Retrograde Planets, Pisces and the Healing Power of Dreams

The current Mercury and Neptune retrograde transits have afforded me ample opportunity to experience healing through my dreams. I know that last week I commented that Neptune retrograde would probably intensify my dreams because I have Neptune in the 1st house on my ascendant, but it just dawned on me this week that my Neptune forms an out of sign conjunction with Mercury in the 1st house. And everybody knows that Mercury is also retrograde. As in DUH? How could I not expect to have intense dreams? And to sweeten the pot, Chiron in Pisces stations retrograde at 17 degrees of Pisces on June 20th.

I found myself referring to Lisa Zimmerman's quote on Mercury Retrograde from her 2013 piece entitled The Hidden Value of Mercury Retrograde: "Mercury retrograde is a blessing imposed by the Universe, when it is time to slow down, check in with yourself, re-prioritize your life and get quiet to gain clarity and go with the flow. Don't fight it and try to swim upstream -rather, focus on being in the flow."

I don't know if I would go so far as to call Mercury retrograde a blessing, as it is definitely out of my comfort zone, but it certainly does give one pause for thought. In keeping with the tone of that missive, I tweeted on June 16th: "Trying to make the best use of Mercury retrograde by gathering info and getting rid of stuff I don't need."

I also turned to astrologer Pam Younghan's Northpoint Journal for guidance on Chiron. It seems like just yesterday that I was extolling the virtues of Chiron going direct to accelerate the healing process, but it stationed direct on November 19, 2013 at 9 degrees of Pisces. A lot has happened in my life since November and I can honestly say that the healing process has been quite painful on many levels.  Pam Younghans describes Chiron's upcoming retrograde as an opportunity to go more deeply into a spiritual healing process and trust that our lives are unfolding as they should, even if we are unsure of the outcomes. She also reminded me that Chiron in Pisces has themes of boundaries and control. Those are two big issues for me right now. Pisces is renowned for its compassion, yet if taken too far can result in servitude and martyrdom. It's a good time to release unhealthy patterns and bring everything into alignment with our ideals. Release work is a big theme which is reinforced by Mars in Libra, Pluto in Capricorn and Uranus in Aries forming a T-square.

Chiron in Pisces continues to square my moon in Gemini in the 8th house and one of the ways it is manifesting for me is to do release work on patterns of fear surrounding power struggles and confrontations. Since Neptune went retrograde on June 9th, my dreams have literally entered another dimension and I wake up mornings with the distinct sense of having traveled back in time to revisit my past and the source of those wounds.

On June16th I had some very unsettling dreams which prompted me to tweet on June 17th: "Very strong dreams last night involving fears of being manipulated and literally treading water. Thank you Mercury and Neptune retrograde!" Was this Mercury's swan song in Cancer?  Retrograde Mercury entered the sign of Gemini on June 17^th.  And the moon entered the sign Pisces on June 17^th at 2:26 p.m.  The compassionate, empathetic feelings that Pisces engenders were definitely felt by others.  Check out what one of my Twitter friends tweeted on June 17^th:

 lunar scorpio @moon_scorpio  

Tonight flood gates of intuitive awareness will be wide open. Messages will be pouring in by oceans. Remember your dreams tomorrow :)

I can honestly say this tweet was prophetic for me.  On June 18^th I tweeted: “Early morning Neptune moon conjunction in Pisces brought me a dream of healing past wounds by connecting with certain people.”  In my dream I visited, of my own volition, some folks who had hurt me and we hugged at the end of the dream.  It was a powerful experience of forgiveness, which doesn’t come easily to a Scorpio!  So it looks like I am actually experiencing healing through my dreams!

But June 18^th was a much, lighter carefree day with Venus in Taurus sextiling Jupiter in Cancer.  These two planets like to party and have fun, so the mood was much more upbeat.  I got my hair done, did some shopping and got invited to a garden party this weekend.  The previous day I had been commiserating with another Scorpio friend and she expressed her belief that that things will improve for Scorpios in August.  By August Jupiter will be in the sign of Leo, Saturn will be direct and Uranus will be retrograde.  I don’t have that much of a problem with Uranus retrograde, perhaps because I was born with it.  I didn’t know whether to believe my friend on the 17^th, but by the 18^th I was starting to believe it.  Maybe Saturn in Scorpio trining the Pisces moon gave hope that we could manifest our dreams.

Also, on June 18^th I read my Daily Horoscope app on my smart phone for Scorpio and it really resonated for me.  It said: “Some long-term endeavor has turned out to be much harder than you thought it would be.  You have given it your best-as you always do, Scorpio – and yet your best is not reflected in your progress.  Maybe it’s you.  You are probably starting to second-guess yourself and question your talents, and your skills and your ability to actually make that happen.  But you are tough.  If you hang in there just a little bit longer, you will get a glimpse of what is possible – and it will impress you.”

Obviously, at the very least I am opening up to getting some positive reinforcement from paying attention to signs from the universe after a frustrating period of attempting to build my business. That Venus Jupiter sextile on June 18^th was a boon for our spirits and on June 19^th I tweeted that “Pisces moon trining Jupiter today lends dreamy, self indulgent quality which continues the tone of yesterday’s Venus Jupiter sextile.”

All I can say is pay attention to your dreams, folks and heed the signs that the universe is providing.  Both Neptune and Chiron in Pisces are providing all of the tools we need for healing and spiritual growth.   And don’t forget to enjoy the Summer Solstice on June 21^st when the Sun enters the sign of Cancer at 6:51 a.m. Summer’s coming!

Please consider getting an astrological reading to obtain more insight and healing during these challenging times. Check out my services page on this site 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

Full Strawberry Moon in Sagittarius and Neptune Retrograde

The full moon in 22 degrees of Sagittarius was exact at 12:11 a.m. on Friday, June 13th on the east coast but I would bet the farm that most of us have been feeling its effects since Monday, June 9th when Neptune stationed retrograde in 7 degrees of Pisces. There was a foggy feel to the day that had a tendency to play out in either heightened idealism or disillusionment.

Why is it called a Strawberry moon?  According to the Indians, the month of June with its 30 days represented the short season for harvesting strawberries.  It is extremely rare that this full moon falls on a Friday the 13^th, a day rife with superstition.  We won’t have another full moon on Friday the 13^th until August 13, 2049.  So, with this full moon and Mercury retrograde, you can definitely expect the unexpected and prepare to clean out your life both literally and figuratively.

We may finally have Mars direct, but last week Mercury went retrograde and now we have Neptune retrograde until November 16th. Neptune retrograde forces us to review the condition of our soul, and for many of us, to let go of our need to rescue others by developing the faith that they will find the strength to overcome their own challenges. And don't be surprised if dreams become even more vivid over the next few months; that is part and parcel of Neptune's territory.  We cannot forget the re in retrograde and what it stands for: reassess!

Saturn in Scorpio has been playing a huge role in this week's planetary activity. On Tuesday, June 10th the moon in Scorpio conjuncted Saturn in Scorpio. This inspired me to tweet: "Big reality check today as moon conjuncts Saturn in Scorpio. No escape from doing the work to transform our toxins." It must have resonated big-time for a lot of folks because it garnered 254 views and quite a few retweets and favorites.

Astrologer Henry Seltzer aptly named this week's full moon as "The Painful Progress of the Sagittarius Full Moon" in his astrograph.com newsletter. This full moon opposes Mercury in addition to the Sun, inconjuncts Jupiter in Cancer and squares Chiron in Pisces, forming a T-square.  Henry likens it to being on a shamanic path because of the difficult changes we are going through and I couldn't agree more.

I googled shamanism and found a beautiful definition on:

www.shamanic.journey.com

that I would like to share:

"Healing is the most important function in shamanism along with prophecy as well as addressing the condition of the soul for healing to occur in the first place."

Venus in Taurus also opposes Saturn in Scorpio, which is trining Chiron in Pisces and this supports the theme of uncovering prior wounding.  Indeed, it is an opportunity to explore underlying difficulties in our relationships that prevent them from reaching their full potential.

The full moon falls in my third house and Neptune is stationing retrograde in my fifth house.  How is that playing out for me?  Well, I am trying to put myself out there in the community more in terms of developing my business by engaging in some creative behavior.  I would like to have some more Reiki clients, but I realize that no matter what you say or write about it, unless you have experienced Reiki, you just don’t understand it or how it can benefit you.  During the last two years when I was extremely stressed out from my job, I would do Reiki on myself every morning in the bathroom to destress.  This week I started thinking that a lot of people get that feeling of dread on Sunday at the thought of going back to work on Monday.  Wouldn’t it be nice if you could do something for yourself to prepare for the work week and balance your energy so that you are in a calm, relaxed state?  So I asked the owner of the acupuncture clinic that I work at if I could host a Reiki event on a Sunday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. and offer 10 free chair Reiki sessions that are ten minutes long.  My usual sessions are twenty minutes and include a chair and a shikibuton where the client gets to lay down and receive treatment.  She agreed to it and it will be held on July 20^th, when Mercury is finally out of its shadow retrograde and Saturn is stationary direct.  It seems like Saturn has been retrograde forever, but in reality, only since March 2^nd.  It feels like forever to me because Saturn’s retrograde station began on my Venus and will resume direct motion three degrees away from my Sun. 

