May 6, 2016 New Moon in Taurus - Sing in Exaltation!

High Priestess - "The Goddess Tarot" ©

You've got to love new moons. Not only do new moons change our emotional template for the coming month, but they also serve as a beacon of light in the chaos that lurks during the dark of the moon. As a Scorpio, I often get taken out by L.L.L. - Loss of Lunar Light. It's generally not a pleasant experience, but last night wasn't too bad. My easy passage may have been courtesy of an exceptionally good red wine, but it probably had more to with the Moon's new monthly journey beginning in the sign of Taurus. Lady Moon is particularly high-functioning in Taurus, or as they say in astrology, exalted. Exalted celestial bodies showcase their best attributes and we have an easier time accessing their strengths and ignoring their frailties.

Moon in Taurus gives us the ability to sharpen our perceptions - particularly our concentration and our intuition. Taurus lets us be practical and look towards expansion of all good things in our life. That's very important now in the face of so much retrograde activity. We currently have Mars, Mercury, Pluto and Jupiter all in retrograde, though Jupiter, that gentle giant of bounty and abundance goes direct tomorrow.  I can I get a booyah on that one? 

The Moon hangs out in Taurus for only a matter of hours

Taurus' tarot card by Kris Waldherr©

before sliding into Gemini on May 7th. So why bring up new Moon in Taurus now? There's more of a restless edge to lunar energy in the sign of the twins, so it's important to plant your feet firmly and engage in some happy anticipation while Lady Moon remains in Taurus. No, it's not a good time to make life-changing decisions - there's too much retrograde activity for that - but, you can dwell on an island of hope and expectation today, one that will build excitement for possibilities if you let it. Today is the perfect breeding ground for the germ of an idea that can be considered and refined during all our retrograde energy. Hoping, visualizing and knowing a thing to a certainty are the building blocks of manifesting all that is good for your life. It can all start with one little day in May. Dream bold, dream large. The day is yours.

Lady Oracle



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Everything's Retro - Triple Crown With Three Retrograde Planets April 2016

Writers live to writer and to rewrite - usually into infinity if we can get away with it - and April is a terrific month for indulging yourself in agonizing reappraisal. We have three, count 'em, three retrogrades.  April 17th Mars, our outgoing, warrior planet  whose can-do philosophy often makes the difference between a hit, or a miss for us, suddenly turns shy with moments of self-doubt as it turns retrograde in Sagittarius. Mars in The Archer's house is adventurous, but a little scattered. Mars' openness can easily translate to bluntness and a willingness to give too much information. If you suddenly find yourself waffling more than usual that's perfectly normal. Remember we all feel the effects of  retrogrades to one degree or another, but the effects are more significant if you have the retrograde planet, or the hosting sign prominently in your birth chart.

Martian energy is more circumspect during retrograde. While retrograde periods are not traditionally a good time to start new projects, don't let yourself become frozen with indecision because you fear making a choice. Simply engage your brain and rely more on the analytical side of your personality. Mars stays retro until June 29th, finishing the last part of its retrograde hiatus in Scorpio. Beware of poking under too many rocks when Mars moves back to Scorpio. An indecisive and frustrated retro Mars in Scorpio has misplaced their self-determination compass. We'll be a little more moody broody and our sting response will be set on automatic stun. Again, hit the pause button and analyze individual situations before responding to stimulus. You'll save yourself wear and tear, as well as preserve a lot of friendships.

On April 18th Pluto, that solar system vagabond of change, goes retro in Capricorn. Do I

here a sigh of relief? What's the matter, has all that crazy, Tilt-a-Whirl of change gotten out of hand for you? If you think so, you're not alone. Pluto hesitates during retrograde. Its reevaluation process asks us if every piece of chaotic change was absolutely necessary and if it yielded the desired goal. From April 18th through September 26th Pluto will be moving at a snail's pace to make us reexamine our choices. Where did they come from? Were they a result of baggage we are still determined to lug around with us forever? If Pluto retrograde has its way you'll be letting go of the things that hold you back before you start moving forward again in the Fall. Yes, it is a lengthy process working with Pluto Retrograde, but worth every moment of self-analysis.

Mercury in Taurus joins the retro party on April 28th, though with the other planets already well underway in their backwards journey, MR's influences may feel a bit indistinguishable from the rest of the retro energy. Stay patient when plans go awry, when calls get dropped and half of the free world misunderstands your latest tweet. Chuck it up to Mercury and remember your 'R' words: Revise, re-do, recommit, redesign, research, rewrite. The last two are my personal favorites.

Enjoy the gift of April's slow-down. Smell roses, drink tea, but most of all, take stock of your life, its direction and consider what you wish to change to become the best person you can be.

