It’s the last week of 2010– the time of year when society has a gift-giving hangover, people start making resolutions for the new year, and everyone laments that they don’t know where the time went.

Monday, December 27

Today is the calmest Monday we’ve had all month. Fitting, since so many people are on holidays right now, but it’s still possible to get work done if you transmute stuckness into action on smaller things. The energy that is out there is active, so if you can avoid feeling frustrated it is a good workday. You might be impatient with shallowness and small talk, so be diplomatic or excuse yourself if someone’s prattle is really annoying you.

Tuesday, December 28

Today can be a day of productivity, or possibly melancholy. You might feel reflective today, so if you’re planning to do a year-end review this is a fine day for that sort of activity; weighing your year and making plans for 2011 will feel satisfying. The evening is good for socializing.

Wednesday, December 29

The moon is void all morning, until 12:49pm Pacific (2049 GMT) so this is not the morning to return your unwanted holiday presents or to try to hammer out a last-minute project. It’s a lovely time for retail therapy, although the purse strings will be a bit loose so be warned. This is another good day for year-end reflection; between an exact Mars-Saturn square and Mercury stationing direct late in the evening, you’re going to feel stifled if you try too hard to make things happen.

Yes, Mercury turns direct late in the evening, at 11:21pm Pacific. Another three weeks of trickster shenanigans is behind us; Mercury’s next retrograde period begins at the end of March 2011. It will take another week to pick up speed though, so be careful of some communication whiplash over the next week.

Thursday, December 30

This can be a downright pleasant day. You might even feel like you’re in a bit of a bubble as things calm around you. This is a good day to continue your year-end reviews, or year-end retreat if you feel like doing nothing.

The moon is in Scorpio, making two friendly aspects today with a nice lazy break in between. If people make a situation difficult for you today, the moon is playing with fixed energy in their charts. Let them be stubborn and wear themselves out; don’t feed the fire.

Friday, December 31

The moon goes void just before noon today, and enters Sagittarius at 5:21pm. If you have to work today, everyone will be in party mode so forget productivity and settle for avoiding last-minute trouble. The morning is your only hope for getting anything done.

Aspect-wise, it’s quiet for the rest of the night. The Sag moon will make a nice party atmosphere if you’re going out, but be careful not to spill your drink on that nice dress. The year ends on a quirky, optimistic note, and thank goodness for that.

Tomorrow is yet another odd full moon.

We’re in the middle of a series of full moons that take place at what astrologers call the anaretic degree, the very last degree of a zodiac sign. Events that occur at 29 degrees of a sign are significant in astrology, as they symbolize maturity and transition. This full moon is the third in a series of five full moons at anaretic degrees; tomorrow’s full moon at 12:13am PST (0813 GMT) will be at 29 Gemini.

If that wasn’t enough, the full moon (moon opposite sun) is the final aspect before the moon goes void of course, mirroring the transition from the outer world to the inner world.

And if that wasn’t enough for one full moon, this one is a total lunar eclipse as well. Humans have known since antiquity that eclipses herald periods of transformation and transition; old patterns dissolve and new options open up.

And if all that wasn’t enough for one event, tomorrow is also the winter solstice; the sun will move into Capricorn later in the afternoon, signaling the official beginning of winter in the northern hemisphere.

As far as signals of personal transformation and transition go, this is a pretty dramatic one.

::

With the moon at 29 degrees, the energy of the Gemini full moon will only coalesce for a short time—just over an hour—before the moon slips into the sign of Cancer. With the curious, processing feelings of Gemini and the adventurous, bold nature of the sun in Sagittarius, we can experience a whole inner revolution in the time today leading up to the full moon, and feel it shift dramatically tomorrow after the moon enters its ruling sign.

In this month’s video forecast Rick Levine referred to this as a “monster moon”; with the 29th degree emphasis people instinctively feel like time is running out… and what do we do when we feel rushed? We tend to make stupid mistakes. But if we can hold our ground emotionally today and tomorrow, we have a chance to really let go of things from the past that don’t serve us anymore.

Tomorrow will be a crossroads on many different levels. We are being pushed to raise our game, to explore new options and act on our values. This is an existential time; are you doing what you’re meant to be doing? Who are you exactly? What does that mean?

