New Moon in Aquarius

Aquarius New Moon February 12, 2021:

So here we go into a New Moon in Aquarius – Its the first New Moon in an Air sign since the final pass of the ‘Grand Conjunction’ which heralded a new 200 year cycle of Air. Astrology is marked as a system of patterns that work in much the same way that fractals work. Meaning that the microcosm is reflected in the macrocosm (and vice versa). The ancient astrologers expressed this as the basic tenant: “As above, so below. As within, so without”. In astrology, we also recognize that small patterns of time can tell the tale of larger patterns of time. Just like a snapshot of the moment of your birth can give a blueprint for your being, so can a snapshot of your birthday chart give a blueprint for the year ahead (Solar Returns) or a snapshot of the first year of your life give a blueprint for the subsequent years of life (Progressions and Solar Arcs). Following this logic, because the Grand Conjunction was at 0 degrees Aquarius, this upcoming New Moon in Aquarius can give us hints about how the energy in the new paradigm of Air will shift. Pay close attention to things happening for you on this New Moon (and the 2 weeks following) and see if you can see a finger print whispering of how energies are going to be unfolding for you in element of Air.

First let’s try to wrap our attention around the flavor of Aquarius, as understanding the energy will help us to notice it. Aquarius is fixed Air. So as we spoke of with the New Moon in Scorpio, the fixed mode is both stable and focused. What you see is what you get so to speak – at least in terms of energetic modality. Air however is the least ‘stable’ of all the elements, so even ‘fixed’ Air is going to be more difficult to grasp. Air element across many disciplines the world over, means change and movement. It is fast and often seemingly random. Air element governs the mental capacity and the nervous system. Think of how random and shifting our thoughts can be or how fast our nervous system relays information – this is the kind of speed and change we are talking about. Everyone talks about the world speeding up, but I don’t think that we’ve seen anything yet. Air element is considered both drying and cooling. Air signs are often felt to be more rational than emotional. Hence the term “cold” when referring to one who is perhaps overly intellectual. If you follow traditional medical systems, the Air element correlates most with the ‘Wind’ tissue state in western Vitalist traditions or the Vata dosha in eastern Ayurvedic traditions. Both are known to have health issues that nearly always relate back to the nervous system, dryness of tissues and contraction or sluggishness of organs or systems due to cold. So adequate water (and oil) is often a main concern when working with strong Air element.

One interesting thing to note is that all the Air signs in astrology (Libra, Aquarius, Gemini) are all considered ‘relational’. They all govern interaction with other people and on some basic level require others to do their work or fulfill their expressions. For Aquarius this is seen in its principal of networking and its love of the collective. This energy loves to connect people to one another and to new ideas to help them flourish. Having said that, Aquarius is often considered the loneliest of the signs in the zodiac. One will often read that Aquarius is the ‘visionary’ or that its ahead of the curve. And while this might explain some of it loneliness, I think it is more deeply understood by examining its rulerships. Aquarian energy is co-ruled; it has a traditional ruler – Saturn, and a modern one – Uranus. While many astrologers prefer to simplify things and only focus on the modern rulers, I feel we do our comprehension a disservice if we negate millennia of study, observation and understanding when we only focus on the modern ruler. I wrote a bit about Saturn in the last blog with the Capricorn New Moon, but let’s go a bit deeper here. Saturn, the farthest planet visible with the naked eye, is said to guard the gates to the earth plane. That etheric and cosmic energy must pass through his realm in order to manifest. Saturn rules concrete reality – where the rubber meets the road. He is the structure and framework and so Saturn energy builds foundations and systems. Saturn is often called a stick in the mud because he believes in following rules, but this grows more out of a deep understanding of the nature of consequences and time, rather than simply as a kowtow to authority as pop astrology would have us believe. Saturn grasps what is sacred about tradition and duty. Contrast this with Uranus who is said to govern lightening and left-field surprises. Uranus is often called the rebel. We will go far in our understanding of Uranus if we just think about the planet itself. Its axis is tilted 98 degrees relative to the ecliptic, so if we were looking at our solar system from the perspective of the ecliptic, all the planets would seem to spin like tops (just like you were taught in primary school)...except that is for Uranus… he instead would appear to be rolling. From this we see that Uranus thinks outside of the box, marches to his own drummer, grasps the unexpected, blows your mind, and hits you with events that utterly shift your trajectory. He is fast and electrifying, rebellious and confronting. He is known as the first of the transpersonal planets – meaning that he governs energies of the collective zeitgeist. As his orbit takes about about 84+ years, his energies are generational. Saturn’s orbit by contrast takes about 29+ years, hence he is considered a personal planet and works on the individual level.

