virgo north node

The Astrology of March 2016: Eclipses in Pisces & Libra ... Deep Release, Divine Revelation, Collective Vision & Spiritual Partnership

There is no way to over-emphasize the power of Tuesday’s Total Solar Eclipse & New Moon.  Occurring at 18 Degrees of Pisces, the eclipse is forming significant relationships with every collective and transpersonal planet, all of whom are involved in world shaping aspect patterns, and represent the ongoing stories in our lives and human consciousness for the past several years.

USA Solar Eclipse Chart

Historically, eclipses are seen as portentous and ominous events, traditionally bringing with them all of the signatures of change – which in archaic contexts means difficult news, crisis and chaos.  Solar Eclipses, occurring always on the new moon, are symbolic of endings and conclusions that of course are often followed by major new beginnings.  Total eclipses of all kinds are especially powerful because they really create a pause in the energy (even if it is not visible from your location) – a break from the pattern that we expect.  This energetic break is like a window of opportunity for accelerated change and transformation.  In fact, I have come to see eclipses as times of revelation, decision, and crossing thresholds.  No matter what arrives at the time of an eclipse – whether subtle, amazing or tragic – it is always an experience that we don’t come back from the same.  There is never a return to the “normalcy” that once was – rather, we arrive at a NEW normal.  This is true for the news that we see during eclipse phases (many immensely tragic events that have shaped our consciousness as a society have occurred around eclipses, thus their ominous reputation), and also for our personal experience.  So whether we experience a new birth, or a shocking end, the impact of it is always profound, long lasting, and permanent.

The astrological reason for this is that eclipses ALWAYS occur on an axis that is referred to in Tropical Astrology as the “Nodes of Fate” or “Nodal Axis.”  This axis represents the point at which the orbit of the earth and the moon intersect.  When a new or full moon occurs in the realm of this axis (this happens every six months), we experience eclipses somewhere in the world.  Eclipses or no eclipses, the nodal axis is a significant point in any chart, as it refers to the soul’s evolution and direction.  Transits of the nodes, or prominence of the nodes in any given chart often bring fateful experiences – these can be meeting those major people, making those major decisions, or any other critical turning point that brings us closer to our soul’s true course.  The nodes are referred to as North and South – North being the direction that we are headed, and South often referring to past life, past experience, and where we have a tendency to become addicted and stuck.  Eclipses that occur on the North Node propel us forward – eclipses that occur on the South Node bring about major releases.  In every eclipse period there is always a pair, and sometimes even a triplet of eclipses, so we will experience both the north and south nodes and the see-saw of emotions that relates to their ongoing polarity.

This eclipse in Pisces is a South Node eclipse.  It is VERY near to the South Node, so since the last full moon, many of us have been experiencing a rapid fire clearing of old emotions.  Since the eclipse is in sensitive Pisces and in very close aspect to the asteroid Chiron – an energy that pertains to our deep soul wounds – this is a MAJOR clearing of deep-seated and subconscious issues.  These are things that often we have tended to hold onto because they are too sensitive to touch – so rather than face these wounds, we often develop emotional workarounds.  So even though Chiron is only one small piece of this very complex astrological puzzle – this component to the energies is like the symbol of Chiron itself – it feels very much like the KEY to the whole configuration.

Chiron is often described in a simple manner as being about wounding and healing – but this energy is very interesting, because it is also a profound teacher.  It is the bridge between Saturn (A planet which shows us our insecurities, weaknesses and responsibilities) and Uranus (The energy of the divine mind & fearless individuality).  Like Saturn, Chiron urges us to face our fears and problems, to deeply and completely LEARN from them and heal through the refinement of our wounded tendencies – and like Uranus, Chiron aspires to transcend the state of woundedness to come into the higher actualization of our Chiron issues so that we can BECOME that healing force in the world in the realm and sign archetypes that are represented by our natal Chiron.

