Astrology by Lauren

December 21st ~ 28th

O Sun, source of light, love and

power in the universe

Whose radiance illuminates the whole Earth

illuminate also our hearts

That they, too, may do your work.

Sanskrit prayer

At this dark time of year in the Northern Hemisphere, fire has always played an essential part in the lore and symbolism of this time of year.  For without the heat and light of the Sun, nothing would grow, nothing would thrive.. so fire, his terrestrial counterpart, would service the hearths and homes, as a symbolic link to the life-giving essence of the Sun.  

Fires would be maintained from Christmas Eve through New Year’s, and never allowed to die out, as a reminder that the Sun would indeed return once again with its attending warmth and light. In astrology, and also reflected in many ancient traditions, the Sun is even more than its light giving properties.  It is the heart of our Solar System and is symbolic of the heart of humanity as well.  Theosophist, Robert Crosbie wrote:

It is the season of the birth of the Sun: the coming back and bringing into fructification those seeds and plants needing Sun energy for their growth and expression-- but, it is more than that, because behind the Sun, as behind every single body, there is spirit, there is life, and there is intelligence.

And with the re-birth of the Sun, comes a whole vital surge of renewal.  And if we were to hitch a ride on that wave, it would give us that much more momentum.  This is the basis from which New Year’s Resolutions probably evolved, recognizing in this temporary shift in the direction of the Sun, a renewal spurred on by a surge of vitality.  And so astrologers always mark these times of year, the ingress to the tropical seasons, as annual indicators of patterns, and weather, and trends to unfold.

This Solstice chart is remarkable in that the Sun is quite closely conjunct the asteroid Juno, the asteroid named for the great Goddess, married to Lord Jupiter himself.  In astrology she is associated with marriage, with fidelity, and is associated with justice and diplomacy... but also has some associations with women’s rights, issues surrounding femininity, inequality and betrayal.  Both are exactly sextile Neptune the planet of mystery, sublimity, sacredness, and the divine.  Will we see the rise of the sacred feminine?  Women’s voices in the arts?  Or a reminder of our roots in our own ancient feminine powers, and our connection to Mother Earth?

Shortly after the sextile to Neptune, the Sun will then engage first Uranus and then Pluto, activating the Uranus/Pluto square of revolutionary change once again.  During these periods of radical transformation, many things that we had been tolerating, ignoring, or hoping would just go away, become intolerable.  This intolerance often occurs after a series of surprising events, that let us know that things are no longer sustainable in their present form.  And that if we don’t initiate constructive and perhaps even radical changes, then things will only continue to only get even worse.  So whether it’s gun violence in the United States, or young girls and women being raped by violent thugs in India, or oppression in all its myriad forms throughout the world, we will be finding these particularly untenable during the tenure of these revolutionary planets.

The other remarkable feature of the Solstice chart is the Jupiter Yod which is exact between the 20th and the 22nd.  The sextile and mutual reception between Saturn and Pluto, the power brokers of our solar system, shows a consolidation, and entrenchment of the (political, financial) powers that be.  Both ends of this sextile strike a disconnect with the third part of this picture, and that is Retrograde Jupiter, uncomfortable and unsure of himself, in the sign of his detriment: Gemini.

Jupiter deals with ethics and morals, and justice, and law.  While retrograde, everyone is invited to investigate their own relationship with these in their own nature, as opposed to being judgmental of other people’s behaviors, or trying to lay blame outside, or look away from the truth, which truly lies within.  “Perhaps if you prayed more, or believed in my God...”  The tendency with Jupiter in Gemini is to look without, and blame others.  But that’s not where the answers and solutions lie, it is within.  But if we do see that those who wield the power, are acting unethically, the question arises: what is the right course of action?  

On the day of the Solstice, Venus in Sagittarius, moves to an exact opposition, in the midpoint of the Saturn/Pluto sextile.  And it is somewhere within the symbolism of this Venus that the answers lie.  Venus is the planet of love, and when in the exuberant and generous sign of Jupiter, it is very large love.  The kind of love that encompasses the All.  The kind of spiritual love that embraces all of humanity.  Even the people who don't agree with us.  One of the interpretations of the meaning of the reboot of the Mayan Calendar on the Solstice in 2012, is the gradual evolution to a higher level of consciousness and awareness.  And truly, with social media, the internet, and a growing awareness of ourselves as being One World, One Race of Humanity, with similar goals and investments in this planet, we have a huge opportunity here to grasp this truly amazing concept of Universal Brotherhood, and make it manifest.  Make it something real.  Let us light the hearth fires within this Solstice season.

the above photo “Eternal” is by rajewel whose work can be seen here: http://rajewel.deviantart.com/

the above photo “Guardians of Light” is by Sattva, whose work can be seen here: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=4536

For the week of December 21st through the 28th, be sure to read your Rising Sign as well:

Aries

This week, your ruler, Mars, moves from the safe and controlled, and dignified plateau of Capricorn, and straps on the parachute, ready to launch off into Aquarius.  You already have Uranus traveling through your sign, getting your hackles up, filling you with the courage to dare to be you... This just adds more of that element of the individual with a cause, with a vision.  And sometimes this might rankle others, in the process.. but that’s only because they cannot see what has been going on inside of you where you have been gradually peeling away the layers, in order to reveal your true self.  Be your true self Aries.

Taurus

It is wonderful to feel larger than life.  And there are excuses to indulge, kick back, check out, and abandon yourself to indulgence.  The only danger this week is in divesting yourself of your worldly wealth by pursuing Dionysian pleasures wantonly, and as they arise.  Holidays can be very persuasive reasons to let go a little, and to give generously, provided it’s within your bounds.  There are many ways to live large, and with a big heart.  

Gemini

This is not a good week to be alone,  (no matter how much you’ve been identifying with Garbo lately) for you are going to be feeling that much larger, that much greater, that much more appreciated, when you are surrounded by the people that you love, and who love you.  It literally makes you feel, well.... larger than life.  However, so will that amazing chocolate yule log confection... one of the drawbacks of having Jupiter traveling in your sign, is the expanding waistline.  It will be hard to say no, when you are in the midst of revelry.  To almost anything.  

Cancer

Embrace the spiritual within you as the Solstice unveils aspects of yourself that you may not have been paying enough attention to.  You are being beckoned from within.  Follow where the muse or your intuition guides you.  Allow your heart to open.  However, do be aware of the possibility of an abrupt change of plans around the 25th.  So long as you remain flexible and are able to go with the flow, you’ll be able to negotiate whatever gets tossed your way.  One of the advantages of being in touch with your own higher power is this profound ability to stand back and watch life unfold, rather than getting swept up in it.  

Leo

Allow your mind, heart and spirit to soar this Solstice.  There is something magical afoot, whether it be in real life, in the world of your imagination, or through some wonderful mystical experience.  Find that connection, and you will be inspired.  However, do be flexible as we approach the 25th, for there could be an abrupt or unexpected change in plans.  Someone may cancel on you, or it may be hard to make connections.  Sometimes the flexibility is in being able to realize that sometimes it is best to just agree to disagree on some subjects.

Virgo

Home is where the heart is this week.  If you want to entertain, or be entertained, have it come to you, for that is where the merriment is, being surrounded by the people whom you love the most.  If you do need to travel, have it be with a special someone, or to meet loved ones or family with whom you have a connection.  It’s all about the love.  There is something of a festive streak running through this week as well.  See if you can keep up without being too overwhelmed. It may be time for some sort of cleanse by the end of the week.

Libra

This is a good time for Libra to travel, to touch base with loved ones near and far away, both in body and mind.  Sometimes emotions and feelings can feel overwhelming when they are so large, and so encompassing, but this is a time of year to embrace those feelings, and just let them be.  In this case, exaggerated displays of love and affection are on the agenda.  Acquiesce.  Feel the love.  Feel the joy.  

Scorpio

You are going to feel a shift this week Scorpio, as your ruler, Mars, moves from a solid and dependable relationship with Saturn, who has been keeping you firm and steady... to Saturn’s other sign, co-sponsored by Uranus, both of which are tenants in the signs of Mars.  This moves you from a place of relative safety and tradition, and familiarity.... and opens your world up to possibility. Those things that you had previously thought impossible, or more difficult to achieve, suddenly seem that much more probable.  Sometimes, all it takes is a shift of consciousness, or a momentary move away from the ordinary, to see what was sitting there all along.  

Sagittarius

Hope, faith, and charity are important at this time of year, but this week is mostly about love.  Sometimes in your quest for freedom, or in pursuit of the next adventure, you don’t always pay attention to, or nurture the very relationships that allow you to feel larger than life.  There is nothing more wonderful than having that special someone who truly glorifies you, and lets you believe that you really are magnificent.  Rather than question motives.  Relish the moment.  And share the love right back.  

Capricorn

Expect the unexpected when the relatives come to visit over the holidays.  There may be a change of plans when Aunt Ethel decides to drop by unannounced.  See, the thing is, Capricorn is not great with surprises, and they usually have the whole seating arrangement all planned out in advance.  Chances are, Aunt Ethel will be unperturbed, bringing her own jazzy with her.  And she’s likely going to leave just as abruptly as she arrived.  It’s the whole effect of being caught off guard that leaves you feeling like you’re still having to pick up the pieces of your life.  But the food this week, I hear is going to be divine.  Enjoy.

Aquarius

If you’re feeling off kilter this week, it’s probably due to all the disconcerting news that keeps hitting you from left field.  Be flexible, for chances are you’re going to have to be making some change of plans around the 25th.  Or may have to reorient your point of view in order to take in all the new information.  Sometimes it’s a good thing to step outside of your usual routine.  It opens up avenues that you hadn’t noticed before.  But if it’s too much out of your comfort zone, it can also leave you a quivering bowl of anxiety.   Best way to handle whatever comes at you this week, is with diplomacy, generosity, and flexibility.  You will be both loved and applauded for this.

Pisces

If anyone understands altruism, caritas, unconditional love, and devotion, it’s Pisces.  And you are apt to have many people to be sharing that love with this week, as your home and your life seems to be filled with well-wishers, office parties, and family filled with good cheer.  But don’t limit yourself to your immediate circle... feel the love spread out like a wave of light that just radiates across the skies, and throughout the globe.  May this be a very blessed week indeed.

September 21st ~ 28th

We wants it, we needs it.  Must have the precious.  They stole it from us.  Sneaky little hobbitses.  Wicked, tricksy, false! ~ Gollum (The Lord of the Rings:The Two Towers)

The term “Equinox” comes from the Latin, aequus (equal) and nox (night), because at this time of the year the days and nights are relatively equal in length at every place on the earth.  It speaks of an equanimity in keeping with the Libra theme of balance and equality.  A theme that will be hard pressed in the present climate of power brokers and greediness, where the wealth and power is concentrated with the few, while the lower “47%” languish.  For as the Sun enters Libra this weekend, at the time of the Equinox, it will apply to its engagement with the Uranus/Pluto square, which becomes exact on the Full Moon on September 29th.  This week may be setting the stage for what could be an incendiary Full Moon at the end of the month.

Sam: Who are they?

Gollum: Wicked men.  Servants of Sauron.  They are called to Mordor.  The Dark One is gathering, soon be ready.

Sam: Ready to do what?

Gollum: To make his war.  The last war that will cover all the world in shadow.

~ (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)

The Big Picture is the 5 year Uranus/Pluto square.  Some of the keywords for Uranus/Pluto are freedom from oppression.  These are times in history when it becomes apparent that unjust circumstances that had previously been tolerated will not just go away if we ignore them, and will instead appear to be getting worse.  The precipitating factors for much due changes usually come through a series of events that reveal a stark inequality, or some sort of corrupt, dark underbelly in society.  The small picture this week is Venus in Leo square Mars in Scorpio.  This is a combination that at its best is passionate, loving and profound.  But at its basest exudes greed, lust, possession, addiction, jealousy and grasping in all its lustfully seductive glory.  They are being linked together in various ways, but one of the most interesting ways is through 2 planetary pictures called Thor’s Hammer.  One is between Uranus/Pluto sesquare Venus; the other is between Venus/Mars sesquare Uranus.  In this we will be learning about and exploring the differences between need and greed; between the haves and the have-nots; as well as between love and attachment.  

Gandalf told me you were one of the River-folk.  He said your life was a sad story.  You were not so very different from a Hobbit once, were you?  Smeagol.  That was your name once, wasn’t it? ~ Frodo (The Lord of the Rings:The Two Towers)

Often mistaken for each other, greed, lust and attachment are not love.  Attachment is the belief that you cannot survive, that you will die if you don’t get, have and possess the object of your desire.  Like Gollum and the Ring of Power.  And under the added influence of Venus/Mars there seems that there can never be enough.  Of course, this is a completely mistaken notion.  And not only that, but inherent in attachment is pain, because so long as one’s happiness is predicated on someone or something outside of ourselves we are always in danger of having that thing taken away.  No matter how passionately we cling, beg, grovel or threaten.  When you truly love someone, by contrast, you simply want that person to be happy.  Even if that means their happiness requires them to be away from you.  In this way, your happiness is derived from their happiness.

The ring is powerful.  Before one who holds it knows what it can do, he desires it.  Gollum is an example of this desire.  He has only eyes to see it - the rest of his body has deteriorated.  The ring is so powerful that Sauron’s success in taking over Middle Earth rests on its retrieval.  With the ring, one can conquer and control all things.  This power, becomes the ultimate evil.  Eventually, the bearer is consumed by the need for power and control. ~ J.R.R. Tolkien (The Fellowship of the Ring)

For some it would seem, that the more they have, the more they desire, like a never-ending hole of emptiness that is never filled.  But now in Libra season, in the light of the Uranus/Pluto square, we seek moderation and equality, where the modest are raised up and the mighty inevitably fall.  Not out of vengeance, but simply for the sake of equanimity and the greater good of all.

But I have been too deeply hurt, Sam.  I tried to save the Shire, and it has been saved, but not for me.  It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: someone has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them. ~ J.R.R. Tolkien (The Return of the King)

For the week of September 21st thru the 28th, be sure to read your Rising Sign as well:

Aries

There’s a lot of contentious energy out there, and it will be very difficult not to be dragged into it this week.  And with Uranus in your sign, you are all too ready to rise to the occasion.  Probably the best way to defuse the situation is to not engage in it, and try to imitate the art of diplomacy... even though this is not your forté.  Here are some wise words from Mother Teresa: “If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.  Succeed anyway.  What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.  Create anyway.  Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.  Give your best anyway.  In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway.”

Taurus

Home and family is where the heart is for Taurus.  This is where you find your strength and stability.  But it can also become an area of contention as you move into the week ahead.  This can be due to so many extenuating circumstances that appear to be beyond your control.  But be prepared to face the challenge of big changes in your future.  It may be that you have reached the point that a situation that has been bothering you for some time will need to change.  The next question is whether or not you are up for the challenge.

Gemini

“Sharp words cut like a sword, but words of wisdom heal.” ~ Proverbs 12:18.  Another way of looking at your ruler Mercury in diplomatic Libra, navigating a contentious world, is through the words of Mother Teresa: “People are often unreasonable, irrational and self-centered.  Forgive them anyway.”  There are a lot of statements being tossed around, some of them true, some of them not, some of them gaffes, some of them sheer betrayals.  But truly the only words you have control over are the ones that come out of your own mouth.  So long as they are based on truth, there are no regrets.

Cancer

In keeping with the wave of the recent Virgo Moon, there has probably been some sort of attempt to create some order and organization in your life, particularly on the home scene.  But when circumstances keep changing, and every time you think you have a moment, some crisis has befallen, it’s hard to get a handle on this.  There also has to be some sort of balance between impulsively throwing everything out and starting all over again, and not doing anything.  Some of that stuff you are unearthing, just may be more valuable than at first it seems.

Leo

What you hear, and what you say could have some serious repercussions this week.  Everyone has their opinions, and it certainly makes sense to get your point across.  Just be aware that not everyone is going to be sharing the same point of view, and no matter what you say or do, you’re probably not going to convince them any way.  The best way to navigate this weather, coming up to the Full Moon is to first of all look for points of agreement.  Secondly, understand where your opponent is coming from and meet them on their home turf.  You have to learn their language in order for them to hear what you have to say.  It’s not always about us and them.

Virgo

This is one of those weeks when you should seriously look at your financial picture.  It’s not just about you.  It’s about the whole financial world picture as well, and the ways that it is changing.  You’re going to have to start re-thinking how you are going to fit into this new world paradigm, and what sort of adjustments are going to have to be made.  Don’t act right away though.  The inclination is to impulsively think in drastic measures, but perhaps only some creative adjustments are necessary.  

Libra

Enjoy the weekend while you may, filling it with people, activities and all things spiritual and adventurous.  And allow some of that positive reinforcement to carry you through the week that follows, which is going to be a little more challenging.  Financial tensions can bleed over into your personal relationships, and vice verse, as you begin to think in more drastic terms of survival and adjustment.  There is a much bigger dynamic unfolding here, but one thing becomes evident, and that is some sort of change is going to be inevitable and probably can no longer be avoided.

Scorpio

“War is always a dangerous thing and brings with it destruction and devastation.  Therefore it should not be resorted to rashly, but should be used as a last recourse.” ~I Ching.  Pick your battles wisely.  So intent on winning, you could be distracted from what you really need to be focusing on, which is more about purging and tying up loose ends to prepare for a new start to come.  Trusted, with Mars in your own sign, you’re not going to back down for anything, and will cling passionately to the familiar.  Just remember, that a certain amount of flexibility, and willingness to embrace change, is key here.  It is not fun when you are being forced to change.  On the other hand, you don’t want to furrow yourself into a rut either.

Sagittarius

The weekend flows smoothly, and can in fact lead you to some successful agreements with others that leaves you both encouraged and spirited going into the week ahead.  What Sagittarius has been having to curb though lately is their tongue, and their opinions.  There is something to be said about the wonderful art of debate, and part of that process is in the style that you present your side.  You have to meet them somewhere between here and Timbuktu in order to get your point fully across to them.  Though at times, it truly seems, as if the divide is getting wider and wider, the only way the world is going to truly change is through discussion and debate.

Capricorn

Love relationships are intense magnetic and deeply sexual this week.  Just watch out for some possible jealousy as a result.  It is even possible to feel like you are transforming, your whole life is changing, through a relationship beginning, or being committed to at this time.  All commitments or contracts made this week are going to have an almost revolutionary effect on the outcome of your life, as you see various aspects of your life transforming.  As Pluto has been traveling through your sign for many years, all sorts of experiences are gong to be unfolding. Some scary, some revealing, and some incredibly awesome.  Shoot for the awesome!

Aquarius

If you’re looking for your life to be calm, routine and expected, this is probably not the week for you.  On the other hand, if you are willing to be flexible and tolerant of other people’s points of view, then there is so much to learn.  Even though it may not necessarily be what you want to hear. And a lot of what you are going to be learning these days, and the people that you are learning from, are those people that you meet in your everyday life, in the coffee shop, the grocer or the guy who sells the flowers.  Or the person who sits next to you in the subway.  Hey, you never know.

Pisces

As the Sun enters Libra on the Equinox this weekend, it will look askance at Neptune, in the early degrees of your sign.  At times it may appear to be that you are giving way more than you are receiving.  But the truth of the matter is, that nothing is ever given for naught.  “If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.  Be honest and sincere anyway.  The good you do today, will often be forgotten.  Do good anyway.  In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway.” ~ Mother Teresa.

The Aries Equinox which heralds in the Spring in the North, and Autumn in the Southern hemisphere is overlaid with myth, tradition and celebration, in which are woven themes of conception, birth, death and rebirth.  The Orphic legend of the origin of the Universe has the Earth being hatched out of an enormous egg.  Demeter ventures into Hades to escort her daughter Persephone back to the Earth, where the lands rejoice with fertile fields and flowers bloom once again.  Many of these symbols are endemic to the Northern Hemisphere where people celebrated the rebirth of the Earth after having survived the bleak Winter months.  If we visualize the Winter Capricorn Solstice as the midnight hour, the start of the new day, the Vernal Equinox is like the Dawn.  The Vernal Equinox is the time of Ostara, the natural Easter, when we begin to act on and implement the resolutions and intentions we set at the Winter Solstice, but with a re-newed conviction.

The Aries Equinox is seen by astrologers to set the tone for the year ahead.  This year, as last, the Equinox is accompanied by unpredictable yet revolutionary Uranus.  We saw his work last year with the Arab Spring, and demonstrations worldwide that evolved into Occupy movements in the West.  These were a direct response to the apparent inequality of wealth and power, a common theme in Uranus/Pluto cycles.  A cycle that will become exact later this Spring and Summer when Uranus and Pluto will be exactly square, and persist for another few years.  

This year the Equinox is also attended by a double retrograde of Mercury and Mars in each other’s signs, where Mars is also closely square the Nodes of the Moon, and Mercury is sandwiched between the Sun and Uranus.  And it is this mixed energy that we will be feeling this week: a blend of chaotic lethargy, angst mixed with truths that can no longer be ignored, and coming face to face with our own core beliefs.  If our inner barometer and sense of justice is ignited, it can explode as anger, or it can be greeted as a moment of illumination... a realization that you don’t always have to do things the way you have in the past.  Especially if they haven’t been working.  Or that your view is not necessarily the only view.

Be willing to be open to revelation.  Mercury makes its inferior conjunction to the Sun this week (by the 26th it will begin to rise as a morning star).  As truths unfold over the next several weeks, they can change your point of view in a remarkable way.    Key thoughts for this week: new ideas are germinating; voices from the past illuminate; defend what you  truly believe in; walk the walk as well as talk the talk; do not waste your time worrying about insignificant details; wait, watch and unravel; be inspired; follow your own path; and do not allow old resentments, criticisms and anger to distract you from your path; rather have it motivate you.

Conflict is the gadfly of thought.  It stirs us to observation and memory.  It instigates to invention.  It shocks us out of sheeplike passivity, and sets us at noting and contriving. ~ John Dewey

For the week of March 16th thru March 22nd, as we awaken to the Vernal Equinox, be sure to read your Rising Sign as well (if you know your birth time, you can use the Ascendant Calculator on the Home Page):

Aries

With your ruler Mars taking an extended vacation in Virgo, many Arians are becoming quite preoccupied with their health and well-being: trying out different exercise regimens, changing, or eliminating things from their diets, and seeking techniques that help to alleviate stress and anxiety.  However, it can also mean an accumulation of stress and anxiety, or even inflammation which could lead to health concerns, if not addressed.  Do not be concerned if you are otherwise unmotivated and lacking your usual oomph....  See the next four weeks as an opportunity to continue to improve and perfect body, health, mind and organizational skills, and you will reap the benefits when Mars stations direct again.  

Taurus

Allow yourself to believe that things are actually probably better than you think they are.  If you’re going to dwell on the past, and what you should have or could have done, you’re just going to drive yourself all kinds of whacko.  Instead, allow yourself to see the good fortune that comes when you allow it.  This is a Taurus gift.  Often Taurus has more in their Karmic bank than they allow themselves to withdraw.  And it may be that lately there have been some financial issues weighing on you over the past year... try opening your wallet as well as your heart to the universe and see what drops in.  

Gemini

One of the gifts of Gemini is the capacity to recognize the gifts and talents in others, and bring these to fruition.  But lately it’s all you can do to listen to other people without absolutely having to tune them out so that you can tune in.  It’s probably because you’ve got so much going on inside of your own head right now.  You’re distracted by your own mind.  This week, your mind is like one of those 1950’s science fiction brain machines with all of the electrodes buzzing all over.  Lots of inspiration.  Lots of ideas.  Now if only you could channel all that in some sort of meaningful way.  All in due time Gemini.  Things are still merely in conception.

Cancer

Health does have a lot to do with what you do or don’t eat, or whether or not you exercise, eliminating bad habits, but it also has to do with finding some sort of peace and serenity in your life.  Yes, it is important to defend yourself, or to defend a principle that you strongly believe in, but if you cling to the anger, and the words said or not said, and you carry that like a badge of honor, it prevents you from achieving the one thing you really need now, and that is peace.  See what you have to do to achieve that in your life right now.

Leo

With the Sun entering Aries on the 20th (or 19th, depending on where you live), you will begin to feel like a chick that has just cracked out of its shell.  Conversations, connections, ideas abound in a myriad of ways.  Mercury is going to cross in front of the Sun, your ruler, this week, marking the mid-point of his retrograde jaunt.  Just be aware that it’s not for nothing that he’s known as a trickster.  What you think you are understanding may not be at all what people are telling you, or even what you are hearing.  So take heed, and listen carefully, or you may miss something truly important that’s being said.  New ideas are trying to spawn in an exciting and illuminating way, but alas, they are just in their incipient phase.

Virgo

You might want to ask what Mars clumsily marching retrograde through your sign is good for... well, we can start with what it is not good for.  It is not good for holding on to resentments, or clinging to old habits just because they feel familiar, or nailing yourself to the altar of self-denial because you feel that it’s good for you.  Hair shirts are both itchy and distracting you from your true purpose.  Mars Retrograde in your sign is very good for self-improvement projects, whether it’s diet, exercise or stress management.  Also pay attention this week.  Listen to what is being said.  Some illuminating news could come your way.  Be willing to look at things from another perspective in order to get at what is really being said.  A new cycle of information is about to unfold but it’s only in its infancy stage.

Libra

Inspiration comes through your interactions with others.  Nothing less than illumination can be yours, if you are only willing to pay attention and listen to what others have to say.  Allow the seeds to germinate.  They are still in their primordial form, but they need fertile soil in which to take root.  That means being open to what may even seem like radically new or even crazy ideas.  Allow yourself to connect with others.  Something truly meaningful could evolve.

Scorpio

Wanting to be accepted by the group, and yet not being willing to give up your own integrity in order to be a part of that group leaves you feeling conflicted, and feeling somewhat adrift.  You are left with an incredible amount of to-do lists that never seem to get resolved, and seem to grow ever longer.  Which leaves you wistfully pining for several more hours a day just to get things a little organized.  Shift in consciousness is in order here.  With Venus and Jupiter in your opposite sign of Taurus, people are just more than willing to come and help you out.  All you have to do is say the word.  But say it clearly, and make sure the wires aren’t crossed.  Mercury is still retrograde after all.  

Sagittarius

Oftentimes circumstances will cause you to fall back on yourself, to examine the values, the ethics and the beliefs that you hold to be true.  And whether or not these are worth fighting for and defending. One thing to examine in your relationships: trust vs. the assumption that someone is going to betray you.  It could be that they’re just trying to find their own way. Being accepting of other people’s quirks could be key.  If you give people their freedom to be themselves, no matter how odd that may seem to you, they will respect your quirks as well.  No matter how normal you think you are.

Capricorn

This should be a generally peaceful week for Capricorn, as the Grand Trine in earth winds down, and the planets begin to disperse after the weekend, leaving a sense of peace, sort of like one feels after having returned from a nice respite or vacation.  Try to draw it out as far as it will go.  Seek beauty, peace, and tranquility in your life, even as things may be getting a little hectic and unpredictable on the home front.  Dig in the dirt a little.  Go for long walks.  Plan a creative project.  Find beauty in small things.  You can get to the bigger things later.

Aquarius

Peace and love prosper on the home front and with family.  But it’s what’s either going on with the neighbors, or through conversations, or some new idea or information, that has you asking... “Wait a minute, can you run that by me again?”  It could very well be, that what you had previously thought to be true, may not be exactly what you thought it was.  Allow yourself to look at life in a different way than you are usually accustomed.  This is the sort of thing that can happen when you learn a new skill that at first leaves you baffled.  Yet it is the very bafflement that prompts new brain cells to grow.

Pisces

Distractions from achieving your own sense of inner peace come in the guise of other people.  Other people who seem to be quite grumpy, defensive and even angry these days.  Being challenged is not necessarily a bad thing though, unless they’re just down right mean, critical or abusive.  Positively, what it can do is compel you to really think about your own position, and how much conviction you really do have in your own core beliefs.  A firm and correct idea will be able to stand up to even the strongest of arguments and situations.   

the above Easter Egg photo is by “Idea Go”.  Their portfolio can be seen here. 

I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind.-Antoine De Saint-Exupery

Creative solutions can be discovered as we step through the doorway of the Solar Eclipse that visited last night.*  This eclipse is trine Uranus, the planet that questions convention, and seeks to promote humanitarianism and freedom from oppression.  It brings unanticipated opportunity.  The eclipse is the doorway that leads us to a future of profound possibility.

*the Sagittarius Solar Eclipse occurred at 1:20 AM EST on the 25th... 6:20 AM GMT; 5:20 PM EST in Eastern Australia;  10:20 PM PST on the 24th.

The story is about freedom and happiness.  Some believe that freedom and happiness is dependent on how much stuff you have, or how much you can buy or own.  However, if you stake all your happiness on what you have, while you have neglected your soul’s aspirations.... you may manage to accumulate wealth and power, and cheap merchandise at Walmart, but you are not truly free.  And there is a difference between freedom, and taking license.  The remedy is in being willing to look outside the box, and to question conventionally held assumptions about where happiness can be found.  If we assume that our happiness depends on how much stuff we have... then we might have lost our way.

Mark Albion, economist and author, tells us this story about priorities:  

A successful businessman decided to take a vacation on a remote tropical island.  He worked hard all his life and finally felt he earned the right to enjoy some time fishing.  He loved to fish as a child, but hadn’t been able to for years because he had been so busy working to save up for his retirement.  So on the first day of his vacation he headed out to the beach after breakfast, where he saw a fisherman coming ashore with a large bucket full of fish.

“How long did you fish for?” asked the businessman.

The fisherman replied with a big smile that he fishes every day for 3 hours.  “Don’t worry,” said the fisherman, “there’s plenty of fish left!”

“Why did you come back so soon, then?” asked the businessman.  

“I’ve caught all that I need.  And now I will spend the rest of the day with my family, hang out with my friends, have a glass of wine and relax on the beach.”

The businessman saw an opportunity to teach the fisherman a thing or two about business.  So he explained to him that it would be better if he stayed out all day and caught even more fish. Then he could save up the extra money he made and buy even bigger boats to catch even more fish. Then he could keep reinvesting his profits in even more boats and hire many more fishermen to work for him.  If he worked really hard, in 20 or 30 years he’d be a very rich man indeed.

The fisherman looked confused, and asked the businessman what he would do with all these riches?  And the businessman replied, “You will then be able to spend time with your family, hang out with friends, have a glass of wine and relax on the beach.”

Freedom is a state of mind-

not freedom from something but a sense of freedom,

a freedom to doubt and question everything

and therefore so intense, active and vigorous

that it throws away every form of

dependence, slavery, conformity and acceptance.

-Krishnamurti

The period between the Solar Eclipse and the Lunar Eclipse on the 10th is a period of progressive and positive change, if we are willing to relinquish those things we have outgrown.  There is an aura of karmic inevitability or fate, that accompanies eclipse season.  But it is also an opportunity to sow... sow positive intentions for change, growth, wisdom and the development of clear sight and enlightenment.

For the week of Nov. 25th thru Dec. 2nd, be sure to read your Rising Sign as well:

Aries

In Sagittarius season, it’s about being willing to believe in something, to have faith in a teaching,  a path.  With Mars in Virgo, you’re less likely to be tolerant of others’ political viewpoints, or religious convictions.  Especially if they don’t agree with your own.  You feel the urge to both challenge others’ ideas, as well as to be defensive about your own.  One thing to ease your way through this week, is to accept people for where they are, and what they believe.  To be tolerant of others’ beliefs.  But also to consider that in order to learn, you have to also concede that you don’t know everything.  Be open to possibilities, and the idea that there are many paths to the same goal.   

Taurus

“Once a man unearthed in his field a marble statue of great beauty.

And he took it to a collector who loved all beautiful things and offered it to him for sale,

and the collector bought it for a large price. And they parted.

And as the man walked home with his money he thought, and he said to himself,

‘How much life this money means! How can any one give all this for a dead

carved stone buried and undreamed of in the earth for a thousand years?’

And now the collector was looking at his statue, and he was thinking, and he said to himself,

‘What beauty, What life! The dream of what a soul!

--and fresh with the sweet sleep of a thousand years.

How can any one give all this for money, dead and dreamless?’” - K. Gibran  

Gemini

With Mercury still retrograde in Sagittarius, the next few weeks are important for understanding your journey in the company of others.  This will come to a culmination at the Lunar Eclipse in Gemini on December 10th.  In the mean time, you are exploring and learning about what is truly important to you, through shared experiences with a partner or close ally.  By sharing an adventure with someone else a whole world of possibilities opens up.  Everything becomes that much more meaningful.  

Cancer

After an initial surprise which finds you shifting gears in mid-stream this weekend, you will find that a hope or dream really does have the possibility of becoming a closer reality.  As a result you will be able to ease over any existing conflicts with others, and undermine their power over you. True alliances can be made with those who can benefit you and ease the way to greater possibilities.  

Leo

The Sagittarius Eclipse is also about being willing to seek adventure, to pursue what you love, even though it may put you at cross-purposes with other intentions this week.  Try to channel some of this volatile energy into some sort of physical adventure or pursuit.  It will help to calm some of the impatience and conflicts that may arise, especially if it seems you can’t get what you desire right away.  It is when things are so erratic that we benefit the most from taking time to pause and reflect before jumping into things and making commitments that one can’t possibly fulfill.  Run, walk in nature, create and dance.  Find some drums to beat.  And then breathe.

Virgo

Your greatest truths and meaning are to be found at home, as you explore what is the true meaning of family, of home, of faith.  The truth is, home can be found in many places, even far away places, from what you had previously associated with home.  And family can take many various forms.  It’s what’s meaningful to you, in your heart of hearts.  The next few weeks are about exploring your own inner truth about what family and home means to you.

Libra

What becomes apparent is that you need freedom from restraint, even freedom from convention, to pursue your own interests and goals, but you also need security.  As your ruler, Venus, moves into Capricorn this weekend, you’ll be coming to appreciate a more pragmatic approach.  It is hard to pursue one’s dreams, if you don’t have the resources at your disposal to do so.  Others are proving to be pretty unpredictable and wanting to be on their own these days.  Therefore not all that reliable.  Let them be.  Look to the home, to the past, to family, for your strength and security this week.  This is where your treasure is buried.  

Scorpio

When it becomes evident that your values are not necessarily the same as the collective, or the group that you find yourself in.. it’s enough to pluck your last nerve.  This is a week in which you may find your jaw dropping in outrage and indignation, not believing what you are hearing or seeing.  Try to channel some of that energy into something constructive and productive.  When conflicts such as these arise, they help to consolidate what is truly important to you morally and ethically.  What is truly valuable.  

Sagittarius

For those Sagittarians who have their birthdays on the 24th thru the 26th of November, or December 9-11th (corresponds to 1-3° and 17-19° of Sagittarius), be prepared to be propelled through the door of the Eclipse this week.  Eclipses bring opportunities to create a wonderful and inspirational new beginning for all Sagittarians, provided you are willing to renunciate, or allow those things that are no longer relevant in your life to be released.  It is time to let go, in order to move on and embrace the adventure, that is your future.  It may not be exactly what you had anticipated, the planet Uranus is full of surprises, but it will be exciting.  Be open to possibility.

Capricorn

As Venus moves into your sign this weekend, it is worthy of your consideration to think about those things, those people who are worth your time and worth your personal investment.  Initially it will feel like those closest to you, on whom you usually depend on, will be the most unreliable, and this could throw a monkey wrench in what you previously assumed to be true.  However it will soon be proven to you, who or what is truly worthy of your devotion and time.  And those are the ones that need to be focussed on.

Aquarius

This New Moon Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius, is your wishing Moon.  So as you seek to fulfill your dreams, dreams about freedom, about finding your own path to walk on, for being accepted for just being you, explore what Freedom truly means to you, and what steps you can take to make your dreams a closer reality.  It may be that you have already been shown the way... but it would mean having to scoff at convention, do things differently and be willing to relinquish some previously held ideas.  In other words, true freedom and happiness, probably won’t be found where everyone else has always told you it would be.  Listen to your own heart.

Pisces

This Eclipse can promise big changes in your status, your future, but not without a struggle and perhaps a little conflict.  Expect a lot of activity over the week ahead, and perhaps a few flareups in the process.  Try to hold on to the dream that you are trying to achieve, and realize that this week is a process for creating the circumstances that will allow you to make progress.  It will be trying at times, especially if others don’t do things exactly as you hoped they would.  This requires both patience, and a lot of sighs, and perhaps a few laments.  Just keep the end goal in view.

the above image is courtesy of Idea go at FreeDigitalPhotos.net