A Missing Child .... and the story's unnerving mythological connection

I wrote a couple weeks ago (?) about a chart I did for an online crime solving group to help locate a missing New Jersey woman.

I also did this chart for them around the same time for another open case and thought now that the murderer has been arrested I would put this up here, too, without any names for privacy reasons, for any astrology or mystery peeps that might be interested.

Working on this one made me depressed and nauseous. Not sure I will do any more of these unless the case is very, very old. It's heartbreaking and makes me think about all the ways we do not value and cherish children in our society. Such a challenging world to be a vulnerable child ... :(

*****

G  was an 11 year old boy living in Colorado with his father, stepmother and their children. His birth mother lived in another state. He was reported missing in the early evening of January 22, 2020 by his stepmother (I don't think the 911 call has been released, so I couldn't get a time for that to make an event chart). She told police he had stayed home sick that day and then asked to visit a friend after school and never returned. I believe she intimated he may have run away.

At some point days later, during the search for G, a neighbor, checking his front door's ring-camera footage discovered photos of G leaving the house that day with his stepmother (this is the time used in this chart) and further footage of her returning home a few hours later without him.

Let's take a look at the chart for the time G and his stepmother are getting into the truck.

The chart shows Aries rising, the first house is G  - so Aries represents G - fitting for a young man and answering to Aries ruler Mars sadly found in the 8th house (death) and in Sagittarius (a journey/toward what is foreign and distant/the boy traveling away from this chart). Sag is ruled by Jupiter - here at the top of the chart, so we can guess this story will become known and likely get media (Jupiter) and legal (Jupiter) attention. We have Eris and Uranus both in the 1st house (G's house) so he might have been an energetic and disruptive kind of energy - exactly the job of an 11 year old boy!

Mars (ruling G here) is at 16 degrees Sagittarius - the position of the fixed star Ras Algethi - called the head of Hercules (who we'll talk about below) - and according to a 1923 book on fixed stars by Vivian Robson, is said to be indicative of a native whose "life will be afflicted by devious plots" and if poorly aspected, as here with that square to an exalted Venus, "said to cause much irritation, especially in connection to females". This star is in the 6th Chinese Lunar Mansion "that which separates wood from water" - not sure if that has anything to do with where they went that day or where this poor boy ended up.

The descendant, representing the perpetrator is in Libra, conjunct Juno (the jealous wife who will do anything to keep her husband/position), and answering to Venus, exalted in Pisces and exactly conjunct foggy Neptune. Maybe the perpetrator is a young woman, probably a wife and she is either on drugs/mentally ill/a pathological liar/there are almost certainly past life connection. Venus is exalted in Pisces and stronger than Aries in Sag, so she is in the more powerful position than he is.

We can see there is alot going on in that self-sabotaging 12th house along with Venus (representing the stepmother).

On intuition I added the asteroid Nessus (which is often found in charts to represent abuse, but a more full telling of his story. which we will do later in the post, adds more info) and we see Nessus is nestled between the Moon and Venus (the Moon will represent G here, too, in an event chart, but she is also denoting Venus's status as the stepmother here and maybe also showing his birth mother). "Dangerous woman" Lilith is here as well as hurting/healing holder of our very old/very deep wounding, centaur Chiron.

The Venus/Neptune conjunction (the stepmother) is exactly squaring Mars (G), so there is tension/frustration here. Mars rules violence and the head, so he could have been hit in the head or pushed and hit his head. That square to Neptune could indicate he is drugged/sleeping/sick.

G is also represented by the Sun, in its fall in Aquarius and ruler of the 11th house (also G 's age), so escalating Aquarius's tendency toward chaos/disorder and answering to Uranus, in Taurus so answering to Venus, which represents the stepmother, again showing she is in control (and also, out-of-control) here.

We have the Saturn/Pluto conjunction - the end of the road/death that was postponed/time runs out - at the top of the chart in the house of the father. We got a big hint about what the Saturn/Pluto was going to be about last April as Saturn stationed retrograde and then again in September/October when Saturn stationed direct and with Jupiter in Capricorn and answering to him, I wonder what was going on in this family at those times and if some action could have been taken then that would have changed the course of this tragedy.

Something to keep in mind when looking at this kind of chart is that we all lived through January 22, 2020 at 10:13AM MST - and thousands of people lived through this exact moment in Colorado Springs, Colorado, too, and were not on their way to being murdered or murdering someone else. I don't have the birth charts of these four people (G, the stepmother and his birth parents), but I am sure they would be interacting intimately with this moment, which remember becomes important because the ring-cam video of this moment becomes known - that Jupiter on top of the chart.

There is a potential in every moment of time - for the better and for the worse. And, of course, hindsight is always 20/20 (maybe more like 20/40 sometimes), and certainly there are parts of this chart that could be interpreted many different ways.

There is no way to know from this chart exactly what happened and I am certainly not saying that I do.

I would guess their relationship was very tense (that exact square). I would guess he was a handful - from her perspective - and she sees him as the biggest disorder in her life. She was either jealous of G's relationship with his father/her husband and/or wanting to keep her marriage without this beautiful little boy. With so much connecting this story to past life and/or generational karma I doubt she herself could understand the negative feelings he could have invoked in her as they were triggered.

Maybe on the day this happened she loses her temper/her mind (she is almost certainly mentally ill/some kind of personality disorder or on drugs here) and she does something to hurt him (blow to the head) and thinks the only way to save her marriage/her position is to hide what she has done. Maybe the reason his movements toward the truck appear labored in the neighbor's video is because of this or maybe she has drugged him and the head trauma comes later. She may have gotten him into the truck telling herself she was taking him to the hospital, although subconsciously planning something much more horrific. Or with Mercury in detached Aquarius maybe she planned this whole thing out.

With G's Mars in Sagittarius this snapshot of time would have taken him on a long  journey, outside his comfort zone, toward a place that was foreign to him.

There are multiple indicators of old past life connections/familial story-lines/karma with what is happening here including all that 12th house energy, Nessus between the Moon and Venus (the past-life connections including not only G and the stepmother, but the birth parents), Moon in the 12th, Sun in the 11th in Aquarius - too much to even list. We can't see the South Node in this chart, but it is sitting right on the top of the chart!

It is very, very heartbreaking to look at this chart and know what it is leading to and see G's Mars all alone in that dangerous 8th house and the North Node in Cancer (mother/mothering, home, family, the way we care for our most vulnerable people and spaces) sitting at the bottom of this chart - the energy that would have changed everything - abandoned, too ....

They have arrested the stepmother for G's murder although they haven't found G's body.

Who this woman really is, it is hard to say. She lived a well-hidden life in that 12th house tossed about by her own delusions, lies and karma (the Libra shows this would not be so visible to casual acquaintances, no doubt the people closest to her knew something was wrong with her - you can only hide crazy/or an addiction whatever this is for so long in intimate relationships and I doubt her feelings for G would have been easy to hide). Maybe she was abused and is abusive, and she was undoubtedly a very dangerous caregiver for that sweet little boy and I wish with all my heart, someone somewhere somehow had figured this out before January 22, 2020.

xo all

Here is the Hercules/Nessus mythology - see what you think about how it relates to what we know about this story. In astrology, Hercules is a constellation, the fixed star representing his "head" was exactly conjunct G's ruling planet, Mars, in the event chart and Nessus, an asteroid in astrology representing abuse, trusting someone not trustworthy and murder is conjunct the stepmother's ruling planet,Venus.

So - Nessus was a centaur in Greek mythology. We've talked about the wild centaurs (half man, half horse) many times - their stories all seem to center around Hercules (Heracles to the Greeks, but I'll use the more familiar Roman name Hercules here) and death. 

Hercules was maybe the most famous hero of Greek mythology and represents our own hero's journey. He was given his twelve labors (after he murdered his first wife and children in a fit of madness induced by a jealous Juno - note in the event chart Juno is conjunct the descendant ruling the stepmother) and a great deal of his story is told in their retelling. With Hercules head on G's ruling planet and Juno conjunct the stepmother's house we could stop right there and the mythology would give us some clues about what happened, but let's keep going ...

In the Nessus myth, Hercules, and, his then wife Deianira, are fleeing a war where Hercules has just single handedly killed hundreds of centaurs

(this part is kind of important because although Hercules had been tutored by the gentle centaur Chiron, it would be impossible to believe that after a war where he had killed hundreds of dangerous centaurs he was not by now aware of their animal nature and reputation as rapists and murderers).

They come to the river Evenus needing to cross and they meet Nessus; the centaur "ferryman" who carries people across this river.

Here's where the myth has some different variations, but all tend to agree that, Hercules gets himself, and his weapons, across the river and negotiates with Nessus (the centaur) to carry his wife across. Nessus, rapes or attempts to rape Deianira, and from across the river Hercules fires off a poisoned arrow to kill him. He wanders off in pain to die unburied, but not before he lies to Deianira that his blood will ensure Hercules future fidelity and she collects some and takes it with her.

