Astrologically-Aligned New Year’s Resolutions for 2019 (& beyond!)

Have you ever noticed how New Year’s Resolutions seem to fizzle and fade as the year wears on?

I have! And, you can bet that I have Astrological interpretations as to why and wherefore! I have noticed what a Capricorn thing it is to ‘resolve’ to do some pious new thing in the new calendar year. What’s more, it seems a natural goat-like response to the wild and winsome ways of the Sagittarian ‘Santaur’ of the season prior. In addition, as I’ve said, these resolutions seem to fade.

Why is that?

Could it be that the Capricornian impulse for order, simplicity, betterment simply fades as the Sun moves on, lighting up other parts of the sky, and thus- our charts? I can see how such impulses might persist through the Aquarius season (ruled by Saturn, as is Capricorn), but then they must melt away when the Sun enters dreamy, idealist Pisces and all but burn off into oblivion as we enter the fiery, spontaneous season of the Ram, n’est-ce pas?

In any case, it seems to be that Capricorn’s resolutions may not be viable much beyond the Capricorn season. This leads me to two main initial thoughts: 1) go ahead and engage in that New Year’s Resolution as you are wont to do, but *only commit for the duration of Capricorn season* (from now until the Sun moves into Aquarius on January 20th)! That *is* enough time to form a new habit, so they say. The resolution needn’t bog you down for the rest of the year.

Give it a go in January and if it doesn’t take- let it go!

You’ve got until the 19th to make it stick, if that's what you want to go for.


-OR-


Find a more astrologically-aligned way to aim for a greater intention that will work for the whole year!

I once tried to make a ‘New Year’s Resolution’ for *each* sun sign, but it didn’t really ‘take’. It turns out that resolutions really are best-suited to Capricorn season. Pisces doesn’t work that way! So, like the king from Asteroid 325 in The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, I prefer to “require from each one the duty which each one can perform […] According to my science of government, I shall wait until conditions are favorable.”

That is to say, I will follow the Astrology.

So: go ahead and make your Capricorn-olutions, and, if you care to consider ways to align yourself to that which is happening (as our asteroid-King so wisely did when he commanded a sunset at 20 minutes to eight), keep reading to find out how!


HERE'S HOW: THE EASY WAY

For 2019 in particular, a very easy way to find an area of growth for an entire year is to have a look at our friend, Jupiter. What is Jupiter up to these days? Did you know that Jup tends to stay in one sign of the zodiac for about a year at a time? That is what makes our old friend Zeus a good candidate to be a New Year’s buddy. Jove will be on our side in one certain area of life for the WHOLE YEAR (plus or minus)!

How do we take advantage of this alignment?

The first thing we need to know is that Jupiter is in Sagittarius. If we play a simple keyword game (please note that you can gain access to my lists of keywords by joining my fb group), we get something like: expand adventure! Sounds pretty great, right? (I’m sure yes to some, no to others… some of you might set your sights on a different set of keywords, but for demonstration purposes, we’ll stick with these for now!)

Now what?

Once you figure out a set of keywords that works for you, you can either take that at face value and go with it:

“This year, I am going to expand adventure and Zeus is going to help me!”

-OR-

You can take that inspiring phrase that you’ve chosen and figure out *what part of life* to apply it to, specifically. For this part, you’ll need to know a thing or two about your natal chart, which is why I’ve made this easy video tutorial for those of you who have never seen your chart:

NOT QUITE AS EASY, BUT STILL IN THE GENERAL BEGINNER-INTRMEDIATE ZONE:

Once you can see your chart, all you need to do is find out which house has Sagittarius in it. When you figure out which numbered pie slice has the arrow glyph in it for Sagittarius, you’ll know which part of life in which to ‘expand adventure’! Again, using keywords is a great way to get started if you are a beginner (and can be a fun game for the more seasoned, as well).

For example, if you are Taurus rising, Sagittarius will be in your 8th house. So, using the keywords, you might decide to look for opportunities to ‘expand adventure in shared resources’! While that may sound ‘risky’ to some, it might be *just* the thing someone else is ready for (even a Taurus rising person, who might normally be more risk-averse)! When it’s time, it’s time!

And, again, understanding how to blend the planets, signs, and houses together is key to using this method! If it feels too overwhelming, just stick with the ‘EASY’ version, above, and trust that the key part of life will show itself, eh? Especially if you pay attention! ;)


SO MANY WAYS, SO LITTLE TIME

If you are a more seasoned astrologer, here are some other suggestions for how to approach this endeavor, in no particular order:

-Combine Saturn & Jupiter for a little more complexity
-Try ALL the outer planets, over time, you’ll get a sense of how those outers paint a backsplash for you (This is particularly applicable this year, with -Uranus re-entering Taurus in February- what will Uranus electrify in your chart?)
-Focus on the lunations: align your monthly aspirations with the moon!
-Pinpoint major transits in your chart and work your will to create a chorus to support a positive outcome for them
-Don’t bother with the Gregorian calendar at all! >>Wait for that Aries ingress or just use your birthday- then you can do Annual Profections, your Solar Return, Lunar returns…
-Etc. !!!

