mercury, although he/she is still covering old ground).

What has changed? What have we learned? How can we put it to use?

The change in momentum will be very noticeable in April. Life speeds up.

So, that is a mini rundown for March. Dates will fluctuate a bit for your personal stuff as the aspects build and unwind. Keep in mind the big events are in the links (!), especially Mercury Retrograde in Pisces (with all those Neptune contacts, the last of which is April 2nd) and, of course, Uranus into Taurus, which sets up the outer planetary line-up for the next few years - Uranus in Taurus, Pluto in Capricorn and Neptune in Pisces.

The final tumbler clicks into place ....

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of February 25th - karmic decisions, old love, old money, debts and inheritances, news, fast changes, unexpected love and money situations, fated encounters, moving past the rules as Venus leaves Capricorn with a BANG

Some major aspects for the week ahead are:

MONDAY - Venus conjuncts the South Node | opposes the North Node
Mercury trines the North Node | sextiles the South Node and Venus
THURSDAY - Mars sextiles the Sun and squares the Galactic Center
FRIDAY - Venus squares Uranus and enters Aquarius
SATURDAY - Venus trines Chiron

We are counting down to March 6th when Uranus returns to Taurus (through 2026) shaking up the stablest (and often stuck-est) space in our charts. Sometimes there is a need to bring in outside elements and resources to break up familiar/repeating patterns - that's Uranus's job (through us). And the more we have collected in Taurus, the more there will be for Uranus to turn upside down. On the flipside, Uranus himself (through us) becomes more stable in Taurus answering to Venus. There isn't any all-night study session that will get us ready (we did get a preview last May), but this week's journey of our inner planets is helping to clear a path and lowering our resistance to CHANGE ...

On MONDAY/TUESDAY, we have Venus conjuncting the South Node (in Capricorn) and opposing the North Node (Cancer) at the same time we have Mercury trining (brakes off) the North Node and sextiling (opportunity) the South Node and Venus.

Let's unpack this.

We'll start with Venus although we really can't separate the Mercury stuff. With Venus (love, money, resources, what we value, our self-esteem, beauty, women) contacting the South Node (what we are releasing/been there done that) and opposing the North Node (the environment we are moving into) - Venusian issues will culminate.

South Node stuff is very old and very deep. It goes back to our childhoods, our ancestors/our past lives. This is similar to the Venus/Pluto we moved through last week - the debts/rewards of our own past and our ancestors' stuff we talked about and we are still in Capricorn and dealing collectively with work/career/goals and also through the Capricorn theme of our natal chart.

Payments might come in now for "what we are owed". Or maybe our own debts come due. If money or a resource or a relationship or a source of income flows out of our life now, know there is right-timing here. Maybe we have amassed this debt (from this life or a past life or an ancestral inheritance) and need to pay this off now, to unblock our future abundance. And I am not just talking about money/physical resources here. This could be about an abuse of power or abuse of another person's emotions. 

What are we trying to control?

It is time to free ourselves up.

Avoiding our debt just delays the stuff waiting to flow to us once this stuff is paid off. Venus won't cross the South Node in Capricorn for about another 18 years and Pluto won't be back here in our lifetimes. Let's not pass this debt onto our future self or our own children - it's kind of now or never with some of this stuff.

Relationships can end/shift. Old loves (and the stuff we used to love, especially old careers) can re-appear. New/karmic relationships can begin. 

It is fated.

The ways we used to make money is changing. 

The ways we used to relate to other people is changing. 

Maybe the tenant becomes the landlord as the landlord, who was never as stable as he appeared to be, sells to pay off his debts. The corner office changes hands as our ambitions shift - and let's not be the guy holding onto the window sill by his fingernails!

Money/love is shifting. 

The calloused hands find a way to live more authentically through doing less; the idle hands discover the value of tired muscles and dirty fingernails. 

We don't want to "wake up" some kind of tragic inheritance by holding onto something from the past that needs to be released.

We are all going through a Plutonian transit together. In July, this stuff will really be coming home to us, but it is a process until then. We are playing the long game. 

Whatever this is for us, with Mercury (Pisces) trining the North Node (Cancer) and sextiling the South (Capricorn) - the news/information/communication won't be stopped - this whole thing moves forward regardless.

Keep in mind, Mercury, through us, is walking a very long story through about the middle of April. There are twists and turns ahead. We have to stay flexible - and yes, with that Cancer North Node - we have to stay vulnerable and nurturing and open to not judging this kind of stuff as weak.

No one needs you to be perfect. No one needs another freakin' expert.

When we don't know something, we get alot further now (and gain more support), by just saying, "that's a good question, I'm not sure, let me find out" than we do by providing someone with some bullsh*t answer they will see/feel right through.

Our integrity (wholeness) comes through our willingness to be open/vulnerable - "yes, I know about this, here is what I know" or "no, I don't know about this, let me find out." And yes, then we will probably have to find out - Saturn is in Capricorn, we can't forget this part. Nothing truly worthwhile is going to come without some efforting on our part!

Even the stuff that falls into our lap is going to require our time/energy/resources to make something of it or it is just going to lay there staining our favorite jeans.

Venus is a beneficial planet - she attracts what she needs. She brings favorable results to our Capricorn house now, and also, yes, with the South Node, the possibility of a release/ending.

She meets Uranus at the end of the week and then in another week Uranus will be answering to HER (think about Uranus being Trump with this one, if this makes you feel better) - everything is changing anyway! We are holding onto smoke rings.

Mercury's contact with the North and South Nodes are repeating aspects, due to Mercury's upcoming retrograde, so what we hear/say/learn now will be evolving - it's not the last word - these are GOOD aspects in that they move us forward (opportunities as we move away from Capricorn and smooth ground as we move toward Cancer) through our Pisces house energy. The journey will be kind of drifting and confusing though with behind the scenes assistance, shifting information, people changing their minds and back-door negotiations.

