Astrology at the junction of Fate and Free Will.
Welcome to Sagittarius season, everyone – just a little horsey humor for ya to help kick things off! Oh, and speaking of the Sun entering Sadge, you do realize this means we’ve got a Sun/Jupiter mutual reception in effect for the next 30 days, right?
11/22/2014
Let me begin this tale by stating that Pluto thrives on renewal – its energy IS symbolic of The Phoenix after all; that mythical fire bird that was consumed in the flames of its old and dying self only to rise up from its ashes anew. Pluto eliminates what’s stagnant or dead and vaporizes that stale energy in our life in order to make room for something vibrant and vital to take hold in that vacant space. I was therefore tickled when – under a recent Pluto transit to my Venus (Venus being symbolic of money and earned income, of course) – I found myself burning old paycheck stubs from a former and unhappy profession as if they had been letters from an ex-lover. There was no bitterness or resentment; just the recognition this was a part of my life that was (thankfully) over and incinerating the evidence was merely a symbolic gesture to The Universe that I had indeed moved on and cut ties. I was quite surprised to find that I still had them – I found myself cleaning out a file cabinet when I unexpectedly came upon a file of years-old pay stubs that represented a time in my life where I felt disempowered and at the mercy of…well…assholes, LOL. There really is no other way to say it, and besides, Pluto would frown upon any attempts to put a pretty face over it anyway. 😉 I’m sure many reading here can relate when I say there have been more than a few times during the course of my existence where I endured some screwy employment situations because I “needed the paycheck”. Adding to this was the fact that, in this particular industry, sexism – if not outright misogyny – is the norm, so having a strong sense of self-worth made you somewhat of a liability if you were a woman, LOL. In retrospect, from the very beginning this was never quite a recipe for a “happy marriage”…
Needless to say, upon being faced with a tangible reminder of this period in my life, I was unable to shake the feeling that stack of paper probably had some pretty bad juju attached to it. It was immediately after this realization that I was seized by a random impetus to burn the pile of check stubs, though not reactively so as there wasn’t really much emotion attached to the thought at all. It was more along the lines of an immediate recognition that the burning would represent an energy cleansing of sorts – all the negativity attached to that time in my life would literally go *up in smoke*, and it wasn’t until I watched the hungry flames licking the papers’ edges and the printed numbers fading into blackness that it struck me this was indeed a *very* literal manifestation of the Pluto transit to my Venus! I felt not only a palpable sense of closure at this symbolic act, but a sense of confidence in choosing to burn an energetic bridge that had led down a trail of financial enslavement; I would never again allow myself to be in a disadvantaged position like this where someone had financial leverage over me. The warmth of the fire washing over me on such a chilly autumn night was comforting – I took a few deep breaths, inviting the heated air into my nasal passage and down my throat into my lungs to fully envelop me from within as well. I smiled as the blaze cooled and the embers slowly died to ash, pausing to pick up a few pinches of the soot to scatter over my next deposit slip to the bank. If it’s one thing about Pluto transits, it’s that the literal and figurative ash left in its wake makes one hell of a potent fertilizer for the seeds we plant with conscious intention.
