 Nature’s opening up, so can you Spring has arrived and here in Portland, Oregon nature is wildly sprouting and blooming! What is blooming and growing inside of you?? In the first days of April, the Sun and Saturn form an easy Sextile aspect with each other, starting the month off with a stimulating, yet steadying energy of grounded focus. As you make your way further into the month, Mars and Jupiter will be forming a nice Trine aspect, possibly increasing opportunities for more outward activity than there has been in a long time. It’s been a uniquely big year of restriction for everyone and you may find energy and resources available to start feeling more positive about getting out and having opportunities towards doing things you might not have done in quite a while. The caveat is to not let fear hold you back as things continue to open up more, as Sun, Venus, and Mercury are making a challenging square aspect to Pluto around the same time in April. Let’s explore this astrological forecast a bit more ... Sun in Aries Sextile Saturn in Aquarius April 1st - 3rd When planets Sextile, both of their energies co-create and activate each other to manifest the best qualities of what each planet represents. In doing so, positive results are usually seen. The Sun represents how you need to shine and express yourself, while Saturn carries the resources for grounded practicality, hard work, and movement towards building the structures that support you in your pursuits in life. For the first 3 days of April, you’ll feel stimulated to put your energy towards things/situations/decisions that ultimately feel rewarding as Saturn can get you working in the right direction and on the things that can truly manifest into something. By offering a keen sense of knowing whether something will be of benefit for you to do or not, with Sun sextile Saturn you may find yourself being able to discern which efforts are worthwhile and which aren’t. Follow them! Tune into this for yourself in early April. Take notes. You’ll be able to tap into the most useful actions or steps you can take towards the things that are happening in your life right now. Recognize what your inner knowing is telling you and follow it. What helpful insights come to you the first 3 days of April? Although the energy of this aspect is short-lived, in early April you can move forward beyond these first 3 days of the month with more insight and awareness regarding the best ways to put forth your efforts and energy with anything in your life you’re working on or needing to make decisions about. It’s a good idea to write down your thoughts so you can keep referencing them later on as this early April energy moves on. Even if your insights tell you to wait on doing something for now... allow this Sun/Saturn energy to be a balanced launchpad for yourself, springing you into the rest of April. Mars in Gemini Trine Jupiter in Aquarius April 11th - 21st Mars describes the way in which you take action in your day and in life, it’s your get up and go and has been transiting in Gemini since March 5th. Gemini is a social sign, curious, wants to be involved in a variety of activities, and can get easily bored if not being mentally stimulated enough. Mars in Gemini can activate you to be out and about locally, in a variety of ways. Have you felt unsure about how to easily do this in the past year due to the restrictions around the pandemic? When Mars comes to Trine Jupiter in Aquarius on April 11th, you might feel the adventurer in you is curious about finding more of the right kind of opportunities to get out and spread your wings. When planets Trine, their energy combines and creates a sense of “ease and opportunity” in the dynamic of the 2 planets. As mentioned, Mars is about taking action and Jupiter brings the positive and expansive energy to do so. The time from April 11th - 21st, might offer itself as a feel-good time to get out more and do the things that bring you joy. However... One challenge to the positive Mars Trine Jupiter energy mentioned above is during the same time, Venus, Sun, and Mercury will all be making a hard Square aspect to Pluto, respectively, from April 10th through the 18th. Venus, Sun, and Mercury are considered personal Planets and relate to how you personally show up in the world. Venus has to do with how you find ease in receiving (including hugs) from others and also has to do with relationships and the beauty you create in your life. The Sun shows how you express who you are and or show your individuality. Mercury describes how you communicate with others and mentally process in general. Pluto, at the highest level, calls for transformation, moving out of the old and bringing in the new. Changes involving Pluto can be experienced as a welcome movement forward, and Pluto transformations can also feel scary, as trusted familiar patterns are rearranged and must go through a kind of death and rebirth process . . . until you get to the other side of it. Therefore… Although there are good feelings around getting out more, the square involving Pluto could mean a feeling of an internal power struggle between where we have all been collectively and where we are going as the world continues to find new ways to socially open back up. Squares are challenging, but they also provide the dynamic tension needed for our growth edges. My suggestions are to not let the fears that have developed over this past year keep you from moving forward in the opportunities that are coming as we are exploring new pathways in making this transition, collectively, through the month of April. Take the time to personally work through anything that’s coming up for you as things start to open up more in society. We have been going through a profoundly unprecedented period of socially distanced retreat. As you explore the loosening of restrictions and the parallel flowering of Spring, enjoy the movements, notice your concerns and feelings . . . and grow forth in joy.
