FULL MOON in Sagittarius June 2nd | the BIG Picture | Speak the TRUTH

I like tonight's Full Moon. Yes, we have lots of Gemini energy, so we are going in all kinds of directions at once and we have to do things again. We'll just roll with that. Mercury is Retrograde so we are kind of looking backwards to avoid falling into that hole in front of us and I know this makes no sense, but it's just how it is.

It carries the gift and the challenge of the past.

(I have lots of re-do's going on with my business and have been listening to a book on Audible that takes place in the 60's and watching a TV series on Netflix from the 60's and feeling uber nostalgic for simpler days even while knowing it was all smoke and mirrors)

We have an opposition to Mars with this one so someone else is facing us and bringing either passion (PASSION!) or competition or we are just pissed off at them or something they are handing us to deal with.

Jupiter, Sagittarius ruler, currently in Leo, has a nice alignment bringing the potential for growth, happiness and prosperity. Do I hear a HELL YEAH!

Full Moons are peak times. Think of them as that moment of our breath when we have inhaled and are FULL. 

We immediately start to exhale. 

The Moon is full. It is bright and fills the sky. It is illuminating. 

We can see (if we open our eyes and sometimes things will happen to pry our closed eyes open) what we are holding onto. 

Are our arms filled with starfish or alligators?

Hearts open during the Full Moon cycle (it's actually a very good time for heart surgery).

This Moon forms a Yod to Pluto in Capricorn. So, with Jupiter sextile Mars we have boldly optimistic actions and options and a powerful urge to take that leap, Pluto Retrograde in Capricorn as the focal point will require us to be accountable for our actions and outcomes.

Now, remember with Capricorn as the focus, ambitiousness is a good thing. Ambitious gets the brass ring with this one. It also brings power struggles. Even if you think you are no longer playing this game, you can get embroiled. Be honest with yourself about the things you think you want now - will they make you stronger, smarter, expanded in some way? We need to choose our goals carefully because we are more likely to attain them!

Our thinking will be expanded. Thoughts are things people, although we can take anything too far, expanded thinking leads to expansion - a definite good thing!

Now - the fly in the ointment, yes, there is always a fly in the ointment - sometimes the fly ruins the ointment and sometimes we just scoop his little ass out and the ointment is just fine.

Dreamy Neptune is squaring Sagittarius making for BIG dreams and fading boundaries. BIG dreams and things not being quite as good as they appear. BIG dreams and pie in the sky thinking. There is no need to hurry. If something seems too good to be true we can wait until Mercury goes direct mid month when things will be clearer.

We have to use our intuition and our discernment now. What is this Full Moon shining a light on for you?

BACK TOMORROW with my new series! xo all - get outside and walk in this moon - it doesn't matter if it cloudy and you can't see it - it's there. Also a great time to detox - think milk thistle and an epson salt bath. Or just have a great big CRY that works, too.

The local Native Americans called this Moon the Strawberry Moon and we've got this (the strawberry motherload) going on here - planted 6 plants last year, we now have about 50 plants, you just have to cut off the leaders as the sprouts take root. We've eaten at least 100 strawberries each in the last couple days! ----->

owning our gifts | part I | prequel - yes, I am having prequels and sequels now, I'll blame the movie industry and the summer blockbusters

Full Moon (June 2nd) post tomorrow which will cover this week's creative forecast, too. Expansion time people!

We are living through some major paradigm shifts - which is really one shift, the rising divine feminine and end of patriarchy (which isn't a woman/man thing, although it may play out this way at times - this is archetypal energy, we all hold feminine and masculine).

One of the spaces that is shifting for everyone is our relationship between money and hard work. We have a Full Moon in Sagittarius (the sign of expansion ruled by Jupiter) tomorrow night, so this seems like a good time to start a series about what this shift might look like for us.

the best use of mercury retrograde ... and the heart and head of creatives come together this summer

Mercury is retrograde until June 11th.

I remember when most people had never heard of Mercury Retrograde and now it seems like poor Mercury (planet of communication and MAGIC) is being shamed/blamed for everything that goes wrong!

This is probably because 1. the internet has exposed many more people to astrological teachings 2. most people are moving so fast now any sort of slowdown feels like a problem  3. it's a convenient excuse when stuff falls to shit (pardon my french), especially stuff that would normally be considered our fault

The truth is, although we don't want to spend too much time looking backward, there probably is a telephone pole 20 yards from that guy's head, we can't full steam ahead through life either.

Life doesn't stop because Mercury (or any other planet) is retrograde.

A sneak peek at our new ARCHETYPE Aromatherapy Lockets with the uber-talented Jessica von Braun available next month!

Our new Soul Scentered line of archetype aromatherapy lockets (damn say that five times fast or once after a couple marguaritas) is coming this summer. My archetype lockets feature the amazing work of Dallas artist Jessica von Braun of Solocosmo!

Feeling our Way Through the Fog | Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of May 25th

At some point this week we've got Neptune squaring all the planets in Gemini including Mercury which is retrograde.

This means multiple spaces in our lives are being challenged by Neptune's dreamy and illusory meanderings.

Things can be foggy and changeable

(speaking of changeable - warning shameless plug ahead - have you seen my changeable Polarity Lockets - 10% off this week with coupon code FOGGYWEATHER)

making this a poor week for making important decisions - next week is better.

If we must decide NOW, let's get a second opinion (maybe a third) and be sure we have all our facts in order, T's crossed, I's dotted and ducks in a row. This will be challenging because people will be saying one thing and meaning another, the truth will be slipperier than tired, bare feet on a wet dock and there are real risks (and consequences) to taking incorrect actions to get what we want.

Stuff can bite us in the butt very quickly with these aspects.

There may be multiple options but no good, correct choice.

We can easily convince ourselves that what we are doing is OK (when it's not) or that something is urgent and essential (when it isn't).

See this girl walking into the fog ----------->

well she might be about to step off that dock into some pretty frigid waters ... use caution.

We begin the week with a waxing moon in Virgo (through Wednesday). This is a good time for practiced work and production and if we are ready to move forward with something that has an element of service to others and/or quality handcraft (Virgo's specialties) this is a good time to take action that will bring us positive results.

On the other hand Virgo wants things done and done well and with all this Gemini energy making us feel rushed and pressured we really need to get a grip on where we are right now. 

Are we pumped up and ready to get to work? Are we enjoying the fruits of past labors? Are we releasing what was and slowing down? Are we standing quiet and waiting for our muse to beckon us forward into something else?

With Virgo the lesson is always life is what it is and we are where we are. No one is falling behind. No one is winning. No one is keeping score.

Recognizing and embracing the space we currently call home within the noisy background of the endless demands from the outside world is a precious and valuable ability to have in this time of massive change and unrest. The world has its own schedule now - we need to be clear about ours.

A wise teacher once said to me - there is no train to miss if you don’t have a ticket.

That train pulling away from the station is not an opportunity passing us by, but a confirmation we are exactly where we need to be (if this were our train we would have a ticket and a seat) - preparing to journey forward when the train (I like those old fashioned ones with the ear splitting whistles and hot, sticky leather seats myself) and timetables are right for us.

xo all

Upcycled SAFETY PIN Necklace for Mother's Day | Tutorial

Here's a DIY safety pin necklace tutorial you will love. A totally adorable and easy peasy handmade gift for the mom who takes her safety pins (although maybe not her own personal safety) seriously.

Now some DIY tutorial makers might tell you to glue those safety pins closed and add a nice safe lobster clasp to the back ... but Olive and I, well, we think moms are a little tougher than that ..... xo all

Lather, Rinse, Repeat | Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of May 17th

We start the week with a New Moon in Taurus and Mercury going retrograde in Gemini.

(see more about that HERE)

The New Moon is the end of one cycle and the beginning of a new 28 day cycle - all possibilities are on the table now.

(This Moon is in Taurus Decan 3 and falls on the fixed star Algol - which is Arabic for "demon's head" and is said to depict the terrifying snake- for-hair head of the Medusa monster chick who could turn people to stone with just one glance. Not the nicest space for our Moon but if we are looking to cut something, or someone, off at the head or making something rock solid this is the time. We just don't want to go overboard with anything right now or we could lose our own head!)

Compromise and Flexibility | Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of May 4th

jude mcconkey wildflowers

Did April blow by fast enough for everyone? Well, hold on for more of the same speed in May!

Mercury goes retrograde in a couple weeks and we are moving into the shadow of this on MONDAY so something or someone from the past may be on our mind or our time and attention may be drawn backward today - also communications and mechanical items may start to get wonky.

(time to back up our computers)

Today could give us an inkling of what's in store for us during the actual retrograde, May 19th thru June 11th, so here's to an easy - breezy Monday for all of us!

New Moon in Taurus + Mercury Goes Renegade ... oops retrograde

my taurus locket

BREAKING NEWS
My jury duty - 8 weeks - is finally over!

(I will post about that next week)

Is anyone else having a pollen-pocalypse? Where is all this pollen coming from? Not enough bees to eat it all?!

(speaking of bees, I had a smart and kind beekeeper on my jury and have some delicious honey for my tea that I am enjoying right now!)

After years of nodding my head and sniffling in pretend sympathy with all you seasonal allergy sufferers -

Full Moon in Scorpio - Sunday, May 3rd | what are we willing to do

We have a Full Moon every month when the Sun and the Moon oppose each other. It offers us two different (and opposite) energies to work with; the energy of the sign the Moon is in and the energy of the sign the Sun is in. With our Sun now in Taurus, we know the Full Moon will be in Taurus's polarity (opposite) sign of Scorpio.

(speaking of polarity - warning shameless plug ahead - have you seen my Polarity Lockets - blog readers get 10% off for the next seven days with the coupon code SCORPIOFULLMOON)

blog break for truth, justice and the american way

Heads up - taking a blog break next week.

Need to catch up on things after four weeks of jury service and an unknown number of weeks ahead of me.

(yes, I know I'm whining - the worst part - I think I missed my Girl Scout cookie delivery)

Still hoping I get to stand up and shout "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" at someone other than Olive.

xo all and have a wonderful weekend!

Earth Day Sale | 20% off for Blog Readers thru Sunday!

I don't often have sales so if you've had your eye on something in either of my Etsy shops - now's the time to make your move!

20% off with coupon code EARTHDAY2015 now thru Sunday!

Get It Done | Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of April 20th

no clue what that pony is about ....

See my New Moon vision board post HERE

Here's mine ---->

I believe vision boards should be compiled thoughtfully but not too thoughtfully - we want to keep our right brain from gumming up the works as much as possible. This isn't about just grabbing a bunch of pictures of stuff we want. Use the images and words that are calling your name - don't over-think it.

If you'd like to make one during the new phase of the current Aries lunar cycle (which is the astrological new year and an excellent time to do this!) get this done before Wednesday. Stuff is about to get very busy so sooner is better than later because you will run out of time and never get to it!

This week has some great mojo so let's put this energy to good use!

New Moon in Aries | April 18th, 2015 | the courage to create | vision board time!

I believe our astrological birth charts are our contracts and road maps. They are the imprint of the moment we took our first breath - we literally are the universe at exactly that second. In the very next second the heavens move on and we are left holding the light for that previous precious moment in time that will never come again. We hold that light for our entire life for the entire planet.

Guess the $'s and Win a FREE POLARITY LOCKET!

If any reader would like to get in on Olive's Facebook Coin Contest - hop over to Olive Bites Facebook Page

and take a guess as to how many dollars Olive has collected!

I'm shutting this puppy down at midnight - so hop to it!
CLOSED - WINNER ANNOUNCED - THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED!

Communicating What We Want | Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of April 13th

I am headed into my 3rd week of jury duty (three days a week) - it is interesting and exhausting and has actually brought, what I now see as some needed structure to my days even though it is totally wearing me the hell out!

I am going to write about the transits this week a little differently. This may be more useful overall than a daily forecast anyway and it's definitely more fun for me to write!☺

First, on Saturday the 11th, Venus moved into Gemini where she will be hanging out until May 7th, so we will have this energy there for about four weeks.

Recycle JAR LIDS Into Compact Mirrors - Upcycled Tutorial

recycled jar lids

As part of Team EcoEtsy's Trash to Treasure Challenge I made these easy, peasy compact mirrors from jar lids.

Of course, mine are magnetic, but since you may not have the magnets on hand to pull this off - I created some other options, too!