With Chiron’s placement in Pisces conjunct the South Node & the Solar Eclipse, I am finding one of the themes of the energy is around experiences concerning victimhood.  This came to me as particularly pertaining to compassion and empathy – times in our lives past (and even very present for many) where empathy was not received and even times when we did not give empathy or compassion to someone who needed it.  It is likely that these things correlate – where we have not received empathy and compassion is usually the precise area where we find it difficult to show this empathy and compassion to others.  The wound inflicted by the experience of judgment in our time of need can be so sensitive that we are not even conscious of our lack of compassion until some later time.  We can even feel that offering acceptance to another in the area where we feel wounded is tangibly painful for us and so avoid doing so, masking our pain with a negative reaction.  The overarching themes of victimhood and sacrifice that arise from the Pisces archetype are, as I see it, deeply entwined with the emerging desire for a true sense of empowered individuality for all people, in all situations.  Clinging to the role of the victim is where we are hung up in our progress.  We identify so easily with what causes us pain that we subconsciously support the illusion that our painful experiences must continue to define what we are capable of being, creating, etc.    But the need for change is POWERFUL.  On a large scale, there is now an extremely obvious state of unrest over human rights issues of all kinds – and on a smaller scale, many are feeling a similar unrest with regard to their personal relationships, workplace politics, and other sources of authority past and present.  There has been dissatisfaction with the overall structure of things for a long time now.  On a personal level, many of us have been making changes to move away from stuck attitudes and paradigms, opting for a more pioneering approach.  But in order to truly embark upon these ventures, what we most need to let go of is our toxic identification with this inner victim.

The overwhelming energy of this chart is actually one of opportunity and vision.  What we want is RIGHT THERE in front of us, it’s ALREADY available to us.  What we’re needing to release right now are the things within our consciousness that prevent us from believing that we can do the things we most deeply desire.  Receiving is an essential aspect of giving.  Many of us have a very difficult time truly receiving and accepting gifts.  These gifts can come in so many forms and capacities – they can be gifts of insight that seem so far-fetched to us that we immediately dismiss them, they can be physical gifts of appreciation that we are not certain of accepting due to feelings of unworthiness, perhaps, or suspicion – and they can also be opportunities that we immediately assume must be “too good to be true.”  Accepting gifts, trusting others, and learning to embrace major upgrades without the feeling that there’s strings attached or a secret catch, is actually a part of our work towards more individual empowerment and collective unity.

There are a lot of ideas in the collective right now that many people want to make a reality, but what’s coming to me is that it can be hard for us to come together and unite because of our cynicism and fearfulness about the reliability of other people.  Can we work together?  Do our visions really align?  Is it really possible to have functional, respectful partnerships?  Is group action in our fragmented world a real thing or is it just some silly, idealistic notion of times past?

Part of the anxiety feels like because in recent years, we’ve been doing SO MUCH emotional & spiritual work on ourselves that pertained to our more troublesome relationship dynamics that we now carry a reluctance to fully embrace others again.  But we are actually done with that work for the most part and the people that we need to be around in the NOW have already entered our lives, and it is time to start doing something with those connections.  Of course, there is an ongoing process between the moment of insight and the realization of the vision – but I feel that this is a time of major breakthrough with regards to getting OURSELVES out of the way and doing something for the greater good.  This is a time about really trusting the process -- that our pure intentions are received, supported, and guided.  There is something much bigger at work – something that is beyond us, and if we can just surrender to that, what we need WILL happen.

The other point that’s important to note is about a release of the ego – whether the ego is shouting in disagreement with our intentions or whether it is on a course of grandiosity, there is truly no room for this in a higher spiritual sense.  This phase of change is not about that – it is a collaborative energy.  It is not about you and what you want to do and them and what they want to do – it’s about what NEEDS to be DONE, what we can personally contribute, and who we can connect and partner with to have a greater impact & a broader reach.  This is a major purging of the collective consciousness, which is in essence, also a sort of space clearing.  This energy is about the collective coming together – and that is what Pisces energy really is about – the collective, and needing to make collective choices, having collective gatherings, and working for the greater good of all… rather than continuing to operate in our typical individualistic mentality.  The work for us as individuals IS, however, the work of being egoless -- not about surrendering to others, per se, but about surrendering to the higher vision of the mission and spirit of service.  The message that I am receiving is that this is the only way to truly collaborate with others, and it is a skill that we so desperately need to cultivate.  What the challenge seems to be is the question of HOW?  Not because the idea is so far-fetched, but HOW do diverse groups of people truly get on the same page, spiritually speaking, for a collaborative humanitarian mission?  Can we put our human selves aside well enough to do it?  It seems we won’t know until we try – and what we are experiencing now is really preparation for this next phase, which feels quite significant to our evolution.  Even if this perspective seems idealistic, there is a sense that there is real possibility here due to the incredible malleability of the social structures in this moment.

