As we embark on the new Gregorian calendar year, we have quite a few astrological shifts to help us move out of the old paradigms and into a fresh perspective! A New Moon and Solar Eclipse will start us out on January 6th, with the Sun and Moon joining in Sidereal Sagittarius and the eclipse point being at the beginning of Capricorn, ready to move (backwards, as nodal axis points do) into Sag itself in March. Coming on the end of a somewhat brutal year with the South node joined Mars for 6 months from May to October, I think we are all just about over this particular axis and happy to bid it adieu! What a way to send it off… with the day the Earth and Sun are closest to each other (January 3rd), which will be hot in the Southern Hemisphere, but cold in the Northern Hemisphere, a meteor shower the early hours of Jan 4th , the New Moon/partial solar eclipse on January 5th- 6th and finally an epic Super Blood Moon Full Lunar Eclipse on January 20-21!! Whew!

 The first of these two eclipses, the Partial Solar Eclipse on Jan 5th & 6th, although not visible from the US, as it’s max point will be 5:40 pm PST, will be felt as our Power, Authority and Consciousness being partially re-set or “eclipsed”. This will be a time to really check in with our Teachings, Teachers and Belief Systems as the Sun is in Sagittarius, and to allow our more practical, functional selves to show us what is and is not working in the application of these teachings, from the Eclipse point (Ketu) in Capricorn.

The New Moon is in the nakshatra of Purva Ashada, at approximately 21 degrees sidereal Sagittarius. This is the star of “Early Victory” where we tend to what we have planted in the open-earth wounds left by the destruction of the previous star of Mula, “the Root”. Here we feel the “victory” of putting energy into the seedlings we have begun to give life to. In Sagittarius, we are filled with Purpose, and passionate about what we Believe. Teachers, teachings and religious study can all be found in this section of the sky… we operate on Faith and Spirituality, rather than Fact and Intellect to determine what is True.

Mercury has also moved into Sagittarius, leaving behind impassioned speech in Scorpio and taking up the higher road in Sagittarius. This can definitely increase the chances that we will use our words to promote our beliefs, regardless of whether we practice those beliefs ourselves or if they are “sound belief systems”. Many of which are not. With our mouth on its pulpit and Saturn and the Sun still in super close conjunction (the Sun has just crossed Saturn, which is still combust, or being burned by its hot rays) we need to be careful of feeling like the underdog or like the world is full of evil step-mothers and sisters and we are poor Cinderella. Life may have been feeling quite burdensome the last week or so and we may feel we are being asked to shoulder more than our share of life’s hardships. Before we throw a vocal pity party parading our beliefs into a one-person play about why it’s so unfair, let’s take a minute to weigh in with how we create our own reality (see Jupiter in Scorpio above) and what we can do about changing it (see Mars in Pisces). Also, the Earth is rotating along and Saturn will soon be out of this combustion, so your outlook is likely to be improving already.


Mars moved into Pisces on December 22nd, right after the Full Moon and Winter Solstice. It will be here until February 6th, beginning a month and a half of Action, Discipline and Courage in the direction of our beliefs. Because Pisces is the feminine, watery side of our Jupiterian Wisdom and Principles, we might find our actions to be guided by our feelings, intuitions and spiritual connections. Mars and Jupiter are in an exchange of signs here, with Jupiter aspecting from his perch in Scorpio. This exchange offers both planets more assistance in assimilating the energetics of the sign they are in. The ruler of the sign giving dristhi (gaze) also adds power and intelligence to the planet. Scorpio is the feminine, watery nature of Mars, where we go inside ourselves and courageously face our fears. Jupiter is able to use his wise teachings to journey into the deep in a skillful and productive way that will help us to uncover our own true wisdom here. We will be given the courage we need to take our principles and ideals and spiritual teachings into practice, as well as the insight to see where we are not already doing so. This is a powerful time for us to set up real intentions and the necessary follow through to make them happen.