Step 1. Get yourself some jar lids. You may need to raid friends' refrigerators and cupboards for the sizes you need. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

<------ If you don't want to walk around town randomly smearing lipstick on your face - yuck -

you need a mirror.

Hub's pickles look like this now ------->

I told him, "It's this or I go out with lipstick smeared under my nose". Yes, these were his options ... he handed over the lid.

(I somehow still end up with lipstick smeared under my nose though, go figure). 

Step 2. Get yourself some mirrors - hit up your local craft store with that gift card your Aunt Ethel gave you when you "started that crafty business of yours".

Now it goes without saying, but I'll just go ahead and say it, you have to coordinate the sizes here - tops, bottoms and mirrors. Good luck with this.

Step 3. Decide on your style. Lids can be painted, paper or fabric covered or left naked. I like my upcycled thingamajigs to retain some connection to their former life and don't mind carrying a Barilla Pasta Sauce compact mirror (maybe you would - I don't judge).

Writing can sometimes be removed with nail polish remover - check out the one I punched with "Mirror, Mirror ...." in the top photo.

Step 4. For the one sided mirror - simply hot glue the mirror inside the lid (after decorating lid).

For the magnetic compact - glue the magnets in the lids (both sides) - check your polarity (warning shameless plug ahead - have you seen my Polarity Magnetic Lockets - I think you need one) - magnets must be glued in precisely the right places. I'm a magnet expert. You might not be - so go slow and check your polarity AGAIN. Then carefully glue the mirrors on top of the magnets.

If the bottom lid fits tightly into the top lid you can skip the magnets, but you might have trouble opening it.

I glued a tag from a t-shirt partially under the mirror to hang outside the compact and act as a pull tab for me to open it easily.

If your lids don't fit together snugly and you don't want to take out a second mortgage to buy enough magnets to make this all work

(please don't show up at my door with your hand out or sneak into my studio with steel in your pocket and think you can slip out the back without me noticing the magnets stuck to your pants - no one has ever been that happy to see me, believe me, I'll notice)

a nice thick rubberband, ink stamped with some encouraging words will do the trick.

We've Got This Thing | Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of April 6th

OK, let's see what we've got happening. We are working through the releasing energy of eclipse season. We need to be focusing on the 'new'. This doesn't have to be a big, bold thing. We gently turn away from the old (the stuff that isn't working - tie up loose ends now) and maybe we take some small step toward the new.

We show up and focus on our new direction.

Happy Easter & Passover!

Wishing everyone a basketful of eggs this holiday - xo all

Saturday's Full Moon Lunar Eclipse and Your Business

We have been in between eclipses since the New Moon Solar Eclipse on March 20th.

March's solar eclipse pushed us toward transformation. Roads not taken and potentials we never manifested have been shut down. Old options are in the past and out of reach. This is working its magic into all our lives in different ways. How quickly we realize this and what we do next is up to us, but any way you slice it - something's over.

So HOT .... | Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of March 30th

If only it was the weather I was talking about (!) or Paris Hilton had stumbled back into the spotlight with one last "that's hot", but no, it's Aries and Leo and the Sun and we have a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse next weekend - yes, we can fry an egg ... or two ... or maybe breakfast for the Duggars.

This is our final week in between eclipses. I think it's just about doing what needs to be done now and what we have the strength for - personally I'm still craving that vacation!

We start the week with multiple ending energies even as we are feeling our Aries Sun pushing us to start. We have Mercury leaving Pisces, Mars leaving Aries and the Sun moves into the South Node (past/release) as he makes his way thru Aries. This is the Libra/Aries story we have been working through for the past year - our relationship to ourselves vs. our relationship with other people. We release Aries tendencies to go it alone and embrace Libra tendencies to move into alignment with our flock.

pulled by our visions : the Following - time is the means | part IV

See Part I, II and III.

If time is the means and always the means that takes us where we need to go, then being able to feel life's nudges and guidance takes on a whole new importance.

This doesn't mean we sit back and wait for some miraculous something or other to come our way (it's kind of the opposite of that actually although we always stay open to the miraculous something, of course!) - it means when we choose to move we make the conscious choice of action and we pursue it with an earnest steadiness of purpose

(earnest is my new favorite word by the way and yes, I realize it means I have been spending way too much time with Olive - I am always on the lookout for ways to work it into conversations so others will pick up on it - imagine a world full of people seeking earnestness!)

and then we make ourselves at home with what we have created, learned and attained.

