Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of May 8th - pay attention to what is shifting

comet by just a shadow left

This is a BIG week. Yes, another one. Next week is big, too. Let's dig in.

On Monday, hit the ground running. Get to work. 

On Tuesday, the North Node moves from Virgo into Leo and the South Node moves from Pisces into Aquarius.

This kicks off a new 18 month cycle where we (as a collective) move toward our destiny by focusing on positive Leo expressions and themes and work through karma (again moving toward our destiny) by releasing and re-balancing completed and 'out of whack' Aquarius expressions and themes.

Our Leo (and Aquarius) natal houses get a renewed focus (in order for us to move our collective story forward) and because Leo is ruled by the Sun, the qualities of our natal Sun Sign are how we do this!

The space we find Leo (also the Sun) in our natal chart is where we are meant to "shine". It's where we are here to "take center stage" in some way.  

It's where we lead ... from our heart.

Ruled by the Sun, Leo truly is the king of the jungle. He is that proud, brave lion. Leo loves attention, applause and isn't shy about stepping into the limelight. In fact he must share his creativity with others and he isn't coy about wanting recognition. Not content to hide out in the chorus, center stage - and top billing - are where he needs to be. Now obviously, he (and we) can take this all a bit too far - Leo also rules greed and ego and arrogance. Some of that energy will rear its head, too, to be worked out. We'll deal with it. 

Leo rules our collective 5th house of creativity, generosity, children, fun, games and romance. Destiny will coax us in these directions by opening doors, windows, peepholes - whatever it takes!

Aquarius rules our collective 11th house of groups, the internet, charities, humanitarian causes, freedom, rebellion, astrology, invention. These are the areas ripe for release, karmic re-balancing (in favor of those 5th house activities), past life debts come due and past life credits are repaid.

For the last couple years I have been writing about crossing our T's and dotting our I's (Virgo!)- doing the thing that is right in front of us, prioritizing our health and the little things that take us to the big things.

Well, here come the big things. What have you been building? Big is the new big now. Yes, I'd say things are about to get BIGLY.

(that makes you nervous doesn't it - I can feel you squirming - it makes me nervous, too - maybe those butterflies have to grow in our bellies before we can release them into the world - yes, I know that's gross, retching up butterflies to save humanity - it's the only visual I've got right now, it's raining again here and I'm cranky)

Instead of the focus on the background nitty-gritty stuff we do - the focus will be on being brave enough to go a little bigger, to step into the limelight and take the center stage of our own life! Yes, our own stage. Don't worry we don't have to play Carnegie Hall - in fact Carnegie Hall rather insists that I don't! It's contractual. But there will be similar butterfly-producing events in our future. We won't be able to avoid them.

With Virgo it was most important to do a good job. In Leo, it's most important we bring our heart to the job we are doing and to be recognized for it.

This is a collective influence. We'll feel this in our individual lives in varying degrees, but we'll all find opportunities for a big old light to be lit on the thing we carry in our heart. Hiding in the crowd or staying emotionally detached or doing something for the good of the group isn't going to cut it.
 
We'll talk about this more over the next few months as we move through it.

We last had the Nodes in Leo/Aquarius between October 1998 and April 2000 and before that between January 1980 and September 1981 - if you had big changes during those periods (I know I did) you can, most likely, expect big changes within similar themes over the next 18 months, too!

The Nodes are hooked into a Grand Fire Trine until mid June with Uranus (in Aries) and Saturn (in Sagittarius) - this will get our Leo/Aquarius party off to a strong start.

PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT IS SHIFTING.

Also on Tuesday the Sun (in Taurus) trines (brakes off) Pluto (in Capricorn). This is good energy for dealing with authority, stepping into a leadership role, diving deep into something financial or values related and for having greater control over our own life.

On Wednesday, we have a big old Full Moon in Scorpio- post to follow. Something comes to light. Something concludes - maybe something began around the time of the Scorpio New Moon last November. The Moon itself is all about going deep with love - maybe we need to let something go to get something that represents what we are really worth - maybe we finally figure out we are really grateful to have what we have. This is a really great Moon for a deep cleaning/cleansing, too - closets, emails, pores - you name it!

The 3rd Mercury/Uranus conjunction makes whatever is going on now even more BIGLY. There could be more surprises, unexpected news and information, and with Eris nearby, the potential for another round of arguments, jealous clashes and angry words.

Third times are powerful. A blunt truth can be delivered now and now we are finally ready to hear it. Unconventional ideas and innovative communications are also possible.

Whatever is changing now, whatever facts we are facing - the outcome of all this will bring more stability as long as we do what needs to be done. It will be obvious what needs to change. There is energetic support for getting on with it. So let's get on with it.

On Thursday, the Moon is void until 1pm EST, so don't start anything new in the morning or push forward with something you want something to come of.

On Thursday and Friday, Mars (in fast moving Gemini) trines Jupiter (still retrograde for a little while longer in Libra) and squares Neptune (in Pisces).

With Mars in "let's do it all" Gemini there could be multiple options with whatever is going on or whatever news we hear and we could have to move/decide quickly. There will probably be one best way forward if we can stay grounded (totally possible with the Sun in stable Taurus) and keep the rose colored glasses tucked inside the eyeglass case.

The action we take might be a bit challenging for us, but the results will be worth the effort. Focus. Go deep, not wide. Peaceful and balanced solutions are totally possible.

This energy is flowing pretty smoothly in that direction provided we aren't over-doing our Neptune - too much imagination, pie-in-the-sky, escape, chemical substances - you get the idea.

Lots of Mars energy this week, so it's a week to take action.

With Mercury (words, communication, ideas) caught between a rock and a hard place between Uranus (unexpected, sudden change, rebellion, revolution) and Eris (let me just say um - Carrie, pig's blood, prom night - get the picture?) it's not all love and light. We can expect some words we didn't see coming and they might not feel good. But this is our 3rd go at this. We've had the pebble. We've had the rock. If we're still standing in the line of fire to get the boulder we can't really blame Sissy Spacek, can we? xo all

Mercury Direct in Aries | answers

the way we come undone by vampire-zombie

Mercury stations direct today at 24 degrees Aries. Normally he/she takes a little time to get going, but being in Aries and conjunct Uranus, whatever has been stalled could start moving forward very quickly. News can be sudden and unexpected. Announcements will take us by surprise. Answers come now.

If we have been fence-sitting about something the pressure will increase to make a decision or circumstances will conspire to make it for us.

Now is the time to apply what we have learned over the past few weeks. So what have we learned over the past few weeks?

We are likely still dealing with an old situation (or something that stalled around April 9th), Mercury isn't covering totally new territory until May 22nd, but the momentum now will be on moving forward with it.

Mercury is direct and within 1 degree of change-maker Uranus and we have the first quarter Moon in Leo - if you have a new idea now or are given new information, you probably want to run with it.

All the personal planets are direct for the first time this year - it took us 1/3 of the year to get here, but here we are. Forward, ho.

xo all (drive safely and take extra care with fire and power tools)

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | a look ahead at the month of May - part l

I am still procrastinating looking too closely at the days much further ahead than May. The seeds of our future are planted now. Our power is in the now. So let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. Plus any reader of my blog can tell you I lean toward negative thinking - more likely to write about the cloudy skies and pits of fire ants than the field of tulips I am standing in when I see these things.

And yes, it's good to know when to pack an umbrella and falling into a dark hole in the ground filled with biting insects doesn't sound all that cozy, especially during Taurus season, and maybe scanning for things like this does make us a little more safe and secure.

Maybe. Maybe not. I am pretty sure it takes our attention away from the tulips though ....

Anyhoo.

Let's take a sneak peak ahead at the month of May and see what kind of astro is kicking up.


(Each time I draw a Tarot card lately for the collective, which I do occasionally to get a feel of things, I get the two of swords. For anyone vaguely familiar with Tarot that's the card with the woman in a long white robe sitting on a stone bench in front of an ocean. We can see an island in the distance behind her and a waning crescent Moon in the sky. She is blindfolded and holding two large swords crossed over her heart/chest. To me this card usually signifies some sort of fence sitting. Our heart is blocked. There is something we don't want to look at. Our time is growing shorter and those swords look very heavy. It carries the energy of that frog in the pot .... ribbet.)

May is alot about MERCURY and also about SATURN and URANUS.

Let's start with Mercury.

He/she (Mercury is rather androgynous) stations direct tomorrow. It will take a couple days for her (and us) to get back to speed. Or maybe since he stations in Aries we will hit the ground running right out of the gate. It's hard to say.

Then she walks forward until May 21st when he gets to the space she turned around from on April 9th and finally on May 22nd he starts covering new territory (am I confusing you by flipping gender pronouns like this - well, good, staying on our toes for the small things is good practice for the bigger ones).

Mercury stations at 24 Aries. At the same time we have Uranus at 25 degrees Aries and Saturn at 26 degrees Sagittarius.

So, next week we will have a Grand Fire Trine, a Full Moon in deep, dark Scorpio and the North Node will move from grounded Virgo into fiery Leo. That's alot! The exciting part of 2017 is starting.

But let's stick with Mercury a little longer. Conversations, communications, ideas and information will be even more important than usual. Stay flexible. We don't want to dig in to a position too deeply that we become so entrenched we can't see any way out. The North Node, in Mercury ruled Virgo for just a few more days is squatting at zero degrees Virgo. Something is trying to get our attention. The stuff that comes up now will matter later.

With Uranus huddled up to Mercury - our thinking can change. That trine to stable Saturn tells me that changes in our thinking made now will provide us with more stability later. With that North Node (collective way forward) about to break into passionate and heart centered Leo - this is exactly the energy we need to break through our limiting thinking patterns. Remember we are set up to crave what is familiar not what is best for us.

Read/study something else. Talk to different people. Write the stuff down that catches our attention now.

With the South Node (what we are releasing) about to move into detached, group-oriented Aquarius it is time to THINK FOR OURSELVES. It's time to bring to the collective the very individual thing we are here to bring. Remember that flock that has been so important, well, maybe we are a bit lost in it now. Herd immunity works until it doesn't. And now it doesn't. That oxygen mask is going to have to go on our own face first for awhile. We are going to see what that feels like.

The world is maybe going to look a whole lot more selfish until we get our groove with this thing and figure out what stays and what goes, what works and what doesn't ..... trust the process.

Back on Thursday with part ll - xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | Week of May 1st - stuff gets freed up

sometimes I think I can see by vampire-zombie

Good-bye "confused, stalled and month we spent all our time looking in the rearview mirror" April. May will provide some welcome energy to get us moving forward.

On Monday, the Moon is in security-oriented and moody Cancer and interacting with our ongoing T-Square. There could be a focus on home, family or real estate.

We continue to have Mercury (communications, conversations, information, thinking) conjunct "anything-can-happen" Uranus. So expect the unexpected for a few more days. If something "out of the blue" hits now our emotions could be all over the place, especially if the news is about a potential impact to our security.

The trine to stabilizing Saturn makes me think the news will be beneficial in the long run (even if it doesn't look that way now - although it might be good from the get-go) or will shore up our structure or bottom line somehow.

We are still in the energy of lightning bolt flashes of genius for the next couple weeks. Remember the idea/thought 'flows to/evolves through' the person/situation best lining up with the energy needed to make it "real". What are we lining up with these days - hint what are we valuing - ie giving our time, money and attention to?

Moon goes void at 4:23PM EST thru midnight. The rest of the week is clear of Void Moons (EST) during work hours.

On Tuesday, the Moon moves into passionate Leo. This is great, fast-moving energy for creativity, playing, interacting with children,

(notice how many times adults "tease" children and think they are "playing" with them - I used to catch myself doing this, too - sometimes I think if we could stop just this one thing we could change the world in one generation or maybe one week since the adult's energy would have to shift)

romance and fun. People will be expressing what they want now. The potential continues for unexpected news and new ways of thinking.

On Wednesday, Mercury stations direct. He will be pretty much standing still all week and very powerful. Post to follow. He won't be covering brand new territory until about the 3rd week of May, but it will still be the first time all year we have all the personal planets - Mercury, Venus and Mars - moving forward at the same time! Whatever has been held up since April 9th will be freed up (likely very quickly). This could already be happening. In Aries, answers, words and situations will be as blunt as they need to be.

Also on Wednesday, the Sun (in Taurus) sextiles (opportunity) Neptune (in Pisces) then on Friday inconjuncts (challenge) Jupiter (retrograde in Libra).

So from Wednesday through Friday - we have a Yod (finger of God) focused on Jupiter - planet of expansion and opportunity (also the energy of getting our hopes too high). Events will conspire to have us focusing on that Jupiter (what house is home to your natal Libra? I ran through some sign themes HERE) like a laser beam. Jupiter is still retrograde, so it is best to go deep rather than wide with this one. We'll talk about this later in the week.

A heads up that the energy from late June to late July will be explosive.

May isn't smooth sailing either so we need to take advantage of every opportunity now to get our ducks in a row. It's Taurus season - focus on what you already own and shoring that up. Get out in nature. Cook something. What can you do to make yourself more comfortable, to create more ease, more value?

We still have that Virgo North Node (for only a few more days!) - small things are big things. 

For example: if we value our time we won't waste it. Put the car keys back. Put them where your muscle memory most naturally wants to put them. So, let's say you've bought an adorable key holder for the wall by the front door, but you most naturally toss the keys on the coffee table. Stop trying to force yourself to use that adorable rack - yes, it's cute, but it doesn't create ease or comfort. Hang something else there and find an equally adorable bowl for the coffee table. Keys go in there.

Imagine you are Michael Jordan, shooting a free throw and it's the last quarter. Yes, you get to imagine cheering crowds and all that jazz, OF COURSE. Consistency is needed. You still have to put the keys in the bowl every time. But you can because you are Michael 'freakin' Jordon.

You aren't searching for your keys anymore. Your life gets more comfortable. You value time and TIME VALUES YOU RIGHT BACK. It gets more stretchy. It's a win-win. Make it easy and then just do it. And now I am imagining Michael Jordan's sneakers. W.T.H.

What we value - ie give our time, attention and money to MATTERS. The stuff we seek is seeking us - let's get serious about clearing up the crap standing in its way. xo all