Sun Into Capricorn 2012-13: The Valley of the Shadow

    The Sun and Santa Claus may be coming to town, but you better watch out, as the old song says, for Pluto.  This year’s solar trip through sober, provocative Capricorn will see the planet ruling power, death and the subconscious make direct connections with most of astrology’s personal planets.  Closely allied with staunch Saturn in transformational Scorpio, the cycle is set to help us confront blocks and fears. to clear our paths of psychic debris and to lay more ascension groundwork.  But before we can plant the seeds of change, we have to locate our seeds of self-destruction.

    I once was lost
    But now I’m found
    Was blind
    But now I see
            - John Newton


    The Sun will move into determined Capricorn at 3:12 A.M. PST on December 21st and by the 30th it will be conjunct (at the same degree as) Pluto.  Ambitious and assiduous, Capricorn sets its intention and achieves its aims.  In traditional astrology, this Cardinal earth sign is associated with career and industry, and in our heavily materialistic culture they are in turn primarily associated with monetary reward.  In the new paradigm, life purpose may be the more appropriate and helpful term when defining our work, and satisfaction and happiness are equally important indicators of the worth of our endeavors.  Under Pluto’s waxing influence, stated business ethics will increasingly have to match industry practices.  So when the Sun contacts honest, purifying Pluto these days, evolved interpretations of success will apply to our professional lives and surviving institutions.  When Pluto connects with Mercury on January 6th, we may be forced to examine inconsistencies.  Are they based on fearing or trusting life?  When Pluto aligns with Venus on the 16th, we may have to look at our relationships and values.  What have we been sweeping under the rug for the false sake of peace?  What changes are we ready to make?  Plutonium is after all a key component of nuclear power.  We can think of these Pluto connections like coming into contact with internal nuclear energy.  Anything less than our complete authenticity and a commitment to carefully disposing of our accumulated toxins would be like ignoring proper maintenance at a nuclear power plant.  Body work such as massage and acupuncture may be especially helpful at this time.  As Saturn continues its transit of Pluto-ruled Scorpio, the pressure to clean up our acts, systems and planet will only increase.

    On December 26th Pluto will form a sextile to Capricorn’s ruling planet Saturn.  This structuring planet is just getting settled into the shamanic sign of death and rebirth, and this is only the first of the exact sextiles it will form with Pluto over the next three years.  Fortunately for us, the influence of a sextile is astrology’s kinder and gentler cleaning mode.  Still, these forces are intent on fully exposing flaws and falsehoods and washing away blockages and distortions.  Scorpio’s candor will help us see the issues clearly.  It will sextile Mercury on January 6th, under a Scorpio moon, and it will sextile Venus on January 17th.  Conversations shift from image to substance, and substance determines consequences.

    All of the self-exploration and clearing are in preparation for the new Capricorn moon of January 11th.  On that day five of astrology’s ten planets will be in forging, security-conscious Capricorn.  This first new noon of 2013 will make connections with Pluto and the Sun and will receive propulsion from Innovative Uranus in activating Aries.  Capricorn can lay a solid foundation for growth, and its work toward principled goals builds enduring systems and legacies.  Looking ahead, 2013’s full Capricorn moon will take place on June 23rd, when the Sun will be in the Cardinal water sign of nurturing Cancer.  This reference point comes only weeks ahead of one of the year‘s most influential events, a grand water trine.  Exact on July 17th this trine will see Neptune, Jupiter and Saturn merge from each of the three water signs, Pisces, Cancer and Scorpio. 

    The enormous wave of heart wisdom they create is beginning to form now.  This is where and when feelings, language and spirituality begin playing a greater role in determining reality.  This wave will envelop all three of the year’s Mercury retrogrades which will take place under the water signs.  Capricorn is the domain of astrology’s ancient sea goat, so now is when can begin to master navigating between the material world and the watery home of heartfelt intelligence.  Pluto’s transit through Cap lasts until 2023 and Neptune’s voyage through Pisces until 2025.  It is into this larger context that the Sun enters competent, capable Capricorn.  Evolutionary Pluto stands in its path, poised to purge us of impediments to our progress.  Are we ready to face the music and to sing a new song?


When you've seen beyond yourself
then you may find peace of mind is waiting there
And the time will come when you see
we're all one
and life flows on within you and without you

               - George Harrison

Sun Into Scorpio 2012: Eliminate To Generate

“Come to the edge,” he said.
They said, “We are afraid.”
They came.
He pushed them....
They flew.
- Guillaume Apollinaire

    Emotional, fixed Scorpio thrives on intensity and change, and the Sun will dive into its purifying waters at 5:14 P.M. PST on October 22nd.  Material matters will surface courtesy of a full Taurus moon on the 29th and a total solar eclipse conjunct the lunar nodes on November 13th.  A provocative full Cardinal cross will precede the Mercury retrograde that begins on Election Day in the U.S.  Saturn and Pluto will begin strengthening 2013’s evolutionary Uranus Pluto squares.  And, Neptune and Chiron, turning direct in reflective Pisces, will connect us more directly with our intrinsic truths.  In the grand scheme of things, new dimensions and higher levels of awareness are opening up to us.  To access them, we must journey through solemn Scorpio’s passageway.

     October 29th’s full moon in physical, security-oriented Taurus will be opposed by restricting Saturn and the willful Sun in truthful, transforming Scorpio.  This super moon is connected to 2012’s Venus occultation, 2013’s Uranus Pluto squares and the lunar node placements lasting into early 2014.  It is a call to strike a healthy balance between the our spiritual essence and material needs.  It is also an opportunity to examine and release the financial fears that ironically limit us.  Occurring two days before the Celtic holy day of Samhain, it is a summons to look within, reconcile losses and dedicate ourselves more fully to the spiritual work we came here for.  This meaningful moon will receive a friendly trine from evocative Pluto in industrious Capricorn.  Infused with this lunar wisdom and inspired by practical plans for the future, we enter a Cardinal gateway of Light the first weekend of November.

October 29, 2012

     Abundant Venus has two celestial abodes, and she will be residing in her harmonious Libra lair when the moon comes home to its native Cancer from November 3-5th.  With Pluto and Uranus settled into Capricorn and Aries, the cosmic stage is set for initiation.  If the full moon or Samhain/Halloween purging has worked its magic, then new offers and opportunities will begin materializing in early November.  Discouraging unwisely impulsive decisions, clever Mercury will turn retrograde on November 6th.  Lasting until November 26th, this transit will provide ample time for studying details and carefully reviewing facts and figures before moving ahead.  And with the Messenger traveling all the way back to 18 degrees of probing Scorpio, deceit, abuse and deception will be exposed.  Mercury, Saturn and the Sun are intent on clearing corruption and instituting the honesty and integrity now critical for planetary evolution.  

    Mercury re-enters sacred Scorpio on November 13th, the day of a total solar eclipse.  This new moon eclipse in Scorpio is conjunct the lunar North node.  In general terms, the moon’s South node describes the past and its North points the way forward.  The Taurus Scorpio opposition created here concerns resources and power.  In late August the Nodes shifted into Taurus and Scorpio, where they will be in influence until February 2014.  Here they will intensify the current Scorpio directive to fully integrate our spiritual beliefs with our economic practices and the care we give to our physical bodies. 
 
    The “let go to grow” mantra being sounding now will be booming by the time we reach 2013’s Pluto Uranus squares.  They will take place on May 20th, the final day of the Taurus Sun cycle, and on November 1st, in the midst of next year’s Scorpio solar sojourn.  By then stern, structuring Saturn will be adding more of its considerable weight to the equation.  The ringed-planet is after all Capricorn’s ruler, so it supports Pluto’s presence in the sign of pragmatic progress.  Reciprocally, Pluto respects Saturn’s disciplined prowess in its home sign of destructive Scorpio.  In short, Pluto in Capricorn and Saturn in Scorpio understand and mirror each other.  In these placements, their energies are complementary and mutually fortifying.  Mars will amplify their power when it moves through ambitious Capricorn from November 16th through December 25th.  This is the fuel for setting and ultimately reaching conscious goals.  The Sun’s coming placements in Taurus and Scorpio on the exact days of the next Pluto Uranus squares will reinforce the work we undertake now.

    Scorpion change is often dramatic, turbulent and obvious.  By contrast, fellow water sign Pisces works more like waves upon rocks.  It dissolves so subtly and gently that its influence is usually only recognizable over time.  The planet it rules, Neptune will turn direct on November 10th as will healing asteroid Chiron on the 14th.  Both are in holistic, integrating Pisces, the sign that also completes the zodiac.  Thus the planets in these collaborating water signs are on message: release to regenerate.  The Neptunian element here assures us that even in the midst of great upheaval, peace is always available.  The boundless, artistic planet instructs us to turn inward.  There we can center ourselves.  From the void of a quiet mind, inspiration emerges.  Aligned with its clarity, we know precisely which steps to take next.