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Feel the Tension, Find the Release, Create the New  March 21st brings the Spring Equinox when the Sun enters Aries and day and night are of equal length. Also known as the Vernal equinox or the first day of Spring, this time is marked by the Sun’s ecliptic movement of crossing back towards the Northern Hemisphere, bringing in warmer days. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac circle, as Spring Equinox is the seasonal dawn and rebirth of the year, Aries is considered to be the newborn ‘child’ of the zodiac. The youthful fire energy of Aries is in awe of everything. As March 21st arrives, get in touch with your inner child that feels inspired and passionate towards everything around . . . this brings you into alignment with the arrival of Spring’s essence! Mars in Gemini Trines Saturn in Aquarius March 18th - 27th This is an excellent time to put yourself to work and accomplishing things you’ve been having a hard time getting to. Mars and Saturn give you solid, supportive energy and stamina to make it through any projects or taking steps towards planning and reaching goals. If you have found yourself living in some level of Pandemic Fatigue, plan on the Mars/Saturn energy from March 18th through the 27th as a week to give you some serious energy of dedication to pull you through on things you’ve been having a hard time getting to. The only caveat is, you have to initiate the steps, they won’t just happen for you. If you take action to ride the power of this transit as it is occurring … Mars Trine Saturn will carry you forth! Saturn in Aquarius squares Uranus in Taurus From late January 2021 and continues throughout March Last month I began exploring with you the square aspect forming between Saturn and Uranus, which has been coming into focus this season. Squares are challenging, but also provide us with opportunities to grow and develop more parts of ourselves. Without challenges ~ we can’t grow Without tension ~ there is no release or resolution. Planetary SQUARES create tension between 2 planets where one planet might begin to obstruct the expression of the other the closer they become. However, in this tension, something longstanding has the opportunity to resolve. Your own blocks to expression have an opportunity to become free! How you may see this challenge in your life is: you might feel a tension, at first, around needing to take action on something or break out of an old habit/pattern that doesn’t serve you, but fear may try to hold you back and it will feel difficult to take action. However, the tension inside of you doesn’t usually let up, and eventually, the only way out is to finally break through and do the thing you were afraid of doing. After finally breaking through, you feel stronger and on some level glad you were finally able to move forward. Have you ever had this happen in your life? Take a movement here and explore the areas of your life where you currently feel this type of energy existing. With Saturn (serious, hard-working, focused, grounded, traditional approach) and Uranus (revolutionary, new ideas, erratic, creative, quirky) coming to Square each other, you will be given the opportunity to create new pathways for yourself if you can recognize the areas of life that have you stuck in old patterns. Regardless of the circumstances, the issue is really about what is happening inside of you. Whether it’s a job, a relationship pattern or family situation, etc… that’s not in alignment with who you are becoming, start focusing on how you will want to take action to overcome the pattern or situation. It’s not necessarily about moving away from the situation altogether, but is more about approaching the circumstances that are in alignment with the truth of who you are. As you do this, the pieces of your life will come together from a more unified place within yourself, and then you will be able to see how the rest does or doesn’t fit in. Saturn and Uranus came into a square aspect with each other in late January and made their strongest contact in February (16th-24th). Think back on these dates and notice the areas of your life where the greatest tensions and need to break out of old habits showed up. This energy continues through March and as I survey the movement between Saturn and Uranus over the coming months, I see that their ongoing dynamics are creating one of the big themes throughout this year. The exact square between them recurs 3 times this year (in February, June & December), bringing a background tone of this struggle and resolution all year round as Uranus and Saturn will remain in close aspect with each other throughout 2021. Therefore, it’s not a quick resolve, but perhaps something that will be taking shape all year for you. Give yourself the gift of time to work through it. Uranus brings an energy of sudden changes to help you become free of something that feels restrictive, so things may change fast, as well. Last month I described how the Square between them grows, peeks, and fades. As it will be doing this 3 times throughout the year, it’s worth recalling some of the thoughts I offered in February. Please refer to my February Astrology content to read more about the Saturn/Uranus Square. Here’s a little more info on how planetary squares work if you have them in your personal astrology birth chart… Squares between planets show us where we can get stuck in challenging patterns within ourselves and feel held back. We can also feel it is just who we are and what we were born with and “that’s that”. However, with the right awareness, it can also indicate opportunities for growth as you begin to learn how to free yourself of these patterns. As a result, you’ll notice each time circumstances bring you up against that familiar old pattern, you’ll start to recognize, more and more, that you have a choice in how you respond. As you bring conscious awareness to the energy activated by a Square, you can grow to really embody the truth of knowing you don’t have to go back to old patterned ways anymore. You’re free to rise above these circumstances and it feels good! If you want to learn more about how planetary squares may be influencing you and how to specifically work with them, reach out to me (Northwest Astrologer) for a personalized astrological reading.  Northwest Astrologer is here for you! With astrology, the most helpful advice is always individual and personalized based upon your personal astrology birth chart and life situations. Contact me to learn more about scheduling an astrology reading to help you navigate your life in these dynamic times!  Northwest Astrologer drumming on the Pacific Coast February is a dynamic month for shifts with relationships, business, and financial matters as Venus is forming major aspects with Saturn, Jupiter, and Uranus in the first half of the month. Mercury is in retrograde for most of the month while Internal tensions are building and urging us to create a new path forward with Uranus and Saturn squaring each other through all of February. Mercury in Retrograde January 30th - Feb 20th Hearing about Mercury retrograde has gained popularity in the mainstream with the most common theme being a “warning” against doing certain activities during this 3 week period. I find what is most alive regarding Mercury retrograde is holding an awareness that anything you make a firm decision on during this period, may have to be re-worked again after Mercury goes direct (starting February 21st). Therefore, a clearer thinking process around decision making becomes more available when Mercury is out of retrograde. People often find more challenges and issues with communications, electronics, travel, etc… and you may find it takes longer to get from point A to point B, or there’s more back and forth communication before things become clear. Often, I see Mercury retrograde as an offering to surrender, trusting things will work out in the end, and taking the unexpected “scenic route” shows you something delightful you wouldn’t have been able to experience otherwise. Let go and allow an alternate way of “getting there” to manifest. Use this 3-week retrograde time to finish up old projects that are lingering out there, taking up psychic space, not allowing you to cleanly move forward in life. Spend time with these activities and you will find ease towards completing them. Clean out closets, garages, workspaces, donate items, etc… In other words, clear out the physical clutter, which will clear out mental clutter and allow you an opportunity to start anew when Mercury goes direct on the 21st. Let's take a look at all the Venus energy this month ... Venus draws beneficial things towards us and connects to the aspects of life associated with love and beauty: relationships, the beautification of our homes/environment, as well as attracting money and business into our lives. Matters related to all kinds of partnerships, business, and finances may come into the spotlight in the first 2 weeks of February. Venus moves into Aquarius on February 2nd and comes to join up with both Saturn and Jupiter, respectively, with both of these planetary players adding their signature energies to Venus’ beatific qualities mentioned above. First... Venus conjunct Saturn (in Aquarius) February 4th - 8th Then… Venus conjunct Jupiter (in Aquarius) February 9th - 13th All the while... Venus in Aquarius squares Uranus in Taurus February 5th - 8th Let’s break it down... In early February, Venus is going to come together with Saturn and their energies will blend. In astrology, this is called a conjunction. When Saturn and Venus conjunct on Feb 4th, you may find yourself wanting to get more serious about matters that need working out in your relationships or close personal business partnerships and finances. In