... our default setting

"Just as many machines reset themselves to their original settings after a power outage, human beings reset themselves to something altruistic, communitarian, resourceful and imaginative after a disaster, we revert to something we already know how to do. The possibility of paradise is already within us as a default setting."

- Rebecca Solnit

LOVE this quote from environmental writer Rebecca Solnit ... Today, Neptune stations direct squaring Saturn and things get a little fuzzy (or fuzzier!). Remember our expansion comes through Virgo - careful - I might even say cautious, small, measured steps, attention to detail - we need to pay attention to how we say things and what we say - words change worlds now folks.

xo all

Saturn in Sagittarius Square Neptune in Pisces for Creatives | the Dreams vs Reality Transit - Part III

OK to recap from Part I and Part II now that Saturn has moved into Sagittarius (and this started loosely when he stuck his head in last winter, but more strongly recently when he unpacked his bags and kicked off his shoes and lasts through the end of 2017) he is squaring Neptune in Pisces (Sagittarius naturally squares Pisces - think pie chart here).

This square will be exact three times over the next 10 months, due to Neptune and Saturn retrogrades  - Nov 26, 2015 at 7 degrees, June 17, 2016 at 12 degrees and Set 10, 2016 at 10 degrees. And remember even when an aspect is not exactly exact it may be still close enough, often for long periods, to be felt.

Squares are tense aspects - they push us into a new action (oppositions push us into a new decision, trines remove obstacles, sextiles show opportunities, etc). Everyone is going to work with this square before Saturn leaves Sagittarius at the end of 2017. Here's a post with info on Saturn in Sagittarius that could be helpful, too.

This is the big deal transit of 2016.

getting comfortable with what is foreign

Foreign is never comfortable. The work of Candance Pert and others tells us that we are literally craving, in our very cells, what is familiar.

It's not because what is familiar is good for us and what is foreign is bad for us. And in fact it often works the other way around. It's just how our bodies work.

It is hard not to be following the news this week, and actually I am not one of those 'pink paint' people who advise turning away from what upsets us. I know so many people who tell me they don't watch the news because they don't want to see any bad news and this is exactly the way of thinking that brings this bad news to our door so we can see it.

We are, as a collective, working through a transit of Saturn (limitations, time, boundaries) in Sagittarius (big picture, foreign travel, people at a distance, immigration) so it is not surprising that the current events in the world are being shown through the lens the media is presenting to us.

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of November 16th - New Pisces Karma Cycle | Going With the Flow |

magical art - the secret garden by emla

Monday's ambitious Capricorn Moon can have us powering through our duties and responsibilities - sign agreements, make sales, decisions. There are really no void moons during working hours this week - YAY! (well, late Monday afternoon) so things ready to launch are pretty good to go - remember we have Jupiter in Virgo, so take care of the details and don't launch anything half-assed.

On the other hand, remember we have Jupiter in Virgo (is there an echo in here?), and we may be too detail oriented and miss the forest for the trees - if you are a maker, well, this is the holiday season, if it's ready to ship, get it somewhere where someone can find it.

We are in a waxing, productive Moon phase. If we have been tired or drained this is a building time of the month with energy returning.

Venus conjunct Black Moon Lilith in Libra could be some kind of competition/comparison with pink paint poured on top of it or someone or something that smiles to our face and then cuts us off at the knees. Or maybe this is some kind of insider/outsider thing with the power to wound us. Watch for it.

NEW MOON in Scorpio 11/11 - This Time PLEASE, PLEASE Actually Write the Damn Intention List!

new birth by jojoesart

Wednesday's New Moon at 19 degrees Scorpio has multiple excellent, positive aspects. This moment in time joins our deepest (Scorpio) emotions (Moon) and our mental ability (Mercury) with our creativity and self (Sun). What cannot be accomplished with everything working together this way?

First we have the Sun and Moon sextile to Jupiter.

Jupiter brings expansion and good luck - even wealth and happiness. Sextiles are positive aspects but require some kind of action on our part - so please, please, even if you have never actually sat yourself down and written out your intention list at the New Moon before, do it this time. Even if month after month you read these posts but just skim over the part where we physically write this stuff down, and I understand, really I do,

but - this month, actually do it ... either Wednesday night or Thursday.

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of November 9th - FRESH starts, OPPORTUNITIES, multiple brakes OFF

oprisco photography

This is a week of fresh starts and opportunities. There may be some blockage in our personal chart (ie a limiting belief met as karma) but in most areas of most of our lives things will be moving full steam ahead now!

First of all - we have a Grand Trine (remember a trine means brakes off, well think of a Grand Trine as removing multiple brakes all at once) involving our Sun, Pluto and Jupiter.

This is about our goals, our reputation and authority figures (Capricorn themes - Pluto is in Capricorn) - sex, death and rebirth, birth, reproduction, divorce, other people's money (Scorpio themes - Sun in Scorpio) and our work, health, co-workers, pets (Virgo themes - Jupiter in Virgo). This is major favorable energy right now.

Astrological Influences - The Big Picture for Creatives Now | Part II

Part I of this overview is HERE.

We talked about the 'outer planets' - this is the collective energy at play.  

Now Saturn and Jupiter are outer planets, too, but they affect us differently so I will call them 'middle planets'. They aren't the astrological inner planets (Mars, Venus, Mercury and the Moon) that affect our day to day happenings and moods - they are kind of the space where we as individuals meet the collective.

Basically, (and that's a loaded word, so we'll flesh it out a little) Saturn is about constriction and Jupiter is about expansion. Jupiter feels good. Saturn feels bad. This isn't really what is happening, but it will often feel like this.

Astrological Influences - The Big Picture for Creatives Now | Part I

I thought I should take a step back from the weekly astrology posts to post about the big picture a bit.

We are living through a period of unprecedented change and uncertainty - we all know this.

We see it in the outer world and we see it in our individual lives.

Every time we get settled in something or someone or someplace that feels like 'safety' ... the rug gets pulled. The walls we thought were made of concrete by that 3rd little pig were actually the fake plastic stuff with the toxic gray paint.

This is not innately a bad thing or a good thing (well, except for the toxic gray paint) - the good/bad part is always up to us - that free will thing and all.

Anyhoo, for an overall look at the planetary energies we look at the 3 outer planets. These guys move slowly and their impacts are more long lasting.

These are the multiple major influences we are, as a collective, living through all at once. Any one of these transits could send us to the madhouse so having them all of once is the reason most people are struggling to stay grounded.

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of November 2nd - going deep .... plus did I mention that new cycle of working from our hearts, well here we go ....

 

November is going to be BIG.

We are midway through autumn now and well into Scorpio season (even though it's still Virgo, Virgo, Virgo!). 

Scorpio is all about mastering the fine art of release - letting go of what is no longer needed, weeding out the stuff that has, well, died, to create space for something new to find us.

There is always, always new stuff coming.

Nature really does hate a vacuum, so as we release old thoughts, feelings, wants and habits, we automatically attract the people and circumstances that mirror who we are without those thoughts, feelings, wants and habits. Our only job is to clear the space.

Mars (action, initiative) will be in Scorpio for many weeks in 2016 - this energy isn't going anywhere.

We still have the North Node in Libra so we are connecting and reconnecting with others. Libra moves into Venus next Sunday and triggers that node of fate - lots of relationship and interpersonal stuff going on now. Venus and then Mars will also stumble into the old Uranus/Pluto square beginning next week so as the leaves dry up and fall from the trees we may be asking ourselves "has this relationship / business / job / location - dried up, too?". Then, carrying this energy of re-evaluation, the North Node moves quietly into Virgo and we proceed into the first of three Saturn / Neptune squares, this is the dreams vs. reality transit that will reshape everything. But, let's not go there quite yet ....

