The Vision Going Forward // Astrology of December 2016 // New Moon in Sagittarius, Full Moon in Gemini

Hello friends and welcome to my analysis of the Astrology of December 2016.  This month I am discussing the energies of the Sagittarius Lunar Cycle:  The New Moon at 7 degrees of Sagittarius on November 29, at 7:18AM EST and the Full Moon at 22 degrees of Gemini on December 13th at 7:06PM EST.

I like to discuss the monthly weather in terms of the lunar cycles from new to full because I find it a helpful way to present archetypal themes.  I find that the lunar charts neatly summarize the general vibes of the month as they represent both what we are looking to sow (new moon) and what is culminating/being reaped (full moon).  Every year we experience new and full moons in each sign – and so if we choose to follow the lunar months, we can become more attuned to the energetic rhythm of life in general.  Working with, deepening, and understanding the natural flow of things.

So looking into the chart of the New Moon set for Washington, D.C. the new moon is sitting very near to the ascendant which refers to the outer self or image we present to the world in the 12th house, the realm of the subconscious, self undoing, and karmic release.  Its closest aspects are to the nodes of fate and Neptune, points that just began separating after two solid months traveling together.  Neptune for these past two months has been on the south node of past life habits and addictions in Pisces, the sign of disillusionment, confusion, escapism, etc.  Neptune is extremely amplified in the sign of Pisces and has been a dominant force in the world psyche for the past several years.  On the highest level – these energies represent the soul visions, spiritual growth, the dropping of the veils, compassion, understanding, and the unearthing of gifts that direct us towards more empathetic and heart focused relationships.  This is between people as well as the relationships we have with other aspects of our life such as our work, the “world” as an entity, oneself, etc.  On the negative side – Neptune energy increases emotionality, is receptive to a fault (it represents illness both psychic and physical), and shows where we can be blind to ourselves, where we lie to ourselves, and where we can become completely enveloped by and lost in an illusion.

One of the things associated with Neptune is film – so think of when you go to see a film, how easy it is to become lost and engrossed in the action and emotion of the characters – so that you almost feel as if you are there and that the characters themselves become familiar and real.  That is the power of Neptune at work – through this enveloping characteristic it can show us the highest beauty and truth and also pull us into a deception, a fog.  As Neptune has lingered near the South Node in Pisces – where these themes are greatly amplified – the world at large has been grappling with its handle on reality in a big way.  Much has been revealed in the discourse of the past month that has been shocking and upsetting to the world consciousness, but what has also been evident is that the things were ALREADY PRESENT, and were simply hidden, obfuscated, etc.  There is a strong tone within the USA national politics at this time of intense public deception.  And this deception is occurring at many, many levels – from money mongering political agendas that have existed since time immemorial to the most basic level of how we receive information in this age of technology.  We live in a world that is increasingly connected and unified, one that is increasingly aware of our interconnectedness – but yet at the same time there is an unprecedented heavy influence of perception in almost all information that we receive.  What it seems like, to my eyes, is that in many situations, it matters not whether a piece of information is true or false, but whether or not it succeeds in conveying a specific psycho-emotional message.  As with anything – this goes just as powerfully for positive messages as it does for negative messages.

As such, we have been living in times where clarity and straightforwardness have become elusive.  The correct path is the path of Virgo – current resting place of the North Node, which upholds integrity, virtuousness, and simplicity.  But the energetic patterning that we are coming upon is very much suggestive that the darkness comes before the light.  These shocks and revelations to our consciousness is a part of our collective emotional shadow work.  In the past it has been easy to talk a good talk and do little else, but it seems that we find ourselves now faced with a critical situation – something major has culminated – and now our job going forward is to figure out WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO NEXT?

And that question is very much central to the function of this New Moon in Sagittarius, which lingers in that liminal time just after dawn on the East coast.  The consciousness of the collective and our personal consciousness is VERY enmeshed at this time.  We all feel in touch with issues that affect humanity in the big picture, and we all feel the impulse to do something about it.   In a way, it feels very much like we’ve opened a collective Pandora’s box, and things have felt fast, and out of control – but the link between the personal consciousness and the collective consciousness can also be utilized to direct the clean up process, and the vision of the future.  In short, FEAR is the Pisces Achilles heel – but clarity comes when we devote ourselves to how we can help, as individuals, in our daily lives to make our world a better place.

Before I even looked at the chart for this new moon, I felt that this article would be about “The Vision Going Forward.”  This year we have come to completion with many large thematic arcs of consciousness.  From the Chinese perspective, 2016 was the year of the Fire Monkey – an almost impossible to control, compulsively mischievous creature paired with the most difficult to control element in the Chinese Zodiac.  The shifts have been rapid, often surprising, and usually unwelcome.  Predictably unpredictable, the Fire Monkey has also exposed fallacy and weakness in our social system in a way that perhaps no other sign could.  And in the wake of this, what was unclear has become clear, what is unclean can become cleansed, and what is feared can now become conscious.

