... a sneak peek

quick peek by xfakeplasticlovex

Let's take a little peek ahead and see what's coming/happening now.

We have the conjunction of Jupiter and the North Node. This has been coming since Jupiter moved into Virgo last summer and put our Virgo house on a collision course with destiny!

They haven't met up at this degree in Virgo since November 1979 (maybe that time period means something to someone).

And then on Sunday, Jupiter trines Pluto.

So what does all this mean? Some good news for the Virgo house of our natal and progressed charts. Positive developments that feel "lucky" can happen now that line us up with bigger (Jupiter) and better opportunities!

In Virgo, there is always some 'work' involved, but we've been doing the work (that is right in front of us) for a long time now - we are ready for this. The trine (brakes off) to Pluto (karma, transformation) makes it pretty clear whatever is happening needs to happen, won't be stopped and changes everything.

Think back to last March and early last October to what we had brewing then. With trines (and Mars moving direct next week) things could take off quickly now and this week's connection to our North Node (space we are moving toward) could completely change our life for the better!

As Mars prepares to move direct (next Wednesday), after two and a half months of challenging our plans(!), he will be very powerful. Keep this in mind. Remember the finger through the flame analogy I've used before. As we move our finger through a flame we won't feel the flame if we move quickly enough, but when we slow down and especially if we stop (as Mars is doing now) it gets intense. So stuff can be intense now and for the next week.

We could certainly have a breakthrough next week with whatever has been stuck - but keep in mind Mars is traveling old ground for a while longer. Imagine you are on a walk and then you turn around and walk backward over the trail you have already walked then you turn around and move ahead again but you are still covering old ground for a while until you get back to the place you originally turned around. Make sense? This is our 3rd time over these same degrees. For some people, those with planets and points in this section of Scorpio and Sagittarius, this will be felt more strongly. Let's get it right this time.

As Mars stations direct we want to watch our temper, drive more carefully and just be more cautious with our physical self.

OK, that's a short peek ahead - will be back on Sunday night for the weekly post. Know that whatever is happening now - whatever news comes to you, etc - will be OK in the end. And if it's not OK, it's not the end. And it's what we need to move our story forward and to move our collective story forward. There is also energy around supporting us being who we are, warts and all, and releasing old traumas and rejections, so keep that in mind, too, as we move through any changes and challenges! xo all

Mercury squares Jupiter & the Nodes of Fate | important information

the age of information by pati makowska

My first thought with Mercury (information, communication, ideas) squaring Jupiter (expansion, excess, luck) - since I am a negative thinker which I have written about before - is to be aware that information can be blown out of proportion.

Your grown daughter living on the other side of the country calls and gets you all worked up about some problem she is having. You spend the afternoon brainstorming ideas, stressing out and pricing travel info. You call her back with your ideas, thoughts, plans to fly out there - and she seems to not know what you are talking about, she has almost forgotten the whole thing.

Communication, conversation and ideas could seem more urgent than they actually are.

A customer emails and says, "I must have this by tomorrow" and when you say "this is not possible", and I hope for the sake of your sanity this is what you would say, they will reply, "well, I really need it by the weekend." Keep this in mind.

My second thought with Mercury squaring Jupiter now, since he is also squaring our North (where we are collectively heading) and South (what we are collectively releasing) nodes is that some of the information that comes in now could be important. Also Mercury is conjunct Vesta (focus). Jupiter's rush of adrenaline could be distracting but there might be an idea now that can grow into something or a conversation that points us in a fresh (and fruitful) direction. If something comes along now it could be worth pursuing (just not urgently).

We've had a stressful couple weeks with much outflow of energy (compassion, grief, love, stress) - it's Cancer season - let's practice some good self nurturance now, too. xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of June 19th - only one of us here

us by lacy drawers

Hello Summah!

On Monday we have a fruitful and positive Full Moon in Sagittarius (early a.m. EST before we wake) followed, within a few hours, by the Sun's movement into Cancer - otherwise known as the Summer Solstice.

A Full Moon on the Summer Solstice hasn't happened since 1969 - wasn't that the summer of Woodstock?! Mud and music could be just what the world needs now!

Cancer is a cardinal sign (initiating energy that kicks off a new season) ruled by the Moon and it's a water sign so we have another emotional, volatile week ahead of us and it could pivot our focus in a new direction.

The Sun is going to come along and trigger the same story we walked last week. In Cancer our priorities are home, family, history, patriotism, safety and stability.

With the Full Moon followed so closely by the Summer Solstice - Cancer themes take the spotlight now and our Cancer natal and progressed houses are IN THE SPOTLIGHT.

The first degrees of Cancer (and every cardinal sign) are what astrology calls the world axis. The world axis is the space where our personal energy and the collective energy come together.

Events that happen at these points are felt universally and personally; outside and inside. Our decisions, actions and beliefs really matter here - what I do affects you and what you do affects me and what is done globally affects all of us and each of us.

Planets at the world axis make everything easier to see and everything that happens has a greater significance. It can be helpful to look at the ways what is happening in the world is happening in our own life and the other way around. Stories in the news (just like last week when this energy was starting to come together) will have a larger 'spotlight' and be more impactful either literally or symbolically.

There is also the possibility of an important door opening for us now. It might be something just getting fleshed out - maybe the door frame is just going in. If you are not sure if it's time to act (and Mars is still retrograde so it may not be), then wait. Our attention will likely begin to focus in a new direction.

We've got some other aspects at the Full Moon that I talked about HERE. There might be some bad news delivered to us or challenging situations arising. But the Full Moon has many positive aspects including an aspect with Uranus that can get us moving in a universally good direction together.

Know that a no or ending now will be one of those things that make sense later and turns out to work in our favor. We've got bigger and better fish to fry. Have faith.

Expect a busy, mixed week. On Tuesday, the Moon is in "just get 'er done" Capricorn and we are focused on our goals and working hard or an authority figure may need to be dealt with. On Wednesday we've got a void Moon so it's a good day for practiced, routine work and not a good launch day. Mercury is squaring Jupiter so we'll try not to over-promise or blow things out of proportion. There could be some kind of blow up or ending or just a last minute change now. Good news can also come that expands our world in some way.

On Thursday and Friday the Moon is in Aquarius (Friday has a void Moon from lunch on so keep that in mind). On Thursday something Venus related (love, money, beauty, women) might require extra effort and focus. Ceres (mother, nurturing) is conjunct Uranus (an unexpected turn, break for freedom) - maybe mom runs off and joins the circus - I know I'd like to! Whatever it is, with an inconjunct to a retrograde Mars in Scorpio - it will be uncomfortable. The weekend could be an emotional roller coaster. On Sunday, we've got Jupiter conjuncting our North Node taking us back to November 1979 and promising growth, expansion and that whatever the week's crazy energy kicks up will all be OK in the end. Really.

A few things to keep in mind now. 1. Jupiter is in Virgo thru August. Small is the new big (later in the year it will be who we know not what we know and all about keeping our balance). Our Jupiter houses have expanded - for better or worse!

2. Saturn is in Sagittarius through the end of 2017. Our beliefs are being tested as well as our comfort level with what is "foreign", restrictions and roadblocks (the kind that make things better in the end) with our Sagittarius houses and Sagittarius themes.

3. Neptune is in Pisces for another 9 years! Our imagination and intuition will be strong but so will any tendency to drift into escape, over-medicate, over-meditate. Reality will be slippery. Keep this in mind when you read my blog :)

4. Mars is retrograde for just one more week - YAY! 5. Venus just moved into Cancer to start the ball rolling with Cancer season (home, family, tradition, security, patriotism) 6. The Sun moves into Cancer on Monday 7. Mercury is still buzzing through Gemini - information overload, busy, busy.

