Mars Opposite Saturn | between a rock and a hard place

set me free by ashley mae

This transit is perfecting next Monday.

I was going to write about it later in the week, but in light of the Manchester bombing I thought I would write about it now.

Astrological transits (other than the Moon) have an impact for days (even weeks and months for outer planets transits to our natal planets) before and days after they reach an exact aspect.

There was quite a bit of tense astrology happening late Monday, but it isn't until you look at the chart for the city of Manchester itself you see the biggest challenges. I wish every town and city would employ an astrologer to track each area's transits. This wouldn't be fool-proof, obviously, but it might be helpful at times.

The chart for Manchester for the time of the bombing shows Mars (initiative, action, anger, war) opposing Saturn (structure, authority) in the first house (the city itself). The Mars/Saturn opposition (two malefic planets) is a violent signature. It can show up as bullying, anger, frustration and conflict. Mars squares Chiron (wound that can't be healed) in the 4th house of roots, home and family. Mars was conjunct the asteroid Chaos and square to Neptune. Neptune (loss). rules over events like music concerts (places of escape, places we lose ourselves, music - we have seen a Neptune signature before with nightclub shootings).

And, of course, with something happening "out of the blue" we would look to see what Uranus is doing - Uranus isn't about violence necessarily, but brings something sudden and unexpected. Uranus was conjunct the Moon with the Moon sitting on the IC (4th house cusp - home, roots - extremely important space of a chart). We also see Lilith and Eris (more and more Eris is showing up with a prominent placement in charts involving terrorism) conjunct Uranus and the IC - a "shocking, violent event that hits close to home".

Jupiter is the chart ruler and Jupiter rules religion and what is foreign and is retrograde now, so out of sorts. Venus (women) is opposite Jupiter. The murderer could have been focused on religion or felt foreign to the people he was hurting (Jupiter), maybe wanted to hurt women (Venus), maybe part of a larger structure or just looking to hurt society (Saturn), but it doesn't take astrology to guess at this.
  
(I wish the media would stop calling murderers 'terrorists' as if they had earned some kind of "title" through their actions the way a geologist or theologist or biologist would - language is power)

Moving forward this Mars/Saturn opposition is going to be building through Monday when it starts to unwind itself.

We have Mars (in Gemini) opposite Saturn (in Sagittarius).

(during the 9/11 attacks in the United States we had Mars in Gemini opposite Pluto in Sagittarius - again two malefic plants in the same signs)

Mars is action, initiative, aggression, anger and war. Gemini is thinking, communicating, fast moving, transportation, the local neighborhood, young people. Saturn rules authority, structure, rules, time. Sagittarius rules religion, anything foreign, higher thinking. The word salads do not look like anything remotely edible. At best I am seeing religious arguments or arguments with authority figures.

At the same time we have Venus (in Aries and answering to Mars) just coming out of that opposition to Jupiter we talked about last week about to make a hard square to Pluto and Jupiter, Neptune and Mercury are forming a Yod this weekend. We'll talk about this later. It is definitely not all bad - we have alot of good energy ahead, too.

Remember it's not that things are getting worse - they are just getting more visible. If you need to back away from the news DO THAT. Oxygen mask on your own face first now. Raising our own energy helps the collective in ways we cannot even imagine.

So use your astrology knowledge to help yourself. Keep the Mars/Saturn energy in mind, but don't dwell on it. Keep a cool head. Stay flexible. Get some exercise. Write something. Keep attuned to your local environment - pay attention to what is happening around you. The Moon is dark - reflect, meditate, send prayers to the people who are hurting now ... xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of May 22nd - sharpen your pencil

pencil girl by cetrobo

The start of Gemini season will mean a busy week for most people. This will probably also be another sensational news week!

Let's jump right in.

On Monday, we'll have the energy to get right down to work with an Aries Moon that has everyone focused on "action, action, action" and "me, me, me'". If you are presenting something to someone now make sure you focus on 'what's in it for them'. If you need a boost of courage, today is the day. The Moon makes nice with Venus early in the day - great energy for a fresh start with women, money, self-esteem, values and beauty issues. Balance, harmony, fairness will prevail.

Then around lunchtime the energy shifts (eat a light lunch, so you don't lose it). There is a whole John Wayne cowboy vibe to the rest of the day - people will be more willing to use force and go their own way to accomplish their goals. The Moon squares Pluto (in Capricorn) which is not such great energy for dealing with authority figures. There is tension around goals, structure and ambitions. Emotions can also be intense. More can be accomplished working alone today, especially in the afternoon. 

On Tuesday, the Moon moves into Taurus (where the Moon is exalted) focusing us in on money issues, purchases, what we value and what we own. In Taurus we want to stop and smell the roses. The Moon is only in Taurus a couple days every month and now that Taurus Sun season is behind us, it is important to use that nurturing energy in some way, so take some time - today and tomorrow - to relax, get outdoors, get your hands in some dirt, cook a nutritious meal, etc. This would also be the perfect day to get a massage.

The Moon is balsamic - it's a natural time for a monthly time out. 

On Wednesday, the Moon is making beautiful music with Neptune - good energy to make art, work with our imagination, healing, romance, spirituality, hospitals - stuff that is hidden and put away. Around noon the Moon trines (brakes off) Pluto - this is the time to work with those authority figures, goals, structures and ambitions. Emotions can still be intense but things will move smoother.

Remember Jupiter is retrograde for another couple weeks - we will have to work for our luck, the golden ticket is probably not going to fall out of that candy bar (so let's not kid ourselves that it's a good idea to eat five of them). And that's OK. It's alot easier to hold onto the stuff we have to earn anyway (plus Gene Wilder has passed on and it would just be us and the Oompa Loompas).

The Moon goes void at 3pm EST so maybe plan an early escape, save this time for routine work or at least don't start anything new in the afternoon - nothing will come of it.

On Thursday the Moon conjuncts the Sun in Gemini. The Gemini New Moon kicks off a two week growth period of choices with a focus on words, sales, meetings, writing, interviews, communications, conversations, local community activities, stuff with siblings and neighbors, our vehicles and electronics. Also the theme of your natal Gemini house.

Also on Thursday, Venus (in Aries) squares Pluto (in Capricorn). This is tension within our relationships - compulsion, power struggles, obsession. This is not the time to be possessive. Trust me on this one. I find Pluto squares usually bring up issues around fear of abandonment and we all get a bit more paranoid.

Try not to channel Glenn Close in that rabbit movie (I forget the name). If you meet someone new now the energy could be a bit like Fatal Attraction (that's it!), so prepare for fireworks, heartbreak and a likely hospitalization that requires stitches #kidding, #notkidding.

This is good energy for focus and powering though problems though. Just check that you are using your most awesome powers for good. No one will be a push-over today. So don't push. Nobody puts baby in a corner either, especially not Gemini. That New Moon in Gemini assures us there are multiple options. Look again. POST TO FOLLOW.

On Friday, Neptune (delusion, illusion) is squaring our Gemini New Moon so I wouldn't make any big decisions right now. The day will be busy with lots of communication and information. Check any impulsive behaviors in the p.m.

On Saturday the Cancer Moon takes over focusing all of us here in the USA on mom and apple pie and the long holiday weekend. There is some tense and important stuff this weekend that connects back to the beginning of this month. We'll talk about it later in the week!

NOTE this weekend with its first quarter Moon in Cancer is an excellent time to plant vegetables and flowers in the ground.

Remember we are in Gemini season now and Gemini rules the 3rd house of our immediate environment. It's a good time to think about how we deal with the stuff that is right in front of us. Do we see danger where there isn't any? Are we off in lalaland and not paying attention to actual snake pits?

