Spring Equinox--Monday March 30--2017

Hello friends--This most important marker in our earthly circle of days is the true "New Year." Starting with the Sun in Aries, our starting point for another trip around the sky's 12 signs of the zodiac.

At no other time of the year is there a date of such importance and possibility. It is like an expanded version of the monthly New Moon. The season of winter is now behind us, and its time to plant the seeds of our future, for trips we will take, gardens that will begin to nourish us in months ahead, new projects we hope will succeed, new ideas to try out.

There's no time so full of the energy to break patterns and fears and step out to a fresh new perspective. You can feel the wind at your back encouraging your "spring cleaning" and perhaps your newfound courage to make a move out of your comfort zone.

I always like to create a chart (same as a natal chart) for an important time like this and interpret the chart similarly to a personal chart. My theory is that since I want to make use of the opportunity of this special day (including a few days on either side) I want to study the chart's energies. That way I feel I'm in the flow of the moment and I want to let that influence me and the personal issues I choose to focus on.

Our first consideration must be the dominance of the planet Mars, natural ruler of Aries. Within the number system of 12 applied to astrology, the sign, Aries, is in the #1 position. You can think of him as a masculine youngster of the Zodiac, someone innocent, unschooled, self important. Wherever Aries or the planet Mars show up in a chart they add energy, vitality, speed, courage and movement forward. We can take advantage of this as we look forward with intention to better our lives.

One interesting area of this same chart is focused on Venus. As is well known, the energy of Venus, is the opposite of Mars. She is related to beauty, harmony, the arts, empathy, intimate relationships. love itself.

I noticed that Venus was in the sign, Aries, and that it was retrograde (ending April 15). Being in Aries does not suit Venus. This situation might bring out some hidden emotions, like anger or resentment, which are more easily expressed in a Mars energy field. And as if things can be more complicated, the planet, Saturn, is making a square aspect to Venus. Sounds to me like we all would want to spend some time alone in a cave thinking critically about our love relationships before we make things worse. This Equinox doesn't look like a good day to get married or something like that.

Might be better to say this is a great opportunity to open the lid of the place where we put away our frustrations with our love life? There surely will be better days for Venus around the corner. And meanwhile we could make use of the positive side of Mars, the joy of movement forward, for improvements, for hard work ending in success, for action, not just good ideas.

Hooray to the Spring Equinox and to us all!

Love, Kate

Kate's New Moon Blog - in Sagittarius on November 29th

Here comes the most optimistic of the 12 signs in our annual cycle, Sagittarius, ruled by the planet Jupiter.

The art this time is a card I created to reflect a birthday sentiment, "I'm So Glad for the Day you were Born,"

The first image for Jupiter's planetary energy that comes up for me is Santa Clause and the magical season of Christmas. Perhaps I'm taking it from the point of view of a child, especially in these materialistic times.

Jupiter is definitely the most positive, most optimistic of all our 12 planets. The Sun in Sagittarius began in November 21st and will rule until December 21st. By Christmas day the Sun will have moved on to Capricorn, an oppositely restrained sign.

But its the New Moon we're interested in. It's also called the Dark Moon. Its energy is slow, inward and thoughtful. A New Moon will have a specific time based on the exact conjunction of the Sun and the Moon. This one happens to be at 7:18 AM (et) and falls on 7 degrees Sagittarius on its chart. But each New Moon brings with it a period of days in which we can be aware of this slowing down and inward tendency.

There is a receptivity to a New Moon time that will offer fresh insights and supports us if we visualize ways we can change or improve in our never ending growth process. If we can get clear now about setting an intention this is the best time to expect support and positive results.

The theory among astrologers (that I share) is that if you focus on the sign of the New Moon's conjunction, in this case Sagittarius, it will enhance this exercise of making intention. Call it a "go with the flow," thing

So lets take a good look at what the present Sagittarius energy brings to us. The ruling planet of Sagittarius is Jupiter which is interested in the world, in the big picture. It likes to be abundant and giving, it likes the outdoors, being active in nature and enjoys sports and a degree of competition. Travel is also enjoyable, anything that expands the mind. It also supports ideas of justice and fairness.

