Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of December 7th - ready to pounce

cat pounce by vlue

Ok, here we go. We will all be busy. The energy is similar to last week.

(this energy really breaks up around Christmas which will maybe give everyone one more thing to celebrate)

Mars has multiple major aspects. He squares Pluto and opposes Uranus. Both of these positions are challenging. Let's look at them separately.

1. Mars square Pluto (this aspect is past exact - it was exact on Sunday - but still in play).

We might ask ourselves now:

"Where do I need to stand up for myself? How can I focus my will? How do I express anger? How do I work with power? When is my anger out of proportion to the situation?"

Hubs used to get really crazy in traffic when we were younger. I could never understand the big emotional response he would get when someone followed closer than he would like or pulled in front of him.

Being cut off  - other spaces where we have been cut off, where someone has shut us up, where someone appears to be have gotten "ahead of us",

being followed too closely - other spaces in our lives where people are on our back, where people have been nipping on our heels, breathing down our necks, where we have not been fast enough -

when we feel an emotion that is out of proportion to what is happening we know it is activating something else - something our physical or emotional self is holding.

If we are conscious this week - we might note what is activated in us and work on releasing it in healthy ways. Physical exercise is very helpful right now.

Anger can be a “negative” emotion,  when perverted into rage or violence or when it is repressed, so that it squeezes out sideways in passive-aggressive responses and actions. But anger is passion, too. We can't get angry if we don't care. Passion is the energy of creation - passion makes the world. Anger is a similar energy alerting us to the need to remake our world when our creation has gone wrong. Let's try to stay conscious.

Mars (war, starting energy, the development of will, the expansion of courage, anger, selfishness, what we go after, violence) squares Pluto (power, control, karma, transformation, authority). A square is a transit that creates growth through tension and frustration. Something happens and forces us to do something. Mars is in Libra (women, love, money, values, art). Pluto is in Capricorn (integrity, solitude, business, power).

Toss all the parenthesized words into your salad and see what you come up with in your own life.

(interesting there was a rare woman involved in last week's shooting while Mars is in Libra)

This transit will affect us most strongly if we have planets in our natal chart between 11 and 19 degrees of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn). Check your natal chart. Also see what natal houses hold Libra and Capricorn. Those will be the fields of play.

2. Mars opposing Uranus (this aspect is building, in play all week and will be exact on the 10th)

Mars (war, starting energy, the development of will, the expansion of courage, anger, selfishness, what we go after, violence) opposes Uranus (genius, innovation, technology, rebellion, eccentricity, fast change). An opposition is a transit that creates growth through opposition. Something or someone else is doing something to us. Something happens that requires us to make a decision. Mars is in Libra (women, love, money, values, art). Uranus is in Aries (starting energy, the development of will, the expansion of courage, anger, selfishness, what we go after, a love of the battle). You can see how this transit's similarities to Mars square Pluto makes it all the more powerful.

EXAMPLE - for Aries (rising, Sun in whole house astrology) : Mars (1st house) triggers Uranus (7th house) - this triggers the unexpected in a relationship. The other person (or you) makes an unexpected move. A bridge is burned. A fire started. Think this through first. Wait for the New Moon to make your next steps.

And of course we have the background Saturn/Neptune square requiring us to face reality and dissolving our illusions. Which sounds like a good thing until we are actually living through it. Also remember we are approaching winter and in the days of releasing what we don't need. Productive Moons all week, but expected the unexpected and with aspects to Jupiter, there will be a tendency to overdo things and have more to do than we can get done. Take time for yourself!

 (Note - if you are prone to panic attacks, this week's energy might bring one on. I had one last night. Haven't had one since March. Played Taylor Swift - Shake It Off. Went to bed early.)

On Monday, the Moon slides into Scorpio, conjuncting Venus and trining Neptune. Good time to focus on Scorpio stuff (Mon/Tues) - loans, taxes, insurance, finances, reproduction, death/birth issues. Venus trine Neptune can offer up a fresh start with a woman, love or income issue and help us attract what we need/want. Anything we have going on that requires intuition or Neptunian themes will get movement (brakes off). Some people will attract great inspiration (or possibly isolation - where'd everybody go?) - yes, those ideas really are already out there just waiting for the right person to "pluck" them like an apple. Be warned - commitment comes with the "pick".

Mars opposition is building - unexpected anger or angry actions can come anytime this week. Let's keep our heads. Negotiations can break down now. 

On Tuesday, there is a Sun/ Uranus aspect that brings the spotlight, an opportunity for sudden change or evolves us forward in some way. Anything that comes up quickly would have to be jumped on.

Mercury enters Capricorn on Wednesday where he will hang out for the rest of the month. Talks get serious. Communications take on a more professional tone. Watch peppering our conversations with nonsense and chitchat. Serious talk gets serious results now. Ideas presented to higher ups must be practical and structurally sound. Just the facts, jack. Mercury is answering to Saturn now. Take what you hear seriously, too. If you don't understand, ask for clarification. Mercury squares the Nodes of Fate and presents us with a crossroads. Make an adjustment.

