Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of June 6th - Venus delivers the goods

little voice by moonywolf

You might remember last summer (why does last summer feel like 10 years ago to me?) Venus had a nice long retrograde. We were all figuring out, by working backward, what we really value and how to align ourselves, going forward, with that.

At one point during that cycle, mid August 2015, Venus was conjunct the Sun at 22 degrees Leo (sitting in the same space as the Sun). We talked about a new cycle kicking off - building our new dream.

(an update on our dream later this week!)

This also closed out the previous Venus cycle which started back in January 2014, kicked off a new 8 year cycle for our Leo house and closed out the previous Leo house cycle from 2007.

Venus, planetary ruler of women, love, relationships, money, resources and self-esteem, has a cycle with the Sun with phases similar to the Moon.

If Venus was the Moon, the cycle we kicked off last summer (mid August) would have been her New Moon phase (in Venus speak called her inferior conjunction/morning star phase); it was a launching point.

And like the New Moon, where stuff begins in the dark - things started slowly and didn't really kick up until the end of October when, at 16 degrees Virgo, Venus was conjunct the Sun again and we were in her initiated phase and things were "full steam ahead".

This week, at 13 degrees Gemini, Venus hooks up with the Sun again and reaches her superior conjunction - if she were the Moon this would be her Full Moon phase where the energy peaks.

(note - at the end of March 2017, when Venus hooks up with the Sun at 4 degrees Aries, this current cycle will conclude and a new cycle will kick off, a 19 month Venus cycle and a new 8 year cycle for our Aries house)

So MONDAY is the Full Moon phase of the current Venus cycle.

With Venus conjunct the Sun in Gemini this is a time of OPPORTUNITY (yes, for our Gemini house but also our Leo house that launched this cycle and for those Venus themes I mentioned earlier), good news, payoffs and yes, culminations. This could be about us receiving news and opportunities from the current cycle and also about attracting what we want (Venus) by the information/communication (Gemini/Mercury) we put out (Sun).

This also ends the Gemini cycle that began in June 2008 (and we can continue back in eight year increments to get a feel of what these cycles have looked like for us previously) and starts a new cycle in our Gemini house! Whew, I know this probably sounds confusing. Stay with me.

Venus' cycles pertain to Venus things - love, money and self-esteem. If we have planets or points near these degrees (22 Leo, 16 Virgo, 13 Gemini) this cycle will figure more prominently in our life. And, of course, everyone can use the Venus cycles as touchstones to start, develop and end situations that are Venus ruled!

We also have the Cancer Moon (home, family, security) making a very nice alignment to Jupiter (expansion, good luck) on Monday. Circle Monday, June 6th, on the calendar!

The next day (Tuesday) Venus and the Sun will square the Nodes (of fate) - this connects whatever is happening to our past (karma) and future (dharma). A square denotes tension. Something outside our control is requiring us to take a new action. In this case, we are faced with a choice. Stay with our same old story or evolve/change something and head toward the future (and mostly we all say we want a different future and then we do the same old thing - me, too - ack!).

With Venus and the Sun in Gemini (ruled by Mercury) and the North Node in Virgo (ruled by Mercury) and Mercury ruling our communication and information - something about receiving or giving information could play a role here (Mercury also rules transportation, teaching, writing, fast moving things like computers, siblings and our local neighborhood).

Remember we still have the Mutable Grand Cross energy (literally a cross in the sky). Crosses are about sacrifice, so whatever is happening will come with some kind of trade off. If we want this we have to do, or give up, that. For example - if we want our business to make X amount of dollars we have to give up X amount of free time/family time/other activities to make that happen!

With Gemini there are always choices. With this square to the North Node of our collective destiny life asks us to 'pretty please' make the best one. In Virgo - the best choice will probably be the thing that is most realistic or that provides the most service or that is the best option for our health or the thing that is the 'next step' right in front of us. Virgo also rules organization, paperwork, pets, employees and employment. With so much forward momentum in these areas a little effort can turn into a landslide. This won't be some big crazy thing where we bet the farm - although it could absolutely turn into something big. Small is the new big this year. And yes, I know I've been harping on the same stuff all year!

On Wednesday and Thursday the Moon is in Leo which brings a natural focus to our 5th house of children, love, fun and creativity. The week heats up even more on THURSDAY when Mercury (in Taurus and ruler of our North Node and Sun right now) opposes (just what it sounds like) a retrograde Mars (in Scorpio) - this could be an argument or deep conversation probably about something from the past.

At the same time Pluto (retrograde in Capricorn) trines (brakes off) the North Node (in Virgo) through next Monday. This could remove a roadblock and get us moving in a new and improved direction!

There is the continued need to be flexible, weigh options, watch for things that are not quite as they seem and truths coming out. Mercury finally leaves his shadow period and begins to cover new ground, but if we have been holding off on that big moving parts purchase (computers, cars, etc) until the Mercury retrograde was totally over, I would still hold out a little longer with all the chaotic Gemini energy.

We continue to work with the mutable t-square - Neptune in Pisces, Saturn in Sagittarius and Jupiter in Virgo. In the outer world U.S. politics this 3 legged table looks a lot like Bernie (Neptune - about to go retrograde), Hillary (Saturn - currently retrograde and moving direct in August) and Donald (Jupiter - about to be answering to Mercury in his home sign).

All is not as it seems though and it isn't the best time to get clear answers or make firm decisions - some things just have to work themselves out and fall into and out of place first. Mercury will move into his home sign of Gemini on Sunday - more about that next post.

Things will be much clearer and look very different in July when Mars is direct.

xo all

New Moon in Gemini | June 4th - curiosity beats confusion

curious by estella mestella

Jupiter in Virgo, Saturn in Sagittarius, and Neptune in Pisces (three major planets, all in mutable signs) have been squaring off against each other since last summer. This has been stressing out the mutable signs (all of us at times, but particularly Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces) - lots of sleepless nights and nails chewed to the quick for these guys, I'm sure.

Life's been as wobbly as a three legged table for all of us! And with so much of the focus this year on the mutable (ie changeable) signs - everything is in major flux. Our dreams vs. the reality of our situation has been a major theme for a whole lot of people.

A couple people asked me last week who might win here - dreams or reality. Ha!

This is a Saturn vs. Neptune battle. Saturn (reality) is not so happy to be in Sagittarius - Sagittarius is big picture thinking and adventure and Saturn likes to focus on 'just the facts jack' and the tried and true. He wants us to work hard and Sagittarius likes to play.

Neptune (dreams) is very happy in Pisces, the sign he rules. Neptune and Pisces are in total agreement that all we need is our imagination and our intuition and we will be happy, happy, happy dreaming our lives away.

The problem for Neptune, and it's a rather insurmountable one, is that Pisces is our South Node right now - the stuff we have all decided "as a collective energy" we move forward best by releasing . And we've got our North Node - the space our collective energy is moving toward in "just get 'er done" worker bee Virgo, along with Jupiter (expansion).

My money's on Saturn (the reality police).

This doesn't mean our big bodacious dreams will never happen (life is as magical as ever!) - although to be honest, hell, they might not (if there is nothing solid to support them this long term energy will force us to deal with the reality of the situation, release this stuff and move on). Getting real can be scary and sad if we have been living in la la-land about something. When we get real new potentials emerge that we never dreamed of!

Anyhoo- back to the New Moon!

We have Gemini, that fourth table leg that's been rather quiet (and by the way the space we need to focus on in our natal and progressed chart for balance - picture that three legged table again, head to the missing corner!) occupied with the Sun and the Moon and conjuncting the beautiful Venus.

This is about relationships, money - choices, decisions. With Venus here this New Moon is VERY powerful and MAGNETIC. Set those intentions people!

