Astrological Trends for June 2013 - Part 1, “Retro-Fitting”

High Priestess - Intuition, the subconscious

Saturn in Scorpio, Neptune in Pisces and Mercury in Cancer are all in retrograde this month and they are working in a positive way to retro-fit your life. We’ve had some intense, fiery Wand energy during April and May. If you got out in front of it and used its passion and enthusiasm to design the life you want, you probably feel like your running on empty right now. Hang in there because in June the Universe is giving you a chance to rest up and accomplish some easy re-do work.  

Neptune in Pisces will be in retrograde from June 7th to November 13th. Retrograde means that as Earth passes a planet during our own orbit an optical illusion occurs that makes the other planet (Neptune Saturn and Mercury this month) appear to be moving backwards. Mystical Neptune rules dreams, spirituality and illusion. During its retrograde cycle, our blinders come off.  We review our life choices and our spiritual connections.  Neptune retrograde is when we decide if we’re on the right track or not.  Meditations and dream states are richer during this time - the resulting information, more profound. Powerful psychic energy flows through us, but, we also run the risk of becoming overwhelmed.  Keep your home and yourself clear of negativity and energy vampires especially if Neptune in Pisces appears in your birth chart.  

Saturn in Scorpio has been in retrograde since February 18th.  It turns direct on July 8th.  We’ve experienced a period of challenges (that’s how Saturn teaches) but, we’ve also received the necessary information to overcome those challenges.  Come on, you know you have.  It’s your own fault if you haven’t acted on your new insights.  Saturn retrograde is an opportunity to work on your infrastructure.  Saturn rules our physical and psychological support systems.  During this retrograde, commit to yourself. No, not put yourself first.  Commit to reviewing and redefining your personal guidelines in a positive way. What projects (and you have taken on many) truly speak to your soul? Disentangle yourself from those that don’t.  Avoid over commitment (10 of Wands).  Retrogrades are about renewal, not overkill.

10 of Wand - Over-burdened

Our last retrograde player is good old Mercury in Cancer, June 26th to July 20th.  Naturally, the first thing we all think of are the messed up schedules, miscommunications and mechanical snafus that typify Mercury in retrograde.  Again, we some powerful energy from Neptune and Saturn that mitigates Mercury’s shadow side.  Also, Cancer makes Mercury highly empathic and intuitive. Use Neptune’s heightened clarity and Saturn’s rules of proper conduct to assist you in communicating accurately and effectively during Mercury retrograde and you may not even notice it - and smudge, smudge, smudge.

LADY ORACLE

Here's a link to Part two of June Astrological Forecast, the "Main Event"  clink link!

Part 2 of “ Astrological Trends for June 2013” looks at Venus in Cancer and our New Moon on June 8th.

special thanks to US Games for the RWCS images - Decks for sale through Lady Oracle Tarot   click link!

"The Flight of the Red Balloon" - Releasing Your Pain and Anger

We carry baggage with us wherever we go.  Sometimes there’s only a small duffle bag and sometimes we have a matched set of luggage - pieces we’ve collected over time from trauma we’ve experienced during our life. Our baggage shapes the way we relate to our world and there’s no easy way to drop it off for someone else to handle - no Sky Cap for the human psyche.  We have to learn how to handle our own bags one piece at a time.  How do we release our anger, or let go of people who cause us frustration and pain?  One of best techniques to release unhealthy emotions is the Red Balloon.

Begin by identifying the person or situation that upsets you. Think about how nice it would be to have some emotional distance, to be able to respond to a recurring situation instead of over-reacting to it.  Sit quietly in a place where you won’t be disturbed. Close your eyes and allow your body to relax. Feel the tension leave your forehead as the relaxation drifts down your face.  Notice your jawline softening as the stress eases from your head, neck and shoulders. Continue to talk to yourself, inducing a state of relaxation throughout your torso, down your arms, legs and to your feet.  Enjoy a feeling of ease and well-being throughout your whole body.

Now visual the person(s) or circumstances that distress you - a relationship, workplace friction, school, etc.  Get the sense of what triggers your emotional response to that situation.  Suddenly, drifting towards you on the wind, is a bright and shiny, red balloon.  Envision putting what or who disturbs you inside the balloon.  Don’t worry, it stretches.  