“And now I see with eye serene,
the very pulse of the machine
A being breathing thoughtful breath
A traveler between life and death”
William Wordsworth

Sun Into Libra 2012: Dare To Care

    The Sun will shift into harmonizing Libra at 7:49 A.M. PST on September 22nd, but this cycle’s main event will take place on October 5th.  That’s when lesson-baring Saturn will move from graceful Libra, where it has been since October 29, 2009, into passionate, purifying Scorpio.  The transit will last until December 23, 2014 with a retrograde revisit scheduled from June 14th to September 16th of 2015.  Before that celestial changing of the guard, we have some ideal aspects for brainstorming and another Cardinal portal of bright beginnings to travel through.  Also during the upcoming Libra cycle, active Mars will move into adventurous Sagittarius, mental Mercury will delve into intense Scorpio and artistic Venus will beautify service-oriented Virgo.  Joining Jupiter in Gemini and Neptune in Pisces, Mars and Venus will form more Mutable squares and oppositions, further encouraging release and renewal. 

    The Libra cycles gets off to a lively start when the moon moves into Cardinal Capricorn on September 22nd.  In alliance with powerful Pluto, the moon will square Uranus, the Sun, Mercury and Saturn through the 24th.  These energies are bound to stir us up and spur us into action.  Aligning our thoughts, words and deeds with high frequencies of awareness, the moon will next head into lofty Aquarius.  There, with the Sun, Mercury, Saturn and Jupiter in fellow air signs, it will beam rays of sheer brilliance to us through the 26th.  The last of Saturn’s transit through balanced, deliberating Libra will lend soundness to the ingenuity coming during these days.  October 8th, with its exact Sun Jupiter trine, is another five-star day for bright ideas.  Putting the wind beneath our wings, or lighting the fire under our arses, a full Aries moon is set for September 29th.  Rambunctious, pioneering and ever provocative, Ram’s irrepressible spirit will inform and infuse us until October 1st.  Much more than the mere turning of a calendar page, October 1st marks a turning of the celestial tide.  That week Venus, Mercury, Mars and Saturn will change signs and generous Jupiter will turn retrograde.  The most significant planetary shift is that of Saturn.

    We are in the midst of a fifteen-year Pluto journey through reforming Capricorn and a three-year series of Uranus Pluto squares.  Their propulsion will be strengthened in 2014 when Jupiter traverses Cancer and forms more major planet Cardinal crosses.  And recently, on August 29th, the moon’s nodes shifted to the Taurus Scorpio axis.  It is into this eventful context that Saturn’s transit of Scorpio occurs.  I’ll be writing more about the implications of the lunar node shift in the Sun Into Scorpio edition of the newsletter next month.  For now, understanding more about the Saturn Scorpio transit is what’s important.  Because it has as many implications as it has interpretations, I highly recommend reading the work of many astrologers about this transit. 

    Its icy rings have been visible since 1610, and they’ve reinforced Saturn’s reputation as the planet symbolic of boundaries, discipline and limitations.  Saturn is astrology’s authority figure, and it teaches us to earn life’s rewards.  Scorpio, represented by the scorpion, snake and phoenix, is the sign of metamorphosis.  Amongst its many gifts are honestly, intimacy and death.  This is a call to truthfully examine ourselves, and to change.   For the next three years, each time an emotional button is pushed or a psychological issue is triggered, resolute Saturn will offer Scorpion medicine.  Blocks to intimacy can be revealed and healed.  Mortality is another Scorpion awakener.  In the gifted hands of the planet governing time, respect for death’s inevitability can help us live on purpose.   Sober, abiding Saturn will help us face and overcome the fears preventing us from living our most cherished dreams.  Immensely connected with the Neptune and Chiron transits of Pisces, this is cosmic transformation of the deepest magnitude.  Indifference is not an option.  For the resistant, this transit will be harsh.  Saturn is as inflexible and it is relentless, and in emotional Scorpio it will be intent on getting to the heart of matters.  For the hearts and minds bravely committed to personal and planetary evolution, this transit is alchemist’s gold.  We can release all heart chakra blockages and experience new levels of awareness and intimacy.  Our first treatment is scheduled on Oct 10th when Saturn trines Neptune.  The challenge for us will be to not deny that we care, but to fully acknowledge how dearly and deeply we do.

October 15, 2012 New Moon

    To gently usher in the beginning of this great change, the cleansing energies of the Mutable signs will be in evidence for the reminder of the Libra cycle.  With Jupiter in Gemini, Venus in Virgo, Mars in Sagittarius and Neptune and Chiron in Pisces, each Mutable point of the zodiac’s wheel will be occupied.  Strong messages about what to let go of will be reinforced by Mercury’s presence in detecting Scorpio.  Dates to watch for these invitations to reflect and release include October 7th, 12th, 16th and 17th.  Saturn’s presence is Scorpio will add resonance to the clarity coming through far beyond this Sun cycle. 

    On the whole, the sweeping shift we are all experiencing is unfolding over many years, and the Saturn transit through Scorpio is poised to play a major role in it.  For now, the Sun is entering diplomatic, instigating Libra to initiate us for the life-altering sojourn.  It arrives here each autumn to start the new season and to remind us of our relationships.  Spiritual growth doesn't happen in a vacuum, and Libra shows us where and how we can evolve through the people in our lives.  Often reprinted at this time of year, the Prayer of St. Francis, elegantly expresses the wisdom and grace of this evocative sign.  This prayer also reminds us to get outside of ourselves long enough to support those we are blessed to have in our lives.  Its essence activates a deep internal shift that moves our Light and love outward.  At a point of such tremendous planetary change, its transformational simplicity is well worth practicing.  Happy Birthday Libra!


The prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace 
Where there is hatred, let me sow love
where there is injury, pardon
where there is doubt, faith
where there is despair, hope
where there is darkness, light
where there is sadness, joy

O Divine Master, 
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console 

to be understood as to understand

to be loved as to love
For it is in giving that we receive
and 
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned 

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life

Sun Into Virgo 2012: Tuning In And Turning On

     Shortly following the Sun’s entrance into rational, discerning Virgo at 10:07 A.M. PST on August 22nd, passionate Mars will move into psychic Scorpio on the 23rd.  There, the planet of drive and desire will be in the highly intuitive company of alluring Venus in caring Cancer and seductive Neptune in perceptive Pisces.  These three planets in the feeling water signs will set an internal, reflective tone that will resonate throughout much of the forthcoming Virgo cycle.  Fireworks and forward momentum are set for mid-September when Cardinal forces mount under the second Uranus Pluto square.  In between, strong full and new moons are on tap, purifying Pluto will turn direct and Neptune, the planet in Virgo’s opposite sign of Pisces, will be exert its indelible influence.

    The Sun’s annual journey through principled, practical Virgo is usually when we consider the balancing of polarities.  The days and nights are becoming equal in length as the autumnal Equinox approaches, and this cycle always features a full Pisces moon.  Under its ethereal pull, the intrinsic, intangible essence of Pisces mingles with the analytical, methodical Virgo Sun.  In 2012 several planets will join the struggle for balance along this axis of sensitivity and sensibility.  On one side of the equation, Neptune and Chiron will be in imaginative Pisces, in resonance with Venus and Mars in fellow water signs.  This group will inform us through gut feelings and intuition. Counterbalancing them, and keeping us connected to our intellectual capacity, will be the Sun and Mercury in mental Virgo.  Pluto in fellow earth sign Capricorn will share a healthy dose of pragmatism with the Sun, Mercury and us.  The dance begins on August 24th when Neptune opposes the Sun.  The planet of artistry and illusion then goes on to challenge Mercury on September 1st, while healing Chiron opposes the Sun on August 30th and Mercury on September 4th.  On August 29th the Sun and Pluto form a supportive, harmonious and decidedly grounding trine.  Finally, on August 31st, the full moon will see thinking Mercury return home to logical Virgo.  The subtle, internal tensions that ebb and flow during this time are inviting us to experience life from a more enchanted and connected perspective.  The planetary powers in the realistic earth signs will help us remain rooted and responsible.  It’s a complex mix, one in which inner guidance, applied carefully, will light the way ahead.

