neptune in pisces

A New Vision: The Pisces / Aries Transition

Hello everyone! Happy Spring!

I apologize for not releasing my usual Lunar New Year article this year —  I have been working on writing for this extraordinarily potent year, but I have been delayed on all projects due to recovery from Hurricane Helene on my property. Fortunately, I came away from the storm with minimal damages to my home, but in the harrowing morning hours of September 27 about 50 trees went down all around my house.  Like most others in Western North Carolina, I have been navigating the stresses of wind, rain and fire continuing to afflict our tenuous infrastructure, hiring workers to complete repairs and help with other aspects of cleanup, as well as attempting to clear some tiny portion of debris myself for the county pickup.  It is like trying to shovel the snow off of Mount Everest, but my problems are small relative to many.  Every day now I am grateful to be alive and in safe shelter — able to continue my work, and be with my loved ones and community.

In addition to those logistical delays, I have also been slowed down by the immense challenge of distilling the astrological influences of this current time due to the sheer quantity and complexity of the factors involved.  Because of this, I have decided to break form and release several articles covering different topics individually.  This is an approach I have wanted to transition to for quite some time but had put aside for the last several years in order to focus on other needs.  Although the reality remains that I do not have a lot of time to devote to writing, it feels important to offer this service in this critical season.

More and more, everything that we do is about following the flow of spirit, and my work with astrology is no exception.  It is my belief that we are in an era where our evolution and growth comes through spiritual integration and inner work.  It is through the alchemy of the inner worlds that we can become stewards of a new creation.

We must learn to perceive beyond the obvious and feel into the currents of the spiritual world.  Only when we hone our skills of inner listening, insight, transmutation and integration, are we capable of proper orientation to the changes we are experiencing. Whether for our own path, work that we are doing for others, or in larger society — learning to see the “invisible” forces at play, and discern natural spiritual impulses from human distortions, is absolutely critical to pass through this crossroads in the best way possible.

The perspective that I am driven to pursue in my studies, which, in turn, I am hoping to impart, is part astrological and part mystical.  I have found over the last 5 years or so, that trying to tie my writing too strictly to astrology tends to be confining.  It is easy for me to observe the tapestry of interwoven factors and their many layers — but not as easy to break down each piece in writing without it becoming excessively complex.  Each factor also has tendency to fractalize once it hits some sort of formal structure, so it can become both unfocused and unwieldy very quickly.

In these last 5-6 years, I have been receiving a lot of information — both through ongoing study and my own observations and insight.  After encountering struggles trying to concretize what I was receiving into writing or other creative formats, I surrendered to the process and trusted that there would eventually come a time when it was meant for me to share again with the public.  After these years of integrating, I feel grateful to start transitioning again into a more active phase with this work.  I understand now that the time with the information was necessary, as I needed to come to a clearer understanding of the energetic dynamics at work in our world, and develop a realistic perspective on how we can become active participants in influencing a positive direction for our society.

In my primary work as an internal martial arts practitioner and instructor, I focus daily on the cultivation of Qi and the embodiment of Taoist principles through mind-body-spirit practices.  This is a form of study that offers direct experience of natural laws in the body.  Such work also gives us greater access to the spiritual streams that exist around us, as well as awareness of those that we inhabit based off of our state of being and consciousness.

Just knowing that we are in a period of change is not enough.  We must also participate in the process through conscious practices that cultivate our spirit and transmute our personal and collective karmas.  This is the responsibility of every individual.  Of course, it is understood that everyone is in a different place in their personal journey and path, and so what this means in practice will look very different from person to person.  Regardless of the method, quantity, or ability, to do an inch of sincere personal growth is worth a mile of theory and talk.  No matter how attractive it is to get lost in the realm knowledge and mind, the power is in the work.  Each and every day we choose our focus.  It is not necessary to exhibit perfection, but rather integrity, sincerity, and authenticity.

With all of that said, my goal for this work at this time is to remain open ended and flexible with regard to both the formatting and the subject matter of each piece.  I expect these articles will involve some degree of astrological timeliness, but the focus is going to be more towards the larger, broader, more timeless themes that I feel are important to highlight.  I don’t want to put designs on it too much beyond that, as I feel it is important to just simply go with the flow and let it be what it is meant to be.  But I also felt it was important to spell out my thinking a bit so that you can understand where I am coming from with this approach.

For this article I will be focusing on what I am calling the “Pisces/Aries Transition.”  In particular, I would like to zero in on some messages that I received in recent months about releasing the old epoch and opening to the new energies.  This is a very important theme for 2025, reflected across the board in the Western astrological cycles, and emphasized further in the Eastern zodiac by the fact that we are in the year of the Snake, a sign that is all about digesting old karma, shedding your skin, and transformation.

For the astrological minded the Pisces/Aries transition includes:

  • Both Neptune and Saturn completing their transit in Pisces and moving into Aries, eventually coming into a conjunction at the World Axis point of 0 degrees of Aries — the first degree of the first sign of the zodiac.  This is a significant and symbolic transition calling forth a new vision for the world.  Neptune dreams and Saturn manifests.  This transitional energy is particularly active from March 2025-February 2026, at which point both planets will remain in Aries for several years.  Neptune makes its first ingress into Aries this month, on March 30, 2025.

  • The North Node leaving the sign of Aries and beginning its transit of Pisces (January 2025 - July 2026) — the transit of the Lunar Nodes brings forward a particular karmic and emotional process for the collective.  In this case, the nodes moving into Pisces/Virgo is about releasing the critical, pre-planned and known, in order to follow the unmapped vision of the soul.

  • The North Node coming into conjunction with Neptune, bringing forward important messages for the world as Neptune prepares to leave this sign (February 2025).

  • Both Venus and Mercury going retrograde over the Aries/Pisces cusp in March-April 2025 — bringing this energy more directly into the conscious mind and mundane reality.  Both Venus and Mercury will encounter Neptune as it moves from Pisces to Aries this month (March 2025), which amplifies the energy of this transition even further.  The tension of the changes will be felt actively through the vectors of these planets:  Communications, Technology, Thought, Mind, Finances, Values and Relationships.