8. Uranus (new, sudden, change, revolution, rebellion) is in Aries (war, action, initiative) until mid 2018 when (if we haven't killed each other off by then) he moves into Taurus and upends our relationship to the planet, our money and our values. 9. Pluto (transformation, karma) is in Capricorn steamrolling our structures, safety nets and business paradigms until 2023. Note- the United States has a natal Pluto in Capricorn and is approaching its Pluto return!

When Pluto moves into Aquarius in 2023 and humanitarian changes sweep over the world (yes, it's all coming together) it will be hard to believe how far we have come. What this is going to look like is being seeded now! Aquarian energy can be a detached, robotic, cold wasteland of the 'greater good' or a humanistic paradise of equality, freedom and ingenuity or most likely something we haven't thought about yet! Hopefully it still includes chocolate.

(and yes, of course, there's still time for binge watching the new season of Orange is the New Black)

xo all

Full Moon in Sagittarius | yes, another one and it's a goodie!

summer solstice by dilekt

It seems appropriate that in this year when everything feels larger than life we get two Full Moons in Sagittarius (the larger than life sign ruled by larger than life Jupiter). This one is literally in the final hours of the Sun's journey through Gemini.

Gemini season has been bookend-ed with these two Full Moons. The first Sagittarius Full Moon (May 21st) and the second in the early morning hours of June 20th. Maybe something that seemed over in late May and had new life breathed into it really is over now or reaches some kind of pinnacle, is brought to light or culminates. There could be a celebration or achievement or maybe some piece of the puzzle that was missing at that time becomes clear to us or shows up now.

With this Full Moon at the very last degree of Sagittarius - there is the potential for something to be blown out of proportion. Which could be a good or not so good thing! We'll work with it either way.

We have Chiron (wounded healer) squaring the Full Moon (and of course also the Sun - yes, another T-Square!). Squares are tension - something happens that pushes us to do something else. With Chiron growth comes through discomfort and relief comes from learning to live with whatever can't be fixed.

Now, if this doesn't sound like good news it's because I wrote the fly in the ointment part first this time!

(probably because I bought one of those velcro screen doors for Olive to go in and out in my studio and I've had about five giant flies in here within the last 24 hours making me nuts)

There is lots of lucky and positive energy around this Full Moon.

First, the Grand Cross is back at the Full Moon but this time we've got Mercury filling in that last square. So Mercury (communication, ideas) is opposite Saturn (in Sagittarius). Oppositions often require a decision. There is an answer or a commitment here.

With Mercury squaring Jupiter and Neptune it will be easy to get sidetracked, drift off into lalaland or think too big. This year (North Node in Virgo) is about being practical, prioritizing health, doing the work, servicing others, taking care of the details - we will not miss out on some big opportunity by doing these things - these are the opportunity.

Also keep in mind our South Node (what we are releasing, what isn't working now) is in Pisces. The expression "dreams don't work unless we do" comes to mind with this. Usually I am a strong believer in raising our own energy level to change the world and trusting our intuition (Pisces).

But with our South Node in Pisces we are not going to be able to imagine, intuit, pray, meditate or medicate our way out of a mess. It's going to take those Virgo small, measured steps to move us forward.

One of the best aspects about this Full Moon is it makes an exact conjunction to our North Node (in Virgo ruled by Mercury) - the space we have collectively decided working toward moves us all forward now.

This is a HUGE indicator that however anything appears (win or lose) at this Moon the bottom line result will be good. It will be to our benefit.

Then the best news is within a few hours of the Moon, the Sun enters Cancer, and we have the Summer Solstice! We transition smoothly from one intense (and beneficial) energy to another - more on this in the weekly post later.

This Full Moon energy is with us tonight and tomorrow night. Get out and walk in it. The time is very ripe for SOMETHING BIG!

(my phases of the Moon locket with 6 interchangeable lids is 15% off with coupon code FULLMOON $32.00 $27.00)

Venus into Cancer | wanting to feel safe

now you are safe by borda

A way that energy shifts and moves our story/stories forward is we have these big outer planet transits or aspects, like the Neptune/Saturn square strongly activated right now, and they shift collective energy - then the inner planets move and our individual energy shifts.

Tomorrow, as she does every year (not at this exact time), Venus moves into Cancer. Now we are not the same people who experienced Venus in Cancer last year, so although it might look like we are in the same place, covering the same degrees in the skies, the landscape has changed because we have. This is the same way we spiral upward and run into the same situations and people again and again.

Sometimes when this happens we ask, "why is this happening to me again? haven't I worked all this crap out already?!" and we think life is sending us another lesson to work this out or another test to see if we have and I used to think like this, too.

Through astrology and cycles I can see more clearly that these 'tests and lessons' are really just experiences and we get to choose how we react and how we react sets into play what happens next.

Venus rules love, money, women, beauty, harmony, balance, relationship, our values - everything money can buy and everything it can't. She rules the signs of Libra and Taurus (and if either of these signs is your rising sign - ascendant - she most likely rules your chart) and the 2nd and 7th houses of our astrology charts.

She's kind of a big deal. And since she's an inner planet, when she changes signs, we feel it and experience it personally - and we move the collective energy forward (as opposed to things like the Neptune/Saturn square and outer planet transits that move the collective energy and then we adjust to that).

Venus is much more comfortable in Cancer (ruled by her friend the Moon) than she is in Gemini where she has been attracted to and attracts "one thing after the other". She's been flirting and "keeping things light" but nothing really turns into anything here.

Now headed into cardinal energy (initiating a new season) Cancer, she's ready to settle down. 

Cancer is about nurturing, history, mother, comfort, home. Cancer Suns (and ascendants) will be more attractive now - ie physically attractive to the rest of us and more able to attract what they need/want.

The Cancer house in our natal (and progressed charts) gets more attractive, too, as it hosts lovely Venus for the next few weeks. So, let's say you are a Gemini rising with Cancer in your 2nd house - this transit will wake up your finances/values house and allow you to be more attractive to what you want and need. If you are a Taurus rising with Cancer in your 3rd house - this transit will allow you to more effortlessly attract new opportunities through communication (also sibling, transportation, local community issues will almost certainly improve). Etc, around the zodiac.

Universally, home and family will feel more precious. We will want to feel safe. We'll move in the direction of whatever feeds this need now. 

We might be more emotional; maybe a little more needy and vulnerable. These do not have to be bad things. The fly in the ointment with Venus in Cancer is the kind of smothering/mothering that suffocates or we overindulge ourselves in some unhealthy way or we have an unrealistic expectation of someone else filling some childhood need.

We are approaching a very beneficial Full Moon energy starting this weekend I will post about later. And the Solstice is coming. Hang in there. xo all

Neptune Stations Retrograde | our dream, our faith, our compassion under review

into the sea by aimes likes to take pics

The planet of our dreams, our imagination, our compassion - will station retrograde today. She will move backward from 12 to 9 degrees Pisces between now and mid November when she will station direct and begin to move forward again.

Neptune's retrograde (unless we have a strong Neptune or Pisces or its backward walk touches sensitive spaces in our chart) is sometimes a more subtle energetic shift. But this year since she is part of both of 2016's strongest energetic alignments - the Neptune/Saturn square and the Mutable T-Square and our collective south node - what we are releasing - is in Pisces (Neptune rules Pisces), we will all feel this one.

If we have any planets or points in our natal or progressed charts from 12-9 degrees Pisces (and other mutable and water signs) we will feel this transit most strongly.

