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.

Mercury Retrograde in Gemini: Serious Evaluation

Mercury retrograde is a cyclical event that occurs about 3 times a year. Other planets go retrograde as well, about once a year. A quick and dirty understanding of the phenomenon – “retrograde” simply refers to a period where from the earth’s vantage point a planetary body appears to move backwards in the sky. This is due to the orbit of the planet in relation to us, and is thus reflected in our astrological maps and in the energetic feeling of that planetary body. Retrograde cycles are times for reevaluation and inward reflection on the area of life represented by that particular planet. Mercury governs the mind – in particular, thought and communication – so its direct impact on one of the most basic and fundamental aspects of ordinary life is one of the reasons why we tend to feel its effects so strongly. Now, as an astrologer I feel it is important and necessary to note that not ALL of the crazy upsets that happen during a retrograde are because of Mercury Retrograde (Has anyone else noticed that Mercury Retrograde is the scapegoat for all of life’s problems?) – however, there is no denying that our rational facilities become somewhat debilitated during the Mercury Retrograde cycle – and so any triggering aspects can be greatly magnified. And lately, there have been a LOT of triggering aspects. Simply know that whatever happens during Mercury Retrograde – the primary function of this cycle is to be a mental reset button. Our mental sphere is taking a break from its forward motion and pausing to reevaluate.

So I am calling this Mercury Retrograde cycle “Serious Evaluation.” Why?

One of the major correlations I am feeling with this Mercury Retrograde is its connection with the Saturn Retrograde cycle that started back in March. As of December, Saturn began its movement into Sagittarius after two years in the sign of Scorpio, only to move retrograde shortly thereafter, where it shall return to Scorpio for a few months this summer. Basically, we have some unfinished Karmic business in the Scorpio sector of our lives and we’re heading back into the themes of last year, particularly late fall, to finish up what we started. This Saturn Retrograde cycle is significant because it indicates both an ending and a beginning that is reflected by the cosmic interplay of 2015 as a whole. In my most recent articles I wrote a great deal about how the energies of March and April were bringing us forward into a new energetic context from the inside out. Now it is nearly June, and I am feeling that these new energies are definitely with us, but we are being urged now to purify our lives to an even greater level in order to align with them properly. Those areas where we have weakness or confusion are coming forward to be addressed in a big way. We are essentially undergoing a major overhaul in our collective perspective, and so as individuals are charged with the task of finding the truth of our own lives. Who are we as individuals when we are not wearing the masks or abiding the structures set for us by society? And then, what is our contribution as individuals toward the creation of a more balanced society?

So I really am feeling and seeing this Mercury Retrograde cycle as a focused phase of the larger Saturn Retrograde cycle. We’re being directed to observe not just the physical and structural obstacles to expansion and growth in our lives, but also the mental. For myself, a lot of themes from last summer and fall have already resurfaced and I have been finding myself saying, “Oh no, I’m not getting stuck in that rut again!” And working, actively, to change my attitude and mental blocks or else see the whole summer pass me by with the same unending dilemmas. This shifting has allowed for creative solutions to problems and to perceive the many options available that were previously invisible to me. A little flexibility in thinking can go a long way towards achieving desired results. Sometimes we might have to change course a bit, do something over, or re-experience a less favorable situation to come to clarity about what we really need to do. It’s all there to help us learn, and to bring us in alignment with the proper track.

Mercury Retrograde is also often known as a period for rekindling past connections and being visited by ghosts. These past teachers are cropping up all over – even from the distant past – and it being Mercury in its favorite sign Gemini – all of these people and things have messages for us. What are they? Memories of times that were easier, lighter, more free? What about those times is missing in your present life? How have you changed, grown, and matured since then? On the other hand, perhaps you have past memories that are showing themselves through emotional triggers. Where do these things come from? What is their present day cause? What is their deeper source? What are the steps to bring the shadow aspects of ourselves into the light of consciousness and heal?

We might be reevaluating our work life, the dynamics of our relationships, or realizing the holes that exist in our relationship with ourselves. Sometimes we can look at past situations and see the errors that we perpetuate. Sometimes we look at our past life and are reminded of things we’ve left behind, but perhaps never meant to. Have we forgotten the sweetness of life? The innocence of things before we got stuck in the cycle of “work?” Whether it be working on ourselves, working a job, working a business – are all of our pursuits really feeding our spirit?

Another aspect of this retrograde in Gemini that speaks to me is the nature of information, words, and the tricks of the mind. We live in a culture that is basically on information overload at all times and the influence of this borg of information on our consciousness must certainly be unprecedented, for better or worse. Give your brain a break. We can’t be all things at all times to all people. Gemini loves to play all roles and prides itself in its ability to adapt and take on many different kinds of projects. Quick witted Gemini can learn to fix a bike, aspire to be a yoga expert, write a novel, and remember the most specific details about any topic that has ever piqued their interest – all within the span of 5 minutes -- but there is a reason some people out there are specialists. There is a lot to be said for simply unplugging and focusing on what we really know, and what’s important for us as individuals to develop. That means not allowing ourselves to be scattered by envy for what Sally is up to, tripping over the standards set by others for what life should look like, or even just feeling that we need to take on certain tasks just because it’s slightly cheaper to DIY. In life people commonly say, “Pick your battles.” When it comes to our self-development I would echo this sentiment – “Pick your direction.” And don’t worry about how it compares… if your work/life/love/etc. is honest, and coming from the heart, it should be totally unique. Our unique contribution is what makes life interesting and rich.

The final subject I want to touch on is somewhat more mundane. Everything Gemini comes in pairs… so during Mercury Retrograde in Gemini expect to have to do just about everything multiple times and don’t sweat it. Bought something and brought it home but now it’s too big, small, etc? Just take it back and get another one. You might have to do it twice, even three or four times. But in the end you’ll find the thing that works just right. Accept that everything, in this moment in time, is a process of getting to “just right.” It might not seem very productive, but the idea that we need to “get it done now” and “have it right the first time” is a mental disease in itself as it keeps us in a state of anxiety. Use this time to yield, allow events to take their natural course, and learn to trust that all things work out as they should whether we try to force them, or not. Sometimes we hit it right the first time, sometimes we have to take our time. We are going through changes right now – and so what would have been right before, might not be right anymore. It can take time to see, and feel, the new truth.

Change your mind, change your life. It’s all an inner process – no matter what is vexing, ailing, or holding us up – even if it seems like another person or thing -- it all resides within us. Feel the feelings, let the dust settle, trust that everything will become clear very soon. Make positive choices for your health, your growth, and your peace of mind. We are all capable of freeing ourselves from even the most ingrained patterns and beliefs. Mercury retrograde phases are excellent for doing just that. Take time. Really look at your inner world. Reform, reshape, reevaluate as necessary. Rinse, repeat.

See you on the other side…

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.

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

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!!!