Mercury sextile Mars | putting our words into actions - ideas get fired up

garden grounds II by kuzmin photo

Mercury (communication, conversations, ideas) sextiles Mars (action, initiative, anger) now.

Sextiles are handshakes, head nods and agreements. They represent opportunities.

Our words (maybe angry words?) marry our actions and initiative. 

We walk our talk. 

We move toward what we want with new ideas and language. 

Ideas (Mercury) are fired up (Mars).

When we speak with anger we are using our Mars (anger) to do Mercury's job (communication). This is like asking your auto mechanic to edit your blog post or your editor to fix your car.

It's better to use Mars for Mars things (action). Slamming a door or screaming in the shower would be better than to say something mean with reverberations long after that Mars (anger) energy has eased off. Later with Mars no longer running the show we can use our Mercury to choose the better words.

But now with Mercury and Mars in such a comfy cuddle and with Mercury trining Vesta (our ideals, what feels like home, what burns in our soul to warm us, purpose) maybe our impulsive or angry communications about our ideals works somehow?

Remember though it never works to push against what we don't want. We just energize whatever we are pushing against. We always want to be speaking about what we do want.

This is excellent energy to TELL PEOPLE WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO. Sorry for screaming, but it feels kind of appropriate. Maybe this talking will help us actually carry through and do the thing we are thinking/talking about!

This is good energy for people fired up by an ideal or purpose to bring together their words and actions to make a difference.

xo all

Full Moon in Taurus | Mercury Conjunct Juno - how the light gets in

If you have planets in the middle degrees of Taurus or Scorpio you will likely feel the Full Moon energy today. Something is coming to fruition, to light or to a conclusion. For the rest of us this Moon can be very grounding as the Taurus energy pulls us back into ourselves, toward our roots, toward what really matters

Stop and smell the roses.

We also have the planet Mercury sitting with Juno at 2 degrees of Sagittarius. Communication within partnerships is highlighted. This could be the time for some kind of verbal or written commitment or contract. In Sagittarius we want to be sure things are presented accurately and not being exaggerated or glossed over.  

Check the details and the facts jack.

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of November 14th - choosing what is real

untitled by oprisco

What a stressful and exhausting week! I was going to write about the election, but honestly only have the energy and heart to say a few words. If you are reading this Sunday night try to get out and walk in the Full Moon energy - it will be very healing.

Trump had a chart to win and he did (290-228). Of course, Hillary also had a chart to win and she won the popular vote (by over 2,000,000 votes). So, they both win, but only one will serve.

Trump's progressed Sun has just moved (after almost 30 years!) from Leo - the sign of the king, to Virgo - the sign of the servant.

This has made him more appealing to the common man (Virgo rules the common man), but will also, I would guess, be quite humbling in the weeks ahead. Actually both candidates have been humbled, along with all of us, now that I think about it. Trump also has a wicked Saturn transit coming up so no doubt the responsibility and change in his lifestyle (have we ever had a President before who's life got smaller when he became President?) will hit him like a ton of bricks if they haven't already.

He has a host of challenges and legal issues ahead and a couple crazy aspects even before the inauguration and they continue into next spring at least. And we still have that third Uranus and Eris conjunction in Aries in mid March 2017. Whew.

I'm going to do my usual week ahead and then post some big picture stuff at the end to kind of remind us all where we are and what is coming up.

There is an interesting site called Blue Feed/Red Feed . It's updated hourly. It's fascinating how, now that we are all looking at different things, we (along with a little help from Facebook) set up our world to see things that we agree with ... a chilling look at the echo chamber of social media and how it insulates us from reality. No wonder we can't agree with each other and each side thinks the other is crazy!

On Monday (early this morning actually, get out and walk in it) we have a Super Full Moon in Taurus. See my post about the Full Moon here. Hopefully it will be some of the healing balm we need right now. By 8:45 am EST the Moon is void and stays void for the rest of the day. It's not a good day to start anything new, but it is a good day to get alot done.

On Tuesday the Gemini Moon is all about our communications and conversations and other Gemini themes - siblings, our neighborhoods, ideas, transportation, meetings, education, teaching, speaking.

On Wednesday, the Moon is again void all day. Later in the evening it moves into Cancer which is great energy for spending time at home with family or nurturing ourselves.

On Thursday, the Moon will be super busy and so will we. A retrograde (but not for long) Neptune conjuncts our South Node (in Pisces). Something has to go here. Then on Friday Mercury (in Sagittarius) squares the Nodes. Maybe we hear or read something and have to separate fantasy from reality. Maybe a decision is required or an important conversation happens with an important person. There are karmic undertones to whatever we are dealing with. The next day (Saturday) Neptune stations direct. We start to move forward (maybe) with whatever this is.

With Neptune on the South Node we want to avoid hanging on to 'the good old days of the past' or escaping/avoiding the thing that is real and needs to get done. If something needs to be 'chosen' now - choose the most stable, real thing.

**********

Sometimes, since I write alot of day to day stuff it is easy to lose sight of the big picture. Let's take a step back.

We still have our North Node (collective way forward) in Virgo. So, we do the positive Virgo stuff to move ahead - careful measured steps, attention to detail, service to others, taking care of our health. We release the negative Pisces stuff (south node collective release point) to move ahead - addiction, escapism, pie-in-the-sky thinking, laziness, lack of boundaries.

We have Jupiter (growth, expansion) in Libra (balance, fairness, love, women, partnership) until next autumn. Libra is a cardinal sign. It forms angles to the other cardinal signs. So since we have Pluto in Capricorn (since 2008) and Capricorn is a cardinal sign, we will have transits over the next year, as Jupiter moves through Libra, that aspect Pluto (transformation, death, rebirth, karma, authority).
 