The seeming oppositions of these two rulers gives us a very big clue into Aquarius – basically that it is a complicated energy. Aquarius is hard to really wrap your head around. When speaking with a client who has strong Aquarian energy I often refer to Plato’s Allegory of the Cave or tell them that this is the energy of the prophet who goes out into the desert, hears the voice of god, and then feels compelled to return to the fold and share its vision. But people don’t like change, they don’t often want to have to consider new perspectives which could then require them to question who they are and why they are doing what they are doing. And even when they are willing to do so, without a similar experience as a reference point, they inevitably find it difficult at best to understand the prophet. All things being equal, the occupation of ‘prophet’ does seem to have an abnormally high rate of being shunned, stoned or beheaded relative to the rest of the jobs available in the human story. Aquarian energy is similarly marked. It is an energy that is often on the outside looking in. And here we see the rulership complexity playing out – the Uranus rules that part that chafes under the limitations of societal structures which are unable to accommodate the full scope of needs and desires of the individual's actual possibility. So it goes ahead and breaks the trail, scouts the way forward and sees what might exist beyond the current paradigm. The Saturn portion however, feels compelled to return and prepare its human family for what it knows lies ahead. It is wedded to duty and feels responsible to help manifest this broader vision.

We can go even further in our understanding of Aquarian energy if we remember that it is the natural ruler of the 11^th house in astrology. This house governs the groups we belong to, the people we admire and hold up, the power of the collective possibility. Pop astrology will tell you that the 11^th house is the house of hopes and dreams or friends and neighbors – which doesn’t really say much and seems a bit random or all over the place (ha! Kinda ‘airy’ wouldn’t you say?). More accurately, the 11^th house is where we make connections to people who can further our dreams and visions of the future. They are the folks we surround ourselves with to help us do so and we in turn add our energy to that collective group. Back in the day, your neighbor would certainly fill that role more – they’d come over and help put up your barn or bring in your harvest, and you would play similar roles for them. These days our definitions of ‘friends’ and certainly of neighbors have changed. (Maybe one of you Mercury-Aquarian types can come up with a better word to describe those 11^th house folks.)

If we consider these rulerships of Uranus, Saturn and the 11^th house we see a fundamental truth about Aquarian energy – it is focused on advancing society through its unique ability to embody paradox. One of my teachers Steven Forrest, in his Book of Air describes it like this: “on the one hand, this sign is associated with a fierce commitment to independence, individuality and free-thinking. On the other hand, it is irrevocably linked to group activities and collective enterprises – all of which rather obviously require some submergence of individuality and personal autonomy in the service of joint aims.” He goes further, saying that “The social group with all its pressures and expectations is the incubator of Aquarian freedom.” Pointing out the intrinsic link: that freedom requires a cage - for without the cage, freedom would be unnecessary. It then also then follows that resistance is also a basic part of change. It is not simply that Aquarian energy suggests paradox, but rather that it embodies paradox. This distinction while subtle is also profound. It emphasizes an ability to relax or be at ease within the intrinsic tension or discomfort of polarity. Humanity seems to have a most curious habit of believing that relaxation is the absence of tension, but Aquarius offers us another perspective. If we dare to examine and sit with this puzzle, it perhaps gives us a way to enter into this new time.

While I could have begun by listing out things that Aquarius energy governs, like networking and group activities, visionaries and geniuses, electricity and technology, rebellion and paradigm shifting, cyberspace, environmentalism, astrology, patterns, autism, eccentricity, sexual freedom etc… these things would not cohese in the same way as I hope they do now. (See, it wasn’t just the drugs influencing those hippies in the 60’s!) It seems that if we are to embrace the future we must learn perhaps to better embrace paradox itself. Learn how to be comfortable with discomfort. Become able to relax within states of intrinsic tension. Aquarian energy suggests to us that the way forward is not about excising the past nor leaping pell-mell into the future, but rather learning to hold the complexity of the moment by embracing the uniqueness of our times and of own natures. For we too are walking, talking paradoxes. Our conceptions for the most part are binary, our language and understanding is thus arranged – we live in a world grounded in duality (good or bad, hot or cold, yes or no). Aquarian energy invites us into holism through a kind of unity consciousness which recognizes that paradox is intrinsic to the moment and teaches us that our minds can actually sit easily holding both sides of a duality without feeling in conflicted. Of course that is the high aim, the low vibration of any energy is also always equally available to us. For Aquarius, this will express itself often through our nervous systems as extreme tension or through our minds as disassociation or obsessive-compulsive behaviors. We will either separate ourselves becoming somewhat cold or overly rational or we will bounce all over the place feeling like a yo-yo jumping from one side of any given paradox to the other.

So as you think about how you want to approach this upcoming New Moon, think too about how you want to approach the future. As a representative of the human race, what seeds do you want to cast before you that the future may harvest? What we do on a small scale ripples out into the larger patterns and vice versa. So call on the energies available at this time to help you usher in a more interesting vision of possibility for yourself, but also for the world. I for one have been finding the drama of good vs. bad, right vs. wrong, etc growing rather stale. Its overly simplistic and frankly quite boring. Possibility is so much larger than that. In the spirit of Aquarius, we are all in this together. Meaning it takes all of us – by both being true to our own individuality and holding up our perspective, but also by making room for other perspectives and other individuals too. To quote my beloved teacher Steven Forrest again: “Truth is too big for any one person to carry.”

