WEEK OF MARCH 25, 2019

The week begins with the Moon in the ever joyful fire sign of Sagittarius which could have us feeling elated, hopeful, ”Spring is in the air” vibe. It’s all about the potentiality of our big ideas, our projects and what we are going to do in the future. The Sun in Aries increases courage, impulsivity, passion, momentum and help getting the week started on the right foot. Take advantage of Monday and Tuesday to get moving, and bring some heat and passion to your projects.

Mercury is still retrograde so it’s very easy to gloss over the details or miss an important one right now but paradoxically, it allows us to not be overly critical or nit picky about things. Mercury retrograde in Pisces is also conjunct with Neptune making it hard to actually concentrate on our work. You could feel easily distracted but don’t be too hard on yourself, soon we will start regaining that clarity and focus.

Mercury turns direct on Thursday morning and will remain close to Neptune until late next week. The potential for confusion and misunderstanding, and a general lack of clarity will continue to be a side effect until April 5th or so. *Dream life can also be very vivid or busy under this configuration.

Venus enters Pisces tomorrow, one of her favourite place. Venus here is excellent for artist, musician and creative folks. Venus in Pisces increases our desire for beauty, harmony and compassion. Venus will be in Pisces from March 26 to April 20 and this period of time is excellent for all Venusian matters like art, aesthetics, fashion, beauty, worth, relating or attraction.

On Wednesday and for the rest of the week the Moon will travel in the Saturn-ruled signs of Capricorn and Aquarius casting a bit of a shadow on our hopes and dreams and switching the tone to a more serious and practical one.

Upon entering the sign of Capricorn on Wednesday morning, the Moon squares Chiron and the Sun in Aries casting doubt in our minds about the viability of our project/ideas/ambitions and asking us to take some practical steps to achieve our aim. The last quarter Moon signifies a time in the lunar month when our ideas and projects get tested.

On Sunday, Mars enters the sign of Gemini and the pace of things will start speeding up. Mars in Gemini until mid-may will definitely increase the tempo, especially in intellectual matters encouraging debates and exchanges of ideas via all social platforms.

Have a fantastic week, take advantage of the next 2 days to charge up your optimistic batteries and don’t let the confusing or gloomy vibe of the second part of the week cast too much doubt in your mind about your worth and contributions to this world.

 

Get lost and find your flow. Week of March 4, 2019

This week, we have Mercury stationing retrograde on Tuesday at  1:17pm EST. Mercury is retrograde for most of the month of March and even though there is no need to freak out about Mercury retrograde periods (since it happens 3 times a year), this one will be particularly ”foggy” as it is happening in Pisces (the sign of Mercury’s detriment) and Neptune will be quite active all month. Chances of missing important details increases and so are the chances of getting distracted. This month will be excellent for creative flow without too many rigid structures.

Wednesday, Uranus officially enters the sign of Taurus signalling a new era of technology, innovations, and breaking away from the status quo. Think back on how far you have come since 2011 to now (the time it took Uranus to travel through the sign of Aries) and how in may ways, you are starting a new chapter that is taking you further and further away from the person you were 8 years ago. Uranus ingress into an Earth sign can also bring some surprises this week; expect the unexpected.

Wednesday afternoon, a New Moon in Pisces will conjunct Neptune. This week is filled with impression and hunches as we get lured by half conscious visions of our hopes for the future. A New Moon signals the beginning of the Lunar Month. The seeds and intentions planted at this time will become visible around the Full Moon in Libra on the 21st of March. What is being fertilized/conceptualized at this time for you? Look at the House where Pisces sits in your birth chart for clues of where confusion and inspiration are likely to show their faces for you.

Thursday, the Sun conjunct Neptune; the fog machine is turn on high as we slip between fantasy, irrational fears, and wishful thinking. Neptune dissolves the shapes and boundaries of hard materialism. Is it all there is to reality? Or is something bigger at work here? Neptune gives a desire for transcendence; it makes us want to believe that there is more than meet the eyes. Neptune is the muse or the ghost. Neptune at its worst can turn the anxiety on high as we feel riddled with ungraspable fears, something just beyond our conscious awareness. Pisces season can also be a time of empathy, compassion, confusion or sadness as we can feel more vividly the pain of the world. A good season for generosity and compassion.

