Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of April 11th - approaching ....

behind the horizon by ankazhuravleva

We are approaching Mars and Pluto's upcoming retrogrades and this is the week they both station. Planets are particularly intense when they station (go motionless). Mars is the planet of action and anger, initiation and war. Pluto is the planet of transformation and karma, power, death and rebirth.

Imagine running our finger through a candle flame. If we do it quickly we feel a bit of warmth but nothing painful. If we do it slowly and especially if we stop over the flame - it will be hot and intense! Now imagine this is happening with our hottest and most intense planets!

A retrograde station can be frustrating. We are moving along and hit a roadblock or a rough patch of road. We have to slow down or stop what we doing. Maybe we need to change direction. If we keep moving, it is like driving with the brakes on.

Or, depending on the story we are working through right now - a retrograde station may help a stressful situation reach a resting place and give us some breathing room. We might feel a sense of release and relief - we can regroup now and figure out how to deal with the situation more effectively before our story moves forward later on.

On Monday, the Moon is in communicative Gemini. Lots of talks and news. Make those calls and send those emails before the Moon goes void around 3:00 EST. After that nothing will come of whatever we start, so let's get a jump on things.

On Tuesday, the Moon moves into nurturing Cancer. Our focus more naturally turns to home, family and what we need to feel 'secure'. The Moon's square indicates possible tension and frustrations here. We'll breathe through it.

(and speaking of breathing - warning shameless plug ahead - did you know I make aromatherapy lockets and I'm having an Earth Day sale?)

Venus trines (brakes off) Mars. Attraction meets action now. Whatever is going on with our Venus ruled - money, relationships and values - gets a green light or we take action that moves us forward.

On Wednesday we have the First Quarter Moon. Things started at the New Moon last week are presented with a challenge now. The Moon does its weekly clash with Uranus and Pluto - this means more power plays, rebellious actions, out of the blue news and disruptions with our plans and the status quo. The Cancer square from yesterday (home/family/security/mother challenge) gets more intense/exciting/shocking.

From Thursday until Sunday we have a Grand Trine in earth signs (Mercury in Taurus, Jupiter in Virgo and Pluto in Capricorn). There is opportunity and good fortune. With 'earth' rewards are solid things we can hold and use. They also last. Rebuilding our economic lives and restoring health to our bodies and environment can be our rewards. With Mercury in Taurus, our words will be impactful and influential (and maybe our fortune) under this influence.

Earth signs means the rewards come though hard work and effort so the spaces we have been diligent and applied effort and focus will get solid support from this trine (brakes off).

The fly in the ointment (yes, always in there somewhere) is Friday's inconjunct between Mercury and Saturn. This is probably not a giant horsefly though or one of those nasty, biting things that can ruin a great beach day. This is just Saturn being Saturn and bringing his straight laced and righteous self to the mix in the form of rules, time restraints or a reminder of our obligations.

More about the upcoming retrogrades later in the week.

xo all

New Moon in Aries | freedom and power, if we don't shoot our eye out

I'm not yours anymore by Kubra Kactioglu

With Mars retrograde looming - we've got only a week of full power 'initiating energy' to work with - let's start now.

This New Moon is a real firecracker!

At 18 degrees Aries (what house holds this space in your natal chart?) the Sun and Moon met up yesterday for their annual Aries kick off. This year, there are lots of other players involved, too. The Sun and Moon conjunct Uranus, trine Saturn, square Pluto and are inconjunct to the North Node.

This is the first New Moon of the astrological year AND in the take no prisoners, get fired up, let's start something NEW sign of Aries.

Let's unpack this.

First check 16-20 degrees Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn (these are the cardinal kick-off signs that generate the new seasons) in your natal chart - if you have any planets in these spaces you will feel this energy strongest. What houses do these planets populate? What house holds Aries? These will be your fields of play.

Now let's look at the connections the New Moon is making. Remember at the time of the New Moon, the Sun and the Moon are at the same degree. Every connection the Moon is making the Sun is making, too - so everything is amplified.

The Moon is conjunct (within 2 degrees) the planet Uranus. We know Uranus is traveling through Aries (2011-2018) so at some point during the Sun's journey through Aries (March 20th -April 19th), the Sun will conjunct Uranus. And to have this happening at the New Moon, when the Sun and Moon are at the same degree, is a big deal.

When a planet conjuncts another planet it's like a guest comes in from out of town and takes over. Maybe they put their feet on the coffee table, toss their coat on our favorite chair and polish off that bottle of wine we'd been saving. Maybe they clean the kitchen and cook us dinner. Either way, they are hard to miss.

Uranus is the planet of genius and rebellion and 'anything can happen'. Uranus is charged with shifting us from point A to point B via the fastest possible route. Uranus gives the energy at this New Moon some unpredictable electricity. Something can come from out of nowhere - all the i's are not dotted and t's are not crossed now.

The Moon is trining (brakes off) Saturn. Saturn (backbone, time, rules) supports us here. He can provide focus and experience. So when whatever 'anything can happen' happens we have the strength we need, the experience we need, the time we need to make it work.

The Moon is square Pluto. Squares are tension. Squares require us to do something in a new way. Pluto is the planet of karma and transformation. Plutonian stuff is never casual. A square with Aries feels like our survival is threatened. Now, we are talking about the Moon here so our emotions will not be totally reasonable. But something could feel like we have no other choice - something happens, we need to respond.

Anything started now will be imbued with the energy of freedom (Uranus) and power (Pluto). There are certainly power struggles here, but also real power to create lasting change.

Normally at the New Moon, dark skies energy, we take baby steps in a new direction. With this one, I would suggest kicking it up a notch, and actually, if we are impacted by this, we probably won't be able to avoid the extra notch even if we wanted to!

Years ago I heard an astrologer (I don't remember who and google isn't helping) say that for Aries life is like, " Ready. FIRE! Aim".  

This is what we need to be cautious of here. So we will think before we act (and speak). We will expect the unexpected.

Aries is very self sufficient. This is the energy of "me". The baby of the zodiac. Aries can't always see the other person's side of things because if they did they wouldn't be able to take quick, decisive action and that quick decisive action is what they are here to manifest.

Aries doesn't have the staying power of some other signs; he doesn't need it. Aries isn't the cross country race. Aries is that first powerful kick off at the starting line.

Aries isn't about winning or losing (maybe don't tell that to an Aries sun sign); Aries is about daring to start that race in the first place. Aries supports jumping in and taking action. He doesn't promise us that we will come out a winner or even come out alive (yes he's ruled by Mars and he's badass), but he does promise us we will have evolved from the experience.

And that's what we're here for. We didn't come for the outcome, the outcome has already been decided. We all win in the end. We came for the experience. Aries knows this.

