BIZ Astrology for Tuesday August 26th - responsibility and self love

ashley goldberg print

We still have the wonderful New Moon in Virgo (mutable earth - steady change) until tonight so use this space to set those intentions - see yesterday's post.

This is the best time of the entire year for universal, energetic support to set intentions and put new processes into place for Virgo matters:

Work attitudes, health, habits, employment, employees, tenants, servants, co-workers, pets, dependents, service given to others, routine matters, clothes, hygiene, aunts, uncles, unconscious mind, high school years, apprenticeships, food, small animals, solar plexus, bowels, productivity, nutrition, tools, analysis, coping with stress, chores, duties, your feelings about employment, work output, self improvement, dedication, devotion, loyalty, faithfulness, discipline, celibacy, bread, magic, harvest, criteria and our skills.

Let's DO THIS! Tomorrow the Moon is void (between signs) so take some action today.

The Moon conjuncts Mercury - so we get a little clarity today, but there could still be some stress around how to proceed. On Friday the Sun will oppose dreamy Neptune and the blindfolds will come off. Let's postpone big decisions until next week if we are undecided.

We have Venus square Saturn and Mars so this could show up as delays and frustrations in our creative life (also romance and money) - this is really about showing us where we need to put in the work (we may not want to hear this if we want to play these last weeks of summer - I hear you!).

Saturn is an aspect of the father/authority figure - the 2nd largest planet; the planet of contraction (Jupiter, the largest planet, is the planet of expansion so we always expand a little more than we contract). Saturn is about boundaries, responsibilities, karma, commitments, self-control - the stuff that defines (meaning = outlines) us.

He sets the rules. This is the aspect where if we quit, we quit (and sometimes we need to quit). This is the aspect that supports those who are not afraid (or too lazy or distracted - shakes fist at Neptune) to put in the work and the time and take responsibility for what we put out there without any guarantees about the outcome.

If we aren't sure what we should be doing and we think we need to be sure before we put in the work this is the universe giving us a little smack upside our head. This is not the way life on planet Earth works. We are living through a transition. A transition that we asked for. Transitions aren't the wobbly spaces between two stable places anymore - the places we work through to get to the other side - the entire space is the transition - there is no other side.

This is not because there isn't a rainbow at the end of our choices, but because the space of making choices is what we are here for - we didn't come for the rainbow!

Venus slamming into this bad-ass boys' club brick wall today shows us if we need some outer source (even our partners) to make us feel good, it's going to be a long day/week. Thin skinned people better grab a sweater, too.

Trust that lots of things are coming together for us - patience (and patience isn't about waiting), adjustments, responsibility is needed now. Virgo is like a cosmic Martha Stewart - she wants it done right and at the end of the day this will be a good thing.

xo all

BIZ Astrology for Monday August 25th - New Moon in Virgo (the small stuff matters now - new beginnings)

my virgo aromatherapy locket by polarity

The astrology wheel is the hero's journey of self discovery. When the sun moved into Virgo this weekend, it is the hero's first encounter with service.

The hero is learning when to help and when helping isn't really helping. Virgo is the modest healer with the critical eye that takes care of the details. Meaningful work and competence are key now.

Virgo knows we are not here to do the work we love - we are here to love the work we do. There is a difference. This is the difference that changes the world. This is the difference that changes us.

Every sign has something to learn from the sign that follows it.

Leo learns from Virgo (and we all have Leo and Virgo in our charts somewhere - its placement will affect how this activates in your own journey) - to do the work. Virgo teaches Leo to let go of the need for the spotlight and recognition and to just focus on the work.

It is no coincidence that Virgo comes in autumn; the time of the harvest - the time we separate the wheat from the chafe.

Virgo's shadow is perfection. Perfection is a ferocious teacher and many people with strong Virgos have the battle scars to prove it. There must be self acceptance here.  

If a Virgo is unhappy with what she sees in the mirror, she will be unhappy with what she sees everywhere else.

Self-esteem is the key to avoiding self-destruction. Despite Virgo's need for careful planning (a well planned job is half done is certainly one of her mantras) she must learn to live in the moment and to live there with compassion (for herself and everyone else).

This is everyone's lesson now.