  • The eclipses of September/October 2024 and March 2025, both containing energies from the new Pisces/Virgo cycle and the completing Aries/Libra cycle.  Unlike the planets, the Lunar Nodes travel retrograde through the zodiac as a default.  So we have already been doing some work on the cultivation of healthy Aries energy — releasing codependency and learning to be ourselves more firmly.  All four eclipses have a strong connection with Neptune.  The September/October Eclipse portal truly brought in the Piscean themes of storms and surrender as reflected through the impacts of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.  The eclipses this month will be equally potent, given that they are concurrent with, and aligned with, the afore mentioned Venus/Mercury Retrograde and Neptune Aries Ingress.

From the perspective of many astrologers, March is the most intense month of the year, and you can clearly see why based on the above list of events.  This is an extraordinary confluence of different factors aligning over a very small patch of sky at the point of a major outer planet sign change.  It is a poetic orchestration — almost as if the cosmos is aiding us specifically to make sure we finish our Pisces business completely by 2026, when all of the major outer planet fluctuation settles and we can begin to fully orient in the new energies rising.  Interestingly, this is also mirrored at a macrocosmic level with the shift of the ages from Pisces to Aquarius — however, I will digress on that topic for now, as it is a subject for another article.

As you have likely already felt, the new energies coming in are fast moving.  We are transitioning from a long sit with outer planets in Earth & Water signs (more yin in quality) that are naturally more slow to develop — to quick, impulsive and unpredictable Air & Fire signs (Aquarius, Gemini and Aries respectively).  This new period is not a time where we will get to contemplate and dwell upon all of our problems in the manner that we have perhaps become accustomed.  It is a time of action and a time when thought moves into action much more readily than before.  The sheer amount of change and information coming in from all levels (mundane and spiritual), will be far too much for us to process in this clinging style.  Thus, it is important for us to master a number of the key lessons from the Neptune in Pisces period, especially its most essential qualities — release, intuitive listening and going with the flow.

In Taoist work, the fundamental principle of reality is that change is the unchanging.  Therefore the philosophy, lifestyle and practices that emerge from the Taoist perspective are centered around how to understand and align with change.  At this time, we are moving into a new era that is fundamentally different in its operation from the previous one.  Many are resistant to this change and clinging to the old, dying matrix — attempting to resuscitate what has already passed.

The truth is that we cannot stop this transformation.  It is the cosmic destiny of this time period.  All that is occurring is a natural expression of this process.  Instead of resistance, what is more beneficial is to join with the energy of change.  In this way, we become empowered participants and capable of influence.  This is one of the themes of Neptune in Aries — vision and creation through spiritually integrated individualism.  

With Neptune’s transit through Pisces we have seen the power of influence through Piscean sources — dogmas and thought clouds of all kinds develop instantaneously through digital media.  But it remains ephemeral.  Words and feelings expressed into the world do not necessarily equate actions or change.  Nonetheless, the state of collective consciousness, whether for better or worse, has certainly become more apparent.

What we have gained from this Neptune in Pisces transit is a greater understanding of our psychic interconnectedness.  For the spiritually oriented, this has been an important period for developing greater sensitivity, insight and perception.  On the mundane level, we have observed, through the use of our digital devices, the positive and negative impacts that result from constant exposure to emotionally charged people & situations, as well as the influence of deceptive and manipulative information via social media and traditional media sources.

On the positive side, there is now a greater awareness of spiritual realities and the impacts of unseen forces upon our minds.  This has encouraged more empathy and brought into consciousness the need for discernment and boundaries in all areas of life.  However, even the virtues of the Piscean Archetype also has its excesses.  Collective psychosis and mass confusion have been intensified under these energies.  Too much involvement with the drone of human chatter over natural, simple truths fuels this distortion.  There is no question that all of this creates a drain on our energy that never existed before, and is a factor in declining mental health for many people.

What is needed now is a more conscious and directed understanding of our energetic relationship with life, with nature, and with other people.  For the last 14 years of Neptune’s transit in Pisces, we have been discovering and opening to deeper sensitivity without much direction.  As Neptune moves into Aries, all that we have learned must now be rallied into alignment for us to take the next steps and go deeper.

As a martial artist, it is clear to my mind that the symbolism of Neptune in Aries in its higher manifestations evokes the idea of the Warrior Spirit.  This is a person who is grounded in their relationship with heaven and earth, who embodies peace, but is capable of great strength and courage when called upon to act.  The Warrior Spirit is a state of being where one is deeply connected to natural law and also ready to meet any challenge with unbendable will.  This is a will developed through daily focus, daily discipline, and spiritual self sufficiency.  A confidence that is true, based on hard work and effort.

The Warrior Spirit is not an energy of arrogance, nor is it based on physical abilities.  It is about the sharpening of the will, and the embodiment of one’s highest virtues.  It is about becoming unified in all aspects of self with such perfection that one is able to wield the full expression of universal forces with clarity and precision.

In the fast moving energy of these coming times, personal authenticity and directness are very important. Any disorderly behavior will have stronger ripple effects upon us and others around us.  For this reason, we will find it more imperative to remove inner contradictions and clarify our actions.

Likewise, we will also be navigating a morass of hotter tempers and difficult behaviors all around us in our outer world.  So we have the decision to make:  Are we going to be an agent of peace, or of war?  Do our actions and words today call people together in strength, or drive division?  True strength is holding to peace under the great pressure of war.

It has been my perspective for a while now that the Aquarian age is about finding the appropriate balance between collective and individual needs — and that we need to work first on becoming spiritually sovereign as individuals before we can build healthy collectives.  This is because we need to do the personal work of repatterning ourselves to operate in alignment with our soul’s process and path over our alignment with society’s conditioning.  This is the only way to build a new way forward that does not repeat the same cycles and mistakes of the past.  The new society is one that emerges through us, so we must clear the way for that process to occur.

