Back to Back New Moons in Cancer & Solar Eclipses
July 28, 2009 by
Filed under Reflections From Friends
by Anne Morgan
As you know, I welcome questions from readers. This week’s query is:
“What is my take on the back to back new Moons in Cancer and the upcoming solar eclipse?”
June’s New Moon (Lunation) was at Cancer 1 degree 30 minutes on June 22. On July 22, the New Moon falls at Cancer 29.27. This New Moon is conjunct and parallel the Sun. thus creating a solar eclipse.
Solar eclipses occur twice a year. They affect the Earth’s electromagnetic (near cosmic) field. During total eclipses, birds fly about excitedly, night creatures come out of their dens, predators howl, roosters crow, diurnal animals go to sleep, flowers close their blossoms.
Eclipses mark emphasis and crisis—in world astrology and personal horoscopes. The most important factor in personal delineations is in which of the twelve houses the eclipse falls. The eclipse emphasizes matters ruled by that house, and tends to bring them to a crisis stage.
What house(s) in your chart contain Cancer 1.30 and Cancer 29.27? Crisis does not necessarily mean bad. Crisis means simply that you will be required by events in your life to devote more time, attention and energy to some matter(s) than usual.
The January 2009 solar eclipse was at Aquarius 6.38. A meditation for that eclipse is: ‘The emergence of a new type of human being according to the great rhythms of the cosmos.’
The impulse of the January eclipse offered each of us the opportunity to become new. We can evolve, transform. We can be fresh projections of the creative spirit, free from patterns of local culture or racial tradition.
Rolling that information into the current Jupiter-Neptune retrograde transit, stressful events occurring now are showing us what, where, and how we need to change our personal natures to become transformed Spirits, in alignment with the Planetary Whole. What an opportunity! Not to be feared, but celebrated.
Now, wisdom cycles a new Solar eclipse in the final degree of Cancer. A meditation for this eclipse is: ‘Choosing a path that embodies and glorifies a new structure that is built on the struggles of the past.”
What have you been struggling with? What encounters have taxed your composure? Stressed your wallet? Threatened your security? What bombs have you lobbed—ostensibly in self-defense?
Think on this. Starting his week, and lasting until the next solar eclipse in early 2010, is the cosmic time to set up a new system of personal rules, to codify things in a fresh, new way. Be reborn.
Look to the houses that are hosting the eclipses, and Aquarius 23 to 26 degrees. Refer back to my description of matters governed by the houses.
Everyone is responding to the planetary energy. To what degree of consciousness is up to you.
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More on the Signs by Anne Morgan
July 15, 2009 by
Filed under Reflections From Friends
Practical Astrology for an Imperfect World 1.7
Fire Signs are Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. The fiery element brings self-assertion and active manifestation. People with predominate fire signs (Sun sign, Moon sign, rising sign) tend to be positive, forceful, self-confident, and aggressive. They are inclined to faith and optimism; fond of good living, sport, exercise, company or adventure. They are generally ready for what is new. They are willing to take chances and accept changes.
Overly fiery people are ceaselessly energetic and exuberant. They can be extravagant and flashy. They can be reckless gamblers; they can be thoughtless or careless; they can be arrogant or coarse in nature. They feel little sympathy for those who are weak.
Lack of fire in a chart brings a lack of enthusiasm. The native seldom feels a joy for living. He is overly serious, hum-drum-ly tedious, or boring. He does not know how to play.
Water signs are Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. Water is the opposite element of Fire. Fire snaps into action; water flows and seeks level. Fire consumes itself with frenetic activity; water holds back and protects itself. Fire acts without deliberation; water embodies prudence and forethought.
Water nature people are sympathetic and protective—of self and others. They desire to shield and protect, to soothe and nurture. They tend to be the last to leap, and are perfectly content to let everyone else go first. They’d rather let others break down the doors and test a new environment. They are the pools of water that extinguish fiery people.
Individuals with an excess of planets in water signs can be too timid, very suspicious, overly distrustful of self and others. All water signs are sensitive, and tend to keep their feelings and thoughts to themselves.
Fire and water are largely primitive and instinctive. They deal on the level of spontaneous emotion and impulses, rather than with deliberately planned ideas.
Earth and air are mental and purposeful. Air designs, Earth builds.