The New Moon is an excellent time for energetic support to make changes with things ruled by Aries : the head (headaches, acne, eyes, brain), the overall physical self, exploration, initiative, courage, leadership, strength, stubbornness, impulsiveness, temper tantrums, anger, stress from inaction - what do we need more of in our lives, what are we needing to release. Now is the time to set intentions for this stuff.

AFFIRMATION TIPS: get into a calm, centered frame of mind - always make affirmations from a  positive (meaning certain) space - write your affirmations down by hand in script, speak them out loud - I write my affirmations on strips of paper and burn them, releasing the ashes into moving water - then release your attention from these things knowing that your intention is known.  

Know these things are already yours.

Have a nice weekend everyone! xo all

Mercury into Taurus | don't get stuck in the weeds

mi escondite by alberto poloianez

Mercury moves into earthy Taurus today. He will be direct until the end of the month when he stations retrograde, retraces his earlier steps moving backward (from our perspective) and then stations and begins to move direct (May 22nd) over the same area. Mercury will be in Taurus until June 13th.

Mercury is all about communication and the way we think and process information. Taurus is cautious and deliberate and all about security and material comfort. 

With Mercury hunkering down in Taurus for this extended stay, we can expect our ideas, conversations and communications to be evaluated on more practical terms now.

Stuff that doesn't have a clear track record, or stuff that is considered too risky, will be discarded. 

New ideas will be back-burnered for more tried and true methods.

People will be less flexible. Ideas will be more carefully assessed. Patience and proof will be required.

If we are looking for a commitment we can count on - this is very good energy. With Mercury in Taurus, our words, and the words of other people, will carry extra weight - promises will matter here. They will be harder to come by, but once made will be honored. Keep this in mind.

Delays will start to hit mid-month - when Mercury enters his shadow (the space he will be retracing). This can be frustrating if something feels 'ready to go' and gets slowed down, but retrogrades (if used to reassess, redo and realign) have a way of paying off later on.

Patience and the long game will be rewarded.

HOW TO USE THIS INFORMATION with your business.

If we are presenting something new to someone now it can be a good idea to use familiar language and comparisons. Know their minds (and decisions) will be seeking safety and security. People will more naturally want to go with what has worked before so figure out a way to factor that in. Solid numbers and examples will move things forward. Slow and steady might actually win the race this time.

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of April 4th - change of perspective, powerful new beginnings

a change of perspective by kuschelirmel

We begin the week with a balsamic Pisces Moon - a time for wrap ups and endings. Neptune is in Pisces making Pisces Moons especially good times for creativity, artistic expression, a time to work with whatever or whoever has been 'put on the back burner' or hidden out of sight.

(here is an old post of mine about Balsamic Moons on Jess's blog)

Pisces Moons are healing Moons so even though it's Monday - it's a good time for rest, recovery and releasing addictions.

Neptune says, "going to work is escaping from going to the beach, so why not just go to the beach!". Allow yourself some time to 'stare out the window' today.

This Moon has a tricky angle to Mars - we will have to work with our intuition (Neptune) and channel the Aries Sun (warrior energy) if someone tries to take over and push us around. We don't want to allow ourselves to be pressured into something now.  

Tuesday is a busy day and we will feel a real push - as we build toward this week's New Moon - to get something started (Moon is void all day so not the best time to launch something new, practiced routine work is best) with both Mercury and Venus changing signs. See my post about Venus HERE.

Venus in Aries will make it easier to know what we want (and don't want) and where we stand with other people. People will love this and hate that, there will be no middle ground. It will also make us more impatient with relationship and money problems and may bring them bubbling to the surface. 

Mercury in Taurus, after our time mentally dealing with Aries hotheaded impulsive nature will allow us more time to think things through and use common sense.

Our minds will be more grounded here and our thoughts will turn toward the Taurus realm - the things we value, money and getting outside in nature! It is spring isn't it?! It's hard to tell here. Due to Mercury's upcoming retrograde he will he hanging out in Taurus until mid-June - this is a very long time for Mercury to spend in one sign since he moves so quickly - what space houses Taurus in your natal chart? - lots of communications, re-do's (there is a retrograde coming!) and focus there.

We are working through a mutable t-square (where is Gemini in your chart, look first for the answer there with any problems that are popping up now and I am just realizing if your birthday falls from March through August this transit will impact your next 12 months so we will talk about it in more detail later) and a re-connection with the Uranus/Pluto square we worked through the past couple years - this stuff will definitely be playing out on the collective (world) stage as well as in our own lives. 

Tuesday is also a trigger date for last month's eclipse so if nothing happened for us in March (karmic turning point) we could see something this week or something that was set up then, hits, ends or is brought out into the open now.

We saw last week's astrology - secrets revealed, unexpected news, fallout  - play out in major ways around the world. A secret bank account scandal involving thousands including Russia's Putin (is he actually the richest man in the world?), a bribery scandal involving major banks that fuels terrorism, global unrest and poverty, proof that fracking causes earthquakes, Trump saying out loud (women who have abortions, ie don't do what they are told, should be punished) what has been bubbling underneath for years, Clinton losing her cool with a voter's question and bringing a whole heap of new questions down on herself.

In my world, I got an unexpected call from a family member I was visiting recently that one of the kids was sent home from school with head lice. This was the kid who had decided her Aunt Cathy was "cool" enough to hang out with this trip - no doubt my thorough knowledge of Minecraft and suitcase stuffed with craft supplies and Entenmann's coffee cake played a key role in my sudden popularity. We even watched TV with our heads on the same pillow ..... (!). You can imagine my week took an expected turn after that.

Anyhoo, on Thursday we have a New Moon in Aries - Uranus is with this Moon so think BIG CHANGE with this one - there is also a trine to a retrograde Saturn that might realign what we thought was a done deal and will at least have us relooking at previously made obligations, priorities and commitments - it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings and guess what ... she ain't singin' ....

I'll post about the New Moon in a couple days! Lots of volatility this week, lots of fire, we'll need to keep a cool head and hopefully the forces in the larger world will keep theirs, too ....

xo all

(Void Moons all day Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday!)

Venus into Aries | what are we willing to fight for

pillow fight by sliwka

On Tuesday, Venus (love, money, values, women, beauty) begins her annual journey through the sign of Aries. Aries suns (and ascendants) become more attractive.

The house where Aries resides in everyone's natal and progressed charts becomes more attractive, too (ie more receptive to a makeover and more able to attract what we want and need).

In impulsive, courageous and action oriented Aries, Venus wants what she wants, she wants it now and she is willing to fight for it.

We can take this too far of course, but with Mercury (conversations, communications, intellect) moving into Venus ruled Taurus on the same day that Venus enters Aries and with both planets in these spaces for most of the month - our heads, hearts and actions working together - we are more likely to be grounded, focused, enthusiastic and able to produce tangible results (patience will be required though).

Most of the time Venus gets what she needs/wants through her powers to attract.