If you have a tried and true method that you use, mention it in the comments below or drop me a line via email or a contact form!

I’m always interested in improving such thought experiments!


A FEW OTHER HOT TIPS

It doesn’t hurt to point out that there *is* a New Moon in Capricorn on the 6th (also a Solar Eclipse), that the Sun conjoins Saturn in Cap on New Year’s Day, that Mercury enters Cap on the 4th, that Uranus Stations Direct on the 6th, and that Venus enters Sag on the 7th!

So what does that all mean?

For me, it means that I’m giving myself until the day after the quarter moon (Jan 14) to really set any intentions that I want to be lasting! This way, I avoid the potential turbulence of the Eclipse and Uranus’ station, along with a few other celestial happenings (Jupiter square Neptune & Sun conjunct Pluto). Plus: the moon enters Taurus on the 14th, in which it is exalted, so it just feels like a nice time to settle in to that which will be (the kids will have been back in school and ‘real life’ will have been operating at least a week by then, so I’ll also have a better feel for what’s realistic).

You can do what you will, of course, but that’s what I’m planning on, myself! :)

Be sure to reach out if you have any questions or comments! And, if you are interested in readings with me, check out the Work with Me page, paying special attention to the fact that I now have an awesome monthly subscription available that is a remarkable HALF OFF until January 19th! Get it while the gettin's good! ;)


Happy New Year, one and all!

May all your bright wishes come true! <3

IThis Venus Retrograde period feels very long and poignant. Some of us will have experienced foreshadowing for our own ‘Venus Retrograde Moments’ (VRMs) as far back as September 3rd, when Venus entered the ‘shadow’ period prior to the retrograde station. This retrograde cycle seems to be full of nuance. I have counted no fewer than 18 notable moments related to Venus in this cycle (see image, above), spanning from September 3rd all the way to December 17th!

Here they are listed out, for your convenience (be sure to read on below the list for potential meanings):

Already past*:

September 3rd - Venus enters the retrograde ‘shadow’ at 25 degrees Libra
September 9th - Venus enters Scorpio
September 29th - Venus arrives at 10 degrees Scorpio
October 5th - Venus stations retrograde at 10 degrees Scorpio
October 10th - Venus squares Mars
October 11th - Venus leaves 10 degrees Scorpio
October 15th - Venus is conjoined by Mercury
October 19th - Venus becomes invisible as an evening star
October 24th - Venus sextiles Saturn
October 26th - The Sun conjoins Venus
October 31st - Venus enters Libra and opposes Uranus

*The information is presented for your reflection convenience, the info below is what is up next!

Yet to come:

November 2nd - Venus becomes visible as a morning star (heliacal rising=new synodic cycle!)**
November 9th - Venus trines Mars
November 10th - Venus arrives at 25 degrees Libra
November 15th - Venus stations direct at 25 degrees Libra
November 22nd - Venus leaves 25 degrees Libra
December 3rd - Venus re-enters Scorpio (+ meets the moon=1st ‘gate’!)**
December 17th - Venus passes 10 degrees Scorpio, leaving the retrograde ‘shadow’

**These two notes have to do with the Venus Synodic Cycle, which I will be following over the next 18 months. Stay tuned for a separate post about that and all of the ritual fun to be had! You can read more about the project here.



What does it all mean?

For the meaning section, I’ll focus on the yet-to-come. First, we have the heliacal rise of Venus on November 1st or 2nd, depending on where you are on earth and how you count the degrees of distance from the sun. If you go outside before sunrise on Nov 1st or 2nd, you can decide for yourself which day Venus becomes visible. That’s all ‘heliacal rise’ means: that Venus has re-emerged as a morning star, she has gotten far enough away from the sun not to be outshone..

Folks who study Venus and her cycle attribute slightly different phase meanings to the different celestial phenomena associated with the planet. Some say the heliacal rise is the beginning of the new cycle, while some would count from other parts of the cycle for different reasons, other than visibility. Either way, it is a poignant moment of emergence! (One that coincides with the release of Bohemian Rhapsody, which you can read more about here.) See what kind of emergence you notice on this day! If you’d like to get a reminder about this, consider joining my Facebook group: Beautiful Astrology Community.

