New Moon in Taurus - May 4th, 2019 | coming back to Earth, keeping it simple, practical action, the seeds go into the ground, keeping the fire burning, the success of this new beginning depends on how we finish what is ending

At 6:46PM EDT on May 4th, the Taurus Moon meets the Taurus Sun at 14 degrees giving us this month's New Moon.

The New Moon is a time when the skies are dark. It is the time of beginning. The seed goes into the ground. The sperm goes into the egg. The idea goes onto the paper. The nail into the wood.

I am liking this chart alot because it looks rather uncomplicated which is just the way Taurus likes it! And the Moon is exalted in Taurus and this is happening within just a couple days of Beltane.

The Sun and Moon are applying to a trine to our Saturn/Pluto conjunction in Capricorn (if we stretch our standards just a wee tiny bit) and applying to an opportunistic sextile with Neptune in Pisces and semi-sextiling Vesta. Mars is opposing Jupiter.

Keep in mind the Moon (feminine energy) does in about two days what it takes the Sun (masculine energy) a month to do.

So the Moon will move on to exactly trine Saturn and Pluto and exactly sextile Neptune within hours of the New Moon and the Sun within days. This is why New Moon energy plays out quickly and also over a few days to a couple weeks. 

The ruler of this lunation is Venus (ruler of Taurus) - she is in warrior mode in the middle of Aries, sandwiched between Vesta and Eris. She has moved on a bit from her opposition to a retrograde Pallas, but this is still within orb. She is trining Jupiter and beginning to square Saturn, Pluto and the Nodes of Fate (following in Mercury's footsteps through Aries).

Let's unpack this.

The Taurus New Moon trining Saturn/Pluto is stable, ambitious energy.

With both Saturn and Pluto retrograde right now - there is something from the past that factors into this Moon's new beginning or maybe the new beginning very quickly follows an ending. 

If something has recently ended for us (or is about to, Pluto retrograde could be delaying an ending for now) this could be good news. Something still needs to be wrapped up though. The stability of whatever we are starting depends on whatever is finishing up getting a proper ending.

Taurus New Moons bring slow and steady progress to whatever is started now.

This NEW BEGINNING would be about the theme of our natal Taurus house or the collective Taurus themes of our money/earnings, our resources/what we own/ecology/the Earth, what we value and our self esteem. Taurus is our first Earth sign and rules what we have and our experience of what we have via our five senses.

After all the delays in March and all the endless shifts of April - we can now finally begin to move forward with practical and down to earth action! All the New Moon's aspects are supportive.

There isn't some big splashy thing here, but honestly in Taurus, that is a good thing. This is just the way Taurus functions best.

The New Moon is sextiling Neptune in Pisces (the Sun will get to the exact sextile on May 8th) - this is excellent energy for BUILDING A DREAM. This adds imagination, idealism, healing and aid from our muses, angels and ancestors. It also again speaks of support through what is ending or what has gone before. An excellent time to meditate, pray for guidance. And Neptune is at 18 degrees Pisces now - a space he hasn't occupied since the mid 1800's! This is brand new energy for ALL OF US.

The New Moon's most exact aspect is a semi-sextile to Vesta. This tells us the New Moon beginning is intended to usher in an opportunity for the growth of something we will hold sacred. Something that will carry the energies of respect and independence. It offers us an instinctive ability to FOCUS on what is most important.

The opposition from Jupiter to Mars is not always such a great aspect (overconfidence/greed), but I think here it will pack just the needed punch of confidence. It can add enthusiasm, optimism, fire, passion, quick thinking, fast lessons and some options. Mars in Gemini (a great multi-tasker, but who maybe tends a bit toward being all over the place) opposing a strong Jupiter - again retrograde, so bringing us some hidden treasures or lost faith - can help us break up stagnant thinking patterns and beliefs that are keeping us stuck making this -
 
an especially potent New Moon for improving self-esteem through action 

(also for beginning something that will line our wallets or increase our resources over time). I like Mars/Jupiter for helping us to get more excited about the new life than we are missing/clinging to the old one.

Venus (the New Moon ruler), at first glance, looks a bit squashed here, but after taking a second look at the company she is keeping - it feels almost like she is being protected. Not that Venus in take-no-prisoners Aries is exactly in need of protection, but she is in her detriment here (since she rules Aries polarity sign of Libra), so it looks like maybe the girls have her back. Even the opposition to Pallas (retrograde in Libra) is unwinding, so could speak of the wisdom and strategic assistance gained through partnership/other people. We have, in a sense, moved past a relationship issue. V

Venus is applying to a square to the Nodes/Saturn/Pluto, so relationship situations are not perfect. The past is still playing a big role in what is happening now. It may not be all ironed out as smoothly as we would like it to be, but the situation is workable. Think cooperation. Diplomacy. Balance. This also applies to our money and resources. Slow and steady.

Although the Moon (and Sun) are not in aspect with Uranus, just having Uranus in Taurus is changing Taurus. Old habits may still be dying hard, but they can die fast now.

Fast change is Uranus's specialty.

Keep in mind this is still a Taurus New Moon. Taurus doesn't like to rush. She likes comfort and ease and stopping to smell the roses. This isn't about being lazy. This is about our ability to savor. And to put down roots.

These years may be challenging, but KNOW we came here and are alive at this time for these experiences - we carry (each of us our own little piece of the puzzle) the energy needed now.