On a mundane level, ”fake news” will surely be a big thing this month so be careful about the information you ingest and be discerning! When possible, it’s a good time to tune out and practice meditation, mindfulness or simply go out in nature to bring you back to centre.

Have and excellent week and enjoy those Piscean Waters! 

VENUS IN PISCES ♀♓︎

Venus enters Pisces, the sign of her exaltation from February 10 until March 6.

Venus is considered exalted in the sign of Pisces and Venusian matters like love, music, art, beauty, money, pleasure and attraction have an easier time expressing themselves when she travels here.

We might crave ease and comfort during her month-long transit in Pisces, and this is possible if we heed the lessons of Saturn currently in its home sign of Capricorn. Nothing is free in this world and pleasure is to be found in maturity and pragmatism this year. Venus in Pisces contemplates eternity while Saturn in Capricorn looks for a solid framework.

Venus also applies to square with Mars in Sagittarius for most of February; you might have to adjust your vision, and be prepared to have your faith tested while you reach for the gold.

Applying a stoic perspective to our longings can help us succeed. A healthy dose of desire and the willingness to put in a sincere effort can lead to the success of our endeavours.

This month-long transit of Venus through Pisces supports our ability to find joy and beauty, while the sextile from Saturn can teach us how to sustain these states in the long run.

MERCURY RETROGRADE: VISION & REFINEMENT

 

Mercury will (appear to) be moving backward in the sign of Sagittarius from December 3rd to December 22/23rd, 2017. Retrograde periods highlight the need to organize, revise and reenvison aspects of our lives. Sometimes this happens voluntarily and sometime it is imposed on us by unforeseen circumstances.

To understand how this might affect you, locate the house with Sagittarius on the cusp in your birth chart; the affairs of that house will be up for review.  If you have an Ascendant, Sun, Moon or Mercury in the sign of Sagittarius or Gemini, this retrograde will be more significant especially if your Ascendant or planet is between 13º and 29º of either signs.

WHAT TO DO DURING THIS UPCOMING RETROGRADE?

Sort out what matters and what doesn’t anymore.

Discard old ideas and beliefs that have become burdensome or obsolete.

Contemplate the passage of time and what it means to be growing older and wiser.

Acknowledge what you want in the grand scheme of things, versus what you do on a day-to-day basis to get there.

Honesty and moral courage will be highlighted during this time.

When the desire to find the truth becomes a rhetorical dead-end, what’s next?

At its worst, this retrograde could bring gloomy or depressive thinking, a loss of faith or a feeling of being blocked by something beyond your control.

There could be an urge to control your thoughts and a difficulty expressing yourself freely. In some circumstances, you might need to ”Let go and Let God”.

In other circumstances you might need to seriously consider rectifying something that has become out of control.

What happens when the sacrifice you are making are loosing their meaning?

What happens when the path you are on is NOT leading you where you want to go?

Taking a step back from something in order to gain perspective and looking at the big picture.

Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius could mean: A re-evaluation of your core beliefs, a shift of perspective, a change of direction and a quest for meaning.

What does ”control” means to you? Do you consider yourself a control-freak? If so, what step can you take to release the grip?

It’s a great time to reflect on social-media, the place it has in your life and how you utilize this tool to your advantage or disadvantage.

IDEAS, DISCIPLINE, AND VISION-SHAPING

If you have a BIG idea or if you are working towards a goal, this retrograde will help you refine your vision.

The awareness needed to gage the REAL amount of work needed to accomplish a goal will be available; don’t let this clarity become a burden and use it to your advantage.

From now until mid-January is your opportunity to write your plan or revise the existing one.

If you are contemplating a new path, a new venture, or a new way of doing things, this retrograde will help you delineate your course of action.