Here's a link to last year's post with info on that - check bottom of post!

Gemini is our middle air sign - a sign of the mind, the archetype of the 'teacher' - the storyteller. If you are a Gemini sun sign this is basically the way you process life - you have been mentally exploring and noticing stuff your entire life - you are always ready to teach.

Gemini has more to do with questions than answers. Geminis are designed by birthright to know a hell of a lot of stuff that will never make them any money (unless they make it into the final rounds of Jeopardy) - Gemini is the sign of curiosity.

Gemini is also the sign of confusion and distraction. With so many things vying for our attention it is easy to miss the really important thing among all the noise. Potential can be lost, ends can stay loose, stuff can get spread so thin it pretty much disappears.

Sometimes we focus on too many things, because we are really afraid to fail at the one big important thing.

This ties back into Neptune/Saturn. Maybe as long as our dream is SO BIG it will tend to stay way over THERE (it can't fit in my small house that's for sure) - we can bring it CLOSER by making it SMALLER. This isn't about settling but it could be about settling in for what is real.

This New Moon carries the potential for us to be required to make a choice or decision (things will be much clearer by the 20th when we have that 2nd Sag Full Moon!), a new situation expanding or an old situation turning in a new direction. We might find ourselves reaching out to someone or for something and somehow missing the mark or maybe encountering some kind of large immovable obstacle (I did mention the Moon is squaring Saturn!).

With the New Moon forming a Mutable Grand Cross and conjunct Venus (at an important time for Venus which we'll talk about next week) this is about connecting and closing out karmic cycles from June 2004, June 2012 and June 2016. This is about love, relationships, money, women, what we value, the stuff money can buy and the stuff money can't buy- all our Venus themes.

This aren't a lot of definite answers now. Stuff is up in the air. It will likely be best to meet this energy with an attitude of curiosity - "oh, isn't this interesting". Stay flexible. Stay focused. Choosing a firm side with so much in flux could cause us to get tossed off our game later. If we must choose - head for solid ground (Saturn) with small, measured steps (Virgo). Reality needs to be accommodated this year.

xo all - don't forget to set your intentions!

out of life lines ....

confusion by psychic lexa

Today our Gemini Sun squares Neptune (strong in Pisces and hanging out with the South Node of what we are releasing). Issues become even more convoluted. Reality warps a bit. We are in the process of closing out karmic relationship cycles - I am going to post more about this in the New Moon (happening this weekend) post tomorrow!

Changing points of view, an inability to trust what we see and difficulty making choices is par for the course with this. Going with our 'gut' might not be the best way forward here - since our intuition is literally squaring our life force! Answers are not easy to come by now.

Remember we are closing out that Grand Earth Trine energy we have had access to for the last few weeks and right now Mercury (in Taurus) is trining (brakes off, smooth sailing) the North Node (our future best path) in Virgo - there is something here that over the last month has given us a little ground beneath our feet - something that has proven itself to work. Go with that for now.

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of May 30th - keep it in balance

vintage in camomile by malenka

I'm going to start with Monday even though I am writing this on Tuesday. Transits don't always appear to unfold at their most precise moment, so it is often just as useful to look backward as forward ....

Yesterday we had Mercury (words, communication, thinking) in Taurus (stability, stubbornness, grounded, value, money) trining (brakes off) a retrograde Pluto (transformation, karma) in Capricorn (business, commitment, time). This is a three-peat, due to Mercury's recent retrograde, we had this same aspect in mid April and a couple weeks ago.

There is something here about words we can count on or a conversation that lays it all out or something that has been proven to us being the way to go. It's a 'just the facts jack ' kind of influence. Mercury, Pluto (there is a North Node aspect, too, of our collective destiny here) - will allow us to focus on what we need to focus on and get our priorities straight.

(we've still got Jupiter in Virgo and are expanding through service, focusing on our health and the work that is right in front of us - details matter but perfectionism can derail us - note in a couple months Jupiter will move on to Libra and expansion will be all about partnerships, balance and who we know, any lack of boundaries and trying to go it alone will derail us - we've been lining ourselves up with the right flock for a couple years now, this will be the year it really pays off)

The Grand Earth trine we talked about before is starting to break up but we will still feel its impact on Thursday and Friday - good things can happen by just doing the work and showing up. This will be about what we value and hold dear - everything money can buy and everything money can't. If we have something to pitch or some move to make Thursday would be the day to do it.

The thing with trines is because they are easy, breezy aspects we often do not use them to their fullest potential. This happens with trines in our natal charts, too. They are the 'good karma' stuff we can count on that we sometimes take for granted. So whatever space this trine is working with in our chart we want to give it an extra push toward the end of the week. If you want to know where this is hitting for you just email me and I will check it out.

The biggest news this week is a Grand Mutable Cross and the New Moon in Gemini at the end of the week!

Now a Grand Cross is not a Grand Trine. This is not an easy, breezy, brakes off kind of aspect. You can picture a cross in the sky formed by planets (in this case Sun/Venus in Gemini, a retrograde Saturn in Sagittarius, Jupiter in Virgo and Neptune in Pisces) - the cross is formed by squares and oppositions - these are the tricky angles. In our natal chart squares and oppositions are the challenges we came in with. In our collective story - this particular Grand Cross, and they are not all that common, will run from today through the weekend.

This Cross is in the mutable (changeable) signs and could be about our options being at cross purposes. Multiple situations may come up. We have Neptune (dreams) and Jupiter (expansion) inflating our potential at the same time Saturn (time, authority, limitations) is bringing our feet down to earth or in a more challenging case holding our feet to the fire. Or maybe the solid thing we are building with Saturn (remember that dream we are building this year!) gets foggy and drifts off course. When Neptune confronts Saturn something is always released.

To work with Cross energy effectively takes balance - too much emphasis in any one place can cause us to shift off center. Stay flexible and keep moving! And yes, like actually moving, too - long walks would be a good thing now.

The New Moon at the end of the week will trigger the Grand Cross so we'll talk about that more thoroughly in another post on Thursday.

Just know for now that it might be best to remember the only thing that is certain is that nothing is certain. If everything seems to flip around on us this week, just know, OK, this is that mutable transit, this too, shall pass. If we get really thrown off our game we can use the fading Grand Trine energy to get our footing. Something has expanded in our lives in the last month under the trine - and yes, it may still be in its infancy, but feed that thing. There is something real there. The cross will kind of peak on Friday and take us into the New Moon energy on Saturday.

Also keep in mind Mars is still retrograde and moved back into Scorpio last Friday - this is that mucky stuff we have to deal with again. For me, some health stuff I thought I had moved past, roared back to life. Anything this has kicked up for us cannot be pushed under the rug. Mars has already walked the degrees he is walking this week several weeks ago and he will walk them again in a few weeks. This time it is the backward walk so we get to pick up anything we dropped/missed/skipped/avoided the first time. Trust me that we want a clear path for his final walk through later.

Retrogrades can work like this - we are walking a path. There is some kind of obstacle, problem, something or other that we see, but we kind of ignore it and keep going. Now normally this might be an ok thing to do because it's not our job to fix everything after all. 

BUT when we have to retrace a path during a retrograde it is our job to fix those obstacles, pick up the garbage, etc, because that is the point of the retrograde. It's saying, "hey over here, this stuff can't be ignored". 

Then we turn around. We walk the same space again - this is our third time on this patch of highway now - if, on our final walk through the obstacle is still there - the energy will either remove the obstacle in the most expedient fashion and maybe not to our liking or will force us around it and on to another path. It can also come back to bite us in the ass the next time we are on this road - often about a year or so later. 