Who are we now?  And how do we inspire change?

There is a strong suggestion in the chart for the New Moon that part of how we actualize change is through embodying our radical qualities.  So that it is not so much an idea of how we would like to be, but to work towards fully BEing in the flow of our own personal freedom, growth, and individuality.  This is a way that the personal consciousness can affect the collective in a positive manner.

With the connection of this new moon so close to the nodes of fate – our intentions this month will be supercharged and important for progress going forward.  Sagittarius is an inherently joyful, hopeful sign that ceaselessly quests for higher knowledge and looks at the big picture of every situation.  Utilize this energy from the space of hope, and feel what is truly important for your growth and mission on a personal level and how that fits in to the collective.  There is so much that we can offer as individuals that can serve others in a positive way.  Knowing that change on the large scale does not happen overnight, but living as if change is here and continuing to feed the energy of connection over division, distraction, or escaping.  We have the power to transmute things in the collective consciousness through our presence and personal journey to truth and clarity.

Wherever we are on the spectrum in that process, there is always another precipice, and a deeper revelation to meet us.  In fact, we may even come to the same realization repeatedly with new wrinkles and layers.  But each step is necessary, as each step is basically a further integration of our higher self – provided we are aspiring to connect with this aspect of ourselves. 

The Full Moon at mid-month brings with it the “work” part of the vision that we are setting in motion now.  At least, it will show us with stark clarity where the work within us really lies, in particular, how our ego self tends to operate against our softer ideals.  At the time of the full moon the Sun will be separating from a conjunction to Saturn and a square to Chiron – both energies which represent lessons, repercussions, and the karmic process of going from our raw, most animalistic qualities to the more refined, integrated and human version.  If we actually work with Saturn (representing our Karmic inheritance and mission) and Chiron (Chiron represents our soul wounds/the force of healing within us), two planets that tend to create a big “ouch” effect for many, we can start to come into contact with this more refined version of ourselves.  But because as a society we are so indoctrinated with fear, we tend to resist the lessons and experience these energies as mostly painful.  As a result of this, many of us stay in our fear and survival urges without ever graduating to our human self in a fully integrated sense.  Somehow I sense that this will be a reminder that we can be so much greater if we can stop getting so hung up on the little things and resist the urge to constantly overreact.

The Full Moon is also strongly supported by the progressive energies of Mars in Aquarius, Jupiter in Libra and Uranus in Aries.  So while it is challenged and burdened by Saturn, et. al. both a Kite formation and a Mystic Rectangle in the chart (both aspecting the full moon) suggest positive synchronicity.  This is a MIND to ACTION energy.  The emotional process serves as a maturity gauge and is a source of great soul searching.  The potential is for a lot of haywire energy if one is not careful – but it is a great energy for manifestation of thoughts into reality, or at least thoughts into motion.  Thus, it is important for us to be measured in the thoughts that we choose to set into motion.

Even as we are breaking out in new directions there is still emotional subconscious processing that is very present.  The full moon is going to be powerfully illuminating of collective thought forms.  I’ve been seeing it for a long time and saying it for a long time, but I can sense the power of the collective mind continuing to grow under these influences – and as the month progresses we’ll go from “seeing” what it is to feeling it in real time.  The tangible reality creates pressure – and people either succumb to it or shift it.  As much as we can, when things come up within us – especially reflections that come to us from the outside – it is most beneficial if we FACE and SHIFT the afflicting energies.  They may feel quite numerous, heavy, and difficult, but this is how to more rapidly transmute the discordant vibrations out there in the world.

What we are dealing with is a sort of spiritual battleground.  The energy is running hot and fast, but within us we need to remain vigilant, centered and grounded.

As we wrap up the nodal transit through Virgo in the next several months, the keys will be to stay focused on Virgos virtues – participation, bringing order to chaos, creating routines, focusing on the here and now, being of service to others, moderation, grounding ourselves through experience (read up on Virgo North Node here).  Now that Neptune, Saturn, and Jupiter have all separated from the nodes, we have weathered a massive onslaught of psychic information and shifting and it feels like we now have the opportunity to integrate this experience and fully arrive at the ultimate lesson of the Virgo North Node this time around, which is also one of the anchoring lessons of these times that we are in.  Staying with the simple, the humble, the natural way – this is the path to the clarity we are seeking and the ultimate truth of how positive change is to be created at this time.

Keep the momentum of change going, stay positive and hopeful – this is the Sagittarius perspective.  What you believe becomes your will.

Well wishes for a happy December – may we all use this time to direct the will of humanity for the greatest good of all.

Peace.

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Astrology of July 2016 – Finding the new Home

This past week in my internal martial arts class, Sifu (Chinese title for master-teacher) went into great depth on the topic of spirit, and how one must learn to move through the will of spirit.  Not just in training and practicing our forms, but in life.  His final instructions to the class were ones that felt quite relevant for the astrology of July:  “Know who you are and what your destiny is – and fulfill it.”

