Sun into Capricorn - Quiet Passion

In Winter’s silence lies the voice of inner truth, beckoning us to calm down, sit still and be quiet long enough to glean its ageless wisdom. In Winter’s stillness lies a dormant world of possibility, one intent on embracing solitude, reflection and rest. The absent birds will return and the bare tree branches will again flourish, but not now. This is the time when energy operates on levels so subtle that they are barely perceptible. On December 21st at 9:47am PST the Sun moves into stoic, conservative yet ambitious Capricorn where Pluto, Mercury and the North node are already positioned. This solar cycle will see Venus voyage through this cardinal earth sign, a Mercury retrograde, two eclipses, the onset of a Saturn retrograde and Jupiter’s entrance into Pisces. It sounds action-packed and it is. The action however, is taking place beneath the surface. To those focusing on the external world, the inevitable delays inherent in retrograde periods (Mercury, Mars and Saturn) along with Capricorn’s cautious pace will feel frustrating and consternating. To those honoring this Universal offering of time for review and reinvention and the call for measured movement, this cycle will be illuminating and liberating. The key for unlocking this Capricorn cycle’s gifts is quiet passion.

Capricorn is a cardinal sign which means that its purpose is to initiate, to spur us onward. Capricorn is also the most conservative sign of the zodiac. The dance of taking action and remaining reserved is a intricate one. In it each step is carefully considered, deliberate and finally animated. This year five planets will come under pragmatic Capricorn’s influence simultaneously, along with the North node (our future direction), so a heavy dose of this impressive energy is at hand.

Venus joins the Sun, Mercury and Pluto in Capricorn on December 25th where she will be in residence until January 18th. Mercury will begin its retrograde on December 26th and will turn direct on January 15th. Mercury in grounded Capricorn can help us get ahold of our thoughts when we’re being overrun by them or allowing them to take us too far out there. It is also a tremendous aid for coming up with down to earth solutions and realistic plans for realizing our dreams. Also assuring us of reliable Guidance during this cycle will be Pluto in Capricorn.

Pluto above all else brings a deep abiding truth to all matters. Think about the energies of the recent Scorpio cycle to recall Pluto’s unrelenting intensity. Pluto in Capricorn offers us the chance to get real about our dreams and aspirations and the ability to completely transform our lives in very concrete, measurable ways. Capricorn offers us the drive and stamina to reach those goals. To attain that success, this duo demands that we dedicate ourselves to our desires by taking very practical, consistent steps toward them. Like no other sign Capricorn extolls the virtues and accomplishments of hard work. With Mars, ruler of passion, recently turning retrograde in Leo, the energies of ambition, drive and desire will only be amplified (see C.A. Brooks’ recent articles) during this cycle. Mars turned inward manifests as resentment, rage and bitterness. Mars combined with the honesty Pluto in sober Capricorn brings to our lives now can unravel the unpleasantness and get us back on track to enjoying life and reaping its richest rewards. We only need to follow the truth of heart’s desire and wisdom and act accordingly.

Like some sort of Cosmic check and balance, or conspiracy depending on your viewpoint, Saturn, Capricorn’s stern ruler, is sitting in Libra 90 degrees away from all things Capricorn. If we’re way off track or trying to get by with shortcuts, fuzzy math or excuses, the challenges will be formidable, disagreeable and unavoidable. If on the other hand, we are listening to and following our Guidance and doing the work required to achieve our objectives, Saturn’s waves will be favorable, supportive and encouraging. Doors will slowly open As if to underscore his point, the taskmaster will be begin his retrograde motion on January 13th.

Adding a little more fuel to this slow burning awakening of our passions will be two eclipses, one on December 31 with the full moon in Cancer and the other on January 14th when the moon will be in Capricorn. Saturn’s alignment squares both eclipses, and these eclipses will be in those provocative cardinal signs. To soften the blows or perhaps to enlighten us as to the spiritual reasons for what’s showing up, loving Jupiter enters mystic Pisces on January 18th. The unspoken language of creativity available throughout Jupiter’s sojourn through Pisces offers both retreat and intrinsic guidance. Delving into otherworldly Piscean realms through dance, music, writing and art may well be the master key to understanding the messages now being transmitted from the Cosmos. With that esoteric meaning found, the Capricorn conspiracy will help us put it to use and into form. Happy Winter Solstice!