Moons - Aries Moon Tuesday & Wednesday - initiate, get up and go. Wednesday - Saturn/Neptune square triggered - dreams vs reality, watch out for deception, get enough sleep, not a good day to make a clear decision, Thursday Moon is in Taurus - comfort, value, money. The Grand Trine is triggered - good luck with work, co-workers, pets, organization. Friday Balsamic Moon - reflect, rest, Grand Cross peaks - options, cross purposes, release.

Back in a couple days - time to make the donuts (or in my case, lockets) - xo all

Venus into Gemini | smarten up

nerd by silent-waltz

Venus (love, money, value, self esteem, women) moves into Gemini today.

Gemini Suns and ascendants get more attractive now (ie able to attract and yes, better looking!). Everyone's Gemini natal and progressed houses get to host a visit from lovely Venus.

With Venus in Gemini (ruled by Mercury) and Mercury in Taurus (ruled by Venus) - we will benefit most from this transit by making smart choices.

Gemini always offers multiple options which can be a good thing until it isn't anymore. And to make life even more challenging there isn't always a right answer and a wrong answer - there might be an answer that is better for the long run though. We are all playing a longer game now.

Venus in Gemini attracts through communication. If you have a business this could be the time that increasing your social media presence pays off (like ka-ching, Venus rules money after all).

This is a good time to - talk, read, make the call, write the note, tell the joke.

This is not the best time of year for introverts (sniffle). If that sounds like you - let's remember that comfort zones do not promote growth - all the goodies really are sitting right outside our self-made boxes! We can do this thing (ie small talk, light banter, jokes - yikes!).

Gemini rules the 3rd house of our early education. This isn't about high level conversations - nothing has to be profound; words over three syllables will not be necessary. This is about the kind of communication skills we all learned in grade school. Wide beats deep now.

The witty and street smart girl gets the worm this month.

We will be sizing things up quickly and others will size us up quickly, too. It's probably best to keep communications a little light, but in a way that people are left thinking we are more than a light weight (and I am talking intellect here, not squeezing ourselves into too small yoga pants or skinny jeans - exhale girls). Women (and money) may come and go now. Gemini is a mutable sign - we'll adapt.

We will be attracted to what makes us curious. Other people will find us, and our offerings, more attractive when we make them curious about us, too. Keep this in mind now.

Venus is opposing Mars (retrograde in Sagittarius) today - so this transit will not be without its challenges. It's like our Goddess walks into a party where everyone is chatting and having a good time and there is this guy in the corner and he might be a little angry or just very passionate about something and he is right away requiring some kind of BIG decision from Venus and all she really wants is to flirt a bit and talk about the Bachelorette's new season for 10 minutes.

We'll cover this transit more as it unfolds. xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of May 23rd - connection, decisions, conflict

cat conversation by who-is-chill

We begin the week with Mercury stationing direct (Sunday) - do I hear a hallelujah?!

And in another part of the skies Venus moves into Gemini, Mars (still retrograde) backs into Scorpio and we deal with the final clash between Jupiter and Saturn with the square they started last summer.

Mercury stationed direct on Sunday at 14 degrees Taurus. He will still be covering old ground (we will, too) for a while, but some choices can be made now and new options will start to be presented to us. Deals will be inked.

Whatever ground to a standstill back in April will begin to move forward. It will be easier to get a handle on whatever is happening from here on out, but all this Gemini energy could make us (and others) indecisive.

(we still have Mars, Saturn and Pluto retrograde, so it's not all systems go, but it's certainly forward movement)

With the Sun in Gemini and Venus joining him on Tuesday - there will be no shortage of Gemini fused activity, contradictions, communication and thoughts this week. People with a strong Mercury will have their heads overflowing with ideas and plans now - some of which will dissolve quickly like fluffy white clouds. Something could stick though.

When Venus (love, money, relationships, values) moves into Gemini on Tuesday - we will have Mercury and Venus in mutual reception (in each other's signs - Venus in Gemini ruled by Mercury and Mercury in Taurus ruled by Venus) - we'll feel an increased need for connection and an increased ability to relate to other people's ideas and points of view.

The male vs. female conflict from last week continues as well as the possibility of something 'explosive' in the news (like last week's missing plane) that draws everyone's attention into the same space and again the potential for something 'blowing up' in our personal lives (if this didn't hit last week). Stay flexible. Don't freak out. Things are in flux. With Venus moving through Gemini we will attract what we want/need by having multiple irons in the fire and working our ability to pivot and change direction as needed. I hope everyone has strong arches and good shoes.

There will be tension this week as Jupiter and Saturn form the last of the waning square aspect (began last August - the last square was March 23rd). This is part of the 'dreams vs reality' stuff we are all dealing with. Since this is the final square most of us will have a clearer idea about which dreams are best for us (and, yes, for some people - more practical or maybe more long-term) and which can be released instead of trying to keep every door open. We'll talk more about this later.

On Friday, Mars (retrograde) will step back into his beloved Scorpio. Remember we have an amazing and NEW journey ahead when Mars finally travels over new ground in Sagittarius in a few weeks - for now we are back in the Scorpio muck for a little bit to see what else may be hiding here. If there is more to a situation than meets the eye- here is where it comes out into the light to be seen. Examining the stuff that comes up and removing those obstacles - related to our Scorpio house and the fears that are holding us back - will allow things to move in a more streamlined fashion later. 

Will look at the Moons tomorrow - a heads up that the Moon (still in Sagittarius) goes void around lunchtime Monday (EST), so start new things early in the day and then take advantage of the void energy for productive, practiced work in the afternoon! xo all

Full Moon in Sagittarius - keep your head

up above by affont

The Full Moon is at 1 degree Sagittarius on Saturday. It has multiple 'stressy' aspects that I talked about here.

If you have natal planets in the early degrees of mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) I would suggest calling this weekend a wash-out - it's supposed to rain for the 7th straight weekend here in New Jersey anyway. Grab a good book (hell, grab any book) and stay in bed. It will take super human efforts not to get embroiled in something.

Otherwise be prepared for the possibility you will want to:

1. choke the living daylights out of someone

(I was going to say 'choke the crap' but decided that sounded crude - plus 'living daylights' leaves the other person unconscious which could be our aim with this energy - they will fight back though, so this unconscious thing probably isn't going to work)

2. run away with your dog since she's the only one who really understands you anyway

(not that I know about this - sniffle)

3. totally lose your cool over some strongly held belief - don't talk politics with anyone now, stay off Facebook!

Anyhoo, don't say I didn't warn you. If you must go out and/or be around living things with less than four legs - I would suggest trying to be on the same side as the person you are with - creating a 'you and me against the world' type of weekend might work ... maybe.

This is most definitely not the time for a heart to heart with anyone you haven't been getting along with or for bringing up some thorny issue from the past. Zip. It.

As always Full Moons are powerful times for energetic shifts so please get out and walk in it - just don't walk into the local pub and start a brouhaha

and yes, I say things like brouhaha now - you got something to say about that?! 

xo all

Sun into Gemini - time to get moving

color of the wind by anita anti

On Friday, the Sun moves from earthy and stable Taurus into airy and fluid Gemini.

Gemini energy talks. It listens. It questions. It perceives what isn't said at all. In short, it doesn't miss a trick. With so much to see and so much to do and so much to communicate - there is not a moment to waste on any of those roses we were smelling last month.

Ruled by Mercury (standing very still and powerful in the skies right now preparing to go direct on the 22nd), Gemini is the sign of quick wit, unending curiosity and a short attention span.

My sister has a loaded Gemini house and can appear quiet at times. In conversation, she nods and makes eye contact but her mind has raced ahead to something else - she already knows what the other person will say or do next and how she will respond, so she is studying their eye color and trying to decide if they are green or hazel or making a grocery list in her head or calculating the square root of the number on a sign that just caught her eye.