July’s astrology encourages us to really take the leap – to go against the grain -- and find, discover, and be who and what we are at a deeper and more complete level.  The moons this month are a new moon in Cancer on July 4, and a Full Moon in Capricorn on July 18.  This is the axis of creation and represents our innermost foundations and outer identity.  These are the vibrations traditionally associated with mother and father.

One interesting aspect of the July astrology is that we are passing through the space of the now separating Uranus-Pluto square that has been the central force of revolutionary change for the past five years.  At the same time we are also still working with the energy of Mars in Scorpio (now direct) throughout the whole month of July, putting a strong emphasis on completion around the Saturn-Scorpio story that has been ongoing for us since 2012 (but most particularly March 2014 through September 2015).  These elements seem to be operating in tandem this month – with Mars passing through a trine to Chiron (the point of deep wounding) -- and the implication that I sense is a sort of face off / show down between the sacred path and those things that interfere with or pull us from it.

Cancer and Capricorn can be understood as carriers of tradition.  Cancer is the archetype of the nurturing mother and the comfort and safety of home.   Capricorn is the archetype of accomplishment and success through the intelligent maneuvering of society.  But these realms have been shifting in recent years – for all of us.  Everything about what makes home, what makes a career, who we are and how we partner (all of the cardinal archetypes), have been turned on their head under the intense power of the Uranus-Pluto square – and for most, it has not been an easy process.  Social unrest, financial instability, homes and jobs lost, broken systems of government, human rights violations (and wins) – have touched ALL of our lives in some way these past several years, forcing the collective to seriously reevaluate what is real in this world, and what changes need to be applied towards future structures in our lives and society at large.

Yet, to spite the obvious disarray and apparent need for change, our internal programs and feelings of expectation still hold strong.  Even if we’re confident that we are on the right path for us, the territory can still feel unfamiliar, treacherous, and leave us filled with doubt.  At times, we may be inclined to turn back, but when we turn around, we find that there is no “back” at all!  We are essentially stuck in between – the web of the past and the knowledge of the future.  How do we figure it all out?  How do we fix it all?  How do we forgive (ourselves, each other)?  Is it possible to work together?

Mars Retrograde brought us back into the territory of our deep psychological obstacles and wounds through the past two months.  On a higher level, we know we must face these aspects of ourselves, these shadows of our being, in order to do what it is that we are called to do.  But while it sounds good on the surface, there’s a level at which this is actually quite a terrifying proposition – one that we might find ourselves resistant to embrace.  The small self feels protected by the layers of identity that once formed us.  If we let go of “home” – even if “home” is a place rife with dramas and struggles – who the heck are we?  And if we do make this shift into the being of our self that is our future self – our higher self – how can we know if it is authentic if it appears to be so different from where we came?

It is natural for us to now be considering these questions – but important to rise above these concerns and recognize what we are really being asked to focus upon at this time – and that is finding the home within the self.  The New Home.  Home is not where we’re from anymore.  It is not even the long lines of our ancestry.  Home is something entirely different – something beyond location, association, and culture.

What I am sensing is that the evolutionary promises of July’s astrology are a threshold into embracing a higher frequency of the Cancer archetype of unconditional love and the Capricorn archetype of divine authority.  We must all create sacred space and take sacred time in our lives as individuals so that we may transmute the anxieties and fears that befall us, and face the obstacles before us with courage.  The courage arises when we have established our inner anchor and we begin to see ourselves as sovereign.  Everything about who we are culturally is not our true identity – for we have all of us lived in many cultures, many times.  So it is up to us as individuals to make the effort to establish our own roots, and see beyond the veils of expectation and assumption.

We need to heal our wounds and fears around the unseen world.  This has been the hidden undercurrent of the past several years, represented by Chiron’s travels through Pisces – for when we can look at the truth in its many layers with clear eyes, we will see much, much more than we currently are able to, and only then can we actually have the change of heart and mind necessary to realize the deeper possibilities inherent within ourselves and humanity as a group.

“It is so much to sort through – an impenetrable knot of endless conditioning – how can it all be done?”  I hear myself protest.

The answer lies within each individual’s efforts to transcend their own conditionings (e.g. the ideas of how life “should be” that have been told to us by Mom, Dad, society, and even our own karmic self) and take an active part in the creation of those new things and new spaces that are left behind by the wounds of failed or failing structures.

There is a new world beyond this.  A more cooperative reality.  What it needs are different things – different ideas, different approaches, people who are willing to take those gifts that have felt like curses and utilize them in service of the collective force.  Why do you want to let your life be limited when you could be so much more and give so much more?  The fear and resistance we feel, the trepidation – it’s not there to encourage our hiding under the same ol’ same ol’ – it is there to propel us towards our destiny.  It is the discomfort necessary to inspire change.