::

I will be painting a small series of eclipse and solstice talismans tomorrow. If you are in a period of personal transformation, or if you resonate with eclipses, one of them may be meant for you. They will be available later this week.

Photo by Kenny Louie (cc)

Last week was busy, full-speed-ahead rocket ship week. We’re a few days into the retrograde period now, but… there’s no rest for the wicked. Sorry.

Every Monday this month, and a few bonus days besides, is full of astrological weather that just wants to push your buttons.

Monday, December 6

Last Monday was a busy transit day. Reflect back on what you were doing, so that you can encourage good patterns and nip unproductive ones in the bud.

Monday, December 13

Today is a big, in-your-face day if you’re out interacting with the masses. Do your best to keep your cool, because not everyone else around you can or will. If you’re working alone or with people who have the best interests of others in mind, it can be a productive day. A major Mercury-Mars-Pluto-north node conjunction in Capricorn raises the stakes on the messages you’re delivering.

Getting your ego involved in things today, however, is a short road to a long power struggle. Don’t start something you don’t want to live with for a while.

Monday, December 20

Another busy day here. It’s not all bad, but the sheer amount of traffic and info flying around, combined with Mercury and tomorrow’s looming lunar eclipse, is enough to frazzle anyone’s nerves. Keep an open line of communication with people you like, so they can help you stay sane today.

This is a good brainstorming and projectizing day, if you have that sort of work to do.

Monday, December 27

The weekend may be full of productive juice, but an early-morning void of course moon makes it difficult to get a jump on this Monday. Although easier overall than the last few weeks, this could well be one of those days when you feel like Sisyphus rolling that boulder up the mountain.

Sidestep the frustration by engaging other people’s assistance. This is a good day to focus on diplomacy and the middle way of things.

Photo by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (cc)

On the first Wednesday of the month I shlep over to Redmond to see Rick Levine and Jeff Jawer’s live forecast for the coming month. I’ve been doing this for a whole season now, so I think it’s become an actual part of my routine.

This is an intense month- here are some of the topics that get covered:

• Mars/Pluto and the Capricorn stellium

• the shift between Sagittarius and Capricorn

• a walkthrough of the upcoming Mercury retrograde phase

• high-stakes communication periods during the month

It’s helpful to know a little bit of astrology mechanics for these, but they’re very descriptive so it’s extremely beginner-friendly. The full forecast is about an hour, working chronologically through the month.

Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4

Photo by Debbie Chialtas (cc)

Uranus turned direct yesterday after being retrograde since the beginning of July. Finally, for a few precious days, every planet is moving forward. The new moon this weekend puts us at the beginning of a new lunar cycle, and this new moon was in Sagittarius– perfect for beginning new adventures.

Mercury turns retrograde early Friday morning (4:06am PST / 1206 GMT), so the best use of this energy is to generate awesome momentum for the next four days, then shift gears on Friday and either:

• look through your older ideas and projects for things you can incorporate and people you can recontact, or

• let your neat new thing incubate for a few weeks until Mercury goes direct, picking it back up at the end of the year and making a new push with the next new moon on January 4th.

If Mercury is retrograde in your own chart, you get a free pass and can make a lot of progress before the end of the year. I know, right? You may not be used to the idea of a natal Merc Rx being an asset, but these periods where everyone is running around fearing that the sky will fall? These can be some of your most productive times of the year.

Monday 12/6

Today is a busy transit day, plus we’re all getting our footing back after Uranus turned direct yesterday afternoon. Ideas are flowing, and so are opinions and half-baked thoughts. Don’t let other people’s stuff get stuck to you, and hold on to any money-generating, particularly creative, or make-things-happen ideas. Don’t act on them today, though, and you may not feel like talking about anything tonight. Don’t start any fights, just go to bed early if it’s getting to you.

If you had a particularly rocky week last week, either Uranus fell on a sensitive part of your chart, or you have a lot of Mercury/Gemini/Virgo being twanged by the approaching Merc retrograde. Ride it out today, and focus on using this week to get reoriented so you don’t get knocked off your feet over the next few weeks.

Tuesday 12/7

This is a great day for taking care of business. Sun sextile Saturn, three planets in Capricorn (plus the north node) and Mars also moves into Capricorn later in the afternoon. It’s a good day to evaluate yesterday’s new idea-sprouts and see which ones might turn into something realistic.

You may get more frustrated as the day goes on, so if that’s the case don’t get caught up in the “look out for number one” side of Capricorn.

Wednesday 12/8

This is a great day to ask for help with your (better) ideas, and a good day to offer other people help. You can cover a lot of ground today, but remember to knock off for the evening when the moon goes void of course at 5:07p PST. Reward your full workday by kicking back and watching a movie, going to dinner, or taking a bath. Or, since Capricorn is a conservative sign, you can don that old smoking jacket and break out the habanos.

Thursday 12/9

Today is a very light day, transit-wise, and you will be more able to see the long-range path of the new stuff you’re cranking along on. If you’re a Mercury-ruled person, you might feel like things are already going haywire today, so focus more on making sure you have your house in order for the next few weeks. Is your data backed up? Do you have task lists so ongoing projects can stay on track? Practice writing everything down- you’ll need it for the rest of the month.

Friday 12/10

Mercury turns retrograde early in the morning, but the aspects for today and tomorrow are all positive. Don’t let the doom-and-gloom interpretations get you down; use this time to revive old ideas, reconnect with people you miss (need an excuse? It’s the holidays!), revisit old materials, ebooks, and resources you might have bought but not used effectively enough, and recharge your internal batteries.

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As for me, I’m “lucky” enough to have Mercury retrograde by birth, but I’m in the last pass of Neptune (foggy/ethereal energy) opposing my Mars (action and capacity), so my projects will have to involve more imagining and less “making things happen” if I’m going to get anywhere. It’s important to work with your current situation instead of fighting it, else you’ll wear yourself out and have nothing to show for all that effort.

Happy rocket-ing!

Photo by Jon Rawlinson (cc)

Yes, my peeps, it’s about that time. Mercury will turn retrograde next Friday morning for the last retrograde round of the year. Sneaking one more in before New Year’s! Lucky us. I’m posting this now so you can get your house in order beforehand.

A few points, if you like to read fast:

• No, Mercury retrograde will not cause mass panic and mayhem

• This lasts about three weeks each time.

• No, everything electronic you own will not break (unless you’re having a Mars or Uranus transit at the same time; then I can’t promise anything)

• Nevertheless, it would be very smart to back up hard drives, give your car some love, and make extra time in your schedule for commuting and errands

• If Mercury is retrograde in your birth chart, you might enjoy the next few weeks

On your mark

Mercury will station retrograde (visually slow to a stop and then start moving backward) at 4:06am PST (1206 UT) next Friday, December 10. We’ll be in the retrograde period for just under three weeks, until late on the 27th. It will be in the sign of Capricorn, then rewind back into Sagittarius for a bit.

Mercury goes through retrograde periods about three times a year, for about three weeks each time. People are more easily overwhelmed with information at these times, and are processing internal information more thoroughly. It’s also pretty common to have more commuting, communication, or technology issues than usual.

Another reason that things get weird during Mercury retrograde periods is that everyone is focusing more on their internal workings, and less on external functioning. When a huge group of people does that all at once, you have weird breakdowns in everyday things.

Get set

Things to take care of beforehand, over the next week:

• Back up your hard drive. If you have a blog, back up your files and your database. WordPress users can check it out here.
• Take a look at your car. If you need the oil changed soon, or need repairs, it’s better to do those things now than during the retrograde period. If you take public transit, buy your pass beforehand AND carry change as a backup.
• Make clear task lists for yourself. Be prepared for them to not work, but having a plan to deviate from is better than no plan at all.
• If you’re thinking about a technology purchase, do it beforehand or after the retro period is over. This applies to holiday presents too!
• Speaking of holidays: if you’re traveling, be sure to budget plenty of time if you can. This is a given during the busy season, but even more relevant than usual when we’re in rewind mode.
• Get as much holiday shopping done as you can ahead of time. Try not to wait until the last minute, especially if you’re having things shipped. If the shipping goes awry…
• If you use online banking or billpay, double-check everything before, during, and after.

Some ways to survive and thrive while Mercury is retrograde:

• Have patience and a bit of humor. Things may be quirky, especially anything dependent on technology or smooth communication.
• Make lists. Practice clearer communication with yourself about your needs.
• Reread your favorite books.
• Recommit to a healthy routine: maybe it’s time to return to taking a vitamin every day, or meditating for a few minutes.
• Revive an old project or idea.
• Write a letter or an email to someone you haven’t talked to in a while, and reconnect with them.
• Renew your living space with a vase of flowers, a new photo frame, or a lit candle.
• Get plenty of rest and take time to relax.

If Mercury is retrograde in your own birth chart, you may find this to be one of the more productive times of year for you; quite simply, it’s because everyone else is on your wavelength for once. You have an advantage by being used to it!

Not sure if you have a natal retrograde Mercury? Get a copy of your chart. Look at the bottom for Mercury- if it has a little “r” next to the word, you’re one of us

Go!

Above all, try to maintain a sense of humor about things. Setbacks and miscommunications are inevitable, but you determine hour you react to them. Keep your cool, and be patient!

Here are some past posts, if you want to read more:

The Mercury Retrograde Muck (audio)

Reduce, Reuse, Recuperate

Mutable energy (audio)

Photo by Matías Ferreyra (cc)

Some days are rather “quiet” astrologically. Others are anything but. Today is the latter.

Stephanie Gailing has a great reflective piece at Planetary Apothecary on what’s going on upstairs today. It’s a busy day for astrology! Jupiter has just turned direct after being retrograde since July, and Venus is about to do the same a little later today after being in reverse for the past six weeks.

What’s all that supposed to mean?

We’ve all been looking inside. What do we want? How can we get it? Do people want to hear the things we have to share? What are we willing to put up with to get the things we want? What have we been dealing with, thinking it’s getting us what we think we want? How can we contribute?

On one level we’ve been doing this for weeks, and on another we’ve been doing this for months. Looking inside and pulling things apart is good, and necessary, but after a while it gets frustrating because often it feels like outer progress is stalling as a result.

Over in this corner…

I underestimated the effect this would have on me personally, too. I’m comfortable with self-reflection, and an extended period of navel-gazing didn’t seem like a bad thing if a lot of my fellow humans were going to be joining me at the same time.

But what I didn’t anticipate was, as both Jupiter and Venus slowed to a stop over the last week, that I would too in a lot of ways. Hindsight is 20/20- Jupiter is very closely tied to my sun (my core self) in my chart, and Venus rules almost all of my planets. Small wonder that I’ve ground to a halt right along with the calendar!

Thankfully, I’ve covered a lot of that inner-reflection ground in the last several weeks, so I feel that I’m coming out of this with new things to draw on. But I am so ready for things (and the benefics, in particular- Venus and Jupiter are considered the “good” planets) to start moving forward again.

What’s next?

It will be back to business as usual around here now, and I’m excited to roll out some redesigns that I’ve been sitting on until Venus retrograde was over.

Have you experienced a lot of inertia in the past week or so? How are you feeling now?

Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5 – Part 6

You can get Rick and Jeff’s 2011 astrology guide here.

Photo by Olivier (cc)

Right now we’re in the balsamic phase of the moon- the last couple days before the moon goes totally dark. This is the final phase of the moon cycle. If you’ve studied astronomy, you may already know of this phase as the waning crescent.

Going dark

As the light of the moon grows darker and finally fades out entirely, we become acclimated to darkness. There is a sense of mystery, of seclusion, even karmic connection right now. Mysteries become more compelling when it is dark. We become more concerned with unfinished business.

Slowing down

This is the point of the moon cycle where we naturally want to slow down, tie up loose ends, and get ready for the beginning of the next cycle. It feels more difficult than usual to start a project right now, and people may be less receptive to your messages because everyone else is going through their own period of slowing down.

In some ways this phase is similar to the void of course moon, the ending of a moon in a sign. You can imagine, then that a void of course moon during the balsamic moon phase is intensely introspective. This will happen tomorrow, and again next month.

Final void of course moons during balsamic moons (all times are Pacific):

• November 4, 2010 (Thursday) – 4:34p – 11:15p
• December 4, 2010 (Saturday) – 4:13a – 9:59a
• January 2, 2011 (Sunday) – 6:08p – 11:39p
• February 1, 2011 (Tuesday) – 11:31a – 3:21p

The next three fall outside of normal working hours, which will make this phase a little easier and more fruitful if you decide to spend it consciously. We respond to these periods whether we intend to or not, so life is smoother when we take them into consideration.

What to actually do?

The best use of your time during a balsamic moon is to wrap up projects, or at least finish sections of a larger effort. It’s a particularly good time for massage or other bodywork, and for restorative practices like art, meditation, and yoga. Going out into nature, even if it’s just a walk through the park or looking at the water, will relieve stress especially well right now.

The balsamic moon is the end of a cycle; it is related to the sign of Pisces, the end of a different cycle. We are all more sensitive right now, so activities that support this are good, and actions that don’t take everyone’s increased sensitivity into account will be more work. Turn inward, remember that others are naturally turning inward as well, and prepare yourself to start new efforts with the next new moon.

Transits for November 3 – 5, 2010

• Wednesday, November 3: The moon is in Libra all day. We get a dose of Hades Moon with a square to Pluto in the morning, a connection to Mars soon after, and then to Saturn in the afternoon. Today feels serious. Keep things in perspective, uncover the reality of the situation, and stick with your plans. Don’t get discouraged- stay focused on your priorities.

• Thursday, November 4: You can get a lot done today- it’s a good day for connecting, finding ingenious compromises, and communicating optimistically. This is a great day for intuitive practice too, as your mind can easily connect with your subconscious. The moon goes void at 4:34pm, so take it easy for the evening. It’s better to stay in than go out tonight- a quiet, introspective movie would be the exception (still better to watch it at home, though). The moon enters Scorpio at 11:15pm.

• Friday, November 5: The moon lights up Venus retrograde early today, and after a touch of Hades Moon slides into the new moon phase at 9:52pm. Today is about endings, not hiding from the truth, and facing what you really want and need in your life right now (and what you don’t). This is a powerful day for feeling things, but it’s a difficult day for talking about how you’re feeling. Save the serious discussions for later, and stick to writing things down if you really need to get it out.

Photo by Luz A. Villa (cc)

Here’s what’s going on in the sky this weekend (all times are Pacific, tweak as necessary):

Friday, October 29

The Cancer moon goes void around lunchtime (12:48p PDT), and then doesn’t move into Leo until 5:38p. So there’s a big potential case out there of senioritis/Friday syndrome out there. Good day for brainstorming or connecting though- all of today’s aspects are energetic trines. Just don’t push yourself to be overly productive in concrete ways. Write down all your genius ideas.

Saturday, October 30

Leo moon all day. If you’re working, this is a good work day. In the early morning it may be difficult to get into a groove, but the rest of the day will be better for working. It may be hard to do critical thinking late in the evening, so if you like to work late it may be better to get into some rote tasks.

If this is a day off for you, you may feel conflicted in the morning but it will lift after lunch. Late evening isn’t a good time for serious talks… those will lead to unnecessary frustration. Save for later.

Sunday, October 31

The moon goes void at 2:02pm, and moves into Virgo at 8:51. The only aspect today is a moon/Neptune opposition at the void… that’s it. The veils be thin today, my friends. This is a good day for meditating, dipping into stuff that’s a little woowoo, scaring yourself with weird occult stories and ideas, and a bit of exploring– plus, it happens to be Halloween. This could be an extra-spooky one for you, if you go looking for weirdness.

However, take whatever happens today with a bag of rock salt. Neptune is the one pushing you off the void cliff today, so there’s a good chance that everything you see on the way down is only in your head. Maybe.

Oh, and…

I’ve released a quick toolset called How to Read Your Birth Chart. If you’re new to the mechanics of astrology, or if charts still look complicated to you, it will help you get more comfortable with reading.

Have a good weekend!

This turn of phrase is something I got from Fabeku, my favorite soundmeister.

The moon entered the sign of Cancer this morning, as it does once a month, and it has been a busy day for transits so far. And there are more to go! Hang onto your hats.

I was feeling particularly sticky/stuck/ick today. It’s been a great week, to be sure, but I this morning I was having trouble wrapping my head around small stuff (what do I need to get done today) and big stuff (where is my business going? What do I really want to be doing with my time?).

Stuck.

I did a few passive things- I checked my email, listened to a phone conference, read some articles, watched the Twitter gossip scroll by. But I needed to dislodge the big thing, to dissolve the fog.

So I finally got up and got myself outside. I walked down the street and checked out the for sale signs, the flyers on the telephone poles, the weird bumper stickers on people’s cars… but I was mostly stuck in my own head. I couldn’t even tell you what I was thinking about. I just know that I wasn’t really present; I arrived at the park trails before I even knew it.