A person with a dominance of Sagittarius in their natal chart will be outgoing and finds it easy to make friends. However they like their sense of personal freedom so may be reluctant to commit to long term relationships. Or alternately they might find someone with similar tendencies who will understand their issue and give them lots of space. These people have a trust in Life Itself that is magnetic. Sagittarius is a Fire sign and that means they get a lot of their "knowing" from the inside. They trust in their intuitions. and tend to "walk their talk." The Fire Element gives them vitality and a tendency to reach out and connect with people, new information and ideas.

I'm thinking about the way may of us have been feeling since the Trump election. Hopefully this Jupiter energy will help us find our own determination to stay as positive as possible and not let negative feelings sideline our best faith and vision for the future. May this positive energy support us through our current time. Let us continue to dream and visualize a smarter, kinder world for the sake of all children and our planet.

Happy Holidays and Love,

Kate

Kate's New Moon Blog -- October 30 in Scorpio

Now the wheel of cosmic seasons brings us to the water sign, Scorpio, ruled by Pluto. If nothing else this will be an interesting topic for me to write about and hopefully you will find it so. The Sun moved into Scorpio on the 22nd of October and this energy will persist until November 21st. The exact time of the New Moon's conjunction with the Sun (in EDT) is 1:38 PM. On the 31st we'll be honoring Halloween, followed by the Mexican Day of the Dead. So we're looking at interesting times that hover around the awareness of death and things that are scary, challenging, dark and unknown.

A lot of people I talk to regard Scorpio as a scary sign. Why is that? By definition Scorpio is a Water  sign, thus expect a lot of emotional energy burbling up all the time. Among the three modes (cardinal, fixed and mutable) Scorpio is Fixed. You can easily picture what that might look like. The Cardinal mode leads to taking action and the Mutable mode to connection to others and all things gained by curiosity. In between the predominately Fixed mode will cherry pick their inner circle and mentally visualize their latest desires and just hope life will respond to their magnetism. Add to that, Scorpios can be secretive and seem aloof.

Think of a mature version of an Aries energy, one that is strong willed and driven by personal desires. A Scorpio can usually control their watery feelings,  well, at least keep them inside, so they tend to be hard for us to read.  However they have X ray vision when it comes to them checking us out.

In my studies I've learned that no Soul incarnates as a Scorpio unless they are "old souls." They usually have challenging lives and are deeply pained if not appreciated or their will does not prevail. Scorpios are very aware of power issues. They tend to prefer to be on top and will work hard to deserve the respect and trust of others. They see life from a deeper perspective than most people and this can put off others who prefer to live on the surface. They have an intense ability to work hard so it's difficult to keep up with them.

There is a masterpiece book about the Planet, Pluto, ruler of Scorpio. It's called "Pluto, The Evolutionary Journey of the Soul (Volume 1 and 2)" by Jeff Green. The book offers a thorough explanation for your natal House position of Pluto. I can say this book's perspective has been very helpful to my own sense of purpose.

If you tend to think you got the wrong end of the stick when you were born into a particular family or  environment that seem to have made everything in your life impossibly difficult, this book can offer intelligent and wise help toward your transformation.

When you are considering making positive intentions for this New Moon time I hope you can let these descriptions of Scorpio issues float in your unconscious or something.

At heart the individual Scorpio ultimately desires intimacy and loyal partnership, but it's difficult for them to achieve their romantic dreams because they can be so challenging for their partners. They may have to try and try again or give up.

