Taurus Season - Time to Plant the Seeds

As of April 20^th, it officially became Taurus season, folks.  On that day, I tweeted:

“Sun enters Taurus today allowing us the opportunity to make the dreams of the Aries new moon a practical reality.”

What exactly is the theme of the Sun in Taurus?  When the Sun is in Taurus, there is a strong focus on determination and security needs.  Taurus is the fixed earth sign, so loyalty and longevity are important.  Taurus is ruled by the planet Venus, so physical comforts, earthly pleasures and nurturing the self are paramount.  So it really is an opportune time to plant the seeds of the dreams we held so dear during the Aries new moon of April 18^th.

But we have a double bonus in that Mercury is in Taurus through April 30^th and Mars is in Taurus through May 13^th.  When Mercury is in Taurus, ideas can literally take root. And Mars in Taurus provides energy and focus.  On April 21^st, I tweeted:

“Mars in Taurus trining Pluto in Capricorn today gives us energy and focus to achieve our goals.  Major life changes are possible.”

On April 22^nd, I tweeted:

“Mercury in Taurus trining Pluto in Capricorn favors transformation through practical communication.  Happy Earth Day.”

Mercury and Mars also conjuncted each other in Taurus on April 22^nd, so it was truly a festive Earth Day!

Of course, the icing on the cake is that Pluto in Capricorn is being so supportive of Mercury and Mars in Taurus.  Pluto and Mars are definitely planetary heavies, the co-rulers of the sign Scorpio.  Pluto represents the soul planet and Mars is the planet of action and desire.  When these two planets make nice, the sky is the limit because we can be focused and direct our will towards our soul’s path.

Who knew that after all of the tumult from the recent Uranus Pluto squares that Pluto could actually be an ally these days with its trines to Mercury and Mars in Taurus?  I also loved what Michael Lutin had to say about Pluto in Capricorn.  Basically, he said that Pluto in 15 degrees of Capricorn is the point of no return.  We have no choice but to proceed now to see what happens at the end of September (September 24^th, to be exact) when Pluto stations direct.  The bottom line is that Pluto has you moving ahead and taking positive action.  I highly encourage you to check out his site:

www.michaellutin.com

The Sun in Taurus is giving us one particularly challenging aspect on April 26^th.  The Taurus Sun will be squaring Ceres, the asteroid associated with nurturing, in the sign of Aquarius.  Our self-esteem may take a hit, especially if the urge to follow our path seems slightly impractical.  This is playing out for me in a very interesting way—I am attending the Third Annual Celebration of Reiki Conference on the 26^th!  Nonetheless, I am looking forward to it and hope that I can learn a lot to further develop my healing skills.  Venus in Leo is inconjunct Chiron in Pisces that day, so I may need to make some adjustments in my approach to Reiki.   While I agree that this is definitely an unorthodox path, I know deep down that I am heeding the call of my soul.

I’m also preparing to move on April 29^th and hoping that the Virgo moon on that day trining Pluto in Capricorn assists me in staying focused and organized with this latest transformation in my life.

In May we will be facing a full moon in Scorpio and another Mercury retrograde, so I urge all of you to strike while the iron is hot and plant those seeds now!  Take full advantage of that Taurus energy while we still have it.

If you are confused during these challenging times and need some guidance in empowering you to move forward, please consider getting an astrological reading.  You can learn more about my menu of astrological services at:

http://phoenixscorpio.blogspot.com/p/services-offered.html

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

https://twitter.com/danceofphoenix

Pluto Retrograde and New Moon in Aries

This has been a major week astrologically, in case you haven’t noticed and or were hiding out under a rock.  Mercury entered the sign of Taurus on April 14^t, which really shifted the focus to resources and values in communications. It inspired me to tweet:

“Mercury enters Taurus today putting a more stable practical thorough focus on communication. The pace is slower.”

But the major event so far this week occurred on April 16^th, when Pluto stationed retrograde at 15 degrees of Capricorn.  The astrological world was abuzz over this.  Pluto will remain retrograde until September 24, 2015.  On that day I tweeted:

“#Pluto turns #retrograde today for 5 months allowing us to dig deeper and purge whatever isn’t working in our lives anymore.”

When Pluto is retrograde, it is time for transformation to go deeper to an inner level.  It is also an ideal time to clean out our closets, refrigerators, quit jobs and leave relationships that are toxic.  Pluto retrograde forces us to discard elements of our lives that are not supportive. We really need to reexamine physical, emotional and spiritual patterns that no longer serve our best interests.

Michael Lutin as always nailed it when describing Pluto retrograde.

“Pluto is all about long-range perspective, so it is virtually impossible to see what you are doing now mainly because the effects take years to show up.  Just think back to how your life has changed since 2007.  You couldn’t possibly have foreseen it.”

He goes on to say:

“Pluto drags you away from whatever you were doing… The challenges of Pluto to your creativity and ingenuity bring you gifts of talent you asked for…. Part of what Pluto does is grant you the power to project unconscious thoughts forward into the future.  You can bless or curse yourself with imagery about your life that could come true many years down the line.  Pluto also represents the power to retrieve vivid almost photographic memories complete with emotional soundtrack of events that happened.”

I highly encourage you to check out his site at:

www.michaellutin.com

I don’t know about you, but for me thinking back to my life in 2007,  I tend to shudder.  I felt totally powerless over events that were beyond my control back then. I prefer to think that this Pluto retrograde transit is all about claiming empowerment.  After all, I am a Scorpio, and I buy into the belief that Pluto is my ruling planet.   But for me personally, Pluto in Capricorn is currently squaring my Libra ascendant, so my experience is energizing and exhausting simultaneously.  Pluto is still transiting my third house, so I can only hope that I will have a positive influence on other people in my communications. However, I am also aware that there is strong potential for power struggles as I seek greater intensity and intimacy in my relationships.  The themes of manipulation and obsessive behavior hold great potential.  And I would be a liar if I said that financial success was not important to me.  Getting the word out about my work is uppermost on my mind these days as I struggle to maintain a balance between my personal and professional life.

Adding to the planetary mix, Jupiter in Leo squares Mars in Taurus on April 17^th in 12 degrees.  Normally, this aspect might be interpreted as an energy boost to move us forward in fulfilling our desires, but Jupiter is squaring my Saturn and Mars is opposing it, so I am a bit apprehensive that I may face more delays and tests along the way.  My sense is that I may experience this aspect as promising more than I can deliver.

And on April 18, 2015 we have a New Moon in 29 degrees of Aries.  This should bring personal and spiritual support for new beginnings.  It’s an ideal time to take action and commit to personal goals.  Don’t let the potential for this new moon pass or you could lose out on some incredible new opportunities. Aries loves action and hates procrastination, so the old adage “if you snooze you lose” definitely applies to this new moon.

If you are confused during these challenging times and need some guidance in empowering you to move forward, please consider getting an astrological reading.  You can learn more about my menu of astrological services at:

http://phoenixscorpio.blogspot.com/p/services-offered.html

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

https://twitter.com/danceofphoenix

Greater Benefics on the Move- Jupiter Goes Direct and Venus Moves into Gemini

The planets Jupiter and Venus, aka the Greater Benefics, are on the move this week, assisting us in our quest to move forward. Jupiter stationed direct at 12 degrees of Leo on April 8th and that generated a lot of buzz in the astrological community. On that day I tweeted:

"Big day as Jupiter turns direct in Leo today and optimism returns after 5 months retrograde. The pace will pick up."

When Jupiter is retrograde, we tend to turn inward to access deeper wisdom and rebuild our faith. I loved what astrologer Kristin Fontana said about truths that were recently accessed during the retrograde being ready to set in motion. We just need to follow our intuition. If nothing else, the Jupiter retrograde period afforded us the opportunity to really get in touch with our deepest feelings and dreams. Now the stage is set for us to manifest those dreams. Our sense of optimism is restored and becoming more engaged in our community can also become a priority in our lives now. It's time for our expectations to be met.

Jupiter is still transiting my 10th house, and will continue to do so until June 9th. I plan on taking full advantage of this transit to expand my public standing. I am making efforts to enhance my Reiki practice by attending a Reiki conference on April 26th, still writing this astrology blog and doing astrological and psychic readings. I am also contemplating starting a meditation group. Many of my clients have expressed a desire to have meditation become a part of their life and I would like to share that gift of empowerment that meditation brings with them.

Jupiter in Leo is also currently opposing my natal Mars in Aquarius and I will feel the effects of this transit through early June. This transit brings inner restlessness and excessive energy. I am fully aware that I will need to guard against overextending myself by making too many promises to people that I can't meet. I have a tendency to spread myself too thin and set impossible goals for myself. Jupiter opposing my Mars might very well overinflate my confidence in terms of what I can accomplish. And it could make my temper shorter, which is not such a good thing.

And then Jupiter will also be conjuncting my natal Pluto in the 11th house in mid-July, so I may have a tendency to become even more obsessive about achieving my goals. I can't deny that expanding my business is foremost for me this year.

On April 11th Venus will leave Taurus and enter the light and airy sign of Gemini. This will shift the focus in relationships and finances from security to diversity for the next four weeks. The first half of this transit occurs in my 8th house, so I wouldn't be at all surprised if transformation in finances occurs.

I will also be blessed with transiting Venus in Gemini conjuncting my natal moon in the 8th house and this can play out in a variety of delightful ways. It will probably make me more sentimental, affectionate and should improve my relationships with partners and women. Transiting Venus conjunct the moon puts more of an emphasis on domestic matters and I am moving during this transit. Hopefully it will also make me more attuned to others needs and enhance my spiritual growth. Venus in Gemini also trines my Libra ascendant, which should improve my chances of making a favorable impression and trines my Mars in Aquarius. This has the potential to benefit my relationships by providing the opportunity for emotional release. So I am fairly optimistic about Venus in Gemini because it favorably sets off my grand air trine.

If you are curious about how Venus in Gemini will affect you or the potential for expansion that Jupiter 

direct in Leo has in store for you, please feel free to contact me for an astrological reading  

at lindasim54@gmail.com.

This week gets even better astrologically on April 12th when Mars in Taurus sextiles Neptune in Pisces at exactly 8 degrees of both signs. This aspect lends support for helping our dreams come true. My 5th and 7th houses will benefit from this aspect, but Mars will also be trining my north node in Capricorn while Neptune in Pisces sextiles that north node. How sweet is that? I am literally getting a green light to move forward on my soul's path.

  

If you are confused during these challenging times and need some guidance in empowering you to move forward, please consider getting an astrological reading.  You can learn more about my menu of astrological services at:

http://phoenixscorpio.blogspot.com/p/services-offered.html

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

https://twitter.com/danceofphoenix

Lunar Eclipse in Libra Connects the Past with the Future

The second eclipse of 2015 is coming folks, and it packs a wallop of emotional intensity. It occurs in 14 degrees of Libra on April 4th. Lunar eclipses always increase unstable energies, but this one is triggering the vibes created by the last Uranus/Pluto square on March 17th. It squares Pluto in Capricorn and will revolutionize how we act in relationships. Libra is, after all, the sign that loves relationships. Mark my words, there are bound to be endings and new beginnings in relationships and careers.

The pull of the past meeting the promise of the future is illustrated by the cardinal T-square that this eclipse forms. Anyone who has planets in 9-19 degrees of the cardinal signs of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn will feel like they are in the crossfire of transformational relationships. The Sun in Aries conjuncts Uranus in Aries, Mercury in Aries and the south node of the moon in Aries. The south node represents the past and the baggage and outworn patterns our soul needs to release for its highest good. And that Libra moon is conjunct the north node, which is our future. This lunar eclipse squaring Pluto is literally forcing us to undergo explosive endings of one phase of our personal development in order to make fresh starts in a whole new chapter of life. The theme of change is pervasive but it needs to be well thought out and implemented.

A major complication exists because Mercury entered the sign of Aries on March 30th, where it will stay until April 14th. Mercury affects our thought patterns, but in fiery, impulsive Aries it is likely to take us to a place of conflict. On March 30th I tweeted:

"Mercury enters Aries tonight and communication becomes more impulsive and direct."

Mercury in Aries has a tendency to tell it like it is without any filters for fact or etiquette, so debates and instances for provocation are common.  It is not prone to rosy filters like Pisces or careful planning like Taurus. Mercury squaring Pluto in Capricorn on April 7th will be prime time to confront hidden agendas.  And when it collides with Uranus on April 8th, impulse and sudden change take center stage with surprising messages or ideas that are total game changers. But Mercury in Aries is not all bad. On April 2nd, it trined Saturn in Sagittarius for a new vision of the future and on April 6th it will trine Jupiter in Leo, affording us the opportunity to initiate that big idea.

The eclipse forming a conjunction with the north node in Libra signifies that emotional balance is our priority. Remember that symbol of Libra with the scales? Libra may not always be balanced, but it is always seeking balance in its highest form. With the nodes of the moon featuring so prominently in this eclipse, we need to revisit the past in order to move forward. It is nothing short of due diligence!

I loved the way Michael Lutin described this eclipse on his site:

www,michaellutin.com

"The lunar eclipse pops your balloon, thank Heaven. The message is to restore balance in your life."

As for me personally, I am definitely feeling the emotional intensity because this eclipse conjuncts my Libra ascendant and squares my Cancer midheaven. I have recently started doing more psychic readings through a business opportunity which allows me the flexibility to set my own hours.

Yet another reason this is a time for me to restore emotional balance in my life is my gratitude for my current Chiron transit. During the past year transiting Chiron in Pisces was squaring my natal Gemini moon and it was a very painful process.  It ended in February and I could definitely sense the difference; I felt like I had stared down some very deep rooted and long standing wounds and managed to come out on the other side with a feeling of freedom and happiness.  I won't deny that the healing process was agonizing at times, but it was worth it.  Last week transiting Chiron in Pisces began trining my Scorpio Sun and that transit will play out for the next year. And we all know that trines are much easier to take as transits or aspects than squares, right? The words easy and flowing come to mind.  I read about this long-term transit on the Astrodienst site:

www.astro.com

I highly recommend this site if you haven’t checked it out already because you can enter your chart information and get your daily transits free and long-term transits free on Thursdays.

Basically, it described this transit as "fair weather" which had the potential to bring old wounds to light in a less painful manner and allows one to further heal relationships without hurting others in the process.  I'll happily take that transit! It's my own version of Spring!

Happy Passover and Happy Easter, everyone!

If you are confused during these challenging times and need some guidance in empowering you to move forward, please consider getting an astrological reading.  You can learn more about my menu of astrological services at:

http://phoenixscorpio.blogspot.com/p/services-offered.html

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

https://twitter.com/danceofphoenix