About me - today, anyway

<
The Planets are inside of us. Just as the Tree of Life is inside of us, and God is within; the whole Universe is there too.

The Planets impel us from within. As we can see and track them from the outside, by looking at the cosmic sky, the forces for change and growth come from the thoughts, impulses, and triggers that emanate from inside of us.

As Mercury conjuncts my Ascendant, natally, it is perfectly appropriate for me to tell my stories – as they relate to the many individuals that make up the collective.

I am not telling of my transits to gain attention, or deeper insight, though that's not a bad idea. I enumerate them to have readers look to their own charts for their stories that each of the planets residing inside of them are spurring them on to act out.

Right now, the transit I was anticipating for years has hit me full-fledge. Neptune is conjunct my natal Sun, which also makes angular hits to my Moon, Venus/Mars, and Jupiter. One big condition of this transit is that it has me wanting to be in a meditative state for a large portion of the day; to escape from the ordinary into a pleasant daydreamy haze.

Neptune is my chart ruler because of my Pisces Ascendant which it trines, natally. I have a 12th house Sun. Neptune naturally rules the 12th house. So, with all that Neptune in me, and now with it on top of my Sun, my day floats away before I know it.

Neptune is nebulous energy. It blurs the lines of distinction between reality and imagination. There is also the impetus to do something to help humanity, but what? It can induce feelings of futility. What's the use? I know it is helpful when people tell me their stories and have me sympathize and listen, but is it worth money? My compassion is free. I analyze charts for them, and send them computer-generated reports, but mostly lately, I can only shrug and tell them to just surrender to what is.

Other than Neptune, Jupiter is right there with it conjuncting my Sun. And let's not forget Chiron. I am having a Chiron return too, which happens when a person is nearing 50. I read Barbara Hand-Clow's “Liquid Light of Sex” which deals with Saturn, Uranus, and Chiron transits. She wrote of the Chiron return as being a point in life where one makes the decision to proceed or die, in short. If I decide to go on living, I will make it absolutely more meaningful. Whether or not that is true, I definitely wish to understand the meaning of life and to live it more purposefully.

Jupiter is the planet that rules expansion. I have been eagerly anticipating the conjunction of Jupiter to my Sun. When any planet aspects one of my personal ones, they all get hit with that energy. I am expanding in consciousness through my alchemist activities. And, I am also expanding physically. None of my old clothes fit. I surrender to what is and get the next size up. Jupiter conjunct my Sun is likened to the Guru asking serious me to lighten up. I had forgotten how to have fun while struggling through so many hard Saturn aspects for a few years. I am much better at making others laugh, than finding what's funny about my hardships.

Besides being Neptunian in nature, I am strongly Jupiterian too. I am optimistic, idealistic, and very interested in belief systems and programming of the mind.

Jupiter is the ancient ruler of Pisces. My natal Jupiter forms a midpoint between my Sun and Moon. That would be such an awesome aspect if it weren't squaring my North and South Nodes. The energy is somewhat blocked. I have had some phenomenal setbacks to experiencing the largess of living that having such a prominent Jupiter would imply.

My natal Jupiter is close to my MC in the 10th house and Pluto has been hovering on it for years now. There's even more calling to do something special for humanity. Pluto rules financial institutions, other people's money, and is the planet that tears down and rebuilds. Right now, I am taking on yet another financial institution for their heartless practice. In the past two years since this transit has been in effect, I have had more dealings, righting wrongs, with insurance agencies, credit card companies, and any vendor who is trying to make a claim to my money in a faulty or greedy manner.

I am much more interested in the world of high finance than I've ever been. Aquarians, generally speaking, aren't usually that astute about such things. I've been listening, sporadically, to Dave Ramsey on talk radio on my long commute home in the wee hours. Not only Dave, but Coast-to-Coast radio too. My mind vacillates between the ethereal and the solid very easily. With Dave, I've reformed a lot of my shallow spending, and credit card mania. I think Pluto within me is reforming the way I think about these things.

And if the conjunctions of Chiron, Jupiter and Neptune to my Sun weren't enough, Uranus has been having his way with me for years now. First, it conjuncted my Sun, then my Ascendant, then natal Mercury and progressed Mercury in the 1st house.

