Venus into Sagittarius | a yearning for adventure and embrace of potential

the archer by Amy-Sun

Today, Venus rises from murky Scorpio into 'sky's the limit' Sagittarius. We might not feel this energy right away with all the planetary stressors this week, but it's there.

Sagittarius Suns and Ascendants (1st house cusps) get more attractive now - both able to attract what they want/need and easier on the eye.

All of us get a visit from Venus in our Sagittarius houses (what house or houses carry Venus energy in your natal chart?) and those houses get more magnetic.

Sagittarius is the sign of the archer.

If we were archers -

we would gather our energy.

We would pull back our bow.

We would take aim.

We would hold our bow "in tension".

This holding position is important to landing our arrow where we intend it to go - to hit our target.

(of course, if we are in some kind of life and death battle with that arrow then I guess we just let it fly and hope for the best, but most situations we are facing are not quite so dire)

The same way an archer's "in tension" allows her arrow to hit her mark, our own "intentions" release our energy where we need it to go.

Intentions are not wishes; they are not hopes - wanting to do something is 180 degrees from intending to do it.

Intention releases the potential that makes things happen.

So, we have Venus (love, women, beauty, what we value, our self esteem, money) moving into the sign of "potential".

Experience is more valuable than stuff with Sagittarius.

Venus will be in Sagittarius through November 10th - experiences will be valuable now.

Money (Venus) spent on travel will be well spent. Money (Venus) spent on other Sagittarius themes - higher education, legal issues, weddings, politics - will probably pay off, too, in the experiences we get back.

The search we began when Venus dove into Scorpio continues. But now instead of looking at the stuff that is underneath, the underpinnings none of us really want to look at, she looks way out into the horizon at the stuff we might one day meet up with.

Sagittarius is the sign of faith. Do we have faith that better days are ahead for us?

This season Venus is even more powerful because she will be in 'mutual reception' with Jupiter - Venus in Jupiter ruled Sagittarius and Jupiter in Venus ruled Libra. This adds extra oomph. We don't want to sit this one out!

This is excellent energy for artists and creatives to reach for something else, to work with something/someone foreign, to learn something new, to stretch. 

We attract what we want and need by optimistically embracing potential now. We don't have to know how this is all going to turn out, we know there will be adventure here - if we embrace what we do with an adventurous heart.

Yes, it's risky. And Sagittarians have been known to fall on their ass and even off a cliff now and then. But is there really any alternative to not trying?

This is the season of faith and potential for all Venus ruled themes - love, money, women, beauty, self-esteem, our values. How are we going to use this energy?

Remember the archer.

The archer stays focused and holds herself "in tension" through all the noise. 

We have our bow drawn and we are focused on the target, but suddenly the dog barks, the phone rings, the guy next door starts blasting Adele and you know we have to stop and listen to that.

(and sometimes this noise can last a while and sometimes life sends us noise to test our intentions and see how badly we want something or sometimes the noise could be there to delay us because there is something better for us later or other people's arrows need to line up with ours)

Because once that arrow is released, it is released. There is no grabbing it midair and straightening that baby out.

(unless you have some super power that I would be totally jealous to find out about)

We have to have faith enough to release the arrow anyway.

Bulls-eyes can be highly over-rated.

Sometimes it's the missed targets

(did you know the word "sin" was originally an archery term that meant - "to miss the mark")

that lead to the best adventures!

Remember even rock solid things, and actually especially rock solid things, will turn to dust eventually if they are allowed to just sit there. Shake things up a little. Reach for something new.

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of October 17th - keep busy, be prepared to duck, if something has to explode let it be confetti!

the unexpected by MOTHart

On Monday, the Moon will be void in Taurus from 10:45am EST through the end of the day, so if we need a specific result from something we are doing either get it out there early or postpone until Tuesday. It's a great day for practiced work or to give ourselves an extra day off for the Full Moon weekend. Don't overspend or overeat today. Get outdoors. If we have to rush we will working against this energy - stop and smell the roses ... or at least slow down and have an extra cup of tea before getting to work. The need to make an adjustment could come through a conversation or communication now.

On Tuesday, the Moon is still void until 10:30am EST. Venus leaves Scorpio and heads into Sagittarius (through 11/11). Sagittarius peeps become more attractive - both visually and able to attract what they want/need. Our Sagittarius house is more able to attract what we want, too!

With Venus in Jupiter ruled Sagittarius and Jupiter in Venus ruled Libra - these two planets are said to be in "mutual reception".

This will make Venus themes (love, women, values, money, beauty) and Sag themes (foreign, travel, higher education, legal, weddings, politics, media, religion) super-charged for the next month.

Any word sandwich you can make with these themes (and the themes of your own Libra and Sagittarius houses) will have extra energetic support - legal advice or media exposure leading to more money, travel connecting us with love or beauty - you get the idea. Balanced exchanges will benefit both parties now and with Sagittarius ruling the great, big world out there - the sky is the limit with this stuff!

With the energy building toward tomorrow's exact meet up of Mars and Pluto this could be a good start/launch date if you are hatching something you need to take off like a rocket.

on Wednesday, Mars and Pluto hook up at 15 degrees Capricorn. These guys last hooked up in Capricorn on November 11, 2014 and before that in 2012 and before that ... well, not in our lifetimes! Mars and Pluto are a war aspect. We will be seeing many people's shadows here. Let's avoid that dark alleyway frequented by those scary clowns we were talking about. Although in Capricorn this is more likely to have connection to authority than the circus - don't speed, don't litter (please don't litter), don't tell your boss what you really think about her new shoes.

This is great energy to push for what we want, to be ambitious - it is very explosive though - keep in mind the Capricornian model of integrity and honesty. Maybe something started two years ago could fall apart now, to make room for something else or be pushed to the next level.

So, a new story for the actions we need to take with our Capricorn house (Capricorn is going to be even more important as we move into the next few years) and the conclusion or next level for something from two or four years ago. Initiative, anger, passion, commitment, courage are the buzz words here. This is powerful energy so if it hits our chart and we don't use it, it will show up in our lives through other people or situations. We will have more control if we use it rather than are used by it.

If we need to be brave about something now - well here we go - WE GOT THIS THING.

So we've got Mars (anger, courage, initiative, war) and Pluto (death, destruction, rebirth, transformation, karma, power) in Capricorn, ruling authority and career and the structures that underpin our society AND we've got the 3rd Presidential debate (ugh!) AND we have Mercury opposing Uranus. 

on Wednesday and Thursday, Mercury (in Libra) opposes Uranus (in Aries) - this is some kind of surprising or shocking news, probably within relationships (partners, collaborators, competitors, etc).

Hang on to your hats, folks! It's crunch time. Hopefully they will surprise us by canceling the debate. If the show must go on - success will come to whoever uses their power and influence most wisely (no big surprise there though!).

The Moon is void Thursday morning until 11:30 am.

On Friday, the Moon will be in emotional (and security focused) Cancer opposing that Pluto and Mars conjunction and squaring Jupiter - we could be very emotional or insecure with whatever has been happening this week. Reactions can be overblown.

On Saturday, the Sun moves into Scorpio where we can start to heal and go-deep. Lots of aspects for the weekend - I'll do a later post. This is another crazy week. Buckle up. Buy the wine NOW.

xo all

Full Moon in Aries | send in the clowns

booomed by w1zzy

Even though I have avoided reading about the scary clown phenomenon (clowns already scare the hell out of me) I can see how well this epidemic (although I'm sure mostly media hyperbole) works with the Aries Full Moon conjunct Uranus and Eris.

SURPRISE! We would laugh except for the fact we are terrified.

And of course, we can see this 'October Surprise' thing playing out on the political stage.

Eris (discord, angry energy of the oppressed, angry feminine) used to remind me of the Jolie character in Maleficent but is starting to remind me of Spacek's Carrie after the pig's blood.

I'm pretty sure Trump's advisors (and the gut instincts that have carried him this far) would have tried to dissuade him from trotting out Bill Clinton's female accusers if there were any skeletons in his own closet. But here is the self sabotage that brings down (in various ways) all of us, when we, as my grandma would have said, "are the pot calling the kettle black" or "live in glass houses and throw stones".

Trump was born on a lunar eclipse closely aligned with the United States' Mars. His Sun (our life force) conjunct the United States' Mars (initiative, anger, courage, war) is one reason so many people see him as powerful and energetic and capable of leading the country. It also explains the 'anger at authority' he 'shines a light on'.

Unfortunately for Trump having his Sun conjunct the United States' Mars at a lunar eclipse (Full Moon) means his Moon is opposing this same Mars. The Moon represents emotional, feminine, maternal, nurturing energy. The Moon rules Cancer and the United States has the Sun in Cancer. The rising of the feminine (and oppressed) is the defining energy of our time period and he is running against a woman and having trouble appealing to women and minorities - this all makes perfect sense.

He is actually offering all of us a great gift, although it currently comes in the form of a clown with an exploding head ....

Everyone alive on planet Earth at this time has a responsibility to face our own personal shadows in order to transform the collective shadow. For all of us complaining about our choice of candidates this election - this is how we change our choices. Everyone wants to change the world - changing ourselves is the place we start.

Anyhoo, back to this weekend's Full Moon (which is actually exact in the wee hours of Sunday morning EST) which I wrote about HERE.

It is shining a bright light on the shadows that carry our collective anger around authority and freedom.

There are a couple ways to work with this weekend's energy 1. lie low (my plan, actually), drive safe, work safe, live to fight another day when the energy is more supportive of cooperation

or 2. we can fight.

Fighting is often under-rated and sometimes necessary BUT I will not go out of my way to challenge anyone now. I will not give someone an ultimatum without being fully prepared to do whatever it is I am threatening to do. I will not argue with someone about our differing opinions - this will only escalate the situation and not resolve properly with this energy.

We can stand up for ourselves without standing over someone else's self -

(and this includes our children who could really be damaged with this energy)

Mars (ruler of this Aries moon) is in Capricorn - so we'll keep our actions steady and maintain our balance in this shifting energy. We'll channel self-discipline. We'll tighten our belt if we have to. 

We'll stay focused on the top of that mountain we are climbing.

Don't forget to go outside and walk in the moonlight this weekend. If you held onto your New Moon intentions from the Aries New Moon last April, this could be a good time to let them go. They have reached whatever energetic peak our current timeline and energy level allowed. They have done their job and so have we. xo all

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!