And because Uranus is in Aries (since 2011), and Aries is another cardinal sign, as Jupiter moves through Libra he will also be aspecting Uranus (rebellion, sudden change, innovation). Jupiter also goes retrograde from February 6th to June 9th so we will be dealing with some of this multiple times. This stuff will be challenging.

The dates follow:

Jupiter square Pluto
11/24/2016
3/30/2017
8/4/2017

Jupiter oppsing Uranus
12/26/16
3/2/17
9/27/17

We can see these transits are squares and oppositions - these are tense aspects. Let's see what happens around November 24th (yes, that's Thanksgiving - good luck if you are hosting) and we'll know what we are going to be dealing with until the end of next September

We are going to talk about this alot as we move forward. Cardinal sun signs and people with planets in cardinal signs (probably everyone) will be impacted to various degrees. This will almost certainly impact the U.S. chart and Trump's presidency.

OK, we still have Saturn (restriction, hard work, responsibility) in Sagittarius (what is foreign, foreign travel, higher education, philosophy, weddings, legal, politics) for another year. Sorry Sagittarians, but you are more than half-way home free!

If Trump is actually going to build a wall (or whatever restrictions are placed on immigration and what is foreign) - it will happen in 2017.

Now when Saturn leaves Sagittarius (where he has been answering to Jupiter) he will come home to Capricorn. Capricorns won't feel this weight in quite the same way Sagittarians have because Capricorns walk around carrying a load of rocks and responsibility at all times anyway! Saturn (father figure, structure, security, responsibility, restriction) will be very strong in Capricorn.

(what was happening in your life the last time Saturn was in Capricorn early 1988 to early 1991 - we will likely see some similar themes start to arrive at the end of 2017, early 2018).

Even after Saturn leaves Capricorn and moves on to Aquarius two and a half years later he will still be strong since Saturn is the ancient ruler of Aquarius. Hopefully it doesn't feel like 5 years of winter - ha! If Trump survives the rest of 2016 and 2017, 2018 will be a whole new presidency for him.

We still have Uranus in Aries until 2018. This is the revolutionary aspect influencing war, rebellion, unexpected events that turn us in new directions. When Uranus moves into Taurus (2018-2025) he will bring that wrecking ball energy to our money and values.

Neptune is home in Pisces until 2025. She's helping us imagine a whole new world. She's also the slippery slope when we drift off to dreamland and don't get anything done. A strong Neptune is also making it hard to tell fact from fiction, fantasy from reality.

The other big aspect for next year - besides the Jupiter transits is Saturn trine (brakes off) Uranus. 

This could be good energy for the power structures and the rebellious masses or innovative energies to come together. 

It can also create power structures from rebellious masses or innovation, most likely technological, or create rebellion within the power structure. 

Anyway you slice it, it is probably a good thing - at least in the long term. This energy could help bring order out of chaos.

The dates follow:

Saturn trine Uranus
12/24/16
5/19/17
11/11/17

The eclipses next year will be HUGE in spring and autumn. The North Node moves into Leo! We have a transit on 12/31/2016 (Mars/Neptune on an eclipse degree) that we last had on September 11, 2001 (this does not mean it will be another 9/11). 

At least the Saturn/Neptune square of 2016 (dream vs reality) is finished. Some dreams are in ashes. Some feet are on more solid ground or at least our knees are.

It's been a hell of a year and it's not over yet!

xo all

Venus into Capricorn | women get to work

Old city 3 by Natalia Ciobanu

Venus (love, money, women, values) moves into Capricorn today.

Capricorn is the sign of structure and discipline. In Capricorn season (winter) these are the qualities that kept our ancestors alive. When Venus visits this space of the heavens these are the qualities that help us attract what we want and need.

Capricorn Suns and Risings get more attractive now (more able to attract what they want and easier on the eye). Our Capricorn houses (natal) become more attractive, too.

This is the time to get serious with Venus ruled themes.

Time to balance our checkbook. Make a budget (even if it means we give ourselves a cash allowance each week and stop spending when it's gone). Check our insurance policies - do we need more insurance? Do we need all this insurance? Can we find our insurance policies if we need them? Do we have the right paperwork in our car?

Where are we investing our resources - time, esteem, money? What are we getting back? Are we putting a whole lot of time into one thing, but all our revenue is coming from this other thing? Sometimes this is ok, but maybe it's not. It's time to check in with ourselves.

Venus in Capricorn is an excellent time for organizing our finances so we can attract more money that sticks.

I used to be a Bank Manager and noticed that how a person attracted/earned their money usually correlated to how sticky that money was. I once wasted a ridiculous amount of money on something I hadn't done enough research on because the money had come to me in a way my self-esteem wasn't connected to. Venus in Capricorn allows us to recognize we attract what we earn (ie if we've attracted it, we HAVE earned it), so this doesn't happen.

We only have to earn everything by the sweat of our brow if we believe we do, although with Venus in Capricorn there will be sweat!

Tradition will become a focus - the way something has always been done. This doesn't mean we have to continue doing things the way we've always done them, but these things will come to our attention now.

We get more serious about love, too. If something isn't going anywhere, this can be the transit we cut it loose. Our focus returns to what is real. We attract stability and longer lasting success/love/money by finishing what we start and honoring our commitments.

Venus will be in Capricorn until December 7th - it's time to get to work.

xo all

Super Full Moon in Taurus on Monday | we either own it or we don't

untitled by oprisco

I am going to write a post on the election/weeks ahead this Sunday.

I've been busy with work and also working through my own feelings to detach from them.

