The effects of the Sun on Telecommunications...

For those who wonder of the validity of the effects of planets and celestial bodies on events and activities down below here on Earth, this article should prove insightful. If Sun transits affect telecommunications on earth, how are we humans affected?


Sun transits to disrupt northern telecommunications
Last Updated: Monday, February 11, 2008 | 6:23 PM CT
CBC News

Radio, television, phone and internet services across Canada's North will be disrupted for a few minutes every day, thanks to brief sun transit disruptions expected over the next few weeks.

The disruptions, which occur every spring and fall, are expected to affect communications satellites that service the North between Feb. 22 and March 6, according to a release issued Friday by telecommunications company Northwestel.

Sun transits occur when the sun crosses the Earth's equatorial plane during the spring and fall equinoxes, aligning it directly behind satellites for a few minutes each day.

That can cause satellite signals to become overwhelmed by the radio frequency noise being produced by the sun.

Radio, television, long-distance telephone, data and internet transmissions will be affected, the company says.

Cosmic Colonics: The Virgo Lunar Eclipse (Feb 20)

Eclipses shake up the psychic, spiritual, physical and emotional dust inside and around us.

We're currently on the verge of the Virgo Lunar Eclipse which holds a distinct message affecting us all. So if you're wondering why you're questioning your career path, wondering if you're making any progress, about to quit a job or find yourself laid off, heavy and depressed, overly obsessive-compulsive and turning into a control freak in certain areas of your life, feel stuck in muck or overdoing your cleaning sprees, you're already under the vibes of the Eclipse.

Relax.

Remember that every manifested event you come into contact with or experience or witness, holds a message for you regarding where you're at with yourself. Everything mirrors. And during the Lunar Eclipse - when the Moon mirrors perfectly back the light from the Sun, we get to really SEE where we're at, usually because our FEELINGS tell us something important. It's hard to disguise frustration, reluctance, fear, joy. Emotions are the fuel on our life's road.

However, during the Lunar Eclipse, the light we're normally we ready to see all by is obscured, momentarily blocked by the shadow of the Earth - and the shadow of our earthly obligations (obligation here means "those things we decided we'd be focusing upon when we arrived here but subsequently forgot and now complain about because we KNOW they are important and thats why we get ultra-stressed when we either don't focus on them as we should, but also because we feel that by missing them or missing out (failure)

Talk about stress.

Saturn is the planet that relates to our Life Work, a major part of our Mission, which many of us turn into our career to give ourselves an excuse to Get It Done, and it's also the planet that relates most strongly to the earth plane - the things we have to achieve and feel we accomplished during our time here. Yep, even lazy people have a Saturn placement. And even they are hounded day and night by an unresolved feeling, a sense they aren't doing what they need to do.

This Lunar Eclipse is conjuncted (joined) by Saturn, who's currently retrograding - giving us all amply time (he relates to the clock ticking) to go back and resolve issues we have with ourselves and our cosmic To-Do List. In Virgo, this Eclipse along with Saturn gives us a major marker or milestone on our earthy/spiritual progress.

First up is a sense of Job Insecurity for those who aren't in the right place just yet to satisfy that inner need to accomplish something specific.
Some may suddenly find Job Fulfillment (or both of these things) and land the Job of Their Dreams (which is basically another way of finding a way to fulfill your life path and life's work). There are no surprises here, though it may seem like it. The Lunar Eclipse makes us feel lost, as our emotions are without an anchor, and then we have a chance to feel our way ahead back on track to what we know we should be doing.

What should we be doing?

Someone once said to me, "to find out what your Life Mission is" just look at what you've been doing your entire life. No, not losing yourself in the bottle, but things like 'always passing on advice to help people in their relationships' or 'cleaning up around me' or 'passing on what I know about remedies' or 'looking after people'. Often what we reach for is what we really always did as a child. Our souls know what we want before we're all confused by 'adult stuff'. What were you playing mostly as a kid?

After a career shift, we may experience a need to clean up our acts or environment in a number of ways. Filing cabinets, a clear out, boxing up work stuff or general junk. Maybe we're switching offices, moving out, being asked to clear out. Maybe our home space is so cluttered we can't move or breathe.

Our bodies may begin to feel the burn if we're off track or pushing in a direction that really doesn't belong to us in this lifetime. Look to Saturn/Virgo issues such as bone, teeth or joint problems. Arthritic issues. Sore knees, ankles, elbows. Digestion ickiness, or being clogged up.

Yes you're in need of more rest, stretching and a cosmic colonic. Try a detox. Try not letting work consume you (or the search for it).

In short - are we over or under-doing following and fulfilling our life's work?
All work and No play and all that jazz. If so, what will we have at the end but a fat check, a huge trophy and no personal life or healthy body to enjoy this "success".

And on the flip side, if we give up or just don't bother, then we only put off the lessons for another day, or wind up with it coming full force at us on one fell swoop because we avoided all the little challenges that (due to delaying matters) has now become One Giant Thing You Can't Avoid.

SO the simple checklist during this Eclipse is:

1. Do what you know you need to do
2. Do it the best you can.
3. Let it go, move on and have some fun.
4. Repeat steps 1-4.

Trying any other approach may work short term or it may send you to the hospital or psychiatrists couch, but it needed be so difficult.

To aid you in this emotional period of transition (because things WILL change and you WLL be faced with some pretty big emotions at this time) I have prepared some special Lunar Eclipse Readings, that will take you through YOUR journey during this period and reveal to you where and how this Eclipse is likely to be felt in your own life story.