Earth signs are Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. These signs represent the mind applied to material ends. They are the craftspeople, the builders, the practical scientists. These are the people who built the structures of our civilization. These are stable personalities, lovers of order and rules. They dot the ‘I’s’ and cross the “T’s.” They value practicality over idealism, tradition over change, concrete over abstractions.
Overly earthy individuals tend to be materialistic. Sordid, commonplace, utilitarian in a narrow sense. They are slaves to routine, law, and order. Earth can be a limiting element, and makes the personality dry, the approach to live mere matter-of-fact, the general outlook circumscribed.
Lack of planets in earth signs means the individual will have difficulty bringing forth tangible or useful results.
Air signs are Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius. People with many planets in air signs are intellectual, refined, thoughtful. They think in abstract terms and quote theory. They seek truth and ideal. They tend to be co-operative, unitive, and harmonious in action.
A preponderance of air planets tends to make the individual be divorced from what is real and practical. She spends her time day dreaming, prefers to work with ideas, rather than concrete objects. The artist or musician appreciates art and music, but does not have the inner stick-to-it-ness to create works of art or musical composition.
When the elements of a chart are in balance, there is considerable power for both planning and carrying out great/good works. There is the will force to get started—and to finish; there is the intellect to design around the sensitive appreciation of the needs of others.
Look again at your chart. Tally the number of planets in fire, earth, air, and water signs. Add one point for the element of the Ascendant (rising) sign and one point for the Midheaven sign. What element has the greatest number? Which is the lowest?
There is no bad ranking. Understanding is what we’re after—the ability to look honestly at yourself—to ‘Know Thyself.’ Your horoscope describes you as you came (willingly) back to earth, into your body and your life. You are a fine and worthy human being.
Since you were born, you have learned to compensate for weaknesses and capitalize on your strengths. Is there something you could consciously do (or not do) to bring more balance to your elements? You have the knowledge now to do that.
The Signs of the Zodiac by Anne Morgan
July 10, 2009 by
Filed under Reflections From Friends
The Sign of the Zodiac…Let’s skip to the Signs of the Zodiac for a while:
The Zodiac lies like a belt around the earth. The Sun, Moon and planets orbit in this ‘belt.” We can track their movement through the zodiac through the calendar year by observing the night sky.
We recognize the signs of the zodiac:
Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
Libra
Scorpio
Sagittarius
Capricorn
Aquarius
Pisces
It is very useful to learn each sign’s quality, or modality –cardinal, fixed, and mutable;
and element– fire, earth, air, and water. You will notice that each sign has its own ‘signature.’
Aries cardinal fire
Taurus fixed earth
Gemini mutable air
Cancer fire water
Leo fixed fire
Virgo mutable earth
Libra fire air
Scorpio fixed water
Sagittarius mutable fire
Capricorn cardinal earth
Aquarius fixed air
Pisces mutable water
Cardinal signs are driving, initiating, forceful. They stand for acting, or doing. They produce energy, push, and enterprise. Cardinal people are leaders, people of action, people with a goal and purpose in life. If afflicted in a chart, cardinal signs reveal restlessness, the inconstant busybody or interferrer, always beginning new projects, but soon abandoning them in favor of something new. An absence of planets in cardinal signs causes lack of initiative and lethargy.
Fixed signs are stable, stubborn, determined. They are more concerned with feeling and the ‘pleasure-pain’ aspects of things. Thus, where a Cardinal person would ask, “What does something affect what I want to do?” the fixed person would ask, “Is it pleasant or disagreeable.” Fixed qualities are conservative, set in one’s habits and opinions, strong in their likes and dislikes, and obstinacy. They seldom change, but when they do, the transformation is often dramatic. Lack of planets in fixed signs reveals an absence of principle, ballast and consistency. People with a predominance of planets in Fixed signs often own or manage businesses. They can also be in lifetime public service—people who ‘occupy’ positions, especially those involving the administration of authority, and the upholding of rules and regulations. As a general rule, they do not try to find ways to make things better; they embrace the status quo.