Neptune in Aries is the genesis of this new creation.  Aries is the beginning, the pioneer — in this phase we should remain open and curious.  Get comfortable with not knowing.  Experiment and enjoy the challenges — embrace breaking from convention.  Have no agenda — only a clarity of purpose to keep discovering your purpose.  The more integrated we are on all levels, the more capable we are to be a part of the positive potential that underlies all of the turmoil we will face in the coming years.  Equally important is to stay in touch with the true self and the grounded reality of natural order, as we will soon be entering a new phase of technological acceleration which will tempt us into further distraction and disconnection.

Neptune in Aries will also likely be a time of collective identity crisis.  The moment that we are in is one of flux between the old world and the new.  All of us will be trying to understand who we are in the changing reality, and this will be highly distressing for many people who have been attached to the old order.  The first step to enduring this process is ultimately to accept that the world is changing — as it is meant to — and that there are many things on the world stage playing out that the average person has no control over.  Attachment to this chaos will quickly become tiring and wasteful.  Observe it, and let it go.  Know that this too shall pass and that nothing is permanent.  We are writing a new story, and there will be flexibility for corrections and further changes down the road.

In the meantime, what we can do is focus on continuously moving the energies of the old matrix into a process of transmutation.  To let go of the old, completely, within ourselves, is the first step to making room for something new to emerge.  The powers that dominate our world today are also attempting to change with the times, so this is not to make light of the real perils that exist, but rather to express the importance of our own power through energy to guide the nature of this transformation in the long term and to overcome the karmas that these problems represent.

For guidance on how to do this, I would like to share what I received about working with change and releasing old energies here.

Working With Change

BE PRESENT

To be present is one of the most common concepts across spiritual perspectives, and one that is more relevant than ever.  In our often noisy human minds, in an increasingly noisy modern world, it is easy to get caught in loops of rumination over the past and projections of hypothetical futures — but not so easy to sit fully in the here and now.  But why does it matter?  What does “Being Present” do for us that is any different from any other state?

The most important thing that we can cultivate in times of change is resilience of our own personal center.  To be present and still each day allows all aspects of the being to come together, which in turn allows us to meet the moment in a manner that is more true and clear.  If we can still ourselves enough for the constant movement of the mind to settle, even for a little while, we can become aware of how easily we get carried away into the many thought streams and mind clouds — and evaluate more honestly the state of our own energy, the nature of energies around us, and what the best use of our focus is in that day.

When we build our own center and tune our awareness in this way, we are more resilient to changes and shifts in direction.  There are a few reasons why this is.  First, because we have stabilized our own center, we are not as easily pulled into chaotic thought storms.  Second, because we have cultivated greater stillness, we are more open to our intuition and can begin to feel when changes are approaching, or receive guidance as to our next steps in the midst of a change.

We live in a time where energy is changing day by day, and chaos is increasing in the world.  To be present is to be responsive and adaptable to the changing conditions.  When we are present we face what is — not what we wish, not what we believe — and as a result we move in closer proximity to reality.  Our visions are less theoretical and more actionable, thus more effective.

When we are present we are also more open and able to access new ideas.  As I have mentioned already, new ways forward will emerge from within us.  To stay in fearfulness and attachment about past and future, is in essence continuing the loop of the past.  To close the loop we need to step out of the loop entirely.  To reinvent the wheel based off of a past paradigm is not true creation.  The new emerges from what we don’t yet know, from what we can’t yet see, and through exploration.  There is no external guidebook telling us the steps.  We have to experiment and find our way ourselves.  And we do this through the journey inward.

All of nature is in a state of constant change.  Some realities are expanding, others are fading away.  The past provides essential frameworks for us to work from, and develop ourselves through — but all is evolving, even our frameworks.  To be present is to be able to listen to the true message of the day.  To take what is perennial, to understand the essence — and then to join with those factors in their evolving process.  If we try to define, we constrict.  But if we stay open to the reality of movement, and of change, we are closer to truth.  And closer, therefore, to right action.

CHANGE IS AN OPPORTUNITY

It is a natural response of our human ego to fear change.  In every major change there are unknown and uncontrollable circumstances and outcomes.  Equally, in every major change — there is an opportunity for a new path.

Certainly, there are forces in our world today that are attempting to guide changes in directions advantageous to them.  The battles fought between the powerful place ordinary citizens as collateral.  They treat us like chess pieces on a game board, with no true regard for nature or humanity.

Truth and malice walk close by to each other.  Although malice may open the door, truth will rush in.  The doorways of the world are opened by many types of forces — some of the light, and some of the dark.  In each opening there is a vulnerability — as change does not discriminate.

In other words, we too have the power to drive change.  By following the true evolutionary principles of the time, each phase of destruction can become the fertile soil for new constructions.

Do not allow fear to lull you into complacent inaction.  The period of stagnation that we were in for many years would have shifted one way or another.  This is natural law.

This time of transformation is why many of us chose to incarnate in this era.  We are meant to be engaged with the new creation by using our ingenuity and adaptability, even in adverse circumstances.  This phase of purification is also a golden opportunity to resolve long standing karmas.  Though the going may be painful at times, the difficulties create growth and inform the way we go forward long term. Nothing new can be created without passing through these trials.  

JOIN RATHER THAN RESIST

I have spoken already about the idea of “joining with change.”  This can also be understood as change through harmonization.  In this way of working with change, you adapt, rather than resist, in order to influence the direction of the energy.  At this time, resistance and opposition is a short path to exhaustion, so learning to flow in the energies is a better strategy.

In terms of bigger picture concerns — there is a greater possibility of achieving ones aims through collaboration among divergent factions rather than opposition.  The joining together must be sincere and based on objectives rather than allegiance to groups or leaders.  Alliances based on truth and genuine interest are more likely to find solutions.  Those focused on tribalism and groupthink are not flexible enough to achieve what is needed and will eventually fail.

In terms of personal concerns — whatever changes may come, to join rather than resist is to accept the change and move into the next phase of your process without fear.  If there is a loss, see the opportunity in loss.  Be open to a new path that leads you to a happier and better direction, looking forward rather than back.

Joining rather than resisting is also about engaging your creativity to overcome challenges that may arise.  Release expectations.  Take unconventional paths.  Where there are limits, create new freedom.  Be self sustaining.  There are always better ways to be found — and they are often revealed at the edges of constriction.  This is important in all matters.

