New Moon in Gemini - June 12, 2010

Tomorrow is the New Moon in Gemini and according to Stephanie Austin in The Mountain Astrologer, relates to how we "receive, perceive and exchange information at every level of our being."

A New Moon is actually a conjunction of the Sun and Moon and represents both the completion of one lunar cycle and the beginning of the next. So we might take a few moments to notice what might be ending and what wants to be born.

A square to Saturn in Virgo may serve to anchor and ground creative thoughts brought in with this New Moon in Gemini, so that they do not blow away in the whirlwind.

Austin suggests that if we are confused, we need more information. For those of us who have a lot of Mercury, Gemini or third house energy, and thus might already feel overwhelmed with information, it might be more useful to use the square to Saturn in Virgo as an opportunity to organize and classify this information so that it is more available. Kind of like going through your files, throwing out what is out of date and organizing the rest for easy access.

I have Sun and Uranus in Gemini and this New Moon will be within orb of a conjunction to Uranus. I also have Virgo rising and South Node and Chiron in the third house. I have been collecting information all my life. Sometimes I feel like a library.

Another feature of Gemini is state of mind and perception. While I admit that I am feeling confused these days, getting more information does not feel like the right thing for me to do.

Instead, I am taking my lead from the Tarot card I drew yesterday....The Hanged Man. One of the interpretations for this card is that one needs to change their perspective. This makes a lot of sense to me.

Sometimes we cannot change our physical circumstances, but we can change our thoughts about them. Last year at this time I had a broken ankle and could not get out of my house without assistance. I was not able to
drive and was dependent on others to bring my groceries and do my laundry. As strange as it might sound, I found myself wishing I had that 'excuse' for not doing anything right now. I truly want to do nothing, because I feel unable to figure out what to do, but feel I can't justify that. Last year, I could not do anything and so was off the hook with a legitimate excuse. While it took a few days to accept my situation, I had to.

I surrendered to my powerlessness and began to find satisfaction is very small things. My power came when I saw how resilient and resourceful I am. I began to appreciate my inner resources. I had plenty of books and craft projects around to keep me busy. I produced a Powerpoint slide show of over 200 slides that I now use in my classes on Mayan Hieroglyphs. I did a lot of research and organized it into the classes I now teach.

I was immobilized physically, but my creativity was working just fine.

Because of the recent entry of Uranus and Jupiter in Aries, we may feel the need to act. In fact, we may be jumping with energy and the push to 'do' something. But action without forethought often causes disaster, so slow down during this New Moon, think, plan and prepare, so that you can act effectively in the next few months.

We need everyone to be as effective as possible in the next few months and years. No more rash action. Stop and think.

For those of you who could use some more information, this is a great time to get it. Open yourself to the energy streaming in from the conjunction of the two lights in Gemini.

Solar Return in the Underworld

I'm coming to my solar return (Saturday, May 30), and just ran my chart to see what's ahead. Turns out my Sun is in the 12th house and my Moon and Saturn are in the 4th house! Now try and tell me astrology does not work. Hidden Gemini stuck in the house with a broken bone.

I broke my ankle a month ago and have not been out of my house for a month. House bound, I rely on friends to bring food, do my laundry and my dishes. I am hobbling around on crutches. Since I have been very sedentary for the last couple years, my physical stamina and strength are minimal, so I am having a lot of trouble getting around.

All my activities have been affected. I have not been out at all. All my club and group activities have been halted. I have had to miss the fairs that I signed up for to sell my herbal products (see my herb blog).

I am not my usual 'bubbly, talkative' Gemini self. Or rather, I am going through a metamorphosis. Sun now conjunct the ascendant (also now in Gemini), I am completing a cycle of transformation and will come out a different person. Well, that's for sure. I feel like I went into the Underworld a month ago. I know that when this is over, my life must change.

Friends have suggested 'there is something to learn from this.' Boy, have I heard enough of that! Actually, this time it made me angry. I feel like my entire life has been nothing but lessons. When do I get to just have some fun? I might become a total hedonist after this.