We have Jupiter in Virgo inconjunct Uranus in Aries. Maybe we prepare for one thing and something else happens instead. We could beat our head against the wall pushing to make the first thing work, but it would undoubtedly be best to go with the flow and stay flexible. 

Luck (Jupiter) favors the flexible (Uranus) action (Aries) that is accurate and refined (Virgo).

On MONDAY - Mercury moves from civil and balanced Libra into deep and disruptive Scorpio for the next 18 days. This is about intense communications and profound conversations. We won't ask how someone is doing, unless we really want to know because they will tell us. What we need to find out from others will be uncovered - what others need to find out from us will be uncovered, too. We can see how this can be a good or not so good thing depending on how many secrets we are carrying!

Do you have any natal planets in Scorpio? They will be receiving signs and alerts now - pay attention.

Whatever that thing is that requires thorough analysis or investigation - this is the time for that.

Put down the magazine and pick up that good, thick book that has been gathering dust on your shelf.

Remember we still have a lot of planets in Virgo and Mercury rules Virgo - so a whole lot of celestial energy will be in Scorpio stealth mode right now. Virgos and Geminis in particular (both ruled by Mercury) become even more Scorprionic. This energy can be manipulative and Scorpio isn't always right (no one is), just don't tell them (or anyone else, we are all working this energy now) that - just quietly and thoroughly (think Virgo again) verify information. Everything deep and dark really doesn't need to be said out loud or shared in public. I heard Brene Brown say on a recent radio interview, "you share a story when your healing is not dependent on the response you receive from the sharing" - that sounds about right here.

I always back up my computer again when Mercury goes deep into Scorpio - equipment and cars can get wonky. This is not the best time to learn/communicate about something brand new. This is a good time to deepen some knowledge or line of inquiry we already have going on.

Go deep not wide with this energy.

(business example - if you are a maker planning an email campaign or postcard blitz during the next 3 weeks, and, yes, it would be the perfect time for it - better to offer something else - ie better - to existing customers than going after new people or better to contact stores you have contacted before and have a relationship with or struck out with previously, and send them a new - ie better - offer, etc - you get the idea - instead of thinking expansion outward, think about deepening existing circumstances)

MONDAY/TUESDAY is actually not a bad time to launch something (we can definitely wait for that Scorpio New Moon mid-month though!) if we have been precise with our work and attentive to details because this is the day Venus conjuncts Mars in Virgo (Mercury ruled) and kicks off a new two year cycle!

Remember, I said November and December would be foundation building time!

Typically Mars and Venus join together once every couple years or so, but in 2015, due to Venus's long retrograde last summer they meet up three times - this week is their third (and last until 2017) hook up. 

The first one back in Aries was a beginning but really more about harsh realities and survival and overcoming a crisis - this involved the Venus themes of love, money, women, beauty and Mars themes of action and anger. Then on September 1st, they met up again and rehashed everything.

It's been a tough transit for many people.

This new cycle (24 degrees Virgo - check your natal chart - is the sweet spot for getting what we want with this) is about as far away from the last cycle as we can get - this one is about being unburdened and new and about what we are really here to do.

It's time to lay down the baggage of the last two years and open our hearts. The love (and money) will find us.

"Do what you love and the money will follow" is not something I believe is literally true in the sense of "earning money from the thing we love doing". 

BUT I do believe, and this cycle will definitely be a game changer for many people, that doing what we love releases old thoughts, habits, wants and feelings of resistance and magnetizes us to people and circumstances that mirror who we are without this resistance.

This creates the space for the good stuff (really the stuff money can buy and the stuff money can't buy) to show up.

We have Mercury in Scorpio to ensure a deep impact for whatever we are cooking up, which is why we want it to be good, launching something that isn't really ready could get us noticed and not in a good way - which is why I'm thinking long term and foundational with this energy.

With Venus and Mars conjunct we can attract what we want. With Virgo involved it has to be high quality. Mercury in Scorpio wants it to hold up to scrutiny and have some kind of deep significance - don't waste this energy on flash in the pan whoseewhatsees.

But, of course, sometimes flash in the pan whoseewhatsees are only recognizable in hindsight ... but if we cook up one of those just be prepared to be known for that flash in the pan whoseewhatsee. It's like we always double check our work and the one time we don't double check is the time our boss pulls our report out at a big meeting with upper management and there is a glaring mistake we didn't catch, ouch. Or that new bracelet we made that maybe needed a little more finessing and isn't quite reflective of our brand and style finds it's way to an editor at Lucky Magazine and ... well, you get the idea. I am not saying this to make us any more crazy than we already are - we can only do our best.

If we keep our eye on the details, do the work and reach a little further than we think we can, but just a little - we are working a Sun/Neptune trine from November 3-11, reaching too far is probably not recommended and it's easy to get carried away now (I pulled my shoulder putting on my coat, yes, my coat, it's been two weeks and still hurts - reaching is not my friend right now) - we could strike gold here.

If this wasn't a business blog (even though you may have to squint and stand twenty paces to see that these days) I would also mention that Mars (masculine energy) and Venus (feminine energy) joining together would be good for other things, too (wink).

WEDNESDAY (void moon so production, no new starts) and THURSDAY are also great creative days, so attention to creative work, children, fun, love are favored. We need to show up and get involved here.

FRIDAY - the sextile between the Sun and Pluto is exact. If we have any adjusting or clean up that needs to be done - today would be a good day to be doing it. With the Sun in Scorpio aligning with Pluto in Capricorn, Scorpio's ruler - we can focus like a lazer beam. This is a closing sextile so any victory now will have been earned over time. If we started something last January when the Sun was in Capricorn - this week will be the reward for that work.

We have some REALLY BIG energy coming in November, including the first of three Neptune/Saturn squares (dreams vs reality) and the Nodes shift. Depending on your chart these changes may override stuff I have written here, so I will post about them in a couple days.

I wasn't able to get to the Full Moon post last week. I hope everyone had the chance to go outside and walk in it! My own Full Moon was quite stressy/messy - disagreements, simple misunderstandings turned into the kind of mountains requiring Sherpas and oxygen masks and perspectives sealed in concrete on all sides. Um, yes, that sounds about right ... and there was the beautiful Maine skies, coast and clean mountain air, too.

THEN I did a quick blog post (about muttering, yes, I said muttering) but then somehow lost most of it adding another picture and I don't have enough enthusiasm for the subject matter tonight to rewrite it. Blogger is officially driving me nuts. xo all

muttering (and mothering) in the Maine woods ...

I spent a lot of time muttering to myself when we were in Maine last week (and eating ... and losing my gloves ... and eating ... and losing my gloves).

I caught myself, three or four times, actually speaking out loud and then looking around to see if anyone had heard me.

At first I thought "well, maybe I have things I need to say no one would want or need to hear" and my brain was kind of just reflexively spitting them out or I thought it was some kind of Full Moon madness since they say talking to yourself is the first sign

(Stalin and Hitler even passed laws to make it illegal).

But the more I thought about what I was rambling about (and I had the song Waterloo stuck in my head too, sometimes life is just not fair, folks) I came to the conclusion it was some kind of truth-talk squeezing past my inner scensors and when I thought about it even more I realized it was totally directed at myself (even when I appeared to be grumbling about something or someone else).

Mostly we think of stuff and then maybe we say it or maybe we write it down or maybe we just forget about it.We probably think a lot of the same stuff again and again.

Muttering is kind of the other way around - we think about it after we say it. Maybe it's like automatic writing (I tried that once, but gave up when my tea grew cold and my hand cramped up) or almost a kind of self-coaching.

In fact the word 'mutter' comes from the German for 'mother', so maybe this way of thinking isn't so crazy. Maybe when we mutter we are actually mothering ourselves.

