April 18, 2015: New Moon in Aries "Divine Inspiration"

This Saturday, we step out of eclipse season with a refreshing new moon in Aries. The eclipse cycle brought the energy of “letting go” to culmination in a powerful way. Through the past several weeks and months we have learned lessons about “letting go” that perhaps we haven’t known in quite this way before. The season of dissolution was spelled out in the charts, but in walking through it, so much more is being revealed to me about what this time in humanity is really about.

The things we’ve been releasing are deep, old, and often subconscious. They are issues long standing, going far beyond just ourselves and often into the ancestry and history we have been brought into. To me, this is the world changing from the inside out. This is a moment in time when we have a much higher ability to see what's past as past, and move in the now as now.  We are sloughing off our most deep-seated conflicts with unprecedented ease and finding the creative force within us that feels empowered to make real changes.

What I have been observing is that replaying the story behind the conflict or wound is less and less important. Yes, there may be some tears and sad feelings, but at the end of it, when we find ourselves exhausted by the act of holding on, the concern for the past fades quickly and we're directed to the next thing.  The process is simply a matter of acknowledging what caused us pain, and then making conscious choices to invite new energy into our lives.  No fanfare and no drama necessary.

The Libra full moon brought up issues of balance in all facets of our lives, most especially our close intimate relationships. Relationships are often where we meet the alchemical fire with the most intensity. Our partners are our mirrors. It is through our close personal relationships where we are most challenged to live out the things we might find much easier to do with acquaintances, clients, business partners, etc. – Listen truly, have compassion, be independent yet united, make changes and compromises, and really, truly, let go. Relationships teach us everything we need to know about ourselves and how we approach the world. Where do we need to stand up for ourselves? (Aries) Where should we soften, yield and compromise? (Libra) What is really important in life – being right (Aries) or being together (Libra)? Are all things equal and respected (Libra) or is one partner getting his or her way only (Aries)? Are we making unreasonable demands when there is a middle road? Or is there something else that might be more true, more fulfilling, more in line with our life as it stands now?

These are the questions I observed in the countless relationship eruptions that have appeared before me in the past several weeks. The basic energy of the lunar eclipse brought up all of our issues and conflicts, in particular the desire to be free of controlling influences brought on by the people and things in our lives, as well as intense release within our own selves surrounding subconscious behaviors that keep us feeling caged. The wisdom that came through, for me, was that when we agree to let go and truly listen in a relationship, we are also agreeing to abandon the irritating and often pointless loops we cycle through with our closest loved ones. Rather than reengage, reattach, and reinjure, we can come to the point of realization that some things are better left where they are, and that real freedom from the conflict comes from acceptance, forgiveness, and the conscious will to move forward. To make the choice of healing, listening, and caring – all of the things we really want out of our relationships and so often find elusive when we get hung up on the offenses. Letting go is as simple as recognizing that it is not necessary to reengage with negative experiences or emotions, especially if our wish is to be free of them. We can actually just say OK, I’m ready to move forward, and do that.

So in the spirit of that, I am ready move on and talk more about the fantastic energy of this New Moon in Aries.

I felt it was important to speak on my further reflections about the nature of “letting go” as it has come to us these past months because Aries is so much about initiation and creating the new. Recent times have given us a lot information about what we don’t want, what we need to get rid of, and so forth. As such, we should have a much clearer idea of what we truly do want. What makes your heart sing? Where do you feel in your groove? What gives you strength? What aspects of your life would you most like to focus on reforming and rebuilding? Who are you now?

This is one of the best times of year to set intentions for the seeds we’d like to plant for the future. Whether they be intentions to improve upon yourself in some fashion, bring certain new energies into your relationships, your business, your social life, to finish or start projects, improve your financial situation, find your true calling, or really, just about anything that you would like to see be different in your life, this is a great time to initiate progress on those aspects.

What I am seeing in the chart of this Aries New Moon is that what we are initiating is strongly intertwined with our ideals and sense of “higher purpose.” We’ve spent a lot of time this winter reflecting on our impediments, and asking ourselves what holds us back. Now it’s time to define what we want to do and be and then do it! Green light, go!