This retrograde is about setting realistic goals, the willingness to roll up your sleeves, and the willingness to invest the time and effort necessary.

Inspiration and creative ideas are available but will remain in the realm of possibilities as long as you don’t take concrete steps; thinking about something doesn’t make it happen.

If the time has come to realize an idea or a project, it is up to you to act on it before someone else does.

From now until mid-January is your opportunity to scheme; discipline is available.

Things may take longer than anticipated; be pragmatic and realistic when delineating your plan without becoming defeatist.

The reality is, things take time; don’t let this fact discourage you.

☿

To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom. –Bertrand Russell

 

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GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

Mercury retrograde begins on December 3rd and ends on December 22/23rd, 2017. Saturn is a big player in this upcoming retrograde. Whatever transpires of this cycle could play out until mid-January when Mercury meets up with Saturn for its 3rd and final conjunction in the sign of Capricorn.

Since the ruler of Mercury in Sagittarius is Jupiter in Scorpio, the themes of secrecy and revelations will continue to be strongly highlighted.

Mercury trine Uranus on November 25th before meeting up with Saturn on November 28th and turning retrograde on December 3rd. An emerging idea, a revelation, a new situation, a vision, or simply a new approach to an old conundrum could be a strong theme in December. The shape of things to come, an idea and the discipline required to materialize it, will be strong undercurrents.

On December 3rd, Jupiter in Scorpio (ruling over Mercury) trine Neptune in Pisces while Mercury stations retrograde. There is also a Full Moon in Gemini on the same day ruled by Mercury retrograde. There is an overwhelming amount of work and so much things to think about. You might be tempted to find the closest escape route. Don’t let anxiety or fear cripple your mind. A good day to practice breathing exercise and meditation. This Full Moon highlights the dichotomy between beliefs and facts, visions and ideas, and the realization that it will take a lot more work than originally thought to get where we want to be.

The New Moon in Sagittarius on December 17 will see its ruler Jupiter in Scorpio, square the Nodes of the Moon while Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius trine the Nodes. On December 21st, Saturn enters Capricorn and Mercury station direct the next day; destiny is calling.

 

 

 

 

On the Chiron/Saturn square

The Moon is in Pisces and will meet Neptune later tonight. This can be both mystical and transcending as the Sun (in Scorpio) and the Moon are in deeply intimate waters right now. We could feel more impressionable and inspired with our attention turned towards spiritual matters.

Tomorrow night, the Moon in Pisces will conjunct Chiron and trigger the Chiron/Saturn square, just in time for Halloween.

The Chiron/Saturn square is the big signature aspect this week and it is both difficult and rewarding. We could be aware of old wounds while also being ready to move on from that space of hurt.

This aspect is a mixture of realization around painful truth and healing. You could feel sensitive and self-conscious of your downfalls while experiencing some closure around them. It’s like having the raw awareness of where it hurts in order to locate the pain, forgive yourself and hopefully move on.

It’s hard and edgy but also rewarding if you make the effort to be honest with yourself. It calls for maturity around our most vulnerable selves.

“I said: what about my eyes?
He said: Keep them on the road.

I said: What about my passion?
He said: Keep it burning.

I said: What about my heart?
He said: Tell me what you hold inside it?

I said: Pain and sorrow.
He said: Stay with it.
The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”

― Jalaluddin Rumi

NEW MOON IN VIRGO: ENDINGS & HEALINGS

New Moon in Virgo: 1:30am EDT (3am NDT) September 20, 2017.

Mercury, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

☿

The New Moon in Virgo comes to us on the threshold of the Fall Equinox here in the Northern Hemisphere. The beginning of this lunar cycle finds us in the liminal space between the brightness of summer and its imminent decay.

Two days after the New Moon on September 22nd, at 16:02 EDT, the Sun enters the sign of Libra and signals the beginning of Autumn.

ENDINGS & HEALINGS

The New Moon is often associated with the beginning of a monthly cycle and renewed vigor for the month ahead. Since this New Moon takes place in the last degrees of Virgo just 2 days before the Fall Equinox, she carries with her an air of finality and closure as oppose to new beginnings.

