use what you know .... part I

fear by TheRoflCoptR
July and August are going to propel all of us forward. This is the "ready or not" next steps in our journey and we're all more ready than we think we are.

It's almost time to use what we've learned.

Our Scorpio houses, that carry this lifetime's fear, were worked through by Saturn (2012-2015) and now Mars mission here (since February) is almost complete.

Mars and Saturn will meet up at 9 degrees Sagittarius in late August and that will be that. Our Scorpio houses and the fear we carry will have evolved. We will move individually and collectively forward with the new energies into a new space.

And in case you are reading this and thinking what the hell is Cat talking about, let me say this -

I didn't start this blog to write about astrology or world events and some days, believe me, I regret my writing here has taken this turn. The last thing I need or want to be is 'preachy' and it's easier and faster for me to write funny anecdotes about what Olive and I are up to. But since it is the most fun and interesting (and hopefully useful) subject for me to write about right now, we'll plow on. I am going to change things up this summer a bit and get back to more business posts.

Anyhoo, back to astrology. Astrology is a language. It's a system of archetypes and patterns and a belief that above effects below (and vice versa). It isn't a religion or spirituality and people who love and study astrology come from and practice all different religions. Some are non-religious. It's a language that fits many paths.

The basics is this (and this is my elevator pitch interpretation and there are many types of astrology that would say something somewhat differently) - our astrological birth charts are our contracts and road maps. They are an imprint of the moment we took our first breath - we literally are the universe at exactly that second.

And we carry this energy for the entire collective for as long as we exist on the planet.

Our chart isn’t fate or destiny – it’s really a blueprint of potential!
 

(astrology sees free will as the central axis of any chart - some things we will have to meet up with, how we handle them is always up to us)

Now, after we are born the universe just keeps on spinning, so as we move through our life we activate certain energetic points that line up in particular ways with the spaces they occupied when we were born. These are called transits. So let's say when you were born the Moon was at 10 degrees Cancer - at various times throughout your life the moving planets will affect 10 degrees Cancer either by landing on 10 degrees Cancer or on an angle to this space and we say they are 'transiting your natal Moon'. 

(Also your chart keeps progressing. We are not static and our charts aren't either. Your chart progresses one day for every year you are alive, so if you were born on March 1, 1977 and you are 30 years old, you will look a bit like a chart prepared for March 31, 1977. So let's say on March 31, 1977 the Moon was at 11 degrees Leo. Today's moving planets affecting 11 degrees Leo are said to be 'transiting your progressed Moon.'. And, yes, since we move our chart one day for every year we are alive, if we live to be 90 years old we will have moved the energy only 90 degrees, ha! So you can see that small things are big things!)

Since our natal chart is the energy we are composed of, it is the lens through which we see the world. So, for example, the 'mother' in our natal chart isn't the reality of who our mother is, it is the way we perceive and experience her. We are already energetically prepared to line up with a certain kind of 'mother'. Our mother is reacting to us as much as we are reacting to her! The energy we carry (beliefs) determines what we notice. And what we notice (believe) sets up a certain trajectory for us. And this works the same with all our experiences and spaces in our charts (not just mom).

OK, now back to our Scorpio houses and this Mars transit. Scorpio rules the stuff we don't want to look at; the stuff we push down - our dark side. This is the fear we carry for ourselves and for all of us. When we, as individuals, transform some of this energy by bringing it to the surface, it has an impact on the collective energy - and the trajectory (and future) for all of us.

God, the Universe (pick your comfort zone) has been giving us an opportunity to work through our fears and transform this fearful energy. Some of us, those with planets and points in our natal and progressed charts that Mars is walking back and forth over, are feeling this transit the most (and there are multiple transits at the same time we are all working with) but since Mars is an important inner planet we are all feeling it.

Astrology houses also relate to the energetic centers in our body known as chakras (which makes perfect sense since we are literally mini versions of the universe). For example, I am a Scorpio rising - Scorpio is in my 1st house (also 12th house). The first house of our astrology chart corresponds to the solar plexus chakra. The solar plexus rules over our lower emotions like anger, fear and jealousy. We need a good balance of these emotions because they protect us but too much and they can overwhelm our entire system. This chakra also has to do with gut instincts. People with an abundance of this energy in their chart are assertive and can protect themselves. When it is under-active, we have trouble standing up for ourselves. I have little fire influence in my chart and have issues with keeping my solar plexus strong. I also have stomach problems which I know relate to suppressed anger, fear and jealousy. I'm working on all of this and it's a process. We are all a work in process ....

Ok- I will finish this up later with the Mars Goes Direct post! xo all

(if you would like me to look at where this Mars retrograde has worked through your chart I'd be happy to - just drop me a note or comment)

Mercury into Cancer (Wednesday) | taking it personally

love my soul by rapid heart movement


Mercury (communication, ideas, intellect) enters Cancer on June 29th.