Mutable signs are yielding, compromising, adaptable. They stand for Thought and the impartial attitude toward things, the seeking to understand without bias. Mutable people are usually clever, mentally quick and alert, changeful, possibly ‘mercurial.’ They represent those who study and write about the actions of others, rather than themselves trying to ‘make history.’ Mutable people are often agents, go-betweens, students, inventors, writers, commentators and chroniclers, philosophers and teachers and thinkers.
Look now at your horoscope. Count and record the number of planets in Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable signs. Are you balanced? (3,3,4, or something similar)? Or are you lopsided? (0,1,8)?
Think about your personality in terms of astrological quality. It should fit you (if you are honest. There is no good or bad balance. Just reality.)
If it really does not seem to fit, recalculate your chart. If you come up with the same chart, describe to an adult family member the qualities of cardinal, fixed, and mutable. They will probably peg you just as the numbers add up.
The Scoop on Poop
June 29, 2009 by
Filed under Reflections From Friends
The Lowdown on Pet Poo
With over 160 million dogs and cats as pets throughout America, the environmental paw-print left by your pet is something to take seriously. Take your pet’s poo, for instance. If left behind, it can get washed from the lawn into a storm drain and the bacteria can cause water pollution. It can also spread disease to other animals and, when stepped in by humans, can cause beaches and parks to ban pets from those spaces.
But what can we do with all that poo? From “Oops I pooped!” biodegradable bags to flushing it down the toilet, check out six ways to ‘green’ your pet poo:
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/green-pet-poop.html
Practical Astrology for an Imperfect World 1.5
June 28, 2009 by
Filed under Reflections From Friends
Practical Astrology for an Imperfect World 1.5
Jupiter conjunct Neptune, transiting and retrograde, has been going on for a month now. The effects are manifesting in each of our lives, but may be easier to notice in someone you know well. A long-held fear or weakness is accentuated. Situations arise that they usually try to avoid.
Think about what is happening in your own life. What problem, or problems, are you facing that seem overpowering? That touch a raw nerve? That you dwell on in the middle of the night? That you wish would just go away?
This retrograde conjunction is a gift: an opportunity to deal differently with a recurring problem or fear. You can take the advice of friends who see the situation without your blinders. You can do what you’ve long muttered you’d like to do as you walked away in defeat or hurt. You can stand up for yourself. You can let go.
Two weeks ago, I recommended that you contemplate the house in your horoscope that hold Aquarius 23 to 27. Now look at its opposite house (1st and 7th, 2nd and 8th, 3rd and 9th, 4th and 10th, 5th and 11th, 6th and 12th). With some contemplation, you should be able to hone in on your specific opportunity for growth.
1st House: Turn a dream into a reality. Let go of a fantasy that will never be, and replace it with a new dream. Quit hoping you’ll be a size 2, and love your size 12. Or eat well and exercise until you slim to size 10.
2nd House: Believe in your skills and values, and others will recognize them. Do not think you need other people to validate your worth. Be practical with money. Do not inflate the importance of your possessions.
3rd House: You are seeing when others are being deceptive or manipulative. You can speak your truth without beating around the bush. Strive to speak plainly. If someone misunderstands, review what was said. Apologize without fear, if appropriate.
4th House: Look for what makes you feel secure. Don’t mistake trappings for grounded-ness. Embrace your crazy relatives. Be one yourself.
5th House: Unchain your talent. Let a child be less dependent. Love is blind; don’t let it blind you to reality—and the advice others may be giving you.
6th House: Accept what you do not like about your job, or find a constructive way to phase into a new job. Do not expect to be paid for work that you do not do well. Medicines may not work as they are supposed to. Check prescriptions when they are filled; mistakes are likely now.
7th House: Demand as much from yourself as your partner. Look at your spouse as if you were recently met and discover new qualities, or aspects that you (or he) have forgotten to celebrate. Do the same for yourself.
8th House: Seek professional advice in matters of legacies, taxes, settlements. Your expectations may be too high, or too low. Discuss joint finances with your partner and agree on how funds are allocated.
9th House: Education and training are all around you. Don’t be too set in your expectations or you’ll miss opportunities. Travel in your mind, if not with your body.
10th House: Create the opportunity for a career change. It won’t be handed to you. Do not seek attention. Don’t forget to attend to details.
11th House: Hopes and wishes are attainable. Don’t impose old limits on yourself. Friends are able to offer insight, especially if you are going through a mid-life crisis. Vivid dreams.