You can sign up and find out more here.

Feel free to share your stories here, and remember - if it's not broken, don't "fix" it. And if it is broken, maybe it's better to let it go and move on. Because the things that are truly ours in this lifetime, never leave and always have a way of working out. Since this Eclipse sends beautiful aspects to Pluto (planet of death and rebirth) it's time to stop clinging to the old/useless/wasteful/unhelpful - people, addictions, places, lifestyles, jobs, friends, family patterns, diets, projects (etc) and make room for a New and Improved ________.

The Lunar Eclipse fills in the blank. All we have to do is allow.

Be Receptive to Change!

Love,
Neil

Change cannot be avoided during an Eclipse. We're not meant to stay the same or remain in the same place. Lunar Eclipses inspire great feeling, to reflect great progress on the path, or great potential to get back onto a path more to our liking, and our own personal needs, as opposed to what we think we need, or what others dictate for us. Follow the feeling.

Mercury Goes Direct (Feb 18)

On February 18 at 7.57pm (PST) Mercury ends this current run in retrograde.

Expect a shift. A decision made, an offer coming. A green light or a red flag that what you THOUGHT was correct is riddled with typos, loopholes or something equally unsavory.
Mercury Direct is often the escape clause to a contract you want no part in, a way to break a lease, or any other way to weedle out of something that turns out to be different to what you originally thought.

When Mercury ends retrograde suddenly the phone rings and you get the message you've been waiting for. The friend or date who dropped off the planet, materializes with a story of why they vanished. Your phone and computer suddenly speed up after weeks of churning, grinding snail-pace performance.

There's still old ground to cover as we continue on from where we left off - but REAL progress doesn't usually come until Mercury exits its shadow period (and finally gets back to where he was before he started turning retro) by March 14.

Don't worry though, you don't need to wait for then to get ahead. You may break even, or you may (if you've aligned yourself with the theme of Mercury Retrograde) find that the past, the old, the things you tossed aside, the things you'd given up on, actually flare up and come back to life and aid you during the Shadow period. Either way, you're not technically out of the old woods and into new ones, until March 14 when new vistas await you.

I find it funny that 'retro' always seems in fashion, yet Mercury retrograde isn't.
For a country like the USA (born with Mercury Retrograde, and a Cancer country - a double whammy for being 'stuck' in the past and repeating history (and historical moments, birth dates and events - "Never Forget!" etc) it's amazing that going back during Mercury Retrograde is so difficult. Perhaps most of us prefer looking back, than actually revisiting. The idea of going home, when you know home is no longer there, is a sobering and often sad experience.

Now that the traffic is flowing once more, where are you going to put your mind?

Steering towards your bliss?

Perfect.

Love,
Neil

Valentine's Week Specials (and something for the singles!)

Who cares if you're single, engaged, married or separating, Valentine's Week is another one of those "holidays" we get to enjoy ourselves, and whoever else we share life with.

No one is really single. We all have an ongoing relationship, somewhere. With a boss, parent, coworker, friend, even an enemy!

There seems to be two main kinds of relationship connections (and I'm sure a vast array of variations within these) - Soul Mates and Karma Dates.

Soul Mates we feel a certain vibrational 'hum' with, a sense of comfort (from knowing them before), safety and familiarity (while still being encouraged to grow and push yourself).

Karmic Dates - those we feel a stomach-pull with, whom we may experience love-at-first sight with, those whom we get entangled and embroiled in intense and addictive patterns that aren't altogether healthy - but necessary for our karmic lessons.

To get a handle on the ins and outs of your connection, I'm offering a specially discounted Relationship Report (you can choose Love or Friends) and if you order, you'll receive two FREE Naughty Natal Reports (they're not yet on offer to anyone else) - which dish the dirt on you (and anyone else you choose) in a fun, lighthearted yet astrologically sound way.

Now thru Feb 17.

Valentine Special: Three Reports for $25!

Your New Chapter: The Aquarian Eclipse

The LA Times truly was in tune with the Aquarian Eclipse that fell on the first day of their new issue, with a headline that sums up everything about this particular celestial event.

Eclipses shake up the psychic, spiritual, physical and emotional dust inside and around us.

We're currently under the influence of the Aquarius Solar Eclipse, so if you're wondering why you're suddenly questioning something or feeling an urge for a major makeover somewhere, life has thrown you a curveball, or you're at a crossroads and suddenly have to take a sudden turn into a totally new area of life, this is why.

Change cannot be avoided during an Eclipse. We're not meant to stay the same or remain in the same place. Solar Eclipses are specific to certain types of growth, as are Lunar (more on that kind in 2 weeks). Under a Solar Eclipse, our light is eclipsed, our perspective, our ego focus, our sense of self is shaken, albeit momentarily so that we may glimpse a new way, a new path, and something new inside ourselves.

So,firstly,welcome the unknown, the question mark, the feeling you don't quite know what you should be doing, or where you should be going. In Aquarius, this particular Eclipse is teaching you to access the independent side of yourself,the part that loves surprises and the part that breaks free from anything limiting or defining.

How can you define yourself during a time when the Universe is helping you to break free of definition?

You can't. All you can do is explore new facets of yourself, your nature, your desires and your ego. Try on a new hat. Notice the new people you're suddenly around right now - they're a sign of the new you emerging. Access a new part of yourself and the Universe will always mirror it with new folk outside - new friends, new strangers offering new perspectives, new groups working to the same purpose.