Stay with me. (and yes, I muttered this part ... and sounded a lot like Rod Stewart when he was just the right amount of raspy - you're welcome)

We've got some interesting celestial aspects heading our way and synchronicities will appear if we are paying attention.

Muttering could be helpful in the sense it kind of connects us back to ourselves. For now I'm trying to listen to my mutter (in a mothering and not smothering way, staying open to the significance that maybe it is directed from me to me), paying attention to what I say under my breath and through clenched teeth, really hearing the words to that song I keep humming; trying to be loud and deliberate.

Maybe then it can settle down feeling listened to and understood. And I can get this damn Abba song out of my head .... xo all



At Waterloo Napoleon did surrender
Oh yeah
And I have met my destiny in quite a similar way
The history book on the shelf
Is always repeating itself
Waterloo - I was defeated, you won the war
Waterloo - Promise to love you for ever more
Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to
Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you
Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo

My my
I tried to hold you back, but you were stronger
Oh yeah
And now it seems my only chance is giving up the fight
And how could I ever refuse
I feel like I win when I lose
Waterloo - I was defeated, you won the war
Waterloo - Promise to love you for ever more
Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to
Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you
Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo

So how could I ever refuse
I feel like I win when I lose
Waterloo - I was defeated, you won the war
Waterloo - Promise to love you for ever more
Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to
Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you
Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo

Weekend Update | Creativity Forecast for Creatives - Keep It Real, BITE Your Tongue (just a little love bite, don't gouge out a big chunk), Dream Big, Give it Your Best Shot

I am going away for a few days (YAY, Maine!) so thought I would do a quick update of the energies at play while I will be away.

We are finishing up that Mercury in Libra (communication, partners, equals, balance, art, love, women) square (think challenging here) Pluto In Capricorn (secrets, what's hidden, authority, structure).

We need to think communications through so we do not say something we will regret. There may not be any words that can get us where we want to go, so it might be best to just let things slide until next week with this. Note - I did not do this, spoke up about something yesterday and immediately regretted it. The scenario included every word I have used in italics (yes, I love italics!) in this paragraph and I knew we had an Aquarian Moon edging me toward rebellion and I still couldn't stop myself. My need for the truth won out even though I didn't.

Hopefully all of you handled/will handle things better.

(big breath)

On Sunday, we have something similar with Mercury opposing Uranus and inconjunct Chiron - so again we can step on some toes, there is opportunity here, but also the opportunity to hurt or get hurt. We could say the wrong thing. Venus is conjunct Jupiter (in Virgo) so our best moves still focus on VIRGO - do the work, make healthy choices, keep it grounded and real.

On Friday, the Sun moves into Scorpio (for sure, double Scorpio Hillary Clinton, will be taking no prisoners at the Benghazi hearings  - she's working with the same energies so she could say the wrong thing but something tells me she won't).

We all begin to burn Scorpio fuel and see what it feels like to be a Scorpio. Scorpio wants the truth and will not settle for any answer that is not at least a wee bit uncomfortable. The Scorpio area of our charts is where we all struggle for control. Facing fear is what Scorpio energy is born to do (we all have Scorpio in our charts, some of us more than others).

It's no coincidence Halloween is approaching!

Friday could be an intense day. Truth is messy. There is an uneasiness between just doing something and doing it right that requires adjustment. Safety doesn't win with these energies although not playing it safe can certainly backfire, too. Scorpio doesn't throw pink paint over problems and pretend they don't exist. Neither does Virgo. Throw these two energies together and we've got an overall vibe of authenticity. For better or worse.

Outcomes are never guaranteed and particularly not during Scorpio season. Just decide, then decide to not look back. Second guessing yourself is not allowed now (although again, if things can be pushed off until after next Tuesday when the energies calm down a bit, all the better). Also remember anything that is playing out that looks like it is all about them, is really all about us. It can be helpful to see it this way.

Venus conjuncts Jupiter on Sunday. There is opportunity for expansion here and an opposition to Chiron who is inconjunct with Uranus (there are advantages and disadvantage to having everything all balled up together in the skies) that cautions us to not take anything too far or expect too much. But if we use Virgo (Jupiter in Virgo is our go-to energy through next summer) to work out the details and fix what isn't working - we can use Jupiter to 'go for it' and Venus to 'have what we want'.

Fingers crossed for everyone here.

Personally, I always regret the road not taken more than the failure (although, yes, I regret the failure, too - I'm not a 'failure is my friend' kind of girl), know this about myself, so usually do the thing I see to do.

(and 9 times out of 10 it doesn't work, but maybe that 1 success is all we need anyway and the other 9 are just there for us to grow our muscles to handle the 1 - yes, that feels about right.)

The weekend could actually be quite lovely for all of us. 

Yoga / Meditation Bracelets - Lori Portka Art

This will get us through Tuesday. With so many planets in mutable signs the energy is great for juggling a whole bunch of stuff, not so great if we want to actually control any of the stuff we are juggling. We'll have to roll with things as they come up. We need to be adjustable. 

Just like my magnetic cuff bracelets with artist Lori Portka (warning shameless plug ahead) - have you seen these --->

Then next week we have a nice Full Moon in Taurus and things calm down a bit. Will write about that before then. Mid November lots of things shake loose including the south node finally moving out of Aries (since early 2014) and freeing Uranus to get whatever is stuck in our life moving. Where's Aries in your chart?

Have an amazing weekend everyone - need to get ALOT of work finished today! Hubs and I haven't taken a trip together in almost 3 years and even though this is only 4 days away, 7 hours from home and it will be COLD, we are EXCITED.

(for any peeps following my 'crash the party' story I will update it in the comments of the last post at lunch time - I hate when bloggers leave things hanging, although I realize I do this, too - don't hate me - it's almost as bad as Facebook people who post things like "such great news!!!" or "what the hell?!!" without any of us knowing what the hell they are talking about, drives me nuts)

xo all

Seeing the Forest AND the Trees - Weekly Astrology Wrap up for Creatives

"This burning…this longing…this shaky Aliveness. These are your only scriptures now. You are right on track." ... Matt Licata

autumn treeline by raceytay

If my regular weekly post was the forest (or one forest, we are all kind of walking through many forests at the same time), this mini addition will be the trees. Missing the trees means we plow headlong into .. well, trees - I guess. But not seeing the forest means that even seeing the trees (avoiding some, hugging others) doesn't actually get us anywhere.

So, here's this week's trees:

We are at the quarter moon - this is like - we've put the ball into play and it's out of our hands now. Not out of our hands forever, just out of our hands now. We have to trust the process and other people. It's a good time to let our minds be settled a bit with where things are going. This doesn't mean we are standing still, we are still moving forward and playing the game - we just can't control everything because the ball is not in our hands now (have I said that already?).

And if we are still holding the ball, because maybe we didn't set up that freakin' flock like I've been saying for the last two years (or maybe I should say team for this one) and have no one to pass the damn ball to - well, then just realize stuff is happening outside our control and we'll just set the ball down and stretch our back for a bit. We can stand up straighter now and see what everyone else is doing. Yes, those other people are still out there and yes,we still have time to gather a team (ie flock) for a hand-off, hand up, hand on our back.

For most of Tuesday we have a Capricorn Moon - this is a goal oriented, ambitious energy. Then in the late afternoon the Moon moves into Aquarius (this is where the other people come in) - it also goes void, so good productive energy, not good initiating energy. Let the stuff cook. Don't keep opening the oven door.

On Wednesday, Mercury in Libra squares Pluto in Capricorn for the third and final time. This could produce some intense and maybe uncomfortable conversations about issues we were dealing with in mid to late September. This will either wrap this stuff up or be some kind of final showdown. We've got Juno (asteroid) conjunct Mercury so there could be relationship loyalty and power issues here. Pluto will be pushing for the truth.

