A Time For All Things Under The Heaven

The summer months sped by and I turned my attention to things of the earth. Living in Winnipeg, we always feel rather frantic to cram as much activity as we can into the time of the year when the weather is warm and the sun is shining.

But what a summer we have had! Along with the heat, we have had more rain that I can remember! In my yard at the north side of the city are 4 apples trees, real apples,not crabs and this year the apple fairy decided that they would produce apples galore! As the little round orbs started to swell, the branches of my trees began to bend. One morning I looked out and saw that one of the trees in my front yard was literally scraping the ground with her branches, like a dancer doing a deep bow at the end of her performance.

Oh, my goodness, I thought to myself. Being of Eastern European extraction, I started to fret about the quantity of apples and whether i could actually utilize them all appropriately. Waste not, want not, dontcha know!

I now have explored and experimented with every kind of apple related preserve and other application that I could find in my various cookbooks and on the net. I have apples jelly, apple pie in a jar, apple sauce with flavours of various kinds added to it, apple juice, baggies of dried apple slices and apple leather which, even though I am not a big lover of that kind of thing, is pretty tasty.

But there is only so much of the above that one can make and I started to feel desperate! Then my daughter who is a facebook junkie posted my situation on her site, putting out a call to one and all to come and get the apples. I had, of course been giving them out all along but what I discovered was that no one wanted more than a bag or two. That just wasn't going to cut it this year! We did haul about a dozen boxes off to Winnipeg Harvest but apparently we weren't the only ones doing that! But the call was heard and at the end of the season, James showed up and took away the last remains of the crop of 2010 to the horse farm where he and the kids he works with go to feed the horses. I think that those horses had a little feast this year!

And I have almost 200 jars of various types of canning with more to come since I still have beets and tomatoes to deal with. Last week I put half of the garden to bed. The day was warm and sunny and the smell of the fall was all around me. I don't know what I like better, the fresh tangyness of the spring or the sweet scent of the autumn. Summer can be too hot by half and winter, well, we all know what its like in Winnipeg in the winter!

So I didn't do a lot of writing over the last few months, none to post at any rate. You can still catch me in the Aquarian--I had articles in both of the last two issues and I'm working on something for the winter issue as well--but I haven't been doing a lot of other writing. I just posted a Leo blog to complete the cycle of the 12 zodiac signs so the archives have a few thoughts on different ways to look at each energy as it comes round in the year.

I will give some thought as to what I want to explore next blogwise so keep checking in from time to time if you are interested int he starry skies and how they mirror this muddle here on earth!

In the meantime, have a great fall, get ready for solstice and be blessed!

For The Love Of Leo

It’s that time again! The Sun, that big beautiful ball of lovely light that warms and nourishes us, is transiting the zodiac sign of Leo. So, all you “Leo’s”, have a happy one!

Most astrologers co-relate this fiery fixed sign with love, birth, creativity, power, luck and romance! Sounds pretty attractive to me! Leo is aligned to the 5th house in the natural wheel of the zodiac thus endowing that segment of the horoscope with Leo-like attitudes. If, for instance, you are not born under the sign of Leo but have a lot of your planets in the 5th house, especially the personal ones like the Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars; you may approach life in a Leonine way. Of course, the actual sign that any of these personals is in will modify the way you actually behave. For instance, you might be a “5th house Capricorn”. Capricorn is much more sedate, more reserved than Leo so you might be creative, but quietly so, romantic, but with some reserve, powerful, but in a dignified way.

Leo’s opposite sign is Aquarius and according to the law of polarity, duality is the underlying resonance of all manifestation. Applying this to the zodiac then, we can see that the energies that sit ‘across’ from each other in the zodiac wheel ideally work in harmony with each other and the ebb and flow of anything is regulated by polarity forces. While Leo brings focus to all that is primarily personal—the ‘me’ factor, Aquarius brings focus to all that is primarily collective—the ‘we’ factor. So, the intention of anyone with a focus in Leo is to find a way to pull in the energy of that opposite force. So, Leo, what can YOU do for the greater whole? What is the focus in your life that relates to community? What is the gift that you bring to society?

Leo loves the limelight and who is it that is able to give the limelight? The collective, of course! If Leo has no audience for the sheer magnificence of his manifestation, well, then, he might just lazily lie around doing nothing and basking in the noonday sun!

The shadow side of Leo is the tendency to rest on ones’ laurels and on a deeper level, a sense of entitlement. There is a reason why one of the archetypes linked to Leo is “The Royal” or “The Aristocrat”. Taken too far, this self-image can cause trouble in Leo’s life and relationships. The all powerful ME can eat up a lot of space in any room, leaving little for anyone else. Here is where the simple use of principled love can minimize the tendency to move into the shadow side of this energy. Love for the sake of love itself can help to refocus the Leo persona that has gotten caught up in ego concerns, become overly invested in the drama and as a result lost sight of what is actually real and true. Again, pulling in the Aquarian ideal, that sense of collective power rather than singular power, can be helpful to balance out any preoccupation with self. Not to say that the self should not be served! Naturally, it is through the self that we all get things done so let’s not be too quick in battering the ego senseless! The key is common sense at all times. By all means use your ego gifts but keep focused on what is really true, what is really real.

For the last while, Leo energy has been activated through opposition by Neptune. The God of Water has now moved into the last 5 degrees of Aquarius so Leo’s born after August 15 will be most affected by this nebulous and sometimes impenetrable energy. If this is you, you could experience confusion, ennui, spiritual illumination or triggering of spiritual response within yourself. Neptunian energy, best described, is…somewhat indescribable. The best strategy when the clouds and fog begin to gather around you is to go within and work on faith. Trust that your feet will find the way through and don’t over think as this will certainly tire you out. Neptune transits are ideal for dream work, journeying, guided visualizations and, on a more mundane level, R&R. What your psyche is trying to tell you is that it is time for a break. Take it. If you have the kind of energy that demands productivity, then apply yourself to something creative like stream of consciousness writing or brainstorming prospective projects. These fun kinds of activities lend themselves much more to this kind of Neptune time than detail oriented work. If you find that you are having difficulty keeping your mind focused, this may be a signal to you to just let go of focus for a bit. Neptune is like that! As the higher octave of Venus, this is gentle and responsive energy so attempting to push yourself into action may well be working contra to what your soul is asking of you.

Because both Mercury and Venus are often not far from the Sun, you may be one of those late degree Leo’s with either one or both of these planets there also. If this is so, then the Neptune transit will be heightened for you. And, if you were born on either the New or Full Moon, well then! You will really be feeling this transit, since the Moon represents, in part, the emotional body. New Moon Leo’s may be experiencing emotional confusion and discombobulation while Full Moon Leo’s may be experiencing an identity crisis. To deal with the emotional fall-out of this energetic transit, focus on moving within to the center of your heart—a great place for Leo. Work on building that love energy, fortifying the heart chakra. Visualizing a soft pink glow around the heart center can calm the confusion of the identity crisis and bring balance to the wobbly self.

All transits eventually pass the energy points in question so just be mindful of this fact of physics—time moves along. And as time moves along, just keep working proactively with the energy of dissolvement (Neptune) and trust that what is left after the water has receded, is what you wanted all along anyway. Alchemically, the drek is washed away repeatedly in order to get to the ‘gold’. For you Leo’s this may be a trifle more challenging than for some others since identity, ego, self, however you may want to express it, are important things for you. If you are aware of this, it will be easier for you to move through the ‘transit’. Evolutionary Astrology subscribes to the concept that all energetic movement starts within and that the soul has mapped out potential pathways for itself through the auspices of the many and varied choices that a given ego can make. So, if you are experiencing the various kinds of things described here, it is because your soul wanted it that way. It is your experience to be worked as and how you wish to. It is not happening to you but rather, YOU are making it happen. The real question is, what are you going to do about it?



Everyone has Leo somewhere in their psyche as represented by the birth mandala. And whenever the Sun transits any energy, that part of the psyche is illuminated—brought out into the light, so to speak. This next month or so, the Sun is transiting through Leo according to the tropical system of astrology. As I have often stated when discussing this subject of transits, each cosmic connection is necessarily personal. (Yes, yes, there is the whole issue of the collective consciousness but that is another topic!) So, in some ways, transit reports can only give the reader a general sense of what is going on since that reader has her own unique energetic construct that is interacting with the energy swirling around her. The way to get the ‘most’ out of following the stars is to have a familiarity with one’s own natal horoscope so that one can follow the star crossings with the mind’s eye.

