Pisces New Moon and Retrogrades: A Time For Reflection and Turning Inward

There is quite a lot going on in the stars and the universe at the moment. The energy is quite intense and I'm sure most people are feeling it. It has been a time to reflect and to purge what no longer serves us. This may be a hard time, but it is a powerful and important time nevertheless. This weekend there is a pileup of astrological events. There is a New Moon in Pisces, Mars is going retrograde and so is Saturn.

On Friday February 28th 2014, the morning starts off pretty great, as Mercury finally goes direct from being retrograde. Any miscommunication and appliances/electronics gone awry should finally be cleared up. That night at 11:59 PM (PST) there will be a New Moon in Pisces. Every New Moon is conjunct the Sun, but this New Moon ( and Sun) are going to be conjunct Neptune and Chiron. This Stellium is going to intensify the energy of Pisces. This could be quite an intuitive and psychic time. Your imagination could run wild and this would be a great time for any artistic endeavors. This energy could make you feel quite sensitive though, you may feel confused or like you just want to escape. Pisces is feminine and introverted, so if you feel like staying home and escaping from the world, that's OK. Since the New Moon is about manifesting don't forget to write down what you'd like to manifest. I've talked about this before, but you can manifest your desires by making a New Moon jar, journaling about what you'd like to manifest, or lighting a candle and putting your wishes/desires on a slip of paper underneath. Some good things to help manifest with this particular New Moon and stellium in Pisces are, spiritual goals, things you'd like to heal emotionally, or beliefs that you would like to heal. Chiron brings a strong energy of healing to this New Moon in particular, showing us that we need to transcend our wounds and our pain.

Shortly after the New Moon, on Saturday March 1st 2014 at 8:24 AM (PST), Mars goes retrograde in Libra until May 19th. This retrograde will have a lot to do with relationships, particularly because for a while it will be conjunct the North Node in Libra. Mars retrograde can make it hard to express anger properly, which can lead to frustrations and conflicts within our relationships. The important thing is to just remember this, so if a conflict comes up we can take a step back from it and try to calmly work out our issues. This is not a good time to take action or to start projects. It is however a good time to reflect on action we would like to take in the future, especially with relationships. It's time to take a step back and carefully think out plans we would like to make. We might also feel like we have lower energy during this time, which is perfectly normal. It's just a time to turn inwards and meditate on what we would like in our lives.

On Sunday March 2nd 2014 at 8:19 PM Saturn goes retrograde in Scorpio for 4 months. This will be a time to reflect on responsibility and control in our lives. We will  most likely take a look at our lives and see if we have control over them and if we take responsibility for ourselves. We might have to  break off relationships with people who are controlling or we may get out of  jobs, living arrangements or other situations where we feel heavy authority manipulating us. We must take control over our own lives because no one else really has that power, at least only if we give it to them. It's also a good idea to take a look at our lives to see if we are controlling, manipulating or taking responsibility for others. If this is so, we must learn to let them go, to be free to take charge over their own lives. Saturn has to do with karma, because of this, karmic patterns of control may emerge. If this happens , it means it's time to stop the patterns, so we can be free from unnecessary and frustrating control. Remember this is a good time to reflect on these things, I wouldn't take action right away.

The next few months are going to be a really important time to reflect and turn inwards. This will be quite an introverted time. We will need to turn our gaze inwards and review ourselves and our lives and make plans for new things we would like in our lives and to make plans to rid ourselves of whatever doesn't serve us in our lives. This is a tough astrological time we're living through, but don't worry, we will emerge out of it like a butterfly emerging from it's cocoon, so much freer and lighter than before. 

Pisces: The Fish

©Josephine Wall

Pisces
Planetary ruler- Neptune
Element- Water
Modality- Mutable
Yin/Yang-Yin(feminine)
Birthstones-Bloodstone + Amethyst

Today, February 18th 2014, the Sun entered Pisces at 10 AM. So Happy Birthday to all you Pisceans!  In honor of our Sun's descent into Pisces, I want to talk about the qualities of Pisces and the personality of someone with a Pisces Sun.