I know that this is a long blog but I want to take one more stitch through Aquarius. It’s called the water bearer. She who goes out and brings back the one of the most vital of life sustaining necessities and offers it freely to those who thirst. In Tarot, the major archana card 17 – the Star – carries the symbol of Aquarius. In analyzing the symbols of this card Angeles Arrien, cultural anthropologist quotes the philosopher Heidegger saying “a person is not a thing or a process, but an opening through which the Absolute can manifest.” Shamanic cultures throughout the world describe the importance of becoming ‘a hollow bone’ - an opening for Spirit. The Star card suggests that each of us is not only a divine light, but an expression – a perspective of the Divine Creation. We all have the tendency to like some things about ourselves and feel ashamed of others. But what would it look like if we could get out of our own way and harness that Aquarian imperative and simply become a hollow bone – trusting that the whole of us (all the paradoxes and polarities included) were necessary so that the Way Through is wide open and not pinched or blocked?

So what are some good practices? I had a friend once who told me that he and his dad loved to debate and had this practice that at any point one of them could call “change” and each would have to argue the other person’s point. Wow… how would the world be different if our politicians could do this eh? Maybe we should practice amongst ourselves and set better examples for them. Tai Chi is excellent at teaching awareness of polarity and the relationship of duality. If Qi Gong is more your style, a very simple form called Pan Gu works specifically with balancing polarities within the body. Simply meditating on the Yin-Yang symbol could provide much insight. More mundane practices for you techno-phobes would be to embrace some aspect of new technology with a willing and open mind. The reverse could also work for the techno-philes – learn something old school, or practice doing something the long and hard way. Another practice would be simply to find a group that embodies something dear to you and take part. Go be part of a team. If you are people orientated, do the reverse - spend some energy cultivating your unique individuality, find ways to stand out, challenge yourself, allow yourself to be seen as a unique individual.

Aquarian intentions would echo these practices. The aim is to find ways to embrace paradox within your own person. Notice your own monkey mind and whatever it is prattling on about – rather then trying to still it or silence it, see if you can simply redirect it to the polarity of whatever it is going on about. For example when in college I took up a practice that when I noticed my mind criticizing someone (myself included) I made myself spend time contemplating their genius, finding their beauty, seeing their strengths. Or what about learning to notice where there is resistance, particularly in the mind and having the intention of relaxing or allowing – making room. Making your container larger. If paradox seems too difficult to grasp hold of, then simply focus on being open to change, welcoming it, opening the door, relaxing into it.

For witchy rituals – when Aquarius is in the picture the point is to make it authentically your own and as an offering to the collective. So I will give you an outline here, but really, it’s up to you to own it and channel it as best suits your unique self. So… gather two items to symbolize polar elements (Fire and Water or Earth and Air). Hold one in each hand. Focus first on one and then on the other. Think about each of them in turn, what they mean, how they manifest, in what ways you relate to each and how they enter your life. Take as long as you need. Next try to bring both objects into your awareness simultaneously. See if you can feel into them both at the same time. Not simply in your hands, but also in your mind. Feel for the tension this might create. Observe the place of resistance between the two. If you are unable to hold both in your mind at the same time, use that as the tension point. Where ever you feel the tension, focus there and see if you can honor it – open to it and remain present for it. Spend time just listening and observing, noticing what you notice. After a while speak out loud (not simply in your head - we are working an Air ritual, so give that vibration room and send it out). You can use a normal voice or whisper, but give sound to what rises inside of you. Don't’ think too much about it. Don’t try to head anywhere or have it mean anything. Allow whatever rises to have a voice - it doesn't even have to be words per say, it could simply be notes or vowels, trills or calls. It's not up to you to understand it. Be a hollow bone. Whatever you send out from yourself, wrap it in love.

New Moon in Capricorn

A very dear friend brought it to my attention that I did not explain the New Moon energetic ritual pattern very well. So here’s the skinny: New Moons are beginning energy, so they are the best times to initiate intentions and ritual. By shaping your rituals and intentions to the astrological energies currently in play, you amplify the energy available to you… moving with the current so to speak. So what I am suggesting here is to create a ritual/intention for every New Moon and then when the Full Moon arrives next in that same sign you can judge for yourself the efficacy of these types of practices. Remember we’re not talking about the “next” Full Moon, but the next time the Full Moon lands in the same sign as the New Moon for the ritual/intention you practiced (so for example: Aries New Moon to Aries Full Moon).

My hope is to post on every Full Moon, so that you have a couple weeks to think about and gather what you might need for your ritual on the upcoming New Moon. You can do your ritual or set your intention exactly on the day of the New Moon (strongest) or a few days after. If you want to notch up your amperage even more, you can continue to formalize your intention everyday with practices, reminders or prayers right up to the next upcoming Full Moon (so for about 2 weeks). Then it is time to rest and let the energy do its thing. No one likes to have someone driving from the back seat, right? Same goes for your angels!

If you want to follow along and not lose track, a good practice is to keep a little Moon journal where you can write down reminders to yourself of what you did and what came up for you regarding those intentions, you can track your own journey with it and when you get to that Full Moon you will be able to see what has shifted. What worked and what didn’t. It will also clue you into what sign energies you align best with and which ones are more difficult for you to to connect to.

