December 2007

Skillfull Means Conversations with the Moon There's a full moon on Sunday, December 23rd at 5:16pm Pacific Time, just in time for Christmas, in the lunar sign of Ardra. Pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps, is what this part of the sky is about. Ardra is associated with moisture, rain, flowing water, tears, storms, effort and self-inquiry. Here we encounter the power of our own efforts, especially as they're applied to our relationships. Notice what works, and what doesn't, with others. Make the effort to pull yourself up to higher ground. The chart for this full moon shows strength and fiesty energy and loveliness - sort of like chocolate with a hint of chili... Conversations over holiday meals may likely be a good-natured banter, with everyone excitedly expressing their strong opinions. Hint: Whenever you find yourself frustrated with overbearing Uncle Bob, find something to laugh about with him and love him all the same. You might be surprised at the "Ho ho ho" he's capable of.

Planning & Scheduling Living In Accord With The Seasons Jupiter in Sag makes an opposition to Mars in Gemini on Wed. 12/26, bringing abundant energy for new ideas. It might be a good idea to release some steam being active outdoors just after Christmas. Mars continues to be retrograde in Gemini until the end of January. Many of us will be shifting our alignments with projects and people and ideas, course correcting until the right collection of activities has been found. Saturn turns retrograde in Leo beginning December 19, grabbing the hands of time and ushering us through our Leo life lessons. Express yourself and re-connect with your own joy so as not to create dis-ease from too much care-taking, or too high a priority placed on pleasing others. Speaking of pleasing others, Venus is in Libra until Wed. 12/26, making sure that Christmas is a lovely and graceful time, before she gets more intense and intent about finding the balance of power in relationships. Venus briefly conjoins Pluto at the end of January - powerful allies, powerful love, the ending of manipulative or inauthentic relationships. Mercury is conjunct Jupiter on Fri. 12/21 - big ideas, wide net for communications, magnanimous speech, lots of talkie talkie. Mercury is conjunct Neptune on Thurs. 1/24 - vague communications, unclear contracts, poetry.

An excerpt from "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau If the day and the night are such that you greet them with joy, and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet-scented herbs, is more elastic, more starry, more immortal - that is your success. All nature is your congratulation, and you have cause momentarily to bless yourself.