LADY ORACLE

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Inner Planet Transits Mark May, 2015 – “One, Two, Three, Glide”

The Tower is Mars' tarot association, seen here
in the amazing must-have deck, "OSHO Zen
Tarot"© by Deva Padma

Just as Venus settled comfortably into her transit through Cancer, warrior Mars joined Mercury on a glide through Gemini. Okay, there could be a hiccup or two amongst all that gliding. Mercury Retrograde begins on May18th (The anniversary of the Mount St. Helens eruption – hmmmm) and a formidable conjunction of these two planets occurs during the end of the month. Still, all in all, May’s astrology is a well-timed waltz. All you’ve got to do is stay focused on the beat.

Venus transits Cancer until June 4th and when she dances in these particular waters Venus becomes a hopeful romantic. Unfortunately her insecurities also rise to the surface and she requires a more demonstrative affection from a partner. People who have Venus in Cancer prominently in their birth chart, or who were born under the sign of Cancer may desire to become homebodies this month, creating security by staying close to their favorite things and people. Closeness is fine, just avoid turning into a clinging vine. Your partner might not feel the same urge to hunker down as you do and that really is okay. 

While Venus says, “Let’s stay together – a lot,”  Mars in

The Empress represents Venus and
Kris Waldherr delivers amazing archetypes
in her stunning deck, "The Goddess Tarot"©

Gemini wants to be in the thick of the action. The Martian mind in Gemini thinks quickly and grasps new concepts using rapid-fire intellect. Have you been feeling particularly witty lately, your conversation sprinkled with quotable quips and snappy comebacks? Thats Mars in Gemini hard at work with Mercury, the planet of communications.

Mercury and Mars form a powerful partnership to harness both intellect and action in Gemini this month.  Sure we have Mercury Retrograde (see blogs: "Mercury retrograde, Tarot and You"; "Ramping Up For Retrograde"  ) May 18th through June 11th, but stick to your retrograde rules and you’ll be fine. Mars will also help with that fuzzy-brained effect that often accompanies MR. Think and most importantly re-think before speaking and acting and you’ll do great. Remember that MR is a chance for us to regroup, to rethink and rework projects.  Writer’s love MR because we don’t have to produce large amounts of original work, just simply rewrite a current project. (Sure, try telling that one to your editor. Deadline? What’s that?) Don’t be surprised, however, by a dynamic burst of creativity.

Mercury's tarot association from
Corrine Kenner and John J. Blumen's
wonderful, "Wizard's Tarot"© -
a personal favorite of mine.

The trickiest part of May falls during the 25th through the 30th. This is the period when Mars and Mercury are closest in Gemini. They go conjunct (same place, same time) on May 27th.  Watch out for the tendency to blurt things out before you’ve considered the ramifications of totally free speech. You do want to have some friends left at the end of the month and tact is your best friend come May 27th. Refreshing honesty needs to not only be placed in the back seat, but would be better left standing on the curb. 

We have a lot of astrological gifts this month and if you find the tempo and stay focused on the moment, you’ll we gliding across May’s ballroom and into a fabulous summer before you know it.

LADY ORACLE


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March 20, 2015, New Moon in Pisces Ushered in By Total Eclipse – "Determining Hype From Fact and Golden Opportunity"

From "The Wildwood Tarot" ©
by Mark Ryan, John Matthews
and Will Worthington - The
Emperor

We have a lot going on tomorrow, celestially speaking.  Not only does the Vernal Equinox arrive at 3:45 p.m. PDT (22:45 UTC) here in the northern hemisphere,  (SEE blog:"Spring Equinox, March 20, 2015" ) but we have the added benefit of a New Moon in Pisces occurring at 2:36 a.m., PDT and a planetary reboot brought about by a total solar eclipse  at 12:30 a.m., PDT. This is taking spring cleaning to a whole new level, folks.

Most of us are going to miss the visual effects of the solar eclipse, because the Moon's shadow sweeps across the northern most part of our globe. Greenland, Iceland and the Arctic get a great show, a complete blackout. Sweden and Norway gets about a ninety percent visibility of the eclipse, but as we drift further south to the Mediterranean area, the impact drops to about forty percent.   

Our planet powers down and then reboots during an eclipse just

The Empress, also from
"The Wildwood Tarot"©

like shutting down the grid in "Jurassic Park." No, not really. It's nothing that dramatic. If you choose to meditate during an eclipse, however, you may sense a certain stillness, a quietness coming from the planet during the event itself and then a burst of clarify energy as the shadow passes. It depends on how proficient you are at mediation.  If you don't feel it this time, keep working at it and eventually you will. This lunar eclipse is part of a tetrad, a set of four lunar eclipse occurring within two years.