Surrender to the process in this year of fateful turnings.  It may seem slow, other times it may seem like we’re moving at light speed – but the important part is that we keep going, keep integrating, and continue to be willing to shine our light out to the world – and to always, always hold close to the uncovering and exploration of what is the truth, and who is our true self.

When we practice these things – and come to know our sacred self – we will always find the way.  Without trying so hard!  It is there for you as it is for me, and for all of us.  Remembering this, we can see our fear for what it is and dissolve its influence.

Whatever it is, wherever you are – if it’s in your heart – keep going.  See it through.  Have faith and appreciate.  Your destiny will never desert you.  Only you can desert it.  We are all a part of the bigger picture – and it is incumbent upon us to fulfill our roles – knowing that these roles are not like the ones we’ve known.  Celebrating the awesome ability to be a part of collective creation and evolution.

Honor and embrace the past for what it’s been.  Embrace and honor the future – for what it will be.  Embrace and honor now, with openness and faith that there is something beautiful beyond the veil.  Be confident that the sphere of your abilities and your interests is enough.  It can all be done – if we all stop looking outside, and come back in.  Back home.  To who we really are.  And trust in it.  Because the true self knows the cosmic design, the web of connection, and the plan for your life.  We do not need to strive for what already is.

Sink in.  Just be.

SURRENDER GRACEFULLY ... Summer Solstice Sagittarius Blue Moon

I feel called to begin writing about this relatively rare full moon on the Summer Solstice by first acknowledging that this is the second Sagittarius Full Moon of the year.  It is what qualifies as an astrological “Blue Moon.”  In my personal world, since the last Sagittarius Moon until today’s, I have been in the midst of an arduous and seemingly never-ending moving process – which is my excuse for being so cyber aloof – and one of the reasons why I feel compelled to look at today’s astrology through the book-ends of these moons.  So though this post is about the present astrology (I haven’t quite mastered the art of writing blog posts with a great deal of advanced timing) with a bit of a recap of the past month, I hope you will find it informative and helpful to spite my tardiness.  I expect to do some writing on July sooner rather than later – but felt that June was too important to let it pass by without comment!

The energy of the past month has been intense, to put it lightly.  The key factor at work in the cosmos has been the massive, omnipresent Mutable T-Square between Jupiter, Saturn & Neptune.  This formation has been especially tight the past few weeks (including an exact hit between Saturn & Neptune) – and highlighted by the lunations in mutable signs – Two Sagittarius full moons very much emphasizing the themes of Saturn in Sagittarius – and of course the super whirlwind of the Gemini New Moon which landed right smack dab in the middle of all of the action – rounding off the T-Square (a stressful configuration of three points) to create a full on grand cross (a stressful configuration of FOUR points).  I usually feel the New Moon as a quieter time of the month – but this was absolutely not the case with the Gemini Moon that we just had.  The energy has been extraordinarily volatile and unpredictable. 

The factors here are numerous, so I feel it might be best to break them down a bit.

Two Sagittarius Full Moons and Our Vision

As I mentioned already, the past two consecutive full moons have both been in Sagittarius, the sign of the prophet, truth speaker, and traveler.  This is interesting to me for two reasons – 1) Of course, because it emphasizes the influence of Sagittarius and 2) Because this “Blue Moon” phenomenon happens to also be occurring during Saturn’s transit of Sagittarius – a transit that lasts approximately 2 ½ years that we won’t see again for another 28!

No matter what, Saturn always has a strong influence on what is happening with the collective – because Saturn essentially governs those aspects and structures of society that are more or less agreed upon by the collective.  Saturn in the sign of the truth speaker is really giving us a great deal of feedback surrounding our beliefs.  Sag is an extroverted sign that is known for being bluntly opinionated – and everywhere we look, we are surrounded by “truth” reflections.  In the most prominent news stories, in U.S. politics, in the stream of endless dialogue that is the online social media landscape – beliefs – and their fallibility, their veracity, their quality, etc. – are dominating the conversation.

Full moons have a culminating effect.  And there are a number of stories that have come up recently that seem to be asking us to really look long and hard at some of the beliefs held in the collective subconscious, and how these beliefs are actually quite caustic to the health of our society as a whole.  Though there have been many people concerned about the many human rights & political issues that are currently at the fore of the collective consciousness – I have felt this lunar cycle bring those issues and discussions to a much more central position.  Ultimately this carries with it the potential for a genuine shift.  For Saturn in Sag, it must happen in the heart before it later comes to form.  Our lessons on a personal and societal level under this influence are experiential.  Each and every one of them is informing what it is we need to DO to arrive at the vision that we’ve been striving towards, cultivating & developing.  What’s missing?  What needs to shift?  Be removed?

Sagittarius operates through the journey.  Nothing can be set in stone because we’re still traveling through the layers of ourselves and learning how to get out of our own way.

Mars Retrograde in Scorpio

Also very influential throughout this month of Sagittarius Moon-ness has been the Mars retrograde.  It first dove back into Scorpio territory just a few days before May’s Sag. Moon and go direct at the end of June to finally leave Scorpio on August 2nd.  This transit of Mars through Scorpio connects directly to the Saturn transit of Scorpio that we just recently finished.  Many of us are likely even revisiting an aspect of our life that we thought we had been liberated from only to realize, rather rudely, that there is still a bunch of super un-fun stuff left to do.

Mars in Scorpio is very much connected to our most primal emotions.  As a result the influence cannot be overlooked or underemphasized with reference to the volatility of the recent charts and many of the events that have been brought to public attention.  Scorpio governs issues of power, sexuality, psychology & shared resources – basically all the conversation topics that you try to avoid at the dinner table.  The stuff with complex emotional layers and hidden motives.

For what it’s worth, Mars’ retrograde journey back into Scorpio does give us a chance to really unload some of those persistent hang ups, once and for all.  Both on a personal and bigger social sphere level.   The sooner we can start to embrace the dive back into spaces we’d hoped we were done with, the sooner the shadow work actually gets done.  At the root of it all is access to our place of personal power.  The events of our lives and the reflections brought to us by society all contain the potential for us as individuals to deepen our perception and see beyond the interference.  Empowerment is an inside job.  Always.  But it often involves facing unpleasant truths and exploring what the reality is amidst complicated and conflicting emotions.

Saturn-Neptune Square

This influence has been active since approximately last fall.  Just last week these two had an exact hit right around the time that Neptune was stationing to go retrograde super-fueling the impact.

This combination is very intense, because by nature Saturn and Neptune are basically opposites.  Saturn represents form -- Neptune is all about what is formless.  Saturn is rigid and authoritarian – Neptune is imaginative and spiritual.

On the positive end, Neptune really helps Saturn free itself from its own prison and ultimately put to form the spiritual vision of Neptune.

On the negative end, this influence is EXTREMELY confusing, extremely emotional, and very turbulent.  Why?

Because when you introduce the shadow of Saturn in Sagittarius (self righteous preachy-ness) with the shadow of Neptune in Pisces (deception & illusion) – you have a stew of very unseemly situations that are difficult to see with adequate clarity.  It is also seeming to have an amplifying effect on the deceptions themselves – making deceptive rhetoric more obvious.  Yet to spite this, more insurmountable.

Yes, insurmountable is a word I would use to describe how this influence can feel!!!  For those who are feeling lost or stuck right now, like you can’t see the future and you don’t know why you’re suddenly so down in the dumps, Saturn-Neptune could very well be your culprit, especially if it is making a strong aspect to your chart.  The effect will pass and clarity will return.  One of the absolute best ways to cope with the transit if it is affecting you personally is to allow yourself to remain still and let things settle within.  Even if it means moving a slower pace than you prefer.

Saturn can assist Neptune – but first you have to see through the fog and understand that the erosion or outright collapse of certain structures is a necessary loss in this case.  The purpose of it is to make room for the greater things that are coming.

Mutable T-Square, The Nodes of Fate & Mutability in General

Now add Jupiter to the mix with the Saturn-Neptune square we have the full fledged Mutable T-square.  Currently and throughout the next two or three months, the nodes of fate will also be tightly involved with this Mutable T-square.  What does that all mean?

Well – for one, Jupiter expands things.  So whatever else is going on, Jupiter is over there INTENSIFYING everything.  It can be all the negative scary stuff I mentioned, but it can also be instrumental in manifesting the miraculous – because Jupiter is a beneficial planet that tends to thrive on that sort of thing.  It happens to be traveling through Virgo right now, so the focus is really on getting one’s mundane world straight.  Not Jupiter’s best realm, but an important one nonetheless.  Eat right.  Get a good routine going.  Devote yourself to something -- and you will find everything else much easier to bear.

At the same time, Jupiter is exactly conjunct the north node of fate during today’s Sagittarius full moon.  The nodes also tend to have an amplifying effect – usually of a karmic or inspired sort of nature.  Both of these points traveling together are asking us to grow in the direction of simplicity in order to understand reality – because the collective shadow is in all of the lofty and distant concepts that we cling to but hardly hold water in a real life test.  In so many ways, that’s what this whole cosmic battle of energies boils down to – What is it that WORKS?  What is it that MAKES SENSE?  How do we adjust our lives, our thinking, EVERYTHING according to simple truths and simple human values?

Now I want to talk also about mutability.  In astrology there are three modes of expression… Cardinal which is initiating.  Fixed which is building.  And Mutable – which is transforming.  So if you understand nothing else about any of this understand this:  Right now, in the sky, we have a very large majority of planets and configurations happening in mutable signs – the signs that are most reflective of change.  Everything is changing!  Rapidly!  And there’s not much we can do to try and control it.

