Happy Holidays Everyone

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday during this most magickal season!!!

Full Moon in Gemini

Happy Full Moon in Gemini to all of you!!

I don't know who the artist is for this image, so if you recognize it please let me know.

Today is a very vibrant Full Moon in Gemini because Uranus (planet of revolution and insight) has also gone Direct. There's a huge amount of energy alive right now. It's a great time to write down ideas and consider different paths. With Mars in Libra, the "weighing of both sides" could go on endlessly, so try to follow your heart.

It's NOT the time to take action though, unless there's something urgent weighing on you. Venus is going Retrograde this week until January 31st - I'll be writing more about that later this week.

Enjoy, Socialize, Write, and visit mountain tops. Today is a wild Airy day!

Smaug the Dragon flies with Air New Zealand

How cool is this! Smaug the Terrible, the dragon from the Hobbit movies, is now appearing on the side of aircraft. Air New Zealand, now calling themselves "The Airline of Middle Earth", showed off one of their new planes at LAX on Monday for the premiere of the new Hobbit movie.

It's a huge decal, 177 feet long, designed to show the true scale of the dragon. Read more here.

December 2013 Horoscopes

December opens with today's uplifting New Moon in Sagittarius, the wild horse! A New Moon occurs when the Sun and Moon are on the same side of the planet. Today through Wednesday is a time of new beginnings and to start new behaviors and projects. Sagittarius brings a drive towards independence, optimism and adventure over the next several days. Now is the time to think about goals for 2014, and to begin clearing and purifying your home to make way for the Year of the Horse in February. Next year will be fast paced, and you will want to be ready.

Most of the planets have been hovering in or near Scorpio since late October. November was definitely intense! For December, the next week or two is peaceful but we are hovering on the edge of a big shift. The fiery planet Mars (Drive) enters Libra (it's detriment) from December 7th, 2013 until July 25th, 2014, and Venus (Love) enters her retrograde in Capricorn (Reality) from December 21st to January 31st.  Two very forceful planets enter the arena of love in signs where they don't feel at home.

Mars in Libra is like a soldier in full armor trying to sip tea with elderly ladies in an etiquette class. He's gonna be ill-at-ease :) Our normal drives and ambitions will be tempered by the desire for balance with others. We need to respect other people and honor their needs. It's good for us but can feel limiting at times. One way to deal with this transit is chivalry. Most knights had a code of conduct they followed, some of it brutal of course, but I would focus on the gracious side.

Venus in Capricorn is almost the opposite - a romantic idealist throwing a tea party on the floor of the NY Stock Exchange. Ha! I'm having fun with these analogies :) Venus, with her charm and loving nature is going to feel ill-at-ease in the environment of practicality, ambition and harsh reality. UNLESS of course, we're talking about THIS Venus:

Just try to be more like her. Start planking.

Oh, and to make things slightly more complicated, both Venus and Mars are having retrograde cycles too! This means they will be turning backwards. Retrograde motion often brings out the truth in relationships, and can cause an onslaught of "re" words i.e. renegotiate, reassess, relearn, redo and return. Watch out for the ghosts of boyfriends and girlfriends past returning... 

I'll keep you posted on all this, but basically we're going to be reviewing our relationships and agreements with people over the next few months. Focus on creating BALANCE and negotiating fair, mutual decisions.

Onto the horoscopes! I will look at the position of your ruler. Reading your sun sign is important, but please read the sign that relates to your Rising sign. If you don't know your rising sign (also called the ascendant), you can figure it out on the Free Horoscopes link at astro.com. 

Aries:  The Ram
Your ruler, Mars, and is entering Libra this Sunday, Dec. 7th. Libra is the opposite of your sign. This will shine a giant spotlight on your house of Love and Partnerships - until next July! It could be cathartic, inspiring you to examine your patterns in relationships, guiding you towards a more satisfying future. Meanwhile the Sun is in your House of Travel and Philosophy until Dec. 21, bringing new insights about the meaning of life.

Taurus:   The Bull
Your ruler, Venus (Love), entered Capricorn (Stability) on November 5th, 2013 - bringing a pivotal romantic relationship into your life. This is a fantastic placement for you! Seriously. VERY seriously. Capricorn falls naturally in your House of Romance, so this could be a synchronistic moment in your life. There will be a retrograde period coming up on Dec. 21st and the past could come knocking... not to cause trouble but to be accepted and healed. You will be renewing your attitude about commitment in the coming weeks.

