Full Moon in Aries this weekend | don't start a war

chained by temporary peace

The Full Moon is always a time of tension - it's a time of Sun opposite Moon. Oppositions are pretty much just what they sound like. There is a reason police departments and emergency rooms are uber busy during Full Moons!

This month we've got the Sun in Libra (ruled by Venus - peace, women, balance, fairness, love) and the Moon in the opposite sign of Aries (ruled by Mars - war, young men, initiative, passion, courage).

We have Uranus (in Aries 2011-2018) and Eris (discord, angry feminine) directly opposing the Libran Sun and conjuncting the Aries Moon. Uranus rules impulsiveness, the unexpected, freedom, rebelliousness, strokes of genius.

We have Mars (ruler of Aries) conjunct Pluto (ruler of Scorpio where Venus ruler of Libra is hanging out - these loops of power that feed back into themselves this way make the energy even more powerful). Pluto has been in Capricorn since 2008. Pluto rules transformation, power, death, rebirth, karma, obsession, compulsion, nuclear power.

We have Mercury (communication, conversations, transportation) squaring both Mars and Pluto. We have Mercury sextile Saturn (hopefully enough grounding and sanity here).

Many of these aspects I wrote about in the weekly forecast because, although I write about them for the day they are most exact, the energies always play out over a period of time. I sometimes feel them a week before they are exact and am hoping that's how this energy played out for the U.S. election candidates, but it's possible we will have even more "sudden developments" "coming to light" this weekend! Both Trump and Clinton's charts are directly impacted. And this weekend sets up next week's final debate energy where Uranus (anything can happen) will rule the night - you probably don't want to miss it (bring wine).

Two weeks ago we had a New Moon with incredibly pleasant aspects and now we have a Full Moon with incredibly challenging ones!

This Full Moon is in many ways about freedom and rebellion (Uranus) - with our words: crass or blunt language vs. political correctness or civility, the right to privacy (our conversations, our history, what we carry) vs. the right of others to see and hear these things. With our actions: rebelliousness or inventiveness vs. status quo tradition, independence vs. dependence. With Venus and Mars ruling the Sun and Moon there is an aspect of male vs. female (masculine vs. feminine) and competition vs. cooperation. There is no easy or correct answer to any of this.

And when we think for certain there is, we all lose.

And I know this sounds like I am writing about the U.S. election, but I'm not. The election is only mirroring our shadows back to us and working with the same energies we are. Many people think this is the worst election ever and of course in some ways this is true because we feel it is true

(and the more media we watch or social media we read the more this will seem to be true - were we on Facebook 8 years ago?).

But what's really happening is that instead of us just seeing the faces the candidates want to show us, we are seeing their shadows, too. The curtain has been pulled back. There is no great and powerful Oz. So what we have is two flawed individuals battling it out which is actually what we have always had (they are modern gladiators, people!). It is maybe just a matter of degrees. Things were just better hidden before. This 'pulling back the curtain' is happening in our own lives, too. We can see both candidates' bullshit and you know what - people can see ours, too.

We can't go backward to viewing our leaders as superheroes (or fathers) even if that made us feel safer. We are grown ups now and dad has moved to a retirement community in Florida.

We are evolving into the Age of Aquarius; a time of equality when we will be our own leaders. We have decided (subconsciously) as a collective that one of the ways to make this happen is for us to experience this particular shit show election season even though it sometimes makes all of us uncomfortable, scared, sad and angry. Remember the Hopi elder's quote.

At this Full Moon the freedom promised by Uranus seems more like something imposed on us than something we get to choose - like when your country is being blown apart by bombs and you flee for your life, the bombs are gone but so is your country.

Or when we are freed from our crappy job, but then have no income. So now we have the time to spend our afternoons reading the latest Wally Lamb novel (I can't wait!), but all we will be thinking about is "how are we going to pay our electric bill?".

Even when change is forced on us we have a free will choice about how we react - always remember this. This may sound like pouring pink paint onto something grizzly, but it is truly our reaction (decision, action) to what happens and not the thing that happens that sets the trajectory of our new timeline.

We all get to work with the same energies, although they will hit some of our charts harder than others and some of us may be more equipped to handle the energies based on the previous choices we have made

(for example we'll be better able to enjoy that new book if we have some savings put away or a partner with a job or a lower cost of living, etc).

If we have planets or points 22-24 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn we will feel this Full Moon strongest, but there are so many planetary players this month most of us will feel it somewhere in our lives. If it doesn't directly impact us it will be impacting relationships, partnerships, marriages, rivalries, competitions, etc of the other people in your lives. This is stressful. Let's all treat each other kindly now.

Full Moons bring things out into the light - they don't create the thing they shine the light on. This is the time every month when one space of our life (in this case Libra - partnership, balance, fairness, passive aggressive) just doesn't fit well with another (in this case Aries - ourselves, initiative, courage, anger). It is also a time of peak energy and culmination. Something started at the Aries New Moon last spring can conclude or peak now.

With the Sun opposing Uranus the path forward (whether chosen by us or for us) could be the one that offers us the greatest freedom.

We can use whatever comes up or comes out now to motivate us in the right direction. It is easy to lose sight of what is important when we are always faced with what is urgent. That sextile to Saturn will help. If our connection to the Full Moon is our Libra house - this is going to be about our relationship with other people or to one other person. This is going to be about freedom. Maybe we move apart, maybe we move closer together. Freedom doesn't have to be a solo activity. If our connection to this Full Moon is our Aries house - this is going to be about our relationship with ourselves. And this is going to be about freedom, too. Maybe the freedom to be ourselves or maybe we have taken that too far already .....

This Full Moon weekend expands on the week's theme of controlling our anger and staying balanced. A word or action could start a war with this energy! It's important to speak up and listen and not get so caught up in any extreme position or need to be right. There is truth to be revealed here.

And let's keep our schedule light because unexpected things will come up.

I'll write a short post on the Full Moon this weekend so we can get out and walk in it - it's a powerful one!

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of October 10th - if we ran like our mouth this week, we'd be in good shape

me, and me, and me by senju-hime

We have a long and messy Mercury story (or stories) this week capped off with a Full Moon in Aries conjunct (anything can happen, out of the blue, genius, rebellious) Uranus.

It is super unusual to have this many active Mercury days in a row!

Keep this in mind when information and communications are conflicting and volatile.

Let's dive right in. The week kicks off with Mercury (information, ideas, communications, conversations, siblings) catching up with Jupiter (expansion, luck) in Libra. We had this same conjunction a few weeks ago when they both met up in Virgo (I had some good news that day about Olive's health, maybe you had some good news, too).

We are fortunate to have these planets meet up again so soon!

This is a time, Monday and Tuesday, to get good news or have positive conversations or ideas around Jupiterian things - travel, politics, education, weddings, legal, foreign, media, marketing, publishing or Libran things - partners, money, what we value, women, beauty.

This would be a good time to sign an agreement that benefits both parties or have a conversation that brings peace, balance or fairness to a situation. The energy is optimistic - there is some potential for good news to be a bit overblown though - keep this in mind.

At the same time we have a very different energy with Mars sextiling Neptune, so maybe we are angry about something done in secret or in some hidden way. We feel misled. Maybe the words left unsaid are more important than what is actually said out loud. On the other hand if we are the one doing the backdoor deal other people can be mad at us. This could also be about taking action with Neptune themes - escape, imagination - the things, people and situations that have been 'put away' - ie hospitals, prisons, at a distance, etc.

This week we also have the Sun opposing Uranus (change, rebellion) and Eris (the angry feminine) - this shines a light on whatever issues trigger our need for freedom or our need to allow the feminine part of ourselves to just be pissed off.

On Thursday the same Mercury (in Libra) squares Mars (in Capricorn). This is tension and arguments and volatility within our relationships and communications. We could jump to conclusions here or say the wrong thing. We will all be more easily irritated and liable to speak in anger. This would not be a good day to try to negotiate something unless there is some kind of unbiased mediation going on or some guarantee that everyone can keep a cool head. Better to go for a long walk, run or bike ride to burn off this energy. Drive and operate machinery with care. We will be highly distractable. Not a good day to talk about politics (ack!) unless we want a fight - in business, stick to topics everyone can agree on. Some action is needed here or could be forced upon us.