Neptune rules the ocean, the seas, sleep, our dreams (both the dreams when we are sleeping and the dreams when we are awake), the unconscious, the subconscious, our inter-connectedness, flow, imagination, compassion, meditation, medication, illusion, deception, lies, addiction, alcohol, exhaustion, escape, baptism, sacrifice, spirituality, detox, faith, psychology, mental health, mental illness, intuition, mysticism, fantasy, the ethereal realms (things that cannot be seen, touched, tasted or heard with our five senses), art, dance, music, film, chemicals, drugs, poison, ghosts, victim, martyr, saint, religion, Christ-like, fanaticism, hospitals, healing, research, confusion, retreats, release, isolation, orphans, nursing homes, retirement, our feet, vision, karma, hidden enemies, what is hidden, what we do in secret, lack of boundaries, the 12th house of our charts (things we do last, things that are put away, our subconscious, our undoing, all the things above), the house that holds Pisces in our charts.

At first glance this might look like a list of unconnected things - but when you look closer can you see/feel the connections? Even as we look for the connection we are using Neptune!

Something here is up for review which means situations, people, circumstances will come up that will re-focus our attention on one or more of these areas over the next few months.

This will be a time to reflect, re-do, re-evaluate, re-examine, release or re-visit what we are working with here. Neptune always turns us inward.

Remember when a big energy shifts like Neptune does today we will literally be "off" so things can just feel "off" - let's not push where we don’t need to push. Instead let's stay alert to the signs and feelings around us and take our cue from them. We might require extra (or less) sleep, more (or less) time alone or more (or less) meditation time. I would stay away from mind altering chemicals.

(last weekend's shooting in these days leading up to the exact Neptune/Saturn square - the Paris shooting was in the days leading up to the last Neptune/Saturn square - had (and will produce) many Neptunian elements - happening in the night, the nightclub where likely music, dance, alcohol and drugs were present, Florida sea, fanaticism, confusion, hidden enemies, secrets, hospitals, connected-ness, isolation, faith, victim, mental illness, compassion)

Back tomorrow with the weekly post. xo all

Mercury into Gemini | information overload

ideas by bucikah

A couple people told me recently that Mercury retrograde, has felt to them, like it never ended.

Probably because 1. Mars is still retrograde and 2. Mercury in Taurus can feel a bit bogged down, as words and information are examined more carefully, even as we are moving forward.

Mercury (communication, local life and travel, transportation) moves into his home sign of Gemini today. We will feel a difference in the week ahead as information and communications switch from turtle pace to rabbit.

Increased choices, conversations and ideas will start to flow. We won't put everything to use, Gemini can be rather chatty so some stuff will just move in and out, but the change in momentum will be noticeable.

(Gemini is a big player in this year's collective story via the Mutable T-Square and Grand Cross and Donald Trump - Gemini Sun. Mercury, Gemini's ruler and also the ruler of Virgo - our North Node path forward and host of Jupiter right now - is a big player this year, too. Hopefully this transit will help us make decisions about our next steps!)

Keep in mind with Gemini there are more questions than answers and the information might be unreliable.

But easy, adaptable conversations suitable for the moment can pull everything forward now.

With Mercury's long slog back and forth through Taurus we went over and over a few important details. Now fresh information and conversations will come in and expand whatever we are dealing with.

This can be stimulating if we've grown weary of Taurus's scrutiny and demand for truth or like information overload if Mars retrograde has us drained and exhausted or both. xo all

Saturn square Neptune | there's that wall again

up against the wall by gnato

Saturn square Neptune is THE transit of 2016. It permeates everything.

And because of the retrograde of Saturn and Neptune this year - we get multiple exact hits (days when the planets are sitting exactly square each other) and they stay close enough (to exact) to have an impact for most of the year. If it's not impacting you personally, it's impacting other people who are impacting you. And it's impacting the wider world in very big ways.

The first exact square was November 26th - both planets were direct at that time. The next exact square is June 17th (next Friday) with both Saturn and Neptune retrograde and the final exact square is September 10th.

Between this square (dreams vs. reality) that is affecting everyone to some degree and the Mutable T-Square that gets re-triggered today by the Moon that is giving a particularly challenging (and out of balance) time to people born in the middle degrees of the mutable signs - those born in the first few days of March, June, September and December - times are challenging If that is you, again, find mid Gemini in your natal chart and try to focus what energies you can into that area (area of life ruled by the house occupied by your natal Gemini) for balance. This isn't an easy transit. The ability to stay flexible and adapt to changes is crucial.

We have challenging cycles for people born in the mid 60's, late 70's and early 80's (and many people are having challenging life cycle transits now, too). "It's all good, just go shopping" isn't cutting it anymore. If you are not being hit by any of these transits then it is your job to help those who are.

Anyhoo, back to Saturn vs. Neptune - I want to talk about the ways this can be showing up for people. I've written over and over again "dreams vs. reality" and that's it all boiled down, but there are many, many ways this can play out. Bottom line - we are all being charged with finding more effective ways to live. 

Let's look at some possibilities - and no, I'm not going to have any answers. There aren't answers right now. That's kind of the point.

With another exact match up between Neptune and Saturn at the end of next week (both planets will be retrograde by then) we will be going back and examining either Neptune (the dream) or Saturn (the commitment).

Is the dream possible? And I don't mean pie in the sky thinking here. Get quiet. Is it possible? We need to get real with ourselves. Are we dreaming our life away? Here there is a need for structure (the wall) to "stop" our meandering (boundary-less) energy.

or

Is the commitment real? Does it still make sense? Is what we strongly believe being continually tested? Do these rules, these walls, these limits, these beliefs - really work anymore? Are we working our life away? Here there is a need for a more charitable or maybe more imaginative way of being to "dissolve" our rigidity (wall).

Either way, yes, there could be grieving (Neptune) and pain (Saturn) for what we lose here.

Many people are actually manifesting into reality (making real with Saturn) walls and road blocks by the dreams (beliefs) they put into motion years and even decades ago. Choices we made subconsciously long ago are being given actual physical form here. These may not be choices we would make now.

I have a natal Neptune/Saturn square and it's part of a fixed t-square. I have come to know these energies pretty well. The key is always for our values (what we really care about) and ambitions (what we are working for) to be reinforcing each other - that will give us the strength to hold our focus under pressure. This is not about us giving up on the dream.

Ultimately this transit is teaching us about making the dream real (although I hesitate to write that because some people's big picture dreams need to come down to earth so we can work the practical steps to make them happen). We'll talk more about this as we move through it.

By October we'll have this figured out, I promise. We are on the far side of "normal" times, but maybe normal is highly overrated anyway. xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of June 6th - Venus delivers the goods

little voice by moonywolf

You might remember last summer (why does last summer feel like 10 years ago to me?) Venus had a nice long retrograde. We were all figuring out, by working backward, what we really value and how to align ourselves, going forward, with that.

At one point during that cycle, mid August 2015, Venus was conjunct the Sun at 22 degrees Leo (sitting in the same space as the Sun). We talked about a new cycle kicking off - building our new dream.

(an update on our dream later this week!)

This also closed out the previous Venus cycle which started back in January 2014, kicked off a new 8 year cycle for our Leo house and closed out the previous Leo house cycle from 2007.

Venus, planetary ruler of women, love, relationships, money, resources and self-esteem, has a cycle with the Sun with phases similar to the Moon.

If Venus was the Moon, the cycle we kicked off last summer (mid August) would have been her New Moon phase (in Venus speak called her inferior conjunction/morning star phase); it was a launching point.