Venus moved out of her home sign of Libra, and into Scorpio, where we might find a bit more depth in our relating and relationships. Shallow is not going to work here, nor is placating or agreeing, just to get along. In Scorpio, we are more likely to have emotional outbursts, strong displays of passionate feelings and fears coming to the surface. We are also more likely to want to control our partners. Hopefully, the presence of Jupiter in this same sign will help us to continue to aspire towards higher spiritual presence in our relationship with ourselves, which will then contribute to how we show up in relationship to others. As Venus moves closer to Jupiter in the weeks to come, be careful of spiritually bypassing others and/or trying to control your hold on people by using spiritual teachings to justify your perspective. In general, the best way to use our teachings is for self-betterment, not to tell others how to be. Of course, teachers will often show how the teachings can improve student’s lives, but as we are seeing more and more, if they are not also practicing what they preach, then it leads to false guidance and often abuse of power...

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The Winter Solstice is December 21st 2:22pm PST and we see the Moon in Taurus with dristhi from Mars, Jupiter and Mercury. Wisdom is possible, emotional and passionate experiences with information getting and receiving is likely and as we get closer to the Solstice, a short fuse might get you in trouble!

Full Moon is at 9;48am December 22nd and is in sidereal Gemini. We will be in the most tumultuous axis in the sky with a chance for some storms in our Minds. Don't let the lightning strike go unnoticed, Big Change on a personal level is at hand. Your mind must be rearranged and your going to need all that self-awareness and wisdom you have been cultivating in the last two months. Recognize your bias when you hear or read things and how that affects what you send back out into the world.
The Sun is moving closer to Saturn, causing us to feel the heavy weight of life's responsibilities. Don't let it get you down, try to find some joy in what you must do, or work in the direction of what inspires you. Allow yourself to see other's burdens and help lift each other up. This will help quell feelings of loneliness as well as the feeling that you have it soooo hard. While it won't pass as quickly as the full moon, it too, will eventually pass.

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As the Sun shifts into Sidereal Sagittarius, we are jumping into the unknown as we move to Fire (Sagittarius) from Water (Scorpio) in the zodiac. It is called Dhanu Sankranti and is happening December 16th (late hours of Dec 15th in Pacific Time). In India, it is a time to honor the Sun, Surya, and to celebrate Krishna defeating the evil Kansa in a Bow Ceremony (Dhanu is the Sanskrit for “Bow” and is also the name for the constellation of Sagittarius). There is always a shift in consciousness when the Sun changes signs (Sankranti).



These points where the water signs (Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces) end and the fire signs (Leo, Sagittarius, and Aries) begin are referred to as Gandanta points in Vedic Astrology. All the other signs have a star, a nakshatra that bridges the sign before and the one after together. Between Fire and Earth, between Earth and Air, and between Air and Water...but not between Water and Fire. There we come to an abrupt end and a harsh new beginning. These are also the points where we end a phase of the zodiac and begin a new one. The point between Cancer and Leo is the end of the period of focus on “Self” and the beginning of focus on “Others”. The point between Scorpio and Sagittarius (where we are now) is the end of the focus on “Others” and the beginning of the focus on “Universal” concerns. The point between Pisces and Aries, also the end and start of the zodiac, is where we go back to “Self” from “Universal”.
Not only is the Gandanta point harsh, but this jump we are in is to the nakshatra, Mula, which is on the most intense axis in the sky. At this point in the zodiac, we are uprooting (Mula means “the root”) everything that did not work, everything we learned was based on false premise and fear in the previous sign and phase, to eventually replant something new that hopefully will work. First of there must be destruction, tearing down of old ways and structures. Second, there will be holes, big gaping wounds where we lay waste to what was. Only then, can we begin to consciously replant and cover the holes and tend to our new garden. Mula is ruled by Nirriti, the goddess of destruction and chaos. Often associated with Kali, she lacks the nurturing, protective blanket that Kali covers us in. She is not killing for us, we are not like her children...she is letting loose around, through and in us. She is wild, untamed and free of attachment.


As we enter into this final phase of the zodiac, we are also coming to the end of the Sun's journey of the dark. The Winter Solstice on December 21st, marks the Sun's darkest point and from there he will climb towards the light, with every day becoming more light again. The Sun is our Power, our Highest Self, our Sense of Responsibility and our Soul Consciousness. As we wane to dark here, it is this part of us that must surrender to the unknown. The truest power is in embracing the unknown, because it will always be there. If we are not comfortable in the dark, then we will never truly be comfortable in the light either. Only when we face our deepest fears (Scorpio) can we have the courage to undo the tired ways and get out of the cycle of Mine and Yours. We are toddlers until we can take on the bigger world view, and even then we are like teenagers. So long as we struggle we are in the world, and that is ok, because we are indeed here. Nirriti and Mula teach us to embrace the struggle, and accept that we will never be “ok” or “at rest”...the Winter Solstice teaches us to let it go. The Serenity Prayer comes to me here, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”


May all be blessed and all be free. Hare Ohm

New Moon in sidereal Scorpio December 6th, 11:20 pm PT (Dec 7th in some places). We must embrace the darkness of the phase of the Moon (New Moon) and honor our lack of vitality and face our deepest fears in the placement that is the most emotionally unstable for our mind and emotions.

In the nakshatra, or star, of Jyestha, we are called upon for bravery and courage...without false bravado or ego. Joined Jupiter and a now stationary-direct Mercury...We can see ourselves in the mirror of our suffering and while our first instinct might be to blame the other, we are eventually inspired to go deeper and see the ways we are creating our own prisons. This is the New Moon where we face our fears and the ways we hold ourselves hostage, and we learn how to Break Free!

Watch the video to hear the story of Indra captured in his own prison and how it applies to you!

Ashwini: the twin horsemen, get started on the healing path you've been clearing all month!

Tuesday, Oct 23rd, The Full Moon Night of the Goddess Lakshmi...stay up to receive her sweet blessings! Venus Retrograde gives her dristhi to this Full Moon and we find ourselves diving deep with Jupiter in Scorpio...
https://youtu.be/3H-kVQv-7LE

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New Moon in sidereal Virgo in the nakshatra of Hasta. The healing hand. It is open to release that which is no longer needed and also open to receive that which you wish to bring in.

Venus is Retrograde from Oct 5th-November 16th in her own sign of Libra, time to take stock of ourselves in Relationship and the ways in which we compromise or don’t compromise.

Durga Navaratri from Oct 9th (India) to 18th. Time to bring forth the army of shake to slay our demons and set ourselves free. Also time to have deep compassion for ourselves as we dive deep into our own dark places.

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As I write this it is 7:24, 30 minutes before exact degrees of the Full Moon in Pisces (by the time you get this, it will be past the Full Moon because it's been a rough few days;-) This Full Moon is happening in the sidereal (Vedic) sign of Pisces, offering intuition, connection to spirit and a footless and wandering Mind. The specific star, or nakshatra, this Moon is in is called Uttara Bhadra Pada and is the 'Later Blessed Result” Where we move deep into what were once only spiritual glimpses and find the truth in the poison. This nakshatra is ruled by Ahirbudhnya, the serpent of the deep and forces us to go within and either surrender or essentially choke on our own toxicity. The second to last star of the Vedic zodiac, it is a place where there is potential for deep spiritual wisdom.

