name='keywords'/> Dance of the Phoenix: September 2014

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Friday, September 26, 2014

Planetary Moveable Feast



The planetary activity recently has been a literal moveable feast. Pluto stationed direct at 11 degrees of Capricorn at 8:36 p.m. on September 22nd after five months of retrograde motion. What does this mean for us? Well, for starters, Pluto represents upheaval, major endings and new beginnings. Deep transformation and empowerment are possible if we are prepared to let go. As astrologer Pam Younghans so eloquently stated, we need to be aware of negative emotions like fear, suspicion, shame and guilt because Pluto will undoubtedly bring these emotions into our consciousness.

Pluto stationing direct on September 22nd inspired me on that day to tweet:

"Pluto stationing direct today can be somewhat uncomfortable as we feel trapped between the past and the present."

Pluto has been conjuncting my north node in the third house for what seems like an eternity because I have been giving it a wide berth in terms of allowing an orb of up to six degrees. That just feels right to me in terms of the literal compulsion I am experiencing regarding my desire to communicate my astrological insights via this blog, Twitter and also in my efforts to land a monthly astrological column in a magazine.

We also had a New Moon in Libra on September 24th. It ushered in a new period for achieving balance in relationships and received a favorable aspect from Mars as well. On that day I tweeted:

"New moon in Libra today gets a nice relationship boost from moon's sextile to Mars in Sagittarius. Don't be afraid to go for it!"

The influence of that Libra new moon spilled into the next day when it sextiled the much heralded Jupiter in Leo/Uranus in Aries trine. It was a good day to engage in communication to spread that expansive energy, and we all know how social Libra is. This aspect has been building for some time, but it was exact on September 25th and I have no doubt its influence will be felt for at least a couple of weeks.

Personally, the Jupiter/Uranus trine is sextiling my moon in Gemini through mid-October, which should enhance my sense of humor and desire to derive more pleasure in life. Jupiter in Leo is also opposing my natal Mars in Aquarius, and this has a tendency to make me more anxious than usual and spin my wheels a bit too much in terms of my goals and projects that I would like to launch. Oh well, Jupiter is known for its over exuberance at times!

Of course, with transiting Jupiter opposing my natal Mars, my natural impatience is raging. I am deeply indebted to fellow astrologer Kristin Fontana's sage insights in her weekly Scorpio forecast. She reminded me that if we don't get the breakthrough promised by the Jupiter/Uranus trine in the next couple of weeks, we have two more chances in early March and June 2015 due to Jupiter's retrograde motion. Who said retrograde planets are all bad? Frankly, my experience has always been that some of us (myself at the top of this list) are too dense to derive the full benefit of an important transit on the first hit and require two more hits to fully absorb it. So retrogrades do serve a purpose!

On September 27th, Mercury moves into deep, delving Scorpio before it retrogrades on October 4th and slides back into Libra on October 11th.  Mercury stations direct at 16 degrees of Libra, right on my ascendant, on October 25th.  This should be an interesting month, to say the least!

The piece de resistance of this planetary moveable feast occurs on September 29th when Venus moves into the sign of Libra. Venus has been residing in Virgo since September 5th, and I am definitely happy about Venus moving into Libra, which it rules and is much more user-friendly. Venus is considered to be in its "fall" in the sign of Virgo and the most tactful way to interpret that is to say that it's at its weakest manifestation of the planet's energy. My natal Venus is in Scorpio, which is considered to be in detriment (as is Venus in Aries), which is not exactly an easy placement either. Many of us may have spent the better part of September criticizing and analyzing in relationships with Venus in Virgo.

Venus in Libra should bring us some relief by placing the emphasis on elevating the concept of ideals, inner and outer beauty, creativity and the arts. Socializing should be on the upswing and the trend should be shifting towards establishing harmony, kindness, shared pleasures and mutual respect in relationships. Who can find fault with that?

If you are feeling confused during these challenging times and curious as to how Saturn, Mars, Uranus, Chiron or the Black Moon Lilith are affecting you, please consider getting an astrological reading to obtain more insight and assistance in the healing process. I have also added a one question astrology reading to my list of services for $40 that is an even more intuitive approach based on your natal and progressed charts with transits to both.

Check out my services page on this site at:


To celebrate the spirit of Mars in Sagittarius, I am offering a special on my tarot readings.  Recently some of my clients have been requesting shorter, one or two question tarot readings over my general astrological spread which covers all the issues pertaining to the 12 houses of the horoscope. They want answers to specific answers, so I am offering one or two question telephone readings for $15 and $25. You can check out the details at:


Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for my daily astrological insights at:



Friday, September 19, 2014

Under the Influence of Libra - Season of Seeking Balance



The Sun may not enter the sign of Libra until September 22nd at 10:29 p.m. on the east coast for the Autumnal Equinox (farewell summer), but I would wager that many people have been feeling the Libra energy all week. Mercury and the north node of the moon have been dancing together since mid-September and they formed an exact conjunction on September 17th in 19 degrees of Libra. The themes of this aspect include making peace while simultaneously seeking justice, needing to move beyond the victim role and releasing the desire for revenge, and healing old wounds by saying the right words.

