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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 0 Libra/Aries Point ... Identity and Relationship -- Distilling the Astrology of September and October

I wrote this article spontaneously last night to talk a bit about the North Node at 0 Libra and some messages that I have been getting about what has come up in the energies lately, and what I think these things are saying to us on a soul level about how we interact with, relate to and create in the world. I really feel this is a momentous time, and have found the vibes to be extremely intense. What I see right now, in summary, is that the time has come to release the past and fully choose the new direction. I feel the nodes on the 0 Libra/Aries point are marking that transition, and that the lessons they carry for us are a major key to our development going forward. My sense is that we are entering a phase of real time, on the ground, transformation and creation according to the truths and visions that we have been working with in the course of the past several years, and it is time to get clear on issues around our innate sense of identity and self expression.

To explain in brief: The nodes (north node and south node) are an axis point in the chart representing where the orbit of the earth and the moon intersect and are considered a point of fate. They circle the zodiac in 18 year cycles. The 0 degree point of Aries/Libra is a significant point because it falls on the world axis and is the first degree of the zodiac, thus it is a significator for major change and powerful initiation. The north node actually moves retrograde through the zodiac so even though it is at 0 degrees right now, it is the end of its phase in these signs for another 9 years. The nodes in astrology point to our soul work -- the area of our lives where we have gifts to uncover and addictions to kick. Aries/Libra are signs that are specifically about self and other and have been very prominent in the astrology of September & October (Venus Retrograde, Mercury Retro in Libra, The Aries Blood Moon Eclipse, and this whole axis of fate thing).

Since I have natal north node in Aries, I've been deeply reflecting on the dynamic we have been sitting with regarding relationships, and how that pertains to my own soul work, and the message that we are receiving as a world through this axis point and at this particular threshold. The happenings of the past month or so have been major in some way or another for most people that I know. I feel we've all been grappling with dynamics around how we show up in the world -- how we assert ourselves, how we yield to others -- and the complete balancing act therein. As an Aries north node (which is opposite the current Libra north node), I am well versed in the tendencies of these two signs and know all too well the vacillations between the extremes of Libra's obsession with people pleasing and Aries' "I could care less what they think" attitude. What this energy is really showing me, however, is another, more refined level to this polarity that I'm only now fully understanding.

I think sometimes when we go through life taking the warrior's perspective (e.g. Aries), we tend to feel that we are expressing our power through self assertion and directness by stating facts such as, "I feel X, I don't like that, I want this" and supposing it is our right to do so even if our feelings, wants, and desires are not in alignment with anyone else we are dealing with. We might even feel that we are even more right to assert our power if this is so. "Well somebody had to say it, right?" Sometimes we also come to this type of expression as a manner of survival. When we feel our needs are consistently ignored by others, we think if we just state them more loudly, maybe we will be respected. Generally, though, all this generates is more anger about what we're not getting and how people are not responding the way we want them to. We're not always necessarily shown by our elders and authority figures that there is a way to be firm about ones desires and freedom of expression without feeling the need to bulldoze those that oppose us.

This is of course where the Libra polarity plays in -- since Libra is all about diplomacy and tactful negotiation. However -- as a Libra moon, Libra south node myself, I know that even this can be done to excess. The whole energy of the past few months has had me seriously scrutinizing all of my not-so-great Libra traits. I saw myself being indecisive and wishy washy in moments when I felt what I wanted and what someone else wanted were different. I saw myself yielding like a contortionist under the delusion that I was "keeping the peace." And I noticed just how much time I spend fretting over whether or not something I said offended someone. But then something interesting happened: The part of me that used to get to this extreme and pull a 180 Aries-style table flip on my life gained some actual maturity and said to me -- You know, it's really your own fault you don't have the things you want!!! Why don't you try having the courage to actually ask for the things you want nicely, instead of assuming the absolute worst and running out of the place with guns blazing like there's a firing squad with a secret conspiracy against all of your hopes and dreams...? It's all about BALANCE, right? So create BALANCE! For you! And make it easy on yourself, will you?

See, because here's the deal. Beneath Libra's peace-keeping is an irrational fear that if the truth gets out and disharmony occurs, the end result is most likely a war. Beneath Aries' most self-serving motives, there is a deep desire for acceptance. Yield too much in life, and you are guaranteed to never have peace. Make it all about what you want, and you are unlikely to feel that people accept you. What lies in between is the understanding of two things -- the fact that ultimately all most of us truly desire is to be accepted and to do as we wish in peace. And so, is not the solution to the conundrum just as simple as accepting the truth of what we want and doing as we wish peacefully? I write this and it sounds like the most obvious wisdom I think I've ever written... but realizing that there is such a thing as a win/win situation when it comes to harmony in relationships and harmony with self has been kind of a breakthrough for me.