And like the New Moon, where stuff begins in the dark - things started slowly and didn't really kick up until the end of October when, at 16 degrees Virgo, Venus was conjunct the Sun again and we were in her initiated phase and things were "full steam ahead".

This week, at 13 degrees Gemini, Venus hooks up with the Sun again and reaches her superior conjunction - if she were the Moon this would be her Full Moon phase where the energy peaks.

(note - at the end of March 2017, when Venus hooks up with the Sun at 4 degrees Aries, this current cycle will conclude and a new cycle will kick off, a 19 month Venus cycle and a new 8 year cycle for our Aries house)

So MONDAY is the Full Moon phase of the current Venus cycle.

With Venus conjunct the Sun in Gemini this is a time of OPPORTUNITY (yes, for our Gemini house but also our Leo house that launched this cycle and for those Venus themes I mentioned earlier), good news, payoffs and yes, culminations. This could be about us receiving news and opportunities from the current cycle and also about attracting what we want (Venus) by the information/communication (Gemini/Mercury) we put out (Sun).

This also ends the Gemini cycle that began in June 2008 (and we can continue back in eight year increments to get a feel of what these cycles have looked like for us previously) and starts a new cycle in our Gemini house! Whew, I know this probably sounds confusing. Stay with me.

Venus' cycles pertain to Venus things - love, money and self-esteem. If we have planets or points near these degrees (22 Leo, 16 Virgo, 13 Gemini) this cycle will figure more prominently in our life. And, of course, everyone can use the Venus cycles as touchstones to start, develop and end situations that are Venus ruled!

We also have the Cancer Moon (home, family, security) making a very nice alignment to Jupiter (expansion, good luck) on Monday. Circle Monday, June 6th, on the calendar!

The next day (Tuesday) Venus and the Sun will square the Nodes (of fate) - this connects whatever is happening to our past (karma) and future (dharma). A square denotes tension. Something outside our control is requiring us to take a new action. In this case, we are faced with a choice. Stay with our same old story or evolve/change something and head toward the future (and mostly we all say we want a different future and then we do the same old thing - me, too - ack!).

With Venus and the Sun in Gemini (ruled by Mercury) and the North Node in Virgo (ruled by Mercury) and Mercury ruling our communication and information - something about receiving or giving information could play a role here (Mercury also rules transportation, teaching, writing, fast moving things like computers, siblings and our local neighborhood).

Remember we still have the Mutable Grand Cross energy (literally a cross in the sky). Crosses are about sacrifice, so whatever is happening will come with some kind of trade off. If we want this we have to do, or give up, that. For example - if we want our business to make X amount of dollars we have to give up X amount of free time/family time/other activities to make that happen!

With Gemini there are always choices. With this square to the North Node of our collective destiny life asks us to 'pretty please' make the best one. In Virgo - the best choice will probably be the thing that is most realistic or that provides the most service or that is the best option for our health or the thing that is the 'next step' right in front of us. Virgo also rules organization, paperwork, pets, employees and employment. With so much forward momentum in these areas a little effort can turn into a landslide. This won't be some big crazy thing where we bet the farm - although it could absolutely turn into something big. Small is the new big this year. And yes, I know I've been harping on the same stuff all year!

On Wednesday and Thursday the Moon is in Leo which brings a natural focus to our 5th house of children, love, fun and creativity. The week heats up even more on THURSDAY when Mercury (in Taurus and ruler of our North Node and Sun right now) opposes (just what it sounds like) a retrograde Mars (in Scorpio) - this could be an argument or deep conversation probably about something from the past.

At the same time Pluto (retrograde in Capricorn) trines (brakes off) the North Node (in Virgo) through next Monday. This could remove a roadblock and get us moving in a new and improved direction!

There is the continued need to be flexible, weigh options, watch for things that are not quite as they seem and truths coming out. Mercury finally leaves his shadow period and begins to cover new ground, but if we have been holding off on that big moving parts purchase (computers, cars, etc) until the Mercury retrograde was totally over, I would still hold out a little longer with all the chaotic Gemini energy.

We continue to work with the mutable t-square - Neptune in Pisces, Saturn in Sagittarius and Jupiter in Virgo. In the outer world U.S. politics this 3 legged table looks a lot like Bernie (Neptune - about to go retrograde), Hillary (Saturn - currently retrograde and moving direct in August) and Donald (Jupiter - about to be answering to Mercury in his home sign).

All is not as it seems though and it isn't the best time to get clear answers or make firm decisions - some things just have to work themselves out and fall into and out of place first. Mercury will move into his home sign of Gemini on Sunday - more about that next post.

Things will be much clearer and look very different in July when Mars is direct.

xo all

New Moon in Gemini | June 4th - curiosity beats confusion

curious by estella mestella

Jupiter in Virgo, Saturn in Sagittarius, and Neptune in Pisces (three major planets, all in mutable signs) have been squaring off against each other since last summer. This has been stressing out the mutable signs (all of us at times, but particularly Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces) - lots of sleepless nights and nails chewed to the quick for these guys, I'm sure.

Life's been as wobbly as a three legged table for all of us! And with so much of the focus this year on the mutable (ie changeable) signs - everything is in major flux. Our dreams vs. the reality of our situation has been a major theme for a whole lot of people.

A couple people asked me last week who might win here - dreams or reality. Ha!

This is a Saturn vs. Neptune battle. Saturn (reality) is not so happy to be in Sagittarius - Sagittarius is big picture thinking and adventure and Saturn likes to focus on 'just the facts jack' and the tried and true. He wants us to work hard and Sagittarius likes to play.

Neptune (dreams) is very happy in Pisces, the sign he rules. Neptune and Pisces are in total agreement that all we need is our imagination and our intuition and we will be happy, happy, happy dreaming our lives away.

The problem for Neptune, and it's a rather insurmountable one, is that Pisces is our South Node right now - the stuff we have all decided "as a collective energy" we move forward best by releasing . And we've got our North Node - the space our collective energy is moving toward in "just get 'er done" worker bee Virgo, along with Jupiter (expansion).

My money's on Saturn (the reality police).

This doesn't mean our big bodacious dreams will never happen (life is as magical as ever!) - although to be honest, hell, they might not (if there is nothing solid to support them this long term energy will force us to deal with the reality of the situation, release this stuff and move on). Getting real can be scary and sad if we have been living in la la-land about something. When we get real new potentials emerge that we never dreamed of!

Anyhoo- back to the New Moon!

We have Gemini, that fourth table leg that's been rather quiet (and by the way the space we need to focus on in our natal and progressed chart for balance - picture that three legged table again, head to the missing corner!) occupied with the Sun and the Moon and conjuncting the beautiful Venus.

This is about relationships, money - choices, decisions. With Venus here this New Moon is VERY powerful and MAGNETIC. Set those intentions people!

Here's a link to last year's post with info on that - check bottom of post!

Gemini is our middle air sign - a sign of the mind, the archetype of the 'teacher' - the storyteller. If you are a Gemini sun sign this is basically the way you process life - you have been mentally exploring and noticing stuff your entire life - you are always ready to teach.

Gemini has more to do with questions than answers. Geminis are designed by birthright to know a hell of a lot of stuff that will never make them any money (unless they make it into the final rounds of Jeopardy) - Gemini is the sign of curiosity.

Gemini is also the sign of confusion and distraction. With so many things vying for our attention it is easy to miss the really important thing among all the noise. Potential can be lost, ends can stay loose, stuff can get spread so thin it pretty much disappears.

Sometimes we focus on too many things, because we are really afraid to fail at the one big important thing.