Years later as Hercules heads to a tournament without her, a suspicious and jealous Deianira pours some of the "fidelity potion" on a cloak for Hercules to take on his journey. Later, she accidentally spills some of the potion on the floor and, as it eats through her linoleum I suppose, she realizes it is a poison (um, duh) and she tries to get word to Hercules, but the message doesn't reach our hero in time and he dies - done in precisely as the Delphic Oracle had predicted years before "by a dead enemy" and, of course, aided by his wife's jealousy.

Nessus was a savage, but Hercules certainly knew better than to hand his wife over to him - and with his super-human strength surely could have carried her himself. He passed her off to Nessus (you might wonder if subconsciously he wanted to be rid of her, and their marriage is a whole other interesting story) leading to the demise by poison of both Nessus and Hercules.

Some themes here include abuse, rape, revenge, jealousy, some kind of set up for a rape or murder, implied consent, trusting untrustworthy people with precious cargo, betrayal, poison, third party situations, things coming back around, very old karma.

Nessus was in Cancer (the sign of mothering/motherhood) from the 1970's and well into the 1980's - I am not sure when the stepmother was born, but I would guess an afflicted and activated natal Nessus in Cancer. I would guess G's natal chart might have a connection to the Hercules constellation if not the 16 degrees Sagittarius fixed star itself.

It is likely a very old karmic story playing out here and makes me think again of the ways these strange celestial bodies, recently discovered, named for the centaurs and known for their oddball orbits connect to our generational karmic stories and inheritances .... life on this third rock from the Sun continues to be a mystery wrapped in a mystery ....

Today's Astrology Forecast | Friday, March 6, 2020 - unexpected changes, working through some tension/frustration/wonk so we can get to the fun stuff

We wake with a fresh and fiery Moon in Leo.

For the next couple days we are nurtured through our Leo natal house theme and the collective Leo themes of happiness, generosity, play, recreation, risk, creative projects, children, self-expression, romance, following our heart, taking the spotlight, taking the center stage, needing attention.

In Leo, the Moon gets busy squaring the Taurus planets - first, Venus at 7:00AM EST and then Uranus at 11:05AM EST - setting us up for some maybe uncomfortable and unexpected situations. We want/need to feel happy/valued. We want/need to know what the future holds. There is some tension/frustration here, maybe some shake-ups and changes. Things should ease as we move through the day and the Leo Moon moves off those squares and gets her groove back.

The Moon won't be making any aspects on SATURDAY, so we'll move through that fun-loving/heart-centered/creative Leo vibe unobstructed.

On SUNDAY (see the weekly HERE for lots of info) we have the conjunctions of the Sun/Neptune and Venus/Uranus - this has been in play all week and for another few days. More pivot points.

Sun/Neptune will let us know if we need some rest, some art, some music, a Netflix marathon!

Venus/Uranus could bring some unexpected goodies and our "wants" become focused on the future/something innovative/something else. 

The Moon (in Virgo here) makes nice with the Venus/Uranus conjunction pulling Virgo themes - our day-to-day stuff, our health, our pets, our work - into this.

Keep in mind we are building toward Monday's Virgo Full Moon happening as Mercury stations direct - answers come in, our trajectory/momentum is about to shift.

xo all

photo by the talented argyria

Today's Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Thursday, March 5, 2020 - high emotions, too needy or too nurturing, focus on the future and the healing, also where are my girl scout cookies and do i need to shake-down a girl scout to get some

The Moon continues her journey through her home sign of Cancer nurturing us through our attention on home, family, real estate, renovations, home business, family business, mothers, mothering, the need to water our roots.

She trines the Sun (our monthly waxing trine) and Neptune early in the day - good for spirituality, creativity, compassion. Healing dreams.

The nocturnal kind, too.

We might not consciously remember important dreams for very long, because anything from that Neptunian realm will dissipate quickly in the cold light of day, but our bodies/our emotions/the long-memory of that Cancer Moon recognizes their significance. 

With Saturn heading into Aquarius (karma with trauma) in just a couple weeks and with Venus home in Taurus (the home of Aquarius ruler Uranus these days) - the ways we are out of alignment/the memories our emotional/physical bodies carry that were too painful/too ancient for our conscious mind (Mercury, retrograde in Aquarius now so answering to Uranus, too) to hold onto can be healed through our unconscious in miraculous ways while we sleep/meditate/pray/make art/music.

Although strong in Cancer, the Moon will face some opposition from those Cappy planets today, so situations could get more stressful.

She will oppose Jupiter at 11:55AM (emotions get bigger, extra enthusiasm or grandiosity, could be hard to put the brakes on something if we need to, fears about the future/security could come up, maybe we want too much or too much is expected from us), Pluto at 6:50PM EST (power struggles, transformation, drama, intensity, feeling like something is life and death) and finally go void off an opposition to Saturn at 2:11AM EST. She will be void for a couple hours and then move into big-hearted Leo at 4:27AM EST tomorrow.

Our emotions could be high today, but so will our intuition.

With the Sun approaching Neptune and the Moon trining Neptune - facts will be tricky, so this is not the best time to try and sort them out. We don't have to buy what someone is selling just because they are selling it. Turn off the news.

Mercury is in Aquarius, so we want to avoid over-thinking everything/getting too fixed into our position and keep in mind she is still retrograde.

Let's give ourselves and other people a break since we will all be feeling overly emotional - maybe too needy/too giving - whatever part we are playing here. This, too, shall pass.

Focus on the positives/inspiration/the future/finding your girl scout cookies. Move something forward. Life/God/the Universe can take it from there.

xo all

photo by the talented ESPRIT-CONFUS

Today's astrology Forecast | Wednesday, March 4, 2020 - things lighten, out-of-the-box love or money, a second look, saying it again, asking again, one of those March pivot points we talked about

Our Moon, at home in Cancer turns our focus to and nurtures us through home, family, real estate, mom, mothering, anything that feels like an "inside" job, allowing ourselves to be vulnerable and not have all the answers.

Her only aspect today is an opportunistic sextile to Uranus at 6:25AM EST - out-of-the-blue or forward-leaning money, love, relationships, resources. This is nice background music for the rest of the day's energies because -

this is also the day, and we talked about it HERE in the weekly for WEDNESDAY - Mercury retrogrades back into Aquarius, sextiling Venus on the way and then Venus moves home to Taurus.

Now, Mercury first walked 29 degrees Taurus back in early February - so we could be re-looking at something that we first talked/thought about back then. With Mercury in Aquarius now, and us having been backward through the confusing Piscean waters, we should be able to get a clearer/more logical look - we step back and see things more clearly. Reconsidering something from a better/less emotional angle. We might make a choice. Have an important conversation. Make a deal. Ask a question again.

That sextile to Venus indicates this is a good thing - an opportunity. Water/earth sextiles are yin - things should flow, there should be cooperation. I once read someone said "the odds and the Gods" are smiling upon us with sextiles and that sounds about right!

This is fleeting and then Venus takes this idea/conversation - home to comfort-loving Taurus. Maybe it makes sense/cents. So this is maybe something that makes us feel more loved/more secure/aides our resources/our wallet.

March is going to bring us multiple pivot/choice points and here is one of them.

xo all



photo by the talented IrinaJoanne

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of March 2, 2020 - reality checks, pivot points, backing into a new idea/plan, wanting what we already have, disruptions, surprises, hand wringing and hand washing

March is an uber important month this year with major PIVOT POINTS and energetics including the remainder of Mercury retrograde, a big Full Moon in Virgo, oodles of Venus and Uranus aspects, Mars meeting Jupiter on that HOT 22 degrees Cappy bringing us back to mid-January, a powerful Spring Equinox and New Moon in Aries, lots of important information mid-month, Mars meeting Saturn and old man Saturn himself briefly changing signs to give us a spring preview of what we will be building over the next couple years (!).

By the time Mercury comes out of her/his retrograde shadow in April our life will be RADICALLY CHANGED AND REJUVENATED and we will ALL have a better understanding (keeping in mind this is a process and we are kind of in that crack in the book between chapters) of the collective BULLDOZING/REBUILDING ADVENTURE that is life on planet Earth in the year 2020.

In the meantime, March is coming in like a lion - big week this week, folks - and going to go out like a lion, too!

We start the month needing to make some choices/pivots, but still moving through this confusing Mercury retrograde. There are roadblocks and realities that can no longer be ignored, particularly around love, relationships and our money and resources.

Our mistakes, especially mistakes made by avoiding what we knew we needed to do, could be plainly visible now.

The good news - almost as soon as we hit this "limit", life tosses us a lifeline as Venus sextiles Mercury and moves into her home sign of Taurus focusing us on what we already have. Think of Mercury passing her a note (as he backs into Aquarius and out of Pisces) reminding her of a previous conversation/idea/way around/through/over/under this "limit" thing that is liberating/forward leaning.

By the end of this month, there are going to be opportunities with love and money and as early as the end of this week, changes and BIG SURPRISES.