The culprit of March 20th's solar eclipse is our New Moon in Pisces.  This New Moon is what it currently classified as a 'supermoon.' That's probably because most people can't remember the word, perigee, which is the term used to indicate the Moon is traveling in an orbital path closest to Earth.  Lady Moon influences the ocean tides and while there will be a stronger pull from the Moon on our planetary waters, it will be no more so than what occurs naturally during these combined circumstances.  Tidal ebbs and swells will be slightly larger, that's all.   

From "The Wildwood Tarot"© by
Mark Ryan, John Matthews and
Will Worthington - The High
Priestess, Lady Moon's card.

The real story for this Vernal Equinox it New Moon in Pisces, herself.  New Moons are about recommitting to our goals and creating a fresh start for ourselves. They are also about seizing new opportunities. Pisces Moons are the best next to Moons in Cancer. Piscean Moons are creative, inventive, mysterious and they heighten our psychic perceptions.  Pisces is ruled by Neptune and Jupiter. Jupiter is the planet of expansion and New Moon in Pisces expands our concept of ourselves and our options.  Neptune bring out mysterious depths we've yet to explore.  A Pisces Moon is the moon of artists and dreamers and this New Moon on the Spring Equinox is a powerful Moon for reinventing your life. Watch for heavy emotional tides during the dark of the Moon as well as when  she turns 'new.'

During the weeks between now and the Full Moon on April 4th, you're going to hear a lot of hype about 'blood on the moon' and other portents of doom.  If you've followed this blog for any amount of time, you know my feeling on that sort of thing.  Don't look for portents in life, look for energetic patterns and learn to see them as opportunities.  The Universe wants you to succeed, to grow and flourish.  It's elements in mankind who have a vested interest in keeping you afraid and frozen in self-doubt.  Use the cosmic events of March 20th to push your boundaries outward. Dare to dream and define a plan that supports your goals. Reach for your destiny and claim it.

LADY ORACLE

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March 16, 2015, Uranus Pluto Final Square – "The Square Deal"

Ever notice that Uranus' glyph looks
like the starship, Enterprise?

Complacency feels good in small doses, but a steady diet of it bogs us down and prevents our growth, both personally and globally. That’s the warning that comes along with tarot’s wish card, the 9 of Cups. As Shakespeare wrote, “The sweetest honey is loathsome in its own deliciousness.” The Universe, always a great one for shoving us out of our comfort zone, decided that two planetary bodies would form a square every few decades and shake up the social and political mores of our humble planet.  As you’ve probably guessed, I’m talking about the Uranus Pluto Square.

Uranus in Aires and Pluto in Capricorn began making a series of square formations back in 2012. On Monday, March 16, 2015, at 7:53 a.m. PDT, the final, exact squaring of Uranus and Pluto for this three year cycle occurs as both planets move to a position of fifteen degrees and eighteen minutes within their host signs and at a ninety degree angle to each other.  We’ve felt the ramp up for this planetary configuration all month, not to mention having felt the effects of Uranus and Pluto’s tandem movements for the past three years. We’ll continue to feel their effects for the rest of the year, but the greater implications of their effect on this period in history (2011 to 2017) may not be understood for at least another decade. 

The squaring of these astrological powerhouses has been

Note that Pluto, that planet of transformation
has a new glyph, but my keyboard
can't show you.

observed and recorded throughout human history.  Genghis Khan swept through Mongolia under this configuration. These astral bodies witnessed the Reign of Terror (1793 to 1794) and the rise of Napoleon during the 1792 - 1794 square.  Hitler was declared chancellor of Germany when these two planets danced together in 1933 and they heralded the social upheaval and discord of the mid 60’s, as well as the escalation of the Vietnam War.

Deva Padma's wonderful depiction
of "The Fool," Uranus' tarot card,
from OSHO Zen Tarot©

Uranus is the planet of revolutionary energy and broad, sweeping change on a societal scale.  Aires is the warrior, the harbinger of the new, the bold and exciting.  It also carries a “me first” energy that does not compromise well.  Pluto is the planet of transformation and spiritual growth. Capricorn’s energy  focuses on intention and a strong commitment to goals. It likes organization and the restructuring of existing systems is just fine, as long as that restructure agrees with Capricorn’s vision.  The ram and the goat – forceful and stubborn. 

During astrological events that are considered profound we must ask ourselves, “What comes first, the chicken, or the egg?” Do occurrences such as the Uranus Pluto square cause the upheaval we’ve witnessed during the past three years, or are we guilty of merely pulling out historical events that support an astrological perspective? To use another egg-shaped metaphor, “It’s six of one, half a dozen of another.”  We live in a time of radical extremism on all sides of the square and no one side is guiltless of promoting their own agenda heedless of cost no matter which perspective you take. 

The critical difference with this Uranus Pluto square is that

Pluto's tarot association, #20, Judgment
as depicted by the amazing Kris Waldherr in
"Goddess Tarot'©

we’re no longer confined to using swords and spears, or even buzz bombs to reach our respective goals.  Nuclear weaponry changed the face of aggression seventy years ago and we all became the proverbial children living in a tinder box playing with a lit match.  