We don't enrich anyone's lives by agreeing with them all of the time. Our most pure and innocent fingerprint is the part of us that inspires, heals, and helps those around us. It's our RESPONSIBILITY to know ourselves, and fulfill our own pathway to happiness by sometimes letting other people know that Yes, we really do enjoy this activity/place/person, and if you don't like it -- go do something you like for a while and we'll meet up later! There's no need to justify what we want to do with any aspect of our lives -- and when we find ourselves justifying, resisting or fighting, it is so often just an insecurity arising from the fear that X person or group won't accept us for who we really are. If we really do know ourselves well, we can have peaceful relationships with other people because we know that we are free to live and let live. We don't have to control anyone to feel fulfilled and whole with that person, and we don't feel a need to yield to someone else's idea of reality just because they said so.

Knowing what you want in life, where you're going in life, and who you are inside intimately and well is basic self acceptance. Being at peace within yourself and these knowings, and honoring your own personal boundaries, there is no need for aggression. So when we meet another soul and it comes time to make a compromise, we can do so with complete truth.

Let people know who you are. Your friends, your family, your partner, your clients. Their acceptance, or non-acceptance of you has nothing to do with who you are as a being. Remain in hiding and you will have many regrets. Be you from a place of ease. When we're easy with life, we have harmony without losing ourselves. We can be us in lightness, in freedom. Not because anyone gave it to us, but because we gave it to ourselves. And in giving it to ourselves, we give it to everyone else we meet.

Sept 27 Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse: Aries Style Quick Version

I have been trying to write an article about this upcoming Lunar eclipse for the entire week and it just hasn't been working out. I even wrote a status update that disappeared before I got a chance to post it. So here's the quick and dirty...

The energy of this eclipse has been blowing me away with its intensity since last week. I feel it is powerfully influenced by the square between Mercury Retrograde and Pluto direct. Mercury retrograde is always a reflective energy, and Pluto is bringing up some really OLD stuff. A grieving and feeling that something has died and it's time to move on.

With the Full Moon in Aries on the South Node, I feel there is a strong message about releasing headstrong, willful attitudes, letting the guard down, and being willing to collaborate. We're really looking at the relationships in our lives -- and this encompasses interpersonal relationships as well as how we relate to our life in general -- and assessing how these relationships make or made us FEEL, acknowledging our feelings, and perhaps seeing our lives from a different light. I feel the need for greater balance in our concern for others and what we require to be happy within ourselves is coming to clarity. Where we have been previously unyielding, we might find ourselves softening... Where we have been overly accommodating we may be finding that it's time to stand up for ourselves, with grace.

With Saturn in Sagittarius influencing things, there is a sense of wanting to reconnect with friends and an openness for new adventures that we haven't felt in a while. I feel this energy is also bringing a strong element of truth to the Mercury Retrograde ... Certainly this has appeared in the public discourse of late, but even within the energy there is a sensation of needing to acknowledge one's own truth... "The truth is I really do want to do this. The truth is I really do feel that towards that situation..." When we acknowledge the truth we can be free, otherwise there's a lot of anxiety about whether or not the truth is OK for us. It's finding that balance between Libra's desire to please others and Aries' forcefulness. We worry about what other people think, and then want force the worry into submission... in the end, we just have a worry in a headlock.

Mars Square Saturn -- not a lot of forward movement at the moment, but a feeling like there is a fire under our bums. It's Mercury Retro, so seriously, it's cool, you don't have to push as hard as you think. Take a breather. It seems wiser to stop and evaluate than attempt to charge forward. This is an opportunity to see where we're going to go. We're finding that it's time to let go. Of a lot. All at once. But it's stuff that's been waiting to be gone for a while now. Stuff you knew you'd have to release eventually.  Let it happen because it's beyond your control at this point.  And though it's sad to see these lingerers go on their way, the visions of where we're headed are strong and keep us looking towards the future. This is a new chapter.

The crossing of another threshold into a purer state of true being. Into an even more specific and simultaneously expanded and empowered version of ourself. A leveling of extremes.  This is a life changing/world changing energetic climate.  We really feel we want to get it right.  Put it all in order.  Find central equilibrium.

Somehow it seems like being flexible is important. Perhaps it is the strong mutable influence coming into play. Being attached to outcomes is not the name of the game at the moment -- it's more about dealing in the present as situations arise. Keep the sketch in the back of your mind, but allow yourself to wander.

Keep your feet on the ground. It's a lot of emotions right now but it's best to not get involved. They're not today's emotions... they're from some other time, some other place. Feel them, acknowledge them, and be free.

Hope that helps <3 :)

Happy Equinox ! :D

September 2015: The Grand Balancing Act Between Simplicity and Complexity // Eclipses, Mercury Retrograde and the Mutable T-Square

Somehow, some way – it’s here! September has arrived and we have entered one of the most important months astrologically for the year of 2015. This is the threshold we have been preparing for all year long. September is a cosmic stew of energetic confluences, and many are feeling the changeable energies quite tangibly in their lives already. The easiest way to summarize September is to say that it is the beginning of forward movement towards the realization of the visions and goals we’ve been discovering, discerning, working on, playing with, and struggling with since 2008 when Pluto first crossed into Capricorn and issued its profound reverberation through the systems and structures the world’s societies are built upon. This month, we enter a phase of malleability. It’s a shifty, fuzzy, wavy ocean of complexity. We are confronted with the undeniable impulse to take action on our spiritual dreams, and the completely overwhelming task that lies before us in order to do so. It’s a long road between there and here and the path is not straight. In fact, it is confusing as heck. But, at least, we’ve arrived at the path. Starting in August, we had several important shifts and departures in the heavens – Saturn moved direct and is finishing its journey in Scorpio, Jupiter moved from Leo to Virgo, and Venus went retrograde in Leo. I’ve written quite a lot recently about how the energy of the past few years has been a process of whittling who we are and what we truly want down to its core. Saturn in Scorpio has caused us to brush through the cobwebs in our mind in order to discover just how much of our behavior is dictated by fear and other hidden psychological factors. It has also been about committing ourselves to the thing we most want and being willing to endure loss and discomfort in the name of growth and evolution. As Saturn moves out of Scorpio at last, we might be receiving its final lesson on the self-responsibility of empowerment very intensely. Saturn in Scorpio seems to be reminding us that no matter what happens in life, it’s still up to the individual to strengthen and embolden themselves towards the light.

Meanwhile, the vibrations of the recent Leo transits have been directing us to reevaluate and re-receive our heart’s desire. We’re really SEEING it, and those situations that still exist for us that we DON’T want are feeling rather intolerable. Ongoing relationship dramas, people that you just don’t jive with anymore, the job that pays well but makes you unhappy -- each and every one of these things is getting the proverbial ax. With Jupiter now in Virgo, the ways in which our mental state affects our physical being is felt with greater acuity. A need to move in a direction that is both fulfilling and healthy on all levels of our being is something we may be finding more valuable at this time. As we begin September, the invisible influences in our lives seem more present and active. Virgo’s call for purity, discipline, and devotion might be motivating us to work towards organizing our lives in a manner that is more holistically minded. If health has been neglected we might be feeling it’s time to get around to that exercise routine and invest some in healing ongoing ailments. The feeling behind it is that by not taking care of ourselves first, we are impeding the flow of creativity and happiness that we have been working so hard to find. Jupiter in Virgo also implies that the realm of service and work is about to get really busy in some fashion, and the need to be in optimum health is tantamount to accomplishing what needs to be accomplished. As Venus moves direct on September 6, tying up its retrograde story for the remainder of September, I expect many of the heart’s impediments will be clarified and released. The things within ourselves and our environment that block our enjoyment and ability to receive love and money – as well as what it is we really want to create, what makes us happy and brings us joy – are recognized. There is a sense of finality around situations that cause frustration – a feeling that there’s just better ways to spend one’s time.

With the Virgo energy I feel comes a great desire for simplicity, because the paradox of this time is that it is incredibly complex in all ways imaginable. The primary reason for this is that September begins the mutable T-Square between Saturn in Sagittarius, Jupiter in Virgo, and Neptune in Pisces that is a predominant feature of the remaining months of this year. We feel that there is a LOT to do, no time to do it, and that the task itself is monumental. Simplifying our lives as much as possible is necessary but is in itself a task and discipline in circumstances that have no consistency. As Mercury moves Retrograde in Libra mid-month I sense the issue of balance will come prominently into the fore. Tip the scales the other way for a while and see what happens. Libra, of course, is also about relationships – and there is an echo here to Venus Retrograde – how are we relating with life? Do we enmesh ourselves with other people’s thoughts and feelings without realizing it? Are we closed or open to collaboration that could be helpful to us? Who do we want to collaborate with? How can we have more equality and fairness in our relationships with partners and clients? In business?

At the same time that Mercury goes retrograde Saturn moves into Sagittarius for the next 2-3 years. Saturn in Sag suggests that now it’s time to begin one’s own pattern of thinking and behavior and creating one’s own dogma and truth, rather than continuing to allow other people’s ideas take control. Saturn in Sagittarius is a truth telling energy and it is the apex of the T-square pattern. In an interplay that shows immense confusion, delusion and deception, Saturn will reveal false idols for what they are and prompt us to test and evaluate all truths for ourselves before accepting them. With the energy of Jupiter and Neptune alone, we are dealing with the struggle between the mundane and the mystic – knowing of course that there is a path to the mystic through the distractionless fulfillment of life’s practicalities – yet finding ourselves in a climate that supports anything but. Underneath this energy is a pulse of frustration that seems to emanate an almost fractal web of complexities that multiply times ten with each beat. Saturn in Sagittarius wants us to find the meaning of it all, to see the big picture and put some shape around it. The thing is, we live in a world that cannot give us peace -- it becomes more and more busy by the day. So how do we arrive at balance? How do we transcend distraction? How do we discern the master from the charlatan? How do we live in this world and practice our truth in real time, at all times? How do we structure our lives to allow for meaningful engagement with reality? How do we build a world in connection to our highest good, in greater health and heartfelt connection? How do we take lofty ideals and put them into a practical form, functional for the modern paradigm?