Suddenly you're a team-member of another group, or you're going your own sweet way now, perhaps in a direction totally off the beaten track, or off the plan you nebulously created for yourself one foggy day way back when.

Be new. Be unique.

Just Be You.

That's the message of the Aquarius Eclipse. And perhaps, you'll find out who that really is, by first experiencing who that isn't.

Enjoy!
Neil

New Site Specials!

The Solar Return and Year Ahead Reports have now been combined to give you the most extensive and in-depth look at your year ahead from birthday 2008 to your birthday 2009!

Charts your new themes, patterns, people, challenges, opportunities, options and others aspects of your new annual cycle.

Read more and get your own here.



Clients now have the option of pre-booking a Reading Package at discounted rates. Pay in advance and keep a few readings under your belt to use when you need them.

Check out the options here.

Turn it Around

The yoga studio where I began taking classes in September introduced a new pose recently, though I wasn't there to try them. But I thought they were pretty prefectly timed to enter my life right now to symbolize Mercury's retrograde about-face.

With Mercury, the mind, going in reverse in Aquarius it's time to take a new view of things - to reimagine and reenvision our life, selves and possibilities.

In short, turn it on its head.

This week's headstand is a salute to Mercury's message. And yes, I'll be trying it out soon.

!yojnE

Neil it

Special Mercury Retrograde Readings

A Special Reading designed to help you navigate
each unique Mercury Retrograde period
in your own Birth Chart & Life Experience.

Mercury Retrograde is perhaps one of the most widely known Astrological Cycles, even amongst those with no further knowledge of Astrology. Each period is unique but all share something in common.

It's a time of repeating, reviewing and re-negotiating the past, which always, without fail, returns to us in some form or another.

These Readings will cover this special period from Your Perspective - Your chart, Your life, Your options and how You can harness the potential inherent in this special period.

Mercury Retrograde Reading
30 minutes
$60.

Find out more and sign up here.

Inventive, Insane or Insightful?: Mercury goes Retrograde in Aquarius (Jan 28 - Feb 18)

At 1.31pm PST on Monday Jan 28, Mercury goes retrograde officially at 23 Aquarius.

Are you ideas unique enough? Is your thinking a little TOO crazy? What is crazy and how do you know? Is sanity a good thing? Is it time to rethink your rebellious strategies or possibly time to break free further and stop towing the party line?

Are your friends really your friends? Are YOU a decent friend? What IS a friend? Is your social circle smothering you or championing your cause - and is your cause something that champions everyone else? Are you being a team player or a team hater?

Is society backwards, or should you be moving backwards to make sense of and contribute to where society currently is?

Is it time to reevaluate your goals? Where did you want to be this year? Where do you want to be now? Are your goals in line with who you REALLY are, or are you questing after something you no longer want?

Are you free of your own mental loops or are you victim to your own incessant "monkey-chatter"? Can you calm your mind and still be open to 'downloading' some amazing ideas?

Is logic helping or is it time to leave yourself open for a flash of insight, an intuition and a lightening bolt from the blue?


In Aquarius, Mercury is on hyper-speed, and overdrive, and it's a great thing we're moving into Retrograde before we suffer burn-out. Technology can only do so much and we can only expect so much of technology before we crash and burn, or drive ourselves mad. Does speeding up help, or does it make us even more impatient when we don't receive the email, don't get the returned call or don't hear the news NOW NOW NOW.

Mercury Retrograde is ALWAYS about slowing down, backtracking, having a mental time out and letting ourselves catch up with ourselves. We all get inundated with ideas, media, stories, news, possibilities, thoughts, conversations, text messages, emails, letters, snail mail, paperwork, computer files, technology issues. On and On.

Retrograde Mercury helps us to let it all catch up with itself - everything you have said, thought and dwelt upon, is still out there, flying through the air, thoughts with wings, lingering around, still finding their targets. We can do nothing right now but let it all unravel, unfold and settle.

The Great News:

Mercury Retrograde begins in harmony with the Moon - to help us to decide if something is what we really NEED right now. Rearranging our home spaces seems inevitable as we seek more comfort, and a place to rest our heads. Play with Feng-Shui. Family talks and heart-to-heart chats with anyone near and dear to you run smoothly now if you allow yourself to go BACK and talk over unresolved issues as they reappear now.

Mercury Retrograde begins in harmony with Mars - to help us work out if we're really acting in accordance with what we're thinking about. Actions speak louder, and there's no need to shout to be heard. Are you walking your talk? Acting on what you keep mentioning? Moving towards what you keep thinking and chatting about? Getting your head in gear with your feet and moving forward, comes when we take a look back and decide what should continue on with us, and what we can leave behind. A parting of the ways is imminent.

The GOOD OR BAD NEWS (depending on how you see it, how you act on it and your general personality type)

Mercury Retrograde is tied to Neptune, the planet that dissolves things, blurs and blends, confuses and creates chaos so we can forget, and lose our place, so that we an find our place in the bigger scheme of things.

Mercury loves logic, yet with Neptune, all thoughts risk becoming tangled up in fantasy, illusion, lies and deceit. Fantastic for poets, writers, advertising campaigns, politicians and anyone who wants to use beautiful words to move us, inspire us, make us feel something or generally pull the wool over our eyes.

Losing keys (Mercury rules), forgetting where we parked the car (Mercury ruled), losing our map or bus schedule or paperwork (all Mercury ruled) all seem distinct possibilities when your mind is full of fluff and you lose track of the details.

