New Year’s 2013, A Birthing Year

Light in the Darkness                                                                                                                                       Catherine Al-Meten

On New Year’s Day, 2013, the Sun will be in 10/43 Capricorn. As I write this column, the Sun  is at 9/20 Capricorn, and will make an exact conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn tomorrow, December 31. The Moon will be in 20/46  Leo at 6:43 A.M. (Universal Time); 11:43 P.M.  on December 31, just before midnight(PST). Mercury will be at 0/38 Capricorn, having just changed signs in the closing days of 2012. Venus will be in 19/46 Sagittarius and Mars will be at 4/41 Aquarius. Jupiter begins the new year at 7/46 retrograde in Gemini. Jupiter will station direct on January 30, sending previously unfulfilled efforts and activities, desires and wishes forward. Saturn is at 9/33 Scorpio on January 1and Uranus is at 4/46 Aries. Neptune still in the early stages of her 14-year journey is at 1/4 Pisces as the new year begins.  Pluto is at 9/19 Capricorn, in conjunction with the Sun and in close aspect to Saturn. The North Node 25/10 retrograde of Scorpio, causing us to look back on the past, review options, and linger a while longer at the gateway of change. Remember, the North Node is the point in your life where you are moving into a new realm and embarking on a new journey. When the North Node is retrograde, there may be some stalls or delays. Use the time to honor the time and change, to heal and regenerate, and to prepare for the journey ahead. Chiron, the Wounded Healer is at 6/1 Pisces.

This year the archetype of Mercury and the element of water provide the underlying theme for the year.  This is a year of great communication, conversations, dialogue, and actions based on true understanding.   Mercury will spend more time transiting through water signs this year than it usually does. This indicates increased communication, knowledge, and actions that are  more about what is not seen than what is. The positive use of this archetype is to go  inward to seek deeper more reflective pools of the spirits, psyches, subconscious and unconscious realms. Mercury, the archetype of the winged messenger, will find the messenger wearing water wings. Looking beneath the surface, understanding that the surface is about appearances, and listening and responding to the intuitive information infusing us, is essential to keep up with the pace of change, opportunities, and pathways opening up.

Beginning last June, 2012, and continuing until March 2015, the Uranus-Pluto geocentric square began. That cycle of aspects consist in 7 exact squares occurring during retrograde cycles over several years. When a cycle of aspects between major planets occurs, in this case on the retrograde aspects, the events triggered have their roots  in the past. In this case, what started in the 1960s is now expressing itself through extreme cultural and social events and conditions. These aspects occur to   the planetary nodes indicating new beginnings and endings. 

Planets are always orbiting in some aspect or other to other planets, and over time, the cycles create certain types of energy.  In the case of the Uranus-Pluto cycle, the sudden and shocking transformation  takes place on both  personal and societal levels.  The aspects act  catalysts for change, movement, discovery, creation, and sudden beginnings and endings, again from events and choices set into motion in the past. The changes have revealed the dysfunction, lack of ethics, and callous disregard for the rights and needs of the masses.  This in turn has created fertile ground for revolutionary changes and upsets. The ineffectual conditions of institutions and systems meant to serve humankind, are falling apart as the institutional values and priorities have honored narrow self interests over the good of the many.  Any relationship, institution, organization, or system not built and maintained on sound principles, will not last.

Shifts have been occurring in every element of society in nearly every society on earth. Those who seek to hold onto their power at the expense of those they govern, will be affected by the transformation that takes place from the ground up.  People have become empowered and educated through rapid spread of technology and greater access to information. Communication is no longer limited between disparate groups of people. More and more organizations are being formed from the efforts of grass roots, empowered people who share their knowledge, skills, time, and resources to meet needs that have gone unmet for too long.  As some institutions, systems, and processes fall apart, others are being created and birthed to take their places. How this develops, depends upon how people come together and use their energy.

The current Pluto-Uranus square first entered into a 3 degree orb in June, 2012, and by August, the orb was 1 degree. Remember, any planetary or astrological body strengthens and activates the energy of any other body within a 0-7 degree orb. What has been occurring since that the first square in 2011, should give you an idea of how this cycle will proceed. Notice where this aspect falls in your chart/life. The birth of the Occupy movements, the anti-war protests, the Arab Spring, the Idle No More (awakening and empowering movements of indigenous peoples worldwide), of women, and ongoing grassroots movements worldwide, indicate that the cat is out of the bag. There is no going back. The first square of last June, 2012  already had an influence long before the actual square. Movement, transformation, and awakening begins before movement on the outside happens. 

According to astrologer, Nick Fiorenza, once a square aspect between two major planets, in this case Pluto and Uranus, has been activated, it enters its first quarter action cycle. From now until November 24, 2013, we will notice that external events (things falling apart or being born/happening) create the circumstances that become the call to action. Pluto and Uranus’ cycle is 138 years long, so we are not just witnessing or experiencing events that affect our own lives or that of our present world, we are in the process of ongoing creation, the movement of history. We are players on the larger stage and we have a part in a longer generational story that is unfolding in, through, and beyond our lives. 

Jupiter in 7 degrees retrograde of Gemini sparking our imaginations, whetting our appetites for learning and knowledge, and awakening a longing to expand our minds. We now tend to be more tolerant of others and seek to redefine our own values and clarify for ourselves, what it is we believe, and how it changes or affects the way we live. The Gemini archetype insists on bringing life into wholeness. With Jupiter in Gemini, we seek greater congruence between what we say we believe to be true and how we live accordingly. Any place in our lives where we have been sacrificing for something unworthy of us, is now released so that we can live in wholeness. Our curiosity, imagination, and ability to differentiate between staid and outworn beliefs and honest, congruent intuitive knowledge, provides us with necessary tools for change. We have a respect for the use of our intellect, and tolerance of others. Through our ingenuity, wit, and acceptance, we attract greater abundance and increase our resources. Inspiration is crucial to putting ideas into motion. Communication, contact, intelligence, and a willingness to work with those of like-minded focus, are in place during this transit.

We need to reign in excessiveness during this cycle as well. Zeal and overdoing can be manifestations of Jupiter’s extremes. The gift in the garbage of Jupiter in Gemini, is learning to pace yourself, learning to manage and follow through with ideas, learning to practical and learning to prioritize whatever you are doing. The gift of Jupiter in Gemini is perspective, and the ability to envision a greater good, a grand plan, and act on inspiration.  Balance and Harmony are key in uniting Gemini’s polarities into each action, each pathway, each relationship, and within.  

There is an  archetypal birthing of many different ideas, creations, children, systems that bring diverse elements together. The birth is always reflected within you as well as within the world around you.  If we do not understand how we are growing as a soul, individual, we have no chance of coming to wholeness. Jupiter’s abundance is primarily about discovering our own gifts, and then using them to create, help, and heal. We also have to respect and honor those gifts, and we need to nourish and preserve our sense of self in order to live out our soul purpose. With Jupiter in Gemini, our desire may be to be altruistic to the point of neglecting our own health. This won’t work. Tending to the tools of our own healing provide a base for growth, goodness, and development. Jupiter’s abundance is manifesting in and through those who are open, receptive, and willing to step into their own creative energy and power, and those who join with others in using the abundance to create a more beautiful, balanced life for others.  Jupiter rules cash and cash flow, and so if the laws of prosperity are used, the release of energy through appreciation of the abundance and flow of resources and inspiration will allow more and more to prosper and help support the increased vitality of not only themselves, but all who directly and indirectly benefit from an increased outpouring of goodness. 

Operating from a place of love, hope, compassion, and support is ultimately more productive, efficient, effective and kind than not. Again the grass roots movements and organizations are rising to meet the growing needs of communities and  society as a whole. Focus on compassion-based actions and efforts to level the playing field, and meet the real needs of the communities in which we live. We can create a more cohesive and rich supply of resources, support, and solutions to some of the dire needs of the planet. 

Pluto’s direct motion in Capricorn (Sept. 18, 2012 Pluto went direct) bringing a series of events and experiences that were set into the motion in the past. Pluto rules 8th house issues including sex, regeneration, our place and reputation in the greater community, other peoples’ monies, and goods and connections with the dead. Pluto reminds us that energy never dies, and our connections in spirit continue to stir within us. We are never separated from those we love; we keep the energy alive in how we respond and react in within our own limitations. Pluto  activated a square to Uranus in Aries and consequently, reveals or brings on obstacles, struggles, difficulties to a head.  Situations that may have heretofore been hidden, put on hold, or repressed, will break through in a manner that caused both personal and collective movements, feelings, and desires to burst forth into the consciousness. Actions began to replace resignation, resentment and reflection. Depending upon where in your life/chart the Pluto-Uranus aspects hit, you may have seen major changes and movement in your life as well as on the world stage. What is disrupted, disgorged, and excavated from our subconscious with the Pluto-Uranus series of aspects, will be reflected in our activities, relationships, and life paths.  For more information on how Pluto moving direct works, read my September 17, 2012 article 

As we start the New Year, we find two major changes from this time last year. Scorpio in Saturn,  completed its arduous transit of Libra leaving many of us exhausted and transformed from that major transit.  Jupiter entered  Gemini, creating a different kind of energy and a more electric and ethereal understanding to abundance and plenty. The start of the year is affected by the powerful energy of the December 28 Full Moon in Cancer and the conjunction of the Sun in Capricorn with Pluto in Capricorn. This is the year when the light will shine on the transformative efforts you have been working on internally.  

The Grand Trine of Water signs, Saturn in Scorpio, Neptune/Chiron in Pisces, and Cancer Full Moon last week, set into motion a more illusive and mystical pathway for us to delve more deeply into our inner search for meaning, truth, and understanding (as  a guide to the life path we are on.)  Mercury’s longer-than-usual transits through water signs this year, will find us plumbing the depths of unconscious and subconscious feelings that continue to affect our outward choices, behavior, and interactions in relationships. Wherever Pluto in Capricorn is activating transformative change within your life, finds you testing out new paths, options, behavior, and perceptions as you seek to discover greater connection and fulfillment for whatever impels you to create, achieve, discover, develop, or become involved in for the long haul. This is a birthing time, so the pains of labor may be difficult and challenging, but change does not come without some effort and cost.  Within you lies that strength, clarity, and faith that allows you to rely on the unseen to guide you through toward the expansion and expression of your light being.

Saturn in Scorpio sextile Pluto indicates, on the physical level, a need to pay attention to the health of the planet, particularly the vast waterways and resources. On a personal level, the health of your physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual being depends upon your willingness to work and live in harmony with the Earth and find balance in all areas of your life. Seek balance in the motion of your life just as water fills in the spaces between whatever it comes into contact with. The water element that Saturn in Scorpio is teaching us about, operates below the surface of appearances and concrete form. As water seeks its own level in any situation, your intuitive knowledge and your reliance on following your own intuitive pathways (those that are grounded in health, love, faith, and respect for principles of healing). The water elements, Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces, each have different qualities and characteristics. These archetypal traits influence the ways that a water sign will influences any transit or aspect it makes. Cancer is a Cardinal sign and it initiates and leads. Scorpio is a Fixed sign and its seeks depth with lazer-like focus and intensity. Pisces is a Mutable sign and its intuitive, mystical nature relies on unseen and intangible guidance, often activates change that seems to come out of the blue. In fact, the reliance on the inner guidance and receptivity to Divine guidance and clarity, creates the change within. Water signs are guided by nuance, subtleties, and deep sensibilities. 

Full Moon in Cancer, Healing Hearts

December's Full Moon, called the Full Cold Moon, the Long Night's Moon. Called the Long Night's Moon for two reasons, one is because this is the time of the year in the North when the night is longest. Additionally, the Moon stays in its highest orb above the horizon for the longest time. The Moon is at her highest trajectory while the Sun is at its lowest. 

Early Friday, December 28, 2012, theFull Moon peaks in Cancer at 5:21 EST (2:21 PST) in exact opposition to  the Sun Capricorn  Balance between private life and public face. Cancer Moon represents need to make a home, nurture and be nurtured, create and maintain a home base a sense of safety. The Sun in Capricorn represents our public life, including our career, reputation and anything having to do with how we are viewed in and by the public. On one side, the Moon has us focused on our relationships, love, and connections with family and intimate friends while on the other side, the Sun has us focused on our achievements, status, and position in the world.  The archetype of Cancer opposing Capricorn is about unconditional love juxtaposed conditional acceptance or rejection. We may feel the pull between our desires to connect and nurture our relationships and stay close to home, finding the peace and safety of home vital as opposed to being drawn into a sense of duty and obligation that is very impersonal and fails to support personal happiness and fulfillment. Depending upon how well you generally balance this polarity in whatever areas of your life/chart these two signs fall, will indicate the extent to which the challenges and energy from this full moon will affect you.  Hopefully, we have all learned to balance the polarities within our lives, seeking the balance between our outer needs and inner needs, our outer life (career, work, life purpose) and our inner life (personality, personal and spiritual development, and personal life).  The Full Moon in Cancer will bring our emotions and feelings to the surface, and will seek to find expression in some physical form.  How we express our emotions and feelings depends on how we have developed channels and outlets for to express our inner feelings.  The healthy expression of emotional truth comes through movement, art, exercise, direct expression, and positively expressing emotions in non-destructive ways.

The Full Moon at 7 degrees Cancer also opposes Pluto, the Great Transformer in 7 degrees Capricorn.  Cancer is the traditional ruler of the Moon, and the Moon affects our emotional health and the tides of all the waters on the Earth.  As the tides rise higher at the Full Moon, so does our emotional energy and we feel, within our watery body, greater sensitivity to both inner and outer energetic fluctuations. This Full Moon directly opposes Pluto, stirring up old emotional wounds, memories, and issues that rise up into our awareness for healing. Pluto has been working deep within our subconscious for some time now, and this particular Full Moon aspect activates it, somewhat like opening the flood gates our our subconscious allowing the truth of our inner being to burst forth into our awareness.  The Full Moon with such a powerful aspect calls us to release what needs to be left behind, and to deal with that which we need to deal with.  This is a time for great energy transformation. As we swim in this pool of memories, reflections, emotions, untended sadness, or sweet old and dear connections, we feel saturated with the depth of our feelings. 

When so much comes to the surface in a form that is so strong and present, we need to recognize that though we think we have “forgotten” or “gotten over” old loves, lost dreams, or wounded soul memories, we are not. Whatever is pushed into submission through denial, sublimation, or the deflection of emotions into different forms of unhealthy behavior (addictions, somatic illnesses, excesses of all types including work, exercise, serial relationships), now calls to be addressed, released, and healed. Cancer, being a Cardinal element of the Water signs, assures us that we will want to get things taken care of during this Full Moon.

The call of the Full Moon in Cancer is to cleanse our emotions through the authentic expression of our feelings, and to regain our strength. The Sun in Sagittarius makes a tense square to Uranus in Aries. This aspect between the Sun, that which sheds light on what needs to be seen, and Uranus, activating and bringing forth, in surprising and shocking ways, guarantee that some form of illumination or revelation will take place at this time. Some unexpected or internal event or situation will reveal the circumstances that are ready to set off an explosion of some type, leading to a series of unforeseen and unexpected events. Where you may have felt sheltered from external influences, or incapable of responding or reacting to some type of distant or convoluted situation, this Full Moon and the other transits (opposition to Pluto and the Moon, square to Uranus) will set off a series of events that will break open the heart of the matter. What was hidden, will be revealed. What had been holding things beneath the surface, will now explode into view.  Any sense of separation will now dissolve and what has been held within, will now come to the surface. Whatever we have held inside, comes to the surface allowing us to finally deal with the truth of our emotions. It is a wonderful time to become more empowered to express our emotional truth and live from a point of greater clarity and strength than we might have felt in a very long time.