On Friday, Mercury (I told you this was a long story) sextiles Saturn in Sagittarius. The conversation gets serious. We could be talking to people older than ourselves or we could be the older person in the conversation. Our words commit us now. Our thinking and judgement are clear. This is great energy for making long range plans. This is about our responsibilities and goals. Good energy for teaching and learning.

Finally on Saturday, Mercury (is there an echo in here?) squares Pluto (in Capricorn) - this is about intense conversations, information and communication. This is good energy for research or getting to the truth about a situation. It is also good energy for taking something way too far. The more forcefully we verbalize or present our point of view or some information, the more potential criticism and backlash we could meet up with. Know this if you are working with controversial views or materials. Keep things balanced and in perspective.

This all builds to the Saturday/Sunday Full Moon - which I'll do a post about later in the week.

So what does such an active Mercury mean? 

(other than showing us how many planets are impacting Libras and our Libra planets who have been challenged from multiple directions for a while now)

For certain, communications will be fast moving and shifting. Positivity and rational thinking could quickly give way to anger. Down can go up and up can go down. At the end of the day (or week) there is real opportunity for progress here. Let's keep a cool head and know that the end of the story is probably not the end of the story - at least until that Aries Full Moon that probably changes everything anyway.

There is alot here about Libra (balance, fairness, women, our values, love, equal partnerships) and alot here about our Libra house.

With Mercury in Libra our best tools could be our ability to listen and our ability to see both sides of situations and our best bet for success is trying to find that common ground ..... but with Libra answering to Scorpio right now (Venus in Scorpio) we probably won't be pulling any punches either.

xo all
  

Saturn square the North and South Nodes | what is standing in our way ....

Road Block in Africa by Solarstones

Today we have Saturn (time, responsibility, work, the fly in the ointment, the party pooper) squaring the North Node (our collective way forward) and the South Node (what we are releasing, leaving behind).

(12 degrees Sagittarius, Virgo and Pisces)

We are stuck.

The path in front of us is murky and uncertain and the way back is covered with prickly brush and fallen trees.

This is when Saturn's gift of time can be a good thing.

(and yes, I mean good as in 'eat your vegetables' - there isn't any cake with this one)

We can take a breath here. In fact, life will probably demand it.

Some kind of frustration or delay must be dealt with before we move forward (this could bring us back to something started around September 2013 or something began around the last New Moon).

One of the reasons these check-in periods and stop signs are important is so we can all catch up with each other. 

Remember, we are like a beehive. 

We serve a larger objective and are part of a larger gathering. We don't have exclusive responsibility for anything, not even our own outcome ...

Even if we feel insecure and uncertain, there is nothing wrong with this space we sit and this energy we hold. Don't fight it or push to move past it yet. Just sit with it and feel it. Something like, "This is interesting that this thing is blocking my way. It is making me uncomfortable."

This would actually be a great tapping exercise if anyone is doing EFT where you use the words "even though" in the beginning and "I completely love and accept myself" at the end of each statement. So it would end up something like "even though _____ is blocking my way (could be indecision, lack of something like money or an actual situation or person) and it is uncomfortable for me to not know what to do next or where this is going or to have to stop now, I completely love and accept myself." This stuff is amazing for calming the nervous system.

Saturn square the Nodes will most likely show up as some kind of restriction or obligation. The way forward is still that North Node in Virgo - small, accurate steps, doing the next thing that is in front of us.

I have Saturn conjunct my Sun natally, so usually Saturn shows up for me as me getting in my own way. I also have my husband's Saturn conjunct my Sun (!) so his immediate reaction to my ideas/actions is to tell me they will not work. Even though I have told him for many years that he is unlikely to come up with problems/restrictions I have not thought of, he just can't help himself. Drives me nuts. 

Anyway, almost two weeks ago I bought this little Shasta trailer that needs to be fixed up. I usually do not do something like this without having a plan, but I saw it for sale during that "luckiest days of the year" period and I took the plunge.

Immediately I had buyer's regret.

I sent waves of misgiving out to the universe. I'm sure my Muses were thoroughly disgusted and turned their back on me. While I was driving to the post office lamenting the loss of my hard earned cash, a couple of 'travelers' - this is what they called themselves on the note they left in my mailbox - asked me if it was for sale and to please call them. They said they loved it. I set the note on my kitchen counter and walked back outside to look at the damn thing again. Maybe I was being too hasty. Maybe I didn't need to know exactly what I was doing to keep going.

I felt a Muse turn her attention back in my direction.

But here comes the Saturn part because to keep this whole project affordable I need hubs to do some of this fixing part. And he hasn't quite bought in (his muses are on vacation, I think) plus he is very busy right now at work. I have to work with his timing and trust that delays create the space for things to line up with this later. I also have to keep my Sun shining on his Saturn so he can see the possibilities here. With my own busy season approaching and deadlines I need to meet for what I want to do with this thing (aka Ethel the trailer) - it is damn frustrating.

Although, I know delays and frustrations almost always result in better projects and products. 

I can't count the number of times some manufacturer has changed something I use in my makings that sent me scrambling for something else and instead of something else, I found something better.

So for now we are gathering our willpower to move in a positive (meaning certain) direction, but right timing matters and is what fits us all together like a giant puzzle. Let's trust it.

xo all and Happy Saturday!

Mercury into Libra | the dance of civility and finding common ground

waiting for a partner by panosozi

Mercury has been in Virgo for more than two months. Much of this time he was retrograde or walking degrees he would walk when retrograde (he moves forward, he stops - from our perspective on Earth - he moves backward, then he stops, he moves forward over those same steps until he reaches the degree where he stopped the first time then he is said to be 'out of his shadow' period). Mercury rules Virgo and is very strong here.

Our conversations, ideas and communications have been picked through quite thoroughly by now. We all know where we stand, and where everyone else does. We are tired of talking/bickering about this stuff and are probably craving more pleasant and civil interactions. I know I am! I have mostly been avoiding social media for weeks.

(the VP debate is a perfect example of how the person who appears the most 'polite' and 'in balance' right now - Libra Sun, Libra Jupiter and Mercury moving in - will win the day - heads up, the 3rd Presidential debate on October 19th should be interesting because Uranus is ruling that day so anything can happen)

After today, Mercury moves out of the shadow degrees of his retrograde - he finally starts covering new ground! This is big news. If something got shelved or morphed around August 10th it could come back to life now, in a new way, or morph again.

Right after he moves out of his shadow, Mercury moves into Libra. We move forward from here.  

Now we have Mars square Jupiter - so we are not going to have it all figured out (and we never will!). We don't have to push that hard. Mars is in Capricorn and wants to reach the top of the mountain and because he is Mars he wants to do it yesterday. Jupiter is in Libra and wants to chill out a little, check out all the angles, figure out how other people figure into the mix - he has recently moved into Libra for a long stay and is just getting himself acclimated here.

This weekend there is alot of Capricorn - the Moon (emotions), Pluto (karma, fate), Mars (action, initiative, anger) with Venus (desire, love, women) sextiling - stuff will be serious.

There will also be a lot of Libra (Sun, Jupiter, Mercury) - Libra rules balance, justice, love, money, women. Being the sign of fairness she sees everyone's side and so it is hard to make a decision here. And because this is the way life works we will often be faced with a decision at exactly the time all this energy makes decision-making hard!

With all the grounded Capricorn and airy Libra - the ways we are out of balance could show up. If we have grown too one-sided in Virgo, a person or situation could show up now to allow us to see both sides of a situation. Relationships are still being reset. New things are just getting started - some in the dark and behind the scenes!

Capricorn is ruled by Saturn (father time) - there isn't really the rush here Mars has some of us feeling. We might feel like we are late or behind schedule (has anyone ever met a prompt Libra unless they have some very strong Scorpio, etc). Libra season with heavy Capricorn means if we make a rush decision we will then have to weigh it out afterwards (we will not be allowed to skip the weighing it out step) we will probably be stuck with the thing we have chosen for a long time - which could be a good thing or not, that isn't shown here. It might be better to weigh things out first. Gather information. Make plans.

