the bigger picture and next week's election ...

crystal ball by heroinx-x

Astrology can be a tool for prediction, but not a very good one. It is a language of archetypes and patterns. Our chart isn't fate or destiny - it's really a blueprint of our God given potential!

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

Astrology looks at what has happened in the past when planets and points were in similar spaces and rubbing against each other in similar ways to see what we experienced then. Then it hypothesizes and imagines what those energies could bring to current situations.

And, of course, the experience and intuition (and bias - we all see what we are looking for to a large degree) of the astrologer play an important role.

As an armchair astrologer I am not going to wade into prediction - but it might help to put the election into a bigger framework.

Think about it this way. This election is an epic battle between two warriors. Either of these warriors could win or they couldn't be in the ring. There is no future set in stone for any of us. Either of these warriors can take us on the next leg of our collective journey, too.

Let's not get caught up in thinking one of the two of them is going to destroy us (or save us - that's up to us) - the road we are on is the road we are on.

We have been on this road since 2008 when Pluto moved into Capricorn and really we have been on this road since the last time Pluto was in Capricorn and our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence.

The United States is four years from its exact Pluto return (Pluto the planet of karma and transformation will be back in the exact position it was in when the Declaration of Independence was signed) and four years is a blink of the eye to Pluto. The unethical and corroded structures of Capricorn (government, big business, banking) are transforming.

One of the most active planets these past few months has been Eris (dwarf planet). Eris is Mars' trouble making sister - she is the outsider. Aided by Uranus, planet of revolution and 'anything can happen' they have been turning things upside down (not just in the U.S.!).

And as we move from the Age of Pisces (patriarchy) to the Age of Aquarius (equality) the conservative/liberal split is strongly emphasized. We are polarized with a father based mindset or a mother based mindset. Whichever one we most connect to, the other side looks nuts. They just don't make any sense to us, but the truth is, it's literally the ways our brains are wired (see the studies of George Lakoff).

Both sides have wonderful gifts and both sides have their problems.

Let's take a peek at the warrior's charts.

Clinton's chart (which like Hillary herself is somewhat hidden since her birth time is unknown) shows she is an intense person leading an intense life. It's a BIG chart. She is undoubtedly reliable and steady and will see things through. But with multiple planets in Scorpio, what we see is not always what we get.

She is predictable but there is a lot going on behind the scenes she doesn't show us.

She has a compassionate Moon that gets overshadowed by her Scorpio Sun (I bet her mother who she has a strong spiritual connection to was overshadowed by her father). She has a past life victim/scapegoat story and needs to be careful taking advice from men or subjugating herself to male energy. She will fight for what she thinks is right, for what she wants and for her own survival.

She is manipulative and cunning. And if we see this as always a bad thing - we have probably never won a game of Monopoly.

Life is complicated. Clinton is complicated. She was born with Saturn conjunct Pluto and Mars which is a very powerful and ambitious combination (with an ability to survive almost anything and almost a death wish). She moves in a ruthless world. She fits in.

With all the scandals (and yes, some and maybe many are fabrications and exaggerations) she has weathered, it is amazing she could be the next President of the United States. Think about it - we had a candidate who yahoo'd or yodeled or whatever you would call it (does anyone remember Howard Dean's Presidential run?) and was practically run out of town.

How is this woman still standing (maybe in much the same way all women are still standing)?

Love her or hate her (and with all this Scorpio energy she will engender strong reactions) she is mirroring the feminine shadow energy we need to see right now. Some will see a manipulative witch and some will see a woman who does what she has to do to get things done - both will be right.

Now, let's take a peek at Trump's chart.

He actually published his birth certificate online when he was claiming Obama wasn't born in the United States, so we know it is 100% accurate..

His Sun is in Gemini. His Moon is in Sagittarius. Geminis are clever and good with words. They are fast thinking and often funny. They can say one thing to one person and something else to someone else - they are changeable. Sagittarius is the sign of the adventurer. It's the sign of big beliefs and BIG (or I should say bigly) EVERYTHING.

They are opposite each other in his chart so we know he was born on a Full Moon. He has the North Node conjunct his Sun so we know he was born on a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse. He has Uranus, the planet of 'anything can happen', the future, rebelliousness and genius conjunct his Sun and North Node - this is a pretty big deal. Yes, I'd say his chart is bigly.

With Trump's chart what we see is what we get. Stuff isn't hidden but things are always in flux. Lies aren't always lies (although with a Gemini Sun, yes, there are definitely lies and exaggeration) as much as they are the way he previously thought or operated that he is done with. He used to do this and now he does that. He used to think this way and now he thinks that way. He used to say this and now he says that.

Uranus conjunct his Sun and North Node makes him a human lightning bolt ... and you know how we never know where lightning will strike! He carries that electricity we feel in the air right before a storm.

So, yes, he was born to do something big and his energy is totally unpredictable. No one can know what he will do, even Trump himself. When he says he will not be controlled by big money (or foreign countries) I actually believe him. He cannot be controlled - even by the people who elect him though. If someone thinks they know what he will do, they are mistaken.

Remember eclipses bring things to light and eclipse things out - this is his destiny. Could he eclipse out corruption as some people believe? Yes. Could he eclipse out the important stuff we really need as other people believe? Yes.

Trump's lunar eclipse is closely aligned with the United States' Mars.

His Sun (life force) conjunct the United States' Mars (initiative, anger, courage, war) is one reason so many people see him as powerful and energetic and capable of leading the country. It also explains the "anger at authority" and "fear about security" he "shines a light on".

Having his Sun conjunct the United States' Mars at a lunar eclipse (Full Moon) means his Moon is opposing this same Mars. The Moon represents emotional, feminine, maternal, nurturing energy. The Moon rules Cancer and the United States has the Sun in Cancer. This is where his woman problems come in and his troubled relationship with feminine energy.

Love him or hate him he is mirroring the masculine shadow energy we need to see right now. Some will see a bullying narcissist and some will see a powerful, energetic man who does what he has to do to get things done - both will be right.

No one is just one thing and these two are just people after all - even though they are both working with some strong archetypal energy and showing us their shadows.

There are things we can do to have an impact on how all this plays out. I don't mean the election results but how this journey we are on plays out.

And I am not talking about telling other people how to vote. Everyone has made up their mind - although maybe not - looking at election day maybe people get up thinking they will vote one way and then end up voting the other way!

We can watch our language. This election has a lot to do with truth. We spent the entire year dealing with the Saturn/Neptune square of dreams vs reality. It is very hard to know what is real right now.

We can see how the media and 24 hour news cycle is a big problem and draining our energy.

There is a totally different energetic signature when we say "the truth is being revealed" than when we say "lies are being revealed". Can you feel that?

There is nothing happening in the collective that isn't happening within us, too. What is our own truth - specifically an event in our own personal life we are being challenged by now?

Somewhere here there is a truth we don't want to look at. This isn't a time for judgement. This is a time for every one of us to move closer to a truth that is pressing against our paradigm and needing to break free.

Can we get to a place of observation and objectiveness within ourselves where we can ask - what is the truth needing to be exposed? Also women need to hold a clear space without apology. If this sentence resonates with you there is a reason.

Election Day could be a nail biter. We start the day with a Void Moon! 

Void Moons are not good times to launch things and I take this seriously because the Moon needs to be aspecting something else to get results. With the Moon by itself we would just dream our life away!

When we start things during a Void Moon the saying goes "nothing will come of it". I have found this to be true over and over again. Then late in the afternoon EST, the Moon moves into Pisces. 

(the Sun will be in Scorpio and the Moon will be in Pisces which is Clinton's chart - this election is really all about her and what she stands for in the mind of each individual voter)

Maybe one of our warriors will look like they are doing well early in the day but then things will flip around.

Or maybe whoever pulls out a win has something happen after the election and "nothing comes of it" (the win).

Or maybe there is a recount needed after election day or someone contests the results - I guess this is the most likely scenario. There are multiple possibilities.

The Moon in Pisces is drifting energy. Stuff can slip right through our fingers ...

More on this in next week's forecast. Have a nice weekend everyone - relax! xo

Sun trine Neptune | connection, healing and creativity or in way over our head

by Adam J Kurtz
Today the Sun (in Scorpio) trines (brakes off) Neptune (retrograde in Pisces) at 9 degrees.

This will increase our sensitivity, empathy and need to connect with like-minded others (where's that damn flock?) or people in need.

Kind and compassionate actions, even small ones, push us forward in big ways now

Our physical life-force (Sun) can work smoothly with Neptunian themes - creativity, romance, spirituality, escape, delusion, addiction, the things and people 'put away', healing, research, institutions.

Maybe some kind of charitable (Neptune) work beckons (Sun) to us.

Maybe a creative project (Neptune) needs our energy and attention (Sun).