EXAMPLE FOR Scorpio/Scorpio Rising (in general this would be Capricorn 3rd house, Pisces 5th) - Venus meets the South Node in your 3rd house of communication, information, writing, siblings, transportation or your local neighborhood, note this is the same space she met Pluto last week - signaling a karmic conversation/information from the past likely regarding a Venusian topic- love, money, self-esteem, resources, values, relationships, women, beauty (this also could involve the themes of the houses Venus rules in your natal chart - Libra/Taurus). This will be important - you have attracted a debt/inheritance here and it is time to move past it. At the same time Mercury in your 5th house of creative projects, your self-expression, what you give birth to, your center-stage, children, romance and recreation is pushing something forward through April and keep in mind whatever this is, will be subject to revisions. Your relationships and how you relate to other people is changing big time and you are preparing to meet multiple new and different people, Scorpio. You are a fixed sign and maybe not so fond of change, stay open and flexible.

On THURSDAY, Mars (in Taurus) is going to sextile our Pisces Sun and square the Galactic Center (seat of creation). This is where putting our energy into spiritual work or healing or creativity creates opportunities. The square to something new tells us it will probably not be without some tension/frustration, but always keep in mind with squares that little of importance is done without them. We have the courage to act with sensitivity/compassion. We might need to be a little careful with our boundaries now or any martyr crap, but hopefully stable Taurus will take care of that. Our ancestral DNA and the ghosts of our dreams - are helping us take action. We don't want to daydream this opportunity away with a nap. Take some kind of action today.

On FRIDAY, Venus will square Uranus (SURPRISE) and then move into geeky Aquarius.

Here's where our Venus story gets a surprise twist.

We could make a rebellious move with love/money.  

Or an unexpected or sudden partnership/love or money/resources situation could catch us by surprise.

Venus has been very serious in Capricorn these last few weeks and now she goes out with a bang!

Whatever we have been working with here can take a left turn now - including all the stuff I said in the beginning of the post, so I hope you are the kind of reader who sticks it out to the end.

With Venus moving into Uranus ruled Aquarius quickly after the square maybe whatever happens shocks us into stepping back to get a little more distance from whatever is happening or triggers an attraction to something very strange and unusual (for us) or, well, with Aquarius this could be pretty much anything except what we expect it to be!

Venus will be in Aquarius until March 26th.

Aquarius Suns and Aquarius rising (Aquarius ruler of first house of your natal chart) get more attractive. Both easier on the eye and able to attract what they want.

All of our natal Aquarius houses become more attractive, too!

Ruling our collective 11th house of friendships - the next few weeks are a good time to connect with people, our groups and causes. Also good for purchases of technology, just check the Moons and avoid the voids.

Our Aquarius house is a space we experience and evolve through Aquarian energies. Maybe by experiencing unexpected situations and unusual experiences. Maybe by being able to detach and get enough distance from something to be able to see it clearly. Maybe through flashes of genius or rebelliousness. Maybe through chaos. Our natal Uranus placement (ruler of Aquarius) and its contacts will tell us a more complete story.

Now, we have Venus moving into/through this space.

As she moves through Aquarius she will make contact with not only any planets/points we have in Aquarius, but also the planets/points we have in Leo (by opposition), in Scorpio and Taurus (by square) and other planets, too (by sextile, etc).

This is where knowing our natal chart can come in handy.

As a collective influence, for all of us, Venus moves out of Capricorn (the rules) and into Aquarius (the space we move past the rules).

Beautiful Venus drops her briefcase full of "shoulds". She takes her hair out of its tightly constructed bun and shakes her head. She kicks off her too-tight, office-ready pumps. She wears whatever she wants to wear now. She can do whatever she wants to do now. There is no one to impress in this new space. There is no one to answer to.

Now subconsciously we all feel this (even though there is a hell of alot of planets left in Capricorn and Saturn is home in Capricorn now, so we don't get to drop all responsibilities, plus Saturn is the ancient ruler of Aquarius!) - a kind of relief as Venus disentangles us a bit from what is required of us to be 'acceptable'.

Maybe we start to notice (attract) things we would have otherwise missed. The strange and unusual will catch our eye now.

We will be attracted to things/situations/solutions/people that are different.

(And just like anything else - 'different' which is a good thing, can be taken too far, too. I have a family member with Uranus on his ascendant, now not everyone with a Uranus/Ascendant conjunction will show up this way, but he not only looks very unusual, but has the need to show everyone else strange and unusual things, ALL THE TIME, then he wonders why no one is liking his Facebook posts! Everyone has already blocked him because it just gets to be too much. Now his stuff is pure Uranus, not Aquarius which is co-ruled by stable Saturn - but we might still take the need to attract what we want through something 'different' too far now, especially if we trend in this direction to begin with!)

Ruled by unpredictable Uranus, Aquarius is the space that is hard to forecast. When we step outside the rules (Uranus is outside Saturn's boundaries) our outcomes become less predictable, too.

Venus (beauty) in Aquarius (unique) allows us to see the beauty in things we wouldn't normally regard as beautiful. What would it take to see our crooked teeth as beautiful? our messy house? a real loss?

Wouldn't it take detachment? Wouldn't it take an ability to step back a little farther from whatever we are looking at?

To see the big picture -

(maybe those slightly crooked teeth have allowed us to evolve, as we grow to appreciate them, from mumbling our words through a mostly, un-moving mouth to speaking our well thought out opinions clearly and emphatically - maybe without those slightly crooked teeth, we would have learned this lesson in an even bigger, more painful way).

To see what other people, who are not closely connected to the things we are connected to, are seeing
(that messy home looks like a busy, happy family lives there).

To see the future -

(that loss now is creating a space something bigger and better will be filling in five years).

Detachment is one of the gifts of Aquarius (and also one of the curses if taken too far - think about technology that detaches us from reality).

Venus's transit here allows us to step back from what we are usually most attracted to. When we step away we can see things we couldn't see before. And keep in mind people (and situations) could step away from us a little bit now to get a clearly look, too. This isn't a permanent disconnection (unless it is) - this is a transit remember. It's a part of the process. A kind of 'sowing our wild oats' part, where we all need a bit more space. A part we skip at our own peril.

Aquarius is the genius, rebel, criminal, humanitarian - the outsider.

This is a good time to step outside of ourselves and view our situation more dispassionately. To be more objective. The energies at play now will assist us. If this was someone else's situation/life we were looking at what would we see?

Venus is about what we want.

Can we step away from what we want just long enough and just far enough to give everything some fresh air? to gain some different insights? to try something else?

On SATURDAY, Venus trines hurting/healing Chiron, helping us deal with any Venusian changes/disruptions by keying us into why they may be necessary.

There is "gold somewhere in them there hills".