Of course, know that we are still in for some months of limbo between starting new things, and clearing out the old. Both of these things are happening simultaneously, but the phase of action is coming in more strongly, as the phase of release recedes somewhat. What is important right now is not that it all needs to be done exactly as we picture it right away, but to really envision and feel what it is we’re looking to align with and to start laying the groundwork in real time.

The energy of this new moon feels fresh and joyful to me. It feels serious and determined, yet wholehearted and free. We get to work with our life from a clean slate, if we wish it to be so. We get to reshape our life as we see fit, if we have the courage. The structure of things seems more malleable, giving way to a sense that the possibilities are truly endless… the only thing that stands in between who we are in this moment, and who we wish to be in the future, is work. So thus it is liberating, but also focused – as it lies on the individual to create the desired outcome. In the greater context, all of our individual dreams for a positive future, for a world that stands for love, and our inner work to make such a thing so in our lives, is the force that shifts the outer world to be closer to what we have hoped it to be. It is requiring considerable effort on the parts of everyone who desires to create their life around their essential joy, goodness, and happiness – but it is also a cumulative effort. The more the possibilities of joyful living are expressed through individuals, the more openness is allowed for more and more people to claim their own form of joy.

It is my perspective that the most beautiful gift we can give in life and in service, is the complete embodiment of our own true selves. To caretake, to perform, to teach, to share, to write, to sing, to anaylize, to build – wherever it is we find our brilliance. Wherever it is we provide in a way that brings us a feeling of our own warmth. These are the things that are truly important for us to believe in, to develop, and to become.

Aries is the sign of innocence. It knows not and cares not about others. It never compares itself, it just lets itself be who it is, charging its way through life, perhaps, but nonetheless, a fearless and direct force.

Find the heart of this within yourself. Not from a space of ego, headiness, or grandiosity – but from the distilled truth of the past several weeks, months, and years.

Who are you really? And what have you come to be?

Courage, integrity, fortitude.

These are the pillars we develop through the positive use of trying experiences. Through all choices to walk in the world as we are and as we wish the world to be. It is our willingness to endure and to evolve that gets us to the next level. Be righteous with your choices, and the world can become something more beautiful and something more great.

Aries energy, despite its reputation for its me first perspective, impulsive behavior, and volatility, carries with it an important reminder:

EVERYTHING STARTS WITH YOU.

Everything we do, everything we want, everything we are.

Who are you really? What is at your core? What is it you want most deeply, more than anything else in the world?

Embrace it. Be it. Live it.

And pour it out through your heart as inspired lightness, true happiness, and love.

April 4, 2015: Total Lunar Eclipse "PURIFICATION" // Libra Full Moon

Since Monday, I have been noticing the energetic build up to Saturday’s Lunar Eclipse. Every time I have left the sanctuary of my home, the world around seems to be teeming with chaotic vibes. Sirens, noise, agitation, strange encounters, and an overall energy of tension. It is a fire, but it’s not necessarily an angry fire. Nor is it carefree. I can feel it in my own physical body -- the grip of the mind attempting to hang on and having to coax it with special attention to rest, relax, and open. It is not that there are a lot of thoughts, but rather a sudden awareness of the iron-like vice of various egoic and emotional states, many of which I am not even consciously aware of. Some of which might not even be mine personally. When a wildfire caught on a mountain just a few miles away from my house, blowing and burning away over 500 acres of mountainside forest, the word that immediately came to mind was “Purification.” Tuesday night, as the town was crawling with unusual activity, I stopped to observe the burning mountain.

Firefighters from all over were at the scene attempting to contain a fire in windy conditions and extremely rugged terrain where vehicles could not travel. Again and again, since I have lived in Western North Carolina nature has shown me its abiding and unending power. The idea that mankind has at any time in history felt he has “control” seems increasingly laughable. For here in this environment, there is absolutely no manmade thing that can survive the rainfall, plant overgrowth, flooding, landslides, etc, without constant upkeep, and now – even a fire can start out of nowhere and creep steadily towards civilization with raging indifference.

It is the perfect metaphor for all that we have been experiencing.

