Thoughts On the Moon and Why We're So Damn Anxious

Photo: Nicole Mason, Unsplash

This post is inspired by the pre- Lunar Eclipse jitters that I've been working to keep at bay all week. 

Around eclipse season, especially at a Lunar Eclipse (which is technically a Full Moon), it's not uncommon to feel extra anxious (or extra tired) as anything having to do with the moon always keys right into our adrenals. Full Moons in general have a long history of charging the atmosphere, which is why there tends to be more accidents and heated encounters during one, and they always bring things that have been in the dark to light (like secrets) or a situation to a head. A Lunar Eclipse is a doubly potent Full Moon and the moon by astrology standards, has rulership over feelings. All of the feelings.

With this Lunar Eclipse in Pisces (September 16th) coming in with a square (hard aspect) to fiery Mars in Sagittarius, this energy is only amplified. Note that the Sun in Virgo is also apart of this Full Moon/Eclipse and Virgo energy, when blocked or misdirected, can manifest as anxiety and nervous stomach issues as Virgo is connected to Mercury, the planet that's associated with the brain and central nervous system; as well as the intestines.

As if that weren't enough stimulation, I've also been tracking the moon's movement in connection to Uranus, the planet of sudden developments, radical changes, breakthroughs, and mass communication. Uranus has been hanging out now at around 23 degrees of Aries, which currently makes it the last planet that the moon has to communicate with before the moon moves into the next sign. So for example, let's say the moon is at 23 degrees of Capricorn, the next aspect or connection it will make is when it immediately enters Aquarius and links up with Jupiter which is currently at 0 degrees of Libra. (You can kind of think as the moon as being like a hand on a clock as it moves around.) 

By astrology's standards when you take a "soft" planet/celestial body like the moon and brush it up against a more electric planet like Uranus, especially in an in-your-face kind of sign like Aries, overstimulation and anxiety can definitely be side effects.  While other planets like the Sun, Mercury, Mars, and Venus will eventually "pass" Uranus; because Uranus moves so slow, we'll still have those intermittently intense periods of activity, and more than likely lack of sleep.

By now, some of you may be wondering why all the torture?  What could the universe be thinking, putting all this pressure on us? Well, I can tell you that this energy is not meant to be a form of punishment. We are all at a pivotal time where there are great changes taking place across the globe; most notably those grassroots driven changes happening in the United States (a Cancer sun nation - influenced by the moon); and change is necessary to positive evolution and growth.

Though the moon can spark change (it changes signs every 2.5 days; Cancers are labeled as moody), it can sometimes be afraid of change, because change feels like a loss of security. However, I strongly believe that one of the biggest lessons/messages of the moment for us is learning how to better tap into the power of the moon. The moon provides us with feeling and intuition, and the time has long come that we begin listening to both. The moon as a divninely feminine energy demands it. We are watching the days disappear where we are expected to work through the pain, to grit and grin our teeth and bear it...to "man up". Our bodies, our feelings are asking that we listen to them, honor their value. We need to sleep when our body calls for it, eat what will make it feel good, take time to regularly unplug, seek out therapy and healing, give ourselves space to cry and get angry, and give ourselves space to love. This is how true change happens, when we find the right outlet to direct the energy, our energy. It's time to go with the flow.

Full Moon In Capricorn: Finding A New Method To The Madness

Artwork: Esao Andrews, House of Mystery Vol 8.

When I was in my teens, my mother had this affirmation taped to the wall in our bathroom. It read: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” I’m not sure who it was that first coined this phrase, but it was a quote that had been popular among those in the Narcotics Anonymous fellowship, to which my mother belonged. I used to read these words to myself day after day, wondering if insanity was indeed like the hamster wheel this statement, up on our wall, had made it out to be. Having watched my mom hit the tortuous loop between addiction and wanting freedom from that addiction, I figured that in many ways this was true. While I’ve since grown up to understand addiction as extending beyond the narrow and ableist connotations of the term insanity, I do think there is something to be said about wanting change yet engaging compulsive or habitual behavior that changes…nothing.

Enter the Full Moon in Capricorn (July 19).

By nature, Capricorn loves habit. In habit, there is logic and there is order, there is security and the familiar, there is a sense of practice that makes perfect, there is structure and there is method. Through Capricorn, we learn how persistence, planning, and application creates the kind of foundation that empires and legacies are built on. Wherever Capricorn shows up in our lives, we are called to follow the due process that brings achievement and success. But what happens when we’ve outgrown the process? What happens when we’ve hit the point of no one size fits all portion of the program and we realize that we can’t get to where we want by following in the footsteps of someone else? Or better still, what happens when we have the kind of goals and ambitions to change our lives as we know them but continue on with the beliefs and habits that keep things the same? We have to be willing to try something new.

