Morning Star: Astrology for the week of January 9 to January 15, 2017

Monday, January 9, 2017

This morning we wake up to the Moon in Gemini. Her ruler, Mercury, has recently turned direct (at 4:40 AM yesterday). To me, it felt like a slow turn around in which we were given the opportunity to say, “Thank you for the memories; but, now, it's time to move on.”

Memories and a feel of releasing past hauntings are going to be factors for us as we encounter our Full Moon in Cancer. The stellium in Pisces exacerbates this, as well. Cancer remembers. Our emotional body records events even when we don't realize. But, with all planets direct, it's time that we left some things behind us. The Full Moon in Cancer will give us a chance to release or absolve these. Between now and then, though, it's a mushy and slow turn-a-bout. We'll gain speed. But, there is some information that needs to be incorporated and some baggage that needs to be cast off first. That is what much of our week ahead is about. (psst...if I underline it, it means it was likely a quite clear message about what is to come)

The Moon begins early this morning with a square to Venus in Pisces at 3:30 AM. This does feel like a veritable haunting, to a degree. Filled with sweetness and heartache. Perhaps a wafting of things gone by traipses through our dreams. It's not entirely comfortable. It is, indeed, a square. But the bittersweet, potentially remorseful and slightly uncomfortable square does help to set the tone for the day.

We continue sinking and run the risk of over-sleeping as the Moon squares off with Neptune at 9:18 AM. Empathy is high and boundaries are low. This Monday starts off wet, mushy and confusing as we begin to integrate the information that Mercury retrograde has delivered us over the past few weeks.

Venus. At 5:35 PM she meets Jupiter in Libra by sesquisquare. It is subtle. But, it is an aspect that will likely prompt us to reach out. Touch ground. Look for support.

The Moon keeps moving on. Next finding Mars in Pisces by square which definitely speaks of skewed and scattered motivations. Potential confusion. Ambiguity. It's hard to “get into” what it is we want to do because our brains are still trying to right themselves. This bears direct effect upon our Mercury ruled Moon. It may be something we have trouble putting into words. But, it can definitely be felt.

It doesn't make sense right now. It's OK. Give it time. Give yourself time.

Overnight, some relief comes to our Moon via a sextile to Uranus at 2:37 AM. The air clears a bit due this and opens the door for us to see in a more pristine manner how this plays into our internal systems as the Moon also finds Chiron by square at 3:52 AM. You are healing. It still hurts; but, you have been given insight into that hurt for a reason. Something has been secretly infecting you for awhile. Now, you can see how. Now you can mindfully and heartfully begin to deal with it.

I don't see this as an overwhelmingly productive day. To me, it feels a lot like just going through the motions while our minds and hearts are elsewhere. Some activities may be stalled out completely due to weather, illness or other factors. Either way, don't set your sites so much on external production today. There is much work going on inside that bears priority. Keep your hands busy with simple, grounding, mundane tasks as all this settles into your system. We are moving on. But, we are not exactly bolting out of the gate just yet. (But, OH...is that time EVER nigh!). We have to get our heads on straight first. We need to re-calibrate our compasses. Come back into the present and steady our aim. That's our most important task for today. It's likened to final prep work. Packing, preparing for the trip ahead includes deciding what we are taking in relation to where we are going. And, also deciding what we are NOT taking with us on this trip. I promise you, it feels sloggy. But, the inside work you do here is really going to pay off when we get further down this road.

Tuesday, January 10, 2016

After yesterday's grog and slog, this morning the Sun seems to shine a little more brightly through our windows. The Moon is just leaving a trine with Jupiter (4:35 AM) as the Sun rises. There is a feeling of drying out that occurs to a degree here. A bit of a boost that we can all benefit from.

Unfortunately, there is also an opposition to Saturn that occurs around day break as well. So, there is a bit of cumbersome to deal with. A potential for a some fleeting depression or rectification of more difficult to deal with truths. Yet, it does bring solid ground back under our feet. It can provide traction even if the road into this day may have a few rough spots. At times, it may feel as if we are metaphorically bulldozing the ocean floor...which, I didn't know until recently was actually a thing..

All the while, though, the Sun keeps inching into square with Uranus. This perfects just before lunchtime at 20 degrees Cardinal. How we handled what was happening in our emotional bodies yesterday and last night, is going to feed directly into this square. At it's lowest, this square can exacerbate anxiety, impulsiveness and knee-jerk like reactions. But, if we use Saturn to get very grounded and more stable...if we've dealt with the emotional swirl directly instead of just trying to numb it out and/or deny it...we are going to be much more able to deal with the shocks to our systems that this square can bring. We will be more able to not only detach from all this water; but, see exactly how our independence from it can carry us forward rather quickly.

Also, due this, don't overload yourself with stimulation this morning. It's tempting under a Gemini Moon to consume electronic media and over-load our brains with information. I'd steer away from that if at all possible. It's also tempting under a groggy sky to have an extra dose or two of caffeine to get us up and moving. This is not the day for that. We want to be smooth and grounded for this maintaining clear circuitry to help us to conduct this electricity.

How else would the Rooster of 2017 catch on fire other than by lightning...

The BIGGEST thing with any aspect to Uranus is to learn how to invoke pause and maintaining a sense of mindfulness. Adrenaline has a tendency to surge when Uranus is in play. You have to learn to breathe through the fight or flight response in order to discern the best course of action. Going in half-tilted is only going to have you at full tilt by midday. If you need to respond quickly to an emergent situation, you will have the capacity to do so. Just remember, not everything is emergent and doesn't require an immediate response. Take your time and think before you just pop off in response.

There is also a large possibility that some folks meet with the “That's it. I've had enough” mentality here. Like...overly done. Yes, relationship break ups are possible. Finally severing ties to something that has been feeding off you like a leach...also high probability. The severance comes with quite a searing icy feel, too. Quickly. Snap. I'm done...so finally done. In some cases, this will be the “give a damn” break we need to really get OK with moving on.

By 4:39 PM the Moon stares across the zodiac at her current direct ruler still in Sagittarius. This can be an argument. Or it can be you merely incorporating into the emotional body what it is this recent retrograde was all about. Mercury has lessons to teach. We are the student body intently listening to what it is he has to deliver.

Following this opposition, we are given a little time to think things over and settle ourselves. The Moon is Void until entering Cancer at 5:49 PM. So, yeah. After the spark of optimism this morning, the potential unexpected early this afternoon and the “trying to make sense of it all” opposition to Mercury this evening...we return to home to lick our wounds and shelter ourselves with some comfort and self-care. It's all coming back to us now. Clearer and clearer every second. We will need some time, space and self-gentleness in an effort to deal with that and re-orient ourselves.

Overnight, energy is somewhat restored as Mars meets Pluto by sextile at 2:10 AM. This is a gentle energy boost that provides some traction and fortitude as we move forward. At it's lowest, it is controlling and potentially blood thirsty. On the high end though it offers a sense of resolve that accentuates letting go and moving forward.

Wednesday, January 11, 2016

How we incorporate our personal biases, addictions and more elusive pains into our plans is going to play a role in this day. How we manage them is the bigger factor. The Sun in Capricorn greets Chiron in Pisces by sextile this morning. Awareness and acceptance of these inner stirrings directly affects our leadership abilities, our public persona and how we handle our responsibilities. You can allow that knowledge to help you become more empathic toward the “pains” of others or you can allow it to be the boss of your life. I'd rather be the boss of IT, thank you very much. The only thing that will allow that to happen is to directly and consciously recognize and deal with those Chironic issues. Otherwise, those issues end up steering your bus and it may not necessarily be in the direction you truly want to go. This sextile occurs at 6:34 AM.

Mars is still within orb of Pluto. There is bravery here to face these issues down and deal with them in forthright manner. Be accountable for your stuff.

By 7:52 AM, the Moon is in a watery (but beautifully creative and loving) trine with Venus in Pisces that is quickly also followed by a trine to Neptune at 10:06 AM. Oh, there are no limits to the creative magic you can conjure up here. It also gives you opportunity to channel some of these feels into a artistic medium even if that is just by finding the right music whose lyrics or sound perfectly matches the deep dreamy elusive ache in your soul. Sweet misery. As a Pisces Moon, I find myself somewhat both enchanted and tortured by that empty hollow ache that reaches down so deeply that it touches your soul. This is quite an emotive thing that can bring peace and ease as long as you can manage what comes forth from your intuitive and emotive body. Don't fear it. Let it wash over you like tides across a beach. Some things will be washed away but there will be new pebbles on the beach for you to marvel at when we are through. Relax and see where this takes you.

These tides and the oceanic watery feel of the water trines carries us all the way into our evening hours where we find the Moon under pressure from an opposition to Pluto in Capricorn. The final drops are being squeezed out of us here and some may literally feel as if they have been put through one of those old timey laundry wringers. There will be folks that may try to dictate to you how you should feel. Some may be trying to help. Some may just be boundary-less asshats. You decide what is best for you and how it's best to deal with what is going on inside you, period. Remember, sometimes the best tactic to take in a tug-of-war power struggle is just to let go of the rope.

Late tonight, the Moon swamps up again with a trine to Mars in Pisces. Shh...sleep now. Lay ambition down. Float. Dream. Let go. This trine coincides with a solar square to Jupiter at 11:43 PM. Check your perspective and keep your ego in check. Don't over-inflate. But, do allow a gentle sense of returning and warming self confidence enter your sphere. Circle around trusted and wise friends who welcome you with support. You will likely know exactly who those folks are by now.

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Sometimes, even when we let go of exactly what we needed to, it is scary. Yes. Even when it is a overall good thing. Once upon a time, I was out and about walking my dog. That's all I was doing. A daily routine task. But, as I toiled in routine, my brain posed a question to me, “What would you do if all your relationships were just wiped from existence? How would you plan your day if you didn't have someone else to consider in those plans?” The thought brought an instant feel of panic which was quickly followed by tears. I honestly did not know how to answer that question. I couldn't even fathom it. As a person laden with Pisces and Libra, the mere thought of this scared me to death.

I did start thinking about it, though. What WOULD I do? How would I even start my day if I didn't have to worry about how this kid got to school or that kid got home? How would I know what to make for breakfast if there wasn't someone there to ask about their preference? Lo and behold, a snip of an eclipse on a my South Node about a week later brought the chopping off of a branch of my family tree that I completely did not see coming. All these preparatory thoughts began to make a whole lot more sense.

In one sense, the pain of that occurring, veritably being cut out of the lives of people I had known since birth, was horribly excruciating. It was one of those times when I literally ran back to my father's house in an effort to find comfort, direction and advice. That's right. When things get confusing and nutty, this grown woman still runs home to Daddy's house for grounding. I'm blessed to be able to do so.

At any rate, after all the emotions were dealt with. After the air started to clear, I started to have this really odd weightless feeling. As if something that had been holding me back...something I'd been so beholden to and non willing to let go of had been stripped away from me...had been lifted. I was floating. It was both exciting and scary because I really didn't fully understand what was happening.

I experienced this feeling again as my children started coming of age. Especially when my youngest graduated high school. I mean, he didn't go anywhere. He is still living with me as he attends college and steadily prepares to make his own nest. But, there was something about that passage that left me feeling extraordinarily weightless and floaty. I wondered, “What will I do now?”

My children came to me while I was very young. With them, they brought this overwhelming sense of responsibility and accountability. It wasn't just me I had to think about anymore. These little guys depended upon me. I had to ground and grow up. I don't know of any other thing that would have prompted me to do that.

Then, as they got older and met with these maturity passages, I started to wonder how in the world would I even begin to operate without this anchorage. You know? Who would be there to inspire me to stay out of trouble? What would keep me accountable and responsible and prevent me from liquidating my assets and just jumping on a bus to nowhere? That was literally a thought I had. I'm free! I'm free! Run like the wind and do crazy stuff! But, I'm scared! I'm scared! Because this feels really, really weird, too. As if TOO much was possible.

Well, I'm past all that now. Still anchored. Haven't lost my sense of right and wrong. Just given a whole lot more flexibility in what I may decide to do and that, my friends, is a beautiful thing. It's all in dealing with that initial weightless, kind of shocking and disorienting feeling that comes along immediately following any kind of severance.

With that, I welcome you today. For some, it's likely going to feel a lot like the emotional scenarios I just described. I wrote a poem during that time about letting go of balloons and a feeling of free falling. In the end, as it turns out...those weren't balloons that I was letting go but anchors. I wasn't free falling. I was floating. It may take us some time before we understand that.

This morning the Full Moon in Cancer blossoms at 22 degrees and 27 minutes of our Cardinal signs. And, it is a full blown release Moon, for sure, as we find our Sun and Moon very near Pluto in Capricorn while crossing over the opposition between Jupiter and Uranus. There is also a very tight trine to Chiron in Pisces. I encourage you to release your grip. Let it go. Whatever it is. Whatever the retrograde reminded you of. Whatever Chiron brought to the surface. Whatever wakes up and decides to walk a straight bee line out of your life right now..LET. IT. GO. Expect it to feel a little weird, emotional and disoriented for a little bit. Yet, also know this leads to a Void. An empty space. Ready for you to you fill it with whatever you want after we've fully mourned the loss and can effectively deal with this feeling of empty floating weightlessness. It's ok. Give it time. You'll realize you are actually rising...not sinking. Eventually.

Following the perfection of the Full Moon, she is Void until entering Leo at 7:08 PM. By then, Mercury will have moved into Capricorn (9:04 AM) and Venus will sink into Neptune by conjunction (4:54 PM).

Be easy now. It all feels emotionally punctuated and confusing right now. But, you are, in fact, coming home to yourself. Again, it's just going to take a little time.

The Sabian Symbols for this Full Moon read as follows (this time, I've included my own delineations):

For the Sun at Capricorn 23: A soldier receives decorously two awards for bravery. This symbol denotes reward well earned. Apparently the soldier has been through previous trials and battles in which he emerged successful. That is publicly recognized here. Personal worth is acknowledged externally and good fortune is well earned.

For the Moon at Cancer 23: A group of intellectual individuals meet for discussion. This denotes a gathering in an effort to create advancement for society as a whole. A veritable meeting of the minds in which ideas are exchanged freely and amicably.

Friday, January 13, 2017

Triskaidekaphobics all across the world are shaking in their boots today. Friday the 13^th damn near snuck up on us! But, here it is.

This morning we wake up to the Moon in Leo. Aaaand that's about it! There are a slew of minor aspects that work to color in the personal nuance of this day. But, the Moon makes no major aspect until tomorrow morning's early trine with Uranus.

We spend most of the day sorting things out. Allowing the dust to settle. Dealing with the sneaky fear of running into Jason Vorhees just around the corner. Ah, come on. Even the special effects from those movies are sooo out of date now. They are even kind of humorous to go back and watch.

Either way, it's a day in which we re-find our sense of self in our own individual ways. We are continually drying out and by tomorrow, we are fully ready to break free from some of this cumbersome and face brighter days.

Saturday, January 14, 2017

This morning we wake up to a get-up-and-go trine from the Leo Moon to Uranus in Aries at 6:26 AM. Many will feel like it's time to get up and get out to shake the dust off. Try new things. Most will feel much better.

This trine is followed by an uplifting and cheerful sextile to Jupiter in Libra at 9:21 AM and a fiery but stable trine to Saturn at 10:18 AM. Sense of purpose and destination has been restored. Again, gently feeling a little better every minute.

Following the trine with Saturn, the Leo Moon falls into Void status (WOW! That was quick!). She is sent out on a more buoyant and bright note. Go with and build upon that. Be the beautiful warm you that you are.

The Moon remains Void until entering Virgo at 10:53 PM. Now. You KNOW this means that our incoming sky is going to be filled with standoffs between the Virgo Moon and all else that resides in mutable right now. So, brace yourself for the ground to get a little shaky and for the tides to rise. It's likely to be minimal in comparison to what we've come through this week. But, still apparent. Employ what you've learned on this forward moving venture..but keep moving. Keep letting go. Keep separating the wheat from the chaff as you filter things through according to their priority.

Most of this day, though, comes through as a welcomed relief. Enjoy that.

Sunday, January 15, 2017

As promised, today begins our mutable stand-offs. Overnight, the Moon passed over Mercury, back in Capricorn, by trine. This worked to pre-steady us for what we are headed into over the course of the next few days.

This morning, the Moon resides in Virgo and stands in opposition to both Venus and Neptune in Pisces between 5:09 PM and 10:59 PM. It's a touch and go exercise of bittersweet and release. There is a feeling of reaping what we've sown and, certainly, a time to seek closure. Be gentle with yourself. This can, indeed, cause heartache and unsoothing yearning for “How things once were.” Care for yourself gently through that. It's going to be OK. Really. It is. Don't you dare turn back.

This wishy washy sentiment carries us through most of our day today. From here the Moon begins to wax into a restorative trine with Pluto in Capricorn which perfects in our early morning hours of Monday. But, Mars is also sneaking up on Chiron by conjunction that day too. All the work you do in dealing effectively with your emotional body and those Chironic issues is going to color your actions. So, reverting back to quiet and self-care efforts during today is going to be nothing but a boon to those efforts.

As a matter of fact, as Mars finds Chiron tomorrow, the Moon is opposing and all are in square to Saturn. The outlet for that mutable mush is found in Gemini (* screams * WHY MONDAY? WHY?). Don't forget what the Mercury Retrograde taught you. Lean into those lessons and start employing them. Tomorrow is likely to be tough, my kittens. Be easy with yourself today. Rest. Absolve. Release. Spiritual cleansing efforts such as burning sage or just sweeping the dust out the door are smart exercises. Keep clearing out space. Clean something. Again the toil of routine and putting physical chaos into order does something to help us sort things out on the inside, too.