Sun into Capricorn, Change Taking Root

Snow covered cars stranded on white roads in the Midwest, icy tree limbs buckled across frigid streets in the Northeast and even a roaring fireplace to stave off the unusual cold here in Los Angeles herald the onset of winter.  Though the Solstice is still a few days away, on December 21st at 4:04A.M. PST, the annual pull inward into stillness is at hand.  And given that the Sun’s journey through somber Capricorn marks the ending and the beginning of the year and the return of Light, some quiet reflection on the past and the future is wise.  What have we learned during the past year?  What will we create in 2009?   Capricorn offers ambition, pragmatism and stamina, and this year six planets will gather in this cardinal earth sign.  We have a rare opportunity to experience the fullness of this enterprising dedicated energy and to harness its industrious and long-ranging powers.  

December 27th offers a new moon at 4:22A.M. PST and is the day on which six planets will meet in Capricorn.  This is an extraordinary day for contemplation, prayers or ritual for what we want to see manifest in the short and long term.  Remember that now that Pluto is in Capricorn our deepest drives and dreams can meet reality, or reality checks.  This Pluto cycle is 15 years long, so the plans you activate internally or externally at this time can have very long lasting effects.  Assisting this down to earth magic will be Capricorn’s ruler Saturn in fellow earth sign Virgo.  

While the hefty economic changes the world has undergone since this Saturn transit began in September of 2007 may have given it a bad rap, it has been such a crucial and necessary journey.  This has been an exceptional time to get our business in order, to learn money lessons and to consider the impact of our materialism.  And in case we have more to understand or refine, Saturn goes retrograde December 31st through May 16th.  We’re going over the facts and figures, and the books, thoroughly, one more time.  By the time Saturn goes direct we should begin to see the light at the end of this economic downturn tunnel, and 2009 will see Saturn move into Libra in late October. In the meantime, with Pluto now firmly lodged in Capricorn, and Mercury (January 1st) and Jupiter (January 5th) heading into humanitarian-minded, innovative Aquarius where they will join spiritual Neptune and healing Chiron, the higher good that these sea changes are ushering in is in evidence. 

Have you ever turned on the “news” and wondered what entity could possibly describe our world with such vulgarity and distortion?  You’ve likely tuned out the unyielding stream of war, human depravity, suffering and division.  You’re not alone.  Last week the Tribune Company, owner of 12 major daily newspapers and 23 television stations, filled for bankruptcy.  The story behind the story is that on a very large scale, we the people are rejecting this appalling and unbalanced view of ourselves and our lives.  We’ve migrated to the Net, to our social networks, to images of hope, help and connectivity.  And have you been noting the appointments to the incoming Obama cabinet?  This will be the greenest administration in U.S. history, and it will be greeted by a welcoming world eager to heal the planet.  While the fount of fear and violence was being turned off, European leaders were formally embracing the 2020 initiative.  This is a comprehensive plan to obtain 20% of all energy from renewable sources by the year 2020.  

The moon is full on January 10th and the first of 2009’s four Mercury retrogrades begins on January 11th, lasting through the 31st.  The Sun enters Aquarius January 19th and Inauguration Day is of course on January 20th.  Why do I bring this up now?  Because now is the time to begin thinking about the future.  No doubt our world is experiencing colossal changes.  We voted for change.  Our consciousness is our key and our compass for navigating these peacefully.  Are you clinging to an outmoded paradigm or shifting with the tide?  Some believe that a Divine hand paints our world, much like an artist with a canvas.  On Inauguration Day trickster Mercury, ruler of thoughts, dips back into Capricorn, the sign it is in as we begin this winter.  Much like commissioned artists of a bygone era who put little jokes into their work for amusement, Spirit paints Mercury into our current sober scene, asking us to think about what’s going on in our daily lives and in our wider world, and to begin designing balanced paths for ourselves and our planet.  And if we honor winter’s call to look within, these awesome and honest Capricorn energies will help us begin bringing harmonious visions into reality.

Valentine's Eclipses Part 2: Shop for Love

OK, so last week I asked those of you on the quest for romance to do the hard work, practicing forgiveness. Heavy stuff out of the way, I thought I’d make this week’s assignment something much more enjoyable, shopping and decorating for Love. After all, our inner and outer worlds need to reflect our desire and willingness to embrace and embody love. That, and we all need to keep the economy stimulated.

Let’s start where this journey will hopefully end, your bedroom. What’s going on in your bedroom mirrors what’s going on in your love life; no ifs, ands or buts about it. So picture your bedroom or take a good look around, and honestly ask yourself if it welcomes a lover. If the answer isn’t a sanctified “Hell Yeah,” it’s time to break out the plastic and go on a little spree.

In her book, “The Western Guide to Feng Shui for Romance: The Dance of Heart and Home,” best-selling author Terah Kathryn Collins discusses the subject in depth. Ideas that resonated with me are her views on the colors and textures for the bedroom. She’s a huge proponent of natural, flesh tones, like warm pinks and corals, that flatter bare skin. Think about it. Does anyone look good wrapped in or alongside shades of woodland green? The color of your walls quite literally sets the room’s tone. Further, those higher thread count sheets aren’t just for special occasions. Treating yourself presently to the experience you are intent on creating is the fastest way to align with its outcome. So add a can of paint and some luxurious new sheets - in flattering colors - to the shopping list. Everything counts here. The lighting, artwork, and furniture arrangement can all support your intention to create an enticing atmosphere that you and your partner will want to spend hours in. And this time of year is especially good for finding items with a love theme.

Next, and most importantly in my view, is making your space sacred. As love is ultimately a reconnection with and expression of the Divine, this is a critical part of the equation. And the benefits of keeping the energy spiritually clear and conductive of the Divine Light love is cannot be underestimated. Let’s start with clearing. If you haven’t cleansed this space since your last relationship, since the last argument with your partner or ever, this could very well be part of what’s keeping someone new from coming in or bringing in peace to your current relationship. Using lavender oil in a defuser, sprinkling sea salt water in each corner and the ever potent smudging with sage are a few examples of what to use and how. Once cleared and blessed (with any prayer you like that reflects your sincere desire for a loving relationship), there are many ways to maintain and amplify love energy.

Ever make love atop a crystal grid? Rose quartz, pink rhodocrosite, and garnet are crystals you can work with. Pink and red as well as heart shaped candles can add to the magic you want to make and are most effective when used in pairs. Jasmine, mandarin, and rose are amongst many essential oils that enhance romance. Did you know there are specific Angels for Love and Sexuality? They are Haniel and Rachiel. There are many more possibilities that the time and space herein don’t permit elaboration on. But these tips can definitely start sprucing and spicing up your romantic realms.

And before I go, as this is the last article that will appear prior to the new moon, I’d like to recommend one more thing. When the current moon cycle began, several planets were in earthy Capricorn. So I posted instructions for cultivating financial abundance by writing an abundance check. One woman who tried it received a $1,200 gift card the first week after the new moon and another $1,050 unexpectedly. I know both of these ladies very well so can vouch for the authenticity of their stories. We can apply the same principle to our love lives. So, what I’d like for you to do is buy yourself the Valentine’s Day card you would most like to receive. And in it, I want you to write the words that you would most want to hear from the love of your life. DO NOT DO THIS INTENDING THAT IT COME FROM A SPECIFIC PERSON; ANOTHER’S FREE WILL MUST BE TOTALLY RESPECTED AND HONORED. You may want to journal on this before writing in the card. What you want to get at is the essence of what your heart most longs to hear. And on Wednesday, February 6th, the day of the new moon and first eclipse of the two we are heading into, I want you to write this beautiful card to yourself with your most loving words, sign it “With love, from the Divine,” seal it in an envelope and put it away someplace very special, completely releasing your heart’s deepest and purest desires for love to the Divine. And like with the abundance checks, please keep me posted on the results.

Happy New Year, Happy New Moon!

It is with great pleasure and Love that I welcome you to 2008 and wish you a new year filled with all that your heart desires. To that end, let’s get to this all important first new moon. Its influences are potent for turning aspirations into manifestations, for the Sun, Jupiter, Mercury and it will be in industrious Capricorn on Tuesday, January 8th at 3:37A.M. PST. In this earthy alignment, we have a rare opportunity to set Abundance intentions, and the right aspects to attain them. Though especially good for improving your finances/career, Capricorn’s deliberate and determined energy can be harnessed and applied to any area of your life. I can’t think of a better set of conditions for setting New Year and New Moon intentions under. And remember that Saturn is in fellow earth sign Virgo, which will only amplify Capricorn goals’ staying power. For those intending to have more money, I want to share a ritual someone sent to me. Please write to me if you try this!

8th January, New Moon Check Ritual

1. Within 24 hours after a New Moon, take a check from your checkbook. Where it says "Pay to," write your name.
2. In the little box on the same line where you would fill in a dollar amount write "Paid in full."
3. On the line underneath your name, where you would write out a dollar amount in figures, write "Paid in full."
4. Sign the check: "The Law of Abundance."

Do not put a date on the check. Do not write a specific amount in the check. Put it in a safe place and forget about it. The Universe will take it from there.

Abundance checks are a tool we can use to create more abundance in our lives. They are written within 24 hours after a New Moon. Surprisingly, you don't need to believe that the check will work when you write it. Apparently, you will be amazed at the results, as you will see increased abundance in your life, in some life area. It is not always financial, but certainly in an area that you need.

There is a traditional manner, which has been handed down, that must be followed. If you do not have a bank account you can draw a check on a piece of paper and fill it out the same way - the results will be the same, more abundance for you.

It is said that many people are skeptical about trying this until they do it. After the first time they realize the power of these checks and do them routinely every month! Try it yourself and see!

Btw, I'm very pleased to announce that I'll be hosting the Angel Prayer Board that auspicious day! See the previous blog for details about that.

If this goes well, I have a ritual for the next new moon for increasing the Love in our lives. That moon will fall on the year’s first eclipse (February 6th) and will of course influence our Valentine’s Day experience. Speaking of which, if your love life needs a check up, please consider checking in with any of the talented Light Workers at 12Listen.com. My friend Shane can give you Shamanistic insights (which animal totem is shaping your love life?), Angela, Radleigh and Valerie work with the Angelic Realm (which Angel can help you find that special someone or heal the relationship you are in?) and astrologers like my pal Julia can tell you all about this year’s planetary influences on your life. We have a great staff there and at our new site, 12Angel.com, hosted by my esteemed colleague Audra Garcia. Congratulations to her and my friend coach, teacher and soon to be author Besty Jordan for launching their new sities last month. Through these portals a lot of Light is going to support people and that’s our Purpose.

In other astrological moves this month, the Sun enters Aquarius on the 20th, the moon is full in Leo on the 22nd, Pluto enters Capricorn on the 25th, Mercury goes retrograde on the 28th, and Mars goes direct on the 30th. Imbolc (point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox) occurs on February 2nd. Pay attention to the dreams you receive on this very special night for you may be given a key to your future. In the meantime, what we have before us is the opportunity to put the hardest working sign of the zodiac to work for us. Some people will see results quickly, and for others it may take a while. One thing you can rely on is Capricorn’s patient diligence. He’ll get to you in Divine Time. Just keep working and moving toward your dreams.

Editor’s Note: While my four planets in Virgo have tried to coordinate with the general calendar and get things out on the first of the month, it feels way too unnatural. That date is rarely in sync with the energies and rhythms myself and my clients are working through. On January 1st for example, Mars and Pluto were making cosmic mischief and we were in a waning moon, hardly the energy for that fresh start feeling that a New Year is “supposed” to have.

So for now I’m intending to send out my newsletters/post blogs with the moon cycles. I’ll still give you all of the upcoming dates and info of importance so that you can make the most out of the time ahead. Working with the lunar call to receptivity is my charge for 2008, so I’m going with the flow.

Happy Birthday Capricorn!

With love,
Elizabeth

Ps: On January 2nd, the BBC did a story on that video for peace I made with the students from N. Ireland! That was too damn cool! Thanks to NICIE, the teachers and students and all of you who have been so loving and supportive.