Like you, I'm sure, I'm noticing the shorter days. I always like to remember a description of this time now--"the fruitful darkness."I think it came from Demetria George, author of "Asteroid Goddesses," another book that had a big influence on me.  Obviously the words make a positive out of what we see as a negative. Guess I'm contrary but I seem to be attracted to such challenges. Back in the hippie days I was attracted to the I Ching's --"Work on What is Spoiled." It's emotional for me to write it now for some reason. I think it is a very Scorpio idea, to take something seen as useless and overlooked by others and turn it into something healing and beautiful.(the change, the transformation).

Transformation is always inner work and this is the beginning of the best time of year for it.

But what will the poor people living here in Florida do for a challenge? They have all their sunny warm days to contend with. Guess they can still complain about the shorter days of sunshine?  Oh, I guess there is more traffic when the visitors come down from the north. So I've heard.

Happy Halloween to all,

Kate

New Moon in Libra

1. On Friday, the 30th of September we'll find the New Moon, at 8:11 PM in EDT. The Sun, and thus our Sun/Moon conjunction, is in the sign, Libra. So the main focus of the energy will be on all things relational, especially close people, and how we manage this dance.  

Libra is an Air sign ruled by Venus. The Libra types (an important influence of Libra in their natal charts) love to keep everything running smoothly when it comes to relationships. They will usually dress well, and they like their homes to reflect their love of harmony, beauty and order. Behind their cool appearance there is a mental tendency (thanks to the Air influence) that keeps their own interests and intentions in mind. They have a keen sense of aesthetics and also can turn on the charm when called for. There is often a penchant for mannerly behavior.

So for the time that the Sun stays under the influence of Libra we will all have lots of opportunities to feel the human longing for relationship and social interactions. We can experience new ways to achieve balancing things in our lives in general. Perhaps we can see and express things in a different way. Some of us might be sparked by the Venus side of Libra into some new level of creativity. 

So on the New Moon I suggest taking this leaning toward positive relationships and make intentions that will benefit our success in these realms.

For those of you who have been fussing about Mercury being retrograde you can relax. Mercury is going forward now, but at a slow pace. Still it's heading in the right direction. There will be a gradual speeding up and all things Mercury will normalize, things can move forward.

Under the influence of Libra we are more open to meeting others half way. It will be easier to see our partners as teammates and to appreciate their contribution to your life.

The art I've chosen for this blog today paints a pretty sweet picture of partnership. It is full of symbols of vitality and beauty. The hands speak for all the things we do to keep things running in an orderly and balanced way. 

Oh, I forgot to mention the planet, Venus, is now in the sign Scorpio. That could make things more interesting in the world of relationships. Could be some intensity you didn't see coming.

I'm missing the companionship of friends here. And you know who you are! Yes, I miss you.Thankfully Katrina and family are settling in here now and we can share an extended family life. 

Love to all,

Kate

Kate's Blog - New Moon in Virgo - September 1st

The Sun has progressed from the playful summer energies of Leo to Virgo's "back to school" days. By Thursday, Sept. 1st we'll be experiencing Virgo's New Moon. This month it's combined with a Solar Eclipse (5:03 am EST) and by the 16th there will be a Lunar Eclipse with the Full Moon in Pisces. These two eclipses in the same month open a powerful door, along with the New Moon, one that will encourage and help us to leave behind things that we've been wanting to.

This could be a relationship, an addictive habit, a negative mindset, a fear or a stuck feeling. You'll know what. This New Moon time (allow for a day on either side of the exact one) the energy slows down, offering a time to be more introspective and take a look at ourselves, to be more honest and open, noticing the things we'd like to change or improve. New Moons offer the most supported and powerful energy for setting intentions.

Each month I create this blog to highlight the energies of the ruling sign with the confidence that this helps us see ourselves from within the flow of present time. You could call it a kind of "be here now" approach. Over the complete 12 months of the year we will have looked at ourselves from 12 very different angles.

The art for this Virgo New Moon mirrors the Virgo quality of wanting to help others. The woman in black I associate with female healers, those intimate with the natural world. Witches and Shamans come to mind. She is an archetype of "the Virgin," she who chooses to be single. She is dedicated to the task of being her own best self, practicing self-love,and demanding her freedom to think and act as an individual. She/he may understand they are called to be an example, an inspiration for others and they focus energy on their spiritual purification.

The owl on her shoulder symbolizes her intimate love of the natural world and her trust in the transfer of higher intelligence through the natural world. Birds, in particular, are seen as messengers between the lower and upper worlds from ancient times to this day.

Virgo is an Earth sign but is ruled by the planet Mercury, associated with the mind and communication of all types. There is a love of order and knowledge. Virgo is an analytical thinker and this can often seem like "critical" from the outside. There are situations where the Virgo point of view can seem to lack empathy.

Another way to see Virgo energy is to study the meaning of the 6th House. It rules the workplace, getting along with co-workers, health, personal self-improvement and helping others. It's here in the 6th that psychology reminds us that our emotional lives strongly affect our health and ability to thrive,

And yet another way to interpret Virgo energy would be through ecology. Many of us are feeling the call to heal and nurture ourselves through better food choices, or buying food directly from growers via farm markets. We are educating ourselves (thank you internet) about the healing use of herbs and super foods while actively boycotting GMO foods or foods we know are traditionally grown with an abundance of pesticides.

I hope some of these Virgo stories can bring to mind ways to look at our own behavior and find something that rings a bell, calls for a deeper look or some "walk your talk" action.

Coming up soon the beneficent planet Jupiter will go from Virgo into Libra, the sign most associated with partnering. For those of you looking in that direction you'll have a year to take advantage of this transit.

New Moon in Leo on August 2

1. 

And now for the celebration of August, a time of summer's peak warmth and the harvest of many of our favorite delicious foods, the sweet and juicy tomatoes, peaches, melons, corn on the cob. It becomes a traditional time for feasting together, playing together and sharing in the outdoors.

It's now that the Sun, ruler of Leo, steps in and takes center stage (from July 22nd until August 22nd. Think of the Sun's energy as everything that's right in our world, He/she's self-assured, generous, 

playful, outgoing and not afraid of being expressive, and they do love being in love.

We can't all be born under the sign of the Sun but it's lucky to have one as a family member or best friend. They are very loyal once they have made a commitment. They like to focus on the bright side of life whenever possible,  but can sink into deep emotional drama when things don't play out their way.

We can only imagine that in ancient times the Sun was IT when it came to a God-like symbol, something to look up to, to see as the ultimate giver of life as humans experienced it then. I think each of us can translate that impressive and essential energy to our own beliefs and experiences of what I'll call the Divine. 

What I'm seeing for a description of this Leo New Moon's energy is a way to integrate the Divine/God aspect of life with ourselves as physical humans and as we find identity in ego personality. How do we trust and remember we are all of that and always that. 

The way I experience this interconnectedness, self with the Divine, is through trust that I am always guided.I feel it as a "gut feeling."I'm sure everyone has their own way of connecting. I suppose I feel depressed or frightened when I can't seem to find that guidance. I's then I feel I'm alone.

This willingness to trust the Divine in ourselves stands out as the most positive gift from Leo energy now. If we see where and when we don't then we might discover who/what it is we are trusting. And how far away from our own deep heart and soul are these "who/whats"? 

Are we letting our egos have too much control? or are we giving too much concern to what people think of us? Do we compare ourselves to others? are we judging ourselves without loving compassion? There are so many ways we can fail to trust our oneness with the Divine, our own pure goodness, our authentic selves.

Let this beautiful New Moon in August spread love, joy and trust in life and in ourselves

Yes, I'm settling in here in Florida, learning how to navigate around in my car. Am missing my family still in NH packing and preparing to join me here in the Sunshine State mid August. There's not a box anywhere to be found in my apartment and I'm proud of that.

with Love,

Kate