This can also play out as being asked to do things by people in authority we really don't want to do or people we don't want to listen to telling us things we don't want to hear. The Aquarius Moon will help us detach. Don't decide ahead of time what you are going to hear and what you are going to see because that will be what you hear and see. Go full Aquarius (the open minded genius/scientist here - not the rebel, not the criminal). But maybe try mouth shut, ears open and see what develops with that. Of course, Aquarians always say what they think, and we can do that, too - let's just listen first.

On Thursday, Venus in Virgo trines Pluto in Capricorn (brakes off). This trine strengthens Venus (love, money, values) by focusing us on what’s "correct" and/or what's practical. There will most likely be a woman involved here. Whatever this aspect touches for us will move smoothly.

Mars in Virgo will oppose Chiron (wounded healer), so some things, especially things that we are doing a bit obsessively (thank you Virgo) could backfire. Our actions can hurt others or we can be hurt by others' actions. There’s a need for some caution here.

On Friday, the Sun moves into Scorpio and we all dive a little (or a lot) deeper. More on this later in the week.

Note - the thing with dates and astrology is the dates I list are when aspects are exact. To get to be exact - planets and celestial bodies move toward and away from the exact point of contact. So although they are exact on a particular day, and really at a particular moment sometimes, we can feel them and they can activate stuff in our own charts, depending on the aspect, for days before and after.

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of October 19th - make some kind of move

Last night, Mars joined Jupiter bringing energy, movement and initiating action to a

new 2 year cycle of work and health

and it plays into a forming T-square for extra potency for the next 12 months!

This cycle began to set-up when Jupiter moved into Virgo on August 10th - but between Venus retrograde, Mercury retrograde, Saturn moving from Scorpio into Sagittarius and eclipse season most of us have had too much old stuff on our plates, or slipping off our plates, to notice.

Now we will.

BEST CASE - two years from now we will be fulfilled through the development of a personally meaningful something or other that is of value to others and we'll be enjoying the best health of our lives.

WORST CASE - we'll learn big lessons from two years of endless busyness, perfectionist pit-stops, tasks that have no personal meaning and we'll gain another ten pounds (or worse). This is definitely not the time to still be smoking.

We win or we learn. Or we win and we learn - yeah, let's do that.

Besides kicking off a new two year story with Jupiter (in Virgo) Mars' movement activates a T-square (when points in opposition also form a square with another point). A T-square enables drive and courage but can also create tension and conflict. Natal T-square people are very active. You know that go-getter who packs 30 hours into every 24 hour day and makes us want to take a nap - well, I guarantee she has one. Cardinal T-squares can be very impatient, but also enterprising and initiating. Fixed T-squares don't quite, but are also stubborn and they can hold on to problems for too long. Mutable T-squares are restlessness and change their minds too often, but are great at adapting to changing circumstances.

Last week we had Mars squaring Saturn and opposing Neptune, now he joins Jupiter and these 3 planets (Jupiter, Neptune and Saturn) give us the T-square we will all be working with for the next year. This will play out in our Sagittarius, Pisces and Virgo houses (check your natal chart). This is my 2nd, 4th and 10th houses (so basically money and values, home and work). If you want to know the space this story will run through in your own chart just contact me.

Until mid November we are still in the "dreaming it" stage - this time would be best spent with visioning and detailed planning. Let's use this Virgo focus and attention to detail while we have access to it (the Sun changes signs at the end of the week). Lists are our friend now. Virgo energy sometimes doesn't want to compete unless they know they can win or they don't compete because then they will have to do it really well again - if you are feeling anything like this right now, push through it.

From mid November (when Saturn comes into play) foundations get built. In January and February there is a pause in the action as things slow and separate and then March thru November 2016 we build the dream.

This dream doesn't have to be some big, ginormous dream. It just has to be ours. We need to be working from our hearts with this. If anything special was happening around May 2000 (check your Taurus house) there will be aspects that relate to that time period. Stuff will happen with or without our full participation, attention and intention, but the best way to use astrology is to make the best use of transits as intentionally as we can.

After the Uranus Pluto Square power struggle story we've all been working through, this new chapter is a welcome change.

This week with Mars (action, initiative) and Jupiter (good luck, expansion) bumping together it's a good time for some kind of initiatory action. Make some kind of move. Ambition is a good thing. I'm crashing an event I wasn't invited to - more on this later in the week. Then I'm going away for a couple days to recuperate from the stress of it all (me and public events are going together like peanut butter and mayonnaise these days - yes, that yummy).

Anyhoo, I'll try to get back to do the Moons and daily aspects tomorrow - there is lots of other stuff going on, but if we let this T-square happen without our intentional participation we will regret it, I promise ... plus I need tonight to plan my wardrobe and practice not sounding like I've been practicing .... and like maybe I was actually invited. xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of October 12th - New Moon in Libra (who/what do we want to partner with? who's really got our back?)

Today's New Moon (19 degrees) in balanced and cooperative Libra opens up all kinds of new opportunities involving  partners; both romantic and business, our  agents, our clients, specialists and competitors - think "equals" over the next couple weeks.

It is also excellent re-balancing energy.  

What house holds Libra in our natal chart?

This is our annual opportunity to restore balance here.

Who/what do we want to partner with?

This is an important reset because it will wrap up six months from now with a Lunar Eclipse instead of a regular Full Moon. Makes me think whatever is started now, for better or worse, ends (or evolves) with a BANG.

This New Moon (beginning), closes out eclipse season, and is the run up to the BIG fresh start we all get in mid November.

Now New Moons and other lunar movements do not happen in a vacuum - they affect and interact with other planets. We have had Uranus in Aries since 2011 (through 2018). We know Libra's polarity sign is Aries, so activity in our Libra house is being opposed by Uranus. And yes, opposed means pretty much what it sounds like.

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

Uranus is the planet that 'came out of nowhere'.

Until 1781 when Sir William Herschel peered through his telescope and discovered Uranus (first christened George's Star and later renamed for the Greek God of the heavens) astrology was a small, closed system of seven astrological bodies including the sun and the moon.

This fit so well with the seven chakras, seven octaves, seven days in a week, yada, yada - seven being an almost magical number - that the discovery was quite upending to astrological theory that began with the Sun (life/creation) and ended with Saturn (authority/time/death).

Now we had life beyond death, beyond authority, beyond time. When I first began to study astrology in the 90's my first teacher said you couldn't see Uranus with the naked eye - but we (and I) have caught a glimpse now and then. Of course, planets appear to us when we are ready to see them.

It took awhile for astrologers to understand Uranus.

It is now widely acknowledged to represent the development of individuality (which is how he stole the rulership of Aquarius from Saturn). This is the space in the solar system, our collective, our chart, our bodies - where we move beyond our familial and social programming.

This is where we need to break the rules, chart our own path, function without social approval (no thumbs up or likes for you here). Uranus shows us what authorities we are determined to challenge, who we will offend and even where we will receive our most misleading advice.

(where is Uranus in your natal chart? where's Aquarius? this is the space you are asked to step outside the box and work with the idea that you might never get any pats on the back for your contribution)

Rules and regulations are the corner stones of our society. We need them - we can see this. And yet, within every one of us is this little (sometimes not so little) something that really hates being told what to do. It's the space that cheers on the rule breakers, feels the lure of total freedom and secretly hopes the bad guy in that movie drama will get away with it.

So, we've got this New Moon in beatific and balanced Libra wanting something new and balanced for us and this aspect to Uranus adding something jolting, surprising and dare I say liberating into the mix.

New developments could hit quickly, maybe from totally out of the blue and likely disrupt existing balances.