It is within the current endings that we will find the new beginnings taking shape. Something is being composted into a nourishing and fertilizing soil. However, we must appreciate this process fully and bid farewell to past fantasies and bewildering ideas that keeps us looking backward. To cross this seasonal threshold, something must be surrendered or given as a token gesture to those ideals and fantasies. It is in this paradoxical abandon that we shall receive the necessary healing for the next part of the journey and the accomplishment of our future goals.

OPEN WOUNDS

Under this New Moon in Virgo our wounds will take an incandescent glow calling to our attention what can’t be ignored any longer. The surfacing of these wounds could make us feel vulnerable but it will allow us to apply the necessary medicine. The pain which usually lies dormant under the surface of our skin will rise up and give us a clear indication of what must be healed. The remedies could be a bewildering blend of intuitive visions and practical applications. The most difficult task will be to rid ourselves of the intangible poisons and parasites.

Mercury, ruler of Virgo, presides over this New Moon and will be in exact opposition to Neptune at the time of the New Moon. Mercury began its retrograde motion on August 12 – in this exact part of the zodiac and opposing Neptune.

The train we have been riding since last month had Neptune coloured windows. When Neptune is involved, facts and fiction blend together creating a confusing cocktail of wishful thinking and unrealistic expectations. Under Neptune, we are intoxicated by an ideal and susceptible to delusion. At its best, Neptune gives a romantic tone to the object of desire, making us see what we want a see. Hopefully, the Sun in Virgo has helped us discriminate between what is achievable and what was mere fantasies. Regardless, in the days to come, we should slowly start to gain clarity on our current situation and any confusing scenarios we have been engaging with since the beginning of August will be seen for what they are. The New Moon in Virgo is also in exact opposition to Chiron; once the rose-coloured glasses come off, the truth could be hard to digest and the pain quick to locate. Be easy on yourself.

HONESTY & PRAGMATISM

Finally, remember that not everything can be solved at once. Patience and humility will be required for your perceived mistakes and failings; nothing is perfect in this world. Special attention must be paid to anything that requires fixing; whether physiological, spiritual or mechanical. Some of the keys you hold in your hands will heal what ails you and some of those keys will open dead-end doors. Pay attention to the repeating clues given to you as you cross the threshold between Summer and Fall.

 

Paintings by Zdzisław Beksiński and Magritte

 

SOLUTIONS AND DISSOLUTION

FOR WHEN THE SUN IN VIRGO OPPOSE NEPTUNE IN PISCES AND
THE MOON IN AQUARIUS CONJUNCT THE SOUTH NODE:

Can you discriminate between omens and wishful thinking?
Between poison and medicine?
Delusion and honesty?
Between a ghost and your own shadow?
Do you know your boundaries?

Still from the film ”The Dance of Reality” by Jodorowski

MERCURY RETROGRADE: Ordinary & Extraordinary

Small minds are concerned with the extraordinary, great minds with the ordinary
-Blaise Pascal

☿

Mercury retrograde always brings some form of revision either willingly or imposed on us by unforeseen circumstances. There is no reason to hop on the Mercury-Retro-Freak-Out-Train as this occurs approximately 3 times a year.

Mercury will be retrograde in the sign of Virgo and then Leo from August 12th to September 5th, 2017.

One of the striking aspect of this particular retrograde is the Mercury/Neptune opposition mere days before the beginning of the retrograde.

This means that the week leading up to the retrograde is somewhat foggy or tinted by wishful thinking and clarity is already lost. There could be confusion between facts and fiction. It could be that a situation is not seen for what it is and we are getting lost in glamorous thinking. Venus is also trine to Neptune and the Sun is in Leo after all!

Mercury/Neptune is not a terrible aspect in itself but decision making might not be anchored in reality. If you know this already, work it to your advantage and take into account that your perception will shift considerably by the time this retrograde is all said and done.

The Full Moon in Aquarius on August 7th was the first of 2 Eclipses happening this month and this also has to be taken into account. The liminal space between Eclipses can be thought of as a transitional period. Often the time surrounding Eclipses bring unforeseen circumstances which shake the foundations in our lives. Events pushes us to take a leap of faith or break with the old ways. Sometimes these events are forced upon us and the path we were until then walking on vanishes aligning us on a totally new and unforeseen trajectory.

Mercury retrogrades are best spent re-evaluating, sorting out, and revising what is already in place. Mercury retrogrades are not so great for launching major new projects and ideas. Since this retrograde begins in the Mercury ruled sign of Virgo, there is no better time to get down to the nitty-gritty details of your life and put them in order. Mercury will retrograde back into the sign of Leo on August 31st. The subject of self-esteem, pride, the desire for recognition, following one’s heart, dreams and passions will all be added to the mix.

*If the eclipses are already bringing major changes in your life, embrace them and apply a good strategy to insure your success.

Here are a few more tips to help you navigate the upcoming retrograde in Virgo & Leo:

☿-Don’t sweat the small stuff: Virgos can be hyper critical and self-loathing since they have such unreachable high standards for themselves. Give yourself a break and pay attention to your internal dialogues; keep it positive and guilt free.

☿-Sweat the small stuff: Mercury retrograde in Virgo is a great time to revise and organize. A great time to tackle all the menial jobs that you have been putting off. Paper work, writing, editing and organizing could really put you ahead of the game. Re-evaluate the processes in your life and find solutions that will help you be more efficient.

☿-Find activities that help alleviate anxiety: Over-thinking and the endless quest for perfection is a modern diseases. Step-away from it all with activities that help you disconnect from the over-achieving mind. Go pet a goat.

☿-Find healing

☿-Be easy on yourself: You are where you are suppose to be. Trust the process.

☿-Get in touch with your procrastination: The more you put things off the tighter the grip will get. Maybe your to-do list is to big? What can you do to alleviate the pressure?

☿-With Mercury going back into the sign of Leo, issues of pride and self-esteem could come up. Following our heart is always a work in progress. Practice asking for what you need directly and without shame. Allow your heart’s desires to express themselves in a healthy way.

☿-Understand that success is a state of mind.

☿-Do not let your pride get in the way of the hard work needed to succeed.

☿-If you know your chart, look at where Virgo and Pisces are located. Do you have important planets or is your Ascendant in Virgo or Pisces? Perhaps some organizing is called for in those areas of your life.

☿-Since this Mercury retrograde is weaved in with the 2 eclipses in August, look at where Leo and Aquarius fall in your chart. Do you have any important planets or is your Ascendant either in Leo or Aquarius? Events surrounding the next two months will bring opportunities to break away from an old way of being. This could be subtle or dramatic depending on your natal dispositons.

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                              Jack Kerouac (Virgo rising and Moon in Virgo) on Self-Loathing
                                                          

“The rucksack sits hopefully in a strewn mess of bottles all empty, empty poorboys of white port, butts, junk, horror … ‘One fast move or I’m gone,’ I realize, gone the way of the last three years of drunken hopelessness which is a physical and spiritual and metaphysical hopelessness you can’t learn in school no matter how many books on existentialism or pessimism you read, or how many jugs of vision-producing Ayahuasca you drink, or Mescaline take, or Peyote goop up with – that feeling when you wake up with the delirium tremens, with the fear of eerie death dripping from your ears like those special heavy cobwebs spiders weave in the hot countries, the feeling of being a bentback mudman monster groaning underground in hot steaming mud pulling a long hot burden nowhere, the feeling of standing ankle deep in hot boiled pork blood, ugh, of being up to your waist in a giant pan of greasy brown dishwater not a trace of suds left in it – the face of yourself you see in the mirror with its expression of unbearable anguish so haggard and awful with sorrow you can’t even cry for a thing so ugly, so lost, no connection whatever with early perfection, and therefore nothing to connect with tears or anything.”