Create a spare key, back up computer files (as always under retrograde) and realize you may be more SPACEY than usual. Allow for this - time outs, when you sit and stare at the sky, light candles, drift to your favorite music, doodle/draw/paint/sing, take extra baths/showers or go swimming, eat chocolate or ice cream or sip your favorite drink and disappear off into another realm. Creativity runs high, so does psychic intuition, but keep a trail of breadcrumbs scattered so you can find your way back to 'reality'.

Mercury Retrograde is also tied to Chiron - the soft spot. Is no one listening? Are you not being heard? Why do you have to repeat yourself? Why do you need to re-write it, or re-sign or re-evaluate or re-discuss what was already completed?

You may have to go over old ground - and you may NOT be speaking as clearly as you think. Double check. Speak slower. Especially over the computer, lines get crossed, people mistake what was said. Clarify. Be logical, but don't think you have all your bases covered. Don't expect to be told the truth automatically, truth is relative to the teller right now. Listen. Ask questions if need be. And clarify with a follow up.

But each one is different - this one relates to the questions I asked at the top of this post. It's worth answering each one. Get perspective. Gain clarity. Then slow down and let things take their natural course. There'll be changes again once Mercury goes Direct and back on track.

In the meantime, watch for clues, spot the signs and yes - expect a REVISIT WITH THE PAST - the things you've said, the things you wrote, the things you didn't say and didn't write, old flames and old connections that aren't finished or which ARE finished on one end but not on the other.

DO we repeat the past or write ourselves a new script?

Seek completion, and resolution, INSIDE first before tackling the issues on the outside.

And remember...

It all comes back to HOW YOU THINK about the subject or issue at hand. It's how you see it, view it, talk about it (to yourself and others).

IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD.


Special Mercury Retrograde Reading: 30 minute special, $60. Find out more here.

Love,
Neil

The Current and Coming Crumbling: Pluto enters Capricorn (Jan 25)

Today marks the end of an era - or at least the first official whisperings of what is to come, now that Pluto - the manipulator of matter to create the loss of what is no longer needed, the rebirther who takes without mercy that which blocks us from our true natures, the destroyer - who brings death and destruction to annihilate outworn methods and modes of operation in order that a better way may be found (a healthier, saner, more productive and spiritual orientation is found) is changing signs.

Pluto, not long ago demoted in a ridiculous bid to control a name (yet of course finding ourselves unable to control an essence or energy) is a marker of society in a specific generation, and outlines where the biggest Changes, the most intense shifts, and the most final endings are experienced.

Pluto just moved out of Sagittarius (since January 1995) clearing, cleansing, destroying, rebuilding and digging up dirt in the fields of Education, Religion, Foreign Connections and Policies, Law, The Travel Industry amongst other Sagittarian fields.

What can we expect during this new era as Pluto marches into Capricorn TODAY?
Pluto takes 284 years to travel around the zodiac, bringing slow change, but definite change - simmering beneath the surface, ready to reveal itself in a moment when EVERYTHING shifts and nothing remains the same, no one escapes the feeling that something has ended, a new chapter has begun.

Pluto in Capricorn "Predictions":

GOVERNMENTS, HIERARCHIES, THE POWERS THAT BE:
Will desire further control, exercised as more borders and border patrol possibly, or the tearing down of barriers and borders to shepherd and police a greater area with ease. The move to centralize power - a central bank, a central technology branch, micro chipping, quarantines. Capricorn relates to structures such as laws and walls - these will become immense or fall - possibly both.

Pluto type people will be elected (Hilary Clinton is a Scorpio so she's the likely candidate for President 2009 (When Neptune (the actor planet) was in Capricorn, Ronald Reagan (the actor) was elected. In other countries, Scorpionic or Plutonian people will be elected to bring massive change and shocking shifts to the world and the countries they 'rule' over.

Assassinations within governmental bodies - more intrigue, secrets, yet shadows revealed and the shock of the public and the desire to 'bring down' (Pluto) those who have had too much control.

TIME:

Capricorn rules time - watches, clocks, time-travel, calendars. A change in the way we measure time - transportation that gets you there 'in under 5 minutes' where it once took 12 hours. More talk on time travel. The speeding up or slowing down of time. A calendar or time zone shift or solar storms that create a new system of time (due to changing light on the planet).

PARENTS:
The history of child abuse within families and governmental and other bodies of power may surface showing a web of intrigue that spans the globe and has been kept secret for quite some time. Abusive families are brought to task. The "Father" figure is a focus - in movies, in the media, in talk shows.

RULES AND REGULATION:
What works, what doesn't? A lot of talk on new policies and the wiping out of old ones that seemed to make sense.

WORK WORLD:

The biggest mergers we have seen to date - and the biggest crashes and bankruptcies we've ever heard of. Bank closures, foreclosures and a LOT of talk on debt - as countless people suffer the backlash of living outside of their means.

CLEANING UP THE CONSPIRACIES:
Those who have long talked about the corruption and conspiracies at work will be given a greater voice as we begin to see the unraveling and revealing of long-held plans to control, dominate. As society begins to purify itself - a lot of crap hits the fan and a lot of puss oozes from our collective wounds. The darkest point before the dawn that we need before we can see the way ahead clearly.

COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY:

No more excuses - we begin to see the "reality" behind how we've been living and major recycling campaigns continue or step up - as people are asked to re-use and not waste - or face heavy fines. Everyone begins to step up to the plate and realize their big part to play in the world's collective need to clean up the mess. Heavy policing is balancing by people policing themselves and holding THEMSELVES accountable.