The Moon is void on MONDAY until 4:19PM EST when she flies out of focused Scorpio and into optimistic Sagittarius. That should feel good! The Void Moon could bring some twists and turns to the day and keep in mind whatever the Void stirs up will likely be much to do about nothing. Don't start anything new during the void. Good energy for routine stuff that isn't very important.

xo all

I will probably post less about the Moons this week so I can get the upcoming Mercury Retrograde and Uranus/Taurus posts finished - Monday is the only Void Moon during the work week/working hours.

 

Full Moon in Virgo | February 19, 2019 - the Moon for butchers and bakers and candlestick makers, an ending and a beginning rolled into one, keeping our eyes on the prize and our thinking flexible

On Tuesday morning at 10:53AM EST, the Sun (at 0 degrees Pisces) opposes the Moon (at 0 degrees Virgo) giving us our annual Full Moon in Virgo. This is the second month in a row we have had a 0 degree Full Moon bringing us a culmination point/ending and a beginning at the same time!

This Full Moon is going to spotlight work issues, quality issues, health issues and issues/situations involving our daily activities - the nuts and bolts of life, cleaning stuff up - it's excellent energy for working with all of them. 

Be mindful of what is coming to fruition now (this Moon is the culmination of September's New Moon) and also what we are keeping in motion regarding our work and health that it is time to release or withdraw our energies and attention from. 

Full Moons tend to show us what we are holding onto. Don't be fooled (Mercury conjunct Neptune) into wasting energy propping anything up that isn't working. 

Full Moons bring us to peak energy - things reach a culmination or a conclusion. Under the Moon's full power - things come to light, meaning to our attention or into the open. Usually a Full Moon in grounded, reality-based Virgo provides the facts. The fog lifts. The results are visible. Sanity prevails.

This year's energy is a bit trickier because we have Virgo's ruler Mercury conjunct Neptune (which brings the fog!) in Pisces - where Neptune is strong and Mercury is weak. The plot then thickens as BOTH Mercury and Neptune are sextiling sober and most decidedly un-foggy Saturn - strong in his home sign of Capricorn. And the Moon trines (brakes off) Mars plodding his way through Taurus and Uranus finishing up in Aries. The Moon inconjuncts Chiron, freshly minted in Aries, and at the powerful Aries Point, squares Juno (in Gemini) and sextiles Pallas (in Libra).

The Moon is conjunct fixed star Regulus (all of us were born with Regulus at 29 degrees Leo, but in 2011 he moved to 0 degrees Virgo - this is the star we talked about in the Trump posts, since it is conjunct his ascendant and it was most prominent during the Great American Eclipse of August 2017, that literally - and I mean literally - cut the country in half).

This powerful star is connected to "king-making" ie great and swift success, but just as swift a downfall if "revenge" is taken.

The star's move from Leo (the king) to Virgo (the servant) is another sign of the shifting "success potential" from the few to the many; of a shift away from hierarchical birthrights. Think about the way the internet has made "regular" people rich and famous and evened the playing field for many.

And, we have the Full Moon's ruler Mercury hitting the first degree he/she will re-walk during her upcoming retrograde today! So, we are going to be back here again at the end of March and even though mid-April.

Whatever story we have playing out is going to include some delays and revisions. We won't be going straight from point A to point B, passing GO and collecting $200.00.

What we learn now won't be the total story. The conversation will continue. Facts will need to be double-checked. Minds will change. In fitting with both Virgo and the Moon's 0 degree status - we are going to have to work/move through the process.

The opportunity (sextile) comes through sober Saturn, so keep your feet on the ground and your eyes on the prize - the long term goal here.

Know with Neptune/Saturn we either have the dissolving of a boundary/limit or the need for a sacrifice/release/ending to get to something more stable and lasting.

Let's say we want better health (and Virgo rules our health) - it will come through what we give up. Maybe we give up sugar or cigarettes or thirty minutes sleep a night to get up earlier and exercise. The sacrifice is necessary to get to the goal. And this may seem obvious with our health, but keep in mind success won't come through adding something (like a handful of vitamins) but through what we are releasing (like an addiction).

This is the way to think about how to reach goals and stabilize situations now - what do I need to give up to get it?

Or working the flipside of Neptune/Saturn (and even though this is only one aspect of this Full Moon, since it is a repeating aspect this year it packs more of a punch) - a limit/boundary is dissolved that creates greater stability/success. With the conjunction to Mercury - this would be a good time for a change in our thinking. Again it will be about what we release. Maybe a powerful thought about what isn't possible for us, that king-maker Regulus in Virgo reminds us is no longer "true". And maybe that thought that something isn't possible for us, that belief that is keeping us stuck, but used to keep us safe (an excuse to not venture too far from what is familiar) can be dissolved this year/this Full Moon/maybe right this instant.

Courage is required. We will have to give up one thing to get something else. We don't know what we don't know. Other people are needed. There is going to be a back and forth, two steps forward, one step back with whatever is going on. We will work the process. Things could get confusing.

Something could feel hard to hold onto. Lots of things could feel like they are slipping through our fingers. Maybe completions will still feel incomplete and unsatisfying somehow. Maybe we feel better - the symptoms clear up, but since we aren't sure what really happened or if it is going to happen again we still feel a certain unease with our health. We will have to see how this goes and work the process - do the daily stuff that keeps everything moving - with Neptune/Pisces there are always more questions than answers!

Keep in mind we are playing the long game. And this is the year we get lucky. Also that all the aspects we talked about in the weekly (other than the daily moons) are in play at this Full Moon.

xo all

don't forget to get out and walk in it and also to make some kind of symbolic release - a bag of clothes to Goodwill, a box of books to the library - free up some space for the good stuff to find you!

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of February 18th - wounds get triggered, life gets even more fishy, what needs fixing, what is good enough, exaggerations and a shifting storyline begins

Mercury is uber active this week, which makes us busy and attending to lots of details, errands, talks, meetings, commerce, communication, etc. He/she is in watery Pisces which could lead to frustrations when we need fast and accurate answers and for things to move in a straight line. This could also focus our energies and conversations around Piscean themes - what is hidden or put away or done behind the scenes, secrets, research, romance, art, music, the ethereal realms, imagination, hospitals, spirituality, addiction, healing, your ancestors who have passed away.

Stay flexible and keep some time in your schedule open.

