Author: Amelia Shea

“Revelation is a window on the journey of your soul.” F. Aster Barnwell

“Like the wolf, intuition has claws that pry things open and tie things down, it has eyes that can see through the shields of the persona, it has ears that hear beyond the range of mundane human understanding. ” Clarissa Pinkola Estes

One time, when I had a close friend who was dying,  I and a few others would  take turns staying at his house overnight so that  he could stay at home and as close to his young children as long as possible. One morning, early, when I entered the sunny kitchen to start my day with him, a woman who had spent the night there was sitting at the kitchen table writing in her journal.  I tiptoed past her, not wanting to disturb her, because she appeared deep in thought, and so I proceeded upstairs to see if my friend would like his customary cup of jasmine green tea.

I remembered  her this morning when I was considering the planetary alignments. In her journal writing she was untangling the past and envisioning the future with evolving perceptions.

The next few days provide very  good timing for such a process. Jupiter, the God  of Wisdom stationed direct on Saturday (yesterday) and Mercury, the Messenger God , will station direct tomorrow, Monday January 1.

These aspects are akin to a threshold time and provide a particularly potent time to seek guidance and heed intuition. They can, together, shed light on the past and illuminate the future.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”A bluebird, a sign of good luck and happiness, is standing at the door of the house.”

 

 

 

“Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think its queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake,
The darkest evening of the year.” Robert Frost

“The longing for light is the longing for consciousness.”Carl Jung

The week starts off with Mercury in Capricorn  forming a harmonious trine  to Jupiter. This is an optimistic combination and bodes well for expansive and future oriented thinking, studying and planning. Best to work on the big picture now  and leave room for adjustments later as Mercury is retrograde. This aspect will  be an influence through Wednesday this week.

Venus in Scorpio is moving up to an opposition to Uranus in Taurus this week. This is the aspect of love at first sight. It has an erratic and rebellious nature and can bring a desire for more  freedom and excitement. In combination with the first quarter Moon on Tuesday it provides a good time to move away from unproductive patterns in love relationships and finances.It’s wise to lean on the practicality and down-to- earth influence of  Mercury in Capricorn to implement any decisions, as the fleet footed messenger god  will be forming a  harmonious alignment with Saturn.

Throughout the week  Mars will be in a challenging alignment with Uranus. Best to watch for impulsiveness. It’s wise to provide extra downtime this week as nerves can be frayed and tempers short.

The Winter Solstice, when the Sun enters Capricorn is Thursday the 21st at 10:27 PM. This is the time we celebrate the rebirth of the Light. It is a good time to sow seeds for your future aspirations as it is a powerful Turning of the Wheel.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”Wisps of clouds like wings are streaming across the sky.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill.

 

 

“Every perception of the world around us is absolutely colored by the narrative or image-filled lens through which we perceive.  We are all poets and artists as we live our daily lives, whether we recognize this role and whether or not we believe it.” Thomas Moore

December’s New Moon is Tuesday the 12 th at 6:30 PM EST. At this time the Sun and Moon will be at 20 degrees of Sagittarius.

With both Uranus and Neptune being strong influences, this opens a new cycle (for  roughly 30 days) when it bodes well to  expand  thinking and  use the powers of innovation and imagination in problem solving  and envisioning – and in reviewing the past as Mercury stations  retrograde on Wednesday December 13. The Trickster god will station at 8 degrees of Capricorn and move backward into late Sagittarius on December 23. This will provide good timing for a period of end of the year reflection and review.

Mercury will end the retrograde motion and station direct on January 1, 2024 in Sagittarius.

One of the Sabian symbols  for this time is, “A bluebird, a sign of good luck and happiness, is standing at the door of the house.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

“You, darkness, that I come from
I love you more than all the fires
that fence in the world,
for the fire makes a circle of light for everyone
and then no one outside learns of you.
But the darkness pulls in everything-
shapes and fires, animals and myself,
how easily it gathers them!
powers and people-
and it is possible a great presence is moving near me.
I have faith in nights.” Rilke

“We can know the dark, and dream it into a new image.” Starhawk

It’s wise this month to leave a good amount of time for reflection – in terms of where you have been and where you want to be going. The early part of the month is best for organization and planning.

Neptune, Jupiter and Mercury all make planetary stations this month- Neptune on December 6, Mercury on the 16th and Jupiter on the 31st. Neptune and Jupiter will turn direct and  Mercury will station retrograde. This kind of planetary activity provides good timing to rethink and revision aspirations that have been germinating.

Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, will enter the sign of Scorpio on December 4 which can bring depth and clarity to our desires.

The Winter Solstice, when the Sun enters Capricorn,  is  December 21.

Based on numerology, the Tarot Card for the month is The High Priestess. She is a Wise Woman  and represents the time of the first quarter Moon – full of energy and potential – in which ideas gestate.  Often she is  holding  scriptures or sacred book of some kind and is seated between two pillars or trees, which symbolize the need to balance the Masculine and Feminine. This is a card of inner activity – not outer action.