Since the Winter Solstice, we have been undergoing an intense, oceanic process of reflection and purging. The New Moon Solar Eclipse two weeks ago was the climatic point of this long process of inner observation and feeling. Many people have found themselves in a state of grieving over things long since past, believed to be healed, or even, inexplicably, for no nameable reason. There is a feeling ‘Like life itself is dying’ to quote my own journals -- A deep sadness that is accompanied by a sense of ending, even if the departure is a welcome one. This underlying feeling does not seem to negate any good feelings we might have about the future, but the present situation is one of powerful unburdening, release, and letting go – and all of the sadness, apprehension, and fear that goes with it!

As we have traveled into this week of the Lunar Eclipse I have begun to really feel the ‘fire.’ That is, the Aries fire. It feels much like the fire on the mountain here outside of Asheville. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and represents initiating energy as well as innocence, purity, and freedom. The vibe of this time has had a strong element of initiation, but it is intrinsically paired with what feels to me like an alchemical firing process. This is the doorway of space and time that we have been awaiting for some years. By fall, once the Saturn retrograde cycle is complete and we enter another eclipse season, we will have fully crossed the burning lake into the next dimension of our collective human life experience.

Remember, we are still in the energy of the Pisces New Moon eclipse that is primarily about relinquishing the past. All unfolding energies subsequent still harken back to this essential concept. These are eclipses of karmic release – very profound, soul level, collective, world shaking, yet deeply personal transition. It does not stop after this month – as the influence of eclipses is with us for six months – so see this as a tipping point with reference to recent inner processes. What has happened this week, as the Aries energy has been accentuated by the Sun’s travels through the strong currents here, is the feeling that the emotions have surfaced and now we must burn them away.

This is BIG energy. About as big as it gets. But yet, we are not meant to try and manage or control it, per se. Simply we are to be its witness… and allow our lives to change in accordance rather than resistance. Our work now is not a directive, must do, must act, type of work – it is rather something more subtle: to look within, to allow what arises to arise, and then to open the door for its leaving. It is as if, perhaps, we are walking on coals – there is not pain in an overwhelming sense, rather a heat that continually churns, and our body sweats and purges. Stuck feelings deep within us purge through our skin, and the heat of the fire evaporates them. We are creating an empty space. This is a release of conditioning: societal, familial, and personal that over the years have blocked or hindered our connection to spirit. The idea now seems to be that the life of disconnection is no longer amenable.

We will be shown the way to clarity. We will be given the “why” for all of the recent years’ turmoil. But first we need to find “true north.” The true center of our being. The truth of us beneath all of the emotional layers that we have worn for years upon years – even beyond this life. This is the release of the “small self” or the “ego self.”

The process of emptying past experiences can be difficult because so often we identify with the past as being “who we are.” But it is not the truth. The past does not define us, good or bad. Or, at least, we do not have to let it define us.

Often our “identities” are like relationships that obstruct true flow in our lives. For life is change – one second we are this, another we are that. The only way to be all of it is to be none of it. Wonderful magic exists everywhere, every day, and is freely at our disposal. Who we are on the outside is not important, it is our resiliency and willingness to adapt that enriches us. Sometimes we have to suspend our notions of who we are to welcome growth and new opportunities. Think about it – does joy really come to us when we’re attaching to our roles? Or does it come when we open our hearts to the possibilities we have not previously imagined?

Aries energy is like a child. Fresh, pure, and innocent. It doesn’t even know who it is yet! So what I am saying is -- emptying is opening. The more structures we remove around our identity, the more peace we feel in our hearts. The more we explore what is ego and what is truth, the more we discover our universal nature. We can remove our identity and still be ourselves. We can release history, and still be forthright in the now. We can yield to powerful currents, and still maintain our grace.

Walk through the fire. Burn away your fear. Burn away your grief. Burn away your history. Burn away your very self.

For beneath the ash is a tiny sprout. A new tree. A renewed state of being. A fresh start.

It is not for us to dictate. No, rather, it is for us to face, with courage, a process of transformation that can shape the world, if we let it.