September 15, 2012

    Strengthening our psychic power, aiding our quest for answers and prompting needed change will be Mars in shamanistic Scorpio.  Its presence in the fixed water sign will strengthen Pluto’s influence.  Pluto is after all Scorpio’s ruler, and on September 17th it stations from a five-month-long retrograde.  No life is immune from the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, and no planet is better at forcing us to face, and heal, the pain they inflict than unrelenting Pluto.  Since the start of its retrograde back on April 10th, we have been on the annual hero’s journey through Pluto’s unsettling Underworld.  In this abyss, we have likely encountered people and events intent on reshaping our lives.  If, like ancient Percephone or Odysseus, we’ve wisely summoned our hero’s courage and accepted the challenges, we are now nearly ready to surface.  Aggressive Mars traveling through transforming Scorpio will intensify these final weeks of the sojourn.  If it unearths a few more betrayals, breeches or inconvenient truths, we are richer.  These are precisely the experiences and lessons that shape us most.  If we are willing to change, vast reserves of Neptunian insight and Chiron healing from compassionate, holistic Pisces will be available.  Also lending immense support will be Virgo’s dedication to virtue.  Reformed, we can complete this year’s cosmic quest.

     According to German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, “that which does not kill us makes us stronger.”  As we ascend from the dark realms, the new Virgo moon on September 15th signals a stellar new dawn.  The next day Mercury will move into Cardinal Libra where stoic Saturn is finishing its two-year transit.  On September 18th another of those mammoth Uranus Pluto squares will take place, the second in a three-year series of seven.  Finally, on the 22nd, the Sun will enter instigating Libra.  This sizable and seismic gathering of Cardinal energies is a portal to brighter and better new worlds.  It is a turning point at which we can shift from destruction to creation and from disarray to wholeness.  To prepare us, organizing, ethical and meticulous Virgo has arrived.  It will close the summer of 2012, bestow a little more time for study, analysis and planning and issue its annual call to service.  With authenticity, bravery and consistency, those who heed the call can begin building the future.

Sun Into Pisces 2012: Resolve To Evolve

Within hours of its arrival into sensitive, otherworldly Pisces, the Sun will merge with oceanic Neptune for an exact conjunction. Luring us further into the vast, multi-dimensional realms of psychic Pisces will be Mercury and Chiron, the communication planet and healing asteroid, already transiting the mutable water sign. Completion, integration and wholeness are themes often associated with this the final sign of the zodiac. Before forging ahead into the next turn of the wheel, holistic Pisces gives us an annual pause for reflection and release. To make sure that we don’t wander too far off into the worlds of fantasy, this year Mars will be opposing all things Pisces from analytical Virgo, Mercury will snap out of the celestial dreamtime for a breath of invigorating Aries air, before turning retrograde, and a cantankerous Cancer moon will stir things up on March 2nd and 3rd. But none of that should deter us from swimming to the deep end of 2012’s Pisces pool. After all, any upset we perceive is merely some place in our being asking for compassion and closure. Finally, a Grand Earth Trine coming late in the cycle will fortify the insights, Angelic messages and healing energies emerging during the dreamy and daunting days ahead.

The voyage begins at 10:18 P.M. PST on February 18th when the Sun moves into boundless, artistic Pisces. At 12:41 P.M. PST on the 19th, its conjunction with dissolving Neptune will be exact. Much more than a good time to meditate, this is a stellar invitation to venture far beyond the limits of reason. It’s the chance to wade into the waters of our wildest imagination where nothing is impossible. We can emerge from their depths with solutions to complex problems, a sincere desire to heal old grievances and inspired strategies for the path ahead. Even a Mars opposition to thinking Mercury in feeling Pisces on the 23rd will be no match for the exceptional creativity, empathy and sense of Oneness that will abound through the new Pisces moon on the 21st and a Sun Chiron hookup on the 24th. Like returning from a weekend retreat, early March will bring some aspects that may road test our new found state of Zen.

On March 2nd Mercury abandons spiritual Pisces for spirited Aries, and later that day the moon heads into Cancer where it will form contentious angles to Mercury, Uranus, Venus, Saturn and Pluto through the 3rd. Also on the 3rd, Mars and the Sun will form an opposition, as will Venus and Saturn on the 4th. Mercury, Uranus and Venus in agitating Aries are probably indicating where we need to be more self-advocating and assertive, and that emotional Cancer moon is up to its own form of instigation, say on behalf of our inner needs. At first glance, this may not seem like the woo woo world of “love and light” espoused by the spiritually inclined. However, when we view any conflict and discomfort that arise at this time through evolved Pisces, we can see a kind of metaphysical acupuncture at work. In this scenario, the Aries needles and Cardinal provocations may be precisely the medicine we need to feel and experience for awareness and growth. After all, that Mars retrograde in Virgo that began in January is also still uncovering old wounds and encouraging healthy expression of our needs. As the toxins emerge, we can look to the Sun, Neptune and Chiron connections in Pisces for messages of understanding, forgiveness and release.

On March 5th Venus moves home to grounded Taurus, heralding the way to a Grand Earth Trine. Whether the goal is physical or financial, medicinal or material, earthly abundance arrives between the 12th and 16th. On the 12th, powerhouse planets Jupiter in fertile Taurus and Pluto in industrious Capricorn form a constructive trine, the final one of a series of three that began last July. The earth sign support continues on the 13th when Venus trines Pluto and lines up with Jupiter. On the 14th Venus trines audacious Mars in fellow earth sign Virgo, and then Mars trines Jupiter and Pluto. Finally, the moon moves into hardworking, ambitious Capricorn on the 15th to close out this highly productive week.

The Mercury retrograde that begins on the 12th, amongst this confluence of planets in earth signs, signals new opportunities to showcase the gifts we already possess. So often we believe that happiness is something to seek out there. This retrograde is a celestial reminder of the gold within. In our most excruciating pain, lies our most profound healing, in our greatest adversity, our greatest strength and in our most formidable challenges, our most meaningful lessons. Under perceptive Pisces care, this retrograde can help us see the hidden treasures buried in our experiences and recognize our talents and resources. As we clear away old blockages, embrace the good and prepare for the new astrological year that will dawn on March 20th, the path to living more peacefully and creativity will be revealed. Dream big, and move gently.

For a sample of the Pisces energy happening at this time, please join Elizabeth and Angel Therapy Practitioner and author Kristy Ayala for a guided meditation with Archangel Sandalphon on Wednesday, February 22nd, at 11:00 A.M. PST on Blogtalk Radio. Archangel Sandalphon is the Angels of Musicians, and Elizabeth will play harp accompaniment to Kristy’s meditation for healing the artist. The show will be archived as well.

Sun Into Libra 2011: Breakdown to Breakthrough

According to popular author Robert Holden, Ph. D., “If you are alive, you need help.” In his book “Shift Happens” he asserts that defenses are the work of the ego, that unwillingness to ask for help is an invitation to struggle, suffering and loneliness, and that while independence looks desirable from the outside, it is really based on a deep fear of intimacy. He uses the term “dysfunctionally independent” to describe this mindset. The idea of extreme independence also runs counter to the truth of Oneness, that we are all connected and interdependent.  As Holden’s premise seemed intriguingly appropriate for the Sun’s entrance into collaborative Libra, gifted astrologer and writer Aleta McClelland has joined me for this article.

When the Sun enters Libra at 2:05 A.M. PST on September 23rd, it will join Saturn and Venus who are already transiting the sign of cooperation, relationship and beauty. On September 25th Mercury will also move into this mental air sign and prepare us for a transformative new Libra moon on the 27th. On the one hand, five planets (the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Saturn) in diplomatic Libra will make harmonious trines to Neptune and Chiron in fellow air sign, visionary Aquarius. They will also receive supportive sextiles from Mars in courageous Leo and fuel from the presence of a total of eight planets in signs with active yang polarity (Mars in Leo, Neptune in Aquarius, Uranus in Aries and the five in Libra). On the other hand, or side of that famous Libra scale, squares from Pluto and oppositions from Uranus to the Libra bunch are in store. These aspects promise to bring important issues to a head and matters to the fore, especially around that powerful new moon. Lastly, this period will host seven planets in Cardinal signs, marking an auspicious cycle of new opportunities, beginnings and growth. Here’s Aleta on the Aquarian aspect.

  “When we see Neptune and Chiron retrograde in Aquarius, a call to liberate through healing has begun!  The retrograde is here to assist by intensifying our spiritual depth while maintaining the stamina to get the job done. This combo is nothing like sweet dreamy Neptune or wounded Chiron.  These are power players who have come to get to the root of things, heal and move on to their true objective; making the new dream real.  Placed in the fourth house of core foundations, there is an almost plutonian penetration to this event, which is a nice way of saying, the chaos is sincerely on our side.  Neptune and Chiron are compelling us to externalize and collaborate about our healing needs individually and collectively.   Not coincidentally, with the Sun, Venus, Saturn, Mercury and finally the Moon lining up in Libra, there is a ground swell of energy around broad based and quite idealistic community.  We need our peeps right now and we know it! Although these planets are emphasizing the collective energy there is nothing general about it. The Sun and Venus play off of each other to create a feeling of warmth and affection, but not the amorous kind!   Here, we see Venus in her most diplomatic persona, urging us towards a down to earth version of universal love.  It’s the epitome of universality, updated and matured as Saturn conjunct Juno chime in. Saturn wants to insure that what we dream has a practical form so it can become real. The planets in Libra trine with Neptune and Chiron cause us to (often through disruption) reevaluate what we think are core relationship necessities, values, health, and even sanity; however it is not interruption for its own sake.  They are calling in the transpersonal, a new definition of the collective, Oneness…..a taste of the actual qualities of the Aquarian Age wrapped in Libras iron butterfly commitment to balance and harmony…..and none of them are afraid of a little radical housecleaning and healing before creating anew.  Just see what Pluto is doing in Capricorn!”