Also at the end of the week the Sun will make his annual meeting with Neptune in Pisces - we are going to need strong boundaries, to wash our hands and to keep those rose-colored glasses in the bedroom drawer. No doubt the corona virus, now called covid-19, will be in the news. This is wonderful energy for art, creativity, spirituality, imagination, illusions and delusions and seeing what is behind us.

Let's unpack the week.

TUESDAY - Venus squares Saturn
WEDNESDAY - Mercury retrograde backs into Aquarius, Venus enters Taurus, Mercury Sextiles Venus
SUNDAY - Sun conjuncts Neptune, Venus conjuncts Uranus

MONDAY - QUARTER MOON (GEMINI/PISCES)

We start the month with the Third Quarter Moon - the Moon in busy, communicative Gemini squaring the Sun in dreamy, escapist and idealistic Pisces. There is tension/frustration/maybe feeling the need to make a choice. Mercury is still retrograde - we just aren't sure. Maybe we want to just drift along with the tides or maybe we are feeling uncomfortably pushed to take action. We had Mercury meeting the Sun a few days ago, illuminating where we stand/giving us some clarity. We don't know everything, but maybe we know enough for now to choose (trusting life will conspire to line up with our choice) or to choose to let it go. The first half of March is a tricky time for planning (if you want to hear God laugh ... you know the rest). Try to go with the flow. If you must choose - go with your best intuition/instinct and trust that life has your back ... because life does.

Keep in mind just as there is more than one thing that got us into whatever mess we are in, there is more than one way out of it. 

TUESDAY - VENUS SQUARES SATURN

Venus, in her detriment at the very end of Aries, squares Saturn, strong in his home sign at the very end of Capricorn. With Saturn squares what usually happens is - the reality of the situation can no longer be ignored.

The buck stops here. The sh*t hits the fan.

We see cobwebs in our wallet. Wrinkles on our face. Love/what we want is restricted.

Venus rules our very important relationships, love, money, our resources, beauty, our values and self-esteem. If you are a Taurus or Libra rising (ruled by Venus) or have Venus/Saturn aspects in your natal chart or planets/points near 28 degrees of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) you will probably feel this challenge/tension the strongest.

There is a need to pivot/adjust. Pushing won't work because Saturn won't be pushed.

And after last week's Venus/Pluto square power struggle/facing some financial or intimate truth and yesterday's challenging Quarter Moon demands for action/a decision, this one probably isn't going to feel so good either (sniffle, hold me mommy).

Keep in mind how challenging Venus/Saturn will be for us will depend on the central players' locations and aspects in our natal chart. For example, let's say you have a very strong Venus in your birth chart, well, maybe, she has no problem with Saturn and you pivot smoothly past a little hiccup. On the other hand if you have moved too far off course (Saturn rules fate) that same strong Venus becomes an obstacle; a hindrance rather than a helper - turns a molehill into a mountain - and makes it harder for us to change course.

Squares with Saturn require us to turn the wheel to get around him because he isn't moving!

This is a 90 degree angle. If you are driving your car in a straight line and suddenly make a 90 degree turn, it would be a pretty big change of direction, right?! 

You are in Texas headed for Canada and end up in Rhode Island. 

This isn't some random thing that is happening to us. We didn't just decide to change course even if it looks like we just decided to change course. 

We can't go any further on this path. 

The road to Canada is closed. 

We are going to Rhode Island. 

Saturn is the heavy-handed taskmaster/father time/fate. His squares are necessary course corrections to get us back on track. 

This doesn't mean we are never going to get to Canada. But there is something we need to do/get/see/experience in Rhode Island first, so hello Providence!

EXAMPLE  for VIRGO/VIRGO RISING - Venus is in your 8th house of other people's money and resources - your spouse's income, debts, loans, taxes, inheritances - the ways you merge with other people - intimacy, sex, life, death. This is the area of life that is hitting Saturn. The wall, a limit, the reality police, authority - are knocking at THIS door. How might this look? Well, there are as many ways for this to play out as there are Virgos. Maybe your tax refund isn't going to be what you hoped it would be and you need to adjust. Maybe your inheritance isn't and you need to adjust. And remember your inheritance isn't just dollars in the back. Maybe an inherited tendency is what is hitting the wall. Maybe someone else doesn't want what you have to offer. Maybe you are comparing your life to other people's lives and seeing what you are missing (intimacy, resources). Maybe your sex life/sex drive has stopped. Maybe your partner's income is less than it used to be and adjustments must be made to work with the reality of the situation. Maybe some resource you are receiving from someone else has dried up. The ways you feel unappreciated or inadequate are coming to your attention via other people's resources.

Now, keep in mind this transit is a collective transit. You will feel it most strongly, ie more personally, if you have a natal Venus/Saturn aspect or a natal or progressed planet/point near 28 degrees of a cardinal sign.

At the end of March, Venus is going to get opportunities with Saturn and Pluto and Jupiter, but for now we are going to have to deal with some roadblocks/and maybe make some changes we don't feel ready for because we probably aren't. But the Moon is waxing (growing) so we can't just sit on our ass either.

The challenges of the last couple days are coming through our Aries and Gemini houses. What are those themes in your natal chart? Expect challenges and choice points that won't feel like choices, but keep moving.

WEDNESDAY - RETROGRADE MERCURY BACKS INTO AQUARIUS, VENUS MOVES INTO TAURUS, MERCURY SEXTILES VENUS

This day sizzles with two personal planets changing signs and sextiling each other as they do! And keep in mind, Mercury is still retrograde, so like Ginger Rogers in high heels dancing with Fred Astaire she is making this move BACKWARD.

Let's unpack this a little bit.

We start this day with Mercury at the very beginning of Pisces - remember he is retrograde, so moving backward and then Venus, moves into the very beginning of Taurus, and briefly sextiles (opportunity) Mercury - BEFORE Mercury backs into Aquarius. So it's kind of like a high five/fist bump/dapping-thing. They are both like "YES, here we go!" and then Mercury kind of slides a note into Venus's outstretched hand for her to take with her into Taurus (imagine a loving, magical promissory note here, since not much screams "abundance" quite like Pisces/Taurus). The sextile will be strongest felt by people with natal Mercury/Venus aspects and people with planets/points near 0 degrees of Pisces or Taurus, but we will all have access to this.

Venus is now out of her detriment in Aries and off that square to "reality police" Saturn and into her home sign of Taurus. Whew! Venus loves (and rules) Taurus. After her weeks in Aries trying to be a lover and a fighter, she is quite content to settle into herself again.

Taurus suns and rising signs get more attractive (both physically attractive and more able to attract).

Venus in Taurus, particularly when coupled with all this retrograde mud, can help us appreciate what we already have and what is right in front of us.

Taurus is a fixed sign, so things happen slowly. It can take some time for a person who is used to (remember we are hardwired to crave what is familiar) seeing beauty in a lush green lawn, for example, to appreciate the magnificence of a dandelion. If you can't see the beauty in what you already have - look again.

(did you know the word dandelion comes from the Latin "lion's tooth" - dandelions are some of the honey bees earliest food, are reproductive superstars - an energy sorely needed now and have centuries of usages in food, drink and medicine)

The power and real beauty of Venus in Taurus is a deep seeded belief that everything we need is available to us. Either we have it, or we can attract it, if we believe we are worth it. Venus will be in Taurus until April 3rd.

Now, at the same time, Mercury drifting backward through the confusing energy of Pisces, for what seems like forever, is still drifting backward, but now Mercury (our thinking, information, communication) moves into an air sign - the detached and future-focused energy of Aquarius. Yes, it's fixed air, so people are not always flexible like they were in Pisces, but at least we've got some air! This gets a big THUMBS UP.

So, three things happen when Mercury changes signs.

Mercury changes (the conversation changes, our thinking changes, we are more innovative, we can detach emotionally from our thoughts, there is more air in this room so maybe we can breathe easier). The house Mercury exits changes (Pisces house slows/relaxes a tiny bit). The house Mercury enters changes (Aquarius house - gets busy). Mercury will be in Aquarius until March 16th.

Mercury in Aquarius is about clear-headed, dispassionate thinking focused on the future.

Its clarity comes from the space that is generated from detachment. From a change of perspective. We mentally step back a little bit and the pictures in our head get a little clearer, our words a little more sharp.

Maybe we are questioning/re-thinking (Mercury) our groups/friendships/causes now (Aquarius) or turning back to them.

We might be unraveling spiritual messages received while Mercury was in Pisces.

A liberating or out-of-the-box idea/conversation could come back around, too.

Now, Mercury is still retrograde. We are still re-viewing, re-vising, re-thinking. But airy Aquarius - Mercury loves air! - is certainly an improvement over Pisces

(now keep in mind we are going to be back in Pisces in a week, so our time in mental Aquarius will be very brief).

SUNDAY - SUN CONJUNCTS NEPTUNE, VENUS CONJUNCTS URANUS

The Sun, more than halfway through Pisces now - meets Neptune, ruler of Pisces. At the same time we have Venus, home in Taurus now remember, meeting change-maker Uranus as she is about to sextile (opportunity) the North Node - our path forward.