It may not be easy to successfully complete this exercise the first time or two. You’ll find that people don’t want to get inside the balloon.  They’ll fight, argue and even threaten you to stay out of it, but stick with your resolve.  All of this is occurring in your own mind so you get to control the outcome.  Let ‘em kick, yell and beat on the inside of their new red home all they want.  They’re not getting out.  Gather up the hurt, the anger and the fear the situation causes in your life and put all that energy inside the balloon.  Now you can talk to whoever is inside.  You will likely feel tightness in your throat and chest the first time you try this.  Perhaps you’ll even cry as you tell your captive audience how you feel and that you will no longer allow them to control your emotional well-being.

See yourself tying a brightly-colored string onto the balloon.  Imagine the balloon drifting away from you.  Up it goes, higher and higher until it’s out of sight.  People inside the balloon might look sad and try to make you feel guilty.  Don’t let them.  Release them into the Universe with love and with understanding. That, my friends, is the hardest part.  Releasing with love.  Everyone adds their baggage to a situation or circumstance, but not intentionally.  When you let go of the effects someone else’s baggage has on you with compassion and love, you lift yourself higher.  You lift yourself to a place of peace and understanding where their negative energy has a much more difficult time reaching you. You make your own life better and isn’t that the point?

LADY ORACLE

Appendix - Full Flower Moon, May 24th/ 25th - Tarot Cards and Planetary Hook-Ups for Meditation and Contemplation

Here are some tarot card references for the planets and signs involved with tonight’s Full Flower Moon and penumbral eclipse.  As you know, we have lots of expansive energy swirling around us right now.  This is great stuff when properly channeled.  My personal picks for best energy to draw during meditations right now are: 

Jupiter in Gemini - always about amazing expansion and growth, but here with a nice sociable kicker

Saturn in Scorpio - okay, there are challenges, but this is also a very resourceful and insightful energy in use; 

Mars in Taurus - for perseverance (9 of Wands) and 

Mercury in Gemini - here we have home court advantage because Mercury rules Gemini and the wit is quick, light-hearted and very charming. 

The tarot cards for the major cosmic players are a snapshot life well-lived.  Check it out:

Moon - #2, The High Priestess - Intuition and unconscious thought, mystery

Mercury - #1, The Magician - Conscious, directed energy, focused intention 

                       (#1 and #2 - got some yin and yang right here)

Venus - #3, The Empress - Abundance, fruition, natural order and fertility

Jupiter - #10, Wheel of Fortune -  A turning point, fate takes a hand

Mars - #16, The Tower - Sudden and unexpected change, release

Saturn - #21, The World - Fulfillment, expansion and integration 

                                         (See! Great opportunity!)

Gemini - #6, The Lovers - Relationships and values

Sagittarius - #14, Temperance - Balance between your worlds, as well as the spiritual and the material          

Scorpio - #13, Death - Transformation, end of one cycle, beginning of another

Taurus - #5, Hierophant - Faith, identifying with a group belief, or spiritual value

As another point of interest, here are the signs we’ve discussed and there ruling planets:

Gemini - Mercury

Sagittarius - Jupiter      

Scorpio - Pluto and Mars

Taurus - Venus     

Now you not only have the framework, but the weft and the warp threads that make up the cosmic fabric.  Draw on the various energies around you during your mediations to balance yourself.  Watch for the cards patterns that appear in your readings.  Above all, enjoy your discoveries about yourself and your relationship to the world around you.

LADY ORACLE

Full Flower Moon, May 24th - 25th, 2013 - Adventure, Romance and a Penumbral Eclipse

The actual date for this month’s Full Moon changes according to your time zone.  In England the moon is full on May 25th at 4:27, GMT/UT (Greenwich Mean Time, or Universal Time) and in New York, it’s full at 12:24 a.m. EST, also on May 25th.  Here in the Pacific Northwest, however, our Flower Moon comes into full blossom at 9:24 p.m. on May 24th.  (Here's a link to the annual Portland Rose Festival - also 5/24/13! )

May’s Full Flower Moon occurs at 4 degrees and 8 minutes in Sagittarius and promises to be adventurous and fast-paced.  Sagittarius, like Gemini, is known for mental acuity, but depth wise, these signs are at opposite ends of the spectrum.  Sagittarius is a high-minded, intuitive sign.  Gemini likes their wisdom to be quick and amusing, but without much substance.  What both of these signs have in common, though, is an adventurous streak and lots of social energy.  It’s little wonder they are so powerful in opposition - Moon in Sagittarius and Sun in Gemini. Take time to brush up on your banter and your current events before this weekend.  Naps wouldn’t hurt either.

Lunar eclipses focus on relationships, the beginning and ending of cycles and on finding balance between extremes.  Intuitive Sagittarius may ask if your relationship is all you wish it to be, while liberated Gemini, playing host to Venus, may tell you to act on your flights of fancy. Emotions run high during the eclipse and Venus is both care-free and flirtatious under Gemini’s influence.  Sagittarius, who also appreciates visceral experience, seeks adventures that have less chance of blowing up in your face.  Strive to balance these polarities during the Flower Moon.  Also remember that an eclipse in extremely powerful two days before and three days after the actual event.

Jupiter and Mercury are visiting Gemini as well during this eclipse.  Mercury, the planet of communication gives us the chance to be open and honest with our friends and partners.  It also gifts us with a silver tongue, perfect for charming or persuading those around us.  Jupiter puts a capital ‘A’ in adventure, easing our way socially and intellectually in a variety of situations.    

May’s Full Flower Moon has something for everyone.  It has the chops for magnificent abundance work, adventure, social and romantic opportunities, with just a dash of perseverance from Mars in Taurus.  You could say that Saturn in Scorpio and the Uranus Pluto Square are waiting in the wings to throw the proverbial bucket of cold water on us, but I don’t think so.  Both of these configurations love portents and challenges, but when you think about it, all they are really asking us to do is stay present in the moment, to pay attention and be genuine.  If something feels hinkey, it probably is, so act accordingly and steer clear. that's good advice anytime.   Go out and have a wonderful Full Moon weekend.  Stay present in the moment and enjoy.

Here is a link to my Appendix (well...not mine, but and appendix for Full Flower Moon Tarot card references - planetary and sign. Check it out and enjoy!

LADY ORACLE

Gemini, May 21st through June 22nd - “They Talk the Talk, But Do They Walk the Walk?"

#6, The Lovers, from "OSHO Zen Tarot"©
by Deva Padma - This card is tarot's
association for Gemini

Gemini, the third sign of the zodiac, is the sign of the twins.  No, this doesn’t mean people born under this sign have multiple personality disorder - well, not necessarily, that is.  It means a Gemini is outgoing, quick witted, intelligent and curious enough for two people.  Go to a party and the person with the largest knot of people around them is probably a Gemini.  Twin people are ruled by Mercury and therefore naturally born communicators.  They can tell a story like none other and can persuade, even manipulate, any situation with their the gift of gab.  

The Sign of The Twins is ruled by the element of air (tarot’s Swords) which correlates to matters of intellect and the mind.  These people know a little bit about many things and are always seeking information that improves their store of knowledge. They are highly effective in communications, Gemini tends to commit more time to talk and less time to action.  (Which can be really annoying during romantic moments) The twins are very analytical, able to see all sides of an issue.  However, it’s that very ability to thoroughly dissect a subject that can prevent them from making true progress towards a goal.  

A Gemini can be a highly effective member of a sales team. 

Mercury, ruler of the sign Gemini, has
#1,The Magician for its tarot card. This
depiction from "Wizard's Tarot"©
by Corrine Kenner and John J. Blumen

They are also good at managing, though they may have a tendency to act impulsively and allow their focus to drift. Their only serious flaw is their tendency to be superficial.  They are social and easy going, but not given to looking at any person or situation with a great deal of depth.  They are the quintessential ‘glad-handers’ or ‘baby-kissers’ - exuberant, but always with an eye towards the popular and the expedient.  They have an uncanny ability to match and mirror other people’s traits and viewpoints.  Again, this makes them highly successful communicators and sales people, but the downside is that you can easily find yourself maneuvered into a position in their chess game. Gemini is not above using deception to put you where they want you to be.