In your own life, I recommend really working on staying centered in order to guide the process.  But holding on is totally futile, so try not to do it.  If you feel like you’re barely keeping up, the best thing to do is surrender to the flow of things.  Surrender will save a lot of pain and strife, not to mention help you conserve your energy for when it is most important.

 New Moon & The Venus Star Point

As I spoke of earlier, in the midst of all of this came the Gemini New Moon on June 4. It was a SUPER CHARGED New Moon that was connecting to all of this potent change energy – and also happened to coincide with the conjunction of Venus & the Sun – referred to in Astrology as the Venus Star Point.  This is a moment when our desires (Venus) are directly in line with our ego self.

The recent New Moon in Gemini was one of the biggest moons of the year BECAUSE it packed some serious mind-to-reality manifesting power.  It brought with it an acceleration of the energies and has thrown us full force into the change alchemy that is represented by the mutable T-Square.  It was kind of like a point of no return.  A jumping off point. 

Gemini is a sign of choices.  And so I see this New Moon also as a sort of choice point.  There are a lot of possibilities, and then also some firm decisions.  Plenty of options in current situations – but it seems like the fundamentals have been made clear.

Full Moon on the Summer Solstice

And – at last!  Today.  The Summer Solstice.  The Full Moon.  Moon & Sun at their height of power on the same day.  The summer season beginning.  The second Sagittarius full moon of the year.

This is a moon that contains all that I wrote about already and has a specific emphasis on healing.  This is the healing of what it is unseen, invisible, and quite unconscious.  It is the healing of what is harbored in the collective, and in many ways beyond our scope of even knowing.

One thing I have noticed during this year is that we’ve been seeing a lot of cultural icons pass whose lives were oriented towards integrity of self.  I feel this is reflecting to us a reminder and review of how truth and authenticity really show up when embodied.  In this time where it is so easy to get sidetracked, distracted, confused, or lost in complexities – we need these reminders.  The transmission of these figures is to utilize the lessons left in the wake of others to courageously awaken our own authenticity and create ourselves in the image of resilience, transparency, discipline – and absolute self honesty.

Self honesty is really the bottom line here.  That is the key to the Sagittarius quest.  Who are we really, and will we have the all out gumption to be that person – to spite all obstacles, to spite our fears and misgivings, to spite danger, to spite expectation – but to do right and be righteous because it is right and righteous to be so.  Because we are an example for other people, and because the health of our world depends on the integrity of each and every one of its inhabitants.

So we must heal this confusion within ourselves that prevents us from stepping fully into our divine power.  We must find a way to transcend all of the masks we wear and have worn… to step out of the habituated patterns… and keep tabs on our “big vision.”  We were who we were.  We live where we live.  We don’t need to do all that the same way next time.  The fear that cycles repeat themselves inevitably & forever is among the countless purposeless fears that our entire collective has invested in.  We need to reach further – not because of some kind of grandiosity – but because of necessity.

Because it is so appropriately perfect, I wish to conclude this essay with Ellias Lonsdale’s passage on the degree of 29 Sagittarius – the degree of this full moon.

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SAGITTARIUS 29
The ritual slaughtering of a lamb. 
It is so hard to give up your fondest notions. It is so testing and trying to be asked by universal spirit to surrender your privileges, to renounce your claim upon your own life. And it is even an extreme act of self-transcendence to come to terms with the position you find yourself in as it really is. Ego-busting comes as a rude shock, even when the time is at hand to leap beyond your own shadow. The very idea draws out to the surface every resistance imaginable. The mind goes crazy with this edge. If only you could control it, manipulate it, relativize it. But excruciating self-awareness accompanies this edge--in particular no sentimentality towards your own excuses and reasons. For you are at that point where there is no place to hide and nothing to do except surrender gracefully, when you have exhausted every other option and found them to be null and void.

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Surrender gracefully – to who you are, where you are going, and to your higher mission.  Your service is needed here. 

Much love.

Full Moon in Gemini // Feeling Overwhelmed? // Saturn Neptune Square, Virgo North Node

I had no intention of writing anything about this full moon. My life has been in a FLOW lately. A good flow, but also a busy one. Even though on the one hand, my schedule seems completely conquerable and normal, this other part of me finds itself easily overwhelmed by the simplest, smallest little things. A sign of the times, no doubt. But nonetheless, some murmurings crossed my vision today about this moon and the astrology of late and I felt it pertinent to offer some context, and perhaps solace, to those that this may reach. While I could really break down the whole chart for the full moon piece by piece if I wished, I feel it can be summarized more simply by just a few major aspects: The first perfection of the Saturn-Neptune Square, the recent transition of the North Node into Virgo, and the influence of Chiron & Jupiter.

The short story of all of that? The energy of vulnerability, of wounding, and of feeling adrift at sea is king right now in the cosmic soup. And if you are feeling somewhat bereft, you are most definitely not alone!

The extremely powerful 11/11 New Moon came across to me as an opening for monumental change, and a choice point for the world – on its simplest level, I felt it brought forward a recognition of (or need to recognize) the true power of consciousness. Almost immediately after the new moon, as the nodes shifted into Virgo/Pisces, a number of alarming news stories appeared before us. I watched for a brief moment as the emotion of compassion began dividing, and even the reality of tragedy seemed itself to quickly spiral away into the cloud of discourse, dialogue, and debate. I could feel the earth aching to such a degree that it all seemed to descend into this fuzzy mass of pointlessness. It occurred to me, suddenly, that what was important here had nothing to do with the details – the key to it all was within the realm of PURE CONSCIOUSNESS. Peace, if it can be achieved, will only ever have staying power if the people carry the vibration of peace, safety, and trust deeply within our own psyches. All of the complexity that resides above the level of pure compassion, is actually just a human constructed illusion of separation and isn’t really fundamentally important. OK – OK, I know that this might sound somewhat Pollyanna-ish to some people, but bear with me.

You can say that the realm of Pisces is the realm of consciousness. It is where we experience the authentic purity of ONENESS with all. It is also the realm of illusions, of the “fog,” muddy waters, so on. With the South Node in Pisces we are dealing DIRECTLY with the issues of this realm as a world. The way I see it – the transition of the North Node into Virgo (South Node Pisces) was the true transition & trigger point for the massive mutable T-Square between Saturn, Neptune & Jupiter that is dominating this month, this season, and 2016. Having made our way through so many intense, physically & emotionally powerful changes in the past decade or so… and the past few months really orienting our most basic attitudes around “what is mine” and “what is yours”… we’ve now crossed into a stage where THE MIND IS KEY. Mutable energy TRANSFORMS. That is its role in the Zodiac. So what we are working with most acutely in the next 18 months while the nodes transit one of the most active areas of the sky right now, is how we transform our own minds to banish illusion and arrive at the truth (which is to say, the heart of compassion and the spirit of wholeness among people – higher form Pisces) – AND – how we intend to bring that down to earth in the most mundane, day-to-day aspects of our reality (Virgo).

Pisces energy does not care about the details. At its worst it can live with senseless religious fervor, a zealot that knows no boundaries or reason – and holds to its dream as gospel. But on its highest level it sees far beyond the earthly straight into the soul. It is a HIGHLY impressionable energy. People who identify as empaths usually have a strong Pisces or Neptune energy in their charts, and can certainly understand how easily another person’s vibes can suddenly become your own. As such, it is easy for Pisces energy to fall into despair, fear, anxiety and helplessness. But there is ALWAYS A CHOICE. Just because these emotions exist and we can receive them so easily from the messages in our environment, does not mean we have to let it all in. Just as those things can influence us, we can turn right back around and influence our environment to say, “No! I’m going to feel happy, peaceful, and safe... I am going to choose to be in my light and in my strength, rather than let something outside of me cast shadows on my heart.” And one excellent way to activate our higher form Pisces is through the everyday discipline, routine, and devotion of Virgo. Virgo creates the container in which spirit can flow. It sets up the boundaries, it discerns what is suitable, and it strives for health in a physical & mental sense. Virgo is what keeps it real, because it’s always asking the question, “Does this work for me? Is this useful?” If you look at your life and some part of it is falling to total decay because of your spiritual beliefs, Virgo energy will strive to correct this deficiency… but we must learn to accept responsibility, receive criticism, and have some discipline about our lives.

Speaking positive affirmations is one thing, but living them is another. And this is an energy that is saying to us – LIVE YOUR VISION. LIVE YOUR TRUTH. Stop saying you want peace in the world and then spend your time arguing and getting mad about everything. Do the WORK. Find methods that help you create REAL TRANSFORMATION in your day-to-day, on the ground, here and now life.   Practice peace even –and especially- when people around you are not acting peaceful. Really feel it. Really explore what that means... And be willing to be a student and a servant to higher truth. It is not the talk of peace, compassion & love that changes things, it is the embodiment of it. The message I have been receiving is that we are in a time where the consciousness of I can have rapid and far-reaching effects on the All and that is what this time is all about. Understanding that the morphic field of consciousness energy that encapsulates the earth is just as powerful, if not more powerful, than the physical realities. And right now that field has holes, dark spots, and decay. It’s filled with so much hurt and sadness. People who bring light to this earth aura CAN influence its healing.

Connected to this is the Saturn-Neptune Square, and Jupiter/Chiron aspect that we see in the Gemini Full Moon Chart. Gemini is the messenger and I am feeling this moon as “providing the information.” The full moon is in close relationship with the Saturn/Neptune aspect, which actually perfects on Thursday. Though this aspect has been up in the sky intermittently throughout the year, the real tone of it still seems to be forming. Of all involved parties, Neptune is the most powerful in its home sign of Pisces. Saturn, the planet of structure and truth, meeting Neptune the planet of the formless, unseen, ocean of change in a stressful configuration can feel extremely depressing and difficult. On the one hand, Saturn has a role to create its world to Neptune’s bidding – which is of course, the “dream” – but it cannot do so until the crud has been washed away. And Neptune energy can come in like a tsunami, wiping away parts of our ego consciousness that we didn’t even know existed until they were gone. In light of what has been coming through for me as I write this article, I can really see that the ideas around what we have always held to be right and righteous (Saturn in Sag) are really coming up for question. Many years ago, what was appropriate in the consciousness of the culture, does not fit anymore. In fact, the amount of ill-fitting things seem to greatly outnumber the things that do agree. So what comes in its place? Truly we cannot get to that answer without fully clearing the old stuff first. That’s the way Neptune rolls. Whether you are experiencing this personally, or at a world level, there is always a great deal of muck mucking before the sun shines through in a Neptune transit. But the clarity once you get there is astonishingly clear. Your soul seems almost brand new again!

There is of course, yet another layer. While Saturn deals with structures and beliefs – Neptune deals with grief. As much as these things can seem separate, they are actually quite intertwined. Sometimes we develop habits to prevent ourselves from having to experience pain. This in turn creates this whole blockage around the process of our vision.   Sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves is acknowledge that we feel completely shattered and helpless. Amazing things happen when grieving processes are allowed to run their course – especially ones that have been harbored and stopped up for a very long time. Have you ever had one of those moments where you’ve been crying hysterically and inconsolably for hours over something, and then suddenly, out of nowhere, you stop crying and get this strong feeling of fortification, aliveness and clarity? That is the Neptune archetype in a nutshell! When Saturn comes into the mix we may also find ourselves grieving the things that are breaking down within us – a particular pathway we’d wanted to walk, a face we wore, a person we grew apart from – and noticing, with wonder, that even the littlest of these things was once important to us. And, in its own way, was creating a little sad dark spot on our spirit, no matter how innocuous it may seem. We might be confused by this because these things don’t always seem overtly negative, but it is like wearing old clothes, if they don’t fit you anymore why are you trying to stay so attached? What is that doing for you? Really?

The bottom line that I feel from these aspects being illuminated by this Gemini messenger moon, which we will be working with for the next several years, is “Soul Clearing.” What we are doing right now, individually, and as a world, is reuniting with our true spirit and bringing that once hidden part of ourselves into our mundane lives. Now is the time to “be the change” and trust in the fruit of change over the poison of fear.

Earlier today I had the insight that transformation only occurs in our lives when we enter into the still point of our being. This is our central essence. In fact, during the Scorpio New Moon on 11/11 the transmission that I received most strongly from the cosmic was to “Surrender every part of yourself but the part that is unchanging and eternal.” Now at this full moon that transmission seems to have evolved to go on to say that in order to fully enter that place of surrender, we need to fully enter into the unchanging absolute self. This essence self, this core being is the element of us that is connected to All. And we can get there through conscious abiding… meditation, art, qigong – whatever you do in your life that brings you to your pure and natural spirit, you need to use to cross into this space of being, and expand it. The expansion of the true self sheds, evolves, and transforms our lives naturally and effortlessly. It is through this that we become who we’re supposed to be. It is through this that we balance and heal ourselves. It is through this that we can break through the shackles of our self imposed limitations and life conditioning – and in turn influence and expand that internal consciousness of others. Allow yourself to empty in order to be filled with the universal and there will be no obstacles.

Words I wrote earlier, that I wish to share again here…

“The stillness within us knows that change is life and can accept anything... It is like a stone in the ocean... Storms or sunny days are all the same. It is here where we reside in our natural spirit. We are just lights floating around in a material world... Gains and losses come and go but the light is unflinching. In truth these pains are not really ours... And the losses are not gone. They are mere experiences, mere lessons, to remind the light of itself. And carry on.”

Peace and light to you in this time of change. May we always find the silver lining.

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! 

Outworn Beliefs

Much has been going on this eclipse season. The first eclipse saw harsh aspects between Saturn & Mars implying some serious standoffs and major adjustments that we needed to make in our lives. The second eclipse also occurred at the same time the moon occulted (eclipsed) mercury and mars, meaning we had a triple eclipse! Revelations, insights, and new beginnings came to us on three levels -- feeling, thinking, and doing. The final eclipse occurs around midnight on May 25 with aspects reiterating my earlier post about spiritual service and revelations regarding the path to the future. These eclipses have been really powerful and seem to be profoundly karmic. We are being asked to take responsibility for ourselves, rid ourselves of outworn belief systems and structures, and change -- FAST! I see this as a major transitional period and tipping point. Just stand back and watch what unfolds. Do your best to make positive and growth oriented decisions for they will have a lasting impact on your life. Pay attention to messages you receive and the changes afoot -- and enjoy the ride!!!