This Moon in Capricorn is being opposed by the Sun in Cancer (which makes it a Full Moon) and both will sit in a harsh angle to Uranus in Aries. Uranus, being the planet of breakthrough, instability, and radical change (transiting a headstrong and impulsive sign like Aries), means that there’s going to be an unsettling kind of energy that’s coming in with this moon. While Cancer is Capricorn’s astrological opposite, the two of these signs still share a need for security and stability. For Capricorn it’s material stability, for Cancer it’s emotional security. Though, like Capricorn, Cancer can instinctively fall back on habit and comfort when its security is threatened as a means to keep things as they are—stable. And this is where the real work comes in, kiddos. How are we supposed to remain stable when the world around us is crumbling to bits? The answer is that in some ways we must crumble along with it. We must be willing to release the dead, decayed, and outworn structures in our lives so that we can build new ones that can better support the “I” and the “We” that we are becoming. As astrologer Howard Sasportas writes in his book The Twelve Houses:

“The desire to become something greater than we are must be accompanied by the capacity to envision new and different possibilities. More than any other species, the large human brain and evolved cerebral cortex endows human beings to imagine a wide range of alternatives, choices, and outcomes…In this context, it is helpful to remember that the more clearly we can imagine a possibility, the closer we bring it to actualization. Encouraging positive visions of the future aids the process of moving in a more positive direction.”

In other words, we can’t continue to do the same thing over and over, expecting different results.

Luckily, that’s where Mars in Scorpio comes in, offering a bit of a release valve or a way out of the madness we may find ourselves in. Through the fearlessness, dedication, and laser focus of Mars in Scorpio, we are encouraged to strike out on a new path towards what we want. Are you ready? Life is changing as we know it. We must be able to change with it.

What To Do When You Don't Identify With Your Zodiac Sign

Photo: Getty Images Stock

Recently, I shared an article on Facebook, which described the work ethic of each zodiac sign. One of my Facebook friends commented on the post that "I'm always confused when I read Libra descriptions though because I don't seem to fit the bill.” I responded to her comment by asking if she had ever had her birth chart done. She said she hadn’t, which I of course figured out was the case, but it was my gentle way of informing her that astrology is a bit deeper than the pop culture or Sun sign astrology that we usually come across in newspapers and magazines. Not that there’s anything wrong with Sun sign astrology, as it is the Sun that symbolizes the core of who we are, our style of self-expression, when it comes to astrological interpretation. In fact, astrologer Jessica Adams wrote a really good piece a while back about the importance of Sun sign astrology and how folks (mainly professional astrologers) need to stop looking down on it. Here's the link if interested: http://www.astro.com/astrology/aa_article141231_e.htm

But I digress.

While I know that my Facebook friend meant no offense with her comment (and no offense was taken) it did make me think about the many other occasions when I’ve seen people post or speak about how astrology doesn’t resonate with them because they can’t relate to the traits assigned to their Sun sign or the horoscopes that they come across in popular media. Now while I’m no astrology fundamentalist (I recognize and respect that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea), I do suggest that people do a little research with it before they decide to write astrology off entirely. That said, here’s a couple of suggestions on what to do when your zodiac sign doesn’t ring true for you:

1.  Read more than one horoscope. There are tons of astrologers out there who write horoscopes; some for mainstream publication, some for their own website or following, which means there are a variety of styles, voices, and content to choose from for keeping current with the cosmos. I often recommend to astrology beginners to pick 2-3 astrologers they really dig and make a habit out of reading their forecasts. Sometimes you need to have options in order to find something that resonates with you.

2.   Look up your birth chart. A birth chart is kind of like having your own cosmic map or blueprint. If you know the hour and location of your birth, you can go to a website like astro.com, where you can pull up your chart for free and take a look around. If you’re feeling really brave, you can Google around a bit to try to interpret it first all on your own. However, no advice really compares to my last point:

3.    Get a reading. This tip is probably the most important advice that I can give you as even a horoscope won’t be able to go into full detail with you about your birth chart. In a reading, a reputable astrologer would not only show you, for example, that you’re an Aries Sun, Cancer Moon, and Taurus Rising, but they would also show you how these three pieces (and more) work together to fuel your greatness and how they can sometimes trip you up.

So, that’s it. That’s my approach. It’s actually the path I took before I became a professional astrologer. Try it out and let me know how it goes. And of course, if you ever need a reading, get atcha girl.