(not obtained, outcomes are never guaranteed here on Planet Earth - only growth!).

Are We Having Fun Yet? | Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of March 23rd

Last week was a zinger with reverberations probably until Pluto goes retrograde in the middle of April and at least until the Lunar Eclipse on April 4th.

(yes, we are in eclipse season now, buckle up)

Twice a year we have these eclipse cycles that break things up and release the stuff that needs to go in order to move us all forward. These have been on our South Node (past), so they will be about letting go. Stuff will surface now that had disappeared or been out of sight or hidden. Sometimes this stuff will flare up and then die back down - but it gets our attention and we have to deal with it before it goes.

April's eclipse will be about our relationships culminating last fall's New Moon in Libra. 

For the week ahead - we begin with the Moon and Venus in Taurus. Monday's void Moon is a great time for comfortable, practiced action. Taurus is super grounded so make some time to get out in nature and make physical contact with others.

Solar Eclipse New Moon | Spring Equinox | Astrology Forecast for Creatives March 19-20th - Part I

Eclipses are about endings. Solar eclipses can only happen at New Moons and New Moons are about beginnings. Tomorrow's energy is supercharged because the Eclipse takes place in the final degree of Pisces; the last steps of our hero's journey and the New Moon kicks off the new astrological year with the Spring Equinox (the first steps of our hero's journey).

This is a major system reboot for all of us.

First the ending. Pisces is a water sign, ruled by Neptune. How does water end things? Water dissolves. Water washes away. Water erodes. Water suffocates. Neptune rules spirituality and dreaming. Neptune rules creativity and inspiration. Neptune rules illusion and escape. Neptune rules water and the sea, drugs and hospitals.

What is ending in your life now? 

whiskey : keeping the Irish from ruling the world since 389AD - happy st. paddy's day

Venus comes home to Taurus today and millions of people celebrate the luck of the Irish with some soda bread and maybe a pint of Irish whiskey.

There is nothing in astrology more grounding than Venus in Taurus.

We have that now.

Let's call a time-out, kick back tonight with some corned beef cabbage and count our blessings!

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! xo

The Only 3 Three Things That Matter | Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of March 16th

We have the final face-off between Pluto (in Capricorn) and Uranus (in Aries) tonight. Yes, tonight. And no, it's not happening in Vegas and you don't need a Pay Per View ticket (do they still do that? probably not).

We are all invited.

And this doesn't mean the energy disappears tomorrow because these are slow moving planets and we won't have them safely out of each other's range to land a good left hook for a couple years.

(yes, I said years, forget I said that, I know it sounds exhausting, let's just get through this week)

They peak now for the final time.

why we might just need that tinfoil antenna - time is the means | part III

See Part I and Part II

So many times I've been the girl standing at the crossroads, getting sunburned and wrinkled, trying not to make a mistake. Sometimes a decision came quickly and I would move toward something I really wanted to do. But not often. Unless I stayed busy and let the decisions work themselves out (which works until it doesn't), I struggled.

I could never just relax.

As I get older I've started to embrace the thinking that we can't really get on the wrong road.

And this doesn't mean we can't get on a road littered with potholes and sticker bushes and maybe even fire breathing dragons - it just means the other road - the road not taken - very likely had its own kinds of roadblocks and setbacks and boulder slinging orcs!

Get Yourself a HELMET | Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of March 9th

Just prepare yourself for heading into a demolition zone everytime you leave the house this week - scratch that - make it everytime you get out of bed - scratch that - just wear the damn helmet to bed, too!  

This week is BIG.

On a purely mundane level - we just stepped into Daylight Savings time which creates one of the most accident prone weeks of the year with millions of people dealing with insufficient sleep and disrupted circadian rhythms.

Astrologically this week is all about Mars (warrior, action) - he's in his home sign of Aries (forward movement, fast, impulsive energy) where he is uber comfortable, effective and, yes, sometimes quite dangerous.

(And he rules the head - I am not really kidding about the helmet - at least don't walk around in the snow with your hands in your pockets. I saw people doing this all weekend. I had to almost bite my own tongue off to resist screaming out "Protect Your Head People!". People really need to let me dress them. And yes, you'd all be wearing - warning shameless plug ahead - my magnetic Aromatherapy Locket which is almost as effective as a Swiss Army Knife in the event of an emergency, but maybe don't tell the Swiss Army people I said this)

FULL Moon in Virgo | March 5, 2015 | doing the right thing

We have an uber complicated Full Moon in Virgo on Thursday. So much is going on around this Full Moon I feel irresponsible writing just a Full Moon post! But I am a bit irresponsible, so here goes ..

First let's think about Virgo for a minute here. Virgo is all about doing the right thing. In Virgo we gain dignity and self respect from being good at something that is useful to other people.

If you were born with your sun in Virgo this is the basic way you process life, moon in Virgo; the basic way you experience your feelings about life and if your ascendant is in Virgo; the basic way you appear to others.

 (people who think Virgos are fussy or nitpicky are totally missing the point and also forgetting we all have Virgo in our charts - the Virgo message of things worth doing being worth doing well and the value of these things lying within their value to others is probably the exact paradigm that will get everyone who is out of work back to work now - it is no coincidence Virgo rules the 6th house of work and health)

maybe your feet hurt because your socks just need time to relax

I'm reading a book called The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by self proclaimed "tidy-er" Mari Kondo. By following her instructions you tidy up your home once and then it stays tidy forever. Yes, you heard me - forever. She has thousands of devoted fans and claims almost no one has ever relapsed after finishing her training.

When I stumbled upon this book Saturday night on my Kindle I was thinking - just like you are probably thinking now - how the hell is this possible? Tidying is like breathing, isn't it? We breathe in, we breathe out - we make a mess, we clean it up.

But I drink the kool-aid. I start thinking about all the things I will finally have time to do once this time wasting "tidying" thing has been taken off my hands.

I buy the book.

In Like a Lion | Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of March 2nd

March is the busiest astrological month of 2015!

We start the week with the Moon in Leo and a grand fire trine giving March a passionate welcome.  

He definitely comes in like a lion and we will all have something to be fired up about!

This week we have a trine from Jupiter (retrograde in Leo) to Venus and Uranus (cuddled up in Aries). This is Jupiter's second, of three, alignments to Uranus - the first was the last week of September 2014 (what was happening in your life back then?) and the 3rd alignment is at the end of June this year.

cultivating a waiting attitude - time is the means ..... part II

Part I of this series is here.

If we are plugging along doing the best we can and it still feels like we are spinning our wheels in our own twisted version of Groundhog Day or we get this close to something we want only to see it all fall apart at the 11th hour maybe the problem isn't what we are doing or what we are wanting - maybe the problem is as simple and as challenging as timing.

We were all born at exactly the right time. Yes, I believe down to the exact second. A doctor's forceps can't screw this up, a mother's deep desire to get this birth over with, a long hard labor - we are born when we intend to be born.

We begin our life doing everything with perfect timing. We eat, we sleep. We learn to walk and talk at our own pace. Babies don't have to plot and plan for these things to happen. They don't have daily planners, make vision boards and form mastermind groups. They just move through life doing what they do and then one day they stand up. Life is no different later on. The rules don't change. The only thing that has changed is us.

Hey YOU, yeah you over there, the world needs your THIS | Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of February 23rd

We kick off the week with the Sun in Pisces squaring Saturn in Sagittarius - something requires an adjustment or we hit a bump in the road

(how big a hit we take depends on how fast we are traveling - think of those speed bumps in parking lots - hit them too slow or too quick and we're bouncing off the seat - hit them just right and we slide right over them!)

or maybe there is a feeling that we are running out of time.

This is just Saturn up to his old tricks. Do we really want it? How much? How hard are we willing to work? We might need to slow down, but we probably don't need to stop.

time is the means ..... part I

"Furthering" is the I Ching principle

(one of the meanings of the I in I Ching is "the easy")

of the innately beneficial nature of the Source that nourishes and protects all of us.

Put another way - we can trust that life has our back.

(I am finding it comfortable and comforting to call this source the Creative these days - maybe you will like this word, too, if not just use what you are comfortable with)

Furthering is about stages of development and the vehicle that powers this process is time. Because time is the vehicle - patience, trust (thanks Lynn) and perseverance are necessary.

NEW Moon in Aquarius/Pisces Tonight - well begun is half done

Tonight's New Moon is a bit of a question mark with some astrologers calling it an Aquarius New Moon and others calling it a Pisces New Moon.

It's in the very last degree of Aquarius and moves into Pisces within a couple minutes, so it's either the 2nd Aquarius New Moon this year or the 5th zero degree New Moon in a row!

Either way with Aries coming home to Mars tomorrow it's very potent and an excellent time to clear our heads and set some intentions.

NEW MOON Ramp Up to BIG Energy SHIFT | Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of February 16th

The Moon starts the week in its Balsamic Phase - this supports reflecting and finishing up.

With the Moon conjunct Pluto in Capricorn it will be easy to get caught up in the feeling that busy-ness is needed for our business now.

This isn't true.

Remember our dreams are birthed and given flight from moments of our best selves.

We can't be our best (whole) selves when our thoughts are splintered by nonstop pulls on our attention and our actions are all over the place. We need to center ourselves. We can slow this whole show down. We don't need anyone else's permission to do it

how "we are in business to make a profit" is like living to eat ...

the crooked nook 1

Hearing "we are in business to make a profit" usually makes me want to retch

(and I have done some serious retching this winter - trust me, it ain't pretty people although on the plus side I still sound a little bit like Demi Moore)

in fact it makes me throw up in my mouth a little.

(yes, it's going to be one of those posts)

This is not the same as saying "to stay in business we must make a profit" which is quite obvious and makes the profit a necessity rather than a goal.

Think of profit like food. 

We need food to survive, but we are not surviving so we can eat .. I hope.

Mercury Moves Direct ... when you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this .. you haven't ... Edison (Aquarius)

I tell myself, "that's it! Not one more astrology post until you write 5 posts about something else!", then I write another astrology post.

They are like potato chips, I can't stop.

This blog now has 1000 posts in almost 8 years. It's totally mind boggling. I've blogged my work, total nonsense, giveaways, tutorials, interviews, Etsy, biz advice, blah, blah, blah. I must have set some kind of record for long winded rambles.

Not that many posts are about astrology, but for the last year it's been almost all astrology all of the time. It could be worse poor reader, at least it's a hobby worth talking about - imagine if I were stamp collecting! It would be all philatelics and gum conditions (what?!) and centering - see you are luckier than you thought you were!

Astrology Forecast for Creatives - Week of February 9th - today: production and groundhog day style do-overs

Ugh - I've had no internet since Saturday night. Bypassing my router, which didn't work yesterday, is suddenly working, so fingers crossed I stay online. I'm writing a quickie about today and tomorrow now and will expand this post later to include the rest of the week.

The energy looks easy, peasy - it's all Pisces, all the time. The downside - it could make it hard for us to stay on task. We might look back on Friday and realize nothing got done. Set daily goals and stay on top of them if you don't want this to happen. If your schedule allows a little drifting now, go ahead and drift. If you're sick this week, you probably won't miss much.

Full Moon in Leo, February 3rd - time to ROAR!

rachelle levingston - lion

Think about what a Full Moon looks like - it's the brightest moon; a completely lit circle. There is nothing obscured in the shadows, everything is visible.

During the full moon, something comes to light. 

In February the Full Moon is called the Snow Moon, you can probably guess why and also the Hunger Moon 

(because by this time of year our ancestors provisions were running low and their tummies were rumbling - this is built into our DNA - we are hungering for something, too, now).

This month our Sun is in Aquarius so we know the Full Moon is in Aquarius's polarity sign of Leo.

if you can stand to read one more pricing post - the "as within, so without" pricing guide for makers

I had two Etsy shop owners ask me pricing questions last week and I linked them to some great articles (* see links at end) but wanted to say something here about the spiritual laws we are working with.

(yes, spiritual laws, this is my decade of Rumi after all - yes, I'm working with decades instead of years now - the years are moving way too fast ...)

Many people are given the advice to raise their prices and often this advice is given by someone outside our business

(I do not discount the advice of outsiders - sometimes the very person who we might be responding to with "well, that's easy for you to say" is exactly the person who needs to say it. Of course just because we don't discount outsider advice, doesn't mean we blindly follow it either.)