other words, any aspects in your relationship life that have been unresolved, or hanging out in the periphery, needing attention, will come into focus and urge you to take grounded consideration and attend to the matters at hand. This process can bring security through the needed practical processing of issues that are emerging in relationships. It can also bring clarity about dimensions of relationships that are in need of ending or of fundamental transformation. The sobering Saturn sensibilities come together with Venus to bring our realms of love and beauty and opportunity to shakedown and shift through the needed conversations. It will be a time to get real! During the 4th through the 8th, It could feel a little heavy in these areas of life, but ultimately it will help you come to clarity around what needs figuring out. With Saturn involved, there’s a layer of firm resolve coming through, one way or the other. At the same time, Venus is making a square with Uranus. This can provide an extra emphasis on your needs to create new pathways forward in relationships, whether it’s about staying together and working it out or moving apart. If there are feelings of restriction, lack of freedom, and potential boredom in a relationship, then this transit will create enough tension around this to want to shift into something else. Again, this could be about finding new ways to be together that are more fulfilling or recognizing that it might be time to part. As Venus moves on from these aspects with Saturn and Uranus, it will move into making a conjunction with Jupiter on February 9th. Again, conjunction means blending the planetary energies of 2 or more planets into one unified force. As Venus and Jupiter come together, this conjunction opens up the weighty, heaviness, felt from the previous days, into something more positive and expansive. Therefore, on the 9th - 13th, you may be able to create more optimistic outlooks in regards to these Venusian realms of close relationships in love and or partner situations that you have found yourself in at the beginning of February. Saturn square Uranus January 21st - March Strongest during Feb. 16th - 27th Squares are challenging aspects between 2 planets where one planet might obstruct the expression of the other. Saturn holds the key to the energies that embody cultural and family traditions, and brings structure and planning and to areas of life requiring serious grounded thinking. Uranus brings new ideas, flashes of inspiration, revolutions, and transformations. As you might imagine when these planets come together in a Square, our old ways of providing structure and grounding will be challenged and faced with a strong need for a fresh new approach. A square between Saturn and Uranus create tensions around breaking free from the status quo. Ask yourself what areas of your life are you going along with that might not be coming from who you truly are? Where are you still conforming for the sake of tradition, but need to break free from? If there’s great tension inside yourself around this aspect, then during the whole month of February, you may be feeling the need to release yourself out of situations you’re in that aren’t really you anymore. Let yourself break free!! Collectively, this energy points to the old way (Saturn) being challenged by the new way (Uranus). At this time we can see this drama unfolding strongly on the “World Stage” in our cultural and political shifting sands, and also in the realms of our persona lives. There’s quite a bit of tension around this, which will be active through mid-March when the energy around the square aspect starts to fade. We can all agree that the “normal” we had is changing and if you’re still in the resistance of finding a new way forward for yourself in all of this, it will be met with great tension while Saturn and Uranus are in the square aspect with each other. By tuning in to your own internal compass, you might discover that you are being asked to get more creative and allow yourself to open to new ways forward in 2021.  Northwest Astrologer is here For You!
With astrology, the most helpful advice is always individual and personalized based upon your personal astrology birth chart and life situations. Contact me to learn more about scheduling an astrology reading to help you navigate your life in these uncertain times. Welcome, 2021!!  Although life is continuing where it left off from December, there’s something about the feeling of having a clean slate for a new year as January can offer the essence of a reset point for starting afresh. Astrologically, there is some reality to this as the longstanding planetary transits that brought about the heavy quality of 2020 have mostly shifted and continue to shift in January. Mars moves into Taurus January 7 - March 4 Mars moving out of Aries and into the steady Earth sign of Taurus on the 7th is significant. This aggressive and action-oriented planet that gets you going after what you want in your life has been in the fiery sign of Aries for a longer than normal time, due to having a 2 month period of retrograde in 2020. As Mars transited through Aries over the last 6 months, it also made difficult aspects to a triad of planets in the Autumn. This lengthy Arian Mars period magnified conflicts & struggles and contributed to the overall quality of tension and scrappiness in a singularly challenging last year. When Mars shifts into Taurus, things will feel like they are calming down. There’s a level of stability that will be felt collectively. One caveat about Mars in January is that although it’s moving into the sign of Taurus, the Peaceful Bull, it will be making a hard aspect (square) to Saturn at the same time. This aspect will be the strongest until January 24th and can feel like the momentum forward is challenged and perhaps the stubbornness that comes with Taurus will be more palpable (personally and collectively) through most of January. Therefore, if you’re feeling like things are beginning to feel better than they have been but still noticing there’s a block to making progress in January, then allow this energy to provide an opportunity to examine your course. Saturn can help you get clear on what is and isn’t working. The best way to work with this energy is to not get caught up in the setbacks but to move towards the direction and path that is working out for you. It’s like the story of the fly trying to get outside but keeps slamming into the clear glass windowpane en route. If the fly took a moment to reexamine its direction, it might notice there’s an open door just a hair over from the window it could easily fly out of. If in January you find yourself feeling like this fly, take a pause and shift your focus towards the openness in your life and you’ll discover this is where progress and satisfaction will occur. Otherwise, if you’re stuck on things being one way, like a stubborn bull (Mars in Taurus), or a fly that keeps repeating the same crash course flight path, you might get really frustrated. It’s quite beneficial to tune in and notice this aspect of yourself in January and ask - are you allowing new opportunities in or are you set on keeping things the way they are? It can feel scary to move away from the familiar, but when something’s not working anymore it generally means life is ready to bring you an opportunity to move towards the people, situations, jobs, career, relationship, home, etc… that are in better alignment with yourself and where your life is headed. In addition, Jupiter and Saturn began to ride together in Aquarius just before Winter Solstice and continue to do so the whole of January. This energy continues to bring the same quality of “open yourself to the opportunity” theme throughout this month. The following is taken from my December astrology post, which continues to apply in January ... “Jupiter is about faith, optimism, opportunity, and growth. Saturn is the opposite and has more to do with feeling restricted, which ultimately gets you focusing and working harder at reaching your goals. When these two planets come together, you can experience both the feeling of expansiveness in your life as well as the constriction. You can allow this energy to have you just spinning your wheels, or you can find ways to actually put form and structure (Saturn) towards your approach to the opportunities for growth in your life (Jupiter). In-other-words… the restrictions aren’t there to hold you back but give you a chance to encounter yourself more deeply and examine the right course of actions.” Mars conjunct Uranus in Taurus January 20 - January 25 Conjunctions are when 2 planets come together and blend their energies. When Mars and Uranus combine on January 20th, you may start to notice a need to strongly break away from situations that have you feeling stuck or aren’t allowing you to truly be you. Uranus helps you become freer, adds excitement, and opens you up to new expressions of yourself. If you try to hold this energy back, you might notice the peaceful bull in you turns impatient and erratic in your actions in response to life. Uranus is known for bringing about sudden changes for the sake of breaking free from the past. As Mars makes this conjunction with Uranus between the 20th - 25th, it’s a potent time to shake free of something that’s had your free will in lockdown or causing your life to feel a bit lackluster. With this burst of liberation occurring alongside the Square of Mars and Saturn, it would be helpful to become aware of what “pane of glass” has been in the way and where the open terrain you are aiming for is in relation to where you presently are. This period of Uranus conjunction offers a great “window of opportunity” to burst forth and go for it. Just be sure to look before you leap. ;) Northwest Astrologer is here for you!
With astrology, the most helpful advice is always individual and personalized based upon your personal astrology birth chart and life situations. Contact me to learn more about scheduling an hour-long astrology reading to help you navigate your life in these dynamic times.  Total Eclipse, August 2017 In December... We have a total solar eclipse, as well as Jupiter and Saturn coming together in the sky in Aquarius on Winter Solstice, and a holiday season that feels like no other as the collective navigates around a viral pandemic. As 2020 is coming to a close, some of the planetary energies that have been in play all year, also move towards resolution. I have been sharing quite a bit over the last several months on the interactions between Pluto, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars, as they are bringing about big transformations and opportunities for restructuring things in your life to allow better alignment for where your life is headed. It may seem like you’re not quite out of the woods yet, but by the end of December, you might begin to truly feel you’ve gotten over some major hurdles of the year and the light at the end of the tunnel is starting to come through. (...and, take a deep breath because in all likelihood it’s not going to be an oncoming train…) Let’s take a look at the Solar Eclipse on December 14th A solar eclipse happens during a new moon when the moon completely covers the sun’s disk and a shadow path is cast on the Earth’s surface. This December’s eclipse is occurring at 23 degrees Sagittarius. You might be wondering - What does the eclipse mean astrologically? And what will happen? Eclipses are understood to have their greatest effects on the parts of the world where their shadow is cast upon the Earth. You might remember, in August of 2017, the United States experienced the path of totality. The path of the eclipse traveled from the Oregon coast, spanned East in a Southern trajectory of a thin shadowed strip across the entire country, and reached beyond South Carolina. We can all agree, the U.S. has definitely had quite a number of changes since 2017! This coming Eclipse will occur in South America, shadowing Argentina and Chile. The next time an eclipse shadows parts of North America will be in 2024. You can geek out and do an online search for these “paths of totality”, eclipse maps, if you’re interested in learning more about the geographical locations. If you know your own astrology chart and how to analyze it, you can look and see if you have any planets at or near 23 degrees Sagittarius, which can indicate that this eclipse could have a more personal effect on you. Learning what planets this new moon eclipse is touching upon in your birth chart and what house it is occurring in will also help you to glean more understandings. However, It can never really be known, ahead of time, exactly what the result of an eclipse will be. Its effects are related to what specifically is going on in your life, as well as with the current contents of our collective consciousness, and . . . what precisely is on the precipice of needing change. Therefore, lingering things in your life that are needing to come to a resolution or end, may do just that after the eclipse. Unresolved situations come to a conclusion. The proverbial saying, “shit or get off the pot”, can be applied here ;) Also good to know - The effects don’t necessarily happen in the moment of an eclipse, but rather the shadowed union of our Sun and Moon may begin a process . . . you might see the changes occurring in 2 weeks, 2 months, or longer. Sometimes the movement of energy happens so long afterward that you might not realize its connection to the eclipse. For planning’s sake, choose a date other than December 14th, 2020 for signing contracts, getting married, starting a new job, and or scheduling any other important and meaningful occasions. It is advisable, to not make the eclipse a day you begin new things. Jupiter and Saturn both leave Capricorn in December and join in conjunction at 0 degrees Aquarius December 20th- 24th, 2020  Tunnel Cave to Pacific Ocean. Oceanside, Oregon Just in time for the Winter Solstice, where the darkest hours give way to the returning light of a dawning new year! Conjunctions occur when 2 or more planets come together in the same sign and degree, blending their energies as they travel along together. Jupiter is about faith, optimism, opportunity, and growth. Saturn is the opposite and has more to do with feeling restricted, which ultimately gets you focusing and working harder at reaching your goals. When these two planets come together, you can experience both the feeling of expansiveness in your life as well as the constriction. You can allow this energy to have you just spinning your wheels, or you can find ways to actually put form and structure (Saturn) towards your approach to the opportunities for growth in your life (Jupiter). In-other-words… the restrictions aren’t there to hold you back but give you a chance to encounter yourself more deeply and examine the right course of actions. An important piece to mention as well is both Jupiter and Saturn are leaving Capricorn and moving into Aquarius, which can signify a shift away from the energy of power and domination and head towards a more humanitarian, “we’re all in this together” type of energy. As we behold the sight of Jupiter and Saturn coming together in the sky on Winter Solstice, 0 degrees of Aquarius, at the end of such a challenging, dramatic, and transformative year (that is not over), we are being shown something of more than usual significance. This year has and continues to see our world quarantined, and our economies and communities shut down. We have undergone a massive Saturn cycle of restriction and drawing inwards. Expansive Jupiter joins Saturn at the very beginning of Aquarius (0 degrees) at the precise moment that the rising light of the year is being renewed on the Winter Solstice. The signature here shows us that we do indeed need to find new ways to grow again and expand both as individuals and as a society. As we figure out what our “new normal” will look like, we can look to humanitarian forward-thinking Aquarius to inspire us to dream big. May these astrological insights help to inspire you to discover how your life can flourish as you add your light to our collective potential. Northwest Astrologer is here for you!