...We are still in the midst of a Mars/Ketu conjunction, although it is beginning to separate and the Sun is now 4 degrees away from Mercury, offering a little bit more room for feeling heard, although not too much. The Sun and Mercury are across from the Moon in Sidereal Virgo, where we have been offering our Power and Communication to the details. While speech and information collecting is generally more fact-based and accurate with Mercury in its home sign (and also where it's exalted) of Virgo, joined the Sun in close degrees we may feel a bit of a short fuse in both the speaking and the listening department. We might also be extra touchy as the Sun in Virgo emanates self-doubt, criticism and a strong urge to purify and organize. With the Moon in the dreamy, selfless waters of Pisces, we may have a particularly spacey drive to do things right now. While we are activated to finish off whatever began in May for us in the house Mars and Ketu are exploding, we are not present with the details and can easily get sidetracked on a different course. To boot, we are easy to react with such a touchy situation in Virgo, even as we know better. Especially since we likely compromised on our beliefs somewhere along the way with the Jupiter/Venus conjunction in Libra....Where does this leave us now? Well, hoping to make it till the end of the week, I suppose;-) With all this energy, it's a great time to clean, organize or jump start a personal project (not someone else's)...it is not necessarily the best time to co-create, as the Virgo in us is feeling pretty sure that everyone else is not doing “it” right. Also, our lack of attention to the details will not likely be missed by others, who will quickly point out our fallibilities and probably not in the gentlest of ways. While many a Full Moon are great to socialize, this one might be better for solo projects or at least group efforts where everyone has their roles carefully partitioned out. It is also a great time to connect to your spiritual practices and forms of divination and to soak in healing water.


As for my own Epic Fail during this Full Moon....
Even when you tune into the rhythms and try to circumvent disaster, at times it is imminent and all you can do is keep reflecting back to yourself and make a new choice and then if the choices keep leading you back to one thing, it may be time to explode that thing. As a spiritual teacher, I find it important to recognize where I am still doing my work and becoming more whole. While I always engage with the information I am offering as advice we all can look at, including me, it is nice to show examples of our own fallibilities and also wins.

On the 20th, right after the Moon passed over Mars and Ketu but two days before they entered exact degrees, a friend of mine who has been graciously hosting my son and I while we figure out where we are going to live leaves on a trip and drops the unpleasant surprise that he has invited a friend of his (whom I have met) to stay in his room while he is away because she is going through some challenging times as well. I expressed to him that I haven't really “bonded” with that particular friend and that I was really counting on having the space to myself, as we had previously agreed. I felt hurt that he did not discuss it with me or hold any space for me and my son's experience. This is where I felt un-listened to-Combust Mercury. This is also where I compromised on my beliefs-Venus/Jupiter conjunction in Libra because I didn't really call him out on the fact that he was just completely changing our agreement without any notice or discussion. I decided to “have compassion” for her situation. Venus in Libra...trying to make compromises so everyone wins, and on his part, trying to make everyone happy.

Fast-forward to the 22nd, the day of reckoning Mars and Ketu in exact degrees, an explosive alignment we have seen two other times this summer. She has now crossed several boundaries of mine over the past two days, which I have quickly and kindly addressed and explained what my boundary is. A big win for me, not my forte! She begins a “clean-up” mission on the place and I decide to help her, thinking it will be good for our friend and maybe we can get rid of some of the extra clutter. Before I know it, she has gone literally ballistic and is throwing out everything he owns. I had to beg her to allow me to bring some stuff to Goodwill at least instead of tossing his lifetime of memories with his deceased wife in the trash chute, which she repeatedly reminded me was “right outside the door”. On the 23rd, I drove the stuff to Goodwill and then had to go out of town about two hours drive to deal with some previous engagements I had.

I came home the next day, the Full Moon, the 24th,, to find she had gotten rid of the couch, carpet, multiple other furniture items and almost every piece of art this man owns. His place looks empty and sad. To boot, I had begged this woman to wait two more days until I could get my son and I on the road for a trip before she did any serious clearing and cleaning.  Enter Mars/Ketu with precise language and short fuse of Mercury/Sun in Virgo! I let loose on her, letting her know exactly how I felt about her behavior. I explained to her in a loud voice how she had been crossing my boundaries since she arrived and every time I asked her not to do something, she did it anyway. She had no regard for me or the owner (our friend) and in my eyes, needed to be put in her place and let it be known that I recognized her behavior. She also was not present with the details or effects of what she was doing, nor was I.. in berating her, I was swallowing my own poison (Uttara Bhadrapada) nor was our mutual friend, avoiding conflict at all costs and continuing to just “go with the flow”- Moon in Pisces.
I was, however able to find the spiritual lesson in it all (which is also Pisces), and write a loving and kind letter to my friend thanking him for all his kind and generous help, bringing to his awareness this woman's actions over the last few days, offering what would've worked better for me in our communication, and sending him much love. He didn't necessarily receive it as I intended, but that is really not for me to be concerned with, except into see the ways that maybe I could communicate better. By owning my feelings and seeing what took place to unravel my sense of stability, I made peace with it, whether or not anyone else could see their role. As far as her, I have set a boundary that unfortunately had to be incredibly firm, but it was ultimately effective in keeping me and my child safe from anymore disruption to our lives. Boundaries have to do with Saturn and it has been direct since the beginning of September, offering us stronger boundaries, especially in the area of what we believe to be right, Sagittarius.