A DISPLAY OF FORCE
More military presence, more uniforms and more bullying tactics out of a fear of loss of control. People in power fear they are losing their hold and so step up their own campaigns to keep people in the dark, or under control or in fear. If they're smart, citizens of the world will see through the ongoing scam and realize all control stems from fear, and that fear must be resolved inside each person, for the control on the outside to subside.

BOSSES:
People who own their own company, are bosses or in positions of power and control -
will face tests of power - if they abuse their position they will be stripped of their title, or fall from grace. Pluto takes without mercy. People will lose their reputation, respect in the eyes of the world, their social standing, and everything they have spent time building to date if they abuse their position and responsibility and trust, entrusted to them.

THE SYSTEM:
Faces an overhaul - no more polluting of peoples minds (via media), no more brain control, fear tactics or rules that keep people disenfranchised.

NEW WORLD RECORDS:
Some outstanding and astounding people "getting to the top" (either physically with mountain climbers or those who scale to great heights in the physical world or those who do so by making a comeback or rags to riches stories from people who appear from nowhere). As Capricorn is achievement, Pluto could bring some surprising and profound people to the top.

UNIFORMS, LOGOS, SYMBOLS OF POWER
Institutions may reveal new logos or symbols of their new desire to conquer or climb. New 'power clothes' or 'power names' to dominate the field.

Fashion moves into a more conservative phase - covering up, blacks, browns, more chaste, more serious or sever. Work clothes. Clean, plain and simple.


On April 2 Pluto goes Retrograde, slowing change down and asking us to back track and work out if things need to be re-worked before we bring int he 'big guns' to annihilate something that may still be useful. Is something unresolved? Do we need more information before we plunge into something?

On June 13 Pluto moves BACK into Sagittarius (reigniting old questions and issues regarding religious institutions, belief systems, truth versus untruths, education systems, the travel industry and other Sag fields.)

On Sep 9 Pluto goes Direct again and we experience a move forward again and a release from reliving the same old nightmares. Progress at last. Watch for final decisions and resolutions of legal matters at this time.

Pluto enters Capricorn on Nov 26 again for its long term run in this sign and the issues we talked about earlier, kick off and up into a new level. We truly have entered a new era!

Souls at Center Stage: Leo Full Moon (Jan 22)

January 22nd 6.34am, PST: Full Moon at 1 Leo

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In Leo, the King or Queen energy of the zodiac family, and within each of us - remember we have ALL the signs within us in various areas of our life, as shown in our Birth Chart - emotions are always pretty obvious. They're either out there in the open, or else we're polluting rooms by withdrawing our Light (Leo rules the Sun) and we're known for the dark clouds we bring in our wake. Either way, our Light is felt by its very presence or it's lack.

Leo is pure Joy, pure self-expression, creativity and PLAY - the need to pour your heart out into something, Anything as long as you can put your personal stamp on it.

During the Leo Full Moon, we're reminded of both this - the measure of our "Light" and the "darkness", or lack of light. And that there never is truly ever complete darkness in the world, as the Sun is always shining somewhere. Just as we cannot forever remain shrouded in cloud, when within us is a burning, creative center, or urge to live.

Maybe that's what we should bear in mind at the Leo Full Moon when we're bursting at the seems with Leo vitality that screams to be heard. If we don't receive the applause and respect our Leo side needs (where is Leo in your chart?) then we risk sulking, withdrawing and sitting on it, becoming the cold, calculated Aquarius (Leo's opposite sign).

At the Full Moon we always face a conflict to resolve - on the one hand the Sun shines in the opposing sign, this time, Aquarius saying BE AQUARIAN! Detach. Support a good cause. Help Society. Be a great friend.

The Moon shines in the opposite sign of Leo saying I NEED RECOGNITION. Can you be a creative and lovable politician? Can you use your stage presence star-status for the greater good? Are you just as good off stage in the supportive audience as you are lapping up the attention from your adoring fans? If you're ignored, what then? If someone heckles you, do you despise humanity? Is your audience limited and are you seeking the wrong people for the recognition you feel you deserve and desire?

We're ALL prima-donnas. We each want a bit of the Leo Sun. Watch American Idol to see how big 'anyone can be a star' ideologies have become. Though, these have had their day, I feel. When we all feel special (Leo) in our own unique way (Aquarius) we won't seek to become 'generic' factory-produced stars with a pre-packaged label of success from the media machines.


No matter what, no matter where, no matter how we MUST release our Leo sides now - it's a NEED, a primal urge asking us to:

Get on Stage and Scream our Emotions
Let it rip! Dance your socks off, dress up, show off
Bring color back into your life!
Get artistic - paint a wall, a mural, make a birdhouse, stare at your reflection
Go to Vegas - live it up, go 5 Star to the best restaurant
Give up your childish ways but still remain childlike
Be generous NO MATTER who accepts it or who you think "doesn't deserve it"
Be proud of what you've done. You'll shine for it.
Stop seeking an audience. Be your own number one fan.
Finish up a painting, song, poem or some creative project you've been working on
Release your babies into the world (sell your work, find an agent, put on your show)


In Short - give your gift of your Leo side to the world. Your job. Your humor. Your ability to have a good time. Your smile. Your wink. Your flattery. Your musical/artistic/leadership talents. You're brimming full, under the Full Moon and trust me, there are few things worse than a Leo who has (temporarily) lost (or forgotten more like) their Light. That's Leo's job. To shine. That's it.