This ties back into Neptune/Saturn. Maybe as long as our dream is SO BIG it will tend to stay way over THERE (it can't fit in my small house that's for sure) - we can bring it CLOSER by making it SMALLER. This isn't about settling but it could be about settling in for what is real.

This New Moon carries the potential for us to be required to make a choice or decision (things will be much clearer by the 20th when we have that 2nd Sag Full Moon!), a new situation expanding or an old situation turning in a new direction. We might find ourselves reaching out to someone or for something and somehow missing the mark or maybe encountering some kind of large immovable obstacle (I did mention the Moon is squaring Saturn!).

With the New Moon forming a Mutable Grand Cross and conjunct Venus (at an important time for Venus which we'll talk about next week) this is about connecting and closing out karmic cycles from June 2004, June 2012 and June 2016. This is about love, relationships, money, women, what we value, the stuff money can buy and the stuff money can't buy- all our Venus themes.

This aren't a lot of definite answers now. Stuff is up in the air. It will likely be best to meet this energy with an attitude of curiosity - "oh, isn't this interesting". Stay flexible. Stay focused. Choosing a firm side with so much in flux could cause us to get tossed off our game later. If we must choose - head for solid ground (Saturn) with small, measured steps (Virgo). Reality needs to be accommodated this year.

xo all - don't forget to set your intentions!

out of life lines ....

confusion by psychic lexa

Today our Gemini Sun squares Neptune (strong in Pisces and hanging out with the South Node of what we are releasing). Issues become even more convoluted. Reality warps a bit. We are in the process of closing out karmic relationship cycles - I am going to post more about this in the New Moon (happening this weekend) post tomorrow!

Changing points of view, an inability to trust what we see and difficulty making choices is par for the course with this. Going with our 'gut' might not be the best way forward here - since our intuition is literally squaring our life force! Answers are not easy to come by now.

Remember we are closing out that Grand Earth Trine energy we have had access to for the last few weeks and right now Mercury (in Taurus) is trining (brakes off, smooth sailing) the North Node (our future best path) in Virgo - there is something here that over the last month has given us a little ground beneath our feet - something that has proven itself to work. Go with that for now.

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of May 30th - keep it in balance

vintage in camomile by malenka

I'm going to start with Monday even though I am writing this on Tuesday. Transits don't always appear to unfold at their most precise moment, so it is often just as useful to look backward as forward ....

Yesterday we had Mercury (words, communication, thinking) in Taurus (stability, stubbornness, grounded, value, money) trining (brakes off) a retrograde Pluto (transformation, karma) in Capricorn (business, commitment, time). This is a three-peat, due to Mercury's recent retrograde, we had this same aspect in mid April and a couple weeks ago.

There is something here about words we can count on or a conversation that lays it all out or something that has been proven to us being the way to go. It's a 'just the facts jack ' kind of influence. Mercury, Pluto (there is a North Node aspect, too, of our collective destiny here) - will allow us to focus on what we need to focus on and get our priorities straight.

(we've still got Jupiter in Virgo and are expanding through service, focusing on our health and the work that is right in front of us - details matter but perfectionism can derail us - note in a couple months Jupiter will move on to Libra and expansion will be all about partnerships, balance and who we know, any lack of boundaries and trying to go it alone will derail us - we've been lining ourselves up with the right flock for a couple years now, this will be the year it really pays off)

The Grand Earth trine we talked about before is starting to break up but we will still feel its impact on Thursday and Friday - good things can happen by just doing the work and showing up. This will be about what we value and hold dear - everything money can buy and everything money can't. If we have something to pitch or some move to make Thursday would be the day to do it.

The thing with trines is because they are easy, breezy aspects we often do not use them to their fullest potential. This happens with trines in our natal charts, too. They are the 'good karma' stuff we can count on that we sometimes take for granted. So whatever space this trine is working with in our chart we want to give it an extra push toward the end of the week. If you want to know where this is hitting for you just email me and I will check it out.

The biggest news this week is a Grand Mutable Cross and the New Moon in Gemini at the end of the week!

Now a Grand Cross is not a Grand Trine. This is not an easy, breezy, brakes off kind of aspect. You can picture a cross in the sky formed by planets (in this case Sun/Venus in Gemini, a retrograde Saturn in Sagittarius, Jupiter in Virgo and Neptune in Pisces) - the cross is formed by squares and oppositions - these are the tricky angles. In our natal chart squares and oppositions are the challenges we came in with. In our collective story - this particular Grand Cross, and they are not all that common, will run from today through the weekend.

This Cross is in the mutable (changeable) signs and could be about our options being at cross purposes. Multiple situations may come up. We have Neptune (dreams) and Jupiter (expansion) inflating our potential at the same time Saturn (time, authority, limitations) is bringing our feet down to earth or in a more challenging case holding our feet to the fire. Or maybe the solid thing we are building with Saturn (remember that dream we are building this year!) gets foggy and drifts off course. When Neptune confronts Saturn something is always released.

To work with Cross energy effectively takes balance - too much emphasis in any one place can cause us to shift off center. Stay flexible and keep moving! And yes, like actually moving, too - long walks would be a good thing now.

The New Moon at the end of the week will trigger the Grand Cross so we'll talk about that more thoroughly in another post on Thursday.

Just know for now that it might be best to remember the only thing that is certain is that nothing is certain. If everything seems to flip around on us this week, just know, OK, this is that mutable transit, this too, shall pass. If we get really thrown off our game we can use the fading Grand Trine energy to get our footing. Something has expanded in our lives in the last month under the trine - and yes, it may still be in its infancy, but feed that thing. There is something real there. The cross will kind of peak on Friday and take us into the New Moon energy on Saturday.

Also keep in mind Mars is still retrograde and moved back into Scorpio last Friday - this is that mucky stuff we have to deal with again. For me, some health stuff I thought I had moved past, roared back to life. Anything this has kicked up for us cannot be pushed under the rug. Mars has already walked the degrees he is walking this week several weeks ago and he will walk them again in a few weeks. This time it is the backward walk so we get to pick up anything we dropped/missed/skipped/avoided the first time. Trust me that we want a clear path for his final walk through later.

Retrogrades can work like this - we are walking a path. There is some kind of obstacle, problem, something or other that we see, but we kind of ignore it and keep going. Now normally this might be an ok thing to do because it's not our job to fix everything after all. 

BUT when we have to retrace a path during a retrograde it is our job to fix those obstacles, pick up the garbage, etc, because that is the point of the retrograde. It's saying, "hey over here, this stuff can't be ignored". 

Then we turn around. We walk the same space again - this is our third time on this patch of highway now - if, on our final walk through the obstacle is still there - the energy will either remove the obstacle in the most expedient fashion and maybe not to our liking or will force us around it and on to another path. It can also come back to bite us in the ass the next time we are on this road - often about a year or so later. 

Moons - Aries Moon Tuesday & Wednesday - initiate, get up and go. Wednesday - Saturn/Neptune square triggered - dreams vs reality, watch out for deception, get enough sleep, not a good day to make a clear decision, Thursday Moon is in Taurus - comfort, value, money. The Grand Trine is triggered - good luck with work, co-workers, pets, organization. Friday Balsamic Moon - reflect, rest, Grand Cross peaks - options, cross purposes, release.

Back in a couple days - time to make the donuts (or in my case, lockets) - xo all

Venus into Gemini | smarten up

nerd by silent-waltz

Venus (love, money, value, self esteem, women) moves into Gemini today.

Gemini Suns and ascendants get more attractive now (ie able to attract and yes, better looking!). Everyone's Gemini natal and progressed houses get to host a visit from lovely Venus.