Staying in the present moment (plus meditation and clean eating) keeps our instincts sharp. We are going to need them sharper than ever (think about that number two lead pencil we needed to have ready for those fill in the dot exams back in grade school) as we move into June, throughout the rest of the year and in the years ahead.

Gemini season is distracting. Make conscious choices and conscious moves now. We are being prepared for ever shifting grounds and increased uncertainty. Conscious action (and Gemini season) is good practice. We've got this thing.

It can be challenging to start new projects, and have things run smoothly, or move too far ahead with things in Gemini season because so much is in flux. It doesn't mean we can't or shouldn't do these things, definitely keep moving, just know that new information will probably come in that changes our perspective. Stay flexible. And open-minded. And sharpen your pencil.

xo all

Sun into Gemini | going WIDE and seeing double

flowers for a bed by kittysyellowjacket

The Sun moves into Gemini today where he will hang his hat until June 21st (summer solstice).

During Gemini season life gets busy - physically busy and mentally busy.

Do you know which house holds Gemini in your natal chart? A light is shone on that area of your life now. Multi-tasking skills will come in handy.

Gemini is the teacher who never stops learning - it is about the processing of information. Ruled by Mercury and ruler of our 3rd house of communications, thinking, ideas, early childhood education, our neighbors, local community, our siblings, transportation - you will recognize all these themes from when I am writing about Mercury!

Gemini is a mutable air sign (head cold are possible now as we move from earth to air, cue the vitamin C). Geminis are flexible.

The energy goes wide rather than deep. They want to look at, and learn about, and talk about and do - a little of this and that and the other thing.

Geminis are clever and very good with words. They can say one thing to one person and something else to someone else - they are changeable. Geminis can create the perfect blend of imagination, half-truths and logic making them sometimes less than totally truthful, but they are so freakin' fast and so freakin' funny we might not even notice. 

Their symbol is the twins and with Gemini things often come in twos.

My Sun is in my 3rd house (Gemini's house) in Aquarius ruled by Uranus (in my 10th house of career). With my "career" things almost always come in pairs. In my first job doing taxes I worked in two different offices, when I was in banking I managed two totally different departments at the same time, I once had carts in two different malls selling things in two different sizes and I now have two websites and two different jewelry lines both of which carry items that come in two different sizes. I am currently writing two books at the same time (have been for awhile, don't ask) and am renovating a vintage camper which I have in mind to house two different businesses. I could go on and on (but I won't, don't worry, I know you are busy now). This career "things come in pairs" thing hasn't translated into double the money - go figure.

Some of this may be a natural inability on my part to make a normal focused decision (of course my Mercury is also in my 3rd house), but most of it has just kind of happened. Sun in the 3rd house, house ruler in the 10th.

Anyhoo, with the Sun's move into Gemini things will not be quite so black and white as they were in Taurus. It's a time to be curious. Ask questions. Try different things. We've been going deep and now we want to go wide. 

Now that we have the North Node in Leo ruled by the Sun - we can use the Sun's monthly journey, over the next 18 months, to help us focus on our Leo path!

While the Sun is in Gemini is a good time to talk about what we are doing and what we are going to do. It's a good time to advertise. It's a good time to promote what we are doing. It's a good time to try something new focused on where our heart is leaning. It's a good time to read, learn, write and teach about what we love!

Our natal Gemini houses (where is Gemini in your natal chart?) is about to get very busy. Did I say that already?

It would be a good time to get familiar with the notepad on our phone to jot down info on the go - short conversations, notes, ideas, appointments, etc. Gemini is all about WORDS.

The fly in the ointment (yes, the fly is back) is that in Gemini quantity can rule over quality as thoroughness loses out to speed. That's OK for now - we've spent almost half the year bogged down in retrogrades - fast is the new slow. xo all 

Saturn trine Uranus, Venus opposite Jupiter, Sun square North Node | shifting energies!

learning to let go by Ashley Mae

We have lots of stuff happening today. The following is in no particular order - see if anything is helpful. 

Saturn (retrograde in Sagittarius) makes his second (of three) trines with Uranus.

If you have planets or points around 26 degrees of the cardinal signs - Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn - you have probably been feeling that Uranian urge for change, change, change! I will toss you some applicable word salads:

Something old (Saturn) is new again (Uranus). A good time for new (Uranus) structures/boundaries/rules (Saturn). Work (Saturn) for change (Uranus). Some kind of structure (Saturn) creates more freedom (Uranus). The old (Saturn) and new (Uranus) work together - remember trines are 'brakes off' periods when things flow. They are also easy to miss for exactly this reason. Pay attention. Also with trines we don't need to push - stuff falls together. With Saturn time is on our side as long as we are doing our work.

Anything contacting Uranus can give us itchy feet (and unexpected out of the blue situations). Now is a good time to work (Saturn) with the itch. Solid plans began now (Saturn rules time) can create big opportunities for change (Uranus). Remember our freshly minted North Node in Leo - what does your heart want? Which direction is your natural spotlight? Check your Leo and Sun houses for themes!

We had this transit on Christmas Eve (the itch started then, and yes, I know, that super strength hydro-cortisone cream isn't working - the only thing that will work is, surprise - CHANGING WHAT ISN'T WORKING) and we'll have another one in November. This is a three-parter. This is the part where Saturn is retrograde. And, if this isn't directly impacting our chart these transits could simply be the old and the new working together smoothly during these time-frames!

We have the Sun (in Taurus) squaring the North Node (in Leo). Squares are tension. There is something here about using what we already have as we walk toward the future that is stressful. Don't toss the baby out with the bathwater. Squares to the Nodes are turning points. We will note this date for our Leo/Aquarius journey ahead! Shifts are happening all around us and within us.

Venus (in Aries) is opposite Jupiter (retrograde in Libra) just as Venus starts covering new territory. That Venus retrograde (started March 4th) is finito. This can bring good news, maybe VERY good news. With Jupiter things can look better than they actually are BUT they can also be pretty good. This is about love or money or self-esteem. Don't overspend (writes the armchair astrologer about to do just that!).

Mars/Pluto inconjunct now could create some argumentative energy. There could be a power struggle or acting out of obsession. Small things can create big triggers for people with this aspect and over-reactions are possible. Keep a cool head.

That North Node in Leo for the next 18 months also means we need to be thinking/researching/acting for our heart health now. The physical and metaphysical work together! What does your heart need?

New portals are opening all around us this weekend.

Stuff is moving from the back burner to the front burner - we are moving forward, belly full of butterflies, grieving for the stuff that is over, unsure of what is ahead, still with more questions than answers - 18 months from now everything will be totally different, maybe even 6 months from now. We might have to feel the fear and do it anyway. We can't be worrying about what anybody else thinks and what other people are doing. We'll talk about this as we move through it.

xo all

awkward energies for us to deal with | revenge must be avoided - the way kings fall

hands III by duhitsmia

Today and tomorrow we are dealing with multiple inconjuncts. What are those song lyrics "the stars are stacked against you girl - get back in bed" - well that fits pretty well.

We have Saturn inconjunct the Sun, Chiron inconjunct the North Node, Jupiter inconjunct Neptune, Pluto inconjunct Mars and Juno inconjunct Mars. Inconjuncts represent crisis. Now remember crisis is both danger and opportunity. This is how we grow. Whatever we are dealing with here and obviously with so many crisis points at the same time many people will be affected and some will be dealing with multiple things - it will probably be best to let things be the way they are going to be.

Slow things down.