Gemini:  The Twins
Mercury, your ruler, is entering your House of Partnership this Thursday. This will set your mind ablaze with optimism and visions for your important relationships. Don't go so fast that you lose sight of everyone around you, and remember to be tactful this month. This is a great placement for you, and the high point will be the Full Moon in Gemini on Tuesday, Dec. 17th. More on that soon.

Cancer:  The Crab
The Sun, Mercury and Saturn have been crossing the deep ocean of Scorpio the last few weeks. For you this means tremendous focus on Romance and Creativity. Meanwhile, the most beneficial planet of them all, Jupiter, continues showering you with wealth until July 16th, 2014. This transit happens once every 12 years so it's really important to make the most of it. Now is the time to expand your life in any way you choose.

Leo:  The Lion
November was tough with your ruler, the Sun, in Scorpio. You are safe now. The Sun's entrance into Sagittarius on Nov. 21st lightened the mood. You've started enjoying yourself again. Romance and Creativity will be highlighted until December 21st. This Thursday, Mercury (Communication) joins the Sun giving a lot of energy to how you express yourself. And the upcoming Full Moon on Dec. 17th sheds a positive light on your career.

Virgo:  The Virgin
This Thursday the planet Mercury (Communication) will be moving into Sagittarius. This is important because Mercury is your Ruler, and it's joining the Sun in your House of Foundations. This transit heralds a month long focus on your Home and Security. The Sun illuminates and Mercury brings truth and understanding, so it's a great combination.

Libra:  The Scales
Your ruler, Venus, has entered Capricorn and will be there for a loooooong time - until the first week of March 2014. This can spark an interest in becoming financial stable, and dating with a new level of maturity. You might turn your attention to business for awhile. Rest assured you are over supplied with luck for it right now. Libra is a romantic idealistic sign. Capricorn can bring a reality check to your life that can feel harsh, but will be good for you in the long run.

Scorpio:  The Scorpion
The Sun, Saturn, Mercury and the true node have been hanging out in your sign for several weeks bringing insight, super human powers and lots of attention. You've had the drive and discipline to really get things accomplished, which made for a fabulous birthday! And there's more - Jupiter, planet of Luck has been traveling through your House of Romance and Creativity for several months now. This VERY lucky placement will continue through 2014 so make the most of it! 


Sagittarius:  The Archer
Your mood has shifted to Uplifted since the Sun entered your sign on Nov. 21st. Now you will pick up the pace as Mercury enters Sagittarius this Thursday. The messenger planet will deliver a strong dose of vitality to all your ambitions. Meanwhile your ruler, Jupiter, continues his slow turn through the sign of Cancer - your House of Other People's Money. The 8th House also rules Sex and Death. Check out estate sales and get good credit for anything right now! Just don't exceed the bare bones of your finances or there could be a sobering wake up call in your future.

Capricorn:  The Sea Goat

Your social life has kicked into high gear the last few weeks with the Scorpio sun traveling through your House of Friendships. Things have been steamy since June with Jupiter, planet of Luck in your Romance house. Your ruler, Saturn, continues his deep excavation through the sign of Scorpio, and he's only half way through. There will be another year of clearing skeletons from your closet. In the long run he is creating deep opportunities for you to grow, mature and prosper.

 
Aquarius:  The Water Bearer
There’s been a huge positive focus on your career sector the past few weeks with the Scorpio Sun traveling through your 10^th House. On top of that, Venus, the planet of beauty and attraction has begun her journey through the dark corners of your mind. She will be hanging out there and lighting the way until the first week of March. This is a fortunate transit as Venus can help you get out of your own way. Lots of good money aspects happening for the next year too.

 
Pisces:  The Fish
You are a happy fish these days. The planet of Luck, Jupiter, is still hanging out in your Romance and Creativity sector, giving you once in a lifetime opportunities to pursue your dreams. Jupiter expands and brings gold to anything he touches, so let your creativity loose. This will be happening for the next year too! Meanwhile the Sun has been traveling through your House of Perspective the last few weeks, giving you revelations. With the Sun’s entrance into Sagittarius on Nov. 21st, the focus has shifted a positive spotlight to your Career.

Sun into Sagittarius

Sagittarius... The Wild Horse.
The sun entered Sagittarius this week kicking off the Sagittarian birthday season. The mood has lightened dramatically in the last few days - hopefully bringing insights and acceptance about the upheavals from early November. The first New Year celebration began November 1st (Halloween being the Witches New Year), and we are now moving towards the Winter Solstice on December 22nd - the rebirth of the Sun. Sagittarius, the sign of the Archer, means it's time for some goal setting.