September 25th-28th is one of this cycle’s hottest spots, and it may will offer some defining moments. Destructive Pluto transforms and it will form squares to the moon on September 27th and the Sun and Mercury on the 28th. Progressive Uranus in independent Aries will oppose the Sun on September 25th, Mercury on the 26th and the moon on the 27th. During this time individual needs will be pitted against collective ones and the call for release will be intensified. At its best, Libra values fairness, partnership and grace. At its worst, it fails to make critical decisions. With the pressure from Pluto and Uranus, indecision will not be a viable option. Paths are being cleared for new beginnings. In fact the new Libra moon will bring the total to a stunning seven planets in the instigating Cardinal signs. With them, we can redefine how we experience life. It’s not so much about acquiring new stuff or starting new ventures. It is all about embracing an enlightening new perspective.

Holden asks us to consider which filters we are viewing our lives through. Do we see endless struggles, grievances, anger and stress? Are we running on fear and lack? Or can we see the negatives as signals to change course? Can we empty our bowls of yesterday’s rice and access our personal alchemy to heal our lives? How often do we recognize the clarity, happiness and trust that are always available to us? Libra Louise Hay’s motto is, “Life loves you.” Astrology’s Libra celebrates the colleagues, friends, partners and family members who have journeyed all this way to remind us.

Elizabeth has just released an exciting new app! It’s free and available in both iPhone and Android formats. It features music, oracle messages and upcoming appearances such as her date with C.A. Brooks on “Simpletales” on 12Radio, and her interview with Robert Holden on the Hay House Book Club this Friday, the 23rd, also at 11AM PST on Hay House Radio. For all the details, download her app now.

Sun into Gemini 2011: Flying with the Gods

Those affable, talkative Twins of Gemini arrive on May 21st at 2:21 A.M. PST when the Sun enters the mutable air sign associated with broadcasting, technology, socializing and travel. True to form, their speedy ruler Mercury will move from Taurus, through Gemini and into Cancer during this solar cycle. Neptune and Chiron will turn retrograde, Jupiter will enter Taurus, Mercury and the Sun will make conjunctions with the South Node and two eclipses will occur. Meanwhile Saturn, now traveling through judicious Libra, will trine the planets in Gemini and emerge from its annual retrograde. Such a hotbed of astrological activity seems only fitting for our hyper-chatty, multi-tasking Twins. Any less and they would be bored senseless. That being said, during the Gemini journey ahead, our inquisitive, adaptable Twins may find themselves wanting to abandon life’s uncomfortable headlines for its crossword puzzles. The planets however, will ask them to read the entire Sunday edition, thoroughly.

Mercury is Gemini’s ruling planet and the Messenger of the Gods. In astrological shorthand, Mercury represents mental activity and the Sun represents the ego. Glimpse at any chart and the two will not be far apart. That is because Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. At any given moment, the amount of information coming at us is staggering and simply impossible to fully comprehend. It is Mercury’s job is to instantaneously mine the massive and exhaustive databanks of the past and present to cull the material vital for decision-making. With such a close alliance with the ego however, the danger lies in Mercury becoming our “yes man.” Under its unconscious influence, we selectively choose the facts that support “our story” and conveniently dismiss the irrelevant rest. Positioned in Libra, the sign concerned with balance, truth and fairness, is stern, astute Saturn. If the Sun and Mercury are like two eager young journalists intent on breaking a dramatic news story, then discerning Saturn is their old-school newspaper editor. He will put these brash upstarts through the rigors of solid journalism, like extensive fact and source background checking. Old Saturn knows the damage one faulty variable can do to an entire equation and the painful consequences for us from acting on erroneous information. In noble Libra he is diligently working to insure that we do not allow our minds to play unhealthy tricks on us.

Assisting us with a much more subtle and subterranean sort of review, will be Neptune and Chiron beginning retrogrades in holistic Pisces on June 2nd and 8th respectively. Their influence takes place far beneath the surface of our endless streams of thought. From their deeper vantage point, we can get in touch with the emotional sources and motives behind our stories and the passages and narratives of it needing revision and healing. Pisces assimilates, integrates and completes and Neptune and Chiron further compassion and healing. This June they embark on a five-month-long process that ends in November when Neptune turns direct on the 9th and Chiron on the 10th. Note how closely they are traveling.

Please join Elizabeth on the debut of the Hay House Book Club on Friday, May 27th at 11:00 A.M. PST on Hay House Radio when she will be a guest blogger talking about "Married to Bhutan" by Linda Leaming.

Another large-planet, big-picture concept that will give our lovable Twins food for thought is expansive Jupiter’s journey into earthy Taurus on June 4th. With it perhaps an old phrase from the national lexicon will be amended. Can you say “rational exuberance”? The happy-go-lucky planet of plenty has been in fiery, impulsive Aires since late January. On March 11th quirky, inventive Uranus joined it there, and the two very likely bestowed some truly brilliant flashes of insight and inspiration, as well as some golden new opportunities. The calm, stabilizing presence of the bull will ground us long enough to give those Aries-born ideas form, and the bull’s patient disposition welcomes the hard work most meaningful endeavors require. With a favorable trine from truthful Pluto in pragmatic, disciplined Capricorn, Jupiter’s year-long run with the bull is likely to produce long-lasting success where we employ its energies consistently.

Then there’s the business of those Nodes. Presently the South Node is in Gemini and the North in Sagittarius. On June 13th Mercury will connect with the South Node and the Sun will make its South Node conjunction on the 14th. The South Node represents the resources we bring into this lifetime. Via genetics or reincarnation, its placement in our birth or natal chart often describes our natural gifts and abilities. The North Node suggests our growth challenge this time around.

Underscoring this activity will be this cycle’s forthcoming eclipses in Gemini on June 1st and Sagittarius on June 15th. Gemini gathers information and Sagittarius gives it context and meaning. For example, a well-functioning instrument panel with its precise and sophisticated measurements is essential for safely navigating an airplane. Who would want to fly without it? But an airplane flight is not merely a function of the math and science that make it possible. Through aspiring, philosophical Sagittarius, we begin to appreciate the magic of flying. In its awe-inspiring presence, we remember that sitting in a chair, perched thousands of miles above the earth, while hurling hundreds of miles for per hour through time and space, was once the sole domain of the gods. The new Gemini moon of June 1st will yield new data, and the Sagittarius full moon of June 15th will offer moments of enlightenment. So during the 2011 Gemini journey, if it feels like the planets are conspiring to encourage those adorable Twins and us to exchange old patterns, people and places for new adventures, concepts and horizons, they are.


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Sun into Taurus 2011: Dream it, Build It

   When the Sun moves into Taurus on April 20th, the grounded, patient energy that astrology's bull is famous for may be in short supply.  At that time, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will be in high spirits as they continue their lively foray through bold, fiery Aries.  While many like to think of Venus as a gentle, loving energy signifying beauty, art and delicate femininity, it’s a money planet that will enter Aries late on the 20th.  With such an excitable cadre of personal and outer planets in the sign of provocation, the bull’s more tempestuous side is likely to show itself in 2011.  By the end of this solar journey however, Venus, Mercury and Mars will have moved into earthy, fixed Taurus.  Softly aspected there by Neptune and Chiron in healing Pisces, this lineup suggests that the Taurus cycle will ultimately yield the peace, calm and sense of security the bull requires.  

   At this time of the year much is written about the Cardinal sign of Aries, the sign responsible for kicking off the astrological year.  In 2011, that is especially appropriate because at any given time from March 11th through May 11th no fewer than half of the zodiac's planets, 5, will be under its ferocious, instigative influence.  Independent and free-spirited, Aries loves to get us all fired up.  Its motto is "just do it" with an "out with the old and in with the new" added for emphasis.  Did I mention “Now!”? But with tough squares from Pluto in Capricorn and oppositions from Saturn in Libra waiting at every turn, many an Aries impulse will be interrupted or curtailed.  So while the Sun will lead the way into Taurus’s tranquil and abundant pastures on April 20th, it will be well into this Taurus cycle before the other planets stop their squabbling and begin to catch Taurus's easy-going drift. Quirky Uranus and violent Mars are two of the obvious Arian agitators, but Venus in headstrong Aries exerts a force to be reckoned with, or at least one to be recognized and reconciled.