With Venus in Gemini (ruled by Mercury) and Mercury in Taurus (ruled by Venus) - we will benefit most from this transit by making smart choices.

Gemini always offers multiple options which can be a good thing until it isn't anymore. And to make life even more challenging there isn't always a right answer and a wrong answer - there might be an answer that is better for the long run though. We are all playing a longer game now.

Venus in Gemini attracts through communication. If you have a business this could be the time that increasing your social media presence pays off (like ka-ching, Venus rules money after all).

This is a good time to - talk, read, make the call, write the note, tell the joke.

This is not the best time of year for introverts (sniffle). If that sounds like you - let's remember that comfort zones do not promote growth - all the goodies really are sitting right outside our self-made boxes! We can do this thing (ie small talk, light banter, jokes - yikes!).

Gemini rules the 3rd house of our early education. This isn't about high level conversations - nothing has to be profound; words over three syllables will not be necessary. This is about the kind of communication skills we all learned in grade school. Wide beats deep now.

The witty and street smart girl gets the worm this month.

We will be sizing things up quickly and others will size us up quickly, too. It's probably best to keep communications a little light, but in a way that people are left thinking we are more than a light weight (and I am talking intellect here, not squeezing ourselves into too small yoga pants or skinny jeans - exhale girls). Women (and money) may come and go now. Gemini is a mutable sign - we'll adapt.

We will be attracted to what makes us curious. Other people will find us, and our offerings, more attractive when we make them curious about us, too. Keep this in mind now.

Venus is opposing Mars (retrograde in Sagittarius) today - so this transit will not be without its challenges. It's like our Goddess walks into a party where everyone is chatting and having a good time and there is this guy in the corner and he might be a little angry or just very passionate about something and he is right away requiring some kind of BIG decision from Venus and all she really wants is to flirt a bit and talk about the Bachelorette's new season for 10 minutes.

We'll cover this transit more as it unfolds. xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of May 23rd - connection, decisions, conflict

cat conversation by who-is-chill

We begin the week with Mercury stationing direct (Sunday) - do I hear a hallelujah?!

And in another part of the skies Venus moves into Gemini, Mars (still retrograde) backs into Scorpio and we deal with the final clash between Jupiter and Saturn with the square they started last summer.

Mercury stationed direct on Sunday at 14 degrees Taurus. He will still be covering old ground (we will, too) for a while, but some choices can be made now and new options will start to be presented to us. Deals will be inked.

Whatever ground to a standstill back in April will begin to move forward. It will be easier to get a handle on whatever is happening from here on out, but all this Gemini energy could make us (and others) indecisive.

(we still have Mars, Saturn and Pluto retrograde, so it's not all systems go, but it's certainly forward movement)

With the Sun in Gemini and Venus joining him on Tuesday - there will be no shortage of Gemini fused activity, contradictions, communication and thoughts this week. People with a strong Mercury will have their heads overflowing with ideas and plans now - some of which will dissolve quickly like fluffy white clouds. Something could stick though.

When Venus (love, money, relationships, values) moves into Gemini on Tuesday - we will have Mercury and Venus in mutual reception (in each other's signs - Venus in Gemini ruled by Mercury and Mercury in Taurus ruled by Venus) - we'll feel an increased need for connection and an increased ability to relate to other people's ideas and points of view.

The male vs. female conflict from last week continues as well as the possibility of something 'explosive' in the news (like last week's missing plane) that draws everyone's attention into the same space and again the potential for something 'blowing up' in our personal lives (if this didn't hit last week). Stay flexible. Don't freak out. Things are in flux. With Venus moving through Gemini we will attract what we want/need by having multiple irons in the fire and working our ability to pivot and change direction as needed. I hope everyone has strong arches and good shoes.

There will be tension this week as Jupiter and Saturn form the last of the waning square aspect (began last August - the last square was March 23rd). This is part of the 'dreams vs reality' stuff we are all dealing with. Since this is the final square most of us will have a clearer idea about which dreams are best for us (and, yes, for some people - more practical or maybe more long-term) and which can be released instead of trying to keep every door open. We'll talk more about this later.

On Friday, Mars (retrograde) will step back into his beloved Scorpio. Remember we have an amazing and NEW journey ahead when Mars finally travels over new ground in Sagittarius in a few weeks - for now we are back in the Scorpio muck for a little bit to see what else may be hiding here. If there is more to a situation than meets the eye- here is where it comes out into the light to be seen. Examining the stuff that comes up and removing those obstacles - related to our Scorpio house and the fears that are holding us back - will allow things to move in a more streamlined fashion later. 

Will look at the Moons tomorrow - a heads up that the Moon (still in Sagittarius) goes void around lunchtime Monday (EST), so start new things early in the day and then take advantage of the void energy for productive, practiced work in the afternoon! xo all

Full Moon in Sagittarius - keep your head

up above by affont

The Full Moon is at 1 degree Sagittarius on Saturday. It has multiple 'stressy' aspects that I talked about here.

If you have natal planets in the early degrees of mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) I would suggest calling this weekend a wash-out - it's supposed to rain for the 7th straight weekend here in New Jersey anyway. Grab a good book (hell, grab any book) and stay in bed. It will take super human efforts not to get embroiled in something.

Otherwise be prepared for the possibility you will want to:

1. choke the living daylights out of someone

(I was going to say 'choke the crap' but decided that sounded crude - plus 'living daylights' leaves the other person unconscious which could be our aim with this energy - they will fight back though, so this unconscious thing probably isn't going to work)

2. run away with your dog since she's the only one who really understands you anyway

(not that I know about this - sniffle)

3. totally lose your cool over some strongly held belief - don't talk politics with anyone now, stay off Facebook!

Anyhoo, don't say I didn't warn you. If you must go out and/or be around living things with less than four legs - I would suggest trying to be on the same side as the person you are with - creating a 'you and me against the world' type of weekend might work ... maybe.

This is most definitely not the time for a heart to heart with anyone you haven't been getting along with or for bringing up some thorny issue from the past. Zip. It.

As always Full Moons are powerful times for energetic shifts so please get out and walk in it - just don't walk into the local pub and start a brouhaha

and yes, I say things like brouhaha now - you got something to say about that?! 

xo all

Sun into Gemini - time to get moving

color of the wind by anita anti

On Friday, the Sun moves from earthy and stable Taurus into airy and fluid Gemini.

Gemini energy talks. It listens. It questions. It perceives what isn't said at all. In short, it doesn't miss a trick. With so much to see and so much to do and so much to communicate - there is not a moment to waste on any of those roses we were smelling last month.

Ruled by Mercury (standing very still and powerful in the skies right now preparing to go direct on the 22nd), Gemini is the sign of quick wit, unending curiosity and a short attention span.

My sister has a loaded Gemini house and can appear quiet at times. In conversation, she nods and makes eye contact but her mind has raced ahead to something else - she already knows what the other person will say or do next and how she will respond, so she is studying their eye color and trying to decide if they are green or hazel or making a grocery list in her head or calculating the square root of the number on a sign that just caught her eye.

(in high school when talking to boys on the phone, she would watch TV with the phone in her lap, and pick it up once in a while to say "yeah" or "hmm" - I'm pretty sure they never noticed)

Since Gemini rules information we will have alot coming at us over the next few weeks.

Gemini (the twins) is the sign of duality - of black and white, of feminine and masculine, of truth and lies. Nothing will be totally one way or the other or quite what is seems now. We will be faced with dilemmas and changing viewpoints. In the end contradictory thoughts and things can come together with this energy.

