Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio

We entered Mercury's retrograde "shadow" on October 9; officially it begins Oct 28 when Mercury alters his course for 3 weeks. So already we're likely to experiencing a visit from the past, along with its inherent questions, decisions, actions or results.

In Scorpio, Mercury Retrograde asks us to root around in our basements (literal or metaphorical) to see what's no longer of any use, and also what strengths we may have forgotten about. It's a time to put debts to rest by paying them back or forgiving them and writing them off.

We need a mental clean sweep as it were, dusting the Halloween cobwebs out of our heads, mouths and eyes.

How you perceive things is a reflection of your innermost beliefs and thoughts about yourself. We get to work on these now in the next 3 weeks.

Sexual questions, issues arise, along with investment queries - is our money using us or are we stuck in the fear of not having enough? Is the shadow of debt hanging over us? Are we being shady and secretive and manipulating out of insecurity?

Our ONLY power now is in how we choose to perceive things. And in how we react to events. Redefining our relation to our pasts is inevitable during Mercury Retrograde periods.

Mercury is retrograde, appearing to move backward, 2-3 times a year. Mercury retrograde times call for you to recheck everything, anticipate and plan ahead, and to relearn lessons unlearned since the last Mercury retrograde cycle. It is a good time for review and completing ongoing projects. It is NOT a time to start something new. Mercury energies involve the mind, mental processes, communication, travel, speaking, and writing. The Retrograde symbol is "Rx", the same symbol on all medical prescriptions! Physicians until the 15th century had to also be astrologers before they could practice medicine. Plan ahead for these times. So you can do preventive maintenance and schedule, here are the common things that occur, the things Mercury retrograde times are notorious for:

• Communications go awry - phone calls, letters, emails, faxes, conversations are delayed, misinterpreted, blocked. Recheck everything like appointment times, spelling, wording, the words you say.

• Anticipate detours - memory lapses, confusion, failing to listen, failing to confirm, negotiation failures, changing of plans.

• Avoid signing documents, contracts if possible. You can wait 3 weeks, hopefully.

• Expect travel delays, car trouble, delayed plane schedules, reservations that suddenly becoming "missing", transportation difficulties of all kinds.

• Expect problems with messages, books, letters, magazines, documents, neighbors and the near environment.

• BACK up your computer files! This is the time the screen goes blank and there is nothing there!

• Expect the phone lines, cable lines, power lines to have problems.

Steven Forrest, author of The Inner Sky, describes Mercury retrograde well: “Mercury retrograde…isn’t ‘bad’, - it just takes some planning to cooperate with the energies. It’s meant to be spent assimilating experiences, reviewing the past, and redoing, in general. Matter of fact, if you really want to get the most out of a Mercury retrograde, confine your activities as much as possible to those that have “re” attached to the beginning of the word. Re-schedule appointments, repair vehicles, return to the past, re-write documents and agreements, etc.

Me and my Shadow: 5 planets in Scorpio!

This week we have 5 planets packed together in one sign. Known as a "stellium" it's the Universal equivalent of a showbiz spotlight or a traffic jam, as all energy is focused in one area.

With the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter in Scorpio all month long the energies of this sign permeate everything we see, hear, taste, touch and sense. The news will be packed of Scorpionic stories as our collective and individual shadows come into play. Some examples:

Death of course - Scorpio relates to the season when the leaves fall, when thngs decay, when the summer fruits rot and things once more go back to the earth ready for their rebirth. And like zombies (a Halloween favorite) the things that are of the earth rise once more from the earth. Nothing ever really "dies" per se, it just changes form, like evaporated water becoming steam, rotting fruit being reborn as food for other planets and the seeds the genetic storehouse to prolong the species.

Phoenix stories - people coming close to the brink or things that died but came back, or people who visit Hell and back and bring wisdom to share. major chapter closures and new beginnings.

Manipulation and secrets - power plays and shady goings-on.

Stay tuned for more on this - for now, remember the Scorpio Stellium is asking for a death and rebirth in some area of your life. To experience the new, you have to Let Go of something. Call it a trade.

Is it really a case of "better the devil you know"? You'll never know if you don't embrace the change, step into the fire and see what's left at the other side.

Whether you're dreaming of death, witnessing a metamorphosis in your own life, clawing away trying to keep something that is in transition or fearing the change that is here, remember that Scorpio is, as with every other sign, a process, and an energy field, and all is is asking is that we allow ourselves to shed a skin, and allow ourselves to become that we already are, underneath.

Love,
Neil

Finding Balance

Well, here we are. The day of the Libra New Moon.

All life now is like a see-saw, and we find ourselves on either end of a polarity. But by its very nature polarity creates imbalance, unless we make our way to the middle, where all is in harmony and there is less flux, less up & down, to & fro.

Today, life brings us opportunities to restore Balance. Whatever happens, is a nudge towards taking the middle path. So follow all roads that lead to the centre.

May Peace, Harmony & Balance be restored in all areas of discomfort and conflict, by giving both side equal merit, thereby allowing equilibrum once more.

Love,
Neil

Retribution or Resolution? Libra New Moon (Sep 21)

The New Moon on Saturday 21 falls at 28Libra, when the Sun and Moon conjoin together as they do each month.

This month, however, they're sandwiched between the two 'love planets' of Mars and Venus, which should be fascinating since Love, Relationship, Harmony, Compromise & Balance is the theme of this lunar phase.

New Moons essentially ask us to plant new seeds. To begin anew in a special area of life (which is discovered by finding out where the New Moon falls in your Astrology Chart this month, which house and so forth).

Libra New Moons put the emphasis on our people skills. How harmonious are your relationships? Is the peace and quiet really the calm before the storm; would a face-to-face clear the air. Storms create the freshest air afterwards, and the magic we're seeking could be found at the tail end of conflict. It seems that with peace-loving Libra, it always, somehow, somewhere, comes down to conflict. Peace-War. War-Peace. And in today's world, the themes are likely to be clear, obvious and ridiculously predictable.

The New Moon in Libra says Play Fair. Without that the game is lopsided it's over before it's begun. No one wins any karmic points by cheating (and I don't mean in the relationship sense). Politeness and civility are necessary tools to 'getting by' on Earth. We're all animals looking for food if we don't follow one simple Law - treat people as you treat yourself.

Hmm...but hang on, could this be why we have relationship problems still? If we don't respect or even like ourselves how can we like someone else? What we see in others this new moon is a clear indication of ourselves - as partners (business and personal) reflect issues we ourselves are tackling. Remember - it's not"why are they doing this or not doing that", that is the problem, it's 'why have I brought this into my life and why am I fighting this battle?'

Singles: It's a fantastic time to work out what you need to balance out in yourself. Calm, quiet and stable? Throw some crazy energy into your life. Reverse it. Turn it on its head. Extroverts spend more time analyzing your own feelings and asking for opinions and guidance. Introverts, get out and connect with more people, or just be around them. Balance out depression with a daily dose of humor. Balance out time-wasting superficiality with some serious study.

Couples: Time to renew vows, or celebrate your togetherness by seeing how far you have come, and planting new seeds for new directions to grow together. What new bonds can you create? Any projects, plans, ideas you can work on as a team? Stop fighting against each other and work together. Is it time to let others into your world or keep them at bay and salvage some alone-time together.
Relationship questions abound at this New Moon - is so-and-so staying with Mike. Is Sheila breaking up with Matt? How do Tom and Tyler remain so committed after all these years? Weddings, divorces, engagements, mergers, deal-makes-and-breaks are all headline news this weekend and for the couple of weeks following. Celebrity land I am sure will be abuzz as always at this time.

New rules in your current connections are also likely to pop up - what are your relationship terms, your business working partnership contract terms? Who does what, gets what and wants what? It's time to negotiate.

The deeper questions are: are you seeking someone to fulfil something in your life that's "missing". If so, you'll keep on chasing your tail - or bring someone in who seems to fulfill your every need, until you discover they are only playing a role in your life that you cast them in "strong, supportive savior" or "fun and feel-good firecracker". Roles are roles - and unauthentic.

This Libra New Moon:

Reach an agreement
Charm your way ahead with sincere smiles and genuine flattery
Don't underestimate the Power of Appearances
Enjoy a dash of vanity
Bring more beauty in - whatever that means to you
Calm down - peace begins when you let go of conflict (inner and outer)
Agree to disagree
Find common ground, build bridges
Team up with people you resonate with instead of forcing others into boxes of your creation
Weigh up the pros and cons
Mediate - when faced with two options, create or choose a third
Refuse to take sides For or Against.
Fence Sit for a while
Start a new relationship - go on a date, agree to a business deal, handshake, merger, joint effort
Remember it takes two to tango - so dance or sit it out
Find a partner - to go to the gym with, go dancing/shopping/sitting/thinking with
Enjoy company anywhere, anytime
Flirt - everyone loves a Lover
Beautify at least one part of your life - your kitchen, bedroom, your office desk, a wall, your closet, yourself ( can we say 'makeover'?).
Use symmetry, balance, harmony in all your work and in all you do
Refuse to bow to others pressure, anger or aggression
Watch out for unnecessary people-pleasing - if need be, smile and draw a line

Now - this New Moon is special since it's flanked on each side with an Angel and Devil. Which is which. Both are both (what else would you expect under a New Moon in the sign of the Yin Yang Balance.

Venus is in Libra Angel: playing peacemaker and mediator. Wanting nothing more than for everyone to get along. Artistic creations are amazing. Everyone has their own personal taste right out there for us to see. Relationships are smooth, because we value others input and we aren't being pushy. Everyone wins because people care about the other party, so deals shine, and each piece of common ground creates a vast terrain of new fertile soil for greater profits and personal satisfaction. Sharing wins us more every time.

Venus in Libra Devil: Vanity overrides everything so that what began as compromise, becomes a resentment that personal needs aren't being met. Why don't they love me? Selfishness creeps in - are we doing things for a personal thanks? If so, it's conditional and it's not a heartfelt gift. Our taste becomes a little insipid of gaudy depending on how far we go. People blast their car music forcing everyone to hear it even if it is bad (in my opinion of course) rap. Relationships become about fulfilling personal needs and not about sharing equally. Overspending.
Mars in Libra Angel: We can define our territory without offending anyone because of the way we speak and move. We're non-threatening because we know how to use charm, tact, diplomacy and grace. This isn't a race and who wants to be first anyway? There are plenty of options and something for everyone.

Mars in Libra Devil: In the bid for peace people lose sight of it in the conflict that ensues to establish it. Selfish motives appear to be for the good of others but they are not, they are selfish, plain and simple. Or people are too busy sidestepping the nasty stuff it inevitably snowballs into something messy. Nothing is always nice. Not even Nature. We don't need all out war unless we're repressing something. Solve conflicts before they escalate.

The possibilities for Peace now are endless. It starts with each individual on the planet resolving their own internal battles. This Saturday the New Moon says, 'drop whatever you're fighting and back off'. You can always resume it, picking up where you left off, but for a moment, for a day at least, all weapons are to be discarded. And all players return to their corners of the ring.

In the days following this New Moon you may just have another perspective on your conflicts. They're only as strong as you make them. Fueling the fire only helps them burn stronger.

Peace isn't an eternal principle - all is in flux, but it a more achievable constant, when we remain constant - in honoring our feelings in any given moment. Libra thrives on beauty - and often the most 'ugliest' (in the eyes of the majority) is in so many ways the most beautiful. The regular guy or girl we pass on the street who beams confidence and humility, and the magazine model who treats others like scum. Suddenly, what's classed as typically beautiful, is anything but.

By focusing on finding, creating and being the Beauty we are so drawn to, we suddenly find there is little space for conflict. Perhaps in the wisdom of Astrology (and its polar opposite signs) we can remember the simple truth that we can finally bring an end to war (Aries) through the magic of focusing on the beauty (Libra) that surrounds us.

This New Moon:
You're invited to the Be Beautiful Ball.
Be sexy, Be stylish. Be seen.
Dress Code: As you Are.

Love,
Neil

Sample Reading Special!

I get a lot of emails and questions from people I meet out and about asking what Astrology is, what it can do for them, and what someone's Chart can say about their personality and life.

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Each interpretation is unique to you and these Readings will show you how accurate, insightful, fun and enlightening Astrology really is.

I hope to give you a glimpse of why I dedicate so much of my life and time to this field -because I value it and have come to respect what it offers us. In 20 minutes you'll be surprised what Astrology can show you about yourself, your life and your path.

You can sign up here to schedule your own Reading.

I know you'll enjoy your Reading and I look forward to sharing more about the
wonderful world of You!



Love,
Neil

Kissing the Boo Boos better...

Today, at around 2.16pm PST, Chiron ends his retrograde period and goes Stationary Direct ready to continue on his normal maverick adventure through the zodiac cycle.

Chiron in traditional Astrology is the "wounded healer". I like to see him as the Wild Card - the part of our charts that remind us that we always have more to learn, and that if we have buttons to be pressed we have something still to be working on to move ahead and evolve, especially if we're defined by our shadows solely.

We each have pockets of darkness - that instantly begin to heal once we turn on the light and say 'oh yeah...that'.

This period is about opening up the wounds we think have healed. We peel back the band-aid (or someone else rips it off) and we get to see that perhaps it needed some air after all.

How often do we make wounds last longer for that simple fact, that they "needed some air"?

All healing begins when we look at the wound. Only then can we address is - and then dress it!

So look out for opportunities now to face the not-so-nice parts of life, the things that pull on your heartstrings, make you physically unwell. A famous actress, I forget who now, said "go into the painful parts, that's where the information is". By information she meant the truth of life, the 'stuff' we're all seeking, the treasure, the magic.

That comment always stuck with me. That we don't always get very far by avoiding the nasty stuff. Wounds weep, seep, pour, ooze, but the blood cells that create the nasty looking scab are our immune system's rescue device. Well-intentioned things often come in unhelpful and unappealing packages.

Chiron is the maverick, the mover and shaker, the one who has answers we may be too stubborn (since he's currently in Aquarius) and too detached (since Aquarius is an air sign) to notice or be open to.

Doors of sensitivity fly open this week, reminding us we still have those buttons to press, those hurting places. Pain is a signal that something is wrong, remember. So go with the hurt, follow it. As Chiron goes Direct again, pain leads us on a journey.

Chiron represents what we teach by proxy - what others get to see about us and learn from us, whether we stand on a lecture and preach and teach or not. We are teaching all the time - our way of life becomes an example, and we change the world by just living our own life, a day at a time. A lot of wisdom is pouring forth from everyone around us this week and will continue to - if we have ears to listen.

Are we defined by our buttons, our wounds and our ow-ies? If so, the biggest boo-boo is mistaking our misery for the final card. Chiron is the wild card - and the name of the game is not to make everything better, but to allow the chance to be human, and then to remember that we may be more than that - superhuman emotionally charged spirits who have the ability to heal, and teach our own humanity and journey, and share out own mythological story of how we are where we are today.

Giving ourselves a pat on the back for partaking in this physical human life is also this week's theme as Chiron moves forward once more. Life ain't always easy - especially these days! Phew. What a ride. Healing, though it may not seem like it, is already taking place - remember what we see transpiring on the physical level has already passed on the ethereal, astral and energetic level. The world turmoil and pain is the physical manifestation of a passing paradigm, just as personal pain, on the individual human level - the tears, the aches, the symptoms of stress, are all final markers that something is changing, something has already changed, has to change and that something will change.

Another quotation that comes to mind now from a wise mind (Chiron is sometimes referred to as the Zen Master, the guru, the mentor who appears bearing the wisdom we need JUST at the right moment) is: "Sometimes, the lesson isn't always to let something go, but to realize when it has already gone'. Profound and something I will no doubt be repeating as we move into Scorpio Season next month.

Chiron now says "Don't wear your wounds with pride - be proud you had the courage to be open and vulnerable enough that you got wounded to begin with, and then begin the process of seeing, feeling, acknowledging and releasing the causes of the wounds we have suffered, or inflicted." Forgiveness, (true forgiveness) starts form the inside out.

I always laugh now when I hear people talking in terms of 'fixing' situations, or people. Like the Dr Phil school of Tough Love. I guess I see it all differently from the path I walk, that we're not so much seeking to repair ourselves, but repair our connection to our Source, the self inside that never changed, the core of who we always have been (call it innocence, our soul, whatever you like) and to remove all obstacles (exterior or more hidden such as the interior ones such as damaging thought patterns and self-inflicted abuse) so that we may glimpse the eternal 'me' again.

We are wholes living in a fragmented illusionary world.

We so often buy into the fragments, believing them to be us. Why do so many of us enjoy and hold on tightly to our pain? Because it makes us feel ALIVE!

Finding a new way to ground out our lives without the need for suffering, is Chiron's question and answer now - as he moves through Aquarius, the sign of the Brother and Sisterhood of Humanity - earth's residents. Perhaps that's why again we're seeing yet even more TV series (Aquarius relates to broadcast media and our airwaves...as the symbol shows) where healing comes in groups - together we can regroup, rejoin and....remember our heritage and connections.

Remember......to "re-member" - to become (again) members of a Planetary and Cosmic Family.

A healing hug to all who read this!

Physician, heal thyself!

Love,
Neil

Befriending Foes: Friday's Fiery Full Moon in Aries!

This weekend the Full Moon lands in the sign of Aries - war, aggression, assertiveness, action, initiation, inspiring us to pioneer old ground or to walk away from old lives and creating new beginnings out of the tattered remains of yesterdays soul-cleansing fires.

As the first sign of the zodiac wheel, Aries is the starter, the Fire Starter I guess you could say (since that's its element) but under a Full Moon things reach a completion, a culmination and we receive word from the Universe in the form of a progress report.

Full Moons remind us to 'let go' in areas where we're overdoing, overstriving and otherwise resisting the flow of cosmic energy in our lives. A new beginning is hard, when we're caught up in yesterday's shadows. So this week we look both forward (Aries) and backwards (Full Moon) separating old paths with new trails yet to be blazed.

We can help this along by following a few of these suggestions, tailor made for this particular lunar phase this week:

Work on Anger Management Issues - should anger ever BE managed? If not - all hell can break loose, or we end up in all-out war. But repressing it does us no good. Work out a way to meet your needs head-on and confront obstacles with courage, confidence and total honesty.

Let go of the need to be first - people push, people shove, they cut you off on roads and they are impatient and self-centered. This weekend, let them be. Save yourself a headache!

Give up selfishness - sometimes your needs can't be met by anyone else but you. That's life so accept it.

Go kickboxing, play squash/tennis - anything that's high energy and aggressive or fast.
Pump Iron - Aries loves raw energy and a show of macho. Push your limits just know when to quit.

Chill out - is it worth getting so heated over?

Burn something - in a safe environment, but try a Full Moon Fire Ritual - on Friday, burn things that symbolize what you're trying to move away from or let go of. Works wonders.

Quit banging your head against a brick wall. Find another way.

DO something - Aries Full Moons ask for energy and drive, committed to achieving a task. Knock down a wall, build something, go for a jog, work out, wrestle, buy a punchbag, scream, sing a rock song at karaoke, start 18 new projects and alternate between them all.

Burn off calories, then you won't be so easy to trigger. A relaxed body/mind is harder to agitate!

Cut hair, do face treatments - Full Moons are good times to cut hair (to grow back slower). Aries relates to the Head so prune crazy hair, give yourself a facial. Legend has it that cutting hair can release stagnant energy some cultures say resided in hair. Look back and notice your haircuts after a breakup, or breakdown? It released old energy. perhaps it's time for another makeover?!

In short - stop thinking, feeling and analyzing and wondering. Just Do It!

Full Moons pull liquids on the planet and within our bodies, making us more emotional and touchy. It'd be easy to get into a fight under Aries energy this weekend but it's a waste of good raw energy. Remember energy is directed where our conscious will is focused. Save it or squander it, the choice is ours.

Raw energy is sexy - that's why Mars, the ruling planet associated with Aries is about Drive and Desire. Conquering something becomes a theme this weekend - we NEED a fight, we NEED a challenge, we NEED something to win over, we NEED something to put ourselves against. Moons show emotional needs. Aries energy is driven and goal oriented and won't be denied!

We all turn into Stone Age men and women - back in the primal days of the Universal Fire. Separating ourselves out from the fold, showing how brave we are. These days, fights are taken to sports arenas or worse, into the fields of cities, town and villages, or into the home and family, the originator of all future 'fight-plans' and 'fight patterns'.

Find your 'beef', uncover the roots of your anger and dispute, and resolve to resolve it by the only means possible - facing it. What you do when you confront it is up to you but in the handling the issue, lies the possible resolution.

Remember, inactivity is also an action. Anger has a time and a place - and we shouldn't shy from it. It's not un-spiritual to get mad, says the Aries Full Moon. It's emotional and human. But it is raw untapped and untamed power from within that bubbles out in such moments, a spark from a much greater fire. A passionate seething cauldron of emotional power we can use to further our lives and create something greater, from the friction caused by seeing something that reflects less than we could be. That after all, is the basis of every fight - both within and without - seeing ourselves or another, being less than we (or they, in our perception) could be.

Go forth, warriors. Fight the good fight, or better still - face off with inner demons and remove all reasons to fight, by befriending the foes within!

Love,
Neil