UNDERSTAND NATURAL LAW

Natural or Universal Law is the true order of reality.  All human constructions that depart from this will fail, as they exist in falsehoods.  The only sustainable reality is one in which humans learn to work with nature and its processes.  This is discovered through genuine interaction with nature, and inner work.  Having a holistic understanding of reality — one that recognizes the spiritual world as the basis for all existence — is also important.  Without this understanding, humanity will always be lost in false matrices.

If one can be firmly oriented in natural law, rather than human constructs, it will be easier to discern true from false in the current time and going forward.  All truth is energetically coherent and abides the order of nature.  Falsehoods go against and distort nature — and ultimately create trouble down the road.  Regaining our relationship with the natural and spiritual worlds is an important step to rebalancing what has become disordered in humanity.

The earth is a living system and being that we are all born of.  Our perception that there is a separation between us and her is the great illusion of modernity.  Our process of evolution and change is an extension of the earth’s process.  To move with it is constructive and healthy — to remain in separation is destructive for all.

Healing & Resolving Karma, Processing Grief, Accepting the Past

BEAR WITNESS

On internal, relational and societal levels, an integral part to the healing process is bearing witness.  It is why we have memorials and other types of ceremonies when someone dies, and it is also why there is still an integral function to telling stories rather than simply reporting the news.

In our overstimulating and atomized media environment, it can be easy to become “compassion fatigued” by tragedy and loss — to view events almost as if they are movie plots existing in an abstract reality, rather than something effecting real people.  As often is the case, it can also be hard to know how to relate to survivors of tragedies that you yourself have no first hand knowledge of.  When we are personally healing from a difficult life event, we also know how a weight can be lifted when someone truly listens.  We all have been in different iterations of these roles — the bereaved, the one giving comfort, the person who fumbles, and the one who feels not seen in their pain.

Whether it is a personal or collective event, karma, or trial — to bear witness to everything, every perspective, every feeling, every side is the only way to complete resolution.  Bearing witness is not about what is right or wrong.  It is about hearing what isn’t being heard.  The most stuck parts of ourselves are often the ones that carry negative emotions, mostly stemming from anger, fear, confusion or shame.  These are only resolved when we can observe the true reality of these parts and accept them back into the wholeness of our being.  

In society, we have habituated the glossing over of collective suffering — and have politicized nearly everything in order to conveniently ignore some realities in favor of highlighting politically expedient and preferable forms of suffering instead.  All “sides” do this — and then accuse the other of “misinformation” when the incongruent realities are raised.  The result, inevitably, is further polarization, rage, and escalation of conflict.

It would be impossible for all of us, as individuals, to truly honor and bear witness to all events individually.  However, it is possible for all of us to honor and bear witness to the reality of suffering and be present with the truth and illusion of it all in real time when it arises in our lives.  To sit beside our friends and loved ones and hear their stories.  To be willing to step into each other’s worlds without judgment, placating and distancing.  Without one-upmanship.  Without needing rescue or fix.    Without needing to win.

Until we can do this, there is no answer, no solution, and no way forward.  And so it is more important than it ever has been to be willing to look at what is difficult to see.  To observe every possible layer.  Only once full observation has occurred, accounting for all possible variables and perspectives, can an honest evaluation be made.  On an energy and karmic level — only once this is done can an energy be transmuted and transformed.

The conclusion may be different in every situation.  This process, on its own, is a way to begin to move stagnant and fragmented energy.  Whether that energy simply resolves without a need for further work, or is requiring action is observed on a case-by-case basis.  The next steps are only discovered if we are willing to take the first one.

Often when we whittle down our most complex emotions, we find at the bottom a simpler need.  When a soul feels the truth, it is set free — always.  There is no purpose to division but to perpetuate division.  Perhaps, on a higher level, the fatigue we eventually feel from always fighting is what leads us to the realization that peace is never “won.”

In the Tao Te Ching, Chapter 31, it says, 

“Do not rejoice over victory
With the loss of others
weep with sorrow and grief
After winning the battle
do not celebrate,
observe the rites of a funeral

One who is bound to action, proud of victory,
and delights in the misfortune of others
will never gain a thing
from this world below Heaven.” (trans. Jonathan Starr)

May we all remember this truth.

PRACTICE FORGIVENESS

For injuries large and small, we must learn to practice forgiveness.  Forgiveness of others, forgiveness of ourselves, forgiveness of history.  This unburdens our spirits, releases karmas, and allows us to be free of stuck energies and traumas held by bitterness and anger.  Not forgiving is a form of internal resistance.  And while it may feel appropriate for a time, it is ultimately hindering.

In innocence, we are open to possibilities and unafraid of new ideas.  When we get hurt, we become insular and it is more and more difficult to trust and have faith. We cling to the familiar and the safe, and become uninterested in exploring.  Wisdom is understanding that humans are fallible but spirit is eternal. When we are in the deepest void, spirit is always available to shine a light. And it is this that we must come to trust.

Acceptance and forgiveness can be extremely difficult, especially when the hurt is deep.  It might not feel possible to forgive the other for harm they have caused.  In that case, start by forgiving oneself.

Forgiveness in this case is about being able to let go, release burdens, and have greater freedom moving forward.  This is an internal exercise to work on transforming personal and collective wounds.

PRAY FOR THE HEALING OF ALL

“One who sees himself as everything is fit to be guardian of the world
One who loves himself as everyone is fit to be teacher of the world.”

- Tao Te Ching 13, trans. Jonathan Starr

The transformation of this era is one that effects all who walk this earth.  All are a part of it.  All have their roles within it.  And all are in operation with the cosmic cycles and confluences which are far beyond our personal perception.

The true “revolution” is a revolution of consciousness.  It is an internal shift available to all of us — and in each of us we have the choice:  To continue to feed the darkness of division and war or to choose, through our actions and being, to guide the energy towards peace and stability.

