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

Full Moon in Scorpio and A Partial Eclipse April 25, 2013 - No Need To ‘Duck and Run’

There’s no shortage of names for April’s full moon.  We can call it Full Pink Moon, Full Sprouted Grass Moon, Full Fish Moon, or Full Egg Moon. There are no shortage of planets and signs involved in this month’s full moon either.  On the 25th our full moon is in 5 degrees, 46 minutes of Scorpio. Scorpio is keeping company with Saturn until 2015.  Saturn, the teacher of the Zodiac, gives us challenges designed to hone our strengths and prompt us to excel.  The Scorpion is about transformation; the end of one cycle and the beginning of another.  This month’s Full Pink Moon gives all of us a chance to use Scorpio’s phoenix mode and rise from the ashes to reinvent ourselves and our lives.

Many astrologers say this is a full moon of reckoning.  Uranus and Pluto, who are in transit together, are building up for another power square in mid May.  Uranus is the planet of revolutionary thought and social change, while Pluto is all about emotional subtext.  Hidden issues come to light under Pluto’s influence. Once in the open, they can heal, but it’s not always a pleasant process.  On the 25th, Uranus will be in Aries. That’s a fiery, ‘me first’ energy, but it’s also an energy that does not fear change. The Ram embraces forward movement, particularly if gets gets him what he wants. Emotional Pluto on the other hand, is in Capricorn.  Capricorn’s ruler is Saturn, the ‘enforcer’ of the Zodiac.  Saturn teaches us responsibility, resourcefulness and regulations. Capricorn rules the tenth house of finance, big business, banking and power deals.  Take stock of your finances before splurging. Watch out for impulses to randomly invest. Financial responsibility now translates to a bigger budget later this summer.

This moon can also push your relationship buttons.  Be aware of power struggles with your partner.  Don’t play games. Prioritize everyone’s needs in your relationships, both personal and professional. This is good advice all the time, but even better advice now.  Most importantly, give yourself and your partner room to expand this week.  This is not the time to draw lines around anyone, particularly yourself and say, “stay put and don’t change.”  No one is advocating infidelity here. This is all about personal development and attaining goals.

The last player on the field for the Full Pink Moon is none other than the Moon herself.  We have a partial penumbral eclipse.  We won’t necessarily notice it visually, but we will feel its power.  Use it to goal set, to assist you in accessing Scorpio’s transformative power.  The Sun in Taurus will help you ground and focus our intention.  This moon is extremely strong.  There’s really no need to ‘duck and run.’ Just use all that lunar energy responsibly to become the person you were meant to be.  

LADY ORACLE

Tarot Planetary and Sign Associations

Mars - The Tower, sudden, unexpected change

Pluto - Judgment, rebirth and decisions

Saturn - The World, fulfillment and integration

Uranus - The Fool, a fresh start (divinely protected)

Aries - The Emperor, rules and structure

Taurus - The Hierophant, group spiritual structure, spirituality

Scorpio - Death, end of a cycle transformative rebirth

Capricorn - The Devil, conflict between higher self and enslavement to the material

Moon - the High Priestess, unconscious thought and intuition

Please forgive the over simplified meanings for some very complex cards, but I think it’s important to see the astrological correlations without ten more pages of blog. 

L.O.

Here's a link to the scientific info for the 4/25 lunar eclipse

The Drive To Strive - Astrological Trends For January 2013

You know it's been a quite the holiday season when Weight Watchers sends you a mailer before the first of the year.  Do they have cameras at the buffet tables, or something? How did they know you received a Chocolate of the Month gift basket and have already eaten your way through June?  Thank Heavens for elastic waistbands.  And also thank Heavens for that tried, but true process we annually endure called the New Years Resolution.  This January we are getting an extra hand from the cosmos to help us define, refine and implement direct changes to our lives.

This month is a great time to kick start your goals.  Saturn is in Scorpio and Pluto is in Capricorn at sextile (a 60 degree aspect) and they are very good buddies.  While the energy ebb and flow may get a little intense this month, certain signs (Scorpio, Capricorn and those with planets in their houses) are going to thrive with this type of planetary turbo boost.

Returning to reality after the holidays (particularly when recovering from the alcoholic frenzy that is New Years Eve) can be a jolt.  We all become high minded about changing our lives in the coming year.  Hence, resolutions.  To put January's energy to the greatest good, however, work on shaping the material world around you and leave the spiritual retreats and deeper meditations for another month.  Success this month means you are required to be present and to be in the moment to seize January's opportunities.  From the 1st of the month through the 14th, focus on direct actions that will have direct effects on your life.   Now here's the tricky part:  Don't sit there. Do something.  A small, but consistent action will do more to move your life forward than some grandiose gesture that's here, then gone and leaves nothing lasting in its wake.

Remember the goals your worked so diligently to assess and clarify this summer?  You also had some great astral energy this fall which helped you start putting your plans into effect.  This month you have a chance to push past your preconceived limits about your own abilities.  Don't hinder yourself with phrases like, 'too ambitious,' or 'getting in over my head.'  Ambitions are a good thing and you swim best in deep water.  You are much more capable and resourceful than you give yourself credit for and the Universe knows it.

When working with tarot, pay particular attention to the suits of Wands and Pentacles.  Fiery action and earthly gain.  What cards are you pulling and where do they fall in the particular spread you're using?  Think of your first card reading this month as an opportunity for you to run a systems diagnostic.  Find out what you need to release and what you need to pursue.