People born under the sign of the Twins become easily bored and are not known for bearing it gracefully. Although they are good at friendships, they prefer the flavor to be light and easy-going.  They avoid emotional subtext like the rest of us avoid a trans-fats.  They give great advice, but don’t expect them to get down in the emotional trenches with you, because Gemini avoids topics and situations that they find to be depressing.  Still, when all is said and done, they are the people you seek out for adventure, wit and that all around ‘happy to know you’ feeling.  

LADY ORACLE

Practically Magic

                                                        “Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death.”  

                                  Rosalind Russell in “Auntie Mame”  1958

I was in my early 30s when I stopped struggling and accepted

the amazing Kris Waldherr's "Magician" from
her deck, "The Goddess Tarot"©

the fact that magic is real and no matter what my attitude - good, bad or indifferent - I hold the ability to create my reality.  Life itself is magical.  It is a fantastic network of energy and vibration all linking back to one source of origin - the Invisible Divine.  When we allow energy to flow naturally between ourselves and Source, the miraculous becomes an everyday experience.  Here’s the kicker.  Our connection to Source energy is both personal and constant.  We are never out there going it alone, so to speak.  We are connected to Source and through Its network, we are linked to every other life form on this planet and beyond.  

Your relationship with divine energy is defined by who you believe yourself to be, what you’ve experienced in your life and, also by how you where raised.  If working with universal flow to create your life sounds like a daunting task, believe me, it is.  The first Step is a doozy. You have to give up excuses. You must accept responsibility for your own choices and live with their consequences.  

Conscious - our eternal link to the Divine
from Deva Padma's "OSHO Zen Tarot"©

Step two requires that you face your true intentions and attitudes when it comes to magical thinking.  It’s difficult to create positive and happy results when your thought process stems from a place of judgment, bitterness and anger.  The code word here is RELEASE.  Whether it’s a relationship, an attitude or a situation - if it does not promote your life in a positive manner, clear it out of your space.  Again, not the easiest thing to do, but the results will be well worth the struggle.

Step three is where the fun starts.  Suspend your disbelief.  Play the ‘what if’ game from a light-hearted, positive place.  What it I got that promotion?  What would my life look like?  What if I got my bills paid off?  How would that feel?   Mentally walk yourself through the sights, smells and tastes of achieving.  Perceive it, achieve it.  Do you think that sounds silly?  Why?  You do it every morning, but most likely in a negative way.  Perhaps you stand in front of a mirror telling yourself why things aren’t going to work for you, or creating fantastical scenarios in your head where people slight you and you get to deliver an amazing monolog that really shows them, boy.  You imagine being right, but in a very negative way.  

Life is magic and magic is real no matter what your belief

Corrine Kenner and John J. Blumen's
terrific image of #21, The World from
"Wizard's Tarot"©

system.  Honor the magical connection to the Divine that lives in you and watch your life become filled with amazing texture, color and vibrancy.  This is your life.  Use it.

LADY ORACLE

When the Glass is Empty, Stay in the Moment

There are days when you get up with the best intentions of remaining positive and like the driver in "The Chariot," rise above the fray.  You never expected to stumble out of your door to find your chariot has a flat tire. There you were focusing on your goals, getting ready for your day and suddenly you discovered that your glass is not only half empty, but that gremlins had drilled a hole in the bottom of the little sucker to drain away your peace of mind, your hope and your enthusiasm.  You thought your efforts made a difference, no matter how slight and now staring at the bottom of the glass, you feel foolish, even bereft for your assumptions.

Unfortunately there is no reset button in life and you often have to muddle through as best you can.  I'm particularly fond of the expression, "Begin as you mean to go on."  There's a certain amount of bluster implied in that statement, but sometimes bluster is exactly what you need to find your way through a particularly trying period of time.  Start by holding a positive attitude - the type of attitude born of a positive outcome.  This is the mindset you must create before you attempt to resolve the issues at hand.  Commit completely to your course of action.  Be the moment, because if you are in the moment you are no longer anywhere near the fray.

Your end goal is clear skies, full sails and brilliant sunshine and you won't find them hanging out in The Doldrums (No, seriously. The Doldrums is a real place. Check this out! ) Even if your forward momentum has been reduced to one baby step at a time, you're still going somewhere.  Visualize the end result of your accomplishment - whatever your particular brand of sunshine happens to be.  How does it feel?  What does it smell like?  Where are you and what are you wearing when everything you wish for comes about?  Now press the mental 'back skip' button.  Think about various steps you took to get you where you are in your vision of your future self.  Never concentrate on the obstacles you faced in your imagined journey.  Concentrate on the feeling you had each time you surmounted a problem.  Cue yourself to respond with a burst of positive energy when you reach a stumbling block. Don't get lost in potential fear of an imagined moment.  That's a trap you can all too easily spring on yourself.  Remember the lesson of tarot's # 18, The Moon.  Stay on the lighted path and don't be pulled into the anxiety-producing shadows around you.  Before you know it, you'll be back on course with fair winds and following seas.


LADY ORACLE

New Moon In Taurus, May 9, with a Solar Eclipse Chaser - Boiler Maker or Pressure Cooker

Do you remember the guy on the 9 of Wands, RWCS version?  He has a bandage on his head and he’s using a wand to hold himself upright. He’s beat up, exhausted, but still standing there admiring the way those wands of his form a straight line. Welcome to the landscape of May’s New Moon in Taurus.  There are two keywords you need to know to navigate the 9th; perseverance and self-worth. Okay, so technically that’s three words, but you get the idea.

Taurus has a marvelous, focused energy that sees things through to a successful completion.  Slow and steady.  New moons bring fresh emotional cycles and eclipses work as planetary reboots.  The Annular Solar Eclipse of May 10th will alter our energy dynamic for the next six months.  The things to keep in mind, however, are that Saturn in Scorpio is in opposition to the Sun in Taurus (see blog “Sunday, April 28, 2013 - Saturn in Opposition To Sun in Taurus”) and Uranus and Pluto are building up to a perfect square.  What that means for us as individuals is that Saturn loves to teach us lessons about our inner strength by challenging us, so you may experience more than your fair share of stumbling blocks this coming weekend.  Should that happen, lean on Taurus to keep you focused, grounded and moving forward while you deal with the situation.  

A Uranus/Pluto square is a force to be reckoned with.  It lays the groundwork for revolutionary change on a global level.  If you don’t believe me, check out history.  The radicalism of the 60’s was birthed under a Uranus/Pluto square.  Hitler rose to power during a Uranus/Pluto square. Uranus is a planet of revolutionary process and swiping change, while Pluto is known for transformation and rebirth.  Will you wake up this Friday to a new world order?  Doubtful, but you might discover some, “mystic crystal revelations” to use in your own life. Use the square’s energy to create lasting, positive change. Know your value to yourself and to those around you. Stick with the goals you started during the Sun in Aries.  You may feel as if you’re butting your head against a brick wall right now, but Taurus has horns and if you are persistent, you will make the necessary progress.

This is your time to learn something about yourself, win, loose or draw.  It’s your belief in yourself that matters, as well as your commitment to your goals.  Keep an eye on your financial situation.  The Universe is on the in breath this week. I’m sure you’ve already felt the sense of tightening around you. Financial growth may seem nonexistent, but hold your course.  Every bit of that hard-gained ground you capture now, will become rich and fertile towards the end of the month.  Analyze your personal values, your financial resources, your possessions versus your self-worth. Strive to bring the tangible and the intangible into balance within your life.

LADY ORACLE

Below are two tables, one for tarot Major Arcana Cards and their planetary significance and one for he Uranus Pluto exact square dates.

Tarot Cards :

The Moon   -     #2, The High Priestess

The Sun      -    #19, The Sun

Taurus         -   #5, The Hierophant

Saturn         -   #21, The World

Scorpio       -   #13, Death

Uranus       -   #0, The Fool

Pluto          -   #20, Judgment

Uranus Pluto Exact Square:

May 20, 2013

November 1, 2013

April 21, 2014

December 15, 2014

March 16, 2015

Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower, May 4th and 5th - "Grin and Bear It"

The predawn hours of May 4th and 5th are peak viewing

opportunities May’s Eta Aquarids meteor shower.  This annual shower comes out of the Eastern sky at approximately 4:00 a.m. no matter where you are on our planet.  The radiant for this particular shower is the star system that makes up the water jar in the constellation of Aquarius, the Water Bearer. This cluster is Y-shaped and its primary star is named Eta. The instructions for finding the radiant group sounds an awful lot like Peter Pan talking to Wendy. “Second star to the left and straight on to morning.”  Luckily, you don’t have to find the radiant of a meteor shower to enjoy the show.