NOTE - Mercury enters the degrees she will be re-walking during her upcoming retrograde on Tuesday, so pay attention to what is in play the beginning to middle of this week because we are going to be working and re-working this chapter over the next few weeks!

The major aspects I see are:

MONDAY - Chiron into Aries (until 2027), Sun into Pisces (until April 20th), Venus conjunct Saturn
TUESDAY - Full Moon in Virgo, Mercury conjunct Neptune (Mercury starts walking the degrees of his Pisces retrograde with a conjunction to Pisces ruler Neptune!)
THURSDAY - Venus conjunct Pluto, Mercury square Jupiter

On MONDAY, we start the week with the energy of the Venus/Capricorn conjunction we talked about last week. Continue to take money/love/resources SERIOUSLY. Here is where the rubber meets the road. We find out what we really have. We might reach a limit or hear a "no". We learn to age/mature gracefully. Attractions become more practical and time-tested. Any lack of maturity or experience could hold us back. This might be a good time to find an older and more experienced mentor or a younger and less experienced muse. Less than solid relationships can end. Money/love lessons will be learned. Loneliness will suck lemons now.

Chiron will ingress into Aries until 2027. He first entered Aries back on April 17th of last year, so issues/situations from around that time could be back in play or connect to what is happening now.

I write about Chiron in Aries HERE.

With Chiron in Aries, changes will be faster. Rough edges will be smoothed efficiently on a chopping block. We will have to get right back up when we fall down. We will see what we need to do and then we will need to do it.

There will be less time for reflection and there won't be any time for wallowing. 

Except of course during Pisces season which also starts TODAY!

Chiron in Aries will be about taking action. It could be about standing up for ourselves (and vulnerable others). We might have to fight (as we work through appropriate ways to handle anger/initiative/competition) - even when it makes us uncomfortable and leaves us with knots in our stomach, hurtful words splashing around in our heads or scraped knuckles (yes, there might be some knock down - drag outs, hopefully like me you will be fighting with wallpaper).   

Keep in mind - this is a seven year transit and will play out over time. You probably won't have to fight on Monday! Also keep in mind Chiron isn't about winning. No trophies will be given out (dammit). No roses tossed at our feet (which is good, because we might slip and fall and no one will want to hear us whine about our twisted ankle).

The rewards will come through the acceptance of the thing we can't win - and this is different than giving up! - the process of  "learning to live with it", and through that energetic grace/acceptance we can heal some very old, and very deep, trigger points of pain for all of us. Yes, you heal me and I heal you and we are all together (or so said John Lennon, I think .. sort of).

Your Aries planets will be taken over by Chiron at some point, your Libra planets opposed and your Capricorn and Cancer planets squared. Those with planets and points in the early degrees of these signs will feel this energy first.

The Sun moves into Pisces today - (happy almost birthday Pisces!) the mutable water sign of mystics, empaths, musicians, dreamers, poets, artists, escape artists and addicts.

It's the final sign of the zodiac, the sign of consciousness. Although often pictured as fish (maybe a fisher-of-men Christian, Age of Pisces symbol), Pisces is better imagined as the ocean itself. A symbol of life and healing - the space where one thing flows into the next, until there is no 'next'. When we are lost at sea, there are literally limitless options as to where we can go - all directions are available to us.

(which is hell for the indecisive but invigorating when we remember we are here for the adventure) 

Pisces people have the ability to comprehend almost anything (the downside is the ability to easily hook into stuff that isn't real - I had noticed alot of Trump's younger staff early on had strong Neptune and Uranus energies). Certainty is a temporary state of mind for Pisces. Even the truth can get a bit stretchy. For grounding and to stay in touch with the ethereal energies that continually beckon to them - they really need to meditate daily (research shows coloring activates the same brain areas).

We are all burning Pisces fuel now, and so, especially if we find ourselves unfocused and forgetful we can use meditation to free up the space we need to remain effective and centered.

Ruled by Neptune, Pisces is the place in our natal chart where we heal, avoid, wallow, dissolve or transcend boundaries. It's unlimited territory; our ocean.

Since Neptune came home to Pisces in 2012, we have all been a little less clear about what is real. Think of meditation as a requirement for life on planet Earth now - also hydration!

EXAMPLE FOR TAURUS/Taurus Rising - Chiron is moving into your 12th house of what is hidden or put away or done behind the scenes, secrets, the ethereal realms, imagination, hospitals, spirituality, addiction, healing, your ancestors who have passed away, your spirit guides. With the Sun moving into your 11th house of the collective on the same day - your friendships, groups, causes, the internet, the public, the goals that bring you into relationship with other people, your advancement, technology - a deep, possibly unacknowledged or secret wound, is activated through other people, your groups, your connected goals. This could be about something you hide from other people or something that has been hidden from you.

TUESDAY, is a big day. First we have the Full Moon in Virgo. I will write a post and link to it here. This is our second zero degree Full Moon in two months - an ending and beginning all rolled into one. The Full Moon will trine (brakes off) a stable Mars in Taurus, so our actions taken over the next two weeks are linked to solid and lasting results.

The trickiest part of the Full Moon - which emphasizes the Pisces/Virgo axis of allowing vs micro-managing (among other things) may be the days other aspect -

Mercury (ruler of Virgo, so ruler of this Full Moon) conjunct dreamy Neptune, so probably not everything the Full Moon brings to light will be real. And due to Mercury's upcoming retrograde this aspect will be a three-peat. Mercury meeting Neptune on the exact degree he starts his back and forth retrograde journey is important so pay attention to what is happening now. Not everything will be as it seems. Think - alternative "facts".

Minds and ideas will morph over the next few weeks.

This is going to re-activate this year's major repeating transit, the Neptune/Saturn sextile (working for the dream) we have talked about before - making us aware of what we are giving up to get something solid or what solid thing/boundary is being dissolved.

EXAMPLE FOR LIBRA/Libra Rising - the Virgo Full Moon is lighting up your 12th house of what is hidden or put away or done behind the scenes, secrets, the ethereal realms, imagination, hospitals, spirituality, addiction, healing. Secrets move out of the shadows. Stuff gets dug up. Mercury in your 6th house of day-to-day activities, your routine, work, co-workers, pets and your health - could bring something here into play while the Neptune/Saturn sextile activation makes you aware of what you are giving up to get something solid or what solid thing/boundary is being dissolved. Whatever you are working through here will play out over Mercury's retrograde through the middle of April.