These are among the many questions I see being predominant in the coming years.

The T-Square itself could have it’s own article. Having been through this vibe by transit these past few years I can say Neptune Square Saturn is not an easy energy – it is highly confusing and anxiety inducing. Add the expanding force of Jupiter to the mix and you have a vortex of turbulent and muddy waters. Neptune erodes Saturn’s normally sober sense of reality and order. Being in Sagittarius our core beliefs are being attacked – all sense of truth is shifting dramatically. A lighthouse that once stood strong is washed away to sea, slowly declining and decrepit. The question of whom to believe becomes difficult – even one’s own intuition can seem untrustworthy if it is colored by subconscious attitudes. The truth is very fuzzy and must be searched for. However, it can be found. As with all of Neptune work there is a great potential for clarity. The ultimate purpose of this energy is the alignment of the soul to the soul’s dream… and the soul’s dream does not care at all about your beliefs, thinking patterns and social dogmas. In the end we are cleansed, but the process requires a lot of faith and patience. We cannot rely on the material or the ideological – as the answer lies somewhere beyond both.

To me, the beauty of this configuration is the tone of deep questing. The mutable signs’ purpose is to transform and this energy signifies a tremendous amount of fast-paced change emerging from inner turmoil surrounding the question of what truth really IS. If it wasn’t the lighthouse, then what is it? Is it the light itself? Or is it even beyond that? The mutable energy also presents a great deal of malleability that we have not had in recent years where the energy has been functioning more like a gridlock – with a lot of stop and go, stalemates and impasses. We had to go through the phase of irreconcilability to cross into the phase of action. We had to go through the phase of action and confrontation in order to cross into this new phase, which is the phase of transmutation. Things have freed up – we can now meld reality to better suit us – the challenge will be maintaining the proper direction. These are energies that can spiral out of control and create delusions, or they can bring the wisdom of positive habits, positive thinking, and pure spiritual flow. To stay ahead of it, we have to employ some discipline to our thinking and our lives. Discovering where we carry rigid, negative thinking, and subsconscious fears and learning to change these things is a major aspect of this process. We will learn that we can opt for pathways that allow us greater clarity and peace by remaining grounded, centered and aware or we can opt for pathways that feed the fear and confusion and fall for the illusions of the world. Everything we believe that is not universal law is subject to and likely to change. All that is unsteady already will grow more unsteady. It’s unsteady because it’s not honest. Let it fall apart. Keep the positive intention and the positive direction. The mind is powerful at this time as boundaries between the subtle and mundane reality are thinner than usual. Our dreams can be real. So can our fears. We’re responsible for whichever we create.

And then… The eclipses. Yes, there’s more than this. On top of Mercury retrograde, Venus retrograde, Saturn changing signs, Jupiter changing signs, Pluto stationing to go direct (Which I haven’t even talked about it only adds to the feeling of evolutionary intensity), the Fall Equinox, and some very strong configurations – we have eclipses. Eclipses are a twice annual phenomenon that bring about major culminations, endings, new beginnings, and generally speaking – points of destiny and fate in our lives. This month’s eclipses occur at 20 Virgo (Solar eclipse on September 13) and 4 Aries (Total Lunar Eclipse, visible in the US, on September 27). So anyone with planets in mutable signs around 20 degrees or cardinal signs around 4 degrees will feel the eclipses most strongly – but all people will be passing through the energies of the eclipses.

The Solar Eclipse on September 13 is highly sensitive. Under this energy we will be very aware of what we lack. It is a good new moon to set intentions with regards to health routines – health and healing is a major highlight of the eclipse. Radical changes around work and health may occur out of necessity. The spirit of service and how we personally express it is an important motivation to changes we make under this energy. We’re more inclined to break bad habits and let go of spiritual burdens, especially if they’re holding us back from our sense of efficiency and simplicity. We are taking our Saturn in Scorpio lessons and applying them in every way we can. To not do so will cause us more pain and suffering than is necessary, and we intuitively know this. We need to evolve and work from our strengths, rather than stay in a Sisyphus-like cycle of never-ending burdens. We have the power to make our life what we want it to be, truly, we do! This a great new moon to make a plan of tangible actions and set goals towards making the soul dream come true. We’ve done the inner work, now it’s time to apply all we’ve learned, and then learn some more as we go. Know that it’s going to be complicated, busy and changeful – but not impossible. The world has changed, and it is opening as we are opening to be re-oriented and re-aligned to our naturalness and divinity. Be open to the possibilties. Refinement of the focus, I feel, can be considered the theme of this eclipse.