As we dance on the edge of potential extinction, we also dance on the edge of greatness. That’s the dichotomy existing in our species. We enjoy technical marvels and tremendous breakthroughs in science and medicine. When we collectively apply our human brains, we come up with solutions to age-old problems. It is important to remember while we look at the shadows we must also remember to look for the light. Of the two, light is the stronger and it is what shows us our path during the darkest of times.

LADY ORACLE

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Mercury Moves to Pisces, March 12th While Saturn goes Retro March 14th – "Well-Chosen Words and Patience Yield Big Results"

There are times when each of us takes up the practice of oral podiatry, or in other words, the time honored custom of putting ones foot in ones mouth.  That’s when we must endure those awkward silences while others stare at us in disbelief and we long to smack our palm repeatedly against our foreheads. Luckily, we are periodically granted a reprieve from verbal idiocy when Mercury transits Pisces.

Mercury is our planet of communications and rules both

The Moon is tarot's association for
Pisces from RWCS deck,
US Games® version

Gemini and Virgo.  Geminis are superb communicators, while Virgos add clarity and organization to the mix.  When Mercury moves into the realm of Pisces, however, our ability to communicate bumps up to an intuitive level and depending on how prominently Mercury figures in our birth chart, we have an instinctive advantage on how best to present ourselves in both spoken and written formats.  The right words will simply find us if we let them. Mercury remains in Pisces until April 14th, so take advantage of this opportunity to sell your ideas, tell your stories and speak persuasively with strength of purpose and with compassion.  

On March 14th Saturn, the hall monitor of our solar system, goes retrograde.  Saturn’s job is to teach us by presenting challenges for us to overcome.  These tests are meant to inspire us and help us rise above and go beyond our self-imposed limits. They are  not meant to break us. Think about #7 in tarot’s major arcana, The Chariot, whose driver rises above the obstacles in his path.  Saturn currently resides in Sagittarius the Archer who specializes in seeking the truth. His pursuit is eventually rewarded as he comes to recognize the greatest truths and fully understand their complexities.  Archers have a great ability to focus and that requires insight and discipline.  Saturn’s challenge to us in the house of the archer is to learn patience.  

Saturn retrograde offers us the opportunity to reflect on the

Kris Waldherr's stunning depiction of #21,
tarot's card for Saturn. From
"The Goddess Tarot"© 

lessons we’ve learned, to take the wisdom we’ve garnered from our choices and internalize it.  This process serves to expand and enrich our lives.  After all, Jupiter, the planet of expansion, rules Sagittarius. Saturn goes direct in Scorpio on August 2nd, where it teaches us the lesson of using our power wisely, with discretion and to avoid gossip, both incoming and outgoing.

The tarot association to watch during these transits are #1, The Magician (Mercury) #18, The Moon (Pisces)  #21, The World, (Saturn)  #14, Temperance, (Sagittarius) and #13, Death and Transformation (Scorpio).  You may also find that #7, The Chariot (rising above and overcoming obstacles) and the 7 of Wands (holding your ground, or defending your position) have special significance in your readings, so pay attention.

Work proactively with the energies surrounding these celestial events and you will set the tempo for a sweet spring and summer.

LADY ORACLE

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March 5, 2015 Full Moon in Virgo Under the Influence of Aires – “The Tidy Warrior”

The Hermit is tarot's card for Virgo
From "Steampunk Tarot"© by Barbara Moore
and Aly Fell

Are you motivated yet?  If not, then clearly it takes a pyroclastic blast to get you out of your chair.  Aires still has charge of Venus and Mars, blending the joyous, often impulsive, enthusiasm of the goddess of love with the confident, courageous power of the god of war.  This is the Full Moon cycle in which to get it done – whatever ‘it’ happens to mean for you.  Our Full Worm Moon in Virgo gives us the opportunity to be bold, articulate and display passion about the things that matter to us. Most importantly, it is a Full Moon that demands action.

Our patience is limited during this lunar cycle and to one degree or another (depending on your birth Moon’s placement in your birth chart) none of us will suffer fools gladly.  We become frustrated more easily.  We get the message, why can’t anyone else?  Avoid casting judgments about other people’s value systems and keep Virgo’s penchant for the neat and tidy focused on yourself. 

Lady Moon's tarot card as seen
by Rome Choi, creator of
"Dreamingway Tarot"©

During this Full Worm Moon in Virgo we have the urge to not only take charge of our lives, but to make each moment count as significantly as if it were a year.  That’s the energy of the cosmos you’re feeling as it ramps us up for the final, exact squaring of Uranus and Pluto in mid March.  Full Moon in Virgo says get organized and formulate a plan for the challenges ahead.  

LADY ORACLE

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