12th House: A deep-seated weakness can be converted into your greatest strength if you don’t let yourself be overrun by discouragement. Things are brighter than they seem.
FOLKWAYS by Ann MacGregor
June 25, 2009 by
Filed under Reflections From Friends
Ann MacGregor
The Summer Solstice campfire was built and lit. Our chairs snug around the fire ring, we sat in silence with the flames, honoring the longest day and the beginning of the slow journey to autumn and winter. The loons occasionally laughed at their own jokes, and the nine-member goose family paddled against the river current to their home for the night. The reeds at river’s edge moved with the snuffling and splashing of the wee folk going for a solstice swim. It was a glorious Solstice night as we offered our reflections, blessing, and intents for the coming months. In commentary to our thoughts, a distant owl hooted her final words on the matter of the Solstice.
We closed our Solstice ceremony, and began to prepare the additional fire ritual, which we perform at any quarter or cross-quarter, and often, in-between. But, we realized we had closed our ritual too soon. Late as always, the Mosquito family flew in. All of them, Mr. Mosquito and his lovely bride Mrs. Mosquito, and their 12 children. They were delighted to see us, and were thankful they had arrived in time for the SMORES ritual. Immediately, we began flailing about in irritation, as they flew around us with joy and happiness. Mr. Mosquito landed on my piece of Hershey chocolate and announced he had a story of his ancestors he would like to tell in honor of the Solstice. This is what he said.
In the time of Long-ago, in Njambi’s Town (In far away Africa), Mosquito and Ear went out to take a bath together. After taking her bath, Ear began to rub an oil substance over herself, while Mosquito did not. So Ear said to Mosquito, ‘Why do you leave your skin so rough? It is better to rub on a little oil.’ Mosquito replied, ‘I have none.’ So Ear said, ‘Indeed! I did not know that. I will give you part of mine, as I have plenty.’ Mosquito had to wait the while that Ear was rubbing the soft wax over herself. But, as soon as Ear had finished, she put back the wax into her ear where she usually kept it, and did not fulfill her promise to Mosquito.
When Mosquito saw this, that the oil was put away, he came near to the door, and said, ‘I want the oil you promised for rubbing on my body.’ But Ear took no notice of him, except to call on Hands to drive Mosquito away. So, to this day, Mosquito is not willing to cease making his claim for the unfulfilled promise; and is always coming to our ears, and buzzing and crying. Always Mosquito comes and says, ‘ I want my oil, Bz-z-z-z-z-z-.’ But Ear remains silent, and givens no answer. And Mosquito keeps on grumbling and complaining, and gets angry and bites.
From Where Animals Talk; West African Folklore Tales, by Richard Badger, published 1912.
What’s On MY Food…by Tara Troge
June 24, 2009 by
Filed under Reflections From The Stars
What’s on my food?? We all know that food grown conventionally is sprayed with pesticides, which over time build up in our bodies and cause detrimental health effects. However, living in a small town, sometimes we don’t have a wide range of choices, and buying local is always the better option than having something shipped in. But what if the amount of pesticides used outweighs the health benefit of that particular food?
If you’re curious to know exactly what is being put on that food you’re buying, check out www.whatsonmyfood.org. This website features a really great tool to find out just what pesticides are sprayed on your food and their potential health effects. All of the data compiled in the searchable database was obtained from the USDA Pesticide Data Program.
For example, the local grocery store had non-organic strawberries on sale, so before I purchased I looked them up and here is what I found. Conventionally grown strawberries may contain:
6—Known or Probable Carcinogens
16—Suspected Hormone Disruptors
10—Neurotoxins
4—Developmental or Reproductive Toxicants
They have every food listed under the sun; so before you think about buying non-organic anything, look it up first to see what you’re actually getting.
Working With A Shaman
June 19, 2009 by
Filed under Reflections From The Stars
A Soulful Cure…Working with a Shaman
Since time immemorial, certain men and women have felt called to heal the sick, to safeguard knowledge, to guide the lost, and to commune with the spirit world. These unique individuals, known as shamans, were mystics and seers, repositories of wisdom, and keepers of herbal lore. During those periods when ignorance loomed large in the world, shamans across the globe bided their time, peacefully practicing their practical yet refined arts in the jungle, mountains, deserts, and tundra that protected them from those who misunderstood shamanism. Today, however, shamanism has reemerged, as modern men and women feel the same call to service that their ancestors felt long ago. Also, as more individuals explore the notion that healing necessarily involves the soul as well as the physical self, people are consulting shamans in their search for wellness, wisdom, and guidance.