Today we have a NEW MOON in Virgo and the energies at play are as complex as any Virgo we will ever meet. We are truly laying the groundwork for our new beginning. This is a big week.

We have the Virgo New Moon opposing Neptune in Pisces and the New Moon's ruler (Mercury rules Virgo) sextiling the Mars - Saturn malevolent conjunction (war with physical consequences) in Scorpio we are all dealing with.

Saturn is the foundation builder. And when Saturn is galvanized by Mars he will build them even stronger (bulldozers aren't moving these babies once they're up) AND nothing demands a more concentrated and sustained effort than Mars with Saturn in the depths of Scorpio.

NOW is where we hit the wall.

We either muster the energy to scale the damn thing or we go in another direction - there is no one answer here. There is no right answer either. What is our heart telling us?

We can work harder (with Saturn) sustained by the knowledge our second wind (Mars energy) will be there

or we can release what isn't working for us and begin to move in a new direction.

There is a finality to the energy now. Lots of endings. Lots of old stories being addressed. So what are we going to do?

This isn't about making a big decision today - we've still got this Neptune in Pisces opposition fuzzing things up.
   
This is about little decisions.

This is about tying our shoes and going for that long, sweaty walk. This is about putting a pitcher of water on our desk and not getting up until the work is done. There is great power in sticking to a schedule now.

The next two weeks are very important.

We are starting a new two year period with this Mars - Saturn cycle about our purpose in the world (and our relationships). We are laying a foundation - we may not be able to see exactly what we are building yet (we will by the end of October), and that's OK, but whatever this new structure is, it is our job to ensure the labor that builds it be practiced and detailed and precise.

Venus in Leo squares Mars - Saturn. This is about a need to evaluate our personal and professional relationships. On Friday the Sun opposes Neptune and relationships may get even more confusing. We need to ground ourselves (the Virgo sun will help us with this, spend some time in it) so we can see people for who they are and not who we want/need them to be. Patience is rewarded now.

We each have it in us to do what we are called to do and we are the only one who can do it. When our belief becomes that we are here to serve the world, that is exactly the space that will open up for us.

Today is the day for excellent energetic support for affirming what we want.

A Virgo New moon is the perfect time to focus on Virgo areas such as : health (diet and exercise; the maintenance of our health), work/job, creating order, relaxing perfectionism and helping others.

Examples of some affirmations:

1. I am easily attracted to foods that are healthy for my body. I establish routines that create total health for me. I easily swallow vitamins (ugh).

2. I easily complete tasks with minimal stress and maximum efficiency. I create routines that give me time to relax. All tendencies to postpone necessary tasks and errands are totally lifted from me. I create financial abundance for myself while adding value to the lives of others.

3. I restore my work space to order on a daily basis. Any resistance to 'cleaning up the mess' is lifted from me. I create order in my home.

4. I am free of critical judgements of myself and others. The compulsion to 'be right' is easily lifted from me. I use positive language.

5. I consciously feel satisfaction from being of service to others in my work.

AFFIRMATION TIPS: get into a happy frame of mind - always make affirmations from a  positive place (both definitions of positive apply here; the one that means certain and the one that means favorable)- write your affirmations down by hand in script, speak them out loud - I always write my affirmations on strips of paper, burn them and release them into moving water - as we release them we release our attention from them also knowing that our intention is known. Know these things are already ours. xo

BIZ Astrology for this Weekend - Getting Clear, Choosing a Tribe, Keeping Our Cool, Getting Some REST

susan newberry designs

Let's take a big picture look - on Sunday we have a New Moon in Virgo and we go from fire to earth. Next week starts our Virgo sun period of the year - work, organization, focus and direction. So big changes ahead for everyone. We have a new 2 year period beginning (which means a 2 year period is ending), a new 12 year period beginning (and yes, this means a 12 year period is ending) and stuff we have been incubating since last November is coming up for our decision. No one gets a pass on this, no one gets a free ride.

(Creatively when we need a change but feel very directionless we can always look to Neptune for her guidance - right now Neptune is in Pisces so anything connected to Pisces can be clarifying. This includes being in or near water, getting extra sleep, drawing, writing, visiting libraries and museums, visiting people who are in the hospital or jail - yes, jail and you can visit me if hubs keeps parking in the grass. I wouldn't visit a jail this weekend though - too much fire right now.)