In Aries, she (and we) will need to be a little more active to get things going. Our powers to attract will be greatly enhanced when wedded to an ability to initiate and act assertively now.

On the flip side, our Aries house - the space where we are naturally more inclined to create situations that force a need for us to stand up for ourselves - will enjoy a greater sense of ease, magnetism and peace with lovely Venus taking up residence.

Competition and jealousy can be issues now. Know this. We'll work from the highest space we can hold.

The fly in the ointment (yes, another fly, will somebody please shut the door!)  - Aries is ruled by Mars and Mars will go retrograde on the 17th of April. So things will not be as "full steam ahead" with Venus in Aries as other years - expect slowdowns and delays.

Expect people and situations from the past to show up for things to be reworked through our actions. Expect a renewed spark for something we were previously passionate about. Expect to find ourselves fighting about something from the past (love, money, values) and this is actually a time (over the next few weeks) when rehashing this old stuff could actually put it to bed once and for all.

Whatever happens this week we should certainly feel a push to do something.

xo all

(if you haven't seen this - Amy Cuddy's excellent Ted talk on how 'power posing - standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident - can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success. Excellent info for Aries season!)

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | a peek at April

april rain by mirella santana

Let's take a quick look ahead at April, since so much will be happening (and not happening) - forewarned will be forearmed now.

We have a New Moon next week in Aries (with aspects to Uranus, Pluto, Saturn and the North Node). This feels like a very big, new and maybe unexpected commitment. Or I should probably write COMMITMENT. This one could have staying power for better or worse (we will need to be flexible, patient and ready to pivot as needed - where is Aries in your chart?) so caution is needed.

The energy around this New Moon will bring some major outer world events, too (April 6th-11th).

There is the opportunity for great wins and terrible losses here.

(and if that sounds dramatic, well we are living through dramatic times ... and I have been serial watching Happy Valley while I work and feeling strong and stable and much like that other Catherine this morning; the tough police sergeant - another great show with wonderful, complicated female characters - love it)

The Aries New Moon is an excellent time to create a vision board as we kick off the astrological year!

Last year's New Moon had no aspects to any other planets and this year the Moon has many intense aspects, so yes, this new year will be complicated (in the outer world and in our own lives) - as if we had any doubt about that! Remember we are all in this together - truly we are. See my post about vision boards from last year here.

The best time to begin something new will be between the New Moon and the April 22nd Full Moon, although I would get it launched before Mars goes retrograde on the 17th.

And that's the word of the month for April - retrograde. We begin the month with Saturn and Jupiter retrograde. As we move through April - Mars, Pluto and then Mercury will go retrograde, too. This is a whole lot of sky moving backward (from our perspective). There will be roadblocks, challenges and standstills (but aren't there always?!).

After all the changes and revisions (by late summer, early autumn) we will know where we are headed and how we need to proceed.

The best way through some of this will be to 1. focus on what is not retrograde (we'll talk this through as we move through it) 2. release our expectations about exactly how things need to look 3. embrace the chance to work through some old stuff (look to your Sagittarius and Scorpio houses for most of this) 4. create empty space (think closets, inboxes, calendars) 5. give ourselves a break and prioritize our health 6. as always this year, keep track of the details, focus on what is right in front of us, enjoy the process.

The last time Mars retrograded close to the piece of sky he is currently traveling was in 1988. We'll talk about this as we get closer.

There will also be some people who will feel the effects of March's eclipses in April. We'll hit on all this again as it approaches.

"when the student is ready, the teacher appears"  ... buddhist proverb

I love this proverb, but used to imagine this teacher would always have a human form - like a certain someone would pop into my life just when I needed them to and I would hear just the thing I needed to hear at exactly the right time and this has actually happened to me a few times (and all of us, I am sure).

(and I have to admit that I love to play the "teacher" at times and offer unsolicited advice the other person will quickly dispense with by saying, "well, that's easy for you to say", to which I always counter, "exactly, that's why I'm saying it", which always makes them rethink whatever I have just said and gives me a guru-like seriousness, kind of like Forrest when he came to the end of his run)

What usually happens though when we are "ready" is this "teacher" appears in the form of a lesson or obstacle or something that doesn't look anything like the solemn faced Mr. Miyagi we were expecting.

So, when we are ready (ie desperately need) to learn patience, for example - life sends us opportunities to learn patience by practicing patience - in other words - delays, traffic situations, time spent waiting - this year's month of April - you get the picture.

We'll know what we need to work on by what we are working on.

People keep asking me when things will get back to normal. There really is no 'getting back to normal' although almost certainly our bodies and brains will adjust to this new speed of life (or at least the next generation's will!).

The world is changing very fast. But the problems we are encountering are not anything new. The karma (beliefs) is just unraveling faster than we could have ever imagined.

Everything we need to move past (as individuals and collectively) is coming up for us to move past - everything we have ever swept under the rug (individually and collectively), all the pain we didn't allow ourselves to feel, all the words we didn't allow ourselves to say or hear (individually and collectively), all the ways we self-sabotage and hold ourselves back (individually and collectively).

Just imagine what our world will look like without all this old stuff clogging up the works!

Today, we are in the final third quarter moon phase of the astrological year - this is the best time of the year to finish things. 

The Sun is in Aries. We will be brave. We will take action. We will take charge of our lives. We really have got this thing.

xo all

(Aquarius Moon this weekend so a great time for an adventure - do something NEW)

Mercury Conjunct Uranus | flashes of genius, unexpected news

"Here's a terrific exercise that has to do with both geography and point of view: draw a map of where you live, your turf. You know where your house is, where the gas station is, where the mall is, and - if you're virtuous - where the church is. If you're the adventurous type, you know where the vacant lot is where you once set that fire. But soon - past the freeway, or by the railroad tracks - your knowledge stops. Drawing where you are in the world is marvelously helpful in showing you where you are in the world." -  Carolyn See

the way i see it by mellow spring

Mercury (intellect, communication) meets up with Uranus (eccentric, genius, rebel, out of the blue, out of the box) in firey Aries today. It will be harder to concentrate, but easier to be open-minded.

There could be unexpected words delivered like a slap to the face. With Aries, reaction time is rapid so there will be conversations/thoughts interrupted and conclusions jumped to. Nail biters, hair twisters and leg shakers will wear themselves out now. Computers and electronics could get wonky. Patience will be hard to come by.

This could also be the unexpected moment of genius - the flash of insight that offers us a breakthrough. Learning something new now might come in handy in a few months. Think - new and unusual. Think - outside the box. Think - safety first when driving or operating heavy (and not so heavy) machinery ..... xo all

Mercury Square Pluto | fallout

drown under by alle design

Mercury (in Aries) squares Pluto (in Capricorn). Mercury in Aries gives an edge to our words. Aries is the first sign; the sign of initiation. Aries energy, needing to go where no man has gone before, is, well, kind of, pushy. It's also passionate. And uncompromising. And often angry.