(in high school when talking to boys on the phone, she would watch TV with the phone in her lap, and pick it up once in a while to say "yeah" or "hmm" - I'm pretty sure they never noticed)

Since Gemini rules information we will have alot coming at us over the next few weeks.

Gemini (the twins) is the sign of duality - of black and white, of feminine and masculine, of truth and lies. Nothing will be totally one way or the other or quite what is seems now. We will be faced with dilemmas and changing viewpoints. In the end contradictory thoughts and things can come together with this energy.

We all have ideas about how things are supposed to look and work that we've carried since childhood (and before). We have these beliefs and then we, subconsciously, look around for the things that support these beliefs and that's what we notice. Then our beliefs gets reconfirmed and strengthened. Even though these beliefs are no truer than someone else's beliefs that reflect the opposite thing.

With the Sun in Gemini and all of us burning Gemini fuel - we can give ourselves permission to embrace a more wide open receptive state. We can move against the beliefs we've been strengthening since childhood if they no longer suit us. We can give life permission to not make any sense for a while. If we are confused we are doing something right.

See what house holds Gemini in your natal chart - this space will be communicating with us now. Things will be busy.

We have a Full Moon the day after the Sun's ingress into Gemini, then the Gemini New Moon on June 4th and then another Sagittarius Full Moon on June 20th. So, whatever is happening with Gemini in our charts will complete in some way with the first Full Moon, then something starts with the New Moon and then another ending in late June.

Starts and endings will be fast and furious, but permanent .... that's questionable. xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of May 16th - duck and cover

doesn't mean you're lost by wakemeupinlondon

This week we are all building toward the Full Moon next Saturday. If we get through this week and next without some kind of big knock down drag out we will be doing pretty good.

At the time of the Full Moon, the Moon is opposite the Sun - Moon opposite Sun is a powerful opposition and even when the other aspects are easy or minor there is increased tension around whatever is illuminated, ends or peaks.

There is nothing easy about this one. This month, the Full Moon is in firey Sagittarius (where Saturn is retrograde) and on the exact degree a retrograde Mars (action, anger, passion) is transiting. The Moon (emotions, instincts) will literally be trapped between a rock and a hard place and we might feel the same way. Whatever has been bottle-necked for anyone dealing with Mars retrograde issues (Mars will be retrograde for another few weeks) could suddenly change course or break apart.

The Sun (in Gemini) will be conjunct lovely Venus, but this aspect will most likely be overshadowed by the Venus opposition to the Moon and Mars. This could show up as a "man vs woman" thing or more likely a male vs female energy conflict. We also have Vesta (the female energy of hearth and home, what is sacred) opposing the Moon and Mars and conjunct the Sun and Venus. This sounds stressy - like something near and dear is threatened. We will want to keep our cool here. For some people opportunities will show up to offer compassion to others.

The fallout from this Moon will be the result of something that has been building over time - this isn't something that will hit us out of the blue and if something appears to hit us 'out of the blue' it's only because we have chosen not to look at it before. The signs were all there.

(there is an astrological history of catastrophes and even be-headings with certain aspects around this Moon so we just want to be a bit cautious, get to a hospital with any health issues and try not to 'lose our head' over anything that falls our way now - there are many, many better days and Moons ahead!)

Whatever we are dealing with - the good news is the day after this Full Moon, Mercury (in Taurus and the ruler of Gemini where the Sun is hanging out) will station direct, so we will get clear headed about it quickly. Decisions will be made. Communications will come through.

The week's moons - The Moon is void Monday until 1:30pm EST, so a good excuse to sleep in. The rest of the day the Moon is in balanced Libra making everyone more amiable - some people could definitely be in the right place at the right time today. On Tuesday, we might have to deal with some retrograde Mercury annoyances. Don't worry - this one's almost over! On Wednesday, the Moon goes void mid-morning and Uranus shows up with something unexpected. This one really will be 'out of the blue'. Adjustments may be required. The Moon moves into the deep waters of Scorpio on Thursday and makes a chummy aspect to Neptune in Pisces - all the themes involved are promising - sex, reproduction, divorce, mortality issues, other people's money, taxes, healing, hospitals, prisons, imagination, spirituality - and of course, there's all that water! After that it will be all about the Full Moon and the Sun's move into Gemini - more on this later in the week!

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of May 9th - do you feel lucky?

in my arms by kosmodisk

This week we have that Grand Earth Trine continuing to foster growth and prosperity!

We have Venus (love, attraction, money, our values, women) walking the path the Sun walked last week, so all those spaces get re-stoked. Lots of opportunities to get it right this time!

On Monday, Jupiter moves direct (our Virgo house and Virgo people get shaken awake now - in a good way). We have 4 months to make Jupiter in Virgo count for us! Do you hear me Virgos?

With Jupiter we learn through expansion. We outgrow things. The themes we are working with get bigger.  We assimilate larger points of view. In Virgo, we will all be more focused on our health, our work, our schedules, our craft, our animals - we will all become more industrious - within the micro we find the macro.

Spaces in the Virgo areas of our own chart - by progression (what our chart looks like right now) and natally (what our chart looked like when we drew our first breath) - as well as the universal theme of the things Virgo rules - work, health, service, training, pets - get bigger and take up more of our time.

We've had Jupiter in Virgo since late last summer but he has been retrograde half this time!

Now, and particularly when more planets have also moved direct by late next month, we will start to feel what his transit in Virgo can do for us. If any of these areas has been particularly troublesome - yes, sometimes problems expand with Jupiter so we can see them clearly and work to resolve them - there is lots of good energy this week to move those things in a new and improved direction.

Jupiter is the largest planet (it could hold over 1300 Earths!) and is the space in our natal chart that holds our natural blessings. It is the space that can 'turn things around for us' when we don't know what to do next or where to go. There are always options for us here.

On Monday we are also halfway through this season's Mercury retrograde (in Taurus) so whatever this is/has been about for us - the cards are pretty much on the table.

When Mercury conjuncts the Sun (Monday), dots will be connected for us.

So, we kick off the week with Jupiter - in Virgo - moving direct after five long months (!) and we've got the Sun (in Taurus) trining (brakes off) the North Node (our future) - also in Virgo - while conjunct Mercury - whew - whatever information, communication or facts we are dealing with are connected to our next moves and future path.

If something comes up for us now (especially something from the past or someone from the past or someone that reminds us of someone or a situation from the past or something that's been stagnant) - it would likely be good to check into it and expand on it!

We also have Mercury and Venus trining (brakes off) Pluto (in Capricorn) giving us even greater potential for transformation and evolution with whatever we are dealing with - particularly around communications, women, love, money and business.

Now remember we continue with lots of retrograde energy (four planets!) - revising, revisiting, reversing, reassessing - you know the drill - and lots of Taurus - careful, deliberate words and actions are best now.

The only stressy situation this week is on Wednesday when an active Venus makes an inconjunct to a retrograde Saturn (in Sagittarius) - this could be us overreaching a bit. We'll have to deal with whatever "brings us back to reality". In Taurus nothing is going to happen overnight anyway. Uranus could also usher in some last minute changes and out of the blue something or others that could go either way.

With Venus strongly involved with the positive aspects this week our greatest blessings and opportunities will come from following our heart!

A few void moons during work hours to keep in mind (great for production, not so great for launches) - Monday until lunchtime EST, Wednesday all day and Friday afternoon (maybe start the weekend after lunch!).

You can still do your New Moon intentions - before the first quarter moon on Tuesday - so get to that NOW if you haven't done them yet! xo all

Here's a link about watching Mercury conjunct the Sun on Monday.

New Moon in Taurus | SET THOSE INTENTIONS!

make a wish by catherinehh

Yes, I know I'm shouting at you, but I really want your attention this month!