Always if you have questions, just send them along to me at evolvingastrologer@gmail.com. Happy to help where I can. If you would like me to email you a reminder when i post, i am happy to do that as well, just shoot me an email.

Capricorn New Moon January 13, 2021:

Ok, the New Moon coming on the 13^th of January 2021 (here Down Under) is landing in Capricorn. We modern folk think of Capricorn as the goat, but in ancient times he was the sea-goat. A mythical beast with the head of a goat and the body of a sea serpent who roamed the wildest parts of the sea. Perhaps because Capricorn energy is above all known for its endurance – whether it be to helpful paths or unhelpful ones. Capricorn is cardinal earth energy. The cardinal side initiates – Capricorn energy is the first one to pick up the shovel and start digging the well, or the one that is up at first light to put its foot on the trail up the mountain. In these examples we begin to get a feeling for the earth side of things. Earth is tangible and visible. It builds. As cardinal earth, Capricorn energy wants to lay solid lasting foundations. It does not cut corners nor shirk duty. It is very ‘fact’ oriented. Steven Forrest, a beautiful Capricorn says of himself “I never met a fact I didn’t like.” This exemplifies Capricorn's willingness to face hard and uncomfortable truths. Capricorn is a slow moving energy because it wants to do a thorough job. It can be a somewhat plain and confrontational energy because one of the words that best describes Capricorn is ‘integrity’. Now that word has come to suggest a lot of ‘good’ things, but basically what it means is that something has internal strength and cohesion. For this energy it means that all the planes – heart, body, mind, spirit – are in alignment. This is where that legendary endurance comes from. Like I said though, Capricorn energy can be just as easily wedded to climbing the wrong mountain. It might even ignore all the signs and keep going right to the very top, because it likes to finish what it starts before it picks another mountain. Earth element is prone to stagnation, getting stuck or being stubborn - that is the nature of cohesion, of accumulation, of grounding. Everything has its high and low vibration, this energy is no different. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn who in astrological tradition governs structure, limits, discipline, authority, time and duty. We can see with this why Capricorn also governs the 10^th astrological house of reputation and career, and also why these energies are considered ‘elder’ energies (as in Father Time or hard earned wisdom). Saturn is associated with Binah, the 3^rd Sephirah on the Kabbalah Tree of Life. In Hebrew Binah means ‘understanding’. Feel how 'understanding' gives a sense of solidifying knowing in a more concrete way. Interestingly Binah is associated with the Divine Mother whose symbols in that tradition include not just the womb, but also the sea (as in sea goat?). Capricorn energy wants not simply to give birth, it wants to build (earth) the foundations (cardinal) for a lasting legacy (Saturn). So Capricorn energy is very aware of the limitations of time and its Saturn association along with its own integrity lends this energy a kind of gravitas. Capricorn energy therefore really quite good at delegation and very much the leader when it comes to being able to do without and whittling things down to the bare essentials.

An important thing to keep in mind with this particular New Moon is that it is also tightly conjunct Pluto. That’s no small detail. If you have any planets near 23 degrees Capricorn, Aries, Cancer or Libra, this New Moon will probably be extra potent for you. Pluto is going to put a real deep dive spin on this New Moon. He always intensifies things. He is the cosmic plumber of the zodiac, getting down into the foul stuck crap that is blocking our growth and dredging it all up to the surface be acknowledged and cleared. This combination coming as it does as the first New Moon after the ingress into this new 200 year cycle of Air, suggests that here is lord Pluto sweeping up the remains, giving the last scrub out of that old Earth cycle before the February New Moon in Air. He is here to really help us step fully into this new paradigm. All of us are coming from an entire life of having our 'large container' understanding of the world and ourselves from an earth element perspective. This transition is going to ask new things from all of us. We are going to have to change how we think and perceive, perhaps radically so. Any place where we are stuck in our own willful ignorance is going to be a hindrance to this new paradigm. Pluto is always about making conscious what has been unconscious. He tears away our falsehoods, leaving us naked and shivering. Terrifying? Yes, but ultimately clear of what no longer serves us. When we engage Pluto willingly it is far less painful than when we don’t, so while I give a lot of seemingly mundane suggestions below, what takes it to the next level is for you to engage your own deeper process with them. Notice what triggers you, where you react, what you might ignore, forget, slide away from or shrug off. Go to those places. Get curious. Dig deeper. Or better yet, use my suggestions as a jumping off place to really engage where you are stuck or where you cringe. There is a saying in astrology, that if you don’t work the energies, they work you – and well, Pluto is not gentle. He cares very little for our comfort and certainly laughs wickedly at what we think we are ready to handle. He is literally so far away from the Sun (conscious understanding), that what we ‘think’ has actually little relevance to him. As an outer (or transpersonal) planet, his goal is not simply our little personal evolution, but that of the collective. He is really really far away and thus sees a much bigger perspective than we can probably even imagine.

