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Taurus Full Moon November 14

Posted by Sheri Horn Hasan - February 13, 2017 - Astrology

Taurus Full Moon: We Have Met The Shadow & He Is Us…

This Taurus Full Moon reflects back to us on Earth the light of the Scorpio Sun, providing the opportunity to see not only that which was formerly hidden but also that which is obvious.

The Sun in Scorpio shines brightly this month until it moves forward on November 21 to highlight the sign of Sagittarius. What’s being illuminated now, however, is both Scorpio’s inherent need for transformation (this sign LIVES to die and be reborn!), and its polar opposite energy: Taurus.

Taurus is strong–it’s an energy that plods along but, like the bull, when he puts his shoulder to the wheel, ultimately, and patiently, he can move mountains. He is placid and peace-loving, preferring to sit under a shady tree and watch the world go by. In short, he prefers to make love, not war…

So, Scorpio—in its quest for transformation—must understand the need for patience. Rome, after all, wasn’t built in a day, as they say…

However, patience should not be tantamount to either the kind of obstinacy which abhors change to the point where it digs in its heels and resists at all costs, OR laziness–another less favorable potential Taurus trait.

Transforming Our Values

Taurus is an archetypal energy that’s about values. Some of us may find under this Taurus Full Moon that what we value now pales in comparison with what we thought we valued before.

The most obvious example of this is whether it matters more that you have the latest, snazziest version of your make of car, or whether you’re living under a political system that promotes peace and harmony.

Taurus energy is about values, but Taurus energy can be lazy about both identifying and living its authentic values.

Our ego can trick us into thinking we know what we value, however our unconscious mind inherently intuits what the individual soul truly values. The juxtaposition between these two is what’s being highlighted now by the Taurus Full Moon.

For those ready to make progress and move toward greater consciousness about what their soul truly needs to be happy in this lifetime—and not just what their ego thinks it wants—this is a pivotal moment.

Scorpio is the master of the shadow. What is hidden deeply within the recesses of an individual’s psyche is a lot of crap. But buried below and amongst that crap, in places few and far between, are nuggets of pure gold and other precious metals.

This is the psychological metaphor of the underworld. These nuggets of gold are represented by the earthy, tangible, concrete form of Taurus Moon energy which, when translated, represent our true core values.

The highlighting of Scorpio’s shadow calls us all to dig down deeply now and pull out from under the muck, mire, and rubble, these values which define us and which we hold dear.

It is only these values that are worth fighting for–but it is these, on an individual basis—that cause us to rise as part a unified collective.

Drawing A Line In The Sand

It is hard to keep a discussion of these lunar phases (or astrology in general) out of the realm of American politics right now, so I’m not even going to try.

The polarization between transformation–and the need to incorporate into that transformation what our souls’ truly value–is obvious when we look at the recent U.S. presidential election.

America’s values have been revealed with startling clarity on this Taurus Full Moon.

What’s very clear is that between the October 30 Scorpio New Moon and today’s Full Moon in Taurus, light has been shed upon the more hidden aspects of a population dissatisfied with the status quo.

This light has revealed deep pockets of resentment that went undetected by many for quite some time, and the existing deep divide between some who feel their values are being disrespected vs. others who’ve taken the things they truly value for granted.

There are those who believe our president-elect is going to save them. And there are those who believe he will shepherd us toward our ultimate demise.

Regardless of which side you fall on, one thing is very clear: the line has been drawn.

As the schism between the drawn lines begins to widen, it’s going to becomeless and less possible to hang out on the fringes and simply observe.

What will be the outcome?

I sure as heck don’t know. But of this I’m certain: becoming clear about our individual psyches’ values—the ones that help us determine what we stand for and where we draw our line—is our individual task now. Individual psyches form the collective unconscious, which in turn can give rise to larger than life shadow figures that we then project onto our mental screens as saviors or redeemers…

Therefore, it behooves each of us to begin, or continue, the excavation process because if we remain in the dark about what it is we truly value, our fears get the best of us, become projected, and manifest externally.