With Mercury (communication, intellect) in Aries we might speak before we think. Yes, our words can be braver and more groundbreaking, but also more thoughtless.

With today's square there is tension and frustration. Squaring Pluto there could be challenges to power dynamics and authority. Maybe jealousy. After last week's Full Moon eclipse relationship shake-ups some spaces could already be sensitive.

We don't have to be silent, but let's think before we speak. If we are courageous enough (Aries is the space in our chart where we need to stand up for ourselves after all) to launch any verbal truth bombs, we best be prepared for the fallout. xo all

Mercury Trine Saturn | devil in the details

"All good things are one thing. Sunsets, schools of philosophy, cathedrals, operas, mountains, horses, poems - all these are mainly disguises. One thing is always walking among us in fancy-dress, in the grey cloak of a church or the green cloak of a meadow."
 - G. K. Chesterton

details in the fabric by apples revenge

Mercury is trine (brakes off) Saturn making this a good day to put our mental faculties to use. This energy allows for excellent concentration and attention to details and we can get a lot of accurate, and otherwise tedious, work done now. Our thinking will be clear and realistic (although we might have a lot of details coming at us).

On the flip side, accurate work will be expected of us and small errors can derail big projects, so we'll double check things now.

We can be taken seriously and gain the respect of other people. With Mercury in Aries for the next couple weeks, we will need to be sure our words are not too aggressive - we can use Saturn to temper this now.

Tomorrow, Mercury will square Pluto; agreements and interactions with authority or established protocols may not go as smoothly. Today is more of a 'green light' day for important conversations and commitments.

If you have need of this energy (good energy to do our taxes!) use it. xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of March 28th - look up

i love i persevere

I hope everyone had a nice Easter. I will write about my trip next post, but here is a short update about the week ahead!

OK we begin this week with Saturn standing still; allowing us to refine our approach to whatever we are working on now. The stuff (habits, fears, etc) that is in the way of us getting what we want will become clear to us during this transit.

In Sagittarius, the sign of our beliefs and subjective truths, Saturn's five month retrograde will bring support to the beliefs that are working for us (as internal obstacles become clear to us and we build the patience to work through those external barriers) and clarity about the beliefs we need to release.

What really matters to us? 

Is what we are willing to work for actually worth working for?

If we think what really matters to us is having a "successful" business, we need to get clear about what this means. Because maybe we do have one by the standards that really matter, but are measuring our success by some artificial metric. Or maybe what really matters to us is something else and focusing on that will create the movement that brings the "success" we want/need.

The things we value most are always the things we spend the most time on - what does this tell us about ourselves? If we spend most of our time at a job we dislike maybe we value security/safety above everything else, even our own happiness. What needs to change here?

Saturn rules time, the most valuable gift we get on our journey, and there really are no shortcuts with this. That strawberry patch will bear fruit when that strawberry patch is ready to bear fruit and so will we.

On Monday/Tuesday, Venus conjuncts the South Node (in Pisces) and Mercury (in combative Aries now) trines (brakes off) Saturn in Sagittarius. We will be looking backward with Venus ruled love, values and money and existing structures, rules and commitments will be up for review.

This will be one of the last Piscean situations (healing, addiction, art, romance, spirituality, deception, what is hidden) we have been dealing with since eclipse season started three weeks ago. Pay attention to dreams and synchronicities now. This is about endings and what is happening behind the scenes.

On Wednesday, Mercury (in Aries) squares Pluto (in Capricorn) and conjuncts Uranus (in Aries) on Thursday. Surprising information will come to light (if you are like me, this hit last week) - it could be upsetting, maybe come through in anger or provoke anger. Either way something will probably hurt. With Mercury in Aries words tend to fly out (or be received) like bullets. Know this. Be sensitive. Conversations/communications with authority figures can be testy.

On Friday, Mercury is inconjunct the North Node in Virgo - the "news" from earlier in the week will need to be factored into our future path. This doesn't have to be a bad thing. Now we know what we are dealing with. Check the details, think like a Virgo, just do the work. xo all

Saturn Retrograde in Sagittarius | all rules out the window, the gift of uncertainty

let the sky kiss your feet by pretty as a picture

I've been awol only a few days and the entire skies have shifted! I will work through all the changes in the week ahead and we can see/feel which transits are impacting us.

On Friday, Saturn stationed retrograde (thru August 13th) at 16 degrees Sagittarius. Since Saturn is the development of self-discipline via challenges, struggle, hard work and restraints having him ease up on us a little is very likely a good thing. Do I hear a hallelujah?!

It's kind of like dad is going on vacation and we are left with the irresponsible babysitter who snap-chats her friends while we climb on the roof to get a better look at the clouds. Yes, this could be dangerous. Without dad setting limits and telling us what we can't do - we could fall off that roof and break our arm.

It could also be our chance to do something we've never done before!

Some kind of limit - where is Sagittarius in your natal chart? - is removed. What we do with our new found 'freedom' is up to us. All possibilities are on the table (or I should say roof) while dad parties in the Bahamas.

Astrologer Steven Forrest says (I'm trusting my memory with this, hopefully it's not too swiss-cheesy tonight) - Saturn in our natal chart is the area we must learn to walk our talk and walk it all by ourselves. It's the space where any lack of self discipline can quickly lead to our undoing. It's the space where we make peace with solitude and develop patience.

Saturn rules structure. During his retrograde we will be going back and retooling and shoring up the physical structures in our life (including our bodies). Saturn rules time. Time is on our side now. We just need to trust this (patience people!). Saturn's retrograde offers us the time to "re-make" the structure of something before it is too late. It's a time to reconsider rules and obligations. We can truly do it differently this time.

Since Saturn moved into Sagittarius in 2015 (through the end of 2017) our beliefs and commitment to our dreams are being tested. Saturn has been parked between us and our big picture beliefs and dreams for over a year now, making us work for every thing. If we no longer fit in the space we are occupying or holding on where our heart is no longer invested or if we are truly needed elsewhere - life will find a way to end the dream/situation for us during this transit.

Time has sped up.  

Planet Earth needs all participants fully engaged now. There is no sitting this one out. 

Saturn might take certainly with him while he backtracks, but he leaves us with the gift of uncertainty. When nothing is certain nothing is out of the question either. 

"Instead of asking, 'What would you do if you knew you would not fail?' 

ask yourself, 'What's worth doing even if you fail?'" 

Brene Brown

Note - a whole big chunk of life is about to slow down (five planets are retrograde next month) for all of us, if we need to get something done before late summer or early fall, let's get it done. Also with the planet of "no" (Saturn) taking his siesta we might want to think twice before we say "yes" now.

you can lead a horse to water ....

girl and the sea by liquid sunny day

I am out of town for a few days. Right now we have five planets in water signs - so some space in all our lives is probably feeling "all wet", "washed up", "under water", "like a fish out of water", in "troubled waters" or "uncharted waters" or maybe "mouth-watering" - damn the water idioms are just too good and too many!