We all have ideas about how things are supposed to look and work that we've carried since childhood (and before). We have these beliefs and then we, subconsciously, look around for the things that support these beliefs and that's what we notice. Then our beliefs gets reconfirmed and strengthened. Even though these beliefs are no truer than someone else's beliefs that reflect the opposite thing.

With the Sun in Gemini and all of us burning Gemini fuel - we can give ourselves permission to embrace a more wide open receptive state. We can move against the beliefs we've been strengthening since childhood if they no longer suit us. We can give life permission to not make any sense for a while. If we are confused we are doing something right.

See what house holds Gemini in your natal chart - this space will be communicating with us now. Things will be busy.

We have a Full Moon the day after the Sun's ingress into Gemini, then the Gemini New Moon on June 4th and then another Sagittarius Full Moon on June 20th. So, whatever is happening with Gemini in our charts will complete in some way with the first Full Moon, then something starts with the New Moon and then another ending in late June.

Starts and endings will be fast and furious, but permanent .... that's questionable. xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of May 16th - duck and cover

doesn't mean you're lost by wakemeupinlondon

This week we are all building toward the Full Moon next Saturday. If we get through this week and next without some kind of big knock down drag out we will be doing pretty good.

At the time of the Full Moon, the Moon is opposite the Sun - Moon opposite Sun is a powerful opposition and even when the other aspects are easy or minor there is increased tension around whatever is illuminated, ends or peaks.

There is nothing easy about this one. This month, the Full Moon is in firey Sagittarius (where Saturn is retrograde) and on the exact degree a retrograde Mars (action, anger, passion) is transiting. The Moon (emotions, instincts) will literally be trapped between a rock and a hard place and we might feel the same way. Whatever has been bottle-necked for anyone dealing with Mars retrograde issues (Mars will be retrograde for another few weeks) could suddenly change course or break apart.

The Sun (in Gemini) will be conjunct lovely Venus, but this aspect will most likely be overshadowed by the Venus opposition to the Moon and Mars. This could show up as a "man vs woman" thing or more likely a male vs female energy conflict. We also have Vesta (the female energy of hearth and home, what is sacred) opposing the Moon and Mars and conjunct the Sun and Venus. This sounds stressy - like something near and dear is threatened. We will want to keep our cool here. For some people opportunities will show up to offer compassion to others.

The fallout from this Moon will be the result of something that has been building over time - this isn't something that will hit us out of the blue and if something appears to hit us 'out of the blue' it's only because we have chosen not to look at it before. The signs were all there.

(there is an astrological history of catastrophes and even be-headings with certain aspects around this Moon so we just want to be a bit cautious, get to a hospital with any health issues and try not to 'lose our head' over anything that falls our way now - there are many, many better days and Moons ahead!)

Whatever we are dealing with - the good news is the day after this Full Moon, Mercury (in Taurus and the ruler of Gemini where the Sun is hanging out) will station direct, so we will get clear headed about it quickly. Decisions will be made. Communications will come through.

The week's moons - The Moon is void Monday until 1:30pm EST, so a good excuse to sleep in. The rest of the day the Moon is in balanced Libra making everyone more amiable - some people could definitely be in the right place at the right time today. On Tuesday, we might have to deal with some retrograde Mercury annoyances. Don't worry - this one's almost over! On Wednesday, the Moon goes void mid-morning and Uranus shows up with something unexpected. This one really will be 'out of the blue'. Adjustments may be required. The Moon moves into the deep waters of Scorpio on Thursday and makes a chummy aspect to Neptune in Pisces - all the themes involved are promising - sex, reproduction, divorce, mortality issues, other people's money, taxes, healing, hospitals, prisons, imagination, spirituality - and of course, there's all that water! After that it will be all about the Full Moon and the Sun's move into Gemini - more on this later in the week!

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of May 9th - do you feel lucky?

in my arms by kosmodisk

This week we have that Grand Earth Trine continuing to foster growth and prosperity!

We have Venus (love, attraction, money, our values, women) walking the path the Sun walked last week, so all those spaces get re-stoked. Lots of opportunities to get it right this time!

On Monday, Jupiter moves direct (our Virgo house and Virgo people get shaken awake now - in a good way). We have 4 months to make Jupiter in Virgo count for us! Do you hear me Virgos?

With Jupiter we learn through expansion. We outgrow things. The themes we are working with get bigger.  We assimilate larger points of view. In Virgo, we will all be more focused on our health, our work, our schedules, our craft, our animals - we will all become more industrious - within the micro we find the macro.

Spaces in the Virgo areas of our own chart - by progression (what our chart looks like right now) and natally (what our chart looked like when we drew our first breath) - as well as the universal theme of the things Virgo rules - work, health, service, training, pets - get bigger and take up more of our time.

We've had Jupiter in Virgo since late last summer but he has been retrograde half this time!

Now, and particularly when more planets have also moved direct by late next month, we will start to feel what his transit in Virgo can do for us. If any of these areas has been particularly troublesome - yes, sometimes problems expand with Jupiter so we can see them clearly and work to resolve them - there is lots of good energy this week to move those things in a new and improved direction.

Jupiter is the largest planet (it could hold over 1300 Earths!) and is the space in our natal chart that holds our natural blessings. It is the space that can 'turn things around for us' when we don't know what to do next or where to go. There are always options for us here.

On Monday we are also halfway through this season's Mercury retrograde (in Taurus) so whatever this is/has been about for us - the cards are pretty much on the table.

When Mercury conjuncts the Sun (Monday), dots will be connected for us.

So, we kick off the week with Jupiter - in Virgo - moving direct after five long months (!) and we've got the Sun (in Taurus) trining (brakes off) the North Node (our future) - also in Virgo - while conjunct Mercury - whew - whatever information, communication or facts we are dealing with are connected to our next moves and future path.

If something comes up for us now (especially something from the past or someone from the past or someone that reminds us of someone or a situation from the past or something that's been stagnant) - it would likely be good to check into it and expand on it!

We also have Mercury and Venus trining (brakes off) Pluto (in Capricorn) giving us even greater potential for transformation and evolution with whatever we are dealing with - particularly around communications, women, love, money and business.

Now remember we continue with lots of retrograde energy (four planets!) - revising, revisiting, reversing, reassessing - you know the drill - and lots of Taurus - careful, deliberate words and actions are best now.

The only stressy situation this week is on Wednesday when an active Venus makes an inconjunct to a retrograde Saturn (in Sagittarius) - this could be us overreaching a bit. We'll have to deal with whatever "brings us back to reality". In Taurus nothing is going to happen overnight anyway. Uranus could also usher in some last minute changes and out of the blue something or others that could go either way.

With Venus strongly involved with the positive aspects this week our greatest blessings and opportunities will come from following our heart!

A few void moons during work hours to keep in mind (great for production, not so great for launches) - Monday until lunchtime EST, Wednesday all day and Friday afternoon (maybe start the weekend after lunch!).

You can still do your New Moon intentions - before the first quarter moon on Tuesday - so get to that NOW if you haven't done them yet! xo all

Here's a link about watching Mercury conjunct the Sun on Monday.

New Moon in Taurus | SET THOSE INTENTIONS!

make a wish by catherinehh

Yes, I know I'm shouting at you, but I really want your attention this month!

Friday's New Moon in Taurus is part of a Grand Earth Trine and there are multiple (as many as nine) Grand Trines now and grand things are ... well, grand!