Where's your Leo? Find the symbol above in your own chart and find which House it begins in (counterclockwise). If you need help, leave a message after this posting, and I'll show you how to do it.

In my own Chart, Leo shines in the 9th House, the house of Knowledge, Adventure, Teaching, Philosophy, The Bigger Picture. And my work, (sharing this information with you) is where I shine, and love to pour out my own creative energies. What about you?

And the final point is this: to shine, to truly be a beacon and a Sun, sometimes our only job is to be ourselves, and not to try. Isn't one of the sun's main job to brighten dark skies?

So whatever shadows appear now, dispel them by turning up your own Pride, your own Self Respect, your own Self Love. Have you learned yet to remain Loving no matter what, to remain Giving no matter what, to retain our Life Force - and not to get depleted or drained by life's vampiric nature? Because this is the gift to yourself.

Give back.
Empty your creative genius.
It's the only way to keep refilling.


Love,
Neil

Trouble Talk:? Mars is still Retrograde

We have until January 30th for Mars to end its Retrograde Rumblings and move direct and business-as-usual.

He's currently stomping backwards through the sign of Gemini. How is it manifesting for you?

Angry words, irritable emails, arguments, nasty conversations, and old issues dragged up to be thrown at you, seemingly out of nowhere?

Impatient drivers, car accidents or issues with the car/computer/telephone that forces you to take it in AGAIN (it's not the best time for buying a new car, computer, telephone etc) to be fixed or fiddled with?

Re-running errands and re-contacting people who won't return your call or who seem to vanish or say they'll do something and who end up not doing it?

Re-viewing old writing, journals etc, and going back over old ideas and re-working them? The Writer's Strike here in Los Angeles continues under Mars Retrograde in the sign of Writing.

Clearing the air by going back to talk over old grievances, or just dwelling on them by replaying old thoughts over and over and over and over?


There are many ways Mars Retrograding in Gemini can manifest in your life and the greatest ones to encourage are the fine-tuning of your thoughts, the getting off your chest of things you've wanted to say, to work on better communication between people (and yourself) and finding better, more efficient ways to connect with people around you.

Life is communication and without it, everything breaks down. What you say now is less important than HOW you're saying it.

Use this Retrograde period to lessen the negatives where possible, and work on establishing a better space for YOURSELF by allowing an open door, an open mind and a sign over your head that says 'You can connect with me, but only if you are respectful enough to be honest, say what you want, and then to listen while I do the same'.

Gemini is a sign not only of speaking but also of listening. How well are you hearing others?

Keep it clean and keep it clear.

Most of the time we forget, that in reality, there's no one "out there", and we're really talking/arguing/fighting with ourselves.


Love,
Neil

Aquarius Season!

Finally, we transition out of the Winter Sign of Capricorn - and the hard slog and wear and tear on our bodies, of hard work, of saving for the cold season, of hibernation and dark mornings and early nights...into the fresh air of Aquarius, the final Air sign of the zodiac wheel.

Now we get to focus once more on the energy of our current Age - the Aquarian attributes within us all of uniqueness, innovation, zany and wild wackiness, total individuality, humanity/brother/sisterhood, equality and the breaking of the rules and regulations (capricorn) that have passed before us and have passed from use.

Each day, each week, each minute, our life calls for something NEW from us. Why do we spend each day reacting the same, doing the same things in the same ways?

You are a totally new being right here, right now, reading this. There ARE no rules on how to live, except the ones you give for yourself. And chances are, you're living by some pretty hard and fast written-in-capricorn-stone ones.

Ditch 'em.

It's EXPERIMENTATION TIME.

Now, you get to join the paradigm-busters, who are dispersed across the globe, breaking the rules in order for a new way of life to burst forth - a way that incorporated all of life, does not exclude and champions Freedom, Liberation, and Equality for all. We are One, shouts Aquarius.

Wherever Aquarius falls in your own chart (Grab your free copy here NOW if you don't have one!) - whichever HOUSE it falls in, shows where these attributes are ready to shine within you and your life.

If you have planets in Aquarius, you're a key player in shaping a new society in these current years of unrest and tribal transition. Stop hiding in the shadows.

All of us could do with tapping into the current pulse of rebelliousness, recklessness (we all need a dash of this to offset becoming boring, rundown and listless).

Change is a way of life, and it's time to let some fresh air into your own life. It's the season. When all else are going East, take a look West. If everyone says No, try raising your hand with a Yes. Progress happens when you risk leaving the safety of the familiar behind.

Experiment!

Love,
Neil

P.S The symbol above this blog is the Aquarius glyph, to help you find it in your own Chart. Leave comments if you need any help. Or if you'd like to show off just how Aquarian you are in a specific area of your own life: To start you off, I have Mars (how I act) in Aquarius, and Aquarius lies within my Third House of Writing, Speaking. I'm a spokesperson for this Age, and technology (Aquarius) is one of my tools. Voila!

I've been slimed

Where have I been for the past week and a half you ask?

It's been quite a ride. What started out as the mere symptoms of a usual cleansing cold (my once a year (max) experience of detoxing naturally), deteriorated into what I discovered was something doing the rounds here in Los Angeles (and elsewhere) that consisted of violent and unstoppable coughing up of Ghostbuster ectoplasm (otherwise known as mucus), feeling absolutely wiped out, sleepless nights, pounding headaches, and more unbelievable coughing and obscene amounts of Ghostbuster goop.