We have Jupiter and Pluto in stable earth signs. There is solid ground under all this wetness. 

Tomorrow the Sun (in Pisces), Moon (in Leo) and Mars (in Sagittarius) will form a Grand Trine. This will give all of us some oomph, and courage if needed, with whatever stories need to be heard and whatever narratives we need to finally put to rest.

It also feels like a good time to have a good time, so let's use that for the weekend.

Jupiter is the king of the cosmos right now and sitting uncomfortably in tidy Virgo, we might be feeling like our house is falling apart when we are simply rearranging the furniture. Let's keep it all in perspective and just take care of the things that are right in front of us now - nothing ever seems quite as bad, (or quite as good dammit), the day after and as the Sun moves into firey Aries on Sunday our 'day after' is coming.

I'll be back to write about that next week (plus the Full Moon eclipse!) - xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of March 14th - stretching within structure

druid by sophie black photography

This is another week we will be pushing forward through the misty energy that is the time between the eclipses. This busy period in Pisces season reminds us to take care of ourselves, set boundaries, avoid distractions and addictions and offer compassion. We've got this thing!

We kick off the week with a Gemini Moon so we will be communicating, multi-tasking (I hate that word, but nothing more appropriate comes to mind). We might be restless and ready to socialize. Decisions will be hard. Choices will be made. Testy situations might be best defused with a little humor. Save complicated conversations for clearer times.

Whatever is happening we won't have time to feel too deeply about any one thing as our emotions are all over the place. This is a day or two, of choices - maybe an argument - things don't go exactly as expected.

We might have to agree to disagree or something about the situation slips through our fingers. Things can repeat (as they tend to do) particularly with Geminis and Gemini situations (think communications, siblings, local happenings, transportation) now.

We have the quarter moon on Tuesday- traditionally a time of "crisis" (think about the Chinese symbol for crisis which also means opportunity) - when whatever we are working through this week subsides - we will be able to more clearly see how it brought a turning point in our fortunes this month.

If important decisions can be postponed until after the eclipse (last until August) next week, we'll do that. If not, as always, we will make the best decision we can with the information available, realize that every decision is really two decisions (the decision and the decision not to second guess ourselves) and work with any changes, pit-stops, reversals or blocks as they come up. There are probably no clear roads through now anyway.

Venus and Mercury (in Pisces) square Mars and Saturn (in Sagittarius). Squares are tension and frustrations - something 'outside' forcing us into doing it a different way. There is feminine vs masculine drama here. New, exciting possibilities are triggered. The stuff that dampens our excitement is triggered, too.

The mid-week Cancer Moon will have us wanting to nurture and be nurtured, feather our nests and connect with family. Projects put out into the world now are more likely to be 'embraced' when they embrace the other person right back!

As we move through the week and Mercury opposes Jupiter (retrograde in Virgo) and conjuncts Chiron and the South Node (in Pisces) the conversation or disagreement or situation will evolve. We will figure out ways to work around it or it will just become obvious that it’s time to let go of the idea, relationship or situation entirely. We are moving forward now. 

EXAMPLE for Scorpio (rising and to a lesser degree Sun) - Venus and Mercury are in your house of creativity, children and romance squaring Mars and Saturn in your house of love, money and values. Maybe whatever you are working with involving these themes - romance, a creative project or children or maybe a self-indulgence - is restrained by limits in money, self-esteem or priorities. Or maybe the actions you are taking in these areas do not create the money, reactions or movement you were expecting. The way forward with this involves letting go of expectations (ego). The open door, way forward, is there - you just have to widen your vision with this.

Mid-week we have the second of three Jupiter/Pluto trines. This is expansion plus transformation. We had this transit in October and we have another one in June.  

There are opportunities here.

The gains may be incremental - we are building through a detailed Virgo "one step at a time" process - but gains are gains and they will certainly accumulate over time.

At the same time taskmaster Saturn (in Sagittarius) squares communicative Mercury (in Pisces). The dream is once again tempered by the reality of the situation (our theme for 2016!) requiring us to stretch our wings within some structure. 

EXAMPLE for Taurus (rising and to a lesser degree Sun): Jupiter is in your house of creativity, children and romance trine Pluto in your house of opportunities - this can take the brakes off a creative project, an  issue around children or pregnancy or a relationship and the square to Saturn will also keep you focused on financial (partner's income, taxes, loans, other people's money) or intimate relationship realities.

The end of the week kicks off a new cycle - post coming mid-week! We are SO ready! xo all

Venus into Pisces | attracting the dream

i will grow flowers in your hair by i need chemical x

Venus (art, beauty, women, values, money) moves into Pisces (imagination, dreams, compassion, connection) today, settles into a comfy spot at the Pisces party, most certainly in the center of everything or I should say wherever she settles becomes the center of everything - joining the Sun, Mercury, Neptune, Chiron and Ceres - where she can attract ... well, whatever the hell she wants actually.

She is the most beautiful woman in the room and the space in each of us that carries the energy of attraction. Mars goes after what he wants, Venus draws it to her. Her fierce beauty (I wouldn't dare call her pretty and she quite often isn't) has toppled empires and created dynasties. Within the otherworldly realms of Pisces BIG magic is possible here.

Natal Pisces Sun people and Pisces rising people become more attractive now.

(how have we never noticed how blue your eyes are or how deep your voice?)

All of us attract what we want by working through Pisces - our ability to show compassion, create beauty, honor feelings, stay emotionally open, use our imaginations. In Aquarius it was our differences that attracted people and situations to us, in Pisces it is our ability to believe and honor our commonality.

Venus is exalted in Pisces. She can work her magic here. 

She expands relationships, money and self-esteem. Opportunities increase. Resistance dissolves. 

The tricky part of Venus in Pisces is we need to know what we want now. 

The lines between us and other people, between acceptance and avoidance, between our money and their money, between love and 'what was I thinking' - will blur.

In Pisces, things that look too good to be true usually almost always are. And what flows in can flow right back out again. But if we set boundaries - what is ok, what is not ok - and release our expectations that outcomes must go a specific way - this is wonderful energy for more beauty, love and money to move into our lives. The irony with Venus in Pisces is that although we can attract more love and money those things often will feel less important now ...

For artists and makers, and yes, that means everyone, this is wonderful energy for the beauty and creativity and imaginings and love we put out into the world to attract more abundance back into our lives. We are more attractive to our dreams now - we call to them just as they call to us.