The reason almost every (every?) well-known astrologer predicted a Clinton victory is that we all bring ourselves to whatever we are looking at. All I can really see in you is the place in me that vibrates to it.

(I think this is true of everything not just astrology charts)

His victory (and there are twists and turns ahead before Inauguration Day people so stay tuned) shows to me the power of Uranus and the power of our progressed charts. Next year, or the end of this year, we are going to focus on our progressed charts here and regular readers will learn to work with their progressions.

I think we'll all feel a little better if we prepare for Monday's Full Moon in Taurus. The Moon loves Taurus (the sign of Mother Nature) and this is a "stop and smell the roses" moment.

Sometimes not getting what we want let's us see very clearly what we already have.

The Full Moon is at 22 degrees Taurus. People with planets or points 20-24 degrees of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) will feel this energy strongest.

Taurus is ruled by Venus and rules the 2nd house of everything money can buy and everything money can't. She rules finances, love, stability, security and comfort. She rules our values and also represents Mother Earth. Taurus energy is nurturing - it brings us back to ourselves.

It also represents fear based thinking when our security is threatened (real or imagined) focusing us on all the reasons something we want to do won't work or all the reasons we can't have what we want. Taurus energy is stubborn (like the bull) or passive (like the cow).

We either own it (whatever "it" is) or it doesn't belong to us.

Like all Full Moons, this a Sun/Moon opposition. The Sun is in deep, dark, transformative Scorpio and the Moon is in earthy, grounded Taurus. Full Moons represent fullness, peak power, endings - that moment of our breath when our lungs are full just a second before we begin to exhale.

Oppositions are just what they sound like and often at a Full Moon we might find ourselves working with the polarity

(and speaking of Polarity - warning shameless plug ahead - have you seen my lockets?)

of the two energies involved. With Scorpio, some transformation comes to light (Full Moons bring things to light) maybe we have to surrender, there could be a loss of control - with Taurus, we turn toward the present moment - what already exists. We take solace in what brings us comfort - nature, food, our physical senses.

So, all of that applies to every Full Moon in Taurus which happens around this time every year. There are also some energies that apply specifically to the Moon next week.

Remember that Venus (ruler of both Libra and Taurus and ruler of this Moon) is in Capricorn - the sign of business; the energy of 'just get 'er done'. This Moon isn't about any pie in the sky dreams for the future, this is about what we can hold in our hands, see with our eyes - stuff that is real and practical. She will have us focused on our money and on our relationships. If we are a positive thinker we will see clearly what is working. If we are a negative thinker we will see clearly what isn't. Either view will show us what we need to see.

The Moon and Sun will trine (brakes off) Chiron (the wounded healer) and Black Moon Lilith (female taboo energy). A light can be thrown on something hidden. The taboo female energy of Lilith is threatening to existing power structures (male and female). The healing salve of Chiron can make disappointments easier to handle and make us more compassionate for those who are disappointed and for whatever this Full Moon illuminates.

Something simmers here .....

We'll talk more about this Full Moon on Monday. I had some of this post written a couple weeks ago and decided to post it now .... hang in there everyone.

xo all

Sun sextile Pluto | transformation and trusting our future self

autumn angel by ankazhuravleva

See my weekly forecast HERE. Today we have the Sun (in Scorpio) sextile Pluto (in Capricorn) at 15 degrees.

Sextiles represent opportunity. Sextiles with Pluto represent opportunities for transformation. Transformations must be allowed with this energy - we can't push for them or we end up all Frankensteiny.

Power (and stepping into our responsibility) comes through the path of least resistance - stuff falls into place, if it's the right stuff.

This feels especially opportunistic for those Aries, Cancers, Libras and Capricorns being affected (since 2008) by Pluto's journey through Capricorn AND everyone with planets in these signs can benefit.

This is a good time to get our finances in order - opportunity comes of it. This is a good time to reconnect within our relationships - opportunity comes of it. This is a good time to work with authority figures or step into our own authority - opportunities come of it.

This is a good time for career and business opportunities - with Capricorn there will be work involved here (plus we've still got that Virgo North Node urging us to not skip any steps), but if we have been working hard already there can be rewards now. Even maybe a breather. The situation can shift in our favor.

Fresh starts offer rebirth opportunities with this energy, but there is no forcing anything. It will happen or it won't. This is not an energy to push. This is about power and it is friendly. When wielding or working with power and powerful people and situations now - it pays to be respectful.

Our Sun is much more powerful (Scorpio) when focused (Capricorn) - imagine this energy a magnifying glass clearing the way to your new opportunity. Don't stress yourself about how something is going to happen or if you have what it takes. Your future self can handle it. You are ready.

xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of November 7th - a change is gonna' come

knitting in november by ankazhuravleva

By Saturday all three personal planets - Mars, Mercury and Venus - will have changed signs (and we'll have a new President elect).

What a week!

First, Mars leaves Capricorn for Aquarius on Tuesday night (thru January 28th).

Mars (energy, action, initiative, anger) hasn't been in Aquarius for over two years. Aquarians and Leos will feel this change in energy and everyone's Aquarius natal house will have more energy and be more active.

On a universal level this will have our collective Mars energy focused on Aquarian themes : groups, the internet, technology, sudden change, rebellion, invention, freedom, independence, charity, our vision and the 'collective'.

We'll have Mars in Aquarius (ruled by Uranus) and Uranus in Aries (ruled by Mars) - there's that mutual reception (extra power) thing we had going on for the last few weeks with Venus. To me, this would seem to fuel anarchy or rebellion .... or vision and invention. Probably both. Hold onto your hats, people.