I believe that many people are aware of this transition in consciousness, even if subtly.  There is a lot of soul searching going on about what we truly want – and this is one of those times when we should put some real energy into that vision:  If there were no obstacles to the life we wish existed for us – be it monetary, societal & social, or personality driven (in the case of personal relationships) – What would that life look like?  What would it feel like?  Who would we be in that world?  And if you don’t know what your vision is, try to focus on the feelings you most wish you had – is it comfort?  Is it success?  Acclaim?  Financial security?  Love?  Community?  Freedom?  And then expand the scene from there.  The energy of the vision feels so incredibly strong right now, and I feel that the reason the release over our victimhood is simultaneously just as strong is because the truth is that we cannot move fully into the ideal relationship, the ideal career, or the ideal ANYTHING as long as we are carrying baggage about how this or that thing has failed for us in the past.

It might not necessarily seem like a cause-effect situation either.  Sometimes we’re carrying wounds about things that are weighing us down and we don’t even realize how they are affecting our life.  They can be small things or real intense and profound things – but if we take the time to look inwardly and explore the most prickly of our inner emotions, particularly those that might be arising right now in the reflection of our lives – we might be surprised to discover hang ups that are creating obstacles to our growth that we were previously unable to perceive.

What we have the opportunity to do in 2016 is rewrite our truth.  What we are being presented with, in many cases, is a strange combination of the dying past reminding us of its true end – and new opportunities that are so beyond our typical scope of vision that we’re having to wade through a mountain of insecurities that we never knew existed.  The first answer to the question of HOW seems to be surrendering to fear and uncertainty by really looking at the part that feels tense, wound up and sensitive.  The second answer is truly, wholly, and genuinely beginning to ACCEPT the possibilities that are before us.  Because stepping into the idea that we are powerful enough as people to actually CREATE something of real substance in this world using our personal brand of ingenuity, motivation and drive, can be pretty scary.  But this is that decisive moment between helping another in need or choosing to lick the wounds of our own ancient problems.  Do we keep feeding the monster that impairs us, or do we transmute our feeling of lack and failure to one that can see another’s hurt before our own?  Can we recognize that to spite our failures past, that we still have the capacity to give and enrich others with our unique talents?  Can we embrace the power of what we could give, if only we allowed ourselves to do so?

Of course I am talking a great deal about this on a large and more public scale, in terms of our work in the world as a collective – but this also applies directly to our personal lives and challenges.  The mutable energy of 2016 as a whole is prime for really working through and transforming mental constructions that inhibit us from having the reality that we wish for.  Under this climate if you can dream it – and REALLY see yourself where you want to be in all senses – you can create it.  Now is a time for finding our happiness, speaking our real truth, and fearlessly walking our talk.  This is a time for meeting people, connecting with mentors, doing our service, and perfecting routines.  It is a time to let go of our guilt or lack of forgiveness.  A time to be humble, and tune in to the compassionate heart.

Use this window of opportunity for the expansion of your wellbeing – and the wellbeing of those around you!  Really listen for the messages of change that arrive during this eclipse cycle.

USA Lunar Eclipse Chart

A very quick note on the Lunar Eclipse which is to occur on March 23 – I expected I would write two articles this month, but after writing this one, I realized that these insights apply to the logic of both eclipse charts – Tuesdays Solar Eclipse really sets the tone and creates the need for clearing the space, emptying out, letting go, and getting ready for the new – and the Lunar Eclipse in Libra orients us toward forward movement and human connections.  The Libra eclipse especially brings in the aspect of connecting with those towards whom we can be of service, whom we can serve with, and whom can serve us.  The Lunar eclipse also forms a strong aspect to Mars in Sagittarius, which really triggers the energy of action.  We will likely feel by the full moon a sense of culmination and also perhaps completion with reference to the past several years of deep relationship work.  We’ve established the groundwork for what feels right and appropriate to us in relationship (with ourselves, with each other, with life, in love, in business, and in friendships) – now it is a matter of beginning to implement these changes fully empowered.  The face of how we relate is evolving at a fundamental level – and the bottom line of it is one of more care, more deep authenticity, and more freedom.

So this was very long and involved, I know – but all of these insights have been coming to me and asking to be shared, so I really hope that this is helpful and clarifying during this challenging month!!!

Note that I do offer personal readings, and will be extending my special through March 23 for 15% off on readings using the code “CELESTIAL” through my checkout page to make readings more accessible to those who are in need of deeper personal insight at this time.

Sending love to you and yours...  Enjoy the beauty & power of March's transformations.

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

photo-1414637104192-f9ab9a0ee249.jpeg

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.