   A living tribute to the saying that it’s always the quiet ones to watch out for, “sweet” Venus represents possessions, resources and income, and she will travel through assertive Aries from April 20th through May 15th.  Also associated with art and exalted forms of beauty, one of Venus's most enduring images is in fact that of Botticelli's voluptuous goddess serenely standing on a shell.  But make no mistake, Venus, the planet, is equally all about luxury, fertility and comfort, a.k.a. money.  Even in Botticelli's loving portrait, the graceful goddess hardly looks famished.  In Aries, Venus will ignite our material desires along with our aggressive tendencies toward attaining wealth and its associated power.  Cautionary tales of the dark side of the lust for gold abound.  They include everything from the deceit, treachery and loss encountered by mythological Jason in his pursuit of the Golden Fleece, to the modern day hubris of Jeffrey Skilling, Jack Abramoff and Bernie Madoff.

    Wielding his trident like an ancient super weapon, Neptune, the enduring god of the Greeks, stands at the ageless sea of consciousness.  Through time itself he warns us of the excesses of such greed.  Corporations, nations and civilizations rise and fall, like the coming and going of the timeless tides over which he prevails.  In 2011 he has taken up residence in his home sign of spiritual Pisces, for a 14-year odyssey.  Pisces promotes integration, assimilation and a holistic approach to life.  In the company of healing asteroid Chiron, one of Neptune's old fraternity buddies, concepts like “capitalism with a conscience” emerge.  In compassionate Pisces, Neptune will work to dissolve the boundaries between "us" and "them" while Chiron devotes its energy to global healing.  So where does that leave our cantankerous, lustful bull this year?

    Taurus's motives are stability, security and physical pleasure.  Those needs can produce the sign's notorious stubbornness and its penchant for hoarding. The antidote of course lies in its opposite sign, destructive and transformative Scorpio, the Pluto-ruled sign that insists on change.  On May 17th the moon will be full in intense, truthful Scorpio. This is an ideal time to reflect on what we value and what we are prepared to release and to birth in order to possess it. The Aries courage, Neptunian insight and bull’s strength and stamina on tap this cycle offer us the power to build it.

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Sun into Aries 2011: Perilous Problems and Inspired Solutions

On Sunday, March 20th at 4:21P.M. PST the Sun rolls into spirited, action oriented Aries where it will find Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus already transiting the sign of the Warrior. Fearless, agitating upstart Mars will arrive in enlivening Aries on April 1st and a new Aries moon on April 3rd will bring the planetary total in this Cardinal fire sign to an impressive six. Stern Saturn will sit opposite of Aries in Libra and reforming Pluto at a hard right angle to Aries in Capricorn, and the T-square formed by these planets will be highly energized during this solar transit. We will have a Mercury retrograde from March 30th to April 23rd, and Neptune will return home to watery Pisces on April 4th where it will merge with healing Chiron. Lately much attention has been given to the term Spiritual Warrior. The forthcoming mixture of Arian courage and leadership and Piscean insight and compassion offer this archetype sustenance.

When Uranus reentered Aries on March 11th one of the more volatile forces in the cosmos reconnected with one of the more explosive sources of energy. Uranus’s new location also added kindling to an existing Cardinal sign T-square. Uranus is associated with disruption and chaos as well as innovation and radical breakthroughs. A T-square is an alignment under which planets oppose and square one another, and in astrology oppositions and squares represent tensions between the forces involved. This T-square is considered an especially potent one because two of the planets forming it, Uranus and Pluto, are outer planets and all of the planets involved are in the Cardinal signs of the zodiac. Outer planets express generational and collective experiences and the Cardinal signs initiate the four seasons and thus reflect times of great change. Uranus is in Aries until 2018, Libra is in Saturn until October 2012 and Pluto is in Capricorn until 2023, So as of March 11th we entered a powerful 19-month-long T-square. During the Aries solar cycle immediately ahead, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, the Sun and new moon of April 3rd will be adding energy to the impulsive Aries component of the T-square. Mars and Mercury will continue to fuel it on into May and Jupiter through early June.

March 11th was also the day of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the beginning of a nuclear crisis. By March 16th the literal forces of uranium and plutonium had forged to pose the threat of a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Dai-ich facility. While the planets of astrology do not cause things to happen, they are symbolic reflections our reality. In this case, the erratic energies of Uranus in provocative, irrepressible Aries began forming a rough square to the planet of destruction and renewal, Pluto, in Capricorn, the sign ruling governments, business and institutions. Severe Saturn, the planet representing both lessons and limitations, was and continues squaring Pluto and opposing the planets in Aries from Libra, the sign of balance, diplomacy and the collective good.

That in the wake of the unfolding Japanese nuclear event, we see a global review of nuclear safety underway is not surprising. However, Aries is infamous for getting all fired up and instigating change, but then lacking the resolve to see it through. It will be interesting to see if the initial reaction to Fukushima will be sustained long enough to institute meaningful or permanent reform in energy policy. On the bright side, original and progressive Uranus in trailblazing Aries offers great potential for technological breakthroughs and advances, and this transit will last for seven years.

Mercury is associated with quick thinking and Aries with rapid action, and together the two can prove rash and reckless. Helping us slow down enough to review conditions on the ground and the possible consequences of our actions will be a Mercury retrograde from March 30th through April 23rd. Since Mercury entered Aries on March 8th you may have noticed that people are doing a lot more talking than listening, with little to no editorial exercise. The forthcoming Mercury retrograde will give us a chance to pause between sentences, collect our thoughts and consider our options before acting. Given the array of planets in impatient Aries, Mercury’s retrograde and slowing influence should prove beneficial. But don’t expect boredom to set in any time soon.

The planet of drive, power and passion, Mars, brings its audacious brand of excitement home to fiery Aries on April 1st where it will be until May 11th. Fierce and fearless, Mars represents raw force. Often through anger, it puts us in touch with our needs and desires. It also inspires bold and decisive action. Where and how we direct its power is up to us. Saturn in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn will be poised to combat Martian aggression. But the planet of War, in step with five fellow Aries travelers, will fight unjust restriction and authority in his push for independence. Even during times of conflict, the Spiritual Warrior remains aware of his motives. He then consciously directs his actions to a greater purpose.

To assist us with tapping into a deeper source of awareness, as well as vast stores of serenity, compassion and creativity, oceanic Neptune will return home to holistic Pisces on April 4th. Named for the Greek god of the sea, Neptune is another one of those influential outer planets. An immeasurable source of guidance, it represents our dreams, psychic abilities and connection to the collective psyche. Being the final sign of the zodiac, Pisces promotes understanding, unity and wholeness. Healing asteroid Chiron moved into its curative waters back in February. Together Neptune and Chiron will remind us of the human dimension of any challenges we face. Moreover, and oddly enough, this combination of Neptune and Chiron in intuitive and inventive Pisces and quirky, ingenious Uranus in Aries may prove to be the perfect elixir for our Spiritual Warrior. Empathy, insight and imagination blended with original leadership may be just the concoction She needs for the tenuous days ahead.

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Sun into Pisces 2011: Awakening Sweet Dreams

Under the full Leo moon of February 18th, at 4:25 P.M. PST the Sun quietly slips into peaceful, reflective Pisces. On February 21st communicative Mercury follows suit as does aggressive Mars on the 22nd. Already transiting the deep and dreamy waters of this mutable sign are newly arrived Chiron, associated with healing, and innovating Uranus. With so many planetary bodies swimming in Pisces meditative, nebulous depths for much of this cycle, our psychic sensitivity will be heightened as will a need to pull inward. Pisces completes the annual tour of the zodiac and prepares us for spring and the year ahead. In 2011, that yearly urge to move forward will get an early and rousing wake up call when rebellious Uranus abandons mystical Pisces for trailblazing Aries on March 11th. This Pisces solar journey will also see the moon nodes shift from the Capricorn/Cancer axis to the Sagittarius/Gemini on March 3rd. So while much of this cycle offers us time to contemplate and integrate the experiences of the past year, the impulse to begin changing things will prove equally irresistible.

Though fellow water sign Scorpio is reputed for its transformational powers, Intuitive, creative and unifying Pisces is also a gifted game-changer. With compassion as its guiding principle, perceptive Pisces goes about her work with empathy and serenity. The Sun, Mercury, Mars, Uranus and Chiron will be in her gentle tow on the new Pisces moon of March 4th, making it an excellent occasion to wade into her healing, spiritual waters. In her quest to help us make ourselves and our lives whole, Pisces encourages our muses. Through daydreaming and artistic endeavors, we unearth and confront the content of the unconscious. Distinctly different from her logical opposite sign of Virgo, Pisces could care less if we are just “making it all up” or whether it makes any sense. She implicitly understands the value of the truths being expressed in our stories.



