Mars Sextile Uranus | do something new

shepherdess by natalia ciobanu

We have Mars (in Aquarius) sextiling Uranus (in Aries) now. Sextiles are 60 degree separations and always make me think of handshakes and hugs. There are agreements here that things will run smoothly. Both planets are getting along. They exchange phone numbers and their favorite holiday cookie recipe.

Since Mars is the ruler of Aries and Uranus is the ruler of Aquarius and each planet is in the other's sign - they are said to be in 'mutual reception'. This makes the whole thing stronger. The hug becomes something like a bear would do while it was squeezing the life out of us. Except, of course, we will live to hug another day.

Mars rules action and initiative and Uranus rules change and sudden developments. This is excellent energy to try something new. Changes will run more smoothly. Doing something the same old way will feel like we are running through cement. Think innovation and action now. Breaking away from the group and doing it on our own is favored with this energy.

Take care when working with fire, driving your car and around hotheads. And, let's not be that hothead. Patience may be in short supply, but the Aquarius energy should allow us to detach from trying situations.

I was so frazzled and impatient yesterday morning talking to the grumpy (always grumpy) clerk at the post office when an elderly woman smiled such a warm smile at me she flipped a kindness switch on in my brain. Instead of wanting to knock the clerk in the head with my package I wanted to bring her a cup of tea. Really. I might have poured it over her head, but at least I would have let it cool off first. We can help each other out this way. We are all in this together.

Certainly incredible innovations that will change the world are being green-lighted as I am typing this. The world is an amazing place filled with amazing creatures, including us!

xo all

Also today the Moon is conjunct Neptune and the South Node. There is a surreal quality to our emotions with this and lots of compassion and connection. It could make some people overly emotional - keep this in mind and let's give ourselves and other people a break. This is excellent energy for imaginative work and healing.

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of December 5th - desiring something new ....

weird world by alexandra sophie

I didn't find time for the big picture thing I wanted to write this weekend - I will get it up this week. December is a very active month with alot of things getting shaken up from mid-month on.

If we have an option to wrap some things up (shopping, travel, meetings) before Mercury goes retrograde on the 19th or even better by the Full Moon on the 13th, we will probably be better off.

The energy on Christmas day itself (which also falls during Hannukah this year) is deeply intimate and connecting, but there are lots of other more challenging energies we will be dealing with, particularly in our Capricorn natal houses and with Capricorn themes - business, government, structure, career, authority, on other days in December.

OK back to this week!

On Monday, the Moon is void all day, so we can get lots of practiced work done. Expect distractions. Don't start anything new.

On Tuesday, Mars (in Aquarius) sextiles (shakes hands) with Uranus (in Aries). This is one of those mutual reception things we have talked about before - since Aries is ruled by Mars and Aquarius is ruled by Uranus. This gives the transit an extra energy and more impact, especially if it touches planets and points in our chart. It's good energy for change and initiative, freedom and passion.

On Wednesday the Moon is again void all day. Venus moves into Aquarius. I will do a post about this, but know that Aquarian Suns and Rising signs get more attractive (both physically attractive and able to attract). Everyone's Aquarius house gets more attractive, too. With both Mars and Venus in Aquarius many people will be wanting a little (or a lot) more freedom and change. Within relationships it can be best for both people to do their own thing at times. Whenever Venus changes signs the themes she rules - women, money, our values, beauty and our self-esteem have new energy available to work with. In Aquarius, Venus will want to break the rules and try new things.

The Moon is squaring Saturn so probably some Sagittarius theme (politics, travel, foreign, education, religion, our beliefs, grandchildren, legal, publicity, wedding) is creating tension and needs to be dealt with. Whatever it is should work better on Friday when the Sun and Jupiter sextile.

On Thursday, we get more active. Mercury (in Capricorn) trines (brakes off) the North Node (in Virgo) and the South Node (in Pisces). Mercury is about communication, conversations and ideas (also siblings, the local neighborhood, teaching, writing, transportation and education) and he is walking degrees he will walk two more times during his upcoming retrograde. Know that information, communications and ideas that come up now connect to our future or to what we are releasing. People we meet now may be important later and people who leave, we are done with (although this could change as Mercury retrogrades and then moves direct over the next few weeks). Whatever comes up it ain't over 'til it's over. New stuff is in flux, too. Pay attention. There could also be some challenging news in regard to work or authority figures now.

Life is very busy. If we let important details be pushed to the side they will come back and bite us in the ass later - maybe enough to require stitches or even an ass-implant (do they do those yet?). Small brush fires can turn into raging infernos by the end of the month and into January if we are not attentive now.

On Friday, the Sun (in Sagittarius) sextiles (shakes hands, gets friendly, sits down and has a cup of joe) with Jupiter (in Libra). The next day the Sun joins Saturn - I'll write about this in the dailies because it's important - and something gets cemented. Reality can hit like a ton of bricks. But that ton of bricks can be the footings of the most solid foundation we have ever built. It's time.

xo all - back this week with the big picture and dailies

Mercury into Capricorn | the weight of our words

*** by ankazhuravleva

Capricorn is a serious sign. It rules the dead of winter and that indomitable mountain goat who just puts one foot in front of the other until he reaches the summit.

With Mercury (thoughts, communication, ideas) moving into Capricorn today, our words will want to be taken seriously. Communications will be fact-checked. Sentences will be properly punctuated and spell checkers will be applied. Ideas will be more traditional. Words that are focused and precise are most effective now.

Traditional stories and songs will resonate.

This isn't Mercury's favorite place to hang out - and because of his upcoming retrograde, he will be here awhile (thru the end of January). He prefers words be fast and flexible and Capricorn is the opposite of this. Words are solid and fixed here. Flowery language isn't welcome. We mean what we say and we say what we mean.

When we take our words and ideas seriously other people will, too.

(This is also true of all Capricorn ruled things such as businesses - if we don't take our business seriously no one else will. Women say to me "my husband doesn't take my business seriously and he won't take it seriously until it makes serious money" and I'm always thinking "he won't take it seriously until you do and you won't make serious money until then either". Some people do get lucky, and I have a few times, making money without taking things seriously. I've always found that money doesn't stick though - I need to be serious, ie have sustainable systems in place, to make "sticky" money.)

Mercury in Capricorn doesn't change its mind. It's fixed.

And this is where the potential pitfalls lie because a fixed mind is, well, sort of, decaying, isn't it (the dead of winter thing I guess)? Ruled by Saturn, Capricorn does alot of what it does out of fear. We will be able to see how fearful thinking and negative language holds us back and/or is connecting us to the wrong things (probably old things that used to work for us) and holding us separate from the stuff we want now.

Mercury is traveling degrees he will re-walk during his upcoming retrograde (this is called his shadow period) so whatever is happening now in our Capricorn natal house and with Mercury ruled themes (communication, conversation, ideas, education, neighbors, siblings, transportation) we will be re-working and dealing with for the next few weeks.

Contracts inked and promises made during this transit will be long lasting so let's be certain we want them to be. Write that operations manual. Write that bucket list. Write that 5 year plan.

We also have Mars trining Jupiter today - this is excellent energy for things to fall into place and for us to be in the right place at the right time. Action on our part is needed to make this work. Take action! With Mars in Aquarius and Jupiter in Libra - this is excellent energy to bring something new and passionate to our relationships and for that energy to expand our life.

I'll write an overview this weekend, some big picture updates and some stuff about December which will be another crazy month! xo all

New Moon in Sagittarius | commitments and coming unbounded

marie antoinette 4 by natalia ciobanu

This morning the Sun and Moon meet up at 7 degrees Sagittarius kicking off a new 29 day lunar cycle!

New Moons are the time to set new intentions and this month working with Sagittarius themes (and the themes of your Sagittarius natal house) allow the natural energies to work with us.

As the Moon naturally waxes (grows) over the next two weeks, so does whatever our intentions set into motion.

Besides the monthly lunar energy of "new beginnings" this particular Moon has its own relationship with the other players in the heavens based on its position.

This Moon is conjunct the asteroid Juno. Juno rules partnerships. The Moon is square Neptune (strong in Pisces). Neptune is about imagination and also about secrets, illusions, lies, escape.

Many people will be dealing with changes within relationships over the next month (or 6 months leading to the Sagittarius Full Moon) - things could dissolve or just fade away. Likely addiction or escape issues or secrets or lies are involved here.

On the flip side, some relationships could see stronger commitments (especially over the next two weeks) as the boundaries between us and our partners blur.

This Moon squares the North Node (of our collective way forward/fate) and activates that solar eclipse from September 1st. If something started or a relationship changed around that time, this period is a natural time of 'choosing' and decision. This could be a good time to get relationship counseling if committed partnerships feel like they are dissolving ....

Venus is square Uranus - not a good time to make impulsive purchases. If someone is feeling too tightly bound or structured within a relationship, they could make a break for freedom or do something unexpected. If we've been repressing a need to do something new and don't act, chances are someone in our world will act this out for us.

The good news - we have Mars sextile (shaking hands/working with) Jupiter and Jupiter sextile Saturn. This is great energy for initiating or acting on something that expands us and for that expansion to be lasting and stable.

The biggest challenge is the square to dreamy and drifting Neptune - this makes it hard to know what is really real here. Things can seem better (or worse) than they actually are. It's a good time to meditate for grounding

(maybe not for actual answers with the Moon squaring Neptune impacting our intuition).

Some other ways I have found very effective to help when I get un-grounded I have written about HERE.

With the New Moon in Sagittarius this is an excellent time to make travel plans. This is an excellent time to set clear goals for the future regarding education. What do we want to learn next? What do we want to teach? Many creative people should ideally be doing some of both.

Sagittarian themes can get a re-set : foreign people and places, travel, higher education, higher thinking, religion, weddings, politics, legal issues, media, publishing, marketing - what intentions can we set in our own lives to grow these areas?

Sagittarius is a fun-loving sign that rules good luck, optimism, problem solving, truth seekers, boldly going where no man has gone before, the quest  -

it also rules carelessness, taking shortcuts, thinking we are right, making assumptions, throwing pink paint on problems and hoping they will go away, overconfidence, impatience and superficial fluff.

Sagittarius is a mutable sign. The mutable signs prepare us for the change into the next season.

Mutable signs are service signs and Sagittarius is in service through the exploration of Truth - this could be legal truth or political truth but its most especially spiritual truth - its highest purpose is enlightenment and expanding what is known. The lower level energies rule religious wars, legal battles and political bullshit.

Sagittarius is a fire sign like Aries and Leo.

Fire signs like action - their reasons for taking action are different though. Aries energy wants to climb the mountain, first because it's there and second because there is a competition going to see who can get there first.

Leo energy wants to climb the mountain because they have heard there is a film crew waiting at the summit and they have a new GoPro themselves and will be broadcasting daily to their fans through Facebook.

Sagittarius energy wants to climb the mountain to see what the hell it feels like to climb a mountain and how it feels to reach the top. They want the adventure; they want the quest.

(they could be unprepared and throw their back out 100 yards from the summit, too, then they will turn their convalescence into a party for the sherpas and make THAT the adventure)

This is the energy we are all stepping into now. What part of your life can use a little adventure? That's the space to use this energy most effectively.

AFFIRMATION TIPS: get into a happy frame of mind - always make affirmations from a  positive place (this month since Sag is so naturally bountiful - positive meaning both happy and certain) - write your affirmations down by hand, speak them out loud - then release your attention from them knowing that your intention is known. Know these things are already yours.

1. Talk as little as possible. Keep idle chit chat to an absolute minimum the day you do intention setting. This will make our words more powerful when we do use them. No complaining. It drains the energy. No superfluous language. Read my post HERE about babble. This is good advice for all the time, but if you are normally a chatterer, toning it down right now will be especially effective for you.

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

3. Eat whole foods and stay away from flour and sugar prior to setting the intentions. I had a teacher who saw people as "foggy" after poor eating. She was always right about it and she claimed it made our thinking and manifesting foggy.

She said the things we are seeking that are also seeking us (and what we are seeking is always seeking us) cannot easily find us when we are foggy! I believe her.

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

Trust the process. We have cast our spell.

People always say that affirmations "only work if you take action". And this is true, but not in the way most people think because the affirmation is action.

It sets the energy in motion. Words are not just words. If done properly, in the right frame of mind, it lines us up energetically with the thing we are seeking.


The new moon is a time of darkness but there is lots of hidden action in the dark - think of those seeds in the ground.

We want to wait until we see that crescent moon in the sky before taking physical action on something new and we want to set our intentions within the next 1-3 days - tonight is ideal.

There is a strong wind at our back now - let's use it! xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of November 28th - a new direction maybe ...

*** ankazhuraleva

Lots of changes ahead again this week. I'll do daily posts but wanted to pop out something quick tonight.

Monday could be best spent preparing for Tuesday's New Moon in fiery Sagittarius. The Moon is void until 3:45 PM EST. We'll be busy - maybe focused on our Sagittarius natal house activities (where is 6 degrees Sagittarius in your chart?) or Sagittarian ruled themes - legal issues, dealing with what is 'foreign', politics, religion, education, media, publishing, wedding or travel.

On Tuesday we have the New Moon in Sagittarius (I will do a post about this tomorrow).

The Moon will be squaring the Nodes and a newly direct Neptune. Many will be starting a whole new chapter over the next couple weeks. There is great energy here for something important to begin. We may still have to release some kind of illusion, addiction (especially alcohol or sugar), tendency to escape or self-sabotage, but if we stay focused on seeking the most grounded (and healthy) path forward - we will find it.

Keep things slow and steady if the fog has rolled in. The path is there. With the Moon conjunct commitment loving Juno - choices (especially regarding partnerships) will be even more fated.

Also on Tuesday Venus (in Capricorn) squares Uranus (retrograde in Aries). This will be about our relationships, money, women, beauty or values. There could be a surprise or something unanticipated here that creates tension. Maybe something we thought we were finished with comes back around.

On Thursday the Moon in grounded Capricorn should steady our feet and make us more ambitious. Mars (in Aquarius) trines Jupiter (in Libra). This would be a good day for something new (and maybe even revolutionary) since Jupiter is the ruler of Tuesday's New Moon (in Sagittarius) and is now getting a 'brakes off' from fiery Mars. We could find ourselves in the right place at the right time. Take action.

On Friday Mercury moves into Capricorn and goes into the shadow of his December retrograde. Our words get more serious and we will need to use serious language to be heard. I will do a post about this later in the week.

Back on Tuesday with the New Moon post! xo all

Venus Conjunct Pluto | Venus Square Jupiter - intense desire for .....


*** by oprisco

Jupiter (in Libra) squared Pluto (in Capricorn) yesterday.

This has been building for a couple weeks and is the first of three squares (tension/conflict) between these powerful planets over the next 8-9 months. This is important and part of a longer story, so pay attention to what is happening in your life (and in the collective) now.

Jupiter in Libra wants expansion through fairness and balance and beauty. Pluto in Capricorn wants transformation and destruction of structures built on shaky ground and structures that have run their course.

Neither wants us carrying around dead things, ie ideas, beliefs, situations. And if you think "that's ridiculous I drop that dead thing immediately", well, maybe you do, but maybe you are like the rest of us and loaded down like Sherpas.

Squares are tension, but tension creates movement and growth. They don't always feel good though.

Since yesterday was Thanksgiving I imagine there were many dinner tables where opposing views were coming together - maybe even for the first time since the election. This energy is tricky.

Hopefully ideas and beliefs were passed around civilly like the mashed potatoes and turnips. We could digest what we wanted without judging what other people were digesting.

For example I don't like that weird string bean dish that someone always brings. But lots of other people do. I don't have to judge them as wrong or weak or 'different than me' just because they like to add crunchy nonsense to perfectly good vegetables (what is up with that?).

It can be the same way with our other, more important, differences. It really can.

Today, Venus (in Capricorn) joins the party. She squares Jupiter and conjuncts Pluto. It can be good to push for what we want, but we can take things too far. If we find ourselves insisting our way is the only way, we'll know we are in the realm of 'taken things too far'. As my grandma used to say, "no matter how flat you make a pancake it still has two sides" (or maybe that was Dr. Phil).

We could become obsessive about what we want. That square to Jupiter in balanced Libra, can make things quite unbalanced as we reach/go for it. Decide if it's really worth it because it might not be. If someone else has to lose for us to win and we do win, at least let's be kind about it.

Avoid over-promising. Avoid over-compromising. Avoid over-controlling. Avoid comparisons with other people. 

Pluto combined with Venus can be intoxicating but also incredibly destructive.

More isn't always more.

Sometimes when we feel that we don't have enough, anything that feels like more could seem like an improvement. It might not be. 

This is how we end up with stuff we don't line up with. 

We focus on the empty (what we're lacking) and get more empty (what we don't need). Keep this in mind today.

The Moon is void all day. Void Moons result in dubious or non-existent outcomes. We could buy some big expensive thing and then realize we have made a mistake. Hold onto your receipts. The Moon, coupled with Venus, advises us to spend wisely this Black Friday.

xo all