This card speaks of intuition, esoteric knowledge, wisdom and the revelation of secrets. It indicates a good time to seek guidance from higher sources or  to turn within  to seek answers.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”Deep within the depths of the earth, new elements are being formed.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

 

 

 

seek guidance from higher sources and to turn within  to seek answers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“New ways of thinking about familiar things can release new energies and make all manner of things possible.” Charles Handy

“I like dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” Thomas Jefferson

The Sun is now in Sagittarius, the sign of the Archer-  who aims high. This opens up a new monthly cycle when it bodes well to expand thought patterns and broaden your horizons for the future.  It’s a good time to be open to adventure.

The Moon waxes Full on Monday November 27 at 4 degrees of Gemini at 4:16 AM EST. The Sun will be conjunct Mars at this time and square Saturn.  This provides a good time to get inspired and energized  and accomplish things that require hard work before Mercury goes retrograde on the 13th.

Best to watch for impulsiveness.

It’s wise with Venus conjunct the South Node to watch for slipping into old  or unproductive patterns having to do with relationships and finances.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”An old owl perched high up in a tree.’

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

 

 

“I sat, a solitary man,
In a crowded London shop,
An open book and empty cup
On the marble table-top.
While on the shop and street I gazed,
My body of a sudden blazed,
And twenty minutes, more or less,
It seemed so great, my happiness
That I was blessed and could bless.” W.B.Yeats

It’s been a busy week in the starry heavens. This weekend it bodes well to provide some down time with the Sun and Mars making a favorable alignment with Neptune, the planet of dreams and visions.  It’s a good time for silence and contemplation, for artistic endeavors, meditation and mystical journeys – a good time to  create the space to listen to your inner voice.

Pallas Athene, the goddess of justice, diplomacy and strategy moves out of Libra and into Scorpio this weekend.  This provides good timing to look more deeply into plans, projects and aspirations for the future. Here too, intuition will be a helpful tool.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”The king of the fairies approaching his domain.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

“I will not die an unlived life.
I will not live in fear of falling of catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days
to allow my living to open me,
To make me less afraid,
More accessible,
To loosen my heart,
Until it becomes  a wing,
A torch, a promise.” Dawna Markova

One time when I was an ad rep for an arts publication, I paid a visit to a nightclub  owner in a nearby city. The owner had given me directions about how to enter the building and find his office which was in a very large,  lumbering old train depot. I groped my way through the darkness to find his office door which was in the old ticket sales area. He was a very lively, interesting person and became particularly excited when he mentioned that he was an inventor and was applying for a patent for his latest invention. He said there had never been anything like it although to me it sounded a bit like a boomerang. He asked me if I would like to see it fly and a few weeks later he brought it to my house in the country and we went to a nearby field and he flew it for me. Afterwards we went to my house for tea and he told me that he had just gotten out of a very contentious divorce and was heartbroken about it. So he had written  a book of poems entitled “I Love You Whether You Love Me or Not” and given it to his ex wife. He had brought me a copy too.

Uranus is the planet that governs inventors and it also governs unusual, out of the blue experiences – which I felt meeting him had been. He has Uranus as a very strong influence in his astrology chart and it was strong in the chart the day I met him.  It was an unusual meeting and certainly took me out of the hum-drum of my normal business day.

Uranus is very strong in the sky at the time of the New Moon today at 4:27 AM and ushers in a good  time for moving in a new, innovative direction in your life. It brings courage and a sense of daring. The Sun and  New Moon are in the mysterious signs of Scorpio at 20 degrees. They are conjunct Mars, the planet of passion and daring.

Uranus  is the wild card of the astrological family and is correlated with the Fool card in the Tarot deck. The Fool card depicts a free spirited person, with her worldly possessions in the back pack holding a white rose. Her faithful dog walks along with her. But the dog is barking in warning that the Fool is about to walk off a very steep cliff. She however is looking at the white rose she carries which symbolizes the love and protection of the universe. When she does walk off the cliff, though, she  turns into the Magus, the Magician, and flies.

If you’ve felt stuck in old patterns or you feel you’re living a life you’ve outgrown in some ways, this lunar cycle (for the next month or so) is a very good time to open the door to new experiences and ways of being. It’s a good time to invoke direction on the path as Uranus is associated with synchronicity and there can be help from unexpected sources now.

It’s wise to channel the significant energy available now into enthusiasm over new directions and initiatives and to stay out of conflict as tempers can run high and nerves can be more easily frayed.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is, “A rabbit metamorphosed into a nature spirit. “

“To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
And find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
And is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.” Wendell Berry

“Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light.
I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.” Galileo’s epitaph

It’s a busy week in the starry heavens as we enter the dark time of the year here in New England.

In the beginning of the week Mercury at 24 degrees of Scorpio forms a challenging aspect to the North Node in Aries. The fiery planet, Mars, is highlighted now as he rules over both the signs Aries and Scorpio. This can make for irritability and impatience in both thought and communication. Best to approach this time with patience and restraint.