Mercury's conjunction to the north node in Libra prompted me to tweet on September 16th:

"Mercury in Libra's conjunction to north node facilitates peaceful communication in relationships this week."

The bottom line with this Libran influence is that transformation is necessary. Uranus in Aries has been forming a yod (aka the "finger of God") aspect with Venus in Virgo and Ceres in Scorpio. A yod occurs when two planets sextile (60 degrees) each other and inconjunct (150 degrees) a third. Venus and Ceres are playing nicely while forming a challenging aspect to Uranus. I love how astrologer Dietrech Pessin describes inconjuncts: "life's messy, clean it up aspect." A change is required in our attitudes toward relationships and values (the Venus piece) and our sense of self-worth and self-protection (the Ceres piece).

If you are questioning if yods are really all that powerful, I can assure you that they are because I have one in my chart. It involves my moon in Gemini, Saturn in Scorpio, and north node in Capricorn. I am living proof that this aspect has pretty much dominated my life. That moon/Saturn inconjunct has always felt like a cross to bear but integrating it with that north node in Capricorn is definitely challenging. The north node represents our soul's destiny, after all.

The theme of healing in relationships comes into play with Chiron in Pisces opposing Venus in Virgo and trining Ceres in Scorpio. It inspired me to tweet on September 17th:

"Venus in Virgo opposing Chiron in Pisces today can bring old wounds to the surface for healing."

Don't be surprised if you find yourself experiencing a new perspective on relationships in the coming month.  Pluto stations direct at 11 degrees of Capricorn on September 22nd, the same day the Sun enters Libra.

The pace of the Libra energy intensifies as we have a new moon in 1 degree of Libra on September 24th on the east coast. The core themes of this new moon are reflecting on balance, compromising and peace. Libra may be symbolized by the scales of balance, but it doesn't necessarily mean that Libra is always in a state of balance; the key to understanding Libra is acknowledging its search for balance.

We have every right to be optimistic about this new moon because the Jupiter in Leo trine to Uranus in Aries is exact at 15 degrees of their respective signs on the following day, September 25th. This aspect galvanizes our passion for attaining our dreams and fuels our ambitions. September 25th also marks Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. What an astrologically auspicious beginning for a new year!

The Libra new moon is in my 12th house so it is a perfect time for me to retreat and prepare for a new cycle. Since the Sun is residing in my 12th house until October 10th, I know that my physical energy is at its lowest but I am eagerly anticipating its entry into my first house and the accompanying rush of energy that it brings.

If you are feeling confused during these challenging times and curious as to how Saturn, Mars, Uranus, Chiron or the Black Moon Lilith are affecting you, please consider getting an astrological reading to obtain more insight and assistance in the healing process. I have also added a one question astrology reading to my list of services for $40 that is an even more intuitive approach based on your natal and progressed charts with transits to both.

Check out my services page on this site at:


To celebrate the spirit of Mars moving into Sagittarius, I am offering a special on my tarot readings.  Recently some of my clients have been requesting shorter, one or two question tarot readings over my general astrological spread which covers all the issues pertaining to the 12 houses of the horoscope. They want answers to specific answers, so I am offering one or two question telephone readings for $15 and $25. You can check out the details at:


Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for my daily astrological insights at:



Friday, September 12, 2014

Mars Moves into Fiery Sagittarius



Mars moves out of the deep emotional waters of Scorpio and into the fire sign of Sagittarius on September 13th. Mars has not been in the sign of Sagittarius since October and November of 2012, in big part due to Mars' extended retrograde in the sign of Libra earlier this year.

Mars in Sagittarius brings spontaneity, encourages us to make changes and inspires courage and boldness. It seeks higher ground and desires to walk the path beyond our shadows and fears, which was definitely the territory of Mars in Scorpio. Mars in Sagittarius represents more of a fire mist that guides us on to the path of wisdom. There is a discernible difference in the energy between Mars in Scorpio and Mars in Sagittarius, as we shall soon see.

Michael Lutin's Daily Fix on September 10th and 11th alluded to this shift in energy when he wrote: "You move on. Leave the shadow in the shadows. You get up. You move on. Exit stage left." I was so inspired by this that I tweeted on September 10th:

"Digging what Michael Lutin has to say today about moving on and leaving the shadow behind."