On November 9th, Venus trines Mars. A major aspect between two personal planets in the same element. It should offer some interesting, useful ‘tension’ between the two energies. Venus in her own sign, though retrograde, and Mars in the same element seems to suggest that their aims might be amicable to one another at this time. Sweet Action!

Venus arrives at 25 degrees Libra the next day, November 10th. This is significant because this is the degree in which she will station direct 5 days later on the 15th. Then, she remains at this degree for an additional week, until November 22nd (Happy Thanksgiving, for those of us in the US of A). During this time, you may notice energies around relationships shifting from internal to external or difficulty to resolution… Everyone’s chart is different, but this feeling may be ‘in the air’ for these two weeks. If you find that the dates in this list are significant for you, you may want to consider booking a reading to get more fine-tuned, personal insight.

Then, on December 3rd, Venus returns to Scorpio AND meets the moon! Her meeting of the moon will not only be lovely, it has special meaning for those of us tracking the phases of the Venus cycle and working with them as they relate to the myth of Inanna. This is one of the magical 'gates' that Inanna passes on her way to and from the Underworld! So, this 'gate' has a special, symbolic significance around releasing and reclaiming.

This is what my Venus Synodic Cycle Project will be focusing on this time around. Last time, I focused on just paying attention to Venus in each sign, but this time, I'm being ever more so specific. At this point, my idea centers around the idea of ‘tea parties’, since the cycle begins in Libra and that felt like a lovely, social occasion to share with friends (I'm leaving it open to metamorphosis, as Venus often has her own ideas). I will be hosting some kind of gathering for each ‘gate’ that Venus passes during her entire synodic cycle, which lasts over a year! Sign up for my email list to stay informed!

Finally, on December 17th, taking us almost right up to the Winter Solstice, Venus passes the 10-degrees-of-Scorpio mark, the degree at which she stationed back in the first week of October. In other words, she leaves her retrograde ‘shadow’ and everything that we’ve been covering (or uncovering) during her retrograde period should reach some kind of resolution.


And that’s just the Venus cycle! So much more is happening in November! In addition to some major Astro-Weather shifts, I am hosting a month of moon-discovery in my private Facebook group. All month long, I will be sending out reminders on certain days for participants to take note of the emotional tone and experiential themes for the day. I will also send out notices of major astro-shifts (such as when Jupiter enters Sagittarius). If you’d like to play along, join us!

It delights me to no end that the new Freddie Mercury film, Bohemian Rhapsody, is due to be released on November 2nd, heralding the new Venus Synodic Cycle that begins that very day. The heliacal rise of Venus as a morning star occurs at 28 degrees of Libra, conjunct Freddie’s natal Venus placement (that rests amidst a juicy stellium).

I mean- it’s *almost* like they planned it.

It’s true that the band, itself, had at least minimal astro-intel, given Freddie’s stage name and Queen’s coat-of-arms logo that included images based on each band member’s Sun Sign. But, this is high level astro, here. There would have to be a serious astro nerd on the production team vying for this alignment. It’s not impossible, I suppose, and may even be more probable now than ever, but however unlikely and whatever the case: the timing is divine.

Some of the biggest news this month has to do with the eclipses (starting this Friday!). But that’s not where I want to begin. I have a few pointers for them, but I’m personally more interested in the applying opposition between Jupiter-in-Libra and Uranus-in-Aries that is closing all month long until they meet in the same degree on February 27th. The symbol for Jupiter-in-Libra opposite Uranus-in-Aries is a person ‘swearing in’, as if to ‘testify’ (or ‘ovarify’, as the case may be! I have to reference Emily Trinkaus’ Venus Revolution for that fun play on words!). The word that goes with this image of ‘swearing in’ is: Accountability. So, there is an impending theme of accountability and truth-telling this whole month as we approach the exact opposition between expansion of justice (Jupiter in Libra) and personal revolution (Uranus in Aries)! To me, this is the umbrella energy the whole month, into which fall the two eclipses.

Symbols for Mercury Retrograde periods of 2017

For the first three of these ‘events’ there is a common theme having to do with a shifting of the elements. The first three Mercury Retrograde periods begin in an earth sign, transgress back for a dip into fire (giving us a chance to recover something we forgot? and/or prepare us for the next round of Mercury Retrogrades that are all in fire signs starting this winter!), and progress back into earth to ground the inspiration and passion (and ‘spice’!) that the fire signs offer.

Symbols for the Major Aspects between the Outer Planets

I’m excited to share these symbols because the aspects between the planets are even more telling for the signs of our times than the pure planet placements. There is an ongoing dance of archetypal interaction at play as we move through time (not just figuratively, but as we hurtle through space in our constant twirling cosmic helix). A complex ballet that ultimately, never repeats (though, you might say that it theoretically does, about every 17,000 years!). As each of these aspects begins applying and comes more into play, I will publish blog posts about how to work with these symbols representing planet placements and their interactions, so stay tuned! Now, for the major aspects... (click below to read!)

You are already an expert at symbols. Whether we are talking about a red rose or a red octagon, you know what they mean without even thinking about it (also notice how color plays a role and has something to add to the flavor of a symbol!) At the same time, they may have slightly different nuances for you, personally, than they do for the broader community. Much of the meaning of symbols is based on our personal experiences. So, if you do not immediately identify with or understand the symbols that are presented here, you may find that if you give them time and lean into them as you go through the experience that they symbolize, you may discover your own version of their relevance (sometimes it is great to have a bit of a question mark going into an experience that suddenly becomes an exclamation point when the revelation takes hold. See? There you are using your innate symbol wisdom again!). Alternatively, you may wish to work at finding your very own symbols. If you have worked with symbols before and know how to do this, carry on! If you would like to learn how to do this, you may be interested in some of my ongoing online classes and even my live in-person workshops.

In Part One of this series, we will look at the planets in the signs. Let it be known that some of the symbols for this year are the same as what I got for last year since many of the outer planets are still in the same signs. However, a new addition this year (to ‘spice things up’, which you will see is a theme throughout the Mercury Retrograde periods) are symbols for the following: major aspects between outer planets, Mercury Retrogrades, and subsequent installations focusing on each aspect or placement as it comes into focus over the year.

All of the symbols are rich with potential and some do seem quite telling. We shall see what comes of them throughout the upcoming year together! Without further ado, let’s begin. (Click below to read more!)

I do this thing where I close my eyes and ask for symbols for different astrological happenings. When I asked for a symbol for Jupiter in Libra, I got an image of a jolly fellow with arms spread wide in welcome to his friends who were near. It turns into a nice little rhyme, actually:

“Arms spread wide, with friends by your side”

Well, my dream of hosting a podcast has finally been realized! And, may I say that it would not have been so timely (nor, perhaps, even POSSIBLE!) without the support of Kristen McKee of Insideout Savvy.

Not even Astrologers

Astrology is neverending.

How could it be otherwise?
With time marching on like it does:
Spiraling ever forward, outward, onward.
Where are we coming from? Where are we going?
Not even astrologers can answer these distant questions;
the ephemerides not having been written,
the calculations uncalculable.

May 9 Marks a special point in this current Mercury Retrograde when we get a fantastic little breather! How nice. :) The reason for this is what is called an occultation (explained below- easier than it sounds). Meanwhile, there is a juicy Grand Trine in Earth and some other things going (including a powerful New Moon in Taurus this weekend) that all align to mean big power potential in Earthy matters (money, health, body, wealth, food, etc.). There is so much going on! I won't go into all of it, here, but below is an article of mine that was published in the Astrological Association's January/February issue of The Astrological Journal. Check out the horoscope section to see how YOUR May 9 is shaping up (note: if you know your rising sign, look for that, but if not, your sun sign will still give you some insight!). Without further ado....

I wasn’t sure what to expect with Mars retrograde, but when I checked in for a personal symbol (again- as I mentioned in my last piece about Jupiter in Virgo- this is a super simple exercise which I will walk you through in another blog- I promise!), I saw the image of a woman standing strong with a big spear or staff in her hand - only it was actually a paintbrush! To me, this symbol clearly means to stand my ground for my creative work (a benefit of being the one who comes up with the symbol is having the author-ity to say what it means, as well!). Point taken, Mrs. Mars, point taken.

I have about a bazillion creative projects underway at any time, and many of them fall to the wayside in favor of the myriad other things vying for my attention. (Zee life, she is bizzee, no?) Well, this wild-hearted warrior woman is clearly telling me to stand my ground (don’t let the myriad other things run off with my attentions and energies!) and to get down and dirty and finish up all of those back-burner projects! “Yes, Ma’am!” I say!

In my last post, I mentioned how Sagittarius rules the rump. In this post, it’s all about the tum. Virgo rules a large portion of the body, all through the stomach area, including all of the digestive organs. Back in January, when I was considering what to expect with the different planet placements of the year, I had thought Jupiter’s expansive energy in Virgo would possibly have the effect of expanding my health regimen (Virgo rules health). I hadn’t taken into consideration the even more literal translation of this position (at least as far as medical astrology is concerned): my tummy has been expanding! Yes, that’s right, I’ve put on a pound or so in the middle region. I’ve been wondering if other people have experienced something similar (and if so, perhaps you’d like to join me in considering the expansive energies of Jupiter in Virgo as having an influence!).