Combine all these transits with my natal North Node in Virgo – which I believe spells out how I am in service to humanity, and you get a stellar pull for me to be doing something more than what I am doing. This Neptune transit blurs the lines of distinction here so I can only surrender to what it is. Actually, I think just Being may be enough.

These signs and aspects, and my thoughts on what they mean, just affirm that what I am doing, who I am doing it with, and why I am doing it are perfect for me. My chart tells my story.

I encourage the study of astrology to all who wish for self-awareness, which is the key to happiness on this planet.

New Moon in Aquarius - Solar Eclipse

I have been attending bi-monthly astrology meetings that started up a couple of months ago in New Orleans. Yesterday's topic was about the eclipse and I did some automatic writing to see what would come out. I shared it with the group and just had the idea to put it out here... this is what came forth.

Aquarian energy is indescribable, though others keep trying to put a box around it's definition. You should know that as soon as there is anything predictable about it, it slips out of your conscious reach and becomes something else. It's shock value is purposeful. If you limit infinity, you come up with a structure that contains some and holds out others. We are seeking a more inclusive society, and if you want to make that a box too, it can happen.

The eclipse was just another event in a series of cosmic events that will bring about an awakening. You can say it's about hopes, drems, wishes, goals, for group unity without uniformity. Group consciousness.

With Neputne travelling in Aquarius, dreams and waking life are interchangeable.

Don't we all harbor hopes of a brother-hood of man where we asist and enable each other to fulfill a life purpose that automatically causes one to have personal happiness and good health? It is a possibility and not just some far off ideal.

We are realizing it NOW.

Sin and degradation is just a by-product of the negative polarity's sway on consciousness. Are you immune from it? No. Dumbing down is exactly what was necessary as the time to advance neared. It is no longer appropriate to get mass herds of people to do grub work. Now the important work is to be done; cleaning up the Earth and the inhabitants that have fallen under the dream of negativy - wars, fear-like religions and relations.

Why this eclipse was something to talk about was because of how close the GURU, Jupiter, was with it. Such expansions in beliefs became possible for those who shut out the ideals of peace and harmony in the land. You know how some love spreading negativity like bad news and gossipy superiority of the "other" of a different belief system.

So, I guess what it boils down to is... be true to yourself. The individual soul is of utmost importance to the collective at this time. We need YOU to fulfill your hopes, dreams, and wishes. You owe it to the group to be who and how you are.

Gemini's looking for data

When I check my stat counter for my blogs to see if anyone is visiting and where they come from, I have an inordinate amount of visitors that are looking for "Gemini Today". It was 107 to 4. The other keywords that were searched for were my name or some variation on the zodiac.

Gemini's deserve some more information for their insatiable curiosity. I am not sure what you are looking for, Gemini, but I'll put something on the table. Eat up.

Gemini energy was hit hard in the past 16 years as Pluto was in the opposite sign of Sagittarius. Pluto - read below and elsewhere - is transformative energy, bringing change whether you liked it or not.

Oppositions denote that the changes were brought on by circumstances or other people; seeming like it wasn't YOU that wanted it, but were forced into it. A move, a job change, a relationship breakup, a death of someone close to you, are all changes that cannot be helped, but ones that might have been necessary for your positive growth.

Now, Uranus in the sign of Pisces is challenging to Gemini as a square. Squares are conflicts that bring about creative change. They're irritating. Pisces is a water sign. Gemini is air. Put simply, water is the world of feelings and the element of air is about thinking.

The Sun Sign is one's identity. Let's review some of Gemini's traits:
Quality: Mutable
Element: Air
Principle: Active
Ruler: Mercury
Anatomy: Lungs, collar bone, hands, arms, shoulders, nervous system
Key Phrase: I think
Keyword: Versatility
Natural sign of the Third House

Positive characteristics: Dual, congenial, curious, adaptable, expressive, quick-witted, literary, dextrous, clever.

Negative characteristics: Changeable, ungrateful, scatterbrained, restless, scheming, lacking in concentration, lacking in follow-through.

I have been married to a Gemini man for 19 years. I have 3 Gemini nieces, one of which is best friends with my teenage daughter, so we see a lot of her. I am familiar with the Gemini qualities, though not all Gemini's are the same, of course.

