Lovely Libra 

When the Sun finally moves into his transit of Libra, we have reached the midpoint of the astrological year, if Aries is considered as the start point. This is the time of the Autumnal Equinox. Light is once again balanced with shadow and we are now well and fully into the waning part of the sun’s cycle which began at Summer Solstice, moving into winter’s silence from this point on.

Libra is an interesting energy. Associated with the planet, Venus, first impressions lend themselves to images of lightness, grace, love and peacefulness. Well, as the saying goes, looks can be deceiving! There is a lot more going on in the beauty that is Libra.

Libra is a cardinal air sign. There is implied action here and a mental clarity that is often hidden behind the smiling face of conciliation. Libra’s opposite sign is the fire sign of Aries, also a cardinal energy, and just as Aries seeks to establish its sovereignty and individualism, Libra is avid in its search for dialogue and partnership. However, do not be fooled into thinking that Libra will always concede to someone else’s desires. This is not at all the case. Libra’s ability is best understood when we understand the contradictory image of the iron fist in the velvet glove. Libra knows how to forward its cause while appearing to consider everyone else’s needs and desires. So, though the picture may appear to be one of dialogue and compromise, the back story is all about absolute devotion to the pre-determined resolution that Libra has arrived at all on its own!

Libra has the ability to review and assess in advance, plot out a strategy and then maneuver through the situation, all the while adjusting, finessing and shifting but never, never, never, getting off track. When Libra responds with non-commitment to a query or suggestion, it is merely because it is looking for the temperature of the situation before making the next move. In most cases, Libra knows exactly what it wants even while appearing to be indecisive.

One of the great skills that this energy can have is the ability to create comfort. This is why Libra type people can be successful as negotiators. They have the mental clarity to keep on track, the emotional equilibrium to maintain balance and the simple sweetness to make everyone feel safe, not threatened, a necessary quality when it comes to finding common ground.

The symbol associated with Libra is the Scales, the only non-living representation of a Zodiac energy. Sometimes, the Goddess of Justice is included in the symbol, holding those scales and weighing out whatever matter is at hand but for the most part, when we think of Libra, we think of those balancing plates, swinging back and forth like a teeter totter. There is a clue in this symbol as to what is actually going on within the Libra psyche. Rather than being in a place of balance, the Libra soul is actually searching for that place of inner balance. Thus, we see Libra’s determination to appear calm, even, peaceful. That which we focus upon is usually the very thing that is in short supply within ourselves!

The shadow side of Libran energy is the tendency to manipulate and manage others. The reason for the manipulation is usually related back to Libra’s need to create congeniality in its environment. Because of the mental clarity that can be associated with this energy, the Libra psyche is a great assessor of situations, able to nail down just exactly what is necessary in order to find solutions and develop compatibility and union. Any manipulative behaviour, then, is derived from this insight and the sure belief that the end—peace and coherence– must justify the means—seducing others into following Libra’s intention—emphasis on the seduction, by the way! One thing is certain, Libra makes it easy! This energy is so graceful, so accommodating that it is often not evident when coercion is being used. Libra makes us all want to do it! No aggression, no brow-beating, just simple sweetness and lots and lots of cupcakes to tempt us into it!

Libra can appear to be indecisive but again, we need to look a bit more closely at this. Usually, Libra knows exactly what IT wants but is reluctant to commit in case this commitment creates conflict. So, in fact, it is not indecisive so much as it is desirous of maintaining peace within the context of the relationship. Look a little closer and you’ll see that often as not, Libra will manage to find a way to do exactly what it has wanted to do all along and everyone else goes along willingly. Ever heard the term, Passive-Aggressive? Calm down, Libra, we all love you!

A great example of a famous (and, dare I say it, successful!) individual with a ton of Libra energy is Bill Clinton—Rising sign supported by both Venus & Mars!!! After all that Mr. Clinton has been accused of, alleged to have done and known to have been involved in, we just can’t help but love him. He makes it hard not to. To this day, his partner is still married to him, apparently still committed. He continues to charm and convince and inspire despite all of the evidence of his ongoing duplicity! He was also one of the greatest diplomats ever and to this day is called on for his negotiating skill. It was under Clinton’s leadership that peace talks between Egypt and Israel took place culminating in that famous concord announced on the White House lawn! Clinton’s indubitable Libra ability to bring together diverse and apparently discordant opponents as partners in process, was at work here.

Libra, then, is the energy of coordinated action, measured and appropriate application of the energy of peace and unity. Very fitting for a Venus ruled archetype!

Wherever you find Libra in your own birthchart, the issue of relating to partnership, inner balance, values and how to attune to them into your life will somehow be brought into play. The Libra part of your psyche is concerned with finding the right words to create dialogue. How do you enter into relationship? What sorts of strategies do you use when trying to establish common ground? Where is your own inner balance point and what forces are at play within your own psyche in this regard? As an example, if you have Libra somewhere in the first quadrant, the lower LHS of the circle, it will always be important to that you have balance in your life and action, that you are surrounded by beautiful things, that you are fair and just in all that you say and think—at least according to your own measure…

For all of you Aries people, this is your half birthday, a good time to review how your own birthday year has gone so far. Accomplishments? Realized goals? Non–realized goals? And what are you going to do about it? Take some time to sit and think about how you would like the next 6 months to look.

Star Crossings 

Venus, Earth’s closest companion in the solar system is the ‘ruler’ of Libra. RULER simply means that this is the planet associated with this energy. Sun in Libra people, Libra rising people or even those with a dominant Libra signature can all be said to be ‘Venus ruled’. Not a bad moniker to own!

Venus is the planet that represents our basic value system and how we demonstrate it both internally and internally. Ever heard of the ‘inner moral compass’? That’s your Venus energy operating deep inside of your bones.

She is linked to desire in that it is what we LOVE that we DESIRE or…we desire what we love. Venus is magnetic and a strongly functioning Venusian energy can result in the ability to draw what one wants (desires, values). Conversely, Venus energy still in development can sometimes encounter a sense of frustration in terms of getting what it wants. Whenever we feel friction, this is an indicator that some refining work needs to be done so don’t cave in if things seem hard to attain. Rather, take a good look at yourself and try and figure out where you can be more focused about identifying your basic wants. If you can do this, then it is much easier to make a plan and actually get that thing that you truly desire. But if you are unclear about what is meaningful to you, what fills you up, what makes you feel contentment and virtue, then its sort of like sending out a spray that falls every which way. Wasted effort.

The transits of Venus are quick, much like those of Mercury. This planet has an orbital time that is less than the Earth’s so Venus runs through the zodiac signs more quickly than does the Earth, our home. The Venus principle never falls more than about 2 signs either way of the solar principle. In a natal horoscope this can result in a person having the Sun in home loving Cancer but Venus in fun loving Gemini. Such a combination can create complexity within the psyche. Which driver does one serve, the nesting urge or the thrill-seeking urge? HMMMMM… For any of you who have read your daily horoscope and felt a strong disconnect from the description of the energy, it could be that your Venus energy is more reflective of some of your actions than whatever the Sun Sign is. The human psyche is multi-layered!

Venus transits can bring up issues related to relationship and desire. Sometimes, a windfall could come your way or long-lost friends and lovers may reappear. This is especially the case when Venus goes retrograde so keep track of this cycle and see what co-relates in your own life. During one Venus retrograde cycle, I reconnected with a long-lost friend seemingly out of the blue and that relationship has survived to this day, much to my Venusian delight!

Here is a quick cheat list of Venus through the houses.

Through house:

1:         What do I really desire?

2:         Is this really all mine?

3:         I love my friends!

4:         I want to go home!

5:         I feel sexy…anyone interested?

6:         I want to do what I love.

7:         Who can I call?

8:         Is this really all yours?

9:         The pleasure of distant places.

10:       I get the respect and adoration I deserve.

11:       Let’s have a party!

12:       The sweetness of silence; I need a retreat.

When we gaze up into the night sky, we can often see Venus shining brightly in the inky sky. There is comfort and a sense of connection to be derived from this simple experience. No wonder that the ancients attributed such positive characteristics to this planet. She brings us comfort. She gives us hope and she makes us gasp in awe and wonder. Almost close enough to touch and yet just beyond our reach. Ah! The magical, mysterious Venus!

The Venus Affirmation

I align my inner desire

with the path of highest good,

creating peace and grace

everywhere I go

and with everyone I meet.

Poem

Goddess, smile down on me

And let me rest

In your loving arms

I am the dreamer

And this is the dream

You are my keeper

And I am the kept

so hold me safe

in the soft love

of your

infinite heart…

amen

Virgo. What an energy!

One of the most complex of all of the zodiac signs, Virgo is mutable and earthy. Of all of the Earth signs, it is, in some ways, the least “stuck” in its own position. There is a measure of flexibility here.

Virgo loves the process; loves creating a pattern that can be followed over and over. Order is synonymous with this practical and hardworking energy. This is the energy of application, analysis, functional practicality and all things systematic.

More importantly, however, is the relationship of Virgo to healing. When I meet someone with a load of Virgo energy, I listen very carefully to the words that they use when communicating. Invariably, I have found that in that particular and attentive soul, lies the need to serve, to heal, to nourish. Think about the time of year that the Sun transits this section of the zodiac. In the Northern hemisphere it is a time of fruition. The air is filled with the scent of the full and ripened earth. The fields are ready to yield their harvest. And what is more healing than freshly harvested food and the ability to enjoy a warm and pleasant outdoors?

On the highest of levels, this is Goddess energy, pure and simple. Virgo understands ritual and, in order to connect to spirit, we need ritual and those who can work the ritual. Come on in, Virgo. We have all heard the cliché, “God is in the details”. Well, guess who gets the details right?  Virgo!

The shadow side of Virgo is, for sure, the tendency to sink into criticism, to nit-pick, nag and chew away at something until everyone else runs out of the room screaming. Enough already, Virgo, they shriek. But, here’s the thing. Virgo has an innate sense of what works and if it is confronted with something less than this, it is a challenge to maintain detachment and allow mistakes to be made. Have you noticed how tight lipped some strongly Virgo folks can be? That’s them clamping their mouths shut to prevent those words from slipping out! The real reason that anyone falls into criticism is because they strongly desire everything to be …PERFECT. This longing for perfection can then lead to discontent whether expressed externally or nurtured within the self. The solution is, as always, to focus on what does work even when there is lots that is not working. Life lesson? Acceptance, of course.

If you have Virgo prominent in your birth mandala, it is vital that you develop strategies that you can draw upon when you feel challenged and especially when you feel that you are not managing to keep things under control

When nothing seems to make sense & when it does settle down, something happens to skew you off course yet again

solution:

Detach from outcome & focus on developing trust

When your emotions are like a roller coaster and you can’t find your ground

Solution: make a cup of herbal tea & take a salt bath

(A good combination of herbs to promote calm is: mint, lemon balm, catnip, sage & a bit of honey. Be mindful of catnip as it is a strong sedative in humans. One cup before sleep can do wonders for your system.)

Secondary solution: Pour this stress energy into a task like purging & cleaning.

When your head is full of ideas but you can’t always make sense of them or you may feel like you have lost your mind

Solution: carry a tiny journal to jot down flashes as they occur

Focus on the immediate concern; resist obsessive compulsive thinking

 When nothing feels secure in your relationship life

Solution: love the one you’re with & don’t over think the future

When you keep running into obstacles and even having accidents

Solution: take time out to do breath work (10 minutes as needed).

Pause before running head on into whatever you think needs doing.

Tracking the transits of the outer planets is useful for the Virgo soul. (Well, its useful for all of us, really!) Virgo will find some comfort if she can co-relate the sometime cuckoo patterns that occur in life by keeping her finger on the moving parts—the planetary movement through the zodiac. The outers move slowly so it is especially useful to keep track of where they are in relations to one’s individual birth chart.  At all times, the key to integrating the unpredictable, transformative or discombobulating energy of the outers is to move into a place of detachment from outcome. Trust that once the earthquake is over, you will still be standing and you may even be aware of things that needed to be brought out into the light.

Star Crossings: What’s the deal, Mercury?

Every Zodiac sign has a planet (celestial object) associated to it. Virgo is aligned to that pesky little fellow, Mercury.

Mercury represents the mind within the persona. How we think, reason and communicate are all aspects of the mental body. No one part of the psyche or entity is more important than any other. We cannot forfeit our reasoning ability just so that we can experience love. On the other hand, we cannot turn our back on emotion just because our head cannot logic its way through the experience.  We cannot deny our spiritual needs just so that our physical body is nourished.  On the other hand, denying our physical body does not always lead to spiritual illumination. The integrated personality is one that honours all parts of the energy system and provides itself with what it needs on all levels of existence. No wonder that when we block or deny on one level, we can feel the effects on other levels. Things like depression, anxiety, denial, dislocation are all potential side effects when we do not acknowledge truth. In the personality matrix, the condition of our individual Mercury placement can reveal a lot about the way we get our ideas across, how we interconnect with others and our general thinking process.

The transits of Mercury are rapid and he is either catching up to the Sun during the orbital year or running ahead of him, but never by more than about 2 signs either way. However, since he moves so quickly, we may only mildly feel anything energetically, unless we are strongly ‘mercurial’, that is Mercury ruled or with a highly accentuated Mercury energy. So, Virgo, with her special connection to Mercury is more sensitive to the relative condition of this planet at any given moment. This applies, in some ways, even more so to Gemini, also connected or ‘ruled’ by Mercury.

When Mercury goes retrograde, that is appears to be moving backwards in the sky, even those of us who are not Mercury ruled can suffer the consequences. Obviously, he is not actually moving backwards literally but because of the relationship between the Earth and the other planets in the solar system, we have the experience of backward motion from our vantage point here on the earth.

So what’s the deal with Mercury Retrograde? Firstly, let’s understand that Mercury is a mini-activator within the energy field. When he transits points within the psyche, you can have something like the experience of a light-bulb being turned on. Or you might get a message, either literally or figuratively, within yourself. A Mercury transit could signal a time to make a deal, form a partnership or do some data work. When this planet appears to be ‘moving backwards’, all of these sorts of things are either up for review or perhaps just take a pause. Example: you are in the midst of signing a contract, maybe for a home purchase. Suddenly you realize that Mercury will be turning retrograde. Do not panic. Just do your do diligence and carefully and meticulously review all aspects of the deal. You may find that the deal dies but it may be in your favour for it to do so. When you review, you may notice a major oversight and thus have the opportunity to correct it. It is true that everyone has a story about the mini disasters that they have experienced when Mercury was retrograde but I feel that mindfulness can allay much of the chaos. Remember, Mercury is connected to logic and order, reasoning ability, so doing a bit of prep work in advance by ensuring that everything is in order can be very helpful. So, rather than being victim to the slings and arrows of fortune, keep track of the retrograde periods of Mercury ( 3x/year) and make preparation. Ensure that your computer is backed up. Keep your desktop clean and tidy. File your important papers properly and always in the same way. Creating pattern and order within your daily life will go a long way when dealing with ‘backwardness’. Its easy these days to keep up with the daily transits since it seems that everyone and their crazy aunt are doing astrology so there are no excuses when it comes to being caught with our pants down! Track those transits.

No matter what sign Mercury is in when he stations retrograde—remember it will only last about 3 weeks—take note of where this part of the zodiac falls in your own birth chart. This is where you could feel any of the things that I described above in your life. If you have Mercury located in the sign in question, the retrograde period could be a time of mental renewal for you. You could take the time to reflect on some of your mental goals and make any adjustments to your actual thinking process. Maybe you have let things slip organizationally. Use this opportunity to make adjustments in this area.

One thing that I have noticed with the transits of Mercury is that I have often received some sort of news when he was transiting either my 1/7 house pair and even sometimes my 3/9 house pair. People have told me secrets, old friends have resurfaced, relatives have suddenly reappeared! But, for the most part, this is a pretty innocuous little fellow, more of a nuisance than a trauma. And, even if the news is not so great, the transit is quick and the discomfort, if any exists, passes rapidly. So, TRACK THOSE TRANSITS! It truly is helpful. Here is a quick cheat sheet list for strategies to enact for each house.

When Mercury transits through house

1:  enact plans

2:  analyze resources

3:  intellectual curiosity is heightened; stay open

4:  increased activity at home; enjoy (hopefully)

5:  potential focus on fun; be ready to play

6:  opportunity to pay attention to the details

7:  perspective can be gained through dialogue

8:  tackle those deep, intensive projects

9:  plan ahead

10: step into the limelight and be heard

11:  the brilliance of networking

12:  a good time for a retreat

Affirmation for VIRGO

I use my ability in the service of others.

Poem 

Devoted

And

Diligent

I am determined

To create

Peace

And prosperity

For the healing

Of the peoples

Of the earth

“the earth beneath your feet”

The Sun is the future. It shines in the sky and draws growth from the earth. Without that sun, nothing can live. Astrologically, this is a very apt analogy. In the natal chart, the Sun represents the destination that we pursue as works in progress. It is the thesis that we are exploring in any given life. We gain as much from exploring what not to do as we do by exploring what to do. As we gain more and more experiences we acquire a certain amount of skill in how to actually live through our solar energy as represented by the Sun in the natal chart. Life is evolution and change while a static state is what we call death.

The Moon is the past. It governs the tides and other cycles of this earth we inhabit. It soothes and nurtures us after a long hard day’s work. Just as the Sun beckons us to all that we could possibly become, so does the Moon secure us to all that we already know and understand. It is the safety net that we hold within ourselves, that which we instinctively cleave to when times get tough or incomprehensible. It is the life habits that we don’t have to think about but that just kick in when necessary. It is the things that bring us comfort under duress. We can hide in our Moons, tucked away from the glare of the noonday Sun.

If you like the idea on ongoing incarnations, then think of the Moon as the container of all that you have ever experienced. And the operative word is experience rather than understanding. Understanding comes only after some pretty intense work on the part of the psyche to integrate experiences into some sort of coherent form. This could be after one experience or it might be after several repetitions of the same kind of experience. Learning is never simple or straightforward. (More on this in upcoming blogs.)

I have a friend who, when asked about the general condition of people’s mental health, says, everyone is f@#*ed because we all have a Moon. She’s only half joking. What she means is that we are just as prone to develop bad habits as we are to develop good habits. It’s the bad ones that can really mess us up. Because the Moon is the seat of our emotional body, things don’t follow a straight line or a logical order. Once those emotions get involved, the sky can turn green and the grass can grow down rather than up. Perception, as they say, is everything and perception can absolutely play tricks on our poor little logical mind.

There is an intimate relationship between the Sun and the Moon, both literally, in the solar system, and astrologically, as they demonstrate how the psyche operates. Literally, the Moon has no light of its own but merely reflects light, the light of the burning Sun. And astrologically, the Moon holds (or reflects) all that the Sun has lived through. It ‘contains’ the sum of the parts and again, once you embrace the concept of ongoing incarnation, that sum can be quite massive. She really is our Mother and it’s where we came from in a very lyrical and poetic way.

In Part one of this Moon blog series, I talked about the Fire Moons with their impetuous and adventurous nature. Here we go with the Earth Moons.

By the way, there is an immutable order when it comes to energy. Wherever you begin, it never varies. Fire, Earth, Air and Water. Always. Its one of the basic things to understand when you are starting to learn astro-speak. Fire, Earth, Air and Water. Always and forever. And in that beautiful wheel that I call the mandala of the soul, aka, the natal horoscope, this sequence of elements repeats itself 3 times. (More about that in a future blog, as well.)

So Earth follows the Fire. Which is good. After all that activity, a rest period is always welcome. And that’s kind of how the Earth Moons feel in the persona. Calm, steady, grounded and solid. Not Moon-like at all if you think about it.

There’s a thing in traditional astrology that classifies the weight and, I guess, a good word would be power, of planets in signs. It’s called the ‘dignities’ if you want to google it for yourself. Interestingly, The Moon finds both her exaltation and her fall in two of the Earth signs of the Zodiac. I don’t particularly like those words since they carry a certain assessment by their attachment to the position but I understand where the ‘traditionals’ were going when they came up with this system. They wanted to establish the way to describe the manner that the lunar energy, as represented by the Moon in the chart, might act in any given zodiac sign. There is potential in all placements, of course. And my teacher, Jeffrey Wolf Green, used to repeat, rather emphatically, that the reason anyone was born with whatever horoscope they had was because the soul that is behind the ego chose it for purpose. Nothing, absolutely nothing is haphazard. The essential nature of each individual’s experiential process is what contributes to the evolution (or not) or the soul. (Evolutionary Astrology absolutely encompasses an acceptance of the concept of ongoing incarnation.) So, no judgment for any given lunar energy. The words associated with the dignities, however, imply a ‘better than’ and a ‘lesser than’ state of being. So, I have long felt that we need to come up with a more inclusive kind of language when we talk about these positions within the wheel.

Never mind all that, however, and let’s just look at the earthy Moons.

Moon in Taurus people can often experience what the rest of us might call ‘luck’ when observed from the outside. This is truly the ultimate in ‘receiver’ energies. This placement is one of those ‘dignities’—the exaltation. What this really means is that the Moon finds total ground in Taurus. The normal changeable and erratic lunar energy is steadied and can be extremely focused and calm. Taurus is, after all, the ultimate earthy energy. It is all things organic and growing. It is the symbol of gestation, the creative force taking form. Do you know the Tarot? The Empress is a great depiction of all that Taurus can be. So when the skittish, moody Moon lands in Taurus, it suddenly becomes a force to be reckoned with.

In past lives, the Taurus Moon person diligently pursued the gifts of the spirit. He worked hard to manage his emotional energy. That’s why, in current life, he seems doubly blessed. But it isn’t by accident. The partner sign to Taurus is Scorpio so we know that this energy was somehow relevant to current life experience. Scorpio is, in part, the loss of what makes us secure, transformation, rebirth and all that sort of thing that can actually look pretty challenging at first glance. Taurus is the end result of the metamorphosis, the respite that comes after the storm.

If you have Taurus Moon, your challenge is to MOVE. Don’t just sit complacently in all that you have so far received. Be open to ongoing change and transformation. The contribution that you can make to the greater collective is much like the rudder on the ship. You have an almost palpable etheric energy that can be used to steady and steer through the waters of life. Your connection to the intrinsic cycles of life gives you the ability to trust and believe that ‘this, too, will pass’ when times get tough. Your intuitive sense of order and structure often can put you in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. You instinctively can ‘smell’ when to make that critical move. If you can harness the energy of powerful Scorpio, that shadow part of the Taurus/Scorpio partnership, to motivate yourself, you really can become an unstoppable force of nature.

When you feel threatened, Taurus Moon, you flee to nature; you surround yourself with tangible, physical comfort. It could be a long aromatic and warm bath in a candlelit room; a delicious and extravagant meal accompanied by wine and chocolate; a luxurious spa day where you feel pampered and stroked and don’t forget TOUCHED! All things organic draw you. And this is exactly what you can give to others; warmth, comfort, support, a sense of security. People might often say to you, You make me FEEL so safe and you don’t even know just exactly what it is that you have done! Just keep doing it!

I have a funny story that really illustrates the seeming serendipity of Moon in Taurus. A young man with this placement was moving house in L.A., a kind of a scary sort of city in many ways—and really, really big. He couldn’t find a truck to make the move and there he was on the last day that he had to do this. Without really thinking about it, he walked outside and made his way to one of the many freeways that criss-cross that city. He stood there at the side of the road for a bit watching the traffic speed by him. Then he saw a moving truck coming towards him. He flagged it down. What do you think happened next? You got it, he was soon moved into his new place. Chance? Luck? Maybe. But what really happened is that his natural wisdom kicked in, he intuitively made his way to the place where he would most likely find a moving van, he absolutely believed that he would find one and that whoever was driving it would help him. And that is exactly what happened. Taurus Moon—gotta love it.

Astrology is a pretty popular thing these days. This is good. And bad.

Good because its one way of seeing the bigger picture, realizing that there is something going on that involves us all and not any one particular preference, but rather the whole host of preferences. At least, that’s the way I see it.

Bad because the more popular it becomes, the more we seem to ‘dumb it down’…

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m all for simplicity. Getting right down to the nitty-gritty. I don’t have a lot of time for the over-intellectualizing of anything. If you think that something has to be complex to be worthwhile, you haven’t experienced that singular satisfaction that is had after a drink of cool, clean, fresh, unadulterated water. Got that sensation in your mind? Feel that cool flow of liquid over your tongue? There you go. Simple, yet satisfying.

But, there comes a time when you may have just crossed the line with ‘dumbing it down’.  And I guess, with all the stuff floating around based solely on what is called SUN SIGN ASTROLOGY, that line, in my opinion, has been crossed. Sun Sign Astrology is great as an introduction to a beautiful and complete system of self-analysis and spiritual insight–which is the whole body of astrological knowledge–but it does a severe dis-service to it if that is where you park your car. You got to keep moving down that highway of information to get the maximum return on investment. The investment? Your limited and precious time and energy. In this fast paced world of gotta do and have to be, every minute is worth its weight in gold, or whatever other form of tender you choose to use.

And it isn’t really all that difficult to get the bigger picture of how astrology works. Not everyone who studies astrology needs to be a working astrologer–(that’s what I am)–and really, why should you? Just like not everyone can be a lawyer (that may be a bad example) or teacher, or medic or firefighter or physicist or…well, I think you get the drift. However, anyone who wants to can acquire a solid working knowledge of the subject and in fact, it is wise to do so like when you need to go see a medic, a lawyer and so forth. Maybe you won’t actually plead your case, but it helps to at least have some familiarity with the ground rules. Yes? Well, I say yes…

So what I will do in the next few posts is to explore in a very simple and uncluttered way, what the building blocks of astrology are.

Getting to know some of this stuff REALLY enhances the life that you live. Its all about flow. Finding YOUR own flow. Its about synchronicity–that wonderfully magical phenomenon that sends shivers through you when it happens. Here’s a lovely thought–synchronicity happens all the time! We just have to take those blindfolds off our eyes to see it. Astrological knowledge helps in that area! Its about coming to terms with things. That’s a big one for those of us who came into this world filled with vinegar and angst–yes, that was me, for sure. Its about inner alignment and yes, its about that kind of pretentious thing called SOUL PURPOSE. But if we understand that soul purpose is merely that thing that makes you feel like you are doing something–(get ready)–

singular

sustaining exploratorynurturingcreativehealingco-operativemeaningfuladventuresomeusefulinspirational

poetic

well then, that changes things. Soul purpose  does not have to be a big deal except TO YOU. And, for most of us, it only matters to us that we are keyed into what our soul wants.

So, there you go. If you have read this and gotten through to the 12 key words that I used to describe SOUL PURPOSE, you have just had your first short astrology lesson. Each word, in the order that I used them, is aligned to one of the 12 signs of the Zodiac in sequential order starting with Aries. There are plenty more words that we will get to later on to describe the 12 signs of the Zodiac, but even just starting with the 12 that I chose to use, will give you insight into how the different energies work.

Until next time, STAR GAZERS…

The Moon Is My Mother…Part 2 continued

When an astrologer does a chart analysis, much is devoted to the Sun and the Moon both on their own and as a pair. The Sun signifies the visible part of the persona while the Moon represents the shadow side of that same persona. Sometimes this can be the reason why a person might read a description of their Sun Sign and feel that it is not quite on the money. Try reading the description of whatever sign your Moon is in and see if that fills out the picture a bit. 

All of the bits and pieces of the psyche are linked in an intricate web to one another even if there are no obvious aspects between them. They all come together to form what we call the personality. If the Sun and the Moon are in very different types of energies this makes the way that they work together more complicated. For instance, someone with the Sun in Aries and the Moon in Virgo, has to consciously bring these very different forms of expression together somehow. Aries doesn’t understand caution and planning while Virgo can’t live without it. It takes personal commitment to inner work to find a coherent way to get this type of pair to work in harmony. And sometimes, harmony is not actually the mode. It might just be a matter of compromise. Aries must learn to exercise some patience while Virgo gets all of her ducks in a row. Virgo must learn to relinquish control so that Aries can fly free. Not easy but absolutely doable and wow, what a combo once the strategies are acquired. Obviously the rest of the natal planets will contribute to the overall plan of action.

In Virgo, the Moon has the most adaptability of all of the three earthy signs. That’s because Virgo is the Mutable Earth Sign, the modality that has the most movement built into it. This adaptability and movement adds itself to the already changeable energy of The Moon. By essential nature lunar energy is quicksilver.

At the highest level of function, this is the Moon of ‘practical magic’. I associate this energy to that of the Ritual Worker, the one who knows what to do, how to do it and when to do it. On an emotional level, this is the person who will make the warm cup of tea just in time to be there when the tears are flowing. She will make sure that your needs are met when you are under stress. A clean soft pillow, a bowl of soup, a warm blanket to stop the shivering. Emotions translate in physical ways and Virgo Moon instinctively zeroes in to these things and has practical ways to address them.

This is an energy that can get to the root of the matter through careful consideration. Analysis comes easily and once the analysis has been made, solutions are easy to formulate. It’s when we don’t understand something or feel confused by all of the contradictory data that solutions seem impossible. But every problem has a solution and every situation can be altered by a reasonable strategy. Virgo Moon knows this.

When under stress, this is the type of person who will throw herself into some kind of task to find safety. The joke is, ‘What is your favorite weekend pastime?—Cleaning my closet, of course!’ says Virgo. Creating order around her facilitates a return to sanity when under emotional pressure.

What you have to watch for, Virgo Moon, is not seeing the forest for the trees. Don’t get lost in the bits and pieces. Keep reminding yourself to look for the big picture. Be careful of setting that bar so high that no one, including yourself can ever reach it. Perfect is what is real and not what is imagined. The danger is that nothing will ever be good enough. That’s why, sometimes, this energy can devolve into the critical and sarcastic. It’s disappointment manifesting in the only way that it can.

The pathway into full actualization on an emotional level for this energy is forgiveness and compassion. (That’s reflected in the Pisces partner sign, always the counterpoint in any evolutionary process.) It’s challenging. To forgive emotionally is not easy, sometimes seemingly impossible. To exercise true compassion seems simple enough until you start to get lost in the bits and pieces of the situation. Virgo Moon must practice how to move beyond the doing and into the believing. To do is not enough and to have faith is not enough, what is necessary is to do from a place of faith. Easy to say, not so easy to do.

In past lives, the Virgo Moon person has acquired a vast amount of skill and know how in the area of the application of emotional energy. She has learned how to manage her emotions, how to control then and how to put them to good use. Probably, she has experienced some degree of hurt along the way. Boundaries were crossed, she may have been used badly and thus the retreat into the functional. In this life, she won’t easily let her true emotions show for fear of being hurt again. The challenge, of course, is to move into trust and faith, to believe in something beyond the literal physical reality, to really embrace a spiritual perspective. That doesn’t mean that she has to throw out her tool bag of functionality. 

It’s a complicated energy. But at the root of it, this is a healer Moon, a nurturer Moon, a caring Moon, the Florence Nightingale of Moons. Once true forgiveness is fully integrated into the pattern of behaviour, this is an emotional energy that knows no limitations and has any number of useful practical strategies to use when under stress. The key is to mindfully move into a state of grace in all things and incorporate a keen a sense of both the physical and the spiritual into the emotional syntax.