Friday's New Moon in Taurus is part of a Grand Earth Trine and there are multiple (as many as nine) Grand Trines now and grand things are ... well, grand!

Imagine a regular New Moon is the Sears organ at Grandma's house where your Aunt Betty annually pounds out a rather rowdy rendition of Jingle Bells - a good time is had by all, but she's not playing Carnegie Hall on that baby anytime soon. This New Moon is the Steinway grand piano where Alicia Keys or maybe Billy Joel (or maybe Aunt Betty if she works this energy right) makes the real magic happen.  

Yes, it's that good.

Grand Earth Trines are excellent for manifesting physical stuff. Stuff we can hold and touch and eat and wear and carry in our pocket.

A trine aspect is an energy of "brakes off". The movement and momentum is unrestricted. If we launch something in the right direction nothing is standing in our way. Things fall into place with this stuff. And if things are not falling into place, pushing for what we want/need doesn't really work. Patience will likely be required here. Earth energy isn't fast. But it is fertile and stable and dependable. This New Moon is the beginning of something we can build on with a good amount of simplicity and ease.

The intentions we set at this New Moon, in particular about our security, self esteem, fertility and physical resources have an excellent opportunity to take root and grow. 

(Jupiter the planet of expansion is part of the trine as well as Pluto - transformation and rebirth - now everybody involved here is retrograde BUT Jupiter "our good luck" is moving direct next week, so something could kick off kind of quickly with this even if it takes a long time to completely unroll itself)

Now remember we have FIVE planets retrograde and we have zero planets in air signs (mental), so this will probably not be about having a brand new idea or launching something that is brand new. Most likely this will be a new chapter to an existing situation or an old situation that has come back around. This is probably some door that is right in front of us but we just can't see it.

Remember last year when we talked about May and June as being the time we actually 'build' our dream - well here we go. Now we have a lot of retrograde energy, pretty much all of it, so the past is part of the future here. Every new thing is built on all the things that came before it.

So, let's give this one our best shot.

1. Talk as little as possible on Friday (or whenever you do your intentions, I would work with this within the next three days - we want to hook into the growth part of the moon's cycle). Keep idle chit chat to an absolute minimum. This will make our words more powerful when we do use them. No complaining. It drains the energy. No superfluous language. Read my post HERE about babble. This is good advice for all the time, but if you are normally a chatter, toning it down right now will be especially effective for you.

2. Meditate before setting our intentions. Even a few moments of silence stilling our mind makes it easier for us to be clear on what we want and to "hook into" the simplest path to line up with it. We want to approach this monthly ritual consciously and respectfully, so that we recognize the power of the moment and choose our words and actions wisely.

3. Eat whole foods and stay away from flour and sugar prior to setting the intentions. I had a teacher who saw people as "foggy" after poor eating. She was always right about it and she claimed it made our thinking and manifesting foggy. She said the things we are seeking that are also seeking us (and what we are seeking is always seeking us) cannot easily find us when we are foggy! I believe her.

4. Use positive language. Now, I don't mean positive as in "pink and flowery" and the opposite of negative. I mean positive as in certain. When we write our intentions now we want them to carry the energy of certainty. Just like when we plant a seed in the ground we know it will grow. We know the seeds we are planting with our words will grow, too.

5. Gather a number of flat, white rocks. 

(if you feel more comfortable doing our usual monthly papers by all means do that!)

6. Write one intention, in script, on each rock. Say the words out loud.

7. Bury the rocks in the ground. I would bury them about the depth you would bury a seed. Deep enough they cannot easily be kicked loose, but not so deep they cannot feel the sunlight and the rain.

8. Release. Now we release our attention from these things. Know they are already ours.

Don't struggle too much over what to write or how many intentions to set with no air signs and Mercury retrograde, our minds won't really help us now. We'll just plant our feet firmly on the ground and feel what we want here. Feel what it would feel like to have real security, to have the resources we need, to have perfect health and to have the self-esteem to know that we truly deserve to have these things. We'll imbue whatever words we use with those intentions.

I have found it's good to be somewhat specific but not so specific that we are totally wedded to only one way of getting to where we need to go.

This New Moon in Taurus is an excellent time to return to a grounding practice, make affirmations and set intentions about: money, contentment, patience, self-worth, releasing stubbornness, all health issues and especially those regarding our neck, throat and voice in the world.

This Grand Earth Trine feels like an unusually strong opportunity to get something right the second, third or maybe the 33rd time! With all this retrograde energy whatever happens will certainly need to be "re"vised later and that's OK. It might even be through what is left after all this retrograde energy passes that we can see what is the real value at the center of it all and build from that.

xo all

(the weekend energy is quite stressy, so maybe try to get to this Friday night! here's a link to Jan Spiller's New Moon Wishes)

If we have planets or points in your natal or progressed chart in earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) or fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) from 14 -20 degrees you'll feel this New Moon the most strongly.

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of May 2nd - things are falling into place

distant flickering by super shrimp

YAY - it's May! This week we have a wonderful New Moon in Taurus on Friday (more on this later in the week).

At the time of the New Moon, the Sun and the Moon are sharing the same space. This means that every aspect the Moon is making (and they are very positive!), the Sun is making the same aspects, too - so there is a double whammy of potential now.

The Moon, along with Pluto (retrograde in Capricorn) and Jupiter (retrograde in Virgo) is forming a Grand Earth Trine. This actually kicks off with the Sun on Tuesday!

In general this trine is about healing our relationship with work and prosperity. It will also aid our lives via the houses the signs impacted occupy in our natal
and progressed charts.

There are luck and opportunities here. Trines mean "brakes-off" - things are intended to fall naturally into place with this (we will likely need patience here). We don't want to force stuff to happen. This trine has a supportive connection with Neptune (strong in Pisces) so there will be elements of the mystical, magical or miraculous (pick your comfort zone).

We won't need, or want, to bang our head against the wall with this one. But this is 'earth' we are talking about, so we shouldn't be afraid to get our hands dirty. And with fixed Taurus playing such a major role we need to be careful we aren't stubbornly holding our position - we need to go with the flow - there are "re"wards ahead for getting this right.

Now we still have half the planets retrograde (first time in 10 years) including Mercury, ruler of our North Node "where we are heading", so this is not about launching something brand new. There is a strong element of looking backward with this energy. It's through this process that the right insight, opportunity, person, etc will start to move things in a more prosperous direction for us.

We don't want to be sitting around waiting for something to happen to us - life doesn't really work this way. We keep moving forward with small, precise steps, we do the best jobs we can, we work in service to other people, we prioritize our health (think Virgo energy!) AND we are especially active reworking and reconsidering whatever isn't working for us (in any area of our life - changes in one area of our lives affect all the others - health and work are especially connected and potent now).

Jupiter in Virgo (good luck, expansion, service, precision, work) and Pluto in Capricorn (transformation, security, structure, business, reproduction, rebirth, power) had a very positive aspect last fall and then last month and they hook up for a final time next month.

With both planets in earth signs this is about physical changes to our lives.

Because Venus and Mercury are going to activate these same spaces throughout May we will have access to this energy all month. We also have Mercury (retrograde) trining (brakes off) the North Node (in Virgo) of "where we are going" next Sunday. It really looks like any delays, detours, Groundhog Day style repeats, re-works and re-connections are going to work out in our favor.

Patience is required here. Go slowly.

There is, of course, a fly in the ointment (I'm starting to think the flies are a necessary component) - hard nosed Saturn (also retrograde in Sagittarius) will be square to Jupiter - this will create tension and force us into a new action - and Saturn will be inconjunct the Moon and Sun - so some kind of creative blending of stuff that is at odds with each other will be required to make this all work together.

