Full Moon in Sagittarius and Uranus goes into Aries

Full, luscious, dreamy, over the rainbow moon tonight. And Uranus, bringer of strange gifts, opener of doors, entered Aries just a few hours ago.

It's an amazing time to embrace liminal dreams. A time to touch in to our liveliest selves.

In a few days, Saturn will return to apparent forward motion. This can suggest a firmer footing for our actions toward our goals. It will shift from the last degrees of Virgo, making its way toward the final opposition with Uranus when Saturn returns to Libra in July.




More soon - I'm heading to the Northwest Astrological Conference tomorrow and I'll make time to post more on the transits in play.

Sun in Gemini

Happy Birthday Gemini! The Sun moved into Gemini 12 hours ago, shifting the energy to a more flexible and curious mode.

A few referrals for more information on the current transits:

Ray Merriman's Market Week

ElsaElsa has more on the Grand Cross

I'll be out for a few days and back with more on next week's Uranus ingress into Aries (think new, innovative, potentially shocking).

Notes on Venus Transits

Venus, the planet symbolizing desire, represents those things that we want in life - and will get - whether in a healthy or unhealthy way. Venus moved into a square with expansive Jupiter this morning (3:56 AM PT), bringing a little more desire than common sense into the environment for all of us.

A few days from now, Venus squares Saturn. This is a very different influence, requiring a firm handling of boundaries for each of us. Those with Pisces and Cancer influences, and to some extent Gemini, will observe the most impact - along with folks who are influenced by Virgo, Capricorn and Sagittarius. In addition, Saturn and Jupiter are opposing each other - which is sort of like driving with the gas and brake pedals engaged at the same time.

Over the next week, Venus will square Uranus, Trine Chiron and Oppose Pluto. Venus in mythology, was the only god/goddess who could calm Mars. We are invited to bring a Venusian touch to liberation, compassion and transformation this week.

These aspects will contribute to a Grand Cross, two sets of oppositions that square each other. The signs I mentioned above are the signs that will likely experience the effects described by the aspect.

We have been going through the Saturn/Uranus Opposition, and the final opposition for this pair will occur later this summer. The characteristics of an opposition are – stalemate, polarization. Our individual charts provide more detail about where and how these transits will affect us personally – whether we will pick a side or watch others engage in debate or conflict, for example.

The Grand Cross, being constructed of two sets of opposition, suggest that we may be tempering ourselves in repeated experiences of frustration and by facing obstacles in our lives, in our society.

For now, the focus is on what we desire, in all its small pleasures and deep-set needs. Over the next week, you may feel the impulse to spend more than what's necessary, for example. While the dance is in full swing, invite yourself to describe what your desires look like. It would be a good time to see how that changes, if you ask yourself each day of this week.

Sensory Processing Disorder: Day two of a three day workshop

For the last two days, I've been in a workshop led by Robert Scaer, author of The Body Bears the Burden and Ana do Valle an Occupational Therapist who specializes in self regulation with infants, children and adults. There's one day remaining.

I've attended two continuing education classes for therapists/counselors so far. I've been impressed by the commitment these folks have to restoring clarity and good health to their clients.



My job, as an astrologer, is to provide information about the content of your astrological chart. I interact with other astrologers, often consulting with peers and mentors to evaluate how I can improve my practice. I also attend classes to deepen my knowledge of the patterns in the chart.

During a reading, it's possible that the information I'm providing is a source of agitation to a client. It's not unusual for a client to be excited, to make notes, to share personal details - and there have been clients who have been emotional.

When a client is impacted by the information in the reading, if the client is in a place where the support they need goes beyond a once a year consult, it's possible that the right next step is to make a referral to a liscenced therapist, bodyworker or similar. A workshop, like the one I'm attending this weekend, is a wonderful way for me to identify where that line exists - and when best to refer a client.

For more details on the content of the workshop, please see my previous post - Fight, Flight or Freeze....

Taurus New Moon

This evening, the Sun and the Moon appeared in the same location in the sky. As a result, the moon is not visible. Within 25 hours, a thin crescent will appear in the sky.



Now is the time to plant seeds for a harvest at the full moon (May 27). The idea is that intentions set now will quickly grow in the growing light of the full moon.

As the darkness subsides, give yourself time to sense your intentions, to sink into a sensuous state or listen to music - all proper Taurean responses to this Taurus New Moon.

Mercury Direct: 8 hour count down

Mercury is slowing down, turning around like a big ship in the sea. Energy is building, like a rocket getting ready for lift off. In this time of "just before something happens" I think about how this month is full of transits that suggest we are positioning ourselves (or not) for the change that keeps licking at us like flames in a fire. In the next month, and through the summer, change is coming. Little bits for now... the transits that are happening in the next few days are useful enough to focus on now.



Following Mercury's return to apparant forward motion, we enter the Balsamic Moon phase. This is when the Moon does not appear in the sky, preceding the New Moon phase.

In the Balsamic Moon phase, things fall apart (think small-scale, this transit happens every month). The opportunity in the next few days is to actively get rid of things you no longer need/want to play such a large role in your life. Every garden needs weeding after flowers fade and greenery returns to the ground as decay.



The New Moon, May 13th here in the Pacific Northwest, begins like the Balsamic Moon ends, dark as pitch. Even though the energy moves us forward, we cannot see our path. We have our plan in place, we are moving in the right direction - and the potential for stumbling remains. Slight changes to the plan may be necessary at the beginning of the process, are to be expected, even. This month's New Moon in Taurus is an opportunity for us to embrace the change that is best for us, that fits us best, underscoring stability as we move into the a summer of change.

Soften

We're in the last 5 days of Mercury's apparent backward path through the sky. One of the manifestations for Mercury Retrograde is a sort of nostalgia - whether people return from your past, circumstances conspire to remind you of your past, or spring cleaning kicks up memories.

The opportunity, when faced with a recurrence in your life, is to complete (or re-complete) the cycle. Sometimes, the opportunity is to bring closure - when spring cleaning, you throw away or give away items that you thought you'd never leave behind. Sometimes, the opportunity is to repeat an experience, perhaps with more objectivity, perhaps with a better outcome.

What's also possible, is a reaction like "Why is this happening again!!". Anger, vulnerability, confusion - all of these emotions could erupt in response to returning experience. Frustration with a feeling of falling backward could create an impatient response, a possibility of a negative result.

Saturn and Uranus are continuing to generate tension between what is expected and what is possible. This configuration, depending on where it falls in your chart, could create a great deal of frustration.

The art of navigating to a positive outcome while structures fall and inspiration only barely suggests new opportunities is not easy to execute. Focus on what you want to see next year, it may help alleviate a tendency to react.