On Thursday Mars opposition to Uranus is exact. Who is standing in our way? Who are we trying to control? How's that working for ya'? Whatever is happening between us and someone else is highlighted now - could be something that kicked off around November 24th is wrapping up or relate back to last weekend. Watch for fires. Don't leave candles burning. Drive safely. We'll keep our cool. There could be a lightning bolt attraction or leap for freedom that takes us by surprise.

On Friday we have a New Moon in Sagittarius - fire sign New Moons are very potent for fresh starts. There are also some other aspects (mystic rectangle - yes, there are things called mystic rectangles ... don't you love astrology!) giving this one the potential for something BIG. Will post about this in a couple days. Check the house of 19 degrees Sagittarius in your natal chart to scope out the territory. xo all

the story gets serious ...

age by samlin

I'd say I've been feeling my age this week, but actually I have been feeling this woman's age

(although she can thread a damn needle and I can't seem to make a jump ring without dropping the wire even though I treated myself to two brand new pliers for my busy season and a tabletop magnifier although maybe that doesn't count since I have never actually attached it to the table and just keep pushing the box with my foot when it wanders too close to my chair)

OK- so here's the stuff to finish up the weekly forecast.

There is potential for violence and danger when Mars (war, action, initiation) engages either Pluto (power, control, destruction, rebirth) or Uranus (rebellion, sudden upheaval, revolution) and Mars has been and continues to engage both.

On Sunday, Mars square with Pluto is exact. Mars/Pluto is aggression, bullies, force. With Mars (Scorpio ancient ruler) in Libra (ruled by Venus) and Venus in Scorpio - although both planets are in spaces where they are not so comfortable and usually not as powerful, they are strengthened by each other now. For better or worse. It's important for us to make conscious choices and take conscious actions. And next week we have Mars opposing Uranus retrograde in Aries. Mars/Uranus is accidents, explosiveness, hair trigger tempers - combine it with Pluto and we get riots, mobs, things out of control. Nobody wants to be subservient anymore. Nobody wants to be ignored. There is righteous anger here. Mars in Libra can offer up manipulation, jealousy and insecurity. Dangerous weather. 

(if you were on a boat I would suggest dry land and a trip to the local pub - actually avoid the pub, too)

Snooze buttons are turned off. We're awake now, right? This is a time for real heroes (not action figure heroes, truly we need less action and more kindness and compassion) and for togetherness. It's really not us against them - there really is only us.

Since Mars will be retrograde for many months in 2016 we really want to be in a better space before we start backtracking and doing this all over again. One of my first astrology teachers (in the early 90's) said the 2010's would be like the 1960's married the American Revolution. It had all sounded so exciting back then and almost romantic. I had imagined a pot smoking Thomas Jefferson with flowers in his hair and the Beatles riding through the streets on horseback carrying muskets and proclaiming "the British are coming" ... uh, not so much ....

There are ways to make productive use of this energy though. So, we'll find them. If we are facing a challenge, Mars/Pluto will bring us the strength, willpower and courage to overcome great obstacles. Just don't take this too far - there is the potential to get hurt or hurt others.

Mars/Pluto can be the catalyst we need to get us "unstuck". It's very good energy to restore or rehabilitate older, previously strong structures (yes, including ourselves!).

Mars/Uranus gives us the courage to address inequality. It shows us we do not always have to do things the way we have done them in the past. New actions get momentum with this. The momentum creates freedom. Mars/Uranus brings us the courage to change.

And remember, we have the beautiful Sagittarius Sun in the middle of this - illuminating the good stuff if we take the time to look, the higher wisdom, the bigger perspective.

Truly, I think humanity has always struggled with the same problems we face today. What made the past different was just far fewer numbers and smaller scale. We made all the same mistakes then that we make now, but our errors carried less cumulative impact. 

The past is important (although I doubt earlier
cultures were appreciably more moral or ethical than ours - probably more was just hidden out of sight). A rear-view mirror is essential for safely driving forward. 

But we can't move ahead looking backward. And we have to move ahead. There is no option to go back. We burned that bridge.

This weekend be safe. Stay away from fire (no actual bridge burning, please). Watch your temper. Give other people space. Be civil. Be kind. This would be a good time to practice gratitude for what we have. Neptune and Chiron in Pisces asks us to hold our hands and arms wide open to gather what comes and allow for those things that are leaving to slip away; to love our life as it changes .... so here we go. xo all

precision ....

"I have always cherished old things, used things, things marked by the passage of time and human events.

I think of my own self this way, as something much handled, much knocked about, as worn and polished with use and abuse.