Babble babble

There’s a little stream that runs through the park, which I wasn’t thinking about as I was walking. But I got there and I heard it. And there was something about it that was able to cut through the fog in my brain, so I decided to sit on “my” bench (up in the picture there) and see how much magic it could work.

So I sat. And the water did the talking.

And after a while, I felt… better. The tension came out of my shoulders and arms a little. I had a conversation with some gossamer-winged flying thing that landed on my scarf and hung out for a bit. I thought of some ways to adjust my workload. I felt less like having a giant internal seizure and more, well, like I was taking a walk in the park.

On the way back, I met an old man with broken glasses who was raking the leaves off the park bridges. I stopped and thanked him for it- he just looked surprised that I even said anything.

Transits for October 27, 2010

• 1:56a – Moon square Jupiter
• 4:52a – Moon trine Neptune
• 7:19a – Moon square Uranus
• void of course moon
• 12:14p – Moon enters Cancer

And that’s just what we’ve had so far. The final aspect before the moon went void this morning was that itchy square to Uranus, so if you’re feeling weird and twitchy and unsettled today, you’re not the only one.

Here’s what’s on the docket for tonight (everything here is Pacific time):

• 6:11p – Moon opposite Pluto
• 8:35p – Moon trine sun
• 11:05p – Moon trine Venus
• 11:48p – Mars moves into Sagittarius

Saturn also makes a big, awkward, little-mentioned sesquisquare to Neptune today. It’s a day to think about obstacles, and about how to dissolve them. Also to think about vague, foggy, confusing issues and how you can get more concrete about them. Don’t worry, you don’t have to solve all those issues today.

Basically, you might go further down the rabbit hole for a few more hours, but things will start to clear up again later in the evening. Be ready to feel impulsive when Mars moves into Sag, but if you had a rough day due to the transits you may be more than ready for bed by then.

The sound and the fury

Well, there wasn’t a lot of fury in my day but I definitely feel like stuff shifted. Thanks to Fabeku for that pearl of wisdom, and we’ll see what comes tomorrow.

Also, this is the last day of our no-fire-in-the-sky period, so if you’ve been feeling particularly bogged down or uninspired lately, things will improve tomorrow.

Image by H. Michael Karshis (cc)

We’re getting a do-over.

Last month’s full moon was at the very beginning of Aries, giving us that stretchy Aries/Libra energy. And… guess what. We’re doing it again- tonight’s full moon is at the very tail end of Aries, and slips into Taurus just 45 minutes later. It’s like an inside-out blue moon: instead of getting two new moons in a month, we’re getting two full moons in one sign.

Now what?

This is the last day of Libra too; the sun moves into Scorpio tomorrow afternoon. This is your last chance to harmonize—whether it’s in your head, in your home, or in your relationships—before we collectively turn our attention to those deeper issues we’ve been avoiding. So once again, it’s time to

take stock

Take a look at what you’ve been doing over the last month. Made any progress? The same questions still apply:

• Which parts of your life are already reorganizing themselves?
• Which parts are still the same, that you would prefer to be different?
• What old pattern of yours is working itself loose, ready to detach?
• What assistance do you need, from yourself or other people, to let it go?

Oh, and

I’m sending out the full moon newsletter in about an hour, so if you’re not on the list yet you will want to hop on it- there are presents in this one. Head off to the sidebar on the right to sign up.

Photo by striatic (cc)

A few things are happening in the next few days, so here’s the skinny. If you want the luxurious, full-fat version skip off to the sidebar on the right and sign up for the newsletter, because I’ll be sending it out in an hour or so.

New moon in Libra

This new moon is big, kids. We have four planets in Libra right now (sun, moon, Mercury, and Saturn) so it’s all about the Libra right now. Today has the potential to be emotionally heavy as we are being pushed to reevaluate our relationships with everyone in our lives, along with how we relate to ourselves. If it’s a melancholy day for you, take heart- it will pass soon. But give everyone around you a break, because they may not be feeling much better.

Remember that new moons are great for wishing! Write a few down, put them under your mattress or in a book, forget about them for a few weeks, and then be surprised. No, seriously. Try it.

Venus retrograde in Scorpio

Venus goes retrograde about every eighteen months, and our next round begins tomorrow just after midnight (Pacific time). For the next six weeks you will be prompted to examine what’s going on inside you, and what the hell it is you want, exactly. From your friends, family, work, home, life in general, and from yourself. And Scorpio will want you to dig in the dirt. Don’t put this one off, or it will get ugly. Roll up your sleeves and get to work.

New material coming down the pipe

I’m working on a few new practical downloads for you guys- instant gratification is good, right? Keep your eyes peeled for more material on these things over the coming months:

• How to read your birth chart
• Prenatal eclipses, and what they’re actually good for
• Scheduling with moon phases
• The Pluto transit survival guide

There’s some other stuff on my desk too, but these are the most exciting to me right now. And if there’s something you’re dying to know more about and can’t find anywhere, email me and I’ll drum up some info for you.

NPR donations

Last but not least… for some reason, whenever it’s pledge drive season I get a bunch of googlers stopping by here looking for NPR phone numbers. So:

If you’re trying to donate to NPR, go here:
http://www.npr.org/stations/donate/

If you live in Seattle and are looking for KUOW, go here:
https://www.kuow.org/pledge/

If you live in Seattle and are looking for KPLU, go here:
http://secure.publicbroadcasting.net/kplu/pledge.pledgemain?action=pledge&pg=pledgeForm

Yeah, that is an ugly link. But KPLU gets a pass because they have the hilarious Alec Baldwin ads, which you should listen to because they’re funny as hell. Check them out- at least listen to the first one:

http://www.kplu.org/alec-baldwin

Photo by sarah (cc)

The sun made its annual rendezvous with Saturn yesterday, and Mars and Venus will meet up together on Monday. We have to deal with the old fart first before we can move on to the virile lovers.

Meanwhile, the moon is in its home sign of Cancer, and many folks have retreated under a rock to work (or hide from work) while recuperating enough to deal with people again. So what’s a body to do?

Sun conjunct Saturn

I talked at more length yesterday about how Saturn isn’t all bad. This aspect is waning now, but you can maximize it by thinking about what you actually want to be working on, and then savoring the act of crossing things off your list. If you feel like you need some tools for this, you can check out Dave Seah’s Task Project Destruct-O-Matic sheets, or Havi Brooks’ Procrastination Dissolve-O-Matic guide.

Moon in Cancer

The rock. You’re under it. Or brandishing your claws, or a little of both. The moon is most at home in the sign of Cancer, so we’re all a little more emotionally attuned than usual. So if your usual state is serene, you may be feeling more serene than usual. If your general style is emotionally sensitive, you may be feeling more sensitive than usual. Now is a good time to tune into the way the moon affects you: listen to a discussion of the lunar cycle, download the Gaining Momentum with Moon Cycles packet, or subscribe to the bite-sized transit updates.

Mars conjunct Venus

A lot of people see this one coming up in the calendar and think “heyyy, everyone will be trying to get laid that day!” This is partially true. But let’s look at Mars and Venus from a different angle for a minute: Venus is about what you want, and Mars is about getting what you want. So… what do you want? How are you going to get it? Venus and Mars are meeting up in the sign of Scorpio, so this is a good time to uncover hidden desires and strategies.

“Hidden desires” sounds a little tawdry, but they can be mundane as well. Maybe you don’t really want to be committed to that project anymore, or driving that carpool, or you’re really feeling overcommitted lately. What exactly do you want? Uncover a more ideal version of your current situation. Venus will be going retrograde at the end of next week, and that period is ideal for deeper work around this. The Mars/Venus conjunction gives us a bit of a kickstart before then.

This Sunday (the aspect is exact at 2:59pm Pacific) will be an especially good time to work on your writing projects and artistic endeavours, because this event will get your creative juices flowing more easily.

One more thing…

There is absolutely zero fire element in the sky right now, so if you’re getting stuck and feeling frustrated, or can’t get excited about something you’re doing, move on to something different and come back to it tomorrow afternoon when the moon moves into Leo. It will be a little easier then.

Photo by sirtrentalot (cc)

The full moon in Aries was exact at 2:18am PDT this morning- if the sky is clear you’ll get a lovely view of it tonight too. It was also a unique full moon, lining up with the big players in the Creative Initiation and occurring just a few hours after the equinox. This is a planetary event that is definitely looking to get our attention.

The lunar cycle is divided into a waxing phase and a waning phase, where things naturally expand or contract. The full moon occurs at the height of this cycle: it is a time for us to take stock of our previous growth, and then turn to refining it. Each month the full moon highlights two opposite signs of the zodiac for us to integrate. The current full moon pushes us to explore the polarity between Aries, the sign of impulse and initiation, and Libra, the sign of diplomacy and equality.

This full moon points a giant searchlight onto the new phases we’re each entering in our own experience of the Creative Initiation. The moon, at 0 Aries, is at the very beginning of the zodiac, fresh from its alignment with Uranus and Jupiter. You are ready to shed some more old, unhealthy emotional patterns and reflexes and brave enough to try out new ones.

On the other side of the sky, the sun is conjunct Saturn in Libra now: you are looking for ways to bring more integrity and balance into your life.

“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.”

- F. Scott Fitzgerald

I’m adding a punchy new stream of real-time transit info for you on Twitter, RSS, and email, starting today. If this is your sort of thing:

Moon in Gemini is about to trine Saturn in Libra right this minute. Get a post-it and make massive, world-changing plans on it. Ready… go!

or this:

Moon is about to go void of course until 11:10pm PST. Stop trying to make things happen for a little while, and go have a glass of wine.

or this:

The moon is in Aries all day today; not much else is happening. Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead on your world domination plans.

then follow me on Twitter for time-sensitive updates. You won’t be bombarded with obscure transits and technical info… I’m focusing on just a few things:

• when the moon changes signs
• when the moon goes void of course (think miniature Mercury retrograde; recharge time)
• major planetary events
• shit you can do at each of these times

If you want the new micro-forecast but you don’t hang out on Twitter, you can subscribe to the bite-sized transit RSS feed instead. All of the useful info, and none of the chatter. Would you rather get it in your email? Subscribe to the bite-sized transit email update to send them straight to your inbox.

Here are the three ways you can get the new transit updates:

1. Follow @PotentSigns on Twitter
2. Subscribe to the bite-sized transit RSS feed
3. Get them delivered to your email inbox

Enjoy!

Photo by Joel Bez (cc)

If you’re feeling the current Mercury Retrograde rhythm, this show is for you!

I got back together with Donna Frindt for another full hour of Metaphysical Thursday, and we took a look at the ins and outs of Mercury retrograde periods, astrological transits, and using the lunar cycle to boost your projects and routines.

Impatient? Skip to the part you want:

• The Mercury Retrograde section is from to 4:15 to 11:00.
• The lunar cycle section is from 16:30 to 25:30.
• We discuss moon signs from 30:00 to 32:45, and again from 37:10 to 40:20.
• Learn about transits and planetary returns from 32:45 to 37:10.

Healthy You! Radio – 26 August 2010

Photo by Wolfgang Staudt (cc)

Join me for a full 30 minutes of astrological updates this Metaphysical Thursday! In this segment we look at Mars’ entry into Libra, some ayurvedic cooling practices, and sleep remedies for Aries and Libra folks.

After the break I read tarot for callers with questions- a series of listeners consider marketing their art more seriously, and a caller is learning to adjust to life being less chaotic than usual!

Healthy You! Radio – 29 July 2010

Photo by lululemon athletica (cc)

Change is still in the air, and today our radio callers were really feeling the change at work.

In the first 27 minutes of this recording Jyotisha astrologer Melanie Farmer and I discuss July’s eclipse patterns, and take calls from listeners.

You can definitely tell I’m not in the studio- I recorded this over a shaky phone from Miami, but the callers are a treat!

Healthy You! Radio – 8 July 2010

Photo by Laszlo Ilyes (cc)

The moon is full in the sign of Pisces today at 10:05am Pacific time.

My colleague and fellow WSAA member Stephanie Gailing has a lovely piece about today’s full moon over at her site, Planetary Apothecary. One tiny excerpt that jumped out at me:

The combination of Virgoan and Piscean energy can be a powerful elixir for our health as well as provide solutions to dis-ease in other areas of our life.

Stephanie is an astrologer with a nutritionist background (can you tell she’s a Taurus moon like me?) so her blog is a great source of information about using herbs, flower essences, and natural remedies during planetary cycles. Be sure to check out her site archives, and take a look at her new book.