The North Node Moves to Gemini

Image: GIPHY

You know how everyone is tired of the line "in these times of uncertainty"? Well, when the North Node moves from Cancer to Gemini and the South Node moves from Capricorn to Sagittarius on May 5, flexibility, curiosity, and letting go of the fear of uncertainty is where we're going to find the important lessons and blessings for the next 18 months.

Interestingly enough, the day the nodes switch is on May 5 (5-5) and 5 is known in divination as the number of change. Coincidence? Maybe.

Eclipses (which are some of the biggest harbingers of change) occur when the New Moon or Full Moon falls near one of the nodes. Over the next 18 months those eclipses will be on the Gemini-Sagittarius axis - the axis of learning and knowledge.

In order to move forward over the next 18 months a lot of the work will involve challenging old beliefs and philosophies, what we know, and scaling back or scaling down (Sagittarius). It'll also involve embracing duality (Gemini) - holding space for what's practical, factual, and intentional but also holding equal space for hope, inspiration, and dreams. Though if we want to see these dreams through, it's gonna take focus, adaptability, admitting we don't have all the answers, being open to learning, being open to working and sharing with others.

Communication is going to be a bigger deal when the North Node enters Gemini. Too many of us focus on being right and someone else being wrong, on dominating conversations without really listening to others. Some of us don't speak up enough. Some of us lack communication skills altogether (don’t send me anymore WYD? texts, please!). Expect to work on these areas.

Also, we'll need to be mindful of what we're giving our attention to on a regular basis. This nodal transit will definitely highlight how thoughts can become things. Of course, there will be things we need to hone and zero in on. There will be other things we'll need to quickly process and release. And then there will be things that we should pay no mind to at all.

Mars In Pisces 2020: Protect Your Immunity!

I just saw the news that Italy decided to end their lock-down today and between their re-opening chart (I used a 12AM chart based in Rome, Italy as I’m not exactly sure of the official re-opening time - I also took a peek at a 7AM chart, which didn’t look too hot either) and the fact that Mars is entering Pisces next week - I have a feeling that the people of Italy (unfortunately) are going to be back on lock-down as another wave of COVID ravages the country.

Italy’s re-opening chart

Here in the United States, there’s been a lot of talk and a lot of protests in favor of re-opening the country and getting back to work and restarting the economy, and as my friend Janelle and I have said on the most recent episode on our Stars On Fire podcast, nobody should be looking to rush back outside anytime soon.

In Italy’s re-opening chart, the chart has a super early Capricorn ascendant, which suggests that the motivation for rushing back outside is economy (and government) driven - as indicated by Saturn and Mars being housed in the money zone of the chart. But planned events that take place with the Ascendant in the very early degrees of a zodiac sign (usually between 0-3 degrees) are often considered events that have a rushed or premature quality to them, which can delay or deny a favorable outcome.

I also don’t like the fact that Venus (socializing, social events and gatherings) and the Moon (the people of the country) in this chart are caught up in a T-square (a three-way battle) with Neptune in Pisces which in astrology is a placement that weakens the immune system and Pisces in particular is a sign associated with transmissible diseases as well as diseases that affect the lungs like pneumonia. Neptune being in Pisces and being in the 3rd House (the zone of close social interaction/contact) suggests illness by way of a communicable disease - like a virus. Venus is also under siege in this chart in the 6th House - the zone that has to do with health and well-being, and that Virgo Moon in the 9th House shows people wanting their freedom back, to work (Virgo) and play (Mercury rules Virgo and is in the 5th House in Taurus here). However, with Jupiter (big) and Pluto (death) in that 1st House of the chart and that Sun in Taurus in the 5th House, ruling that 8th House in the chart (the zone associated with death) - it seems this risky decision (the 5th house also rules gambling) - won’t come without its consequences.

I bring up Italy’s chart not to chastise them, but to point out that we are not ready to go back to our regularly scheduled program (p.s. Janelle and I also covered the US states that are looking to re-open soon, which you can also catch on the podcast linked above). With hot-blooded Mars, the planet associated with fevers, infections, rushed and overly-aggressive behavior, and of course, incredible speed, spending six weeks in Pisces (May 13-June 27) - a sign associated lung related illness, transmissible diseases, and weakened immunity - we need to extend lock down, not break it.

Keep in mind, that infections were at their worst during Pisces season (Feb 18-Mar 19) and while Mercury spent time Pisces (Feb 3 - Mar 4 and Mar 16 -April 11). Mars will be covering all that terrain that the Sun and Mercury covered a few weeks back when they were in Pisces. Mars will also be syncing up with Neptune in Pisces from June 10-14, which can also trigger a spike in infections.

We’ve already seen that many of the conservative (see also: authoritarian) governments around the globe like the one we have here in the US, don’t care about saving lives so much as they care about saving their bank accounts. That’s why we’re going to have to work at saving ourselves and each other. Mars being in Pisces is the perfect time for staying inside, catching up on the rest we need, and strengthening our spiritual energy, as well as doing acts of kindness for those in need.

PROTECT YA NECK. PROTECT EACH OTHER. PROTECT YOUR IMMUNITY.

May 11 2020 - Update: I forgot to add that Mercury In Gemini is also going to square Neptune from May 21-May 23 - more days that we should also use extra precaution.

Join Me For A Cosmic Coloring Book Party!

So pretty…

The kickoff to 2020 got you feeling wonky? Come out and join me for a Cosmic Coloring Book party  on Tuesday, January 14. I'll be signing books, giving mini readings, and helping you find some chill. Space is limited - so grab your tickets ASAP!

Cocoa Butter and Taurus Season

Cocoa Butter and Aries Season

Cocoa Butter and Pisces Season

Cocoa Butter & Aquarius Season

Cocoa Butter and Capricorn Season

Event Announcement: A Witchy Evening With Mya Spalter

Hey peeps! If you’re in in New York City, I’ll be joining fellow witch and new author Mya Spalter to discuss her new book Enchantments: A Modern Witch’s Guide to Self-Possession as well as all things mystic, astrology, and magic related. We’ll be talking a little about my book too!

Photo: @mya.spalter, Instagram

When: Thursday, October 11, 2018 @ 7PM

Where: McNally Jackson Books

76 N 4th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249

Cost: FREE

Let's hear it for the Black Astrologers: We Outchea!

Was really awesome to be featured in Essence recently alongside some amazing black astrologers. We exist and we're outchea doing our thing. 

Jupiter In Scorpio: Finding The Light In The Darkness

photo: RKTKN, unsplash.com

I think Scorpio is one of the signs that most often gets a bad rap when it comes to astrology, because Scorpio is not usually known for being a soft, sunny, and gentle kind of energy. Being ruled by aggressive, hot-headed Mars and power-hungry Pluto, Scorpio is not a sign for the faint of heart. Experiences marked by Scorpio or Pluto transits usually coincide with times in our lives when we must face and grapple with our demons, on a personal and collective level. Scorpionic or Plutonic themes (sex, death, loss, rebirth) often deal with dark night of the soul experiences where we are emotionally split open, transformed, and healed. 

Deeply intuitive and motivated by instinct, Scorpio has the uncanny ability of finding our wounds and sinking its teeth into them until we bleed. But it doesn’t do this for purposes of torture. See, Scorpio has already felt those same wounds too. Scorpio wants us to delve deep into the places that hurt, because only there is where the true healing can take place. By facing our pain head-on, through the blood, sweat, and tears; we are reminded of just how powerful and resilient we really are. Scorpio is not for skimming the surface or pretending the problem, the pain, will go away on its own. 

As we move into Scorpio season (October 23 - November 22), these themes will become stronger, especially as Jupiter – the planet of growth and abundance – enters Scorpio for a thirteen-month stay on October 10th. Jupiter in Scorpio’s job is to show us just how much opportunity there is for growth through the process of rebirth and transformation. Though in order for us to be reborn, it means that something in our lives has to die first. For some this may mean a relationship, for others it could be a career, or in some cases dealing with actual death itself (and no, this doesn’t mean you’re going to die) but it could mean dealing with the loss. But do know that however that death may show up, it's OK to grieve. It's OK to rage, to cry, to completely come undone. Rebirth is not a pretty process. Sometimes it takes many "deaths" to get where we need to be. 

As we move further into the autumn and the veil between the spirit world and the living world gets thinner, Jupiter's trip through the underworld will challenge us to find the light in the darkness, as this is the kind of transit that may feel at times like we're stumbling through the dark; trying to avoid the ghosts and the monsters. Though the power in Scorpio rests on our ability to reach down deep and confront the things that scare us, backs to the wall, knife in hand. It also depends on our ability to trust our instincts and intuition too. 

Though not everything will be dark, ugly, and intense. There's a beauty in Scorpio that pushes us to form and nurture our most deepest, loving bonds; as sometimes it's through the strength and support of another that we can stand on our own. Sometimes it takes the experience of cracking open with another to fully access all that exists within ourselves, and sometimes in healing another we heal ourselves too. 

One last thing to note - if your birth chart is Scorpio heavy or predominately made up of water (Pisces, Cancer) or earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), you'll find this Jupiter transit to be much easier to handle than others. In your case, the shedding and re-birthing process won't feel as emotionally heavy. Try to hold space for others that may not be where you are. 

Lunar Eclipse in Leo: Let's Get Loud

Tonight! Around 7:30PM EST the Lunar Eclipse in Leo hits its maximum; ushering in radical changes, endings, and culminations in areas of creativity, self-expression, romance, and leadership. As a result of this eclipse, we can expect shakeups in a specific area of our lives that calls for us to stand up and take the reigns, especially in places where we have allowed ourselves to play small or not at all.

Where are you ready to boss up in your life? Let confident, fearless Leo guide the way. Look to your birth chart between 20-25 degrees of Leo to see where/how you will be affected. Of course you can also read my horoscopes for February for more info.

I'm In ESSENCE Magazine!

If you're a regular follower of mine, you may already have heard the news of my astrology beauty feature in the January 2017 Edition of Essence. If you're not a regular follower - consider this my official announcement. Matter of fact, even if you already know, I'm going to tell you again - because I. Did. That. 

For someone who's biggest dream in life has been to become a published writer AND as someone who's spent the last 4 years putting my blood, sweat, and tears into a non-traditional business; I am excited, proud, grateful, and awed that this work is starting to pay off for me on a very personal level. 

As Mercury retrogrades through Capricorn, through my zones of income, possessions, self-value, and self-expression - I realize how often I don't celebrate my wins enough and well, that has to stop. It's one thing to be humble, it's another thing to wipe yourself off the map. Also, the fact that one of my main intentions was to have my horoscopes published in 2016 legit manifested - mannnn, listen. I shouldn't be surprised. I'm not surprised. A little reaffirmation is necessary though. 

But I digress. 

Go pick up your copy, have a happy new year, and look forward to seeing more of me and my brand of astrology in 2017.

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.

Recommended Astrology Reading - A Few Basics

Here's a few titles that I recommend to anyone interested in delving deeper into astrology. By no means is this an exhaustive list but it's juicy enough to sink your teeth into. Many of these titles I read back when I was a wee baby astrology nerd and in need of more comprehensive info than my Google searches could find. Some of the books on this list are very dated, which means you may have to get them used (most likely through Amazon) but I've included them because they were important to setting the foundation for the astrology we study today. 

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 Beginner Level/Astrology Basics

Astrology For the Light Side of the Brain by Kim Rogers Gallagher

Astrology For Yourself by Demetra George

The Twelve Houses by Howard Sasportas and Liz Greene

Birth Chart Basics

Understanding the Birth Chart by Kevin Burk

Aspects in Astrology by Sue Tompkins

The Inner Sky by Steven Forrest

Psychology and Transformation Based Astrology

Astrology, Psychology, the Four Elements by Stephen Arroyo

Yesterday's Sky by Steven Forrest

Your Secret Self by Tracy Marks

The Astrology of Self-Discovery by Tracy Marks

Healing Pluto Problems by Donna Cunningham

The Astrology of the Moon by Amy Herring

Venus Signs by Jessica Shepherd

A Love Alchemist's Notebook by Jessica Shepherd

Astrology for the Soul by Jan Spiller

The Gods of Change by Howard Saportas

Relationship Astrology

Skymates by Steven and Jodie Forrest

Skymates 2 by Steven and Jodie Forrest

Person to Person Astrology by Stephen Arroyo

Love Zodiac by the AstroTwins

Love On A Rotten Day by Hazel Dixon-Cooper (humor)

The Celestial Sexpots Handbook by Kiki T.

Predictive Astrology

Eclipses by Celeste Teal

The Changing Sky by Steven Forrest

Planets In Transit by Robert Hand

Astrology For the Light Side of the Future by Kim Rogers Gallagher 

Medical Astrology

Your Body And The Stars by Dr. Stephanie Marango and Rebecca Gordon

New Moon in Taurus: Hold Your Ground

yuhon.deviantart.com

Stability has never been my forte. Put another way: I have always lived my life in a state of crisis. One reason for this is because it's part of my Chironic story. Having natal Chiron (karmic subconscious wound) in Taurus has meant that one of my biggest challenges in this lifetime has been to overcome insecurity, as Taurus is a sign whose purpose is to experience all the luxury, resources, and self-worth life has to offer. Another reason why instability has been an issue for me is because it's also a part of my family legacy. In my birth chart, Uranus (instability) sits right on top of my 4th House (emotional conditioning, family history), plus I have my Moon (instinct, emotional style, the archetype of one's mother) in unpredictable Aquarius.

In plain terms, this means I grew up in a household with parents whose own childhood wounds resulted in drug addiction and for my mother especially, mental health issues. The result of which often meant eviction threats, utility shut offs (we went years without a phone in the house), second hand clothes, nearly empty refrigerator, and fights over money (mostly the lack of it) my family and I dealt with time and time again; year after year. And because I grew up in scarcity, it became all too easy for me to take on the same bad habits with money my parents had, along with the belief that I would never have enough because, I too, wasn't good enough to deserve it. I had came to believe that scarcity was my birthright. As a result, stability in all of it's Taurus essence --being well-fed, well-paid, well-dressed, well-lived--has always been something that has eluded me (actually, frustrated the fuck out of me); up until now.

Fast forward to today, under this New Moon in Taurus which falls directly on my Midheaven (10th House), a critical point in everyone's birth chart that connects each of us to the promise and manifestation of our personal legacy, and I find the power of this moon, of Taurus season resonating with me more than it ever has in a very long time. Perhaps this also because I've been on a fever hot mission (thank you Mars) to break the cycle of my familial legacy (thank you Saturn) so that I can build (and maintain) a solid foundation for myself and my daughter. Today this New Moon gives me the opportunity to plant the seeds to create this future. Today, this New Moon in Taurus gives us all the opportunity to lay the groundwork to create the kind of life we desire.

This is why for me the biggest question under this moon is not so much about the kind of seeds we're planting but more about what we do when we've planted them; when we've set the intentions, made the prayers, or created the vision board to make our dreams real. What do we do when it seems like it takes forever to make progress or as though we are making no progress at all? Through Taurus, we dig in. We work. We add 1 part determination and 2 parts resilience. We say fuck fear and fuck failure. We treat ourselves kind. We affirm that abundance and pleasure are our birth right. We have patience. We hold our ground.

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.

Mercury In Pisces: The Shaman & The Mystic

Artwork: Anto Machado

The world slows down a bit as Mercury enters Pisces today (March 5th). Over the next couple of weeks, the Universe encourages us to allow dreams, intuition, and compassion influence our thoughts and messages.

Note: there's a waning square between Mercury and Mars as Mars enters Sagittarius that will last another day or so before Venus joins the fracas (more on that later) between the mutable signs (Pisces, Virgo, and Sagittarius) on the 12th. A rule of thumb: Intuit first, then speak/act. Don't go for the BS.