Imagine a regular New Moon is the Sears organ at Grandma's house where your Aunt Betty annually pounds out a rather rowdy rendition of Jingle Bells - a good time is had by all, but she's not playing Carnegie Hall on that baby anytime soon. This New Moon is the Steinway grand piano where Alicia Keys or maybe Billy Joel (or maybe Aunt Betty if she works this energy right) makes the real magic happen.  

Yes, it's that good.

Grand Earth Trines are excellent for manifesting physical stuff. Stuff we can hold and touch and eat and wear and carry in our pocket.

A trine aspect is an energy of "brakes off". The movement and momentum is unrestricted. If we launch something in the right direction nothing is standing in our way. Things fall into place with this stuff. And if things are not falling into place, pushing for what we want/need doesn't really work. Patience will likely be required here. Earth energy isn't fast. But it is fertile and stable and dependable. This New Moon is the beginning of something we can build on with a good amount of simplicity and ease.

The intentions we set at this New Moon, in particular about our security, self esteem, fertility and physical resources have an excellent opportunity to take root and grow. 

(Jupiter the planet of expansion is part of the trine as well as Pluto - transformation and rebirth - now everybody involved here is retrograde BUT Jupiter "our good luck" is moving direct next week, so something could kick off kind of quickly with this even if it takes a long time to completely unroll itself)

Now remember we have FIVE planets retrograde and we have zero planets in air signs (mental), so this will probably not be about having a brand new idea or launching something that is brand new. Most likely this will be a new chapter to an existing situation or an old situation that has come back around. This is probably some door that is right in front of us but we just can't see it.

Remember last year when we talked about May and June as being the time we actually 'build' our dream - well here we go. Now we have a lot of retrograde energy, pretty much all of it, so the past is part of the future here. Every new thing is built on all the things that came before it.

So, let's give this one our best shot.

1. Talk as little as possible on Friday (or whenever you do your intentions, I would work with this within the next three days - we want to hook into the growth part of the moon's cycle). Keep idle chit chat to an absolute minimum. This will make our words more powerful when we do use them. No complaining. It drains the energy. No superfluous language. Read my post HERE about babble. This is good advice for all the time, but if you are normally a chatter, toning it down right now will be especially effective for you.

2. Meditate before setting our intentions. Even a few moments of silence stilling our mind makes it easier for us to be clear on what we want and to "hook into" the simplest path to line up with it. We want to approach this monthly ritual consciously and respectfully, so that we recognize the power of the moment and choose our words and actions wisely.

3. Eat whole foods and stay away from flour and sugar prior to setting the intentions. I had a teacher who saw people as "foggy" after poor eating. She was always right about it and she claimed it made our thinking and manifesting foggy. She said the things we are seeking that are also seeking us (and what we are seeking is always seeking us) cannot easily find us when we are foggy! I believe her.

4. Use positive language. Now, I don't mean positive as in "pink and flowery" and the opposite of negative. I mean positive as in certain. When we write our intentions now we want them to carry the energy of certainty. Just like when we plant a seed in the ground we know it will grow. We know the seeds we are planting with our words will grow, too.

5. Gather a number of flat, white rocks. 

(if you feel more comfortable doing our usual monthly papers by all means do that!)

6. Write one intention, in script, on each rock. Say the words out loud.

7. Bury the rocks in the ground. I would bury them about the depth you would bury a seed. Deep enough they cannot easily be kicked loose, but not so deep they cannot feel the sunlight and the rain.

8. Release. Now we release our attention from these things. Know they are already ours.

Don't struggle too much over what to write or how many intentions to set with no air signs and Mercury retrograde, our minds won't really help us now. We'll just plant our feet firmly on the ground and feel what we want here. Feel what it would feel like to have real security, to have the resources we need, to have perfect health and to have the self-esteem to know that we truly deserve to have these things. We'll imbue whatever words we use with those intentions.

I have found it's good to be somewhat specific but not so specific that we are totally wedded to only one way of getting to where we need to go.

This New Moon in Taurus is an excellent time to return to a grounding practice, make affirmations and set intentions about: money, contentment, patience, self-worth, releasing stubbornness, all health issues and especially those regarding our neck, throat and voice in the world.

This Grand Earth Trine feels like an unusually strong opportunity to get something right the second, third or maybe the 33rd time! With all this retrograde energy whatever happens will certainly need to be "re"vised later and that's OK. It might even be through what is left after all this retrograde energy passes that we can see what is the real value at the center of it all and build from that.

xo all

(the weekend energy is quite stressy, so maybe try to get to this Friday night! here's a link to Jan Spiller's New Moon Wishes)

If we have planets or points in your natal or progressed chart in earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) or fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) from 14 -20 degrees you'll feel this New Moon the most strongly.

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of May 2nd - things are falling into place

distant flickering by super shrimp

YAY - it's May! This week we have a wonderful New Moon in Taurus on Friday (more on this later in the week).

At the time of the New Moon, the Sun and the Moon are sharing the same space. This means that every aspect the Moon is making (and they are very positive!), the Sun is making the same aspects, too - so there is a double whammy of potential now.

The Moon, along with Pluto (retrograde in Capricorn) and Jupiter (retrograde in Virgo) is forming a Grand Earth Trine. This actually kicks off with the Sun on Tuesday!

In general this trine is about healing our relationship with work and prosperity. It will also aid our lives via the houses the signs impacted occupy in our natal
and progressed charts.

There are luck and opportunities here. Trines mean "brakes-off" - things are intended to fall naturally into place with this (we will likely need patience here). We don't want to force stuff to happen. This trine has a supportive connection with Neptune (strong in Pisces) so there will be elements of the mystical, magical or miraculous (pick your comfort zone).

We won't need, or want, to bang our head against the wall with this one. But this is 'earth' we are talking about, so we shouldn't be afraid to get our hands dirty. And with fixed Taurus playing such a major role we need to be careful we aren't stubbornly holding our position - we need to go with the flow - there are "re"wards ahead for getting this right.

Now we still have half the planets retrograde (first time in 10 years) including Mercury, ruler of our North Node "where we are heading", so this is not about launching something brand new. There is a strong element of looking backward with this energy. It's through this process that the right insight, opportunity, person, etc will start to move things in a more prosperous direction for us.

We don't want to be sitting around waiting for something to happen to us - life doesn't really work this way. We keep moving forward with small, precise steps, we do the best jobs we can, we work in service to other people, we prioritize our health (think Virgo energy!) AND we are especially active reworking and reconsidering whatever isn't working for us (in any area of our life - changes in one area of our lives affect all the others - health and work are especially connected and potent now).

Jupiter in Virgo (good luck, expansion, service, precision, work) and Pluto in Capricorn (transformation, security, structure, business, reproduction, rebirth, power) had a very positive aspect last fall and then last month and they hook up for a final time next month.

With both planets in earth signs this is about physical changes to our lives.

Because Venus and Mercury are going to activate these same spaces throughout May we will have access to this energy all month. We also have Mercury (retrograde) trining (brakes off) the North Node (in Virgo) of "where we are going" next Sunday. It really looks like any delays, detours, Groundhog Day style repeats, re-works and re-connections are going to work out in our favor.

Patience is required here. Go slowly.

There is, of course, a fly in the ointment (I'm starting to think the flies are a necessary component) - hard nosed Saturn (also retrograde in Sagittarius) will be square to Jupiter - this will create tension and force us into a new action - and Saturn will be inconjunct the Moon and Sun - so some kind of creative blending of stuff that is at odds with each other will be required to make this all work together.

Never fear though, even mighty Saturn is not strong enough to circumvent the positivity of this Grand Trine!

I'll be back later to update this with the week's Moons and more on how to work with this energy and how it will impact different houses.

xo all