The March 2016 Eclipses: Whatever You Do, Keep Moving

Ok, so the big news for this month are the eclipses. For those of you who may be unsure of what eclipses mean, think of them as really, really, really important (super, even) New and Full Moons. Except, the difference between an eclipse and a regular New or Full Moon is that eclipses tend to bring sharp and fast changes that can often feel like a crisis or emotional upheaval of sorts, and unlike a regular New or Full Moon, eclipse energy lasts for a full six months.

The eclipses of this month: one on March 8th in Pisces (Solar) and the other on March 23rd in Libra (Lunar) pick up where the Virgo and Aries eclipses of September 2015 left off. Eclipses come in pairs and wil set off a chain of events (or at the very least heighten our attention) in two very connected areas of our lives; for example: career and family. The purpose of eclipses is to keep us moving, keep us growing, and to help us with a shot of tough love to let go of anything holding us back.  People often report feeling the effects of an eclipse (myself included) up to a week or so before it actually happens. Since eclipses have to do with the very emotional energy of the Moon, I usually advise people to get all the rest, nourishment, and comfort they can get around this time. Eclipses can be tough on the body and spirit. But when that medicine they deliver kicks in, we become all the more better for it.

Eclipses in Pisces tend to highlight what we need to release and heal, when we need to listen to intuition, engage compassion, and dream big. Solar Eclipses spark beginnings and fresh starts. Those of us with planets or angles (look to your birth chart) near 18-22 degrees of Virgo, Sagittarius, Gemini, or Pisces will be most strongly affected.

Eclipses in Libra tend to highlight where we need to be more diplomatic, gracious, and balanced in our relationships. Lunar Eclipses signal endings and culminations. Those of us with planets or angles near 2-6 degrees of Aries, Libra, Cancer, or Capricorn will be most affected. Incidentally, this eclipse will be the final eclipse of the Aries-Libra pairing which began back in October 2013, and took place again in April 2014, October 2014, March 2015 and September 2015. Think back to see what epiphanies or actions may have been triggered at that time. This is eclipse will be the final chapter of the story.

Still, the eclipses won't be the only things happening this month. Read my March horoscopes (coming soon!) to find out what else to expect.

Uranus Retrograde In Aries: Rebel Yell

What sets you free, and brought you to me, babe?

--Billy Idol, "Rebel Yell"

Freedom, independence, and unconventionality is so punk rock; so is Uranus in Aries. Anarchy, chaos, and eccentricity, is also punk rock; just like Uranus in Aries.

Uranus, begins its five month retrograde today (July 26-Dec 25), supercharging the planet of independence, originality, and the unexpected. While a retrograde (or backwards motion) of a planet seems to weaken its powers, Uranus--the off-beat member of the bunch, works differently (of course).

While Uranus is retrograde in a bold and impulsive sign like Aries, we can expect an increase of information, insights, and incidents that seemingly pop up out of the blue. This means under this influence we can either experience a shake-up that inspires us or jars us completely loose. And that's the great riddle of a Uranus transit; the gift and the curse. Its lessons can sometimes be the thing(s) that sets us free and shakes us to our core...kind of like a yell or the act of yelling, which can be equally liberating, defiant and terrifying.

Though as I mentioned in my post on the current Venus retrograde , the point of a retrograde is to be more of an observer opposed to taking direct action. With Uranus, a planet of action currently housed in Aries the sign of action, many of us may find it hard to keep our impulses in check over the coming months. Yet, the biggest questions to consider: is whether those impulses are truly the keys to freedom or an empty rebel yell? Is there a way to act on our own impulses and inspirations in a way that not only benefits and empowers us but others as well?

What do you think?

Venus in Leo: Viva La Ferocity

Pictured: Kelis. Photo credit unknown.

Lady Venus, the planetary Goddess of love, wealth, and well-being leaves shy and sensitive Cancer today for the bold and dramatic shores of Leo, where she'll stay until July 18th (before doubling back again on July 31st). So what's our cosmic directive over the next few weeks? Simple: If whatever (or whomever) you involve yourself with now doesn't fill you with LIFE, find something that does. Quickly.

With our gal Venus joining up this month with awe inspiring Uranus and generous Jupiter, blessings come in the form of creativity, romance, passion, and fun! With Venus at the helm of this fiery trine, don't look to play yourself small now (as other surely won't be). This is the time to be seen, be heard; to wow and be wowed and remember what it's like to have magic at your fingertips. Ferocity is favored, darlings. Take your spot in the sun and shine on.