There are multiple ways we will find this playing out. First, Mercury will bring an even greater focus to our natal Cancer house and to the things Cancer rules (home, family, country, history, roots, mom and apple pie - well maybe only apple pie if it's baked by mom).

Since Cancer is a cardinal sign initiating a new season we will enter into new conversations that move existing things along or take us in new directions.

Words can bring comfort. Nostalgia wins hearts here. It will be easier to connect emotionally with others through conversations and communications.

On the flip side, we (and others), might take things too personally. Words can also make us overly emotional as they carry us back to other times we have heard/experienced them.

Our thoughts and decisions could be influenced by the past, even the distant past, and we want to be certain we are not romanticizing something from our history or being too needy with others. It will be good to give those needs a voice - just think through whether it really applies to the current situation.

We will be most successful when we speak and write with the intention to make the other person feel safe, secure and connected.

A Cancer's first impulse is usually to retreat into the safety of their 'shell', so privacy, and time to get our thoughts together, will be important now.

We could regret oversharing information with others. As writer and researcher Brene Brown says, "we share with people who have earned the right to hear our story."

The stories we tell ourselves and each other and our shared history will be what connects us now. Keep that in mind. xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of June 27th - foward we go!

fast forward by PORG


This will be another busy week with lots of twists and turns.

We start the week still under the influence of the magically positive trine (brakes off) between Pluto and Jupiter (exact yesterday). This is an opportunity to build on whatever positive happening has been moving through our life in the last couple weeks.

If there is something we can do to push something forward let's do that in the beginning of the week while we still have this "lucky" energy at our backs.

We've also got Mercury in Gemini (lots of ideas, thoughts and conversations) sextiling Uranus (sudden out of the blue change). Pay attention. We won't have this kind of Jupiterian "luck"for another 8 years and it will not be so grounded then - able to produce physical changes, opportunities and actual stuff we can hold in our hands. With Capricorn and Virgo there will be work involved, but we have the potential to make something real here.

If anything has shown any promise over the last couple weeks, take some steps with it now.

Mercury squares Chiron (stationing retrograde) so there could be a conversation or communication that touches an old wound or makes for an uncomfortable decision. It would be best to stay aware of how much of our thinking is 'habitually negative' - it would be good to stay positive and I don't mean pink flowers although maybe having some around would be helpful. Focus on positive possibilities. Let the other stuff drift off.

THE BIG NEWS - Mars is moving direct on Wednesday - project delays and roadblocks will begin to clear.

He is uber powerful now as he sits in our Scorpio house (I know you have especially felt him over the last few weeks Aries and Scorpios!), - maybe like a knot of fear in our stomach. Where is 23 degrees Scorpio in your natal and progressed charts? Our Scorpio house is the space we carry this lifetime's fears (and our 8th house, the house Scorpio rules, the natural home of the fears we have inherited from our parents and society). Mars has been covering the same ground Saturn covered a couple years ago trying to show us the stuff we are afraid of that is standing in our way. Fear that surfaces this week will be alot about this. This isn't new stuff, but it could be shown to us in a new way.

The stuff that has been stuck with Mars retrograde is about to come unstuck. He won't be covering new ground until late August, but we should have a good idea by now of what we want to do or not do. If a decision is still not clear to us we can use the next few weeks energy as Mars covers the same old ground in forward motion to figure it out. By now we probably know what's worth fighting for.

By the end of August the die will be cast so to speak. Battles will be won or lost, decisions written in stone ....

So, Monday - Venus and Neptune are snuggly and this bodes very well for love and money - with Neptune, inspiration and imaginative will be in good supply. There is also a trine (brakes off) between Saturn and the Moon (in Pisces) making this a good time for dealings with authority figures, positive closures and long term commitments. Also keep in mind the Jupiter/Pluto stuff I wrote earlier.

On Wednesday Mars moves direct (YAY forward motion people!) and Mercury moves into Cancer making how we feel about what we hear much more important than what people are actually saying. Words can make everyone more emotional - keep this in mind.

Thursday's opposition between Pluto and Venus could offer a powerful (karmic) situation with a woman - there could be some kind of triangle with what is happening, maybe something to do with real estate or family? With an opposition something/someone 'out there' is doing something that requires some action or decision from us.

With the Venus (love, money, women, beauty) Jupiter (expansion, luck, growth) sextile (positive) on Friday bringing us back to the Jupiter/Pluto (karma, fate, transformation) trine (brakes off) - it again feels like positive growth. There will be opportunities now for all of us to shift the patterns we have when in relationship with others.

All in all a mixed bag but mostly positive week with moments of frustration and insecurity.

xo all

... a sneak peek

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

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

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

And then on Sunday, Jupiter trines Pluto.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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