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| Christmas in San Francisco Catherine Al-Meten |
WEEKLY ASTROLOGICAL READING.
We are each here to help create and bring forth the best of what is within us. We each have special gifts, talents, and abilities, and it is up to each of us to discover what we have inside us to share with others and to create, serve, love, and share. May you discover your gifts, and share them as you both give and receive Love.
We have moved through the Winter Solstice in the North, and the Summer Solstice in the South, and now we move into a new season as we also move into the sacred days ahead and are on the precipice of a new year. Depending upon the traditions, the new years happen at various times of the year, and this New Year is based on the Western calendar and much of the business world. In late January, we move into the the changes of the Lunar New Year cycle. This year Christmas Day occurs at the time of the last quarter square of the Sun in the early degrees of Capricorn, and the Moon in the early degrees of Libra.
What else is happening? As the Moon is waning in light, Venus has entered her 40-day retreat into the shadows, it is a very good time to do some mindful sorting through of ideas, directions, expectations, and commitments. Time to sort through what is working well and what is not. What to improve on and continue, and what to release and let go. On Christmas Day, when the square takes, place, take note of your emotional and physical responses to how your life moving. A crisis of consciousness is possible at this time when the moon squares the early degrees of the Sun in Capricorn. We become more grounded and aware of how life is and has been changing over the last year or so, and we now begin to recognize how the alterations, changes, awarenesses, and movement has transformed the way we live and how we view everything and everyone, including how we perceive and understand ourselves. The gift of this Christmas for many may just be this kind of awareness.
As I am writing this column, the Sun just moved into Capricorn a day ago. The Sun at 1/9 degrees Capricorn now trines the Moon at 0 degrees Virgo. A trine occurs when two moving bodies come within 5-7 degrees of each other, on either side of the transit. Mercury is at 27/31 degrees of Sagittarius, and Venus is at the beginning of her 40 days in retrograde at 28/57 Capricorn. Mars is at 7/26 Libra, and Jupiter is at 17/18 Cancer in retrograde. Saturn is at 19/29 degrees of Scorpio, retrograde. Uranus is moving forward at 8/36 Aries, and Neptune remains in her long journey through Pisces, at 3/0 degrees. Pluto is at 10/56 Capricorn. The North Node is at 5/56 Scorpio, also in retrograde, and Chiron is transiting Pisces at 9/39 degrees.
The waning Moon in Virgo in Capricorn this Sunday, trines the Sun in the early days of its passage through Capricorn. Earthy Capricorn represents the archetypal energy of liking to get things done, bringing projects, plans, and work to completion, and sorting through and ridding ourselves of whatever needs to be released, cleansed, and let go. As we discern what we need, what is working and what is not, we are focused on determining for ourselves, what is feasible and what is not. We become much more cognizant of what we like about our lives, and what we now find intolerable or unhealthy. We use this time to establish and reestablish the boundaries, limits, and shape of our relationships, activities, work, and lifestyle in general. We shed the old skins and seek time to rest and regenerate before taking on new responsibilities or setting off in new directions.
As Venus turned retrograde nearly in synch with the Winter Solstice, many of us may have found ourselves resolving, frantically trying to finish or finalize a number of issues, details, and redesigning or reorganizing the way we are conducting business, running our lives, or taking care of the major business and priorities in our lives. Somehow we have had to spend a lot of time over the last year, heading off on ‘wild goose chases’, pursuing dreams that didn’t quite pan out, or testing the waters of new relationships, new directions, or new avenues of revenue income. What may have happened to you, as it has to myself and others I know, is that we have become profoundly more aware of what really matters to us, and what does not. Those areas of life, those great ideas, or those connections, projects, or paths that sounded like a good idea, may have revealed to us, with resounding clarity, what really matters, and what does not.
As we packed up to join Venus in her retrograde phase of 40 days, we carried with us only the essentials. And right now, the essentials of life are what we are focusing on. As Uranus turned direct and unleashed the Aries firestorms, places including the Big Sur Community on the Central California Coast, found themselves burned out of their homes, grabbing, if they were lucky, only what they could carry as the fire storms tore through and destroyed their property, their lifetimes of work, art, and memories. Others are suffering sudden shocks, receiving startling news, or experiencing the unfolding of the reality long-repressed in fear of endings and the face of what has only lain beneath the surface. What was feared, but repressed, comes to the surface now. What was difficult to accept or believe, now manifests clearly in relationships, life choices, and events, circumstances, and conditions in our lives. What happened in Big Sur is but a microcosm of what is happening all over. In Big Sur, the other residents, neighbors, friends, and families, immediately joined together to form a coalition to assist those who had been damaged by the second major fire to hit Big Sur in the last decade.
We find ourselves with those who help us face the tests and challenges before us. We recognize where support is genuine and where it is not. We recognize self-interest and greed, and we recognize altruistic expressions of love, support, and genuine cooperation. We are more willing to let go of some of our ego needs (to control, to have, to win) in order to live more harmoniously with others and with ourselves. I found myself talking to an old friend this week, saying that it did not really matter to me any longer whether I was good enough at what I do o whether I had done my best at something. The constant need to judge, correct, improve, and adjust myself has been released, and I am more content to just be myself and do what I do out of the love of doing it. It is time to release whatever is holding us back from entering into our relationships with the ability to both give and receive love. This relates to all our relationships--partnerships, work, art, family, friends, ourselves, our health, and our spiritual and psychological needs. As Venus continues this retrograde journey, allow yourself to go deeper into this cleansing and releasing process, and notice what rises up to be dealt with. Consider how you are living. Notice what is working and what is not, and make some subtle adjustments. Start small, and notice the release when you let go of one small habit or pattern. See what unfolds as Venus continues pulling us deeper to relate on a more authentic and loving level.
Venus in Capricorn awakens our yearnings for security, stability, and we may be looking for a way to ‘settle’. Compromises may sound good; an alternative to struggle and hardship. As the passage of Venus is going back over territory that we have dealt with in the recent past, we may make the connection between how we have made choices and what needs we have met as a result. We may find ourselves more deeply aware of our real needs now, and discover the compromises we have made may not have satisfied our real longing---a longing we have to create and find within ourselves before we attempt to link or connect to another in sear of it.
Venus was semi-square Mercury on Dec. 12-13, and at that time your relationship communications may have seemed to have lacked any real depth, understanding, or mutual connection. This is a signal or sign if you will, of underlying lack and of missing pieces in whatever relationship, regardless of type, you are currently struggling with. Notice where Venus in Capricorn is transiting in your chart/life and where Mercury in Sagittarius is as well. Reflect on what is missing, what is out of synch, or what is incongruent with your true self and your life path.
Over this last weekend, Venus in Capricorn was parallel Pluto in Capricorn, resulting in a lot of fireworks and intensity in relationships. Pluto, the Great Transformer creating tension and rooting out areas of relationship that need to be addressed. Given that this occurred at the 29 degree for Venus, this is a crucial point in any type of relationship. In looking back over the last few days, it is not surprising to see some things fall apart, and others become more firmly attached and connected. Since this is all about relationship, it is vital too, that we pay attention to our own needs and our personal power points. In early January (3-5) Venus will semi-square Chiron in Pisces, reminding us of those points in our ability to both give and receive love, where we must act from a place of integrity, authenticity, and in accord with our true needs.
Sunday through Saturday.
Moon in Virgo, Libra, Scorpio.
Early in the week, Monday and Tuesday, the Moon makes some aspects to the planets including:
A trine to the Sun in Capricorn this afternoon, and an opposition to Neptune in Pisces this evening. Tomorrow morning the Moon forms an opposition to Chiron in Pisces, and then later in the day forms a trine with Pluto in Capricorn. What this means is that our emotional life seems to be the guiding force in our activities, moods, movements, and relationships. Given that the Moon opposes both Neptune and Chiron in Pisces, that area of our lives will probably be churning up from the inside out, causing us to feel more intuitive, inspired, or jangled and jiggled by unresolved or unsettling feelings, thoughts, memories, or connections. We may be set off or triggered by a sense of loss or grief on some level, or we may experience these oppositions as triggers for identifying our true feelings and direction. This depends upon where it hits your life, and on how you have come to resolve some of the issues related to your emotional well being and life. We always do better to honor our needs-rest, relaxation, nutrition, exercise, fresh air, fun, and ‘down time’. Slowing down is easier if we are doing it in conjunction to something that we find calming, relaxing, productive, and revitalizing. Take a long walk, go to the gym or hit the mat for yoga. Take swim or bake a pie for someone. Give some time to help out someone who is in worse shape than you. Get outside, and get outside yourself to connect and relax. If you’re caught up in a hectic schedule, slow down within it.
Tuesday, Mercury enters Capricorn. The shift of energy from fire to earth, slows us down, and sets us into a more familiar routine that shapes our lives. We get more pragmatic about how we operate, and we even find it easier to be mindful. Being mindful puts us in touch with what we are doing right here, right now. Mercury in Capricorn grounds us in place to be present in the moment. While we may feel a bit more serious and sober, we are also grounded in the flow of creativity, communication, and conscious effort. We may feel motivated and inspired to create and communicate from the heart now, saying what we really think and expressing how we really feel. If we were hoping to hide behind masks to get through encounters or slide by in relationships, this is hardly likely with Mercury grounded in the present reality.
Later in the day on Tuesday, the Sun in Capricorn sextiles Neptune in Pisces. Our intuition and senses are heightened, and we see things as they are. Coupled with Mercury’s entry into Capricorn, we are likely to speak out of our truth more now than ever. We are inspired to create, serve and help others, and to enter into the spirit of expressing Love. We also want to remember that when others want to express their love to us, we help them by being gracious in receiving. There is no giving without receiving, and when we shun an expression of love from someone because we don’t feel worthy or equal or up to sharing in kind, we block not only our own good but also the good of the one wishing to give. Receive with grace, and give with love. We learn to appreciate the beauty of our differences with these influences--inspired, ignited, and infused with blessings.
On Christmas Day, December 25, Mars in Libra opposes Uranus in Aries. This aspect holds the potential for extreme volatility and explosive situations. Fueled by the need to act quickly or assert their wills, people tend to take undue risks, make rash and thoughtless decisions, or explode and react without thinking of the consequences. In both personal and collective energy, this aspect signifies arguments, power struggles, conflict, and lack of understanding. Technology may suffer breakdowns as winter storms in the North, and other kinds of energetic breakdowns may occur in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. If we are wise and courageous, we can disconnect from the struggles, back out of the liaisons and relationships that make us feel trapped or misunderstood. Being willing to stand in our truth in confrontations could help clear the air, and at the same time, if we need to, we can see the impossibility of forcing something that is not meant to be. Energetic connections of all kinds are being put to the test, are being strained, and are, in some cases, breaking down.
On Thursday, December 26, Mercury in Capricorn sextiles Neptune in Pisces. This aspect indicates highly intuitive and creative types of communication, on all levels and in all arenas. Our words and actions serve to help us express ourselves clearly and beautifully.
The Sun in Capricorn also semi squares Saturn, the Great Teacher, in Scorpio. Any area where we feel blocked will today be triggered. We feel hemmed in, challenged, or stalled in areas of our lives that we wish to change or move out of. This whole week is alive with transits and aspects that awaken our inner longings, needs, wounds, and frustrations. This is one, and we can learn by simply paying attention to what feels blocked, what our attitude and behavior is, and what we can do in the moment, to ease up and be more present. Any changes that are going to happen, will. For some of us, the waiting time seems to have gone on forever, so we are still facing the challenge, not of what we are waiting for, but of how we are feeling in the waiting room. Find a way to channel the energy, pay attention to the side effects of these feelings and this energy, and find a more peaceful way of settling down.
On Friday, December 27, Mars is quincunx Chiron which allows our insecurities and unhealed places to come forward in ways that don’t express our best sides. We may find ourselves reverting to some old patterns of behavior, or acting out of our shadow side as we feel more frustrated, insecure, or edgy under this influence. We are reminded by this of what still needs to be healed within us.
On the same day, Mercury semi-squares Saturn, filling our time and draining our energy as we have to sort out the details, wade through paper work, and cope with unresolved issues and complicated trials. Along with the external issues come the attitudes, perceptions, behavior, and out right hostility that people seem to have stored up to release and vent at the expense of anyone around. Pay attention to what is unsettling within you, and find some ways to channel and drain yourself of undue negativity, ill will and feelings of panic, frustration, and anger. Work it out before you take it out on someone else. Love is reflected in love, and vice versa.
As we move into the last two weeks of 2013, it might be helpful to look back to last year at this time. Consider how your life has changed since then, and what you have accomplished, learned, and created in that time. Now we are under the influences of the changing of the seasons and the turning of the calendar again, and what is strongest in shaping our present and leading us into the future?
Capricorn Sun allows us to gain clarity on what we think about the way we are living. What is working, what is not, and what do I want to do about it? What am I willing to do? What can I do? What is beyond my control?
Mercury in Sagittarius opened our imagination, our communication, and enabled us to envision what could be. What do you really desire? What do you think you need to get where you want to go? What in yourself, is stopping you? Who and what do you know, understand, or have a connection with that connects you to your dreams and desires? What gifts are yours now?
Mercury in Capricorn now opens you to making plans to put your dreams into motion. Take your dreams and put them into some solid form and shape. Write a list, make a plan, set a goal in writing, start doing something to take you , one step at a time, toward your dream.
Venus in Capricorn on her 40-day journey into the shadows, takes you with her to reconsider all your relationships, your ability to give and receive love, and your commitment to live an authentic life.
Mars in Libra slows down just enough to give everyone a chance to have a say, to consider all sides of the issues, and to seek and create a plan that works for everyone. This is the time to seek a solid compromise, to reach a happy medium, and to decide how much you are willing to risk, give in, or change to maintain who you are in your relationships. What you are setting into motion at this time, will be with your for a long time into the future, so choose wisely.
Jupiter in Cancer requires that you address the needs you have for creating a safe, secure home and way of life. Taking care of ourselves is a vital element to our long-term health, happiness, and survival. Face what it is that needs to be changed, altered, released, ended, or otherwise mended to assure your highest level of security, happiness, health, and ability to live form truth and love.
Uranus in Aries is breaking up anything that needs to be eliminated from our lives, and is burning a path to open the way before us. Fighting fire with fire, means we can help ourselves and others by eliminating what needs to go in order for us to live and be healthy. Identify where your energy is trapped, and remove yourself from those places so you can heal, regenerate, and move forward. When we won’t do this for ourselves, the rug is yanked out from under us and our lives are thrown into change, whether we are ready or not. Uranus moves through areas of our lives that need to have the debris and undergrowth burned to protect us from bigger fires, crises, and challenges.
Pluto in Capricorn, and the ongoing series of aspects to other major planets, reminds us that our lives are in the middle of major transformation. Transformation is happening on a cellular level, on a personal and relational level, and on the collective level of all. As the Sun enters another year of her transit through Capricorn, this month should also be one of signs, disruptions, changes, creative energy, and movement as the Sun moves into conjunction with Pluto. We are activated, energized, and infused with what we need to use this transit to move our lives.
Allow yourself to release what needs to go, and to receive what needs to come into your life. Recognize you are created to love and be loved, and we are all being shaped, cleansed, and prepared to receive whatever transformation is meant to bring us more fully to life. May you be receptive and open to receiving the gifts coming to you. Merry Christmas to all, and may the Light of Love shine in all of your hearts, in all of your lives, and within each moment of every day.
Note to Readers:
Understanding Your Chart and Reading Forecasts
Understanding Your Chart and Reading Forecasts
When reading this or any other column about astrology, it is important to understand something about your own chart. Reading columns that only look at Sun Signs, gives you a very limited view of the astrological effects on your chart/life. And when you read an astrological forecast, it is much more valuable to you when you understand how it has an impact on your chart/life. There are many types of charts that you can have drawn up including:
- A natal chart which looks at your life at the moment of your birth.
- A progressed chart that compares your natal chart with how the planets, the Sun, the Moon, and your Ascendent have progressed to a certain point in your life.
A good chart will include your Ascendent, and houses/parts of your life, will be based on that. Some readers will read a chart based on 0 degree houses; most will use the degree of your Ascendent to determine house placements and cusps (the dividing line between one house and another). This makes a big difference about which part of your life is affected by transits, trends, and archetypal energy. For example, if your first house/Ascendent is located at 25 degrees of Libra, much of that house is also greatly affected by the energy of Scorpio. If a house is embedded in a sign, for example 2nd house is ruled by Scorpio, and third house is ruled by Capricorn, then Sagittarius is embedded in the 2nd house. The same will be true of the opposite side of the chart.
What this means is you cannot just read that the Sun is transiting through a sign, say Gemini, and therefore is affecting that area of your life. Gemini may extend into another house, and not be affected at all in the early degrees, by a transit or aspect. I suggest that you have your chart done, and then spend some time having a reputable astrologer read it and instruct you about how to use the chart yourself. Going and having your ‘fortune told’ with a chart, is not a great way to get the most out of having your chart done. There are some simple things you can learn to help you use a chart. Invest in the time and resources to get a chart done so you will be able to make the best use of this or any other astrological information.
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