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"We are born at a given moment, in a given place, and like vintage years of wine, we have the qualities of the year and the season of which we are born. Astrology does not lay claim to anything more." - Carl Gustav Jung

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Slowing Down During the Darkest Phase of The Moon

  Today's Taurus Moon allows us the time and energy to re-group while the Moon is decreasing in light and our energy wanes as well. This is a perfect time to enjoy the long holiday weekend and do some relaxing. Whether it's a barbecue with friends or family, the emphasis is on nature and gardens, as well as preserving the status quo when it comes to finances. In other words, enjoy the simple pleasures life has to offer.

  The planetary symbolism of Venus, ruler of Taurus, is beauty. Look around you and notice the lush greens and mixed colors of Springtime. If you don't have a garden or live near a lilac bush, consider visiting a local florist or market and bringing home a bouquet of flowers to enhance the beauty in your living room or kitchen. Just appreciating nature is what the next two days are all about... that and taking it slow!

 About the dark phase of the Moon... we are in the Last Quarter Phase, which can be broken down even further into what is known as the Balsamic Phase, when the waning Crescent Moon is getting smaller and smaller until we come back to a New Moon phase. The illumination of the Full Moon is past and the last Quarter has hopefully opened our eyes to what we need to take care of in preparation for the next cycle. Now is not the time to begin anything new! It is however the time to wind down, finish up and store your energies, resources, and ideas for the New Moon Solar Eclipse which will be occurring on the evening of June first.

  I am working to replenish my personal reserves of energy, whether time or money, while carving out moments of peace and relaxation before the Gemini onslaught of information, sociability and new ideas starts the next Lunar cycle. So... as short as this is, I am taking my own advice today but I'll have a lot to say in a few days!

  Until then, remember to keep your head in the stars and your feet on the ground!

Monday, May 23, 2011

Curiouser and Curiouser... Foggier and Foggier... and Then Illumination!

    Just when we were beginning to get a handle on all the action taking place all around us, the Sun moved into Gemini on the 21st and suddenly we seem to have more options than before for socializing and inquiry.  I was on a crowded, noisy boat headed home to give a workshop and a talk, which, as it turned out, was the least well-attended of any I've given in 8 years due to picking a day when people had too many options to choose from!  Then yesterday the Sun, newly arrived in Gemini, immediately squared Neptune and we soon realized that we're in foggy waters and aren't sure which way to plot our course! (Actually there was a three-masted schooner coming into the harbor which went aground in shallow water, due to the fog and I got to drive onto the beach with a friend yesterday to see it and snap a few photos.)

  The good news, now that the Sun is in adaptable Gemini, is that we have options and the trick with it starting off challenged by nebulous Neptune, is to decipher which path will lead us in the direction we want to move in. Don't despair, because the distractions may be plenty but the insight can be far more revealing if we allow ourselves the time to tune in. I hope you got some real "down time" yesterday to think your thoughts and feel your feelings. The mutable Air sign of Gemini is versatile, inquisitive, talkative and can also be restless, superficial and inconsistent. It IS the sign of duality and if you know a Gemini you know how they can be one... and then be the other... at the slightest shift of the wind! Admit it - it's what you like about them at the times when you want to influence them and dislike when you need them to be less skittish!

  Today we have receptive Venus (attraction) joining up with out-going Mars (desire) in earthy Taurus bringing the opportunity for strong love connections if you have a partner or are trying to stabilize a new relationship. If not, the focus is probably on getting those you share similar values with to help support your efforts at stabilizing your financial picture. How can you engage someone to join with you in a way that benefits all? This is one of those times when you truly can catch more flies with honey than vinegar!

  As the Sun, representing the will and vital life-force, moves through the zodiac sign of Gemini for this month ahead it will contact all the planets at different times and in different ways. Use this Gemini versatility to share your ideas with co-workers, neighbors, siblings or any other people you are in contact with through the written or spoken word. Writing projects and journaling can get a real boost now. It's also a good time to communicate what you may have held on to while the Sun traversed it's way through Taurus. Time to let go of anything you now know doesn't fit in with what you planted in your garden of personal needs last month.

  When the Gemini Sun is squared by the Pisces Moon tomorrow, May 24th, it signals the Last Quarter phase and the time in the lunar cycle when we can be illuminated with what this cycle has meant as it draws to a close and we prepare for the new phase at the next New Moon on June 1st. It can bring a crisis in consciousness if we realize we need to do something differently to complete this cycle and leave the past behind. It is best to wait until after the New Moon to begin any new job, project, etc. and just follow through and tie up loose ends for the week ahead.

  Early in the wee hours of the morning on the 25th, 2:48a.m./EST to be exact, we get an influx of inspiration and new ideas as the Sun in Gemini joins in a favorable aspect with Uranus in Aries, both in Air signs. Uranus represents the planetary energy of freedom from constraint and brings with it sudden changes that destroy the old to make way for the new. You're ready for a change and you know it!! Expect lots of inventive ideas and inspiration that may come like a bolt out of the blue to give you the answers you've been seeking for a way out of a restrictive situation, dead-end relationship or an agreement that has out-lived it's usefulness.