Ever since someone told me that Gemini's copy others, I have chalked that reason up to why my niece often has to wear the same outfit as my daughter, has to see how my girl's hair is cut so she can get hers cut the same way, and generally wants to do everything my daughter is doing. My girl never minds and easily shares friends and clothes, and anything else. She is almost two years older and appreciates her cousin's affection for her.

My husband is not a typical Gemini. Not with me, anyway. He's not talkative. I attribute that to his natal Mercury opposite Saturn. Mercury is Gemini's ruler, and in all of our charts - Mercury is the sign that rules communication. Saturn inhibits his expressiveness; otherwise, Gemini's are usually quite articulate.

As an air sign, Gemini is in the first quadrant of the chart as a relationship planet. The gift of gab is assigned to it so that they can connect people and ideas. Mercury and Gemini go hand-in-hand for getting that job done.

Hang in there with that Uranus square, Gemini. Manifesting ideas has to be done with feelings. When we focus upon something, using our emotions, we act as superconductors for bringing spirit into matter. Uranus is liberating energy and who better to go with the flow than Gemini.

If you have any questions about how to negotiate the challenges, you know how to reach me. I am Jupiter's Girl.

Pluto squares and oppositions

Pluto is finishing up transforming the identities of people born within the last degree of Virgo, Gemini, Pisces, and Sagittarius (all the mutable signs), and is already agitating those born under the cardinal signs. That means people born at the beginning of those signs, roughly around March 21-23, June 21-3, and Sept 22-24, will experience this transformative energy.

Pluto is an inexorable force, wrote Rob Hand in his "Planets in Transit".

Force is the keyword here. It is regenerative, ultimately. The destruction comes before rebuilding, and therefore it is feared and resisted.

My practice is stepping up with those seeking "how to" surrender to these forceful changes taking place in their life. It is all coinciding with big changes happening in the universe, the world, the country, and in their communities. It is personal to them - and therefore, happening in their homes.

We sit and talk, I hear the words that tell of their wounds that need healing. Pluto has that in spades - healing. Up and out. Pluto is a digger - named of the
God of the underworld. He sees the worst that life can be.

My advice is the usual "surrender to what is". It is not advice to be apathetic. It is absolutely the first step to what can be done to alleviate the suffering the mind puts us through. No guilt, no should haves or should have nots, no worrying about what will be in the future.

Surrendering to what is - it's a very active and aggressive part in the rebuilding process. When you relegate the ego-speak, or mind-talk, to the back of the head, you can hear what your soul has to say.

The soul speaks in impulses and feelings. Listening to it takes faith that all is in divine order. Nothing worth saving will pass out of existence. Let go. Even if you have no faith in divine order of things, let go. Surrender. Pluto will have it no other way, believe it or not.

Things Sagittarian

I have several Sagittarian friends. Being that I am Jupiter's Girl, I am attracted to others that are ruled by Him.

What I love about Sagittarians are their flexibility. They generally go with the flow, rise above problems, and have a funny view of life and the living of it. I always enjoy myself, and stress less, when I am in their orbit.

My bf, Cathy, is actually a Virgo. (I love Virgo energy too, but that's another subject.) Cathy has Sadge rising, with Moon and Saturn conjuncting it very tightly. Because her Virgo Sun squares all of that, and so does her Mercury/Venus conjunction in Virgo, she has had innumerable conflicts in her life. Each time I think a particular crisis is going to be the One to do her in, she manages to come out on top. Jupiter endows her with an enormous optimism that pulls her out of the deep, dark hole she sometimes falls into.

I call my friend Cathy. Her family also calls her 'Cathy'. We have been friends for 30 years now. Other aquaintances may know her as C.W., or Catherine, depending on what part of her soul journey they may have met her in. C.W. is her bartending moniker; Catherine is an artist. She has had several different last names too, as she's been married twice and then took on her mother's maiden name. So, now, my family knows her as the name I call her to differentiate her from other Kathy's; Cathy Williams Stajdel Luminais Reynolds Luminais. I don't know how to fit in the Catherine and C.W. she's become in all of the places she's lived.

