January 2010

Nurturing Creativity :::Conversations with the Moon::: The full moon of January takes place on Friday, January 29th, at 10:18pm Pacific Time. This full moon occurs in the lunar sign of Pushya which is known for its nurturing energy. Since a Mars/Venus opposition occurs conjunct the Sun and Moon during this full moon, moving forward through creative inspiration is more likely than moving forward as a result of meticulous planning. Check out this inspiring 19 minute video of Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert talking about nurturing creativity. Write this day/time into your calendar: Saturday, February 13, 2010, at 6:53pm Pacific Time. This new moon occurs in the lunar sign of Dhanishta, getting us to examine the nature of Time. This new moon's conjunction with Neptune insures that we collectively feel deeply attuned to one another. We become more and more interested in collectively relieving suffering. We become attuned to the power of collective effort.

Planning & Scheduling :::Living in Accord with the Seasons::: Venus moves into the sign of Aquarius on February 7th, achieving a momentary conjunction with Neptune. Valentine's Day feelings of romance may express themselves through uniquely digital age sentiment. Teens especially may find themselves texting their flirtations! Jupiter and Venus both travel close together around February 17th and 18th, in the sign of Aquarius. Traveling in the general vicinity of Neptune as well, these two planets heighten our awareness of the idea that whatever affects any of us affects all of us. The internet and technology in general, may actually be assisting us in this awareness. (The Jupiter Neptune conjunction brought large-scale humanitarian efforts such as donations benefiting earthquake survivors in Haiti - many given over the internet.) Mars moved into the sign of Cancer on October 4, and will be staying in his sign of debilitation for almost eight months, until the end of May. Mars also stays retrograde until mid-March. In competitive areas of life, this placement of Mars may incline us toward playing an offensive, rather than a defensive game. Cultivate the balance of these forces as you go about achieving your dreams. This placement of Mars does not bode well for the real estate market. It is likely to create a general sense of insecurity in U.S. domestic affairs. Transiting Jupiter will conjoin the U.S. natal Moon from Jan. 23-26, which will likely coincide with the president's State of the Union address, promoting a general sense of hope and optimism. Saturn and Pluto have been dancing a tense little tango (forming a square aspect) since late October, and continue in this position until the end of February. No matter what good intentions exist behind reforming health care, reforming egregious banking/finance offenses, and creating jobs, powerful agents of change are already on the United States' doorstep. It is unlikely that governmental solutions will solve existing problems. Completely out of the box solutions will be needed. Social unrest brews. By the end of February five planets will be in the sign of Aquarius - Sun, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Neptune. This should bring interest from many sectors to the notion of "progress." Arguments for globalization may be made on this basis - a basis of unifying the earth's peoples.

August 2008

Inner Prosperity Conversations with the Moon August's full moon and lunar eclipse takes place on Saturday, August 16 at 2:18pm, in the vedic lunar sign of Dhanishta. This eclipse's function is to get us to take a break from seeking prosperity and fame in the outer world, and notice the abundance already present in the inner life. Due to Neptune's conjunction to the Moon, the key to discovering these riches lies in our own imagination. On the outer level, this is not the best time for initiating big projects whose aim is to produce wealth or renown. (An eclipse's effect is felt dramatically for a period of 6 days before and 6 days after the eclipse, and very subtly for 6 months after the eclipse.) Write this day into your calendar: Saturday, August 30, 12:58pm Pacific Time - the New Moon in Purva Phalguni. The New Moon is a great time for renewing spiritual intentions. This particular New Moon emphasizes prioritizing delight and creativity in our lives. So take a moment on the morning of Sat. the 30th to commit to some fun and creative exploration for the month of September.

