Tag: Saturn In Sagittarius Square Neptune In Pisces

Mercury Retrograde Square Neptune: A State Of Pure Inebriation

~ EmpwrdDstny ~ Leave a comment

Welp, this is one super impaired Mercury Retrograde we have on our hands ATM – not only is Mercury’s coordination and cognition all screwed up from recently throwing it into reverse gear, but it’s also backtracking in a sign where it is astrologically debilitated (Sagittarius) while sitting in a prolonged square to confusing, clarity-lacking Neptune.  This is, quite simply, a recipe for a communication & travel “hot mess” – sorry; there’s just no dressing this up. It would be dishonest to try and spin it any other way by attempting to put a more positive slant on Mercury’s present condition.  So rather than veil this discombobulated energy with a bunch of well-intended but utterly unhelpful euphemisms, instead let’s have some straight talk about what to be aware of with the holiday season upon us and a major one kicking off in just a few days here in the USA (Thanksgiving) while this vibe is in play:

1) Don’t drink and drive. It’s a bad idea to do this anyway, but it’s an especially terrible idea to do it under these particular astrological conditions.  Do not operate motor vehicles – or even your phone – while under the influence of any kind of “substance” from now thru Christmas.  Especially when it’s winter here in the Northern Hemisphere where bad weather can unexpectedly roll in while we’re at holiday festivities, it just doesn’t make sense to risk having “one too many” and then attempt to drive home in sub-optimal road conditions.

2) Keep your “hoof” out of your mouth.  Mercury in this condition is prone to verbal gaffes, so make it a blanket policy to avoid pointless discussion/debate about things like religion or politics this holiday season; evade any kind of topic where people are prone to having philosophical differences.

3) Alcohol-fueled conversations are a NO.   Seriously, don’t do it – that uncle/cousin you always clash with or the in-law who just won’t shaddap? Alcohol is not going to make coping with their BS any easier and may in fact only make it twice as bad.  What’s worse: Someone saying something inappropriate, or the two of you saying something equally uncalled for?  Two wrongs do not make a right, and when you have Mercury in Sagittarius lubed up by a liquor-induced Neptune, all kinds of candid things can slip out of our mouths that – no matter how true they may be – are not exactly what we’d call judicious or kind.  It’s not right to use a few beers/glasses of wine as an excuse for brutal honesty; further, it’s not fair to make everyone else uncomfortable because of our case of verbal diarrhea.

4) Budget extra travel time.  Worst case? You’ll get there early; big deal!  But *not* allowing for extra travel time under these skies could leave you with more stress and aggravation than you need.  People might run late, traffic may be a mess, cars could have trouble, or flights get delayed/cancelled; things happen.  And forgetfulness under pressure may also be another factor to watch out for, like leaving for the airport and realizing halfway there you left your phone at home on the charger. Leaving yourself way more time than you think you want/need to get from Point A to Point B is solid policy during this particular holiday season. And please do check your luggage tags if you fly to make sure your bags are being routed to the correct destination.

5) Track your packages.  Many of us will be buying or shipping gifts during this Mercury Retrograde, and while it’s best to hold off if/when we can (December’s 2nd & 3rd weeks are about as good as it will get in this respect), sometimes we’re not able to so it’s best to get delivery confirmation.  Aside from actual package theft, there’s the chance that a parcel could just be lost/delivered to the wrong address.  And check return/exchange policies carefully in case there’s an issue BEFOREHAND; don’t just assume it’s all good and it won’t be a hassle to remedy an issue in the event that one arises.

5) Breathe, meditate, and/or have a “Zen” playlist on standby. Mercury Retrograde is 90% mind over matter and if you can get yourself into a headspace where you don’t mind, it won’t matter. Being mindful of our breathing, stress levels, and actively seeking that “restorative” space via going Within or immersing ourselves in a particular soundscape can help us cultivate a state of surrender and flexibility.

6) Forget Black Friday/Cyber Monday this year and just sleep in.  The likelihood of aggressive sales pitches coupled with “bait and switch” advertising tactics is abnormally high this year; do you REALLY want to get up at the buttcrack of dawn or leave Thanksgiving dinner early for this??? I understand that some people get addicted to the rush of a good deal, but astrologically speaking the skies seem to indicate this being in short supply and the potential for aggravation being extra elevated. To contemplate: Would you be happier if you were well-rested and relaxed instead of shopping till you drop this coming weekend?

7) This Mercury Retrograde triggers the residue of the old 2015-2016 Saturn/Neptune Square; especially the June 2016 hit.  Is it any wonder the Brexit situation is once again making headlines? The Brexit vote took place right as this alignment perfected in June 2016!  Setting this aside, in our personal lives this Mercury Retrograde can be a lot like receiving some sort of phantom redial from the 2015-2016 era. You may recall from my writings about the Saturn/Neptune Square that it represented a conflict between Realism and Idealism; how it pit What Is against What We’d Wish It To Be.  Think about this for a potential “Ah-ha!” moment; a temporal vortex is being reopened and a cognitive reset may be in order.

11/19/2018

December’s Mercury Retrograde: Phantom Redial

~ EmpwrdDstny ~ 1 Comment

The upcoming Mercury Retrograde in December promises to be more interesting than most for a few reasons – there are many nuanced and in-your-face energetic layers in the mix at the time this retrograde kicks off (December 3, 2017), but for the purposes of this post right now I’ll stick to discussing the components that give a broader and unique context on what’s really going on.  There’s something more significant playing out underneath all of this besides the normal Mercury Rx communication glitches and don’t-sign-anything caveats…

One factor that makes *this particular* Mercury Retrograde period unusual is due to its kickoff overlapping with the Gemini (i.e. a Mercury-ruled) Full Moon; a mere 8 hours separates these twin events! Uncanny as it is to see double the Mercurial energy in the astrological air at the same time, there’s an important subtext inherent in this by virtue of the fact the Full Moon also falls along a degree of the zodiac sensitized by last year’s Saturn/Neptune Square. The Sun is lighting up 12 degrees Sagittarius; almost exactly the same spot Saturn occupied on June 17, 2016 when the Saturn/Neptune Square perfected for the second time.  This being a Full Moon, the Moon of course sits opposite the Sun at 12 degrees Gemini while Neptune – having recently turned Direct – squares both luminaries from essentially the same place it did in the middle of last year when Saturn was on the scene instead.

What’s really going to bake your noodle, though, is the fact Mercury (which we remember is the ruler of the aforementioned Full Moon that is reigniting the energetic residue of the Saturn/Neptune Square) weaves back and forth between a conjunction to Saturn and a square to Neptune during its upcoming retrograde!  Again we’re seeing an astrological imprint of the Saturn/Neptune Square’s reverberations – during this entire retrograde period, it’s as if Mercury is acting as an intermediary to bring us some sort of message from mid 2016. Basically, in December we’re all collectively getting a phantom redial from the Saturn/Neptune Square where weird messages from the past may send their ghost-like echoes into our Now.

What does all of this translate to?  December is going to be a real temporal vortex of a month for one – we may well receive some kind of (literal or figurative) call or message from the mid-June 2016 era.  What’s the memo, exactly?  It will vary for each person but this entire Mercury retrograde phase (all of December & into the beginning of January) should be thought of as a sort of wrinkle in time connecting that period to our present somehow. Think about what was going on in your life in the middle of last year to get an idea of the theme this retrograde may have in store for you.  Geopolitically, this should ring some major bells – Brexit happened during this time and I will not be surprised to see more news on this topic hitting in a big way very shortly.

We should also be aware this may be a collect call (LOL, I just realized youngsters won’t have any concept of what this is!) – metaphorically speaking, it will be good to think twice if something comes up for our review during this period to make sure there isn’t any toll (read: lesson) we’ll have to accept if we answer.  For example, if the Saturn/Neptune Square in June of 2016 manifested as major disillusionment regarding a parent, mentor, authority figure, or spiritual leader and suddenly December comes around and we hear through the grapevine this very same individual has been asking about us, is it really worth picking up the receiver for them? Think carefully about any kind of “sequel” situations arising this month – often the second movie isn’t as good as the first. And if the first sucked, well….it’s not likely to get much better with time, let’s put it that way.

Now the “memo” Mercury brings us in December may not necessarily be a “repeat” kind of situation as mentioned above; it could also simply represent a cosmic communiqué regarding where we may have erred during the Saturn/Neptune Square of 2016. For example, perhaps we were excessively Saturn; too closed/self-limiting/defensive/pessimistic/ambitious/overworked/cautious (pick any or all that apply). Or maybe we were OD-ing on Neptune’s denial/escapism/fantasizing/delusions/self-martyrdom. From a cognitive POV, Mercury will be letting us know which mentalities are holding us back so we can make revisions accordingly during this time. Mercury represents a “both/and” rather than an “either/or” influence so we’re intellectually integrating the Saturnian principles of wisdom, practicality, maturity, responsibility, and structure with the Neptunian concepts of intuition, imagination, compassion, spirituality, and free-flowingness so we’re neither excessively earthbound nor living in La La Land building castles in the air.

11/29/2017

Mars Conjunct Saturn In Sagittarius & Doing The “Right” Thing

~ EmpwrdDstny ~ Leave a comment

At the beginning of August Mars re-entered Sagittarius, and since doing so it has been creeping ever closer to a conjunction with Saturn at 10˚ of this sign.  When Mars is in Sagittarius, our actions tend to be guided by our (subjective) perception of Truth; of what is right, good, and morally correct.  Sagittarius represents our internal compass, you see; our ability to perceive “right” from “wrong” and live in accordance with our moral bearings.  This is why Sadge has an association with (neutrally) our judgement, as well as (negatively, on the Lo-Fi side) hypocrisy – the old “Do As I Say, Not As I Do” when one fails to practice what they preach like an evangelistic pastor righteously railing against sin and then living a private life that would make Sodom & Gomorrah look like Disneyland.  Sometimes our internal compasses don’t always point to True North.

As Mars creeps ever closer to Saturn in Sagittarius, a tendency to “do the (again, subjectively) right thing” can become harder.  Saturn’s energy affecting Mars is much like running oneself up against a large stone wall – there’s often a sizeable challenge, impediment, or obstacle in the way that makes the going harder. It is possible there is a difficult reality to contend with and put into context.  Do we quit what we’re doing?  Perhaps, perhaps not.  But at the very least is IS important that we pause and take a look at this resistance to our actions, because this conjunction isn’t operating in a vacuum.

Image courtesy of the RWS Tarot deck.
Image courtesy of the RWS Tarot deck.

Enter Neptune.  Neptune is a mere degree away from an exact square to this duo, adding all kinds of distortion to the mix and potentially leading us to take an action where we metaphorically shoot ourselves in the foot.  Perhaps what we have perceived as “the right thing to do” is actually skewed and has caused us suffering – now we suspend judgement and turn our perspective upside-down much like The Hanged Man in the Tarot.  Maybe we are lacking self-compassion and have been holding ourselves to a higher standard of behavior than we would hold anyone else in similar circumstances. Perhaps the “resistance” we encounter as this conjunction of Mars and Saturn perfects on August 24th is merely trying to show us that we are going the wrong way.  Or doing the “wrong” thing.  To clarify, I don’t mean “wrong” in a moral context; I mean that it’s possible we’ve made an error in judgement where what we’ve been doing or the way we’ve been doing it has made it excessively hard on ourselves.  We are all human – nobody is Jesus.  We’re all just trying to do the best that we can do to in accordance with our own conscience so we can lay our head down on our pillow and sleep at night.

So if you find yourself trying to do what you believe is right and nonetheless encountering resistance from The Universe every step of the way as this conjunction tightens its iron vise-like grip, please pause and consider all of this. If it feels like you have a cross to bear, perhaps it is time to release.  Have compassion for yourself rather than punish yourself, because even Divinity has mercy.

08/18/2016

More Saturn In Sagittarius

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I mentioned a while back in a previous post that with Saturn in Sagittarius, the type of evil to fear most is quite possibly “The indifference of good men”.  To recap a bit, Hi-Fi Saturn is about protection and when it resonates with the higher side of Sagittarius, it 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 largely deals with the reality that – as members of this global human race – each person has an individual responsibility toward the Collective Good. When we are 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 extend as far as our willingness to protect what is right, true, & just when presented with tests such as the ones we now face with Saturn now at the halfway point of its journey through Sagittarius.

Yes, I am referencing Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, among many others.

The global community is being challenged like never before during Saturn in Sagittarius’ prolonged square to Neptune in Pisces square to deal with the reality of prejudice rather than sticking our heads in the ground like a bunch of ostriches and pretending this doesn’t exist.  And more importantly, it is time to figure out how we can put a stop to it.

Frankly, I’d like to think this will eventually resolve itself as age continues to claim old-school folk with residual dinosaur mentalities re: these issues.  But what scares me is the fact that over my lifetime I have never seen such a sharp and abrupt backslide toward the dark ages of civil rights as I have in these last few years.  I am disgusted that men with badges jump right to the use of lethal force because they claim to be in fear for their lives and that it doesn’t dawn on them 1) what kind of conscious or even nebulous, unconscious bias may have played a role in the manifestation of that fear  2) the extensive training they had been given in police academy also taught them how to use non-lethal means to protect themselves (taser, pepper spray, etc.) – do they suddenly forget this?  3) that if one finds themselves so afraid that they are in danger of making a grave error in judgement that may result in the wrongful death of another human being, then they are clearly not fit for duty  4) that if one is prepared to discharge their weapon in the line of duty, then they had damn well better be willing to be accountable for doing so.

I don’t mean to sound as if I am completely unsympathetic to law enforcement, because it is unquestionably a dangerous job – especially for beat cops working in crime-laden districts.  There absolutely ARE reasons for having legitimate fear.  But when Saturn squares Neptune, fear is apt to become exaggerated and unrealistic – especially if/when it’s hiding a bias of some kind.  Police – being Saturn-ruled – are especially affected by this energy, to the point where it has now become an epidemic.

Mars has finally left volcanic Scorpio and its volatile contact to Uranus.  Its aching trine to Chiron suggested that we are all in pain and must heal the violence in our psyches.  Now, as it approaches a conjunction to Saturn once again (exact on August 24), more than ever we must address police brutality so there is accountability.  There simply has to be consequences for use of excessive force that results in another human being’s death – justice for all regardless of race!

08/03/2016

Forgiveness Under The Saturn/Neptune Square

~ EmpwrdDstny ~ 2 Comments

ApologyIt is not simply a case of “forgive & forget” when the Saturn/Neptune Square is in play; forgiveness is something EARNED under this astro! To err is human, but rebuilding trust after a major transgression takes a lot of time and work. There is no magic wand that will suddenly erase a sin, so being accountable and demonstrating humble willingness to atone is important. It starts with an apology backed up by contrition, and then ends with consistent and abundant efforts to make amends. Guilt and shame do have their purpose when these emotions challenge us on a spiritual level to recognize any suffering we’re responsible for and put a stop to it.

(I sure wish my parents had gotten this memo, LOL)

Saturn turns direct on August 13th and its square to Neptune only tightens after this point (becoming exact for a final time on September 10, 2016) – nobody is perfect, but if we think we can try harder to make a situation right, we should definitely do so under the Saturn/Neptune Square.

ForgivenessPersonally, I find it most difficult to forgive when it’s not being sought and when it’s clear to me the person in question doesn’t want to be accountable for their history. I may have compassion for them, sure (in a “they know not what they do” sort of way), but I am hesitant to offer my forgiveness. A hat-in-hand apology, however, can do wonders. I suppose this is because I work hard to be honest with myself about my mistakes in life and try to do my best to offer up a sincere mea culpa when I know I’m in the wrong. I can’t imagine going through life without ever apologizing, but some do. Some will even try to justify this, in which case it is little wonder why absolution would be denied.

 

07/27/2016

An Important Saturn In Sagittarius Reminder

~ EmpwrdDstny ~ 2 Comments

The following is an excerpt from my December 2014 newsletter; the topic of which was an overview discussing the numerous energetic manifestations of Saturn’s entrance into Sagittarius. The message is as relevant now (perhaps moreso given the context of recent events) as when it was first published over a year and a half ago. FYI, Saturn remains in Sagittarius until December 2017.

“Dealing with the reality of bias: Everybody sees the world from different angles – this fact forms the basis of our perspectives in life and helps us realize that our “truths” are actually quite subjective much of the time. But sometimes, without even realizing it, our life experiences may form the framework of a (negative) bias or prejudice of some kind, and Saturn in Sadge can challenge these kinds of beliefs for the sake of putting a stop to them – especially when we’re inclined to try and fit our view of things into nice, neat, organized little boxes. What do I mean by this? Surely we’ve all heard (if not ourselves uttered at some point) blanket statements along the lines of “All ______________ people are ___________”, as if it were some kind of factual reality not up for philosophical debate. The Hi-Fi side of this transit is well served by getting a handle on discrimination in all its forms; all the “-isms” of life like racism, sexism, classism, ageism, or whathaveyou. If we’re called on the carpet and held accountable for a bias of some kind during Saturn in Sadge, this is definitely the time to get it in check because chances are high that such a perspective is flat-out wrong and this is merely The Universe’s way of letting us know it.”

I can’t help but wonder if we, as a society, are ready to master this challenge? Because right now it (as is so characteristic of Saturn) it sure would seem we are all collectively being punished for letting fear and prejudice get so out of hand. Just look at how one of the USA’s 2016 presidential hopefuls is, in this writer’s opinion, a xenophobe – when even your proposed leadership is bigoted, you (as a country) have quite an inconvenient truth on your hands that would be most prudent NOT to continue ignoring during these Saturn square Neptune times. Prejudice is a sickness of the soul, plain and simple, and we need to work instead on promoting understanding over fear, tolerance over hate, and compassion over hard-heartedness.

More on this to follow.

07/12/2016

Repost: Life Under The Saturn/Neptune Square…

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The Saturn/Neptune Square is tightening once again, becoming exact for a second time on June 17, 2016 @ 12 degrees of Sagittarius & Pisces.  The following is actually a repost  (which serves as a totally appropriate “time warp” influence of its own) with a few minor updates/edits.  What you find described below will more or less be a prevailing feeling from now through October.

Speaking of “temporal vortex” –

Life is starting to look an awful lot like this lately again, is it not? I think we can pretty accurately sum up the square between Saturn in Sagittarius and Neptune in Pisces as being one big surreal “Chrono Trigger” moment, complete with alternate timelines and weird portals being stumbled upon in unlikely places.  Time is anything but linear under this astrological influence; it loops, bends, and distorts.  At any point, we – somewhat like Ebenezer Scrooge – may be visited by Ghosts of Times Past, Present, and/or Future…and not necessarily in that order.

The first hit of this Square was in late November 2015, but this blast(?)-from-the-past(future?) influence hits for a third time in September as well.  Think back to November to recall if any recurrent themes seem to be (re)surfacing in your life lately from that time.

5/23/2016

Mutable Madness: “Mobilis In Mobili”

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Mutable Madness: A motto for the incoming astrology of May & June.
A motto for May & June’s Mutable Madness.

We have some Mutable Madness on the way with another round of Jupiter in Virgo squaring Saturn in Sagittarius during late May and then version 2.0 of the Saturn/Neptune Square hitting in mid June.  When considering the incoming astro, “Mobilis in mobili” popped into my mind – it’s a latin phrase that means “moving around within the moving thing” and I thought it absolutely perfect for describing the flavor of the approaching vibe!  From this we can get the sense of movement; of things being in a state of flux, and can take away a sense that flexibility and being able to juggle multiple balls in the air at once is going to be a requirement for the task(s) at hand.  People with placements between 11-15 degrees of any of the Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) should pay extra attention, as they are going to find themselves plugged into this energy quite directly.

The strength AND weakness of all this Mutable Madness lies in its adaptability – on one hand when we find ourselves dealing with delays/impediments/obstacles, it certainly behooves us to see if there is an “alternate route” available to us. On the other, though, we do have to be *very* careful not to diffuse our energies with too much vacillation under such a “scattered” vibe.  Mutable energy always creates a tendency to bob and weave, however it’s entirely possible that in doing so we may find ourselves pulled in too many different directions at once and/or generally lacking in beneficial continuity.  Know that diversification can be an asset or a liability depending on how we work it under this astrology – the key is awareness.

Although this energy peaks from late May through mid June, all the players involved are already within proximity so this influence officially builds from hereon out. We can prep for this period by minimizing any/all unnecessary distractions ahead of time and relieving ourselves of excessive/extraneous duties or burdens in order to maximize focus and productivity, because if it feels like something is too much work NOW, just wait until this Mutable Madness *really* gets into full swing…!  If we’ve bitten off more than we can chew the approaching astro will definitely let us know it, so it is important to let go of what we can lest we find ourselves overwhelmed by inconsequentials  and/or driven to distraction.

04/11/2016

The Saturn/Neptune Square, Musically

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How many Saturn/Neptune correlations can YOU find in the following lyrics? The first song that seems to embody facets of this square from a lyrical standpoint comes to us from Coldplay’s “Clocks”, while the second is from R.E.M.’s “Leave”. Hint: Clocks are a Saturn thing – bonus points awarded if you can find the lines in both songs that specifically bring in the Sagittarius component of Saturn!

“Lights go out and I can’t be saved
Tides that I tried to swim against
Have put me down upon my knees
Oh I beg, I beg and plead, singing
Come out of things unsaid
Shoot an apple off my head and a
Trouble that can’t be named
The tiger’s waiting to be tamed, singing

You are…
You are…

Confusion never stops
Closing walls and ticking clocks
Gonna come back and take you home
I could not stop that you now know, singing
Come out upon my seas
Curse missed opportunities
Am I a part of the cure?
Or am I part of the disease? Singing

You are…
You are…”

SONG #2

“Nothing could be bring me closer.
Nothing could be bring me near.
Where is the road I follow
To leave, leave?

It’s under, under, under my feet.
The sea spread out there before me.
Where do I go when the land touches sea?
There is my trust in what I believe.

Chorus:
That’s what keeps me,
That’s what keeps me,
That’s what keeps me down,
To leave, believe it,
Leave it all behind.

Shifting the dream
Nothing could bring me further from my old friend time.
Shifting the dream
It’s charging the scene
I know where I marked the signs.

I suffer the dreams of a world gone mad
I like it like that and I know it
I know it well, ugly and sweet,
I temper madness with an even extreme.

That’s what keeps me
That’s what keeps me
That’s what keeps me down
I say that I’m a lightweight
I say that I’m a phantom airplane
That never left the ground.

(Chorus)

Lift me, lift me,
I attain my dream.
I lost myself, I lost the
Heartache calling me.
I lost myself in sorrow
I lost myself in pain.
I lost myself in gravity,
Memory, leave, leave, leave.

(Chorus x2)

Lift my hands, my eyes are still,
I’ll walk into the sea
Shoot myself in a different place
And leave it

I’ve longed for this to take me,
I’ve longed for my release
I’ve waited for the callin’
To leave, leave.

Leave, leave
Leavin’, leavin’…”

01/27/2016

The Saturn/Neptune Square, Succinctly

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One of my girlfriends recently shared this on Twitter, and I was immediately struck by the profound correlation it had to Saturn in Sagittarius square Neptune in Pisces!  Coming to us via prima ballerina Dusty Button:

SaturnNeptuneOnPointe
On point(e) during the Saturn/Neptune square!

Though this quote only represents one very specific facet of this square, the takeaway about it I think is her drive to achieve…she’s not just daydreaming her life away; she is making it so and bringing those dreams down to earth with lots of hard work!  Just look at the photo – it’s not a pic of her all glammed up in a stage performance…nope, she shows us a behind-the-scenes look at her sweating and stretching it out in Practice Mode! I love the astrological metaphor of her foot (Neptune) reaching over the bar (Saturn) as well! So on a hunch, I decided to run her chart just to see how plugged into this energy she is – do you know she was born when Saturn and Neptune were last conjunct in Capricorn?  Thus she is quite attuned to the current square indeed, and it looks like she can definitely teach us all a thing or two about this astrological energy!  It’s also worth noting she is a Gemini Sun and will be strongly impacted by the June 17th hit of the Saturn/Neptune square this year.  I love the quote, though, and think it to be some highly inspirational mojo to embrace during 2016 – let’s make it our motto!

01/09/2016