So, picture your natal mandala (birth chart) and plop the transiting Sun into that area of your chart that is described by Leo. Wherever that is, it is this area of life that will be under the spotlight for the next month or so. Even if you have no formal training in astrology, you can begin to track external events and then go back to the diagram and see if anything makes sense. This is called the ‘observation and co-relation’ method of learning, experiential learning.

The horoscope can be divided into 4 quadrants, two below the central dividing line (ascendant/descendant) and two above. Even just noting which one of these 4 quadrants is being ‘lit up’ can be very revealing. Remember, wherever the Sun is transiting in your personal horoscope as it moves through the Zodiac sign of Leo is where your psyche reflects the properties of Leo. This is the area of life that you may approach in a Leo-like way.

So, if the Sun falls somewhere in the lower left hand side of the wheel, you may well be feeling somewhat preoccupied with your own personal concerns. Your sense of self-worth is something that has always been important to you so you may be thinking about what you really want to do with yourself, what holds true value for you, what you have on your mind and just exactly how to express it so that you are properly understood. If you have Leo in this area, you could well be an imaginative and creative thinker, get ‘big’ ideas. The Sun’s transit of this area could trigger ideas that you can explore or develop.

If in the second quadrant, your focus may be turned to family issues, love, romance and fun, or how to energize your own work life. Having Leo energy in this area of the psyche suggests an individual who has a flair for family life or is an artist or works in a creative field. This could be an individual who loves intensely, has a desire to express herself on a creative level and approaches her work with zest and panache. All of these sorts of concerns, then, would take center stage at this transit time.

When the Sun is transiting the 3rd quadrant, you may well feel less self-oriented and more concerned with others, their relationship to you, how to maximize your relationships and where you can take any given relationship may all be of concern to you. You may find yourself dealing with issues of power, control, even life and death or taxes. This could be a good time to sign up for a course that you have wanted to take for a while or just buy a book on an esoteric subject.

Finally, when the Sun lights up the 4th quadrant of the mandala, you are ready to rock! You may feel the need to be seen, noticed, remarked upon. You could find yourself getting more involved in social issues, community work, or even just partying. On a more spiritual level, you may find that you have the urge to more completely align your outer self with your inner set of values. At some point, when the Sun transits this sector, most everyone needs to take a breath or two. Track yourself. Monitor your body rhythms. Pay attention!

Leo is the energy of expression, joy, creativity in both physical and emotional ways and more subtly, the need for recognition; the need for affirmation, approval and ultimately, the urge to both draw love and express love. The absolutely first step into Leo is the plunge into SELF-LOVE. If we are not able to wholeheartedly love ME, it is, indeed, impossible to draw the kind of love from others that we need so that we can feed our soul.

Enjoy these next few weeks of light and joy. Find your little Leo self—each of us has this energy somewhere in all that clutter—and explore the sheer joy of being you!

Cancedr: The Great Embrace

Cancer: The Great Embrace

Summer Solstice!

The time of the ‘great light’ here in the northern hemisphere is upon us. We have arrived at the ‘Full Moon’ point of the yearly cycle. At Winter Solstice, we were at the point of ‘least light’, with the days short and the nights long. This point can be co-related to the New Moon. If you go outside at New Moon and look into the sky, you will see stars but no trace of Luna. It appears that the sky is moonless! New Moon time is the seeding time, a time of gestation, womblike, mysterious and fertile. On the other hand, Full Moon is a time of revelation, fruition and manifestation. This is a natural cycle of becoming and does not alter in its flow. First comes seeding and birth, the beginning, followed by an unfolding until that point of full manifestation occurs so that all is revealed. The celestial sphere mirrors this cycle beautifully, as a reminder to us to pay attention to the natural cycles of being around us.

In the northern hemisphere, winter drives most of us inward, we slow down and even, for some, hibernate, metaphorically speaking. This meditative state can facilitate the birth of new projects, new mind sets, new protocols. After the gestation period, we start to implement until finally, we see the results of all of our dreaming and activity. So, if you follow the flow of energy mindfully, you can take a moment now, as we approach the Summer Solstice, and review for yourself, how you have worked with your own cycle of growth. Did you set any specific goals back in December? (New Year’s resolutions could serve for this purpose.) How have those goals or resolutions formed so far? Are there aspects of your own unfolding reality that need adjustment and refinement? If you are a journal keeper, you can look back at your December and January entries and note how you have evolved over the past few months, how initial ideas have changed, how your perspective of situations has shifted. Now is a good time to make some evaluations and necessary adjustments!

It is now, as the Sun enters Cancer that the cycle shifts into waning of light. The days will begin to shorten and slowly we will move into the dark. But, for now, for these glorious sun filled days we are bathed in the light and warmth of summer.

Cancer is one of the Water signs, flowing, emotional and sensitive. It is also a cardinal energy, keyed to movement, relatively swift in its reactions and attuned to growth. The element of Water is usually associated with the emotional body and Cancer does indeed correlate to the breast area of the physical body as well as the stomach. The breasts are the outer layer of the heart area, suggesting a connection here with love and nurturing. The stomach, of course, is critical to our well-being, since we need nourishment in order to live and Cancer is the nourisher.

The celestial object associated with Cancer is the Moon. Constantly shifting above us in the sky, the Moon is the least constant heavenly body except for, perhaps, the comets and meteors. At any given moment, we can look up and see a transforming Moon, first a little sliver, then a delicate crescent, then a whole half pie, then a humped back old woman and finally, the full fat globe that rivals the sun—sort of…☺ The Moon’s changeable nature lends insight into something important about Cancer. This is an energy that is constantly flowing from form to form. On an ego level, this could manifest as a certain moodiness, a restlessness that could appear as irritation. If you have an accentuated Cancer energy in your psyche, you must honour your very real need to follow your feeling nature and if you feel grumpy, it might be that you just need some down time to unwind and re-integrate. Experientially, Cancer types are absorbent, like a sponge and as a result, must take the time to sort through the wide array of emotions that they take in through their skin. Once this is understood, both by the Cancer types and their loved ones, life gets much easier to bear. The old scripture that tells us about there being a “season for everything under the sun” is particularly true about the Cancerian experiential process. Laughter is often followed by tears and sorrow leads to peace…and swiftly.

Cancer is found in the 4th house of the natural wheel of the Zodiac. This 4th house is all about the deep things of the personal, where we come from, where we are, in theory, most comfortable or, at the very least, where we better come to some sort of terms of agreement, our deepest emotions and our impulse to nest, to build home and family, to be ultimately who we truly are. It is the ego in search of its roots. No wonder that Cancer is attuned to caregiving and nurturing. One of the archetypes that comes to mind when talking about this energy is The Mother. Of course, just what kind of a mother springs forth from the Cancer soul is quite another matter. We can witness the controlling mother, the detached mother, the oppressive mother, the ineffective mother, the monster mother and so forth. The maternal demonstration is entirely dependant on other factors in the natal structure! However, with mindfulness and intention, the strongly cancer type can find her way into the arms of the ‘Model Mother’ who nurtures just enough to give support without eating her young one up!

The symbol for Cancer is The Crab. Here is the little creature who, basically, carries his house around with him. Think about this for a moment. What is a home, really? Is it a place or is it a feeling? For Cancer, it is the feeling of Home that is of paramount importance, thus the image of the little crab, trucking around all that is familiar and secure wherever he goes. And, as long as there is a sense of security, then the Cancer type can really step out and shine. It is only when she does not feel safe that she recedes into her ‘shell’ to hide away from the world.

The Partner sign to Cancer is Capricorn. Winter solstice occurs when the Sun moves into Capricorn, exactly 6 months after Summer Solstice. Where Cancer is soft and emotional, Capricorn is all business. Where Cancer can typify the feminine side of parental care, Capricorn is the disciplinarian, the task master. While we recede into the security of our own space in Cancer, we face the external world in Capricorn and carve out a place for ourselves in society under the auspices of that energy! Together, working in harmony, we see a complete picture of the self, both private and public, in here and out there. Cancer is, as I mentioned, a water sign. Capricorn is an earth sign. When you mix water and earth, you get mud which, with some expertise, can be made into bricks and bricks, after all, are what make up a building, a home, a structure to be safe in and for all the world to see. What a fitting metaphor for the energy of Cancer/Capricorn!

Next month, I will revisit the energy of Leo and the glorious Sun, the romance of the 5th house and all that sort of thing. In the meantime, relax, kick back and enjoy the summer warmth. It only comes around once a year!