Keeping the light on under the Taurus Full Moon is necessary for those of us who want to live in future peace and harmony. Only when we integrate our individual shadows into our individual psyches do we lessen the possibility that the collective unconscious will manifest our worst fears…

Mercury Squares Neptune & The Nodes

Mercury in Sagittarius—the maker of laws, the teller of truth, and/or the liar and exaggerator–is squaring Neptune, which is conjunct the transiting South Node in Pisces, and the North Node in Virgo.

Often, modern astrologers attempt to put a positive “spin” on what might otherwise be deemed “negative” aspects. However, most of us modern-day psychological and evolutionary astrologers see neither positive nor negative. Instead, we view all planetary movements and their ensuing energies felt here on Earth as continuous wake up calls meant to spur us all toward becoming more conscious individuals.

Though I see and read all the time astrologers who scream about how Mercury square Neptune means that “one is a liar,” especially if that person is prominently in the public eye (for whatever reason), that is a narrow way of looking at this energy.

That said, however, it can denote that the truth is stretched. Mercury in Sag alone is an energy that can stretch the truth. It can be anything from an entertaining raconteur to a hardcore liar.

Neptune, the planet of illusion, confusion, and delusion, does provide an atmosphere under which people can be beguiled into believing what they want to believe, and not necessarily what is factually true.

Thrust into today’s political context (meaning the not-so-long-ago morning after the U.S. presidential election), we can view this current astrological energy through whichever lens we choose. And most of us will do just that.

So, the square of transiting Mercury (an energy less concerned with details than with the bigger picture) to Neptune (the great dissolver, and planet of illusion, confusion, and delusion) can denote the communication disconnect prevalent in the current political atmosphere.

Picture Neptune sitting on the South Node with his hands over his hears screaming “I can’t hear you!” and I’m sure you’ll get my point. De Nile is a river in Egypt, as they say where I come from…

Truth Or…

Whether it’s about truth or outright lies–or about the perception that someone is only saying what one wants to hear or believe to be true–only time will tell…a discussion of what is fact and what is not is out of the realm of this particular post.

It is, however, at this Taurus Full Moon, shown to be an energy in play. The conversation about who’s fact is factest or factiest, or right or righter or rightest will doubtless be ongoing in these next few months and years going forward.

So, right now we are seeing where the rubber meets the road in terms of whether or not the promises made–that appear to reflect the values of the populace that voted this president-elect into office–are real or simply a mirage.

If a mirage, the values of those who did not vote him into office will slowlycause them to get up from their peace-filled pastures and trot their little hoofies onto our city’s streets in protest.

Nothing may move some faster than the discovery of outright lies or exaggerations designed to carry within them the ultimate goal of ramming one’s beliefs down another’s throat. Pronouncements about repealing (dissolving) existing laws and regulations and instituting newer, but vague, ones, may also spur many into action…

At the same time, however, Mercury’s square to the Nodes can illustrate others’ difficulty (or refusal) accepting such changes—especially those changes leading to the breakdown of existing structures and laws and the ensuing vacuum—and resulting fear–this is likely to create.

So, what’s being revealed here on this Taurus Full Moon is people’s true values. Whether those values do, in fact, reflect back to them by the person they chose to lead the U.S. through thick and thin, or whether that nominee bedazzled them with exaggerated statements and euphemistic promises, remains to be seen.

The proof is in the pudding—an apt metaphor for Taurus energy, which, if nothing else, likes to have its pudding and eat it to. If there turns out to be no pudding, we’ll have a lot of unhappy people, Taurus’s or otherwise…

Pallas Athena Squares The Full Moon

Pallas Athena, the only female in the pantheon of Greek gods to be accorded the right to cast a vote as a member of the jury at the trial of Orestes—accused of matricide when he murdered his mother to avenge his father’s killing by her—is waxing into a square with this Taurus Full Moon.

Astrologer Demetra George credits Pallas Athena as ruling energies in alignment with social justice and political activism in her book “Asteroid Goddesses.”

This frictional confrontational square by an asteroid representative of looking at the situation with detachment, i.e., less emotion and more rationality, echoes our predicament in this present moment at this Taurus Full Moon.

Does one go with one’s heart or with one’s rational mind? Do we rely on a “just the facts m’am” methodology of deciding what’s right and fair for ourselves, or do we allow our heart to rule? Such is our present dilemma…

Revolution occurs when people are angry enough to take to the streets. For whatever reason, and there are many of them, people are angry right now. This post is a cautionary and explanatory piece designed to allow everyone to think for themselves about where they will draw their individual line in the sand.

The question for the rest of us becomes: Do we have to—do we want to—move our little tushies into the fray and stand up for what we believe in?

Also, Jupiter sextiles Saturn as it moves into a square with Pluto. The question is this: how easy will it be for a new king to take the power of the throne? Will Jupiter, the great benefic, king of the gods, initiator of good luck and good fortune (and the sign currently disposited by Mercury) get out his boxing gloves and begins to spar with the underworld god of transformation? Or will Jupiter find a way around the dark lord–or vice versa??

Mars quincunxes the Virgo North Node and semi-sextiles Neptune and the Pisces South Node, meaning there’s likely to be some flies in the ointment in terms of push back as we move forward collectively…

How Did We Read The Stars So Wrong?

Many of us have been shocked into awareness over this past month. The last Aries Full Moon set the stage for such shock when the Aries Moon conjoined with Uranus (the planet of unexpected change) and Eris, the goddess of discord, and opposed the harmonious Libra Sun.

I wrote the following in my October 16 post:

“What we often don’t recognize is that our need for change originates internally and subconsciously but that we project this need out to others who actually take the actions that cause the desired change…

“Our conscious ego–with likes to deal only with that which it can see, hear, feel, and touch–may seek to protect our psyches at all costs from such an unwanted intrusion by the subconscious…and the greater our suppression of our soul’s need for change, the more shocking the change will be…

“The combination of all these energies at this Aries Full Moon may result in our having to take independent action of some kind, and that action is likely to manifest through voicing our own opinions and/or making clear our individuality, on some level at least.

In other words, sometimes on simply has to take a stand.”

What any good predictive astrologer knows (and I do not count myself among those who predict for a living) is that events are often caused by short term “triggers.”

The stage is set by the slower moving planets, and the faster ones trigger their energies into manifestation, be it in the collective or on a personal level, depending on at which chart you are looking…

The many astrologers who predicted a Clinton win—many of whom may not have separated their left leaning political views and/or their desire for a first female U.S. president out of the equation—clearly did not take into account several last minute unexpected shocks and shifts in direction, in my opinion.

Which isn’t to say that the few astrologers who did predict correctly were not similarly influenced by their own, more right leaning, political views. I haven’t seen any who wrote about this past Aries Full Moon energy tie it (at the time) to the likes of James Comey, head of the F.B.I, who’s sudden announcements eleven days before the election (and two days before the Scorpio New Moon) undoubtedly affected its ultimate outcome…

The Square Dances On…

This Taurus Full Moon occurs against the backdrop of the slower, more evolutionary energies still evolving right now in the sky. It, theoretically, can also be a trigger, since it’s immediate energy is in effect for 48 hours or so past the exact opposition of the Sun and Moon in the sky, though sets longer the tone for the next 14 days of waning lunar energy…

The energies of the Uranus/Pluto square dance, ongoing since 2012, is still in play. These are energies that foretell, on one hand, revolution, and on the other suppression of revolutions.

Pluto is in Capricorn. This translates into an energy that predicts—between late 2008 and 2023–the death and rebirth of “business as usual.” Prior to that demise, however, which has not happened here yet in the U.S. (but may be happening now), anything related to a Saturn/Capricorn theme (business, stock market, upward mobility, financial prosperity, to name just a few) may be under Pluto’s microscope and destined for transformation.

Uranus is in Aries, and has been since 2010, fomenting revolution in many places around the world, starting with the notorious Arab spring uprising in the Middle East and extending to the U.S. today. It will remain in the sign of the god of war until the spring of 2018.

The Saturn/Neptune square—active for most of 2016 and still in effect, as well—echoes the Uranus/Pluto square dance. The latter is the back beat, if you will, or the scenic backdrop, while in the foreground throughout 2016 the Saturn/Neptune square took center stage.

Evident in those attempting to overthrow authoritarian structures—and in so much around us, not the least of which is the flight and drowning of so many refugees from the Syria and other part of the Middle East, and Africa—this energy lingers…

So, where does this leave us?

It leaves us with a cautionary note to check our egos at the door and not let the boundaries of our ego–which are necessary for us to make progress in this lifetime–overshadow or wall out our inner intuitive soul’s knowing…

The soul knows your true values, the ones that outlast republics and administrations, presidents and kings…

In tribute to Leonard Cohen, here’s his song Hallelujah which somehow seems fitting for the occasion:

Well, your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya…

She tied to you her kitchen chair
And she broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah…

And I’ve seen you flag on the marble arch
And love is not a victory march
It’s a cold and broken Hallelujah…

Maybe there’s a God above
But all I’ve ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya

And it’s not a cry that you hear at night
It’s not somebody who’s seen the light
It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah…

Namaste…

archetype, consciousness, Nodes, Scorpio, shadow, Sun, Taurus full moon, transformation, Values

Taurus New Moon May 6 — Rock Steady!

Posted by Sheri Horn Hasan - May 6, 2016 - Astrology

This Taurus New Moon energy sets the tone this month…

…for us to plant seeds of peace and calm in order to bring an unfluster-able serenity into our lives.

Think Ferdinand the bull who, in the children’s story, refused to engage in the bullfight ring—even the swinging of the red cape and taunting cries of “Toro! Toro! Toro!” left him unwilling to fight.

Ultimately they retired him to a patch of land where he rested peacefully under a shady tree, calmly munching some grass and happily watching the world go by…

At this Taurus New Moon, we are called to entertain thoughts about whether it’s more about action for action’s sake, and machismo and glory, or the serenity of knowing who we are and what we value most.

The interesting thing about Taurus energy is that it’s monumentally strong. When the bull in us puts her shoulder to the wheel, she can move just about anything. However, without motivation, it’s often tough for those who carry this archetypal energy–and who value pleasure in life most–to get up and get moving…

The danger around Taurus energy is that we may stubbornly remain peacefully otherwise occupied and resist the call to move or change. But this Taurus New Moon offers us the same kind of fixity we just might need in order to stabilize our lives…

Plant Seeds With 5 Retrograde Planets?

Let’s face it, with so much celestial energy retrograde right now it seems unlikely we can do much: Mercury calls us to review, rethink, revise, as our left brain logical function is subdued at least until May 22 and communication snafus abound. Meanwhile Mars—retrograde until June 29–until asks us to take a more reactive than proactive stance right now.

Saturn, too, says “take it slow” (until he stations direct on August 13) in order to release anything in your life that’s no longer instrumental to your future growth.

And Pluto’s base note resounds with a “let go of anything in your life that doesn’t allow you to transform at the deepest core level of your soul.” (Pluto, the slowest moving of all the planets, won’t station direct again until September 26.)

Jupiter, due to station direct on May 9, has been busy backstroking through the heavens since January 8, helping us to discover whether what we think we want is what our soul truly needs…

That said, it’s fairly easy to see how feeling like planting a seed at this Taurus New Moon to eventually birth something new may not be seriously in the cards right now.

Make Space For Future Growth

Does this mean you can’t forge ahead during this time? Does life stop because of all this retrograde planetary energy?

No! Life is always about growth and growth is always about change!

Think of it this way: this Taurus New Moon asks us all to dig down deep—just as you would with your trowel in the garden in order to plant those annually recurring perennials—and to unearth from below your deepest and truest values…

At the same time, you may implant into the earth these newer, or readjusted, values, once you have—with all of this planetary retrograde energy now—used your introspective faculties to discern what it is you want to grow in your garden.

What this Taurus New Moon means is that you can move ahead more easily by checking in with where your real values lie, and reviewing (and possibly jettisoning) any beliefs about current values that no longer fit who you are now or who you want to be in the future!

For Taurus energy, which archetypally resists change and loves to repose peacefully in her garden of choice, this Taurus New Moon provides us with the opportunity NOT to put our shoulder to the wheel. Rather, we may use this time to sit back and physically relax, but to do our harder, more lasting, psychological work.

Visualize Your Blooming Garden

Providing this Taurus New Moon with a helping hand is the Taurus Sun & Moon’s tie into a grand earth trine, which to me is a sign of “manifestation.”

The Taurus New Moon’s trine to both Jupiter and the North Node in Virgo, and to Pluto in Capricorn, tells us it may not be as difficult as we think to allow this abundance of current retrograde energy to help us along…

We need not be running hither and yon to get this done, but rather allow ourselves to visualize, or dream, our beautiful gardens into full bloom. Since we manifest externally our internal energies as we go through life, this is an excellent way of utilizing all of the retrograde activity in the sky right now.

Once we’ve mentally, emotionally, and spiritually excavated from our metaphorical gardens that which we no longer find of value, and then plant our new values firmly in the ground, we’ll be set for more direct action in the future!

Of course, those who carry the Taurean archetype strongly in their energetic make up may begin the manifestation of their gardens now through literal planting!

Whether it means literally planting your garden, decluttering your living space, or reviewing your financial situation, your career, your relationships, your lifestyle, etc., you will make more progress now by concentrating on how to bring into more optimal alignment your inner energies with your outer ones…

Think of it as a way to illustrate to yourself your own internal processes and watching them manifest on the physical empirical plane!

(By the way, if clutter is your current issue or your long term nagging problem, I highly recommend “The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up,” which I just started reading last night!)

While a trine is usually indicative of an “easy” energy, sometimes it can be too easy and we may become lazy. Since this is a particular problem for us Taurean types, I’d recommend tending toward making your surroundings more beautiful now.

This Taurus New Moon is making a sextile to the transiting South Node as well, denoting that we have the opportunity to let go of anything that no longer serves our soul’s quest for true growth and consciousness. Again, this doesn’t have to mean action, as inner reflection is the name of the game right now…

Is All Of This Easy?

Hell no! But what’s Taurus energy best at? Like I said, putting her shoulder to the wheel, the rock, the obstacle, and pushing it with strong and firm persistence in order to move it where you want it ultimately to go…

The Taurus New Moon also makes a quincunx to Saturn, which suggests this is not going to be without its minor annoyances. If you pay attention, however, you may find that most of these annoyances revolve around your belief system.

Remember The Law of Circulation!

Taurus the bull doesn’t need to carry on her back all of the “stuff” she’s accumulated through her lifetime. Remember the law of circulation: when you remove from your life the “stuff” that no longer has value to you personally, you make room for new people, relationships, jobs, and LOVE to come into your life!

As always, love is an inside job—it begins at home, in your body, your immediate environment, and your outer trappings. Now is the time, under the auspices of the Taurus New Moon, to begin to bring into alignment your inner and your outer worlds…

Issues like “I hate that picture on the wall but I can’t throw it away, my mother gave it to me!” or “this belonged to my father and I’d be disrespecting his memory if I get rid of it!” may loom large right now…

However, if you desire your patch of land (either literal or metaphorical!) to eventually look like that beautiful garden you envision in your mind, you may need to think again about how to best manifest what it is you truly value.

Picture it now: roses of the most gorgeous colors, perennial tulips you know you’ll treasure the sight of for years to come, marigolds, hydrangeas, maple trees, cherry blossoms (assuming you have the land!), or any other personal favorite flowers, tree, or plants, all blooming in full glorious color!

Now that’s a Taurus New Moon meditation worth its weight in gold, lol…

Namaste…

beliefs, calm, garden, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury retrograde, new moon, plant, Pluto, retrogrades, Saturn, seeds, serenity, Taurus, Values

Mercury Stations Retrograde In Taurus April 28

Posted by Sheri Horn Hasan - April 29, 2016 - Astrology

Mercury Stations Retrograde: Fear Not!

While you may be thinking “uh, oh! When Mercury stations retrograde, he’s going under again, don’t worry! He’s only going there to retrieve your innate inherent subconscious knowledge and deliver it up and into your conscious mind where it can become embedded as true WISDOM.

This time, Mercury, the messenger & the courier of the gods, the trickster, the psychopomp (the spiritual guide of a living person’s soul), is backstroking through the sign of Taurus the bull until May 22.

Since Taurus energy centers around what we truly value in our lives, it behooves us to go deep about whether these values are our soul’s true, inherent ones, or whether they are adopted or adapted from others. No harm in the latter–the point is, as long as what you value is congruous with your deeper spiritual set of values, then it’s all good.

Now, while Mercury is retrograde in Taurus it’s time—as usual–to review, re-think, re-analyze, etc. Further, any disparity between what you value in your external life—be it material possessions, money, jobs, or love of another—and what your soul needs to be truly happy will surface (or resurface) now for review…

Body Check

Because Taurus is such a physical sign, Mercury’s retrograde period from now until May 22 asks us to check in with our body.

Taurus symbolizes archetypally that which we value, or that which pleases us in terms of our five senses—sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste.

How is your body feeling? Where does it need more attention?

This isn’t to say you must run off to the gym and exercise more—rather, it’s about going deep in your meditation, during your lucid dreaming moments, or perhaps into your dreams themselves, and paying attention to the signs and signals your body is trying to give you…

What is it trying to tell you? Is it time to pay attention to the pain in your foot? Is it time to go for the checkup, the mammogram, the gyn, have them check your prostate, your teeth, your heart?

After all, Saturn is retrograde, too. He represents your bones, skin, and teeth—the parts that hold your body together. Mars, also currently retrograde, can affect your head or anything to do with your face or your appearance in general…and Jupiter, though stationing direct shortly (on May 9), asks you always to contemplate whether what you think you want is the same as what your soul truly needs.

And Pluto? Pluto retrograde is the resounding base note to all of these other current retrograde energies. He’s like the outermost ripple in the pond from the stone you’ve thrown into the middle.

He’s the backdrop, the scenery, the overarching sky, the vastness of the ocean all rolled into one–into something we call SOUL, which is what is encased in the all-encompassing physical incarnate body.

Body & Soul

In order to tend to the soul, we must tend to the body; in order to tend to the body, we must tend to the soul…

The soul itself, like my description of Pluto, is the backdrop, the basis, or the baseline to much of the meaning of this lifetime. It goes beyond this lifetime, however, in terms of both before and after.

But the soul inhabits your body this lifetime…so keeping the body healthy is most important now, just as is taking a look at where your values match what your soul truly needs…

Taurus energy, which I know well as a Taurus Sun, is not particularly fond of running and jumping, cross country skiing, or marathon swimming–at least for the most part.

I know I’d much rather lie on the couch and eat bonbons, and when it’s cold drink hot chocolate with marshmallows, and when hot indulge in some nice chocolate or vanilla ice cream with yummy goodies piled on top (or not, for you purists!)

We who carry Taurus energy can certainly get stuck in a limited definition of what it is we value. What we’re really asked to do right now is to juxtapose these limited and habitual notions with what our body really needs to stay healthy and to be our own BFF.

For example, do you need a workout, to get those hamstrings more flexible, to strengthen your heart with some cardio, or to tighten the skin because you’ve lost some weight?

Then it will benefit you to do what’s necessary to enhance your body’s physical health, both internally and externally, so that the external YOU matches the internal YOU.

When you value your body, your appearance, your teeth, skin, and bones, you value the flesh into which your soul has chosen to incarnate. Doing so is part of what makes us all whole as human beings.

What kind of tender loving care we can show our bodies to demonstrate how much we value our physical encasement—the physical flesh and bones that encase our spirit and our soul?

Let’s not forget that Taurean values include the pleasure of touch, so sexual satisfaction is another avenue that may need attention now.

So, too, do any yearnings to express oneself creativity through the arts and the translation of your value system into color, sound, light, and smell (some freshly baked–healthy–goods anyone?) Now’s a good time to let your creative self have at that piano or guitar, dance floor, canvas, camera, song, etc., etc., etc…

The Usual Mercury Stations Retrograde Drill

Do snafus occur—especially around all things communication, i.e., phones, computers, cars, travel, the internet & world wide web, etc.—during Mercury retrograde?

Is it still suggested you don’t make any large purchases, sign any contracts (because the small print may do you in in the end!), launch your new business, or engage in any activities other than those already started?

Of course, and this Mercury retrograde in Taurus will be no exception!

Simply remember however, that it’s difficult for Mercury to perform his retrograde duties when he’s moving forward. He needs this “down time” to travel into the underworld recesses of our psyches in order to locate the gold nuggets buried therein and to haul them up and into our consciousness.

No easy task, wouldn’t you agree? So, while Mercury’s busy with this job, he’s gotta let some things slide…I don’t think you’d want the psychopomp messenger of the gods to multitask while he’s messin’ with your subconscious, do you ?

So, cut him some slack: take the phone off the hook, turn off the computer a tad more frequently than usual, try not to speed anywhere (regardless of whether or not you’re already late!), and just chill…and maybe let your conscious brain take a vacation…

Mercury will take care of the rest, as you take care of your physical body and the concrete world around you…

…and as you know from the frequency of Mercury retrograde periods (at least three times per year!), life will return to “normal” soon enough…

Namaste…

body, bull, knowledge, Mars, Mercury, messenger, physical, Pluto, psyche, psychopomp, retrograde, review, Saturn, soul, subconscious, Taurus, trickster, Values, wisdom

Venus Enters Aquarius February 16

Posted by Sheri Horn Hasan - February 17, 2016 - Astrology

Today’s synchronicity—as Venus enters Aquarius, the sign of forward-thinking inspiration—is that I just read about Annie Clark’s (a.k.a. St. Valentine) new guitar, designed for females.

Rock & Roll Like A Girl–Yeah!

So, like, now that we’ve seen women break into the ranks of CEOs, become doctors in far greater numbers than ever before–and are even contemplating a first American woman president—do ya think it’s time gals got their own electric guitar?

I mean, sheesh, it’s ONLY 2016!

Clark teamed up with guitar makers at Ernie Ball Music Man to design a lightweight electric guitar much easier to hold and maneuver on stage, and one that leaves room for—as she put it recently on Instagram—“a breast. Or two.”

Even though this new design is not exactly strictly for females, here’s what Aquarian Moon Clark had to say when she spoke to Guitar World last December:

“For me a guitar that is not too heavy is really important because I’m not a very big person. I can’t even play a sixties Strat or seventies Les Paul. I would need to travel with a chiropractor on tour in order to play those guitars. It’s not that those aren’t great guitars, but they render themselves impractical and un-functional for a person like me because of their weight.”

She ain’t heavy, she’s got a light(er) guitar…

Do Your Thing, Honey!

Venus enters Aquarius and joins the Sun & Mercury there for a couple of days until the Sun moves into Pisces on February 19, and Mercury follows the Sun into Pisces on March 5.

So what to expect? (Other than stories such as the one mentioned above?)

Venus is about peace, harmony, love, serenity, calm, and relationships. Venus is also about that which we value, including peace, harmony, love, serenity, calm and relationships…

However, when Venus enters Aquarius she forays into the sign of individuality, aha! moments & eureka revelations, humanitarianism, friends, groups, & outside-the-box thinking, she’s in territory ripe for doing her own thing…

Does this mean you’re going to get up and start, um, being different in the middle of a crowd or other group gathering?

It’s possible, but highly unlikely unless you’re predisposed to that kind of behavior in general. But with Venus now in Aquarius until March 12, you may find yourself valuing thoughts/ideas, people, relationships, etc., that are more unusual/original & less mainstream.

You may also feel less inhibited about being yourself—and value more the traits and predispositions you may have that make you “different.”

In short, when Venus enters Aquarius, different is good! If you experience original, bright, creative, & alternative ideas that inspire you through sudden aha! flashes of brilliance, rest assured—you’re not crazy!

More than likely, you’re feelin’ the Aquarian vibe…

The Best Way To Become Irreplaceable…

So, try something new, do something different, shed your preconceptions and misconceptions, and go with the flow…the world is your oyster, babe, and you never know what changes may take place next…

After all, change is ultimately what makes life bearable, even though some of us don’t like to admit that or–worse yet–fear change… Venus here reminds us to take a step back and breathe a bit as she wafts through this rational air sign—not everything has to be so serious!

So gather your friends, join your favorite groups, take up an usual hobby, or try your hand at something off the beaten track—and remember: the best way to become irreplaceable is to be different!

Check out some of Clark’s Aquarian guitar moves here!

Namaste…

Annie Clark, Aquarius, electric, female, guitar, harmony, individual, inspiration, peace, pisces, relationships, St. Valentine, synchronicity, Uranus, Values, Venus

Venus Visits Virgo July 18 — 31

Posted by Sheri Horn Hasan - July 19, 2015 - Astrology

When Venus Visits Virgo, What Kind Of Love Have You Got?

Venus, the goddess of beauty and that which we value, visits Virgo, the archetypal sign of work, health, and service from July 18 – 31.

During this time the goddess of beauty and love takes a far more serious, practical turn–especially in contrast to the past month she’s spent in Leo, a much a flashier–albeit creative–look at me, look at me! energy…

While Venus normally takes approximately a month to travel through a sign, this time she will spend her first week in Virgo moving forward, and on July 25 will station retrograde (appear to stop moving in the sky and travel backward.) Venus then spends her second week visiting Virgo until she re-enters the sign of Leo on July 31.

With Venus it’s always about that which we find beautiful. What we find beautiful translates into that which we value. Venus in Leo called us to seek out and honor the value in ourselves and our creativity.

Often, however, we may mistake that our value lies only in the reflection of the eyes of another. Through the eyes of the OTHER–lover, sibling, parent, friend, co-worker, boss, neighbor, etc.–we may find we derive a great deal of self-value.

However, Venus, now in nit-picky, detail-oriented Virgo, calls us to do away with our mirror and to ask: From where do you derive your personal set of values? Is your value determined by others? Do you listen to your heart or to your mind? Do they often say different things?

Precision, accuracy, conciseness–in short discernment–is the name of the game when Venus comes to town in the sign of Virgo! Making clarity out of chaos is Virgo’s archetypal mission.

Can you dig down deep inside and find your REAL value? The one that doesn’t go away if and when the other disappears? Can you honor your own divine creation through what you create?

In short, can you ask yourself: what kind of love have you got?

Venus in Virgo asks us to get down to the practicalities of the matter: do you love yourself FOR yourself, or do you not?

Getting real about this is difficult for many of us. The tendency to criticize, judge, and nay-say away our own worth is what’s being highlighted now.

Why do we do that? More than likely it’s because we have the critical, judgmental voices of others in our head. Yep, you got it–the others through whom we gain our own sense of value when we see ourselves reflected back through their eyes…

I like the way the Eagles put it in their song “Victim Of Love”:

“Some people never come clean
I think you know what I mean
You’re walking the wire, pain and desire
Lookin’ for love in between…

Victim of love, we’re not so far apart
What kind of love have you got?”

Things happen for a reason, or so many of us astrologers believe. It’s no accident that Venus will retrograde back into Leo after her short stint in Virgo.

In a sense, Venus in Virgo is our pre-requisite for the course in values we’ll be getting during Venus retrograde, which will last until September 6.

Now is the time to start some of the harder work–to re-train our brains away from the ideal of perfectionism and toward the reality of getting to the point clearly and concisely.

And what’s the point? No more B.S.! Learn to love yourself and your creations, be they children, works of art–including writing, dance, music, film, photography, athletics, whatever–or anything that stems from within!

It’s time to get real and fill your well from within. Once you begin, you’re on solid ground, no longer dependent on another’s idea of your TRUE value to sustain you…

Namaste…

health, Leo, love, retrograde, service, Values, Venus, Virgo, work