This opposition can also represent an actual person or group or system with Uranian qualities (think : genius, rebel, criminal) or maybe someone we are dealing with through the internet since Uranus rules that space, who is literally standing in our way.

This is wild-card energy. It could spark an uncharted direction for us or create abrupt change. It could push/pull/drop kick us toward greater freedom. It could even empower us with a  "cause". Ruts can be escaped. Think about what would need to happen in your own life to create these kind of changes and then expect ... something else to happen. Ack! You will feel this energy strongest if you have any planets in cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) from 16-20 degrees.

New Moon energy peaks at the actual New Moon 8pm EST tonight and runs its course over the next 2 weeks.

On Tuesday Mercury (communication, fast moving thingamajigs) hooks up with Saturn (authority, time, structure) so this is a good day to schedule meeting and talks with authority figures or to finalize the details of something that will be around awhile.

The big news is still that Jupiter/Pluto trine (thru the 17th) I talked about last week (brakes off) - this continues to provide us with a combination of ambition and optimism. It isn't called the 'wealth' aspect for nothing, folks.

Wednesday is very productive - a lot is going on and we can get much done (Friday, too, results can go either way). On Thursday we have Mars (in Virgo) firing us up and getting us motivated, think empowered practicality here - this can tie in with the new beginning, too. On Friday, Venus in Virgo will oppose Neptune in Pisces - work is just work without dreams and dreams are just dreams without work. It will become clear to us - we need both.

On Saturday Mars hooks up with Jupiter. This is BIG. We haven't had this in 11 years. This is when our Jupiter in Virgo expansion gets some legs. More on this next time.

We are having frequent long void moons this season which are not the best times for initiating new things - so if we are launching something now - the 2 weeks after a new moon are great launch periods - check the void moon chart here for the best daily times.

Lots of closing aspects this week - so stuff/people/situations are leaving (remember life doesn't allow vacuums - letting go is the only way to make room for the new). Do you really want to carry that anymore?

Libra rules marriage, negotiations, teamwork, harmony, sociability and diplomacy. For everyone it is an excellent time for energetic support for new beginnings in these areas.

MONTHLY AFFIRMATION TIPS for the NEW MOON:

Get grounded - we have moved from an earth sign into air so this is important - always make affirmations from a  positive place (positive meaning certain) - write your affirmations down by hand in cursive, we want the letters all connecting and flowing together, speak them out loud. 

I used to write my affirmations on strips of paper and put them into a bowl of rice so I can mix them around every now and then with my fingers if things got stagnant, now I burn them. I'm going to release the ashes into moving air this month - then - and this is the important part - release your attention from them knowing that your intention is known.  

Some affirmations I am working with today are:

1. I effectively negotiate my situation with ____ creating a win-win for both of us. 

2. I am balanced and peaceful.

3. I easily attract, recognize and begin working with the right people for my highest happiness.

4. I am easily at ease in social situations.

5. I have total clarity and am able to take action to make my relationships more satisfying.

6. I easily make decisions.

7. The habit of wanting 'peace at any price' is easily lifted from me.

8. I easily take actions that successfully restore perfect health to my adrenal glands.

Another great week for fall cleaning. xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of October 5th - don't take it personally ... and brakes off

"You must close your eyes…otherwise you won’t see anything." ... Alice in Wonderland

rebel locket by Jessica Van Braun and me

It's Libra season - sort of, but we (and others) might be feeling more rebellious than cooperative this week.

Libra is the sign of partnership, cooperation and balance (not so much rebellion, she saves that action for her sister air sign Aquarius). Venus and Mars will not enter Libra until November this year so we only have the Sun (no small thing, but you see what I mean) and a retrograde Mercury in Libra. Not the typical October energy. With Venus entering Virgo this week and the North Node moving into Virgo (and let's not forget Jupiter) - it's feels more like a Virgo October season!

(not that Virgo energy is rebellious either, maybe it's just me or maybe I wanted to show off my cute locket by being rebellious!)

Virgo still rules - so that means a work and health focus, taking care of the details and our obligations, we know the drill. We've been here awhile.

We have Mars (action) in Virgo (details) opposite Neptune (dreams) retrograde in Pisces (intuition, escapism). Glass half full - we put our energy and focused attention on our creative work. Glass half empty - we drift off into never, never land and get nothing done (all I really want to do is see the Martian and smell the movie popcorn). Action will be easier as the week moves along. We have a lot of time spent with void moons this week, so it's not the best time to launch anything - it's excellent productive energy though if we can push past the inertia.

The back story this week is a trine between Jupiter (in Virgo) and Pluto (in Capricorn). A trine is considered a positive aspect because it removes all obstacles. But even something good isn't only or always good.

(yes, here comes Cat with her rain cloud again and yes I do carry it around in my purse and pop it out like the other girls pop out their tic tacs - you're welcome)

Imagine you are sitting in your car with one foot on the brake and one foot on the gas. You're not going anywhere. If your foot is suddenly yanked from the brake - you'd move forward ... fast.

Now this could be a good thing - the red light turns green and you really want to beat that annoying guy in the hot yellow Lamborghini who's revving his engine in the lane next to you.

But this could be a bad thing - your foot is yanked from the brake and you plow forward into oncoming traffic.

Rapid (and maybe epic) achievement or rapid (and maybe epic) failure.

If we are striving for something positive, a dynamic trine can make our dreams come true. On the other hand if we are trying to prevent something negative from happening a dynamic trine can rapidly hasten the happening of what we are trying to stop. With Jupiter in the picture we know whatever is being stirred up - the ultimate outcome is growth. It could even enable us to accomplish something significant. This aspect is exact on Sunday.

The trine is at 13 degrees Virgo (check your natal chart for the house) and we will have two more. One at 13 degrees Virgo in March and one at 17 degrees Virgo in June. When Jupiter and Pluto are joined in a chart it's about wealth - in this case it's in the sign of Virgo - work and health.

These trines will take us back to when they first cozied up in December 2007. Yes, that's when the U.S. recession began (brakes off remember!).

The best way to work with this - we will want to be organized and get stuff done. Yes, more Virgo good stuff - this work and health focus isn't going anywhere.

If we haven't had our September eclipse "thing" happen yet - it will happen this week - sometime before Monday's New Moon. 

Saturn will be asking us to prove our value now - this could take the form of an authority figure saying we can/will only pay us this when we really want/need that ... what we decide to do is up to us, but what we need to do with whatever we decide is not take it personally. I know that's easier said than done, which is why I'm saying it.

The biggest news for creatives this week (although depending on your chart, a tiny transit can be big news and vice versa) is Venus finally sashays out of Leo and into Virgo.

It's been a long, hot summer people!

Venus took all of us on a wild ride. This week when she finally puts Leo in her rear-view mirror there could be an opportunity to set boundaries and expectations with things that come up. This will pertain to the people and situations we have dealt with since she first entered Leo on June 5th. We saw sides of people during this transit we haven't seen before and showed others sides of ourselves. As she changes signs (and Mercury stations direct!) there will be opportunities for lots of miscommunications. Keep that in mind. Sometimes miscommunications are good things - they can trigger conversations and kick stuff into the open that needs to be addressed.

Remember what we say, people will hear now. We will choose our words accordingly. We will also remember other people may not mean things exactly the way they say them - that "don't take it personally" thing again.

Note - the Moon is void quite a bit this week, so not the best time to launch anything new. Better to wait until next week when Mercury is moving smoothly forward and we have a New Moon in cooperative and artistic Libra!

On MONDAY we have a Cancer Moon so a good time to nurture something we have birthed, take care of ourselves, take care of our home, act with tender loving care toward ourselves and others - on TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY a productive and generous Leo Moon goes void with a square to Uranus, so expect the unexpected. Mars will be approaching an opposition so our energy may be low and we might be feeling a little 'under water', we will be taking action with a health or work matter - it's great creative energy. On THURSDAY, Venus shifts gears into Virgo - how this feels to you will depend on whether your chart prefers Leo or Virgo. This could bring a more cautious approach with our love and money. Venus will smooth out and attract whet we need regarding any paperwork issues, issues with our pets, our health, our co-workers and employees. On FRIDAY, Mercury stations direct so Mercury things (communication, fast moving devices) may get a little wonky. Things will get smoother after that. Thursday and Friday will be very productive, too.

This weekend we will be in the Balsamic Moon phase, so don't over-schedule things (also watch out for fires we've got a fire trine and yes, this means actual fires and verbal fires, too - no fanning the flames people!).

Next Monday we will kick off the autumn season in earnest - back when the Sun went into Libra the Moon was void, on Monday when the Moon joins the Sun it will feel like ... OK, LET'S GO .....

xo all

Clean Up on Aisle 6

kleangrips

"What does want not get?"

(you might have to say this out loud and drag out the 'get' part)

I overheard this last night while shopping in Target for a new bathroom rug.

The words were said so crisply and emphatically that even though I was lost in my thoughts (does a bathroom rug have to be a bathroom rug?) and minding my own business, it made itself my business and stopped me in my tracks. My sneakers actually squeaked to a stop on the cold tile floor and I never did get that new bathroom rug (or the six other things I would have probably thrown into my cart while I was there).

A mom (very tidy and put together looking) was wheeling her toddler through a space filled with "wants" - colorful things thoughtfully designed (most likely by others and then copied), hastily made and carefully arranged to make us want them.

The kid wasn't screaming or throwing a tantrum. I guess she had used a sentence with the words "I want ..." a few seconds earlier, but I only heard the mother. Her tone was firm, a bit sharp, a little tired. She caught my ear and then my eye. The child did not kick up a fuss. No drama ensued. She had heard it before.

For the rest of my shopping trip her words rolled around in my head. 

I saw the mother as a child hearing the same words with the same tone from her mother. I saw a woman who was disappointed by life and probably attempting to prevent her daughter from being hopeful and disappointed. I saw a child being methodically disabled from her ability to go after what she wants and maybe even know what she wants.

And you're probably thinking, "Cat, get a grip." But I'm telling you it was depressing.

It brought me back to all the times I had been told or had been shown I couldn't have what I wanted.

And all I wanted was that damn rug .....

Even though we've been told by law of attraction snake oil salesmen (apologies to Oprah) that wanting something is exactly how we get it (or step 1 at least) - I have never really believed this. 

I've always found it's when I stop wanting something, when I release my grip on the thought of having it, is when I attract it ... or when the allure of it floats out of my life, usually rather quickly.

The mom's words felt true to me (and excruciatingly hurtful) and so did the girl's shrinking heart. 

Who wants to live in a world where everything you see is something you can't have?

I think people and situations come to us to play out in front of us the energy we are carrying. We can literally look at everything in our lives as manifesting the energies we carry.

We carry this energy through our beliefs. Changing our beliefs is at the root of changing how things are working in our life. This is how good stuff takes us to more good stuff and bad stuff can lead us quickly to everything falling apart. Most of us are pretty freaking ready to fall apart. We've done it before. Sometimes it's more comfortable than getting what we want.

Sometimes we are so used to not getting what we want, or sending out such mixed messages, we don't even know what we want anymore.

We have Mars in Virgo now so we will not miss the tiniest detail. We've got Mercury (Virgo's ruler) in Libra (retrograde) so he is less inclined toward focused attention and more inclined to noticing the point where things overlap, the place where we connect. Jupiter (expansion, luck ie positive beliefs) is enabling us to tap into our best possible self and write a new story. Jupiter has the very best of magnificent intentions and we've got taskmaster Saturn answering to him now! What's to stop us? This is the time to clean the slate and start over.

Maybe all those old stories about why things happened, about how we messed it up (too quick, too slow, too loud, too quiet, too smart, too dumb) were really just a disconnect between our best intentions and life just not quite caught up with what we wanted to create. What if us not believing it was possible really was the only thing making it im-possible? We are that little girl in the shopping cart and we are her mother.

Today I'm chewing on:

1. wanting and hoping are good and wonderful and necessary things and can absolutely be untethered of outcome  2. we're all a bit of a mess even when we look tidy and 3. an old bathroom rug can be flipped over and look exactly like a new bathroom rug (maybe we can, too). xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of September 28th - rolling with changes as the fog rolls in

"So much has changed. And still, you are fortunate: the ideal burns in you like a fever. Or not like a fever, like a second heart." ... Louise Glück, October (Averno)

scarlet fall trees by joy st claire

Sunday night we have an Aries Full Moon lunar eclipse (or Monday, depending on where you live - see times here). This eclipse is the finale of a series of eclipses starting in April 2014. By mid-October everything will be alot clearer for all of us. See my eclipse post here.

This eclipse is in harmony with Saturn (in Sagittarius) so will ground us and provide stability and security - remember with Saturn we are playing the long game. He is father time after all and Rome wasn't built in a day. If changes do not feel good, we will roll with what is happening knowing it is needed to get us back on track and will pay dividends later especially in terms of our self respect. Expect eclipse energy to bring a bottleneck and then a release. 

Hold off making any big decisions until after Wednesday (at the least, mid October at the best).

The Full Moon will still be having its influence (the eclipse will be influential for five months) and we have Neptune inconjuncting the Sun and Mercury this week making things even more foggy.

There will be information coming at us this week, but it might turn out to be very different from its original version. 

We might hear what we want to hear, see what we want to see, you get the idea. 

Mercury retrograde will have us looking at something again and again - those second looks will be worthwhile. 

So ask the same question again, double check the details, double think what we are about to say, etc.

Much moves forward next week. If you have a chance to take a moment now and catch your breath - grab it.

Wednesday is the mid point Mercury retrograde date so whatever this retrograde has been bringing up for us will start to move toward its natural conclusion. If this stuff is hitting our personal chart we may receive some news or information or have one of Oprah's aha moments. 

Gossip may figure prominently for some - but remember we don't know what we don't know now.

This can be a week when everyone thinks they are right (including us). People will tell us what they think whether we want to hear it or not. Remember we are all burning Libra fuel now so honoring other people's views and balancing them with our own moves us all forward.

Last week John Boehner announced he is stepping down as Speaker of the House (an almost, but not quite, unprecedented move) - he quit the day after the Pope spoke to Congress.

People leaving and resigning from leadership positions will probably be in the news over the next two weeks and, really, thru mid November as our North Node (which has been in Libra and has had me talking about finding our flocks for the last two years) transitions into Virgo (yes, my flock talk is about to evolve).

For some reason I've always kind of liked Boehner (the crying pictures probably). He's a Catholic who grew up in blue collar Ohio with seven brothers and sisters in a two bedroom house and started working at age eight in his grandfather's bar. He still lives in the same area, although I assume much cushier surroundings. I hope he does something better with the rest of his life than just cash in as a lobbyist ....

Anyhoo, the Mars square Saturn energy that blocked us last week is over. Mars is in Virgo until November 8th and handing us our to-do lists now. Mercury is still retrograde for another two weeks, so stay flexible.

We have Vesta hanging out with the Sun which is very good energy for cleaning out the house, too. This cleaning can involve dust bunnies or grown up children or wayward boyfriends.

I'm finishing my Amazon Handmade set -up. What are you up to?

xo all

Full Moon Total Lunar Eclipse This Weekend | the blindspot or yes, what you don't know can hurt you

We have a total Lunar Eclipse Full Moon this weekend.