  There is another planetary aspect to take into account here and that's a tentative inconjunct from Mars in Taurus to Saturn in Libra - find a way to be considerate of others without compromising your own values in the process. You can deliver the news about your decision after you have tied up all the loose ends for yourself, but wait until sometime after the June 1st New Moon to instigate any new plans or agreements. Out with the old this week and in with the new next!

   Thursday is like a free-day to go with the flow and focus your attention inward, due to the Moon being void-of-course, waiting to leave Pisces and enter Aries at 8:36p.m. As long you don't expect certain results or set up new parameters for jobs, relationships or projects, you ought to be fine, but if you try to make things happen in a certain way, you could experience a great deal of frustration as your efforts fall to naught. Remain flexible and enjoy what the day may bring you!

  Aries Moon dominates Friday and Saturday making the last workday of the week a challenge if you push your own agenda too hard. Saturday brings no major planetary activity and is a great day to move about and get things done! Sunday may find you wanting coffee and the paper early as Jupiter is joined by the Sun to jump out of bed around 6:30, but then things slow down as dreamy Neptune gets in the picture shortly after the Sun enters Taurus at 9:02 a.m. Intense feelings may come to the forefront Sunday night as you deal with the end of one thing and anticipate the birth of something new. Many people will be enjoying a long holiday weekend, extending into Monday, which looks to bring pleasant weather, at least cosmically.

 
  

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

A Scorpio Full Moon and Expressions of Beauty & Love

Happy Full Moon~

  My laptop has been repaired and, at last, I am back to work - I couldn't be happier right now!! Here are the highlights for today and the week ahead with just a minor review of the energies that got us here over the last couple of days.

  Sunday, May 15th, saw both Mercury and Venus ingress into Taurus, the fixed-earth sign of the zodiac where the New Moon took place on May 3rd. Taurus is all about nature, beauty, practicality, the coin of the realm, gardens and the goddess. OK... for all you left-brained people reading this, that means money, resources and love!! Venus is at home, quite literally, in this sign which she rules, influencing how we make our money, attract others and use our powers of persuasion to get what we want. Now that she's at home, Venus wants to know what we're putting aside for a rainy day, also how we're taking care for our bodies, as well as Mother Earth, and what we are doing to create harmony and beauty around us!

  Perceptive Mercury entering Taurus, brings an airy quality to the earth realm, and having just traveled back and forth through Aries since March 10th, might be ready to slow down while gathering information to interpret facts and find a reasonable way to communicate. The adaptability of this spokesperson between mind and spirit, helps us understand ourselves and our relationships with more clarity as long as we speak, write or otherwise share the message. Mercury will defer to Venus' authority here and can be clever, versatile and reflective while moving through Taurus and collecting the facts.

  Yesterday, Mercury and Venus joined in supporting Neptune to enhance the intuition and keep us on the path of caring and kind words. Working together these three planetary energies combine the sensual practicality of Taurus with the flowing intuitiveness of Pisces to imagine the possibilities for comfort and beauty in our surroundings. Take advantage of this creative liaison which lasts into the first week of June to re-envision the rough spots in your home or garden and how you can beautify them!

  Today's Full Moon in Scorpio is also known as the Wesak Moon and celebrates the birth and enlightenment of Buddha as the expression of the Wisdom of God, the embodiment of light and the indicator of divine purpose. http://www.wesak.us/articles.  The Sabian Symbol at 27 degrees of Scorpio is: A Military Band Marches Noisily, and according to Dane Rudhyar, indicates "the aggressive glorification of cultural values."

  I want to speak to the symbolism of both the Wesak celebration of the Buddha as the most powerful Full Moon of the year and the Sabian Symbol of a noisy marching band and how they are both apropos to this time. Chanting and meditation are ways in which Wesak is celebrated and marching and drumming are elements of a military parade which brings out pride and excitement binding a community together in its' collective ability to impress. We are celebrating the return of Spring and the renewal of all that the earth has to offer and shortly, we'll be honoring our military forces with Memorial Day parades and celebrations. Whether chanting aloud or marching to a drum beat you can honor and celebrate this season of renewal by being attuned to the earth and maintaining your sense of stewardship for all her gifts and inhabitants.

  As I already mentioned above, Venus has ruler-ship over Taurus and that's where the Sun is in opposition to the Moon, at this Full Moon. What you may not know, is that the Moon is also exalted in Taurus and May is Mother Mary's month, bringing even more Mother energy to the earth now. What a time of enlightenment is upon us for the next three days as the Full Moon energy pours down on mother earth! Definitely take some time to sit under a tree or in a garden and meditate on all that the earth has to offer you, ask for an enlightened understanding of your purpose here and how to co-creatively work with another (Scorpio) and... be thankful for whatever blessings you already have.
 