Transiting Pluto in Capricorn is still in my third house within striking distance of my north node, so it is high time that I make myself more visible to the community.  This does not come naturally to me, as I am a bonafide introvert, especially with Saturn in the first house conjunct the Sun. 

And did I mention that I work at a community clinic that offers acupuncture, herbal medicine and Reiki? This just seemed like the perfect way to harness the energies of the third and fifth houses.  Just in case anyone does want to learn more about the benefits of Reiki, check out this link:

http://everyonesacupuncture.com/what-reiki-can-do-for-you/

On June 14, 2014 we will revisit the themes of April’s Grand Cross with Mars in 12 degrees of Libra squaring Pluto in 13 degrees of Capricorn.  But this time Mars is direct this time (don’t you feel like you need a score card to keep up with all of these retrogrades?), so we can expect more cosmic support to implement those changes we have been contemplating.

In addition to Reiki, please consider getting an astrological reading to obtain more insight and healing during these challenging times. Check out my services page on this site at:

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

Please feel free to follow me on Twitter for my daily astrological insights at:

https://twitter.com/danceofphoenix

 Happy Friday the 13th and Full Moon!

Mercury Retrograde in Cancer

Mercury officially goes retrograde on Saturday, June 7^th at 7:56 a.m. in 3 degrees of Cancer.  This is yet another Mercury retrograde that starts in a water sign and ends in an air sign.  The last one was from February 6-28, 2014 in Pisces and Aquarius.  Be aware that any unresolved emotional issues from that period may rise again.  I think that fellow astrologer Robert Ohotto said it best when he described this Mercury retrograde being about healing the split between your mind and heart.  Indeed, Mercury retrograde in Cancer has a theme of bridging the gap between the heart and the mind to communicate and connect.  Changes in home life will be also be reviewed.

Mercury retrograde in Cancer can cause general anxiety and overreactions, especially for folks with planets in Cancer, Scorpio, Capricorn and Pisces.   Mercury retrograde in Cancer can be a very introspective period because our subconscious fears can return to haunt us and we may be forced to deal with emotional issues.  It is a time of reflection, review and perhaps renegotiation.  This is the stuff that soul searching is made of!

But the mind piece comes into play into when retrograde Mercury enters the sign of Gemini on June 18^th.  It will resume stationary direct motion on July 1^st at 24 degrees of Gemini. And let us not forget that Chiron in Pisces is a major player in all of this action.  On June 3^rd, the Leo moon inconjuncted Chiron in Pisces, which inspired me to tweet: “Be prepared to face old wounds today as Leo moon inconjuncts Chiron in Pisces. “  This tweet actually garnered me 109 views on Twitter, so it must have resonated for quite a few other people.  We had a first quarter moon in Virgo on June 5^th which featured Chiron in Pisces trining Saturn in Scorpio and squaring the Sun in Gemini.  Authority figures may have been a problem for some on that day.

This Mercury retrograde is occurring in my 9^th house and I had a conference with an attorney to discuss some financial concerns regarding 8^th house matters on June 5^th.  Even though the weather was perfectly dreadful with drenching rains, I wanted this to be handled before the official Mercury retrograde on June 7^th so that I could trust the advice that I received.  It was definitely worth braving that rain for the pearls of wisdom that I received.  And there is nothing like a Virgo moon for taking care of business details. 

But we all know that Mercury entered its retrograde shadow period on May 23^rd at 24 degrees of Gemini.  Many of us have begun to feel its effects since then with computer glitches, communications and transportation problems, etc.  On June 5^th I went to pick up a prescription at my local Walgreen’s and wouldn’t you know that the computer froze while it was ringing up my transaction?  I am also concerned that when Mercury finally does station direct on July 1^st in 24 degrees of Gemini, it will be inconjunct my Venus in Scorpio in the 2^nd house.  This is going to be a challenging aspect for me in terms of expressing my feelings.  This transit first hit me on May 23^rd, and there were definitely some communication problems that weekend. How will that play out for me the second time, especially concerning my values, feelings and finances?  Time will tell…

So, what can I say but be prepared for Mercury retrograde by allowing extra time to get to our destinations, not signing contracts, launching new projects, making an offer on a new home, or starting a new job.  If you start a new job during Mercury retrograde, it will not turn out to be what it was described during your interview.  The job responsibilities may be quite different and you risk the chance of leaving a less than favorable impression on your new employer.  And by all means, don’t buy a new car, computer, install new software and avoid unnecessary travel at all costs.  Forewarned is forearmed.  Life must go on during Mercury retrograde, but take precautions.

Please feel free 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