The Lunar eclipse feels much more about the balancing energies of the Mercury retrograde, which lingers nearby to the eclipse degree. In the period between eclipses, Saturn will have moved into Sagittarius. The first eclipse feels much like the ending of a cycle being put into practical action, while the second eclipse emphasizes the opening of a cycle and all of the complex processes involved with the new energy. It is a very powerful, evolutionary eclipse. Great frustration exploding into radical change. It doesn’t matter what the frustration is at – just that the forces involved are inhibiting and intolerable. We’re stepping into new terrain in our lives and are being faced with the duality and paradox of all that we have developed thus far. What we really want is to break free and step directly into joyful self realization (isn’t the work over yet?), but we must do so with awareness. The best action taken now is righteous action. This is a South Node eclipse, meaning it is a releasing energy. We are releasing Aries impulsiveness and dog-eat-dog survivalist attitudes. The energy of this eclipse shows us that impulsiveness will not only not serve us, it will cause all kinds of unforeseen problems. We are becoming aware of where we are blocked and frustrated, but learning the lesson that not all obstacles are meant to be “blasted through” – It’s important to do the work and negotiations necessary to arrive at clarity before taking action – and all actions are well served to be backed up with some kind of plan and forethought. We have plenty of time – and even though it seems the world is swirling around us without control – we do not need to hurry ourselves and get swept up in the madness. As we enter this mutable energy it is absolutely necessary to seek clarity with patience and yielding. Aries energy is neither of these things and it may feel difficult to quell the fire. If we have done our work of purification, and are willing to let go of expectation, we can be decisive – but it is a decisiveness that must arise from the true mind. We will know what the right decision is if it feels peaceful and freeing. Our decisions must not be made with shadows of uncertainty – investigate all unsettled feelings and see more deeply into choices. The period upcoming may be a chaotic and confusing time, but it can be a phase where we really learn to tap into the inner voice and work from our spiritual center, as this may be the best way to survive and the only way to thrive under these influences. It is a beautiful spiritual lesson in a “feminine” form of evolution. Release doing, return to being. Work from being, and find the truth without searching.

The energy of September is huge. This is a pivotal time for the world’s direction. People who choose to be assistants and servants to the world in one way or another will experience immense growth through this process – this is a time when spiritual energies are very high and many people will start experiencing mind-bending shifts in their perspectives and need grounded influences. It is important that we all become aware of balance in our lives and transparent with our truth – especially with ourselves. Simplify, clarify, wait until things settle. Your mind is a powerful creator…. Use it wisely.

“All will come to those who keep to the one – for there lies rest, happiness and peace.”

- Tao Te Ching, Chapter 35

The truth we practice: Blue Moon in Aquarius, Venus & Uranus Retrograde, Saturn Direct in Scorpio

Life has felt up in the air lately. At the start of this year I had predicted it would be one for reevaluation and clearing the decks, and it has been that to a degree of intensity that I had no idea was even possible. We are in times of major internal change and revolution. The call to abandon activities, attitudes and persons that do not align with our spiritual process is growing louder by the day. As the invisible & subtle reality merges more acutely with the dense, physical reality our minds and our bodies are undergoing painful and confusing transitions. We are in a moment in life where everything matters. What we choose to do and be defines us now more than ever. Deep subconscious issues are arising at alarming rates, and with the right attitude and willingness we can shift our consciousness around a given situation nearly as quickly as it appeared. The key, no matter what, is to maintain the integrity of a positive direction and move towards that which makes us feel happier, lighter, and more free. The other night after working for several hours in the office, I went out to bathe in the moonlight and for the first time in some weeks, take a moment to reflect upon all of the recent changes and overall direction of situations in my life. The past few years in summertime, I have been so BUSY and this summer in particular, I’ve entered an unprecedented phase where the present is the only reality I have much time to worry about. Summer used to be my favorite season, but since moving south I find the intensity of the active yang energy a challenging contender. It is more difficult in the summertime to sink in to the lengthy periods of reflection and internal work that come so easily in the slower seasons and staying balanced in the midst of constant activity can be quite tricky. However, with so much shifting energy in the cosmos this past week and next, life seems to have put on the brakes to some degree. I feel we are all getting the opportunity to look more closely at the action taking place all around us and making determinations that could slightly or significantly alter our course from here on out.