When Mercury gets into Scorpio (next month) commitments will be sealed - for now we get engaged, we take some action, we get balls rolling, we weigh everything as we go forward- we will more naturally move into balance through Libran niceties - things are going to really speed up though!

OK back to Mercury into Libra!

On Friday, Mercury (after being holed up in Virgo analyzing the hell out of everything for two months) moves into Libra.

Mercury is not super strong in Libra because Mercury is fast and rules our intellect and Libra is slow and rules balance and justice. She weighs all sides of an issue before taking any action - the reason for the indecision she is so widely known for. There will maybe be some superficial chitchat and passive aggressive stuff while Mercury is in Libra, too. That's all to be expected.

The good news though is that none of this can happen without other people - Mercury in Libra is all about social interactions. Virgo doesn't need other people to analyze, but Libra can't achieve balance without them!

(the Libra house of our natal chart is where we need balance most of all - with fast moving Mercury moving in this house will wake up now)

So, to be successful our words are more polite now. We need to listen. If we want our communications to hit their target we need to make the other person feel listened to. 

Conversations become kind of a dance here. We wouldn't tear off our dance partner's trousers and leave them standing there with hands covering their under shorts and last shreds of their dignity.

We wouldn't tell them they are a crappy dancer even when they step on our toes and smudge the tops of our favorite shoes. 

A type of kindness and civility prevails on the dance floor. We smile. We talk about the things everyone can agree on. 

With the floor spinning beneath our feet we still manage to find common ground.

That is the energy that moves communications, ideas and conversations forward now. 

We'll go deep next month in Scorpio, for now - let's dance!

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of October 3rd - a commitment to that new thing or what needs to happen to make space for it

commitment by smashed into you

"One of the strangest things about life is that it will chug on, blind and oblivious, even as your private world - your little carved-out sphere - is twisting and morphing, even breaking apart. One day you have parents; the next day you're an orphan. One day you have a place and a path. The next day you're lost in the wilderness. And still the sun rises and clouds mass and drift and people shop for groceries and toilets flush and blinds go up and down. That's when you realize that most of it - life, the relentless mechanism of existing - isn't about you. It doesn't include you at all. It will thrust onward even after you've jumped the edge."- Lauren Oliver

OK, we have the New Moon energy from last weekend pushing us forward into our next chapter where we will work with and through relationships (through October 2017).

Lone wolfs will find their flock (yes, I realize wolves and birds might be a precarious flock, but life can be precarious sometimes) and people who 'love/need to be around other people' will learn to pick and choose who they work and play with, probably through overwhelm, as Jupiter enlarges this sphere of our lives. We will also work with the concepts of balance and fairness in our individual stories and in the collective world. Buckle up buttercup!

On Monday, the Moon is in Scorpio. Our emotions can be extreme with whatever is happening. This is a good time to go deeper with our creative work. Deep conversations will bring us closer to others. If something needs to be said and you need to be the one to say it, this might be a good day (always with the utmost compassion) because when Scorpio cuts, it's deep. Read yesterday's post about saying something supportive, and conversation starting, without giving unsolicited advice. There can be new beginnings to old, toxic situations now. It's a day to go deep with love, income, women, beauty, art, spirituality, research, people, situations and things that have been 'put away' and our escape mechanisms.

On Tuesday, that same Scorpio Moon connects with Mercury (about to exit Virgo) so we hear news about whatever we were dealing with on Monday. The Sun (in Libra) connects us with Saturn (in Sagittarius) so we are dealing with a commitment to some relationship. It could be an equal partner kind of thing or something involving a Sagittarius theme (or our Sagittarius natal house theme) ie publishing, higher education, travel, something/someone at a distance or foreign, weddings, legal, political stuff, etc.

On Wednesday, (a good decision day) the Moon moves into Sagittarius and connects with Jupiter (in Libra) in an alignment of opportunity with the Sagittarius themes listed on Tuesday (or our Sagittarius natal house themes) and our partnerships. Mars (in Capricorn) squares Jupiter (in Libra) - the tension here will focus us on our ambitions. Confidence encourages success. Remember with all this Libra we need to be taking other people, balance and fairness into consideration here. The same old heartless ambition without cooperation isn't going to cut it for long.

On Thursday, Saturn (time, commitment, hard work) reminds us of what it is we are willing to work for. That Libra/Sagittarius situation (see all the house buzzwords I have used earlier in the week) is moving forward. Mercury finishes his shadow period - the degrees he walked 3 times in our Virgo houses - that chapter is finished!

On Friday, Mercury moves into Libra - so now we have the Sun, Jupiter and Mercury here. Balanced and diplomatic words and conversations have the best effect. But the shadow is we bend too far in compromise or sacrifice. Watch for that. It will throw this train off the track before we even get it out of the station. This can also bring new people into the mix. I will do a full post about this later in the week!

Also on Friday, Pluto (in Capricorn) squares the Sun (in Libra). This can be a power struggle or confrontation of egos. A light (the Sun) will shine on power (Pluto) - will we like what we see? The wise or unwise use of power will be spotlighted both in our personal lives and in the collective.

With Mercury freshly in Libra at the time of this square - a conversation could be challenging. There could be jealousy or obsession here or maybe an ambitious struggle. Keep things above board and honest. The Moon is headed into Capricorn for the weekend which means stuff will be serious and our work might carry into our playtime hours. Also on Saturday, Saturn squares the North and South Nodes of our collective fate. There is some tension blocking our way forward or making it difficult to release something that needs to go. If there is some Saturnian responsibility (think strict father energy here) we have ignored or are ignoring it could come up now.

The only Void Moon during work hours is Friday after 4:45pm EST.

xo all

Venus trine Neptune | Mercury opposing Chiron - acceptance of what will never be enough

compassion by renato54

We have Venus (in Scorpio) trine (brakes off) Neptune (in Pisces). This is a good time to reach out to someone with compassion and a good time to offer compassion to ourselves. This is sacred union energy and coming with a Libra Sun and Moon even more powerful!

The shadow of Venus in Scorpio is she is never satisfied. There is always more to be had. There is never enough. The space where we are never sated, where our cup is never full, is the red flag for us now. This is the energy that wants healing (this is the healing that will save the world).

The unsatisfied feeling is our way in.

The highest vibration of Venus in Scorpio is the healed warrior. Scorpio is considered a space where Venus is in her 'detriment' but that is a consideration that comes from patriarchy.

She just won't be controlled here. She won't be told what to do.

So, instead of us feeling threatened by this energy - there is a respect for the mystery.

What were once shameful secrets are seen as survival instincts. What was once jealousy is seen as fear that there is not enough for us (again a survival instinct ready to be dissolved) .. or the knowledge that enough is never enough.

This is also an excellent time to use our intuition and imagination. We are in the New Moon energy now and Venus trine Neptune enhances this in magical ways! What do we want to create? How do we want to connect?

We have Mercury (in Virgo) opposing Chiron (in Pisces). Mercury is our communication and our thought processes (also our dealing with siblings and neighbors). In Virgo, he likes to nitpick over the details and zeros in on mistakes. Chiron is our sacred woundedness that cannot be healed. In Pisces, he connects us to others who share the same wounding.

With them at cross purposes today probably the less that is said the better. Telling someone what we think they are doing wrong (Virgo will want to zero in on the problem), will not be as helpful as just being there and offering compassion.

Simply saying to a friend going through a hard time, "this must be so hard" will work more magic than offering up solutions.

xo all - have a nice weekend - it's our monthly affirmation time, don't miss it!

p.s. someone asked me yesterday why I didn't mention that yesterday's Moon was a Black Moon. A Black Moon is what they call a New Moon that happens twice in the same month. I'm not sure why they call it this - all New Moons are black. I'll have to Google it. This wasn't the second New Moon in Libra though - our New Moon in the beginning of September was in Virgo, so astrologically speaking this Moon wasn't a second New Moon of the sun cycle, so no biggie in that sense - it's still a wonderful New Moon though and I'm sure our ancestors would have thrown a couple extra goats on the pyre just to be safe! :)

New Moon in Libra | growth through grace - affirmation time!

recent excitements by kerem seker

The Moon conjuncts the Sun tonight at 8 degrees in balanced and beautiful Libra!