To pray for the healing of all is to pray for the awakening of all — including and especially those who we believe to be captured by darkness.  Why should we not wish for the potential of success and positive outcomes as it pertains to our greater world?  Why should we not hope for the awakening of even the most cold hearted?

Like the forgiveness exercise, this is not about naïve faith in the benevolent intentions of people who may very well never change, nor is it about reinforcing an idea of no accountability — but rather the cultivation of the possibility of a higher path.

We are influencing the reality we live in all of the time with our thoughts and projections.  We do this mostly unconsciously.  The expectation of horror, doom, and complacent negativity is a pervasive outlook in our current society.  Through this, we remain in a state of disempowerment and suffering.

Throughout the world a temple is a place of respite — where all people can congregate in quiet reflection and focus their minds toward a higher power.  Spiritual places, over time, become an empowered energetic structure, where the distinction between the noise of the mundane world and the more harmonic qualities of the temple are felt upon entering.

Likewise, all belief systems and timelines are a type of energetic structure.  The immutable truth is natural law — all else in the human world is dependent on the momentum behind collective beliefs.  Right now we have many paths before us — and not all is decided.  There is a more harmonic timeline that is unmarred by the negativity of most of the others.  We strengthen the path of a more positive outcome by remaining connected to our higher visions, and to whatever degree we are able, returning to and building the energy of peace within ourselves.

This takes discipline, as the power of the negativity is compelling and self perpetuating.  However, if such a force of magnetism can exist in a negative way, such as force can exist in the positive.

Our small acts of hope may seem trivial in a world filled with so much darkness and suffering.  We may think there is no point, and that we should give up.  But what, then, becomes of a world without our small hopes, our small kindnesses, our small gifts?

This world is us and we are it.  There are no quick solutions and not all people are open to a positive direction.  Such work is not about immediate gratification, but having faith in the long view.  The erosion of our communities and relationships was set in place and cultivated over time.  Similarly the return to truth and reconnection can also be cultivated.

The funny thing about life is that we cannot always know the way to the highest path.  Without the pressure of the darkness, we could not truly fortify our lightness.  Without our past errors, we cannot nurture the wisdom for correct choices in the future.  There may never be perfection.  But there can be something better.

Benevolent leadership emerges in a new paradigm, not in the perpetuation of the old.  Those who are inappropriate for the new world will not be able to sustain their power — because power is bestowed by the momentum of the collective.  We will understand this more readily in time.

Even with all this, there is so much more still that can be shared about the nature of these energies that I will continue to share over time.  If you have gotten this far, thank you for taking the time to read this tome.  I hope that this message is of assistance for all who come across it.

Peace to all.


If you are interested in working with me more deeply, one-on-one consultations are available on a limited basis. Please check out my booking page to see my calendar and get in touch.

For Qigong work and energetic development, please see our options at Tao Institute & Tao Institute Online.

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The Tao of February 2015's Astrological Weather: Reflections on Mercury Retrograde, Venus & Mars in Pisces, the Wounds of Chiron & the Waves of Neptune

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On a recent episode of one of my regularly enjoyed astro radio shows, Astrologer Heather Roan Robbins made the comment that “One of the great gifts of Astrology is that it allows us to be where we’re at.” This can apply to so many things in Astrology, but she was talking, of course, but the recent influx of Piscean laziness that seems to have stricken many as both Mars & Venus (the two planets which rule our social nature and action/motivation) transited Pisces in conjunction with a powerful Mercury Retrograde in Aquarius. I, myself, have enjoyed this time taking it easy and encouraged the others I encounter in my days to remember that it’s really OK if they don’t feel like pushing themselves too hard right now – this is a lazy, slow moving, lackadaisical vibe. We’ve been licking old wounds and pampering tired bones. There will be time for action later – for now, just let it all be. For myself, personally, the rest and reflection period was much needed to tie up the extremely hectic Horse year. I have been working quite a lot with Neptunian realms for the past several years, and when these extra potent phases of dreamy, floaty, watery energies pass through, I am reminded that there can be a great deal accomplished in states of “non-doing.” As a person whose strengths are in every element BUT water, this has been challenging for me to learn.  On a cultural level, we have become so obsessed with producing, having results, and doing that we almost completely disregard the moments of simple refinement that these Piscean realms represent. Really -- all healing, all joy, all beauty, all abundance, all true love – comes to us not through a state of doing but through a state of allowing. No matter what we might want there are just some things in life that cannot be forced into being – they either are, or they aren’t. Pisces is a sign that represents dissolution but also, in my eyes, radical acceptance for what is. If you look at Pisces’ polarity, Virgo – the sign of judgment, critical analysis, etc – we see the world more through the lens of “This is the right way” and “this is the wrong way.” In Pisces’ world, any way is right, because all paths, no matter how windy, indirect or convoluted, are intending us all in the same direction. That is, in the direction of the divine will – our reunion with the Oneness. There is almost a complete lack of discrimination here, which in a way can be quite wonderful, but is also sensitive Pisces’ major Achilles heel. In the world we live in, discernment is a necessary skill, or else we can easily allow ourselves to be mercilessly thrashed by every oncoming wind and wave – taking on the woes and troubles of everyone we meet and eventually drowning in the muck. Nonetheless, in the right time and the right place, these non-discriminating states can open us to experiences of otherworldly beauty, deep heart healing, and the simple, evolving process of living without needing to have a reason.

Experience within this realm has taught me that at its highest level, Pisces work is soul work. Everything we deemed important can be taken in a second out to sea, and we find that we are left alone with just the core of our inner self, our inner want, our inner calling. There was nothing we could have done to discover this inner self, it was actually there all along – it was just the conditioning that we carry and all the stuff we cloak ourselves with that was covering it. Often it is the clinging to these cloaks that causes the pain and disillusionment often associated with Neptune (Pisces realm) transits. In this realm, we really grapple with what is REAL – as in what is TRUE – and what is just an illusion. Our inner vision is suddenly awakened, and our inner atmosphere seems more permeable and more impressionable than before. Ordinary encounters now possess many layers– mixed signals, hidden motives, emotional manipulations – and can become quite tiring to experience, much less sort through and understand. Becoming aware of the subconscious noise within ourselves and others can be disorienting, but it is in our allowing that these confusing experiences also become teachers. Rather than resist, try to fix, or resolve, we let the process unfold naturally and reveal to us the hidden aspects that we were previously unable to discern. And then, these experiences that once vexed us become gifts of insight and crystal clear clarity. All this is accomplished quite effortlessly. It is said that muddy waters become clear once settled. This is exactly the lesson of Pisces/Neptune. Through letting be and doing nothing, clarity comes on its own.