These are transits - they will pass. Big shifts coming on Friday and through the weekend!

We have Mercury in Taurus and the Sun in the late degrees of Taurus - it's time for a few deep breaths. Like, quite a few deep breaths. Like we'll turn ourselves into a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon (I'll be Lucy) with all the oxygen we will be sucking in. PLUS the Moon will be in Aquarius, along with the South Node for the first time in 18 years - this is alot to be happening.

Inconjuncts are awkward energies where it seems nothing is exactly right (or we can't do/say anything right). Maybe something gets postponed. Maybe we just have to make the best of something less than ideal. Partners will offer us difficult choices.

It's a good time to look at the reasons we are doing what we are doing or the reason we want what we want. Caught between a rock and a hard place might mean we are not seeing what is really happening clearly or our motives may be corrupted. We may think we are helping someone when we are really coming from a place of our own ego that isn't very helpful to them or us. 

TRUMP CHART UPDATE - Trump's chart is very active and very stressed.

Transitting Mars (moving through Gemini) just hit his natal Uranus (yesterday) and will hit his Sun next Wednesday. He is getting hit big time. The attacks (Mars) are unexpected (Uranus) to him (Sun). The attacks (Mars) bring unexpected (Uranus) things to light (Sun).

The North Node, now in Leo, is at the exact degree of his ascendant - this is BIGLY - also watch the 8th to the 16th of June when the North Node - destiny - connects with his natal Mars.

I've written before about how that North Node in Virgo (and Leo and Trump's ruling star Regulus moving into Virgo) helped his appeal with the common man since Virgo rules the common man. This was a key part of his appeal the last 18 months and it was in his first house (self) along with expansive (and lucky) Jupiter.

Now that the North Node has moved into Leo he starts to lose that "common man" appeal plus it will soon move from his 1st house (public) to his 12th house (private). Something could also come to light (Sun) involving his children (5th house ruled by Leo).

This is either Trump's last stand or a huge test of his destiny. And remember the U.S. chart is all mixed up with his now.

It is also VERY interesting to look at the fixed star Regulus.

Fixed stars move so slowly they appear to not move at all - hence the name 'fixed'. Regulus was at 28-29 degrees Leo when Trump was born - the exact degree of Trump's ascendant and conjunct his natal Uranus! - and has since moved into 0 degrees Virgo - the exact degree where the North Node was as it moved from Virgo into Leo last week.

You might remember the North Node (our collective way forward) changed signs last Tuesday, exactly two hours before Trump fired Comey. 

Regulus is an uber important star for Trump - fating him with fame and riches and making him a "king". This is the "royal star" of the Leo constellation.

In Bernadette Brady's Book of Fixed Stars it says, "he is the Heart of the Lion and associated with the angel Raphael (healing). Regulus can bring glory and leadership, but his weakness is revenge. Power gained through Regulus is reversed quite dramatically if revenge is taken. Then comes the fall."

If Comey's firing was about Trump taking revenge, Trump's destiny changes dramatically.

This "revenge must be avoided" thing applies to us, too.

xo all

Mercury back into Taurus with the North Node in Leo | well thought out decisions, plain language that speaks from the heart

monique 4 by MiZH

Mercury first moved into Taurus on March 31st. Then on April 9th, he stationed retrograde and started backtracking. He backtracked from Taurus into Aries until he stationed direct on May 3rd (still in Aries). He has been moving forward since then and today gets back into Taurus. He will start covering totally new ground on Sunday - remember he is still covering ground he walked before April 9th.

(and I'm throwing in all these dates, not to be confusing, but in case they ring any bells - jingle bells, church bells, bicycle bells, doorbells, cowbells, wedding bells - you get the idea)

Just imagine you are walking somewhere and you stop walking. You turn around and begin walking back the way you came. Then after a time you stop again and turn back around and walk forward again - back the way you were going in the first place. You can visualize that you will be covering ground you walked before for awhile until you get back to where you turned around in the first place. Simple, right?

Most people think of Mercury retrograde as the time he is backtracking, but the story is LARGER than that - his journey (inside us) actually takes us over situations and issues 3 times - we go forward, we go backward (doing the "re's") and then forward for one final time after we've had time to re-access, re-examine (whatever the situation calls for) whatever is happening.

This retrograde was in our Taurus/Aries natal houses. So some situation in our Aries house (since he moves into Taurus today and won't return to Aries for almost two years) is finished. 

Maybe it untangled with a bang when Mercury hit Uranus last Tuesday (and we'll know by the end of this week what all that was about!) but we might feel it now. Or maybe we'll feel it this weekend when Mercury finally starts covering new territory.

Now, for some people, with planets and points within the degrees Mercury traveled, this will be a big situation resolving itself in some way. For other people, they won't be able to put their finger on exactly what this has been about for them, but the retrograde has still worked its magic in smaller ways this time (not every retrograde is uber-important for every person).

The tricky part for us is Venus has been working her own retrograde story (within us) in almost the same spaces in our charts at almost the same time - this one involving a love and/or money situation.

The Venus story was about us figuring out what we really value now. It wraps now with our decisions and those decisions carry us into our next chapter.

In the meantime the North Node has shifted into Leo, so it's like the spaces Mercury and Venus come to at the end of their journeys are not the same spaces they left behind when they turned around.

We are all in uncharted territory. Even if our life, from the outside, looks exactly the same as it did back in January, everything has actually shifted because we are not the same people we were then and we are not on the same road anymore. This might sound overly dramatic, but I am actually under-reporting this! 

And we still have Saturn and Jupiter retrograde ...

Anyhoo, back to Mercury. He moves back into grounded Taurus now. This slows down communications and conversations and our thinking. That's OK. Snap decisions will be less snappy.

(snaps are highly over-rated anyway, am I right seamstresses, aren't buttons more practical?)

Those monkeys in our brain will quiet down now if we allow them to - imagine them quietly hanging in a tree, eating their bananas and watching the sunset. Maybe they eat so many bananas they tumble to the ground in a banana coma for the next few weeks - imagine whatever it takes to quiet those chatterers. They will not do us any good now. They are not needed. And don't worry about the little fellows, they will wake up as soon as Mercury moves into fast moving Gemini on June 6th. Until then, they nap.

Mercury in Taurus is the time to mentally recharge our batteries. Practical language will get our point across better than long winded sentences now. 

Here's my original post about this transit, just skip over the retrograde stuff. 

If something from the end of March comes back around now - we are better equipped to deal with it than we were then. We have thought it through. Our decisions can be made from this new grounded space where we are following our heart.

Remember that Leo North Node - communicate from your heart. If it doesn't work for us it doesn't work for anyone else either. xo all

do the right thing | Capricorn Moon

What you’re missing is that the path itself changes you.
 ... Julien Smith, The Flinch

portfolio by aufzehengehen

I didn't get the weekly written yesterday - not with all that "feet on the ottoman, being handfed grapes and fanned with the Sunday paper" style adoration I was receiving for Mother's Day (ahem).

I have a monthly look ahead a few posts back that covers this week a bit if you simply must peek today. And we'll do dailies. This is another big week. It doesn't seem right to just throw something up!

This is the week Venus (in Aries) finally hits new territory - we'll feel it! She is opposing Jupiter (retrograde in Libra) all week. The Sun is still in Taurus. Mercury moves back into Taurus tomorrow. Enjoy the Taurus folks! You don't want to rush it.

For today the Moon is in hardworking Capricorn. It has a closing square to Uranus and is then void tomorrow from approx 6:30AM to 2PM (any Uranus style surprises today won't amount to anything in the long run since they take us to that Void Moon tomorrow - also don't launch anything tomorrow morning that you need to amount to anything).