In astrological terms, the major events that I am referencing are those in the title of this article: Venus Retrograde, Uranus Retrograde, and Saturn moving Direct and out of Scorpio, as well as today's Blue Moon in Aquarius. As an astrologer and intuitive, I very often feel and sense these types of cosmological shifts for a period of time before I write about them. Retrograde/Direct cycles especially of the outer planets like Uranus, are not highly unusual, but since they are happening together we feel these energies very acutely and perhaps more dramatically than usual. Uranus is the signifier of change and awakening. Venus relates to harmony, luxury, and relationships. While Saturn is the lord of karma & matter: the “work” of life. The feeling of this past week has been somewhat “strange” to me. There is a very intense sensation toward making, in some cases, unanticipated changes as immediately as possible in order to be in better alignment with our true spiritual direction and overall peace of mind. I find myself commanded to quickly shift gears and refocus in ways that I did not expect at this juncture, but am nonetheless grateful for. The clear message coming through the Uranian principle seems to be: “The time is now to live the life we wish!” Change now what demands to be changed – ESPECIALLY as it relates to Venusian aspects of our life: Creative pursuits, love relationships, and financial matters.

Venus is spending the majority of its Retrograde cycle in Leo the sign of fun, self expression, and creativity. Since Venus has entered its shadow (the area of the sky over which it is moving retrograde) in late June, I’ve been seeing the themes of the retrograde cycle – and in many ways am finding a direct correlation between this Venus Retrograde and the Saturn Cycle that has been so prominent throughout 2015. Saturn is in Scorpio for the very last time, demanding our final word on the Scorpionic lessons we’ve been working with since October 2012. Throughout this transit I have concluded that Saturn in Scorpio can be summed up as such: A firm, deep, and fearless commitment to our own path, our own evolution, and our own empowerment irregardless of all obstacles or realities that aim to take us down, don’t understand what we’re doing, or otherwise keep us from realizing our own true strength. And this very much includes our own inner psyche’s negative patterning. The lesson of Saturn in Scorpio has been to persevere through the depth of our fears around true power, true love, true strength, true intimacy, and true vulnerability in faith and trust that what we truly want and need will await us on the other side. It has been very much like a psychological “clean up.”

Saturn is stationing at the very final degrees of Scorpio, while Venus is moving through the same patch of sky in stressful, restructuring, reevaluting, releasing waning square to Saturn, along with Jupiter who is also in Leo in the final degrees. What I have been noticing about the themes of Venus retrograde that have thusfar arisen is that there is a sensation of finality. Many old and crusty characters and behaviors have been popping up all over the place – in dreams, in people on the street, in current relationships, you name it. All of these things relate to old psychological scars that we might be carrying from past relationships and around love in general.  With the Scorpio energy really pushing us to purge our fears and psychological hang ups, I feel this Venus Retrograde has a lot of energy around really finding what LOVE and FREEDOM IN LOVE means to us and how we want to shift our psychological patterning around partnership, friendship, and creative processes.  What do our past relationships show us about what we desire in love, and also what we feel is missing?  What are the projections we experience through others saying about how we relate to love and relationships – is it all roses and daisies, or are there some shadows there? What is happening in your current relationship that you no longer tolerate? What choices can we make around relationships of all kinds that will bring more fun, lightness, and joy into our lives?

Generally speaking, I’ve really noticed a sudden flourish in social connections, as people around me seem to be expressing a desire to connect more often and more meaningfully. In love relationships, I see partnerships departing, deepening, and most definitely reevaluating and shifting based off of what the two partners most deeply value in relationship, as well as what will bring the relationship to an overall happier and more harmonious place in the long term.  I also see people craving time for themselves to rejuvenate, relax, and take care of their relationship with self on a deeper level -- in a realization that this allows them to be more present in connection with work and others.  And all of this seems to be happening in a “now or never” sort of way. Venus is about what we DESIRE and the sense I am getting is that what we want can no longer be put off. What makes us happy is tantamount and those things that make us unhappy we are willing to shift completely sans the usual hemming and hawing. The reason being those parts of our relationship with life that make us unhappy are REALLY starting to feel old and burdensome, and we’re recognizing the extent to which many of these things are just reflections of our own self limiting beliefs and psychological fog. Our own disempowered behaviors.

The overall feeling is one of moving forward with the aim to improve. This might mean some significant changes in particular patterns that are pretty firmly embedded in our relationship to others, self, and even our work and creative life. There can be some frustration around this as so often lately it feels that every time something is settled or resolved, it’s quickly dismantled for rebuilding. This uprooting feeling can be disturbing, especially to those of us who sorely wish for reality to be more fixed and predictable.  However, it is my sense that we should get used to this to some degree and learn to create our lives from the consciousness that change not just a possibility but inevitable. In other words, what we create in our lives needs to have plenty of room for evolution – as the more walls we build, the more walls we’ll have to take down later. A firm foundation can still be established, but all other elements must be highly malleable. Simplify everything and be ready to be “on the move” so to speak.

In my contemplation of the times, of truth, and the messages of the Retrograde cycles and today’s Blue Moon in Aquarius -- I wondered about a certain phenomenon one encounters when walking a spiritual path and working on one’s internal growth – in the stages between major breakthroughs there are these phases where one can feel utterly out of sorts and look around at one’s life only to wonder if any progress has been made at all. I thought back to myself in earlier stages of my life and journey and how it seemed so much easier to grasp certain concepts that in times more present seem as if they are far away on some high mountain. Were they not even further from me then? The answer I got was this: The truth can be known in an instant – but to realize it, to practice it, to live it, takes years – a lifetime, many lifetimes.