EXAMPLE for Scorpio Rising - (Aquarius 4th house) Mars into your 4th house could increase family squabbles, bring increased activity to your home or home business, be used for renovation - even small changes can create big energy shifts - makes this a good time to relocate - active energy will be focused on home and family

Next, Venus (women, love, our values, money, beauty) leaves big-picture, freedom loving Sagittarius and moves into serious and security focused Capricorn on Friday (through December 7th).

Venus grows up and faces responsibility here. We get more serious with our money. Relationships take a more serious turn. Flings and flights of fancy in our relationships no longer cut it. There is an emphasis on tradition and respect for personal authority and boundaries. Women get to work.

Capricorn Sun and Risings (1st house Capricorn in your natal chart) get more attractive (both physically attractive and more able to attract what they want). Our Capricorn natal houses get more attractive, too.

EXAMPLE for Taurus Rising (Capricorn 9th house) Venus into your 9th house can bring travel and educational opportunities, relationships with people or one special person from another country or background. Publishing, media and legal avenues can attract women, love and money.

Then on Saturday, Mercury moves from deep, dark Scorpio into big-picture, expansive Sagittarius (through December 2nd).

This is fertile ground for both words that feel good and positive and optimistic and words that are overblown, overstated and conspiratorial. While in Sagittarius it will square Neptune in dreamy Pisces the results could be over-promising and probably some talk about things that are too good (or too big) to be true.

Conversations and communications will revolve around things/people that are foreign, legal issues, media, education and politics - yes, more politics - sorry!

EXAMPLE for Leo Rising (Sagittarius 5th house) Mercury into your 5th house can increase communications and conversations around creative projects, children, romance and fun and games. Excellent time to write. Great transit for teaching. Great transit for flirting and romantic chitchat.

If you are an artist or craftperson headed into the holiday season maybe the things to keep in mind with all of this are:

1. People will take action (Mars) on things involving their groups, technology, innovation and that give them a sense of freedom
2. People will be attracted (Venus) to things that make them feel safe and secure with a connection to tradition. I know this is a bit of the opposite of Mars - but that's just how it goes. Things don't always fall all one way.
3. People will be communicating about and listening to (Mercury) BIG words and ideas - use optimistic and positive language. Avoid over-promising.

In our personal lives we will experience all these transits over the next few weeks, but depending on our individual chart one may take precedence.

I will try to write a post on each transit but I'm trying to get my wholesale orders orders out today and will probably blog about the election again tomorrow (I did one here over the weekend and no, I won't choose sides, so everyone can read without feeling that their candidate might get bashed)- I'll see how much time I have.

The Moon is void pretty much all day Tuesday (working hours) 8:54am to 4:45 pm EST so this would not be a good day to start anything new or launch anything that you would like to lead to anything. This is the only Void Moon during work hours this week.  

And it's Election Day - ack - it could make things rather problematic or messy and then it moves into dreamy and elusive Pisces which won't help much!

Are you ready? Change is coming (although not as much as 4 years from now!).

If you are in the U.S. please vote - every person counts!

xo all

the bigger picture and next week's election ...

crystal ball by heroinx-x

Astrology can be a tool for prediction, but not a very good one. It is a language of archetypes and patterns. Our chart isn't fate or destiny - it's really a blueprint of our God given potential!

(astrology recognizes free will as the central axis of any chart - some things we have to meet up with, how we handle them is always up to us)

Astrology looks at what has happened in the past when planets and points were in similar spaces and rubbing against each other in similar ways to see what we experienced then. Then it hypothesizes and imagines what those energies could bring to current situations.

And, of course, the experience and intuition (and bias - we all see what we are looking for to a large degree) of the astrologer play an important role.

As an armchair astrologer I am not going to wade into prediction - but it might help to put the election into a bigger framework.

Think about it this way. This election is an epic battle between two warriors. Either of these warriors could win or they couldn't be in the ring. There is no future set in stone for any of us. Either of these warriors can take us on the next leg of our collective journey, too.

Let's not get caught up in thinking one of the two of them is going to destroy us (or save us - that's up to us) - the road we are on is the road we are on.

We have been on this road since 2008 when Pluto moved into Capricorn and really we have been on this road since the last time Pluto was in Capricorn and our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence.

The United States is four years from its exact Pluto return (Pluto the planet of karma and transformation will be back in the exact position it was in when the Declaration of Independence was signed) and four years is a blink of the eye to Pluto. The unethical and corroded structures of Capricorn (government, big business, banking) are transforming.

One of the most active planets these past few months has been Eris (dwarf planet). Eris is Mars' trouble making sister - she is the outsider. Aided by Uranus, planet of revolution and 'anything can happen' they have been turning things upside down (not just in the U.S.!).

And as we move from the Age of Pisces (patriarchy) to the Age of Aquarius (equality) the conservative/liberal split is strongly emphasized. We are polarized with a father based mindset or a mother based mindset. Whichever one we most connect to, the other side looks nuts. They just don't make any sense to us, but the truth is, it's literally the ways our brains are wired (see the studies of George Lakoff).

Both sides have wonderful gifts and both sides have their problems.

Let's take a peek at the warrior's charts.

Clinton's chart (which like Hillary herself is somewhat hidden since her birth time is unknown) shows she is an intense person leading an intense life. It's a BIG chart. She is undoubtedly reliable and steady and will see things through. But with multiple planets in Scorpio, what we see is not always what we get.

She is predictable but there is a lot going on behind the scenes she doesn't show us.

She has a compassionate Moon that gets overshadowed by her Scorpio Sun (I bet her mother who she has a strong spiritual connection to was overshadowed by her father). She has a past life victim/scapegoat story and needs to be careful taking advice from men or subjugating herself to male energy. She will fight for what she thinks is right, for what she wants and for her own survival.