 

 

 

Venus returns to Pisces

We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned,
so as to have the life that is waiting for us.
-Joseph Campbell

The Moon just entered the water sign of Cancer for the next few days and Venus is about to move back into Pisces as part of its retrograde motion.

Even though Venus is considered exalted in Pisces, it will square Saturn almost immediately upon re-entering Pisces. Venus was here at the beginning of February and perhaps something from 2 months ago could be echoed back to us.

Venus square Saturn is bittersweet (like dark chocolate?! 😉 ) and in the next week, we might have to face the difficult choices we made. A sobering moment awaits as we realize the costs of our decisions. (Dark chocolate is generally preferred by adults?) What I’m getting at is that we might be looking for something sweet but we might need to be adults and settle for something less sweet.

Our experience of ease and beauty could feel limited or restrained by something outside of our control. It could feel harder than usual to ”go with the flow”. Age and experience through hardship could figure strongly. The stance is one of mature sobriety.

Mid-April, Venus goes direct as Mercury turns retrograde in Taurus (a Venus ruled sign). This particular series of aspect makes me think that some compromise or revision of priorities will need to be reached in order for us to find the comfort, support and ease we long for.

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”Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet.
Only through experience of trial and suffering
can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired,
and success achieved.”
– Helen Keller

Full Moon in Virgo: A Purging Process

Times of transition are strenuous, but I love them.
They are an opportunity to purge, rethink priorities,
and be intentional about new habits.
We can make our new normal any way we want.
-Kristin Armstrong

A CLEANSING LIGHT

The Full Moon in Virgo on March 12 brings a dry outlook amidst the tides of the last few weeks. This is a sobering Full Moon and we have the opportunity to reset our stance as the light shines on the chaos and structures of our lives. In this Earth sign, the Full Moon asks us to come back down to reality for a moment and attend to the details and responsibilities of our existence.

Efficiency is not as simple as it sounds and must be developed day after day until the habit is well established. Under the Full Moon in Virgo on March 12, you could find yourself vividly aware of how you go about setting yourself up for success or… failure.

You might have the urge to discard the clutter that has accumulated over the last few months. Whether the mess is internal, external or general, this Full Moon is excellent for getting rid of what is weighing you down. This purging process is further supported by Venus who is currently retrograde. Amongst many other things, Venus is linked to luxury and beauty and this is an excellent time to discard the clothes and objects which are causing stagnation and perhaps donate them to charity. Creating space might not come as easily as we hope and conscious discipline might need to be applied. With Mars in the very first degree of Taurus, our earthly abode and the material reality that surround us is doubly emphasized. Our attention is on the objects that surrounds us and we could feel the polarizing need to acquire and discard simultaneously.

MERCURY IN PISCES SQUARE SATURN IN SAGITTARIUS

Narrow-mindedness, irrational fears, and excessive worry could very well be highlighted this  weekend. Mercury – the ruler of the Full Moon in Virgo – is in the sign of its detriment and fall at the time of the Full Moon. Mercury will also be in a square with Saturn in Sagittarius adding a dash of mental anguish to this already unhappy placement. Choose your conversations and words wisely and monitor your thoughts. Chances are the lack of clarity around a situation could create more anxiety than its worth. Avoid guilt-trips and mentally straining situations if you can do so. Next week will provide illuminating solutions that are not visible at the moment. For now, simplify where you can and do not become hyper-critical or overly concerned with a situation that is out of your control or simply not your fault.

THE PROMISE OF SPRING

Our desire to have everything right and our inability to do so might be highlighted on this Full Moon. However, the opportunity to find some form of contentment in organizing and simplifying is available. Processes are what bring lasting changes and we now have the ability to make the small adjustments needed to bring bigger results. Reset your stance by purging your space. Attend to your body and its basic needs. Nurture and calm your mind with meditation and breath and most importantly: don’t sweat the small stuff!

“We love the imperfect shapes in nature and in the works of art,
look for an intentional error as a sign of the golden key
and sincerity found in true mastery.”
― Dejan Stojanovic

The Moon will be Full on March 12, 2017 at 10:54 EST at 22º of Virgo