The feeling is mutual.

xo all, enjoy the weekend

(and speaking of attraction - did you know I am a locket maker? and they are actually quite attractive, too - blog readers get 15% discount with coupon code BLOG15 - artist shown here: Inspire your Art)

time between eclipses | the parsley between his teeth

picnic by kaunau

The two weeks between the eclipses can be hard to pin down - important stuff may be happening or it may feel like nothing is happening (it is - to the other people and spaces our energy is going to line up with later) and either way when we look back at these days our memories will be kind of foggy.

(if important things are happening, take notes - although I guess Facebook might work for this, too)

Life speeds up, life slows down. In Pisces, thoughts and moods and things and people run through our hands like faucet water.

Solar eclipses can trigger our need to defend ourselves (defend our Sun). 

We could react impulsively and make regrettable mistakes now.

How dare our Moon step in front of our Sun?! 

(hello, identity crisis!)

The Moon represents so much in astrology - our emotional temperature, the way we are programmed to react, our mother, the way we mother (nurture, comfort), the way we need to be mothered (nurtured, comforted), 

our spiritual lineage and matriarchal baggage (our mother's unexpressed moods and unresolved spaces that she has unconsciously handed to us like a basket of dirty laundry).

We want to allow eclipse energy to settle before making big plans or changes. With so much in flux for everyone, some more than others - we want to be observant and respectful of others' positions, too. When someone gives us a vague answer or tells us they don't know - they probably really don't know. If things look too good to be true in Pisces season - they usually are.

We can pin things down later.

For now - We weep. We sleep. We DREAM. We sweat. We feel a little numb. We feel a little too much. We set boundaries. They dissolve. We wallow. We get back up. We make plans. They fall apart. We grow tired of fighting the tides and go with the flow. We empty closets and inboxes. We release expectations. We grieve for what we lost. We grieve for what we never had. We forgive.

Or maybe we refuse to move as all this Pisces water washes over us and chips away at our grip on whatever it is that needs to go. Maybe we hold on so long we drown.

The next Eclipse (March 21-23) and then the Sun/Mercury conjunction in Aries will make good and sure we are awake though. We can count on that.

For now we'll do our best with what is right in front of us and we'll hold on lightly.

We have a wonderful Taurus Moon this weekend - perfect for an outdoor picnic or walk in the park. If we do these things with another person, we'll remember to focus on what is really being felt now, not the misplaced words, not the piece of parsley between his teeth .... xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of March 7th - working from the space of who we are now

release by jaysu

This week is all about the New Moon Solar Eclipse in Pisces - I wrote about it here.

(also check out these posts from the weekend for this week's planetary shifts - Mercury into Pisces and Mars into Sagittarius.)

Eclipses are some of the most dramatic means life has to draw our attention to spaces that need to change. They allow us to move from one level to another in some area of our lives very quickly.

This particular Solar Eclipse is as powerful as I've ever seen. We have MANY planets hooking into tomorrow's eclipse (8:45pm EST).

The Sun and Moon at 18 degrees Pisces, Saturn at 16 degrees Sagittarius, Jupiter at 18 degrees Virgo, the North Node at 21 degrees Virgo, the South Node at 21 degrees Pisces, Uranus at 18 degrees Aries, Pluto at 17 degrees Capricorn, Chiron at 20 degrees Pisces, Ceres at 15 degrees Pisces, Pallas at 16 degrees Aquarius and Juno at 15 degrees Scorpio.

Your natal and progressed planets and points from 15-20 degrees will be activated by this.

There are ways we can make this "reset" even more effective and more positive.

We refuse to re-live old woundings and release the ways we self identify as a "victim".

This includes the way we language what has happened to us and the way we language familial pain. We acknowledge the power of those scars and empty spaces as the sacred darkness they are and we work from the space of who they have made us now and not the space of who/what we lost. Even when we tell those old stories it is from this new space. We will cease to attract people and situations that will tear open those hurtful spaces when they are healed and not calling out for attention.

We trust our intuition and our "gut" knowing (if we nourish and heal our physical guts we will be more and more effective with this).

We release our attachment to any absolute beliefs - the more possibilities we are open to, the more doors open to us.

We can do only what is ours to do. We set boundaries - what is ok, what is not ok. We release our desire to "make" things happen or to fix anything. We pass up opportunities to play the martyr and carry loads that are not our loads to carry.

We offer compassion and empathy - (not pity) the highest level of Pisces energy!

People who are always thinking everyone should "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" (and yes, there are times we all need to pull ourselves up!) are usually either 1. people born with bootstraps who cannot imagine what it is like to not have bootstraps or 2. people born without bootstraps who pulled themselves up anyway and think everyone else can, too. It is easier to imagine that everyone else is as powerful as we are than it is to step into our own power and claim what we have actually accomplished!

And if we are having trouble pulling ourselves out of a situation - or grounding our dream in the physical - it could be useful, since the expression is such a part of the collective vernacular and carries so much power - to actually make a pair of boot straps and pull ourselves up.

And, no, of course I have no idea what bootstraps actually are or what this pulling would actually look like! :)

"... when we assume people are doing the best they can, it makes our lives better ... empathy isn't feeling for somebody - it's feeling with them." Brene Brown

Venus into Pisces at the end of the week (next post) - making us very attractive to our dreams. Remember the things we love, love us back folks and we can dream them right into our lives!

xo all

Mercury into Pisces | this is our brain on drugs

floating from a dream by dloraas

Another planet joins the Pisces pile up as we ready for the Solar Eclipse on Tuesday. With Mercury's (communication, intellect) move from Aquarius into Pisces our thinking becomes less stubborn and more flexible. Our focus will not be as razor sharp but seeing the gray areas (as opposed to black and white, good or bad thinking) has its upside, too.

Decisions will become more intuitive and left brained. But the truth can get a little bit stretchy. If we need to make a major decision now it will be hard to tell the facts from the fiction. Stay grounded - meditate!

Mercury, is considered in his detriment in Pisces - he's a Virgo guy and likes things a little more cut and dried. BUT his annual trek through Pisces is excellent energy for artists, healers, fiction writers and everyone working with their imaginations. Muses are standing by!

Our communications and conversations can be more compassionate and inspirational now.

Our Pisces natal house might be the space where we avoid looking at what is really going on. Rose colored glasses and fuzzy edges make everything a little less solid here. Things can be hard to hold onto. It can also be the house of tremendous healing and creativity. Mercury here can open up lines of communication.

Our imaginations will be working overtime. We can use this time glued to a screen watching television or the internet (there are studies that show night time television watchers have less colorful and memorable dreams) or we can use this imaginative energy to lead more creative, intuitive lives.

Also remember Pisces is the South Node collective energy (been there/done that, ready to move on) and Mercury is the ruler of our North Node (Virgo) so having Mercury in this space can usher in a time when we open up to or move past (Pisces) old information (Mercury) in our journey forward or in order to bring some story to its natural conclusion. The victim/martyr/addict energy of Pisces is something we are all releasing now and whatever is ripe for release has a way of bubbling up for us to look at/work through and move past.

xo all

FYI Mercury is the natural ruler of communication, the intellect, siblings, short distance travel, teaching, writing and on the flipside things like nervousness, worry, fidgeting, rationalization, gossip - these areas and our Pisces houses are affected by this transit. 