  If you are fortunate enough to have children in your daily life perhaps you could consider giving them capes, hats, flutes and drums and lead them in a parade around your yard to celebrate the renewal of life as they gain a new awareness for the sacredness of our collective efforts to protect and maintain that which nourishes us. An appreciation of all life and the earth's beauty can be realized every day, if we but stop and smell the lilacs at the gates of the cemetery to honor the dead or plant the seeds for our gardens to sustain us during the harsher months.

  As the Moon moves into Sagittarius early this afternoon, we can look forward to setting goals that help us plan in the long-range and then tonight Luna makes a harmonious connection to Neptune, further setting the stage for insight and enlightenment to stream down on your meditation. Whether alone or in a group, tonight is a great time to open up and ask for spiritual guidance. May you truly receive the abundant blessings of this Full Moon over the next couple of days and use these gifts to move forward in peace and harmony!

  Remember, keep your head in the stars and your feet on the ground~
 

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Sustainability, Random Acts of Kindness & Senseless Acts of Beauty

  Welcome to the New Moon in Taurus! Very early this morning, the Moon joined the Sun in this fixed earth sign of the zodiac. When the focus is here, we tend toward practicality and slowing down to take stock of our finances and gardens and anything else that needs tender, loving care to grow and sustain us. The Taurus New Moon sets the stage for the month ahead as a time of hard work and enjoyment.

  The mundane nature of this fixed sign speaks to the gifts of the earth and how we utilize what's been given to us and what we can claim ownership of, as well as how we use what we have, to bring beauty and harmony into our daily lives. Taurus attributes are loyalty, patience and perseverance, but when afflicted, can become stubbornness, self-indulgence and possessiveness!

  There are many ways to enjoy the gifts of Mother Earth and all her beauty. Visit an art gallery, plant a garden, fashion something out of clay or paint a macaroni necklace with the kids!! You can beautify your body or your home with fresh cut flowers, that seldom-worn bracelet or gem-stone earrings or by changing your sheets to something new and colorful. Supporting your local Farmers' Markets or buying a community share in a CSA project are other ways to build sustainability and help support your community.

  Supporting and using the resources you have is a Taurean virtue, incorporating loyalty and practicality to sustain what is important. This is also the sign of money, resources and belongings and when the Moon is traveling through this sign and/or the Sun is here, it is wise to adhere to the old saying... "neither a borrower nor a lender be..." Banks do not want to share their (your..) money just now!

Venus, goddess of beauty and love is the ruler of Taurus and she knows how to tend her gardens and care for herself. A little pampering to soothe body and soul will go a long way now; the same holds true in your garden where a little extra weeding will show off the magnificent flowers blooming forth. If you have too much Venusian influence, there's a tendency to self-indulgence, stubbornness or pride. Too much self-reliance can keep one from asking for help when we need it.

Taurus rules the throat, so singing and speaking are aspects that get attention this month. Go ahead and join that choir, band or sing louder in the car! Do you need to speak your piece/peace... which is it... piece of mind or peace to restore harmony...?! Stop swallowing your pride or self-doubt and just find a way to express what needs to be said. There are ways to talk about what's important to you and still show consideration for others without expectation of how they will react or treat you. Understand that they have their own needs and wants and aren't there just to please you. State your feelings and avoid expectations.

  The Sabian Symbol for thirteen degrees of Taurus, the New Moon point, is " a porter carrying heavy baggage". Dane Rudhyar says that this symbol speaks to self-mobilization for social advantage and there is within it a compulsion for gain. The questions here are: "What burdens am I carrying? Is this all my burden or is it partly someone else's? Am I expecting someone else to carry my burden for me?"  The porter in this image speaks to having someone to load our baggage down with. Is there some way to lighten our own or someone else's load? At any rate, we don't need to add to another's burdens or let others burden us unduly.

  We are in the throes of another long void-of-course (VOC) Moon period lasting until Wednedsay at 1:09 p.m. when the Moon moves into Gemini, staying in that adaptable, talkative sign until Friday afternoon at 4:12p.m. So... ready yourself today by finishing up what is important or has been hanging over your head and tidy up your studio, office, yard or house. Then, when the Gemini Moon takes over, get busy with plans, phone calls and any communication or errands that need to get done to help secure your stability in the world.

  Late Friday, Saturday and Sunday finds the Cancer Moon directing things, especially our emotions, and affecting home and hearth. One way we tend to nurture ourselves is with food and a way to include others is by inviting family and/or friends over for a cookout or pot-luck. With the self-indulgent background of Taurus this month, make sure you're not over-doing efforts to try and keep the peace by stuffing your feelings with food, or taking them out in waterworks on un-suspecting family members!

  You are probably not the only one on the ropes this week. Try and maintain balance by creating as much harmony and beauty around you, first by instilling a peacefulness within yourself, then radiating it outward through random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty. A little will go a long way and last all month long!

  Remember, keep your head in the stars and your feet on the ground~