As something serviceable, perhaps I should say. More serviceable for having had so many masters, so many wretched, glorious, haphazard experiences and encounters" ... Henry Miller

fingertip precision by earthhart

The Virgo Moon fills us with a need for precision, organization - a "want" to focus on the details. There may be limits, an ending, an authority figure in the doorway, a need to push ourselves harder. Wonderful energy for servicing others. Tonight she opposes Neptune and squares Saturn and the Sun forming a mutable t-square. What's real? What's not real? It can be hard to see/feel/know the difference now. We may all be up to our elbows in mud .... xo all

p.s. good news for those working through that "feeling sorry for ourselves/envy" thing - Venus in Libra conjuncting Juno will start to move us past this ... a rising tide really does lift all ships, there really is only one of us here ... 

At the deepest level, there is no giver, no gift and no recipient... only the universe rearranging itself.  - Jon Kabat-Zinn

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of November 29th - getting honest with ourselves | itching for a fight

How To Listen
Tilt your head slightly to one side and lift
your eyebrows expectantly. Ask questions.

Delve into the subject at hand or let
things come randomly. Don't expect answers.

Forget everything you've ever done.
Make no comparisons. Simply listen.

Listen with your eyes, as if the story
you are hearing is happening right now.

Listen without blinking, as if a move
might frighten the truth away forever.

Don't attempt to copy anything down.
Don't bring a camera or a recorder.

This is your chance to listen carefully.
Your whole life might depend on what you hear.
... Joyce Sutphen

completely honest by bright white kite

There are 24 shopping days until Christmas. How is this possible?

OK. We have a Sagittarius Sun so we are all burning Sagittarius fuel and feeling a bit like what it feels like to be a Sagittarius. There is expansion, passion and fire. We should all be standing a little taller now.

(yes, we might need the right boots - and what the hell, they are probably on sale)

This particular holiday season is influenced by Virgo where Sagittarius ruler Jupiter is hanging out. This will make it particularly busy - we need to stay organized, we will all be working, servicing others and attending to (and likely buying) practical things.

(I had an email from a customer asking me about a bracelet "does this have a function?" - at first I thought this was a very odd question, but then I knew Jupiter in Virgo!)

On Monday afternoon (and Tuesday) the Moon is in Leo - this would be a good time to take a creative risk. Enabling other people to shine more brightly puts the spotlight on us, too, somehow. On the other hand a lack of attention (or appreciation) can be challenging now (see yesterday's post).

Monday is the last hard aspect with Neptune and Saturn until mid January - we can use the next few weeks to work out how far off course our ships have drifted (dreams vs reality) and how to get ourselves back on track. The more major a course correction we need before the next storm hits, the more volatile the activity we are probably seeing now. If we are still blaming someone or something for our current situation - the sooner we let that crap go, the better, and faster, we get the outcome that moves us forward.

Then it's December 1st and the energy changes right away.

On Tuesday Mercury trines Uranus in Aries (brakes off) - this feels like information coming at us quickly and suddenly that allows us to see something (or ourselves) in a new light - Mercury squares (tension) Chiron in Pisces - this feels like, well, maybe ...ouch.

We may be compelled to speak up. We may hear about an out of the blue opportunity. Whatever happens, comes with the caution flag out (this isn't a stop, just a stop and think). New information can be freeing and painful.

The wound that’s triggered may be a result of us saying the wrong thing or discovering the right thing too late or at the wrong time. On the other hand any opportunity to see something in a new light is a good thing. And our triggered vulnerabilities brought to the surface is a good thing, too. We can't toss off those self limiting beliefs if we don't get them out of the closet and into the trash can. With Chiron involved we know whatever happens this information/opportunity is healing. Some kind of uncomfortable truth may be shown to us or a space where we have gotten carried away becomes clear. The results can lead to liberation and authenticity. And I realize that sounds airy fairy, but it's the best I have right now.

(did I say there were 24 shopping days until Christmas?)

EXAMPLE for Mercury in 11th house - we might be compelled to say something on Facebook that startles people about who we really are and we can't "unsay" it. The blow-back might force us to think about and deal with the way we hide who we are to "fit in" or "stay safe" in social spaces. 

On Wednesday the Virgo moon says "let's get this mess cleaned up". So we do. We could be dealing with paperwork or co-worker issues or something with a pet.

Mercury squares Jupiter. Venus (love, money, women, art) moves into Scorpio - making whatever is happening here more intense. What we want (Venus) will be deeper (Scorpio) - shallow stuff will not hold our attention now. People may want more from us than we can give. We might over promise. We could speak about what we believe in ways that are over the top. We might say something we don't even believe when we get caught up in this energy. Let's give others a break when they do this, too.

Thursday is the last quarter Moon in Virgo. Something is winding down.

Intense aspects at the end of the week with Mars (war, anger, initiation) squaring Pluto (power, control, destruction, rebirth) - both strengthened and working together. Something is building/itching toward a fight. I'll talk about this in a couple days - just know this will be added pressure, intensity, tempers flaring, crankiness, edginess as we build toward this ...  xo all