Mars into Sagittarius | sky's the limit

sky is the limit by zedlord-art

Today we have Mercury (post tomorrow) and Mars BOTH changing signs and squaring each other as they do. It's kind of like an argument that continues from the bedroom into the backyard, but then suddenly we realize we are standing around the backyard in our underwear and the neighbors are looking at us and we forget what we are fighting about ... or maybe we find something bigger to fight about in the backyard, and the neighbors just pull up a chair. It could go either way.

Mars, ruler of Aries and co-ruler (ancient ruler) of Scorpio needs to be doing something. Anything.

He flies out of sharp focused Scorpio today and into big picture, sky's the limit, freedom loving Sagittarius. He's looking for action. Maybe he's even looking for a fight. Actually in Sagittarius he will probably be on a crusade. Our natal Sagittarius house is AWAKE while Mars is visiting. And he is preparing for a LONG visit. He's brought a full set of Samsonite and will be with us until the end of September (minus the weeks Mars will retrograde back into Scorpio - end of May thru early August).

It might be hard to focus our actions now. In Sagittarius, Mars will be eager, revitalized .. and distracted. There's just so much to do. We could find ourselves with several projects going all at once and nothing gets finished. 

He will stir up activity in our natal Sagittarius house and with the themes Sagittarius rules - legal, travel, foreigners, teaching, higher education, media, marketing, publishing, wedding, philosophy or politics (yes, the fighting is about to get even more intense - stay off Facebook!).

It will be easy to go off the rails when people don't agree with us. We need to take the time to think things through. Everyone will be trying to persuade everyone else to see things their way - probably ain't gonna happen. Keep this in mind. The dogmatic spewing of our own "truth" and "wisdom" might not be as welcome as we hoped. It's a good time to take a long look at what we are really fighting for.

With Mars in Sagittarius we will all have more of a tendency to "just wing it" and that may not be a good thing in our "Virgo (attention to detail) is the king of the playground" year.

A good way to work with Mars "antsy-ness" and/or "know-it-all-ness" is exercise - especially the kind that starts with us heading outdoors and ends with us too tired to move.

On the plus side, there is lots of energetic support here to take action toward something very "big picture", and act in big and loving ways toward others - both my Sagittarius rising nieces give the BIGGEST hugs.  We can use this energy to embrace all kinds of newness now. With Sagittarius the sky really is the limit. We are encouraged to set in motion anything that we would want to receive if we were on the receiving end. xo

New Moon Solar Eclipse in Pisces | March 8th - forward on faith

a leap of faith by jk rab

Next week's New Moon in Pisces is a full solar eclipse. We could feel the energies earlier than other new moons (I've felt them as early as one month prior and as late as one month after - usually exactly to the day).

Happening in Pisces, our current south node (been there/done that) - the "new" could be defined best by what is leaving. 

Eclipses (similar to a super charged full moon) will eclipse something out or bring something to light or alternately cover it up. The New Moon will activate the promise of any slow moving transit currently present in our life.

This eclipse has the Sun and Moon in Pisces (18 degrees) as well as Chiron (the wounded healer), Ceres (nurturing/devouring mother) and the South Node (been there/done that). Also we have Saturn (in Sagittarius) squaring the eclipse and the eclipse opposing a retrograde Jupiter (in Virgo) and the North Node (in Virgo).

If you have any planets or points in your natal chart from 15 to 21 degrees of the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) you will feel this eclipse the strongest. 15 to 21 degree planets and points in water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) will also feel it, but to a lesser extent. Check your natal chart and check for your Pisces house - the house will tell you the area of life to expect the impact.

These degrees are similar to those impacted last September by the Solar Eclipse in Virgo and in the same family of eclipses so we might feel a connection with something that happened then.

We are are like computers being turned off and on when the skies go dark and the program that uploads at restart is a little bit (or quite a lot) different than the one we ran on before. 

Eclipses change us, and we, (vibrating differently), change our circumstances by attracting or repelling what our new self lines up with.

Although solar eclipses are new moons and have themes of newness we can't have a beginning without an ending. Sometimes the ending is all we feel with this stuff. So, even when we are soaked in mourning for what has ended and we aren't consciously starting something new, the very fact that something/someone is no longer in our life means we are in a new beginning. 

Now, let's unpack this.

We have Ceres in Pisces. I did a post on this HERE that applies to this eclipse. We have Chiron in Pisces. With Chiron involved we know that whatever is happening has the opportunity to be either "wounding" or "healing" and most likely both. We have our South Node in Pisces. The South Node is our space of completion - we've been there, we've done that, we are ready to move on now.

In Pisces, endings can be kind of vague and drifting. Sometimes we can't even tell until later that something is finished. There is an unmistakable feeling that something is slipping away, but the process isn't so cut and dried. If we don't let go, it's like trying to hold onto water.

We have Saturn (structure, time, discipline, authority, restrictions) squaring the eclipse. This is tension and frustration - something outside pushing/forcing us to take a new action. Pisces is all about faith - what we believe in. We could see what is happening here as a test of faith. I don't mean this in a religious sense, although it could be for some people - Saturn is holding our dreams to the fire. What do we really believe is possible here?

We know if the New Moon Solar Eclipse is hanging out with the South Node - it is opposing (opposite) the North Node. The North Node (our current north star) is in Virgo, along with Jupiter. An opposition forces a decision.

An opposition to Jupiter highlights what is opposed to us being "lucky". An opposition to the North Node highlights what is opposed to us moving "forward" with our life purpose. If we are moving in the wrong direction we will feel like the life is being sucked out of us now. That sounds rather dire, but is probably not an overstatement.

Pisces is healing. Many people with health issues may get answers/peace now. People and animals with major health issues might leave us, so spend time with them. Get yourself to the doctor or hospital as needed.

Saturn forces structure. Many people will encounter roadblocks that put them on the right path because other routes will be closed off. With only one route open to us it is rather easy to decide which way to go.

With this new beginning in Pisces (transcendence) we'll need to have faith. There will not be certainty right now. New moons are times of darkness. Our first new steps will be uncertain. We can trust our intuition (Pisces) now.

As always this year, the way forward (and toward solid ground) is through Virgo.

Do the work. Do it well. Do what is right in front of us. Take care of our health. Take care of our habits. There is no "letting ourselves go" or "letting things slide" this year. And if that sounds exhausting to you - go take a nap - it's Pisces season, we need more sleep.