New Moon In Aquarius, Part II: Year of the Wood Sheep, 2015

The Horse year wound down dreamily, with profound emotional processing. Here in Western North Carolina and many places on the East Coast we were even blessed with a dose of winter weather hibernation as the Horse’s final moon waned to a close. Our energy has been low. We’ve been needing to recoup. To break up the routine – to have no routine. To lay in bed all day, ignore our projects, and exist in a state of receptivity, of rest, and of feeling. We feel it acutely: Something old is passing away, while a new dream emerges from the deep. This, as I expressed in last month’s New Moon post, is what I see as the predominant overarching theme in this upcoming Lunar Year of the Sheep. The Horse helped us set things in motion, now it is the Sheep’s job to begin the assimilation process – unburdening our closet of old selves, while gently nurturing the seed of the future. Just think of the shearing of a sheep’s wool – the extra stuff comes off, and with some work and cultivation, we fashion this wool into sweaters, coats, and scarves that continue to keep us warm for years to come. This opening moon of the Lunar New Year is like the shearing process. We feel a bit weak, sensitive and vulnerable. We’ve had a heck of a time recently – and we’re ready for a bit of peace. Most importantly, we are in a place where whatever it was that has been giving us difficulty has showed itself to be not worth hanging on to. So even if we were holding on, hesitating, and struggling – it seems somehow easier to let go of burdensome attitudes and situations right now than it did a year ago when many of these things were initially spun into crisis. Mainly, we’re just TIRED and feeling ready to move on. Whatever it was that caused all of the problems just can’t possibly be that important. Why waste precious energy on that old story, when there are plenty of new ones just waiting to be written? You know, next week, when the Aries energy starts and we’re ready to get off the couch.

An interesting point came up yesterday in a meeting with fellow intuitives that I think is relevant here. It is the idea that sometimes, the way to be free of disturbing energies is as simple as dissolving or dispersing those disturbing energies. Without needing to analyze, interpret – know how, know why – simply sweep away the debris. This, I feel, is what is happening – after the Horse opened us up, and galloped through our lives with a force, we are left behind with a mess. The ride was so strong, and so fast, that it seemed we might want to write some things down, or remember it, or memorialize something… but when it comes right down to it, the best thing to do is to grab the trash bag and push every broken chard of life directly into it. Right now, we don’t have time to waste playing “What to keep, what not to keep.” Trust that anything that came up during the 2014 Cosmic Shake Down belongs in the “What not to keep” section and be done with it. Because, remember, we are still feeling that new thing on the horizon. That important, big, creative dream – our personal, unique, individual contribution to humanity.  And we can’t let any of that old junk get in the way. That’s why it came up to begin with – because our job right now is to get clear, to be clear, and remove as quickly as possible, as deeply as possible, any and all impediments that interfere with the expression of our true self. Really chew on that one for a while – OUR JOB, Right now, is to see ourselves through the eyes of our UNIQUE perspective, gift, and calling … and let go of any and all psychological, emotional, and subconscious obstructions that keep us off course.

That brings me to the other theme I see powerfully presented in this Lunar New Year chart – and that is the sense that this a year for building new foundations. The interesting thing about these new foundations is that from all angles the element of deep release and divine surrender is also embedded within whatever it is we are planning to manifest. In other words, what I am perceiving from these energies is that what we are driven to manifest must powerfully align with our spiritual ideals and our hopes for the greater good – and, we must proceed with this work through the heart of service. Our ego involvement is not helpful in this situation, and so we are really grappling to connect more deeply and more authentically to bring forth what our heart is calling out for. We must see our creation as a container for something much greater than our small selves, and use this time to gather, test, and play with the many new ideas and visions we have been receiving. Having the willingness to surrender those bad habits that pit us against these higher goals helps us make progress faster, live a more balanced & healthy life, and fall in line with the divine direction more effortlessly.

