Astro Tips: New Moon in Aquarius, January 20, 2015

New Moon in Aquarius

January 20, 2015

New Moon – Zero degrees of Aquarius: 

The Sun has just entered Aquarius and is joined by the New Moon at 0 degrees of that sign on January 20^th.   Aquarius is an air sign ruled by two planets-- Saturn (the original ruler) and Uranus (the first planet discovered with a telescope).  Aquarius and Uranus give us storms, electricity, all things technical and things from the sky and the great beyond.  I tried to make a call from my cell phone today. I touched the phone icon but the call went through as face time.  I tried again. Same thing.  There is overabundance of technology right now! Mercury and Venus are also in Aquarius and Mercury is getting ready to enter its first retrograde phase of the year the day after this new moon.  There is a lot of “air” and technology to deal with and we might expect this while the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Moon all reside in Aquarius PLUS the retrograde event of Mercury in Aquarius. 

Mercury is retrograde in Aquarius January 21 to February 12. 

 Missed phone calls, misunderstandings, software foul-ups, delayed mail are common Mercury retrograde occurrences. They might be magnified with all the energy pile up in Aquarius. Be careful not to hit the “send to all” tab or your entire community will know some secrets!!  Some of us will connect with old friends, especially friends who have shared interests in social causes, because Aquarius is about the advancement of justice and freedom for humanity.  We are living during a time of increased enlightenment (under the domain of the last signs of the zodiac—Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces) for planet earth and all inhabitants.  Mercury retrograde brings more talk and examples of where we are with our collective enlightenment. Of course we are all over the place.  Extreme injustice exists alongside outstanding compassion and awareness of our spiritual identity as a species.  It’s all happening at the same time.

Mercury and Venus in the sign of Aquarius:  focus on friends and common interests.

Mercury and Venus in Aquarius are shouting across the court at Jupiter.  We have big expectations and full lungs to announce our arrival!  Jupiter is expansion. This is a perfect time to think big and to promote yourself and your projects.   Aquarius is a sign of friendship. Consider this a perfect period to join with kindred spirits for fun and to advance shared interests.

Mars and Neptune are together in Pisces:  Practice moderation and good self-care. Don’t over-do it.  Be patient with your body.  If it says to slow down, slow down.

We started the New Year with planet Mars in Pisces moving close to planet Neptune (transiting Pisces for a couple of years now).  Remember, Mars is assertion. Wherever Mars is in a horoscope, we see the drive to survive and thrive. We can tell whether a person will be aggressive or cooperative, patient or impulsive.  Neptune is the energy of confusion and fogginess.  Consequently our physical, assertive energy may be diminished as Mars draws close to Neptune this week.  Perfect atmosphere for viruses.  Neptune is the strange transmission of illness anyway. Many people have had some variation of virus, flu, colds, or just the blahs!  We will all feel stronger when Mars finishes its transit through watery Pisces and kicks into fire sign, Aries. We have to wait until after mid February for that to happen.

What is the union of Mars and Neptune good for?

Neptune’s energy is the portal between our worldly life and our homo-spiritus life that connects us with the Universe.  When Mars joins Neptune, especially in the sign of Pisces, we are drawn to our spiritual life, whatever that means to us as individuals.  Some of us feel spiritual when we go fishing or take a walk by the lake.  Others feel spiritual in yoga practice or in a meditation group or in the sanctuary of our church.  Other people connect with spirit when engaged in creative work.  Some need to dance to plug in to something greater.  Mars and Neptune in Pisces open the doorways to other dimensions.  The next few weeks are ideal for meditation, creative endeavors, voluntary service, and inspirations of all varieties.

Don’t forget Saturn.  Right around the December holidays, Saturn completed its two and one half year visit in the sign of Scorpio.  Saturn teaches us to be practical and hence to recognize our limitations.  By acknowledging these limitations we become more mature, we accomplish more and we attain some wisdom.  Saturn in Scorpio taught us about our resources.  Not just our financial resources, but also our energy resources. Where should I direct my energy? What do I want to do with my energy until my time is up?  How much energy do I have and what is reasonable to do with my energy?  What are my energy limitations?  What do I want my legacy to be?  Scorpio, a deep-water sign, has brought deeper awareness about the meaning of life to many people.

Now Saturn turns its attention to the fire sign, Sagittarius, the ruler of our belief systems, the law, and our ethical behavior.  Bottom line:  It is not practical to continue on a path of arrogant attachment to outmoded belief systems that threaten life on Planet Earth.

Every sign has its shadow.   One shadow characteristic of Sagittarius is hubris. Sometimes Sagittarius thinks its way is the only way.  It becomes entrenched in its own belief system and closes eyes and ears to new understanding.  The gods could be downloading vital data for peace on earth and the download could go in the trash due to hubris.  Saturn traveling through Sagittarius will teach us about the limitations of our so-called “high minded beliefs” and we will need to examine our closed minds.  We can expect some suffering from this.  Some religious beliefs lead to the killing of humanity and the planet.  Hopefully Saturn in Sagittarius will bring some awakening to all of us.  Big headedness about what is right and wrong is on the agenda now.  On the individual level, each of us will need to examine where our beliefs keep us closed off from seeking the truth, because ultimately Sagittarius is about the search for truth.  The problem is we all think our truth is the only truth. How do we reach consensus about “the truth?” I don’t think that will happen in two and one half years (a Saturn transit through a sign), but hopefully we will reach some agreements about how to live with our differences and our differing beliefs.  Of course, if you were born under the sign of Sagittarius, Saturn will be a big player in your life for a couple of years.  But we all have Sagittarius somewhere in our horoscope.  All of us will be examining what we believe and whether or not what we believe stands up to scrutiny in a very complicated world.

Astro Tips January 4, 2015. Full Moon in Cancer

Judith Kusel:…..”  Frequencies and vibrations are rising and we have to keep up….” From her spiritual channelings and writings on her Facebook page

The New Year begins with a powerful full moon in the sign of Cancer. This big moon is lined up with (i.e. conjunct) the brightest star in the heavens:  Sirius, The Dog Star. The Sun is in Capricorn connecting us to earth.  The Moon is in Cancer, reminding us that we are 50-65% water.  We are bridging our earth/water “humanness” with a spiritual, cosmic beam from Sirius. 

Here are some specifics.  The Capricorn Sun is joining planet Pluto (currently going through the sign of Capricorn).  This is intense, amped up ambition.  We are off and running. I want to plan my whole year and at the same time, clean my entire living space, purge everything I never want to see again, and I want to see the results ASAP.  Of course this is humanly impossible.  All teams will feel like they will win the game. Some people will have “offers from the devil”! The Sun holding hands with Pluto is seductive and compelling.  Many people will feel a bit invincible during this full moon.

While this earthy power surge is going on, the moon becomes full in the soft, watery sign of Cancer. You would think Capricorn Sun and Pluto would overpower this moon. No. The full moon in Cancer is hooked up with Sirius and holds its own magic and power.  Ask for messages from your home planet!  Ask for guidance, inspiration, a clean break with the past, and a gift from your ancestors. Ask for what is in accordance with your highest good and the highest good for all.

The axis/polarity of Capricorn and Cancer connects us with home and family.  It is patrifocal/matrifocal, mother/father; nurturing/building; receptive/projective; sensitivity/defensiveness. Cancer is the need to give birth and nurture and contain and keep safe what we love. The sign of Cancer is about the home, our heritage and our lineage. Capricorn is about the need to be responsible and to venture out and utilize all possible resources that will ensure the survival and continuation of the family and society.  Capricorn does the right thing because it is right to do the right thing. 

Judith Kusel (check out her Facebook page) reminds us that frequencies and vibration are rising.  How are we to keep up?  This full moon period challenges us to stay calm, grounded and balanced.  It’s easy right now to get out of control.  Planet Mars (energetic force that keeps us in survival mode) is connecting with planet Jupiter.  Whatever Jupiter touches, it makes that something bigger. So when Jupiter connects with Mars we are energized and ready for adventure and risk taking.  It is easy to go to extremes and easy to fall off the bell curve!  During this full moon we need to take many moments to slow down, breathe, consider our options, and get present with body and soul. Otherwise, we won’t be able to keep up with the acceleration of mental and spiritual energies.

Also with this Full Moon, the Uranus/Pluto square continues to irritate my existence!  As some of you know, we have been under the influence of a major planetary cycle for over a year now.  That cycle involves planet Uranus (ruler of revolution, upheaval, sudden change, awakening, invention) challenging Pluto (ruler of the underworld where the riches lay buried for the privileged few to dig up).  Pluto is much more than what I just said. Pluto is about secrets, decay and the death of things that are no longer viable.  Uranus is standing by to help bring about some rebirth via inventions and new social mores.  Gender equality is a Uranus awakening matter.  The revolution for freedom and equality is made manifest by the legalization of same-sex unions.  The old secrets (Pluto) about sexuality and love had to be dug up and paraded about.  Finally, people looked at the same gender love matter and decided, so what?  No longer a secret.  Just let it be (an awakening that Uranus supports). 

This Uranus/Pluto cycle began back in 1964-65.  Either you lived through that rock and roll revolution or you are listening to the music of those years.  The changes that were initiated in the 60’s are now under review.  There is rebellion against the changes that came about in the 60’s and there is rebellion to maintain the changes that happened during that decade.  Therein lies the irritation and tension.  There is an awakening regarding equality and fairness. There is an awareness that the plutocracy has still managed to maintain control.  Democracy is still a long way down the road.  Remember, astrology is not about an exact cause and effect. It is more about the reflection of “as above” (Uranus squares Pluto), “so below” (mankind struggles along and fights many battles to attain freedom and conscious awakening).   Perhaps there has always been a lot of disruption on planet earth. It seems though that there is either more disruption or there is no escape from disruption wherever it occurs.  We are one people now.  What happens in Indonesia happens to everyone, everywhere.  What happens to one person, happens to me.

Meanwhile, on the emotional, mental and spiritual planes, life is evolving.  There are thousands of web sites devoted to metaphysical, spiritual information.  There are millions of people clearing their chakras with hot yoga!  There are hundreds of people channeling messages from angels and beings from other dimensions.  There are shamans teaching us the old ways of stepping into other dimension and connecting with the pulsing life force of our planet.  What we pay attention to grows and expands. The full moon in Cancer is lined up with the Star Sirius, The Dog Star (a star heavy with mythology).  The Dogon people live in Mali, West Africa.  Their oral tradition states that they are connected and possibly from the Star, Sirius. The Dogon knew of the existence of Sirius B, the star next of Sirius, before the star was viewed through a telescope in our western society. Sirius B is too dim to be seen with the naked eye.   We are paying more and more attention to esoteric information. Think about those programs on the History channel and that wonderful web site: ancient-origins.  Another way of stating this:  more and more people are aware of esoteric information and that gives a richer picture of our earthly heritage than our everyday textbooks!

The tensions that exist on our planet are not about to abate in the near future.  Uranus and Pluto began a new cycle in 1964-65. This cycle will continue for many years.  Perhaps we have chosen to be here during these days of collective suffering and disruption. We are changing and our world is changing.  Some of us will begin this New Year with an urgent sense of duty, while others will have an urgent sense to live a life of serenity. The full moon in Cancer aligned with Sirius gets us off to a powerful new beginning.

The main lesson from this full moon is to focus on the ground we stand on and to feel the watery vulnerable essence that we truly are.  During this full moon period, some people may feel like they are holding on to a lightening rod. Others may feel that they are being emotionally turned inside out. There will be some who experience the empowerment of the Sun/Pluto duet during this full moon. Others may feel the chaos and upheaval of Uranus. Uranus is like a hurricane. It is an act of God that we did not instigate.  Yet it changes our lives forever. We are living in times that change our lives. We each respond to that phenomenon in our unique soul-printed manner. Hopefully we can love and respect each other regardless of our different paths.  “We are family…I got all my sisters with me.”  (Song by Sister Sledge)

Astro Tips for December 2014

“Don’t you know yet?

It’s your light that lights the world.” By Rumi

The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day and longest night in the northern hemisphere.  This event has been observed and celebrated for thousands of years. The return of the Sun gives us hope that life will go on.  The days will gradually lengthen.  Sun gods and goddesses come out of their caves.  We light candles during the longest night of the year.  We remember those who have passed on to another realm.  We become the light.

This year the Winter Solstice and the New Moon in Capricorn occurred on the same day, December 21th.  At any new moon, seeds are planted for the next life cycle.  The pinecone and the acorn are symbols of the continuation of life throughout the winter cycle. We remember to have faith. The Winter Solstice also initiates the energy of the next few months (until the Spring Equinox).  The astrology of the New Moon/Winter Solstice is abundant in Capricorn energy, the sign that moves us into the next season.  The Sun, Moon, Mercury, Pluto and Venus are lined up in Capricorn, the last earth sign of the zodiac.  Capricorn can climb the highest mountain.  If you are a Capricorn born between December 21 and early January, these planets in your sign invite you to have a board meeting with yourself!  Make plans, set goals, write things down, and get passionate about your life.

For the rest of us, we have Capricorn somewhere in our horoscopes.  We are motivated in some area of life to make things happen. Capricorn utilizes all that is available to build structures to contain and hold what we value.  The highest Capricorn act is to do the job because it needs to be done, not because we should do it or because we will receive honor, fame or money from it.  Think about your life and ponder what area(s) (family, career, children, health & healing, making a living, finding friendship/community, spiritual development) seems to call you right now for deep concentration and focus.  Capricorn is practical.  Capricorn is not a dreamer sign. It is a ”do it” energy.  Break down any problems or goals into components and take one step at a time.

The other big news here at the end of 2014 is about planet Saturn.  Saturn has been visiting the sign of Scorpio for two years.  This Tuesday, December 23, Saturn steps into Sagittarius.  It will return for a final visit in Scorpio during June, July, August and part of September, at which time it steps into Sagittarius for two full years.

Saturn is about reality. What you see is what you get. Life may be “maya” (illusion) but a wall is still a wall.  Until the discovery of Uranus with the use of a telescope in the 1700’s, Saturn was the last planet visible in the sky. Hence Saturn was the boundary of our known sky and universe.  Saturn still contains this symbology of limitation and boundary, and of course life lessons.  In Scorpio, Saturn’s lessons pertain to life’s mysteries. What can I know? What can I not know? Issues of stagnation, intimacy, resources, elimination, release and the big questions about death can be on the agenda when Saturn visits Scorpio. Where do I stand on these issues?  How do I deal with my own darkness? How do I keep my physical energy alive and pumping?  Can I rejuvenate after loss, defeat, and illness or near death experience?  Saturn in Scorpio tempts us to go inward and to hold on to trouble.  We must learn to let go, breathe, and release what no longer belongs in our life.

When Saturn spends time in Sagittarius, the focus shifts to belief systems, the law, philosophy and religion.  Saturn can make one stubborn and stagnant.  If you are a Sagittarius person, pay attention to what you believe and how attached you are to it.  Can you be open to alternative ways of thinking?  During the next two and one half years, we might see a lot of hubris on the part of people who hold tight to their religious beliefs and their social agendas.  Keeping an open mind will be very important.   It is imperative to make our priority the search for truth. Can we ever know the total truth?  Maybe not, but we can hold the ideal of seeking it.  Sagittarius rules far away places, including space travel.  If we aren’t going to travel in a physical space ship, we might find we are travelling in our dreams or we are becoming more open to the life that exists in this vast universe. These are the higher domains of Sagittarius.  Keeping ourselves locked into our ego beliefs will be tempting during Saturn’s time in Sagittarius. The challenge is to break free of ego and open the mind, heart and soul.

Planets Uranus and Pluto made another exact encounter this month (the encounter is called a square aspect, one of tension and irritation).  In our personal lives and on the collective stage we see irritation; we see sudden death for no good reason; we see flaws in our judicial system; we see the growth of oligarchy and the shrinking of a solid middle class to help keep some balance; we see unimaginable suffering. The fight for change (Uranus) and the struggle to let go of what doesn’t work anymore (Pluto) is slow and painful to watch (and be participating in).  We put our energy where passion calls and hope to make a small difference. Meanwhile, we try to practice kindness to all who come within our realm. 

We close this year with hope and faith, based on strong earthy Capricorn.  But we also enter a new year with the wisdom that beliefs and value systems based on closed mindedness and selfishness are hard to change.

What we can do is remember Rumi’s poem.  It is our light that lights the world. Together our lights are very bright and getting brighter.