Astrology and the Age of Reason

The birth mandala is a representation of the energetic potential of any given individual. By understanding it & studying it, we can get insight into our internal mechanisms of behaviour & into possible blockages to action & avenues of release. Not only that, but the possibilities of the outworking of any energetic patterns inherent in the mandala can be discerned, so much so that many astrologers are able to use the basic mandala as a predictive tool for their clients.

For centuries the study of this archetypal representation of the self & the soul force behind it, has focused on the specific patterns of relationship as demonstrated by the planetary energies of choice. We can look at the planetary points as areas of high focus either in the form of a blessing or in the form of a challenge, but we should not exclude the potential that is available to us in the rest of the mandala even though it may not be engaged with personal planets and asteroids, targeted by fixed stars or involved in aspect structures. As we move collectively into a potential energetic future (often referred to as the Aquarian Age), we should strive to open ourselves to a shift in how we view energy & our own unique inter-facing with that energy. Why should we be restricted to trines, squares, oppositions or any other so-called aspects? Just because we may appear to be a compilation of a certain zodiacal ‘family’, Fire, Earth Air or Water, why should we limit ourselves to this energy? Just because the obvious focus of a life may be on certain areas of enterprise, why should we feel that we cannot explore other areas of life as well? The concept of transits is familiar to anyone who works with astrological tools & it is time to expand that understanding to include the whole mandala of 360* of energetic potential.

With the advent of the Age of Reason, humans began to push the bar in terms of how they viewed existence. The scientific method did free us in many ways. Certainly, social hierarchy met its demise, though slowly & it can be argued that it is still in its death throes even now. Nevertheless, the scientific model did much to equalize the playing field. Opportunities for advancement were opened up & even the so-called lowest member of society was able to advance to a place in the sun. Magic was, in some cases, explained through careful experimentation & exploration using the newly understood formulae & newly derived ‘scientific methods’. However, the Age of Reason also brought in some negative repercussions. Reductionist thinking & rationalism really led to a shutting down of an important, dare I say, even essential aspect of human existence, the intuitive side of life. Rather than just explaining Magic, science actually contributed to the eradication of the possibility of Magic for the collective. Only that which could be measured was considered ‘real’.

If a possibility is excluded from the psyche, it cannot, in fact, manifest. Form follows thought. Interestingly, science has now brought the collective back to possibility with the new ideas that are coming from the clearly unscientific area of quantum physics! (Using their own definitions, of course.)

We live in a time of widening possibility; a time of a magical renewal of the fullest of human potential. We are beginning to see the universe as an organic whole that encompasses many different ways of being, a multi-leveled existence. If the universe itself is viewed as an organism, and integrally linked to all other lesser organisms, this single realization or thought can dramatically alter the way we, as sentient parts of that organic whole behave. This is certainly the force that is fueling the ecological movement, all humanitarian actions and socio-political movements that seek to create unity & coherent interaction between member states; even scientific breakthroughs that serve to improve the human condition for all members of the earth. We are beginning to think of ourselves & the universe in which we reside as one holistic reality which survives, thrives or expires in entirety.

Part of this growing awareness, this wider perception of reality, of life, of ourselves, relates directly to how we can use the tool of astrology. We want to begin to look at the mandala in a holistic way. Of course, when doing a chart interpretation, a good astrologer already does this to an extent. The sum is, often, greater than the parts that added up to it. A good astrologer has to make intuitive leaps & judgments. The great debate over astrology is as a result of the fact that “Magic” is involved in chart understanding & delineation; that same “Magic” that the Age of Reason so effectively shut down. It is only because we attempt to shove astrological detective work into the scientific model that the debate arises. This is not to say that astrologers should throw out their Mercury (reasoning) function & rely completely on a Uranian or Neptunian modality (intuition & inspiration) to do chart work. That would also be counterproductive to the spirit of holism. Now is the time to call a truce between the two opposing factions, the right side of the human brain and the left side of it. The intuitive process works best when well supported by a clear logical thinking process. An incisive mind can really soar to great heights when fueled by intuitive understanding. And really, the greatest of human achievements have always been made using both of these functions. (Einstein ‘dreamed’ his theory of relativity during an afternoon nap!)

So, for the modern astrologer, it is imperative to look at any energy system, as represented by the horoscope (birth mandala) in a whole way. This opens up multi-leveled doors of opportunity for the person in question. Once a possibility is explored, it has much more likelihood of taking form through the interaction of the ego with the energy available to it! Any horoscope encompasses all 360* of the Wheel of Life—the Zodiac and at any given moment in time, there is interaction of energy somewhere within this wheel, as representative of the psyche. Here is a very simple illustration. Maybe you were born when the Sun was in the Zodiac sign of Cancer, (its current location, by the way). That simply means that your birthday falls somewhere between June 21 and July 23. Cancer is linked to two other signs of the Zodiac by element and three other signs by modality. Suddenly, whole new possibilities are opened! A person with Sun in Cancer can also feel energetic activation through her connection to the 2 other energies linked to Cancer by element, Scorpio & Pisces, and the 3 other energies linked to Cancer by modality, Aries, Libra & Capricorn. Possibly, she may not have any actual planetary archetypes in any of these areas of the Zodiac but she will, nevertheless, still feel something since energy is like a wave, not something rigid and fixed. This example is merely one way that energy could be experienced. However, each and every one of the 360* of the horoscope is in relationship with the whole wheel of degrees, in every moment of consciousness. How could it be any other way? We are whole beings within ourselves and part of a whole system of being that holds us all. Everything connects with everything. The poet, John Donne, expressed this idea in the following words;
“No man is an island…”
How right he was and on a much more profound level than we may have understood when we first read those words!

How exciting this concept is! We are so much more than what we ever thought we were! We are not limited! We truly are infinite possibility! We may have shut the door on the magic of the metaphysical as The Age of Reason took hold, but, we have now found our way back to that door through the discoveries made about the nature of reality, existence and energy through the very tools of the Age of Reason that once shut that magical door.

To explore your own possibility and potential using the Astrological Method and especially with a focus on this new way to look at the birth mandala, contact me @ christinaraiw@gmail.com. Together we will step through those magical doors of perception and discover a whole new you!

Gemini: An Elegance of Mind

Gemini: An Elegance of Mind

As the Sun apparently moves through that part of the heavens that we can see with our physical eyes, students of astrology can locate the zodiac sign through which it is ‘transiting’ (seemingly moving). So, at various times of the year, we can say, “Oh, the Sun is moving through Aries, or Taurus or (as we now approach the end of May), Gemini…”

Of course, the Sun does not move around the Earth; rather, the Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun, creating a Solar System which itself marks an orbital path, but this time on a much larger scale, around the galactic center. This galactic center is merely the heart of one of many such systems that comprise the universe. Yes, we live in a physical reality that seems, to us mere mortals, to be an infinite place of unending possibilities. It is up to us to perceive this potential and then to explore the possibilities and turn them into probabilities and realities as and how we are able to.

For our simple human purposes, we can happily spend a whole lifetime just focusing on the here and now of this Solar System and our place in it. Maybe one day, we will once again be able to call ourselves true citizens of the universe or even whatever lies beyond what we designate the universe to be but for now, the solar system feels big enough for search and exploration. The signs that make up what we call the Zodiac, are representative of what we see from our vantage point on Gaia. Over many centuries of observation, our foremothers came to designate the twelve signs that we can recognize by name. Myths grew out of the experiential process and attached themselves to individual ‘signs’ and these myths gave insight into the nature of the energy of a given zodiac sign. We are, after all, the sum of our stories. Observers co-related celestial events to events on earth, further fleshing out our understanding of the various signs and planets. Everyone has heard of the heightened emotions that can manifest at the time of the Full Moon. This is merely one example of how observation and co-relation works. We experience something specific and even measurable, we pause and take note of our environment and over time we observe a certain consistency between what we experience and the environment that exists at the time of that particular experience. Thus, using the example of the Full Moon, centuries of data supports the idea that when the Moon is at this point in its cycle, there appears to be an increase in the emotional charge in the minds and hearts of collective humanity here on Earth. As an Evolutionary Astrologer, I understand that this is the ‘mirroring’ effect described centuries ago in the expression, “as above, so below”. We are all a part of a unified field; a reality that is interconnected and interdependent. Nothing stands alone in this web of existence. As we turn our eyes to the sky, we are looking into a reflection of ourselves. Whatever we observe in the heavens above is merely a concrete representation of what is at work within our singular body systems. How simple! How complex!

And now, back to the light and lovely energy that we call Gemini! As I mentioned last month, the flow of energy follows an unchangeable pattern, moving from Fire, into Earth, and then on through Air. Gemini is the Air sign that comes after Taurus. The impulse that was born in Aries, and began to take form and consolidate in Taurus, now is ready to take flight and conceptualize in Gemini. This is the stage where that forming impulse begins to be intellectualized, verbalized, communicated and through the dialogue involved, adjusted. If we do not understand what we are creating, it will never come to a full fruition, no matter the scope of the energy or the shape of its form. We exist to interact for the most part, to share and to exchange with each other. For most humans, community is a centralizing force for the developing self. It is through networking that we expand ourselves, adapt ourselves and stretch beyond whatever limitations we may think that we have. Dialogue, at its most productive level, sheds light on otherwise foggy thinking. Who has not had the experience of suddenly having that ‘aha’ moment of understanding because of a comment that someone else makes? Through posing the question, through expressing doubt we find our way into knowledge and eventually, maybe, even faith. This is Gemini.

It is the mind that seeks understanding of whatever is taking form. It is through the intellectual process that we begin to formulate the parameters of our world. Gemini is that energy that reflects the thirsty mind.

This is a mutable energy indicating fluidity and malleability. It can bend itself into whatever shape is available to it and it is exactly through this process that it actually seeks its own form. The planet associated with Gemini is Mercury, designated in myth to be ‘the messenger’. Again, just this little piece of data increases our understanding of this energy. Messengers bring information. Information can greatly illuminate and enhance and even change perception. The more pieces of information that we get and integrate, the greater our fundamental understanding of whatever it is that we are exploring.
Gemini is the energy of investigation and it has a hunger for unending bits and pieces of data. No one conclusion satisfies the Gemini need to expand its perceptions. Sometimes designated as being curious, the real motivation for this curiosity is not merely growth but metamorphosis. As the Gemini persona explores, investigates, samples, tastes and discards, the very nature of its reality organically changes. Think of a butterfly that has a garden of delights to explore. There is a beauty and elegance in the intricacies of the butterfly’s flight from flower to flower. There is no partiality. Each flower is, in itself, beautiful, not lesser than or greater than any other flower. In Nature, the butterfly is one of the most delicate and adored of creatures. We never denigrate the butterfly’s need to flit from bloom to bloom. Rather, we revel in watching its progress as it samples the nectar of every blossom it can. So, if you have someone in your life with a focus of Gemini in their psyche, support their desire to embrace a multitude of experiences, honour their need to move into change and shift on every level. Keep in mind that they are acting from a deep inner need to move beyond all limitations and restrictions.

Astrologically, we understand that all energy is connected in some manner. One of the primary connections within the wheel of the zodiac is the polarity relationship defined by the 180* aspect. To understand any of the 12 energies, we must also integrate the nature of whatever energy stands across from it within the wheel. Gemini’s partner is Sagittarius. Just as Gemini has the need to search and explore in what may appear to be a random manner, when we dig into Sag, we see this very same impulse at work. But in Sag, there is a certainty as opposed to the ambivalence and skepticism of Gemini. And the balance between certainty and skepticism lies in a goodly amount of challenge and questioning.

“You can be certain of what you think you know, Sag,” says Gemini, “but I intend to keep on looking!”

So, the faith of Sag is balanced by the doubt of Gemini. It is doubt that propels the soul to seek the truth and to find the faith and so the circle is completed over and over again. And really, what is life without the adventure of the quest that we see woven into the fabric of both of these energies. Essentially, there is no destination, only a neverending journey of discovery which, on the one hand reinforces (Sag) and on the other, creates further questions (Gemini). Remember, without doubt, there can never be an experience of inner faith. It is the question that finds an answer. If we never question, we will never find.

Reactively, Gemini must mind its physical house. A very real consequence of not doing so could be nervous exhaustion. This is a highly charged energy and the electrical body can run fast and furious. People with a lot of this energy in their psyches, absolutely must drink lots of water, integrate regular exercise into their daily routine and preferably something that involves the feet and hands moving. Mostly, (and this is a general statement), Gemini is kinetic energy that constantly builds upon its own movement.

Another reactive manifestation of this energy could be a lack of focus resulting in unfinished projects and incomplete undertakings. Gemini has to develop protocols for itself that keep it engaged and interested. A simple technique to address this could be just keeping all projects short term. This is the sprinter, not the long distance runner! And really, who says that a 5 year project is somehow better than a 2 month project? For Gemini, it is the short term project that can keep it interested and fully engaged. Multi-tasking can also facilitate engagement. For a Gemini persona, it is absolutely appropriate to have several intricate and complex activities on the go at the same time. Thus, as soon as the boredom starts to nibble at the corners of the mind, off you go to another project! Because Gemini has such a nimble intellect, it can hold a multitude of concepts in its mind at the same time, jumping from one to another easily and happily. In fact, creativity is enhanced in this way. As an example, let’s say the Gemini soul is a writer. It would be appropriate to have several stories on the go, a variety of research projects on the side. While paying attention to one, ideas for the other can be left to percolate happily in another part of the mind. Suddenly, the outline comes through, full blown and ready to be written!

Everyone has this energy wired into their psyches somewhere. Even if you have no planets located in this energy, it will be found in one of the ‘houses’ of the horoscope. It will colour that part of your life and overlay it with a mental energy, a connective energy, possibly even a somewhat nervous energy. Intuitively, you can review your own reality and try to determine when the intellect likes to take over. Do you like to analyze your relationships? Is conversation critical to connection for you? Do you need to understand the why’s of your life situation? Is laughter essential to maintaining balance? What are your nerves like? Are you a prolific dreamer? These are just some of the questions that, if answered in the affirmative, could indicate that Gemini energy is wired into that part of your persona.

At the highest level, this is an energy of elegance, adroit and fluid, kinetic and carefree. If you have a focus of this energy in your psyche, embrace your butterfly self, dance through the garden of life sampling the beautiful blooms therein. You have come to this plane to grow your m perceptions, to open the doors of your reality into realms yet unexplored. Drink up and enjoy, thirsty soul!


Happy solar return to all the ‘Sun in Gemini’ souls! We are so glad you are here with us! You make us laugh, you keep us engaged, you challenge us with your endless questions and we love your wit!

Taurus: Organically Yours

Each of the individual 12 signs coincides, not with a particular month of the year, but rather, a particular time of the year. As we consider where each sign falls, we get some insight into the workings of the energy described. Even if you know nothing about astrology, just working with this little piece of information can give you much insight into the different energies of the zodiac. Traditionally, Aries is designated as being the ‘first’ sign of the zodiac. This makes sense from an organic viewpoint since Aries coincides with Spring when the Earth ‘wakes up’ after the slumber of winter. Aries is a Fire energy and again, this is evocative of warmth, activity, awakening. Astrologically, Fire co-relates to Spirit and everything is born at this level—the spiritual level of being.

After Fire comes Earth. How fitting! The inspiration that is born from the fire of spirit now finds form, flows into a vessel that can receive it, is grounded and concretized. The second sign of the zodiac, after Aries, is Taurus, a fixed earth energy. In Taurus we meet the organic process and get to know our selves as physical beings. Fittingly, Taurus falls across the months of April and May, when, in the northern hemisphere, the ignition process that began at Equinox is now coming into ‘bloom’. The trees are leafing, the grass is greening, robins return to find the worms which have moved up to the surface of the ground and we, the humans, can finally take our winter jackets off and feel the heat of the Sun on our skin. Ah, vitamin D…at last!

Taurus, then, is representative of the organic part of the spiral of life. Sexy, sensual and receptive, Taurus loves the simple process of just ‘being’. In Taurus we celebrate all things physical and revel in the literal 5 senses that flesh out our world. Taurus loves the vista of the landscape, taking delight in the organic environment. Aromatic surroundings are a must. Harmonious and pleasing melodies soothe the
Taurus soul. And no wonder since Taurus co-relates to the throat chakra. Slipping into luxurious fabrics, warm, watery rivers and lakes or just simply lying naked in the sun are all aspects of the Taurus need to feel good. Flavours that entice the tongue and burst onto the taste buds are what Taurus prefers. Never mind the spartan and austere. Bring on the abundance and glory of the organic. Revel in the joy of being physical and all that comes along with it.

Whenever I work with the Tarot, and I draw The Empress, I think of Taurus. I am reminded that I am physical and that I must pay attention to my organic self. I understand that to work with my creative energy, I need to find a place of balance in my physical self. I need my physical energy if I am to do the work of a creative being—whatever forms that creativity takes, whether artistic, crafty or even within the realm of what we sometimes regard as the mundane, ordinary daily routines that we all must do. When you prepare food with creative energy, it always tastes better than if you prepare it ‘in absentia’. This is the Taurus part of the psyche, the love that is the basis of all creative flow. If we fall in love with what we are doing, and desire to infuse it with feeling and the texture and depth of emotion, we are much more likely to produce something that will be well received by others. Taurus energy, then, is very much connected to that need that we all have to connect to something beautiful, something rich and lovely, something full and ripe and which gives pleasure, contentment and eases the spirit. How many of us have not relaxed to the sounds of a favourite piece of music, sipping some aromatic beverage, nibbling on some satisfying snack, wrapped in a comfy blankie in a soft chair or bed with the light of a glowing candle around us, after a challenging day of activity? Everyone, probably…

People who have a focus of Taurus energy in their psyches are the lovers of the zodiac. Often calm, quiet and comfortable, they can be the rocks that everyone turns to in times of trouble. Taurus intuitively understands that everything is cyclical. Taurus knows that the underlying principle that governs life is that there is a pattern to organic flow, that life is a spiral with no real ending.

This is probably the main thing to understand when exploring Taurus; that there is a place for the organic, the physical. In Taurus we face our physical selves, the container for that energy of spirit that finds its home therein.

At a core level, we confront ourselves in the expression of our values and the concretization of these values in the context of desires in Taurus. We seek that which we value and esteem. It is of great importance to be clear about the nature and structure of our values. How does our value system translate into the concrete? How do we organically process that which we hold at our core level? Does the construct of our life reflect our inner values? These are the issues that we are dealing with in Taurus.

Taurus occupies the second house of the natural wheel and the ruler of Taurus is Venus. If there is a focus of energy in the second house of a person’s natal horoscope, then the keyword, worth or value holds a prominent place in that psyche. Such a person will naturally be concerned with all levels of this thing called resource from the material all the way to the conceptual. For such a person, it is vital that she ‘concretize’ what is meaningful to her. This, of course, also applies to anyone with a lot of Taurus energy in their psyche.

The symbol for Taurus is The Bull signifying, unmovable strength or power, fertility and regeneration, that connection to the organic. Sometimes Taurus is dubbed as being stubborn but in reality, it is the energy of constancy that the Bull represents though, if the ego self does not consciously manage this powerful and forceful presence of mind, it can be mistaken for intransigence. But if you have ever seen a bull at full bore, bearing down on its target, you will see that this energy can move if needed. The key, for strongly Taurus types, is to channel their intrinsic forcefulness into just cause based on lofty values. This then is the appropriate use of power and might.

The planet, Venus, is the second planet of the solar system, Earth’s sister star. She has the most beautiful cyclical pattern which, when tracked over an 8 year span, creates a perfect pentagram or five pointed star in the circle of the zodiac. Ancient star-gazers decoded this beautiful pattern millennia ago and this was probably the root reason for the magical and mystical associations that this symbol has. I associate this pattern with the creative impulse since desire and the need to express in concrete terms something of our inner values is what triggers creativity on every level, whether the purely physical, procreativity, or something more ethereal like the birth of art, thinking and so forth.

A very easy ritual to include in your life is to commemorate your 8 year Venus Return cycle. Even if you do not know where your Venus is placed astrologically, you know that at every 8 year point in your life journey, 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 72, 80, 88, 96, 104 (I am being proactively optimistic here), you can do a reboot in relation to your value system, your desire patterns, and even your organic self. Make a vision board for what you want the next 8 years to look like. Where would you like to be at the end of those 8 years? What do you want to look like? What do you want your life to be structured around? Who do you want to love? Be specific. 8 years is just long enough without being too out of sight. Most of us can just about imagine 8 years forward, right? It is this kind of mindfulness that ultimately contributes to a satisfying and contented existence—two very strongly Taurus words!

Finally, just a word about Taurus’ partner sign. Sitting across from The Bull is the shape-shifting magical and mysterious Scorpion/Snake/Dove/Eagle/Phoenix—Scorpio. Together, these energies balance out to represent all that we hold and all that we release, all that is known and material and all that is hidden and non-material. It is the juxtaposition of the LIGHT and the DARK, the dance of birth and death. Together, they find completion in each other and create order out of chaos. We humans need to understand our world in terms of balance, harmony and duality.

Taurus, then, teaches us to accept, to receive, to luxuriate and to be content. Wherever it is found in YOUR psyche, is where you want to get real, get down. It is survival at its most primal level. It is strong, silent and sublime and honestly, we love Taurus. How can we not?

Next month, we will move into that crafty coyote, Gemini and explore the fantastical and fancy of this delightful energy.

The Aries Imperative

It’s here! Spring, thaw, warm, sun! And along with the obvious shift in the weather here in the northern hemisphere, we move into the time of Aries.

First, let me just say that the Spring Equinox is one of the 4 major gateways or center points of the ‘wheel of the year’. This moment in time is marked by the equality of light and dark. From this point onward, the days will be getting longer until we get to Summer Solstice when, in some places on this globe, there is no night at all! Because of this, the zodiac sign of Aries is associated with birth, beginning and fresh starts—a new cycle or even, new year.

Aries is a cardinal fire sign, full of verve and buoyancy. It is part of the family that includes Leo and Sagittarius elementally and Cancer, Libra and Capricorn, modally. Fire is the element that is linked to spirit, creativity and inspiration while the cardinal modality is thrusting, forward moving, assertive and initiating. Some other key words (a great way to begin a study of astrology) that describe this perky little energy are enthusiastic, adventurous, enterprising, forceful, fast, abrupt, impulsive. It is the energy of action, not consideration. For those of you with prominent Aries in your psyches, it is important to keep moving, to always find things that engage your interest and to satisfy that deep need for exploration, innovation and individuality, that IMPULSE towards the unknown.

Aries is often associated with the idea of ‘rugged individualism’. This lends some insight into basic needs for the Aries type persona. This type needs to be challenged, needs to feel a sense of accomplishment and essentially needs to win, and all the while, doing it HER way! If there is a flavour of combativeness, it is more about the thrill of the battle, the rush of the face-off rather than anything personal. There is no viciousness in the Aries need to prevail, just the sheer joy of engagement and victory.

In the ‘natural wheel’ of the zodiac, Aries is associated with the 1st house of self, exploration and initiation. This helps us to understand that the seemingly self-centered Aries persona is only acting according to the impulse to explore and experience herself. And there it is; the key to truly understanding the Aries types in your life. Their world resonates to EXPERIENCE. They thrive on being ‘in the thick of it’. If they happen to shove you to the side in their haste to get to the action, it isn’t about you, it’s about them!

Sharp, quick and always to the point, this type can be incredibly agile mentally. If you decide to debate them, get your track shoes ready since they will be several points ahead and leave you in the dust if you don’t keep up with their mental acrobatics. Not always entirely logical, but always incredibly inventive!

The archetype of the frontier cowboy is a good image for the Aries spirit, ready, willing and able to rough it, if needed. Able to live the solitary life, if necessary and incredibly resourceful about getting basic needs met even under trying circumstances. The mountaineer tackling the near impossible climb is another image that references Aries energy. Courage, an intrepid attitude and nerve take her to the top of the mountain. Even at the summit, Aries is already imagining the next climb rather than savouring the moment.

Reactively, this energy can get into trouble since the desire to get going sometimes eclipses the need to plan. However, the fighting spirit of this little warrior is so prominent that winging it is never seen as a problem for these types.

The symbol associated with Aries is the Ram. Representing the ability to but his way through any impasse, we begin to understand the forcefulness that is associated with the energy. When exploring animal energies, we find that force is one of the main qualities of the Ram, along with curiosity, an adventurous spirit and a keen sense of balance. Imagine the ram with his beautiful curled horns picking his way through narrow passageways with grace and lightness. He is free to be just who he is, able to navigate even the most challenging of landscapes. This is Aries, the hero, ever seeking a new frontier!

Of course, Ares was the Greek god of war and many of the myths that come from this source also shed light on the impulse and impetuous nature of the Aries type. Let us remember that in ancient times WAR was regarded as an honourable business. Sometimes it is difficult to actually understand this since we are children of a different time and today war is only a business and more and more seen as not honourable. But, there was a time in history when this was not the case for the people who lived through that time. The astrological age that preceded the age of Pisces was the Age of Aries. During that 2000 year period which began some 2 millennia before the birth of Christ, societies were built around the process of expansion through conquest. Civilizations rose and fell by the sword. A King or Emperor retained his power through the use of FORCE (Aries quality) and COURAGE (Aries quality) as he marched forward gathering new lands and peoples into his realm. The stalwart and courageous ram energy bred warriors who were lusty in battle and not afraid to stand up boldly for their cause, loyal to a fault. Today, this translates into the crusader types who have no fear in the face of gross injustice, who will battle for a cause, often taking the lead boldly when others may shirk away from commitment. The zesty, strong and sure heart of the Aries type is well suited to the championing of right in the face of opposition!

There is an immediacy in everything that the Aries type does whether in terms of function and all the way into issues of the heart. There is a need for a clear and decisive demonstration of affections and an impatience if confronted by reticence or uncertainty by the other. If you have a strongly Aries type in your life, give them what they seek, emotionally and do it yesterday, please!

The partner sign to Aries is Libra and this, above all other things gives us the deepest insight into the Aries nature. According to the law of polarity, that which stands opposite us is the very thing that we must integrate into our awareness so that we may become whole. While Aries typifies the self, alone and sovereign, Libra teaches us about partnership, considered compromise and balance. Aries, then, must discover a way to be singular but connected to community, to stand alone but be willing to receive support, to celebrate the sound of their solo song while knowing full well that harmony can enhance any melody. The journey of Aries is the journey into interdependence without any forfeit of individuality.

The Planet associated with Aries is Mars and again, when we reference mythology, this time Roman, we find the stories of the mighty warrior. In the psyche, the Mars placement, that is, the sign of the zodiac and the house of the horoscope where that sign is found, co-relates to one’s passion, and the ability to act on the DESIRE that burns within. It is through the Mars principle of the persona that we take action. This is also the planet that was once associated with the zodiac sign of Scorpio and though there are dissimilarities between the two energies, there is also an underlying ‘recognition’ when the Aries type encounters the Scorpio type. In modern times, Pluto was designated to be the ‘ruler’ of Scorpio and here’s an interesting thing…In Evolutionary Astrology, Pluto is representative of the soul—something that is, by and large, inaccessible to most individuals, a deeply unconscious element within the functioning personality. Mars is associated with the mechanisms that we use to implement the ‘soul purpose’ in any given lifetime, and these are impulses that we can more consciously explore and understand. So, though dissimilar in many ways, there is a simpatico between Aries and Scorpio and with some adjustments, there can be a reasonable working relationship between them.

How fitting it is that the Spring, with all of its hope and rekindled joy is linked to Aries, an energy that is above all things, full of promise and filled with light. Remember, EVERYONE has this energy somewhere in their psyches. We, each one of us, contain within ourselves all of the energies of the ‘wheel of life’ as represented by the Zodiac. If you are born with the Sun in Aries, you know that this lively and courageous energy fuels your every action. However, you may have your intellectual body running on this fuel—Mercury, or your emotional body—the Moon, and for that matter any one of the planets that make up the ‘map’ of your unique character. For a more personal investigation into how Aries factors in your life, contact me for a personal astrological reading

Perfect Pisces

Here we are at the gates of one of the most inscrutable energies of the Zodiac. Oh Pisces, will we ever understand you? Perhaps the answer to this question is that understanding need not be the destination in the journey into Pisces. Rather, the goal, when exploring this energy—(because, EVERYONE has it wired somewhere into their psyche)—is to simply FEEL it deep within your own self.

Pisces is one of the water signs but the emotional energy associated with it is the least personal of the three, the other two being Cancer and Pisces. Pisces emotion is best described as compassion devoid of attachment to the object of the compassion. It is universal love rather than individual love. It is the place of peace in the left hand of the divine, that most exalted of positions.

It is a mutable energy, one that is adaptable, malleable and shiftable. Like the ocean with waves moving in numerous directions, Pisces energy flows instinctively where it needs to flow. In the natural wheel of the zodiac, Pisces finds its home in the 12th house, a sector of the horoscope that co-relates to the unconscious mind, and to the formative period in human development since it is equivalent to the first 2 hours of life after actual birth. Much is absorbed at this most critical time by the newly manifested being and it is a time when the soul of the being is very close to the surface of the skin. The infant science of psychology has only just begun to scratch the surface of the intricacies of emotional and mental development but I think that most thinking individuals will agree that what happens to a person in their early years forms the foundation for all that follows. I would add that what happens in the first few hours after birth is critical to later development, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Pisces provides the self with a template for all of this. So understand that this is the part of the psyche that absorbs stimuli and processes these stimuli in an organic manner, assimilating information into the most interior areas of the self. Obviously, this process continues throughout the life journey and so we can co-relate Pisces to that part of the self that intuits, senses, ‘knows’ without the need to prove or substantiate like, for instance, Virgo, the partner sign to Pisces, needs to do.

The symbol for Pisces is the dual fishes but note that they are fashioned as if pointed in opposite directions. This is usually understood to represent the dual nature of human existence, the pull to spirit and the pull to flesh. But another way to understand the movement of the two little fish is to see them chasing each others tails, creating a circular motion of movement. A circle of being is thus suggested and more than anything else, Pisces is the place where we can connect to the eternal, the infinite. Pisces flows through life (water) in a continuous, unbroken way. What a beautiful affirmation of the constancy of being—always the same, though always different.

We are now at the end of 2 millennia of experience that was dubbed as the Age of Pisces. The human collective explored the principles of idealism, devotion, commitment, service, compassion, union, and a variety of spiritual disciplines over the past 2000 or so years. The highest manifestation of the human journey through Pisces is the principle of LOVE expressed through faith and works of godly devotion. Reactively, we have seen a distortion of this very same impulse sometimes at the very same time as those manifestations of pure optimal expression of this energy. Fanaticism, bizarre expressions of religious devotion like self-flagellation or self-deprivation in the name of the divine, holy wars and other suchlike behaviours are examples of Pisces energy in distortion. The human collective has now explored a multitude of ways to interact with the divine. Now, as we move into the newly blossoming energy of Aquarius (as a collective), we can integrate the Pisces experience into the exploration of the Aquarius experience. We have searched for the divine outside of ourselves and now we will turn our attention inward and locate the sacred within.

So, Pisces is spirit, the yearning to find the divine, the place of understanding that supersedes any mental process, the ‘aha’ experience that makes sense of the chaos and brings light into the darkness. Pisces is intuitive, gentle, yielding, forgiving. Anyone with
An emphasis of this energy in their psyche must learn to listen to their inner sense. And I will say here that not all Pisces types will ‘hear’ their inner voice in the same way. What is universal for these types is that there IS an inner sense of some kind and that often, these types will have early life experiences that result in a sense of alienation, aloneness and separation from others. They are often misunderstood and even shunned by those who cannot as easily connect with the ethereal world. It is essential that these sensitives find their own place of ‘ground’ or security within their own selves. They must create their own criteria of relevancy because often other will not ‘get it’. Nevermind, little Pisces, what you know is what others aspire to know. What you feel is that which is true so hang on and don’t let go.


Star Crossings

Two planets are associated with Pisces, Jupiter and, once it was observed in the sky, Neptune. Jupiter co-relates to the intuitive mind or what has sometimes been called the right brain, that part of the self that can dream, vision and create. Neptune is the higher octave of Venus, representing love universal, love divine. The Jupiter connection represents Pisces connection to the divine spark of creativity, its connection to spirit. The Neptune connection shows Pisces alignment to the collective mind; thus the reason why so many Pisces types have that famous ‘spidey sense’. Here’s a look at these two planets in current transit.

Jupiter takes about 12 years to move around the Sun and spends about 1 year in each sign of the zodiac. In the personal horoscope, Jupiter is considered to be bridge energy, that is, it links the more personal and external impulses with the deeper, less obvious impulses. In working terms, Jupiter can demonstrate our sense of meaning, our level of faith or belief and our need to understand. The more that we can develop this part of our psyches, the more will be ‘in the flow’ or ‘lucky’. Currently, Jupiter is at the front end of its journey through Pisces, its own home territory, so to speak. Collectively this is a great time to do creative work or follow intuitions as they form within. Jupiter is one of the planets that helps us to understand our life in cyclical terms and most of us will experience at least 5 or 6 ( and often up to 8 or even 9) Jupiter Returns. ( A planetary return is when that celestial object revisits the exact degree that it occupied at a given birth.) So, for all of you who have Jupiter in Pisces natally, you will be experiencing this ‘return’ over the next year or so. For those of you who have Jupiter located at 23 * of Pisces or higher, this is a significant return, providing you with ample opportunity to integrate the energy of the divine into your daily life. Embrace the experience of simple being over the next few months and see what spirit has to offer you.

Neptune takes much longer to transit the zodiac, having a cycle of about 165 years or, spending about 14 years or so in each sign. Currently, Neptune is at the tail end of Aquarius, soon to enter Pisces. On a collective level, there have been many ‘breakthroughs’ in terms of cosmic awareness over the past decade and more yet to come. In Aquarius, Neptune activates those unseen connections that hold us all together in the web of life. Will we actually experience a greater sense of holistic being once the great god of the sea starts moving through his own territory, Pisces? To do so, it is important that we all do the groundwork necessary within ourselves now, while He is transiting Aquarius. Find your home/community. Develop your connection to your ‘soul group’, whatever it is. Leave your judgments at the door and clothe yourself in love.

I could talk about confusion, fog, co-dependency, addiction, deceit and so forth when exploring Neptune but I prefer to default to the more positive expression of this nebulous energy. If we think negatively, we will live negatively. So, if you start feeling muddled, just let go and seek peace. If you don’t feel flow, take some time to check your own inner ‘truth meter’. Often, we lose that sense of connection because we are lying to ourselves. Especially the Neptune in Libra generation (now mostly entering their so-called ‘golden’ years), you guys just have to take those rose coloured glasses off and call a spade a spade. Okay? Lifestyles may radically alter, relationships may suddenly fall by the wayside and any number of elaborate shams may suddenly be revealed. The key is to have the courage to admit what the truth really is. Continuing the ‘illusion’ (Neptune) is not an option and will only result in more confusion, denial and even a downward spiral into addictive behaviour. After all, all addictions are merely mechanisms that are masking some inner sense of lack or even loss. Sometimes, you have to lose it all to gain it all.

We are at the brink of some very exciting/interesting times. Connecting to the Pisces part of ourselves will only enhance the experience of the incoming decade!

If you would like to connect more specifically with your own Pisces self, the best way is to have an astrological session. As always, I would be happy to facilitate your journey into self-exploration!

Next month…fasten your seatbelts! Aries is bursting in!

The Age of Aquarius

SO much has been expressed about this incoming ‘age of Aquarius’. There is, most probably, no one in the western world who has not heard this expression. It is possible that even in the Far and Middle East, this expression is known and, possibly, somewhat understood. We all know what it means when we call someone an ICON—a representative of a particular time, a symbol of a collective idea, someone who is more than themselves, even other than themselves. Well, this expression has become iconic. It suggests limitless possibility, unimaginable freedom, absolute justice and the fullness of what the future might bring to us all. It is the hope that we all hold deep in our hearts. So many dreams are woven into this expression; so much anticipation, even longing. When we hear the expression, we look forward to something brighter and better, something that is more than all that we currently can imagine. It is a testament to the power of the astrological model that this little phrase has so permeated our consciousness, even to the point of being the title for a popular song, first released in the 1960’s.

The astrological ages follow a precise schedule and as we observe this apparent movement through the zodiac we can co-relate the flavour of any given era on earth to the zodiac sign that is associated with that time. The complete cycle through the 12 signs, when observed from this vantage point, takes about 26,000 years. Thus, each individual ‘age’ is about 2000 +/- years long. When we study history using this broader timeline, we can more easily see the major trends of any given epoch; the things that define a particular age. Futurists can gain great insight when studying history in this way and their predictions become more insightful, more precise. Looking back at history is always a good tool to use when attempting to look forward to the history that is yet to be made. Obviously, at the transition point between the ages, things become intense, muddled and chaotic. At this point in time, we are in the final few gasps of the Age of Pisces or, put more positively, the first few breaths of the Age of Aquarius. Either way, both of these energies are manifest around us, collectively.

One of the resonances of the Piscean age was DEVOTION. This passionate application of principle took many forms throughout the last 2000+/- years but we can surely see it very clearly in the KIND of philosophies, both secular and religious, that dominated. As a collective we believed that we should be followers of a ‘god’ or of his apparent representatives here on earth. We deferred to ‘his’ better judgment and gave ourselves over to any number and types of dogmas and creeds. We saw ourselves as disciples or devotees of whatever doctrine we followed, whether religious or secular. We sacrificed ourselves to our passion, our chosen way of life. Who has not heard the expression, “For God and Country!” This is surely indicative of this type of devotion to something other than ourselves. This kind of ‘devotion’, which can lead to the ultimate sacrifice, is aptly symbolized by the image of a man hanging on a cross. Who does not respond to this iconic symbol with some kind of emotion? It surely could be regarded as the symbol of the Age of Pisces, at least here in the west. Certainly, the symbol of the supplicant, whatever the religious protocol, is another of the images that can be associated with the Age of Pisces.

At the highest level of vibration, Pisces taught us to aspire to higher principle, to believe in the magical aspects of faith; that it could sustain us even in the face of unimaginable circumstances. We learned to serve others and to exercise compassion to all. Reactively, we gave our power away to something outside of ourselves. We learned to feel like victims or martyrs to something that was larger than we could ever be. The distortions of this energy led to holy wars, wholesale killing in the name of some lofty ideal, judgment, censure and genocide. The primary lesson that we (hopefully) learned was that the essence of ‘god/dess’ could not be found outside of our own perception of reality. Ultimately, we learned to turn inward and to locate the god and goddess in ourselves through the process of faith, that is through the DOING of good , rather than through some nebulous attachment to the idea of faith which, in and of itself, has no impact on our immediate community.

And so, here we are at the threshold of the Age of Aquarius. What are the next 2000 years going to look like? Well, that really depends on us. In Aquarius we discover the principle of lateralism or egaliterianism. We understand that hierarchies belong to another time. We begin to truly understand that there can be no mediator between the god principle and the human being, thus, laying to rest the religious disciplines of the past 2000 years. We, each one of us, are the gurus. We, individually, can find our own pathway into illumination.

It is essential that the current feudal-like societies, where a chosen few have privilege, while the greater majority slave to sustain an unnatural social system, become a thing of the past. The ‘top-down’ kind of system is becoming increasingly uncomfortable for the collective mind to swallow. Aquarius promises us a place within ‘the web’ of life’, with no one position being superior to another. This is the age of the ‘EVERYMAN’ where all can aspire to greatness. Individually we each can find a fullness of personal expression where our talents, whatever they might be, are expressed freely, easily and contribute to our community. And, really, if we could choose one concept to define the shaping of the next two millennia, let us choose COMMUNITY and let’s really begin to think in global, even universal terms. Let’s redefine the word, “border” so that it refers only to that edge that exists around the outside of a card or piece of paper. Let’s forget that it describes a world divided into parcels of land and groups of people who regard each other with distrust and fear. With the electric energy of Aquarius guiding us, we have the opportunity to redefine what ‘community’ means, to transform the way we live with one another into something that is healing, supportive and totally different from the fractured communities that exist today. We are, truly, a group of peoples who naturally like to ‘tribe’. Today, this tribal impulse has been severely distorted. Though we live in what looks like a multi-member community—cities, towns, villages, even, to a certain extent, countries, we can go for days, weeks and even years when we barely say a word to our nearest neighbour. This is unnatural and we see the results of this distortion everywhere around us; an aging population that feels a growing fear because there is no support system, youth who are left to grow without direction because the parents are caught in the treadmill of necessary materialism, entire societies that have lost their sense of purpose and expend all of their energy in defensive actions rather than in the creation of strong and vital communities which can sustain and nurture their members. As we move into this ‘new age’, we face the challenge of recreating the way we live together and of truly implementing the ideals of equality and justice so that a new society can emerge from the ruins of our current global reality. Hopefully, it will be a true global community and not the unbalanced one that exists today where the strong rape the weak and the powerful dominate through force and in the interests of their greed rather than in the interests of the collective.

Aquarius, then, is the energy of the future. It is the energy of innovation and change. It is the ‘aha’ moment, the aspiration to a greater and better vision. The Aquarian personality excels in the application of mental energy. There is an inherent ability to ‘see’ things from a variety of focal points, giving the personality adeptness in the area of problem solving. This energy is often linked to metaphysics because it describes someone who is able to think and reason inclusively rather than exclusively. Often, Aquarian types are ‘out of the box’ thinkers, able to make that impossible leap that propels the human mind into a completely new mode of thought and being. Some of the principles that are of paramount importance to Aquarian types are ones such as community, justice, fairness, equity. Innovative, often eccentric, sometimes solitary yet always able to network and make those necessary connections, Aquarian types are the hidden leaders amongst us. Social issues and group action are often linked to this energy so it is not unusual to find Aquarian type people behind the scenes in activist groups or for that matter, any kind of association or group. They have an intuitive understanding of the principle of collectivism, that there is strength in numbers and that unity leads to victory while discord ends in defeat.

Reactively, this energy can get stuck in its own brilliance and begin to believe that it has all the answers. I call this the “Egalitarian Dictator Syndrome”. The ‘dictator’ says, and with a smile that is oh so charming, “Please, do as you choose. Just make sure that is according to my instructions!” We hear the first part while missing the second part. Because Aquarius is so mentally agile, there is always another argument to support his position and the arguments are SO good! They make so much sense! And down that rabbit hole we go!

A strongly Aquarius persona must always, always, monitor their nervous system. Oftentimes, these folks can be very ‘sparky’, even giving off real electrical charges. They need regular rest, lots of water and the kind of exercise that facilitates grounding like Tai Chi or Yoga. It is easy to stay in one’s head and suddenly realize that the body has been left behind when there is so much mental and electrical energy being generated. Anything that can remind the Aquarian type that she inhabits a physical body is a good thing. With a lot of this energy present within the psyche it is fairly easy to disconnect from the emotional body so it is important that these ‘types’ access body work of all kinds along with strategies that open and balance the emotional part of the personality.

Astrologically, Aquarius is a fixed air sign, belonging to the family that includes Gemini and Libra by element and Taurus, Leo and Scorpio by modality. Fast moving, yet strong, light yet substantial. A key lesson for all Aquarian types is FOCUS and METHOD. There is little that an Aquarian type cannot accomplish once she learns to maintain focus on first thought and develop a practical method to support that first thought. The danger is that that first thought leads to another thought and another thought and ten other thoughts and so forth and that once the mind is engaged in the sheer delight of chasing the thoughts as they flit across its screen, any hopes of developing a method of application are dashed! So, Aquarius, hang on to that first thought and follow it through to its finish. Because the mind is so fertile, it is helpful to carry around a ‘jot it down’ journal to catch the ideas as they pass through. Remember, this is the ‘age of Aquarius’ so in a sense it is the Aquarian’s time. What comes through the filter that lies between us and spirit—the ascended energies—can certainly first land in the consciousness of the Aquarian type.

The symbol associated with Aquarius is the Water-Bearer and the Zodiac symbol is the double wave, representative of flowing water. Because of this, many wrongfully assume that Aquarius is a Water sign. Water, however, means life, movement, change, all aspects of this wonderful energy. Interestingly, water serves as the source for electrical power and the Aquarius glyph of the double wave does, indeed, also evoke a sense of electrical charge. This is such an important aspect of Aquarius; that it is plugged in to the very source of being. After all, without the spark that gets things going, there is no life! The Water-Bearer is one of the few human symbols found in the Zodiac, again demonstrating the potential of nobility contained herein. It is through conscious expression of the feeling body that we, as humans can aspire to a full expression of the god/dess energy within us all. Water is also a symbol of knowledge and as the Water-Bearer pours his water upon the earth, nourishing it, so does the Aquarian part of the collective bring us all a never ending source of information that we can use to expand our minds and grow into a place of wisdom. The search for knowledge and understanding facilitates the evolution of the human psyche. The more that we understand, the more we expand; the more we expand, the more we learn and so forth.

Each of us has this energy wired into our psyches somewhere. When it is activated, we are asking ourselves to look at things from a different point of view, to be open to invention and re-invention. Wherever we find this energy in ourselves, is where we have the potential to soar to the greatest of heights, to find a unique expression of being and share it with our community of choice. Aquarius is the potential of genius in every one of us.

Star Crossings

The planets associated with this Zodiac sign are Saturn, the traditional ruler, and since its formal discovery in the 1700’s, (it was first spotted in the late 1600’s but thought to be a star), the planet Uranus. Both of these planets are considered to be heavyweights in the planetary pantheon. Saturn correlates to that part of our psyche that deals with reality and its ongoing construction through the power of our will and perceptive abilities. Uranus correlates to the personal unconscious; that place within the self that holds everything and the urge to individualize. As you can imagine, these are serious things and worthy of our attention. Last month I discussed Saturn and his entry into Libra, where by the way, this energy finds as much comfort as is possible for it to find. Libra is the great swing (think scales of justice) into balance and Saturn, above all else, seeks to bring balance. As the Lord of Karma, he establishes balance impartially and sometimes brutally. To review, once Saturn is firmly into his transit of Libra by mid 2010, he will join Pluto and Uranus in what has been dubbed the Cardinal Concord, where all three of these heavyweights will be posited in Cardinal signs, Libra (Saturn), Aries, (Uranus) and Capricorn (Pluto). Though the configuration is one that suggests tension and confrontation, it also suggests movement, action, innovation and initiative. With Pluto in Capricorn acting as the foundation and grounding mechanism while Saturn in Libra acts as the balancer, Uranus in Aries can search for new strategies to tackle the complex problematic situations that define our times. To personalize this idea we can say that we, as a collective will draw on our strength and common sense (Pluto) and to an extent, all that we have so far learned (Capricorn), as we look for new and innovative ways to address issues (Uranus in Aries), while never forgetting our ethical selves in the pursuit of these solutions (Saturn in Libra). We want to transform the very structures and foundations of our society (Pluto in Capricorn) and this is NOT a bad thing. If we are to survive, we MUST change the way we operate. Yes, yes, there is always a reactive side to any energetic set-up but to focus on what can go wrong serves no purpose. Rather, we should all, as a unified consciousness focus on what can go right in this situation. Form follows thought, after all.

So then, let’s look at Uranus. This is a slow moving planet, taking about 8 years to move through a single sign of the Zodiac. Currently, he is in the last degrees of Pisces. Anyone who has planets, especially personal ones in these late degrees of Pisces could well feel the urge to shift, to change, to alter aspects of their lives. Or, if you are resisting change, you could well go through some major events that force you to shift gears. The key to experiencing this sort of ‘transit’ in the most positive of ways is to be willing to change things up. Hanging on to old ideas, habits and mental attitudes does not work. If it is the heart that is being activated, then you have to be ready to either, welcome new friends and lovers into your world or let old ones leave. Both of these things can be challenging to say the least! As stated previously, Uranus moves into Aries for the first time in 84 years in May of 2010. He will move back into Pisces after he turns retrograde (apparently moves backward) as of August of 2010. This apparent backward motion will take him all the way back to about 27* Pisces when he stations direct in December of 2010. Finally, he will move once again into Aries in March of 2011 and here he will stay until 2018 when he moves into Taurus.

So, all you Aries types, get ready for some action! And all of you Libra types will also feel the poking from this ornery fellow. Always remember to be ready to move, and change direction, especially with fiery fast moving Aries energy as the fuel for this upcoming transit. Pay attention to intuitive ideas, be open to ‘out of the box’ solutions to long-standing problems, and do not become overly attached to any habits or ideas. Keep focusing on the concept that life is change and that change is good! Uranus transits are opportunities to align more closely with deep seated desires, to become more of who you want to be. Because we tend to ‘settle’ into patterns of behaviour that are convenient or familiar, when the opportunity to change presents itself, we can react with either fear or refusal. But, if we flow with the change, we often find that what falls away is that which we no longer needed and even, in some cases, that which was holding us prisoner to outmoded patterns of living.

Uranus transits can often be felt as difficulties and the main reason for this is that, generally speaking, humans tend to want to maintain that which they know. Security is found in all that is definable and quantifiable. Uranus says, “come with me, I am not exactly sure where we will end up since I don’t actually have a map but I can promise you that we will end up somewhere.” This is not exactly the way most of us like to approach a journey! However, if we can let go, detach from ego expectation, we can suddenly find ourselves alive in the moment and living that moment in spectacular technicolour.

So, “BE HERE NOW”, “GO WITH THE FLOW”, and SEIZE THE MOMENT”! These expressions are all evocative of the energy of Uranus. To truly become all that we have the potential to be, we must be willing to leave behind anything and everything at the drop of a hat. Can we do It? Are we up to it? Is it possible? Go and stand in front of a mirror and ask yourself the question(s) and see what you say in response. And then, JUST DO IT!


Nest month the Sun moves through Pisces. The planets associated with this energy are Jupiter and Neptune.


If you have any questions, please send them to me and I will attempt to answer them in this blog. If you have any topics that you would like to read about, let me know and I will add them as well.

Happy Valentine’s day everyone! Spend February 14 giving everyone you meet hugs!