My other Sadge friend who visited me yesterday, I know as Diane. Her academic friends know her as Pamela. Her family calls her Pam. She has at least 3 different last names she uses too. She was engaged once, and prematurely started using her married name for making reservations. She never stopped that habit.

My best friend in high school, a Sagittarian that I am still in touch with, is known by a couple of names too, depending on how long one has known her.

Then, there's my web-designer. I still don't know what he's called. He's a Sagittarian also, yet one can just feel his Scorpion energy shining through in the way that he is private about what to call him. He has three names and at least two nicknames. He's given me permission to call him what I want to, but it's a weirdness that I think is particularly assigned to being Sagittarian.

A rose would still be a rose by any other name. Sagittarians need the freedom and flexibility to be called whatever persona they're displaying to the world at any given time, and in any given place. And that's another thing, they move around a lot.

Why visit with an astrologer?

All astrologers are unique; have different methodologies, different insights, preferences, and abilities.

I am a humanist astrologer, finding what's beautiful and good in everyone, applying self-knowledge to relationship harmonization. When you know yourself, embracing all and focusing on your purpose, the connections with others' will naturally smooth out, enabling one to be well-adjusted in their community and immediate environments.

I use natal charts, primarily. I progress it to the present moment, and then check to see which planets are exerting influence in the client's life.

How that can be helpful, and worth the $75 I charge, is to bring about a peace of mind that all is in divine order. If you have that sensation that all is well, then it follows that all IS well and whatever that means comes to pass.

I have done trades for readings. Often times, clients who are having difficulties with planetary energies, if they are bucking the system (so to speak), will also have cash flow issues. It isn't about the money with me. I have done exchanges, and also much pro bono work, which carries it's own exchange as I get smarter and more experience with each case.

Still, the feedback I have received about my counseling sessions is what I am trying to articulate here. Why would anyone visit an astrologer? Maybe you are too close to a situation. I have the gift of gab, compassion for others, and an intuitive feel for all situations that is accurate in assessing what is going on and provides me with the words to use for smoothing over discord.

It is a gift from the heavens, my interest and abilities to interpret charts and apply astrology for navigating one's path in life. I am in service on Earth, this much I know, and have made some mistakes in previous lives with lording over others with my intuitive and healing arts. This time around, as an astrologer, I only use it to empower others to finding their inner guru.

I put a price on a session with me, but really, accessing higher powers and finding inner peace and the joy of Being, is a priceless experience.

Saturn's rule

Things Saturnian: Business and places of business, public buildings, foundations, one's profession, career, vocation, employment, bankruptcy, debts and debtors, foreclosures, one's father, elders, enduring friendships, engineers, architects and architecture, buidling and building materials, landlords, land and property, monks and monasteries, retirement, elders. Body parts: Bones and teeth.

Jazz Fest 2006, my Capricorn friend, with Mercury and Mars in Capricorn also, and I were hooking up to do the festival together. I told her I was going to find a parking spot on the street. She was parking in a lot for $25. She fussed at me with all of her Saturn, "you're going to get towed. They're towing and ticketing like crazy. I saw it on the news."

I do not watch the news and even if I had $25 for parking, it's the point with me. If there are free spots, I'd rather spend my money on something else besides parking.

An astrologer friend reminded me that those born with lots of Saturn in their chart would probably get ticketed and towed. They MUST do things correctly, with integrity, not hurting anybody or anything, or else suffer severe consequences. Knowing right from wrong is their main claim to fame. They know it from experience.

Everything worked out fine with my parking situation then. I know what signs to look for and when it is not cool to park on the street. If I have to pay - like I did for Mardi Gras - then no big deal, I have the $$ for it.

When Pluto changed signs to Capricorn on the 25th, coming home from work that night, on the longest bridge in the world, I was going 73 in a 65 mph zone. I got a ticket. I faced Saturn with my guilt. And then I realized how scary this is for some that Pluto will be in Capricorn (after Dec 08) for approximately 16 years. We will all have to be mindful and righteous, or else.

I hate to spend my hard-earned money on a speeding ticket. Nobody got hurt, nor would they have. I had complete control of my vehicle and there was no traffic on the bridge. I have learned not to argue with Saturn. It is not reasonable energy. The fact is, I went out of bounds, and Saturn's job is to pull me back in. Good or bad is besides the point.