The illumination comes from our Pisces house theme. The shift comes from our Uranus house theme.

With the Sun in Pisces meeting Pisces ruler, our dreams, our illusions/delusions could reach a peak now. Covid-19 will likely be in the news and we are going to have to keep in mind that panic can be more contagious than any virus.

The Sun can shine a light on something that's been in the shadows or maybe a bright spotlight on our best path forward.

With Neptune, things can slip into place or slip through our fingers.

We are going to have to go with the flow here - the less we are trying to frantically control some outcome (because we can't), the better we will feel.

At the same time we have Venus (our love, money, resources, beauty, values, self-esteem) connecting with anything-can-happen/disruptive shocker Uranus in Venus's home sign of stable Taurus.

Conjunctions close out cycles - this time Venus/Uranus - as they begin new ones. So what no longer makes sense/cents, what is no longer valuable or maybe what is no longer valued either ends or HAS TO CHANGE.

New sources of income, new resources, new love/relationship shifts, new ideas about what matters now are activated/triggered.

Expect the unexpected with love and money or your Taurus natal house theme. Situations that bring about sudden realizations about what we really want and value are possible now, too.

EXAMPLE FOR TAURUS/TAURUS/RISING - Venus (your ruling planet) is meeting change-maker Uranus in your 1st house of yourself. Sudden changes with your appearance, your brand, your image are possible. Opposing your 7th house of partners and other people - this could bring an unexpected new relationship or surprise from your partner. At the same time you have the Sun meeting Neptune in your 11th house of friends, groups, your causes, technology, astrology, the goals that bring you into connection with other people, old trauma stories - there is a light being thrown here, but keep in mind everything won't be quite as it seems.

Venus, as us, started the week with a roadblocking/ball-busting square to Saturn and now she meets Uranus - CHANGE, that is yes, disruptive, but also in some way liberating and did I say she is on her way to an opportunistic connection with the North Node (our future) next week!

Remember conjunctions start new stories, so two conjunctions in one day is like a double flashing green light for FRESH START. 

Ok- that is a taste of the week ahead.

I get emails from people asking when things are going to "go back to normal" and I totally get this, but we all need to consider that maybe a bigger problem than things changing so fast or feeling so abnormal, is that we keep thinking they "need to go back to normal"!

Remember our North Node in Cancer - you need a home, a nest, a safe place, a sanctuary, an unshakeable belief that your soft, vulnerable underbelly is actually what keeps you from turning entirely into a brittle shell and you don't want to lose it - forget the whole "normal" thing, but make yourself a comfortable inner/outer refuge, take care of yourself - this will make any shaky ground easier to live with now.

xo all

photo by the talented BirdSophieBlack

a quick look at the astrology of China, the Corona-Virus and the Saturn/Pluto Conjunction - major changes through the world's workforce as our patriarchal unwinding continues

In the middle of January when I was writing about the Saturn/Pluto conjunction in Capricorn (the first time in more than 500 years) HERE and looking at its potentials I didn't think to look at China's chart to see what was happening there.

This morning, thinking about the astrology of March 20th's meeting of Mars and Jupiter on the 22 degrees Capricorn trigger point (the degree Saturn and Pluto met in January) and amid all the corona-virus talk in the media - I looked up China's natal chart and their transits for mid-January blew me away.

This is the chart for China during the Saturn/Pluto conjunction which happened in China on January 13th (the 12th in the United States). Saturn and Pluto and the Sun (and we had Mercury and Ceres almost precisely conjunct, too) were meeting EXACTLY on China's natal Jupiter in their 12th house (viruses, disease, endings, death, no boundaries, secrets and lies). At the same time, transiting Jupiter is opposing their natal Uranus (trauma signature, chaos, disorder) in Cancer in their 6th house of work and day-to-day activities and health. And transiting Mars is conjunct their natal hurting/healing Chiron in the 10th house (their work in the world, patriarchal energy, father).

Whew!

This was always going to be very big for China (and by extension, all of us).

According to a timeline of the corona virus: on January 11, 2020 - China reports to the World Health organization their first death from the virus and on January 13th, they report the first case outside China (the Saturn/Pluto - the breakdown of limits/authority, the end of the death postponed, time runs out). And remember this was all playing out at the time of a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Cancer, giving this whole thing even more energy and unfortunately, staying power.

I had an intuition to toss Pholus (we talked about this Centaur's story last month - the genie out of the bottle, uncorking of something that can't be stopped) into China's natal and found he is conjunct their natal Jupiter and their ascendant (!) - so a very important energy in their country's signature and was being mega impacted by the Saturn/Pluto conjunction. In productive and ambitious Capricorn this energy has likely helped them many times, but certainly not with this.

I am sure they applied herculean measures to contain this thing, but it was never going to be stopped here.

With so much happening in Capricorn let's take a look at their natal Saturn (he also rules their Cappy rising chart) - in their chart Saturn is in their 8th house of other people's money, the resources merged with other people, death, secrets. The same house that contains their Sun/Mercury/Neptune conjunction in Libra answering to Venus in their 10th house, but ruling their 9th house - showing their important, and highly visible, industrial partnerships with other countries and the way they have become the world's "work force".

If we move their chart ahead to March 20th, 2020 when Mars (action, military, impulsivity) meets Jupiter, making something bigger, maybe more explosive - at the HOT degree of 22 Capricorn - they are having their Jupiter return (Jupiter back to where he was at their country's birth) - hopefully that Jupiter return brings them some luck/optimism instead of a possibly abrupt expansion of the problem (!).

We also see Saturn sitting on their ascendant, transiting Pholus moving into their HOT 12th house and the transiting North Node (coming home, a focus on home and family and nurturing, the value they do or do not place on mothering and babies, on allowing themselves to show any vulnerability) hitting their natal Uranus (change, chaos, tech, the future) and the transiting South Node that patriarchal conditioning/mega work ethic/productivity/authority opposing their natal Uranus trauma point.

Something big will be happening - although we might not hear everything, because the 12th house is a place of secrets.

Major change playing out through our world's "work-force" as the patriarchy unwinds ...

xo all

Today's Astrology Forecast | Saturday, February 29th - relax, do something pampering, the eye of the storm, feeling more inspired and optimistic

The Moon, exalted in Taurus (so functioning at her best), sextiles dreamy Neptune at 2:50PM EST and trines expansive Jupiter at 5:41PM EST. We should feel more inspired, more optimistic. Taurus is all about comfort and feeling good. The center holds.

On SUNDAY morning, 10:52AM EST. the Moon will go void off a trine to Saturn (she trined Pluto while we slept) and be void until 2:2PM EST, when she moves into busy and communicative Gemini. She will square a retrograde Mercury at 6:05PM EST, so Sunday night could be a bit frustrating, but the rest of Sunday looks good for dealing with authority, our responsibilities, etc.

So, the Moon is really helping us for most of this weekend to stay grounded and feel better.

Once the Moon gets into Gemini, she starts building toward her square to the Sun (Monday) and we are in between Venus's square to Pluto and her square to Saturn (next week), so the weight of choices we need to make, decisions hanging over our head, maybe the feeling we are being uncomfortably pushed to take action is still here, but probably background noise this weekend.

In the meantime, take care of yourself today.

Treat yourself well - whatever that means to you!

Take advantage of this "eye of the storm" energy. Breathe deeply. Exhale.

Tomorrow keep in mind that void Moon (not the time to start) - expect a little wonk and for time to get stretchy and some possible tension tomorrow night.

xo all

back with the monthly and we'll dive into March

photo by the talented ESPRIT-CONFUS

Today's Astrology Forecast plus the last few weeks of Cancer/Capricorn - allowing ourselves to just not know and how everybody wins in the end

The energy is quite stressful for the next couple days, so I thought I would pop back in from looking at March charts and toss up a post.

We talked about Friday HERE.

The Moon is in Taurus now (where she is exalted) joining chaotic Uranus. Venus, ruler of Taurus and so ruler of the Moon now is squaring - tension/frustration - Pluto from her perch in fiery Aries. And she is going to square Saturn next week.  This is challenging energy focused (collectively) on our relationships, our money, our resources, beauty, what we value, our self-esteem.

What we want, and may not be able to get, or what we have that we no longer want - can feel like it is suffocating us/eating us alive. Jealousy, Compulsion, Power struggles. What we have/need squaring off with what we have merged with other people (through intimacy, sex, our bank account, the stock market). Plutonian squares create wins through transformation, but something has to die/be eliminated first.

This stuff is not for sissies.

Remember our North Node is in Cancer - our power lies within us. Life is an inside job. If we are giving too much power to outside situations/other people/other people's resources/to having things turn out just a certain way in order for us to feel safe, to feel loved, to feel valuable - we are going to be on very shaky ground right now.

