More New Year's Day Magic - New Moon/Super Moon

This post is an addendum to the previous post about the conjunction of the Sun and Pluto, in Capricorn, on New Year's Day.  On that same day, we will experience a New Moon and it will also be a Super Moon, meaning that it will be "the closest approach the Moon makes to the Earth on its elliptical orbit, resulting in the largest apparent size of the lunar disk as seen from Earth."  Of course, during the New Moon phase, there will be no disk so to see.  Amazingly, there will be a second New Moon Super Moon on 1/30/2014, so two in January.

The New Moon represents new beginnings, a clean slate.  That this one falls on 1/1 and is a Super Moon, the meaning and message are both clear and powerful; this will be a time to put powerful energy into new endeavors, clear out old emotional issues, and embrace the energy of new emotional opportunity.  When the Sun and Pluto align at 11 degrees 17 minutes at 1:55 PM, the Moon will be in Capricorn at 15 degrees and 51 minutes, well within the Orb of Influence (6 degrees) to create a conjunction (or merging) with the Sun and Pluto.  Really, to say that this New Year's Day is unique and powerful requires writing both those words - UNIQUE AND POWERFUL - in all caps, including  the 'and'.

Remember, Capricorn energy is about setting goals, having ambition, planning for the future, understanding the level of investment/commitment necessary to achieve, and taking the long view.  You should use the early part of the day to visualize where you would like to be 5, 10, 15, even 20 years from now.  What you put in your mind and spirit that day will have the chance to go the distance, so you want to be thoughtful about your wishes (see my post on New Moon wishing, and get yourself a copy of New Moon Astrology by Jan Spiller).  Then make sure to write down or, in some other way, capture your thoughts (through art, recording, tattooing, or any medium that can preserve your intentions).

1/1/2014 - A Truly Powerful New Year's Day

The first day of the new year is always a powerful time for setting new goals and resolutions.  This year, 2014, the first day of the new year will be especially charged thanks to an exact conjunction of the Sun and Pluto at 1:55PM that day.  The entire world will feel the merging of the Life Path (the Sun) with Death/Transformation (Pluto) in the sign of Capricorn.  Whatever resolutions you choose, do so wisely, because this energy will empower change at both profound levels and across a broad spectrum.  This energy aspect alone is remarkable, but other energies are significantly in play that day as well.

Mercury is also in Capricorn and within 2 degrees of this exact conjunction, adding itself to the alchemical mix.  We will all be able to think, speak, and write powerfully this new year's day, so I encourage you to write your resolutions down, with serious intent and appreciation for the power of thought to shape reality.  No goal is too small under the influence of this energy.  But before you go resolving to win the lottery or gain super powers, another powerful aspect and energy point is active just one degree apart from the Sun/Pluto conjunction.  On that same day Mars, in Libra, will be at 12 degrees and a nearly perfect square with the Sun/Pluto tandem.  Libra, ruled by Pallas Athena, the master strategist, cools the Mars energy and gives it focus it does not easily come by.  We must make wise resolutions as well as ambitious ones.  Deciding to save the planet by conserving would be a very good example; we need to stop, as a race, believing and acting like the end justifies the means.

Libra's energy is about fairness and justice; it uses analysis to make decisions and requires Mars power to stand up to Pluto's transformational intensity.  Yes, go after powerful change in your life, but plan to make your efforts from a place of what is right and what is fair and what is just.  If not, the conflicting energy that is the square will bring painful consequences.  On this day, a few hours before the exact conjunction, I would recommend writing down what you want to accomplish this new year.  If you happen to know which house in your chart Capricorn rules, all the better, because that is the area to be affected the most.  In my case, this energy will activate my 3rd House of Communication and I am planning 2014 to be a break out year for my astrological career and the connections I want and need to make to head in the direction of my long-term goals ... namely, to be one of the leaders in my field.