Planning & Scheduling Living in Accord with the Seasons The Sun joins Mercury, Venus and Saturn in vedic Leo, on Sunday, Aug. 17. This is a potent combination for self-elected spiritual growth which in this instance is mutually exclusive of egoic satisfaction - if it enhances your pride, you might not be able to take it with you where you're going on your spiritual journey. This is a call to use the full splendor of yourself toward the highest service you are capable of. The conjunction of Venus with Saturn is exact on Aug. 14; expect to mix the energies of joy/ art/ love with responsibility/ diligence/ manifestation. The default version of this is to feel self-doubting, and self-conscious, and that our own efforts will never meet the standards. (Maybe authorities or loved ones are even pointing out our faults to us.) With a slight shift of attention, you can turn this around to stepping past fear and making the necessary effort to realize your dreams. Venus enters vedic Virgo on Aug. 26, bringing the activity of evaluation into our relationships... ouch. Be careful not to get too critical of partners and friends. The first 3 weeks of September find Mercury, Venus and Mars all together in vedic Virgo. This will be a great time for organizing personal finances, getting clear in relationships, and studying, reading, creative writing. Both Jupiter and Pluto turn direct within a day of one another - Sept. 8 and 9. The beginning of the second week of Sept. experiences some strong forward motion in the area of your life described by the vedic sign of Sagittarius. Education, authority, philosophy and judgment all gain ground. Image licensed under Creative Commons ShareAlike 2.5

An Excerpt from "Gitanjali" by Rabindranath Tagore I had gone a-begging from door to door in the village path, when thy golden chariot appeared in the distance like a gorgeous dream and I wondered who was this King of all kings! My hopes rose high and methought my evil days were at an end, and I stood waiting for alms to be given unasked and for wealth scattered on all sides in the dust. The chariot stopped where I stood. Thy glance fell on me and thou camest down with a smile. I felt that the luck of my life had come at last. Then of a sudden thou didst hold out thy right hand and say 'What hast thou to give to me?' Ah, what a kingly jest was it to open thy palm to a beggar to beg! I was confused and stood undecided, and then from my wallet I slowly took out the least little grain of corn and gave it to thee. But how great my surprise when at the day's end I emptied my bag on the floor to find a least little gram of gold among the poor heap. I bitterly wept and wished that I had had the heart to give thee my all.

Eclipses of August 2008

We're coming up on the second set of eclipses of the year 2008. In vedic astrology, eclipses are primarily useful for predicting world affairs. But even for individuals (especially if important points in your own chart reside where the eclipse is occurring,) eclipses can show areas in the "Garden of Life" scheduled for a "winter" .

It's wise to do a skillful "prune" of the areas of life triggered by the eclipse, and get rid of excesses and simplify voluntarily. In general, an inward, meditative, spiritual focus around eclipses, is in alignment with natural cycles.

Total Solar Eclipse on Friday, August 1, 2008, at 3:13am, Pacific Time
The effects of the solar eclipse will have to do with its occurrence in the lunar constellation called Pushya. On a global scale, issues around nourishment may be in the limelight over these next six months. The housing market will of course, stay in the news, but you didn't need an astrologer to tell you that! Another area of focus may be the health of the land itself (especially land used for agriculture.)
So why not double your effort to buy organic, buy local, and even grow your own if you can. Pay attention to your diet and your digestion/ absorption of nutrients.

And if you're so inclined, the day of this eclipse is a great day to perform a fast, as a spiritual practice. Meditation and contemplation will be fruitful on that day. Avoid initiating major projects until at least the 22nd of August, if you can.
This solar eclipse won't be visible from the U.S.

Partial Lunar Eclipse on August 16, 2008 at 2:16 am, Pacific Time
This lunar eclipse takes place in the lunar constellation of Dhanishta, whose natural behavior is to produce wealth and fame. The lunar eclipse in this sign asks us to look within for the true essence of prosperity and for our own true shine of character.
We won't be able to see this lunar eclipse. Remember that incredible visual spectacle of this past February's lunar eclipse? Stay tuned - next visible total lunar eclipse coming up in Dec. 2010.

