Neptune Direct and Farewell Scorpio Season

Neptune stationed direct in 7 degrees of Pisces on November 18^th at 11:31 a.m.and we are still feeling the repercussions of that station.   In addition to being a Scorpio, I am also very much a Neptunian with Neptune in the first house conjunct my ascendant.  I tried to inject a positive spin on this astrological event when I tweeted the following on November 18^th:

“There is more potential for dreams to become a reality today as Neptune in Pisces stations direct after 5 month retrograde.”

I also loved the way fellow astrologer Kristin Fontana described Neptune going direct:

“The emotional fog will dissipate and you can see the truth for what it is no matter how bitter the taste at times.”

Neptune’s station has the unnerving quality of making you wonder if you’re blessed with divine insight or losing your mind.  Self-deception can prevail when Neptune is about to make a station as we question reality.  It’s a common theme that I have heard from my clients recently—why is this happening to me and is it real?  But Neptune can also generate compassion, and I am trying to rely on that to get me through the adjustment period of Neptune stationing direct.  We all know that when a planet stations direct or retrograde, the energy of that planet will be intensified for a few days until it settles into its new direction.  Neptune has been retrograde since June 12, 2015 and I know that it has been an intense time for a lot of people.

On November 19^th the moon moved into Pisces, inspiring me to tweet a sentiment that seemed to resonate for many of my followers:

“Moon enters Pisces today and conjuncts Neptune tonight.  Expect to feel either inspired or delusional.  Still adjusting to #NeptuneStation.” 

The theme of a reality check emerges big-time on November 26^th when Saturn in Sagittarius forms an exact square Neptune in Pisces in 7 degrees of both signs.  This is Thanksgiving Day in the United States and it is also a full moon.  It should be an interesting day and time will tell if that 7 degrees is lucky or not.

In the meantime, the Sun is preparing to exit the sign of Scorpio.  It will enter the sign of Sagittarius on November 22^nd.  The Scorpio Sun conjuncted Mercury in Scorpio in 24 degrees on November 17^th, inspiring me to tweet:

“Sun conjunct Mercury in Scorpio bodes well for in-depth communication.  Last call to get to the root of the matter.”

That aspect conjuncted my natal Venus in Scorpio in the second house.  I did find myself engaged in conversations about my values and had an interesting telephone consultation with a new astrology client which proved to be very illuminating for both of us. It was definitely a day when mental adjustment about our reality was in order.  But Mercury will leave Scorpio on November 20^th at 2:43 p.m. and enter the more open, free-wheeling sign of Sagittarius.  I sense that the Scorpionic energy will still dominate that day because we also have Venus in Libra squaring Pluto in Capricorn in 12 degrees at 9:02 p.m.  Relationships may very well experience a lot of obsessive energy, which is Scorpio at its core.

Scorpio is an extremely complicated sign and experiencing it at its fullest can be exhausting because of the depth and intensity that it entails.  It is the only sign in the zodiac that has three animal symbols: the Scorpion, the Eagle and the Phoenix.  The Scorpion dwells in the darkness and holds onto negativity and resentments.  It is renowned (or reviled) for its venomous verbal sting.  Yet the Eagle soars higher in the sky and closer to the light by trying to attain a higher perspective.  It is a balancing act between the light and the shadow, which is not always comfortable or easy.

And then there is the Phoenix, which is all about embracing the process of transformation, which is an integral part of the Scorpio persona.  The Phoenix sets it nest on fire and is consumed by the flames in order to be reborn.

Personally, I can attest to the fact that I have had the full blown Scorpio experience in the past few weeks.  I have been forced to confront my own negativity and feelings of resentment recently while trying to heal and make peace with these shadow sides of myself.  It doesn’t help matters that I also have Mercury in Scorpio, so I am definitely not immune to the tendency towards lashing out verbally.  So I have been down and dirty with the Scorpion, attempted to soar like an eagle to rise above the fray, and am also embracing the concept of transformation and rebirth embodied by the Phoenix because deep down I know that rebirth is necessary. But as I have often said, rebirth ain’t pretty.  Letting go is hard work.  I am very grateful that my astrology, Reiki and psychic work is a constructive outlet for me because I tend to attract clients with similar issues who help heal me as much I help heal them.  It never ceases to amaze me what I can learn about myself from my clients. Like most people, I struggle with the ego trying to rule my life, when the bottom line is that sometimes you have to let go of that ego and face your shadow side

I think that facing our shadow side so that we can transform our lives into something more positive and healthy is the mission of the Sun in Scorpio.  But it is an intense ride, so most of us tend to welcome its departure.  Sagittarius has a much lighter, open vibe and is just what we need to usher us into the holiday season.  Happy Thanksgiving to all of my readers in the United States!