Today we need to be responsible. Hard work pays off. Keep the focus on goals and career. Do the right thing. Don't expect to be coddled now. Don't count on being let off the hook. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn and he's stone cold sober.

Remember when we were kids and thought Santa was watching us in those days before Christmas - well that's the way to feel about Saturn during each month's Capricorn Moon!

The Capricorn energy could have us dealing with authority figures and stepping into our own authority. The early part of the day is flavored by Gemini - talks, meetings, sales, siblings, transportation, communication, emails. Later on the day is flavored by Pluto - deep emotions, transformation - maybe we just clean that hall closet. Stuff is purged.

xo all - back tomorrow - enjoy your Monday, another rockin' and rollin' week ahead!

Mars Trine Jupiter | no guts, no glory

Mars (in Gemini) trines (brakes off) Jupiter (retrograde in Libra) at 14 degrees.

Trines are easy aspects between planets and points. Things fall into place. Things work together.

Mars (action, independence, courage) trining Jupiter (expansion, luck) is a time when action makes us lucky. With Mars in Gemini and in mutual reception to Mercury (ruler of Gemini) in Aries (ruled by Mars) it could be our words that need to be bold. Humor works, too.

With Jupiter it is easy for things to be exaggerated - to look better than they are - but that's OK. Even if the light at the end of the tunnel is a train (it isn't) we can still use the light to see what's coming and get out of the way. It's the action that creates the win not the situation.

This is stable momentum we can use to move ourselves forward. Remember Jupiter is still retrograde in partnership oriented and balance loving Libra and Gemini offers multiple options and could scatter our energies - we need to focus. There is one best way forward now.

Instead of casting a wider net, we'll be better off spear fishing (and I don't like my analogy so much here, but I think it drives home the point - ouch). Get specific and take action.

Don't be afraid to try something new that is calling to your heart - yesterday's transit is still in play but now we add a little Jupiterian erergy and enthusiasm - "bigger is better" "do I feel lucky?" - action into the mix.

Be confident. We got this thing. xo all

Mars Square Neptune | Mercury Trine Saturn - think things through

full of butterflies by flowerpottt

Today we have Mars (in Gemini) squaring (tension) Neptune (in Pisces). This could feel like a push to take some kind of action that is unclear, that we are apathetic about or that squares our 'dream'.

With Mars in Gemini and Mercury in Aries - mutual reception and strengthening each other - this is the time to question/discuss/think about where all this is going. It's not a good time to let ourselves get "talked into" something. Boundaries can be needed now. Stuff that is hidden will be pushed into the open. Stick to the truth now.

Saturn and Jupiter are both still retrograde. Venus and Mercury are still covering old ground. We could be tired and this square could exacerbate that. Remember the way forward now is Leo. What does your heart say about this (our heart will need a say in all decisions now)?

With Mercury (in Aries) trining (brakes off ) Saturn (retrograde in Sagittarius) - sensible plans and actions move things forward. This transit can help us "say the right thing". It could be a good time to get advice from an older or more experienced person. With Mars and Mercury in mutual reception and that square to Neptune making things foggy this is not the best day to make an important decision unless our head, heart and gut are in agreement. Ask questions. Think things through. Get clearer.

xo all

Full Moon in Scorpio | truth bomb

portfolio by aufzehengehen

Late last night we had the final, of three, meetings between Uranus (sudden, unexpected, liberating) and Mercury (news, communication, information).

So here is the truth we haven't wanted to look at. And now we have to. The first of these meetings was on March 26th, so whatever is revealed now will relate back to that time frame.

(for those following U.S. politics, remember what I've said before - Uranus is Trump - #funny #notfunny)

Uranus's conjunction will make today's Full Moon in Scorpio even more illuminating.

Remember what Full Moons do - they bring something to light, they bring something to a conclusion.

At the same time Scorpio's ruler Pluto (in Capricorn) is trining the Sun (in Taurus). Trines take the brakes off - so whatever has been holding something back is removed. This could be a good thing if we are trying to move forward with something and a not so good thing if we have something to hide.

Scorpio Full Moons are excellent times for deep intimacy. They can also be painful - but know we are strong enough to face any truth/culmination that is revealed now. We have been prepared for it. The pain makes sure it gets our attention and that it evolves us - but let's not get stuck in it. Even pain can be comforting in its own warped way if it is familiar. So let's keep moving. We are strong enough to put down the false (but maybe comfortable) narrative we have been carrying. Our burden lightens.

Juno has stationed retrograde, just yesterday, right next to Pluto - loyalties are shifting, commitments are up for re-evaluation, power dynamics within relationships are tested.

Scorpio rules the 8th house of other people's resources. What does that make you think about now? This is Taurus season - all about what we own. This Full Moon shines a spotlight on what really belongs to us and what doesn't.

Scorpio rules deep transformation - what needs to shift? If you have planets or points near 20 degrees Scorpio, Taurus, Leo or Aquarius you will probably feel this Full Moon energy the most. Resolve to be strong. There is a "meant to be" quality with the way this is all unfolding. Trust it.

For everyone - get outside and walk in it. This is excellent energy for things to come unstuck.

xo all

North Node into Leo | South Node into Aquarius - being visible

The skies shift today.

More immediately felt could be the Sun (in Taurus) trining (brakes off) Pluto (in Capricorn) at 19 degrees at the same time Juno (partnerships) stations retrograde at 18 degrees (in Capricorn).

Juno retrogrades have us re-looking at our relationships and commitments. In Capricorn, this could also be about our relationship to authority and to the power structures that support us.

Relationships and commitments are ripe for "re-structuring".

Juno stations at 18 degrees and Pluto is at 19 degrees. She doesn't quite meet up with the planet of transformation before she turns around. Whatever is happening here we (via she) aren't quite ready for this!

They finally catch up with each other in mid November. That's when the relationship transformation (Pluto) is confirmed. In the meantime, the next 6 months are a crucial period to figure this all out. Then in the fall, the power structures/allegiances shift. We had the Sun trining (brakes off) Juno yesterday, so much of this stuff will fall into place. In November, power will shift - major relationships/commitments can start, outdated/dead relationships will finish.

(since Capricorn rules government it will be interesting to see how much this transit factors into our current political machinations)

We also have the Nodes changing signs today.

Since the Nodes are points and not planets the energies are more collectively felt. On the other hand if we look at the North and South Nodes in our natal chart, and their houses, we will find how remarkably well just these two points mirror our entire story. Babies born for the next 18 months will carry these energies for their entire lives. And we all have a new "north star" to work with and new energies to release or transform.

My first astrology teacher said the North Node is unfamiliar space where we "make steady progress over time" and the South Node holds the familiar, comfortable tools we use to make that progress happen (it also stores the barbed wire and banana peels we use to trip ourselves up).

With the South Node in Aquarius and the North Node in Leo - we need to do Aquarius better so we can do Leo better.

And since our bodies are craving what is familiar (see the work of Candace Pert and others) the North Node can make us uncomfortable. That's OK, comfort can be over-rated anyway (except for right now during Taurus season - I even grocery shopped in slippers yesterday).

We will talk about this alot over the next 18 months.

For now, have a look at your natal chart (astro.com). Go to free horoscopes (top), natal chart. Look for not only your Leo/Aquarius polarity, but also the houses that hold your Sun and Uranus (the rulers of Leo and Aquarius) - let's say you have, like me, a 3rd house Sun and a 10th house Uranus - google 3rd house astrology then 10th house astrology - to see what themes those houses reflect, this will give you an idea of what you have to work with (and what stands in your way): Aquarius, and where you can make progress now: Uranus. Email me if you can't find this and I will tell you what houses to be looking at and what Leo/Aquarius polarity is in your chart.