Another major feature of the past month’s work in Pisces has, of course, been our work with Chiron as both Venus and Mars made aspect to this planet/asteroid in the course of its journey the past few weeks. Chiron represents wounding, healing, and wounding all over again. So while the Pisces sea always seems to me like this place of unstructured randomness and free form emotion, there was also this added element of primal wounding at work. I saw this play out in my life in several ways – the most potent example for me was the day before the Chiron-Mars conjunction on January 31st, my sister’s Chiron in Taurus (wounds surrounding money, material possessions, worth and self worth) was activated when she peeled off the top of her moving truck on a low clearance overpass (at a bank, no less) just moments after I had decided to ignore an intuitive message that was repeatedly prompting me to warn my sister about said overpass, triggering my own Chiron-in-Gemini dilemmas (Gemini is not only the sign of communication, but it is also the sign of siblings. Seriously. Astrology is that literal.) Over the course of the following days and weeks, I found myself really working deeply with my emotions surrounding my siblings, and in an even bigger way – my struggles surrounding self expression, conveying information/truth, and listening to my inner voice. This week, as Venus came into aspect with Chiron on Monday, I found myself looking at this wound again as I fumble through a new intuitive process for me – working with the Akashic Records. Although I had one extraordinarily amazing adventure in the records in the beginning (which I hope to share in some future time), the subsequent process has mostly been an exercise in breaking through incredible inner resistance. At the same time, this has also been illuminating in itself, as I am learning about this resistance more intimately and also receiving instructions (abstract as they may be) on how to actually CLEAR these energetic barriers that have been ailing me most of my life. Communicating truth (Chiron in Gemini) has been a major source of wounding for me. I have either told the truth at all the wrong times, in all the wrong ways, or withheld the truth at all the wrong times, in the wrong ways… and from my fraught perspective – there’s been almost nothing in between. The reality is, there are plenty of times when my communication skills have actually been lauded and I really flow with my divine truth (just as I have observed individuals with Chiron in Taurus, who usually fret about finances and success, experience great rewards and praise for their steadfast, fastidious & level headed hard work). So in some totally contrary way, communicating truth is also my divine gift. But this is Chiron we are talking about – so akin to Saturn, this divine gift does not necessarily come easily at all times. It must go through a lifetime of painful trials and total failures in order to find that central, refined place where the aspect of our lives that we’re always screwing up and feel real sensitive about evolves into our natural source of healing.

This principle of Chiron will apply to you differently, depending on where Chiron is in your chart. For my sister with Chiron in Taurus, we spent three days at my house with the ripped up truck in the driveway and all she could do between frustrating phone calls with the truck company was sit in a room away with no view of it and refer to “The Monster In the Driveway” with slight fear and trepidation. The truck had become the manifestation of her inner Chirotic dilemma. The very picture of everything wrong. Chiron can feel very much like the “Monster In the Driveway” – a giant gaping THING that we’re perpetually having problems with and feel like everyone sees. It’s where we feel like we’ve been walking around half exposed, and are unable to escape our own folly. It’s where we’re vulnerable, weak, struggle to trust, and feel like we’re failing. In fact, it was the question, “Why do I feel like a failure?” that brought me my most important guidance with reference to my troubles with inner listening. Failures are moments when things are the exact opposite of how we want them to be. Moments when we feel we’ve met a dead end, where we’ve made the same error too many times, or create an obstacle for ourselves through our expectations. Moments where we’re required to do one of two things – take a totally new approach, or further refine our way of being in order to create a new pathway for success. When we have the courage to not only face our wound, but begin the work of reframing our life according to the new knowledge gained through the wounding experience, we then transition into the energy of healing. Not only for ourselves, but also for the other people we meet along the way who can now benefit from our experiences.

I find myself thinking of the guidance from Hexagram 39 “Obstruction” in the I-Ching – this is a teaching I find myself returning to frequently, and speaks very much to the considerations I brought to this post. In summary of these reflections, I leave you with this…

During times of obstruction, one should be still and practice cultivation. This opportunity should be used to gather energy, instead of complicating matters with impatience and struggle. When one has a positive attitude, even the highest mountain seems lower and the deepest water more shallow. Inner strength can make obstructions seem less imposing.

Attempting to fight an obstruction directly can often become an obstacle to breakthrough. Instead of battling the difficulty head on, one can overcome the obstacle by simply letting go and ceasing the struggle. Both benefit and growth can result from a so-called obstruction.

Obstructions are met daily when things do not go as planned. In the process of growth, obstructions are met thousands of times over and usually generate great despair. One who wishes to move forward, but is unable to do so because of restrictions, can respond by changing direction and taking another path, one that goes inward or upward. Sometimes what appears difficult is actually a protection or an opportunity for spiritual growth. All great achievements are attained through the positive use of obstructions.

Without an obstacle there can be no breakthrough.

 -- Excerpts from Ni, Hua-Ching, I-Ching: The Book Of Changes and the Unchanging Truth, Hex. 39 “Obstruction”

A poem for Venus in Pisces

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Ahoy! The seas of Pisces! Ere pirates be watching to see.

Dilemmas adrift

no lemons amiss

anxiety unwound in the reef.

 

Maidens, they be tearful

and minstrels they be fearful

as sirens they bring with tea

shipfuls of spiritual insight

and creative nonsensery.

 

Ideas wander wayward

the real swirling in the deep

...some serious nap time needed

and bizarre Mercury Retrograde dreams

 

Inventing a new form of writing

that makes all but logical sense

but that's the genius of Pisces...

i dreamt, i meant, descent...