January 6th and 7th are good days for being more reflective than active.  The moon is in Scorpio and conjunct Saturn.  Saturn likes to teach through challenges and things might get a little too challenging for you on these days.  Just breath and regroup.  On January 11th we've got that new moon energy shining strong in twenty-one degrees,  forty-six minutes of Capricorn.  Sit down with a skinny latte' and your smart phone for a little research and development.  Take a little time to review your accomplishments this month and to affirm your direction before you start moving again.

On January 26th we will have a full moon in Leo - another dose of energy that helps us celebrate who and what we are.  2013 is starting at a brisk pace folks.  Take advantage of this month's energy shifts to propel yourself forward.


LADY ORACLE

October 29, 2012 - The Hunter's Moon In Taurus

There are clues and foreshadowings in nature as well as in the pages of a good book.  In stories, a writer uses these devices to heighten the suspense and keep the reader turning the pages until the very end.  As the plot and characters take shape in our mind, we ask ourselves, “Am I I right?  Did I figure out who did it?”  There are plenty of clues this month regarding the strength of October’s Full Moon and they will keep us on the edge of our seats until the 29th.  This month’s Full Moon is at six degrees, forty-eight seconds of Taurus and from all the evidence, we will see a miraculous moon for manifesting our desires.  

On October 29th the Full Hunter’s Moon will preside over our night sky.  The name, Hunter’s Moon, was the name given to October’s Full Moon by Native Americans who, as we still do today, culled out game from the wild herds each autumn.  Fall hunting served two purposes: First, the hunters could put aside extra stores of food and skins for the coming winter and second, the herd would be thinned out and there would be fewer animals lost to starvation when the natural food supply grew meager during the winter months.

The Full Hunter’s Moon is always powerful.  Diana, Goddess of the Moon is also Goddess of the Hunt.  This Hunter’s Moon happens to fall in Taurus and most of the astrologers on the net agree that not only is this an extremely powerful moon, but that it is probably the best moon of the year to practice abundance work through affirmations, meditations and good, old fashioned financial reviews.  Look at your stock portfolio.  Are you considering a change in investment strategy?  The 29th is a great time to implement that change.  Some astrologers have even dubbed October 29th as “money maker day.”  Let’s take a look at why.  

We can turn to tarot’s Major Arcana (meaning “big secret or mystery”) for confirmation of the sort energy that will be flying around us on the night of the Hunter’s Moon.  Taurus is an intensely spiritual sign and its corresponding tarot card is #5, the Hierophant.  What a surprise. The Hierophant is the corner stone of faith and spirituality in the Major Arcana.  His influence means that Taurus is no fair weather friend.  A Taurus is always “in it to win it.”  Like the Hierophant, they appreciate structure.  Safety and security are the linch pin of a Full Moon in Taurus and people born under the sign of the bull like their comfort.  Make that luxury.  Taurus can sense an opportunity a mile away and they have the discipline to see a venture through to a successful conclusion.

Venus rules Taurus and the Major Arcana card for Venus is none other than #3, The Empress.  The Empress is the very essence of abundance and luxury.  She is depicted as perpetually pregnant, wanting for nothing and giving life to our ideas and ventures. Her energy nourishes and supports us.  Taurus is an earth sign, aligned with tarot’s suit of pentacles.  While both Taurus and The Hierophant like their luxury, they also have a down to earth practicality that helps them focus in the real world.  Pentacles are about the material - money, goods, career and health.  What happens when we combine the abundance of The Empress, the faith and structure of The Hierophant with the sign of Taurus?  We have the perfect seeds for manifesting. Disease and rot resistant.  

It’s important to remember that the moon loves to be in Taurus and she is very high-functioning within that sign.  No wonder.  The Full Moon is guided by #2 in the Major Arcana, The High Priestess.  The High Priestess represents instinct, intuition and unconscious thought.  In the RWCS deck, she’s depicted wearing none other than the crown of Isis (or Hathor, the Woman-Cow Goddess. See where this is leading?)  The crown’s shape is a single steer horn set on either side of a disk; which also happens to be the shape of the glyph representing the sign of Taurus.  Funny how these thing work out.  In ancient Egypt, the disk in the center of the crown originally represented the sun.  As different cultures assimilated the myths of Isis and Hathor into their own traditions, the disk changed from representing the sun, to representing the moon.  In Pagan tradition, the crown of Isis is seen as the Triple Goddesses, Maiden, Mother and Crone; or, as the waxing crescent, the full and the waning crescent moons.  Are you dizzy yet?  But wait!  There’s more!  

In my last blog I told you that Saturn entered Scorpio at the beginning of this month and will remain there until 2015.  Although Saturn is somewhat of a task master, we all receive energy boosts while that planet remains in the transformative power of Scorpio.  These boosts enable us to strive harder and attain more of our goals.  And here’s the kicker.  While Scorpio’s ruling card is #13, Death, or Transformation, Saturn’s ruling card is #22 - The World.  The World represents the culmination of the soul’s journey, or the ability to have it all.  Wow.  The ability to access transformative energy to change your world.  That sounds like manifesting to me.  

Mars remains in Sagittarius during the Full Moon.  This gives us some wonderful, fiery wand energy to help us harness the power of both Taurus and Saturn in Scorpio.  Get your wish lists ready and don’t miss out on this prime opportunity to bring your dreams into this reality.  Happy manifesting!

LADY ORACLE