Never fear though, even mighty Saturn is not strong enough to circumvent the positivity of this Grand Trine!

I'll be back later to update this with the week's Moons and more on how to work with this energy and how it will impact different houses.

xo all

Mercury Retrogrades in Taurus | time to shut the heck up

quiet by nikolineir

Mercury stations retrograde today at 23 degrees Taurus (where is 23 degrees Taurus in your natal and progressed charts?). If you have any planets at 23 degrees of the fixed signs - Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius - you will feel this retrograde more intensely (this includes both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders - I am sure both are re-vamping things now).

Mercury is thoughtful in Taurus anyway and now that he will be retracing his prior steps, he might be downright unresponsive and dogmatic. Words will really matter now. What we say will not just be accepted at face value - statements will be questioned. Talks will need to be walked. When in doubt - we'll re-look at the situation before communicating, maybe we'll just shut up. Decisions will be up for review. Written material will be, and should be, scrutinized now. We can't believe everything we hear or read.

Questions and problems will resolve more slowly. We may not have the answers until Mercury goes direct on May 22nd or maybe not until he is covering new ground entirely on May 28th. Being prepared for a long process will make things move smoother.

Something from the past can come back around for another look. Things that come out of the blue now may not look so good (or bad) when Mercury moves direct.

With our North Node in Virgo and Mercury the ruler of Virgo, plus the four other retrograde planets right now, we will all be a bit more tired of the stuff we are already tired of and re-thinking, re-working and re-evaluating our future plans/path forward.

The best use of this energy as always is the "re's" - "re"laxing, "re"viewing, "re"searching, "re"organizing, "re"generating, "re"connecting, "re"creating, "re"viewing, etc. 

 xo all

Venus into Taurus | making the most of what we already have

walking through dandelions by frank beer

Mercury stations retrograde today. We are now working with five retrograde planets, something we haven't had in ten years. Almost everyone's energy level will be lower. Our sense of timing, ability to focus and keen sense of whatever it is we would normally pride ourselves about having a keen sense of can be thrown off.

I thought I would use this time to "re"vamp my websites. Every morning I open the back-end, make a couple changes, feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the task ahead, look out the window and go for a walk ....

Tomorrow Taurus moves into Venus. Venus loves (and rules) Taurus. After her weeks in Aries trying to be a lover and a fighter, she is quite content to settle into herself again. Taurus suns and rising signs get more attractive (both physically attractive and more able to attract).

For everyone, this transit, particularly when coupled with all this retrograde mud, can help us really appreciate what is right in front of us.

Taurus is a fixed sign, so things happen slowly. It can take some time for a person who is used to (remember we are hardwired to crave what is familiar) seeing beauty in a lush green lawn to appreciate the magnificence of a dandelion.

(did you know the word dandelion comes from the Latin "lion's tooth" - dandelions are some of the honey bees earliest food, are reproductive superstars - an energy sorely needed now and have centuries of usages in food, drink and medicine)

Taurus is a fertile earth sign. She is the earth in a sense. Taurus rules our 2nd house of love, money and values. Where is Taurus in your natal chart? This space is about to receive its annual visit from Venus (beauty, love, self-esteem, values, women). How can we make her feel more welcome?

Taurus is the sign of comfort, but not the comfort of five star hotels and maid service. She values simplicity - fancy or complicated embellishments just get in the way of true comfort. It gets easier to see (and feel) that now. With Venus here until May 24th what we want and what we need are fused into the same thing. 

The power and real beauty of Venus in Taurus is a deep seeded belief that everything we need is available to us. Either we have it, or we can attract it, if we believe we are worth it. 

Friday is also the last quarter moon of the monthly cycle. This is the final piece of this year's Aries New Moon cycle, so whatever those New Moon intentions set into play this is when we play our final hand. We follow up on anything that it makes sense to follow up on, we let the other cards fall.

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of April 24th - an INTENSE look back

bold dreams by multicurious

We have Mercury stationing retrograde in Taurus on Thursday - we will really start to feel this on Tuesday (back up your computers NOW).

This will make five planets retrograde until Jupiter finally moves direct in early May - yes this is BIG!

Mercury rules communication and the movement of information. When he is moving backward (from our perspective) these things get scrambled. More on Mercury here.

Communication includes not only verbal conversations, but the way we think, speak, learn, write, use language and the tools we use for these things: letters, maps, appointments, schedules, classes, books. It also rules telecommunication - publishing, email, sales, public relations and advertising and the tools we use here: computers, cellphones, mail deliveries, shipping, transportation, roadway. Mercury also rules our earliest learning environment which translates over to - our siblings, our neighbors and our local neighborhood. All these things can be a bit like scrambled eggs now. Double check everything.

Retrogrades are an excellent time for the "re's" - revise, re-do, relearn, restore, reinvent, retreat - you get the idea.

When all these planets go direct this summer we are all going to fly forward at 100 miles per hour!

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 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 :)

It's best to imagine Mercury leaning conspiratorially toward us, "OK, we've gone as far as we can go at this point in time - we need to backtrack a bit to recheck a few things, gain a little more experience and allow the stuff we've lined up with to catch up with us".

Remember unlike what is reported in the book The Secret we don't just decide and the universe responds. We align ourselves with the energy of the thing we want/need/think about/believe in/spend time on/spend energy on/talk about, etc in the invisible realms and then it shows up in the appropriate form for us.

We don't have to create our reality based on instinct like an animal - doing the exact same thing every year. We are gifted with imagination and free will choice. We are always in partnership with life and co-creating our reality.

Our subconscious wants to repeat the past - just like an animal does (remember we are not craving what feels good, we are craving what feels familiar - see this post on the work of Candace Pert). So we will get the same thing we've always gotten when we do the things we've always done.

I have a friend who has had 4 jobs in 5 years. She is always in a state of indecision - should she go or should she stay? She tells me she is tired of having to decide - all she wants is a permanent job.

But her thoughts, words and actions keep recreating the same situation. How does this happen?

First she worries/complains about her current job alot - whatever that job happens to be at the time. The hours are too long. The pay is too low. The field is not where she really wants to be.

She is continually sending out little currents of energy for something else to come along. And because she is an excellent manifester (and we all are) - it does.

Then because she is a pro-active kind of person she puts the ball into play on the physical realm. She hears about a new position, she makes a call. She makes a call, she goes on an interview. She goes on an interview, she gets a job. Then she must decide again - should she stay or should she go? Then she decides and within a few weeks starts the cycle all over again. She thinks life is sending her all these choices and she is tired of having to choose. She complains about the cycle not even realizing she is the one creating the cycle!

Retrogrades allow us to break cycles. We have to backtrack. We get re-routed. Retrogrades offer the opportunity to slow down and re-work a few things. Decisions will not be made quickly now. Deals fall through. Stuff and people from the past come back for connection (and often closure). Things will not always run smoothly. And that's OK because when things run too smoothly we all go on auto-pilot and auto-pilot is just not cutting it anymore for any of us.

Taurus establishes our sense of values, worth and security. With Mercury retrograde in Taurus these are the things we will be dealing with. What do we need to re-do before we move forward?  

Taurus is an earth sign so physical things can be lost/broken- keep track of your money, your cellphone, your credit cards now.

Someone recently asked me what he should rework while all these planets are retrograde - just rework whatever isn't working!

This is a very productive week. On Monday, the Moon is in Sagittarius we will be seeking a little adventure and really wanting to believe in something. On Tuesday, the Moon goes void at lunchtime so get stuff done early. Just before the Moon goes void she makes a positive aspect to Venus, so the void Moon will be a good time to work on (not launch!) something involving love, money, women or beauty (Venus themes). Wednesday and Thursday the Moon is in Capricorn - we will want to get down to business now. On Friday, the Aquarius Moon is great energy for the genius/rebel/criminal to come out and play.

Venus will move into Taurus on Friday giving Taurus themes (and our own natal and progressed Taurus houses) an even greater emphasis.

More on this later in the week! xo all

Full Moon in Scorpio | honest and uncomfortable

the moon by laura makabresku

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.

Scorpio, in the northern hemisphere, rules late autumn. The wind is blowing the leaves from the trees, the landscape is becoming barren, death is expected - there is a sense of being cut off, a sense we are on our own. Scorpio energy has no fear of the dark.

Taurus, in the northern hemisphere, rules late spring. The world is fertile. Taurus energy seeks the light. Both signs are fixed and want what they want.

(one energy isn't "good" and the other "bad" - neither could exist without the other - they are really two sides of the same coin)

Sooo, we have this polarity

(and yes, I hope you have this Polarity, too- warning shameless plug ahead - have you seen my lockets?)

Scorpio is beckoning to us, "come over to the dark side" and not because there are cookies

(although there might be and I hope for both our sakes they are Girl Scout Thin Mints)

but because there is treasure hidden deep in the Scorpion realms if we are brave enough to seek it, and yes, the treasure might be guarded by Zombies or Saviors or Negan wielding his barb wire covered bat Lucille (and if you do not watch the Walking Dead and have no idea what I am talking about - well, imagine the treasure guarded by that giant 3 headed dog at Hogwarts).

Scorpio energy embraces complication and obstacles.

Taurus is equally adamant that we should, "stay where we are - it's comfortable and working out just fine".

Of course there could be a life that is better than "fine" if we are willing to take those steps in the dark to find it. But maybe not.

(there are no guarantees with any of this stuff folks - that's life on planet Earth)

Taurus energy embraces peace and comfort.

With Scorpio we have the shadow of control and jealousy and the taking on of too much that can fuel greed. With Taurus; stubborn resistance to change and resistance to anything that is complicated - an attachment to the familiar that is also greed.

There are no right or wrong answers here.

This Full Moon is an excellent time for release and this one could be a time to think about and maybe meditate on 'greed' and what we are willing to do (and not do) to get (or keep) what we want.

Maybe something will come to light for us with this polarity - what do we need to be comfortable? Comfort might include wealth but wealth can also mean discomfort if it demands too much of our attention and energy in exchange.

The Sun in Taurus craves simplicity - see what obstacles the Scorpio Full Moon reveals in our life that are blocking our comfort or what potentials it throws a light on for something more complicated - the next steps are up to us!

Full Moons are also the culmination of cycles.

In this case, tonight's Moon brings to 'fullness' or completion something started at the New Moon two weeks ago and something began last November at the Scorpio New Moon.

The Full Moon works like a spotlight to illuminate some space in our life. Sometimes something happens - most likely an ending. Sometimes the light shows us something that was hidden or something we didn't want to look at or didn't want others to see. Sometimes the Full Moon brings to light an imbalance between the two parts of our life the Sun and Moon are impacting.

Tonight's Full Moon at 2 degrees Scorpio will be intense. Known as the 'pink moon' it will be 30,000 miles farther from the Earth than the closest Full Moon this year (the Taurus Full Moon in November). It will be pretty much unaspected by other planets and not watered down by other energies. If you have natal or progressed planets from 0 to 4 degrees in the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) you will most especially feel this one.

Remember this year's major themes. We've got Saturn in Sagittarius making us walk our talk now. If we truly believe that love is all there is and the way we move past fear and conflict then we must take actions and create real world things that support these beliefs, even when those actions are uncomfortable or 'foreign' to us. We've got Jupiter wedged into Virgo so we expand through small, measured steps, attention to detail and service to others. We have Pisces very strong in Neptune creating shifting sands, illusion, mystical opportunities for spiritual growth and myriad opportunities for earthly escape. We have Uranus in Aries (war, chaos, sudden change, opportunity, anger, rebellion). We have Pluto in Capricorn dismantling our crumbling authority. We have a Mutable T-Square throughout this summer (mostly impacting Geminis, Virgos, Sagittarius and Pisces) setting some very beneficial things into motion by way of a creative challenge - finding clarity about what we’re supposed to do, keeping the momentum in our own hands rather than giving it away or wasting it and taking on a newer or deeper sense of purpose. We have Mars, Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter retrograde about to be joined by Mercury.

Life is anything but simple these days - so enjoy any chance this month of Taurus, to enjoy comfort and simplicity!

As always get out and walk in the Full Moon - the energy is intense and always helps to shift any stagnant spaces we are carrying!

xo all

Sun into Taurus | smell the roses

taurus locket by polarity and oksana grivina

After the past month in firey Aries, the Sun's ingress into grounded Taurus this afternoon will surely bring the noise level down a couple notches.

We begin to burn Taurean fuel and get to feel a bit like a natal Taurus for the next few weeks.

Taurus is the first earth sign. A fixed sign - she values simplicity over complexity, calm over chaos, stability over flexibility, silence over noise.

Taurus is all about the fertile Earth (it is not a coincidence Earth Day is this Friday) - she is everything grounded. The polarity of Scorpian sexuality - she is sensuality - the touch that feels like love.

Ruled by Venus she coaxes us back into our bodies at the end of a long day with a hot, soothing bath. She urges our hands to pick up those tomato plants at the market and get them into the dirt. She is the quiet voice that whispers I love you when we stroke the baby's ear with our lips.

Taurus rules our 2nd house of everything money can buy and everything money can't - love, money, our values and self-esteem.

Taurus can bring stability (although sometimes a lack of ambition or fire) to the space she resides in our natal chart.

(I have Taurus in my 7th house (equal partnerships) and hubs is not only a very earthy, stable, hands in the dirt kind of guy - the relationship grew in a very Taurean way - slow to start and then intimate and long-lasting.)

People will want to be comfortable (whatever that means to them) and might resist new and unfamiliar situations now. Keep this in mind.

It will be easy for all of us to wander outdoors and forget the pot of water boiling on the stove, the email that needed to be answered or the work waiting for us on the bench.

We'll stop and smell the roses now and we'll use Taurean strength and determination to be consistent and get things done (maybe just fewer and different things!). xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of April 18th - finish it up

your space by beauty spot crafts

Yesterday, Mars stationed retrograde at 8 degrees Sagittarius (what house, ie space in your life, is your natal and progressed Sagittarius?).

We will be revising, revisiting, revamping and reversing. Mars last retrograded in March 2014, so has been full steam ahead for a long time.

If you were a car at the Indy 500, it would be time for your pitstop and we know it doesn't end well for cars that skip their pitstops - I think they're even mandatory.

Mars, ruler of Aries and Scorpio (ancient ruler), our initiative, enthusiasm and anger and in the fire sign of Sagittarius and sitting on top of the fixed star Antares (the anti-Aries, who functions quite a bit like Aries) will make everything even more intense.

First - think safety. Wear a seatbelt and safety goggles. Don't play with matches. Don't pick fights. Think schoolyard etiquette now. Play nice. Sit on impulses that feel the least bit physically 'reckless' now.

Remember Mars is covering the same space Saturn traveled starting back in October 2014. So anything that comes up for us now that is something we have left undone, dangling, out in left field or messy - we will have to complete. The stuff from the last two years we are dragging behind us that is holding us back has to go so we can move on unencumbered. When Mars meets up with Saturn in August this chapter will be closed and a fresh chapter will kick off. We'll be ready for it. See my post on Mars retrograde here.

On Monday, Pluto stations retrograde. This brings seismic stuff out in the world - yes, including earthquakes and revelations about powerful people and structures that feel like earthquakes. In our personal lives this is about our own power and our relationship to power. Astrologer Tom Jacobs has an excellent post here.

Today's Virgo Moon will be void all day, so a good day for practiced action and organization - a great day 'to be of service' - not a good time to start anything new, since with Void Moons it is said that 'nothing will come of' the situation. If your taxes have not been filed yet- get on top of that or file for an extension. 'Nothing will come of it' sounds perfect for the tax man. With Pluto going retrograde we may reconnect with an authority type or power play situation now.

Venus (in Aries) and ruler of our love, money and values will be uber busy this week. On Monday she trines (brakes off) Saturn - this gives support and stability from older people or from older ways of doing things. Commitments are made more solid. On Tuesday, Venus squares (tension, frustration, a new way of doing something is forced) a retrograde Pluto (in Capricorn) highlighting old power and control issues. On Friday, Venus conjuncts Uranus (in Aries) creating unpredictability and surprises. This is very close to the Scorpio Full Moon at the end of the week - priorities will shift and could bring a more focused commitment to something more authentic or shutting down of something that needs to go.

On Tuesday, the Sun will move into Taurus - we'll talk about that tomorrow and we'll talk about our fate-filled Scorpio Full Moon at the end of the week. xo all and enjoy your Monday!

Double Grand Trines | optimism and abundance

dandelion by this year's girl

We have not one but two Grand Trines we can work with now.

Trines are 'brakes off' aspects that allow things to move forward more easily. Grand trines are like triple the power!

With an ongoing Grand Trine in earth signs and one building in fire signs (Sun, Moon, Venus, Mars, Saturn - sparks can fly with this one) - it looks like a very good couple days to take action and, just in time for the weekend, have some fun!

Mercury in Taurus (stability, nature) and Jupiter (expansion, abundance) in Virgo are in a nice flow with Pluto (power, transformation) in Capricorn (business, establishment).

This isn't about something new and innovative so much as about expanding and stabilizing what we already know - some things we thought were blocked and out of reach may not be.

Sometimes the gift of trines is to see opportunities (door with cracks and windows ajar) and act on them. Sometimes the things we act on now are symbolic and support bigger, later changes.

I am clearing my backyard of twigs and cutting the grass this afternoon - ensuring fertile ground for later plantings and clearing the dead stuff to support new growth. This is the kind of thing we can do with these energies (trines - brakes off) to 'clear the ground' in support of change and a more abundant future (for me and my yard!). It's use it or lose it with this stuff!  

We can use the physical in symbolic ways, but we need to take some kind of action.

(clearing inboxes and closets works the same way - anything standing in the way of us getting what we want, ie the email from the big new account, the new spring jacket that needs a space to call home - the wrong things symbolically blocking the right things - they need to go now)

If we have stressful stuff happening right now - let's use the next couple days to relax and get outside our problems (literally and figuratively - think about something else, do something for someone else, get outdoors).

Small changes in our daily routine can create big, and with these aspects incredibly long lasting, changes in our attitude, beliefs and health. And it's those changes in our thinking and doing, ie what we really think is possible for us - what we show we really value by spending our time on - that starts the ball rolling in the physical world and changes everything. 

We are approaching quite a bit of retrograde energy over the next few weeks. We will be retracing some steps or dealing with some road blocks, but it's good to remember the other planetary energies have moved on. We can never really walk the same path twice. And we will have quite a bit of help along the way to get us through. These trines are some good energy to help clear the ground in preparation.

When we hold onto things and don't want anything to complete, it's because we fear nothing will come along to replace the thing that is finishing. Life is forced to kick the thing out from under us to have us face the fear. But there is an easier way. We can release the fear first. We can know we will be OK. The upcoming retrogrades will apply pressure on us to finalize things that have been sitting half completed for a long time, big and small these things must end, to get ready for the new. We are all going to need the skills of flexibility and focused presence to navigate the next few years. What can we do now to develop those muscles?

Enjoy the weekend. Get outdoors! xo all

Mars Retrograde April 17th - June 29th | finding out what real courage is

Mars goes retrograde about every two years for about 10 weeks. He will be retrograde (moving backward from our perspective) from this Sunday until the end of June.

Mars entered his "shadow period" (the degrees he will 'retrace' beginning on Sunday) back in mid February and he won't be covering completely fresh ground until August.

What does this mean for us - well, first of all, in a way, this transit's lessons have already started. The stuff we will be dealing with (and reworking) over the next couple months is already in play (it can connect back to the spring equinox happenings, too).

Mars will begin his retrograde in Sagittarius and move back through Scorpio - so these are the houses in our natal (and progressed) charts we will be dealing with. Since this is the same slice of sky Saturn worked through (in a slower and more thorough fashion) from 2014/2015 - this could be about something we were dealing with then. It's one more chance to work with the themes related to these houses - to get it right, to take action on it, to put it to bed.

If this was the olden days, our ancestors would be sacrificing a goat right about now. They knew from experience Mars' movements (easy to track since he is that red spot in the night sky) often brought aggression, hostility and war.

Now (although Mars is still the planet of war), we look at him and his movements a bit less malefically. Mars is our will, our initiative, our energy. He is also our passion, our anger, our courage.

With Mars outside his 'normal flow' we can expect our energy to be lower. We can expect less to come of things we 'initiate' during this period. Romances started now could fizzle out when he moves direct next summer. Projects will face delays and disruptions. We will be rethinking and reworking our actions. Anger can come out in ways inappropriate to the situation and will backfire on us.

There are astrologers who believe whoever starts a fight (action against a rival, lawsuit, war, etc) or "fires the first shot" when Mars is retrograde will always lose. Keep this in mind.

Since Mars rules Aries - Aries Suns and risings are strongly affected (although for particularly assertive/aggressive Aries, this could bring a period of calm and peace). Since Mars is the ancient ruler of Scorpio - Scorpio Suns and risings are strongly affected, too - although Scorpion manipulation may work better for most people now (as opposed to overt action), it may not work so well for Scorpios.

I was born with Mars retrograde (and if you have a natal Mars retrograde or even Mars in the water ruled houses - 4th, 8th, 12th houses, Mars retrograde can be a good transit for you and almost the reverse of other people's experiences) and see this in my natal chart as one, of multiple, indicators that willful action often backfires for me. If I start the fight, I lose. Actively going after what I want either doesn't work or when I get what I want I realize it's not what I really want. I think this is how willful action will work for most people during this transit (April 17th - June 29th). We may also find, if we are more naturally passive, we will be forced to stand up for ourselves now.

One of the things Mars represents in our natal chart is the kind of emotions we got used to feeling when we were very, very young (pre-speech). This is partly because of our earliest environment and our parents or caregivers but also because of the energy we carried into that environment and the way those energies interacted.

Since Mars represents passion and desire - these emotions are the ones we grow to associate with those things (passion, desire, love) and those are the emotions, when triggered by other people and situations, that we move toward as we go through life.

(this is an unconscious process and yes, we can consciously decide that passion and desire will feel differently and move toward something else, but it is the energy we will naturally feel passion and desire for)

With Mars retrograde (especially in the deep waters of Scorpio) we will be relooking at what we are passionate about and what we really desire. It's also a chance to regroup and try a new way to "attack" (not overtly) the challenges in our life.

It's a time to re-examine and rework the way we express, experience and integrate Mars energy (masculine, assertive) in our life. It will also allow us a pause between - what happens and what we do about it, putting ourselves in the other person's shoes, etc - that can make all the difference!

We will talk about this as we move through the transit.

Pluto (in Capricorn) is also going retrograde and both these planets (Mars and Pluto) are the rulers of Scorpio - which is about getting to the real truth of the matter, the truth about power and seeing through the illusion of life on planet Earth.

And we are leading up to the Scorpio Full Moon on the 22nd - the truth is coming out people! xo all