Growth will come when we move from aloofness toward passion,

from an outsider to an insider perspective (this isn't about selling out or losing our own unique mindset, but watching from the sidelines isn't getting us anywhere, we need some skin in the game now),

from unique idea to creation, 

from the audience to the stage,

from being detached about an outcome to proud of what we have accomplished or attempted, 

from trauma, chaos and PTSD toward influence, effectiveness and leadership.

I read an article about Melania Trump's Instagram feed from before her husband was running for President. There is a certain mean spiritedness to the article I do not like, but the photographs and story they paint of Melania's "backseat" life are fascinating.

(will be interesting to see what she does with the next year and a half)

They sadly remind me a bit of my family album from when my daughter was younger. Not the chandeliers or skyscrapers though - ha!

For years I had thrown family photos into boxes and then a couple summers ago I took them all out to put them in albums. Seeing how few photos I was in was eye-opening, especially since I have so few photos of my own mother. I know I took alot of the photos but couldn't I have spent five minutes learning how to use the automatic timer or handed someone else the damn camera.

Lesson to all moms and grandmoms out there - we can learn alot from the millennials - get yourself in the damn picture! Get a selfie stick. Grab the kids. Whatever it takes.

I think this Leo North Node will be all about "photo-bombing" for me.

You can expect to see me everywhere.

I might even show up in your family photos ("Wait, is that Cat behind Aunt Dorothy at the family picnic? I didn't even know she liked tuna salad sandwiches.") - don't hate me for this.

I am just doing my part to move the collective forward by doing my "Leo".

I promise to comb my hair and check my teeth for poppy seeds first.

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | a look ahead at the month of May - part ll

starry eyed by just a shadow left

The current week's forecast is HERE

OK, so let's finish this look at May before May finishes - ha!

Now, every single month has a theme and at some point every month the Moon will connect with Pluto (this is currently happening when the Moon moves goes through Capricorn each month since that's where Pluto has been since 2008) taking us to the depths of that month's theme. We get to the core of what the theme is about for us so we can bring it up to be worked with. This is the time each month when the month's theme comes together and becomes clear to us.

And yes, sometimes we just bury the damn thing again. We're not ready to deal with it. Keep in mind though that Pluto will be in Capricorn until 2023 and these excavations are monthly. We are going to waste a whole lot of shovels and we might miss the gold buried among the rubbish, if we never move on from the first pile .....

This month the Moon will be in Capricorn (early am on the 14th through dinner time on the 16th) - going over Pluto, digging deep into this month's agenda - at the same time Mercury moves into Taurus (May 15th).

So the start of this year's Mercury in Taurus season (May 15th through June 3rd) will coincide with the Moon connecting with Pluto. This will color our new Mercury season with May's theme and we will probably see things coming together in new ways after the middle of the month. Now remember Mercury is still covering ground he has walked before - here is a post I wrote back in the end of March about Mercury in Taurus - the general info is still applicable but we won't be hitting these degrees again. This is our last chance to get this stuff right before he moves on to Gemini in early June.

On May 17th/18th we are dealing with multiple inconjuncts. What are those song lyrics "the stars are stacked against you girl - get back in bed" - well that fits pretty well.

We have Saturn inconjunct the Sun, Chiron inconjunct the North Node, Jupiter inconjunct Neptune and Pluto inconjunct Mars. Inconjuncts represent crisis. Now remember crisis is both danger and opportunity. This is how we grow. Whatever we are dealing with here and obviously with so many crisis points at the same time many people will be affected and some will be dealing with multiple things - it will probably be best to let things be the way they are going to be.

Slow things down.

We have Mercury in Taurus and the Sun in the late degrees of Taurus - it's time for a few deep breaths. Like, quite a few deep breaths. Like we'll turn ourselves into a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon (I'll be Lucy) with all the oxygen we will be sucking in. PLUS the Moon will be in Aquarius, along with the South Node for the first time in 18 years - this is alot to be happening.

We'll talk about this next week.

On the 19th Saturn trines Uranus. We've been feeling this for a while, but here is when it becomes exact. This is about change, maybe even radical change, that leads to stability. Find new ways of doing old things. Connect with your dad. Connect with your grandson. This is the new and the old working together.

On May 20th the Sun enters Gemini and kicks off Gemini season - well, actually Mars did that already last month! Mars will oppose Saturn the next day, so there could be a stop sign here. In Gemini life will become more diverse. Our activities will speed up. We will be talking more. We will be communicating. Gemini is the one month of the year when multi-tasking actually works.

You can see why I said next week is a BIG week, too.

Then on May 25th we have a New Moon in Gemini. We have Venus conjunct Uranus. We'll talk about all the stuff in this post as we move through it. I started a May series and thought I might actually want to finish something I start around here once in a while. Keep everyone on their toes.

All in all May is a very creative month. Some things come unstuck. We aren't totally covering new ground with many things but we have more clarity now around what we want and what we have. There are some surprises and ups and downs. Our collective way forward shifts (Virgo to Leo) - imagine we are all on this road together and we come to a fork in the road and we all head thatta way TOGETHER. 

(no, we are not all holding hands and singing Kumbaya - sniffle - but the truth is there is really only one of us here - we rise and fall together folks, but you knew that already didn't you?)

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of May 8th - pay attention to what is shifting

comet by just a shadow left

This is a BIG week. Yes, another one. Next week is big, too. Let's dig in.

On Monday, hit the ground running. Get to work. 

On Tuesday, the North Node moves from Virgo into Leo and the South Node moves from Pisces into Aquarius.

This kicks off a new 18 month cycle where we (as a collective) move toward our destiny by focusing on positive Leo expressions and themes and work through karma (again moving toward our destiny) by releasing and re-balancing completed and 'out of whack' Aquarius expressions and themes.

Our Leo (and Aquarius) natal houses get a renewed focus (in order for us to move our collective story forward) and because Leo is ruled by the Sun, the qualities of our natal Sun Sign are how we do this!

The space we find Leo (also the Sun) in our natal chart is where we are meant to "shine". It's where we are here to "take center stage" in some way.  

It's where we lead ... from our heart.

Ruled by the Sun, Leo truly is the king of the jungle. He is that proud, brave lion. Leo loves attention, applause and isn't shy about stepping into the limelight. In fact he must share his creativity with others and he isn't coy about wanting recognition. Not content to hide out in the chorus, center stage - and top billing - are where he needs to be. Now obviously, he (and we) can take this all a bit too far - Leo also rules greed and ego and arrogance. Some of that energy will rear its head, too, to be worked out. We'll deal with it. 

Leo rules our collective 5th house of creativity, generosity, children, fun, games and romance. Destiny will coax us in these directions by opening doors, windows, peepholes - whatever it takes!

Aquarius rules our collective 11th house of groups, the internet, charities, humanitarian causes, freedom, rebellion, astrology, invention. These are the areas ripe for release, karmic re-balancing (in favor of those 5th house activities), past life debts come due and past life credits are repaid.

For the last couple years I have been writing about crossing our T's and dotting our I's (Virgo!)- doing the thing that is right in front of us, prioritizing our health and the little things that take us to the big things.

Well, here come the big things. What have you been building? Big is the new big now. Yes, I'd say things are about to get BIGLY.