This closes out a very long and challenging Eclipse cycle.

This is a nice fresh start - particularly for our relationships. After weeks of drama and months of backtracking we finally have a New Moon with a bit less baggage.

With both the Sun and Moon conjunct Jupiter now - there is optimism and no small amount of 'expansion potential' attached to this one.

This would be a great time to study something new or to publish something. It would be a great time to travel somewhere or connect with someone new at a distance.

It would be a great time to get married (don't just grab some random guy and head to Vegas, of course, because you will probably be stuck with him for a long time).

It's an excellent time to take something, especially something that puts us in relationship with others, to the next level.

If you have been waiting for an "all systems go" you can stop waiting!

(and remember, if it felt like someone just yelled "ready or not here I come" and you aren't ready when I said this - you just need to take a step in a direction you want to go, you don't have to run off and join the circus this weekend)

Mars is in Capricorn and it is good to have him back on solid ground, even if he is not the most happy camper at a New Moon in Libra. He wants faster and bigger decisions than Libra likes to make, since Libra takes into consideration both sides and other people. His energy will be helpful now if an important or quick decision is needed.

Decisions can be challenging during Libra season. That doesn't mean we get to take a pass and not make them though (if we can comfortably wait until Mercury is out of shadow, we can go ahead and wait a week, but there is probably nothing to be gained by waiting). We can use this energy or it can use us. We can use the Sun and Moon in Libra to weigh decisions and take other people into consideration emotionally and we can use Mars in Capricorn to choose what is best for us and move forward decisively. Or the energy can use us - we can feel like we must do something but be unable to decide what to do. If that happens we can still use that North Node Virgo to do what is right in front of us.

After months of Saturn square Neptune putting up road blocks, this Moon has a nice sextile to Saturn promising advancement and recognition for hard work and stability and longevity for projects/relationships started now.

After all the self improvement projects we waded through in Virgo, Libra is the time we bring other people into the mix. We compromise. We negotiate. We collaborate. We make alliances. We make commitments. 

With the Sun and Moon squaring a studious and ambitious Capricornian Mars there is some work ahead, a need to be responsible and a need to dress the part.

There could be something now about justice or about being judged or maybe we need to pass a final judgement on something we have been back and forth with or maybe a judgement needs to be released.

The downside - there is always the potential with Jupiter so close-by to go over-board; to think something is bigger or better than it is. Keep this in mind. If something happens that brings the word 'over' into your head or to your ears or draws it from your own lips then pay attention.

(for example if you start thinking you mustn't over-promise, or over-do it, or over-spend, or over-commit - you probably shouldn't - dial it back a bit)

Also don't start something just to start some thing, if you know what I mean. You'll just end up not finishing and feel like you missed out or screwed up.

Today, we have this need for a fresh start that will give us more balance (more beauty, more love - think Venus ruled Libra here) in some area of our life and it is interacting with other people's fresh starts, too.

This Moon opens up all kinds of new opportunities involving  partners - both romantic and business, agents, clients, specialists and competitors - think "equals" over the next couple weeks. Who/what do we want to partner with?

It is also excellent re-balancing energy. What house holds 6-10 degrees Libra in our natal chart? This is our annual opportunity to restore balance, peace and harmony here. Also keep in mind that to stay in balance with something new coming in, something already in might have to go. Hasta la vista baby.

Libra's ruler Venus (in Scorpio) will trine (brakes off) a retrograde Neptune in Pisces. Maybe some dream really can come true.

Now a New Moon is only a first step, a step taken in the dark, but there is real potential here for something to grow from this one over the next six months, so don't miss it. Set your intentions (within the next 2 days) and take some new action (within the next 2 weeks).

Libra is ruled by Venus. She is the ethereal force of love, attraction, kindred spirits, beauty and our aesthetic sensitivity.

(the opposite of aesthetic is anesthetic - there's a reason all our senses spring to life in autumn and spring - she also rules Taurus!)

She brings things and us into relationship.

(it was during the Libra Sun that our ancestors, finished with Virgo's harvest, settled back into their homes and local communities - back into balance with each other)

Venus attracts. The stuff we are attracted to are vital clues to our job here on planet Earth.

Libra rules marriage, negotiations, teamwork, harmony, sociability and diplomacy. It is an excellent time to have the best energetic support for new beginnings in these areas. Since the New Moon is late tonight and I like to wait a couple days to see what comes up for me to work with and give the Moon a little time to grow - I am going to do this on Sunday night.

MONTHLY AFFIRMATION TIPS:

Get grounded - we have moved from an earth sign into air so this is important - always make affirmations from a  positive place (positive meaning certain).

It is a good idea, since the New Moon is literally a blank sheet, to work in a clean, uncluttered space and maybe right after a bath or shower. Definitely when you are alone.

We are planting seeds in the dark here - think about the ultimate seed in the dark planting - making a baby. What would you do then? Do that (yes, maybe even that, Venus is in Scorpio it can't hurt - ha!)

I find affirmations are most effective if I speak less on New Moon days so my words will hold more weight when I need them to. I usually burn a white candle to help me focus and thin the veils between me and me. It also helps to channel ancestral energy a bit since I am always thinking as I move my story forward, their story moves forward with me.

Write your affirmations down by hand in cursive, we want the letters all connecting and flowing together. Speak the words out loud. 

I used to write my affirmations on strips of paper and put them into a bowl of rice so I could mix them around every now and then with my fingers if things got stagnant. Last year I decided to burn them. I have written them on rocks and buried them.

This month, I'm doing something I did a few weeks ago to line up with a specific thing that happened pretty effortlessly afterward -

I'm going to write my affirmations

(astrologer Jan Spiller recommends writing 10, but I have found myself stretching to do that or writing the same things every month which feels silly, so I have worked my way down to 3 which feels like a powerful number to me)

on my chalkboard while burning a white candle - when the candle burns out, all by itself - don't burn your house down - I erase the words first and then clean the blackboard with water.

Some people store them until the corresponding Full Moon (in this case during Aries season) and burn them then. Do what feels right.

I don't think it's terribly important what we do with our writings as long as we are not pulling them out and checking on them all the time. Setting intentions is like baking a cake - checking on how things are going just slows things down.

We are not handing a honey do list to the universe! We are lining up with the universal energies of creation here.

And I wouldn't be sharing them with other people, which also feels like it dilutes the process or pulls them into our story. I was writing them on my blog for a few months, as examples for people, and that definitely wasn't helpful.

Then - and this is the important part - release your attention from your words knowing your intention is known. 

Know these things are already yours. xo all

the stuff that can come back around and bite us .... an astrological update

please don't flow so fast by njurur

So, let's see where we are - Mars has finally moved into Capricorn. Mars usually spends just a few weeks in each sign, but due to his 2016 retrograde, he spent the first nine months of the year in just two signs - Scorpio and Sagittarius, so his move into Capricorn (an earth sign) is a very big deal.

Except for Scorpio and Aries, Capricorn is Mars favorite sign to visit. He (and we) can get alot done now. We also have Pluto (retrograde for 5 months) finally direct again. He is also in Capricorn (2008-2024) where he has been and will be upsetting all kinds of Capricornian applecarts (ie business, banking, structure, government, authority).

We might be, or will be, feeling more ambitious here.

We want to reach higher and achieve more. There is a certain angst with this energy if it is thwarted and keep in mind we are also in Libra season (the Sun through October 22nd) and also have Jupiter recently moved into Libra (until October 10, 2017) which makes it harder to make decisions. 

Maybe we are uncertain about which road to take. We can hesitate. We can frustrate ourselves. Outside situations and people can frustrate us, too. We can't please everyone. We have Saturn in Sagittarius (through the end of 2017) limiting our options which should make it easier to focus, but somehow just makes it harder to see how to get to where we want to be.

There is alot of energy around our relationships.

We have a New Moon in Libra tomorrow night (early Saturday if you are in Europe) and Libra rules relationships. We have Jupiter - the planet of expansion and good luck - working with us through the next year within the structure of our relationships (and natal Libra houses!).

The last month and a half have been up and down with the Eclipse Season, lots of karmic releases and lots of stuff that paved the way for our next chapter. We have Neptune now retrograded back to the degree in Pisces where it went direct last year so lots of emotional groundhog days for people as well as situations involving compassion, losses and boundaries.

The theme of shifting back inside our own frame continues. Where are we trying to be or do too much? What feels comfortable? What is most sustainable? Can we feel the relief when we just take a deep breath and relax into our own space and let the rest go?

Feeling where we are and holding our space is a part of the very big process of re-inventing our relationships. Relationships and our 'flock' will be a strong focus over the next 12 and a half months. Jupiter will expand everything that is right about them and everything that is not so right. We will see the way the people in our lives reflect us back to us. We will be accountable for our relationships and our boundaries. People, projects - the things we need to get us where we need to go will expand. This is a very good thing, but this does not mean it will be an easy thing.

Uranus is in Aries (so will be opposing Jupiter in Libra) - negotiations will not be easy and things will be unpredictable.

But this is a new way to live (cooperation vs competition) and we are on this journey ... together.

By the end of next week Jupiter will begin to square Mars and this can bring us courage and determination (also situations and people who bring this out in us). This energy can be kind of impulsive and make us more accident prone (meaning maybe physical accidents, but really just more liable to take actions that bring us unintended consequences, not necessarily bad consequences), so to get the most from this 'tension' (tension can really get things unstuck and moving) we might want to take a few moments now to get clear on where we really want to go and what we really want to do.

Now the reason I am writing about all of this in a separate post is that after the next few weeks of Mars in Capricorn (through November 9th when he heads into Aquarius) he will not return to Capricorn for 2 years, and when he does, Saturn will also be in Capricorn and Pluto will still be in Capricorn (and Jupiter will be following them)!

So these next 2 years could be alot about our next 6 weeks.

Mercury is out of retrograde now (although still retracing steps until late next week), Mars is out of retrograde, Pluto is out of retrograde - we had a year filled with lots of retrograde and they have all ended and we are moving ahead. Neptune is still retrograde but for most left brained people this might actually help with decision making and staying grounded.

We need to draw our boundaries now - and stick to them. Stuff will challenge this. That's OK, it just makes us stronger. Oxygen mask on our own face ... first. We can't compromise ourselves here.

We need to focus on what our heart wants (if it's in your heart it's in your chart!) and we need to be realistic (yes, there is work and right timing involved here) and take the steps that are right in front of us (Virgo North Node/ Saturn in Sagittarius).

With all this Capricornian stuff (the sign doesn't rule some of the harshest days of winter for nothing) now and in the future we know there will be challenges. Let's get our ducks in a row now.  Look ahead with this. Are we doing something that can come back and bite us in the ass? Or something that is wearing us out? Or something that is pie in the sky? Are we giving away the store? Where is our money going? Are we eating junk all day? What are we procrastinating? How are we self-sabotaging? What are we relying on so heavily that if it disappeared we would be in deep trouble?

What is the irresponsible/too much thing that will bite us in the ass later - let's get on with changing that.

My own list is pretty long :)


xo all

New Moon tomorrow! Post to follow.

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of September 26th - making connections, getting lucky, Mars into Capricorn, Pluto goes direct and New Moon in Libra!

soft the skin by witchie miranda

On MONDAY -we kick off the week with the Sun conjunct benevolent Jupiter in benevolent Libra. Astrologer Susan Miller called yesterday and today "the luckiest days of the year". And it is unquestionably an optimistic pairing, especially in Libra, offering us luck and expansion, within our natal Libra houses, and within our relationships. 

This is an excellent time to make connections with other people - it's likely to be who we know and not what we know that opens doors now (and, with Jupiter in Libra, through October 10, 2017). This energy will move us into the New Moon in Libra on Saturday which is more good news for fresh beginnings to be lucky and fortunate.

The only real downside to Jupiter, especially when connecting with the Sun's spotlight, is to be cautious of anything that feelings too "over the top" since Jupiter, although larger than all the other planets combined, is also made entirely of gases - it's hard to know if there is solid ground underneath all the hoopla.

We want to avoid over-reaching, over-estimating, over-doing, over-indulging, over-dramatizing, over-confidence and over-spending. This doesn't mean we can't do these things without the 'over', of course - it is the luckiest time of the year according to some astrologers - just be wise and keep one foot on the ground!

Venus (ruler of Libra) is in Scorpio so intense and a bit moody. Jupiter and the Sun conjunct in Libra shines a light of us evaluating our relationships, tweaking things a little or a lot. A 12 year Jupiter cycle ends or changes. Partnerships adjust this week.

Also on MONDAY, Pluto, after five months retrograde, stations direct at 14 degrees Capricorn. We now have the next seven months to push forward with stuff in our Capricorn houses and with the stuff that Pluto rules - other people's money ie loans, debt, inheritance, spouse's income, joint finances, bankruptcy, insurance, taxes, alimony, child support, investments, commissions, our will, royalties, reproduction, sex, surgery, death, birth and re-birth.

With Pluto moving direct - the truth of a situation could be revealed or the truth about an authority figure. Take health issues that crop up now seriously.

Again this week (exact yesterday), we have Eris (angry feminine, angry underdog, revenge, discord, rivalry, goddess of war) conjunct Uranus (the unexpected, rebellion, genius) for the 2nd of 3 times (since her discovery is 2005).

Eris could be a planet, but instead of naming Ceres and Eris planets, astronomers decided to demote Pluto (Eris is larger than Pluto) and call all three of them 'dwarf planets' (and we now have two more - Haumea and Makemake).

It's interesting that after Ceres (mother, nurturing) was dissed for 200 years by not making the official classification of planet, we discovered Eris; the angry underdog.

The story of Eris always reminds me a bit of Angelina Jolie's vengeful fairy Maleficent, so it seems appropriate she would make an unexpected, rebellious (and probably pissed off) move with this energy. There are always archetypal things in the collective world when the outer planets make connections (the bigger things now are terrorism, anger at police shootings, Hillary Clinton's story). And there are spaces in our individual lives that this energy works through (this is happening in the last third of our Aries house).  

Eris seduces us wherever we carry the energy of that girl who didn't get invited to the prom, the wounded underdog or where we need to win at any and all costs

(and yes, this is the stuff we heal the wound and the world by seeing, feeling and releasing - we'll talk about this again).

As astrologer Steven Forrest writes:

Would I fight to protect myself or those whom I love? Of course. You probably would too.

But would I poison the water in order to keep the price of gasoline down? 

Would I live in a big house if it meant that someone else had to live in a packing crate?

And while we are at it, let’s add some urgency to that last point. Say that the person living in the packing crate held three more playing cards: hopelessness, hatred, and a gun.

Monday looks like more of a mixed bag to me than the luckiest day of the year, but certainly an optimistic focus will head us in an optimistic direction! This energy is totally helped along by the Moon in Leo - creativity, romance, children, getting lucky, games, sports and fun.

On TUESDAY, the Moon is void during work hours. This is great energy to get a lot of work done, but not so great to launch something unless you want 'nothing to come of it' (since the Moon is not making any aspects to any planets). The Moon moves into Virgo Tuesday night.

Mars finally leaves Sagittarius - do I hear a Hallelujah! and moves into Capricorn - a space he is uber focused and effective. Check your natal if you don't know your Capricorn house - with Pluto's direct station and Mars transit - it is waking up big time now. In addition to whatever your Capricorn house deals with we will be more focused on ambition, responsibility and dealing with authority figures and our own authority. Just like that mountain goat (Capricorn) we will be climbing that mountain! Much progress can happen here.

It won't be all smooth sailing, Mars is the God of war after all and challenges to authority will be more heated and passionate now. And he is 'out of bounds' until the end of October, so not playing by the rules. Still, I'm already feeling some renewed determination, maybe you are, too!

WEDNESDAY'S Virgo Moon will have us dealing with paperwork, organization, pets, health issues. Some information could be revealed now. Something is not going to happen. This doesn't mean it's not ever going to happen, but it's not going to happen with whoever we thought it would happen with - this will make sense to some people.

THURSDAY is another all day Void Moon - you know the drill.

All week, the Moon is waning and we are releasing. The Moon is balsamic - here is a post I wrote a couple years back about working with that energy.

On FRIDAY, we have the New Moon in Libra (Friday night) - I will do a post on this later in the week - Jupiter is tight with this Moon making it even bigger and better. After that it is all systems GO - especially if it involves love, other people, art, women, our values or our money. We can wait another week if we want Mercury out of his shadow period. Of course, if something needs to launch now - just avoid the void Moons if you need "something to come of" whatever you are beginning and realize you are launching in the Moon's balsamic phase (quieter, less energy).

The Jupiter/Sun conjunction plus Pluto direct and Mars transit through the sign.

Check your Sun and Rising Signs - if you know the house placements (Libra and Capricorn in your natal chart) even BETTER:

ARIES (7th house Libra) : an opportunity to get lucky through a new and positive business or romantic partnership or a new direction for your existing partnership that brings expansion - (10th house Capricorn) : stepping into new/different/more responsibility with your career or public life

TAURUS (6th house Libra) : an opportunity to get lucky through your work, your health, your day to day activities, your co-workers or employees or pets (9th house Capricorn) : stepping into different/more/new responsibility and making progress through education, travel, publishing, foreign ideas, places or people, a wedding, a legal matter, spirituality or a course of study

GEMINI (5th house Libra) : an opportunity to get lucky with a romantic relationship or your relationship with a child or children or with something you have created (8th house Capricorn) : stepping into new/different/more responsibilities with shared resources ie debt, taxes, spouse's income - maybe a debt is paid off or a new, and responsible, loan is taken on, financial issues are confronted and can make progress, this is also good energy for reproduction, intimacy and taking action with any taboo subjects, there could also be increased tension over these issues

CANCER (4th house Libra) : an opportunity to get lucky within the home or with your home, home businesses get lucky now, things feel/become more spacious, there is increased security and improvements within the home and family (7th house Capricorn) : stepping into new/different/more responsibilities within partnerships, this next month is a great time to start a new business relationship, push partnerships forward and maybe a fight with a partner brings two people closer together or shifts the relationship and power dynamic so things can move forward

LEO (3rd house Libra) : an opportunity to get lucky through communications, contracts and ideas, great energy to sell or promote just remember to avoid the 'overs', good news could come in now (6th house Capricorn) stepping into new/different/more responsibilities with your work or day to day activities, with your health or with a pet, co-worker or employee. Changes at work or with a boss or authority figure affect your day to day. There could also be increased tension over these issues. Sticking to health and dietary changes will yield big rewards.

VIRGO (2nd house Libra) : an opportunity to get lucky with your money or self worth. Maybe you receive a raise or raise your prices, there is opportunity here to make more money or get more of what you value (5th house Capricorn) : stepping into new/different/more responsibilities with a creative project, a romance or with children. These are the areas where your work and focus can make tremendous progress. There could also be increased tension and power struggles here.

LIBRA (1st house Libra) : an opportunity to get lucky through a new and improved sense of yourself - optimism and opportunities for an improved future, this could be your physical self or any area of your life - your home, work, money, love (4th house Capricorn) : stepping into new/different/more responsibilities at home, a move?, making progress on something with your 'foundation', working toward more security for your family, home renovations, a home business focus will bring good progress.

SCORPIO (12 house Libra) : an opportunity to get lucky through something in the background or something/someone hidden that is working or falling into place (even if it looks like it is falling apart) to bring you a new and improved future (this could come fully to light in 2017 when Jupiter moves into Scorpio, but will begin somehow in the dark here), stuff that is going on 'behind the scenes' works in your favor, opportunities with those people and situations that have been 'put away' ie hospitals, distances, prisons, etc (3rd house Capricorn) stepping into new/different/more responsibilities with your communications, writing, teaching, siblings, neighbors, there could also be increased tension in these areas but honest work will yield progress.

SAGITTARIUS (11th house Libra) : an opportunity to get lucky through friends and groups, accept invitations to be with peers, good luck and an opportunity through them, excellent time to make a good impression, meet new people (2nd house Capricorn) : stepping into new/different/more responsibilities with your finances and your self esteem, a focus on your money (how you earn it, save it, spend it) can bring great progress now. What really matters here - what do you really value? Work for that.

CAPRICORN (10th house Libra) an opportunity to get lucky with your business, career or something you do in a public way, good energy to start a business or new career, authority figures are helpful, acting like a boss (not bossy) makes you lucky,  a career opportunity could open up now (1st house Capricorn) : stepping into new/different/more responsibilities with your personal self. You are ambitious now. This is excellent energy to kick off a fitness plan or get healthy. Take care of your body.

AQUARIUS (9th house Libra) an opportunity to get lucky through education, travel, legal issues, publishing, weddings, something or someone foreign or at a distance, growth and luck through doing something new and different (12 house Capricorn) : stepping into new/different/more responsibilities with things behind the scenes or people and situations that were 'put away', some buried ambition shifts over the next month. Trust your gut with how to proceed with issues if all the cards are not on the table, progress and even transformational progress can be made.

PISCES (8th house Libra) an opportunity to get lucky through intimate relationships, birth, death, taboo subjects or other people's money - loans, commissions, partner's money, inheritance, some type of financial assistance - just remember the 'overs' here, don't over-estimate or over-spend now (11th house Capricorn) : stepping into new/different/more responsibilities in groups or with friends, tension and clashes could occur now, competition heats up, this is good energy to work with big issues that you truly care about and your big bodacious dreams and move them forward.

(please excuse any typos - too pooped to reread right now - BIG XO EVERYONE!)

Venus into Scorpio | September 23rd - the seduction

beauty is by do not attempt aka madelaine

Today, Venus dives from Libra, the sign she rules, into the deep, murky waters of Scorpio.

Venus is considered in her 'detriment' in Scorpio. It's dark. It's ruled by Pluto. It's not her favorite place to hang out. She is also moving out of her opposition to Uranus. If we have felt someone separating a bit from us and taking some space or if we have done this ourselves to someone else, this can shift now. We will notice how we use other people's energy and how they use ours. Vampires do not really only come out in the night.

Venus in Scorpio doesn't look like the more traditional beauty of Venus in Libra. Her beauty is dark and forbidding now. She doesn't flirt. She seduces. She doesn't want peace at any cost so much as she wants to feel what's really underneath all the phony smiles and superficial niceties.

Scorpio rules death and destruction and now this comes through our relationships.

Here Venus pushes herself to the edge of life with compulsions, intimacy, jealousy, obsession and a struggle for real power. She goes into the dark corners that hold all our secrets and she coaxes them out into the open. There can be brutal and deep honesty here.  

Relationships get intense. 

If you are working through the unraveling of a relationship or financial quagmire - this energy will be your best friend. 

Venus will be in Scorpio until October 18th.

Scorpio Suns and Ascendants get more attractive (more beautiful and more able to attract what they want). Your Scorpio house (where is Scorpio hanging out in your natal chart?) gets more magnetic, too.

(and speaking of magnetic WARNING SHAMELESS PLUG AHEAD - have you seen my magnetic aromatherapy lockets - handmade by my two hands from a recycled steel car part - you can check them out at aromatherapylocket.com)

Venus rules love, money and women. Getting what we want with any of them becomes an act of seduction. We need to entice. We need to risk our flaws and shadows being visible.  

Venus in Scorpio knows our need for acceptance will make us invisible, so she risks rejection to be seen.

She doesn't want to be friends - she wants to be soul-mates. We will feel more "all or nothing" with our passions now. Things can crash and burn here. And for better or worse she isn't afraid to manipulate things to get what she wants (and yes, this, and her obsession with secrets and power will be her downfall).

People will be drawn to what is hidden; to what we don't show them. Keep this in mind if you sell things for a living. Buyers will want to discover things for themselves.

There will be no place for our secrets (especially women's secrets and love and money secrets and the secrets buried in our natal Scorpio houses) to hide. We draw to us during Scorpio cycles what we have not allowed ourselves to acknowledge in ourselves. We'll pay attention to what we attract and see what the person/situation is showing us. There will be lessons about power, playing the victim, jealousy, obsession, compulsion, manipulation, intimacy, truth, other people's money (taxes, loans, spouse's earnings, inheritance, etc), sex, reproduction, life, death and passion.

The Scorpio house in our natal chart is where we need to get real and go deep to have what we want now.

The world is not black or white. It has a whole lot of gray. If we can’t decide between "this or that", it's likely due to the infinite distance and variances between "this and that" that we haven’t even thought about.

Empowerment includes wading through the gray to find our own answers. Even though Scorpio energy is very much 'all or nothing', it is especially good at finding ways to be empowered. It is decisive. It is fixed and stubborn. We will want what we want here (and so will other people).

Pluto rules Scorpio and the house of Pluto in our natal chart carries quite a bit of karma and is the space we experience things "outside our control", so it's fitting how much Scorpio likes to be in control.

With Venus in Scorpio, the women will be calling the shots. We'll need to bring our 'A' game.

Pluto's 5 month retrograde ends in a few days - are we ready? xo all

the Fall Equinox, Sun into Libra and Mercury moves direct | where do we want to go from here

floating by sollena fotografie

Mercury retrograde - over the past three weeks (and the area came to our attention a bit before that when Mercury when into his shadow period- the degrees he was going to nit-pick over) some space in each of our lives (Virgo) had Mercury backpedaling and doing what Virgo (and Mercury since Mercury rules Virgo) does best - picking at something, checking for problems, re-thinking a situation, hitting a time out - you get the idea.

Maybe some miss-shaped pattern in our thinking, doing or relating was brought to our attention. Maybe something came to standstill. Maybe something/someone from the past re-emerged (it could disappear again). Things can start to move forward now. We will learn where we stand here.

Mercury rules Virgo and Gemini and is an important player in the inner skies (our day to day life) ruling communication (and the things we communicate with ie computers), our thinking, our early experiences and things nearby, ie siblings (even when they are no longer close by) and neighbors, education, transportation (re its link with speed, communication and commerce) and sales/commerce (re its link with communication and intellect).

He/she is the closest planet to the Sun - we will all feel better when he is back up to speed (give him a couple/few days to un-wonk himself and iron out the kinks). There could be rewards for our thorough re-work and patience. If you know where 14 degrees Virgo is in your natal chart this is the space he is moving forward from .... so here we go!

Also today, the Fall Equinox arrives as the Sun moves into Libra. Darkness and light are equally balanced today. Burning Libra fuel we can come into balance. In my part of the world we move from Summer into Fall (and heading toward Winter) - the time between life and death.

We take stock of our harvest - what do we have, what do we need, what do we need to do to get it, what do we need to do differently. We prepare for the winter ahead. We move into an air sign (and could reap a head cold - do whatever it is you do to head that off) and could feel a bit off-kilter and ungrounded for a couple days.

Libra is the sign of beauty and partnership and balance. We give and we get. With all of us burning Libra fuel for the next few weeks any ways this is out of balance in our lives could show up for us - an inability to make a decision could cause us a problem, bending too much to other people could cause us a problem, pouring pink paint on problems and pretending they don't exist could cause the problem to bleed through our crappy paint job in bigger and messier ways.

The good news and there is plenty of it - we are heading toward what astrologer Susan Miller calls "the luckiest day of the year" on Monday - the day the Sun conjuncts (joins) Jupiter.

This happening in Libra this year (love and money) makes it even more magical. We are in that energy now as they move toward their meeting

(and if you have a birthday between now and September 30th - my brother does, the lucky devil! - this energy will be part of your whole, entire next year and because it's part of the Fall Equinox we all have access to it for the next 6 months!).

We'll talk about this in the next weekly, but it's all good with this one!

For today - we can be like that Libran scale symbol and weigh our options (don't run full steam ahead just yet, let things fall into place a bit around you first).

This has been a challenging six months. The mutable trials have been immense. Mutable energy is rather boundless and stretchy. This can be a good thing.

But it can also have its drawbacks. We can end up right back where we started very easily. Too much space sounds like a good thing until we get it. Less options always equals more focus. More focus with less options is exactly what we get with Saturn in Sagittarius (through the end of 2017).

As we move into the second half of the astrological year we will have learned that sometimes we need to know this is as far as we can go. Or this is where we must concentrate our energy in order to succeed. People who do not see things this way at all may feel their goals and dreams are stifled now or get kicked in the ass at some point. For dreamers that can embrace this way of thinking (we can't have everything all at once and this means even in little things like we can't sleep in all the time and waste time and still get our work done on time or we can't eat fast food and have a fast moving, fast thinking body, etc), Saturn will help us build the kind of stability that supports BIG THINGS.

While we have the Sun in Libra - two heads will be better than one, air signs in particular (Aquarius, Gemini and Libra) will be very quick thinking and easier to work with, yes, even stubborn Aquarius (ack!). It's a time to negotiate. Brings legal matters to a close if possible. It's a time to partner. We will refuel the way Libra Suns do - through beauty and peace - get to a museum, get outdoors. 

What feels out of balance? Hint - it's probably that thing we dread doing or the relationship with that person we dread dealing with. On the other side of that same coin it can also be whatever we feel we can't live (breathe) without - they only thing we can't breathe without is oxygen! If something feels like a do or die situation or there is some person we simply must be in balance with to be able to sleep at night - this is a good time of year to make changes here.

We can evaluate the past 6 months and see what we can do in the next 6 months to bring ourselves into a better balance with ourselves and with other people. Our beliefs, past decisions and past actions have brought us to exactly the space we now occupy - our current beliefs, today's decisions and today's actions will bring us to the next space - where do we want to go next?

xo all

after the eclipses | the baseball cap

final hour by sebastien tabuteaud

So, if you are reading this you have survived the Eclipse season - ha! (although maybe it's not officially over until the New Moon at the end of the month). It feels closed to me though.

The Fall Equinox in two days represents the mid-point of the astrological year. Someone in a store yesterday said to me, "this year is flying" and I said, "yes, we are half-way through already!" and she looked at me like I was nuts and needed to repeat my second grade math class or maybe buy a calendar. 

You might have felt a big adjustment in your life, maybe it was more subtle, maybe it's still to play out in the visible realm. Pisces rules the 12th (and final) house of "everything hidden" and "what we put away" and "what we do last" so it could be the shift was more "behind the scenes".

Usually with Eclipses we start to feel the energy about 6 months prior, so probably six months ago there was some change in our thinking/beliefs and we started to move in a different direction without us consciously moving in a different direction. Then the Eclipse season acts like a portal to connect that thinking/belief realm to our 3D physical reality and over the 6 months following the eclipse the changes manifest ... and life is different.

It's like when we set intentions or make goals, except the intentions and goals that set the changes into motion are outside our conscious control. They line us up with fate/destiny - what we came here to do.

(I always imagine us all lined up in the heavens like children on their first day of school - shiny new shoes and notebooks with smiles on our faces and ready for everything ... before schoolyard bullies (or maybe we are the schoolyard bully), burned out teachers, overloaded backpacks and helicopter parents have their way with us - ack!)

Sometimes we just need a little tweak to get back on track and sometimes we need a more major overhaul. Life can turn on a dime. And when enough people's individual lives turn on a dime - the world turns on a dime, too. This particular eclipse (in Pisces) maybe had a lot of us looking within because there were no answers outside of us.

The eclipse was t-squaring Mars and Saturn (the two planets considered malefic by astrologers) and with a t-square (picture the letter T) the energy gets funneled in the direction of the t-square. That is a lot of energy to change outdated belief systems; stuff that we often don't even realize is constraining us.

my cap circa 1999

Most mornings I get up early and walk at my local reservoir. I throw my hair into a baseball cap and when I first put on the cap it feels tight and annoying, but after a few minutes I don't even notice I am wearing it. Some days when I get home and check my email and get off track with whatever comes up I can find myself still wearing it hours later because I have adjusted to the tight/annoying feeling and don't remember to take it off. I always feel better when I finally do though.

We could think of an eclipse (and this happens with other transits, too, especially those involving Uranus and Pluto) as one way life has to get us to notice and (hopefully) remove that baseball cap; to move past what is constricting us.

I had a memorable eclipse season this month with Olive's accident and in March 2015 with a financial tax matter - to outside eyes these might seem like very different things, but I can see the connections.

They were both about "values, what's most important - what money can't buy" and "other people's money" and my own habit of negative thinking where I immediately take what is happening to the worst possible conclusion in my head and don't trust things to unfold properly without my manipulation.

I took Olive's situation, in my head, to an expensive surgery she would not survive (I have experience with pets having expensive surgeries they did not survive) and the tax situation, in my head, had me going to jail, missing months of Sully's life and losing tens of thousands of dollars. Both these things were extreme and very, very unlikely to ever happen, but I did not see them that way. In my head, they were right in front of me. Both situations were outside my control, resulted in me having to "let go and let God" and offered up lessons about what my negative thinking does to my physical body and lessons in what is most important to me (ie Olive and Sully) and the way I react emotionally to issues around money and security. They have a 'before' and 'after' feeling to them and are situations/times I will remember.

(And now I feel the need to explain the tax situation a bit - hubs business, truck repair, has some customers who do not pay sales tax on their repairs/maintenance because of their gross vehicle weight or the type of work their vehicle is used for, etc - now, some of these rules changed a few years ago, but we were unaware of the changes so exempted sales tax where we shouldn't have and I say we, but I really mean 'me' here. A mistake I made brought this to light and I was told by a tax attorney that although we wouldn't have to pay the missing taxes, since we had tax waivers signed by customers claiming exemptions, we could have to pay the penalties and interest which totaled about $18,000 and I could even go to jail since I had signed the inaccurate returns. Of course, it's probably in his best interest to tell me the worst case scenario so I would hire him, but I was in the circus of eclipse season and this seemed to me like exactly what was going to happen. I also had a long transit in my chart that spring that looked like 'legal' stuff to me. In the end the state waived the penalties and we paid about $1500 interest and obviously I didn't go to jail - although I did watch a couple seasons of Orange is the New Black and cut my hair to get myself ready just in case and I did get on the jury of a very long heroin trafficking trial ...)

Anyhoo, with Mars (action) in Sagittarius (freedom) part of the t-square, life is asking us what we are going to do as we release whatever limiting belief (ie baseball cap) we have taken off. Do we really want our freedom or are we more comfortable staying constrained and playing small, because of course with our freedom comes our responsibility (Saturn in Sagittarius). It's easier to stay constrained and blame something outside our control for the limitations in our life or stay asleep and wait for someone to come along and fix everything - the complaining/blaming thing that Saturn in Sagittarius (through the end of 2017) is bringing to our attention.

This eclipse is releasing a constriction (maybe right away or maybe more slowly over the next 6 months). The wind has blown off that baseball cap and we can either have a really bad hair day or look the world straight in the eye, hat hair and all, set our sights on our target (the hair in our eyes won't stop us, it's only hair after all!) and move forward with this new passion that has awakened now that our head isn't being constrained by 10 ounces of canvas.

(for me, the thinking that keeps me stuck and playing small and thinking "this isn't going to work" so not doing the first step - even though I know the step by step thing changes the outcome and it's not possible to see the outcome anyway - and feeling that I have to manipulate the situation for it to work out and a lack of trust with money and other people that has me making emotional decisions focused on security rather than freedom or happiness)

We might have been so dependent on that baseball cap that we are kind of freaking out now and thinking "where the hell is my cap?!" and, of course, we have free will and so if we keep looking for that baseball cap we will re-manifest/re-create it 

(there is a Target in almost every town after all) 

and this is how we move from one relationship to a new relationship that turns into the same relationship and a new job that turns into the same old job. And then we'll be stuck in it again and get used to it again and it will be comfortable. But maybe a comfort zone is not what the world needs us to be looking for right now and maybe it's not what we came here to find ...

This is how the vibrations that we have in our physical body that are determined by the belief systems we have in our psyche create the world we experience. So we can experience a world with a baseball cap where we are all neat and tidy and our problems are all tucked away underneath and people cannot really see us or get close to us or touch our hair.

Or we can experience a world where our hair is unrestrained even if it gets in our eyes sometimes and maybe even gets caught in the steering wheel of our car (yes, I did this recently - don't judge me) and needs to be brushed and given our attention and also gets to touch and sometimes, yes, be judged, loved, hated and ignored, by others.

And I hope this metaphor is making sense to someone - I think I've lost the thread here - ack!

This is how we all live on the same planet but inhabit very different worlds and how most people, and maybe most of us in some space in our life, just move from baseball cap to baseball cap and never take the damn thing off (whatever is restricting freedom but is providing safety).

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of September 19th - comfort zone buster, new directions, Mercury moves direct

surreal tiger bubble waterdancer dream by deskridge

This is a busy week with multiple planets changing signs and Mercury moving direct! Whatever Mercury retrograde has had you "re-ing", wrap up the re-do by Thursday when the energy around it will shift.

We start the week with a Taurus Moon (Monday and Tuesday) focusing us on what we value, our money, the stuff we own and our purchases. This is good energy to get stuff done and bring ideas into physical form.

We have Venus (strong in Libra) opposing Uranus (retrograde in Aries) and sextiling Mars (still in Sagittarius). We could find ourselves unexpectedly getting what we want with minimal effort. We could surprise ourselves with actions that choose freedom over security. There could be sudden changes with Venus ruled relationships, money and women. These are good days to meet new people and make new friends.

Something is shaken up here. Opportunity could be calling. We're rattled because something here is not in balance (or maybe something is brought back into balance unexpectedly) and that could be a good thing (lottery winners are rattled, too, eh?). This energy clearly says "the good stuff is just outside your comfort zone - go for it". Results are not guaranteed, of course, but are they ever?

On Wednesday, Mercury (retrograde in Virgo) trines (brakes off) Pluto (retrograde in Capricorn) then Mercury stations direct and changes direction and trines Pluto again on Friday moving direct. Pluto rules obsession, karma, compulsion (also 8th house matters - other people's money, surgery, debt, taxes, inheritance, reproduction, life and death, sex) so whatever this is we think about it on Wednesday (or something is communicated about it) and then on Friday we take action or it wraps up or moves forward in some way.

On Wednesday and Thursday the Moon moves into Gemini. We are busy. Lots of communication and conversations going on. Words can move us emotionally and we can move others through our words. Keep this in mind.

The Sun moves into Libra (Wednesday- I'll do a post) and we all start burning Libra fuel - cooperation, balance, justice. It's the Fall equinox - as day balances equally with night it's another opportunity for us to get back in balance - with Jupiter in Libra this week, balance cannot be over-rated. This is a critical time of year - we'll talk about it on Wednesday.

The Moon (in Gemini) and Uranus (out of the blue) could offer up some surprising news on Wednesday afternoon/evening or maybe it is our emotional reaction to the news (or someone else's reaction) that is unexpected.

On Thursday, Mercury goes direct and whatever we have been dealing with since early August can start to move forward or resolve. There can now be progress and answers. Mercury won't be covering new ground for a bit longer and the period when he stations is fraught with snafus so don't rush back into anything immediately, but know we are moving forward now!

On Friday, Venus says bye-bye to Libra and dives into Scorpio (I'll do a post). Scorpios and Scorpio rising will get more attractive - both physically and able to 'attract'. Our Scorpio house gets more attractive (able to attract what we want). Love (and money and women) situations get intense. Our passions are stirred. We could get more possessive or want what we can't have. Superficial relationships are not gonna cut it. If you are moving through a divorce, loss or separation - this energy will work with you. We'll talk about this later in the week.

The Moon in Cancer on Friday and Saturday has us focused on home and family; squaring Jupiter indicates some, possibly over-the-top, tension and disruption here (on Saturday this same Moon squares Uranus so we'll expect the unexpected - something wants to break free here).

No Void Moons during work hours this week - the Moon is waning so it's a great time to clear out and let go. By the next New Moon, Mars will be in Capricorn, and it will be pretty much all systems go. There is the same aspect with Eris (female energy, discord, Mars' angry sister) and Uranus (unexpected, rebellion) this week that we saw previously in the year with traumatic events - heads up. Take care with fire and electricity and any jealous/angry tendencies around 'being ignored' or not valued - if any new or unexpected health stuff crops up, get it checked out pronto.

Saturn is squaring our North and South Nodes (what we are releasing what we are working toward) - setting boundaries and working with right timing (no rushing through) is a good thing.

We'll talk about this later, too. This is an intense week as we prepare for what comes after. xo all