The nodes of the moon changed signs last week with the north node entering Virgo and the south node entering Pisces.  I am channeling that north node and Jupiter in Virgo energy by offering my Reiki services. If you are in the Boston area, please consider getting a Reiki treatment at Acupuncture for Everyone in Copley Square to destress, revitalize and remove blockages to healing.  It’s a perfect way to start your weekend off.  Reiki is the most profound treatment for stress relief because it concentrates on CALMING your body. 

For more information on my Reiki services, please see this page on my site:

http://phoenixscorpio.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_19.html

I am also offering my holiday Reiki special again this year of three Reiki treatments for $50.  It will run through December 2015 and makes a great gift for your loved ones.  Who couldn’t use a little calm, relaxation and sense of peacefulness?  If you are in the Boston area and interested in purchasing a package, please feel free to contact me at lindasim54@gmail.com or call me at 617-304-2205.

If you are contemplating an astrological reading to obtain more insight in your life after the recent cosmic roller coaster of planetary activity, 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

 

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

Gemini New Moon with Venus and Mercury on the Move

The new moon in 7 degrees of Gemini on May 28^th was the astrological focal point of the week for most of us.  In many ways, it was a very complicated new moon that had ties to the legendary Venus transit of 2012 which culminated with Venus resuming direct motion on June 28, 2012 in 7 degrees of Gemini.  The theme of that extended Venus transit two years ago was creative transformation.  I don’t know about you, but I am facing some of the same issues that I faced two years ago with that transit.  I am still trying to reinvent myself and dealing with some painful emotional issues and wounds that need to be healed.  Michael Lutin sagely pointed out that in his weekly message of May 26, 2014 that a direct Mars in Libra was reawakening not only the Venus transit of 2012 but also the major conjunction of Mars, Saturn and Pluto in Libra in the early 1980’s.  Mars in Libra was also trining that sun and moon this week.

A really big piece of this new moon was the fact that both the sun and moon squared Neptune.  It inspired me to tweet on the 28^th that “New Moon in Gemini squaring Neptune.  Escapist urges best satisfied thru meditation to let information flow.”  The themes of this new moon were rife with dispelling mental trances while not setting anything in stone, deception, illusion, new perspectives, multi-tasking (that ubiquitous word that permeates our lives), mental rebooting, an impulse to learn new things, swift and exciting changes and having fun by attending a light soiree.  I confess that I meditated earlier in the day alone and attended a customer appreciation reception for a local shop that was being sold as the owners prepared to move to California. Yes, the wine and hors d’oeuvres were delicious, the resident dog was adorable and we got first crack at the discounts on the merchandise in the store two days before the general public.

Venus changed signs on May 28^th and moved into Taurus, where it is infinitely more comfortable than in the sometimes impetuous sign of Aries.  Venus rules Taurus and Libra, two signs that are noted for their love of the good life.  On May 29^th I tweeted that “Venus is now in pleasure loving Taurus and we should feel free to indulge ourselves.  Seek out security in finances and relationships.”

Mercury figured prominently in this new moon as well. Mercury in Gemini sextiled Venus in Aries on the 28^th, before they both changed signs and that was definitely a boost to communication in relationships.