The bottom line of the universe, of creation, of action, of being – is intent. We place our intention in the direction we want to go, and yield to the obstacles that fall in our path. We sometimes need to weed whack our way through some emotional crap but the pathway is still there and muck or no muck we still walk forward if it is our aim to do so.

In some fashion, at least on this earthly plane, there is no change without some sort of muck. Even if we manage to transcend some of our own, there is the junk of other people, of society, of consciousness in general that we all contribute to, experience, and are, in our own ways, responsible for. In this sense the path is always being realized – our journey upon it is eternal as there is no end to the possibilities of growth. If we master one or two elements of life, there is an infinity of others we know nothing about. And even upon mastery, we have to understand the inherent nature of change – the spiraling, cyclic nature of the universe, of cosmic influence, of life in general. For every culmination there is a decline, a reevaluation, a release, and a letting go, in order to make room for new levels.

I feel that this is what we’re enduring at this moment and in many ways, what we are also learning how to do. We are discovering how to process immense amounts of new information on all levels of consciousness and balance the most disparate aspects of ourselves, our environments, and the world at large as a community. In this moment, it doesn’t matter so much where and who we are, per se – what matters is our intention and our direction towards authenticity, freedom and humanity. Our intention towards gentleness, love, and respect.  The world needs this enlightened vibration. It needs people who are concerned with balance, who wish to deeply live and love, who are here to serve from the heart. These intentions, actions, and choices awaken the possibility of change and of balance on a much larger scale. We have the ability to create life more directly than ever before.  In the moment it doesn't always look as we envisioned, but the envisioning is so fundamental.  What we desire to be, we can be.  What we aim for, we can have.  What are soul craves can be realized.  Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but in time with perseverance.  And even then, the vision will take a new form.  The important part is now:  To be dedicated to the process of change, of growth.  To make wise choices, and to move forward with hope -- knowing that there is no end, and that it won't be linear, and that the results rarely look anything like the ideal, but somehow are ideal regardless.

What is it you're REALLY here to create?  What changes do you need to make to move in that direction?  See that, and go from there...

Saturn in Scorpio - Redux ... A Note on Inner Strength, Transformation and Spiritual Evolution

I do not love the energy of Saturn in Scorpio. Probably because Scorpio also rules my 12th house and lord knows, the 12th house (as I have learned through this treacherous transit) can be an unpleasant room of faceless anxiety and emotional terribleness.  However, inexplicable emotional turmoil aside, I am appreciating this final ingress for the motivation it's given me to go the extra mile on the physical, emotional, and spiritual house cleaning left undone when Saturn went into enthusiastic Sag this December. I think what's happening with this little dip back into Scorpio that lasts throughout the summer is that since we have begun the Sagittarius visioning process in the earlier part of the year, we have a bit more clarity about WHAT our problems in life really are, and WHY we need to make the effort to resolve them. We now have a much more tangible understanding of how making certain changes really serves our immediate and long term goals. Additionally, there's likely been some progress made since last fall that is allowing for changes to take place now that were not possible then.  We are finishing up business, tying up loose ends, and making deep life adjustments that will be essential for our future growth -- and even more specifically -- our long term mental & emotional health.

Scorpio governs psychological processing, sexuality, shared resources, raw emotion, grief, birth and death. The past few years of Saturn in Scorpio has been one of experiencing the psychological blockages that we might have around any or all of the above issues, recognizing them, and working to open up a process of healing.

Saturn in Scorpio is really about commitment to our own empowerment. So often we think that this is as simple as saying "Go" only to find that authenticity as an actuality is an arduous task of parsing through one's own misgivings, societal conditioning, childhood wounding, etc. What Saturn in Scorpio shows us is the true nature of power -- A person does not become truly authentic, thus truly powerful, without enduring the full experience of their own darkness and going through the process of transmutation and transformation. Power in the form of wealth or status can display itself so brightly and seem so convincing, but if it is all a facade, it is ultimately a house of cards that will someday fall down. True power comes through humility, surrender, and commitment to the absolute truth of oneself on all levels.  Under the eye of Saturn we are directed to face ourselves, our fears, and the hidden ways we behave in order to recognize the way our falseness undermines our strength.

To be our whole self takes courage and integrity.  Scorpio energy in its ultimate is the pure, raw, and honest merging with the infinite mysterious power of primal chaos.  It is the fearless knowing and embodiment of our true soul -- the freedom from all the suppression and oppression.  We all want this, yet the profound fear of it can cause us to behave in so many strange ways -- clinging to the things that feel "safe" but are in fact illusory, attempting to control every outcome, and so forth.  Even the desperate and crisis driven "survival mode" Scorpionic folks can fall into is a type of emotional safety and psychological clinging.  The power of the Scorpio spirit, however, is its ability to be in crisis and remain open to the possibility of its own, inevitable death.  We cross these thresholds of fear -- that of life and death -- to meet transformation.  Invariably, in these moments of giving in to that which seems the most frightening, something about us does die, even if it is not our physical body.  But in the process we have met the true self and liberated it.