Also, associated with the 12th House of astrology, Pisces is undaunted by anything unpleasant that may be lurking beneath our placid facades. Ruled by Neptune, she is fully equipped to descend with us to our darkest, most unsettling depths. Her job after all is to support us in assimilating all of the pieces of ourselves, including the messy and monstrous ones. For only when they are brought to the surface can we truly heal. What are we do to with this newly gleaned self-awareness? Pass the cosmic baton to Uranus.

Law-breaking, authority challenging and proudly unorthodox, Uranus swaggers into the bold, fearless fire sign of Aries on March 11th for a seven year stay. There his talents are well placed to help us break the new ground needed to manifest the lives we dreamed up under the Piscean influence. This volatile mixture of Uranus’s revolutionary spirit and Aries provocative, independent style is sure to prove explosive at times. But meaningful change cannot come from maintaining the status quo. Uranus and Aries are lovers of freedom, excitement and progress, and they will leave little room for mediocrity and complacency. In combination with that unfathomably deep Pisces quest to make life whole again, we are being given some awesome tools for self-reflection, inventory taking and courageous change.

Adding an another layer of enlightened inspiration to the airwaves will be the moon’s nodal shift from the Capricorn/Cancer axis to Sagittarius/Gemini one on March 3rd. Conventional thinking in astrology holds that the moon’s North node represents the lessons ahead while the South node describes those previously mastered. The term karma is often used to explain their relationship with the idea that our past experiences help us navigate the future. In this case, Gemini lies in the position of the past and Sagittarius points the way forward. Gemini is renowned for its journalistic skill. It scans the world ceaselessly for information. Sagittarius on the other hand, needs to find the meaning behind all of those facts and figures. The philosophical fire sign is also known for its warmth, imagination and enthusiasm. With the moon’s North node in the sign that believes that life always gets better, a benevolent note will constantly ring as the music of the spheres plays and the planets and asteroids do their dance through August 2012. In June of this year, the eclipses also fall along this axis, giving these energies a deeper resonance. So as we glimpse ahead, prescient Pisces arrives to offer up consciousness. It’s time to scry through her loving, holistic lens

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Sun into Aquarius: Higher Wavelengths & New Frequencies

What is on your mind?  In 2011 how each us answers that question at any given moment will become increasingly important.  On January 20th, the Sun moves into the sign of the future, community and innovation. This Aquarius solar cycle will see benevolent Jupiter move into pioneering Aries, intellectual Mercury join the Sun and active Mars in progressive Aquarius and the healing asteroid Chiron enter holistic Pisces.  Individualistic and humanitarian, Aquarius compels us to express our unique identity, yet it obliges us to do so in service of the greater good.  Fortunately for us, Ghandi revealed the shortcut to this lofty objective when he said that we must BE the change we want to see in the world.  And that leads us right back to that original question; what is on your mind?  In no other time has the answer to that question determined so much.  It is shaping our future, the future to which we are all connected and in which we share a collective stake.  Aquarius is here to assist us with our visions and associations as we map out the year ahead, and she has brought along some inspiring companions.

The first mover and shaker of this cycle is Jupiter’s reentrance into self-oriented, instigative Aries on January 22nd.  Jupiter’s job is to expand and amplify the energies it touches, and Aries insists that we break new ground.  Favorably aligned with feisty Mars and the Sun in inventive Aquarius, the desire to boldly ditch the herd to blaze trendsetting trails will be practically irrepressible.  Then, on February 3rd, when Mercury ventures into unorthodox Aquarius, our thinking will become highly original and those new frontiers brighter and more enticing.  Aquarius is after all ruled by erratic and revolutionary Uranus.  Still under the influence of that new Aquarius moon of February 2nd, Mercury’s presence in eccentric Aquarius, in combination with the Mars, Sun and Jupiter placements, will charge the air with electricity, passion and exciting new ideas.  

Fully prepared to restore law and order, should that become necessary, will be a sober and stern Saturn in Libra, the sign of partnerships and fairness, and ruthless Pluto in grounded Capricorn.  Jupiter’s reentry into Aries after all, reignites that famous T-Square, and Uranus is set to join the action on March 11th when it also reenters Aries.  Saturn in Libra will directly oppose Jupiter (and then Uranus).  And like a cosmic referee, sitting 90 degrees apart from both sides, Pluto is set in pragmatic Capricorn.  With Venus also moving into the austere earth sign on February 4th, a healthy balance should be able to be struck between the radical impulses hellbent on rebellion and the forces devoted to fair play and the common good and the preservation of useful institutions and productive endeavors.  

To fuel our nobler Aquarian aspirations, on February 8th wounded healer Chiron enters Pisces for the beginning of a seven year voyage.  If we learn empathy from pain, then life’s slings and arrows deepen our understanding and compassion.  Chiron beckons us to remember our hurts, but not for the sake of erecting yet another altar to Victimhood.  Its aim is to teach us empathy and to assist us with healing and personal growth.  In the sign responsible for assimilating our lessons in the cause of unity and integration, Pisces, we see the richest expression of Chiron’s purpose.  Best-selling astrology authors Rick Levine and Jeff Jawer describe the Chiron through Pisces transit this way.

“Its association with forgiveness while in compassionate Pisces reminds us that blame only perpetuates our problems.  This isn’t about avoiding the truth; it’s about the power of unconditional love as a healing force that releases others and ourselves from the past.”  

Now there’s a wavelength to be on in 2011.  Associated with the 11th House of astrology, one of Aquarius’s other sphere’s of influence is friends and associations.  This makes perfect tense in the context of future-building.  For as gifted and astute astrologer Steven Forrest points out, “Friends reflect our goals.” When surrounded by supportive energies, our aspirations are strengthened and energized.  In turn, and in true Aquarian fashion, we gladly share our love and support to buoy the world around us. The Chiron through Pisces transit will assist us in choosing healthy relationships so that the energies of giving and receiving are in greater balance.  So, back to that initial question; what is on your mind?  Just notice it during the cycle ahead.  The Aquarian energies on hand can help us refine our ideas, align with like energies and take those first brave steps into the future.  

12 DAYS OF GIVING: DAY NINE ASTROCARTOGRAPHY READING WITH JULIA STONESTREET SMITH

Hello,

Welcome to my 12 Days of Giving Promotion. This tradition began a few years back and is one I really look forward to each year. For 12 days in December, the 1st-12th, I pick a winner from the day’s readings and award a daily gift. It’s my way of saying thank you. To qualify, simply join my email list and have a reading of five paid minutes or longer with me, and at the end of each day I draw the daily winner.


Today’s gift is a $75 Gift Certificate for an astrocartography reading with Julia. To qualify for today’s drawing, sign up for my email list and have a reading of five paid minutes or longer with me on Thursday, December 9th. Everyone who does will be entered into the daily drawing. I will be giving phone and chat readings live from 10 A.M. - 7 P.M. PST.

Thank you to everyone who is participating in this promotion. Congratulations to Liz who won yesterday's drawing for the $200 donation to Freedom Service Dogs in her name. This is her response when I asked if I could announce her first name here.

"Of course you can use my name! You can say I'm a delighted winner."

Well, that is just the kind of generosity of spirit so needed and appreciated at this time of the year. I'm sure that a wonderful dog will be matched with a courageous and deserving soldier thanks to your love and good will Liz. I sent her a copy of the donation receipt which I am happy to provide to anyone requesting it. Happy Holidays!

12 DAYS OF GIVING: DAY FOUR 2011 PERSONAL TRANSIT REPORT

Hello,

Welcome to my 12 Days of Giving Promotion. This tradition began a few years back and is one I really look forward to each year. For 12 days in December, the 1st-12th, I pick a winner from the day’s readings and award a daily gift. It’s my way of saying thank you. To qualify, simply join my email list and have a reading of five paid minutes or longer with me, and at the end of each day I will draw the daily winner.

Want to know what is ahead for you in the coming year? Astrology provides the answers in the 2011 Personal Transit Report, and one lucky winner will win a copy on December 4th. Based on your unique birth details, this comprehensive and detailed report describes the planetary movements and influences specific to you throughout the year. To qualify, sign up for my email list and and have a reading of five paid minutes or longer with me on Saturday, December 4th. Let’s see what’s ahead for you in 2011! Day Three’s Apps winners will be announced shortly. Thank you for your support!!

Sun into Aquarious 2010: You Say You Want a Revolution, well...

“You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world”
John Lennon

In a seeming call to arms, the first volley of blaring, rapid fire electric guitar chords of the Beatles’ “Revolution” jolt us to attention. True to his brilliant Libra nature, John Lennon instantly dismisses the impulse for radical overthrow characteristic of his counter-culture era by thoughtfully weighing the pros and cons of the various arguments of his day. The 60’s icon’s lyric in fact seems to ultimately denounce extremist politics. The Sun moves into progressive, rebellious Aquarius on January 19th at 8:28pm PST where it is joined by Neptune, Chiron and Venus, also moving through the fixed air sign. That irrepressible Aquarius urge to change the status quo is in the air again. With Mars stirring things up close to the January 29th Leo full moon followed on January 31st by the next massive Saturn Pluto square, the energy to drastically alter things is certainly at our disposal. The song “Revolution” prompts us to both shake things up and to think them through. With the vast majority of planets spread across the winter axis of the zodiac, it might be a good time to take a page from the sagacious Beatle’s songbook.

“You say you got a real solution
Well, you know
We'd all love to see the plan”

On the one hand, Mercury, ruler of our thoughts, and Pluto, our core feelings, are hanging back in conservative, institutional Capricorn. Any “bright ideas” will have to pass the rigors of critical analysis and inner truth. On the other hand, expansive Jupiter has joined rule-breaking Uranus in dreamy, intuitive Pisces. We’ll want to green light projects that feel right. Capricorn is the cardinal or first sign of winter and mutable Pisces is the final sign of the season. Between the two Venus, Neptune, Chiron and the Sun move through innovative and visionary Aquarius. There are four fixed signs in astrology, each anchoring the energy of its respective seasons. Being one of the three air signs, Aquarius is a lightening rod for futuristic ideas. Nonetheless, it is firmly rooted in winter’s midst. It’s this fixed quality that gives Aquarius the stability to realize its visions. Susan B. Anthony, Charles Darwin, Thomas Edison, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln were Aquarians. Visionaries of their times, their contributions to humankind are excellent examples of that Aquarius combination of brilliance and resolve. This winter has one other major player insisting on cautious progress and humming along to the Lennon classic, Mars.

“You say you'll change the constitution
Well, you know
We all want to change your head
You tell me it's the institution
Well, you know
You better free you mind instead”

The planet of War and desire went retrograde in fixed fire sign Leo on December 20th and will not be going direct until March 10th. He’ll just be getting into forward motion as the Spring Equinox arrives and we collectively spring forward. On January 26th Mars opposes Venus and on January 29th he opposes the Sun. What makes these oppositions a little more tense than usual is that they occur so close to the full moon in Leo on the 29th and against the backdrop of this cycle’s most formidable activity, the next Saturn square to Pluto. The two planetary heavyweights meet again on January 31st.

In its lower vibration Aquarius rebels for rebellion’s sake. It upsets the apple cart for the shock value. In this context, the quest to be different is self-defeating. As these planetary energies intensify, we may want to ask ourselves some of the following questions. To what end is our inner call for revolution? What machine are we raging against exactly? And why? Most importantly, how would we like to see things change? With the Sun, our Will, loving Venus, relationships, dreamy Neptune, our capacity for compassion, and healing Chiron, our chance to improve things, in electrifying Aquarius, this sign’s most lofty ambition and ultimate purpose, freedom, is within grasp.

The winter of 2009-10 has been delivered with one Cosmic foot on the gas and the other on the brakes. Aquarius asks us to look down the road and to ask ourselves where we want to go and what will give us the greatest sense of freedom in that not-so-distant place. With that destination mapped out internally, the directions and decisions on the path ahead become much clearer. Note the issues that arise around this full moon and Saturn Pluto square because similar energies will reappear on July 26th. In addition to Saturn in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn, Uranus and Jupiter will have moved into Aries, thus forming some extremely provocative angles between large, outer planets. Major transformation is indeed possible in 2010. With Venus, Neptune, the Sun, Chiron and Mercury after February 10th in the sign of the future, now is the time to envision it. As Lennon sweetly assures us,

“Don't you know it's gonna be all right
all right, all right”



If you’d like some assistance aligning with the Cosmic cycle of 2010, please join me and 12Listen’s Chris Donovan for “A Mystical Journey Through the Celtic Wheel,” beginning on Monday, February 1st at 5pm PST 12Academy. We will be celebrating Imbolc, the first fire festival of the Celtic wheel and the midway point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Chris will be leading a guided meditation which I will be accompanying live on the harp. We hope you will join us for this enchanting and enriching evening.

A Regular Post, what a concept

So, I usually write about astrology, for work. Don't get me wrong; I enjoy it immensely. I have a fabulous ritual in fact whereby each month I gather up my growing collection of astrology books, pile them onto my bed along with my ephemeris (astrology calendar) and soak up all I can as I make notes reading through the stack of them. Then over the next day or two I put it all together and then edit what becomes my monthly post. I also help my co-workers with marketing and have been encouraging them to blog to help promote our business. Ours is an online company, so it's up to us to get out there to promote it. But some days, sometimes, I just want to write about nothing important or weighty.

I've been feeling like this all week long. So I thought I'd start posting about regular stuff. We'll see how it goes. Right now it's getting cold outside, into the mid 30's. I'm planning on watching a movie with my cat Nicholas. He seems to want more attention lately. I can't figure out if it's the fact that his brother passed nearly a year ago, that we've moved across the country from California or if it's my frugal use of the heat. 68 degrees is my limit! It's practically a sin. I reason that I have lots of warm clothes and blankets and that he has a very thick coat. I hope one day to own a home in which I can set the temperature in each room individually. I can't believe how much energy goes to waste heating and cooling space that's not in use. I've heard that new smart houses allow you to moderate the various rooms from one point. Glad some scientist had the same thought I had ages ago and figured out how to do it. Technically speaking, I could get off of my butt and close and open the vents each day and night, but honestly, I'm just too lazy for that. This place is an old Victorian home with 10 feet high walls, so reaching the vents requires a ladder. It's so not going to happen. I'm content to send love, Light and sincere gratitude to everyone who works for the power company and their families. I'd be pretty screwed without them.

Earlier today Congress extended the tax credit for new home buyers. Even though I was approved for a loan this year, I just wasn't ready to take the plunge - way too much responsibility. But, with more time to save and this extension, we'll see. And it will definitely be an energy smart or green home.

Well, I guess that's it for tonight. Twitter felt too confining for my "inner-writer" and this has been nice. Let me know if you read this..lol.

Sun into Scorpio 2009 - It's a Plutonian Thing

A passionate solar cycle commences on October 22nd at 11:44pm PST when the Sun moves into the fixed water sign of Scorpio. Plutonium is the chemical element used to fuel nuclear reactors and the namesake of Scorpio’s ruling planet Pluto. Reputed for the death-defying intensity it brings to the Cosmic world, Scorpio puts us squarely in touch with our deepest, and sometimes darkest, desires. Its motive is transformation, the kind we can only achieve by accessing Scorpio’s extreme clarity. During this Scorpio cycle, square is the operative term, and the word fixed is another one to have handy. Communicative Mercury and lusty Venus will join the willful Sun in Scorpio, where at one point or another during this cycle they will each square with aggressive Mars in fiery Leo. Jupiter and Neptune in Aquarius will form a few squares of their own to the planets in Scorpio. And that is only the backdrop to this season’s main event, uncompromising Saturn moving into Libra where it will form an exact square to Pluto in Capricorn at the time of the new Scorpio moon.

For those new to astrology, a square is when two planets form a hard right angle to one another, and a squaring off or push comes to shove effect is produced. What makes 2009’s solar journey through Scorpio so gripping is that most of the planets squaring (and opposing) one another will be in fixed signs. To review, there are only three modalities for all twelve signs: cardinal, fixed and mutable. Cardinal signs are the initiators who literally kick off each of the four seasons, and mutable signs close out each of those seasons. Fixed signs fall between the two, they sustain the energies underway and they are infamous for their no budging stances. This year agitating Mars in fixed fire sign Leo will square the Sun on October 29th, Mercury on November 1st and Venus on November 19th. Jupiter and Neptune are in fixed air sign Aquarius. Jupiter will square Mercury on November 8th and the Sun on November 10th, and Neptune will square Mercury on the 11th and the Sun on November 15th. Notice what conflicts arise around you on these dates, remembering that Scorpio’s waters are ultimately for healing the issues involved.

Other points of intensity in this cycle concern the planet most influential upon our emotions and moods, the moon. The full moon of November 2nd comes on the heals of both Saturn’s movement into Libra on the 29th and the first two Mars squares, and it falls in the fixed earth sign Taurus. All of the fixed signs get into the act this cycle. The new Scorpio moon of November 16th occurs under the influence of the Sun’s square to Neptune and more significantly Saturn’s square to Pluto.