So this New Moon is about commitment and walking your talk, but its far more than that. Its about taking a hard and honest look around us and the life we have created for ourselves. The Pluto element is asking us to look at how we live our lives moment by moment and commit to changes that stop ignoring that big scary confusing mess and instead wade into the muck of it  and start attending to whatever parts we can grab hold of. The Capricorn energy means its about taking stock of what is actually sustainable and what isn’t. Its time to get real practical and real honest with this earth energy. Pluto means not just in terms of time and energy, but emotional and psychological resources as well as the monetary ones. Its ok to decide that something we thought we were going to love or something we thought was good for us, we have realized along the way we aren’t really that excited about or its more effort than its worth. Low vibration Capricorn would just plow through anyway, but high vibration Cap would just be honest and face the truth. However hard. This energy is here to help you pick the right mountain. Capricorn energy says “Put your energy where it will lay the strongest and most lasting foundation. Your own integrity demands it. We live on the earth plane. That means there are limitations – time, money, health, environment, breaths – you name it. Don’t whinge about it, get off your ass and just deal with it. Don’t waste any of these precious resources. Get behind what you do and make it count.”

A good Capricorn thing to do during this time? Make a budget, really sit down and make a solid plan; figure out how to get out of debt or how to realistically finance what is important to you. Ouch! That’s no fun, you say? Sorry, Sag (governed by Jupiter) is the one known for a good time, Capricorn is governed by Saturn remember? What about brushing up your resume, putting a new face on that old website? These are things that work that career/reputation angle. Similarly you can think about foundational practices that are body focused – like getting enough rest, eating a well balanced diet, so doing without that additional Netflix episode or that extra snack. Learning to hone your awareness of where ‘enough’ really actually sits. Spoiler alert: Its rarely where we have come to think it is. If you want to bring in more of that Pluto energy, take a good look at your consumption habits and your carbon footprint (Pluto rules 'waste' of all sorts). Its all good and well to want the government to commit to drastic environmental action, but change starts with each of us individually. Everyone knows that we vote with every dollar we spend. Its on us. Use this New Moon to commit to learning to shift your psychological mindset when it comes to your own concepts of “need” or what you “deserve” or what is your “right”. Take back your power and begin to question everything that capitalism has taught you to believe. Or how about simply spending the next two weeks practicing not biting off more than you can chew. A gentler practice would be to spend more time with your elders – LISTENING to them, really hearing what they have to say and taking it in to digest. Asking about their stories, honoring what they have learned through their experiences – allow it to inform your own choices and understanding.

Capricorn intentions would fall along the same lines – the goal would be to focus on harnessing heart, mind, body and spirit under one banner. These are not pipe dreams we are aiming for, but rather very practical, duty oriented intentions. Make an intention to do those tedious tasks without grumbling or procrastination. In fact, why not just decide to not grumble or procrastinate for the next two weeks. Or how about just taking some time to take stock of all the irons you’ve got in the fire and getting very Capricorn about them. Choosing the bare essentials and deciding to put the full force of your attention behind those few and letting the rest go. If they are meant to be, they will hang around until you have space and time, if not, someone else will pickup that muse. And on the subject of work – a very Capricorn thing – how about setting an intention to really focus on your work when you are at work. Integrity remember? Don’t check your personal emails or whatever data feed your subscribe to. Be at work. Do your work. Do what you promised to do. Have a high amount of integrity. Notice what shifts. Notice what doesn’t. Discover something about yourself. Another intention that is in line with Capricorn (and Pluto) is simply to set a limitation for yourself on something, could be an addictive behavior, but these don’t have to be the usual food, drugs or alcohol. It could be the internet. It could be how much you sigh. It could be that negative self-talk that goes round and round between your ears or derogatory comments you might make out loud or silently about others. One easy mundane limit would be to focus on how fast you drive, or eat – remember Capricorn is slow moving. Capricorn might be ‘no fun’ but it really is about raising the bar and then doing what it takes to clear it. This is why Capricorn is said to be most concerned with proving itself, to itself.

As for witchy practice – most any meditation is great. Putting the full force of your attention into the present moment. Have integrity with "now". Slow steady breathing. Both are big winners on the Capricorn front. For something more active - go plant a tree. Do your Capricorn fact gathering research and pick the right one for the environment you are planting it into, but plant something lasting. Keep this in mind as you work and say a prayer to the effect that this tree will flourish long after you are gone. If you want to call in Pluto, imagine yourself as bones and this tree standing tall and green over you, holding space for you as you feed it, slowly turn back into dirt. Feel how good that feels – how right. Another very good Capricorn ritual would be to take a hike somewhere with a view. Pick up stones along the way (or find them at the top) and build a little cairn. If the stones that fit into your pocket don’t stack very well, place them in a spiral instead to symbolize the true nature of time and energy. With each stone you place, seed your intention into it, make them promises. When you leave, take a small stone with you as a reminder to carry around in your pocket or keep in a special place at home. Stones have very very long memories. They will hold you to your promises – so make sure they are practical ones that you can keep. I did not say ‘easy’ ones – that is not fitting for Capricorn, but ones that are within your capacity. Often folks choose to work with addictions because Capricorn energy can be super helpful on these fronts as he governs self-discipline and limitations (Pluto is an added bonus assist here as he governs suppressed trauma), but remember addictions would not be thus if we could just drop them and be done. The key to remember is that you don’t need to set yourself up for possible failure here. Capricorn governs time, so if you are wanting to work with addictions go for it, but give yourself a reasonable and doable period of time to enforce limits. Push yourself – yes, that IS Capricorn, but ALWAYS ground any healing work in love. Give yourself room to be the learning, growing, evolving human that you are. If you don’t know what reasonable limits are – go ask someone. Find an elder who might be able to guide you from their own experiences. If you have no one available, then why not take it one slow and practical Capricornian step at a time. We aren’t talking weeks, or even days… how about just right now. And right now. And right now. Use the practice to learn about and own yourself each moment of right now just as you truly are. A big part of this New Moon is about dropping our pretenses and false ideals and to just GET REAL. We all have a super-hero version of ourselves. That version always negates or denies our small ugly sides. In this way it keeps us at odds with ourselves and does not allow for wholeness. This New Moon is a great time to do a ritual to say good-bye to that ‘split personality’ and just practice being completely you.

New Moon in Sagittarius

The Sagittarius New Moon is coming on the 15^th of December (here in Australia – that will shift a bit depending on where you are on the planet). This one is extra special as its also going to be a total solar eclipse. We’ll talk about the twist that eclipses can bring a bit later but first let’s explore a bit what Sagittarian New Moon might have to inspire you…

Remember that things begun on a New Moon – particularly things done with conscious intention - have extra energy to come to fruition. If you want to test this, just try one of the suggestions below and notice the results at the next Full Moon in the same sign.

Sagittarius is a fire sign in the mutable mode. Fire in the alchemical tradition works on the level of the spirit. It is what motivates and activates. It’s the dynamic energy that transforms, acting as a catalyst. The mutable mode is the just what it sounds like – it mutates, changes and shifts. It is not stagnant, but moving. And this very much describes Sagittarian energy. Its a very ‘awake’ energy. Sagittarian is bright and vibrant. Ruled by Jupiter – the largest gas planet, it is also considered the energy of the teacher or the guru, the traveler and the student. Sag wants us to expand our horizons, to stretch ourselves outward and have faith that there is more to everything than meets the eye. It governs our beliefs and our philosophies. As one would expect of a Jupiter ruled energy, Sagittarius is comfortable with extremes, it does not need to have the whole picture to take big leaps. Sagittarian energy is always searching. Caroline Casey calls Sag the ‘cosmic collage artist’ searching far and wide for any bit of truth which it happily simply tears out from where ever it finds it. Sag gathers what sparkles to itself, leaving the dross behind, creating a new and bright mosaic of possibility. Sag energy is above all about inspiration. It is bored with tame, tired of familiar, it challenges you to grow and leap and reach and above all to have Faith – yes, with a capital “F”.

For sure Sagittarian energy can seem to go around off half cocked, forgetting the most practical and obvious (factual) things, or it can be so in love with discovering new ideas and thoughts that it never does anything real or tangible with them, or seem to be always caught up in its own drama and journey, that it forgets you might have some thoughts and interests of your own as well and yes, in its ugliest expression is rife with self-righteous and dogmatic perceptions of reality. Every energy has low vibrations and so its good to know about them to keep us honest, but Sag can also take the grim hard and ugly truths and find a way to live with them beautifully and effortlessly. It does this not by turning away, dumbing things down or telling lies, but by simply making its container larger. Ruled by Jupiter it has amazing access to limitless, benevolent love. Love is the great ‘expander’– it somehow can make room for everything. In the Kabbalist tradition Jupiter is associated with Chesed the 4^th Sephirah on the Tree of Life. Chesed in Hebrew relates to mercy, love and service to others. High vibrations of Sagittarian energy embodies those principals, lifting us up, keeping us interested, curious, inspired and in a state of expanding benevolent love.

So if you want to move with the cosmic winds, use this upcoming New Moon to reach out and embody those Sagittarian principals – pick up something and start learning. Dust off that online course you signed up for that has moved to the bottom of your list. There’s lots of webinars out there that will allow you to go even deeper into something you might already have learned a bit about. Depth learning is emphasized with Sag rather than the quick study of Gemini, so go for it and take the plunge. Maybe you need a break from studying… so go somewhere you’ve not been before. Try something you’ve never tried before. Reach out beyond your comfort zone and invite possibility in. Be undaunted and remain curious. Maybe you want to access more of the spirit and faith side of Sagittarius? Go attend a service at a church of a faith you might be unfamiliar with. If ‘God’ is a complicated topic for you, Star Breathing Meditation is a lovely embodiment of Sagittarian principals. Its easy and can be practiced anywhere: On your inhalations, just imagine breathing in bright star light – right into your heart. Deep inhales that fill up your heart with star light. On your exhalations using your internal force push the feeling of love out from your heart. Really feel it, send it out. If you want, you can direct it towards something or someone – even yourself or a painful part of yourself (physical or emotional), but most in line with Sag would be to just to send it in every direction, with every out-breath. You can do this as for as long as you like. This simple breathing meditation has amazing efficacy to shift both internal and external energies with just a few deep and focused breaths.

Sagittarian intention setting would fall along similar lines… decide for next few weeks to say yes at least three times as often as you say no. Decide to trust in serendipity and let the universe guide you down new paths. Or decide instead to pay attention and notice the ways you undermine your own faith in yourself… Listen for that part of you that goes on and on with the same negative self-talk you’ve been hearing for years, when you notice it just laugh and turn away. Say out loud “BOOOORIING!” Remember: If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’ll just keep getting what you’ve got. Time to shift gears and leap into the unknown – it might not be better, but at least it will be different and for Sag energy, that is a great starting place. Or simply practice doing the opposite of what you would normally do, like walk on the other side of the street from your regular chosen route. Just notice what happens – notice what you notice and where that takes you. Noticing patterns, studying them and playing with them is very Sagittarian.

As for a witchy practice? This is a great time to build a fire and howl at the moon! Make some noise, let the universe hear you, don’t be shy. Take up space – it’s ok. Let your freak flag fly! The Truth is too big for any one person to carry, we all just have to hold up our end of it as best we can… SO HOLD IT UP! Shout it out! In the beloved words of Marianne Williamson:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Allow yourself to expand, even to the far edges of your capacity. A beautiful and simple fire ritual from the Andean tradition in line with Sagittarian energy is to take a small stick and a long piece of brightly colored string (preferably of natural fiber). As you sit with your stick and string in hand, take a moment to center and consider what needs transformation in your life. Choose something that you are willing to see from new and broader perspective. Choose something sticky. Choose something that makes you feel pinched and tight, small or powerless. When you have chosen your ‘thing’ tie the string around the stick holding that ‘thing’ firmly in your mind. As you wind the ends of your string around the stick, allow all your questions and heartache, all your concerns and fears, all your angers and ideas – allow everything to flow through you as you wind your string. If you can’t think of one ‘thing’, don’t sweat it. Tie your string and allow your mind to ponder and very slowly wind your string. Notice your emotions and when you feel a bit of a squeeze or tension, tie a knot. Take a deep breath and continue doing the same. In either option, when you get to the end (leaving enough to tie the final knot) say a prayer and simply ask for expansion or transformation. Ask to grow your container. As you tie the knot to secure the string, push some love into it – whatever you have access to at that moment. Burn your stick in your ceremonial fire and remember to give thanks for this opportunity to grow. As you throw your stick, howl out your noise. A whoop of joy, a scream of defiance, a growl of rage, a cry of anguish. Whatever it is, sound it out and allow yourself to be loud about it. If you are doing this ritual with others they can echo your sound and put their energy behind yours to help it along.

Now, before you go off in a Sagittarian rush, let’s consider the eclipse….

There are a lot of theories in astrology and ritual practices that use astrology when it comes to eclipses. Many suggest that ‘magic’ is rather uncontrollable at these times and advise caution. This should make perfect sense if we just follow the ancient law that governs astrology: As above, so below – as inside, so outside. For a total solar eclipse, the Moon positions itself between the Earth and the Sun, blocking out not only the Sun’s light, but also interrupting the flow of “space weather’ (x-rays, radiation etc) that normally bombard our planet. In astrological translation, this means the Moon – the sub-rational, intuitive energies intervene, thwarting the solar ones – the conscious, logical, rational energies. Yin will be stronger than Yang. Objectivity will be eclipsed by subjectivity. If you need a lot of control, this can be a ‘dangerous’ time. Subconscious influences will put its own spin on things. I personally am of the mind (and practice) that those who preach control over magic are missing the most basic principal. Real magic is an energetic conversation.

For the last 200 years, we have been in an astrological cycle of earth. This cycle is fast coming to a close. One short week after this eclipse, we will embark on a new 200 year cycle of air. It bears thinking about for this eclipse sets the stage and offers itself as the threshold – a foyer if you will, into this new era. And what a doorway! The galactic center of our universe is at 26 degrees 10 minutes Sagittarius. This eclipse is falling at 23 degrees 8 minutes Sagittarius. In other words this eclipse is in conjunction with our galactic center. For those of you who don’t know, the galactic center is not simply the rotational center of our own Milky Way, but also what’s known as a “supermassive black hole”. (Go nerd out on Wikipedia to wet your whistle). Make no mistake, this is a very auspicious time. Going back to the 200 year cycle - earth energy (the cycle that we are completing) works on the physical level, it’s about building and accumulating – in other words, “control” is an earth principal. It is easy enough to look around and see how ‘earth bound’ we are. Air energy (the upcoming new cycle) on the other hand works on the intellectual and mental levels; it is more about movement and change, attention and connection. Earth can stagnate, Air can liberate. All of us are here at this time. We all have a part in NOW... and so similarly part of everyone’s lesson/gift - on some basic level – is to relinquish control (earth) and expand into a greater possibility of attentive wholeness (air). It bears remembering too, that when Sag energy seeks to control it moves into dogmatism – its ugliest face. High Sag is grounded in the principal of Love. The energetic axis of Sagittarius uses humility as its fulcrum. Without humility, Sag energy falls into believing it KNOWS best, sees the farthest, fully comprehends the complexities of any given situation. With humility, Sag energy grasps that however far it travels, whatever depths it’s plumbed – there is always more out there… Truth is too big for any one person to hold. Knowing this, understanding truly that it will always fall short, Sag has no choice but to embody both Love and Faith. When Love is your bottom line, you can let go and let the universe guide you. So real magic is not about controlling energy to ‘do your bidding’, its about really being clear on what your bottom line is and gluing yourself there. If you have that fundamental principal sorted, everything else is a conversation, an exploration, a learning process. That’s pure Sag through and through. When partaking in ritual during an eclipse will there be unexpected happenings as a result – yes, for sure. Know this going into it. It’s kinda like being a midwife. Wow… imagine what possibilities we might be able to help welcome into being using the tools of ritual at this very special time?!

