LITTLE CANDLE

"How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world".

-William Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice. 

On tonight, the night of the Winter Solstice, It’s the darkest night of the year; for some reason the dark makes everything feel colder, more bleak: It feels like all your deamons, real and figuratively, has us all in a full nelson.

Perhaps this is why the ancients engaged in the wild celebrations of this night, full of feasting, bonfires, drinking dancing and merriment. For even though for the rest of the year the universe will be working hard at bringing us closer to the Spring and Summer, and the light and warmth it has to offer.  While we use the Solstice to call on the light, we need to be mindful of the rhythms of the world; this is not the time to try to start new projects, or plant new things in our life; the Spring is the time for that. However, from now until March 23 (the Spring Equinox) it is best to cull the light in us, and decide what we want to bring into our lives, to plant during the Spring, and harvest during the Autumn Equinox.

While green grass and warm breezes are not too far away, the winter seems devouring and desperate.

Perhaps for this very reason we string up lights around trees, windows and buildings; perhaps it is for this reason that Hanukah is about the miracle of oil lasting 7 days longer than it was supposed to, or of the shining North Star in Bethlehem hanging over the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

These have been dark times for us all; of course just the business of being Human means that we have to slog through pain, joy, fear, magic and wonder mixed with madness of the world. However, with the evil, uncertainty and terror we are all living with, now is the time of all time to drum up the inner light that lies within all of us, and use it to keep us warm while the winds rage and darkness surrounds us.

The Universe wants to helps us out here; tomorrow we have a beautiful Venus/Jupiter opposition; we will have a special verve and joyful energy. On Christmas day, Mars, the planet of ego and energy will enter independent, inventive Aquarius. This is lucky for a few reasons.

Uranus is in Aries; Mars is the ruler of Aries; Uranus happens to be the ruler of Aquarius. When planets “switch” the signs they rule, its called a mutual reception. For the next 2 months, this combo will give us insights and brainstorms from Uranus/Aquarius, and the energy and drive to make anything we want happen.

However, there will be a Sun/Uranus square that will make us itchy and edgy; if we use this energy correctly, we can escape the traps of old traditions that no longer work, and shake up unhealthy family dynamics.

So lets accentuate the positive. Let us create the light we need to make our way through the next few months. Let us do as the ancients did, and drink warm honey wine and eat full beautiful meals. Let’s take a bite of a pepper and imagine it’s warmth spreading through us.

 We need to allow the light within us burn bright in the darkness ahead of us.

BUTTERFLY

Today is a Lunar Eclipse in Gemini. We are coming to the end of the eclipse series between Sagittarius and Gemini, where the last eclipse in the series is happening in Sagittarius in May of 2013.

When there is an eclipse series between Gemini and Sagittarius, there is a lot of chatter. There is a lot of vocal flitting about, debating and questioning, seeking and restlessness. Gemini’s are skilled at conversation, while Sagittarius will ponder, seek and apply the meanings to every discourse that has happened.

Take a minute and think about the types of talks you have had over the past eighteen months. Think about your activities; have you traveled more than before? Have you gone back to school? Have you begun to write more than before? Hell, in the past eighteen months have you been playing more scrabble or doing more crossword puzzles?

Take a minute.

I’m going to guess that you have. Now we are beginning to sum up what we have been doing and talking about. Now we are beginning to find the meaning of it all, and sum it all up. Some of us have found rich experiences, and most importantly, some of us may have found our dormant voices. Now is when we all start talking about our experiences.

What have you learned? What have you learned about love? The love you give, the love you see, the love you seek and the love that is around you?

Love is the focus, given the fact that Venus was in Gemini from late May into early July due to a Venus Retrograde and made a transit over the Sun during it’s eclipse on June 4^th.  

Today's eclipse may bring up some unresolved issues from the previous eclipse. At the very least, this eclipse series of late had most of us very focused on love, soul mates and money due to its proximity to Venus, the planet of love and money.

Now Mercury is direct in Scorpio, as well as Saturn and Venus. It is sum up time for us all.

Sex, love, karma and emotional clarity is the order of the day. We have so many planets in death and rebirth oriented Scorpio. Most of us are ready, chomping at the bit to move on and experience the high’s and low’s, to just get through to the other side that may offer us all peace.

The drawing to a close of this Gemini/Sagittarius eclipse series that occurs today can help up do this. We can begin to embark on the next cycle as long as we take the time to talk about all the things we have learned. We need to not feel shy about talking about what we have discovered about ourselves, the world we live in, and the love we have that we carry with us.

It’s the truth that will set us free.

CANDY SHOP

Oh my, I’m clutching my Pearls.

Because now stern Saturn is getting all sexy like, with Venus sashaying into Scorpio, and being a part of the visit of Saturn and Mercury in Scorpio. We will want to talk dirty, spend money on getaways and toys of all kinds…

We will want to get down where it’s tangled and dark.

It’ll be a lot more fun then you think.

It won’t get weird. The planet of sex, war and I’m-in-charge Mars is in Capricorn. Mars is a co-ruler of Scorpio, and Capricorn is ruled by Saturn. However, because Saturn and Mars are switching out their “kids” to each other, there is a spirit of cooperation. It works, since wild and unruly Mars is in calm, cool Capricorn . Sometimes this planetary combo can warn of battle of wills and control issues, not to mention weird sex and money stuff coming to ahead.

This time we are safe, because the Hugh Heiffner of the Universe has entered the Ring.

May introduce you to Sagittarius, the wild man philosopher of the world, the adventurer, the guy who just wants everything to be cool; “the Dude” to which all good things abide. Sagittarius has endless resources, ideas and thirst for adventure. Lady’s and Gents, The Sun has now entered Sagittarius.

Sometimes when he shows up where there are so many planets in Scorpio, he can kind of egg Scorpio into madness. Not this time, though.

Sagittarius wants us all to explore the weird, the wild and the grand. Sagittarius wants us to learn, to widen our philosophies and just try new things, and to do it with a spirit of adventure.

What we have is this: This combo of Saturn, Mercury and most importantly Venus in sexy Scorpio, with the Sun in Sagittarius is that wild combo of Mya, Pink, Little Kim and Christina Aguilera strutting across the stage in a burlesque club, roaring to the cry;

Of course we can’t forget Missy Elliot acting like Mars in Capricorn, in charge of the scene and regulating us all in our dalliance.

Yes, these planets are sexy, in charge and dropping some knowledge on us mere mortals.

You Ready?

Mocha Choca Lata Yaya

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC?

Fire and Water. What do these two elements have in common? 
These elements will purify you. Fire will burn you clean and Water will wash away the sins.
 The Solar Eclipse happening today brings this out, as well as heralds the end of an era and the beginning of a new age. Its the start of the Eclipse series between Scorpio and Taurus. Eclipse series are the dynamic tension between 2 opposite signs on the astrological wheel is played over the course of 18-24 months. 
The beginning of an eclipse series highlights the conversations that continuously go on between an astrological “couple”. Each eclipse that happens in a “couple” reacts like a call and response, a conversation or fight between the two signs, if you will. 
Like all good couples, these two signs play off of each other, and highlight each others strengths and weaknesses. Scorpios are deep and seeking, while Taurus’s live more on the surface. This series between Scorpio and Taurus could be considered a great relief by air signs and Libras after Saturn being in beautiful but passive aggressive Libra for roughly three years. 
Now that Saturn is in Scorpio, everyone can stop being so freaking nice. Or at least trying to be. Maybe now people can say what they really think and feel. Scorpio has no interest in being nice. Scorpio plays hard and for keeps.Oddly enough, so does Taurus. Taurus is not above nasty power plays. Now we can finally let the beast have its way. oh. but wait...
Neptune in watery Pisces has gone direct...soft music and the urge to play the martyr abound. 
Magic and mystery are the order of the day...fairy godmothers and magic dust are very real things. Mercury in Scorpio in an intense trine with Neptune makes us all poets and liars.

What ever you do, don’t let yourself get swept away by fantasy or flights of fancy.

Since Saturn has been invited in the new eclipse series; the stakes are higher, and brings a constricting energy. We can’t just say or do whatever we want. There will be consequences...

What is Saturn in the Cosmos? its the proverbial foot on the throat, making sure you say all your please and thank you’s, dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s. Saturn has a strange alliance with Pluto, who has a taste for retribution. 

Keep that in mind if you’re tempted to play a fiddle while Rome burns.

THE UNION OF THE SNAKE

Whats your dream? everybody got a dream! The big man on the streets in the iconic “pretty woman” hollars this refrain joyfully at the corner of Hollywood and Vine at the passerbys. 

Just as in that neck of the woods was shady, we face similar conditions. Death, sex and dreams were dealt with equal verve, just as it is now, and this is the energy this Eclipse brings us. 

are you ready? no? thats ok if you are not. 

And I will tell you why. We have a Solar Eclipse happening on Tuesday, November 13. There’s a lot of intensity ahead of us.

This could possibly be a mean moon. Its riding high and strong on the serpent head of this eclipse, full of intent and passion. Saturn is involved in this Eclipse, as is Mercury and the ever elusive Neptune.

However, this is also a Solar Eclipse that offers you the world if just give up your pain. If you have a dream or an intention, choose it now. Because if you do, I promise, you will see the outcome direct to your dream within the next 18 months.

We are on the brink of a new world order where Scorpio and Taurus have the starring role, where everything matters more than we can fathom.

For what matters more to Taurus’s and Scorpio’s then sex, power, love and money?

These will be matters that will drive us all endlessly.

Get used to it. These are times where magic will happen, as well as the possibility of miraculous healings.

Things will be wild and exciting, where old demons will show up as well as modern rumplestilizins, just aching to broker a deal.

stay tuned...

Devil in the Details

This New Moon in Virgo occurs on September 15, and  is far different then other new moons. It carries the hint of urgency, and you can really tell because it has no other contact to any other planet other than its ruling planet, Mercury. There are no distractions or anything to pull your attention from what is ahead.  

What that is happens to be the amount of work that needs to be done. Stuff of the everyday variety, cleaning, cooking and making sure we have our ducks all in a row. If you find yourself pulling out all your old crap from your closet and filing old paper work that you just always meant to get around to, then you are making the most of this energy.

Warning: if you find yourself dusting pens and scrubbing at something with a toothbrush, you may have gone a lil’ too far.

It’s easy to get caught up in the details here and not quite see the big picture.

Also Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo; Mercury is the planet that deals with siblings and cousins. This is a New Moon that truly shows us that we all are our brother’s keeper. It also hits the north node of the upcoming eclipse series in Scorpio and touching on Mercury; what this does is shows us what we should all ascend to.

This is a rather optimistic New Moon with lofty intentions with a great deal of grounding and focus. Perhaps it’s the idea that charity begins at home or that we need to take care of the nitty gritty of life and of family details. There is something about Virgo energies that can make people more philanthropic than usual.

This New Moon is also a prime time to begin new projects that demands focus and diligence, and of gleaning over what has occurred over the past year. Basically one of the requests that this Virgo New Moon asks is for you to pick over the good and the bad; to discard the bad feelings, appetites, modes of being and attitudes. After that, reap all the good you have done, and store it away for the coming cold. After all, Virgo is not only known as the Virgin in Astrology, but also the Wheat Barer/Bread Basket; separate the wheat from the chaff and nourish the goodness you have created and have in your life.

And for goodness sake….

Ditch the bad habits.

All I Wanna Do

Hey dude, are you alright?

I don’t care what anyone had to deal with during this past blue moon (8/31/12) but this moon was a gift. For some, it may not have felt like it, but it truly was. Way bigger than anything Santa or daddy war bucks could have left under a tree or in a stocking. However, some of us in the big ole’ world are just uncomfortable getting gifts of uncertain origins, no matter how lovely or undefined they may be.

Never you mind. It was amazing.

All of this lovely energy happened during the Labor Day weekend, and now the weekend has finished. The Sun and Mercury in Virgo lets us know, under no uncertain circumstances that summer is indeed over and now it’s time to go back to work. We got a brief preview of all the work we need to do, due to the Venus/Saturn conversation that happened on Monday. The tone of the conversation was something along the lines of this:

Venus: I’m going to go and dance, and drink margaritas and flirt with that really cute guy

Saturn: no. You already put on 5 pounds this summer, and that guy looks just like that slime ball you broke up with last year.

Venus: you never let me do anything fun!!!!

Saturn: because you have to get your priorities straight.

On September 6^th, Venus is making her way out of Cancer. Of course, Cancer is a perfectly nice sign and when Venus is in Cancer, it is usually a nice, soft time full of sweet shining moments of heartfelt intimacy. However, due to the fact that it was in rather hostile angles to Saturn in Libra, we didn’t get all the good warm feelings we normally would have.

I got some good news for you guys. Venus is making its way into Leo, the sign that is ruled by the Sun. What this means for us is that for 3 short weeks (that’s how long a normal Venus transit is through a sign is) the way we handle and experience love, beauty, recreational and money will take on the flashy sheen of Leo. We will be overly generous in all Venusians matters, and we will be able to be since mean ole’ Saturn isn’t in a position to fuss at Venus in Leo.  

Sure we have work to do. We have a lot of work to do. The Sun and Mercury in busy bee Virgo is buzzing at us all to get cracking at what we need to get done. However Venus in Leo will give us energy, power and verve that we may not have. We all may feel a little run down or overwhelmed. But Venus in Leo will help us do what matters most to us with passion, joy and the enthusiasm of a child.

Play and Work Hard. This is message from the cosmos.