Remember this energy is in effect until the Pisces Full Moon next autumn. There is nothing about any of this that says we need to rush off at full speed in the New Moon darkness. Just keep moving forward, one step at a time, one foot in front of the other. Doing what is in front of us. Moving toward what feels most "light and right". Eventually we'll reach Virgo solid ground!

And remember this is still a New Moon. Set your intentions - think about Pisces themes - healing, peace, boundaries, dreams, imagination, addiction, vulnerability, compassion, what is hidden!

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of February 29th - something's gotta go, something needs a boundary

exodus by jon jacobsen

First, Monday is Leap Day so we get a BONUS day this year - this is like the extra hour we get at daylight saving's time multiplied by twenty four. Plus it's nicer to think of it this way rather than just Monday!

(we just need to get the calendar makers to add it to the end of July) 

This is a busy week. Under-schedule because in the run up to the eclipses we can expect the unexpected now.

The Moons are productive all week with no serious void moons during working hours other than late Monday afternoon. Today the Moon is in Scorpio - especially good energy for Scorpio ruled stuff - taxes, loans, other people's money, etc - reproductive issues, sex, death. From late Monday until Wednesday the Moon is in Sagittarius - expansion, what we believe in, adventure, what is foreign, education, legal stuff is highlighted. Early Thursday the Moon moves into Capricorn until early Saturday - grow up, do the work, be responsible, get serious, authority figures are in the mix, our own authority is required here.

Lots of Pisces (weepy/sleepy/letting go) energy. We are building toward eclipse season and Thursday is an eclipse trigger day for March 8-9th's total Solar Eclipse (more on this later) - know that whatever this eclipse energy is working with in our lives - the doors are open for change RIGHT NOW.

The Pisces eclipse pushes us to take a hard look at unhealthy beliefs and habits. The Sun and Moon are on the South Node of what we are releasing.  

Something's gotta go now. Something needs a boundary.

Later in the week, Mars (in Scorpio and walking a path he will walk two more times over the next few months) squares Mercury at the very end of Aquarius. The same day this is exact (Saturday) they both change signs (Mars into Sagittarius and Mercury into Pisces). Planets in the last degrees of any sign are particularly strong and Aquarius and Scorpio are particularly fixed and hard headed.

Squares denote struggle, tension and frustration. We have our mind (Mercury) not aligned with our actions (Mars). We may be pressured to make a decision and take action. We could say one thing and do another. Remember, actions (Mars) we take now matter because we are not finished with them. With Mars in the shadow of his upcoming retrograde it's like we are visiting a space we will return to - so let's not trash the place. With Mars move into Sagittarius the same day there could be ethics or bigger picture stuff involved. With so much Pisces energy whatever the tension is - it could just fizzle out. It might be best to pull in until we're clear. This is great energy for a distracted car accident so it's best to be intentional with our actions and give ourselves time to think.

Also late in the week, the Sun (in Pisces) squares Saturn (in Sagittarius). This transit will trigger issues from the Neptune/Saturn square we are all working through now. Squares denote struggle, tension and frustration. There are obligations, rules and limits. For Pisces the dreamy sky is the limit and Saturn wants us to accept reality. Pluto in Capricorn is sextiling the Sun so there is an opportunity to connect with our true purpose here. The road blocks are real though.

We can see the Saturn/Neptune square playing out in the U.S. primary elections. Each party is choosing a Neptune candidate (dreams, imagination, maybe too much pie in the sky, outsider) or a Saturn candidate (structure, power, maybe too much of the same old thing, insider). The impact from our choices here will reverberate in our personal energies, too. Do we believe big, crazy change is possible? Or do we believe things have to change very slowly over time? There are no right or wrong answers with this. We truly do get to live in the world we believe we live in.
 
The first eclipse, next week, is at 18 degrees Pisces on the South Node (eclipses can take place on the South or North Nodes). This is a Full Solar Eclipse. Because the Sun and Moon are in the South Node of 'letting go' we will have a BIG release/ending in our Pisces house.

What house is 18 degrees Pisces in our natal chart? Also we can check our progressed chart for this same degree. Progressed charts are symbolic. They move our natal chart ahead one day for every year we are alive. Astrologers call these 'secondary progressions'. So, let's say you were born on October 10, 1980 - your chart this year would look like November 15, 1980 - 35 days for 35 years. Secondary progressions offer insight into the unfolding of our unique personalities over time. I noticed the year my Sun changed signs, our Sun will only change signs a couple times in our lifetimes using this method, life very suddenly required me to be a totally different person!

You can find your progressed chart at astro.com (extended charts - choose natal and progressed or natal, progressed and transits) - for the eclipse: find 18 degrees Pisces and see if your progressed chart has you dealing with a different Pisces house (than your natal chart) and if there are any planets in your progressed chart near 18 degrees. If you need help with this, just email me or leave a comment.

An eclipse can pull us in a whole new direction! Are we ready? (there is a sneak peak available - what was happening for you in the spring of 1997 and/or the spring of 1978? what is happening right now?)

xo all

Sun Conjunct Neptune in Pisces | illuminating a weakness?

ann 03 by muszka

This weekend the Sun moves into a comfy conjunction with Neptune - both moving through Pisces, along with the collective South Node of what we are releasing and joining the wounding/healing energy of Chiron.

The Nodes (North and South) are not actual celestial bodies like planets or stars. They’re the two points in space where the Moon’s orbit around the Earth crosses the ecliptic - the path the Sun appears to journey through the skies each year when viewed from Earth.

Unlike the planets, the nodes are always in retrograde motion, moving backwards through the zodiac. They spend about 18 months in each polarity set of signs - currently Virgo/Pisces since last November (you might remember when they were Libra/Aries and I was talking about flocks and not going it alone, ad nauseum!) - and it takes about 18 and a half years for the Nodes to make a complete journey through the zodiac.

With the South Node in Pisces we are, as a collective, working through letting go of negative Pisces themes - unrealistic dreams and fantasies, addictions, escape, lack of boundaries, self-sacrifice, victimhood and martyrdom.

With the Sun lighting up this area now, maybe some space where we are "unrealistic" or our "judgement is cloudy" or we have lost our "boundaries" or played the "victim" or "martyr" or been "untruthful" or tried to "escape" could be highlighted for us.

It's probably a space we have gone unconscious. A space of distraction. Maybe it's something we use to stay safe but it actually keeps us stuck over here while that thing life has been busy lining us up with is over there. Maybe it's just the way we've always done it and something now shows us why it doesn't work anymore.

To grow and change we need to be able to tolerate a certain amount of unreality, 'not knowing' and un-comfortableness. We just have to stand our ground with it now.

The first time we put on a new hat we feel like a fraud. It takes time for that hat to become "ours" and not just something we have perched on our head.

Glass half full - this aspect also offers up quite a bit of inspiration for those ready to dance with the muse ..... dreamy weekend ahead folks, watch your alcohol, drug and sugar intake, it will be very easy to overdo it now - xo all