February 2008

Planning & Scheduling Living in Accord with the Seasons Mars forms an opposition to Pluto in the beginning of March, releasing a certain tension around standing behind your passions and ambitions. Pluto is teamed up with Jupiter so we may find ourselves questioning ideologies that seem elitist. The energy of popularity and popular values and opinion give prestige a run for it's money - how does this relate to your life? Also, your mission, should you choose to accept it, around this Mars/Pluto opposition, is: to learn skillful means in fulfilling your life's passions, and to open up to the alchemy of turning anger into energy. Venus enters the sign of Aquarius mid March, and conjoins Uranus at the end of the month. Socially, we open up to new possibilities. People that seemed a little out-of-the-box up until now, are suddenly more delightful to hear out. Jupiter in Sag continues his opposition by sign, to Mars in Gemini through the end of April, bringing abundant energy for new ideas. This period might bring balance between your many interests; and a healthy tension between developing competency in many things at once versus tying them all together. Venus conjoins Neptune on March 7th and Mercury conjoins Neptune on March 9th, bringing idealism and inspiration into our lives. We're mobilized to believe in forgotten dreams again. Just don't try to pin down the poets and politicians on the details!

Solar and Lunar Eclipses of February Conversations with the Moon Twice each year, earth experiences a pair of eclipses. Solar eclipses happen by definition at the New Moon and Lunar eclipses occur at the full Moon. An annular solar eclipse took place on Wed., Feb. 6, 2008 at 7:45pm Pacific Time and there will be a partial lunar eclipse on Wed., Feb. 20, 2008 at 7:31pm Pacific Time. Solar Eclipse Eclipses are excellent times for introspection and downtime. In terms of natural life cycles, they're not the best time for beginning important ventures. This solar eclipse is in Dhanishta. Folks with planets in the late degrees of sidereal Capricorn may sense this purposeful "prune" of excess energy streams. Lunar Eclipse When the light of one of the luminaries is blocked, life can feel unusual. We're meant to be taking a moment away from our usual lives, to recharge our batteries. This lunar eclipse is in the lunar sign Magha, and the Moon joins up with austere Saturn on this day. Saturn's influence may ask us to dig down for some necessary emotional self-reliance, especially around being our own cheering squad, our own welcoming committee, and the ultimate authority in our own lives. People with planets in the early degrees of Leo may feel the pinch of this eclipse more strongly than others - life may seem to be testing their mettle. Magha has to do with royalty and real estate, among other things - watch what happens to world leaders, and to the real estate market. On Feb. 20, 1989, there was a lunar eclipse in roughly the same placement as this one. What was going on then for you? Can you see any relationships between that time and now? (It would depend on which house 7 degrees Leo falls in your chart.)

Eclipses of February 2008

Solar and Lunar Eclipses of February
Conversations with the Moon


Twice each year, earth experiences a pair of eclipses. This month, there's an annular solar eclipse on Wed., Feb. 6, 2008 at 7:45pm Pacific Time and a partial lunar eclipse on Wed., Feb. 20, 2008 at 7:31pm Pacific Time.

Solar Eclipse
Eclipses are excellent times for introspection and downtime. In terms of natural life cycles, they're not the best time for beginning important ventures. This solar eclipse is in Dhanishta. Folks with planets in the late degrees of sidereal Capricorn may sense this purposeful "prune" of excess energy streams.

Lunar Eclipse
When the light of one of the luminaries is blocked, life can feel unusual. We're meant to be taking a moment away from our usual lives, to recharge our batteries. This lunar eclipse is in Magha. People with planets in the early degrees of Leo may feel this eclipse more strongly than others. Magha has to do with royalty and real estate, among other things - watch what happens to world leaders, and to the real estate market.

On Feb. 20, 1989, there was a lunar eclipse in roughly the same placement as this one. What was going on then for you? This eclipse is a higher rung on the same evolutionary spiral.