(that makes you nervous doesn't it - I can feel you squirming - it makes me nervous, too - maybe those butterflies have to grow in our bellies before we can release them into the world - yes, I know that's gross, retching up butterflies to save humanity - it's the only visual I've got right now, it's raining again here and I'm cranky)

Instead of the focus on the background nitty-gritty stuff we do - the focus will be on being brave enough to go a little bigger, to step into the limelight and take the center stage of our own life! Yes, our own stage. Don't worry we don't have to play Carnegie Hall - in fact Carnegie Hall rather insists that I don't! It's contractual. But there will be similar butterfly-producing events in our future. We won't be able to avoid them.

With Virgo it was most important to do a good job. In Leo, it's most important we bring our heart to the job we are doing and to be recognized for it.

This is a collective influence. We'll feel this in our individual lives in varying degrees, but we'll all find opportunities for a big old light to be lit on the thing we carry in our heart. Hiding in the crowd or staying emotionally detached or doing something for the good of the group isn't going to cut it.
 
We'll talk about this more over the next few months as we move through it.

We last had the Nodes in Leo/Aquarius between October 1998 and April 2000 and before that between January 1980 and September 1981 - if you had big changes during those periods (I know I did) you can, most likely, expect big changes within similar themes over the next 18 months, too!

The Nodes are hooked into a Grand Fire Trine until mid June with Uranus (in Aries) and Saturn (in Sagittarius) - this will get our Leo/Aquarius party off to a strong start.

PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT IS SHIFTING.

Also on Tuesday the Sun (in Taurus) trines (brakes off) Pluto (in Capricorn). This is good energy for dealing with authority, stepping into a leadership role, diving deep into something financial or values related and for having greater control over our own life.

On Wednesday, we have a big old Full Moon in Scorpio- post to follow. Something comes to light. Something concludes - maybe something began around the time of the Scorpio New Moon last November. The Moon itself is all about going deep with love - maybe we need to let something go to get something that represents what we are really worth - maybe we finally figure out we are really grateful to have what we have. This is a really great Moon for a deep cleaning/cleansing, too - closets, emails, pores - you name it!

The 3rd Mercury/Uranus conjunction makes whatever is going on now even more BIGLY. There could be more surprises, unexpected news and information, and with Eris nearby, the potential for another round of arguments, jealous clashes and angry words.

Third times are powerful. A blunt truth can be delivered now and now we are finally ready to hear it. Unconventional ideas and innovative communications are also possible.

Whatever is changing now, whatever facts we are facing - the outcome of all this will bring more stability as long as we do what needs to be done. It will be obvious what needs to change. There is energetic support for getting on with it. So let's get on with it.

On Thursday, the Moon is void until 1pm EST, so don't start anything new in the morning or push forward with something you want something to come of.

On Thursday and Friday, Mars (in fast moving Gemini) trines Jupiter (still retrograde for a little while longer in Libra) and squares Neptune (in Pisces).

With Mars in "let's do it all" Gemini there could be multiple options with whatever is going on or whatever news we hear and we could have to move/decide quickly. There will probably be one best way forward if we can stay grounded (totally possible with the Sun in stable Taurus) and keep the rose colored glasses tucked inside the eyeglass case.

The action we take might be a bit challenging for us, but the results will be worth the effort. Focus. Go deep, not wide. Peaceful and balanced solutions are totally possible.

This energy is flowing pretty smoothly in that direction provided we aren't over-doing our Neptune - too much imagination, pie-in-the-sky, escape, chemical substances - you get the idea.

Lots of Mars energy this week, so it's a week to take action.

With Mercury (words, communication, ideas) caught between a rock and a hard place between Uranus (unexpected, sudden change, rebellion, revolution) and Eris (let me just say um - Carrie, pig's blood, prom night - get the picture?) it's not all love and light. We can expect some words we didn't see coming and they might not feel good. But this is our 3rd go at this. We've had the pebble. We've had the rock. If we're still standing in the line of fire to get the boulder we can't really blame Sissy Spacek, can we? xo all

Mercury Direct in Aries | answers

the way we come undone by vampire-zombie

Mercury stations direct today at 24 degrees Aries. Normally he/she takes a little time to get going, but being in Aries and conjunct Uranus, whatever has been stalled could start moving forward very quickly. News can be sudden and unexpected. Announcements will take us by surprise. Answers come now.

If we have been fence-sitting about something the pressure will increase to make a decision or circumstances will conspire to make it for us.

Now is the time to apply what we have learned over the past few weeks. So what have we learned over the past few weeks?

We are likely still dealing with an old situation (or something that stalled around April 9th), Mercury isn't covering totally new territory until May 22nd, but the momentum now will be on moving forward with it.

Mercury is direct and within 1 degree of change-maker Uranus and we have the first quarter Moon in Leo - if you have a new idea now or are given new information, you probably want to run with it.

All the personal planets are direct for the first time this year - it took us 1/3 of the year to get here, but here we are. Forward, ho.

xo all (drive safely and take extra care with fire and power tools)

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | a look ahead at the month of May - part l

I am still procrastinating looking too closely at the days much further ahead than May. The seeds of our future are planted now. Our power is in the now. So let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. Plus any reader of my blog can tell you I lean toward negative thinking - more likely to write about the cloudy skies and pits of fire ants than the field of tulips I am standing in when I see these things.

And yes, it's good to know when to pack an umbrella and falling into a dark hole in the ground filled with biting insects doesn't sound all that cozy, especially during Taurus season, and maybe scanning for things like this does make us a little more safe and secure.

Maybe. Maybe not. I am pretty sure it takes our attention away from the tulips though ....

Anyhoo.

Let's take a sneak peak ahead at the month of May and see what kind of astro is kicking up.

(Each time I draw a Tarot card lately for the collective, which I do occasionally to get a feel of things, I get the two of swords. For anyone vaguely familiar with Tarot that's the card with the woman in a long white robe sitting on a stone bench in front of an ocean. We can see an island in the distance behind her and a waning crescent Moon in the sky. She is blindfolded and holding two large swords crossed over her heart/chest. To me this card usually signifies some sort of fence sitting. Our heart is blocked. There is something we don't want to look at. Our time is growing shorter and those swords look very heavy. It carries the energy of that frog in the pot .... ribbet.)

May is alot about MERCURY and also about SATURN and URANUS.

Let's start with Mercury.

He/she (Mercury is rather androgynous) stations direct tomorrow. It will take a couple days for her (and us) to get back to speed. Or maybe since he stations in Aries we will hit the ground running right out of the gate. It's hard to say.

Then she walks forward until May 21st when he gets to the space she turned around from on April 9th and finally on May 22nd he starts covering new territory (am I confusing you by flipping gender pronouns like this - well, good, staying on our toes for the small things is good practice for the bigger ones).

Mercury stations at 24 Aries. At the same time we have Uranus at 25 degrees Aries and Saturn at 26 degrees Sagittarius.

So, next week we will have a Grand Fire Trine, a Full Moon in deep, dark Scorpio and the North Node will move from grounded Virgo into fiery Leo. That's alot! The exciting part of 2017 is starting.

But let's stick with Mercury a little longer. Conversations, communications, ideas and information will be even more important than usual. Stay flexible. We don't want to dig in to a position too deeply that we become so entrenched we can't see any way out. The North Node, in Mercury ruled Virgo for just a few more days is squatting at zero degrees Virgo. Something is trying to get our attention. The stuff that comes up now will matter later.

With Uranus huddled up to Mercury - our thinking can change. That trine to stable Saturn tells me that changes in our thinking made now will provide us with more stability later. With that North Node (collective way forward) about to break into passionate and heart centered Leo - this is exactly the energy we need to break through our limiting thinking patterns. Remember we are set up to crave what is familiar not what is best for us.

Read/study something else. Talk to different people. Write the stuff down that catches our attention now.

With the South Node (what we are releasing) about to move into detached, group-oriented Aquarius it is time to THINK FOR OURSELVES. It's time to bring to the collective the very individual thing we are here to bring. Remember that flock that has been so important, well, maybe we are a bit lost in it now. Herd immunity works until it doesn't. And now it doesn't. That oxygen mask is going to have to go on our own face first for awhile. We are going to see what that feels like.

The world is maybe going to look a whole lot more selfish until we get our groove with this thing and figure out what stays and what goes, what works and what doesn't ..... trust the process.

Back on Thursday with part ll - xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of May 1st - stuff gets freed up

sometimes I think I can see by vampire-zombie

Good-bye "confused, stalled and month we spent all our time looking in the rearview mirror" April. May will provide some welcome energy to get us moving forward.

On Monday, the Moon is in security-oriented and moody Cancer and interacting with our ongoing T-Square. There could be a focus on home, family or real estate.

We continue to have Mercury (communications, conversations, information, thinking) conjunct "anything-can-happen" Uranus. So expect the unexpected for a few more days. If something "out of the blue" hits now our emotions could be all over the place, especially if the news is about a potential impact to our security.

The trine to stabilizing Saturn makes me think the news will be beneficial in the long run (even if it doesn't look that way now - although it might be good from the get-go) or will shore up our structure or bottom line somehow.

We are still in the energy of lightning bolt flashes of genius for the next couple weeks. Remember the idea/thought 'flows to/evolves through' the person/situation best lining up with the energy needed to make it "real". What are we lining up with these days - hint what are we valuing - ie giving our time, money and attention to?

Moon goes void at 4:23PM EST thru midnight. The rest of the week is clear of Void Moons (EST) during work hours.

On Tuesday, the Moon moves into passionate Leo. This is great, fast-moving energy for creativity, playing, interacting with children,

(notice how many times adults "tease" children and think they are "playing" with them - I used to catch myself doing this, too - sometimes I think if we could stop just this one thing we could change the world in one generation or maybe one week since the adult's energy would have to shift)

romance and fun. People will be expressing what they want now. The potential continues for unexpected news and new ways of thinking.

On Wednesday, Mercury stations direct. He will be pretty much standing still all week and very powerful. Post to follow. He won't be covering brand new territory until about the 3rd week of May, but it will still be the first time all year we have all the personal planets - Mercury, Venus and Mars - moving forward at the same time! Whatever has been held up since April 9th will be freed up (likely very quickly). This could already be happening. In Aries, answers, words and situations will be as blunt as they need to be.

Also on Wednesday, the Sun (in Taurus) sextiles (opportunity) Neptune (in Pisces) then on Friday inconjuncts (challenge) Jupiter (retrograde in Libra).

So from Wednesday through Friday - we have a Yod (finger of God) focused on Jupiter - planet of expansion and opportunity (also the energy of getting our hopes too high). Events will conspire to have us focusing on that Jupiter (what house is home to your natal Libra? I ran through some sign themes HERE) like a laser beam. Jupiter is still retrograde, so it is best to go deep rather than wide with this one. We'll talk about this later in the week.

A heads up that the energy from late June to late July will be explosive.

May isn't smooth sailing either so we need to take advantage of every opportunity now to get our ducks in a row. It's Taurus season - focus on what you already own and shoring that up. Get out in nature. Cook something. What can you do to make yourself more comfortable, to create more ease, more value?

We still have that Virgo North Node (for only a few more days!) - small things are big things. 

For example: if we value our time we won't waste it. Put the car keys back. Put them where your muscle memory most naturally wants to put them. So, let's say you've bought an adorable key holder for the wall by the front door, but you most naturally toss the keys on the coffee table. Stop trying to force yourself to use that adorable rack - yes, it's cute, but it doesn't create ease or comfort. Hang something else there and find an equally adorable bowl for the coffee table. Keys go in there.

Imagine you are Michael Jordan, shooting a free throw and it's the last quarter. Yes, you get to imagine cheering crowds and all that jazz, OF COURSE. Consistency is needed. You still have to put the keys in the bowl every time. But you can because you are Michael 'freakin' Jordon.

You aren't searching for your keys anymore. Your life gets more comfortable. You value time and TIME VALUES YOU RIGHT BACK. It gets more stretchy. It's a win-win. Make it easy and then just do it. And now I am imagining Michael Jordan's sneakers. W.T.H.

What we value - ie give our time, attention and money to MATTERS. The stuff we seek is seeking us - let's get serious about clearing up the crap standing in its way. xo all

Venus back into Aries | who are we now?

praskie ulice by muszka

Venus (love, money, self-esteem, values, women, beauty) first entered Aries back in the early days of February then she stationed retrograde and backed into Pisces where she had to deal with Saturn (restrictions, road blocks, deadlines, delays, authority) and Chiron (wounded healer).

Now, she's back in "me first, let's get this thing moving" Aries and we are on to the next leg of our journey.

From victim/martyr to warrior maybe? The situation has changed but most importantly so have we. Venus retrogrades are for 40 days and 40 nights (sound familiar).

We have been tested and tempted. Do we really want this? Is this really something we value now? Demons from the past have resurfaced to be wrestled. There have been bittersweet looks backward. Photo albums and Facebook posting histories have been worn ragged from overuse. Maybe we've had to release some dream/situation/person.

When we know better, we do better - as Maya Angelou would say.

So now we know better and we are off to do better. BIG HUG.

We also have Mercury conjuncting Uranus and this influence will be felt for a few days. This is the conversation or news that comes "out of nowhere". People will be speaking impulsively. Our thinking speeds up and we might not be able to control what pops out of our mouths. Uranus also rules technology and innovation - this would be the time for news about new discoveries.

I read recently about a man who has invented a machine you can point at someone's head and they hear what you want them to hear - inside their head, no one else can hear it. The article made this sound like some kind of medical breakthrough, but all I could see were the dangers if this technology fell into the wrong hands. Like my husband's. I would be listening to AC/DC all day. Or maybe he would try one of those subliminal messaging things to get a hot cooked meal. Seriously though, this breakthrough mind control machine, is one of those things scientists do because they can without asking if they should. I see the warning lights and I'm sure they do, too. Danger Will Robinson.

And we thought the Age of Aquarius (ruled by Uranus) would be like the song/play with people growing their hair extra long and "letting the sun shine in"? Sorry, not so much.

Anyhoo, I'm not going to get into that on a Friday morning!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. I am preparing crafty goodies for my brother's baby shower tomorrow. He is becoming a first time father at 47 (and yes, this is with his 'first time wife' of almost the same age). Science, when the "should we do this" is factored in, can create miracles, too. We don't want to forget that.

With Mercury (thinking, ideas) hooking up with innovative and futuristic Uranus now - brilliant ideas, solutions and decisions can come of out nowhere. They may upset our apple cart, but maybe those apples have grown moldy anyway.

(One of the reasons we have a Trump presidency - he is Uranus remember - is our own inability to embrace CHANGE. The more we neglect these energies when they show up in our own lives the more energy the collective must deal with. I don't know what was going on with him in late March, but something from then will be back in the news now, too.)

This isn't the first time Mercury has conjuncted Uranus recently and it won't be the last. Remember Mercury is retrograde now (how can we forget?) and walking backward. He conjuncted unpredictable Uranus on March 26th when he was direct and again now as he backtracks and finally on May 10th after turning direct. Something here is trying to get our attention. This likely ties into our Venus retrograde story, too. News now will be news we can use. And trust. I'd say pay attention, but if this touches your chart you won't be able to miss it.