On THURSDAY, Mercury will square Jupiter and again with Mercury set to station retrograde, we are going to communicate/converse/think - or with Jupiter involved - over-communicate, over-converse, over-think -  our way through this situation multiple times. Conversations could be inflated. Exaggerations are likely. Enthusiasm and optimism is a good thing, just keep in mind things could appear better than they actually are. We will be working our way through this until the middle of April, so there is plenty of time for pins to get pressed into the inflated stuff. Not everything will be totally realistic now and there will be details and information we just can't see yet. We don't know what we don't know here. Don't bet the farm. Focus on the facts.

At the same time Venus meets Pluto at 21 degrees Capricorn and sextiles Mercury (in Pisces). Venusian situations - love, money, our resources, values and self-esteem - get more intense. Our need for love/money increases. This is good energy for attracting powerful people and situations that bring us into a more powerful position. Avoid manipulation now. Avoid jealousy and compulsive crap. Look deeper at what you already have and what you really want. Situations will likely conspire to force our hands with this.

Keep in mind, with Mercury bringing the opportunity and set to retrograde over this storyline a couple times over the next few weeks, patience and possibly some revisions and adjustments will be required to get to the good stuff. Stay positive and focused on what you want, which with Pluto, is likely to come through a merger (or intimacy) with other people and/or their resources.

EXAMPLE FOR ARIES/Aries Rising (and keep in mind Aries rising puts the planets in their natural houses, so this one is in play for all of us collectively) with Jupiter in your 9th house - travel, higher education, weddings, politics, legal issues, the media, publishing, foreigners, everything outside your comfort zone, exploration, your beliefs and higher thinking squaring Mercury from your 3rd house of communication, information, writing, siblings, transportation or your local neighborhood - optimistic ideas and plans are possible now. Just keep in mind Jupiter's tendency to make things appear bigger/better than they are and the fact we have a few weeks of revisions and re-thinking ahead of us. With Venus/Pluto in your 10th house of your career, your calling, your achievements, your achievement goals, dad, business, authority, responsibility sextiling (opportunity) Mercury from your 12th house of what is hidden or put away or done behind the scenes, secrets, the ethereal realms, imagination, hospitals, spirituality, addiction, healing - behind the scenes machinations/hidden information is helping you with your career/goals. This is going to play out over the next few weeks (through mid-April), so it will be a while before you know exactly where you stand here. Stick with the facts. Stay in your integrity. Avoid gossip and deception. Do your job.

Back - somewhat daily - with the Moons and back with the Full Moon in Virgo post!

xo all

North Node in Cancer, South Node in Capricorn | part 1 - facing our ghosts, the karma of our ancestors, dependency issues, the chickens come home to roost, nurturing ourselves, allowing ourselves to be vulnerable

On November 15, 2018 the North Node moved into Cancer and the South Node (of the Moon) moved into Capricorn.

The North Node is like a collective North Star - where our Earth family energy is heading - our best path for growth, and it asks us to do/feel things that are new to us, that make us uncomfortable.  The South Node is what we are leaving behind/what we have outgrown even though it may still feel comfortable.

Much of the time Nodal events (planets interacting with these points) bring internal situations/lessons/stressors/gifts, and then, around the time of the Solar and Lunar eclipses, the events play out in the external world.

Before mid-November, the South Node was in Aquarius - we were collectively releasing detachment, group think, over-thinking, hiding out in the crowd/audience, our "alien" spaces. The North Node was in Leo - we were striving to follow our heart, put our own oxygen mask on first, take care of the children, take the center stage of our own lives, create something we can be proud of, ROAR.

How did we do with this?

Did we allow ourselves to be distracted by technology? Detached from our hearts? Over-think things to the point of inaction? Did we step back into the safety of the group (choosing sides, aligning even more strongly only with people who agree with us)?

Or did we create something we are now proud of? Did we take care of our children/our inner child? Did we make some time to play? Did we step up, take the lead, stand out?

Did we follow our heart (Leo) or our head (Aquarius)?

Hopefully, as a collective we moved toward our heart. If you think about the immigration issues/children at the border - did we use our heart or our head? The artificial intelligence/robotics/internet push - heart or head? Did we allow the Aquarius South Node (what we are releasing) to loosen our grip on any impulse to connect mostly with like-minded people? Sometimes it is easier to see the ways we fall short, but the conversations around these issues stirred hearts certainly. The seeds were planted for more change and progress as we spiral and evolve through these spaces again.

So now, and through May 5, 2020, we've moved into new energies and because the Nodes move backward - they take us through energies we have already experienced. And this is even further emphasized now because the Cancer/Capricorn polarity rules history.

The Cancer/Capricorn polarity reminds us to recognize and appreciate the past without getting too attached to it. 

Our tribal/familial energy - his-story and her-story - visits us now and we are pulled into circumstances similar to those of our ancestors 

(and our own past lives), 

so we can choose differently this time, finish what they started, make the amends they needed to make, even earn the rewards they were denied. 

We can also find any benefits we have been allowed to own from their/our misdeeds (through the misuse of Capricorn energy) detaching from us, too.

Capricorn is a patriarchal energy.

Ruled by Saturn - builder of time and rules and structure and careers and hierarchy. Nothing "real" gets built without Saturnian energy. His-story. "Corporations are people." The ways we make ourselves invulnerable. Our hard edges. Our survival instinct out in the world. 'Life is a battlefield". "It's a dog eat dog world." Our stiff upper lip. The Capricorn energy is about stability, history, security. It's the sign of "father". And, with this mindset/with these beliefs, in order to survive, to order to keep his family/tribe alive, father (as us and through our leaders) has had to do a whole lot of stuff that isn't very warm and fuzzy.

Cancer is a matriarchal energy.

Ruled by the Moon - our emotions, nurturing, home, family, food, our roots, her-story, how we take care of things, the ways we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, our soft spaces, our innate survival instinct. "Home is where the heart is". "There's no place like home." Any quote by Brene Brown. The Cancer energy is about stability, history, security. It's the sign  of "mother".

And this isn't a masculine vs feminine thing or a man vs woman (although it might look like it at times) - these are both feminine energies!

As we move through the South Node in Capricorn - and keep in mind this is happening with both Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn, so the South Node is going to meet up with THESE GUYS (authoritarianism on steroids!) - we are asked to release those Capricornian things that have outlived their usefulness - the things/beliefs that may have previously kept us (and our ancestors) safe, but are now only keeping us stuck.

At the same time, as we move through the North Node in Cancer - we are asked to embrace this gentler part of ourselves. To use our Moon. To feel our way through things. To allow ourselves to be vulnerable (admit when we are wrong, show a weakness, let down our guard, trust someone else). To stop judging vulnerability as a weakness. To take care of ourselves and prioritize self-care and the care of vulnerable people/places and things. To face issues of dependency. To face our childhood (and ancestral and past life) emotional patterning with steady, unblinking eyes. To look within for rewards instead of looking for rewards in the outside world - praise at work/likes on social media are feeling a whole lot less satisfying now.

With this polarity ancestral stories, past life stories, childhood stories that are keeping us in fear and staying stuck will be released. The circumstances and people we will meet - what it takes to release these worn cords we struggle with - will depend on how tightly we are holding onto whatever is no longer working.

We will talk about this as we move through it over the next year and a half.

I was born with this polarity which probably means I understand it well and also don't know it at all!

I have learned to appreciate the small beginnings of things, to appreciate babies and baby steps, soft spaces and ease. Vulnerability is an issue for me (from a childhood, past lives, ancestral energy that made it clear showing weakness would kill you/make you lose) and with this energy in my 3rd house - a discomfort with not knowing, an inclination toward fear-based thinking "is this the safe/right thing to do?" that leads to yes - staying safe and right (although this has shifted and doesn't work anymore) - but missing out on a whole lot of good shit. I will write more about this in future posts.

We have been transforming Saturnian systems since 2008 and although it might feel like authority has a tighter grip than ever; like we have less control than we did before - what is really happening is the reins are being handed back to us and it's been so long since we have held them, we don't know what to do with them, so they are flying about like long hair in a wind storm for any idiot to grab hold of them! As we step into our responsibility in saner ways that prioritize nurturing, this will all shift.

I will add to this post as we move through these energies and it will pop back up to the top of the feed. Hope something here is helpful.

xo all

Mars into Taurus | taking care of the nuts and bolts of life, the touch that feels like love, stopping to smell the roses, physical work, results over time, stubborn determination, digging in until we are up to our knees in mud

Mars, needing a bit of a break, after a few weeks in Aries (a space he rules, but where it is go, go, go and push, push, push and surely even Mars can grow weary of that, can't he?) and after his explosive meet-up with Uranus (still in play - and isn't THIS interesting news for Tuesday night when Mars conjuncted anything-can-happen Uranus) moves into the green pastures of Taurus today.

Mars in Taurus will wake up our Taurus house - a space naturally inclined toward doing the same old, same old and where we can get a bit "set in our ways". Taurus Suns and our other Taurus planets will get a visit from Mars sometime over the next few weeks, so they get some revitalizing sunshine and a WAKE UP call.

For the collective energy, things tend to slow down when Mars ingresses into Taurus. If we are ready for this time to "stop and smell the roses" - and keep in mind that North Node in Cancer, this is a year to nurture ourselves and take care of ourselves - if we have done our "starting" and are now ready to work with what we have accumulated at a less brisk pace - this is the time the run turns into a walk. It's excellent energy to recharge empty batteries.

If we have something going on that requires speed and pushing, we could get incredibly frustrated now - and keep in mind, Mercury is in drifting Pisces and approaching her/his retrograde and will not be doing any pushing either.   

There is no out-running this "slow and steady" thing.

Taurus is the space in our 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 moldy cabbage). What house does Taurus rule in your natal chart? What is the theme of that house? Don't know? Shoot me an email (or comment) and I will check for you.

Taurus gets results through self-sufficiency, by bringing situations 'down to earth', by being sensible.

Mars in Taurus loves physical work. This is the time to dig into something and not be afraid to get our hands dirty. Here the rewards come through sustained growth and immediately, too. Think about how good it feels when our physical body is tired; when it has been well-used - the good night's sleep and strong muscles that follow.

Some things to watch out for now - Taurus gives us stubborn determination, but also stubborn everything else. Let's not dig our heels in so deep we find ourselves in mud up to our knees when this transit is over.

If Taurus is stubborn and she is, it's only because it rules really important things - the kind of things that have to be nurtured and preserved and seen through to the end, but too much stubborn just gets us STUCK.
 
Mars in Taurus can bring procrastination. If you find yourself putting off to tomorrow .. well, everything - realize it is probably time to give yourself a break. Get out in nature. Take a bath. Then move back into the thing you have to do. Slowly.

There is no multi-tasking in Taurus. Just do one thing at a time. That's how things will be done and how they will be built to last. Choose a project to work on during this transit and see it through to completion. Our patience increases as we focus on one thing and on long-term results.

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 (hopefully Ceres someday which feels right to me) 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.

Venus is in steady-as-a-rock Capricorn (until March 1st), so this earthy/practical thing is multiplied now. AND she is on pace to meet Saturn (Cappy's ruler) on Sunday - which always feels like some kind of "test". Taking care of the things we have is important now.

_______________________

The Moon is in Gemini today. She will square Neptune this morning (EST) - do you remember your dream? And then she moves onto an opposition with expansive Jupiter late this afternoon. Hearts open. Not a bad day to celebrate the ones we love.

xo all and Happy Valentine's Day

Mars conjunct Uranus | going out with a BANG

At 1:20AM EST Tuesday night Mars will conjunct Uranus at the final degree of Aries - the sign Aries rules. This energy is in play now.

Mars is our passion, our initiative, our action, our anger. Uranus is fast change, the future, liberation, something radically different.

This is a lightning strike (or a strike while the iron is hot situation).

It can make us (and other people) impulsive. It can make us accident-prone.

It will be so hard to be patient!

This is the energy of break-ups, breakdowns and breakthroughs.

Anger and passion can erupt suddenly now and be hard to control. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if something is escalating in an uncomfortable way - take a breath and a step backward.

THE BEST USE OF THIS ENERGY (especially if we have planets or points around 29 degrees Sagittarius or Leo because we are getting the nice smooth trines here) -

1. truly express who we are - this aspect doesn't say we are going to like the outcome, just that we will feel the push to "go for it", if this is something you need to do, this is exactly the energy that will help you to do it

2. release outdated roles and outgrown restrictions (remember the ongoing Neptune/Saturn sextile is dissolving Saturnian boundaries)

Anything that feels even remotely like a cage or collar is going to feel WAY too small. 

3. make some kind of radical move, do (Mars) something different or differently (Uranus) - this is EXACTLY the energy we need to make a leap from our outdated/stifling crap to new and different crap (ie circumstances).

Again, remember, new is not always better. New is just new. Sometimes new is better though.

Also remember when it comes to change and Uranus - we don't always have a choice.

This is "shortcut" energy.

Uranus can get us from here to there very quickly.

And we have the courage and the strength to put something into action here. Something that smells like authenticity (although nobody actually wants to smell your authenticity - keep this in mind - this is a metaphor).

Something that tastes like freedom.

There is a "this is your last chance" kind of feel to whatever we have going on. And for some situations ... it will be!

Keep in mind - LIFE IS FLASHING A HUGE "PROCEED WITH CAUTION" SIGN AT US.

If this action/move is something you have been thinking about for a long time or fits into your long-term planning - it could be the time to go for it. If this is something that just popped into your head and is risky - it is definitely the time to get your head examined.

(and actually Mars rules your head, so take care of your head now, too)

Within hours after these two heavyweights meet, Mars in going to move into Taurus (figuring out how to survive/thrive in the new circumstances, consolidating resources, slowing down and taking a breath, etc). And after spending a few more weeks hanging out at the 29th degree of Aries, Uranus will follow him.

Keep in mind Neptune is sextiling Saturn off and on this year and that transit is being simulated this week by Venus. With Neptune/Saturn working together we aren't supposed to be rowing upstream battling a moving current. We have a sailboat now. The rowboat is back at Aunt Ida's lake-house attracting opossums. We just need to set our sails in the direction we want to go. And yes, we have to have our crap (sorry for all the 'craps' not sure why I am talking like this, I blame Uranus/Mars!) together to a certain degree, that's how Saturn works - the sails need to be there, they need to be pointing - do sails point? I have no idea - in the right direction. We just have to ready ourselves for the WIND.

On the other hand maybe the Uranus/Mars IS the wind.

Mercury is in Pisces now, you are going to have to use your intuition with this part.

If you have planets or points in the cardinal signs around 29 degrees you will feel this energy strongest.

Planets on/near 29 degrees ARIES (conjunction) - a strong push into something else, CANCER (square) - a threat to your stability that creates tension/frustration and forces you to stand on your own two feet or do something radically differently, LIBRA (opposition) - something/someone from the outside brings a threat/ending/need for change likely leaving you in a position of having to make a decision CAPRICORN (square) a threat to your authority that forces you to do something you wouldn't normally do - sometimes the rules are made to be broken dear Capricorn even by you - or do something radically different; a break with tradition

xo all

there is a bit more about this in the weekly post HERE - check Wednesday

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of February 10th - shocking change, volatility, take a chance NOT a risk, break-ups, breakdowns, break-throughs, liberation, then stuff starts to stabilize and slow down

The following are some of this week's big aspects:

SUNDAY - Mercury into Pisces, Moon/Mars/Uranus with Mars trine Galactic Center
WEDNESDAY - Mars conjunct Uranus (near Eris, 29 degrees Aries)
THURSDAY - Mars into Taurus
SUNDAY - Venus sextiles Neptune
MONDAY - Venus conjuncts Saturn (16 degrees Capricorn)


Mars - action, initiative, passion, anger - is uber active this week, still hanging out with angry sister Eris and set to meet anything-can-happen Uranus.

Expect sudden changes, shocking news, impulsive action, threats and counter threats - it's drama on the high seas folks, Captain Jack Sparrow time - aargh!

People with planets and points at the end of the cardinal signs - Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn - will be feeling this chaotic energy strongest. 

On SUNDAY, our Aries Moon is sandwiched between Mars and Uranus - this could activate Wednesday's volatile changes for some people. People are itchy and restless. Drive safely. No dark alleys. You know the drill.

The Moon goes void at 6:48PM EST dialing up the wonky, but then enters stabilizing Taurus (where the Moon is exalted) at 8:28PM EST which will calm the day down. She will sextile Mercury, freshly bedded in Pisces, making tonight a good time for Pisces progress via art, imagination, meditation, compassion, healing. Netflix marathon - ok, drinking yourself into oblivion - not such a great idea.

Mercury ingresses into imaginative and sometimes delusional Pisces where, due to her/his upcoming retrograde she will hang her hat until April 17th!

A retrograde Mercury in Pisces will be confusing at the very least.

We talked about this next part last week, but I'm tossing it in here again in case you missed it.

"Mercury rules our thinking, our communication, our ideas. He/she is considered in her fall/detriment in Pisces (because she rules Pisces polarity sign of Virgo). Virgo's Mercury likes things clear and concise - she wants B to follow A and is sure things would move more efficiently if everyone would just dot their i's and cross their t's.

Pisces (ruled by Neptune and ruler of our collective 12th house) is the space where rules/boundaries are more fluid. B might follow A. But just as easily A could drift right on past B.

It is the space of imagination, universal love, our dreams, spirituality, our connection to each other through the ethereal realms and our emotions, the ways we escape, the things we do last, the things we put away, addictions, delusions, hospitals, prisons, addicts, victims, saviors, martyrs.

You can see how fast-moving Mercury would be quite out-of-whack here.

So maybe our thinking slows down a bit. Our words drift off course. We started to say this and now we are saying that. The words that were so clear and crisp in airy Aquarius, don't come as easily because maybe we start feeling their impact on the other person now. Or maybe we start feeling like one of those old anti-drug commercials but instead of eggs - it is our brain frying on the sidewalk."

Whatever we have going on over the next few weeks keep in mind the story will be back and forth and all over the place!

Mercury in Pisces can be wonderful energy for artists, poets, musicians, meditation, spirituality, healing. With Mercury (ruler of Gemini) in this universal space our words can cast even more powerful S-P-E-L-L-S - keep this in mind, especially while Mercury is retrograde and things can back-fire!

The next few weeks might be the time to let our mental defenses down and just feel it. Or to guard against this very thing - depending on the situation!

