In the Heart of the Sun

In the Heart of the Sun

Mercury Retrograde, Explained:

Mercury’s orbit around the sun is approximately 88 days. It is the quickest moving planet, with the most variability in speed and direction. 3 times a year, Mercury turns retrograde- appearing to move backward through the zodiac from our vantage point on Earth. The apparent motion of this quick-moving planet can bring confusion, delays and misunderstandings. 

Mercury is the messenger of the planets- delivering information from the underworld to the heavens, and everywhere in between. Ruling all things related to communication, technology and transportation, Mercury’s retrograde cycle can make all of these areas of life go haywire.

Mercury’s Journey through Pisces:

Tomorrow marks the halfway point of Mercury’s retrograde cycle, as it enters the heart of the Sun at 6°55’ Pisces. Mercury is purified and reborn as it passes through the Sun, and for a moment, we have access to insight and clarity.

Mercury’s journey through Pisces has been, and may continue to be, an emotional one. Pisces is sensitive, empathic, and spiritual. Mercury in Pisces has a difficulty staying grounded in the present moment- it is often nostalgic for the past, or looking forward to the ideal. Deeply intuitive, Pisces picks up on the psychic vibes from its environment. If you have felt especially emotional or ungrounded the last couple of weeks, take note of who and what is around you- what you are feeling may not even belong to you.

While tomorrow is a turning point, we still have 2 weeks until Mercury stations to go direct at 28°12 Aquarius. 

Mercury Retrograde Checklist: 

-Stay patient and flexible: give yourself plenty of time to get to where you need to go, and assume everyone else will be running late.

-Check in with how you are feeling: and cleanse your energetic body as needed- epsom salt baths, burning sage, spending time near water…

-Revisit old projects, meditate, journal, engage in anything that reconnects you with your creative self.

-Practice non-attachment: you have little to no control over most things in life, and the less you try to control, the more likely you will get through this moment as unscathed as possible.

-Remember that everything is temporary. Everything.

Lunar Eclipse- Full Moon in Cancer

Lunar Eclipse- Full Moon in Cancer

Eclipses disrupt the natural rhythms of life, bring up shadows, and ask us to see old situations with a new perspective.

Tomorrow at 11:13am PDT the Moon in Cancer at 20º00’ sits across from the Sun, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn. This lunar eclipse invites us to release our outdated structures and boundaries we have in place- especially the ones that have kept us isolated. We are asked to let go of the idea that our worth is contingent upon our material success. This is a time to acknowledge the restrictions we have placed on our selves and others- in particular the ones that cut us off from connection, compassion, and a sense of belonging.

Eclipses are a time to let go of the illusion of control, to embrace that everything is temporary, and to move into a space of deep acceptance.

Since July 2018, eclipses have been occurring on the axis of Cancer and Capricorn.

Horoscopes

These areas of life have undergone intense change over the last 1.5 years. Read for your rising sign if you know it.

Aries & Aries Rising

The 4th House of home, family and private life & the 10th House of career, public image and reputation.

Taurus & Taurus Rising

The 3rd House of short-distance travel, learning, and siblings & the 9th House of long-distance travel, higher education, and philosophy.

Gemini & Gemini Rising

The 2nd House of possessions, income, and personal resources & the 8th House of shared resources, inheritances and death.

Cancer & Cancer Rising

The 1st House of identity, appearance and vitality & the 7th House of partnerships, relationships and marriage.

Leo & Leo Rising

The 6th House of work, daily routines, and health & the 12th House of self-undoing, loss, and the unconscious.

Virgo & Virgo Rising

The 5th House of pleasure, children & creativity & the 11th House of groups, alliances and hopes.

Libra & Libra Rising

The 10th House of career, public image and reputation & the 4th House of home, family and private life.

Scorpio & Scorpio Rising

The 9th House of long-distance travel, higher education and philosophy & the 3rd House of short-distance travel, learning and siblings.

Sagittarius & Sagittarius Rising

The 8th House of shared resources, inheritances and death & the 2nd House of possessions, income, and personal resources.

Capricorn & Capricorn Rising

The 7th House of partnerships, relationships and marriage & the 1st House of identity, appearance and vitality.

Aquarius & Aquarius Rising

The 12th House of self-undoing, loss, and the unconscious & the 6th House of work, daily routines, and health.

Pisces & Pisces Rising

The 11th House of groups, alliances and hopes & the 5th House of pleasure, creativity, and pleasure.

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If you have any natal planets between 20º and 22º of the cardinal signs: Aries, Libra, Cancer and Capricorn- including angles such as the degree of the ascendent or the Midheaven, this eclipse may feel especially potent.