I think this year it would be wise to avoid certain pitfalls that I see with these energies. Primarily, with the Sheep personality and the aspects in this chart, there can be a tendency to overthink, worry, or be fearful and obsessive. Getting in touch with earthy, grounded activities can be helpful this year as we are basically in a time where the small day-to-day tasks and routines are being laid out. For any void that might be left by the events of last year, we want to incorporate positive new habits and find a sense of steadiness. It is important, also, to cultivate a sense of safety and rootedness. This will help disperse some of the paranoia and subconscious emotional churning that is going to start working us big time these coming years. The sense of physical insecurity and instability of recent years, I feel, will start to ease off and we are entering a phase that will be more intense from a psychological and emotional perspective – so this is a time to really use the information we received in the past several years about what makes a good foundation and build upon it. A good foundation is one that has plenty of room for growth, expansion, and freedom, while also being a place one can return to when feeling lost, confused, or distressed.

Relationships are also a theme this year. Relationships will be a great source of inspiration, of pain, and also of reflection. This can be an area where we need to really shift perspective, or shed some people/things in order to be more authentic and stand in our truth. We feel VERY sensitive to others, and receptive to their energy at many levels. This sensitivity might also bring out the Ram within the Sheep – the more aggressive side of the Sheep that can emerge when his buttons have been pressed just a teensy bit too much! We might find ourselves occasionally defaulting on Independence At All Costs and relationships can quickly devolve into a war of rivaling forces – but compromise and cooperation are called for. Take some time to get clear about your own role and your own feelings before attempting to navigate these shifty waters with the other person. This will aid in smoother sailing for all involved.

I really see the year ahead as a year of visioning for our future, and tying up some loose ends and projects – emotional, karmic, and otherwise – from the last several years to be put away for good as we move into the more active phase of creative problem solving and restructuring that we’ll start to encounter toward the year’s end. I sense, overall, that this Sheep will be a more peaceful creature to contend with than the past year’s hyperactive Horse, and look forward to the calm progress that I think we’ll all feel is welcome now. Artistic, gentle, spiritual, and easy is the Sheep. This is the way we want to work our lives in 2015.

Fall 2013 Eclipse Season Reflections

This Sunday's Full Moon in Taurus concludes the energy surrounding the very intense season of eclipses that we have just gone through since October 4. This cycle of eclipses, as with the last several (Last April/May and Last November/December), was very profound. For me, personally, this set of eclipses took on a particularly strong INTERNAL quality of transformation and change. As always, an important thing to always realize when eclipses occur is that eclipses always bring events, realizations, culminations, endings, new beginnings, and other sorts of big changes and "Aha!" moments -- in particular when they aspect our natal planets. Reviewing the charts of the past several moons, there seem to be a few main themes, with the major emphasis on Saturnine (e.g. Karmic) decisions or disappointments. Saturn in Scorpio is working our issues with commitment and the charts also suggest, to me, a deep desire to become more in tune with our true inner SOUL yearnings (a theme that seems to have taken prominence in this past year.) In this process of trying to understand our karmic work -- the real project of our lifetime -- many things from our past need to be relinquished and finding a place of surrender within ourselves seems at once tenuous and tantamount. Do we accept the responsibility and hardship of our Saturn work? Can we face the bare bones, no frills truth of what we truly dream to be, and how we may or may not be currently in line?

This eclipses have also had a strong Neptune vibe, as always lending an additional shroud of confusion to the overall picture. Saturn may have shattered our illusions about ourselves, others, or situations around us in a jarring way. Or it's required us to make realistic adjustments to our expectations or plans based off of the new insight. A tendency to avoid the situation and indulge or escape could have been very powerful -- it is so much easier to stay within the confines of our habits, our safety zone, and comfort, but Saturn seems to want to pull us away from these behaviors and remind us that if we really want to play out our higher Neptune (Do good for the world, for example) we need to pull it together, see it clearer, and do the work.

This past month has really been a time of looking more deeply into our lives, facing and healing painful issues originating deep in our ancestry, trying to understand what it is we really want, and, of course, with Saturn and the North Node in Scorpio -- learning to let go of attachments which block our growth and transformation. SURRENDER is the key word, but surrender in these circumstances is also immensely challenging. We have to have the courage to let go of parts of ourselves and things in our lives we perhaps once loved -- but even those we don't. We have to have trust that events in our lives beyond our control also serve some kind of purpose, that there is a lesson to be gleaned that may help us better understand our karmic work. Finally, we have to have faith in the decisions we make every day -- especially when choosing the path of our intuition, following what comes to us -- that stepping into unknown territories and committing to the vision is not something to be afraid of, that we will be taken care of, and end up where we're supposed to.