Another aspect affecting this Full Moon in 7 degrees of Cancer is Chiron’s transit of Pisces (currently at 0 degrees). Chiron, the Wounded Healer, though not in an exact aspect to the Moon, is nevertheless releasing whatever is needed from the subconscious regions of our being, in the form of dreams, strong intuitive and sensory awareness, and the nigglings of emotional truth stirring within us. 

Sabian symbol for the Full Moon at 7 degrees of Cancer: “Two nature spirits dancing under the moonlight.”  Our spiritual and emotional natures are active and being stirred. The Grand Trine in Water signs with the Moon trining Chiron, the Wounded Healer in Pisces, and Saturn, the Great Teacher in the early degrees of Scorpio, saturate us with emotional energy and spiritual depth and connections. We are fully infused with what we need to face whatever fears still hold us back and accept the truth of our heart so that we can help support others and nurture ourselves physically, spiritually, and emotionally so that we can move into a new form of life that generates  from a point of love, peace, and healing.

Living in a world that may appear chaotic and explosive, we can takes steps to create peace, love, and harmony through how we allow ourselves to become the peaceful fishers of our souls.  We can connect to others whose energy and intentions are needed to work together for the healing of our whole planet, for the healing of our families, communities, tribes, and nations.  We are in the process of healing the ancient patterns of our families, that have perpetuated in the ongoing trauma and woundedness of of our human families, and of our planet. We must heal within and express our healing in the way we begin living more in line with the truth of our connectedness and our Divine nature.  

Full Moon in Cancer, Healing Moon

Sun 7 Capricorn

Moon  Cancer

Mercury Sagittarius

Venus  Sagittarius

Mars Aquarius

Jupiter Gemini

Saturn Scorpio

Uranus Aries

Neptune Pisces

Pluto Capricorn

North Node Scorpio

Chiron Pisces

Friday, December 28, 2012

Full Moon in Cancer at 5:21 EST (2:21 PST) in exact opposition to  the Sun Capricorn  Balance between private life and public face. Cancer Moon represents need to make a home, nurture and be nurtured, create and maintain a home base a sense of safety. The Sun in Capricorn represents our public life, including our career, reputation and anything having to do with how we are viewed in and by the public. On one side, the Moon has us focused on our relationships, love, and connections with family and intimate friends while on the other side, the Sun has us focused on our achievements, status, and position in the world.  The archetype of Cancer opposing Capricorn is about unconditional love juxtaposed conditional acceptance or rejection. We may feel the pull between our desires to connect and nurture our relationships and stay close to home, finding the peace and safety of home vital as opposed to being drawn into a sense of duty and obligation that is very impersonal and fails to support personal happiness and fulfillment. Depending upon how well you generally balance this polarity in whatever areas of your life/chart these two signs fall, will indicate the extent to which the challenges and energy from this full moon will affect you.  Hopefully, we have all learned to balance the polarities within our lives, seeking the balance between our outer needs and inner needs, our outer life (career, work, life purpose) and our inner life (personality, personal and spiritual development, and personal life).  The Full Moon in Cancer will bring our emotions and feelings to the surface, and will seek to find expression in some physical form.  How we express our emotions and feelings depends on how we have developed channels and outlets for to express our inner feelings.  The healthy expression of emotional truth comes through movement, art, exercise, direct expression, and positively expressing emotions in non-destructive ways.

The Full Moon at 8 degrees Cancer also opposes Pluto, the Great Transformer in 8 degrees Capricorn.  Cancer is the traditional ruler of the Moon, and the Moon affects our emotional health and the tides of all the waters on the Earth.  As the tides rise higher at the Full Moon, so does our emotional energy and we feel, within our watery body, greater sensitivity to both inner and outer energetic fluctuations. This Full Moon directly opposes Pluto, stirring up old emotional wounds, memories, and issues that rise up into our awareness for healing. Pluto has been working deep within our subconscious for some time now, and this particular Full Moon aspect activates it, somewhat like opening the flood gates our our subconscious allowing the truth of our inner being to burst forth into our awareness.  The Full Moon with such a powerful aspect calls us to release what needs to be left behind, and to deal with that which we need to deal with.  This is a time for great energy transformation. As we swim in this pool of memories, reflections, emotions, untended sadness, or sweet old and dear connections, we feel saturated with the depth of our feelings. 

When so much comes to the surface in a form that is so strong and present, we need to recognize that though we think we have “forgotten” or “gotten over” old loves, lost dreams, or wounded soul memories, we are not. Whatever is pushed into submission through denial, sublimation, or the deflection of emotions into different forms of unhealthy behavior (addictions, somatic illnesses, excesses of all types including work, exercise, serial relationships), now calls to be addressed, released, and healed. Cancer, being a Cardinal element of the Water signs, assures us that we will want to get things taken care of during this Full Moon.

The call of the Full Moon in Cancer is to cleanse our emotions through the authentic expression of our feelings, and to regain our strength. The Sun in Sagittarius makes a tense square to Uranus in Aries. This aspect between the Sun, that which sheds light on what needs to be seen, and Uranus, activating and bringing forth, in surprising and shocking ways, guarantee that some form of illumination or revelation will take place at this time. Some unexpected or internal event or situation will reveal the circumstances that are ready to set off an explosion of some type, leading to a series of unforeseen and unexpected events. Where you may have felt sheltered from external influences, or incapable of responding or reacting to some type of distant or convoluted situation, this Full Moon and the other transits (opposition to Pluto and the Moon, square to Uranus) will set off a series of events that will break open the heart of the matter. What was hidden, will be revealed. What had been holding things beneath the surface, will now explode into view.  Any sense of separation will now dissolve and what has been held within, will now come to the surface. Whatever we have held inside, comes to the surface allowing us to finally deal with the truth of our emotions. It is a wonderful time to become more empowered to express our emotional truth and live from a point of greater clarity and strength than we might have felt in a very long time.

Another aspect affecting this Full Moon in 8 degrees of Cancer is Chiron’s transit of Pisces (currently at 0 degrees). Chiron, the Wounded Healer, though not in an exact aspect to the Moon, is nevertheless releasing whatever is needed from the subconscious regions of our being, in the form of dreams, strong intuitive and sensory awareness, and the nigglings of emotional truth stirring within us. 

Sabian symbol for the Full Moon at 8 degrees of Cancer: “A small, naked girl bends over a pond trying to catch a fish.”  The inner child within each of us, provides the core truth of our being (our core identity and all that has shaped and defined us). The pond, is the subconscious, emotional and spiritual depths to be explored. The fish is the symbol of nourishment, wisdom, life, and spiritual truth. We hold this child within us, and when it’s time to acknowledge whatever needs to be released and whatever needs to happen to lead to emotional health and freedom. This is an excellent time to be receptive to healing and to take steps repair, cleanse, and heal whatever needs to be healed in your life, in your relationships, and in your inner being as you express yourself outwardly. 

Living in a world that may appear chaotic and explosive, we can takes steps to create peace, love, and harmony through how we allow ourselves to become the peaceful fishers of our souls.  We can connect to others whose energy and intentions are needed to work together for the healing of our whole planet, for the healing of our families, communities, tribes, and nations.  We are in the process of healing the ancient patterns of our families, that have perpetuated in the ongoing trauma and woundedness of of our human families, and of our planet. We must heal within and express our healing in the way we begin living more in line with the truth of our connectedness and our Divine nature.  

Winter Solstice, Holy Times

Winter Solstice peaked about 3:15 A.M on December 21, 2012.  At the time of the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the Earth tilts on is her axis causing the Northern Hemisphere to reach its maximum tilt away from the Sun. Depending upon our latitude, the daylight hours vary from O in Barrow Alaska, 4 in Iceland, 7 + in London and around 8 in our region, the Pacific Northwest and above the 45th parallel. The Sun takes its shortest and lowest path across the sky After the Solstice, each day will regain some light,days will begin growing longer. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is the Summer Solstice, and the opposite is occuring. 

Christmas Day, the Moon will be in Gemini bringing a fresh infusion of energy provided by Luna’s aspect to Mars in Aquarius late in the day on on into the evening. The Sun in Capricorn squares Uranus too calling for a release of tension and pressure (maybe a long walk, a trip to the yoga studio, or a little dancing to let off steam and channel excess energy). 

Last night the first quarter square of the Moon at 28 degrees of Pisces to the Sun at 28 degrees in Sagittarius, may have made you feel like you had been hit by a truck. I know I was feeling sore and achy, and weighed down. As I led a meditation last night, it seemed that many of us were feeling similarly tired, stressed, and depleted.  Whether or not this has been the case for you, the square of the moon often makes us feel a bit challenged, under the weather, or at the very least, more aware of any area of weakness or disharmony in our body, mind, or spirit. The area of your chart/life where you might notice it most is within 27-30 of any of the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) or 27-30 of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn).  Look at this aspect in the houses affected, and you will note where you may find some challenges during this First Quarter Square influence.

As the Sun shifted into Capricorn in the middle of the night (3:19 A.M. PST), we find ourselves more grounded in the material rules, foundations, and limitations of our being. Staying within necessary limitation, maintaining appropriate standards, and watching to make certain we are operating on sound principles and healthy practices, is necessary and becomes more so from here on out. Having a long-term goal  (dreaming big under the influence of the Sagittarius Sun), now requires that we take care of ourselves and allot ourselves the necessary restorative, recuperative, and regenerative activities to prepare us for whatever work we have to do, whatever goals we have set for ourselves, and whatever dreams we hope to achieve.  We now can trust our intuitive senses to let us know what is feasible in our lives and what is not. 

Mercury in Sagittarius until the 31, continues to generate a multitude of ideas and interests, motivating us in new ways, paths, and directions.  We make serendipitous connections, dream prophetic dreams, and visualize new ways, creations, and ideas that we feel a great urge to help birth. In Sagittarius, our communication hinges on what we believe to be fair or not, and that includes how we spend our own energy, time, and resources. Failure to take into account our own limitations, can create major problems for us down the road.  Pull in the reins if you think that is best. Do what nourishes and refreshes you, and allow yourself to find healthy ways to connect and relate to one another.Mercury trines Uranus bringing about synchronistic events, meetings,  and communication. 

Venus in Sagittarius until January 8, features more down to earth types of romantic gestures. Love is based on a more universal norm, and Venus in Sagittarius is ruled by the direct, honest, and straight forward professions of love. Trusting our higher natures in matters of Love is necessary for us to understand and experience what love really looks like as it is expressed to us and by us.  It’s not the intention alone that counts; it’s how the intention is backed by actions that bring it into experience, fulfillment, and manifestation.

Mars has been in Capricorn since November 16, and on Christmas Day, December 25, it will move into Aquarius.  Mars transited over the path of Pluto, the Great Transformer, during this passage, and stirred up whatever was needed to bring forth a knowledge of long term consequences and and energy for major changes ahead. We may have had sudden and drastic experiences that shook up our view of reality, reminding us of the polarity between our temporal and spiritual natures. If we have been at all frustrated in our transformative work, we may have experienced a sense of being cut off or alienated from some part of ourselves.  This often manifests as a belief that we are cut off from others when in fact, it is we who cut ourselves off by our false beliefs and emotional attachment to them. So for example, if I had an irrational thought that I had lost something or had run out of a necessary resource, I might emotionally begin reacting as if I had when in fact, I hadn’t. 

We need to be mindful of how we respond to thoughts, intuitions, and dreams. We need to be discerning, to check our perceptions out against the verifiable facts. We need to be aware of how we can let our emotions and thoughts run wild if we fail to seek balance.  Mars triggers this kind of energy, and knowing this, we can take steps to be more calm in reacting and responding to life experiences, communication, and conflicts with others.  Venus in Sagittarius does bring out the spirit of adventure and the desire and movement toward fun. On the 20th, when Venus squared Chiron (the Wounded Healer), something might have been triggered that made you fearful of commitments, made you question things. Being reminded of past hurts, on a subconscious or conscious level, can be helpful for reminding us of whether or not the present circumstances are equal to or the same as past experiences, or whether they simply tread on the same area of your heart.  

Venus opposes Jupiter on December 22 making us more likely to idealize a romantic partner or over emphasize our need for love and companionship based on not being clear or in line with our true needs, nature, or own value.  Discovering the love within our own souls helps us be less attached to the idealized and often unrealistic expectation of our “dream partner, lover, or even friend’.  Be mindful of your own value, inner resources, and your ability to love yourself and others. For truly, if we cannot love and appreciate ourselves, we have no way of loving anyone else. 

Reflections of Christmas                                                              Catherine Al-Meten

All day today, the Moon has been transiting Aries, the powerhouse of assertion and rebelliousness as well as the activator and take-charge controller.  If you have been working towards a long-term goal, or need to meet a deadline, this is a helpful influence. If, however, you have been trying to relax into a long, serene holiday weekend or vacation, it has been hard to get past the immediate demands and activities of the day. 

During the night as the Sun sextiles Neptune in Pisces, the edges begin to soften and we can begin relaxing and finding a more moderate, restful way to move into the holy days. Saturday, December 22 at 1:26 P.M (EST; 10:26 PST), the moon enters into mellow Taurus. Jupiter’s quincunx to Saturn becomes exact as well.  This long-term aspect makes us feel more ambiguous than we might normally feel. We need to bring our attitudes, beliefs, plans, and feelings into greater congruence, sorting out the debris that clutters different areas of our experience and aligning our lives more clearly and harmoniously within the context of our true desires and basic sense of purpose. When Venus opposes Jupiter Saturday night, watch for over-inflated emotional reactions, and quell the desire to go beyond the limits that are healthy for you.

And now about the Winter Solstice, the passage over the Gallactic Center, and the end of the Mayan Calendar.  In Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, Act One, Scene Five, Horatio and Marcellus, barge into Hamlet’s conversation with the ghost of his father. Horatio like Hamlet, were students at the University of Wittenburg, a “notable outpost for Protestant humanism,” so that Hamlet would be caught talking to his Father’s ghost, would leave him quite unwilling to have anyone oversee or hear him.  In an age when reason, ethics, logic, and natural science provided the framework for all sound thought, Hamlet’s communication with ghosts would seem like something only a mad man would do.

Hamlet:  Swear by my sword

Never to speak of this that you have heard (he pleads with Horatio and Marcellus)

Ghost: (beneath the stage) Swear by his sword.

Hamlet: Well said, old mole, canst work i’ the’ earth so fast? A worthy pioner! Once more remove, good friends (leave).

Horatio: O day and night, but this is wondrous strange.

Hamlet:

And therefore as a stranger give it welcome.

There are more things in heaven and earth Horatio

Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

Why quote these lines from Shakespeare’s Hamlet! For those who have failed to understand or consider the depth and breadth of possibility, experience, and vastness of the Universe, the simple answers are best for they raise no doubts, call for no imagination, and rely on a vision of a limited universe and Divine reality. When we become trapped in the ‘way things have always been,’ kinds of political and philosophical behavior and answers, we live with eyes that are blind and ears that cannot hear. We trust only with our decaying senses, a world that is far beyond our understanding, knowing, or experiences.  

The Winter Solstice occurs only on half the planet; the Summer is occurring in the Southern Hemisphere. Cycles are part of the spiral stories of our DNA, of the atomic and subatomic particles that flow endlessly inward and outward. What we can know in our limited physical reality, is but a tiny piece of what there is. We are being energized, infused, and evolved by the Divine Creation and Creator, to live out our that which feeds, enriches, and nourishes us, our world, and all that is.  Use what you have to be all that you can be, to touch the planet with Light, to experience Love in all areas of your being, and to take up your hand to work from your heart for what is Good.  Be that open channel for Love and Light, in each moment, regardless of what you do, who you are, and what you believe to be true or not. Go beyond belief and live according to Love. Create peace in your heart so it can spread and become the new foundation for life. Heal yourself so you can become part of the healing of all.  

The yod that I wrote about with Saturn in Scorpio and Pluto in Capricorn triggered by an opposition with Jupiter in Gemini has set off the transformative shift and movement in our lives. We have another reminder, as we humans have always had, of our choice between what the Deuteronist said, "You have the choice between life and death. Choose life."  As the folks of Newtown posted today a week after the tragedy of the deaths of the innocents, "We Choose Love." It's your choice. It's my choice. It's the choice we always have between actions that are life and love-giving or not. In the Holy Qur'an, the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) passed on the Word of God saying basically that God sent the prophets before to tell us how to live with one another. We didn't listen then. God  sent Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Mohammad and all the other holy ones to  to remind us.  We can choose. What do you choose?

Faithful Readers, Thank You!

Approaching Storm                                                                                           Catherine Al-Meten

Since first starting the Intuitive Insight Pathways Blog, I have appreciated the worldwide reception and connections. I want to thank the followers from all over the U.S.A., Russia, Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Greece, India, Egypt, Ukraine, Haiti, Greece, Poland, Singapore, Finland,  Nigeria, Maritius, Panama, and all others.  Wishing you wonderful holy days, whatever your traditions and cultures observe, and hope you continue to find Intuitive Insight Pathways uplifting and informative.  Would love to hear from you as we move through the challenging, transformative times of our lives. May you live in peace and be filled with Light always. Catherine 


Thank you, Gracias, Chukran,, Merci, Danka,Spasibo,  Kiitos, Grazia, Takk, Salamat Po, Elharisto, Dziekujie, Obrigado, Arigato, Sukria, Toda, and Xie Xie!

New Moon in Sagittarius, Dark of the Moon Precedes

December 9-15

Which Way?                                                                                Catherine Al-Meten

Moving into then energy of the New Moon in Sagittarius,  means the next few days  are the Dark of the Moon, time to put things in perspective, reflect, release, and finish up whatever needs to be completed. It’s a time when we appraise what has recently transpired, and what we are hoping for. This week includes some interesting and powerful transits and changes as well, making this a significant New Moon lead in. What happens as we prepare to cross a new threshold requires transition and reflection in the passage.

The New Moon in mutable fire sign, Sagittarius, peaks  on Thursday, December 13  at 3:45 A.M. EST (12:45 PDT A.M.).  The archetypal qualities of Sagittarius, the Archer, call us to DREAM BIG! Adventurous and energetic, Sagittarius sparks us to take our dreams into more realistic forms. Depending upon where the New Moon is transiting in your life/chart, you will now feel both more energized and inspired to bring your dreams to life. The Sagittarius Moon at 21/45 degrees most powerfully affects those of us who have planets and points anywhere from 18-26 degrees of the mutable signs of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces. 

The Sun in Sagittarius until December 21, awakens us to our needs and desires for intimate connection within and with others in our lives. It is during this period of time when our lives and our emotional well being may depend upon our awakening to our own need for combining what we know and feel about life with our dreams and plans to actualize ourselves through activities, projects, creativity, and long-term plans. We feel more hopeful, and rely more on faith than we might ordinarily do. We allow ourselves the freedom to use our imagination and to envision ways to solve what seems like, intractable problems, issues, and challenges. Now is the time the veils are lifted and we are once again able to see our way into a brighter, more uplifting future.

Mercury continues in its retrograde phase through Scorpio until December 10th (tomorrow). As I write, we are ready to begin to take steps to make things happen. The antsyiness or edginess we may have been feeling over  the last few days should be relieved somewhat once Mercury goes direct. We continue to probe the depths with Mercury in Scorpio, and may find that what has been hidden is revealed once the retrograde phase ends. We are more sharply focused than we have been for quite some time. Our analytical and profundity in conversations, and all other forms of communication, result in in-depth developments. Our thoughts may border on obsessive if we fail to take action, communicate with others, or somehow channel our thinking, ideas, and learnings into some physical form. It’s a wonderful time for great depth in personal conversations. It also is a time when we generally get to the heart of the matter in all areas of communication.  Mercury in Scorpio has been about plumbing the depths, and expressing insight, intuitive learnings, and concrete plans for change, development, and transformation.

As Mercury enters Sagittarius (December 10-31) we lighten up a bit. Our thoughts and interests expand and broaden. We find newness intriguing, and we look to discover and awaken on a more experiential level than we have been. We tend to allow our faith and beliefs to lead us, directing more energy and time to living out our ideals. We seek justice and equality, and take actions to meet the needs of others. 

Venus has been in Scorpio, November 21-December 15, and life and relationships have been deeply passionate. Nothing short of real communication, true love, and the merging of body, mind, and spirit will do for us. Our passions however, are not of the idealistic brand. In fact, we are likely to be more aware than ever before of the very real nature of our experience and understanding of love and particularly love in intimate relationships. Our vulnerabilities have been on the surface of our consciousness, and we have been challenged to discover what it is within ourselves that compels us to love as we do. When we identify our inner needs, desires, and motivation, we release some of the harmful aspects of how we relate so as to move into more healthy, healing, nurturing, and mutually connected relationships. If we have not reined in our passions and attempted to understand the depth of our feelings, we may have created for ourselves more drama than we needed to.  Fear, anxiety, panic, and worry all create stress and work against any true connection. Not that we ever are totally free from feeling these emotions, but when we do, we must have ways to release ourselves from the hold we have allowed them to take on us.  Anyone can tell you by now, that stress is the leading cause and complication in most illnesses. Anyone can also tell you how to establish ways to release and counter stress. The real challenge is to take constructive steps to channel stress through meditation, exercise, prayer, and all manner of ways to alleviate stress from your life. Most of us ‘know” what to do; the key is actually doing something about it.  The transit of Venus in Scorpio, along with all the other water sign transits, have brought emotions, deep concerns and issues up to the surface of our being and consciousness. If we have felt overwhelmed, it is because we are experiencing the extremes of our lives in order for us to learn what we are capable of doing, being, changing, and adjusting to. Notice over the next week as Venus finishes her transit in Scorpio, just what is screaming for attention in order to bring you more into harmony in all areas, but particularly in your relationships and your relationship to your own inner love of life. What is it that you truly desire, and what are you doing to block that or to allow that to be born?

Venus is making some transits this week (semi-square to Pluto on the 10th; Square to Neptune on the 16th) both making us more susceptible to negative thinking like jealousy, suspicion, or irritation.  When we feel deeply passionate, it is difficult to see beyond the romantic illusions, masks, or simply inexperience that Neptune’s shadow casts. While we do not have to succumb to the effects of these transits, it helps to be aware of the kinds of energy that is circulating. Forewarned is forearmed. See things for what they are, not what you hope or expect them to be. 

Mars continues on its journey through earthy Capricorn (November 15-December 25).  Mars, a fiery element, transiting an earth sign, slows and calms our temperament. We become more cautious and staid in relation to any actions we take.  The fiery energy is tempered in an earth transit, making it possible to get a lot more done in very precise ways with much concentrated effort and focus. 

Uranus which has been retrograde in Aries, goes direct on December 13 at 7:02 A.M (EST); 4:02 A.M. PST. Dreams or early morning awakenings may reflect a sudden change shining into whatever are of life Uranus transits in your chart. When Uranus turns direct, she trines Mercury, indicating surprising good news. We all need some of that. And since this trine occurs on the same day as the New Moon, it’s very auspicious, and may have some very long-reaching effects.

We are also beginning to feel the influence of the Jupiter yod on the 13th. Jupiter in Gemini moves into conjunction with the fixed star, Aldebaran (one of the four royal planets of ancient Persia).A yod is formed when Jupiter aspects Saturn in Scorpio and Pluto and the Sun in Capricorn on December 21. The yod begins forming this week, and we will probably notice major changes in the making. On December 21, Venus will be opposite Jupiter, causing a point of reaction. It’s as if the pressure has been building in some area of life (personally and collectively), and we find we have reached a point where something has to give to release the pressure, to relieve the stress.  A good metaphor is reaching a turning point or fork in the road. Which way we choose to move, depends upon the choices we make.  On the world stage, it appears some of the areas of stress and conflict may meet with a time of reckoning.  

One of the ancient indigenous prophecies foretells our reaching a point when we begin, en masse, to work more for the good of all rather than from the point of individual greed and reward.What we have observed over the last couple of year has shown us that we are, as collective whole, capable of caring for and working for the common good. We also are capable of isolating, creating stand offs, and pitting ‘us’ against ‘them.”  Our choices become so much more important as our world shrinks and we become much more interdependent. For the health and good of all, we have arrived at the threshold of a new era.  What we do, will matter for the good of the whole planet. The Gnostic Gospel of Thomas quotes Jesus as saying:

“What you bring forth within you saves you; what you fail to bring forth destroys you.”  Give yourself the gift of Life, and move toward greater compassion, love, trust, and fulfillment of the Divine Goodness. Live from the Divine center and spark within you.

Jupiter's Closest Approach to Earth

Beneath the Surface                                                                                      Catherine Al-Meten

Today as I am writing this article, we note the following planetary, solar, and lunar degrees.  

Sun 9/17 Sagittarius

Moon 13/52 Cancer

Mercury 19/59 Scorpio

Venus 12?0 Scorpio

Mars 11/8 Capricorn

Jupiter 11/28 Gemini

Saturn 6/41 Scorpio

Uranus 4/40 Aries

Neptune 0/28 Pisces

Pluto 8/16 Capricorn

North Node 26/2 Scorpio

Chiron 5/7 Pisces

The Sun in Sagittarius from Nov. 21-December 21. As the month of December begins, The Sun is in 9/17 of Sagittarius, the Moon is in 13/52 Cancer, and Mercury and Venus are still transiting Scorpio. 

Mercury is seisquiquadrate Uranus at 4/41/ Aries, and Venus is quincunx Jupiter at 11/32 Gemini. Jupiter is at her closest point to the Earth today, Saturday, December 1, and on Monday, Jupiter will reach her opposition making it appear from the Earth that Jupiter is sitting exactly opposite the Sun.  We have watched Jupiter bright in the night sky for the last week, and

we will continue to view her as she rises in the Eastern sky each evening. Jupiter is closest to the Earth this morning, 10:00 AM EST/7:00 AM PST, orbiting 377,866,000 miles from Earth. Jupiter is the fourth brightest object in the night sky, after the Sun, the Moon, and Venus. Jupiter’s orbit around the Sun, takes around 12 years. Jupiter’s next close encounter with Earth will happen August 20, 2021. 

Jupiter is the planetary ruler of both Pisces and Sagittarius. Jupiter’s transit through Gemini highlights intellectual freedom, wisdom, tolerance, and abundance.  Jupiter is the planetary archetype that symbolizes abundance, plenty, and good fortune. Jupiter grounds our understanding through philosophical, religious, and spiritual development. Jupiter also grounds its push for tolerance and understanding through a strong, ethical framework. Ruler of publishers and writers, Jupiter enhances and benefits authors and publications. You can expect to see the benefits of Jupiter  unfolding in the area of life where she is orbiting and aspecting other natal and progressed transits. 

Mars at 11/02 Capricorn, is semi-squaring the North Node in Scorpio and quincunxes Jupiter. Quincunxes activate and set off energy. On December 2, Jupiter reaches its opposition to the Sun, and we in between the two . major entities, will feel the weight, activity, and light of this opposition. Mars activates and energizes whatever and whoever it touches. Mercury, in 23/24 Scorpio, is semi-square to Pluto in its long transit through Capricorn.  We receive information or communicate in ways that bring a grounding to whatever is to benefit us at this time. It’s an energetic, some might call it, tense time.  The tension may be palpable, and yet what we have been striving for and desiring, is coming to us. We have been preparing for the shifts and changes that are taking place in our lives, and now we are riding the waves of those changes. 

Pluto in Capricorn, Saturn in Scorpio, and Jupiter in Gemini, form a yod that indicate radical transformation. Changes in our systems, religious, philosophical, and governmental  institutions, as well as our overall belief systems and worldviews, are imminent and part of the radical transformation taking place now. Jupiter is the focal point of much of the energy, making it clear that however much we are affected by shifts and changes, we are able to be on the receiving end of great benefits from whatever takes place and however it affects our lives as individuals and as a collective whole. On Sunday, December 14, the Sun at 14/54 Sagittarius semi-sextiles Mars, allowing us a glimpse of the lighter side of these aspects. On December 7, Mars semi-squares  Neptune in 0/33 Pisces, casting some shadows on our understanding.  This is a time when changes, situations, conditions, and communication may be coming at us so rapidly that we find ourselves having a difficult time keeping up and sorting through all the information and implications.  

Jupiter seems to be a crucial aspect building up to the yod forming on December 21. Jupiter calls for expansion, and when in aspect to Saturn, the Great Teacher (lessons we need to learn no matter how hard), and Pluto, the Great Transformer, we can expect the movers and shakers, those who hold real power, to attempt to use their power to control the greater, emerging power awakened over the past couple of years. The energy and capacity we have for obtaining information, communicating, and acting together, has helped change the balance of power nearly everywhere. 

On December 12, when Venus conjuncts the North Node in Scorpio, we move into a new time and energy frame. That which we most desire is taking us onto the next leg of our journey. This entire month is full of interesting and energetic activity.  Last week’s eclipse and the upcoming first quarter square and New Moons will activate movement, choices, and shifts that have been oozing to the surface for some time this year.  Some, who still cling to the past, to outworn beliefs and expectations, may still be reeling from movement, losses, and revelations that have caught them by surprise. For some, who took the risks early on and have been letting go of unnecessary, unhealthy, and negative patterns of behavior and thought, the new path is unfolding in surprising and somewhat shocking ways. 

How to handle the movement? Allow yourself to come into alignment with the deepest level of trusting the Divine unfolding, guiding, and revealing what you need to know exactly as you need to know. Trust your intuitive senses, be open and receptive to the Divine Truth, and maintain mindful presence in all you do.  Being in the Eternal Now, calm and peaceful in the Presence of wholeness and love, allows us each to maintain a connection with our centeredness.  We are peace and light bearers, and we need to maintain that awareness within our hearts, minds, and bodies. 

Awakening: Call for Healing, Peace, Unity

Reflections                                                                        Catherine Al-Meten
Astoria Port                                                                                               2012

Last week’s Solar Eclipse in Scorpio conjunct the New Moon in Scorpio, released, unleashed, and awakened us on many levels. Moving into a new world with the major shifts in the outer, slow-moving planets, and the activity and aspects of the inner planets, we are moving forward at a rapid pace. Our awakening and transformation has given us this opportunity to be receptive to spiritual guidance from the Divine, however you understand or name that Source.  While we can do so much to improve, change, and develop on our own, we are manifest in human form, on this planet, at this time, and in relation to one another. It is imperative that we each acknowledge our gifts, our purpose, and our responsibility to be fully-functioning, beings capable of healing, loving, and creating peace. The movement of the planets, the Sun, and our Moon all highlight and activate energy that affects us and the way we live.  As we look at some of the events of this last week, we understand how intricately we are connected to one another. We are also responsible for paying attention to what is calling us to do, be, receive, and understand within, and then how does that call us to help heal, create peace, and act from love rather than fear, hate, and frustration. What has been awakening within you? Have you wanted to hide from truth or are you willing to embrace what is, and move to do what you can to create and heal?

Whatever has been brewing beneath the surface, suppressed in the subconscious, been hidden and kept secret, now stirs within us and begins to seep out. The archetype of Scorpio, where the Sun (outward expression and actions), Mercury (communication), Saturn (lessons and transformation), and the North Node (gateway to change), is that of provocative energy expressed with intensity, passion, willfulness, and sudden revelations. As with all energy and our use of and response to it, we can use this energy, these inner and outer revelations, understandings, and awareness to heal, transform, and grow stronger and more united, or we can act from the darker side of our nature. The unhealed, unredeemed parts of our nature, express this energy through jealousy, manipulation, violence,  acrimonious and vindictive striking out. Debasing and dehumanizing the targets of our unhealed, aggressive woundedness, we seek revenge by striking out or attempting to diminish others, failing to understand we are hurting ourselves as well through these actions.  Since the energy of Scorpio deals with the subtle, often unconscious sides of our nature, we individually and collectively need to be extremely careful of how we express ourselves. As the archetype of Scorpio implies, the sting of Scorpio can be deadly. The redeemed characteristic of this archetype is reflected in learning through our own woundedness to heal and act from love and understanding. Given the power we have at our disposal, no one person, group, or nation, can be allowed to act from the darker, festering wounds of the past to inflict pain, suffering, and terror on anyone in the name of any righteous purpose or deity.  It simply is no  longer possible to live and survive on this planet through the use of weapons of war and actions of anger, hate, and despair.    

It is clear through our observations and experiences of the last year and months, that the combined energy of people, when brought together to overcome darkness and oppression, can succeed in creating more peaceful and healthy solutions to problems. It is also clear that when we act from our suppressed and festering wounds, we strike out at the innocent in order to drive home our point to our perceived enemies. We make enemies faceless strangers, vilifying those whose ideas and opinions stand in our way or differ from our perception of the world.  In our own personal lives, we also need to be cautious to pay attention to that which rises up within us to be addressed, healed, and integrated into a healthier, more mindful approach to living.  The Sun will move into Sagittarius, sparking us to act upon whatever has come up during its passage through Scorpio.  However, the long-term lessons and revelations will continue to affect our development, our lives, and our relationships as Saturn’s journey through Scorpio has just begun. Whatever deep work has begun within us, will continue to demand our attention, our growth (willingly or not), and our dedication to paying attention to what will continue to stir, and work its way to the surface of our being. The energy, information, and light will come from your own inner wellspring, that part of you that John O’Donohue described as “the eternal echo of the Divine.”  The energy also comes to you through relationships, your daily journey, and through a radical openness to hear the Word of the Divine as it finds its way into your meditations, prayers, and receptiveness to see beyond what your eyes can see, hear beyond what your ears can hear, understand beyond what your mind can conceive. Your radical receptiveness now heightens your awareness both within and from the Transcendent sources and messengers that use the channels of your intuitive knowing to connect you with the true knowledge of being and with that which is the Divine Oneness.

Moon 2/12/ Aquarius Today, the Moon is transiting Aquarius, and our emotional nature may be flying on a higher plane than normal, allowing us to envision the threads that connect us now to what is to be and to affirm within us, that which we need to do and be in order to live in greater harmony. Aquarius symbolizes a somewhat detached and innovative or altruistic  view of life. When the Moon (keeper of our emotional nature) is transiting Aquarius, we are more likely to see the long term and broader ramifications of our actions, perceptions, and thoughts.  We are able to depersonalize our attachment to emotional issues, as we see that the implications of our perceptions and actions have more far-reaching effects than we might normally consider.

Mercury 24/21 Scorpio  Mercury’s passage through Scorpio, has been stirring up, releasing, and jarring our inner channels of communication and knowledge at the same time it has been uncovering, revealing, and blasting holes in whatever has been suppressed, hidden, or kept secret.  We may have the experience of both discovering parts of ourselves we had forgotten or been unaware of. We may have been experiencing feelings, having memories, or feeling desires and needs that we had forgotten or pushed down hidden within us.  It is a time when it is difficult to ignore whatever needs to work its way to the surface of our awareness, works its way out of secret into the daylight, or move into a new level of consciousness in order for us to act on needs, desires, and passions now. 

Venus 25/48 Libra, the archetype of harmony, beauty, and gentility in matters of love and the heart, has been the home of Venus for the past month or so. Venus in Libra has allowed us to feel a sense of quiet detachment in regards to our partnerships and relationships. We are more diplomatic and tactful during Venus’ transit through Libra, willing to negotiate, seek consensus, or compromise on matters of the heart.  It is also a time when we are more gentile in our approach to love and relationships, preferring that conversations and behavior maintain an air of dignity and grace. When taken to extremes, the shadow side of this transit is being too superficial and shallow in the way we handle relationships. Venus transit in Libra may have been somewhat difficult if we have been unwilling to address the deeper issues that have been stirred up by the planets transiting Scorpio. What we may find is that we have become more aware or those places where we are beginning to feel uncomfortable in whatever relationships we are involved in.  Once Venus transits into Scorpios, these areas will become more active and will rise to the surface of awareness. Any resentments held within in order to maintain a pleasant facade in your relationships, are likely to boil over once the Venus transit in Scorpio begins. Notice where you may be holding yourself down or concealing the truth of your feelings, especially if you’re trying to fool yourself.  Use your artistic and creative talents to allow yourself to explore that latent or hidden feelings that Venus in Libra may have caused you to pushed down below your conscious awareness.  Notice any areas of your life where you are feeling like a victim or a martyr, and work on dispelling these roles from the story you tell of who you are. Take a more conscious and active role in the choices of your life.

When Venus enters Scorpio on November 21 (just after the Sun enters Sagittarius), love and relationships will become more deeply passionate and serious. The overwhelming desire to connect on extreme and intense levels, is activated. Watch as relationships become far more important than they have been for a long time. Both their intensity and passion will deepen and become more energetically intense. We do engage in blind faith with our partners at this time, but rather experience ourselves and our partners in our most raw and authentic selves. We feel consumed by  passion, engaged wholly in the raw nature of that which draws us to connect in love.  We may feel more vulnerable, and aware of losing control. While holding onto our power, we still seek to allow ourselves to enter into the passionate connections defined by “genuine intimacy, affinity, and belonging,” (John O’Donohue, Anam Cara), rather than the insecure demanding of attention, affirmation, or meeting of needs that too often stands in for love. Examine your beliefs about what defines your experience of love, and stand on the ground of authentic love and passion rather than holding on, grasping for some idealize vision of what love should be.  This is the challenge of experiencing love as it is, not as we project it to be.  Venus’ transit through Scorpio will provide you with a clearer experience of how love finds and unlocks your true self. Whatever passionate connections you are engaged in or you are seeking, allow yourself the freedom to let it spring from your inner spring of love and be receptive to love as it seeks to join your true, authentic self.

Mars 1/10 Capricorn.

Mars just entered Capricorn on November 17, 2012. Fiery Mars, archetype of action, energy, and war, grounded itself immediately in its very negative shadow expression, landing in  the long-standing tinderbox of fuel and setting off a firestorm in the Middle East with Israel’s attack on Gaza. That, and the inflamed passions of a number of other areas where suppressed tensions are released, indicate areas that must be tempered.  Since Pluto and Mars are transiting Capricorn, it appears that this is just the beginning of more upsetting and disruptive kinds of activities that use force to transform in a very earth-centered way.  How we treat one another and our planet, is crucial to our health and survival.  Mars’ transit exerts deliberate and persistent force and energy to bring about change.  It is incumbent upon us to negotiate, give careful consideration to the consequences of our actions, and consider the long-term outcome of choices we are making at this time. Mars in Capricorn, indicates a time when there is a supply of reliable energy and a commitment to honest brokering for peace, compromise, consensus, and resolutions.  Mars’ fiery entry into Capricorn, needs taming and tempering into  finer and more cool-headed approaches to very significant and far-reaching decisions and actions. It is a time for cool heads and a willingness to bend. The shadow side of a Capricorn Mars is that when frustrated in one’s efforts, the negative tendency is to become rigid and stubborn.  This is a passive form of aggression, and that will not do when so much is at stake. A mature, grown up approach is needed to solve the issues, challenges, and problems that already stand before us. We cannot afford to continue to fight fire with fire.  Nor can we sit in the selfish, self-centered zone of complacency to stand on personal power or beliefs at the expense of  more pressing demands. Channeling energy into solid, grounded ways of repairing and healing (as has been done by those who suffered through the damage, destruction, and loss of Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast of the U.S.) is what the redemptive side of Mars in Capricorn calls for.

Saturn 5/14 Scorpio.

Saturn entered Scorpio just a month ago on October 5, and continues through in the early degrees of Scorpio to awaken us individually on the subconscious and unconscious levels, and collectively, in the areas of our world and Universe where we need to learn to be more realistic about the truth of our lives and ourselves. In whatever area of your life the Saturn transit is occurring, you may find yourself become more reserved and conservative about how you are spending your energy and resources.

In Scorpio, the Saturn archetype ushers in a prolonged period of examining and reflecting on the nature of our unconscious and subconscious nature. Whatever patterns, habits, beliefs, or behavior you discovered over the last year that needs to be released, reexamined, or refined, now provide the  fodder for your meditations, prayers, contemplation, and discernment. You’ll now notice whatever areas of your life and health are out of balance, will begin to become more apparent.  Intuitively, you will know something is not quite right. Physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually, the subconscious and unconsciousness will awaken you to whatever addictions, imbalances, or disorders need to be let go of. We can begin structuring and reorganizing areas of our lives to maintain clearer flows of energy and to channel and conserve our resources. The Saturn and Pluto transits are both leading us through a complete restructuring of how we live our lives.  Learning and transforming so as to become more fully-functioning as individuals and in relationship.  When we resist or attempt to scape goat our problems on others (it’s the fault of my marriage, my job, or some other outside connection, including a negative view of your place in the Divine plan), we fail to understand the source of our goodness is the stream of divine love that infuses us and connects us, that reflection of Divine goodness, that we are given to use to create the lives we have come here to live.  We each have gifts we can use to make our own lives and the lives of others, better.  Whatever is in the way, whatever is blocking you from acting from a point of love and goodness, needs to be acknowledged, released, and understood so you can live more harmoniously.

Jupiter 13/12 Gemini retrograde. 

Jupiter’s transit through Gemini, continues her journey until June 25, 2013, expanding our experiences, abundance, knowledge, and understanding. As we continue expanding our thinking, being more receptive to different levels of knowledge and insight, and attracting abundance, good fortune, and ingenuity, Jupiter’s archetype casts the light of optimism, intellectual brilliance, sincerity,  cooperation, and genuine desire to explore, create, and express.  Whatever area of your life Jupiter is transiting will feel this passionate and uplifting transit, and would be useful to help counter any of the other heavier transits and their frustrations or restrictions.  For example, if Jupiter is transiting your 5th house (children, pleasure, sexuality, creativity),  your 12th house may be experiencing the Saturn transit. This can be quite a heavy transit for most of us, causing us to feel deep-seated memories, issues, emotional wounds that are coming into our awareness. The fifth house passage of Jupiter would indicate an area of your life where you could look to life-supporting, uplifting energy to help you with this passage.  Look to the house where Jupiter is passing to determine the likely gifts and support you are receiving to counter some of the more difficult challenges, and in many cases, may be the source of solutions for whatever issues and challenges you face.  Out of our depression, disappointments, or adversity, we often find gifts and treasures that help us convert the negative, or shadow sides to experiences and development into more healthy and healing expressions. What areas of your life are calling for change, alteration, transformation, reorganization, or release? How can you use your gifts as support for yourself and others through the difficulties you face? 

Uranus 4/52 Aries retrograde, continues in the early stage of its 14-year cycle to awaken the urge to make significant changes in our lives. In the fiery sign of Aries, we find ourselves wanting to release restrictive patterns, routines, beliefs, and elements of our psychological and emotional makeup. Uranus brings change about quite suddenly and in often surprising and unexpected ways.  Once the Sun enters Sagittarius, look for sudden and surprisingly pleasant changes and appearances. 

Neptune 0/22 Pisces. Neptune in Pisces awakens us to our mystical nature, or deepens the sense of feeling shrouded and infused with intuitive and deeply spiritual knowledge and experiences.  A very personal experience, for some it awakens a previously closed area of life; for others, it broadens, deepens, and creates a true sense of Oneness and connectedness.  In harmony with Pluto’s transit through Capricorn, Neptune’s mystical experiences are being grounded into our daily lives, and into uniting body, mind, spirit--walking the path of harmony. Our connection with the Divine, highly personal is also now highly charged and clear.Known in ancient Greece as Aescelepius, the healer, Neptune works through our dreams, subconscious/unconsciousness, our imagination, thoughts, and visions, and through the mystical walk we are on. We can be receptive and open, we can learn and acquire knowledge, we can develop practices to awaken and discern, but we also have to let go and be open to life lived right where we are, trusting that the Divine always has been and always will be, the active principle and force of our lives. We are here to walk the path, doing, creating, singing, dancing, and receiving the blessings and gifts that we then use to share and help others. Neptune signals us, fills us with signs, symbols, and messages, and we are to awaken, listen, and walk. 

Chiron in 4/59 Pisces, also lends its support to using dreams, imagination, thoughts, ideas, and our heart-centered feelings to heal, ourselves and others.  Our woundedness is meant to be healed, and our healing supports our health. Living in the stories of our wounds, blocks our growth, healing, and overall well being. Becoming aware of disturbances is the awakening that is meant to unleash the healing powers and grace for our own healing, and to release our need to dwell in darkness, despair, and the past. 

Pluto 6/53 Capricorn continues to work its transformative magic in whatever area of our lives it is transiting. By now we are becoming more aware of what is needing to be changed, released, reformed, and transformed.  We may find that the Scorpio transits have brought home whatever has laid dormant inside you and within your life journey.  With the North Node at 26/3  Scorpio retrograde, we may be rethinking what changes we have recently made. The choices are made; allow yourself to settle into the thoughts that propelled you forward, and proceed with courage, strength, and confidence.   

Uranus 4/52 Aries retrograde, continues in the early stage of its 14-year cycle to awaken the urge to make significant changes in our lives. In the fiery sign of Aries, we find ourselves wanting to release restrictive patterns, routines, beliefs, and elements of our psychological and emotional makeup. Uranus brings change about quite suddenly and in often surprising and unexpected ways.  Once the Sun enters Sagittarius, look for sudden and surprisingly pleasant changes and appearances. 

Neptune 0/22 Pisces. Neptune in Pisces awakens us to our mystical nature, or deepens the sense of feeling shrouded and infused with intuitive and deeply spiritual knowledge and experiences.  A very personal experience, for some it awakens a previously closed area of life; for others, it broadens, deepens, and creates a true sense of Oneness and connectedness.  In harmony with Pluto’s transit through Capricorn, Neptune’s mystical experiences are being grounded into our daily lives, and into uniting body, mind, spirit--walking the path of harmony. Our connection with the Divine, highly personal is also now highly charged and clear. Known in ancient Greece as Aescelepius, the healer, Neptune works through our dreams, subconscious/unconsciousness, our imagination, thoughts, and visions, and through the mystical walk we are on. We can be receptive and open, we can learn and acquire knowledge, we can develop practices to awaken and discern, but we also have to let go and be open to life lived right where we are, trusting that the Divine always has been and always will be, the active principle and force of our lives. We are here to walk the path, doing, creating, singing, dancing, and receiving the blessings and gifts that we then use to share and help others. Neptune signals us, fills us with signs, symbols, and messages, and we are to awaken, listen, and walk. 

Chiron in 4/59 Pisces, also lends its support to using dreams, imagination, thoughts, ideas, and our heart-centered feelings to heal, ourselves and others.  Our woundedness is meant to be healed, and our healing supports our health. Living in the stories of our wounds, blocks our growth, healing, and overall well being. Becoming aware of disturbances is the awakening that is meant to unleash the healing powers and grace for our own healing, and to release our need to dwell in darkness, despair, and the past. 

Pluto 6/53 Capricorn continues to work its transformative magic in whatever area of our lives it is transiting. By now we are becoming more aware of what is needing to be changed, released, reformed, and transformed.  We may find that the Scorpio transits have brought home whatever has laid dormant inside you and within your life journey.  With the North Node at 26/3  Scorpio retrograde, we may be rethinking what changes we have recently made. The choices are made; allow yourself to settle into the thoughts that propelled you forward, and proceed with courage, strength, and confidence.