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Emotions may run high- stay grounded and try to be compassionate to yourself and others.

xx

Virgo Season

Virgo Season

The lion has roared. Leo season brought us out of eclipse madness and Mercury retrograde. Last Saturday, Mars led the pack of inner planets to move into Leo’s following sign: Virgo. Venus entered on Wednesday, the 21st, and the Sun entered this morning. Mercury is trailing behind but picking up speed post-retrograde and will move past the Sun, Venus and Mars in the upcoming weeks.

The Sun is at its fullest expression in Leo season, and Virgo season is the transition from the heat of summer into the balance of autumn. On the zodiac wheel, Virgo comes 6th- completing the first half of the circle. The first 6 signs can be understood as more personal energies- Aries- the self, Taurus- boundaries and survival, Gemini- early cognitive development, Cancer- the first experience of emotional attachment, Leo- creative self-expression, and finally Virgo- the energy of our health and well-being.

Virgo teaches us about perception- to see form in the world and to appreciate design, fit and function. Connected to the Earth element, Virgo is practical, useful, and productive. The exacting and focused quality of Virgo brings with it the ability to be extraordinarily efficient, detail-oriented, and accomplished.

Traditionally in astrology, the planetary rulers began at the signs of Cancer and Leo- the Moon ruling Cancer, and the Sun ruling Leo. Beginning and the Sun and moving outward, Mercury’s rulership was assigned to Gemini and Virgo, Venus to Taurus and Libra, Mars to Aries and Scorpio, Jupiter to Sagittarius and Pisces, and finally, Saturn to Capricorn and Aquarius.

The energy of Mercury is fast-paced- it picks up information quickly, communicates, connects and moves in many directions at once. Mercury’s rulership over Gemini is one of curiosity, learning, socializing, and connecting to others. Virgo however, is the applied energy of Mercury into physical form. Virgo is highly analytical, thorough, and useful.

The symbol of the virgin associated with Virgo is a symbol of purity- an innocence of the mind that has yet to be subjected to the full range of human experience, including pain and suffering. Virgo’s duality begins with this concept of innocence. In its detriment, Virgo holds so tightly to the idea of purity and perfection that it begins to isolate. Virgo becomes fixated on details, holds itself and everyone else to unattainable standards. The view of the big picture is lost, and any connection to spirit is severed.

By accepting imperfection and limitation, Virgo stays connected to spirit, and subjects itself to the full range of human emotions. When Virgo allows itself to grieve, to suffer, and to feel pain, it has access to the deepest secrets of spirituality. In its exalted state, Virgo is grounded, yet present and connected to the divine. The birth of spring, the life of summer, the descent into autumn, and the death of winter remind us that life is cyclical- and Virgo embodies this spiritual truth: nothing is permanent. Innocence cannot be protected and safeguarded forever.

Virgo and its opposite sign, Pisces, are both deeply spiritual and creative. Virgo brings spirit into form, and Pisces dissolves form. Virgo differentiates, and Pisces merges. One cannot exist without the other.

To embody the essence of Virgo is to embody the essence of presence: grounded, yet connected to spirit. Virgo is attuned to the moment, and reminds us that we must find a balance between work and rest. It is through presence, sacredness and devotional love that we can fully access the creativity we all have within.

The New Moon in Virgo is just one week away. Stay tuned.

xx

Aquarius Full Moon

Align Your Self, Your Heart, and Your Mind: Full Moon in Aquarius

Every astrological season, the moon wanes to new and waxes to full, bringing the sun and moon into alignment and then into opposition. At the new moon, the sun and moon align- the night sky is dark and we are drawn inwards. At the full moon, the sun and moon are in opposition- illuminating the night sky. Oppositions bring clarity and help us to see things objectively.

The Sun in Leo brings our awareness into the energy of the lion- bold, passionate, and highly creative. Leo is the energy of self-expression. The Moon in Aquarius brings our emotions into a more detached space- where we think and intellectualize our feelings rather than express them outwardly.

Leo is the sign of the individual. Aquarius is the sign of the collective.

Leo is of personal love. Aquarius is conceptual love.

The Sun conjunct Venus in Leo connect who we are with what we desire. When our heart aligns with our center, we can shine brightly and fearlessly. But when our hearts have been broken, the energy of Aquarius can give us the ability to see the heartbreak without becoming consumed by it.

Leo rules the heart and the spine- it is our central axis. Aquarius rules the nervous system- sending messages from the brain to different parts of the body.

This is a time to reconnect: your self with your heart, and your mind with your spirit. It is time to heal your heart and come into alignment.

Leo reminds us of our expansiveness, our generosity and our great capacity to love. Aquarius reminds us that we are all connected to each other, and that our minds have incredible healing power.

Acknowledge the past, see the wound, but don’t allow it to define you. Trust that you are worthy of the purest love- and that you are already healing.

xx