With astrology, the most helpful advice is always individual and personalized based upon your personal astrology birth chart and life situations. Contact me to learn more about scheduling an hour-long astrology reading to help you navigate your life in these dynamic times. As with Everyone, So with Each of Us As 2020 descends into its final months, we’re met with continued intensity in our collective consciousness. As this dramatic time unfolds in the culture and community as a whole, you may find that echoes of these larger collective movements are rippling through the currents of your personal life. This month appears to be a pivotal one as we reach the climax of a singularly charged and erratic election season and, very likely another peak with this viral pandemic. What I am noticing most strongly for November is the conjunction between Jupiter and Pluto, occurring for the whole month, with the strongest impact of their blending of energies happening between November 8th - 13th, at 22 degrees Capricorn. Planetary Conjunction means that 2 or more planets come together at the same point of degree and sign. When this happens, there is a blending of their planetary energies, unifying their individual energies into one. To break it down... The keywords for Jupiter are growth/expansion/opportunity. Jupiter creates a bigger expression of whatever energy it’s touching upon, thus magnifying situations and scenarios you’re involved in. Also, in the same sense that it can take a positive situation and heighten it, it can also take a difficult situation and make it more challenging. Either way, Jupiter brings an “opportunity for growth” through the circumstances it opens up. Pluto, on the other hand, is the planet that brings deep and buried hidden things up to the surface so you can finally confront them. Whether it is long-held psychological or emotional patterns you picked up when you were younger that don’t really serve you anymore or actual situations you’ve avoided dealing with, Pluto’s power calls them up for a chance to bring them into the light so you aren’t continuously and unconsciously being controlled by them. The process, often feeling hard to face, can be very transformative and ultimately healing for you, as you make your way through it. As Pluto and Jupiter come together in the sky, this Plutonian quality of things lurking in the darkness of the underworld being brought up to the surface, sometimes dramatically and painfully, is being magnified and pronounced by Jupiter’s expansive energy this month. Therefore, you might expect to find things you’ve consciously or unconsciously held back on and or kept it in the shadows, may come surfacing into the affairs of your daily living, and demand your attention. It could be situations related to your family and friends, intimate relationships, work, and or a personal need for integrity and wholeness within yourself or your life. To better understand and become clear about how this energy in November affects you personally, it is helpful to be aware that there were 2 other times this year when Jupiter and Pluto were conjunct. Looking at the events of those times can offer context for what’s occurring now as similar themes may be coming up for you again. The other times Jupiter and Pluto came together in 2020 were: between March 29th - April 6th and between June 23rd - July 1st. Think back and explore . . . What were the significant situations or things happening in your life, in and around, these dates? Reflect upon what powerful and transformative energy in your own life has been going on all year and ask yourself, where does it find you now? Whatever that is for you personally, let yourself continue to go through the process, as the whole of November will be a time to bring it all together for you in a new light that is not so much tethered to the challenges of the past. Other planetary events of November worth noting… If you have been wondering when Mercury is getting out of retrograde and going Direct, well November 3rd is the day! And… what a wild day it is! If you don’t know, Mercury went retrograde 3 weeks ago and has its biggest influence on things such as communication, technology, and or unforeseen situations that make it more challenging to get from Point A to Point B. You might have even experienced things like car trouble, delays, or more schedule changes than normal. These things should all start to seem more clear after Mercury goes direct and even more specifically when it gets out of its post-retrograde shadow time on November 21st. Please refer to my October Astrology blog for more information on Mercury Retrograde. Mars is also getting out of retrograde and going Direct on November 14th. Mars went retrograde on September 9th and has been trailing backward ever since. By the time it goes Direct this month, it will have gone as far back to where it was in July. Therefore, you might find some lingering situations from July are now coming to a place of resolve and moving forward in late November. Take a moment and reflect on what you were up to in July. Mars is all about taking action on the things you want to have in your life. Whether it is taking the steps to move forward on pursuing your goals or getting you on track with your life purpose. As Mars went retrograde, you might have felt your energy lagging. After November 14th, your energy may very well pick back up again and things personally and collectively should start to really move forward in ways they haven’t seemed able to over these last few months. Northwest Astrologer is here for you!
With astrology, the most helpful advice is always individual and personalized based upon your personal astrology birth chart and life situations. Contact me to learn more about scheduling an hour-long astrology reading to help you navigate your life in these uncertain times. “Well, it's a marvelous night for a Moondance With the stars up above in your eyes A fantabulous night to make romance 'Neath the cover of October skies" -Van Morrison  When the weather allows, we often see a beautiful harvest moon in October. Right after sunset, the October Full Moon often appears particularly huge, low on the horizon, and shining in golden glowing orange. In 2020 we get two October Full Moons. One on October 1st and one on October 31st ~ Halloween. When there are 2 full moons in a calendar month we call the 2nd one a Blue Moon. That’s because seeing blue hues on and around the moon is very rare - so comes the expression: “it happens once in a blue moon”. There’s nothing blue to see - just an honoring of the 2-full moons-in-a-month rarity. ~ Wow! It’s October and where does the harvest sky find you? Are you feeling the energy of the fall season in its natural cycle of descent? In nature, plants are having their final blooms, the harvest is being reaped, the leaves are showcasing their colors as they shed from the trees, and WE are preparing ourselves for less light in the day and more inside time, literally and metaphorically. The sanctuary of fall begins and nesting feels appropriate!!! Astrologically, October can support this “moving more internal” energy as we have Mars continuing on its retrograde path, Mercury going retrograde, and the Sun moving into Scorpio. Mars (♂︎) in Retrograde September 9 - November 13, 2020 When Mars goes retrograde, the natural “action-oriented” energy of the planet that gets you going after what you want in your day and in your life, slows things down a bit. During this time period, it may feel harder to access the full potential of your physical energy and you might feel more tired than usual and possibly wishing you had more energy. If you find this to be true, then I would encourage you to follow this rhythm and don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re having a harder time with your physical energy right now. As retrogrades do, the Mars in retrograde period gives you a chance to go back and finish up “unfinished business”. In the month of October, Mars will be retrograding back to the same position it was in August. Therefore, think back to August and recognize if there was anything you meant to do that you didn’t get to, but really hoped to. Was there a situation with another you didn’t get to resolve? Did you not say the thing you needed to and is it still lingering out there? Was there something you started to work on that you didn’t keep with for some reason? I recommend taking some dedicated time to reflect on this and take action towards the “meant to do’s” of August. You might find you’ll have more energy for this than you would towards starting something completely new in October. Wait until Mars goes direct (November 14th) to have the energy you need towards taking action on the new things you want to be doing. Mercury (☿) in Retrograde (Rx) October 14th - November 2nd, 2020 Mercury goes retrograde 3 times a year and this is the 3rd and final round for 2020. The other two Mercury retrograde periods in 2020 occurred February 17th - March 10th and June 18th - July 11th. I wrote about the general energy of Mercury retrograde in my July Astrology blog, so please refer to that for more information… But, to recap some important points about Mercury retrograde ... “People often find more challenges and issues with communications, electronics, travel, etc… and you may find it takes longer to get from point A to point B, or there’s more back and forth communication before things become clear. Often, I see Mercury retrograde as an offering to surrender, trusting things will work out in the end and taking the unexpected “scenic route” shows you something delightful you wouldn’t have been able to experience otherwise. Let go and allow an alternate way of “getting there” to manifest. I find mercury retrograde periods are a good time to finish up old projects that are lingering out there, taking up psychic space, not allowing you to cleanly move forward in life. Spend time with these activities and you will find ease towards completing them. Clean out closets, garages, workspaces, donate items, etc… In other words, clear out the physical clutter, which will clear out mental clutter and allow you an opportunity to start anew when Mercury goes direct.” More specifically for October - Mercury will be retrograding in the signs of Scorpio and Libra. This energy is more related to moving towards a process of emotional clearing and letting go, mainly regarding issues in relationships. Scorpio in its highest ability is about transforming hurts and unresolved anger into healing opportunities that allow you to evolve into a new level of your being. Libra brings this focus towards others through partnerships and committed relationships. However, it could also be about your relationship with yourself. Mercury, ruling your mental processing and communication, will retrograde in Scorpio on the 14th. At this time you may have more access to emotional insight that can guide you through situations that your mind has been stuck ruminating over. You might discover more anger, sadness, grief, or perhaps even some relief as you may FEEL more of the emotions that have been building up around situation(s) that need some resolution. When you’re able to feel more of the emotions around particular situations, you have a better chance of making your way through it versus being stuck in the continuous mental loop of thoughts related to the situation that don’t seem to resolve. As Mercury retrogrades into Libra on the 29th, the focus will be more on communication in relationships and perhaps something can finally come to a resolution with your partner, after having to re-hash things first. Sun (☉) enters Scorpio on October 23rd As each of the astrological signs is represented by an element, Scorpio is a water sign. The other two water signs of the Zodiac are Cancer and Pisces. Water signs bring a level of emotional sensitivity and intuitive/psychic ability to their energy. Scorpios are known to be able to take a quiet step back and “observe the room” and get a feel for the people around and then maneuver themselves with this awareness in mind. They also have the capability to dive into situations and go the depths to fully understand them. You can count on a Scorpio to “go there” with you. As the Sun enters Scorpio, take advantage of the “going inward time” and take a step back from the daily grind and get in touch with your inner self and spend more time observing and exploring what is going on inside. Tune in with your intuitive side, feel for what your “gut instincts” are telling you what direction to take in your life or any situations you’re in. I find this quieter internal time, while the Sun is Scorpio, to be a more powerful time than usual for meditation. The sun is setting earlier and earlier, the day is shorter and the night is longer. Allow the energy of these longer, darker evenings and nights to go within and have a personal retreat, allow time for internal reflection, for acknowledging and reaping your own personal harvest. Know what you have created in life during the very unique spring and summer seasons of 2020 - honor the fruits of your choices, and acknowledge what went well and what you want to change in the coming seasons. And . . . Dance in the Moonlight Northwest Astrologer is here for you!
With astrology, the most helpful advice is always individual and personalized based upon your personal astrology birth chart and life situations. Contact me to learn more about scheduling an hour-long astrology reading to help you navigate your life in these uncertain times. If you mention the October blog, you'll receive 20% discount on your reading! Retrograding Planets - An Opportunity To Set Things Right  JUPITER In taking a bird’s eye look at September's astrology, I am drawn to the number of planets in retrograde at once. Six planets in counting, making September a prime month to focus on the dynamics of retrograde planets and what this means for you. These months have been and continue to be full of more powerful collective transformation than we have seen in a long time. Understanding the astrological influences can help you find meaning, and a clearer sense of how you can orient yourself with the timing of how all these transformations are working inside you and your life. Before I explain retrograding planets, let's take a moment and go back to late February in 2020… if you can remember what life was like back then . . . The coronavirus was only just becoming talked about in the U.S., lockdown measures hadn’t begun yet and life was still relatively business as usual. Whatever personal processes were brewing in your life then, may have started to grab your attention more strongly as the weeks went on and quarantine settled in, making whatever situations in your life become unavoidable and necessary centers of focus through the Spring and Summer months. I offer you to pause here . . . take a moment to reflect on what the past 6 months were about for you. What are the unresolved, lingering situations in your life that began in late February? What was completed in the months since then? Did life take you on a new and different course? What opportunities presented themselves to you? Where have things been blocked? Did you shift your focus on how you want to be living your life? This time period is important to explore because 2 of the 6 planets that have been in retrograde (Jupiter and Saturn) are actually moving out of retrograde this month and at the point they go direct, (September 13th and 29th, respectively) they will begin their return to forward motion from the precise points in the Zodiac that they were in late February when all this !%&$@# was just beginning. …What does this all mean??? The key thing about retrograding planets is as the planets are moving along in their forward motion, they come up to a certain point, are then observed to slow down, stop, and head backwards. As they backtrack over the ground they have just traveled, you are given another opportunity to review, revisit and move forward on something that hasn’t been entirely worked out yet, or feels unresolved. Sometimes you think it’s figured out and then, down the road, more related things come up that need your attention. When planets go through a complete cycle of in and out of retrograding, they actually cover the same points of focus three times. After retrograding backwards in the sky over the same portion of the zodiac they had covered, they turn again to direct forward motion and cover that same region for a third time. They cross a portion of the sky forwards, backwards, and then forwards again. Therefore, when something is occurring in your life, whether positive or challenging and it’s during this retrograde time period, there are 3 times you’ll have to work out something with your process, each time moving you more forward along in your situation. The time period could be weeks or months, or even a few years, depending on the planet(s) in retrograde. The outer planets (Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) of our solar system move incredibly slower than the rest. During the retrograde cycle… You have an opportunity to work more deeply and internally with the themes in your life. After the completion of the cycle… you can feel resolved on whatever matters you were working on … whether positive situations or difficult ones, they have an opportunity to come to a place of resolve that feels right for you. Saturn and Jupiter retrograde cycle 2020 … On September 13th Jupiter will go direct, and September 29th Saturn will go direct. In this second half of September, whatever your challenges are, it’s very helpful to get in touch with the parts of your life where you can create clear forward progress. With proper alignment and intention your momentum can evolve with a sense of great support from the flow of influences from our collective planetary cycles. Jupiter brings you the opportunities to expand and grow some part of your life while Saturn requires you to do the work to manifest it. To put this in perspective - from September thru December, 2020 - Jupiter and Saturn are moving forward through the same terrain they covered in February through May and as well as May through mid September. Therefore… Good news! September through December is actually the third and final period of this retrograde period. Some could look at this through the lens of studying the pandemic time period and seeing the end of the year as a real turning point. However, I encourage you to take a look at your life personally and see this third wave of focus as helping you get to a point of true resolution to the matters in life you’ve been working on all year. More specifically . . . Saturn has you restructuring things to truly manifest and create a more solid form of existence for where you are in your life and where you are headed. Saturn helps you get real about building the appropriate structures to help support your physical living here on Earth. Whether it’s about home, family, career, business, relationships, and or ways of making money, etc… it can feel like dedicated, yet much needed work to get you to a place that is more suitable for your life situations. By late December, it might finally feel like you have a sense of resolve and real forward motion with all the changes you have found yourself making this year. Things may feel like they are working better for you then they were at the beginning of 2020. - Interesting line up for the New Year! Jupiter brings us growth, expansion, and opportunities. So while you are working hard creating new structures in your life… Jupiter brings a level of optimism and faith, allowing you to connect to the opportunities coming your way in this creation. One little important twist to mention regarding the energy of Jupiter is it can expand any situation, for better or worse. Therefore, difficult situations might feel worse before they feel better - so keep this in mind as you are making your way through September and the rest of the year. Overall .... We have all been through a big journey over the last 6 months bringing us more inside. The personal growth work that life is asking you to do as an individual will naturally shift in emphasis and move towards clarity as Jupiter and Saturn return to the places where they were when the cycle began in February. And… Some personal cycle you have been working on is going to feel like it's able to move towards completion by December. It’s kind of funny, because we tend to feel like something is wrapping up at the end of the year. This year, as December arrives, the planetary motion strongly reinforces this natural sense of a cycle coming around. If you’d like to know more specifically what areas of your life are influenced by this Saturn and Jupiter retrograde and what it means for you personally, please contact me for an astrology reading. A personal astrology reading brings specific guidance and clarity for navigating the situations currently happening in your life with more meaningful perspective and empowered purpose. Personal Reflection Exercise:
Northwest Astrologer is here for you!
With astrology, the most helpful advice is always individual and personalized based upon your personal astrology birth chart and life situations. Contact me to learn more about scheduling an hour-long astrology reading to help you navigate your life in these uncertain times. If you mention the September blog, you'll receive 25% discount on your reading! Internal Freedom!  The astrological themes I see coming up for the month of August all revolve around the process of taking action to free yourself from internal or external restrictions on your individual expression and allowing yourself to be more fully open and seen as authentically who you are. As you turn a corner with this opening, long-held restrictions can be turned into something constructive in your life that will help further you along on your life path. Please know - this August blog is offered to help you work with the difficult energies that are coming up right now. In 2020, we are sharing new challenges in some way or another…please continue to hold all the beauty, light, and creatively coming through our collective as it is here for us simultaneously and will carry us through these next passages, as both Uranus and Neptune are making positive and stimulating aspects with Venus the second half of the month. …on to the action… August 1st - 8th ~ Sun square Uranus In this first week of August, you might feel internal tensions becoming more activated around not wanting to hold back on new levels of self-expression. It’s a good time to do some dedicated, inner exploration by asking yourself, “how well am I showing up for myself in alignment with my actual being?” This question may be present within you already. What’s unique about the evolution of the internal question in early August is that it will feel more intensely challenging on the inside to remain aware that there are areas where you are not showing up for yourself, or taking the actions that your soul is asking you to initiate. This energy is brought to the surface inside you by the Sun square Uranus aspect happening over the first week of August, highlighting this aforementioned internal conflict …. and offering you an opportunity to free yourself of some type of restriction you formerly thought you couldn’t get out from under. Square aspects, at first, can feel difficult to experience as they challenge you to grow in some way that seems almost impossible. However, when you’re able to open yourself to what the square’s energy is trying to show you, you’re able to resolve an old standing pattern of restriction that on some level was unconsciously holding you down. Squares represent internal conflicts between two aspects of yourself. With the Sun and Uranus, this is about you coming in contact with your own unique expression (Your Solar Radiance), feeling any limitations there, and suddenly taking action to break free (Uranian liberation) of the restriction. It reminds me of Anais Nin’s words: “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom”. August 16th - October 17th ~ Saturn Square Mars In my July astrology blog, I spoke of Mars entering Aries - amplifying aggression, potentially magnifying contentiousness personally and/or collectively. Mars will go retrograde this fall and therefore have a particularly long, extended stay in Aries until January. In the second half of August the Square on Mars by Saturn brings more of a restrictive quality to Mars’s energy. At face value, the Saturn Square stirs up a struggle against authority as you might be feeling more confined in your movement by some greater power. However, there’s a constructive way to work with this that will help you focus your energy productively. Saturn energy can curb the wildly and aggressive energy in Mars, and it also helps point you towards becoming more clear on what’s worth fighting for and what will just keep you endlessly spinning your wheels for the sake of being right. The hard aspect by Saturn asks our personal Martian willful energy to be more intentional and grounded - even as it heats up with a push from Aries. If in later August you start feeling like something is blocking you from taking the actions you want to take, the best approach is to not focus so much on where you feel restricted, but look for where the openness is and the things you can work on and build from there. Mars is full of energy, and Saturn directs the energy towards what will be most useful for you to focus on during this 2 month period of time. If you find yourself focusing too much on restrictions, then you might feel more frustration and tension, in your mind and body, regarding matters of your life. Move yourself away from things that aren’t working out and go towards the things that are - this is my best advice for handling this Saturn square Mars period. Find the openings and work where you can be effective. Trust the process of where Saturn’s placement of limitations become present. Accepting some limits is part of the energy of growth. We will certainly be seeing this played out on our collective stage, but notice how it hits you personally and work from that place. Northwest Astrologer is here for you!
With astrology, the most helpful advice is always individual and personalized based upon your personal astrology birth chart and life situations. Contact me to learn more about scheduling an hour-long astrology reading to help you navigate your life in these uncertain times. If you mention this blog, you'll receive 25% discount on your reading! Summer’s Is Blooming, So Shall be Your Energy!  Horsetail in Full bloom! Reminds me of Fireworks! Have you been feeling a lull in physical and mental energy over the last month? Well, good news! We have some shifts in July that will help revive your energy! Fast moving Mercury, ruling our mental processing and communications, has been in retrograde since June 18th, not allowing mental focus to be as clear as it could be. Mercury will be moving out of retrograde on July 12th. Also, Mars, our fierce and fiery action-oriented planet has shifted out of watery Pisces on June 29th and moved into its natural ruling sign of Aries. Mars will be in Aries the whole month of July and for the rest of the year, actually. It usually stays in a sign for about 1.5 months, but the reason Mars will be having an extended stay in Aries is because it will be going retrograde in September… The retrograde motion causes the planet’s location in our earth’s sky to remain in the same section of the zodiac for longer. We will talk more about Mars in retrograde in September’s Astrology. Mercury Retrograde June 18 - July 12, 2020 The dynamics of Mercury retrograde periods are gaining more and more awareness in our collective cultural conversations. The most common theme being a “warning” against doing certain activities during this 3 week period. I find what is most alive regarding Mercury retrograde is holding an awareness that anything you make a firm decision on during this period, may have to be re-worked again when Mercury goes direct (starting July 12th). Therefore, a clearer thinking process around decision making becomes more available when Mercury is out of retrograde. People often find more challenges and issues with communications, electronics, travel, etc… and you may find it takes longer to get from point A to point B, or there’s more back and forth communication before things become clear. Often, I see Mercury retrograde as an offering to surrender, trusting things will work out in the end and taking the unexpected “scenic route” shows you something delightful you wouldn’t have been able to experience otherwise. Let go and allow an alternate way of “getting there” to manifest. I find mercury retrograde periods are a good time to finish up old projects that are lingering out there, taking up psychic space, not allowing you to cleanly move forward in life. Spend time with these activities and you will find ease towards completing them. Clean out closets, garages, work spaces, donate items, etc… In other words, clear out the physical clutter, which will clear out mental clutter and allow you an opportunity to start anew when Mercury goes direct on July 12th. …the shadow time after Mercury retrograde (July 12th - July 27th) The Mercury retrograde period offers an opportunity to review and reprocess the life experiences of the recent period of time when Mercury was traveling this same section of the sky with forward motion prior to retrograde (June 1 - June 17th). When Mercury goes direct on July 12th, it will be in what is called “being in it’s shadow” as it will be covering, again, the same heavenly real estate as it was prior to retrograde. This shadow time gives you a 3rd opportunity to visit and glean more understanding in regards to the same evolving life processes that were going on before and during retrograde. It is known in astrology to wait until the shadow period is over (after July 27th) to truly be clear on moving forward on anything that’s been occurring over the past 2 months before. I recommend waiting until after July 27th to make big life decisions, if you can wait. Otherwise, spend more time in the decision process and get others involved, if possible, to make sure you are seeing it all clearly. Mars moves into Aries June 29, 2020 - January 6, 2021 Wow, that seems like a long time for Mars to be in one sign. However, for the length of time Mars is in Aries, it couldn’t be in a more comfortable place of expression as Aries is the natural ruling sign for Mars. They are compadres, both having a fiery, action-oriented energy about them. Mars rules the part of us that goes after what we want in life… has us taking action towards those things. The sign Mars is in gives indication towards how we go about taking that action. The shift of fiery Mars out of Pisces and into Aries allows for more clear and direct action towards anything you’re wanting to do. Pisces, being more watery, dreamy, flowy and intuitive, really softened the Mars energy during the last couple of months, making it hard to accomplish the plan you set out for yourself. Mars in Aries also makes for a more aggressive time. As I examine Mars moving into Aries, I think of what we are all experiencing collectively and the conflicts surrounding a pandemic as well as an uprising for social justice and equality. This energy may be getting more amplified in July and then for the months to follow. …and here comes Pluto in the mix From the time period between July 12th and the 18th, the Sun in Cancer will come in opposition to Pluto in Capricorn, highlighting the intensity of the current battle in our collective right now between what is right and fair for all humans and those wanting to hang on to the outworn and unwelcome inhumane patterns of oppression from the past. The United States is in its first Pluto return after its birth in 1776, bringing it into the beginning stages of what will be an ultimate death/rebirth transformation for the country, happening over the next 4 years. In the beginning stages of any Pluto transit, we first must see, out in the open, all the things that need to be healed and transformed… It's a rough period of time and this is the stage we are in right now. I will be re-visiting this topic in future blog posts. To get more personal, anything happening on a larger scale in the collective right now can also be happening personally for you. Therefore, take time exploring battles that might be happening between you and others in your life or those happening inside yourself and ask, “what is ultimately being called upon to be healed and transformed inside me and in my life?” Northwest Astrologer is here for you!
With astrology, the most helpful advice is always individual and personalized based upon your personal astrology birth chart and life situations. Contact me to learn more about scheduling an hour-long astrology reading to help you navigate your life in these uncertain times. If you mention this blog, you'll receive 25% discount on your reading! |
AuthorLaura Allmacher RN, LAc, has been practicing in the field of medicine for 20 years, dedicating most of this time to the healing arts and natural medicine. Along with a current acupuncture and Chinese medicine practice, Laura also provides professional astrology readings as a form of a guide to help bring timing, meaning and perspective to deeper life patterns and situations so one can make the most out of their incarnation. Archives
March 2021
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