So much of this year has been about THE DREAM. So much of this year has also been about immense and deeply challenging internal transformation (As can be expected during the Chinese year of the Water Snake!). It's one thing simply to dream... but now we must ask ourselves, seriously, are we willing to work for it? Live it. Be it. That, to me, is the central core of this year's transformational energies. How do we shape ourselves to reflect the reality of the dream? -- And what does it really mean to walk the path as who we really are?

Without going outside, one may know the whole world!

Karmic Resonance

"One dies every minute one departs from one's true natureEvery minute is a new life to a true being." - Ni Hua Ching ... I-Ching Hexagram 12

A week of profound changes, karmic life events, and decisions that have lasting and meaningful impact on our lives and for our soul's journey. Tomorrow is a full moon in Pisces... watch for culminations in relation to the new moon in Pisces on March 11 of this year. After a summer of sowing and cultivating, we may see some clarity about where we're headed when some part of the dream becomes manifest or in some way reveals new dimensions or definition. This has truly been a summer, and year, of immense evolution and growth for many. It is the year of the Water Snake after, all. Each and every one of us is having the opportunity to shed an old skin through a process of internal revolution and is laying the foundation for a whole new cycle of work. In the swirling vortex of events, may we seek comfort by connecting to the eye of ourselves, around which everything revolves, and find it easy to shed those things within and without that only serve to complicate and obfuscate our inner direction.

"The universe never dies because it maintains eternal constancy." (Hex 12)

Find the still point, for therein lies peace, stability, and truth.

Caught in the Current

August has felt much like autumn. The summer continues to roll by with its themes of flexibility in crisis, sowing intentions, evolution, and new pathways emerging as old ways of being die away. These days I reflect upon all of this drinking tea, writing astrological reports, making photographs, and reading Chuang Tzu ... So I bring to you a slice of all that:

"Great knowledge is all encompassing; small knowledge is limited. Great words are inspiring; small words are chatter. When we are asleep, we are in touch with our souls. When we are awake, our senses open. We get involved with our activities and our minds are distracted. Sometimes we are hesitant, sometimes underhanded, and sometimes secretive. Little fears cause anxiety, and great fears cause panic. Our words fly off like arrows, as though we knew what was right and wrong. We cling to our own point of view as though everything depended on it. And yet our opinions have no permanence; like autumn and winter, they gradually pass away. We are caught in the current and cannot return. We are tied up in knots like an old, clogged drain; we are getting closer to death with no way to regain our youth. Joy and anger, sorrow and happiness, hope and fear, indecision and strength, humility and willfulness, enthusiasm and insolence, like music sounding from an empty reed or mushrooms rising from the warm, dark earth, continually appear before us day and night. No one knows whence they come. Don't worry about it! Let them be! How can we understand it all in one day?"

Excerpt from the "Inner Chapters" (trans. Gia Fu Feng)

On the Star Tetrahedron

Today's very interesting and rare chart has been all the rage in the astrology world for the past month at least. The formation in this chart is referred to as a "Grand Sextile," "Star Tetrahedron," and "Diamond Tetrahedron" among other things. It shows a very exact 6 pointed star formation created by two grand trines, one in earth and one in water (the "yin" or feminine elements of the Western Zodiac), interspersed with two pretty stressful T-squares and a Yod. Though the completion of this formation as we have seen it today is somewhat fleeting, many of the influences involved are enmeshed in long term relationships that have already, and continue to show a substantial and unquestionable change in the world at large on both personal and societal levels. There are many theories about the meaning of this formation. Admittedly, even as an astrologer I approached looking at it with some measure of pragmatism. Does this "star" formation really have any special impact beyond its fleeting few hours of life? Is its message as profound and prolific as many believe?

I did not really have an answer to that question in advance of today. My feeling as I contemplated the chart this afternoon and sensed the energy of the day, was that this chart represents a pretty powerful overall metaphor for the transformative processes at work -- and perhaps a further elaboration on the long term influences involved. The influence of this event, in itself, feels rather like an illumination of new pathways that have not seemed feasible, or may not have even been visible before.