She is manipulative and cunning. And if we see this as always a bad thing - we have probably never won a game of Monopoly.

Life is complicated. Clinton is complicated. She was born with Saturn conjunct Pluto and Mars which is a very powerful and ambitious combination (with an ability to survive almost anything and almost a death wish). She moves in a ruthless world. She fits in.

With all the scandals (and yes, some and maybe many are fabrications and exaggerations) she has weathered, it is amazing she could be the next President of the United States. Think about it - we had a candidate who yahoo'd or yodeled or whatever you would call it (does anyone remember Howard Dean's Presidential run?) and was practically run out of town.

How is this woman still standing (maybe in much the same way all women are still standing)?

Love her or hate her (and with all this Scorpio energy she will engender strong reactions) she is mirroring the feminine shadow energy we need to see right now. Some will see a manipulative witch and some will see a woman who does what she has to do to get things done - both will be right.

Now, let's take a peek at Trump's chart.

He actually published his birth certificate online when he was claiming Obama wasn't born in the United States, so we know it is 100% accurate..

His Sun is in Gemini. His Moon is in Sagittarius. Geminis are clever and good with words. They are fast thinking and often funny. They can say one thing to one person and something else to someone else - they are changeable. Sagittarius is the sign of the adventurer. It's the sign of big beliefs and BIG (or I should say bigly) EVERYTHING.

They are opposite each other in his chart so we know he was born on a Full Moon. He has the North Node conjunct his Sun so we know he was born on a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse. He has Uranus, the planet of 'anything can happen', the future, rebelliousness and genius conjunct his Sun and North Node - this is a pretty big deal. Yes, I'd say his chart is bigly.

With Trump's chart what we see is what we get. Stuff isn't hidden but things are always in flux. Lies aren't always lies (although with a Gemini Sun, yes, there are definitely lies and exaggeration) as much as they are the way he previously thought or operated that he is done with. He used to do this and now he does that. He used to think this way and now he thinks that way. He used to say this and now he says that.

Uranus conjunct his Sun and North Node makes him a human lightning bolt ... and you know how we never know where lightning will strike! He carries that electricity we feel in the air right before a storm.

So, yes, he was born to do something big and his energy is totally unpredictable. No one can know what he will do, even Trump himself. When he says he will not be controlled by big money (or foreign countries) I actually believe him. He cannot be controlled - even by the people who elect him though. If someone thinks they know what he will do, they are mistaken.

Remember eclipses bring things to light and eclipse things out - this is his destiny. Could he eclipse out corruption as some people believe? Yes. Could he eclipse out the important stuff we really need as other people believe? Yes.

Trump's lunar eclipse is closely aligned with the United States' Mars.

His Sun (life force) conjunct the United States' Mars (initiative, anger, courage, war) is one reason so many people see him as powerful and energetic and capable of leading the country. It also explains the "anger at authority" and "fear about security" he "shines a light on".

Having his Sun conjunct the United States' Mars at a lunar eclipse (Full Moon) means his Moon is opposing this same Mars. The Moon represents emotional, feminine, maternal, nurturing energy. The Moon rules Cancer and the United States has the Sun in Cancer. This is where his woman problems come in and his troubled relationship with feminine energy.

Love him or hate him he is mirroring the masculine shadow energy we need to see right now. Some will see a bullying narcissist and some will see a powerful, energetic man who does what he has to do to get things done - both will be right.

No one is just one thing and these two are just people after all - even though they are both working with some strong archetypal energy and showing us their shadows.

There are things we can do to have an impact on how all this plays out. I don't mean the election results but how this journey we are on plays out.

And I am not talking about telling other people how to vote. Everyone has made up their mind - although maybe not - looking at election day maybe people get up thinking they will vote one way and then end up voting the other way!

We can watch our language. This election has a lot to do with truth. We spent the entire year dealing with the Saturn/Neptune square of dreams vs reality. It is very hard to know what is real right now.

We can see how the media and 24 hour news cycle is a big problem and draining our energy.

There is a totally different energetic signature when we say "the truth is being revealed" than when we say "lies are being revealed". Can you feel that?

There is nothing happening in the collective that isn't happening within us, too. What is our own truth - specifically an event in our own personal life we are being challenged by now?

Somewhere here there is a truth we don't want to look at. This isn't a time for judgement. This is a time for every one of us to move closer to a truth that is pressing against our paradigm and needing to break free.

Can we get to a place of observation and objectiveness within ourselves where we can ask - what is the truth needing to be exposed? Also women need to hold a clear space without apology. If this sentence resonates with you there is a reason.

Election Day could be a nail biter. We start the day with a Void Moon! 

Void Moons are not good times to launch things and I take this seriously because the Moon needs to be aspecting something else to get results. With the Moon by itself we would just dream our life away!

When we start things during a Void Moon the saying goes "nothing will come of it". I have found this to be true over and over again. Then late in the afternoon EST, the Moon moves into Pisces. 

(the Sun will be in Scorpio and the Moon will be in Pisces which is Clinton's chart - this election is really all about her and what she stands for in the mind of each individual voter)

Maybe one of our warriors will look like they are doing well early in the day but then things will flip around.

Or maybe whoever pulls out a win has something happen after the election and "nothing comes of it" (the win).

Or maybe there is a recount needed after election day or someone contests the results - I guess this is the most likely scenario. There are multiple possibilities.

The Moon in Pisces is drifting energy. Stuff can slip right through our fingers ...