To start off, Pisces is a very mystical sign. It's the last sign of the zodiac and has completed the cycle of evolution through the zodiac and now wants to return to and merge with the source. Seeking union with the divine therefore becomes a big part of a Piscean's life whether conscious or unconscious. This closeness with the divine and focus on intangible realms can make a Piscean quite intuitive or even psychic. It can also make a Piscean extremely imaginative  and possibly artistic. Pisces is a water sign, and water rules the emotions, so Pisceans can be quite emotional. They are particularly sensitive to other people's energies and can be somewhat of a psychic sponge. This sensitivity to others can make Pisceans very compassionate . Sadly, it can also make them people pleasers, which can turn into being a victim and then sometimes the victim can turn into a martyr. The key to not getting into those power plays is to not please other people. Even though everyone is connected and comes from the same source, it does not mean you have to sacrifice yourself to please others.  Pisceans may have trouble learning this because they struggle to maintain individual identities, as they know everyone is essentially the same at their core. The need to return to source energy can make physical life difficult for a Piscean. A good way to connect to the divine to make it easier would be meditation or some other spiritual pursuit.  Some Pisceans though, escape physical life through fantasy,addiction or some other means of escape. Those are shadow sides of a Pisces though, and if you are a Pisces remember that the bright light of the Pisces Sun shone down on you at your birth, giving you the ability to shine in the highest manifestation of Pisces. A high manifestation of Pisces would be a knowledge of and genuine connection with the divine, while at least being semi grounded.Pisceans have the ability to show others the connection we all have to each other and that there is so much beauty and love around us that we just can't see with our physical eyes.  Pisces have the potential to bring heaven to earth, and that would be the highest manifestation of Pisces and truly a miracle on earth at this time.


Again I wish all you Pisceans a Happy Birthday month and hope all of you strive to be the best that you can be!

Opening Your Heart With the Full Moon on Valentine's Day

"Only from the heart can you touch the sky"
                                                                   -Rumi

This Valentine's Day, February 14th 2014, a special event will occur. There will be a full moon in Leo at 3:53 PM. This will be quite an intense full moon, but one that can help you grow tremendously whether you are single or in a relationship.

The Full moon will be in Leo, which is a generous placement, and of course the energy of generosity is great to have around on Valentine's day. The moon in Leo is also a placement where you will want to be appreciated and to feel special. If you are in a relationship, remember  to be loving and giving to your partner, making them feel like one of a kind. If you are single, be generous and loving to yourself! Pamper yourself and remember that you are a unique and beautiful being. 

Things do get more complicated though. The full moon is opposing Mercury retrograde in Aquarius. With the full moon opposing Mercury in retrograde there may be some miscommunication. Remember to have patience this day, if there are any delays and if you feel like your partner isn't appreciating you, just open up and tell them. You'll probably find out that they do appreciate you, just whatever they said or did was miscommunicated. With Mercury in Aquarius opposing the moon in Leo, the desire to be thought special is even stronger. There will be a desire to be put on a pedestal, to be singled out from the group, or to be the apple of your partner's eye. Since Mercury is retrograde, memories from the past where you didn't feel special or weren't appreciated like you wanted to be might come up. If so, let go of these memories, they no longer serve you and remember that you are indeed a special person, regardless if others treat you as such.

Another aspect to the full moon in Leo is a square to Saturn in Scorpio. This is not an easy aspect and it's very intense, but don't be scared because there is tremendous transformative power behind it. Saturn in Scorpio brings up any blockages in your heart. Any fears about abandonment, betrayal, control, emotional intimacy or sexuality may be brought up at this time. Leo rules the heart, so it's time to reflect upon what your heart truly desires and to release any of these blocks, so you can love and accept love to the fullest capacity. Saturn in Scorpio has to do with power, so if you have felt powerless in any way in regards to love or to a partner, it's time to take your power back and know that no one can take your power away. It's time to release any issues regarding power. 

Full moons can be an emotional time, especially if the full moon is in your sun sign. This full moon is probably going to be a particularly emotional time. There will most likely be a lot of relationship issues and blocks being brought to the surface which has been a theme lately as Venus just came out of retrograde and is now conjunct Pluto. The good news is that the full moon is a time of release, and releasing these issues can be empowering and life changing. In the next few days before the full moon and Valentine's Day, contemplate and review whatever issues/blocks you may have and decide that you would be better off releasing them. The full moon is releasing night, so that night write down  on pieces of paper what you'd like to let go of and then either burn the paper and release the ashes into the night air, or bury the paper outside underneath the full moon. The night of the full moon and the night before the full moon are also good recharging nights, so if you have crystals remember to give them a "moonbath" by placing them in direct moonlight. It's also a good idea to go for a walk in the moonlight one of those nights, to recharge yourself and your body. If you are in a relationship taking a moonlit walk could be a romantic end to Valentine's day.

I know it sounds like this Valentine's Day might be a bit overwhelming, but have no fear, it could be a life changing milestone. If you are in a relationship use the full moon to discuss with your partner any issues between you two and make it a point to work them out. If you do this your relationship could change for the better, ensuring that you both get the love you deserve and making your relationship much more honest and intimate. If you are single use the full moon to release any blocks you have in regards to relationships, so in the future you can manifest the love and relationship of your dreams.

I wish you all the happiest Valentine's Day filled with much love, light, and transformation!

Jupiter: The Planet of Luck and Expansion

Jupiter is the largest of all planets and is named after the most important god in Roman mythology. It has an expansive, gaseous nature, and because of this nature, in astrology it is considered to be the planet that helps growth and expansion. Jupiter is considered the greater benefic in astrology ( Venus is the lesser benefic) which means it is thought to be the luckiest planet. Jupiter is said to rule the higher mind, as Mercury is said to rule the lower mind, therefore Jupiter is concerned with broader, deeper subjects than Mercury. In a natal chart, the sign and the house Jupiter is in will show in what areas of life you have the ability to grow and what areas of life you will be bestowed with a bit of luck and good fortune. It can also show how you connect with something larger than yourself. In Modern astrology Jupiter rules the zodiac sign Sagittarius which is very fitting since Sagittarius is concerned with finding the meaning of life, and exploring new horizons. In classic astrology however, Jupiter is ruled by Pisces, I personally agree with the modern rulerships though, and feel that Neptune is a more fitting ruler of Pisces. The symbol for Jupiter ( shown in the middle of the above image) shows the crescent of the soul rising above the cross of matter. This shows that Jupiter helps us reach above the mundane physical world, into the limitless, expansive world beyond.

Jupiter stays in each zodiac sign for a year, taking 12 years for it to complete an orbit through the ecliptic. Right now Jupiter is currently in the sign of Cancer which it entered on June 25th 2013 and will stay in until July 16th 2014. Jupiter is exalted in Cancer, which means that this is the best placement for Jupiter in be in, and it's already a lucky planet! During Jupiter's time in Cancer it is important to learn how to be compassionate, to have faith, and to trust that the universe will take care of you. This could be a very abundant time for some, trusting is the key to abundance with this placement though. During this time some people may feel a strong urge to connect with family, explore genealogy, change residences, buy a house or start a family due to the influence of Cancer. What area of life this energy of Jupiter in Cancer will play out in though, depends on your solar return chart for this current year.

I now want to talk about what Jupiter means in the various signs and houses in a natal chart. If you know where your Jupiter is in your chart then you can use this guide to help you figure out how Jupiter affects you and your life. If you don't know where your Jupiter is, it would be helpful to get your natal chart done.(Which I offer and would be very happy to do for you!)

Jupiter in the signs:

• Jupiter in Aries- Growth happens through new experiences and being independent. May have a tendency to be a bit impulsive. 
• Jupiter in Taurus- Usually has a fondness for the material plane and it's pleasures. Growth happens through being productive and reliable. Spiritual growth occurs through connection with nature and understanding the human condition. 
• Jupiter in Gemini- Growth through communication and self expression. Likes constantly learning, expanding one's knowledge and being a source of knowledge for others.
• Jupiter in Cancer- Growth through compassion and empathy. With this placement there is usually an underlying understanding of the connection everyone has and a knowledge of the abundance of the universe. Home and family are probably important. This can be an abundant placement.
• Jupiter in Leo- Growth through being appreciated and creativity. Can either be warm hearted or have a big ego. With close friends and family, may like to be a jokester or storyteller.
• Jupiter in Virgo- Growth through service and helping others. Usually there is a drive for perfection. Either has a hard time accepting spirituality or understands all the details that make up the unity of mankind/the universe.
• Jupiter in Libra- Growth through close relationships. Does well when supported by a partner. Usually justice and being fair minded are important. Appreciates art and beauty, could be artistic. 
• Jupiter in Scorpio- Growth through personal transformation. Usually attracts experiences to help growth. Sometimes this may be taken too far, and negative experiences could be attracted that do not help growth. Usually expands through experiencing deep sides of life such as; spirituality, the occult, science, deduction, sex, giving birth, or death.
• Jupiter in Sagittarius- Growth through aspiration and far reaching goals. Spiritual growth could be sought through religion or organized spiritual pursuits. Usually optimistic and broadminded.
• Jupiter in Capricorn- Growth through ambition and success. Being a leader could be important.
• Jupiter in Aquarius- Growth through humanitarian pursuits and connecting with groups. Usually trusts in unity of all things and one's beliefs may be unusual or unique.
• Jupiter in Pisces- Growth usually happens through pure spirituality, typically doesn't follow organized religions. There is an ability to transcend boundaries in any number of ways. Usually compassionate and sensitive to others.

Jupiter in the houses:

• Jupiter in 1st house- Typically optimistic and wanting to convince others to see things the way they do. Whatever sign Jupiter is in and the traits that go along with it, will be highlighted in the personality.
• Jupiter in 2nd house- This could be quite an abundant placement with a possible faith that the universe will provide. At least there could be luck with money.
• Jupiter in 3rd house- Constant learning and possible skill with communication. If applicable, siblings could help growth and be a blessing in life.
• Jupiter in 4th house- Usually a broad inner life. Home is of the utmost importance. Typically this placement indicates lucky home situation, if not now at least in the future.
• Jupiter in 5th house- Growth through creativity. Having or working with children could be a good thing and a source of growth. Sometimes with this placement there is a tendency to take risks. 
• Jupiter in 6th house- Growth through working and helping others. Work is usually important. Those with this placement must be careful not to give too much of themselves to their work or to their employers. This placement usually indicates technical expertise and an ability to fine tune one's craft. Since the 6th house has to do with health, with Jupiter in this placement make sure to take care of your liver and to not over or under indulge.
• Jupiter in 7th- Does well when supported by a partner. Growth happens through relationships. Those with this placement would do best with a partner who allows some freedom in a relationship.
• Jupiter in 8th- Growth through exploring deep and taboo areas of life such as; spirituality, the occult, science, deduction, sex, birth or death. If there are other factors, there could be luck with other people's money such as getting an inheritance.
• Jupiter in 9th- Growth through contemplating and exploring the meaning of this life. Needs far reaching aspirations. Travel is usually a good thing that supports growth.
• Jupiter in 10th- Growth through having a career. Career is usually important and may be lucky. 
• Jupiter in 11th- Growth through friends and connecting with groups. Also growth through improvements of society. Having dreams, wishes and aspirations are important.
• Jupiter in 12th- An innate knowing of creator/God. Usually has a big imagination and likes solitude. May feel like they give to much to others sometimes.