 

Wade in lonely oceans

tides of strange emotions

Hours of TV on Netflix

(That fish don't give two sticks!)

In the house of self undoing

There's ladies to be wooing

And brave the deadly straits

of what we have not spake

Motes without boats

Folks without totes

What the heck are we brewing?

 

Storms and more

Wounds ashore

Once Venus and Mars do meet.

October 2014 Eclipses, the nature of change, and other considerations...

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Emerging from a long silence – I am here! The prevailing internal storms and external frenzies have subsided just long enough for me to share some feelings on the astrological weather of late. My hope is to make a habit of it, as the winter comes in and I have more time to sort through the bits and pieces of writing scattered across journals about this year, 2014. Below are some thoughts on the October eclipses, and overarching themes of the year and the times… Enjoy!

Reflections on the Astrology of the 2000s through the lens of the October Eclipses…

The first thing that immediately strikes me about both eclipse charts is that here on the east coast, they are occurring right at the horizon lines – such that, this morning, as some might have seen, we had the rare event of an eclipse occurring while the moon was setting and as the sun was rising simultaneously. There’s something beautifully symbolic about that – as some large, prevailing emotional current culminates, ends, or finds clarity, the sun rises again for a new day, as if to remind us that the turbulence of the times will pass, that even in moments of confusion and darkness, we have hardly to wait to receive the light of profound transition.

The horizon of a chart, as some may know, is also the realm that refers most immediately to how we interact with the world. And indeed, these eclipses seem to resonate with the idea of profound transition. Swift, immediate, and surprising.

For the past several years we have been going through a time of immense change and turbulence. Since I’ve been learning and practicing astrology, I feel I have been witness to a fascinating, complex and multi-layered process of unfolding occurring across humanity. Since 2008, when Pluto first made its ingress into Capricorn (followed by Uranus into Aries in 2011, and Neptune into Pisces in 2012), the world has begun a marked process of transformation that has effected virtually everything from the most personal and intimate aspects of our lives to the largest institutions under which we operate. In the past several years, I’ve been writing in this blog to “dream the dream!” and telling clients (and myself) to begin to shape their lives and reality around what it is they really deeply believe in and want for the future. As the social constructs that society has built itself upon continue to shift beneath our feet, the dream of the future has an unprecedented opportunity to take root and blossom into something quite beautiful and different from anything we’ve built in the past.

Each year in this process has brought something distinctly different to the table. Pluto’s ingress into Capricorn (2008), for example, shook, eroded, and broke down the very core structure of society as a whole, beginning a 24 year process of destroy, evolve, and rebuild to systems, governments, and other large and powerful societal constructions. Uranus’ ingress into Aries (2011) created an atmosphere of awakening and rebellion against the outdated, the worn down, and the broken, creating demand for new ways of thinking and innovations to greater serve individual rights to freedom. Neptune’s ingress into Pisces (2012) then added an element of spiritual consciousness to the mix, the veil between the seen and unseen becoming quite fluid and malleable, exposing deceptions and other things of that nature more readily… even making humanity more sensitive to pollutants. These influences and subsequent aspect patterns have worked us from the inside-out to evolve our perspectives and clarify for ourselves what the purpose of life here on earth might be and how we want to live it in better alignment to this purpose.

This year, 2014, I feel, is a climatic point in this overarching process. And these eclipses, a time of major breakthrough and decisiveness in regards to the process. A turning point, if you will.

The thing I find tricky and tenuous about this discussion of the world evolving, is that there are always two sides to the coin – there are those that see only the destructive nature of things, and those that see only the positive, friendly, feel-good parts. Within this process of change there will ALWAYS be both, and change itself can feel like the complete destruction of one’s being – and sometimes, it is. With every overtone of higher evolution represented by planetary energies, there is always an undertone of the deep chaos and confusion also represented by these same energies. There are countless extreme examples in world events of recent years that have a twofold resonance of reflecting the horrific, overwhelming and negative impacts of mismanaged powerful energies – yet, these events have also had the effect of bringing sudden consciousness to issues previously neglected by society at large. The extreme pressure of these events seems to have left no soul unscathed or unchanged. On the micro level of our personal lives, these influences have of course been causing the same disruptions and upheavals in our own natal charts, causing countless people to reassess their careers, their locale, their relationships, and even their very identity.

In my other blog, the very first entry is a quotation I chose from a book called “Ta Chuan, The Great Treatise” by Stephen Karcher that discusses the use of the I-Ching (otherwise known as the Book of Changes). In this quotation Karcher explains that the word Change (Yi, or I in Chinese) is primarily translated as “trouble.” I find this definition relevant to the experience of life in recent years. Change is the one “Unchanging Truth” to use another scholar’s phrase. And when talking about major life evolutions, there are two ways it can happen – either from the outside-in by way of events, obstacles, etc, or from the inside-out by way of observation, allowance and early recognition of patterns/problems, etc. Regardless of how it happens, to me, change is ultimately an inner process – and certainly troublesome as there is no way to avoid it, and often it isn’t easy.

The past few years have been unquestionably intense for people on both an internal and external level – as the “dream” cannot be made real lest we make the necessary internal adjustments and commitments to realize it. These internal adjustments can include but are not limited to: shifts in personal belief structure, overall attitude, and even the letting go of aspects of the identity which do not correlate with the inner yearning. All of this stuff can be super scary, because sometimes it means that you also have to alter outer circumstances that are not in line anymore, but by which we have identified ourselves strongly – such as: ways of being or habits that are no longer healthy (having to set new boundaries, or parameters for your activities), shifting, changing or leaving work/environments/relationships that no longer fit, and in light of all of this -- having the courage to adopt new ways of being that might have seemed out of character or too different in the past. Most people, including myself, have to come to this by suffering losses. However, as we become more conscious of change in our lives, we have the power adjust how we experience change – and life itself! By looking more deeply into ourselves and recognizing incoming shifts and prevailing currents, our outer lives will inevitably be more even keeled, emotionally stable and transitions more fluid and easy.

In 2014, the major aspect pattern has been the cardinal grand cross that was exact this April. This was an interesting contrast to the prior years grand water trine – an expression of healing, fertility and growth. The overall feeling and theme of the grand cardinal cross is a major crisis of action. While we were off dreaming our dreams the year before, in 2014 we were propelled to take definitive action – a type of action that was rife with trials and growing pains as we sought to build a solid foundation for something truly new to us in some way, shape or form. Cardinal energy is the energy of creation, and so that is what this year has largely been about – the initial implementation of the vision we cultivated in the previous year. In the coming years, 2015-2016, what we are starting now will undergo a comprehensive test of authenticity, honesty, and integrity once Saturn moves into Sagittarius and forms a complex T-Square between sobering, logistics-oriented Jupiter in Virgo and disillusioning/spiritualizing Neptune in Pisces. This coming time will be plagued with an initial phase of extremes in thinking and idealism that will ultimately be met with hard realizations about what’s real and what’s not real. It is my intuitive impression and feeling that we are being asked now to align our material perspectives and realities with the higher spiritual ideals we all hold near and dear. All of the fallacies in our approach will become more than evident – which may result in some things falling down like a house of cards. Tricky though it may be, this, to me, feels like a time of reckoning and rebalancing when it comes to world politics and social concerns which are reaching/have already reached a point of critical mass and require profound adjustment.

Now, provided all of that context to what is happening here from my perspective – let’s return to the eclipses of October 2014!

Eclipses are interesting and mysterious events. Though they are cyclic, they often present major changes and shifts in consciousness in reference to ongoing situations. Often, during eclipse cycles, there are happenings that totally change our lives, or our approach to a given situation. Eclipses are fateful, extra potent full and new moons – and with them, they bring clarity, endings and new beginnings. On a spiritual level, I see eclipses as being like points of no return – gateways of time and space where things done can’t be undone and thresholds crossed that can’t be uncrossed. Once you see the truth of the matter, you cannot and will not go back to an old way of being. Perhaps propitious, perhaps ominous -- in either regard, significant and profound.

The October eclipses seem interesting to me for a few reasons. The first, is that this month’s solar eclipse is the final eclipse occurring in Scorpio for some time, giving a sense that there is some final conclusion being made in regard to our Scorpio mission these past few years – which has been especially important as both Saturn (Lord of Karma) and the Nodes of Fate transited this sign simultaneously. The second is the very strong sense of the individual and collective truly breaking out and doing something new and different.

Why, exactly, does this set of eclipses seem to me a tipping point over any other in recent history? From what I’ve observed and experienced previously, I feel as if all events leading up to now have been primarily preparatory. We’ve had to do some work in regards to our personal relationships, we’ve had to develop a vision, we’ve had to do a lot of inner seeing and healing, and we’ve had to make sense of some things – the new things – which we’re fumbling to bring forth. But now, at this time, it seems that the bulk of that work (at least in regards to this particular phase of it) is behind us, and now we are presented with a certain clarity of vision about how to take our lives in the much prepared for new direction.

Today’s eclipse is strongly influenced by inventive, innovative Uranian energy and ruled by an out-of-bounds Mars in Sag, which happens to also be in a grand trine with Jupiter in Leo. Though this combination of energies easily has the potential to become fire burning out control, there is also a very powerful vibe of inspiration, faith, courage, and creative expression that transcends ordinary rules and boundaries. To spite some major pitfalls to such an overabundance of fire, it feels to me interestingly auspicious. Being a lunar eclipse, this can be seen and felt as a culmination of the work we’ve been doing to break ourselves free from the inhibiting circumstances presented by the overarching problems of society. The main warning I sense seems to be reflective of what I see coming in 2015-16 -- we must use this inspiration wisely, and not let our imaginations run rampant with optimism, and be careful to maintain control of our impulses. There is a fundamental sense of new horizons, and greater freedom to do as we choose, if we choose responsibly and intelligently.

The solar eclipse of October 23 seems to carry a similar message as Uranus and Pluto sit firmly on the chart’s Ascendant and Midheaven respectively, implying shocking new approaches and great ambition, power and intensity. This is the final eclipse in Scorpio for some years, and lands on the degree of this month’s influential Mercury Retrograde cycle (giving us the opportunity to really reflect on and feel all that’s happening!) The solar eclipse in Scorpio, to me, is like the final call on our Saturn in Scorpio work of commitments. Though Saturn will continue to dwell in this territory for the remainder of this year and some of next year, we have finally become clear about our Scorpio work – issues surrounding deep intimate relationships with others, and our relationship with power – especially our own power.

Saturn in Scorpio has been an interesting phase. Its commitments seem simple enough on the outset, but in practice seem to probe at the deepest, scariest parts of our being – even when we believe we’d come to terms with these aspects of ourselves. What is curious about it, to me, is that the fears can sometimes be very nuanced and layered. Outwardly we might feel we have no problems committing to our partner, having a child, starting a business, joining the circus if that’s what our soul is calling us to do -- and we absolutely WANT to take on a path in life that is empowering for us… but inwardly there are all of this little hitches and hang-ups that seem to say, ‘Oh you want to do that – well then that means THIS – are you really ready for THIS?’ The THIS is the part of your life that you know will never be the same once you pursue THAT. THIS is us claiming our power and being one with who we are (or aren’t) in the face of potential opposition of others. THIS is the responsibility of our decisions, the narrowing of our focus, the shutting out of one thing to favor the growth of another. THIS is the point of no return – the courage to actually believe in ourselves, our lives, and our path enough to truly align with it.

To me, the energy of “breaking out” and "breaking through" that is described by the aspects seems very much tied up in the conclusions we are making about what it is we are committing to, why we are choosing that path, and then having the courage and the wherewithal to actually manifest this path. It’s like we’re getting the ‘in' – the universe is saying to us – OK, people, it’s cool. Be yourself, express yourself – please! Because it’s through the actions and pursuits of each and every one of us to influence and build a world that we all want to share and be in together. Hopefully, with greater harmony within and without.

OK, so that about covers it.  I have evidently been storing away tons of thoughts for this blog post. I hope you enjoyed it... There’s more to come!

Peace and love, Mela