In fact lately, I find myself unable to analyze or even think for that matter. I feel I am totally living in the NOW. I have to. My day is about survival, that's it. Of course, this will not be permanent, but it has been making me think about how dependent I am on others.

Meanwhile, with no cable available, I watch Netflix. I got the series Jericho and it is affecting my consciousness as well. I dreamt about Jake last night. But....the show is a metaphor for what we all face. Not nuclear destruction or terrorist attack, but the end of services, the lack of supplies, power etc, that we all face with Global Warming, Peak Oil, the End of Food, pollution of water and air etc.

I have become even more aware that in one moment one's world can change completely. While I am not a vegetarian, I normally eat a very healthy diet. Now, since I can't cook, I have to eat frozen pre-prepared meals, (full of bad stuff), heated in the microwave. I get pre-made salads which cost a fortune, just to get my veggies. Meanwhile all the seeds I started in my greenhouse are way beyond ready to transplant. None of the people who are coming to help me are into doing this, so the veggie garden I planned will probably not happen. I realize how vulnerable I am. But I know that we all are.

We must begin to grow our own food! Grow what we can, trade with others for what we need. We must find ways to get around without gasoline. We must learn to do with less, be happy in the moment and be more flexible.

If you want a reading send me a comment and we will make an appointment.

Navigating Pluto in Capricorn - We Need All the Help We Can Get

Just listened to a recording of Darby Costello from the recent UAC conference in Denver and felt this was important and I wanted to share it.

As I understood it, she said that one way to work with Pluto in Capricorn (which is ruled by Saturn), is to look at where Saturn is right now. Saturn is in Virgo and therefore trines Pluto. So, since trines are "helpful" "supporting" aspects, Saturn work can help us as we go into Pluto in Capricorn, a difficult transition, since it's kind of like going from the feast to famine. Easier to go from famine to feast. The Saturn work, because in Virgo, is about slow, small tasks, incremental progress. In fact, she said that if we do the Saturn work, Pluto in Capricorn will take care of itself. Nice thought.

Saturn in Virgo is about determining whether what we are doing is useful or not. It is also about finding ways to be efficient with everything, including our time. She suggested stopping as we go through our day, and asking ourselves if we are off on tangents or if what we are doing is what we planned to do. With Saturn in Virgo (ruled by Mercury) there might be a tendency to think about doing things rather than doing them - or thinking we are doing them when actually all we are doing is thinking about doing them. Does that make sense? Even if what we do is small compared to what we "should" do, the effort is well worth it. In fact, she suggested that the smaller the better, since accomplishment will encourage us. If we make the job to be done too large, we will not be able to complete it and the resulting discouragement will stop our progress.

The next part was to look at where your Mercury is, since Saturn is in Virgo, ruled by Mercury. Mercury by sign and house. This will give you clues about what "the work" might be, if you don't already know.

My Mercury is in Cancer in the 11th house. As I see it, my work is about nurturing and healing on behalf of the collective. I do volunteer work for the Master Gardener program. At home, I grow vegetables, herbs and pollinator-friendly plants. I am an herbalist and an astrologer. With Gemini in the 10th house, I feel part of my role is to disseminate information, so I see my various vehicles - blogs, website and even my products, as means to educate as well as heal. Continuing to do this work, in whatever way I can, will be good for the collective and for myself. Saturn in Virgo is in the 1st house right now, so "the work" "heals" "me" too. Healing includes providing useful information - another way that I serve.

As the Leos would say, "enough about me, what do you think of me" LOL - back to Pluto. After the extravaganza of Sagittarius, Capricorn might be felt as restrictive. A belt-tightening. But that is not necessarily bad. After persuing all the options, time to choose. Time to stand up for what you have chosen. Time to focus, organize and give form to what you believe. Do you believe anything?

For us Baby-Boomers, who are now officially seniors, did we learn anything from all that exploration? Do we only mourn our lost youth or value our gained wisdom? Is the famous expression "is that all there is?" what we are left with or do we instead feel the richness of life, the as yet unexplored depths?

This is a tme to assess what we have that is important - both inner and outer resources. What no longer serves, must be eliminated. No room for excess baggage. As I write this, the idea of shedding things so that one can become mobile - return to Nomadism. Huh I wonder what that's about?

I am still running the give-away. To the first three people who send a comment with their birth data: time, place and date of birth, and email address, I will send a free astrological report. I am expanding the give-away to give you a choice of 1) the Sky Within - a reading of the entire chart, 2) Opportunities - a reading focusing on your career potential, or 3) Asteroids - a reading of the four major asteroids plus Chiron. Your choice. I will not publish the comment if your email is on it. But I must have your email in order to send the report.

Mercury Retrograde Again

Mercury went retrograde on May 27 in Gemini and since my Sun and Uranus are both in Gemini, I am really getting the effects. Plus we had a New Moon in Gemini conjunct my Sun and Uranus is squaring my natal Uranus. My birthday was on the 30th and here's what happened: 1) I got an email from a man I dated 34 years ago and don't ever want to see again, but my current boyfriend, who is in Mexico right now, totally forgot. 2) I got a phone call from a woman whom I've known for nearly 50 years, but none of my current friends called. 3)I got locked in my 4 year old Lexus and had to crawl over the console to get out of the passenger side, then after I got it fixed, I backed into a concrete wall (nothing happened though), 4) I finally cleaned the outside of my microwave and after setting off all the touch buttons, it broke - moral: never clean things (I like that).

Yesterday, after spending many hours doing blog stuff, I decided to make several separate blogs, each focusing on one thing, but, is it a good idea to do that during Mercury Retrograde? Probably not. So, I will wait until June 20, when it goes direct again. The message for me is to slow down rather than going along with the impulse to speed up. Mercury, as messenger of the gods, brought information to human beings. As a god of trade, I think he is especially significant for the Internet, which is fast becoming the way people do business. More and more, people are finding ways to make money on the Internet. Honestly, though, I wonder just what it is they are selling. I find some blogs to have no content on them whatsoever.

This was moved from its original location at mysteryranch.blogspot.com

Jupiter-Pluto Conjunction

The last time Jupiter and Pluto were in conjunction in Sagittarius was November 10, 1758. This time it will be on December 11, 2007 at 28º24'. On top of that, Mars is retrograde in Cancer going back into Gemini. To some of you this means something, to others it doesn't. For those of you who don't know and don't care, forget the following information. For those who know and those who want to know, I suggest you read Shelley L. Ackerman's article called "Great Balls of Fire! The Big Bang Jupiter-Pluto Conjunction of 2007", in The Mountain Astrologer, Dec/Jan 2008.
For a personal chart reading go to my website: www.wisewomenofthewest.com/. What this conjunction means to me is that the "chickens are coming home to roost" as my mother would say. It's a sort of "check-in" time or maybe a "check-out" time. It's report card time. I consider myself to be a Plutonian type. My Pluto is conjunct Saturn in the 12th house and my South Node is in Scorpio. That's one reason why even though my Sun is in "sunny" Gemini, I am an intense person who has had "an interesting life". I've done some things even men wouldn't do (sky dive) and I've had to do some things no one should have to do in the "land of the free". I am able to hold paradox within me. That is, while I am on a spiritual path of love, I acknowledge the shadow within myself and others. I am not an "air head" or a "light weight". I believe darkness exists and we can learn from it. Pretending or faking it doesn't work. We have some challenging days ahead. I do believe in the Law of Attraction and that what we focus on we manifest. Now that we've all been through countless workshops, meditated for years, or whatever else has floated our spiritual boat, it's time to make it real folks. Put it into practice. As Caroline Myss would say "have a backbone not a wishbone". When I was a child of 10, we practiced nuclear attack drills at school and learned about "smog". That was a long time ago. My generation never expected to grow up much less become seniors (as we are now). My friends and I talked about the end of the world a lot. My answer was (I was a mystic in the making), "Everything will be okay because peoples' minds will change, they will think differently. I don't know how or what, but I know it will happen." I didn't know the word consciousness then or about the 100th monkey thing or the collective unconscious.... But I did know that change would have to come at the level of consciousness and that it would come. Be the change you want to see. You'll see it when you believe it.