Mercury entered the shadow period of its upcoming retrograde on May 23^rd at 24 degrees of Gemini.  The Venus transit of 2012 featured Venus stationing retrograde at 23 degrees of Gemini on May 16, 2012.  So we are definitely not done with the theme of creative transformation by a long shot.  Mercury entered the emotional water sign of Cancer on May 29^th and it will remain in Cancer until June 16^th.  Mercury’s entry into Cancer prompted me to tweet “Prepare for communication to become more emotional today as Mercury enters Cancer, where it retrogrades on June 7^th. “Mercury officially goes retrograde in 3 degrees of Cancer on June 7^th, retrogrades into Gemini, resumes direct motion in 24 degrees of Gemini on July 1^st and finally leaves the shadow when it hits 3 degrees of Cancer on July 16^th.  The 29^th was an energetic day for me as it was my monthly lunar return with that Gemini moon in my 8^th house spurring my intuition as I did my Reiki work in the clinic.  I was also blessed with Jupiter entering my 10^th house that day.  In addition to working with some Reiki clients, I also got news this week that I would be able to list my services a Reiki practitioner on the Reiki Rays website.  You can find it at:

http://reikirays.com/reiki-practitioners-and-teachers/

The moon enters the sign of Cancer at 10:13 a.m. on May 30^th and it will conjunct Mercury and trine Neptune in Pisces.  Enjoy that water energy this weekend!

I also encourage you to follow me on Twitter for my daily astrological insights at:

https://twitter.com/danceofphoenix

Mercury Square Saturn and Health

Mercury in Aquarius is still in the retrograde shadow period until March 21^st, and I felt it in a big way this week.  I would attribute the majority of its impact to the square between Mercury and retrograde Saturn in Scorpio on March 10^th and 11^th.  Mercury in 22 degrees of Aquarius squared Saturn in 23 degrees of Scorpio, and it was intense.  I know that a common description of this aspect can be problems on the home front, and this played out big time for me this week.  Saturn in Scorpio conjuncted my natal Venus, which is never a fun transit.  It also conjuncted my progressed Black Moon, which triggered all of my worst fears about losing someone to death when a loved one spent 5 ½ hours in the ER after experiencing shortness of breath.  I was with him for 4 ½ excruciating hours until we knew that he would be admitted to the hospital.  All they could tell us was that he had fluid in his lung and an enlarged heart that was only working at 15% capacity.  He would need further tests which would need to be performed at another hospital and medication, dietary changes and an outpatient rehabilitation program in the future.

What was happening with his chart that day?  I generally like the moon in Cancer, but not so much that day.  For starters, it squared his north node in Libra in his 6^th house of health  and the moon squaring Uranus aspect that day was right on his ascendant.  Transiting Mars in Libra was conjunct his moon in the 7^th house and lest we not forget Saturn, it was conjunct his Ceres in Scorpio in the 8^th house.  He really needed to be taken care of that day or he could have died.

I’m not through dissecting that moon in Cancer squaring Uranus in Aries quite yet. The moon in Cancer, which was also conjunct Jupiter that day, happened to be conjunct my south node in the 9^th house.  Was there ever a day that faith was required! 

Mercury and Saturn did not play well together this week.  On Tuesday I received an email from a friend who had sprained her ankle while running for a bus.  Her exact words to me were: “What’s up with the stars????”

While Mercury was still squaring Saturn on March 11^th at 2:14 a.m., the sun in Pisces trined the moon in Cancer, which also trined Saturn in Scorpio. That water trine brought some much needed emotional stability before the moon moved into the sign of Leo at 10:09 p.m.  I felt much calmer and more centered in spite of the emotional chaos in my life.  I actually managed to do a tarot reading for someone that proved to be a source of comfort and support.

On Wednesday, March 12^th the moon in Leo trined Uranus in Aries, which was a big improvement over the moon squaring Uranus on Monday.  I wound up running into an old friend by accident, which was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.  So there is some proof that unexpected things can be beneficial and pleasant.  On March 13th, the moon in Leo inconjunced Pluto, Chiron and the sun, not so good while squaring Saturn and opposing Mercury.  How did this play out?  Well, my loved one got the news that he has severe blockage in two arteries and may need bypass surgery.  So Saturn was in play once again, indicating that restructuring of his health habits and routines was in order.  Saturn loves to deliver wakeup calls which can appear harsh, to say the least, but sometimes it is necessary.  In the long run, this may turn out to the best thing that ever happened for him in terms of extending the quality and length of his life.

And this weekend we have the full moon in Virgo, the sign of health.  On Sunday, March 16^th, we have a full moon in 26 degrees of Virgo.  I love what the great astrologer Isabel Hickey said about the Pisces/Virgo polarity: “Serve or suffer.”   I don’t know about you, but I prefer serving to suffering any day of the week!