The sign of Sagittarius brings:

• Cravings for independence
• Visions of the Big Picture of life
• Desire to Travel
• Restlessness when listening to others
• Changes in Life Perspective
• The need to expand
• The yearning to be Outside in the fresh air
• To wander and explore and take risks
• To have adventures
• To Aim yourself where you want to go and release the string

Just get out there and DO IT!!!!!

Mercury is Direct!

The last two weeks have packed a huge astrological punch in our personal and public lives. Momentous events have appeared to spur our growth or send our lives in different directions. Most of the folks I know have been taking everything one day at a time, and to good effect. And things are about to shift again.

The Pluto/Uranus square is still in motion, and we're mopping up from the New Moon/Solar Eclipse in Scorpio on Nov. 3rd. This coming week sees two positive events that could help us regain our footing - Mercury turned Direct yesterday at 1:12pm Pacific, and Neptune is turning Direct Wednesday at 10:42am Pacific. This enhances intuition, focus and concentration, and along with the Moon in Aries, it will be a great time to start new ideas or get stalled projects off the ground. Dream Big and Take Action.

The Sun, Saturn, True Node and Mercury are all transiting Scorpio which underlines transformation. Any acts of healing and ritual are highlighted, as well as occult pursuits. Just stay away from social drama and bad neighborhoods. People can rise from the dead during this transit, so you might hear from people you haven't heard from in a loooooong time.

"Sunrise by the Ocean" by Vladimir Kush is a great symbolic representation of Scorpio's transformative nature. We are all being reborn, even as the Northern Hemisphere experiences Autumn.

Scorpio is a water sign which rules mystery, the occult, research, sex, death, and psychology. The lowest form of Scorpio is the Gray Lizard which lives in the ocean depths and is focused on fulfilling it's own needs. The second form is the Scorpion which can be distrustful and vengeful towards others. The third manifestation is the Bald Eagle which soars high above the Earth, sees the larger view of things, heals others with it's worldly perspective and becomes one with God.

I Love Lou Reed

Damn. We've lost Lou Reed.
I knew this would happen someday, but now that its here I find myself not ready for it at all.

There are times over the years I've gone through something hard - where my faith in the world has been severely tested and I've felt all alone. I got through those times 'cause I knew that Lou Reed had survived his own devastation and come out the other end. I've studied Lou's life in depth and have felt such kinship with him. He has been a light in the darkness for me. So many times I said to myself "if Lou Reed can survive what he's been through, I can make it through this".

I'll never forget the first time I heard the Velvet Underground. I was living at 708 Haight Street (a beautiful victorian which has since burned to the ground) and it was 1988. My boyfriend at the time, Mark, said I HAD to hear them and put "Foggy Notion" on his RECORD PLAYER - if you can believe that. I listened to that song over and over again for days. I became entranced by everything they had released, and played the Velvets constantly at work... really loud I might add.

I had never heard anything like it... before or since. They are in a class all their own.

I've been remembering Lou Reed today as "Mr. New York" 'cause he was... he was Mr. New York. I was blown away when I visited New York for the first time and was able to check out where The Factory and The Velvets had taken residence in the late 60's. I walked Canal Street, The Bowery and the East Village listening to every Velvets album... seeing the streets they had walked and the signposts from various songs. Hahahah! I remember when I came upon Union Square and got the shivers.

A few years later I went on to form my own band, Bettie Black. Lou's style of songwriting informed our sound. Lou Reed is one of my core influences.

I took a look at Lou Reed's astrological chart today, and he was so watery!! A Pisces Water Horse - the sign of an intuitive thinker, poet, artist and revolutionary. People born in the Year of the Horse are notoriously independent minded and rebellious. I'm sure his Jupiter in Gemini and Virgo Moon bestowed his gifts of writing.... and that North Node in Virgo in the 6th House made sure he kept busy. 

It's fitting to me that such a special soul as Lou Reed would leave this Earth between two eclipses, AND when the Moon is in Leo (sign of the performer)! And it's so close to Halloween - one of the highest points of creativity in our culture. A time when we can dress up, have fun and be someone else. A time when we communicate with the mighty spirits of the returning dead.

So burn a candle for Lou on Halloween. I will. I feel he is at peace.