UNDER A PALM TREE

I’m lying on the beach, feeling the warm sand under my blanket. My friend is next to me, and passes me a delicious frosty adult beverage. I sit up, take a sip and pass my friend some coconut scented sun tan lotion. On my own private beach in my own quiet vacation with laughing friends, blaring music and drinks to make us feel hazy in the hot sun, I am wasting away in Margaritaville, and couldn’t be happier. The heat of the Sun has baked away the stress that lodged itself in my back and shoulders. Totally relaxed, I can take the moment to look at my life and see what hard, fast decisions I need to make. I can hear my friends talking about how they are going to change things in their life once we all get off this beach and back to the real world.

This is how this Full Moon in Leo makes us feel.

Lulled into a sense of calm and joy, we do not realize that this Full Moon in Leo is to calm us, ease us into a false sense of security; Mars in Aquarius paired up with the Sun and stern Saturn is in Scorpio; these are all fixed signs and WILL NOT BUDGE when a goal is in sight or something needs to be done. These signs and planets are casting a shadow over us, reminding us that we can relax and enjoy the Sun that Leo brings, but we still need to stop hiding out from all the planetary and life stress we have undergone and get moving, make choices and make progress in the real world.

The Real World. It’s Cold, with ice on the sidewalks. The very old, very young and very poor will not leave any house or shelter they are in; its just too dangerous. Even in this frightening cold, we are warm, radiating the soft heat that the Full Moon in Leo has given us. With this rejuvenation, we have the energy and verve to handle the big events coming up in our life.

Look folks, we all know the world is changing. There is no escape, and we all have to do our best to be proactive and matter while the world is shifting around us.

So while we contemplate all of what is ahead of us, the Full Moon in Leo’s role is to ease us into a state of calm, and to take care of us best as possible. The cosmos want to protect us as much as possible, and wants us to be at best possible thought and spirit to weather the work we need to do.

Leo sometimes gets a bad rep as self centered and showy. However, the true role of Leo is to partner with Cancer; Leo is the father of the Zodiac wheel, while Cancer is the mother. Leo is just doing his job, to help guide his children into the next phase of growing up.

So whenever you are done with your beach towel, frosty beverage and suntan lotion, come back to the real world, and move onto the next phase.

You will be ready.

Somewhere Between the Moon and New York City

"The best that you can do is fall in love"

The cold winter winds blow outside your window. The naked tree branches are stark against the night sky while the darkness surrounds us. Sometimes this utter darkness can make us feel lonely and small, with the weight of winter pressing on us. If we look up, we will see that the sky is devoid of any kind of moonlight; we are in the deep dark of the phases of the moon, poised for a New Moon

In Astrology, a New Moon is an ideal time to state your intentions for the foreseeable future. If you have anything that you want to launch, be it a business plan, a diet, a new course of study or project, it is best to begin it within the first 2 weeks of a New Moon; this a moon meant for new beginnings and fresh starts.

The New Moon in Capricorn, which happens on January 11, is an event that helps to bolster us in the dark; this is the New Moon to make your New Years Resolution to, no matter when it falls. The reason why is because Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, who is the planetary heavy. This is why this New Moon is resolute, rigid and ambitious. This New Moon will make you balance your checkbook, join Weight Watchers and to create a better, stronger version of you.

Well, usually.

This New Moon in Capricorn is unlike anything we usually have. Yes, this is a prime time to make plans. We will have some vim and vigor due to the Mars/Saturn square that happened earlier on in the week. 

However, this New Moon has a very sweet, sexy and dreamy planetary vibe going on. Venus is at soft sensual angle to Neptune, the planet of dreams. The night of the New Moon, Venus, Mercury and the Moon meet up in a magical combination that makes us want to light candles, drink soft pink champagne and whisper words of love.

In this glowing atmosphere, how can we make hard and fast plans about the future? How can we be expected to curb our spending when all we want to do is splurge on that bouquet of roses, or a new set of silk sheets?

How does this beautiful, misty atmosphere mesh with the ‘just the facts ma’am” vibe that goes along with a New Moon in Capricorn? How can we be sensible, when all we want to do is to fall in love?

I think that this is the universe’s way to nudge us into welcoming magic, poetry and dreams into our hard fast plans for the future. After all, we might as well do it now, since the otherworldly elements will find its way into our plans no matter what we do.

Its ok. Go on ahead and listen to rock ballads, draw that bubble bath and pen that letter to the one you love.

In this rare case, Capricorn gives his nod of approval.

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

 “But, said Alice, the world has absolutely no sense, who's stopping us from inventing one?”

Lewis Carrol, "Alice in Wonderland"

Welcome to 2013; we lived through the end of the Mayan Calendar, Storms and endless upsets. 2012 showed us the madness that lives behind the kindest of eyes, and the hero that resides in the everyday person.  There have been moments where we all shocked ourselves, good and bad. We are all reeling, and wondering when things are going to settle down and get back to “normal”.

Sorry folks. That is just not going to happen. We all know too much, and cannot go back to bliss that ignorance provides. We are aware of so much more than we were this time last year.  However, the Universe always offers us a gift.

The year ahead is going to be very water based, with Jupiter entering Cancer at the end of June, Saturn in Scorpio and Neptune in Pisces. This brings us many blessed Grand Trines in Water signs. This year we will see women rise to prominence, as well an over all purification of our selves, society and our bodies. The Eclipse series between Scorpio and Taurus this year compounds that message.

Things will still clash and burn with the ongoing Uranus/Pluto squares in Aries and Capricorn; the individual consciousness duking it out with the status quo. You may be shocked when you realize which side of the debate you are on.

However, never fear; the universe is going to grant us a Grand Sextile as well as the Grand Trine; so many planets, even the ones that are fighting; will work together to bring healing and peace to Planet Earth and us.

It starts with January 2013. The month and the year opens up with a beautiful, blessed trine between Mars and Jupiter; this kind of aspect gives us all a sense of hope, faith, peace, and the feeling we can get through anything. However, once Mercury and Venus enter Capricorn followed by the New Moon In Capricorn on January 6 and 11, everything slows down to a grinding halt. The theme is productivity. Things may feel delayed, and goals may seem unreachable. Do not worry, this is just the universe asking you to rest, and make sure all your projects are up to par.

On January 19, the Sun and Mercury enters Aquarius, and things pick up speed. After this, we have the Moon and Mars being cranky with Pluto, a showy Full Moon in Leo and some nice Jupiter aspects; the rest of January will be a grab bag, often having you wishing for the quiet of the early days of 2013. The month ends with Venus joining the Sun in Aquarius, Mars swimming into Pisces as well as Jupiter moving out of Retrograde. These movements herald a wave of optimism and playfulness. After the end of January, things heat up for us all.

Enjoy the quiet, and the wild of January.