For anyone else reading and who is dealing with a Pluto transit to their Venus, I highly recommend a ritual energetic cleanse similar to this if you’re looking to purge negativity and clear any funky or stagnant vibes that may still be lingering in the wake of this period. If we’ve been through any situation where we’ve been “a slave to the money” or through relationship hell of one kind of another (because Venus represents love as well as cash), first we do well to invest lots of time & energy unraveling the layers of how this came to be the case. We must go deep; be willing to look at any underlying dysfunction, address anything that affects our sense of self-worth, and fully investigate the “Hows” and “Whys” of what got us sucked into this undertow in the first place. Then once we feel like we’ve hit the root of it (and I mean ALL of the various, spreading tendrils that tend to come attached to the complex situations symbolized by Pluto), it’s time to distill it down and level with ourselves so we can take our power back. We may then consider a symbolic act of burning; an offering to The Universe that affirms we have indeed come out The Other Side of this energy. Most importantly, before doing so we must wait until we’re no longer raw about the situation anymore. Emotions like resentment or bitterness have no place at such a ritual, as we cannot truly “let go” if we’re still holding on inside. If it’s a bad relationship we’ve come through, maybe we burn photos, gifts, or love letters associated with that partnership. If it’s a period of financial enslavement we’ve gotten out of instead, perhaps we burn old credit cards, past due notices, pay stubs, or anything else we no longer need to hold onto after this major transformation. Clearing out the dead, negative energy in this manner can help to raise our own vibrations, and the void subsequently created by such an act allows us to hold space for the inevitable renewal that’s sure to follow ❤
11/21/2014
If you’ve ever watched the cult classic “The Boondock Saints”, you’re probably familiar with the words “Veritas” & “Aequitas”. The film’s twin protagonists each have one or the other tattooed upon their trigger fingers, and the words in question represent the Latin concepts of truth and justice/equality, respectively. These terms came to mind while mulling over Saturn’s entrance into Sagittarius next month – a sign he will visit for the first time in about 29 years due his turtle-like orbital speed. There is something quite heavy-handed about this energy when it comes to the enforcement of what is (subjectively?) “right” – to me, it says “Hammer (…or is that gavel?) of God”. When reflecting upon this placement, it brought to mind the topic of theocracies & also caused me to ponder the related subject of enforcing morality via legislation even when “the G-word” isn’t involved.
Connected to this, one of the effects of Saturn in Sadge is that – on a macro level – it may also correlate to a period of stiffer legal penalties and stricter adherence to the letter (rather than the spirit) of the law overall, so I found myself with some good literary fuel for a (forthcoming) newsletter article when the words “veritas” and “aequitas” suddenly popped into my mind in relation to this energy. Not wanting to sidetrack my newsletter piece, I decided to write a post about this connection on the blog instead, because these terms do seem pretty fitting given the iron-fisted (and yet justified?) nature of Saturn when it arrives in this sign of truth & righteousness on December 23rd. Now if you’ve seen the movie, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about re: the heavy-handed enforcement of “principles”. But those who haven’t might not know what the hell I’m talking about, LOL, so naturally the next thing I did was to go looking for a clip from this movie. Fortuitously, I happened to stumble upon this scene instead, which cracked open a whole other perspective on Saturn in Sagittarius’ energy. Have a look, because I think it gives a very good angle on another lesson associated with this transit:
I want to talk specifically about the preacher’s cautionary tale of Kitty Genovese and how he says there is one kind of evil to fear most: The indifference of good men. This theme struck me as quite relevant when considering the implications of Saturn’s movement through Sagittarius, because this is a sign closely associated with “righteousness” and “judgment”. What exactly do we consider “right” and “wrong”, anyway? What do we judge as “good” or “bad” – where exactly is the dividing line in our moral boundaries and how black-and-white do we see things in this regard? And how do we fortify our principles – do we lead by example? Do we impose our sense of morality upon others? And what happens if we abdicate our sense of righteousness instead and pass the responsibility of “doing the right thing” (in accordance with our supposed principles) onto someone else? Is there not some onus to bear on our end if we believe ourselves to be good people?
This is what the monsignor was addressing in his speech about a 28 year old girl who was stabbed to death in 1964 by an assailant outside her crowded Queens, NY apartment building despite the fact that close to 40 people heard or saw *something* in relation to her stabbing, subsequent attempted rape, robbery, and eventual murder. Her assassin even had time to leave the scene – with Kitty critically injured, yet still alive – and come back 10 minutes later disguised in an oversized hat to finish what he had started.
This gruesome story provides an eye-opening look at what can happen when we fail to follow the dictates of our conscience and “let the other guy handle it”. Especially back in an era when being a “Good Christian” was a more common parlance, it’s stunning to think that such a thing could happen with no one stepping in to call the police (Saturn) until it was too late. As we approach Saturn in Sagittarius, this tragic tale can serve as cautionary reminder of the consequences (again, Saturn) that can arise from a failure of conscience. Sagittarius only represents our principles of morality; it does *not* show whether we’re inclined to practice what we purport to believe or preach, which is why one Lo-Fi facet of Sadge is hypocrisy. Hi-Fi Saturn – on the other hand – represents the self-regulating principle and whether or not we adhere to certain standards, codes, etc. of conduct and behavior – it’s doing what we “should” do and staying on the straight-and-narrow, even if/when we might not necessarily want to. It could be fear of repercussions from our parents, teachers, law enforcement, god, or whathaveyou that keeps
us “on track and out of trouble”, but once we’ve reached a certain level of maturity and/or personal development, most it’s often our own conscience that informs us of what’s “right” or “wrong” in a given scenario. And internally enforced morality is far better than the externally enforced variety, don’t you think?
The bottom line is that if we believe ourselves to be good people, on some level this means we have to be prepared to be “Our Brothers’ Keepers” regardless of whatever particular creed we do or don’t subscribe to. Hi-Fi Saturn is about protection, and when resonating with the higher side of Sagittarius, he does so without regard to things like race, culture, socio-economic status, age, gender, or sexual orientation because we are all a part of the HUMAN race. Saturn in Sagittarius can largely deal with the reality that – as members of the global human race – each person has an individual responsibility toward the collective good. When we’re firm in our principles and seeking to live an upright life, there really isn’t room for “The indifference of good men”, because our goodness and virtue only extends as far as our willingness to protect what is right, true, & just when presented with a test such as the one bystanders faced the night Kitty was killed.
Boondock Saints association aside, perhaps the concepts of “Veritas” and “Aequitas” might inspire us to realize that truth & justice are more than lofty ethics that we only pay lip service to. True righteousness can be a difficult path to walk and may involve challenging choices and hardship; particularly if/when it means standing tall and overcoming our fears about doing the “right” thing. During Saturn in Sagittariusthings will come along that will not only test our faith, but also how we’re applying the principles we allegedly believe in, so being congruent with whatever Path we profess to be on is an absolute *must* for the next 2 1/2 years! Because if there is a real disparity between the two, The Universe will be sure to let us know. Think of all the witnesses to the Kitty Genovese murder – history has indelibly marked this lot as “bystanders who just sat by”, forever used as a textbook social psychology example of the phenomenon known as “diffusion of responsibility” even to this day, 50 years later. The Universe seems pretty clear about there being more than one wrong perpetrated on that day, and that “the indifference of good men” is indeed an evil to be feared.
11/13/2014
Saturn enters Sagittarius for the first time in approximately 29 years on December 23, 2014. Saturn is the Celestial Taskmaster, charged with teaching us important life lessons surrounding our ability to set limits for ourselves and tell ourselves “no”. Ergo, one effect this placement will have upon all of us is to present lessons about curbing excess. Sadge is *the sign* of excess, and there’s nothing quite like Saturn to teach us how to set limits, suck it up, & grow the eff up, is there? On that note, this could possibly be an unofficial theme song for “What *NOT* to do” during the next roughly 2 1/2 years while Saturn makes its way through Sagittarius –
“Too Much”, by Dave Matthews Band
Lyrics:
Straight in, suck up and go,
cool it, swallow, swallow
Breathe deep, take it all
it comes cheap
Push it through the doors
because in between the lines
I’m gonna pack more lines
so I can get down in
Ooh traffic jam got more cars
than a beach got sand
Suck it up, suck it up, suck it up
fill it up until no more
I’m no crazy creep, I’ve got it coming to me
because I’m not satisfied
The hunger keeps on growing
I eat too much
I drink too much
I want too much
Too much
I’ve got to get it somewhere
I mean, you never know, maybe
you’re dreaming
Who do you think you’re watching
Who do you think you need
Play for me, play more.
ten times in the same day
I need more. I’m going
over my borders
I’m going to take more, more
from you, letter by letter
I eat too much
I drink too much
I want too much
Too much
I told god I’m coming
to your country
I’m going to eat up your cities.
your homes, you know
I’ve got a stomach full
it’s not a chip on my shoulder
I’ve got this growl in my tummy
and I’m gonna stop it today
I eat too much
I drink too much
I want too much
Too much
Suck it up, suck it up
Suck it up, suck it up, suck it up, yeah
Suck it up, suck it up, suck it up,
Suck it up, suck it up, suck it up, suck it up, baby
I eat too much
I drink too much
I want too much,
too much…..
Gotta get it somewhere….
So the million dollar question is: How do we know when something is “too much”? Saturn’s about to help us figure that all out, because we can rest assured if we’re going overboard in any respect and *not* checking ourselves, Saturn will send someone along to do this for us. It could be a parent, teacher/mentor that we respect, law enforcement, or some other “authority figure” getting on our case, but if we get a tap on the shoulder from anyone requesting that we cut back or tone it down (whatever “it” is), we should do ourselves a favor and take the first warning that comes along. If we don’t, it’s highly likely that it will only get progressively harder from there because that’s how Saturn works – in degrees of incremental difficulty. If instead, however, we take the first cue we get and figure out how to self-regulate whatever it is we’re overdoing, we’re golden – Saturn only whacks us with the ruler when we fail to get with his program and keep on goofing off!
11/04/2014
If everyone followed astrology, I’m firmly convinced the world would run a whole lot better! Major telecommunications providers would know better than to schedule a buyout of another competing telecom co. during a Mercury retrograde phase – ESPECIALLY on the days when Mercury transitions from direct movement to retrograde motion or vice versa (called the “stations” in astro-lingo) if they want things to go smoothly! Why? Telecommunications is a field completely under Mercury’s dominion and thus is heavily affected by this planet’s movements, and all kinds of technology & communications-related mayhem can ensue on these days. Now obviously if a telecom company is trying to break into a new market area, they would want to start off on a good note and *not* have any major service outages or issues on the phone, TV, & internet services they’re providing to their brand new customers. In fact, if one was to consult an astrologer expressly for this purpose and say “Hey, I own this telecommunications company and am looking for an ideal day to seal the deal on the buyout of this other company – what would be a good date for me to do this?”, rest assured the very LAST day an astrologer would EVER recommend for this purpose would be a day where Mercury was stationing!
So I chuckled heartily to myself and with more than a touch of underlying annoyance when just such a thing happened – a few moments after wondering what was going on with my internet service, it dawned on me this was exactly what had happened! OF COURSE this would happen today of all days, sheesh! Of course these companies decided to make this big transition on a day when Mercury was stationing – it was a textbook example of astro-ignorance at its very finest (or is that very worst, LOL?). At this moment, I should also take the time to mention there are other fields likely to be strongly affected by Mercury retrograde:
Publishing & printing – Whether you’re a sign maker, have a printing press company that produces tangible things like business cards & flyers, own a social media marketing firm, run an editing company, have a publishing company, or if you’re a blogger, note that Mercury has dominion over the written word. This means during a Mercury retrograde (particularly when this planet is stationing), we could be plagued by things like typos, layout issues, font problems, autocorrect fails, and random weird tech issues like hyperlinks not working the way they should. Mercury signifies the details and it may be little things we might not notice at first, so it pays to either come back later to take a second look at something we’re writing or else get a second pair of eyes to look it over.
I.T. – The I.T. field is very affected by Mercury retrograde as a whole and is likely to be hoppin’ during these phases – we’re much more likely to encounter computer issues such as viruses, corrupt data, our computers just plain freezing up or crapping out, etc.. Ahead of these periods, I always advise triple checking that we’ve backed up our data “just in case” – at least then if there’s an issue, it’s not likely to be catastrophic. Also: Unless you HAVE TO, Mercury retrogrades are NOT times to buy new computers or tech gadgets on a whim! If you have no other choice because your computer died, it’s one thing, but if it’s not an absolute necessity it’s better to wait until well after Mercury turns direct because the chances are higher that we’ll either have issues with this new machine as well or else have difficulty getting used to this new unit. This would especially not be a good time to do something like, say, transition from a PC to a Mac or vice versa because it’s likely to be headache city!
Media/journalism – Double and triple check the facts if we’re in these fields, because the tendency is to *not* have all the information when Mercury is retrograde. Rather than risk speaking out of turn, it’s important to perform our due diligence to make sure we have everything straight, because the tendency to speak without thinking is increased. These periods are when we’re likely to see things like newscasters so in a rush to get the hot scoop, that initial reports are often disproven, disputed, or not what they first appear. Sources might not be credible, something gets taken out of context, or misinformation is given, for example. It’s rather like a game of telephone – as the story goes along it can change and there’s a good possibility what’s initially reported is not what actually happened – this is why waiting & making sure we’re covering all the angles becomes so important.
Transportation – Whether we’re a cab driver, a mechanic, or a commuter, Mercury has dominion over our day-to-day modes of transport like cars, trains, subways, and busses. Traffic jams and travel delays are more common during Mercury retrograde, so it’s good to leave extra time to get where we’re going. Accidents – especially from distracted driving – are more commonplace as well, so definitely make it a point to put down those devices during the 3 weeks Mercury backtracks to help avert this possibility. Car problems can act up at this time as well (and it’s entirely possible to get a wrong diagnosis on whatever mechanical issues you’re experiencing at this time, which can be pricey!) – this is another one of those instances where it’s best to bring your car in for regular maintenance well before the retrograde phase, because if we don’t and have been neglecting our cars, the likelihood is higher that something will surface then.
Sales – Mercury is the wheeler-and-dealer of the zodiac since he has the gift of gab, so the sales field is where he shines! During Mercury retro, however, we may find ourselves tongue-tied, our prospective customers might not know what they’re looking for or later change their minds, and it’s harder to make handshake deals that work to everyone’s advantage where each party walks away from the deal satisfied. During Mercury Rx, we’re better served re-visiting old sales leads, calling up old accounts and seeing if there’s anything we can do to service them, and generally expending effort re-connecting with people rather than trying to use that gift of gab to bring in new customers – this also applies to advertising.
Healthcare – Aside from the normal hiccups that can occur from double-booking, over-booking, people forgetting about or otherwise missing their appointments entirely during Mercury retro, taking extra care to arrive at a correct diagnosis is important during this phase. Patients may be more inclined towards unusual presentations, there may be a piece of the diagnosis puzzle that’s missing, or it winds up being the proverbial “zebra” diagnosis, for example. Patients may also be inclined to do things like leave out pertinent info when describing their symptoms or think another issue they’re having is unrelated and thus not bring it up during consultation, or forget to disclose what other medications/supplements they’re taking – things like this. Also? If a paper script is given out, make sure the handwriting is legible and double check the pharmacy gives the correct medication AND dosage amount – mixups like this can happen during Mercury retrograde!
Customer service – This is a tough field during Mercury retrogrades, because people are more inclined to experience problems with products or services and thus more likely to have complaints. Long phone wait times (also due Mercury Rx) can obviously add to a disgruntled customer’s annoyance, so it’s important to let customers know their frustrations are heard & understood and to be able to think of outside-the-box solutions to remedy the problem if conventional means are not resolving the issue.
That’s a quick (but not exhaustive) list of fields highly impacted by Mercury retrogrades! Hopefully going forward, if we work in these fields or are involved in them for any reason we can refer back to this list to understand the possible implications the next time Mercury is retrogrades in order to help things run a little more smoothly – the next Mercury retrograde is January 21st, 2015, so let’s make it a point to get our ducks in a row well before then!
10/27/2014
I’ve found myself placing an unusually high value on “restorative time” these days, whether this is time spent unwinding in yoga class or simply catching some good zzz’s at night, so I recently decided that I was in the market for a new mattress, naturally. I was searching for something supportive and yet soft enough to make me want to leap into the bed with glee at the end of a long day, but before making this investment I decided to do some investigating – there’s so many bedding options out there these days that looking into the pros and cons of all the different varieties on the market only seemed sensible. Inner spring, pillow top, pocketed coil, latex, memory foam, gel foam, air cushioned……the array of sleep possibilities are simply dizzying!
Now this got me thinking, because Neptune is the Lord of Dreamtime, so of course mattresses fall under his domain. And no matter where we turn, it seems everyone is trying to sell us on this ideal of “a perfect night’s sleep”. But I have to wonder if such an elusive, mythical creature even exists or if it’s simply a vague yet enticing concept cooked up by marketing gurus, designed to drive us in sleepless droves down to the mattress stores. And what does “perfect” entail, exactly? Because what’s perfect to you, me, or the guy next door are likely to be very different things indeed!
During the course of all this information filtering, I came upon an eye-opening statistic: Did you know that in a consumer report survey conducted regarding mattress manufactures, most brand makers only had customer satisfaction ratings around the 50% mark? That’s just crazy to me – especially when you consider the average person’s willingness to shell out good coin to get that “perfect night’s sleep”. In my research, I came across models that were 5, 7, 10, 20+ THOUSAND dollars – now when a mattress costs more than a new CAR (which has complex engineering that goes into all those moving mechanical components), something fishy (yes, that’s a Neptune reference) is most certainly going on!
Neptune is a planet of fantasy – it tries to sell us a dream. And that’s what happens when we go a-mattress-shoppin’ – everyone is trying to convince us the dream is real and that it too can be ours for the low, low price of just fill-in-the-blank. A friend worked in this industry years ago and once told me the markup on these products was something like 1000% (yup, you read that right) – I don’t think he was …Read More…
We have a WHOLE LOT of mutual reception activity in December! Check it out:
1) The Sun in Sagittarius + Jupiter in Leo
2) Mars in Aquarius + Uranus in Aries
3) Saturn in Scorpio + Pluto in Capricorn. Yes, still. Until December 23rd, anyway!
That’s right, we’re going to have 3 of them in play at the same time – not to mention the penultimate Pluto/Uranus square – so we do seem poised for a very astrologically active close to the calendar year! We know from an earlier post that mutual receptions show an exchange of energy between two planets. Much like a pair of exchange students, each visits the other’s astrological “home” and what this does is create a strong resonant interplay between the two planets in question because this shared experience metaphorically causes them to start vibrating at the same frequency. And as this vibration increases (see the peak times listed below), it’s as if their voices join together to create one singular sound. Now this “sound” can manifest as harmonious OR dissonant depending upon a number of factors, but suffice to say that paying attention to the potential energetic effects of each mutual reception is important. If we know the pitfalls as well as the pluses, it makes it pretty easy to make conscious choices that work to our best advantage. For instance: If you’ve been thinking about making some changes in your life, stop thinking and start DOING once the Mars/Uranus mutual reception kicks off, as this is a pairing that favors self-initiated change. We can use the window of time this mutual reception is in effect as our energetic “thumbs-up” to “do something different” in our lives while averting the more volatile side of this vibe by detaching from confrontations w/ angry people or from our own anger if this is causing us to become unstable. Remember, every astrological force has both Hi-Fi and Lo-Fi expressions – the key is to understand what energies are in play so we’re empowered to make decisions that serve our Highest Good. So let’s move on to the particulars:
• The Sun/Jupiter mutual reception runs from Nov 22nd – Dec 21st, peaking between December 10th-18th.
• The Mars/Uranus mutual reception runs from Dec 4th – Jan 12th, 2015 and is at its strongest from December 15th-25th.
• The Saturn/Pluto mutual reception already reached its height during 2012 & 2013, but this is such a long-running & pervasive energetic undercurrent it is absolutely still worth paying attention to.
Now if you’ve been following the blog for some time, you’ll recall that I offered up an interesting geo-political take on the Saturn/Pluto mutual reception here. And if you’re a subscriber to my newsletter, you may remember that I’ve featured past articles discussing some of the effects of numbers 2 & 3 above. But for those who haven’t read them or who need a refresher, I will re-post excerpts from the newsletter w/ the relevant info here & here, respectively, so you can get up to speed.
With the Mars/Uranus mutual reception, instead of starting the New Year off with a “bang”, we are ending the year with one – this is some rocket fuel energy for sure! And with the Saturn/Pluto mutual reception, hopefully you’ve had enough time to realize when it’s time to hold vs. when to fold, because during the last 2 years many of us have found it more important than ever to consolidate our energy and stop any so-called “energy sinks” in our lives – this is especially so now because Saturn is in the last leg of its journey through Scorpio! Think of it as “cumulative review” time – what have we learned during this period?
But what about the Sun/Jupiter mutual reception? Definitely get subbed to the newsletter if you want to know more, because I plan on exploring this topic in an upcoming edition! I try to avoid boring readers to death by having the same info listed in two different places, so you’re unlikely to see an article appear here on the blog covering this topic – if I do (and no promises there!), it will examine the Sun/Jupiter mutual reception from a different angle and serve as more of a supplement to the information contained in the newsletter.
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10/14/2014
Mercury turns retrograde in supernatural Scorpio tomorrow, but don’t groan!! The outset of this retrograde period is actually FABULOUS for getting information through extrasensory means thanks to contact from Neptune in Pisces. There is a highly intuitive element in play now where we’re able to pick up on exquisitely subtle undercurrents of feeling, which can augment our communication abilities if we so allow. The start of this retrograde phase can be similar to having the aid of a giant cosmic blacklight to view things that might otherwise be invisible to us. Along this vein, another thing that makes the beginning of this retro pretty kickass is the fact that contact between these two planets does make it a good time to communicate with our Spirit Guide(s), Angels, or even loved ones who have crossed over to The Other Side. The veil between the physical and spiritual worlds is very thin now – it’s kind of like how we get better radio reception on a sunny day than on a cloudy one, and this astrology is the equivalent of the skies being crystal-clear and the signal coming in strong. Don’t write off any weird events during the next few days as “typical Mercury retrograde hijinks” – perhaps someone is actually trying to communicate with you, whether that’s your loved ones, Guides, Angels, or maybe even Divinity.
The best way to be a clear conduit for these messages and signs is to:
1) Relax. If we’re stressed or running around hectically, it’s like sending The Universe a “busy” signal.
2) Allow yourself some “alone” time.
3) Meditate or pray – these symbolic acts set up a direct and intentional line of communication with Spirit. It’s like picking up the telephone and placing an outgoing call – they see that you’re reaching out!
4) LISTEN. Not just during the time you’re in mediation or prayer, but afterward as well. The key is to put ourselves in a receptive state so that subtle signs & signals do not escape us and really stand out!
5) Pay attention to what happens in your dreams now. Dreamtime is where we are at our most relaxed, and as such, messages come through more readily when we sleep vs. during our waking hours. So if a deceased loved one happens to show up in your dreams, don’t be so sure it’s not a Visitation. Or perhaps instead we may have a dream that is highly symbolic in nature and that gives us guidance on a matter.
6) BONUS: If we are so inclined, listening to things like binaural tones (the link provided shows an example on YouTube) may help to open up altered states of consciousness for us so messages and information can flow through more readily. At the very least, they’re super relaxing to listen to and as you already know, relaxation is item #1 on our list!
Try it out and see what happens. And do feel free to share any experiences you may have in the comments below – I’d love to hear about them!
10/03/2014
Before I begin, let’s be clear on the point that every astrological energy holds the potential for both Hi-Fi & Lo-Fi expression; much of how it manifests (constructively or detrimentally, respectively) has do with the choices we make and the consciousness level of the individual. This is why I like astrology so much – I find when we’re aware of the full spectrum of vibrational frequencies an astro-energy emits, it allows us to make better choices and sidestep more problematic manifestations while actively seeking ways to capitalize on the beneficial facets of a particular vibe. But today I want to talk about one particular feature of Lo-Fi Neptune, and that’s the capacity to seal ourselves off in some sort of bubble or cocoon in response to anything we deem “harsh”. There’s a kind of a super-sensitization that occurs when we’re in the thrall of a Neptune transit, and while we can become kinder and gentler as a result of this, we’re also less inclined to deal in reality – particularly if/when it’s unpleasant. And we have plenty of “unpleasant realities” out there at the moment courtesy of Saturn in Scorpio still in mutual reception to Pluto in Capricorn.
When we experience a Neptune transit, we may abide by “see no evil/hear no evil/speak no evil” and tend to suspend things like critical thinking, discernment, & our good judgment; preferring instead to operate on faith, idealism, and a belief in humanity’s better nature. We might be inclined to ask ourselves things like “Who am I to judge?” or make excuses for others’ bad behavior, but it’s precisely this tendency to suspend our normal filtering process that can lead us to shoot ourselves in the foot if we aren’t careful. Besides the potential this creates for …Read More…
Everybody’s got drama at times – me, you, him, her, them. It’s something that – at one point or another – is universal to the human experience, so this isn’t about judgment because we all experience the natural ebb-and-flow of the Comedy & Tragedy known as “life”. But there is a distinct difference between this being “situational” vs. “habitual” in nature, and as the Leo Moon joins with Jupiter in Leo, I want to talk specifically about the latter variety of drama. Jupiter is a planet that excels at providing us with perspective when resonating in Hi-Fi – when something is too “first-person” for us to see, it allows us to back up and get a bigger-picture view on things as if we were looking it from high above. Now the Moon is a creature of habit; it shows where we do things instinctively on auto-pilot because we are in our “comfort zones”, for good or ill. The Leo Moon can be habituated to drama when expressed in Lo-Fi, where it derives some measure of satisfaction off there being some sort of “scene” for it to star in. When resonating with this end of the vibrational spectrum, the Moon in Leo may indeed be fed off a “big production” in one respect or another in some (or multiple) area(s) of life, and it’s precisely this craving that can lead Lo-Fi Leo to create more of the same. Allow me to explain and provide some perspective….
Leo/Solar energy is primarily one of display, where we’re apt to “put on a show” or “make a spectacle” for better or worse – putting it more succinctly, this often translates to “drama” in one form or another. Now sometimes this characteristic is used for entertainment value or comedic effect where this “performing” energy can be channeled beneficially, because here we are sharing our “light” with others – reference famous Leo entertainers Lucille Ball, Steve Martin, Tom Green, Steve Carell, and Denis Leary just to name a few examples. Indeed, one facet of Jupiter in Leo’s energy entails looking at positive avenues of self-expression, because Jupiter has been classically referred to as The Great Benefic and Leo is the sign of creative self-expression. This can entail comedy, dance, and of course, the Performing (or Visual) Arts.
But, as we know, each planetary vibration also has the capacity to be done in Lo-Fi. Jupiter’s Lo-Fi manifestation can signify excess, where there’s “too much” of a given thing. In the sign of Leo, this can be drama as well as self-centeredness, as the dark side of Leo/Solar energy can be that it expects the world to revolve entirely around it. Thus this energetic combination does have the capacity to create what I’ll (half-humorously) refer to as “Drama-Llamas” – you know, the types of people who habitually seem to have an over-abundance of it in their life (usually the self-created kind) and so it becomes all about *them* and *their show*? It’s no longer about sharing one’s light and giving of oneself; it concerns having an audience, and it seems as though their whole raison d’etre may be to get the world to stop and revolve around them. I generally correlate this sort of behavior to there being a lack of positive attention in childhood, because Leo is the sign of children and Jupiter can have an overcompensatory vibe. In such instances, the individual may subscribe to the (conscious or unconscious) belief that any attention is good attention if it gets people to notice them, and – more specifically – if it gets people to notice their needs if the Moon is involved (say in Leo, the 5th House, or wired to the Sun).
Now I don’t know about you, but when I encounter this sort of thing, I’m personally inclined to change the channel. This kind of schtick is only entertaining in comedy clubs, soap operas, or on late-night TV – I really don’t want it in a close personal relationship of any kind, because how could there possibly be space for reciprocity – that all-important relationship maker or breaker – if someone’s too busy making it all about their own made-for-primetime telenovela? There is no room for co-stars, no; this Demanding Diva energy says there is only ONE. But with Saturn in Scorpio currently engaged in a loose but ongoing square to Jupiter in Leo, looking at the angle of how an excess of drama (Jupiter in Leo) can be a real time & energy sink (Saturn in Scorpio) is a wise thing to do. Drama-Llamas often fail to see just how self-centered (again, we’re talking about Lo-Fi Leo here) and taxing (Saturn in Scorp) this behavior can be, because this would require them to step outside of the first-person, which they’re not usually accustomed to doing by default. But Jupiter reminds us to put the repercussions of this kind of behavior into perspective as well, as Saturn is an energy that signifies consequences. Because when one habitually creates drama, this vicariously spills out onto close associations (Significant Other, family, friends, etc. ). Bystanders are then forced to watch “The Drama-Llama Show”, as such behavior leaves said Llama unavailable to be present for others’ trials, successes, tribulations, etc. since they’re too wrapped up in starring in their own production. That is, of course, unless we change the channel or turn it off….
09/19/2014
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