Mars is also conjuncting the Moon in fast moving Gemini. Today is going to fly. Get moving. If you blink, you'll miss it!

xo all

New Moon in Taurus April 26th | keep it simple, what we seek is seeking us

interpreter of sunlight by equivoque

I hate writing headlines for posts because nothing is ever just one thing or just one way. We are all so busy these days and everyone is skimming - which is a good thing to do with a mosquito net to a dirty pool, but always makes me think of the Soprano's taking a little off the top. It is easy to be short-changed. Although I skim, too, sometimes, of course :)

Anyhoo, Wednesday's New Moon (early morning) is in steady eddie, fixed and earthy Taurus. New Moons are the times when the Sun and Moon are both in exactly the same degree. The Moon is hidden. The stuff we do now is hidden, too. After tomorrow the Moon, as it moves out of exact lineup with the Sun, will appear to grow larger in the night sky. This is called waxing. The waxing Moon is the time of every month's lunar cycle when things are growing. 

Fire Moons (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) may be the best times to start things and have them take off like a rocket, but earth, and especially the only fixed earth New Moon of the year (this one) is the best energy for the seeds we put into the ground to take root and last. Patience is required with Taurus. Think about a farmer with his field - he doesn't expect his plantings to bear fruit immediately and we can't either. Time is on our side here.

Remember the way this whole thing works - astrologically speaking. We initiate something (say an intention) and it carries the energy of the 'start' - that moment of time. It actually is that moment. Now the degree of this New Moon (6 degrees Taurus) will be activated by other celestial bodies as they move through this degree later. Venus and Mercury will walk this degree when they get into Taurus at some point over the next few weeks and impact it, other planets and points will square (tension) or oppose it (just what it sounds like). We've established a marker, and life, through its ceaseless cycle, continually interacts with it. It's always up to us what we do with/and through these interactions and of course some markers are stronger, and more impactful, than others. Because Mars has already passed 6 degrees Taurus we won't have his fiery active energy interacting with our marker later. This is just fine with Taurus though who likes a more stable, consistent path anyway.

Taurus doesn't like to rush. She likes comfort and ease and stopping to smell the roses. This isn't about being lazy. This is about our ability to savor. And to put down roots. We live on a beautiful, miraculous rock hurtling through space. How is this even possible? And yes, times are especially challenging (and I am finishing up that 'winter is coming' series - it's even challenging to write about and keep an open perspective believe me). But we came here and are alive at this time for these experiences - we carry (each of us our own little piece of the puzzle) the energy needed now.

Actions and intentions that are given root this week will carry this solid, straight forward, long lasting energy. Think - simple. It may not be the best energy to start something super complicated. For example, this is excellent energy to commit to a healthier diet and have it stick. But, the way to do this would not be with complicated meal plans. Keep things simple.

With Uranus (rebellion, sudden changes) conjunct a retrograde Mercury at the time of this New Moon there could be an energy of 'not wanting to take no for an answer'. The stuff that is restricting us will be more keenly felt now and talked about or communicated. There could be some surprising news about an old situation that moves us in a new direction or gets us thinking a new way.

This New Moon is the beginning of the "moving ahead" energy that will gain more momentum when Mercury stations direct next week. Probably a project or situation that has laid dormant, been on the back burner or in the planning stages is starting to show signs of life now or signs that things are wrapping up.  

NEW MOON INTENTIONS 

This new moon in Taurus is an excellent time to begin a grounding practice, make affirmations and set intentions about Taurean ruled themes (also the theme of your natal Taurus house): love, money, contentment with what we already have, patience, self-worth, releasing stubbornness, health issues regarding our neck, throat and voice in the world - this would be a great time to start a singing practice or class, simply committing to singing loud and strong every time you are in the car can begin to carry your voice to new spaces and places (are you wanting to get your voice heard? think about it, I am totally serious, this is how life works) - nutrition, nature, self-care.

AFFIRMATION TIPS: get into a happy, contented frame of mind HUG A TREE (she needs you, too!) - always make affirmations from a  positive place, and both definitions of positive apply here - happy and certain. Write your affirmations down by hand in script, speak them out loud - then release your attention from these things knowing that your intention is known. Know these things are already yours.

Also remember affirmations are action -  they set the energy in motion and by working with the right things at the time of the New Moon we are literally creating the affirmation within the energy that is needed to bring it to life.

Words are not just words. If done properly, in the right frame of mind and heart-felt, they line us up energetically with the thing we are seeking. Always. 

The stuff we start now will benefit us later in the year. With Taurus, this is pretty much guaranteed, providing we keep things SIMPLE.

xo all


via GIPHY

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of April 24th - news we can use, seeds in the ground, sudden revelations

in the form of a dream by equivoque

This is another big week.

It's a chapter in our story that would keep the reader up all night - it has a little bit of everything - work, creativity, old passion, karma, new decisions, endings, fresh starts and a plot twist at the end we won't see coming.

The early part of the week will probably be easier to work with. Get a jump on things Monday morning and take advantage of the Aries/Taurus Moons on Monday and Tuesday to get as much done as possible.

On Monday, Mercury (retrograde in Aries) trines (brakes off) Saturn (retrograde in Sagittarius). Any news now will be something we can build on - it will likely be about an old situation. It's a good time to accept reality and be practical. Step into responsibilities. Slow down and double check the facts. Use grown up language and be respectful of yourself and others with the words you choose to use. Communications and conversations with authority figures can go smoothly. A tendency toward negative self-talk could show up now - that inner critic should be respectfully silenced. "Thank you Saturn for bringing this to my attention. I can handle it." Then move on.

There are multiple challenges to Vesta (hearth, devotion) today including a square with Mercury and inconjunct with Saturn. So the smooth energy between them is giving her a headache! Maybe what we know we have to do is creating tension with what we are obsessing about or some 'tribal' matter. Now, Mercury squared Vesta back at the end of March while he was direct, so it could be an old situation/conversation regarding something that 'nurtures us' and/or something we are 'devoted to' is back on the table. Use that Mercury trine Saturn to discuss/work with these old energies in a new, more structured way. We might have to have the same conversation or rework the same idea again.

The New Moon in Taurus on Wednesday is an excellent Moon for planting NEW seeds. With the Sun and the Moon in fertile Taurus and sextiling (opportunity) the planet of our dreams and imagination, Neptune, who is very strong in Pisces - it will be well worth taking the time to set those monthly intentions!

A fixed sign, Taurus loves structure and routine, and the next few weeks will be all about creating new systems in our everyday life that support our highest values. We will have to be willing to leave behind what isn't working for this to happen. Post to follow.

The New Moon's sextile with Pisces is exact it is good energy to be proactive with our dreams and creativity. It trines fated Pluto. The time could be finally right for something. Plant those seeds! This is excellent healing energy. What needs healing? How can we benefit from merging with the collective energies? If we are exhausted this would be good energy to take a mental health day, especially if we can get our body near or into water. A walk in the woods can do wonders now also. Crying or sweating will work, too.

On Friday, Venus moves back (going forward) into Aries. Something finalizes here that has been ongoing since at least February. She is back in warrior mode and we are focused on ourselves (and so is everyone else). On the same day Mercury (information, communication, conversations, transportation) conjuncts Uranus (rebellion, unexpected, sudden) bringing unexpected news and plot twists! This will be a hell of a day! Post to follow.

xo all