On WEDNESDAY, and this is in play all week, but exact on Wednesday, we have Mars meeting Uranus in Aries.

These two meet every couple years and kick off a new chapter together. Happening at the powerful 29th degree, with Mars set to enter Taurus (blazing a trail for Uranus) the NEXT day (which should help things cool down a bit hopefully), with Eris nearby and opposing Pallas - this has a bit of a powder keg feel to it.

Sudden change. Unexpected (and liberating) news and action. 

This is EXPLOSIVE.

With Pallas in Libra, ruling our partnerships/relationships - if this is a break-up there probably won't be any "we can still be friends", with this one. Compromise/cooperation = nope.

This is empowering energy to take a chance, especially with something LIBERATING/different/forward leaning - just not too big a risk, OK?

Breakthroughs are as possible as break-downs and break-ups. Take a different action. Try something else.

The next day, THURSDAY, Mars moves into Taurus.  

This will help stabilize the Mars/Uranus dis-order as we focus on our resources/values.

Keep in mind Mars is clearing the brush for Uranus, set to move back into Taurus next month. So whatever we have going on now (and while Mars is in Taurus) is going to connect to Uranus's long, upcoming transit - maybe not in specifics, but within a more general theme.

Take whatever is happening now seriously.

You want to stabilize whatever this is as much as possible with Mars (action, initiative, courage, passion) in Taurus, before Uranus gets in there! Taurus is that comfortable space in our chart we rely on to ALWAYS BE THE SAME - Uranus - think "bull in a china shop" here - is disruptive. Something is very likely to get broken. Better we deal with what we can for the next month, so we have somewhat of a handle on it before Uranus (no handle on this guy) gets in there for seven years!

With Mercury in Pisces and now Mars in Taurus - life will begin to slow down. Our actions will become more deliberate.

Mars in Taurus steadies our actions and requires we practice patience.

With Taurus it isn't so much about doing anything new (although yes, the Moon is waxing!)  - this is about building on and taking action with "what we already have".

Things won't move quickly, but the things we take action on now will be longer-lasting. 

Success comes to the turtle and not the hare. Whatever we are doing, we need to be prepared to keep on doing it. It may take some time. With Taurus this will be about our security and stability. Also the theme of your natal Taurus house!

People will have a tendency to be more stubborn and unmovable now - we will all be digging in our heels and refusing to change course (hence the slow down). Mercury's upcoming retrograde indicates some course corrections though. Remember the KISS acronym - keep it simple sista'.

That crazy, complicated thingamajig we were thinking about doing - nix it for now. That thing that looks just too basic to work - yeah do that thing. This is excellent energy to get out in nature and get our hands dirty, too. 

Mars will be in Taurus until March 31st.

On SUNDAY the 17th - and I am jumping ahead a bit because this all starts to get within orb on Sunday, the 10th, Venus sextiles (opportunity) Neptune and then the next day, MONDAY, conjuncts Saturn. This is going to re-activate the Neptune/Saturn sextile we are moving in and out of this year. See Thursday in THIS POST.

This is working for the dream, dissolving limits, a sacrifice that stabilizes a situation - maybe we have to give up what we want for what someone else needs or some kind of delay/denial/responsibility coming before the opportunity.

Venus steps into this story-line and when she conjuncts Saturn a new chapter starts with Venus/Saturn.

Venus (love, money, relationships, beauty, our values, our resources, women ) reaches a LIMIT. This transit can be hard on our relationships and our wallets. Karmic lessons/tests here with love and money. Some relationships will end. Others will reach a solid commitment.

(between this and the Mars/Uranus what a week for Valentine's Day?!)

Relationships that kick off with Venus/Saturn are often either business focused or May/December. Take love/money/resources seriously now. Start a budget. Venus/Saturn can be lonely - because with Saturn here we just can't feel the love!

We will talk about this during the week, but I wanted to toss it into this week's since it is a very different energy than the Mars/Uranus and some people may have this transit more in play than the explosive one.

I will pop back in and add the Moons tomorrow, out of time this afternoon!

xo all


On the day Saturn exactly conjuncted my natal Venus a year or so ago I had to renew my driver's license. I told this story back then, and thought maybe with this week's collective Venus/Saturn conjunction it might be a good time to dig it back out, so here goes -

I could have renewed by mail - this option is given out randomly in NJ and for years I complained that I was never selected and had to truck my butt down there to the Motor Vehicle Commission and get in line. This year I finally had the "just-mail-it-in" option, but had procrastinated the whole thing until the very last minute and had to truck my butt down there anyway.

It was pouring outside. I put on some waterproof eye make-up, spent extra time doing my hair, a crazy amount of time picking out just the right scarf, etc - I brought a mirror and an umbrella. You get the idea. Serious (Saturn) attention to appearance (Venus).

The rain and winds stopped just in time. The lines inside were very short. Everything was going my way. I get to the clerk's window and she says "remove the scarf", then "step back to the line and do not smile". Yes, New Jersey has a 'do not smile in driver's license' thing (somehow this is not hard for us here in N.J.). And, we also have a new 'your face fills the entire box' thing, so the license barely shows your hair, etc. WTH!

I remove my carefully selected scarf, relax my face and try to smile with my eyes. "Have a seat" she says, waving her hand toward the waiting area.

I leave 20 minutes later with what is surely the worst photo I have ever taken in my life.

Certainly the oldest looking photo.

It look me about 30 seconds to think about old man Saturn sitting on my precious Venus (!) - appearance (Venus) on official document (Saturn), bringing age (Saturn) to beauty (Venus). I tried to think about a fine wine and about the myriad experiences that I wouldn't change for a second that had produced these lines/spots on my face, but all I could see was this ghastly photo staring at me from my wallet.

This wasn't even my mother's photo.

I had skipped an entire generation and become my grandmother.

Hubs said, "not a bad photo - you just look serious and it's only for three years." Which depressed me even further - is this how I actually look and what the hell am I going to look like in three years?! - and why was he giving me even more sober Saturn! Ugh.

My Venus in Sagittarius doesn't want to hear this crap. I decided to purchase a new wallet that night - something Venusian to house my old man scowl.

Of course Venus/Saturn could have brought something else entirely. Something much more challenging. I tell myself it was actually pretty clever of me to give the energy this space to work itself out. Plus I have a new wallet.