For someone who prides himself on ordinarily being as fit as a fiddle it's been trying to say the least. I have been unable to sit at the computer for the entire duration, making it here briefly to notify those who are expecting readings soon, of the situation. After things worsened I have had to lay low with a steady diet of amazing TLC from my partner (who has made homemade soup, shopped for groceries, tucked me in, got some Emergen-C fizzy vitamin drinks which were awesome, and otherwise been an absolute Angel (truly) each step of the way, all the while working his way through his own demanding First House Sun Cycle Rebirth period in his own life.

I am a firm believer in the human body healing itself, without the heavy use of chemicals and medicines, so I did make it through the hellish point without any help, but broke down nearer the end and took some liquid syrup to break up mucus, alleviate headaches and coughing. It helped to a point, along with a few ibuprofens to take the edge of headaches and enabled me to sleep a little easier.

A very gentle session of Restorative Yoga (lying in set positions for 10 minutes at a time) taught to me by my partner the other night has helped me strengthen, and although my cough is still lingering, and the Ghostbusters are still on duty I have made a wonderful recovery.

From an Astrological point of view, and for your possibly interest, Mars rules my 6th House of health and was Retrograde at the onset of the virus (retrograde slows healing and often, when going stationary direct again, it's usual direction, reactivates symptoms one last time) and in the sign of Gemini (the lungs).
In my Natal Chart currently, Neptune (liquids) is transiting my third house (lungs) which would add to the theme of fluid issues here. I haven't explored any further as I don't need to, but these points, came to mind that often, we will manifest and play out certain patterns at certain points in time.

What did this do for me?

I had the rest I needed (in 15 years doing this work I have never had to go AWOL for a week and a half - not bad!). I was able to regroup and not spend so much time wired into the static electricity of the cyberworld - something I cannot completely avoid with my occupation.

I have downloaded a few inspirational new ideas as well as healed my body and cleansed other toxins from my system that ordinarily would not have had such a prime chance to exit. The turbulent conditions of certain viruses proves a marketable opportunity for our bodies to purge on every level.

So I have also (Saturn is in Virgo at the Midheaven - the very top - of my Chart right now) cleaned up my health act (minimal dairy and less sugary food and a LOT more water) and more rest between work assignments. More fresh air and walks and more sunlight.

So I am thankful for the horrendous virus I had to contend with this past week and a half, and I look forward to being back up to full speed soon to talk to you. With my work being entirely governed by my ability to SPEAK, an unstoppable coughing fit isn't a very aesthetically pleasing thing to listen too during a Reading or subsequent listenings on your audio copy. Even with an accent, trust me...

It's great to be enjoying being back in a workable body. If you or anyone close to you is experiencing any of the same symptoms I recommend:

Breathing in over a bowl or saucepan of steaming water
Regular baths (rub towel dry afterwards to boost immune) or showers to clean off sweated out toxins
LOTS of water or water with lemon juice (electrolytes and cleansing)
Fruit (cleansing, feeding)
Lots of rest, even if you're just lying down
Propped up pillows to ease congestion
Vicks vapor rub (or other type) on chest to ease breathing
Echinacea (at the ONSET if possible if not still use) A Great Immune Booster!
Natural Homeopathic.
Scrape your tongue to remove toxins daily.
Gargle with salt water.
Rub/massage feet daily - helps all parts of the body.
Eat soup and other liquid foods - natural as possible.
Drink Fruit Juices.
Vitamin C or Emergen-C packet fizzy drinks

Hope this helps. I'll be scheduling by the end of this week, (for the next couple of weeks) as the last of my cough subsides.

It's good to be back. Here's to sharing the next leg of the adventure with you in 2008 - with a new pair of lungs and a lot of fresh air!

Love,
Neil

Must See Meteor Shower - Friday morning

If you're up late on Friday night or until the wee hours of Friday morning, see if you can catch the Quadrantid Meteor Shower, claimed to be possibly the best of 2008. Let me know if you catch it!

Love,
Neil

A New Year Gift to you!

A 20-minute Personal Reading of your Chart to
discover your new focus in 2008, just $40.

Whether you're new to Astrology or have your Chart under your belt, this Reading is the ideal way to start your year off on the right foot, set your intentions and zoom into what YOUR 2008 will be all about - with a focus on specific important events and focus points to keep in mind and make '08' a year to remember!

Now through Feb 13. Spaces limited.

Just $40.

Reserve a space here.

Holiday Specials end Dec 31

You can catch the site specials until the last day of 2007.

The Full Natal Report - the mega 80+ pages Personal Report, more in-depth than any other available.

The Lunar Return subscription - a personal-to-you report for the whole of January 2008. Annual subscriptions available. First sampler just $15.

Find out more on the specials by going here.

Enjoy!

Love,
Neil

A look back at YOUR 2007

Honor 2007. The crappy things that went amiss. The people you thought would stay forever but who had to go. The ones you never dreamed you'd meet (and the ones you wished you hadn't). The shitty people who crossed your path. The idiotic things that happened that threw you for a loop. The people who arrived to make you smile and laugh and the ones who ran away. As we stand on the verge of another calendar year, I invite you to take a look back at the lessons, challenges, triumphs, people, places, loves, losses, miracles and nightmares that made up YOUR own story.


Did you make the most of planetary transits? Have a look at the following checklist:

1. Did you defeat prejudice inside (Pluto in Sagittarius) and open yourself up to learning through each person you met? Did you allow others their opinions without cutting them off or destroying them?

2. Did you clean up a major portion of your life (or attempt to) or did you sink back further into addictive behavior and drift with the tide? (The Pisces/Virgo eclipses).

3. Did you forgive, forget or otherwise move on with your full being from situations that crashed and burned and died a death around you? Did you truly move on or did you kid yourself into believing you'd made a clean slate?

4. Did you expand your comfort zone and see more of the world or learn more?
Did you stretch yourself, talk to strangers, make new friends and listen instead of preaching? (Jupiter in Sagittarius)

5. Did you allow yourself to be angry and then trace back the root cause of it instead of spouting off to the nearest people to you? (Mars retrograde in Cancer)

6. Did you allow for more playtime and discipline yourself to work on your creative talents? Did you step up to the plate as a responsible parent or allow your unmet inner-child's needs to ruin the show? (Saturn in Leo)

7. Did you get back up when your 'plan' failed and continue on regardless? (Saturn opposite Neptune).

No matter. Every step of every road is a marker for our own choices. And here we stand on the threshold of another calendar year, full of new promise, new obstacles to test your mettle, new people to aid you (or attempt to thwart you) on your new path, new horizons to see, new opportunities, new ways to spread or try your wings.
New reasons to get out of bed, and new reasons to experience the freshness of each moment.

Whatever 2007 brought, it's time to turn a page, turn a cheek and turn our sights now on new fields in which to play. Stay tuned for a look ahead to what 2008 MAY hold (if you so choose) and some of the things likely to face us all as a collective, as we move into this new phase of the journey.

2007 was a '9' year - a year of saying goodbye, of endings, old ways of life that seemed set in stone and forever, and possibly of losing the people who joined you at the start of the year (or the jobs, homes, objects you had with you when 2007 began). This is all part of the story of 2007. A parting of the ways.

More on 2008's promise soon.

In the meantime, a Happy OLD year to you, and an even greater New Year - if you can keep your eyes focused on your ultimate goal.

A quotation I have carried for some time now in my wallet and now beside me at the computer as I type is appropriate to pass on to you now, on the verge of a new era:

Be happy for this moment....
...for this moment is Your Life.

See you on the flip side!
Neil

Stumbling down Memory Lane - Cancer Full Moon (Dec 24)

In the final Full Moon of 2007, we close the lunar cycles of this current year.

THis one isn't particularly easy - it falls in the sign of Cancer and is tied up with MARS so family situations are likely to dredge up old feelings and resentments (since Mars is retrograde (old anger, recreated aggression, retracing steps) in Cancer still, dragging up the past.

All trips down Memory Lane are apt to make you short-fused, irritable, and very angry. but passive aggressive. Taking your annoyances out on others in the present, based on things that happened in the past, is a sure way to mess things up even further ("creating more karma" as they say). It's tough, but whatever comes up, purge it without getting into a hot and heavy emotional display, if possible.

If not, enjoy the fireworks that are sure to fizzle and spark around you as you unleash years of pent up feelings. Home heating problems (Mars relates to heat and trapped aggression when retrograde) are a clue there's an aggression and anger issue not being expressed at home, burns while working in the kitchen, things that need repairing at home, Stomach issues, bloating, and all that belly action seems rife right now, and a sure sign you're having an emotional pull or 'hook' (think : "something here is unresolved" each time these issues come up).

If you're going back to the past, or back home, make sure it's to visit the best of it, and the worst of it with a view to not re-living it for the sake of emotional self-indulgence but to work out what happened then that is interfering with now. And then leave again. We've all moved on whether we allow ourselves to know this or not. Chaining ourselves to past grievances makes us a prisoner of a moment that has already been played out.

Cleaning up things at home is a great idea, clear a new space for new things to come in 08. It's feng-shui basics and make a lot of sense under a cleansing Full Moon in a sign connected to Home. Clear out your stomach of bad feelings, clear your chest with things left unexpressed.

Remember: Everything in your life RIGHT NOW was allowed there. You created your world. All gifts to yourself by buying them, allowing yourself to receive it.

So make this the measure on where you're 'at' with your life. Who are you, and how do you feel about YOURSELF based on what and WHO is in your emotional field currently.

Get angry, get pumped up if need be. This is the fuel to making lasting emotional changes in life now, based on what you NEED right here today rather than what you USED to need.

As the Sun in Capricorn is opposed by the Moon in Cancer, we face tradition. Christmas, Hannukah and every other 'holiday' - what does it mean now for You?

Forget family, forget how it always WAS done. Think today. What makes you feel comfy and warm today? And move in that direction - even if it's far from a heritage you have been accustomed to.

Life is evolving now faster than ever before and each decision and FEELING is a major signpost on where to go next and whether you're on track on YOUR path, not someone else's.

So keep following the clues, keep feeling the feelings and steer yourself in a more comfy direction.

When it comes down to it - there's really no reason for stress, if we choose to bundle up in situations, with people and things in places that make us feel equally 'at home'.

Little Pig, it's time to build a new home!

All in time for 08. Perfect.

Start putting out a new welcome mat to invite a new comfort zone and safe space for yourself and everyone around you. Don't you deserve it?


Feel Great.


Love.,
Neil

Some Astrological Thoughts on "Christmas"

For those interested in an Astrological look at what the Christmas season is all about, and how the story told by religion regarding the birth of the Jesus figure, may actually have an entirely different meaning, tune your dialer to 10 minutes into the film.

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com