Before just plowing ahead, let's stop and think for a minute - and yes, I know Mercury is retrograde in Pisces - our brain is frying on the sidewalk, but let's take a breath then. Venus is in Aries - she wants to win. And she wants to win now. We can see that even once she gets past Pluto, she is going to hit Saturn's reality check. Pushing is probably not going to help. She is at her detriment in Aries and Saturn is at his strongest in Capricorn. And Mars is in Capricorn and trining the Moon - smart business moves/doing the responsible thing.

The Moon is exalted in Taurus. We want to feel better and we CAN feel better. At the same time Mercury (who, yes, is retrograde in confusing Pisces) is sextiling Uranus. New information. New ideas. Change is good. New ways to do commerce/to be in our local community/to deal with sibling issues. This can also bring assistance through a Uranian/Aquarian person or through technology/astrology.

I have been working on March charts and I can't lie to you, it is a very challenging month and we are going to be pushed to make decisions/choices from very unsteady spaces, BUT once we get past the pivots and changes (and this means actually making pivots and changes) the month gets much easier.

Keep in mind the energetic framework that set up this year - things looking really, really bad, but then never getting as bad as they look like they might. Think back to January and the Iran situation.

Now we have the corona-virus - which with Mercury retrograde in Pisces is almost certainly not going to be "contained", but Mercury will not always be retrograde in Pisces. By April she/he will be walking new degrees and much sooner than that (March 4th!) she gets back into Aquarius - fixed air doesn't feel quite so contagious to me - and then she will station direct just a few days later, by the time he/she gets back into Pisces we will know what we are doing with this.

The stock market/economy is dealing with all this Venusian stress plus we have Uranus (anything-can-happen) in Taurus (our money and resources), for the next few years. When the energies are ripe for adjustments (via transits) - this stuff is going to adjust. Its strength and usefulness will be tested. The stock market may not even exist by the time Uranus leaves Taurus - we may have found better, more sustainable and more equitable ways to merge our resources. But right now it does exist and it's based on mutual trust. Does the market trust the investors? Do the investors trust the market?

Right now, during these fluctuating times we have the gift of the North Node in Cancer (who says you can't go home again?). We only have this energy here for a few more weeks.

How have we used this? How can this help us now?

We talked about this HERE and all throughout the past year.

That Capricorn South Node - where we are, what is working and most especially what isn't - is like winter itself. When life becomes fixed and rigid and inflexible we go on auto-pilot. We lose the capacity for reflection. For compassion. Growth stops. Nothing can be learned.  

As Carl Jung said, "the sure path can only lead to death".

In order to live a creative life we have to be receptive to what isn't known. There is no other way. No crystal ball that really works. We have to be able to be led by circumstances. Even to move, at times, against our own better judgement. 

Not all the time of course, because total instability would drive us all insane I would imagine - Capricorn stability is very, very useful energy, and shouldn't be totally disparaged just because we have been digging through its negatives over the last year or so. 

But without some Cancer vulnerability, some chinks in our armor, we can't have interaction with the world or even interaction with our own authentic self (our real home). 

So, of course there is alot of anxiety in admitting that we just don't know/that we can't be sure and maybe most anxiety producing of all - THAT MAYBE NO ONE ELSE KNOWS EITHER - and yet to have our world carved in Cappy ice would be even more terrifying wouldn't it?

An unlived/unloved life doesn't just go away ....

Try to keep this in mind through unsteady times.

Vulnerability is actually our super-power, people.

xo all

(this 'anxiety' thing is how the millennials are going to change the world btw)

photo by the amazing Avine

Weekly Forecast for Creatives | Week of February 24th - a mystical fresh start, avoid overdoing it, more building the dream, fated endings, a karmic story is unwinding, a light on our path forward, power struggles, surprising news and ideas, something comes back around

Another important week and a karmic storyline playing out!

I am going to take blog break after this post. I'm getting burned out with the dailies and with only so many hours in the day, I need to write a monthly for March - a VERY pivotal month and we all need a heads up!

All these aspects are in play for at least a couple days before and after they are listed here.

SUNDAY - New Moon in Pisces (4 degrees), Venus squares Jupiter
MONDAY - Mars sextiles the Sun
TUESDAY - Mars conjuncts the south Node, Sun trines the North Node, Mercury retrograde conjuncts the Sun
WEDNESDAY - Mercury sextiles Mars
FRIDAY- Venus squares Pluto and conjuncts Eris, Mercury retrograde sextiles Uranus

On SUNDAY morning - we have the Moon meeting the Sun at 4 degrees giving us this month's mystical New Moon and this year's New Moon in Pisces. This energy is a good overview of the next two weeks - we talked about it HERE.

Venus (in Aries) squares Jupiter (in Capricorn) at 18 degrees. Squares are challenges/frustration, but these are our two most benefic planets ruling our love and money and luck, so the tension could be just what we need to increase our confidence and magnetism.

The possible downside? Things looking better than they actually are, getting too plugged into our Cappy ambitions, over-dose style spending or over-investing ourselves or our resources in something/some situation/someone. With Mercury retrograde in boundless Pisces and Venus squaring Jupiter this would not be the time to make any big promises. 

Venus is more than half-way through Aries now, the sign of her detriment, on her way - and she can't get there fast enough - into her home sign of Taurus. But first she has to get through these Cappy squares. Next up, the Lord of the Underworld - Pluto (power, compulsion, control issues, jealousy) on Friday!

OK it's MONDAY we are moving ahead with our New Moon agenda as Mars sextiles the Sun.

Sextiles bring opportunity, but between earth and water - this isn't something that is going to fall into our laps - this will take effort. Think about the way plants bloom over time as they are irrigated with water. This is more of the building the dream (Pisces/Cappy) stuff we have been talking about the last couple years. Mars in Cappy is confident and ambitious - we can get away with some brash moves now without looking like a jerk and annoying the hell out of people. Do something positive with this.

On TUESDAY, Mars, coming off that solar sextile is now opposing the North Node and crossing the South Node.  

Fated endings/completions.

Very old karmic re-balancings around power. Something could end now or reach some kind of limit. We could cut something off. Here is Mars doing what Saturn did last year. We talked about this in the Saturn/Pluto 2020 post. The Nodes are moving on to Gemini/Sagittarius next month and this is one last Cappy blowout to clear out the old obligations/limits/goals/structures that are no longer needed.

Keep in mind Mars is still trining Uranus - action toward the new, the unexpected, the future.

The other good news (besides the Uranus trine) is we have, at the same time Mars is meeting the South Node (the past), the Sun trining the North Node (our future) AND hooking up with a retrograde Mercury.

A light shines on our path forward - here is CLARITY.

And although Mercury is retrograde - there is some kind of fresh start (that might connect back to the last time these two met). Whatever this Mercury retrograde is for us, we are most certainly in the thick of it now.  Answers come in. Our words are especially important now, so only say what you mean. Our intuition is very high.

Pisces/the Nodes of Fate - there is undoubtedly a very old karmic story playing out here.

With the North Node in Cancer - keep in mind always our commitment to nurturing the small beginnings of things, taking care of ourselves the way we would care for someone else, moving toward our own authenticity even if it seems at first to make us more vulnerable, anything that feels like home, land, a mother's touch (not necessarily our mother's touch - ha!) and tastes like apple pie.

On WEDNESDAY - Mercury (retrograde in Pisces) sextiles ambitious Mars (in Capricorn). Opportunities when we walk our talk. More of the "building the dream". Ideas and conversations get us fired up. We are putting our words into action. Here is us taking action on the information Mercury meeting the Sun has brought to light. And Mercury is going to sextile Uranus on Friday, so our words married to our actions now can take us in a new direction! Keep in mind Mercury is retrograde, so this may be something we thought about doing before, but now we are actually doing it or doing it in a new way. We are re-working/re-thinking something here.

On FRIDAY, Venus meets Eris (in Aries) while squaring Pluto (in Capricorn). This speaks of jealousy/possessiveness/manipulation/feeling like life and death. Tension and challenges with love, money, our resources and self-esteem. Power struggles. Eris will really amp everything up and again emphasize the need to bring everyone to the table this year! This is explosive energy.

Aries/Capricorn is actually a love fest that only looks like a boxing tournament. After the fight is over - Aries bloodied and battered and Capricorn with tie askew and pockets picked clean - they almost always hit the pub for a beer.

But, the bottom line with these Venus squares, because after Pluto, Venus is going to square Saturn - is we might not get exactly what we want!

Adjustments will be required and here is where a retrograde Mercury's sextile to anything-can-happen Uranus can come in. This is an opportunity through surprising news and information. And since this is a repeating aspect - we might have to say it/hear it/think it again. Maybe here is another shot at something unexpected! Ideas and insights can come out of the blue. Good for visionary thinking and forward-focused language. Ideas are AVAILABLE for the right person - the person who can make them REAL - to pick them like apples in an autumn orchard.

Keep in mind with chaos-loving Uranus, even opportunistic sextiles are not always totally comfortable and with Mercury going to sextile Uranus again in a couple weeks when direct - this isn't the final, final.

Although we might have alot happening, we should probably get some extra rest this week - maybe some long walks (especially near water if possible), extra meditation, soothing music, etc with all the Pisces energy, because March is coming and it's going to be a VERY pivotal month that will come in like a lion and go out like a lion, too!

xo all

Have a great week!

photo by the talented Nodvikoff

New Moon in Pisces | February 23, 2020 - endings, healing, an old dream re-imagined, an ancestral inheritance re-invented, leaning into the future, genie out of the bottle, divine inspiration, watering our own roots

On Sunday, February 23, 2020 at 10:31AM EST, the Pisces Moon will meet the Pisces Sun at 4 degrees giving us this year's New Moon in Pisces.

Pisces is a mutable sign. The mutable signs prepare us for the change into the next season and this Moon really has her work cut out for her!

New Moons are the time to set new intentions and working with Pisces themes (and the theme of your Pisces natal house) NOW allow the natural energies to flow with us.

All beginnings are endings, too, and since Pisces collectively rules our 12th house of endings, Pisces new beginnings often have more to do with the ending (!). Maybe something needs to be forgiven/dissolved/discarded/fully grieved. And something wants to START. Think seeds into the ground. A new chapter. Here we go.

As the Moon naturally waxes (grows) over the next two weeks, and over the next 6 months until the Pisces Full Moon, so does whatever our intentions have set into motion - thoughts becoming things/our words energetically lining us up with what we are seeking, which is, of course, seeking us right back.

Besides the monthly lunar energy of "new beginnings" this particular Moon has its own relationship with the other players in the heavens based on its position. That is where the real juice of any particular New Moon can be found. We talked about some of the energies in play as we moved through the week.

Now let's unpack the chart!

Mercury is retrograde in Pisces right now (and conjunct the Moon/Sun), so this New Moon beginning could have a connection to something from the past (an old dream re-awakened maybe?) or there could be some delays/kinks to be worked out as we move forward with whatever gets started now.

We have the New Moon/Sun sextiling Mars (in ambitious Cappy) and Mars just past his trine to Uranus and square to Chiron/Black Moon Lilith (Chiron/BML and Uranus are semi-sextile each other).

The New Moon/Sun is trining the North Node. Venus is squaring Jupiter. Neptune (ruler of this New Moon) is sextiling Jupiter and semi-sextile Venus. Mars is conjunct Pholus.

The New Moon's position between Mars and Uranus, both in Earth signs, in very grounding. With Mars in Capricorn, our actions will be ambitious/serious. Our results will come over time. With Uranus in Taurus we might expect opportunistic changes with our money, our values, our resources - what we own. Expect a smooth move in a fresh direction/future focused. Coincidences/serendipitous situations plus our own intentions and actions are pulling us forward.

With Venus squaring Jupiter there is the possibility that we are expecting too much here or we over-do something/over-promise, etc, but these are both benefic planets, so even a square won't be too bad. This can also be about too many options.

Neptune rules Pisces and so is ruler of this New Moon. His position now is mega-important and remember we have talked about this year's best aspect which has just gotten started - his sextile to Jupiter. How often do we get a Pisces New Moon, with Neptune in a sextile to expansive/lucky Jupiter?! Not very often folks!

And Neptune is semi-sextile Venus. Not all astrologers think positively about semi-sextiles, but I like them. In this case we are talking about Pisces/Aries. Semi-sextiles kind of even each other out a bit so if Neptune goes too Pisces - too dreamy, pie-in-the-sky, escapist - Venus in Aries is here to pull us back into the reality of what our first/next step should be, giving us the initiative/passion (even sometimes the anger) to get moving with something, to remind us that we might have to do quite a bit of this sh*t by ourselves and that's ok.

We also have Pholus (asteroid like Chiron) exactly conjunct Mars in this New Moon chart.

I am not sure if I have ever written about him before, but because he is conjunct my natal Sun I have researched him quite a bit.

Conjunct Mars, he likely speaks of important changes through our own initiative or actions, coming from something that doesn't seem of major importance at the time we are doing whatever it is we are doing.

Like a snowball effect to give this New Moon an extra WHALLOP.

Pholus is also about situations - and you can Google his mythology for more info - where afterwards we might find ourselves saying/feeling something like, "I never would have done this if I knew what I was getting into, but now I am glad that I did it."

(famous for his 'uncorking' of the wine that leads to the battle between Hercules and the Centaurs - he is thought to represent something of a genie coming out of the bottle energy - rapid transformation, wanted or unwanted, that we ourselves initiate - he is conjunct my natal Sun and I started a jewelry line called Uncorked back in 2007 during a Pholus transit - with no knowledge of Pholus at that time - which totally changed my life)

Because his wine had been kept for three generations, his transits/aspects are also thought to connect us back to our ancestors (and/or past lives) and in Pisces, which speaks of this also, this energy is amplified. The influence of our ancestors (past lives) upon our present circumstances, even issues relating to our entire 'tribe' could come into play now (also possibly connections to addictions, viruses, healing).

Pholus's orbit connects Saturn to Neptune - again the dream being made real, and also touches Pluto - karma/death and re-birth/soul purpose and Uranus - radical/fast change/chaos.

His placement re-affirms the other aspects in the New Moon chart I think, since his signtaure seems to echo the entire chart quite nicely.

We also have the New Moon trining (brakes off) our North Node in Cancer and this one is waxing. We can trust what is unfolding now to be leading us to our most authentic and secure future.

This is a WONDERFUL New Moon for real and positive growth, change and healing. Merc retrograde may slow things down a bit, but might bring us back to an old dream that needs to be re-imagined. 

There is a new chapter starting and we won't have to beat our head against the wall to get it moving. Things should flow. But that doesn't mean we won't have to take action - we will.  

Patience. Persistence. Help from the past and from behind the scenes.

Small moves, or what seems at first rather inconsequential, can lead to very BIG things.   

Think - genie out of the bottle with this one.

With Pisces especially, this can all work backwards, too. Changes we set into motion now impact our past, past lives and previous generations. 

Can we water our own roots? Oh yes, we can!

What house does 4 degrees Pisces reside in your natal chart? What is the theme of that house?

NEW MOON INTENTIONS

This is an excellent time for energetic support to make changes with things ruled by Pisces (and your Pisces natal house theme!) including our imagination, art, music, the past, compassion, releasing our victim stories, releasing self-sabotage, healing our ancestral wounds, healing addictions, spiritual healing, sensitivity, trust, escapism, our lymphatic system, colds, our feet, toxicity.

AFFIRMATION TIPS: get into a positive frame of mind - meaning both happy and certain - a quiet, clean space where you can be alone - write your affirmations down by hand in script, speak them out loud - then let's release our attention from these things knowing that your intention is known.

Know these things are already yours.

xo all

For the first time in a long time, I am not going to set any intentions this month. Time to shut up for me I think. I am just going to do my normal clean my space/not use too many words the day of the New Moon/burn a white candle and just ask life/my higher self/my ancestors/God to guide my journey this cycle ....

Today's Astrology Forecast | Friday, February 21, 2020 - painful actions, take care with accidents, lean into the future, a green light somewhere, new ways to make money, surprising resources

The Moon, is in Aquarius now -

so nurturing us through our groups, friendships, through technology and detachment, through creating enough emotional space from the past that we can view things from a different perspective and leave the past in the past, through a future-leaning focus,

the Moon squared ruler Uranus last night (9:13PM EST) and moves through the day unencumbered, just the way an Aquarius Moon likes it - until she goes void off a sextile (opportunity) with Venus at 11:08PM EST. 

Today's big news - which we talked about in the WEEKLY for the latter part of this week -

is Mars (in ambitious Cappy) square to hurting/healing Chiron (in independent and 'me' minded Aries) and trine to 'expect the unexpected' Uranus (groups, tech, change, disruption) in Taurus - ruler of our resources, our money, our values and self-esteem. All happening at 3 degrees.

The square is the frustration/tension, so maybe our serious efforts/moving toward our goals or stepping into our authority trigger painful situations or we are pushing/taking action propelled by our fears/anger. Our vulnerabilities (and some very old wounds) are activated.

The trine - the way through this - is SMOOTHLY moving us toward something new.

It's a time to focus our actions on what feels more liberating - keep going. It's a time to focus our efforts on a group or cause or on a new technology. - keep going. It's a time to focus our efforts on something ELSE.

It's not always easy to work with Uranus, because Uranus rules our stored trauma/chaos. Uranus will drop us on our ass and carries our collective and personal memories of times we took a much harder hit than that. 

If we work with this energy - a trine doesn't require any herculean efforting - move toward the new and untested - something should fall smoothly into place now. Some kind of support is there. But we DO have to take some kind of action. Trines are easy to miss entirely if we don't.

CHANGE IS GOOD.

The detached Aquarius Moon is helping us with this, but it's a dark Moon, so we can't see what we can't see, don't know what we don't know.

And keep in mind, I can't see what houses (themes) this is happening for you personally, but collectively we are talking about new values, new ways to make money, new resources that we are propelled toward through career/authority/goal challenges and frustration.

Venus is moving toward a square with Jupiter, the Moon is waning and Mercury is retrograde, so we don't need to go too big, too fast.

Heads up - the Moon will be void all day Saturday.

A New Moon this weekend - that post is next!

xo all

photo by the amazing oprisco

Today's Astrology Forecast | Thursday, February 20th - longish void moon, making the dream real, establishing a ritual practice, working for what we want, going back to old information

The Moon in sober Capricorn met Pluto while we slept (EST) and goes void off her meeting with Cappy ruler Saturn at 9:08AM EST. She will be void until 2:42PM EST when she moves into humanitarian, detached and forward-leaning Aquarius.

The void is an excellent time to focus on our goals, production, routine issues. It would NOT be the time to launch anything brand new, if we want something to 'come of it'. Once we get into Aquarius we are in a balsamic (dark) Moon cycle, which could be challenging this month with the Sun in Pisces and Mercury retrograde (in Pisces, too).

Again, if something needs to be wrapped-up this would be the time.

I wrote about the Balsamic Moon phase a few years ago, on another artist's crafty blog HERE.

The big news today though, is we have the first exact sextile - an aspect of opportunity  and there will be three, with the last coming in October - so this is almost a year-long invitation - of Jupiter (in Cappy) and Neptune, home in imaginative/spiritual Pisces.

Since Jupiter went into Capricorn late last year he (as us) has been working to expand something/increase our faith/get us 'lucky' in our Capricorn house - either through the collective Cappy theme of our goals, work in the world, our authority - or our personal natal Capricorn house theme.

This is a year long process.And since Jupiter, being made entirely of gases, likes things kind of easy, peasy and Capricorn, especially this Jupiter cycle while Capricorn still houses Saturn (he is moving on within weeks, folks!), Pluto and the South Node, this is everything, but easy.

This looks like a giant fly in the ointment (and, yes, I know I have to find another metaphor because, yes, this one is grossing me, out, too) because we get the energy we expect to work like Santa Claus answering to Ebeneezer Scrooge. And after the year we had last year this "the harder you work, the luckier you get" thing, might sound even more exhausting - although with Mars in Cappy - it should sound a little energizing, too, right now!

We have to keep in mind, just as there is always a fly in the ointment (yuck), there is always a silver lining, too. This year's Saturn/Pluto is being buffered by Jupiter in Capricorn. It's like your favorite cousin is home for the funeral ... and easing tensions with his confidence and enthusiasm and maybe, because he has no lack of faith in himself, he's even got an idea about what to do next!

This year's Jupiter in Capricorn cycle has two UBER important repeating aspects - one is Jupiter conjunct Pluto (Jupiter won't meet Saturn until they both get into Aquarius at the very end of the year) and the other is Jupiter sextile Neptune. 

So, today starts - although, of course, it actually started during the build-up - the Jupiter/Neptune cycle. This is the one with both planets direct and we have Neptune sitting with rebellious Black Moon Lilith. So, there is alot of power here.

This is the final Neptune/Black Moon Lilith in Pisces (purging victim consciousness, surrendering to our inner wildman, transcending anger, radical forgiveness, an unshackling from guilt) before she moves on to Aries.

Jupiter/Neptune - especially with Black Moon Lilith here at the kick off - has huge manifestation potential. Normally these two titans meeting would be alot of hot air and water, but here's where Santa Claus wearing his three piece suit, or coveralls, and working for a living, is going to pay off.

Here's where the grounding Jupiter gets in Capricorn can produce something radically stable and, dare I say it,  REAL.

Because Jupiter/Neptune is not usually such a good thing. It would be too much Santa Claus - like Santa without the naughty list - too much imagination which would be delusion. This is why Sagittarius (Jupiter ruled) squares Pisces (Neptune ruled). There is no opportunistic sextile here. It is only Jupiter being in Capricorn that brings the opportunity - the SOLID GROUND to Neptune's idealism/imagination. This is why Capricorn DOES sextile Pisces.
 
We get something we can hold in our hand, hug goodnight and take to the bank.

Now, this is still not saying this is all going to come easy - like POOF, here it is. There is going to be work. There are going to be responsibilities that must be attended to. There is going to be risk because Cappy's climb up the mountain is inherently risky.

There are going to be limits. But Jupiter and Neptune sometimes need limits. Limits are our friend here.

Jupiter in Capricorn isn't going to open ten doors for us. He is going to open one door, maybe two, and they are only going to open an inch and then they are only going to creak open slowly through our own efforts and faith - the good news, to keep in mind, with these heavy/slow opening doors is that once we get them open, their heaviness/slowness tends to work to our advantage because they STAY OPEN.

For today - reach for the POSITIVE - lean toward a goal. Focus on what you do want, not on what you don't want. It's important to be working for something and not against something.

(This is good advice for our political leanings, too. All this talk in the press about the Dems need to elect the candidate who can best beat Trump, this talk always pointing to the most corporate-friendly/middle of the road candidate, isn't what the astrology is saying gets us to what we want in 2020.)

With Jupiter in Capricorn our faith is tested this year. We have had to do alot of growing up.

What do we believe in now?

Working on new plans and goals is good because we know we have Mars (in Cappy, too, now) approaching his square to Chiron - this is going to hurt - and his trine to Uranus (brakes off on something new).

Something is expanding/changing in our Capricorn house.

It might involve a change of beliefs, a focus on what we believe in, practicing forgiveness/compassion, combining the real and the spiritual (a good way to do this would be through daily ritual), offering/living through a sacrifice, expanding our imagination.

This is a process.

Mercury is retrograde. Information is coming back or we are going back to old information. We won't have all the answers yet.

xo all

photo by the amazing sea-of-ice

Today's Astrology Forecast | Wednesday, February 19, 2020 - going back over our plans, re-dos and re-visions, finishing up, a nudge toward something else, making the dream real

After the Moon, in serious and work-motivated Capricorn, and a tense square to Venus in Aries this morning (in the mood to start/to fight/to get something going), moves on to easier energy, hooking up with expansive and confident Jupiter at 2:49PM EST and then an opportunistic sextile with idealistic Neptune at 3:05PM EST - she is activating tomorrow's exact Neptune/Jupiter sextile (the first of three direct hits this year and in play through October).

Here's something from the weekly post about tomorrow, but in play all week - "with Capricorn/Pisces - a dream can become real, IF we are willing to work for it - work within the rules and limits. Step into our responsibility. Possibly make a sacrifice first. This is not fast energy, so we need to have patience. This process will carry us through October."

And if this sounds something like last year's Saturn/Neptune - it is, because it's Capricorn and Pisces, and it isn't, because it's Saturn and Jupiter -

which is like the difference between Scrooge and Santa Claus.

(keep in mind alot of this year is like last year, except now we are 'past the death' or about to be)

Now, Santa's in Scrooge's office this year (Jupiter in Capricorn), so not quite doing his North Pole 'free toys' bit, because the elves are busy doing Scrooge's paperwork, but Jupiter (ie Santa) is still Jupiter even with a cranky and demanding boss breathing down his neck.

And now with this sextile to Neptune kicking in full blast - it can be like the boss is on vacation and Jupiter gets a little of his Sag boundlessness back.

The thing to look out for with this and especially because we have the Sun in Pisces and the Moon waning and Mercury retrograde in timeless Pisces is - we don't want to get caught up in all our old victim stories. We are probably going to be talking/thinking a bit about the stuff that didn't work out - par for the course with Mercury retrograde in Pisces - but we don't want to get stuck in this stuff.

Keep in mind, even retrograde, Mercury is MOVING.

And Mars is on his way to an aspect with Uranus, indicating this is a good time to take action with something new/something forward leaning. And this will be harder to do if we are 'all in' on wallowing about the way something didn't work out exactly as we had hoped, or what we lost or what we didn't get.

Now with the Moon waning and Mercury retrograde - doing the re's (re-viewing, re-vising, etc), tying up loose ends and getting stuff done will probably dominate our agenda. 

This week's Mars/Chiron could open some old wounds just as the Mars/Uranus will open up new possibilities. 

And with all the Capricorn energy, there will be certain restrictions here we will have to live with/work with and that's OK. That's life on planet Earth. 

It's up to us how we want to look at this. Glass half-empty. Glass half-full. Either way there is something in the freakin' glass, right?! 

Will we use Mercury retrograde in Pisces to re-imagine our dreams/to go on a vision quest or spend it wallowing in what didn't work out exactly the way we wanted it to, what we lost, yada yada (and I am not minimizing these losses because some people lost actual people and animals).

But what have we gained through what didn't work out/through the losses? There is something liberating here, too. How can we use this?

Mercury is going to sextile (opportunity) Pallas in Capricorn today - so MORE CAPRICORN/PISCES - making the dream real! We had this aspect back on February 9th when Mercury was direct, so this is the second hit - the "re-view" hit we skip at our own peril. Pallas is all about winning through strategies and patterns and with Mercury retrograde in Pisces stimulating "old dreams", there could be some gold to be mined here. We will have their final meeting in April. For now - what needs to be re-viewed, re-vised, re-visited? Cappy adds structure and boundaries to Pisces imaginings and driftiness. 

Whenever we have more than one aspect saying the same thing we know we need to pay attention.

We can notice how life always sends us a lifeboat, except of course those times we are required to swim or to learn how to swim, and those times are more recognizable in your natal chart than by looking at collective energies, we can notice how there is ALWAYS  a way through. And also notice how we MADE IT THROUGH. Or we can notice what is missing now that we are in the lifeboat. That part is up to us.

Pisces season is the time to give our problems/baggage to a higher power through prayer/meditation. We are not going to have all the answers now. Mercury retrograde in Pisces at the same time Jupiter is aspecting Neptune is offering us A VISION QUEST. Mars/Uranus is opening a door. Mars/Chiron and Venus/Jupiter are giving us some tense/challenge to push against/to stand up for, cautioning against going too big/too fast. Requiring us to have faith.

Even as we are doing the re's and finishing something up, something is pushing/nudging us to grow/expand into a new area. Pay attention.

And keep in mind always that North Node in Cancer - caring for ourselves as well as we would care for someone we love.

xo all

photo by the talented LloydHughes

Today's Astrology Forecast | Tuesday, February 18, 2020 - get to work, wrap it up, a little elbow grease, something unexpected, easing into the future

The Moon, in serious and earthy Capricorn since 5:37AM EST, is goal-focused now and ENERGIZED.

We have the Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto and the South Node all in Capricorn - and I said this week was Pisces, Pisces, Pisces! Ha!

She will conjunct Mars at 8:16AM EST, and then maybe giving us a little preview of what Mars will be up to later in the week, squares Chiron (tension/hurting/healing) and trines Uranus (11:44AM EST - smooth movement toward something else, change, expect the unexpected).

The day will also be colored by the Moon's last aspect in Sagittarius (a sextile to the Sun at 4:03AM EST). This month's waning sextile (opportunity) from Sagittarius to Aquarius.

With the Sun wrapping up her yearly journey through Aquarius around lunchtime today - here is some hope/optimism/expansion that could feel liberating/group or future focused.

There could be an opportunity here, and with so much about to get very slippery in Pisces, we might want to PAY ATTENTION.

None of today's aspects should involve us beating our head against the door or leaping off a tall building.

Which is a good thing, obviously. but also means we might miss the good stuff that is almost within our sight, if we look just a little bit ahead, and maybe even within our reach, if we reach just a little farther/higher.

That trine to Uranus speaks of stepping out of the box/out of our comfort zone. Changes, for the better, - with our money, our values, our resources.

The waning Moon could indicate a wrap-up/ending. It is a good time to finish something.

And all this Cappy says - apply yourself to whatever you are doing. Give this your best shot. Allow yourself to feel your ambitions. We are nurtured through Capricorn now - our goals, our work, the stuff we have earned.

xo all

photo by the amazing oprisco

Weekly Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of February 17th, 2020 - a dream starts to grow legs, a push in a new direction, Pisces on steroids

SUNDAY - Mercury station retrograde in Pisces, Mars enters Capricorn
TUESDAY - Sun enters Pisces
THURSDAY - Jupiter sextiles Neptune
FRIDAY - Mars squares Chiron
SATURDAY - Mars trines Uranus
SUNDAY - New Moon in Pisces (4 degrees)

Let's take a quick look at the week ahead!

Lots of Pisces/Neptune, so double up on that Vitamin C!

Sunday's energetic shifts are going to be in play for a few weeks, so read about them HERE.

On TUESDAY - the Sun joins Mercury in dreamy and intuitive Pisces - the mutable water sign of mystics, empaths, dreamers, poets, escape artists and addicts.

Our imagination, and Pisces natal house theme, gets solar charged now!

Pisces is the final sign of the zodiac, the sign of consciousness. Although often pictured as fish, probably Pisces is best represented by the ocean itself. A symbol of life and healing - the space where one thing flows into the next, until there is no 'next thing'. 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!) 

Pisceans have the ability to comprehend almost anything (the downside is the ability to easily hook into stuff that isn't real). 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 distracted, unfocused and forgetful we can use a meditation practice to free up the space we need to remain effective and centered.

Ruled by Neptune, Pisces is the space in our natal chart where we heal, avoid, wallow, dissolve or transcend boundaries. 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!

My multi-generational childhood home 'contained' four Pisces. Of course Pisces energy cannot really be contained. It washed over all of us and blended us all together - for better or worse.

Pisces season allows the dream to come into focus as it seeps into our cells ... or goes down the drain. We can also get sick as the boundaries between us and other people thin.

It opens us up to the new astrological year that kicks off next month with Aries.

I notice, for me, Neptune energy (Neptune rules Pisces) and Pisces season often feels like I have returned to square one with whatever I am dealing with. With the Sun in Pisces our ability to force things is not as powerful. The more we struggle to stay on course, the more we drift toward the rocks. This doesn't mean we give up or go back to bed - it just means the best course will be with the current now - saving our strength for when the energy is best for challenging the prevailing tides .....

on THURSDAY we get the first DIRECT HIT of this year's favorite repeating aspect (which is in play for most of the year) - Jupiter (in Cappy) moves into his first exact trine (brakes off) with Neptune (in, do I even have to say it - Pisces).

This is kind of like the Saturn/Neptune sextile we had last year - there is always a way through challenging energies and this is our collective golden ticket through 2020.

With Capricorn/Pisces - a dream can become real, IF we are willing to work for it - work within the rules and limits. Step into our responsibility. Possibly make a sacrifice. This is not fast energy, so we need to have patience. This process will carry us through October.

Keep in mind that following our heart and doing what is required of us is actually the same thing.

We get this stuff confused because we think doing what's in our heart will make us happy.

That's not always true.

The sun's light may be very bright and feel really good sometimes, but the sun's light burns, too.

Following our heart doesn't guarantee a happy life; it does guarantee an authentic one though. At the end of our days in rocking chairs or hospital beds we will be content with what we have done.

But now, hopefully many years before those rocking chairs and hospital beds, we think that living a happy life is what we want, although often we don't know what will make us happy and get ourselves stuck and sometimes we think we do know and then we get the thing we are so sure will make us happy and realize it doesn't make us happy after all - this happiness thing can really muck us up.

(we can't really muck it up though, don't worry, life will find a way to get us to the challenges we came here to meet)

The fly in the ointment with Jupiter this year is probably trying to go too big or too fast or not having faith in the thing we are trying to do. This aspect is quite literally an open pipeline between our material reality (Cappy) and the ethereal realms (Pisces). Now there is always flow between our Cappy and Pisces houses but now the flow is filtered and AMPLIFIED by the presence of Jupiter and Neptune. It sounds BIG because it is big, but it is also subtle in the way all Piscean/Capricorn stuff is lasting, so takes time. Think of the way water changes the structure of stone.

We'll talk about this more as we move through the week and year.

On FRIDAY, Mars, strong and sobered up in Capricorn now, squares hurting/healing Chiron. Our actions/passions bring us to a space of a very old pain - something about our ability to take care of ourselves/stand up for ourselves/be brave enough/measure up/be taken seriously. The good news because Mars is very fast-moving is that very quickly he

trines Uranus (in Taurus) on SATURDAY. So the way through this involves CHANGE, soing something differently and probably some disruption -

because, yes, change can feel erratic especially when it comes by way of anything-can-happen Uranus and through Taurus, a space where we really like things to stay the same.

A Uranus trine isn't about doing things the same old way. Not gonna work.

(although with Mercury retrograde in Pisces we could be re-looking at our old creative imaginings that MIGHT be re-tooled)

So, Mars (through us) hits this Aries obstacle/tension/frustration/this pain and the way through this, after we feel it/live through it, is a change of course - now the change of course comes via a trine so will happen smoothly. Trust this. Collectively (and for Aries rising) this pain/frustration will be about our career/work in the world and the change will come through our values, money, self-esteem. New ways to deal with these issues.

And we all have natal house themes where this is playing out, in addition to the collective energies that influence all of us, so for example - let's say you are a Cancer rising and Mars has come into your 7th house of partnership, and well maybe a partner does something that is hurtful. This will trigger the need for a change, and maybe not just in the way you work with this one particular partner, but maybe with other people because Uranus is in your your 11th house of friendships and groups. Maybe you need more friends or maybe you need different friendships or different goals that bring you in touch with other people.

This won't be the same thing for everyone. But the different/future focused path - and we can move smoothly toward this, we won't need to make any herculean efforts to figure this out, maybe because it will feel like the only open door at the moment - will be the way through.

We will talk about the New Moon in another post and the Moons as we move through the week. And keep in mind with Mars following Saturn's footsteps in Capricorn - whatever is still standing in our Cappy house (after last year and last month) will start to be TESTED this week.

Is it still strong? Is it still needed?


xo all

photo by the talented Jarno-photograhy