Separately, but not aligned with the Sun/Pluto/Mercury/Mars integration, Juno will move out of Aquarius and into Pisces that day, shifting the energy of Duty and Commitment from our collective ideals to our higher consciousness.  We are to shift into a deeper appreciation of our spiritual responsibilities at the start of this new year.  You are not humans trying to master your spiritual existence, you are spiritual beings trying to master your human experience.  Throughout December Hygeia (Health) went retrograde in Taurus and got all the way back to the first degree before going direct again near the later part of December.  With the new health care act a dramatic change in health care policy, and something of a dramatic disaster, we are all awakened to the need to care more about our health and what we need to do to maintain healthy lifestyles.  The unintended consequence of the mess that is the Affordable Health Care Act is the unequivocal knowledge that we must, as individuals, take responsibility for ourselves and our health, first and foremost.  The era of the "Nanny State" is coming to a close.

So, on this New Year's Day set a side time to think seriously about your goals and write them down.  I strongly suggest using a high quality pen and nice paper, then put what you have written in a safe place for review at the end of the year and the beginning of the next.  Treat the process as a ritual, with care and intensity befitting the energy active that day.

Monthly Tarotscope - Capricorn Sun Cycle (December 21 to January 21)

Welcome to Tarotscope, a combination of Astrology and Tarot.  Each month I will draw a card for each sign of the Zodiac.  That card represents the meditation for the month for that Sun Sign.  The Sun Sign represents your Primary Drive in life, how you best manifest your Life Path, and how the light of the Sun energizes you each day. The Deck I am using this month is the Osho Zen Tarot.

For Indian Hindu visitors: I practice Western Tropical astrology, so the Sun Signs are based on the months of the year rather than the Zodiac constellations, which have shifted over time.  If you were born between March 21st and April 21st, you will be an Aries in Western Tropical astrology instead of the Pisces you are in Vedic Sidereal astrology.  These systems are not mutually exclusive, each one teaches us something different about the spiritual condition and I find Indian clients pleasantly surprised by the new insight a Western reading of their chart provides.

Aries (March 21st to April 21st): Maverick Active Fire energy fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best independently; you must learn self-discipline to manifest your best results.  Your card this Sun cycle is the Fire to the South, Sharing, and your message is "give to those in need who are worthy."  You will find a powerful expression of your spiritual energy through sharing.  This lesson is a valuable one for Aries, who can behave selfishly by acting thoughtlessly; slow down, look around, and offer help.  Aries can be a great champion of the underdog when open to sharing.  The lesson is actually about "acknowledging the help you have received from others."
Taurus (April 21st to May 21st): Persistent Stable Earth energy fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best when you feel secure; you must learn some degree of adaptability to manifest your best results. Your card this Sun cycle is the 7 of Water, Projections, and your message is "be authentic to get authentic responses."  You will find throughout this Sun cycle that you must address your emotional feelings about situations honestly and avoid projecting, or trying to give the other person what you think they want.  The lesson is about "like attracts like."  If you are honest, you will get honesty in return; if you are incomplete about your feelings, you will get incomplete feelings in return.  And if you are deceptive, you will be deceived.
Gemini (May 21st to June 21st): Curious Adaptable Air energy fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best doing tasks that stimulate your mind in a variety of ways; you must learn how to focus on demand to manifest your best results. Your card this Sun cycle is the 8 of Rainbows and your message is "pay attention to and appreciate the everyday."  You will find this Sun cycle that you must remember that much of what you take for ordinary is really quite amazing: clean water, indoor plumbing, or heated/cooled homes.  The lesson is “stop and smell the roses.”  This lesson is very important for Gemini and if you can heed it, you will enjoy the goal-setting energy of this Capricorn cycle much, much more.
Cancer (June 21st to July 21st): Nurturing Active Water fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best when you care-take yourself and others properly; you must learn "emotional balance" to manifest your best results.  Your card this Sun cycle is the 9 of Air, Sorrow, and your message is "take the time to process any lingering or unfinished sadness."  Cancer can hold onto emotional hurts longer than any other sign, so the Air energy of this card is about finding a way to move forward.  The lesson is "process your emotions, do not wallow in them."  The open screen behind the figure is a visual cue showing that the figure must return to the world when done processing the loss or hurt he has absorbed.
Leo (July 21st to August 21st): Strong-burning Stable Fire fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best when you are creative; you must learn structure to manifest your best results.  Your card this Sun cycle is the 4 of Fire, Participation, and your message is "interact with others to move forward creatively."  As you move through this Sun cycle it is important for you to get out and engage with others and see where those conversations and activities take you creatively.  The participation is most powerful when those you engage are helping you work on or achieve a goal. The lesson is "everyone needs help from time-to-time."  Actively choosing to work with people on an endeavor, especially ones with different, but equal talent, will help you move in a positive direction.
Virgo (August 21st to September 21st): Practical Adaptable Earth fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best when you get all the details in order; you must learn to "see the forest for the trees" to manifest your best results.  Your card this month is the 1 of Air, Consciousness, and your message is "act with consciousness, reflect before and after doing."  As you move through this Sun cycle each important decision you make needs to be made with focused conscious effort, not merely as a reaction or habit.  Virgos can see down to the smallest detail, so this process should feel quite natural and one of the easier lessons to apply.  The lesson is "thinking before acting really does help achieve better results."
Libra (September 21st to October 21st): Analytical Active Air fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best when acting logically; you must learn to mix in feelings to manifest your best results. Your card this Sun cycle is the Rainbows to the South, Flowering, and the message is "work hard and enjoy your gains."  As you move through this Sun cycle you should appreciate your success and do the work needed to keep growing in a positive direction.  Flowering is the feeling and actions of coming into your own and appreciating your unique contribution to the world and those people currently in your life.  The lesson is "we are here to prosper."  It is important to take care in all areas of your life: spirituality, health, love, and your mind, so you can achieve your highest good.
Scorpio (October 21st to November 21st): Intense and Deep Stable Water fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best when bringing or experiencing transformation; you must learn "playfulness or lightness of heart" to manifest your best results.  Your card this Sun cycle is the Water to the East, Understanding, and the message is "time to make a decision that moves me forward."  This card shows the bird on the edge of a cage and the cage represents limitations AND security.  The cage door is open and the bird can fly free, which offers the open sky and risk.  Still it is the bird’s nature and destiny to fly.  The lesson is "take the risk to be who you are meant to be."  You will face a moment or moments where you have clear understanding about a situation, knowing it will be hard to move forward, but you must.
Sagittarius (November 21st to December 21st): Expansive Adaptable Fire fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best exploring openly and trying new experiences; you must learn to map and record your knowledge to manifest your best results. Your card this Sun cycle is the 18th card of the Major Arcana, Past Lives, and the message is "change your karma."  Not very often we get a chance to make a significant shift in our lives regarding something fundamental about our life experience; those of you with this Sun sign will have this chance this cycle.  It will be a profound, not mundane change because it is a pattern in this life time from previous life times.  The lesson here is "no one escapes consequences, so take responsibility when the opportunity arises."
Capricorn (December 21st to January 21st): Ambitious Active Earth fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best when you are setting and achieving goals; you must learn compassion to manifest your best results.  Your card this Sun cycle is the 7 of Air, Politics, and the message is “beware of false friends and deceptive people."  Unfortunately people lie and deceive and this month you want to be on guard and allow yourself to catch the red flags that often appear when someone is showing you a false front.  Also, be willing to ask yourself why you are attracting these people or this behavior at this time in your life. The lesson is "be wise about what you share with others and set proper boundaries."
Aquarius (January 21st to February 21st): Unconventional Stable Air fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best when you are authentic and unrepentant; you must learn quiet fortitude to manifest your best results.  Your card this Sun cycle is the 11th card of the Major Arcana, Breakthrough, and the message is "make change happen immediately and powerfully."  This cycle you will be called upon to act dramatically for your best interest and cannot be held back.  You will have a chance to make an explosive change in your life, perhaps in career or love or family.  When the chance presents, go all out!  The lesson is "some changes require blowing away your old patterns in dramatic fashion."  For you Aquarius Sun people this is not really a hard action to take!
Pisces (February 21st to March 21st): Imaginative Adaptable Water fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best connecting with others emotionally; you must learn toughness to manifest your best results.  Your card this Sun cycle is the 9 of Water, Laziness, and the message is "time to break a habit before it breaks you."  This card calls upon you to look at a specific emotional habit in your life, usually a particular relationship – mother, father, sibling, friendship, lover, or child – where there is an unhealthy and persistent pattern that is reaching a breaking point.  You have a chance to address it before it breaks of its own accord and does serious damage. The lesson is "do not take the path of least resistance."  Letting something slide over time simply builds resentment, which leads to much darker feelings, like anger and regret.

Monthly Tarotscope - Sagittarius Sun Cycle (November 21 to December 21)

Welcome to Tarotscope, a combination of Astrology and Tarot.  Each month I will draw a card for each sign of the Zodiac.  That card represents the meditation for the month for that Sun Sign.  The Sun Sign represents your Primary Drive in life, how you best manifest your Life Path, and how the light of the Sun energizes you each day. The Deck I am using this month is the Law of Attraction Tarot.

For Indian Hindu visitors: I practice Western Tropical astrology, so the Sun Signs are based on the months of the year rather than the Zodiac constellations, which have shifted over time.  If you were born between March 21st and April 21st, you will be an Aries in Western Tropical astrology instead of the Pisces you are in Vedic Sidereal astrology.  These systems are not mutually exclusive, each one teaches us something different about the spiritual condition and I find Indian clients pleasantly surprised by the new insight a Western reading of their chart provides.

Aries (March 21st to April 21st): Maverick Active Fire energy fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best independently; you must learn self-discipline to manifest your best results.  Your card this Sun cycle is the 6 of Swords and your message is "trust those around you."  You will find, at some time this month, you need to trust the people in your life, whether the situation involves family members, co-workers, friends, or the people of your community.  This lesson is a tough one for Aries, who likes to go it alone; but even a loner needs help sometimes.  The lesson is about "cultivating trust."  If you have the right people around you, you will safely make it through whatever challenge presents.	6 of Swords
Taurus (April 21st to May 21st): Persistent Stable Earth energy fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best when you feel secure; you must learn some degree of adaptability to manifest your best results. Your card this Sun cycle is the Prince of Swords and your message is "stay focused on what you are pursuing."  You will find throughout this Sun cycle that you need to keep your focus, a practice that comes to the Taurus spirit rather easily.  The lesson is about "catching what tries to be elusive."  The better your skill and the tighter your focus, the easier it will be to achieve what you want.  If what you want does elude you, then it is time to retrain yourself or work on making improvements to your skills.	Prince of Swords
Gemini (May 21st to June 21st): Curious Adaptable Air energy fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best doing tasks that stimulate your mind in a variety of ways; you must learn how to focus on demand to manifest your best results. Your card this Sun cycle is Justice and your message is "use logic to make your decisions."  You will find this Sun cycle that your decisions need to be considered with analysis and detachment, like a judge reviewing a case.  The more important the decision the greater the lesson for "choosing what is fair and just."  The feather represents truth and justice, and only the heart light with joy and honesty can balance the scale.  The heart with anger, jealousy, or vindictiveness throws the scale out of balance and prevents good outcomes.	Justice
Cancer (June 21st to July 21st): Nurturing Active Water fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best when you care-take yourself and others properly; you must learn "emotional balance" to manifest your best results.  Your card this Sun cycle is the Knight of Wands and your message is "relax and have fun."  You would do well to find some time to enjoy yourself, for yourself; it is the Cancer's natural tendency to overdo for others.  This card asks you to meditate on what you need to do for yourself.  The lesson is "appropriate selfishness."  Do not be afraid to indulge some pleasure that brings you joy; life will continue to move along if you take a break from fusing over everyone, at least long enough for you to recharge your energy reserves!	Knight of Wands
Leo (July 21st to August 21st): Strong-burning Stable Fire fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best when you are creative; you must learn structure to manifest your best results.  Your card this Sun cycle is the Prince of Pentacles and your message is "have a plan."  As you move through this Sun cycle it is important to "think before acting" and if you decide to take risk, make it "calculated risk."  Leo can easily get swept up in the moment and suddenly find himself or herself miles down stream without the paddle needed to steer clear of a high waterfall or raging rapids.  The lesson is "forethought saves the day."  A little planning actually increases the fun, and letting your head drive while your heart provides the energy will help you get done creatively what you want.	Prince of Pentacles
Virgo (August 21st to September 21st): Practical Adaptable Earth fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best when you get all the details in order; you must learn to "see the forest for the trees" to manifest your best results.  Your card this month is the 5 of Pentacles and your message is "do what you love well to get the results you want."  As you move through this Sun cycle turn your attention to your work and responsibilities and make sure you are putting forth your best effort.  If not, start doing so.  Virgos can see down to the smallest detail and thus miss the big picture unfolding around them.  The lesson is "do it for love, not out habit."  Reflect this month more on why you choose to do what you do than how you do what you do.	5 of Pentacles
Libra (September 21st to October 21st): Analytical Active Air fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best when acting logically; you must learn to mix in feelings to manifest your best results. Your card this Sun cycle is the High Priestess and her lesson is "wisdom through difficulty."  As you move through this Sun cycle you should honor the hard things that have happened in your life that have given you heightened awareness, deeper intuition, and greater insight.  This means feeling as well as analyzing.  Libra's gift is detachment in stressful or overly emotional situations, which is not always the best energy for emotional growth when life is just mundanely moving along.  The lesson is "integration."  How have you made great tasting lemonade from some of your life's lemons?	The High Priestess
Scorpio (October 21st to November 21st): Intense and Deep Stable Water fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best when bringing or experiencing transformation; you must learn "playfulness or lightness of heart" to manifest your best results.  Your card this Sun cycle is the 8 of Wands and the lesson is "putting things together the right way."  Like mixing a batter to get the right consistency and setting the oven to the proper temperature and cooking the batter the proper length of time, you should take care when working for a result that involves following steps in the right order, using the right combination, and proper patience.  The lesson is "there are no shortcuts."  "Measure twice, cut once," which is the motto of carpenters everywhere; that's the mantra you need to recall when you feel like you want to shorten or skip a step in a process.	8 of Wands
Sagittarius (November 21st to December 21st): Expansive Adaptable Fire fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best exploring openly and trying new experiences; you must learn to map and record your knowledge to manifest your best results. Your card this Sun cycle is Death and the lesson is "everything changes."  Like the butterfly emerging from the cocoon, any significant change that transpires this month should be welcomed, not resisted.  If it is a change you want, you may have to put in some strong effort to help it along.  If it is a change you do not want, fighting it could get your run over.  The lesson here is "those who adapt flourish and those who do not perish."  The only constant in the universe is change; flow with your changes, even the difficult ones, to enjoy success.	Death
Capricorn (December 21st to January 21st): Ambitious Active Earth fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best when you are setting and achieving goals; you must learn compassion to manifest your best results.  Your card this Sun cycle is the 2 of Pentacles and the lesson is "a choice without a clear winner."  Some choices do not present clear beneficial outcomes and we can become stifled when faced with a moment of choice and both present the same potential benefit or same loss.  Flipping a coin will get as good a result as hours of analysis, so flip the coin and move on!  The lesson is "the unclear path teaches us something too."  For decision and goal-driven Capricorn this can be a frustrating, but ultimately useful experience on the road to achievement.  Do not stay in the spot of the decision for long.	2 of Pentacles
Aquarius (January 21st to February 21st): Unconventional Stable Air fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best when you are authentic and unrepentant; you must learn quiet fortitude to manifest your best results.  Your card this Sun cycle is the Prince of Chalices and the message is "nothing ventured, nothing gained."  Come prepared but without expectations; the person at the door my have flowers, but we do not know the circumstances ... a first date, an apology, or an anniversary?  Whatever the outcome, a desire resides on the other side of the door, as does a mystery.  The lesson is "you never get a second chance to make a good impression."  For you Aquarius Sun people the most important thing to bring to the door is your true and honest self.	Prince of Chalices
Pisces (February 21st to March 21st): Imaginative Adaptable Water fuels your Primary Drive.  Your Life Path energy operates best connecting with others emotionally; you must learn toughness to manifest your best results.  Your card this Sun cycle is the 6 of Chalices and the message is "delayed gratification helps you achieve more of what you want."  In a world of easy credit and "you deserve it now (even though you don't)," this message can be challenging.  You need to save first, buy second.  And if you really want to learn the message, save more than you need and have excess before you buy.  The lesson is "good planning makes a long life easier."  Ultimately, you are responsible for your life and must contribute appropriately to be worthy of the things you need and want.	6 of Chalices

Upcoming Full Moon in Aries and Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio

October 18 to 21 will be a dynamic time.  On the 18th the Moon will be full in Aries, inviting all of us to assert our independence at a fundamentally emotional level wherever Aries rules our chart.  As the New Moon offers us a new beginning, the Full Moon brings those monthly beginnings to culmination, then declining as the Moon moves towards the end of its current cycle.  With the Sun in Libra until the 21st, this month is one about decisions, which we should all be using to bring any out-of-balance situations back into balance, or as close to balance as we can.  The Full Moon Aries energy will encourage you to express yourself independently, aggressively, and selfishly.  At its highest vibration, you recognize what you must do to be true to yourself and will feel the emotional push to take the necessary actions to protect or bring that truth forth.

In my case the Moon will be passing through my 6th house of Service, where a majority of Energy Points reside (Chiron, Venus, Mercury, Eris, Vulcan, Saturn, the North Node, and Sun).  I can expect a powerful impact from this Full Moon.  Each point will be charged emotionally for me to be assertive with my feelings as they relate to each part of my life that those points represent.  If there is action to take regarding healing my wound (Chiron), I will want to take it.  I will want to actively (Aries) do something to heal it.  If I am operating on the low end of this vibration, then I will likely take action to create or aggravate a wound.  Aries is the energy that will not take enough time in recovery or rehabilitation, resulting in a reopening of the wound.  I will face this high/low vibration test regarding my relationships (Venus), my communication (Mercury), my need to stir things up (Eris), my productivity (Vulcan), my patterns (Saturn), my stretch goal (North Node), and my primary drive (Sun).  If Aries is a dominant theme in your chart, then you can expect this Full Moon to have a powerful impact.

Right on the heels of the Full Moon, Mercury will go retrograde for the third and final time this year from October 21 to November 10 in Scorpio.  Scorpio deals with deep, intense emotions and Mercury represents our thoughts and how we communicate.  Mercury entered Scorpio on September 30, and thanks to the retrograde phase, will stay there until December 6, creating a very long period of Scopionic communication and thinking.  Do not be surprised if your thoughts take you to some of the deeper parts of your psyche, leading you to address issues as powerful as your mortality, or any unresolved subconscious problems.  You may find yourself on unplanned Shamanic psychological quests that require your undivided attention to resolve.  The retrograde phase only deepens the journey because it turns outward energy inward and demands that we slow down and address whatever issues the retrograde energy represents.  Uranus and Neptune will continue to be retrograde during this time, forcing us ever deeper into our own psychological issues.  

Mercury retrograde gets negative press because we are told to be hard driving all the time, so trying to go at life with a-business-as-usual approach is what actually causes the negative outcomes.  We are supposed to slow down, rest, review, take inventory, digest, and process during the Mercury retrograde.  If we can, we will enjoy its benefits and avoid its pitfalls.  While in Scorpio, this reflective energy is going to ask us to do all these things around the issues that transform us emotionally, like our most important relationships and our deepest secrets.  This can be a time to bring those secrets slowly and carefully to the light or bury them even deeper, depending on how we want to treat them.  With an Aries Full Moon it will be much harder to keep emotions tamped down and much easier for them to explode into full view.

Additionally, Saturn is currently making it's way through Scorpio as well, forcing all of us to evaluate our deep emotions and see what is working and what is not.  Depending on the location of Scorpio in your chart, this could mean evaluation of your identity, values, how you communicate with others, family, creativity, responsibilities, partnerships, intimate relationship, expertise, career, community, or spirituality.  I get all my Scorpio fun in the 1st house of identity.  This next month will be one of deep introspection and reorganization of my identity terrain.  If you happen to have any birth energy points in this sign, they will get "touched" by Mercury and it will force you to think about that energy at the deepest level.  I have already spent a fair amount of time digging deep into my commitments (Juno, from mid-September to now) and how I want to communicate with those people I am committed to, especially my daughter.

In general, expect to feel especially intense while Mercury and Saturn share time in this sign.  Saturn will remain there until December of 2015.  Luckily Mercury will be done by December 6 of 2013!

New Moon Wishing: Astrology Applied

I thought it would be fun to do some applied astrology by way of Jan Spiller's New Moon Astrology: The Secrets of Astrological Timing to Make All Your Dreams Come True.  The new Moon in Virgo arrives on 9/5 at 6:38am and offers wish fulfillment opportunities for the areas that Virgo rules (Spiller, p.84): physical health/diet/exercise, work/job, efficient organizing, clear discrimination, helpfulness, order, and relaxing perfectionism (yes, that last one requires a bit of "suspension of disbelief").  I am going to outline the basic tenants of the wish practice she presents in the book, but I highly recommend purchasing and reading the book in full if you want more detail about the practice.

The new and full Moons are powerful times in our yearly life cycle, so it's not surprising that astrology would unlock a potential opportunity to use the timing of these events to make positive changes in your life.  As with any practice that offers tangible outcomes, certain steps must be taken to move the energy correctly in  your favor.  First among these steps is the timing of the wish(es); the best time to make the wish(es) is the 48 hours prior to the new Moon (in this case 9/3 after 6:38am through 9/5).  Approaching energy is always stronger than Separating energy.  Spiller has observed that the 48 hours after the full Moon still has power, but not as much as the preceding.

Next the wish(es) have to fit the parameters of the sign of the new Moon, in this case Virgo.  Aries energy focuses on (Spiller, p. 48): new beginnings, self-focus, innocence/authenticity, self-discovery, independence, courage, and disengaging self-absorption.  You want to make the wish(es) this month around the themes ruled by Virgo, not Aries or any of the other signs.  Next, you must hand write the wish(es), not type them or speak them.  Spiller herself admits this step comes from practice, not theory, "I have no idea why this is important, but years of experience with wishes have shown what does and does not work." (p. 8).  Her directions are as follows:

• Do write your wishes down by hand each month.
• Do NOT write more than 10 wishes on any one Power Day (the 2 days before and 2 days after the exact full Moon).
• Do write more than one wish on each Power Day.
• Do date and keep your wish lists.

Wording of the wish(es) matters and Spiller offers the following style of phrasing to get the energy properly aligned.  For this sign, a wish around health could begin, "I want to easily find myself doing _________ (aerobic exercise/yoga/weight lifting/etc)." (p. 85).  For your job, "I want to easily find myself creating a routine that gives me plenty of time for work, play, time with my family, and ___________." (p. 86).  For order, "I want to find myself creating neatness and order in my home." (p. 86).  For critical discrimination, "I want to easily find myself effectively responding to external crisis without inner tension."  Any Virgo theme can be the focus of your wish(es).

Like the Law of Attraction, this practice requires an understanding of larger issues in management of energy.  For example, "You can't make wishes that will affect the behavior or self-determination of another - experience has shown me [Spiller] that it simply doesn't work." (p. 13).  She goes on to write:

However, you can make wishes for changes in your own behavior relative to that person that will open the way for a change in them.  For example, wishes like: "I want Steve to fall in love with me" are not likely to come true.  However, you can say: "I want to easily find myself saying the right words to Steve that evoke feelings of love in our relationship"; or "I want all inner resistance to experiencing happiness and love in my relationship with Steve easily lifted from me."

Proper and appropriate intention matter, as does the alignment of the wishes with your larger astrological purpose.  You can have all the proper and appropriate intention and wording for your wishes, but if they do not align with your astrological themes, they will not manifest.  Case in point, I pulled out my wishes during the new Moon in Pisces in 2010 (3/16/2010 at 6:35am - the date and time I wrote them; the new Moon exact was 3/15/2010 at 4:05pm).  Most of my wishes that morning involved my astrology and tarot practice (spiritual themes aligned with Pisces and my highest good by way of my astrology chart); but one involved moving, which had two flaws - 1) it was really a Sagittarius or Taurus wish and 2) it did not align with my highest good because it would have removed me from an ideal location to practice my astrology and tarot.  The wish was, "I wish for land with water (a lake) and rich farming soil to be available within 50 miles or less (of my current location) and our family to be ready to purchase it as soon as possible."  

Now the more appropriate wishes did manifest, including: "I wish for deep insights into my spiritual and professional practices of astrology and tarot" and "I wish for astrology and tarot clients happy and willing to pay my fees who need to reach me this year" (snuck a little Capricorn into that last one!).

So, want to give it a shot?  I chose to write each wish individually on note cards; you can use whatever written material you want.  I also have a box set aside for my note cards, a sturdy wooden one, where I store them.  Keeping the wishes in a location you can go back to will give you a chance to put the practice to the test.  Not all wishes manifest immediately; my client wish is just now coming to full fruition because other factors had to align, but it was a good wish, properly expressed from my heart; and those are the ones the universe helps develop and grow.  Keep your wishes focused on Virgo themes: the practical, service, and day-to-day responsibilities.  The main theme of the Virgo month (8/23 to 9/22 this year) is "getting things in order."  One of my wishes tomorrow or the next day will be to "easily find the energy to regularly write my blog entries!"

Full Moon in Aquarius

The moon will be full today at 6:45PM, but its effects are felt most powerfully over a three day span (8/19 to 8/21). During its time in Aquarius 8/20 to 8/21, we will process emotions through the energy of Air; we will be cerebral about our feelings. Aquarius processes thought with a focus on authenticity, idealism, community, and originality, and does so with Air's usual sense of detachment. We are like a scientist looking our emotions, evaluating what comes up during this full moon. Aquarius is also a fixed sign, so it organizes ... cardinal Air (Libra) initiates and mutable Air (Gemini) adapts. In general you will likely find yourself comparing your current feelings about a situation, relationship, or belief to an idealized thought about the best way a situation, relationship, or belief should manifest.

The farther the reality from the ideal, the more the discomfort. To resolve any difference between the Aquarian ideal and the lived reality, we are called upon to be authentic with our feelings. Being authentic will help us move towards, if not achieve, the ideal. We must also evaluate the ideal and honestly determine if some close approximation is possible or if a more radical change is required to address our feelings. Say you are in an unhealthy relationship and the ideal is a healthy one, but no amount of authentic expression on your part is going to change the circumstances that are making the relationship unhealthy. You know, for example, healthy relationships do not have alcoholic partners and during this full moon phase you can see, with scientific clarity, that your alcoholic partner does not think he or she is an alcoholic. The authentic expression of your feelings may finally lead you to end the relationship in order to give yourself a real chance to have a more idealistic and healthy relationship.

The key to any understanding of an Energy Point transit (Moon in Aquarius) is knowledge of your own chart and where Aquarius has influence over that area of your chart. In my case, Aquarius covers my 4th House of Family and Roots. In particular, it will be passing over Astraea (the Energy Point of Community, and the only Energy Point in my 4th House and Aquarius) and forcing up my need to evaluate my feelings about not only my family, but my most important community members (friends). I find myself, today, thinking about the structure of my most personal relationships and how well they fit or are tracking towards/away from my ideals. The relationships and the interactions in my relationships that do not match with what I envision (Aquarius) as the best of those relationships will bring emotional discomfort that I can choose to address or ignore at this time. Best to address it. Relationships that are close to or meeting my ideal vision will feel particularly great during this full Moon phase. And thanks to human complexity, we will be able to hold space for both experiences. If the negative ones, however, significantly outweigh the positive ones, this may be the ideal time for some authentic expression that changes the circumstances supporting and perpetuating the negative feelings.

Return

Hello all,

I've been away for a while, but am now returning in full force.  I have updated my primary website (http://www.blackunykorn.com) and started a new coaching/web design/document editing site (http://www.philipyoungphd.com).  I plan to blog regularly on various astrology and tarot topics, especially the major current energies in play.

I am now embracing my role as an astrologer and tarot reader full time.  I have expanded my astrological services, especially adding astrocartography ... location/relocation/travel astrology, which is proving to be a much sought after product.

My first astrological book is complete and now in process with an editor and publisher.  I hope to have a copy in hand by the first of next year.

Best to all,

Philip Young, PhD