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.

 

Some days you just have to laugh

So I got up eager to embrace this my 3rd day in a row of Jillian Michaels exercise DVDs. It's part of my new fitness plan and I'm really committed to exercising at 11am every day. The first 2 DVDs I bought by her were super hard for me. I could follow along, but hardly do the exercises to the extent intended. The third one was the charm. Even though I clearly couldn’t do it all, hard core, it worked well enough to challenge me for now and give something to aim for. Yesterday was the Autumn equinox, and during my workout I was winded nearly to the point of feeling self-defeated. But I rallied through, reasoning that if I do this 5 days a week from now until Winter solstice, this is as out of shape as it gets and there’s only room for improvement. So I made my way through the 40 minute DVD. I felt good afterwords, we had a great day at work and I was even more encouraged and motivated to exercise before work this morning.

I'm old school when it comes to exercise, trained to not do anything crazy when my heart rate gets up into something we used to call the training zone. It meant 70-90% of your maximum heart rate capacity. The new generation says that this is an archaic fitness myth. Still, I'm quite reluctant to get my heart rate soaring and then say, go right to the mat to do ab work or suddenly stop moving at all. My enthusiasm had me really pumping it up this morning, until I went from jumping jacks straight down to the mat for, you guessed it, ab work. Bad move. My heart rhythm went so far off of the charts that I had to stop immediately, breathe and then slowly and carefully get myself up and onto my bed where I could prop myself up on pillows and re-center my heart rate and let slow it down. It's kind of scary when that happens and I'm fine now. BUT I KNOW BETTER in the first place. Love Jillian, but no more cardio/circuit straight to the mat. The mat circuit will be done after all of the standing work and my heart rate comes down a bit.

Even when lying on my pillows, feeling my heart rate stabilizing, I was proud of myself for trying to exercise today. That didn’t go so well I thought, but tomorrow I’ll try again and just change the sequence. I’m still going to have a great day I enthusiastically resolved. On the agenda? Uninstall and reinstall Adobe Dreamweaver. What was I thinking?

This was once an amazing program. I used it back in 2004 when it was owned and run by Macromedia, and it worked like a charm. It is a website design program and it worked well with Macs, something most other web design software wouldn’t work with at all. Since this past May and the last Mercury retrograde, when I downloaded Adobe’s version, it has been “The Program from Hell.” Not a session goes by without it locking up and freezing my entire brand new Mac. This Mac has tons of power, memory and free space, and has not had one single problem with any other software. And I have lots. After four months of calling Adobe’s Tech Support, usually to be told to go to their website and read complicated manuals that are undecipherable to the non-geek, I had decided to throw the baby out w the bath water and uninstall and reinstall the whole damn thing. What the Hell, right? Mercury is retrograde again. This is the ideal time to revisit and correct technical issues, right? Why waste more time trouble shooting and having those oh so special conversations with India? I backed everything up, got my serial number in order and only wanted to download Dreamweaver again, in case the errors came as a result of a corrupted file in the original download back in May.

So it takes ten years to reach someone, ok 20 minutes and seriously like another 30 minutes to download the new program file from Adobe. I do so only to find out that the moron, sorry, but, in CS sent me a Windows version of the .... software. I call back, again, for the 3rd time now, only to be informed that they’ll send me a CD of the program. That actually suits me just fine right about now. The site was just updated yesterday. My files are on both my external drive and on Yahoo’s server. And now I’ll have seven to ten working days before I deal with anymore technical nonsense. By then Mercury will be direct. I’m relatively sure that it will all be fine.

In the meantime, I’m decided to not try to accomplish anything else today. My workout gave me heart palpitations and the software won’t be here for ten days. Clearly God wants me to vegetate. So, I’ll hang out with some of my new astrology books, and be glad that they’re not on a Kindle!