Pluto and Venus are in a harmonious alignment in the earth signs of Virgo and Capricorn. This can be helpful with affairs of the heart and deepening of love for self and others. If you have goals related to transforming relationships and/or finances, this alignment can be of assistance.

Mercury in Scorpio makes a harmonious alignment with Neptune creating a time that bodes well for mystical dreams, spirituality and creativity.

On Wednesday Venus, the goddess of love and beauty will move out of Virgo and into Libra – one of the signs that she rules. This opens the door to more willingness to work together in a cooperative manner. Pallas Athene, the asteroid goddess of diplomacy, mediation and strategy is now in the signs of Libra but conjunct the South Node. This can indicate old ways of dealing with conflict. Venus in Libra can open the door to working together to solve problems in a more balanced and just way.

Friday Mercury will move out of Scorpio into Sagittarius. This ushers in a time to broaden horizons – through travel and learning. Mercury will then form a challenging aspect with Saturn – creating a time for serious thinking and conversation. It’s wise to remember that, as Caroline Casey has written “Saturn lays the tracks for the reality train to follow.” It can help with planning and creating a good foundation for goals and aspirations.

Mars and the Sun are moving up to an opposition to Uranus. In general this indicates a more volatile time throughout much of the month. It’s best to provide extra downtime for the integration of information.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”The ocean with white caps.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

 

“Mars is the god of desire: eros, feistiness, aggression, heat and activism. We draw up on Mars for courage, dynamism, passion and kinship with life.. When we dance with Mars, we enter the realms of fire, where qualities of bravado, courage and forthrightness are forged.” Caroline W. Casey

“Under the sky of pea soup
She is looking at her work growing away there
actively, thickly like grapevines or pole beans
as things grow in the real world, slowly enough.
If you tend them properly, if you mulch, if you water,
if you provide birds that eat insects a home and winter food,
if the Sun shines and you pick off caterpillars,
if the praying mantis comes and the ladybugs and the bees,
then the plants flourish, but at their own internal clock.” Marge Piercy

There’s plenty of energy and enthusiasm to be drawn upon during November for moving forward with new adventures, new projects and endeavors. Just with a couple of caveats due to the aspects Mars is making.

Mars is a strong influence now and through most of the month  as the Sun and Mars form an opposition to  Jupiter, the planet of expansion. Under this influence there can be excitement and enthusiasm for new endeavors and a desire to act on them quickly. But Jupiter’s influence often needs to be tempered as it can be  associated with over extending, overindulging  and extravagance.

Shortly after the Sun and Mars move out of the opposition to Jupiter, they move up to an opposition to Uranus which will be within orb widely through late November. It’s wise to provide extra down time during this time as nerves can be frayed and there can be unexpected  and sudden events.

On the 22nd the Sun will enter Sagittarius and form a square aspect to Saturn. This influence will tend to slow things down and may bring order and  movement to conflicts in need of resolution.

Throughout the month, its best to slow down and think things through thoroughly before acting.

One of the Sabian Symbols for this time is,”A quiet path through woods, brilliant in autumn coloring.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

 

“In that open field
If you do not come too close, if you do not come too close,
On a summer midnight you can hear the music
Of the weak pipe and the little drum
And see them dancing around the bonfire
The association of man and woman …
Rustically solemn in rustic laughter.
Lifting heavy feet in clumsy shoes,
Earth feet, loam feet, lifted in country mirth
Mirth of those long under the earth.” T.S.Eliot

“A wise old owl lived in an oak.
The more he saw the less he spoke.
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?”

The Sun entered the mysterious sign of Scorpio on Monday. This ushers in a time of turning inward – as the trees shed their leaves and the days grow shorter and colder here in the northern hemisphere.

This week  Sun forms a harmonious trine with Saturn. This provides good timing for pragmatics. It can be supportive in grounding creativity and intuitions. It bodes well for integrating higher knowledge.

This week Chiron, the asteroid of the Wounded Healer makes challenging aspects to both Ceres, the Great Mother,  and Venus, the goddess of love  in Virgo. These aspects can bring up questions as to how we deal with painful circumstances – both in our personal pasts and in the world in general – and how it is handled – whether it is seen as an opportunity to grow in wisdom and compassion or whether it creates hostility and anger.

Mars and Mercury will form a conjunction this week and oppose Jupiter. It’s  wise this week to watch for impulsive behavior. Best to make sure to have all the facts before acting. Extra patience and forethought with speech will be beneficial as tempers can be short.

The Lunar Eclipse is Saturday at 5 degrees of Taurus at 4:24 PM EDT. Eclipses are evolutionary in nature and can bring new beginnings and endings.  It’s wise throughout the week with the Eclipse and Scorpio planets to heed any information that surfaces that speaks of personal transformation  and evolution.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”A bridge being built across a high narrow gorge.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill