Jun

14

Talk, Talk Gemini New Moon. Stop.

Filed Under Illuminated Lunations, Real Time Astrology | 2 Comments

Well did I tell you before
When l was up
Anxiety was bringing me down
l’m tired of listening to you
Talking in rhymes
Twisting round to think
You’re straight down the line

All you do to me is talk talk
– Talk Talk by Talk Talk

Love your neighbor as yourself.
- Jesus

I’ve spent this Gemini New Moon morning at a sixth grade graduation for my stepdaughter, Sarah. I even saw Twins while I was thinking about writing you, two toddlers in pink dresses whooping it up in the Sun. As the awards were handed out, parents cheered. It seems kids get graduation ceremonies in elementary, middle, high school and college now. Balancing the possibility that I might be witnessing excess suburbiaville against my love for celebrating rites of passage, I reckon the more we celebrate rites of passage, the greater our chances of becoming whole individuals. A grandmother stood beside us, and looking at the Twins playing on the playground said (with a pinched, indignant expression) “we should be allowed to play on playgrounds, too!” Instantly I think, aren’t you? You’re playing in the playground of your mind, giggling, falling down and getting up again, begrudgingly, yes, but you absolutely remember how to be carefree.

Gemini is young, forever young. Here’s good news: youth is not what they’re selling you. It’s not the Botox or even the number. It’s the freedom of mind, body and spirit to step onto the playground and giggle, to imagine what it might be like to steal behind the bushes with a boy (at this age!), to wear striped knee-hi socks and mismatched sneakers with your skirt, as Sarah did today. You want permission to be devilish? Oh, let me ask my parents before I jump into a mud puddle/ tear into a cake/ pet a strange dog. Puh-lease. Youth doesn’t hesitate. It’s that wise. By trusting in innocence, youth knows it can get out of a jam. And it’s almost always right.

New Moons are inventive because you get to start over, each and every month. This New Moon is doubly inventive because it’s Gemini. The Twins represent the slice of the zodiacal wheel where we reach out and touch someone or something else. We simply make contact, connect. We are no longer one, we are two. It’s delightful to discover we’re not alone in the Universe – all we want to do is talk about our discovery, share it, move in it, dissect it, be apart of it. And what is “it”? Oh, it’s so fresh, so hip, so very now… It’s what’s happening right here, right now and that quite possibly is the most important thing in the world. You are that which exists to reinvent itself. And you are never the same being two days in a row. So capturing this you? Impossible! You are pure spirit, the breath, the breath of life. (Side question: are you breathing or are you being breathed?)

We’re constantly inflowing and out flowing this breath. We give off life, we take in life. We each vibrate at a unique frequency. Surrounding our selves with nasty, low energy we begin to feel nasty and low. Read a positive, uplifting book – we’re uplifted. We’re in a confluence of influences. And as physics says, we influence the confluence. We have an affect on one another. It appears when two objects collide and then separate, the two objects are never again truly separate from the other. When one changes, no matter how far apart in space and time, the other does too. This theory of energetic connection is called quantum interconnectedness. So there you have it: every connection you make energetically travels – to your Twin.

For those of us looking at life from the perspective of the dark night sky, feeling so alone and separate – think infinite. You’re not a solitary being, after all. You probably have spawned many Twins, hundreds, maybe thousands. And if you’re reading this and you’re a celebrity, you affect millions or more (and if you’re reading this, and you’re a celebrity, call me). To all this I say: more power to you and your Twin. Literally. Where is this longwinded rant headed? We influence one another. Our connections create Twin identities. We are never the same person twice. We may be being breathed. Celebrate everything you can. Don’t think about giggling, trust it. Find someone to talk to, observe your surroundings…record it, write it down. Hmmm, where am I going again? Nowhere, really. And nowadays, that’s really somewhere.

*for helpful advice on Mercury’s move retrograde tomorrow(!) click on the Mercury link.

Jun

12

Coquettish Mercury in Cancer moves backwards 6/15 – 7/09

Filed Under Mercury the Messenger, Real Time Astrology | 2 Comments

Mercury, the bugger we love to love and love to hate. It’s an ambiguous relationship, as ambiguous as Silver Toes his self, err her self. Whatever. You love your computer right? Maybe you hate it today? See my point? When everything’s going smoothly and it works we love, love, love Mercury. Like a fickle lover we’ve grown comfortable with, we take he/she/it for granted. We just don’t think about how grand it is to have email (that works!), a cell phone, a land line, internet service and the post man…who always delivers. Ooh, but when things get retrograde crazy girl, it’s like that cell phone T.V. commercial. You know the one where the daughter calls mom from Vegas.
Mom: ‘What are you doing in Vegas, honey? You wouldn’t do anything silly like get married would you?’
The call drops.
Mom: panics.
Mom: jumps to conclusions.
‘Honey, are you there? Honey, you’re not getting married are you?’
Mom: at her wits end.
‘Honey, don’t make the same mistake your father and I made!’
We can only wonder if dad overheard that untimely comment. Perhaps daughter is hearing this for the first time, too (OMG, my parent’s marriage is a sham!) That’s how Mercury retrograde is…Oh, the havoc, the heartache, the communication meltdowns he/she/it can wreak. Let’s take a step back and take a breather…

Mercury is going retrograde in Cancer for 3 weeks. Jumping to conclusions is probably not a good idea. You’ll have more than one chance too – guaranteed. When your boyfriend doesn’t call, it’ll be easy to launch into insecurities…even though he’s very reliable, generally. Give these Mercury retrograde moments the benefit of the doubt – your doubt. Doubt that the inconsiderate slight was actually intended. Chances are it was something unanticipated. Cancer is a touchy-feely sign, very sensitive. Because both the Moon and Mercury relate directly to memory, memories will surface easily, especially heart memories. Steven Forrest, a teacher of mine, likened the Moon to the memory written on your heart. The heart doesn’t record details, it records feelings…your first kiss, prom night, your grandma’s funeral. You remember what you were wearing that day, your sweetie’s name or the most amazing Amazing Grace you’ve ever heard, because it left a heart impression. The heart has fuzzy logic, the details aren’t important – it’s the feeling that counts. Whereas Mercury memory is akin to your computer’s Random Access Memory, the place you store bits of information temporarily. Mercury information is uncommitted and temporary – random because it has no physical location, and can be retrieved quickly. According to wikipedia, RAM is short, reliable and consistent. Like a conversation.

So what happens when head and heart slow down? The fuzziest of logic. You may have to bypass RAM altogether and go straight for the psychic gist of things. Feeling sensitivity is strong – your feelers are attuned to the heart content, not the words. Hence, incredible subjectivity and overreaction overrule logic– especially where family and home are concerned.

Prepare to repeat conversations at least twice, probably three times, as a rule of thumb. Prepare to revisit heart memories at least twice, probably three times, as a rule of thumb. Do I repeat myself? How annoying.

Here are a few tips to avoid repeating the same thing twice (also called a mistake).

Accept no job. It’s not the right time. It will turn out differently than you expected.
Sign no contracts – unless you’ve already decided to do so, prior to this third week of June.
Double check your plane tickets, travel plans. Arrive early. Delays are likely.
Don’t fight the cancellations, double booked plans, and random no-shows. It’s all apart of the cosmic plan.
Basically, don’t start anything new, especially if you’re in the information business.
Don’t move house – unless you’ve taken care of everything prior to this time.
Don’t ride on empty. Fill your gas tank. If your car has an arthritic knee, don’t ask it to run a marathon.
Don’t sell your prized possession on a whim. Actually, don’t take any unreasonable risks. You’ll regret it later.

Go forth boldly in these things:
Anything beginning with “re-“: remember, re-pot a plant, resell your used clothes, return to a place you love, remodel your kitchen… With one exception: it’s likely not a good time to return to an old love relationship, especially if it was broken to begin with.
Visit with old friends, relatives, reunions. Yay!
Dream often and deeply, take care of old business, finish up projects you’ve already begun.
Talk it out in therapy. Cancer loves therapy, so it’s a fab time to dig into your root cellar and deeply re-hash and emote for a final good-riddance (it’s also the sign of “endings”).
Don’t push the river. Really. What’s the point in that? Go to the beach instead. Cancer energy needs sea-space, solitude, reflective down time. Keep expectations on yourself and others reasonable, easy. Expect change. Who’s really in control here, anyhow?
Give your computer a break when it acts up. Step outside.

Remember, we love Mercury because he’s the mastermind of communication and transportation, the genie inside the computer, the telephone, subway, highway, mail system and the piece of gossip (or information) that lands on our ear at exactly the right moment. Remember, don’t kill the messenger. He/she/it needs a summer vacation, too.

Thank Mercury for Mercury.

Jun

7

Neptune’s Colors

Filed Under Real Time Astrology | 1 Comment

I was taking a walk on this fine Pisces Moon day and saw an artist friend who lives down the road. “Hey there,” I said, “what are you doing on the upside of this mountain?” “Ah, good to see you! I’ve been working so hard I needed a break so I walked up to the lake.” “Lake?” I asked. “Yeah, the lake up over the hill, right after the ranch.” Ooooh, I didn’t know we had a lake nearby. I thanked him for the new piece of information.

It struck me that other artists might be feeling the same need for release too, today. It being a waning last quarter Moon in Pisces and all. I had planned on going up to my favorite tree, sit under it’s green canopy, drink in the colors and ground.

Which brings me to the subject of color - which Neptune retrograde has brought to my attention. I had a wonderful discussion with my friend Lise over this past holiday weekend about the effect color has on the spirit. I mentioned that a healer I used to frequent advocated looking at gardens and trees through special industrial prisms  -  as an energetic balance for low immune and life force.  And wow, did my vitality lift!  She told me she had recently attended an art exhibit where images seemed to float in prisms, and she found this enriching, too.

So I went to my tree and watched the colors grow in vibrance and numinosity. By the time I left, I was mistaking leaves in my path for flecks of gold…

Hmmm…has anyone else noticed their colors brighten over the past couple weeks?

Jun

5

Not all who wander are lost…the Sagittarian journey through Budapest continues

Filed Under The Wandering Astrologer | Leave a Comment

After currency exchange is accomplished, chaos ensues – that kind of disorientation that every Sagittarius sun sign experiences via their favorite pastime and hobby – the culture shock of travel. This is not a completely voluntary phenomenon. Sagittarius often travels because they feel like they were born of a different age, era or tribe. It’s the sense of being a stranger in a strange land that compels them to wander the globe to find their people or place. Many find their true tribe far away from home. Others find solace in a religious group, counter culture or politic. Looking around me in the train station, I wonder how many people who live in Hungary are immigrants, and how many Hungarians have emigrated, left their own home for a safer, saner life.

How different this country is from the beautiful, civilized city of Vienna only a brief train ride away. My romantic notions of grandeur were fading. What happened to the grand promise of this city, once favored by Austrian Prince Franz Joseph as “the next Vienna?” Just like a person, to know a country’s history is to know its character. Late 19th- early 20th century Budapest was grand – accepting immigrants from Poland and Russia with promise of legal equality and a better life. Urban development boomed and Budapest became the hub of a railway system, joining lands and welcoming minorities. But diversity would be its downfall, as the Prime Minister declared only Hungarian would be taught in all the schools so only those who could speak Hungarian would ultimately thrive here. WWII ethno-centrism was just beginning to rear its ugly head. During the brief “golden years” that followed, Pest especially became a spot for art and literature as cafes bustled with bohemian thinkers. Hungarian food, (goulash, which is in fact amazingly tasty!), became the fad for worldly “foodies.” But golden years ended at WWII’s arrival. After the Russians destroyed what was left of the Hungarian army, they occupied Pest while the Germans took opposite camp at Buda Castle. Any Hungarians who could escape fled; for those remaining, the bloodshed was medieval. When the Germans surrendered in 1945, there was nothing left standing – all bridges crossing the Danube had been destroyed.

But this isn’t the end of the freedom fight. Hungary’s Sagittarian hunger for political independence was still going strong. The Hungarian revolution against the Communist regime in the 1950’s was possibly the saddest time in Hungarian history. After suffering years of communist corruption, violence and repression Hungary wanted the old Hungary back. A student uprising in 1956 resulted in 5 days of celebratory freedom – a 33 year long teaser. While the rest of the world was distracted by the Suez Canal crisis, Moscow sent down their troops, attacked civilians. Without an army, civilians became soldiers, throwing Molotov cocktails under Russian tanks. Again, where was the rest of the world? This country, this city of Budapest seemed to be eternally under siege – friendless, freedomless, ultimately strangers in their own land.

Jun

5

Venus enters Leo, beautifully, boldly

Filed Under Leo, Real Time Astrology, Venus the Love Goddess | 5 Comments

When you stop putting yourself on the line, and you don’t touch your own heart, how do you expect to touch other people? Tori Amos, Venus in Leo Diva

People are emboldened in heart affairs during Venus in Leo’s passage. Dramatic gestures of love and appreciation fan the flames of passion and romance – and isn’t that what we’re all after? Courtship is more than a first date, or the honeymoon period of a romance, it’s the love of a lifetime. We want that in-love feeling all the time (Leos are notorious romantics)! What we want from our partners is nothing less than worship.