Today the Moon finishes up in Cancer (not a good day to start something new since the Moon is void most of the day) and moves into Leo around dinnertime. This Moon highlights relationships, projects, we will be reminded of all the irons we have in the fire now. It is easy to be impatient.

This is a lot of relationship energy - new tribes are forming - asking ourselves "Do I still fly with this flock?" is a valid question. Lots of karma has dropped away. As our individual energy changes the way we all fit together changes, too.

With all this Leo tonight and tomorrow if we are excessively prideful or pushy or wanting everything to go our way, especially on Saturday, things will not go smoothly. Pride is a good thing until it isn't. People can be testy now and relationship stuff gets tested a bit. Keep things cool and easy.

There is an urge to jump into new things now, but there is also a need to think first. This weekend's yod points to Uranus so yes we have to be ready to try something new - Uranus loves new, and Uranus doesn't care if we are ready. He always wants us to just jump in, he doesn't care if we land in the sticker bushes or on our neighbor's new cement patio - we might, so take a moment and think first.

My advice for this weekend is play it low key (and PLAY) if we have some big stressful shindig going on - take a step back from it and get some perspective. Breathe. Slow it Down. Make Extra Time - time has sped up, but that means it is also flexible now.

Allow ourselves to feel any emotions that come up, don't let them spill all over other people - we are not allowed to scald anybody with this stuff. Anger is real and natural and can be righteous. It's the nature of boiling water to roll after all. Holding onto this stuff creates inflammation in our bodies - we have to find a way to release it. The goal now is clarity.

BIZ Astrology for Thursday, August 21st - when uncomfortable is the new comfortable

Complicated astrology this week. We have Mars meeting up with Saturn and these guys are not exactly  friendly (think Seinfeld vs Newman, Betty vs Veronica and Edison vs Tesla) so this could show up in our lives as work and career blocks and frustrations. We might feel like we are pushing boulders uphill at times - that's OK - we are building the muscles we will need later.

If we need to discuss some important stuff and especially stuff that has been pushed under the rug with loved ones (or business associates or even clients) Pluto, Mercury and Venus are in a position today to support us in finding the right words to heal things or I should probably write "the right words to help the situation grow in a positive direction".

Using the word 'heal' can be tricky - because when we say 'heal' some people hear 'all better, good as new' when healing is a process that can take us to 'better than new' but we have to get through the inflammation and often that uncomfortable itchy part first.

Doors are closing, other doors are opening (or will be) - since Jupiter changed signs (he changes signs about once a year) last month into sunny Leo he has been highlighting for us the roads to our happiness. So far he has been doing this with his extreme squares to Mars and Scorpio and exposing where things are no longer working for us.

Pluto is very much in play right now - so big dreams (and even real dreams - do you remember last night's dream?), especially career related and dealings with authority figures. Pluto is the planet who says we either work on our stuff or our stuff works on us. Do what has to be done now. Legal stuff, taxes, paperwork, etc.

The Moon is still in Cancer (it's a balsamic moon tomorrow) - it's in a Grand Trine - making a trine to Chiron (the wounded healer) in Pisces and a trine to Mars in Scorpio - this is mostly a positive thing.

It does require adjustments and courage on our part. We want stability and comfort but we have multiple aspects including Uranus in Aries forcing change. Change can be uncomfortable. There is a feeling today that we need to take some kind of action. There could be some hard things unveiled in the next couple weeks, so if we are wanting to sit still - we probably will find things outside our control not allowing us to do this.

I once had a co-worker, who we will just call Cyndy Bennis (because that was her name - no, not really) and she had an obsession with the office temperature -

it was too hot - it was too cold.
 
The thermostat was, of course, right next to my desk. One day after my gazillionth temperature adjustment. I said: "no flippin' more!"

(or maybe something a little bit stronger, this office was in Jersey)

and Cyndy said: "I'm sorry. But I just don't like to be uncomfortable."

She kind of rocked my world that day because although I would never have voiced this out loud - and groaned when she did - I was making choices that were creating exactly that kind of life!

Today - maybe the best advice would be "don't get too comfortable." There are some money aspects today that could be requiring us to make some adjustments.