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!).

Let me just go ahead and say that this whole Venus thing is not panning out as initially imagined. I had thought that it would be a Project (note the capital P), but it turns out to be more of a personal practice (lowercase... twice). At any rate, it continues to delight and inspire. If it is true that things continue as they are begun, then this Venus project is right on schedule! The very first ‘event’ was an invitation broadcast to many, though it was only myself, my child, and my close, witchy friend who also has Venus in Leo who showed up! It was a delight. Perfect! Though, considerably different from what I had imagined. No matter. Venus doesn't seem to mind. She keeps on working.

So, though it has not been the outreach vehicle that I had first imagined, it has certainly fed me and my friends!

With this ‘confession’ out of the way, let’s move on to the latest couple of signs Venus has gone through and how it showed up for me (and maybe for you, too? Let me know! I’d love to hear YOUR Venus stories!!!).

You have an interest in de-cluttering, but: Where to begin?! And: How to know what to let go of? Let me share with you my fun little secret. It's so easy and fun and feels a bit like playing with a Magic 8 Ball back when you were a kid! ;-) Only this tool is one you can make yourself, or probably even already have, in some fashion or another! It may be considered a woo-woo, new age, magical, witchy thing, but let me tell you: IT IS TOTALLY PRACTICAL!! and available to ANYONE!! :)

Have you guessed what it is, yet?

It’s a New Year AND a New Moon! What a great time to set intentions - whether you set them for the year, the current moon cycle (culminating at the next full moon), or the extended moon cycle (about 9 months- culminating when the Capricorn New Moon becomes a Capricorn Full Moon!), or just in general (“From now on, I’d like to…”).

I think I’ve figured out why New Year’s Resolutions don’t always work: Our gregorian calendar turns (changing the year) while the Sun is in Capricorn, which is an ideal energy for setting new Aspirations, but it only lasts for a month! It seems to me that a better idea might be to consider what energies will be available when and to try to align our aspirations with them in order to get the most out of intention-setting. So, here is your handy-dandy guide!

Sometimes I have these dreams where I know I'm in a dream and I can't get out and it's really scary. I feel like I'm trapped, maybe forever. Last night I was having a dream like that, and then I realized on the spot and by trial of fire how to deal with it. Here's what I learned (and note what a great set of rules for LIFE my dreamland learnings make!).

How to survive a dream (or life):

• Have fun as much as possible.
  
• The more you resist, the more it sucks. Keep on moving.
  
• Stay engaged. That's your power.
  
• You can't always control it or wonder what it means all the time. But you might find out later if you keep going, and pay attention.
  
• Even if you feel stuck, know that you are OK. You won't be here forever.
  
• When you finally wake up, STAY AWAKE.

<3

It’s not what you think… She doesn’t ‘take me down’ as in some kind of cosmic wrestling move. Rather, the move is inward and ‘downward’ as in depth-of-consciousness. I have been more still, working my inner world and inner life. Shaping my sacred practices. Working both the sacred and the taboo. More like a trip into the ‘underworld’ or ‘otherworlds’.

Every Venus incarnation surprises me. Many of them have been on-topic for the sign that she is in, but not all of them have been as obvious as one might think:

 I’ve been wondering what Venus in Libra would be like. All I had to go on at first was the correspondence to the Tarot card Justice. But, I didn’t really get it. It has taken me living into it a little to feel it out and figure it out. Libra is often touted as the harmonious, balanced, social, beauty gal. But, I have also noticed a tougher side to her where she has quite a bit more ‘edge’ than all of those flowery terms would suggest. I sum it up as such: “My way, or the highway.” Which does sound more like that Justice card, doesn’t it? A tough gal with a sword to whom one had better listen (‘or ELSE!’). I have definitely seen this expression of Libra women in my life.

I have been working with Saturn energy lately, and it has been showing up like this: authority, time, systems, work, responsibility, discipline, boundaries- basically, for me it's all about owning my own 'shtuff' - even something as simple as my personal space; as in just the actual, physical space that my body takes up! I can't believe how something so basic can be given up, but it can! I am finding so many little ways that I give my own authority away. This doesn't even have to look like giving it TO anyone in particular, but can just be not claiming it, myself. This also doesn't mean that to 'recover' or 'compensate,' I have to swing on over to the opposite extreme: forcing my point of view on other people or taking over their personal space or anything like that, but it's just a subtle shift of the quality of my presence and awareness.

I have been ever so keen on Venus these last few months - at least since she was in Gemini (April 2015). She is in retrograde, as I write this (and has been for weeks!), which is said to be a time of re-hashing relationships (Venus themes), and in this particular retrograde in Leo, re-igniting one’s inner Lioness (Venus in Leo in retrograde*). Now, she has appeared in the morning sky (after her ‘descent’ to the ‘underworld’ - after having danced with Jupiter this time around as a glorious evening star duo!), and she is about to end her retrograde cycle and go Direct - in Leo! (****As of this publishing- she has!****) This means that her whole new cycle* will be colored by the Leo energy. What does this mean for you? It probably depends on where your own Venus is, and where your Leo sits in your own chart, but generally speaking, it means that for the next year and a half we all get to practice cultivating our shiny, leonine, feminine selves (men, too! we all have both energies within us!).