More on this in next week's forecast. Have a nice weekend everyone - relax! xo

Sun trine Neptune | connection, healing and creativity or in way over our head

by Adam J Kurtz

Today the Sun (in Scorpio) trines (brakes off) Neptune (retrograde in Pisces) at 9 degrees.

This will increase our sensitivity, empathy and need to connect with like-minded others (where's that damn flock?) or people in need.

Kind and compassionate actions, even small ones, push us forward in big ways now. 

Our physical life-force (Sun) can work smoothly with Neptunian themes - creativity, romance, spirituality, escape, delusion, addiction, the things and people 'put away', healing, research, institutions.

Maybe some kind of charitable (Neptune) work beckons (Sun) to us.

Maybe a creative project (Neptune) needs our energy and attention (Sun).

Maybe we shine a great big old spotlight (Sun) on our dreams and wishes (Neptune) - yes, please.

Maybe we work (Sun) a meditation practice (Neptune) or spiritual practice (Neptune).

Our intuition is high; dreams (the kind we have when we are sleeping) colorful.

This would be an excellent time to make a vision board!

The potential downside with this energy is getting in over our head or becoming too unbounded.

Trines (brakes off) can take us from zero to sixty very quickly - they are that slippery slope our grandma warned us about.

Avoid temptations that could lead to excess.

Toss the extra Halloween candy in the trash now.

xo all 

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of October 31st - Halloween hauntings and stuff falling into place

Halloween by Miobi

Happy Halloween!

They say the veil is thinnest between the worlds today (this must be amplified with the Sun and Moon both in Scorpio this year). In Celtic tradition called Sanhaim and the Day of the Dead in Mexico there is always a Scorpian theme of death, birth, ancestral gifts and baggage.

Pay attention to our dreams (and signs) now.

On Monday, we will want to hit the ground running. We are still in the New Moon energy (new opportunities, ideas, insights) of yesterday's exact conjunction of the Sun and Moon in Scorpio and Jupiter will amplify everything - this is a new and exciting week!

The Sun and Moon are both in deep and penetrating Scorpio. Now they sextile brave (and maybe angry) and energetic Mars and karmic/powerful Pluto. This is a good time to enjoy positive vibes with influential people. Last minute changes are likely, but wheels can be greased here.

Mercury (information, communication) is trining (brakes off) the South Node of what we are releasing. Neptune is sitting with the South Node. There is some delusion to be let go of here. This is part of our collective journey - this is a collective turning point.

An almost effortless flow of information has the power to change things. 

On Tuesday, the Moon is void until 10:45 am EST (we can take a moment to catch our breath), then moves into fiery and optimistic Sagittarius. The Sun and Neptune are positively aligned. A light (Sun) is thrown on Neptune themes - imagination, spirituality, deception, dreams, healing, research, romance, what we are doing that is put away or hidden.

There is a karmic flow with whatever is playing out this week - some things will be out of our control. Rather than pushing to make things happen (although with all births there is some pushing!) stuff will flow together (or apart) through our involvement with external (often powerful) forces. There is some kind of reality check here.

On Wednesday, the Sagittarius Moon hooks up favorably with Saturn (in Sagittarius) and Jupiter (in Libra). This is a good day for Sagittarian themes - travel, politics, foreign, higher education, weddings, marketing, media and religion. Luck with (and for) women, love and money.

On Thursday, the Moon is void all day - lots of work can get done, but don't launch/start anything new unless you want 'nothing to come of it'. Mercury (in Scorpio) hooks up with Pluto (power) so if a news/decision didn't show up yesterday it probably will now. Powerful people will be in the news now, too.

We have Venus (women, love, beauty, money, values) squaring (tension) Chiron (wound) and trining (brakes off) Uranus (anything can happen, rebellion, genius) - this is about healthy risk taking and encourages us to try something new (maybe a heartfelt apology or explanation that speaks to other people's hearts?) and also waives a flag of caution about taking things too far ....

On Friday, the Moon in Capricorn sextiles (think:friendly) Neptune (in Pisces) squares Jupiter (in Libra) hooks up with Pluto (in Capricorn) and sextiles (again friendly) Mercury. This sounds complicated and it is, but stuff is coming together.

With our emotions in 'all-business' Capricorn we will probably need to fight the urge to nitpick. Don't spend all day focusing on the fly in the ointment, maybe just stir the ointment and assume the fly adds protein!

Nothing and no one is perfect and the closer we look the more imperfections (real and imagined) we see. Sometimes it's OK to take a step back.

(this is good to keep in mind always and in particularly during this roller coaster election cycle when everything is micro-analyzed and distorted - remember quantum physics has taught us that we affect what we look at just by looking at it!)

Let's focus on our goals - we get down to business.

So, we have a week with positive news or connections with authority figures, trying something new can be healing now, a focus on Neptune and Sagittarius themes and luck with women and money if we stay grounded and don't overdo it. Keep goals realistic. Think before speaking this week.  

There is fantasy. There is reality. We can understand and connect to what really matters anyway.

Whatever seems so serious early in the week could (as Venus hooks up positively with Uranus) turn into something very positive and freedom-producing later on. Things turn around with this energy.

So here we go!

Don't forget to seed this New Moon energy by setting spoken and written intentions!  

Happy Halloween!

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New Moon in Scorpio | Oct 30, 2016 - the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places ...

Tonight's New Moon in Scorpio is an excellent time to commit (Scorpion energy is fixed and committed) to goals that express the positive use of Scorpio energy.

Plutonian Scorpio learns and grows through loss.

We go down into the underworld, and in the end, it's not so much about what we have brought back with us as it is about what we have left behind ....

There is a "quality over quantity" depth to Scorpian energy.

It rules the 8th house of intimacy - of other people's values, other people's money. Here is where we take the time to understand other people's motives.

It's through the constructive traits of Scorpio - focus, resourcefulness, passion, probing, deep perception - that we experience true intimacy. We merge with other people physically and materially.

Scorpio is our only fixed water sign. It's potent energy for making deep changes.

Now, the New Moon is the time of the lunar cycle when our energy is at its lowest point. The Moon is dark. There can be uncertainty now. It's a quiet time when something old has come to an end and something new is about to start ... but not immediately. Some time needs to pass.

I always look for that thin crescent of Moon to appear in the sky (a couple days) to start anything new. The Scorpio New Moon isn't a firey launch like Sagittarius or Aries (things may not take off like a rocket ship) but it has more staying power and more power to connect.

With the New Moon at 7 degrees, anyone with planets or points in fixed (Aquarius, Taurus, Leo, Scorpio) or water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) signs from 5-9 degrees will feel this energy strongest.

The New Moon is conjunct communicative Mercury and favors intimate conversations. Fresh starts can involve new information. Following Mercury's exact conjunction with the Sun a couple days ago, many people will have received important messages, counsel or ideas. This information/idea will be worked with until the Scorpio Full Moon during Taurus season or until the next inferior conjunction on December 28th.

Scorpio is ruled by Mars and Pluto - both currently in Capricorn. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn currently in Sagittarius. Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter currently in Libra. Libra is ruled by Venus currently in Jupiter. So the mutual reception we talked about previously with Venus (women, love, money, beauty) and Jupiter (expansion, growth, teaching, diplomacy, big picture) rules this New Moon.

The Moon trines (brakes off) Neptune giving us access to our imagination. Although logic may be fleeting here our intuition should be on target. With that easy connection to Neptune there is also the possibility of wasting this energy in lalaland (being near water would feel pretty good now though). That's always up to us, but it could be easy for some of us to inadvertently use this fresh start energy to start something addictive or escapist ....

The trine to Neptune could also have us focused on Neptunian themes - action behind the scenes, romantic retreats, secrets, clandestine romance, research, investigations, healing, hospitals, things/people put away, addiction, art, spiritual practices and dreams.

As always New Moons are excellent times to plant seeds with our intentions - everything starts life in the dark after all.

Setting intentions for "Scorpio stuff" (or the stuff ruled by the house that holds 7 degrees Scorpio in our natal chart) during a Scorpio New Moon can be very powerful.

These intentions can include (list courtesy of astrologer Jan Spiller) - empowerment, change, crisis skills, self-mastery, sex, soul mates, financial partnerships, avoiding power struggles, secrets, psychology, charisma, restoration, forgiveness, obsessions, compulsions, strength, loans, debts, taxes, inheritances, contracts, revenge, jealousy and guilt.

AFFIRMATION TIPS: get into a calm, centered frame of mind - always make affirmations from a  positive (meaning certain) space - 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.

xo all 

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of October 24th - getting carried away ....

aerodynamic by M0THart

On Monday, Mercury exits Libra and enters Scorpio. Our communications and conversations will go deeper now. Or maybe we'll just go silent.

The Libran dance of civility ends and we are beckoned into that dark corner of the dance floor where numbers are exchanged on little pieces of paper, backdoor deals are sealed with handshakes, lips get bruised, hotel keys exchanged and communication taboos get broken.

(although this year's Mercury in Libra transit was less about civility - was there any civility? ack -  and more about women's voices - Libra is ruled by Venus)

Scorpian freedom comes through honesty - the naked, make-up left in the cabinet, this might get ugly kind of honesty. Naming our fear always takes away its power over us. Keep this in mind now.

The best way to handle the entire Mercury in Scorpio season (thru 11/9) is with honesty. I'll do a post later this week. 

On Tuesday, Venus (in Sagittarius) squares Neptune (in Pisces). This transit can make Venus ruled love and money (also women, beauty, values) situations appear better or just bigger than they actually are.

Rose colored glasses can get us carried away with people, situations and ideas. There is potential for disappointment or exaggeration here. This stuff might not look so great or so important in the light of day.

Although, if we can get past our immediate urge to just run away and forget about the whole thing, there could be something real that can be built on over time, if we still want to.

This could also play out as us dealing with our own insecurity.

Addictions, and escape mechanisms, will have heightened energy. This isn't the best time to commit too much. We could be too trusting now. We could also attract people and situations that can't be trusted. Let things play out a bit.

The stuff that looks too good or too big to be true will be shown for what it really is very quickly.

With Neptune, stuff could be happening behind the scenes that we don't know about. This could also involve healing or hospitals. Whatever this challenge is we'll stay positive.

On Wednesday, Venus sextiles Jupiter (in Libra). This is great energy to embark on a journey with someone (or work with something/someone foreign) and offers up good luck with love, money, women and values. Coming right after yesterday's square between Venus and Neptune makes me wary this could be more of the same overblown situation that square activated - on the other hand with the mutual reception of Venus and Jupiter I wrote about last week - this harmonious energy could be as simple and positive as a chance to look good, feel good, socialize and attract more.

Now, if you might think, you can push off the Tuesday stuff into Wednesday and get a better result ... well, maybe, but maybe not. Most likely something has to be worked through the unrealistic, exaggerated or hidden energy on Tuesday to get us to the more harmonious, open door energy on Wednesday, if you see what I mean here.

With Venus in Sagittarius this could not only involve Venus themes (love, money, women, value, beauty) but also Sagittarius themes - travel, legal, education, media, marketing, religious, political.

On Thursday, Mercury will hook up with the Sun. This is called a Superior Conjunction. It's an important point when our mind and energetic life come into sync

(babies born now with have super quick minds and tongues, an innate ability to shine through language although their words could be overshadowed by their father).  

Since this is happening in Scorpio this could shine a light on something, most likely a naked truth, that has been hidden or could be uncomfortable. It can also illuminate and carry information to us through our Scorpio natal house. This might connect back to mid-September when we had the last conjunction (in Virgo).

This could be a good day to shine with our words through our Scorpio house theme or Scorpio ruled - taxes, debts, inheritance, loans, joint finances, death, sex, rebirth, transformation. Mental activities will take precedence and our thinking should be 'on the ball'. Great day to tackle paperwork.

(for example if you are an Aries rising, Scorpio rules your 8th house of "other people's money or values". This could bring some uncomfortable or spotlighted information to your attention about your partner's income or a debt, tax situation, inheritance, etc.)

On Saturday, Uranus (in Aries) squares Mars (in Capricorn). This could feel like a sudden change with our security or something/someone we depend on. Accidents are possible with this energy. Take care driving, operating machinery and working with fire. There is a possibility of sudden (Uranus) violence (Mars) or a sudden action that lands us somewhere unexpected or creates the need for us to move in a new direction.  

We might regret actions we take suddenly and/or forcefully now. This would not be a good time to try to restrain someone else's freedom either unless we want to be on the losing side of that battle.

(for example if you are a Scorpio rising, Capricorn rules your 3rd house - communication - and Aries rules your 6th house - work, health, day to day. This could bring hot tempers and disruptive interaction into your day to day situation and job. Someone might say something that feels like an attack or some 'out of the blue' information could create the need for you to take some kind of action. Be cautious and use cool headed common sense with your communications and take care with your physical health.)

If you want to know how any/all of this week's transits could play out for you leave a comment or send an email and I'll work off your rising sign and give you a quick update.

HEADS UP -  The days and weeks after this Sunday's New Moon are an excellent time to launch something new. We won't have this kind of energy again until next Summer (!) with all inner planets strong and moving full steam ahead.

We'll talk about this later- but if you have something to get on, November is going to be a good time to get on it!

xo all

Mercury opposing Uranus | snap decisions, surprising news

nomad 2 by M0THart

Today (and into tomorrow) we have Mercury (in Libra) opposing Uranus (retrograde in Aries).

On the plus side this transit can make us aware of alternative ideas and other people's points of view. We can hear or read something that shakes our world view a little bit (or maybe alot if it's hitting our planets or points) and makes us go ... hmm. Before we know it we have sold all our possessions and moved into an RV ... or maybe not.

This energy can play out as a snap decision we have to live with for a long time. Keep this in mind.

This doesn't make the decision good or bad.

If we are a person who normally likes to think things out and weigh the pros and cons - this can be challenging.

If we are a person who will sit on a fence until the wood rots and we get splinters in our backside - this could be a good thing.

This could also show up as 'sudden' (Uranus) 'news' (Mercury).

Stay flexible and ready to pivot.

Stay objective.

A Uranus opposition can trigger something exactly the opposite of what we are expecting. At the same time we will be able to see how other people's 'stuff' is impacting all of this - it isn't just about us. The good news is we will know where we stand now and can move from here.

Probably the news isn't totally unexpected - just not what we were hoping for. 

Remember with transits I write about them when they are exact - this energy could play out for us within the last couple days or within the next couple days.

xo all

There is also a nice trine (brakes off) between the Cancer Moon and Neptune today - this feels like good energy to stay in and focus on home and family. If you played hookie today I wouldn't blame you.

Mars and Pluto Conjunct | Vesta into Leo

she painted fire by mar-jus

Mars and Pluto meet up in Capricorn today. This is a pretty destructive war aspect.

Take care with this energy. What we physically do today matters.

If we have something that needs to destroyed, this would be the time to do it (even shredding papers that represent something that needs to go bye bye could be an effective use of this energy).

Let's keep a cool head. There are positive ways to express anger and we can find them. Control issues will be hard to ignore now though.

If there is something we need to do that scares us - here's that booster shot of bravery needed to take action.

There was more about this in the weekly forecast.

Also, Vesta (dwarf planet like Eris and Pluto) moves into Leo.

We associate Vesta with the Vestal Virgins of ancient Rome. Charged from childhood (age 7-10) with keeping the sacred hearth of the temple burning, the Vestal Virgins were supposedly also required to remain chaste for their 30 year careers.

In recognition of their unending devotion to the flame (working round the clock if needed) that kept their civilization alive they were also given the unique freedom that came from being "unowned" by men.

I think it's very interesting that she heads into "attention-requiring" Leo today (until July 2017) amid all this challenging energy (and tonight's final debate).

This can be a wonderful transit for artists - especially good for creative devotion and creative passion. Vesta can help us bring our wayward creativity and passion back into our core selves.

I'm going to do a post about this. I just wanted to pop out a few words this morning.

xo all

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

the archer by Amy-Sun

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

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

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

Sagittarius is the sign of the archer.

If we were archers -

we would gather our energy.

We would pull back our bow.

We would take aim.

We would hold our bow "in tension".

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

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

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

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

Intention releases the potential that makes things happen.

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

Experience is more valuable than stuff with Sagittarius.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Remember the archer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bulls-eyes can be highly over-rated.

Sometimes it's the missed targets

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

that lead to the best adventures!

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

xo all

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

the unexpected by MOTHart

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

xo all

Full Moon in Aries | send in the clowns

booomed by w1zzy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

or 2. we can fight.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

chained by temporary peace

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

xo all