We want to be wooed and others want our wooing. How to woo? Heap the attention on your lovers, lavish them with luxury, affection, and every Leo’s wet dream: praise. Be the recipient of the wooing by unleashing your creativity, charisma and 1000% original flair. Leave an impression. As Venus in Leo fashion icon Coco Chanel said, A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous. Develop a signature style, a trademark and work it, work it, work it. Coco also said, There have been several Duchesses of Westminster but there is only one Chanel! The mark of authenticity is Leos claim and in Venus’ realm of beauty, style, fashion, relatedness and love… only the fabulous need apply.

Here’s the ultimate diva clause: there’s only room for one beauty in this room. She needs her own spotlight to feel special. You don’t have a spot for her? Hmmm. Wonder how long you’ll last in her life. She ultimately carries her own, so has no problem attracting someone who will turn up the wattage on her already brilliant mega-watt smile. Her attention makes you feel special too, like you’ve passed through the velvet ropes and are now entering the VIP lounge. You feel worthy. You feel happy. You feel loved. And this evokes a huge applause, like fireworks in your heart. It’s the woo-woo…and wow! of her creative power. A gold colored aura emanates from her mighty heart, dazzling us with her fierce love and creative strength.

And now a word from our sponsor…
Feeling intimidated, judgmental, shy, guilty, or think astrology is a bunch of over-sensationalized celebrity crock? Woo-woo and wow, you smirk. Well, obviously your diva needs some of your attention. Where have you hidden her? Underneath a rock? A frumpy peasant skirt? A condescending attitude, judgmental criticism? Where’ your sense of fun? As the original purveyor of attitude: attitude is attractive. Have you ever seen a supermodel without it? Hello?) And now we return to our original programming…

And her heart – It takes two strong hearts to withstand that heat. You can impress others with your amazing strength, but without an equal, someone with gifts and bravado equally as fabulous as yours, the applause moves in one direction. Which is fine if you’re Madonna, but not so cool if you’re in the business of loving, related partnership. You want a relationship that’s dynamic, exciting and mutually supports the artistry and creative gifts of one another. And no matter how evolved you claim to be, how grown-up or ego-less, none of us, read: no one ever loses the need for recognition and applause. It’s a human thing, an unabashedly appropriate reward for our human labors of love. One person wants to see their work of art hanging in the Louvre, the other, a patent on their new drug, yet another, the paycheck that pays the gross worth of their talent. So the give and take is: one person applauds and the other is the audience. Here’s the script: I am your number one fan. I love, applaud and honor (your talent here). You are wealthy and luxurious in so many ways (list here). You are so fabulous, classy and original (other adjectives here) that you blow me away! Your creativity is so endless I can’t wait to see what you come up next! Then you switch places.

Venus is in Leo and love is in the making. What’s Leo love? It’s active appreciation for your unique strengths, and those of the people around you. Its loving yourself enough to let your creative seeds out of the closet and let them shine. Celebrate your creative strength and power, put your work of art on the line and you’ll be met with a warm reception. Showcase your talent. Take a creative risk. You may think someone else is better than you (Saturn in Leo). So what? You’re an original. And please, for the sake of those trembling Lions who are just coming out of the den for the first time, follow the golden rule of Leo: if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all!

Jun

2

Cancer of Compassion

Filed Under All 12 Signs, Cancer | 3 Comments

Dalai Lama: 6 July 1935

Cancer’s identity centers on home and family, so it must be terribly painful for His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso to be exiled from his home country, Tibet since 1950. Nobel Peace Prize winner and Spiritual leader, His Holiness was recognized as a reincarnation of the XII Dalai Lama at age two (this story is beautifully told in the movie Kundun). In Buddhism, Dalai Lamas are enlightened beings choosing reincarnation to compassionately serve others. While the Dalai Lama directly serves the people of Tibet, whose cultural, spiritual legacy continues to be dismantled by the Chinese government, indirectly, he serves anyone who aspires to end suffering. Cancerians have a strong tie to the past – in it they see rich treasures, like wisdom teachings of ancestors. For the Dalai Lama, precious centuries of ancient spiritual texts risk extinction. Although territorial and protective, Cancer is a lover, not a fighter. His Holiness practices non-violent resistance – resisting Chinese occupation through his peaceful world presence. A truly awakened voice for compassion, tolerance and world peace, his bright light shines for all.

← Previous Page — Next Page →