What really stands out to me about this chart, aside from the obvious visual effect, are its stressful characteristics. Mars/Mercury/Jupiter are in a T-Square with Pluto and Uranus, an extremely volatile combination on its own -- Jupiter making Mars' sensitivities in Cancer more extreme and Mercury, more biting, while the on-going Pluto-Uranus combination shows a long-term disruption of established systems. These are not influences that play well together, and without mitigating factors have the feel of very angry, explosive situations and emotions, the essential driving factor being Mars toward Pluto and Uranus -- like all efforts are constantly being thwarted and usurped by greater power, but there is no sense of giving up or yielding. The second stressful aspect of this formation includes a T-Square between the Sun, Moon and Saturn showing an inherent conflict between the soul's desire for pleasure (Moon Taurus) and the ego's desire for recognition (Sun Leo) in a relationship frustrated by the limiting effects of Saturn. The overall theme being that there are inherent obstacles for individuals whose desires are to be seen and live comfortably, but whose needs and wants are constantly being curtailed by the problems imposed by the system at large. This of course connects to the former conflict -- where profound change is taking place, we feel intensely that we are fighting for survival, and that our simple needs must be protected against the force of life's unrelenting, and often unforgiving tests. The needs of the individual are threatened by the disruptive nature of these influences and the potential for dangerous people coming into power, but simultaneously liberated by the situation, for as the established order crumbles, people find the strength to stand their ground -- in the hopes, of course, that there is ultimately going to be some sort of compromise.

Meanwhile, the Grand Sextile itself seems to provide an answer -- in fact, a whole new set of answers -- to the problem posed by the above troubles which we have come to know intimately in recent years. Practical Earth signs and Emotional Water signs suggest heart based solutions, and the matrix of the formation itself supports profound and large scale changes where we have had blocks, obstacles, and stalemates for the past several years. Here, we see Mars and Saturn softened somewhat -- in a less defensive context we see a distinct opportunity to express needs, envision our dream, and then actually begin the process of manifesting those things into lived reality. The earth trine shows that the need for transformation is both an emotional and social process. We want comfort, desire perfection, and surrender (finally!) to the necessity of structural changes in order to move forward. Motivated by the stressful impact of the earlier discussed energies, we find ourselves meeting a unique opportunity to plant seeds and intentions for the new structures we wish to create. There is a greater sense of the "big picture" and reality feels more malleable and workable than it has for some time. Perhaps the phase of crisis was, as it often is, merely a period of discerning our true values and needs. Now that we have a better sense of what we want, our carefully cultivated and protected hopes and ideals have the opportunity to take root.

The final interesting piece is the Yod between Pluto, Neptune and the Sun, emphasizing what has felt to me like a phase of profound transition. As we adjust to changes that are currently dissolving and transforming everything about our approach to life, we are doing so through a process of spiritual renewal and purging. Those things that have been destructive and deceptive on the outside are being rooted out, and the conditioning that we ourselves have created as a matter of course our whole lives is being released. All of this in a constantly evolving effort to reveal our most authentic self expression and inner light.

So -- quite interesting energies are afoot. Even though this particular formation was only up there for a few hours today, I feel the themes of this chart describe very much themes that have been at work since the start of the summer, if not longer. And I don't know about you -- but it has been one crazy adventure so far!!!

OK, just my 23 cents. It is time for rest -- Have a great week and enjoy the cosmic roller coaster ride! 

Some thoughts on Neptune

Neptune stations to move retrograde on Friday, at the same time Venus and Mercury in Cancer form two grand trines across the water signs with Neptune in Pisces and Saturn in Scorpio. A very heart centered, emotional week all around. If for some reason you feel way more touchy and sensitive ... this is why! Neptune's Station is giving us a particularly potent dose of his energy over the course of the next 8-10 days. This confusing, dissolving, spiritualizing vibe has been a major player in the charts since his ingress into his natural sign, Pisces, last year. Though the aspect patterns in effect this week are important and very much indicative of the summer to come -- I feel inclined to focus on Neptune today because the force represented by Neptune has been so incredibly prevalent and relevant!