Sun into Libra - Keeping Love Real

The current Mercury retrograde cycle is sure to go down as one of the most entertaining in recent memory. South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson kicked off the season of gaffs and laughs with his now famous, “You lie!” outburst during President Obama’s health care address to Congress. A few days later at the U.S. Open, tennis icon Serena Williams expressed her displeasure with a line judge’s call by shouting, "If I could, I would take this ... ball and shove it down your ... throat." The very next day Kanye West got into the act at the MTV Music Video Awards by butting into Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech, only to be inadvertently admonished on the following day by none other than President Obama, who mistakenly thinking that his comments were not being recorded, referred to the rapper as “a jackass.” And we won’t even start on the mischief Mercury is merrily making with the ACORN federally funded housing for prostitutes and pimps debacle. If you never quite understood why this planet is the famed Trickster of the zodiac, now you know.





Diplomatic, impeccably mannered Libra comes to town on September 22nd when the Sun enters the sign of relating and balance at 2:19pm PST. Ruled by the planet of beauty, Venus, the sign regaled for its tact and decorum will likely put a stop to the unwitting lip slippage, especially after the 29th when Mercury goes direct. Libra’s aim after all, is to see things from all points of view, to weigh them carefully and to then act harmoniously in the cause of peacemaking. Rude behavior of any sort is simply unacceptable to Libra sensibilities. In 2009, the Sun, Mercury’s entry into the sign of the scales on October 9th and Venus’s on the 14th will aid Libra’s lofty mission. We will be given the chance to think about and move towards our desires through Libra’s loving and laudable perspective. While we know the inherent truth and wisdom of parables such as love thy neighbor as thyself, walk a mile in another man’s shoes, and whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them, like no other sign, Libra challenges us to walk their walk. That’s because by its very definition it must relate to other, what or whoever that other is. So before us is an ideal opportunity to try on unfamiliar opinions and to try to see the things we believe in the most through the opposite point of view. The awareness gained from doing so can be transformative.

What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding? Namely Pluto set to square the Sun on September 23rd, Mercury on October 10th, Venus on the 15th and Saturn on the 29th. In an effort to please everyone and maintain a semblance of serenity, Libra can sacrifice its true feelings, compromise its core values or become indecisive to a debilitating degree. Pluto, 90 degrees away from Libra in matter of fact Capricorn, will keep the peace and love fest real. The energies of the Sun, Mercury and Venus squares with Pluto are a good precursor to the building Saturn square to Pluto. That Square will last until August of 2010 while Saturn’s overall journey through Libra will last until October 5, 2012.



These first three alignments, involving the personal planets, will give us a glimpse into the places in our lives where being pleasant is at odds with our true beliefs in matters. They ask us to negotiate and reconcile the distance between the two, and now is the time to get some mediation practice in. Learning how to honestly and constructively balance our conflicts and contradictions will prove to be an immensely valuable tool for the Saturn Pluto Square and long Saturn in Libra cycles ahead. Venus ruled Libra injects an (overdue) air of civility into our internal, personal, national and international debates. When personal or political arguments arise, we can try take the opposing view to see if a new insight is gleaned that helps the situation or our understanding of it. The Libra caveat simply insists that peace cannot come a the expense of what we hold sacred. So, contradictory as it sounds, we will have to fight for what we believe in. What can make the critical difference is how we fight. When upsetting the apple cart seems uncomfortable and un-Libran, it may be helpful to remember that this is also a cardinal sign which means that its true nature is aggressive, agitating and instigative. Two of the best examples of Libra’s ability to both disrupt the status quo and strive for a higher good for the majority are Libra natives John Lennon and Mahatma Ghandi. The seemingly incongruous and conflicting aspects of our lives and world must be confronted, integrated and balanced, like Libra’s symbolic scales.

Other points of interest along this year’s Libra solar journey are the full moon in Aries on October 4th, harmonious solar trines to Jupiter on the 10th and Neptune on the 16th and a new Libra moon on the 18th. If you want to learn how to harness and apply the energies of Libra, the upcoming Saturn Square to Pluto or Saturn’s transit through Libra to your life, have a reading with one of the professional astrologers at 12Listen.com. Julia Stonestreet Smith. C.A. Brooks, and Neil D. Paris can read a chart like nobody’s business. But an article about the Sun through Libra would not be complete without huge Happy Birthday wishes to Jungian Astrologer and 12Listen bedrock John Joseph, who is also available for readings. Sharing the Libra birthday limelight is Louise Hay, the woman who has changed so many of our lives in profound and countless ways. Happy Birthday Louise! On that note, remember to tune into Hay House Radio every Tuesday morning at 9:30 PST to get the latest on astrological conditions on Mark Husson’s Power Peek Hour - which will actually be going back to an hour long show beginning in October!

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!

Sun into Leo - The Show Must Go On

    
     The Sun moves into Leo on July 22nd, and being the Leo birthday girl that I am, I would like to announce the release of my new CD single at iTunes and at Amazon's new MP3 store.  I am so elated and excited about this that I can hardly sit still.  "In A Moment" is the title track and its recording was my absolute happiest musical experience in Los Angeles.  Not only did I get to work with amazing musicians such as Peas (whose credits include work with Kitaro, the "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" soundtrack, and scores of major TV shows), Rachel Leslie (a J-Lo backup singer) and Kathleen Keane (who has worked with Martin Hayes and other Celtic music luminaries), but we had a great time in the studio.  This song was written in honor of the wedding (about time!) of my lifelong friend Diane Ray who is the Producer of Hay House Radio.  Congratulations to her and her new hubby Barry.  I hope you feel the love in this track and won't mind dropping $5 to buy a copy of this 5-track CD. 


                               


   
     To hear the music and to find out more about my Celtic music project, Awakening Queen Maebh, just visit the Musician Page of my website. Now to this month's feature article.



Special thanks to astrologer C.A. Brooks for her emergency assistance with Chiron’s activity. You demonstrate the generosity of heart for which the Leo season we are ushering in is famed. Hats off to you!

Following the dark moon solar eclipse at Cancer’s conclusion, on July 22nd audacious, royal Leo struts right onto center stage. Instantaneously kicking lingering Cancerian worries to the curb, Leo boldly reflects our own abilities to shine, to live fearlessly and to thrive. In the face of another full moon eclipse on August 5th, squares, oppositions, incessant scenarios of global disaster, oh my, self-assured Leo enthusiastically beckons us all to follow the yellow brick road. Sure, the prophesied year of 2012 approaches, in the blink of an eye Pluto’s quest through uncompromising Capricorn has abolished yet another of our stagnant, once-cherished institutions, and according to the mainstream media anyway, there’s plenty to be afraid of. So what in the world is Leo doing up there, merrily prancing and dancing around as if there’s no tomorrow? And what on earth, in our “perilous times” is Leo up there singing?

“You’ve got to ac-cent’tchu-ate the positive
E-lim-in-ate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative,
and DON’T mess with Mr. In Between.”

And most importantly, how does he/she look so damn good doing it? From July 22nd through August 22nd the answers are obvious, Leo lives life in the present, and Leo lives life in style. Best of all, you are cordially invited to Leo’s extravagant celestial soire.

In order for some of the magnanimous magic to rub off on you however, you’ll need a pair of Leo-tinted glasses. These highly-prized designer shades come with purple-heart bravery and amber-golden optimism colored lenses. Let’s take a peek at the upcoming planetary trends with a pair on.

The Sun moves into Leo on July 22nd on the heels of the second eclipse in an usual series of three. Eclipses can disseminate shocking and intense energies as they bring hidden issues to light. For example, the recent full moon eclipse of July 7th while the moon was in the earth sign of Capricorn brought a bevy of health issues to the surface for many. Capricorn, ruled by Saturn, teaches us the limitations of our physical systems, our bodies. Pluto is also now in this stern and serious sign, making the truth about the gravity of these situations pretty much unavoidable. The dark moon eclipse while the Sun and moon are in Cancer on July 21st will likely bring domestic issues to the fore. In either case, the Universe is bringing our attention to matters needing to be addressed. Leo considers what is being presented through the prism of courage. He then looks to the pending full moon eclipse on August 5th at 5:55 P.M. PST, in visionary and unifying Aquarius, where Jupiter, Neptune and Chrion are positioned, and he sees the perfect occasion to heal whatever the preceding eclipses have revealed.

Leo also notices three special groupings of planets around 2009’s exalted trio, Jupiter (gifts, the Lion’s absolute favorite!), Neptune (dreams and spirituality) and Chiron (healing). On July 27th Venus (in Gemini) trines Jupiter and Chrion and on the 28th it trines Neptune, on July 30th Mercury (in Leo) opposes Jupiter and Chiron and on the 31st it opposes Neptune, and on August 14th Leo’s ruler the Sun opposes Jupiter, on the 15th Chiron and on the 17th Neptune. Leo looks at those Venus trines and lunges for his day planner to schedule spa and beauty treatments, and maybe some time to meditate. For that matter Leo reckons, anytime after after July 31st when loving Venus lands in nurturing Cancer is a great time to be pampered, as if an astrological excuse was ever necessary. The oppositions, however, are a little trickier. Leo knows that they represent polarities, but his hopeful outlook sees them as opportunities to bring balance and synthesis to competing agendas and viewpoints, With Chiron’s assistance, he decrees that all will be made well in his kingdom. This solar cycle. like all others, brings the often dreaded squares, Venus to Uranus on July 28th, the foreboding Mars to Saturn on August 10th and Mars to Uranus on the 18th. (Mis)use the words Mars, Saturn, Uranus and Squares in astrology, and you can scare the pants right off of a lot of people. Not Leo. As the coolest of cosmic cats he calmly and clearly recognizes the powers of formidable forces, so he marks those days on his calendar with the words “beware of tension” and “chance for resolution” in big bold letters. And really, even if temporarily panic-stricken by the misguided musings of fearful astrologers and TV anchormen, would Leo ever display his inner terror to the entire world? Not on your life.

If you really want to know where the Leo heart lives, look for the dates he’s circled to apply for that historically low mortgage rate, after clever, clear-thinking Mercury has moved into grounded and discerning Virgo on August 2nd perhaps? Maybe he’s set his gigantic heart on August 17th, when Mercury conjuncts Saturn, because he knows that Saturn’s sober influence under sensible Virgo will guarantee him of a very realistic evaluation. His ruler also sextiles Mars that day, giving his audacious move a heavenly green light. Leo doesn’t care if there’s an entire Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing “The sky is falling, the sky is falling.” He wants to live in the plushest of lairs and is poised to pounce on that $15.000.00 first time buyer’s credit. Why he’s already working on the guest list for his star-studded housewarming party.

Vein, bossy, arrogant and childish the nay sayers project on the regal spirit of Leo. They miss his point entirely. It takes guts, first-class showmanship and sometimes a little exaggerated self-confidence to play the role of leader. Who better than the hard-working, loyal Lion with his heart of pure gold to help cheerlead us out of times of doubt and Depression? When he wins, he lavishes the gifts and goodies on everyone holding court, inviting all to dream big and to know it is entirely possible to succeed. And if he doesn’t, instead of sitting around sulking - that would make his eyes puffy - his improvisational gifts go right to work on the next big adventure.

So with those fab-u-lous new spectacles Leo has graced you with this year, watch the proud gorgeous spirit of this fixed and feisty fire sign toss his commanding, luxurious mane, along with fear and caution, to the wind. Leo asserts to one and all that life is just marvelous, and if it is not, we possess the ability to make it so again.

Sun into Cancer 2009 Domestic and Emotional Tranquility

With news of North Korean threats to launch its most advanced ballistic missile at Hawaii as one of its naval vessels sets sail in that direction, House Democrats outlining healthcare reform with a $1.6 Trillion price tag in an era of historic deficit spending, 7,000 Marines dispatched to Helmand province along with increasing numbers of N.A.T.O troops to begin staging what is likely to be the decisive battle with the Taliban in the nearly 8-year-old war in Afghanistan, the World Health Organization elevating the Swine Flu/H1N1 virus to pandemic status, the mental activity of Gemini gives way to the intuitive, calming, introspective energies of Cancer, and not a moment too soon. If there are two things Cancer, America’s birth sign, craves, they are domestic stability and emotional security.

To achieve its end, Cancer walks a fine line of vulnerability and self-protection while practicing some of the Cosmos’ most immense nurturing and care-taking of others. With its favorably-aspected eclipses and annual cluster of retrograde outer planets, 2009’s Solar journey through the sign of the crab offers a chance for cooler heads, and hearts, to prevail. After the nerve-racking Gemini journey, nationally and privately, we could probably all use a collective chill pill. But Cancer is not asking us to retreat into our shells. It asks us to be of this world, to accept its complexities and atrocities, and to trust and love enough to overcome our challenges until peace is restored.

Intoning an appropriately more enigmatic resonance than usual, 2009’s Summer Solstice/Sun into Cancer movement occurs during the dark moon (Cancer’s ruler) on the 20th at 10:46pm PST. A new Cancer moon arrives on Monday the 22nd at 12:36pm PST, marking the beginning of our journey toward 2009’s next lunar eclipse which will take place on July 7th. On July 3rd the rapid-fire intellectual energies of Mercury move from Gemini into contemplative Cancer. Mercury in Cancer is much more likely to convince us to get in touch with how we feel about what is going on around us rather than what we think about it. The intellect’s natural tendency is to dissect, label and divide, so it can make rational sense of its world. By contrast, Cancer is all about creating compassion, understanding and appropriate protection by feeling its way through life, as it reaches toward tranquility.

That full Capricorn moon eclipse on the 7th, is in Cancer’s 7th house of partnerships, and features a trine with Saturn. Eclipses can bring sudden and unexpected changes as well as powerful insights. Surprises are not Cancer’s strong suit, but intuition is. With Saturn’s disciplined influence, a sensible resolution to whatever may rear its turbulent head at this time is very possible, and relationships will play a key role.

Echoing the universal chorus to choose hope, wisdom and good will over fear and over-reaction (Cancer can be a little paranoid) is friendly and benevolent Jupiter floating through Cancer’s 8th house of intimacy and transformation. “It is safe to love” is its quiet mantra. As if to hammer the message that old thinking will not solve new problems home, innovative Uranus trines the dark Cancer moon right before the solar eclipse on July 21st.

In the background, Uranus joins retrograding outer planets Neptune, Jupiter and Pluto, as well as Chiron on July 1st. Those large outer planets may be thought of as good and caring parents who lounge around on rafts in the deep end of a swimming pool while keeping a vigilant eye on their children at play in the shallower waters. It is highly unlikely that they will be called upon to rescue anyone, but their loving presence exerts a great sense of safety and well-being. In that space, their children are free to play and explore their watery paradise. The retrograde patterns of these planets will last until early November when they begin turning direct. Saturn, the only large planet now moving forward, moves into Libra at that time. What that means in practical terms is that the results of what is in play and at stake now may not be fully resolved until late Autumn. We saw this pattern last year with the November 4th U.S. election.

So what can you do right here right now to create a sense of trust when the headlines mirror a world in such distress? Gandhi wisely recommended being the change you want to see in the world. I suggest making your home your sanctuary. Having plenty of whatever makes you “feel” secure at hand, along with gurgling fountains, aromatic candles, color therapy tools, herbal bath salts, and long meditations (12Academy is offering many excellent ones) is a viable way to access Cancer’s maternal gifts. With your sense of tranquility amply restored and your inner Guidance system re-attuned to love and Light, you may emerge from the mother ship fully prepared to brave the outer world.

Magnolia Sun Bathing

It's so gorgeous here today that I just had to share. The sky is clear and blue, the temperature is in the low 80's and the birds have been singing all day. This morning it was so nice that I had my coffee out in the backyard beneath the two magnolia trees who stand there. The tress are so old here in Carolina. You look at them and their trunks stretch up forever into the blue sky. On the way in, I saw this flower on the magnolia tree. The sunlight was lighting her up so perfectly that I just had to take a photo. I can't wait until one is low enough on a branch for me to sniff. In the meantime, enjoy.

With love,
Elizabeth