Maybe we shine a great big old spotlight (Sun) on our dreams and wishes (Neptune) - yes, please.

Maybe we work (Sun) a meditation practice (Neptune) or spiritual practice (Neptune).

Our intuition is high; dreams (the kind we have when we are sleeping) colorful.

This would be an excellent time to make a vision board!

The potential downside with this energy is getting in over our head or becoming too unbounded.

Trines (brakes off) can take us from zero to sixty very quickly - they are that slippery slope our grandma warned us about.

Avoid temptations that could lead to excess.

Toss the extra Halloween candy in the trash now.

xo all 

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of October 31st - Halloween hauntings and stuff falling into place

Halloween by Miobi

Happy Halloween!

They say the veil is thinnest between the worlds today (this must be amplified with the Sun and Moon both in Scorpio this year). In Celtic tradition called Sanhaim and the Day of the Dead in Mexico there is always a Scorpian theme of death, birth, ancestral gifts and baggage.

Pay attention to our dreams (and signs) now.

On Monday, we will want to hit the ground running. We are still in the New Moon energy (new opportunities, ideas, insights) of yesterday's exact conjunction of the Sun and Moon in Scorpio and Jupiter will amplify everything - this is a new and exciting week!

The Sun and Moon are both in deep and penetrating Scorpio. Now they sextile brave (and maybe angry) and energetic Mars and karmic/powerful Pluto. This is a good time to enjoy positive vibes with influential people. Last minute changes are likely, but wheels can be greased here.

Mercury (information, communication) is trining (brakes off) the South Node of what we are releasing. Neptune is sitting with the South Node. There is some delusion to be let go of here. This is part of our collective journey - this is a collective turning point.

An almost effortless flow of information has the power to change things. 

On Tuesday, the Moon is void until 10:45 am EST (we can take a moment to catch our breath), then moves into fiery and optimistic Sagittarius. The Sun and Neptune are positively aligned. A light (Sun) is thrown on Neptune themes - imagination, spirituality, deception, dreams, healing, research, romance, what we are doing that is put away or hidden.

There is a karmic flow with whatever is playing out this week - some things will be out of our control. Rather than pushing to make things happen (although with all births there is some pushing!) stuff will flow together (or apart) through our involvement with external (often powerful) forces. There is some kind of reality check here.

On Wednesday, the Sagittarius Moon hooks up favorably with Saturn (in Sagittarius) and Jupiter (in Libra). This is a good day for Sagittarian themes - travel, politics, foreign, higher education, weddings, marketing, media and religion. Luck with (and for) women, love and money.

On Thursday, the Moon is void all day - lots of work can get done, but don't launch/start anything new unless you want 'nothing to come of it'. Mercury (in Scorpio) hooks up with Pluto (power) so if a news/decision didn't show up yesterday it probably will now. Powerful people will be in the news now, too.

We have Venus (women, love, beauty, money, values) squaring (tension) Chiron (wound) and trining (brakes off) Uranus (anything can happen, rebellion, genius) - this is about healthy risk taking and encourages us to try something new (maybe a heartfelt apology or explanation that speaks to other people's hearts?) and also waives a flag of caution about taking things too far ....

On Friday, the Moon in Capricorn sextiles (think:friendly) Neptune (in Pisces) squares Jupiter (in Libra) hooks up with Pluto (in Capricorn) and sextiles (again friendly) Mercury. This sounds complicated and it is, but stuff is coming together.

With our emotions in 'all-business' Capricorn we will probably need to fight the urge to nitpick. Don't spend all day focusing on the fly in the ointment, maybe just stir the ointment and assume the fly adds protein!

Nothing and no one is perfect and the closer we look the more imperfections (real and imagined) we see. Sometimes it's OK to take a step back.

(this is good to keep in mind always and in particularly during this roller coaster election cycle when everything is micro-analyzed and distorted - remember quantum physics has taught us that we affect what we look at just by looking at it!)

Let's focus on our goals - we get down to business.

So, we have a week with positive news or connections with authority figures, trying something new can be healing now, a focus on Neptune and Sagittarius themes and luck with women and money if we stay grounded and don't overdo it. Keep goals realistic. Think before speaking this week.  

There is fantasy. There is reality. We can understand and connect to what really matters anyway.

Whatever seems so serious early in the week could (as Venus hooks up positively with Uranus) turn into something very positive and freedom-producing later on. Things turn around with this energy.

So here we go!

Don't forget to seed this New Moon energy by setting spoken and written intentions!  

Happy Halloween!

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