 

The last time Saturn traveled through the sign of Libra while Pluto was in the sign of Capricorn was from September 27, 1774 through December 6, 1776. For those born outside of the United States, that might not ring any bells. But Americans will instantly recognize the historic significance of those dates. “The shot heard ‘round the world” was fired on April 19, 1775 and the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. On October 29th of this year Saturn will move into Libra where it will stay until October 5, 2012. For the first time since the 18th Century, Pluto is once again in Capricorn. What makes 2009’s lineup all the more interesting is that the two astrological heavyweights immediately move into an exact square on November 15th. This is the first of three exact squares, the next two occurring on January 31st and August 21st of 2010. Saturn and Pluto last squared while in Libra and Capricorn respectively in late 1776, very close to the time when a then beleaguered General Washington initiated the audacious Battle of Trenton, and turned the momentum of the Revolutionary War irrevocably in America’s favor. Saturn tests the soundness of our structures and is renowned for its unyielding nature, while Pluto’s purpose is evolution, even if the cost is destruction. Now on a 15-year journey through Capricorn, Pluto’s influence is effecting our major institutions such as government and business. A few of the ways the impending square with Saturn could manifest in our outer world are a major H1N1 flu outbreak, an international incident involving nuclear weaponry or an all out national meltdown over healthcare reform. The key to navigating whatever happens globally or personally is staying in touch with our instincts and intuition and following our emotional guidance vigilantly.

With so much fixed energy clashing around us this year and the battle royal of Saturn and Pluto at hand, this should as the saying goes, be one for the books. So now is the time to truthfully check in with “our story” and to come to terms with what we really want. That is not a decision the intellect can make. Scorpio brings emotional honesty to the table, and it implores us to process our true feelings, especially the unpleasant ones lurking in the shadows of our subconscious. Getting in touch with our deepest desires is the critical step to healing whatever ales us, clearing away obstacles and having what we want. The Sun will move into optimistic, mutable fire sign Sagittarius on November 22nd. Spending some quality time in the Cosmic Underworld between now and then will go a long way toward enabling us to really “let the sun shine in” when the skies lighten up.

 

Happy Birthday to 12Listen and 12Angel

Our websites are having their birthdays in November. 12Listen will turn three and 12Angel will turn two. And while I truly don't know all of the details yet, I predict that we'll be giving you some very special reasons to celebrate with us. Thank you so very, very much for your support and patronage during this most remarkable couple of years.

 

Sun into Virgo - Back to School at 12Academy.com

When last we met, our boisterous flamboyant friend Leo the Lion was giving a commanding performance from center stage and contemplating the purchase of luxurious new lair. On August 22nd at 4:39P.M. PST, the spotlight fades, Leo takes his final bow and the clear-thinking, grounding energies of the sign of Service emerge. The observant and practical eyes of Virgo carefully read every line, including the fine print, of all loan documents, have a heart to heart with the calculator and bank statements, and then endeavor to make the final determination based on the financial substance of the matter and Virgo's other bff, fiscal responsibility.

Bookshelf neatly alphabetically arranged by subject, then author, then title? Check.
Foodstuffs meticulously organized in the pantry with packaging uniformly aligned and clearly displayed? Check.
Checkbook balanced to the penny? Check.
Toilet paper and paper towels, dish and laundry soap, sandwich and trash bags purchased in economy-sized, cost-conscious bulk packs? Check.
Vacation bags packed with lysol, aromatherapy oils, detailed itinerary, bed linen from home, and at least three bottles of hand sanitizer? Check.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Virgo. To the rest of the zodiac, Virgo's hyper-organized and extra-tidy way of life seem overly rigid and positively exhausting. But in earthy Virgo's territory, these labors yield that sweetest and most treasured of states, Order. This year's solar journey through Virgo however, with the next Saturn opposition to Uranus, a solar opposition to Uranus and a Mercury retrograde, will insist that Virgo tap into its mutable qualities. High degrees of detachment and flexibility will be necessary to successfully navigate the conflicting skies ahead. Then again, Virgo loves to plan.

According to renegade astrologer Antero Alli, to understand a sign, or style as he describes them, we must know its opposite sign, for the two are polarities expressing a totality. The 2009 Virgo cycle offers a superb laboratory in which to test this theory. On September 4th the full Pisces moon will oppose the Sun, on the 15th Saturn which is also in the sign of Virgo will oppose Uranus, now in Pisces, and on the 17th the Sun will oppose Uranus. On the Virgo-Pisces axis, order must be reconciled with chaos, logic with intuition and form with essence.



Since Saturn, the planet of lessons and discipline, entered mindful Virgo in September 2007, the scales have been decidedly tipped in favor of the tangible, rational side of this equation. Saturn's stay in Virgo has brought quite the comeuppance to Ponzi-scheme based financial markets and the world economy. Between Virgo's exactly analysis and Saturn's uncompromising vigilance, the unsound business practices of the banking, real estate and insurance industries and Wall Street have been brought to light, and many a mere mortal has had some form or other of a financial reckoning under this influence. This is all serving a Higher Order of truth telling on our material plane and is helping us purge our systems of ill-gotten goods, or "earnings" that never really existed in the first place. Pluto, the ultimate planetary force of Truth, picked up the torch late last November when it settled into Capricorn for a 15 year tenure.

To bring balance to the mix, beginning on Election Day 2008, mighty Saturn entered into a series of oppositions with the planet voted must likely to consternate him, unpredictable, rule-breaking, provocative Uranus, placed in that most unfathomable and illogical of places, Pisces. The stability Saturn in like-minded Virgo craves began meeting the innovation imposed by Uranus in Pisces. For example, last November 4th, the date of the first Saturn Uranus opposition in this series, conservatives couldn't conceive of a Barak Obama presidency, yet the Uranian winds of change prevailed.

This time the two sides meet on the battlefield of healthcare reform. Uranian proponents with Piscean compassion for the sick, argue for a radical overhaul of the entire system. At the other end of the spectrum, Saturn hard-liners with a keen Virgo eye on the cost of such colossal reform resist. One only need view a town hall meeting to see how the acrimonious workings of a Uranus Saturn opposition play out in the human drama. What President Obama may have working against him this time out is that Pluto shift from fanciful, optimistic Sagittarius into sober, pragmatic Capricorn. In 1775, during Pluto's last sojourn into Capricorn, the slogan "Don't Tread on Me" emerged and ingrained itself deeply into the self-reliant, hard-working and ruggedly individualist psyche of the birthing American nation. In 2009 "Don't Tread on My Taxes or Medical Decisions" may be the new battle cry.

Throwing the Devil straight into the details, and the fray, of this monumental debate will be Mercury in retrograde orbit. The thinking planet will go retrograde from September 7th through 29th, crossing both deliberating Libra and discerning Virgo terrain on its quest. No stone will go unturned in this one. Piscean dreams of utopia with a free liver transplant for every alcoholic and a government funded triple bypass for every overeater will be brought right down to earth by the Pluto-Saturn-Mercury formation. The president will have to explain how such sweeping reform will be paid for. In Obama's favor will be the visionary voice of the Jupiter (benevolence)-Neptune (spirituality)-Chiron (healing) alliance in Aquarius calling us to a higher consciousness about the collective. Some reform, on things such as unscrupulous insurance company practices are practically assured. But to make it work across the aisle, creative ideas such as a pay-it-forward fast food or junk food tax could also emerge as ways to fund the single payer system Obama envisions. Even arch conservatives have been known to support so-called "sin" taxes. Either way, you can count on a heated debate from September 15th through 17th when Saturn and the Sun will directly oppose Uranus. Fortunately the Virgo cycle winds down with some sweet aspects. Loving Venus enters Virgo on the 20th and Mercury conjuncts the Sun on the 20th and Saturn on the 22nd, when the Sun enters peace-making Libra.

Internally and externally these Uranus Saturn oppositions are asking us to come to terms with life as we wish it to be and the reality of where it is, and the Universe is offering up some new tools to help us bridge the chasm between the two. Synthesis of the ideal and the practical is precisely what the this Pisces-Virgo axis is all about. For the past two years Saturn's influence has been giving us an unflinching dose of reality with the loving and most earnest intention of reshaping our lives for the better as it has asked us what we are prepared to do to bring ourselves closer to our visions of perfection. Perfection is after all Virgo's ultimate aim. Uranus has come onto the scene to generate new ways to problem-solve.

The Sun's journey into Virgo also marks the beginning of the school year. In keeping with the cosmic design and annual pull to learn something new, the 12Family of websites proudly launches its newest member, 12Academy.com. 12Academy.com is an online University of Metaphysics of sorts, offering an array of classes on everything from Animal Communication, to Angel studies, to tarot and A Course in Miracles. With the integrity and renown of the 12House brand, this loving endeavor promises to take self-empowerment to a new level by teaching students the fundamentals of various spiritual disciplines, as well as offering courses for advanced practitioners. As Saturn leaves Virgo it begins a ten-month long square with Pluto, while 2012 and a 2013 exact Uranus square to Pluto build in the background. This online resource of Spirituality, dedicated to self-development and Light could not be in better alignment with the needs of our time and the days ahead. Hats off to founder Mark Husson whose vision for the metaphysical community continuously amazes me. You make me proud to be part of your world. Happy Sun into Virgo 2009!