The word shaman literally means “he or she who knows.” Shamanism is an art that has not changed in any quantifiable way for millennia and is not bound to any particular form of spirituality. It is grounded on the principle that the visible world is saturated with unseen forces that influence the lives of human beings. Shamans, in addition to acting as fonts of wisdom, are dedicated to diagnosing and curing human suffering?whether emotional, physical, or spiritual. To treat an illness, a shaman may communicate with the spirit world in order to connect more directly with the soul of their patient or with the force causing ill health. They often work closely with animal guides, plant and earth spirits, or your spirit guides, and may make use of use of herbal remedies to supplement other forms of treatment. Shamans, as intermediaries between the physical and spiritual realms, recognize that all objects are in manner alive and retain information that can be utilized to heal.
Shamanism is powerful in part because its practitioners tailor healing to the individual needs of those who seek them out. A shaman manipulates energy, giving you power where you have lost it and removing misplaced energy lurking within you. When you seek out a shaman, they will endeavor to know and understand you before treating you. In this way, they can provide you with therapies that act on your whole being, positively influencing your body as well as your soul.
Reprinted from the Daily Om. Click here to subscribe to Daily Om.
Can I Have A Tissue?
June 19, 2009 by
Filed under General Info, Reflections From Brigid's House
Can I have a tissue, please?
If you were in my house, the answer would be a resounding no! If you’ve ever pondered giving up your Kleenex, paper towels and the like, consider this: if every household in America traded one box of Kleenex and one roll of toilet paper for a 100% recycled version, we would save a whopping 807,000 trees! This doesn’t even count the over 1.4 million trees that would still be standing if we replaced our toilet paper and napkins with recycled ones. To give your non-recycled tissues a toss, check out this handy, printable guide (but consider NOT printing) to the most earth-friendly options on the market: http://www.nrdc.org/land/forests/gtissue.asp
Practical Astrology for an Imperfect World A Perfect Opportunity
June 19, 2009 by
Filed under Reflections From Friends
Practical Astrology for an Imperfect World 1.4 A Perfect Opportunity
Transiting Neptune in Aquarius went retrograde on May 29th. Transiting Jupiter is also in Neptune in Aquarius, and turns retrograde on June 15th—within a degree of Neptune’s position. The effects of this stellar phenomenon are potent—once you know to pay attention.
Neptune can suppress your ego or inspire you to perform great acts of selflessness. It is the bringer of dreams and illusions. Where it is in your chart shows where you can lose your sense of reality, or where you find/create peace, beauty and inspiration.
Jupiter is expansive. It makes things flow more easily, and often brings success. It is concerned with the social “glue” that holds society together. By transit, it highlights the area in life (house) in which you are trying to grow. It can prompt people to overdo, overreach, or take more than their share.
The retrograde conjunction of transiting Neptune and transiting Jupiter will affect everyone. Like all stellar aspects, it brings an opportunity to see things more clearly, and to act more positively. The things we need to see more clearly, and act upon more positively, are (naturally) things we fear, misunderstand, mistrust, or generally tend to get wrong.
To understand better what these are in your life, look at your natal horoscope and find the house that contains Aquarius 23 – 27 degrees. This house describes the facets of your life that are being activated by transiting Neptune and Jupiter. Correlate the description of this house (posted last week) with what is happening in your life right now. You should find some notable events.
Then look to see if the degrees of Aquarius 23 – 27 conjoin or oppose any planets in your chart. These planets are stimulated by the transiting Neptune and Jupiter. You will face fears and healing with the planetary energies and the people in your life who represent these energies.
Finally, if you can, calculate a secondary progression chart for June 1, 2009. This is your natal chart progressed for now. Identify the house that contains Aquarius 2 – 27. This house describes how the transmutation of energies will work out.
Jupiter goes direct on Oct 13, 2009. Neptune on Nov 4th: five months to take advantage of this incredible opportunity for personal growth. Don’t miss out.