The New Moon in Taurus always makes me think about stewardship - the responsible care we take of ourselves, our families, our businesses, our planet - this one feels like an excellent time to do some restful things and just be actually. Venusian Taurus always desires peace, so bringing some symbol of peace into our life right now would be very powerful, too.

With Uranus impacting Taurus just by being there, maybe what we thought was stable won't be quite so stable - but keep in mind - what we thought was impossible will not be quite so impossible either!

Two days after this New Moon, Mercury is going to move into Taurus, too (until mid-May).

Everything and everyone is going to start making alot more sense/cents!

NEW MOON INTENTIONS 

This New Moon in Taurus is an excellent time to begin a grounding practice, make affirmations and set intentions about Taurean ruled themes (also the theme of your natal Taurus house): money, resources, contentment with what we already have, patience, self-worth, releasing stubbornness, nutrition, nature, self-care, health issues regarding our neck, throat and voice in the world - this would be a great time to start a singing practice or take a class, simply committing to singing loud and strong every time you are in the car can begin to carry your voice to new spaces and places!

AFFIRMATION TIPS: get into a happy, contented frame of mind HUG A TREE (she needs us) - always make affirmations from a  positive place, and both definitions of positive apply here - happy and certain. Write your affirmations down by hand in script, speak them out loud - then release your attention from these things knowing that your intention is known.

Know these things are already yours.

Also remember affirmations are action -  they set the energy in motion and by working with the right things at the time of the New Moon we are literally creating the affirmation within the energy that is needed to bring them to life.
 
Words are not just words. If done properly, in the right frame of mind and heart-felt, they line us up energetically with the thing we are seeking. Always. 

The stuff we start now will benefit us later in the year. With Taurus, this is pretty much guaranteed, providing we keep things SIMPLE, finish whatever needs to be finished and keep moving FORWARD.

Look to May 8th when the Sun reaches his exact sextile to Neptune to see what this new dream brings to light and take creative action.

There is nothing fast about a Taurus New Moon, so no big flashy moves are necessary. Make your plans. Get things moving. We are playing a long game.

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of April 29th, 2019 - responsibilties ease or intensify, lines in the sand deepen or blow away, past issues need to be attended to, pushed to make a decision, arguments, choices, the gazillion things that need our attention, owning what we own, a solid and somewhat uncomplicated new beginning

MONDAY - Saturn stations retrograde
TUESDAY - Saturn conjunct South Node, opposing North Node, Jupiter trines Eris
WEDNESDAY - Mercury squares Saturn and the North and South Nodes and sextiles Mars
THURSDAY - Mercury squares Pluto and trines Jupiter
SATURDAY - New Moon in Taurus, Mercury trines Galactic Center
SUNDAY - Mars opposes Jupiter

This is a tricky week with Saturn stationing retrograde and lots of Mercury busyness, communication and information! Adjustments. Decisions. What have we been procrastinating?

On MONDAY - Saturn stations retrograde at 20 degrees Capricorn. Every year Saturn stations for about 4 1/2 months and zeroes in on 6-7 degrees for a triple whammy. He will get all the way back to 13 degrees Capricorn on September 18th when he will station direct. If we have planets or points from approx 20-13 degrees of Capricorn and the other cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra) we will likely feel this retrograde strongest.

This period of re-grouping will relate to the theme of our natal Capricorn house and in general our careers, goals, the way we show up in the world, the structures in our life, our relationship with authority and our own inner authority, the way we handle our responsibilities, the way we deal with limits, our fears, time, depression, isolation, the past.

Old rules/restrictions can be re-instated. Old responsibilities may need to be attended to. Maybe a career opportunity returns. An old-boss comes back. We hit a reality-check.

Situations will conspire to re-inforce the stuff we have taken ownership of/or need to, that needs our grown-up voice, big girl pants wearing self.

Saturn rules karma - the cycles of cause and effect. This stuff stretches back many lifetimes and through our ancestral DNA. With Saturn retrograde it's almost like repeating a class in school - we get another chance to get it right. We can moan and groan about missing our friends at the beach or we can knuckle under and do what we should have done the first time (or the first five times!).

Any piece of 13-20 degrees Capricorn (and the other cardinal signs via squares and oppositions) that we skipped or glided over the first time - will be OUR REALITY CHECKPOINT.

Saturn hit 13 degrees Capricorn for the first time back in mid-January. This isn't a new issue although new situations can arise now that allow us to re-work what needs to be re-worked. Things can stall. It can feel like things are re-gressing. That's OK.  

Saturn wants us to measure twice before we cut.

There is something important here and we need to get it right!

Is our time being well-spent? Are we running our business or is it running us? What are our priorities? Do we need to validate our credentials? What have we been avoiding dealing with? Stop signs now mean we need a little more planning. Saturn over-do resulting in too much isolation, depression, pessimism, procrastination will show up more clearly to get dealt with, too.

Courses get corrected.

(note with Saturn and Capricorn ruling governments and banks and corporations - expect cosmic re-calculations over the next 4 1/2 months!)

For some, Saturn will hold our feet to the fire (primarily those with impacted planets and points). Others will get some breathing room and a chance to re-turn to the drawing board. Saturn retrograde is a time of karmic comeuppance - we get to own what we own. 

I have a post about this, as well as Pluto and Jupiter's retrogrades for the summer HERE (link coming as soon as post is up).

On TUESDAY, a retrograde Saturn will conjunct the South Node (again) and, keep in mind, since the Nodes are always retrograde, Saturn will be traveling WITH the South Node and opposing the North Node ALL SUMMER. Major endings. Major challenges with staying in our hearts. Major karmic situations. Let it go.

When I say we've been here before, I really mean we've been here BEFORE! Our father has probably been here, too, as well as our grandfather and his grandfather.

Jupiter trines Eris. Eris is the angry outsider and Jupiter expands upon contact and is retrograde. This is rebellion against patriarchal scripts that no longer work (and never worked for all of us) - which might have felt like they were keeping us safe (think of the way God doesn't need to be found in a church anymore and the way we can't get a nice job with a company and be guaranteed a future anymore), but was also keeping us separate because all this comfort was built on the backs of other people who were not comfortable at all and also built though rules and regulations that kept even the beneficiaries of patriarchy STUCK! Life is a wild ride!

On WEDNESDAY, Mercury (in Aries) will square a retrograde Saturn and the South Node, oppose the North Node and sextile (opportunity) Mars (in Gemini). And with Mercury in Aries - ruled by Mars - and Mars in Gemini - ruled by Mercury - both signs are STRENGTHENED NOW, making it easier to walk (Mars) our talk (Mercury).

It could be hard to get our new/fresh ideas and actions to move forward now. There could be walls. Limits. Issues from the past that need to be attended to before we can proceed. Mars in Gemini should offer choices.

We could be pushed to make decisions this week.

On THURSDAY, Mercury will square Pluto and trine Jupiter. This continues yesterday's focus on communication, talks, meetings, our physical actions, issues with authority. Pluto brings intensity. Transformation. Power struggles. Maybe issues around Plutonian themes - life/death, other people's money, taxes, loans, sex, reproduction, inheritances. The trine (brakes off) to Jupiter will move things along, expand whatever is happening or our plans for better or worse - whatever is set into motion will stay in motion. It can also pull Sag themes into the mix - travel, media, higher education, religion, politics, our higher thinking, big plans, legal issues.

On FRIDAY, things should start to ease up (especially once the Moon gets into Taurus in the late afternoon) and we have an almost all-workday Void Moon. With two major planets stationed retrograde within just a few days of each other and all this Mercury activity this week we could be exhausted. Slow down when you need to. This is Taurus season. Get out of your mind and back into your body - away from the computer and out into nature. Get a massage. Put your hands into some dirt.

On SATURDAY, we have our annual New Moon in Taurus, finally in 2019 we get a New Moon preceding a Full Moon and start to get back on our lunar course!

I will write a post - the Taurus New Moon is about steady, solid, uncomplicated birth and growth.

On SUNDAY, Mars (all over the place in Gemini, though aided by his mutual reception with Mercury in Aries) opposes a retrograde Jupiter. Remember last week we had Mars square Neptune. Mars is out of bounds now, so not playing by the rules! Arguments. Tension around ideas/errands. Who has a bigger/better whatever. Passion. Anger. Impatience. Exaggerations. No one will be taking any crap.

Maybe we just want to do this one big thing and are sidetracked by a gazillion little things ... or vice versa.

xo all - back with that Retrograde Spring/Summer post and the New Moon post!

photo by the talented Arctic-art

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of April 22, 2019 - plot twist, shock and awe, a flash of genius, fast change, karmic situations, reaping what we've sown, outgrown suits go back on the rack, we end the week with a caution flag, undermining actions, slow down

MONDAY - Sun conjuncts Uranus, Saturn conjuncts the South Node
TUESDAY - Venus conjuncts Chiron
WEDNESDAY - Pluto stations retrograde in Capricorn (for five months)
SATURDAY - Mars squares Neptune

Another intense week! Is there any other kind of week anymore? Didn't we say April would be life-changing?! Oh yes, we did!

On MONDAY, Uranus meets the Sun - the first time in Taurus in something like 84 years. And it's Earth Day! When a planet meets the Sun we start a new chapter or a new story. Uranus in Taurus is squaring Aquarius (Uranus's sign) so his journey through Taurus maintains this kind of natural square to himself - which brings tension/frustration, but is also the energetic we need to move past self-imposed restraints.

And this is unpredictable and chaos ruling Uranus so we know this new chapter

includes a major PLOT TWIST.

This is a light (Sun) being thrown on something unexpected (Uranus).

This is a strong urge (Sun) to be free (Uranus). This is a flash (Sun) of genius (Uranus).

A cosmic download of our future. We are given a crystal ball. What do we see? We are becoming the magic to such an extent that we have to be asleep to keep the old world going.

That is why we are being woken up!

This is shock (Uranus) and awe (Sun).

This aspect will often show us to what and to whom we are tethered. This might be shown to us in a way that doesn't feel so good. But not necessarily.

Uranus (the conductor of our fastest route from point A to point B) uses what works and sometimes the stick works better than the carrot.

Sometimes we just aren't hungry enough to even notice the carrot

(although I'm betting most of us are hungry for a little more stability and security right now).

We could meet this energy in the form of an actual person. Maybe someone new and unusual or our new and unusual self or thingamajig could attract a person/situation that lets it shine or brings it attention.

It is always better to use this kind of energy rather than be used by this energy.  

Do something NEW.

It doesn't have to be some huge, ginormous thing unless this stuff is hitting your personal planets and points and if that is the case it will most certainly be some big, ginormous thing.