The source for the meteors of the Eta Aquarid shower is none other than the debris field of good, old, reliable Halley’s Comet.  These meteors have a ZHR (Zenith Hourly Rate, or how many fall per hour) of thirty to fifty visible meteors in the Northern Hemisphere and sixty to eighty meteors in the Southern Hemisphere.  We’re in luck too, because this year’s waning crescent moon gives us a darker sky and astronomer’s are predicting a much better meteor display than we had last year.

For you Star Trek fans out there (and who isn’t?) the constellation of Aquarius immortalizes the story of Ganymede (as in the quadrant), a Trojan prince who, while watching his father’s flock on day, had the misfortune to be kidnapped by Aquila, Zeus’ giant eagle.  The eagle, under orders by the king of gods himself, carried the lad to Olympus where he was forced to serve drinks for a living.  Ganymede rebelled and poured the contents of his water jar over the Earth, causing a global flood.  Zeus felt a little guilty for turning a former prince into a slave and created the constellation of Aquarius to honor his libation bearer.  The kid probably would have been happier with better tips, but that’s the rich and powerful for you.

Warmer weather and clearer skies will give many of us the opportunity to enjoy the Eta Aquarid shower this weekend.  It promises to be worth getting up early, or staying up late for.  You won’t need protective eye gear - just a comfy spot.  Enjoy.

LADY ORACLE

Astrological Trends for May, 2013 - “Eclipses, Meteors and Squares, Oh My!”

May is jam packed with cosmic activity this month: Two eclipses, a meteor shower and a full on square between Uranus and Pluto. Right out of the gate we’ll notice that Taurus is holding a planetary rager with ‘A’ list guests. The Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars are all hanging out with the bull for the first half of the month and on May 4th and 5th, we receive a visit from the Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower. 

Your ideas and sense of purpose germinated under the Aries Sun and Taurus’ ability to focus and maintain a steady pace make things take root this month.  The last quarter moon on May 2nd is in Aquarius. Stay the course. No drifting off on tangents.  Finish up the projects you began in April using fiery Aries (tarot’s Wands) energy. You can follow Aquarius’ different drum another day. Watch out for possessiveness when it comes to marking your territory during the first half of May. Remember, you have two ears and one mouth. Use them equally.  Mercury’s wonderful grounding energy will assist you in more open communications if you’ll let it.  Also, Mercury helps you to see further down the road and to plan for the long term reward. The Taurus/Mercury mix is not about what’s new and innovative, but more about common sense, as well as the tried and true.  

Venus urges you to express your affection with more than just words this month. Be romantic.  Use thoughtful gestures that show the people in your life how much you appreciate them. One note of caution: There’s still that air of possessiveness that must be acknowledged and restrained. Don’t get creepy.  Stay balanced in your relationships and watch out for the green-eyed monster. (No, not Mothra) Venus is the first to leave Taurus’ party on May 9th, just as the New Moon arrives.  Finding our natural rhythms may be easier said than done with Saturn in Scorpio seated in opposition to our New Moon in Taurus. Make no sudden moves or big decisions.  Hold your course steady just a few more days.

The New Moon on the 9th leads us into our first eclipse of the month.  Eclipses ramp up the power level and this one is no exception. We’ll experience an Annular Solar Eclipse (Moon’s apparent diameter is smaller than the Sun and makes the Sun look like a ring) on May 10th. This eclipse will be visible only to the Southern Hemisphere, but the power surge is planetary. Use it. The Uranus/Pluto power build up continues until the square becomes exact on May 20th.  More on that later.

Mars stays with Taurus for the entire month, but instead of the aggressive, no holds barred energy we’ve come to expect from Mars, we’ll feel a more focused, contemplative energy - a direct result of associating with patient, methodical (tarot’s Pentacles) Taurus. Where the first half of the month has been all about staying focused on our commitments, the second half of the month is more fun loving.  On May 25th we’ll have a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse leading us straight into the Full Moon on the 28th. I’ll be cover more on May’s events in up coming blogs.  For right now simply enjoy your ability to focus and work on your long-term goals.

LADY ORACLE

Here's a link to NASA's annular solar eclipse on May 10th