In recent years of observation of this transit, I have noticed Neptune vibes have several particular manifestations and characteristics. From the positive end -- Neptune can have a very creative and inspiring quality. Astrologer Kelly Lee Phipps often says that this planet represents Universal Harmony, and within that are themes of Divine or High Love. Neptune dissolves the barriers between realms and between people, reconnecting us with our innate sense of the oneness that exists beyond the tangible and material -- this is why the sign of Pisces and the planet Neptune are so closely associated with dreams, intuition, compassion, and spirituality. Neptune energy in its higher forms represents the boundlessness of our hearts and those subtler aspects of reality that are beyond description but move us deeply. When it is manifest, it comes through in highly refined forms of art, spiritual connection, healing, and empathic communication. Music is naturally associated with Neptune (as it is harmonic, vibrational, and often nonverbal!) and I personally always find playing, singing, or just listening to music very soothing during particularly Neptunian times! So this week, if you're feeling down, I highly recommend putting on your favorite music, it might surprise you how much it helps you feel better! :)

On the negative, Neptune can also be incredibly confusing and put a sort of fog or blanket over things. It is very difficult to do analytical or detail oriented work under such energies, and it can also create considerable confusion in communication. People may not thinking clearly, or what they are saying is not coming through clearly. Many people may be extra sensitive, and emotional outbursts can also create confusion, since both parties are likely to feel touchy without necessarily understanding why. Neptune also rules escapism, madness, and illusions. So discernment is not always very high, nor are boundaries. I always notice more woe-be-gone people walking the streets during Neptune phases and sometimes the "Oceanic" energy of Neptune can feel quite "Swampy." Neptune is watery and works best in the FLOW of change, but it can get stagnant if we get caught up in the inertia of irrational fears and feeling like we need to get away and hide from the world through the use of substances, excessive sleep, dogma, watching too much tv, etc. Name your method of escape and that's Neptune! Neptune can also create situations where deception, lies, etc run rampant because it is very difficult to "see." Or there is an exposure of the deception and illusions we hold within ourselves that can make us feel uncertain and confused. Grief and sadness can also be great when these energies are present. It can be personal or impersonal, as this grief can be felt like a collective hurt, or like the burdens and chains of all those who are suffering. Compassionate hearts are stirred by injustices and we can feel a call for healing, helping, or serving in some way.

People undergoing Neptune transits at any time can often feel they've lost their sense of direction. In some ways, I feel this can be said for the world at large at this time in history. But the hidden blessing of losing your sense of direction under the care of Neptune is that it allows us to ask ourselves what we couldn't when we were still bound to our routines, our stability and our normalcy -- What does our SOUL want? I mean -- REALLY want? What is the DREAM within us that drives us to be alive? What can we do to give, to serve, to help the world we live in with our own special gifts and talents?

And as everything around starts to dissolve and disappear before our eyes, realize that now is the perfect opportunity to create everything we've ever wanted.

This, I feel, is what's at the heart of these trying times. And while the energy of Neptune can be confusing and challenging, he also bestows a sense of faith in the higher, divine good and the power of our own personal destiny.

Dream big, and have a great afternoon :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAVyKDDsM3s

Saturn Mars Opposition Perfects

The afore mentioned Saturn-Sun & Mars opposition, active during the Lunar eclipse on Thursday, is coming into perfection this week. I have felt a building intensity all weekend and today this transit felt especially strong to me. There is an unnerving almost grinding vibe afoot -- Saturn is reminding us of our boundaries, pitfalls, and limitations and Mars is beneath it like a pot about to boil over. Maintain control -- this frustrating energy will pass, but an angry outburst might not be forgotten so easily. Especially during this very critical eclipse phase that we are in. Lots of changes, lessons, and major events on the scene this past month and the coming month -- Today, the message seems to be: BE PATIENT! This is a good time to meditate, or release potentially angry energy through some sort of vigorous discipline. Keep the bigger picture in mind -- Saturn helps us see what's REALLY important in our lives as it also represents lessons associated with the soul's karma. Maintain your vision, don't let petty stuff get under your skin, and heed Saturn's wise inner counsel. Keep calm and carry on, as they say.