Saturn takes about two and a half years to travel through each sign of the zodiac. Since October of 2012 Saturn has been in Scorpio, but tomorrow morning (Dec 23) Saturn will enter Sagittarius. Wherever Scorpio is in your chart is the area in which you had the opportunity to transcend yourself and your typical patterns for the last 2+ years, through the process of facing obstacles and restrictions presented by Saturn’s demands. Where Saturn is traveling represents the realm of life where you may currently need to restructure things, pay your dues, be disciplined, be patient, and be ultra responsible, etc. Saturn can be a stern taskmaster but if we listen and do as he urges, it will create positive results and changes over time. Over time is the key phrase here. The work we put in for Saturn takes time to develop and come to fruition. Integrity, achievement, and mastery are the rewards for obeying Saturn’s long-term plans and principles. Read more...

Today the Sun entered Sagittarius and there was a New Moon at 0º Sagittarius this morning. Wherever Sagittarius is in your birth chart represents the area of life where a new beginning is now opening up. It’s time for a fresh start, clean slate, or the beginning of a new endeavor in that area of life. Sagittarius is a mutable fire sign. Exuberant, spirited, and free – the Sagittarius archetype is about seeking the meaning of life through experience, exploration, and adventure. Through these encounters personal knowledge is gained, sorted, and distilled to make up one’s own belief systems and guidelines by which to live. Sagittarius is also characterized by a resolute striving, as imaged by the archer shooting arrow after arrow upward to a higher level. Along with the Sun and Moon, Venus entered Sagittarius on Nov 16 and Mercury will enter Sagittarius on Nov 27, so for the next month Sagittarius energy predominates and is highly accessible to all of us. 

(The following is not comprehensive — just some observations. And it is important to recognize that no one is a pure archetype. The Sun sign holds a central place in the personality but other important factors in the birth chart — especially the rising sign, the Moon sign, and strongly placed planets — combine to make us each unique and complex.) 

Aries ♈: to be held back from acting on an impulse, to be suppressed, to be prevented from expressing contentious and/or passionate energies, to be slowed down.

Taurus ♉: to be rushed, lack of financial or emotional security, to be deprived of touch, to be deprived of beautiful sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and textures.

Gemini ♊: boredom, lack of information, being “out of the loop” or cut off from communication, pressure to commit to one thing, having to stay still.

Cancer ♋: no one to nurture and protect, no one to be nurtured and protected by, thwarted from cultivating one’s “baby,” not having a safe and comfortable home. 

Leo ♌: no loving audience, not being seen, not being appreciated, not being adored, not enough attention, cold-heartedness.

Virgo ♍: lack of attention to detail, skipped steps, orderless chaos, not adhering to thorough technique and “proper” procedure, lack of refinement, lack of purity. 

Libra ♎: having to go it alone with no one to bounce off of, having to make a quick decision without being able to weigh the pros and cons, that which is unjust or unfair, insensitivity, lack of empathy, inconsideration, ugliness.

Scorpio ♏: superficiality, inauthenticity, feeling powerless, revealing vulnerability, failing to do one’s deep inner work, lack of emotional intimacy, lack of meaningful bonding.

Sagittarius ♐: the everyday routine with nothing exotic mixed in, lack of freedom, lack of access to philosophical perspectives, lack of ethics, narrow-mindedness, a life with no adventure.

Capricorn ♑: that which is unrealistic, inefficient, wasteful, impractical, or theoretical only; losing status, losing authority, lack of mastery, lack of having a respectful place in the world.

Aquarius ♒: conformity, exclusive hierarchical systems, social inequity, being confronted with ignorance, self-centeredness, or drama queens/kings.

Pisces ♓: the mundane details of life, no way to escape ordinary reality, lack of inspiration, lack of vision, lack of art, lack of feeling connected with the divine.

Dec 21-22 is the Winter Solstice, as the Sun shifts from buoyant, arrows flying Sagittarius ♐, to grounded, efficient Capricorn ♑. The Sagittarius archetype persistently aims for high goals. This persistence develops into the Capricorn archetype, where one brings the process down to earth and climbs the mountain one step at a time.“While each sign seems to be an antidote to its immediate predecessor in the zodiac, each one also comes equipped with the capability to take the gift of the preceding sign to the next level” (Kimberly Maxwell & Jim Schultz). Capricorn “gives stability and substance to the metaphysical, religious or social enthusiasm of Sagittarius… Capricorn puts to practical use what Sagittarius has released” (Dane Rudhyar). Read more...

Sagittarius is sometimes known as the archetype that likes to share thoughts, beliefs, and wisdom in an enthusiastic and outspoken manner. Jupiter, the large planet that rules Sagittarius, expands everything connected to it. When Mercury is in Sagittarius — we may like to express ourselves — a lot. However when Mercury is retrograde, our minds may not be as clear, we may not have all the facts yet, we may misunderstand what we hear, or we may say too much (but we may also be more intuitive, imaginative, and free thinking during Merc retro)! Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius can be a potent combination — challenging us to be more reflective, mindful, and sensitive about what we say, how we say it, and when we share… 

From the end of Oct through mid Nov — Mercury, the planet of the mind & communication, and Venus, the planet of art, beauty & love — are traveling close together. As these two archetypes merge, we can more easily find ways to bridge the gulf which exists between the head and the heart… 

Nov 2: On the same day, both Venus and Mercury leave deep Scorpio ♏ water to enter buoyant Sagittarius ♐ fire. Now that we have explored the depths of our beings, courageously piercing through the facade of ourselves and others, to look at the intense beauty and fearsomeness of that which lies below… We are now ready to venture outward again, exploring distant lands and new ideas with a renewed spirit and fresh optimism.Read more...

Today is a Full Moon total lunar eclipse. Full Moons are associated with seeing clearly, as the Sun lights up the Moon for us to see its entirety, and lights up our night so that we may better see what lurks in the shadows. So too in our lives, we may see something that was previously in the dark for us. An eclipse intensifies the Full Moon energy, often necessitating shifts and changes along with the new awareness.

This lunar eclipse is at 4:14pm EDT at 25º Sagittarius ♐ (sign of the traveler, student/teacher, truth seeker). Wherever 25º Sagittarius is in your chart and if you have major planets or points aspected by it - will give insight as to how this eclipse may touch you, personally... The Full Moon in Sagittarius opposes Mercury ☿ as well as the Sun in Gemini ♊ - so communication, mental processes, and a variety of differing strong opinions may be a substantial part of the experience... This eclipse is not visible in the US - we will not be able to see the earth’s shadow, first moving across the Moon, then turning it red/orange, so supposedly it may not affect us as intensely on the collective level here in the US.