It's also a Blood Moon.

(yeah, that end of the world stuff - don't worry though, the world's not ending, maybe something about the world as you know it, but that could be a good thing, too - see my example below)

The Moon will be at 4 degrees Aries so see where this one falls in your natal chart (where is your Aries house and what does that house rule). Also look for any other 4 degree planets' houses to see where/how this action could show up.

This is a Full Moon so endings and wrap ups are likely.

I'd like to say the finished stuff stays finished but Mercury is retrograde, so maybe not. Most likely it will though.

This Moon will last for a little over 5 hours so its energy will be felt for a little over 5 months.

(and you may have already experienced it, yes, this stuff can hit one month early sometimes almost to the exact day)

I'll tell you how this has played out for me. 

Our side yard is the back yard of a gas station. Ugh, I know.

New mechanics rented the garage part last spring and the place, which has been quiet and almost empty for years, is suddenly crazy busy.

Now, on the one hand I like having prosperous neighbors and our side yard is wide and we do own a truck repair shop on the other end of town so understand the business, on the other hand the noise was getting worse every week and, of course, I'm home all day long. 

My breaking point (and actually Full Moons and eclipse season in particular are great harbingers of breaking points) came when they moved a noisy air compressor into a tiny wood shed behind their garage.

The air compressor was broken and ran all day, never shutting off the way it is supposed to. The shed got hot so they opened the shed door. The noise got even louder. From our backyard it sounded like they were cutting their grass along our fence line, all day long. I talked to them. Hubs talked to them. They'd nod their heads in agreement with us with cigarettes dangling precariously from their lips while pulling up the waistbands of their hanging trousers with tattooed fingers.

(you can't make this stuff up folks)

Nothing changed.

We talked to the town again and again. I was blasting Irish battle ballads and starting to crack.

Finally I called the Board of Health and they sent out a wonderful little pitbull woman, who sounded exactly like Penny Marshall. I really wanted her to help me and take this seriously. Kella was over my house with Sully and Sully (two years old now) really hates loud noises.

When Penny pulled up I grabbed Sully and pulled a bunch of my hair out of its ponytail, although I probably didn't need to look any more bedraggled than I always do.

We met Penny on the side porch. Sully immediately put his hands over his ears and said "LOUD."

(note to self- buy that kid a Porsche Power Wheels)

"This noise is interfering with our quality of life. Look at my baby!, " I wailed to Penny (actually I used the exact language I read online for fighting a noise disturbance).

Penny pulled a decibel meter out of her side holster like a cowboy at a gunfight and clocked the noise at 65 decibels at my property line. Unbelievably this was the legal limit - you will have to trust me about how loud 65 decibels is, especially day in and out when you work at home. She said she couldn't do anything legally but she would go over there and scare them. The garage is called Good Fellas Garage. I didn't think these guys would scare easily. They didn't.

Hubs told them he would fix the compressor and insulate the shed himself. Then he basically begged.

Finally, I happened to look at the September Lunar Eclipse and my chart. I realized this eclipse was at 4 degrees Aries and I have 4 degrees Cancer in my 4th house (home, family) and 4 degrees Uranus in my 10th house (career, business, social status) and this Eclipse was playing out natally in my 3rd house (neighbors!).

I told hubs this would be all wrapped up at the end of September. I went to sleep that night without thinking about these guys for the first time in weeks.

The next day, August 27th, exactly one month to the day of the eclipse, they fixed the compressor, insulated the shed and fixed the shed door.

Hubs would have been more impressed with the astrology if the situation had resolved this weekend along with the eclipse, and yes, there is still the possibility of a meteor landing on my home business and taking out the neighbors, too, but I'm just happy to have this resolved and I have seen eclipse cycles happen a month early before.

Anyhoo ...

Think about what is happening at a total lunar eclipse - something is hidden. 

This is not a good time to make a big decision because something is hidden. 

This is not a good time to make a big move because something is hidden. 

This could be a good time to bury the body (don't look at me) ... but I can't really recommend that (legal reasons and all). 

Unless the body is some 'body of work' you are finishing up - this is an excellent time for a wrap up. Just remember you won't be able to see everything that is going on with whatever is happening.

(in our situation the garage guys didn't own the compressor and were trying to get their landlord to fix it and our town had finally actually given them a deadline - we didn't know about any of the backdoor maneuvering and couldn't see what was actually going on and because of the energies at play it was bringing up, for me, other spaces and times when I felt injustice and the inability to get what I wanted from others making the whole situation larger than it had to be)

This is an especially powerful time to wrap up a fight (Aries south mode energy!) - yes, it's probably been worth fighting for, but it's time to move on now.

(maybe I'll bake those guys some cookies .... um, maybe not)

This can also play out (since we are talking about the Aries/Libra polarity here) as some kind of self interest vs cooperation or other person or group. This could be a commitment issue, fidelity, justice, loyalty, freedom - emotions are high during full moons. Stay grounded and cool headed.

This Full Moon wraps up that Aries New Moon from last April. Pray for clear skies so we can watch this one - here's the schedule.

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of September 21st - Focus, Fire, Endings, Compassion, Uncertainty

hello fall by inspire your art

This is another wild ride kind of week with big emotions.

We are in eclipse season so things end, new chapters are started (usually in the dark) and things (good things, too!) are brought to light.

With Jupiter in Virgo until next Summer we have all this big picture thinking and planning ... and we still have to do the laundry and check the kids' homework.

Details aren't a distraction from our goals and dreams and it hurts us when we look at them that way - they are really clarifying what we want and how we want to spend our precious time. Anyone can have a dream, not everyone can do the laundry so the red towel doesn't turn everything else red.  

We get ahead by honoring the details this year.

It will show up for everyone in different ways but we are all dealing with weighty, ambitious stuff this week. 

Monday through Wednesday afternoon we have a serious Capricorn Moon. This is goal oriented energy and we can get a lot done now. Monday is the best day to reach out to an 'authority'. On Tuesday and Wednesday the energy is less smooth flowing - there are some kinks. If some tension comes up on Tuesday or Wednesday with our goals or an authority figure it will likely come back around at the end of the week.

We need to keep our commitments. We need to keep our insecurities in check.

On Wednesday the Sun moves into Libra! Libra season (and the fall equinox) is here. We all begin to burn Libra fuel. Grace, balance, beauty, partnership, cooperation - will make our world run much smoother. Big week for meeting new people (remember no one wants to listen to our bossiness now). New season energy will have all of us feeling like we want to do something! As we move from earth to air it's an easy time to catch a cold or something else so protect your throat and chest, wash your hands, switch from salads to soups, etc.

Mercury is retrograde so stuff happening now will be a little different than what we expected and will change when Mercury goes direct in October. Stay flexible.

Venus trines Uranus and inconjuncts Chiron (this is exact on Tuesday but can be felt building and waning) - if you have planets in fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) or planets in Pisces from 17-22 degrees you will feel this transit and most likely felt it at the end of June and mid to late August. This energy is screaming at you to take a creative risk. Well, maybe screaming isn't the right word it could just be gnawing at you in your quiet moments like a toothache, but you'll know what I mean.

Yes, you can fall flat on your ass here. You can also deeply regret not even trying. If you shake yourself loose enough from needing to control the results (you can't) you might just manage some real healing here regardless of outcome.

At the end of the week Mars runs into Virgo and immediately bumps into a square with Saturn. This kind of feels like I want this, but I can't get it. Or we have to work harder or we hit delays. This is also a whole lot of fire (again my fire warning - be careful with actual flames now). People (including us) could be critical. Give other people their space. Take some deep breaths (I would recommend my soul scentered aromatherapy lockets for this).