New Moon in Scorpio

The Scorpio New Moon is here, and I thought I would share a bit of astrology and witchy suggestions that you can think about or play with.

It has long been a practice in many astrologically influenced traditions to set intentions or begin things on the New Moon. If we organise our intentions or projects to align with the energy that sign is in, it's like setting our sails to have the wind at our backs. And if you want to test the efficacy of such practices, then why not just try it with a sincere and open heart and mind and make a note to assess your intention or project when the Moon is Full in that same sign next.

So Scorpio is a water sign in the fixed mode. Water in all the energetic traditions i have come across deals with emotions. Fixed energies are the stable ones - so they often run very deep. In just this you can see why Scorpio is considered an intense energy. It rules the underbelly, the hidden places, things we avoid and things we hide. It is often where we are our most vulnerable and as plain ol' good sense tells us : it is when we learn to work with our vulnerabilities we often learn to tap into our own power. Which is just the thing most highlighted on Scorpio's agenda. For Scorpio energy wants emotional truth so that it can move from a place of power. Don't mistake me, this is not about finding your happy place. This energy in its fullness can bring you to your knees, but it never has to leave you there. Care must be taken with strong Scorpio energy. Like any energy it has high and low expressions. Yes low expressions of strong Scorpio energy cut deep and leave you feeling vulnerable and alone, but high expressions of Scorpio they are the healing lance that opens up and exposes what is rotting us. It shows the real work needed and gives us stamina for it. It can help bring us to a place of deep healing that gives us a powerful understanding of our own strength, depth and possibility.

So good things to do on a Scorpio New Moon? Clean out your closets or garage! Literal or metaphorical. Scorpio energy encourages us to clean up those places we've been avoiding, get rid of what does not serve us, what we no longer need.  At my first Zen retreat i was confronted by having to say precepts at the start of each morning ('thou shalt nots'). Being younger and much feistier and still in recovery from my fundamentalist christian upbringing, i took great offence and confronted the teacher over them and she asked "which ones do you have a problem with?" and i grabbed the first one that came to mind 'thou shalt not steal', thinking of Les Miserables and all the hungry folks on the planet. And she responded by saying that there was a nun born in the 11th century who said that stealing was keeping anything that you had no need of while others around you did. (well, that shut me up real quick). I am not with this suggesting that you give all you own away, but i do offer this story as a challenge to you to honor Scorpio by digging a little deeper than what feels comfortable or safe. Scorpio is definitely not about abstinence or stoic lack, but again, it wants us to rid ourselves of our protective ignorance that allows rot to fester. So i would suggest instead to contemplate that which has emotional significance for you and see what you are ready to let go of. That would really work the energy of this New Moon. Your closets are in perfect order? Well similarly this is a great time to have that hard conversation that you've been avoiding. Or doing some other thing that makes you feel a bit vulnerable or exposed.

As for intentions, the same rule applies. This is not the best New Moon to give up ice cream or start a new fad diet, but consider some habit or way of being that tends to be 'reactionary' or covering up some hurt or ugliness that you haven't felt willing or able to look at. A great Scorpio intention could simply be to offer to become more curious about that place, those topics. Scorpio is not only the cosmic plumber, but also the cosmic detective. If there is something hidden, Scorpio will find it and bring it to light.

As for witchy practice? That's easy, write something down that you wish to let go of and go offer it to a body of water. And ask for healing. Remember that all magic is powered by the strength of our own heart. Any good doctor will tell you that your belief in your own ability to heal is easily more than half the cure. If you have cleaned out your closets, by all means give it away! One person's trash is another's treasure. You can imagine it all flowing (like water) out and away from you. Send it on its way with a little prayer of thanks for your own abundance and for the room that you now have for something really nourishing and needed to enter.

Happy digging!

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to let everyone know that i have moved to Australia and have finally settled enough to pick up my practice again. Please forgive the long delay and thank you all for your patience.

I am also letting you know that i have changed my donation/exchange policy. Please see the requests a reading page for details.

Hope to hear from you soon!