Though I would not describe these vibes as particularly pleasant, they are productive. We have a few months to excavate and steam clean some final dark, murky space in our psyche. Or at least bring it to light in some way to later set it free. It may be an unpleasant task but we're sure to feel better when it's over, and ready to move on to bigger and better things with a great deal more clarity and peace of mind.

Mercury Retrograde in Gemini: Serious Evaluation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See you on the other side…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Courage, integrity, fortitude.

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

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

EVERYTHING STARTS WITH YOU.

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

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

Embrace it. Be it. Live it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Season of Love & Surrender: Total Solar Eclipse on the Spring Equinox

My writing about eclipses has lost some of its thunder due to the amazing abundance of great information already out there about what is going on in a technical sense. I felt -- Why add to the redundancy? Instead, I wrote a piece to cover everything I was just simply feeling intuitively about the Solar Eclipse chart, and in my own life. The biggest message I received in my contemplations of 29 Pisces was “The end of victim consciousness and realizing the divine order.” So I present some words on all that I have been seeing, feeling, and experiencing with reference to these recent and momentous astrological currents...

…

The old self is dying. The future is arriving. Our grief is profound, our new freedom amazing. What we want and wish for the past we know is no longer, and we let it go. Maybe joyfully, maybe with some reluctance. We love and embrace who we were, we celebrate everything that we’ve been through these tumultuous years -- we feel all of our pain, all of our joy, as one unified emotion of gratitude. Blessed to have known these octaves of experience, blessed to have received the gift of life – in this moment, at this time, at this place. Life is different now, the world is different now.  It has all been altered – permanently and irreversibly. For better or worse, everything has changed.

We knew all along that one day this change would come. At least, many of us did – if not consciously, then somewhere deep in our cells. We knew that there would be a moment in time when the world itself was to pass through a threshold of being and that every glorious romance of life as we once knew it would yield to the current of memory. We let go of what we cannot carry. We surrender even our most cherished parts. And we do so with the hope and the anticipation of a future that is beyond the bittersweet and delicate well of our past. A future that, until now, has resided only in dreams.

Today is the day we end our consciousness of victimhood and take full responsibility for our soul purpose. Now is the time to realize our authentic self expression, to create our high ideals, to be our dreamselves. This is the moment we make our final break from the old paradigms – purge the collective record of karma through magical thinking and free our value from sinking foundations. It is not the external world that needs to be righted, it is us. Ourselves. No outer form truly changes without the authentic evolution of inner conditions. Take off the masks. Especially the ones that seem the most real.

Release history, embrace love. This is not just new age tripe or a dismissal of the real. A friend offered this message at precisely the moment I fumbled to find these same words: “We can no longer teach through pain.” Have gratitude for your loss. Hold your pain in your arms and squeeze it with all your love and compassion. Then turn it over. Ask the universe to bring the love you feel for that old self into the present day, into your current relationships, into what you share with others. Remove your own bitterness, your own anger. Remove the bitterness, sadness, and regret of your ancestors. Tell them you will live out your destiny, whatever that may be, whatever it may mean. Be open to change. We live our destiny for the highest good of all peoples past and present. We step into our conscious power in order to completely surrender into divine service. Releasing, purifying, questing, feeling, experiencing – hurt, loss, joy, love, anger, grief, despair, elation – to know it, to know us, deeply, all of it – this is the purpose of life on earth.

There is a world beyond our suffering. It is deep and rich. Full and vibrant. There is a world beyond our fear. It is light and free. Open and endless. Do not tarnish it with doubt, heavy expectations or social chains. We are all capable of complete freedom. We are all capable of seeing reality – Oneness, divine harmony. We all can know our true center, which is the same as knowing truth. Sincere intent, humble gratitude, virtuous action, heartfelt humanhood. The simple path to joy.

In choosing to accept all that is offered to us in life, whether it looks just how we think it should or not, whether it ends up hurting in the end or not, whether it is the final destination or not, we choose to open to every possibility, every learning. We open to Tao, Source, The Divine Flow, God, Our Higher Self -- whatever words you choose to express the concept of deep, intimate connection with the unique rhythm of your own individual design and its place in the greater cosmos. The Divine Order of Pisces is in accepting life as it is, with no alterations, no manipulations, and to live from our heart – emanating, eternally, the infinite vibration of Divine Love -- and surrendering everything, absolutely everything, that could possibly interfere with that state of supreme acceptance.  Holiness.  Oneness.

We can all be this.  It is not something we even have to acquire.

A final word, from my Sifu: “Surrender to the Universe and the Universe will surrender to you.”