(note to Virgos you haven't had a Mars boost in almost two years so use this seven week shot of initiating energy for all its worth - everyone gets extra energy for Virgo ruled things - work, pets, employees, co-workers, paperwork, HEALTH)

Thursday and Friday our new Libra Sun crosses over the North Node of Destiny -

The North Node is a space of collective discomfort. It's a place we are growing into, but we might rather go to the dentist or have a long talk with our mother-in-law over her homemade fruit cake about her son's amazingness and how lucky we are to have him.

The North Node pulls us out of our comfort zone and into a new version of ourselves.

this is like all of us being in the right place at the right time (note what show up and note what exits!). It can also release something (since we are now opposite our south node been there/done that energy) that is leaving our life. We need to trust the cycle.

On Friday we have a rehashing of that mid-week career/authority stuff. Stuff could get tense. Pluto has been retrograde since last March and with Pluto in Capricorn he is answering to Saturn (Capricorn's ruler) - he turns direct on Friday and since he was last looking ahead Saturn has changed signs (Scorpio to Sagittarius) so this changes things with Pluto energy, too.

Taken together there are a whole lot of transits that will be hitting a whole lot of charts with a whole lot of change. A whole lot of people's options just got limited. The good news - the path ahead gets clearer.

We have a huge lunar eclipse full moon next weekend which will be a separate blog post.  Zero cardinal (initiating energy) planets at this eclipse = one giant fresh start.

Last week big daddy Saturn moved from Scorpio into Sagittarius. I talked about this awhile ago, too. 

Part I is here.

Yes, that post is from December :) If you are going to read this new stuff, please read the old one first because it covers a lot of what I'm going to skip in this one.

(Saturn moved into Sagittarius in December then retrograded back into Scorpio and now, since last Thursday/Friday is fully housed in Sagittarius until December 2017 - Scorpios and Aquarius you can exhale now!)

Since I wrote that post nine months ago, my thinking about this transit has changed quite a bit. It's my new 'glass half full' outlook people! Let's unpack this transit a little differently. Instead of thinking about our beliefs hitting a brick wall - let's talk about dismantling our "limiting" beliefs, (ie the beliefs that are limiting us). Let's talk about stepping into and living up to new responsibilities in Sagittarius ruled areas and let's talk about how this transit illuminates our collective vision and moves along our collective story.

Sagittarius is a mutable sign (along with Gemini, Virgo and Pisces and this transit will affect mutable signs strongest so planets in these signs get tightened up). Mutable energy is rather boundless and stretchy. This can be a good thing. But it can also have its drawbacks. Too much space sounds like a good thing until we get it and don't know what the hell to do with it. Less options always equals more focus. More focus with less options is exactly what we get with Saturn in Sagittarius.

So we need boundaries, right? Sometimes we need to know this is as far as we can go. Or this is where we must concentrate our energy in order to succeed. People who do not see things this way at all may feel their goals and dreams are stifled during this transit or get kicked in the ass at some point. For dreamers that can embrace this way of thinking, Saturn will help us build the kind of stability that supports BIG THINGS. More on this later.

Remember this year our fall season is about planning (our harvest next year depends on it).

xo all

Maker's Fest Tomorrow | Manahawkin, NJ

I will be at Maker's Fest at Beach View Farms this weekend. The festival will have amazing music, yoga, almost 100 artists and crafters, great food, a biergarten, farm activities and yard games. Have a wonderful weekend everyone and if you are in NJ - stop by and visit me in the turquoise blue camper! xo

between eclipses ....

owl and pussycat by the little fox

We are now in the two week period between the September eclipses. With so many important transits this week, I wanted to add a little more info to the weekly post (the same post that, yes, I am thinking of ending and, yes, I see the irony in this).

Let's unpack this a little more. First we have expansive, big picture Jupiter (in earthy, detail oriented Virgo where he is not super comfortable - imagine you just ate a Thanksgiving dinner in your skinny jeans) opposing Neptune (in watery Pisces, where he is uber comfortable - now imagine you just ate a Thanksgiving dinner in your jammies).

(Hmm, I am not sure what all this Thanksgiving talk is about - we do suddenly have 6 wild turkeys wandering around the reservoir where I walk most mornings. I have to resist the urge to toss them into my back seat and protect them until Black Friday - and now that I think about it, they can earn their keep by clearing the garden of the tiny worms that have ended our kale season ... )

Before Jupiter was discovered in the mid 1800's, Jupiter was considered the ruler of Pisces (now he rules Sagittarius). This opposition lasts for the entire month of September and is exact (strongest) on Thursday. Then it starts to unwind itself. If your stomach (digestion) or skin (think bacterial overgrowth) is in some kind of distress right now - this is probably why.

Now normally Jupiter vs Neptune would have us lost at sea in a beautiful pea-green boat. And we might be. But with Jupiter grounded in Virgo and Saturn moving into Sagittarius (answering to Jupiter, but also adding a little more lead to his boots) we should be able to tell the fantasy from reality. If something appears too good to be true now. It is.

We also have Mercury turning retrograde in Libra (ruled by Venus barely back in action since her own lengthy and challenging retrograde in firey Leo this summer - when our relationships were tested over liony - how is this not a word? come on spellcheck!) issues of pride "who's in charge here?" and fidelity "where's your loyalty?". Then we have Saturn (in watery Scorpio) moving into firey Sagittarius (ruled by Jupiter). And I almost forgot asteroid Juno (marriage, commitment) moves into Libra (where power is often given away) so we've got power imbalances coming up again ... and loyalty issues, sound familiar?

So what does this mean for you? Well, that will depend where all of this hits your natal chart. For Libra the Jupiter/Neptune opposition is a 12th house event (hidden potential, secrets) so Libras could have the urge to go public with something or something that was recently rather inconsequential could become a major focus or some kind of secret fantasy or hope could peak (although this might only happen in her head). For Virgo, the Mercury Retrograde is a 2nd house event - so she will be rethinking her earned money, does she have what she needs, if a Virgo has been making emotional or financial 'sacrifices' they will come up for re-evaluation now. For Leo, Saturn's move into Sagittarius (thru December 2017) is a 5th house event - her house of self expression, creativity, children, love, fun - so extra effort and focus in these areas will be needed for her to get what she wants.

You can see how all of this is different for everyone and these scenarios (and all general astrological predictions by sun sign you see anywhere) do not take into account the time of your birth, they assume you were born at dawn and they use a whole house system with one sign per house and do not take into consideration your actual houses. This is why having your own natal chart handy is important if you are interested in this stuff.

In general we are facing a time of being "lost at sea" (we see the literal examples of this in the news everyday) although there is solid ground  in sight if we take the time to look for it and think things through, compassion works miracles now - a time of  needing to slow down our communications and certain actions, we are relooking at relationships (again) and beginning (again) the longer term changes of Saturn into Sagittarius.

While task master Saturn has been in Scorpio, he has been reinforced by Pluto in Capricorn (since Saturn rules Capricorn and Pluto rules Scorpio) making the last two years very challenging with the energy favoring the powerful and those "in control".

In Sagittarius (ruled by expansive, benevolent Jupiter, the only planet larger than Saturn) Saturn's structure will be different. I'll write about this later.

This is almost certainly the most powerful month of the year - we all will need patience and the willingness to support each other through the ups and downs. Any space in our life we are feeling over-zealous will be a space there are more possibilities available if we can just get out of our own way. Let's try to relax into what life is offering up and - yes, I know this is easy for me to say since I am not in your exact situation, that's why I'm saying it - instead of obsessing over how we think things need to play out.

See what is changing in your life. Beginnings and endings during eclipse season are designed to get us 'back on track' with our original purpose for being here. If they have you on the mat, hold on, October is coming! xo all