My first pick is to not have to deal with a person whom has a lack of capacity to work with or respect others, but often it is not immediate that the change can take place. So, we work with what we have at our disposal in every moment and then get out as soon as possible. I had actually one day before made a vow to myself to start setting my boundaries a little farther from myself, so I didn't have to set them so close later. Then enters the situation where my opinion is dismissed and my control thwarted. I made the decision to leave right away but needed to secure a new situation, which happened instantly, but was days away from being ready to move.
I think it is so important that we own our part in conflict and are constantly looking at our own blind spots and places we need to grow. We don't always have a win, sometimes we do or say something we regret, but if we always just keep being aware and trying to dive in deeper, we are on the right path.
I do want to say that one of the less positive things that can happen in spiritual communities or pseudo-spiritual communities is that we can and do overlook personality disorders or abusive situations when we focus only on “doing the work”. Yes, we each, even when we are the abused or “taken advantage of” often must do personal work to see where we could better hold our boundaries, but sometimes they are crossed anyway. We also should and need to Get Out of the situation first. Often, in order for that to happen, we have to recognize the behavior as abusive or “wrong”. This requires looking at the other person with discernment, in a way many pseudo-spiritual practices tacitly or overtly avoid and consider “bad”. I believe true spiritual practices support looking at others with discernment and holding one's boundaries, and of course trying to honor those of others...
Hope this was helpful and insightful and that you had a productive and deep Full Moon, busy busting up the last of what Mars and Ketu have to do in whatever house Capricorn is in your sidereal (Vedic) chart. If you want more insight on that, and also Venus' placement for the next few months, sign up for our mailing list and you will receive the FREE report on Mars and Venus till the end of 2018 for all 12 rising signs!

New Moon in the star of Purva Phalguni, ruled by the god of Delight, Bhaga, on Sunday, September 9th at 11:01 am Pacific Time. Enjoy the riches and the kingdom, but don't get too caught up in what you see, looks can be deceiving! With Venus in her home sign of Libra until the end of 2018, we can expect to enjoy some pleasure for the next four months but we must balance that with our external responsibilities and making sure everyone is in on the fun.  This is a great time to repair relationships and bring some harmony and love into your life.

Saturn is finally direct after a loooong retrograde cycle! Get ready to move forward on making commitments, setting and keeping your boundaries and doing the hard work in service of your higher beliefs and ideals (Saturn is in Sagittarius).

Mars and Ketu come together One last time this year, and then are we ever READY for that partnership to go their separate ways, BUT there is clearly just a little bit more we need to DO in order to finish the cycle of karma there, so hold tight and grab that Courage. Whatever house Ketu is in for you right now will be the indicator of what area of your life has specifically exploded this summer, and of course we have all reaped the fiery, global and geological effects of this alignment. Don't put away your bolt bag quite yet, it may still come in handy as things heat up again leading into the 19th-22nd of September;-)

Mercury and Sun are joined in Leo right now and will move onto Virgo by the time Mars and Ketu come back together for a very tight combustion. Combustion might make you feel unheard, while the two are in Leo and you can expect that to make you taLK LOUDERRR! While in Virgo you can expect it to make you very anxious and self-aware and in turn hyper-categorizing of others. Watch that your words don't topple you off your throne in the immediate and land you on a one-way ticket to Self and Other Critical-land in the near future.
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