Also if we have been in Lalaland - that long Mercury/Neptune thing - this could be a very big reality check week. If nothing out of the ordinary happens to us, maybe we do not require any major kicks from point A to point B right now.

Know whatever happens now (large or small) - will have its BENEFITS.

(Trump is being MAJORLY challenged this week, especially Wednesday/Thursday, but before we get too excited, keep in mind his strong Uranian nature, meaning his chart is ahead of the curve - I often say he IS Uranus - and the Mueller report dropped LAST Thursday - also with his chart interacting with the U.S. chart it could be a United States situation that is MAJORLY challenging - let's hope not)

Uranus (called the great awakener) only cares about getting us from A to B via the fastest route, he doesn't care if we land on our ass or if the route (like my GPS when I get near a certain body of water and it urges me forward although there is no bridge) drowns us in the ocean.

We will most assuredly wash up at point B, but we might not wash up still breathing. 

In other words - this transit is the impulse to quit our job, for example, but it doesn't provide any help once we've quit - the transit will be gone and so will our paycheck. This doesn't mean we don't quit our job, but it's something to keep in mind now.

Unnecessary risks could put us in dangerous situations.

We could damage/create chaos (Uranus) for our physical body (Sun). Uranus rules accidents and with my stellium in Aquarius (ruled by Uranus) I was one of the most accident prone children on the planet - my father would say "put a piece of paper on the convention hall floor and she will trip on it", so they sent me to ballet, where I continued to fall, but now with a little more drama. I fell going down the stairs. I fell going up the stairs. I fell when I was sitting down - really, what the hell was that?! :)

We could damage/create chaos (Uranus) for our reputation (Sun) - the way other people see us.

Of course, even this could be a good thing if someone is relying on us too much and we let them down.

Things are never totally bad or totally good.

It's probably not a good time to confront authority though. 

Our Taurus house gets a DISRUPTION - a new chapter kicks off. Unless you were alive in the 1940's (and probably even if you were) this is totally uncharted territory.

On the same day we have Saturn (stationing retrograde next week, so we get this aspect three times) meeting the South Node in Capricorn (and opposing our Node Node in Cancer - our way forward).

This is a major ending, a major letting go of the stuff that is no longer working - and it might just feel like it IS working. What we stop doing, dis-engage from or toss is as important as what we keep!

Is the role we played in the past still relevant?

I felt this energy in a major way on Easter - and the answer was a resounding NO. And that hurt. BIGLY.

The South Node and Saturn are both about karma. We reap what we have sown. Or what our ancestors' have sown (which might seem unfair until you realize you ARE your ancestors or until you win the lottery because your great-great grandfather was cheated out of his gold claim).

If we have been undecided about something this year - here is where our hand might be forced.

This energy is in play for the rest of the year, but today is one of the days we get the exact aspect.

We'll talk more about this in the dailies.

On TUESDAY, Venus meets Chiron at 3 degrees Aries. This might connect back to last week's Mercury/Chiron hurting/healing words. This feels like an opportunity to be brave. To love ourselves. To forgive ourselves for our weaknesses.

Maybe there is some kind of attraction to what hurts here.

Like we just want to wallow in it!

We might be extremely sensitive to Venusian issues now - beauty, love, our values, resources, our money. Painful feelings. Not being/having enough.

This could be about making peace with our looks, with our bank account, with our relationships - some things just can't be fixed from the space we currently occupy.

Some deep insights are possible now.

Heads up Tuesday includes an all-day Void Moon.

On WEDNESDAY, Pluto stations retrograde at 23 degrees Capricorn. He will get back to 20 degrees by October 3rd when he will station direct and walk these degrees AGAIN  and since I have a natal 21 degree Mercury in Capricorn I can tell you we have already been here multiple times over the last couple years, but this will be the first time we are doing it with Pluto conjunct Saturn and the South Node!

Pluto retrogrades can reveal our shadows through challenging situations.

What is controlling us? What are we trying to control? Outworn controls, rules and power systems will be re-looked at.

Structural revisions are needed. What is holding us up these days?

Sometimes when Pluto is retrograde we are forced to go "cold turkey" with an obsession/addiction. We are made to dis-entangle from the people/situations we thought we needed to survive. To do or die.

Merging. Purging. That's Pluto.

This week's energy feels alot like last year mid-April - if that time period was big for you, this week might be, too.

I will write a post about these retrogrades - Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn (who will station retrograde in just a few days) including my near-death experience story from last year when Pluto stationed right on my Mercury - ruler of my 8th house.

On SATURDAY, Mars (in Gemini) squares imaginative but sometimes delusional Neptune (in Pisces). This energy sounds kind of exhausting. Like we are running in ten directions at once and getting nowhere. This also could be about a disappointment. Or an addiction/escape where we undermine ourselves.

There is a caution flag out now.

We might take actions that are not in our best interest. Make decisions based on faulty information. We could be undermined. Things could look better than they actually are (this sounds a little bit familiar, doesn't it?!). Boundaries can be blurry and too easily crossed. We need to be cautious about who we trust.

It won't be possible to be certain.

And, of course, it is never possible to be certain, but right now it is CERTAIN we can't be certain. If things do not need to be decided right now, let's not decide right now.  

It's a caution-y, 'expect-the-unexpected' kind of week.

xo all

photo by the talented rt13rosca

Second Full Moon in Libra | April 19, 2019 - another chance to bring our relationships into balance, words or information that hurts, what are we overdoing, what needs to be finished, what beliefs are holding us back, who and what are we partnered with? who and what has our back? dogs aren't really eating other dogs

On Friday morning at 7:11AM EDT we have the second Full Moon in Libra at 29 degrees - Moon at 29 degrees Libra, Sun at 29 degrees Aries - our monthly Moon/Sun opposition.

We had the first Full Moon back on March 20th (Spring Equinox) at 0 degrees Libra/Aries. Two Full Moons in the same sign in the same year is VERY unusual. Coming in the relationship focused sign of Libra and the "we vs me" polarity of the Libra/Aries axis - something here is really wanting our attention! Maybe with such a focus right now on having to do this thing ourselves - it is more important than ever that we get really, really clear on who (and what) we are on this journey with!

We have had a Full Moon followed by a New Moon since the January eclipses (reflecting this whole ass-backwards, cart before the horse thing we have had going on all year) - we will finally start having a New Moon followed by a Full Moon in May!

A post on the FIRST Libra Full Moon is HERE - that might be helpful to reread and think about how those themes have moved forward in our life in the last 30 days.

Full Moons bring things to light, to a peak/culmination and to an END.

Let's unpack the chart.

We can see we have a fast-moving pile up in Aries right now, demanding we prioritize ourselves. Libra brings the focus to the way this plays out within our relationships.

The Sun is approaching his exact conjunction to the "fast-change" Uranus in Taurus. So, we might see Full Moon events play out when this conjunction is exact NEXT WEEK (around Tuesday), maybe giving us an Easter weekend break from whatever "new reality" this second Moon and Uranus are determined to bring to light!

The Sun/Moon are squaring the Pluto/Saturn conjunction - Pluto and Saturn will both be going retrograde over the next week or so, so this is going to ease up a bit before they come back together in the fall and take us into 2020's super conjunction. What you can't see from this chart is that right now, exactly in between powerful Pluto and powerful Saturn is the powerful South Node of the Moon (endings, release, past karma - collective and individual). We haven't had this kind of energetic in 500 years!

We have a retrograde Jupiter trining the Sun and sextiling the Moon.

It could be Full Moon events come through this space of our chart (Sagittarius house) or through a Jupiter-type person (could be a Sag person or someone who is a BIG thinker/talker/explorer) or situation where we - or a partner - are most likely OVER-DOING or exaggerating something or believing in something that needs a wake-up, shake-up call. 

The squares to the Nodes indicate tension/frustration around an OLD responsibility. Something we have already taken on/committed to - and we can't move forward until this is completed/lived up to.

This could also (since the Moon is focused on partnerships) be playing out through someone else in our life - happening to a partner, etc and impacting us - or impacting the partnership itself. Relationships are mirrors.

The full glow of the Moon will spotlight the ways something is out of balance or the way greater Libra diplomacy/cooperation/beauty is needed or not needed. Diplomacy/cooperation could be hard to come by (the Sun in Aries wants what he wants and he's got some help right now, look at all the Aries planets and Venus, ruler of this Full Moon, will be there, too, within hours).

Maybe we get to see who/what really has our back.

Things could feel very out of balance or out of control.

Mercury will conjunct hurting/healing Chiron this same day, so there might be some painful words heard or expressed now. Conversations/information that hurts. Conversations/information that heals. Sibling situations can also trigger old sore spots.

Maybe whatever relationship dynamics we had playing out back on March 20th (the first Libra Full Moon) are TALKED OUT now. Or new information comes out now. Mercury is freshly minted in Aries - we need a new conversation, a new story, a new way in - not to rehash the same old, same old.

The Full Moon in Libra can bring clarity.

We get a second chance to bring something into balance. With everything happening in cardinal signs there is a fresh start built into any ending now.

The Sun is coming off this week's trine to the Galactic Center - so there is fresh information here, a new timeline has crossed into our own and here we are poised at the brink of every conceivable possibility.

Something is still hanging over our head though - something still not finished. A prior commitment maybe or some responsibility not stepped into/lived up to. Something to think about, but not dwell on because things are going to start speeding up now.

We came for the journey. For the experience. Our arrival at our destination was assured as soon as we left home. This isn't a race. No one is keeping score.

Keep in mind always this year that North Node in Cancer. We have to somehow prioritize nurturing. Taking care of ourself. Being kind/compassionate to ourselves and to each other. We have to somehow stay open and vulnerable. If we let ourselves become brittle or jaded or hiding out to stay safe or buying into this "every man for himself" mode of thinking that got us into this mess in the first place, the stakes will just keep getting higher and higher.

The stuff that is really keeping us safe isn't the stuff that looks like it is keeping us safe.

Which reminds me of a day in hub's shop when one of his customers, a young laid-back kind of guy not some crusty curmudgeon, probably watching too much Walking Dead or playing too many video games, was telling us about his business problems and how this was a dog eat dog world, and hubs and the other men present, I believe caught up in some kind of testosterone group hug, without any actual hugging, of course - boy germs and all, were all nodding and agreeing with him and going on and on about survival of the fittest.

And I was like, "Wait a minute, this isn't a dog eat dog world. This isn't even a dog eat squirrel world. This isn't a survival of the fittest world. This may be a non-survival of the very least fit (the one gazelle the lion is able to actually catch), but there is a whole lot of surviving going on."

This was followed by a lot of dead air. Then shuffling feet. Then good-byes.

I always did know how to clear a room.

It is NOT a dog eat dog world, but at this Full Moon compromise could be hard to find. We will want what we want and if we have to fight to get it we will. Someone is likely to be pissed off or disappointed in us - oh well. The last Full Moon and this Full Moon have given us a MONTH LONG ending/culmination. We know by now who has our back. We know by now who are on the same page we are. But ultimately this is a solo journey. Our life (and care) is in our own hands.

Too much certainty assures we are shown the very things that will make us question ourselves. Maybe because when nothing is certain, anything is possible, right? I think so, too.

 Enjoy the Full Moon. Be sure to get outside and walk in it.

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of April 15th - it's full steam ahead, big love, the cost of our big dreams, not knowing when to stop, returning to dry land, now we know, we are stardust, are we doing this together or not, painful words, coming back into balance, endings, culminations and fresh starts

Lots of Venusian energy and it's FULL STEAM AHEAD when Mercury finally exits Pisces. Expect change and clarity this week as THREE personal planets change signs - two from water into fire and one from fire into earth - AND we have a big and unpredictable second Full Moon in Libra!

Some of the major aspects in the week ahead include -

MONDAY - Venus squares Jupiter
WEDNESDAY - Mercury enters Aries, Sun trines Galactic Center
THURSDAY - Venus squares Galactic Center
FRIDAY - Full Moon in Libra, Mercury conjunct Chiron
SATURDAY - Sun enters Taurus, Venus enters Aries

On MONDAY, Venus (in Pisces) squares Jupiter (retrograde in Sagittarius). Squares bring tension/frustration/crisis, but when our two beneficial planets are squaring each other, things can't be that bad, can they? This speaks of love, compassion and expansion, but maybe also an inability to know when to stop. It has me thinking about the cost (Venus) of going after what we want (Jupiter) - adjustments around this may be needed now. Keep in mind we still have yesterday's trine between the Sun and Jupiter in play - making us lucky and confident.

If we have taken the time to sort out the various knots, disappointments and annoyances of the last few weeks - this is the energy (coupled with the Sun's trine) that can deliver the rewards.

On WEDNESDAY, Mercury finally leaves Pisces after TWO MONTHS and enter fiery Aries. The fog lifts.

With Mercury in Aries our language and thinking becomes more focused, clear-headed and passionate. We don't want to talk about/think about everything (Pisces) we just want to talk about this one specific thing (Aries). We get clarity.

Mercury (ideas, thinking, language) in Aries puts our instinct into words.

Our mind gets faster. Our tongue gets sharper. Words get pushy. It is easier to speak up for ourselves and ask for what we want/need. We can also more easily pick an argument as language becomes more competitive. Mercury in Aries says, "I know what I think and this is what I think."

One of the best uses of this energy, and Mercury will be in Aries until May 6th, would be exactly this - saying what we really think - and yes, this can get us into trouble, so let's not be fools about it - keep in mind Aries impulses can be either self-aggrandizing and immature or passionate and sparking a needed fire. Other best uses include - solving a problem (fire burns off the old gunk and brings fresh insights), initiating a new course of study/learning/teaching or starting a bold, new plan.

Think: fresh start with Mercury themes - words, thinking, writing, learning, teaching, ideas, sibling issues, transportation, your local community. Also bringing fresh words and ideas into your Aries natal house.

Whatever we do with this energy it FINALLY (coupled with Venus's exit from Pisces on Saturday) gets us out of the Pisces water this week. This has been a long journey, but now we know.

At the same time the Sun, still in Aries, but only for a couple more days will trine (brakes off) the Galactic Center. What do we want to manifest? Here is the energetic to change our vibration. Our Sun (as us) is reclaiming our true identity as part of source energy. There could be more reassurance now we are on the smoothest path.

To get the most from this week's transits we need to stop attaching ourselves to our obstacles!

(We are part of a spiral galaxy known as the Milky Way. It is 100,000 light years across and includes over 200 billion stars including our closest star, the Sun. All the stars we see in the sky are part of the Milky Way Galaxy. At the center of our Milky War Galaxy is a super-massive black hole - the Galactic Center. This is the place where time and space were created so you and I would have a place to learn and grow and work and play. This isn't the black hole photographed last week, but google that pic anyway if you haven't seen it yet)

On THURSDAY, Venus (in Pisces) squares the Galactic Center. Venus as a trigger planet tends to bring opportunities to see clearly what we really value, to feel love or any lack of love and the ability to see the beauty in the situation. Squaring source/God/what we are made of - might bring a situation/opportunity for us to feel what is out of alignment with the star-stuff we truly are.

On FRIDAY, we get the SECOND Full Moon in Libra. This Moon brings us back into balance. After this month we won't be having a Full Moon followed by a New Moon, the whole out-of-time thing we have had going on this year - we will finally start having a New Moon followed by a Full Moon!

Like the last Full Moon (at the very beginning of Libra), this one also, coming at the very end of Libra, will be focused on our relationships. What have we learned in the last month? We are getting another look at the spaces we are being overly dependent/independent. And this Moon is ruled by Libra's ruler Venus - who is squaring the Galactic Center and Jupiter! The Sun (opposing the Moon at the end of Aries) will be conjunct anything-can-happen Uranus AND Mercury will be conjunct hurting/healing Chiron.

Expect a BIG post!

On SATURDAY, Venus enters fiery Aries.

Aries Suns and Aries Ascendants become more attractive - both easier on the eye and able to attract what they want. All our natal Aries houses become more attractive, too. Attracting both what we want (Venus) and what we line up with energetically - as the house itself gets woken up by attractive and loving Venus.

In Aries, Venus functions best when she puts herself first.

In Aries, Venus will be thinking, "what's best for me?".

In Aries, Venus is a WARRIOR (and love is a battlefield ... cue Pat Benatar).

Something to keep in mind as we give ourselves permission to go after what we want (always that fly in the ointment) is the impulsive nature of Aries. If Venus was always in Aries our relationships would last 15 minutes and the things we bought/valued would very quickly fall out of favor and we'd be on to the next thing. Maybe not such a good long-haul energetic, but as a transit, ie transitory, Venus in Aries can get on with the business of getting us what we want in a very effective manner.

On the same day the Sun moves from 'Action Jackson' Aries into "stop and smell the roses" Taurus where he starts answering to VENUS and will begin to shine a light on all things Taurus and energize our Taurus houses until May 20th.

This doesn't mean life slows down - especially with Mercury charging off the starting line, but we will feel much better if we make the time to enjoy those slower moments, care for ourselves (and others, but especially ourselves) in loving and practical ways and appreciate what we already have.

If Taurus is stubborn, it's only because it rules really important stuff - the kind of things that have to be nurtured and preserved and seen through to the end.

Taurus is the nuts and bolts of life. She rules our second house of everything important money can buy and everything important money can't. She rules food and nourishment. She rules the sensual touch that feels like love. She rules our resources - our money, the planet. She rules our self-esteem and values.

Ruled by balanced and beautiful Venus our lives could get maybe more imbalanced until they topple over or we are forced to remove something from the more loaded side or add something to the weaker one.

Taurus is the space in your natal chart that naturally encloses what we are here to nurture, preserve and grow. It may be a space we have a bit less passion and ambition because we most naturally feel the need to sustain what takes root here. A bird in the hand thing usually applies to the theme of whatever space Taurus occupies in our natal chart. The energy is cautious because the thing we are holding/carrying here is precious.

It can also become the fear-based space where good things go to die - and then we carry around a bunch of dead stuff like a crate of rotted vegetables and wonder why we are so tired all the time ... and smell like brussel sprouts. So, there's that, too. Sorry Taurus, you know I love you!

(and keep in mind who else is in early Taurus ready for his first conjunction with the Sun here in decades - that fast-change maker, ass-kicker Uranus - we'll talk about that more NEXT WEEK)

This is a big week with lots of twists and turns. The big news is that second (a very unusual happening) Full Moon in Libra

AND we finally swim out of the Pisces energy. Things start to dry out.

I love Pisces and am extremely grateful for the old and ancient personal, family, and ancestral karma this energy carries for us with the purpose of helping us clear the residue of those old traumas and wounds, but two months is enough! It feels good once we clear it, but it can feel like major overwhelm and constant trigger points until we do.

We should feel much relief with that this week. If we were doing the rose-colored glasses thing or didn't know what to do/think - that should ease up now, too. Mercury and Venus in Aries will make it pretty clear what we need to do.

xo all - back with the dailies to flesh it all out

photo by the talented Snjezana Josipovic

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of April 8th - stress, limits, dealing with authority, power plays, big shifts, lost opportunities coming back around, inspiration, love and money gets sticky, pointed in the right direction, a rollercoaster ride, do you feel lucky

Look at all these aspects!

Mercury is on a journey. The Sun is on a journey. Venus is on a journey. There are enough twists and turns this week for a Tolkien novel. And do we get a "happily ever after" ending? I wrote about how I worked through most of this week's energies last week and it ended in disappointment. Ugh.

Maybe this is the week we get a better ending! Do you feel lucky?

TUESDAY - Mercury trines the North Node, Venus semi squares Uranus, Vesta conjunct Chiron, Ceres stations retrograde
WEDNESDAY - Jupiter stations retrograde, Sun squares Saturn, Venus conjuncts Neptune, Mercury sextiles Pluto
FRIDAY - Mercury squares Jupiter, Venus sextiles Saturn
SATURDAY - Sun squares Pluto, Venus trines the North Node
SUNDAY - Sun trines Jupiter, Venus sextiles Pluto

On TUESDAY - Mercury trines the North Node for the third (and final) time. A trine is a 120 degree aspect in astrology. Two planets (or points) are forming one side of a triangle. They are working in harmony, stimulating each other toward increased activity and success.

We want (and always have) some of these in our natal birth chart. They are our subtle super powers. We can't see through a wall, but maybe we can see when someone is bullshitting us. We can't leap tall buildings with a single bound, but maybe we can leap over obstacles without getting mired in indecision.

Or we could think of them like a tool we are carrying in our pack for this lifetime. We need a screwdriver. We pull it out without thinking, we use it, it works, we put it back. It's something that's there. And it's helpful.

Today we have Mercury (communication, conversations, ideas, information) in Pisces trine the North Node (destiny, our collective way forward) in Cancer. This is the quiet voice that urges us forward. The encouraging word that keeps us going. This is the conversation or idea or information that changes or confirms our direction. This is that thing we read at exactly the right time. So pay attention now. Trines don't jump off the shelf and announce themselves, "HEY YOU, yes, you, over here, listen to me!".

They are like that screwdriver.

Except this time it's not in the backpack we were given at birth, it's only available to us for a short time - and if we are not paying attention we'll miss it. The screwdriver will float off to wherever it is screwdrivers go when we don't need them (partying in the junk drawer with the flash light and extra batteries probably).

Keep your eyes and ears open. Talk to people. Because this ain't our first rodeo (this is the third trine in a series of three) - we have probably heard/said/thought this before, we have re-vised it, re-visioned it, re-viewed it (maybe unconsciously with Mercury in this long slog through Pisces - it could have even come through a dream) - and now here is when we get the final answer, the words we can move forward with. This is a water trine, so it could be more of an intuitive knowing we have been feeling our way through. Allow the words to flow. 

We also have Venus (love, money, resources, values, self-esteem) in Pisces semi-square Uranus (in Venus ruled Taurus) - this is one to pay attention to. Semi squares are baby squares. There may be some tweak we can make now to prevent a more frustrating challenge (something unexpected) later on.

Vesta meets Chiron at 2 degrees Aries. This is going to focus our attention on our Aries wounding. Maybe we need to stand up for ourselves. Maybe we need to make a brave move. If we are feeling insecure or uninspired (unable to initiate) events can transpire that bring this to our attention.

And finally - every day this week is like a week! - Ceres will station retrograde (our first retrograde since Mercury went direct) at 14 degrees Sagittarius. This is the same degree Jupiter will station direct on August 11th - so if you have planets or points near this degree you have an important chapter working itself out. It is time to re-view something we are nurturing, maybe something we don't have control over. In Sag things can expand quickly and maybe too optimistically. So now we get a chance to slow down and either allow something to nurture itself (over-watering kills plants as well as lack of water) or allow situations out of our control anyway to unwind a bit.

On WEDNESDAY - Jupiter, who has been hanging out at 24 degrees Sagittarius for days, stations retrograde. There is something we have taken as far as it can go for now with our Sag house. We now have both Ceres and Jupiter retrograde here. It's Aries season, so any kind of slowdown can make us antsy, angry and could lead to impulsive errors. Take a breath. Stuff that just keeps growing and growing is NOT sustainable. With Jupiter in Sag and intent on giving EVERYONE a lucky break this year - here is where (over the next few weeks) an opportunity can come back around!

For now though it could be that we feel we have missed out on something or maybe an opportunity/potential is withdrawn or turns out to be disappointing.

We also have the Sun (in Aries) squaring Saturn (in Capricorn). We talked about this in the New Moon post. Here's that stop sign. A limit. A road block. Maybe someone/something in authority is preventing our progress. Maybe we want to do this new thing, but have this other responsibility. Maybe there is a tremendous pressure to get this job done right. This can feel depressing. How are we getting around this?

At the same time we have benefic Venus meeting dreamy Neptune in Neptune's home sign of Pisces! This is our dreams on steroids, so maybe the Sun/Saturn square is actually supporting this. Keeping this thing stable, so it has the time/resources to be done right. Venus is building toward a trine to the North Node in a couple days - something here is moving us forward. With the North Node in Cancer it should feel nourishing, like Mom and apple pie, like safety, like we can allow our soft underbelly to come out of its shell and we won't get eaten! Maybe something connected to home, family, real estate, a home business, food, our maternal heritage.

Mercury is sextiling (opportunity) Pluto, so there is an opportunity to go deeper into a conversation, maybe a contract. Words are more intense. Powerful. Take care not to manipulate. Excellent energy for research. Secrets come out.

On FRIDAY - Mercury (in Pisces) will square a retrograde Jupiter in Sagittarius. This is good for making big plans. For re-vising long term plans. With Mercury sextiling Pluto and squaring Jupiter we can see the forest AND the trees now. The details and the big-picture. The big picture is the one getting tweaked.

Venus continues her story this week with an opportunistic sextile to serious Saturn.

There are opportunities now to stabilize a financial/partnership/resources situation. Think quality over quantity. Think rewards for hard work. Long term investing is favored. Disciplined spending and savings pays off. Putting the time and effort into a relationship will pay off. This is good energy to pay down/off debt or to start a savings plan. Relationships launched now could be long-lasting, security-focused or between a younger/older person. Think mentor. People will be looking for a commitment. What do you value enough to make a commitment to?

On SATURDAY - the Sun (in Aries) squares Pluto (in Capricorn). Again this is the Sun continuing our New Moon journey through those Capricorn squares. Here is where we maybe find a deeper problem. This could also be an ego conflict (Sun) with a powerful person/situation (Pluto). The Gods are fighting. Adjustments are required. Tense issues/power struggles are likely to come up.

Venus trines the North Node in Cancer - something is pointing us toward a more secure and more satisfying direction, toward something MORE REAL than likes on a screen or pats on the back from your boss - something is pointing us home (literally or home to ourselves). Maybe this reconfirms Mercury's message from earlier in the week, builds on it or it takes multiple happenings to GET OUR ATTENTION.

On SUNDAY - Venus, yes, our girl is BUSY, trines (brakes off) the same Pluto, the Sun (our ego) had so much trouble with. He is putty in her hands now. What did grandma used to say "you catch more flies with honey than vinegar"  - something like that. Try being nice. Try diplomacy.

Here is where our money/relationship dreams- connect with other people and other people's resources. Mergers and acquisitions. Things are intense in a good way. 

We also have the Sun trining Jupiter retrograde. Is this the best day of the year? Do you feel lucky?

We'll flesh all this out in the dailies - but what a week! Did I miss anything? I'm sure I did. Big things will be happening in the collective this week, too.

xo all

photo by the talented living loud photo