Personally, I find it very fitting that Mars moves into Sagittarius, the sign of higher learning, during the month of September. September is when many head back to school to pursue their studies and learn new things.  I have always regarded September as the beginning of the new year, not January. The crisp fall air always invigorates and renews me. I did work in academia for 23 years, but I tend to attribute my regard for September as the beginning of the new year to being a Scorpio. I sense that Mars in Sagittarius will be a time of spiritual quest for many of us during its sojourn through that sign, which ends on October 26th. Mars will be in the sign of Sagittarius during these two pivotal October eclipses: the lunar eclipse in 15 degrees of Aries on October 8th and the solar eclipse in 0 degrees of Scorpio on October 23rd. Mars in Sagittarius will be trining that full moon, falling in my third house and sextiling my ascendant, so I have no doubt that it will be an interesting time for me, to say the least. Communication should be highlighted with Mars in Sagittarius will guide us in our pursuit of the truth.

Also on September 13th Mercury in Libra will activate the Uranus Pluto square by opposing Uranus in Aries and squaring Pluto in Capricorn. Let's hope that the best case scenario plays out with rational thinking and diplomacy prevailing. The next day, September 14th, sees Mercury slip into its shadow phase of the upcoming Mercury retrograde. Mercury is officially retrograde from October 4th through October 25th, starting at 2 degrees of Scorpio and ending at 17 degrees of Libra. But be forewarned that Mercury's shadow period does not officially end until November 10th, so be wary of making major purchases or signing papers until we are safely out of Mercury's shadow. Enough said. The upcoming Mercury retrograde will conjunct my Mercury, Neptune, Juno and ascendant, so it should be memorable, to say the least.

If you are feeling confused during these challenging times and curious as to how Saturn, Mars, Uranus, Chiron or the Black Moon Lilith are affecting you, please consider getting an astrological reading to obtain more insight and assistance in the healing process. Check out my services page on this site at:


To celebrate the spirit of  Mars moving into Sagittarius, I am offering a special on my tarot readings.  Recently some of my clients have been requesting shorter, one or two question tarot readings over my general astrological spread which covers all the issues pertaining to the 12 houses of the horoscope. They want answers to specific answers, so I am offering one or two question telephone readings for $15 and $25. You can check out the details at:



Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for my daily astrological insights at:


Friday, September 5, 2014

Super Full Harvest Moon in Pisces



Get ready for the most inspired and intuitive full moon of 2014! Yes, folks, we have a full moon in the uber-dreamy sign of Pisces on September 8, 2014 at 16 degrees. Pay attention to your dreams because they may be offering you opportunities for healing.

Many of us may be already feeling the effects of this full moon. On September 5th Venus entered the sign of Virgo, where it will reside until September 29th. Venus is considered to be in the sign of its fall in Virgo. It is a very different vibe from Venus in Leo, which demonstrates its love in grand romantic gestures and playful activity. It is definitely a party sign Venus. The theme of Venus in Virgo is showing affection in more practical ways by performing service to others. Virgo is, after all an earth sign and earth is all about practicality, tangible matters and restoring order.

The themes of this full moon include pursuing our dreams and healing. Don't forget that Virgo is the sign associated with health and the Sun is in Virgo. This full water moon will feature lots of intensity but will also provide opportunity for closure if necessary, clearing and support for attaining our goals. It sextiles Pluto in Capricorn and trines Mars and Saturn in Scorpio. And those are very beneficial aspects to have on our side. It is a good thing to have a full moon playing nice with such heavy hitters as Pluto, Mars and Saturn. But be prepared for some volatility because that Pisces moon also inconjuncts Mercury in Libra. This can unleash more unjust actions in the world while simultaneously stirring more global conscience and mindfulness.

On September 7th the Sun in Virgo opposes Chiron in Pisces. This aspect can set the stage for taking us to the root of our spiritual pain by putting us in touch with old childhood wounds. It does give us tremendous opportunities to tap into powerful sources of healing. The full moon on the 8th will also conjunct Chiron in Pisces, allowing for the possibility of hope and healing. This Pisces full moon also trines Saturn in Scorpio, further reinforcing the theme of healing old childhood wounds that are inevitably stirred up by this full moon. The dreamy feel of this Piscean full moon is evoked once again on September 10th when Venus in Virgo opposes Neptune in Pisces. The moon may have moved on to the sign of Aries but there is no escape from its energy with both Neptune and Chiron firmly ensconced in the sign of Pisces.

Personally, this full moon is falling at the tail end of my 5th house, so I have no doubt that the time is ripe for healing and dissolving creative blocks, especially since it trines my Scorpio Sun and Saturn. It also squares my natal Gemini moon in the 8th house. This is bound to round up the usual gang of 8th house issues in terms of death, transformation, rebirth and financial considerations.

If you are feeling confused during these challenging times and curious as to how Saturn, Mars, Uranus, Chiron or the Black Moon Lilith are affecting you, please consider getting an astrological reading to obtain more insight and assistance in the healing process. Check out my services page on this site at:



Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for my daily astrological insights at: