Winter Solstice horoscopes

Multi coloured rice fields @ Tule, Mu Cang Chai, Vietnam 

Season's Greetings everyone! Winter has officially arrived. Today we stand at the Winter Solstice and the New Moon in Capricorn. Venus leads Pluto, Mercury, the Sun, and the Moon through Capricorn today, shining a spotlight on stability, commitment, work and sure-footedness. Capricorn picks a path through impossible terrain to reach the greatest heights. The hardy goat also shows us how to survive the hardships of winter.

The picture of the mountain above reminds me so much of elemental earth - rich, fertile, green and abundant. Capricorn represents the mountain, and the attainment of the summit. What is your personal mountain you are conquering? What are you trying to manifest?

I hope that you will find peace, good health, Love, prosperity, and JOY this year! Here are the horoscopes for the upcoming month. The horoscopes below reflect the focus for the next month. Read your Sun sign, but I find looking at my Rising sign or Ascendant to give me the most accurate read for the month!

 Aries:  The Ram
The Sun, Mercury, Pluto and Venus are hanging out in your Career house the next few weeks. You will shine at work and it's a great time to negotiate with your boss. Try not to get swept up in other people's objectives and stay focused on your goals.

Taurus:   The Bull
The Sun, Mercury, Pluto and Venus are moving through your House of Perspective and Travel over the next few weeks. You will gain new insights about your life, both in the present and where you're headed. Pay close attention to any revelations Higher education is also enhanced so if you're heading to school you will have a blast - socially and in the classroom.

Gemini:  The Twins The focus for January will be Banks, Credit and Shared Resources. The Sun, Mercury, Pluto and Venus are extremely beneficial influences in this area for you, so if you need a loan now's the time to apply! If you're in the market for a new house, you will find the perfect one. Financial arrangements line up in your favor for the next month so make the most of it.

Cancer:  The Crab Capricorn is beaming some glorious good fortune your way for the next few weeks! It's a special time because Capricorn is your polar opposite, meaning partnerships are highlighted. With the Sun, Mercury, Pluto and Venus traveling there, you have strong positive force on your side. This is the month to find that special someone, or to deepen the bonds you already have with a partner. Business relationships will also be harmonious, and you can attract resources and prosperity!
  Leo:  The Lion
You are a VERY lucky lion. The Sun, Mercury, Pluto and Venus are lighting up your issues around job and health. Go for a massage and just chill. Your ruler, the Sun, is currently in your House of Work and Habits. You are in the right place at the right time to negotiate a raise or anything else you want!
 
Virgo: The Virgin
This is a great time of year for you! The Sun, Mercury, Pluto and Venus are traveling through your House of Romance! It highlights self expression too. Your creativity is being activated the next few weeks so write some poems for your sweetheart.

Libra:   The Scales
The strong current of fortunate opportunity is running through your home life for the next few weeks. You can attract the people and resources you need to make yourself feel more secure... not just your Home but your state of mind too. It's a very powerful time for Libra people.

Scorpio:   The Scorpion Good fortune will be coming to you through Communications over the next several weeks. This means person to person, but also through the computer. It's a great time to start an online business or other project. Reflect on your current path. With the Sun, Mercury, Pluto and Venus here, the conditions are ripe for you to achieve a new level of fulfillment. 

Sagittarius:  The Archer
CAREER. PROMOTION. MONEY!! These are your buzzwords for the next month! The benefics (fortunate) planets, the Sun, Mercury, Pluto and Venus, are dancing in your House of Money giving you INCREDIBLE opportunities and luck! You can't lose.

Capricorn:  The Sea Goat Happy Birthday! What a Fantastic time this is for you! The Sun, Mercury, Pluto and Venus are in Capricorn sending your life in the right direction. Over the next few weeks you will go through your solar rebirth. It will touch on your appearance, how you interact with others and your overall approach to life.

Aquarius:  The Water Bearer

You have some fortunate planets moving through your House of Self Undoing. This brings the opportunity to undo your self sabotaging behaviors, which I think is the best gift of all.

Pisces:  The Fish
Good Fortune and Romance come through your social circle this month! Spend some time with friends and have some fun! This applies to contacts you make over the internet too. The Sun, Mercury, Pluto and Venus are moving forward through your House of Wishes Fulfilled, sending all sorts of great opportunities your way! Busy month ahead.

Craig Ferguson Finale - Opening (Keep Banging On) - Late Late Show

I really enjoyed this finale song of Craig Ferguson's last night!

Uranus and Pluto square today

Feel like you're being pushed to evolve? Sudden events and insights popping up and sending you in a new direction? We are all between a rock and a hard place with these mighty forces standing off in the skies today. The only way out is by letting go of the past, moving forward and becoming more of who you are.

Fragile relationships built on shifting sands will probably not survive this aspect. If a relationship is holding you in the past and keeping you from evolving, it will might crumble. It's a painful time for some people out there, but it's preparing the way for a brighter future. You have to believe that. Same thing could apply to jobs and other relationships. On the plus side, lovers supporting each others' growth and evolution will make it through.

My advice - focus all your energy on what you have control over and let go of everything else. Let people and situations shift around you while you remain focused on your own evolution. The people around you can handle it. Maybe they need to strengthen their own wings.

This powerful change has been going on since 2008 - when Pluto entered Capricorn. The last time Pluto was in this part of the sky was the American revolution in 1776. In our time, this aspect manifested as the year of the economic collapse in 2008. Hidden information about speculators toying with our economy bubbled to the surface. Pluto exposes toxins and poisons so they can be purged and healed.

Uranus (Revolution) entered Aries (the individual) in March 2011, creating a square with Pluto (Catharsis) in Capricorn (Big banks, finance). "Occupy Wall Street" arrived - ushering in the rebellion of Uranus in Aries.

And we all have our own "micro battles" within us. Our self expression is challenging the myriad of ways we've limited ourselves, and we will emerge more independent and transformed. If we cling to the old way of doing things, the change will be harder.

So let go.

Today is the sixth square in a progression of seven total. The last one is in March. Here are the dates:

June 24, 2012
September 19, 2012
May 20, 2013
November 1, 2013
April 21, 2014
December 15, 2014
March 17, 2015

This month is a particularly transformative month, with Uranus moving Direct on Dec. 22nd. Again let everyone go through their own fluctuations while you focus on your personal revolution. Between now and March 17th, 2015 is the final push of these squares, and the energy is heating up. Keep yourself safe, well fed and rested, and keep doing the next right thing. Your rebirth is almost complete!

What did ancient Babylonian songs sound like? Something like this

"Stef Conner’s album The Flood. It’s probably the first ever to be sung in ancient Sumerian and Babylonian, and it’s hauntingly beautiful." - Douglas Main, Newsweek

Follow the link and listen below:

What did ancient Babylonian songs sound like? Something like this

All of the songs are here


Stef Conner recording, wearing a reconstructed Babylonian gold and lapis lazuli choker necklace.

"What really lasts in this world? What dies, what can be revived? Are humans basically the same now as in ancient times?

I was left pondering these questions after listening to singer and composer Stef Conner’s album The Flood. It’s probably the first ever to be sung in ancient Sumerian and Babylonian, and it’s hauntingly beautiful.

One concrete answer to the first question: clay. Clay lasts

That’s a good thing for Conner, who after completing a degree in music composition got deeply interested in Babylonian literature and poetry—which was originally recorded in cuneiform, wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets.

But the words on the paper, the modern incarnations of these mineral etchings, were not enough for Conner. She wanted to know what these languages sounded like, to summon life from stone. Many of these poems and snatches of writings were sung and chanted, according to historians. The tunes played an important part in rituals in Mesopotamian societies, from funerals to lullabies, Conner says."

- Douglas Main, Newsweek

"We are the daughters of the Witches you could not burn"

I've researched this wonderful image and I think it is from an LGBT march in Lima, Peru by Insumisas de Lilith (The Untamed of Lilith)

Zu San Li - Longevity pressure point

Here's an article I ran across on Healthy Food Place.com. I usually don't post stuff like this but thought this acupressure point was interesting. Couldn't hurt to try it right?

Sorry but couldn't find the author.

Zu San Li Article: Longevity Acupressure point

One Japanese legend says that, once upon a time there lived a happy man who received priceless knowledge from his father – the knowledge of the longevity point or a point of a hundred diseases.
Following the advice of his father, the son massaged this point every day and he lived to see the birth and death of several emperors.

The massaging of some points is one of the oldest methods of treatment in the East, which has been used for thousands of years.
Overall, the human body has 365 points and 12 main meridians, which is the same as the number of the days and months in one year.

The effects of these massages (acupressure, finger pressure to certain points), is based on the theory of the meridians and channels that are connected to certain organs.

In Chinese medicine, the body is seen as an energy system, and therefore, the massage can affect the flow of energy and the functional activity of the organs.

The activation of the Zu San Li point causes a permanent rejuvenating and healing effect, delaying of the aging. In China, this point is known as – “the point of longevity” in Japan – “the point of a hundred diseases”.

Where is the magic point (Zu San Li) in our body?
The point of longevity is located below the kneecap. In order to find it, you should cover your knee with the palm of the same hand. The point is located between the ends of the little finger and ring finger, in the form of a small dent between the bones.
You can find in another way as well.

You have to sit on the floor, firmly press your feet to the floor and pull them towards you, do not raise your heels from the floor.
You will notice that below the knee there is a higher area. Find the highest point, put your finger on it and take a starting position.

The point at which you pressed your finger is the point – Zu San Li.

What is this point in our body responsible for and why do the Japanese call it – A point of a hundred diseases?

– It controls the work of the organs that are located in the lower half of the body
– It controls the work of the spinal cord in the parts that are responsible for the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, digestion tract, genital organs, kidneys, adrenal glands.

By massaging the Zu San Li point you can increase the activity of the adrenal glands, the most powerful glands that act as the main defender of human health.

They excrete adrenaline, hydrocortisone and other important hormones into the blood.

If you massage “the point of longevity” every day, you can normalize the work of the adrenal glands, which perform the following functions in the organism:
– Normalization of the blood pressure
– Normalization of the glucose, the insulin
– Elimination of the inflammatory processes in the organism
– Regulation of the immune system
Also, by massaging the Zu San Li point, you can:
– Improve digestion
– Heal diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
– Treat the effects of a stroke

The massaging of this point will help you to increase your confidence, eliminate the stress and tension and find inner harmony.

By massaging this point, you can cure many diseases, including hiccups, constipation, gastritis, incontinence.

How can you affect the “point of longevity”?

It is better to massage the Zu San Li point in the morning, before lunch, 9 times in a circular motion in a clockwise direction on each leg (9 times on one and nine times on the other leg). You should do this for 10 minutes.

Before the beginning of the massage you should take a comfortable, relaxed position (sitting). Calm the breathing and concentrate yourselves on your feelings. Place yourselves in a state of harmony and understanding that you are beginning the healing process. This massage has a stimulating effect.

You can massage the point with your fingers or with any grain (buckwheat, oats, rice, etc …).

Also, you can stick to this point a half of a garlic clove and leave it on for 1-2 hours (until the skin turns red).
The massaging of the Zu San Li point in the evening is suitable for weight loss – they say, 400 to 500 grams per week. But do not massage it directly before bedtime, because you can cause insomnia.

You can massage the Zu San Li point every day, but the best effect is achieved during the New Moon.

– Eight days after the start of the New Moon, be sure to massage this point in the morning, alternately on each leg in the clockwise direction. This is the best time for a massage in order to strengthen the immunity, improve the work of all organs and slow the aging process.
– Before lunch, alternately on each leg, in the clockwise direction, in order to improve the overall tone, the memory, the work of the cardiovascular system and the digestive system.
– After lunch, simultaneously on both legs – against stress, nervousness and irritability, against headaches and sleep disorders.

In the evening, massage it in the counterclockwise direction, alternately on each leg, in order to improve the metabolism and help the weight loss.

Try it!

Venus cycle 2014

Fantastic article describing the cycle of the planet Venus. 

Cosmic*Intelligence*Agency | The Venus Files – Venus cycle 2014

"The Return of the Goddess

December 4th 2014

by Agent12 Julija

After her sojourn, invisible, on her mission behind the Sun, Venus
returns to grace our evening skies again. We may feel as though we’ve
just come out of the underworld or a battle of survival somehow, but
what we have managed to accomplish has been about finding a strength and
confidence about ourselves mostly in relationships, with partners,
husbands, lovers , bosses and even friends. During this part of our
journey, we are stripped bare to show only the most authentic side of
ourselves, (see the Journey that began 60 days ago below, see  next page)

Now, we may feel still somewhat weakened, but ready to go, ready to
come out, the battle is over, phew and we can move on. With the rest of
the astrological make up right now, a strengthening Uranus Pluto Square ,
Uranus and Saturn also squaring each other by 135°  it is a call to
come out and start shining again and take no more %^&^!.

Venus as an evening star becomes much more chill, reflective, easier
to get on with as she is much better equipped and knows much better,
what and who to dedicate herself to.  You may not sense this straight
away, yet night after night till mid May 2015 Venus gets brighter in our
evening skies as she reinstates herself as the Guardian of the night,
the Queen of the heavens again."

Bewitching Photographs Inspired By Lithuanian Forests

Beautiful, surreal photos by Raggana in Lithuania. Check out this link:

http://www.boredpanda.com/surreal-forest-nature-photography-raggana/?afterlogin=savevote&post=113303&score=1

In Praise of Melancholy and How It Enriches Our Capacity for Creativity

http://www.brainpickings.org/2014/11/28/against-happiness-melancholy-wilson/

Fantastic article by Maria Popova: 

"“One feels as if one were lying bound hand and foot at the bottom of a deep dark well, utterly helpless,” Van Gogh wrote in one of his many letters expounding his mental anguish. And yet the very melancholy that afflicted him was also the impetus for the creative restlessness that sparked his legendary art. In his diary, the Danish philosopher and poet Søren Kierkegaard — one of the most influential thinkers of the past millennium — wrote that he often “felt bliss in melancholy and sadness” and thought he was “used by the hand of a higher Power through [his] melancholy.” Nietzsche, too, believed that a certain amount of suffering is essential to the soul."


I've personally experienced depression throughout my life, and it seems so prevalent in today's society. Maybe it's more out in the open and more people are talking about it. I want to share any information I find on it, just so people can be informed and supported. It's hard to see any positive, life enhancing effect from depression, and that's why this article is so wonderful to find. 

I manage my depression with exercise, diet and being sociable. If I don't feel like doing anything, my adorable dog makes sure I do! But another great way to work through depression is creativity. I often turn to music, writing or bead working when I feel depression coming on, and it always gives me a sense of accomplishment - makes me feel like I'm moving forward in my life. Depression touches everyone's life, either personally or through our personal relations. What are some ways you manage it?

Chiron goes Direct at 13°Pisces

Interesting article on the planet Chiron! One of my favorites! He is the "wounded healer", the great sage that trained all the Greek heroes. He represents our deepest wound which we need to heal. A friend shows up around the age of 50 when Chiron returns to it's place in our birth chart, to help guide us through this healing. It's also a time when we can "revisit" the issues that came up in our 20's with all the wisdom and experience we now have.

Chiron and Achilles c1922-1925 John Singer Sargent


Cosmic*Intelligence*Agency | Chiron goes Direct – 23rd November (13°Pisces)

 "This year’s retrograde of Chiron from 20th June (17°Pisces) to 23rd November (13°Pisces)
has spurred many of us into a spiritual recovery process where either through addressing current wounds, or by revisiting the wounds or impediments of our past, we may have been allowed to channel the pieces of our soul where we have become psychically disconnected or fragmented. The emphasis has been to go deep within and find the source of our
attachment to our “victim” nature, to reclaim, restore or retrieve aspects of our soul that may have caused a weakness or vulnerability to feeling spiritually abused or socially victimised. Of course, this process may have been aided or facilitated with the help of another, most likely someone who not only has a firsthand understanding of our
pain, but has provided the key to helping us gain a better understanding of how to bring it all back into perspective.

At this time of Chiron’s station (13°Pisces), we may feel the loss quite intensely. It is not uncommon to feel extremely sensitive and vulnerable to the psychic energies of those around us. As Chiron picks up speed to go direct, we will seek a reconnection to the
these most sophisticated wounds upon our deeply unconscious psyche. We can address these by either seeking out the compassionate counsel/guidance of someone who not only understands but is sympathetic to our pain, or otherwise become subjected to an open analytical assault upon our sensitivities by another, who seeks to press us to account about our apparent evasiveness and need to escape or squirm about feeling misunderstood or victimised. Either way, a lesson will be learned. It is up to ourselves to actively pursue a healing method which hopes to restore some spiritual fortitude, explore our psychic gifts, and once again move forward as a whole person."

- Ang Stoic

Scorpio: Face your Fears

The Moon and Sun are in Scorpio today, preparing us for a
New Moon in Sagittarius tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 22nd
at  4:32am Pacific.

Release all things today that are holding you back - any limiting ideas or relationships. The Sun, Moon, Mercury and Saturn are all in Scorpio today, which won't occur again for 28 years.

Scorpio is a time of rebirth and transformation. The conditions are ripe today to do just that!

Here's two great articles to get you energized!

Whatever scares you or excites you, go do it

Never have a limit on your income

COSMIC INTELLIGENCE UNEARTHED – Astounding facts and artifacts

Great article! The planet Saturn is made of gas and would float if put in a big enough bathtub!!

Cosmic*Intelligence*Agency | COSMIC INTELLIGENCE UNEARTHED – Astounding facts and artifacts

True Halloween is this weekend

Today we had our lovely November Taurus full moon sailing overhead, and we are approaching True Halloween. "What the heck?" you might ask, Halloween was last weekend!! Well yes, Halloween occurs on October 31st, however TRUE Halloween happens when the Sun is at 15 degrees Scorpio - which is happening in the next few days. Yes, you get to do Halloween again if you choose. Maybe a more personal ritual of facing your fears would be helpful. Write them all down and burn them in a fire.

We are moving into deep Autumn. The nights are becoming longer and we journey inward. We touch our souls and the spirit world this time of year. Intuitive abilities are at their highest, and we work to survive the upcoming Winter. This is such an ancient, primitive time for us. Our ancestors went through this same transition for thousands of years - since the dawn of man.

The harvest festivals are over for the year and now we move toward the rebirth of the Sun (Winter Equinox) on December 21st. Mars is the ruler of Scorpio and a major player in what drives us. The fiery red planet is now Capricorn and will be there until December 5th. Mars is at ease in Capricorn, the sign of commitment and stamina. The energies of both Mars and Capricorn are ambitious and strong willed and thrive when put together. Plus!! Mercury is now Direct in Libra - giving us real forward progress with our goals.

During this season it's great to connect with others on a deep level. Any acts of healing and ritual are highlighted, as well as occult pursuits. Just stay away from social drama and over thinking!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everybody! Today we burn red candles for life and black candles for letting go.

Celebrate the dead and your ancestors. Send loving thoughts to all the wonderful people we've lost this year!

Burning a yellow candle in the West will bring spirits to your door, and burning wormwood will allow you to see them. 

Take care and have a great Halloween!

"Pope Francis declares evolution and Big Bang theory are real and God isn't 'a magician with a magic wand"

I like this Pope!

The Independent

The theories of evolution and the Big Bang are real and God is not “a magician with a magic wand”, Pope Francis has declared.

Speaking at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the Pope made comments which experts said put an end to the “pseudo theories” of creationism and intelligent design that some argue were encouraged by his predecessor, Benedict XVI.

Francis explained that both scientific theories were not incompatible with the existence of a creator – arguing instead that they “require it”.
“When we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not so,” Francis said.
He added: “He created human beings and let them develop according to the internal laws that he gave to each one so they would reach their fulfilment. 

“The Big Bang, which today we hold to be the origin of the world, does not contradict the intervention of the divine creator but, rather, requires it.
“Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve.”
The Catholic Church has long had a reputation for being anti-science – most famously when Galileo faced the inquisition and was forced to retract his “heretic” theory that the Earth revolved around the Sun.

But Pope Francis’s comments were more in keeping with the progressive work of Pope Pius XII, who opened the door to the idea of evolution and actively welcomed the Big Bang theory. In 1996, John Paul II went further and suggested evolution was “more than a hypothesis” and “effectively proven fact”.
Yet more recently, Benedict XVI and his close advisors have apparently endorsed the idea that intelligent design underpins evolution – the idea that natural selection on its own is insufficient to explain the complexity of the world. In 2005, his close associate Cardinal Schoenborn wrote an article saying “evolution in the sense of common ancestry might be true, but evolution in the neo-Darwinian sense – an unguided, unplanned process – is not”.

 Also: Pope's top 10 tips for happiness

Cream - Sunshine of your Love

Rest in Peace Jack Bruce. You were one of the best.

Play this LOUD.

Mercury Direct

Mercury Direct today at 16 degrees Libra - right next to the North Node. This gives us glimpses into the future.

Mercury is close to an opposition with Uranus in Aries, bringing big insights to us this weekend. Think before you speak.

Here's some great info on the god Mercury from Manly Hall:

Hermes
 
"His transcendent learning caused Hermes to be identified with many of the early sages and prophets. In his Ancient Mythology, Bryant writes: "I have mentioned that Cadmus was the same as the Egyptian Thoth; and it is manifest from his being Hermes, and from the invention of letters being attributed to him. " (In the chapter on the theory of Pythagorean Mathematics will be found the table of the original Cadmean letters.) Investigators believe that it was Hermes who was known to the Jews as "Enoch," called by Kenealy the "Second Messenger of God." Hermes was accepted into the mythology of the Greeks, later becoming the Mercury of the Latins. He was revered through the form of the planet Mercury because this body is nearest to the sun: Hermes of all creatures was nearest to God, and became known as the Messenger of the Gods.

Serpent worship in some form has permeated nearly all parts of the earth. The serpent mounds of the American Indian; Python, the great snake o the Greeks; the sacred serpents of the Druids; the Midgard snake of Scandinavia; the brazen serpent of the Jews; the snakes at the oracle; of Delphi twining themselves around the tripod upon which the Pythian priestess sat, the tripod itself being in the form of twisted serpents; the sacred serpents preserved in the Egyptian temples; the Uræus coiled upon the foreheads of the Pharaohs and priests etc. The serpent-wound staff of Hermes remains the emblem of the medical profession. Among nearly all these ancient peoples the serpent was accepted as the symbol of wisdom or salvation. The antipathy which Christendom feels towards the snake is based upon the little-understood allegory of the Garden of Eden.

The cock, or rooster, was a symbol of Cashmala (Cadmillus) in the Samothracian Mysteries, and is also a phallic symbol sacred to the sun. It was accepted by the Greeks as the emblem of Ares (Mars) and typified watchfulness and defense. When placed in the center of a weather vane it signifies the sun in the midst of the four corners of creation. The Greeks sacrificed a rooster to the gods at the time of entering the Eleusinian Mysteries; the goat is both a phallic symbol and also an emblem of courage or aspiration because of its surefootedness and ability to scale the loftiest peaks."

Manly P. Hall