Author: Amelia Shea

“Freedom is perhaps the ultimate spiritual longing of an individual human being, but freedom is only really appreciated when it falls within the parameters of a larger sense of belonging. In freedom is the wish to belong to structure in our own individual way.” David Whyte

The Moon waxes full Sunday Feb 5 at 1:29 PM at 16 degrees of Leo. This Full Moon falls across the Aquarius/ Leo axis and thus has to do with personal autonomy and community – how we express our individuality and how we  fit in.

The Moon and Sun are making a challenging aspect to the planet of the unexpected, Uranus.There can be unexpected twists and turns of events, surprises and also breakthroughs and revelations.

Uranus , when strong in the sky can be associated with a nerrvy time so its best to nurture the nervous system and make some down time for the integration of information.

There is an old expression that the Full Moon’s influence is “three days coming and three days going” so it’s wise to watch for information which may emerge now now could point the way to the future in an innovative way.

Mars is square Venus – indicating a good time to take more care with relationships.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”Brilliant sunshine just after a storm.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

“Life is simple and gay
The bright sun rings with a quiet sound
The sound of the bells has quieted down
The morning light hits it all
The footlights of my head are lit again
And the room I live in is finally bright…

Listen I’m not crazy
I laugh at the bottom of the stairs
Before the wide-open door
In the sunlight scattered
On the wall among green vines
And my arms are held out toward you

It’s today I love you ” Pierre Reverdy

This week Venus, the goddess of love and abundance is moving up to make a harmonious alignment with the Lunar Nodes- sextiling the North Node and trining the South Node in Scorpio. This alignment will be exact on Thursday – making it a great day to get together with people you enjoy and to feel gratitude for the good things in your life.

The Sun in Aquarius is widely squaring Uranus now and will be exact on Friday. This influence will be building throughout the week. There can be breakthroughs and  revelations about how to move forward and away from beliefs and attitudes that can hold back progress.

Uranus is also the planet of the unexpected and can bring sudden and surprising events. It’s best to provide extra downtime  for the integration of information with this influence.

When Uranus is a strong influence there can often be a desire to make a break for freedom. Withe the signs involved – Taurus and Aquarius, values and what we value are on the table and there may be change and evolution in these areas.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”A Red Cross nurse with warm sympathy.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

“Redeem the time. Redeem
The unread vision in the higher dream.
While jeweled unicorns draw by the gilded hearse” TS Eliot

This week Mercury at 12 degrees of  Capricorn opposes Pallas Athene at 12 degrees of  Cancer. Pallas Athene was the goddess of diplomacy and strategy who was always depicted with an owl on her shoulder. The owl  was a reminder of what she could not see.

The opposition of Pallas and Mercury is squaring Chiron, the asteroid of the Wounded Healer. It’s possible with this configuration for  information to emerge  about an old pattern that limits your thinking.  With Pallas in Cancer it can indicate that the pattern(s) may likely have originated in the past or a family setting.

With all the planets moving direct now it is a great time to move on from outlived  patterns of thought and feeling. We’re moving into a time of change with Saturn preparing to enter Pisces and Pluto preparing to enter Aquarius.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”A fire worshiper meditates on the ultimate realities of existence.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something build a new model that makes the old model obsolete.” Buckminster  Fuller

“Feelings are for the soul what food is for the body.” Rudolph Steiner

February’s New Moon is Saturday January 21.

The Sun and Moon at this time are conjunct at 1 degree of Aquarius and widely conjunct Pluto at 28 degrees of Capricorn. The Moon is also forming a favorable sextile to Jupiter , the planet of pleasure and wisdom.

This is a very beneficent New Moon in terms of innovative thinking and moving in a direction of more freedom and authenticity. The only caution – with Mercury inconjunct Mars is to avoid impulsive action. It’s best to  take your time thinking things through all the way before moving forward.

The powers of transformation and synchronicity are strong at this time and through the upcoming twenty eight day cycle.

There can be unexpected breakthroughs and revelations – particularly about the past and deep feelings about the past.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,’An unexpected thunderstorm.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

 

“One must choose in all things a mean, just and good. Error and confusion dwell in the extremes.” Pythagoras

“Living in balance is living in a state of grace, of delicacy, of gentleness. Only by being balanced within ourselves can we hope to balance the world.” Anodea Judith

This is considerable activity in the starry heavens this week.

Mercury  in Capricorn and Mars in Gemini will be in a challenging quincunx aspect this week indicating a time that bodes well to practice balance and moderation in speech and thought. This duo is easily irritated and can be associated with increased conflict.

There can also be more confusion about with Mercury’s station on Wednesday.

Mercury  is slowing down to station direct on  Wednesday at 8 degrees of Capricorn. This is the second planet to station direct recently – joining Mars. Uranus will make the third on the 22nd – the day after the Full Moon on the 21st. Projects and things that have been delayed or held back can start to move forward now.

The Sun in late Capricorn will be moving up to a conjunction to Pluto on Wednesday although it will be in influence all week. This is a good time to work on plans related to improving the structure of your life.

The Sun enters Aquarius on Friday with the Moon following shortly thereafter- signalling the New Moon at 1 degree of Aquarius on Saturday. More about the New Moon later in the week.

One of the Chandra symbols for this week is,”A woman strolling in a garden. She in unaware that she is watched by elves.”

 

 

“Thought is action in rehearsal.” Sigmund Freud

“Negative actions always bring about suffering, and positive actions always bring happiness.” Dalai Lama

Mars stations direct on Thursday January 12 at 8 degrees of Gemini – ending the retrograde transit which began October 30. Mars, the fiery god of action and desire is not happy when retrograde as it symbolizes energy being held back and the nature of Mars is impulsive and action- oriented. The retrograde period has been a good time to look at how we use our power and implement it to attain aspirations. It’s wise for the next few days to heed any information that may surface which is related to this.

It’s a busy time in the starry heavens now  as  Mars. Mercury and Uranus  all move direct this month – Mercury on the 18th and Uranus on January 22 joining Mars on the 12th. If possible it bodes well to postpone any important decisions until the very end of January into February.

For the next few days Mercury will be forming a favorable alignment with Uranus – an excellent time to let your mind be free and open to new ideas and insights.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”A medieval archer stands with the ease of one wholly sure of himself , bow in hand, his quiver filled with arrows.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

 

 

 

 

 

“I believe in intuitions and inspirations…I sometimes feel that I am right, I do not know that I am.” Albert Einstein

“Like the wolf, intuition has claws that pry things open and pin 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

Friday’s Full Moon, the Wolf Moon, is at 16 degrees of Cancer at 6:08 PM EST. This is an emotional time and bodes well for inner reflection.

The Sun is conjunct Mercury opposing the Moon which indicates a good time for intuition as opposed to linear thinking. The Moon will also be forming a positive alignment to Uranus indicating the potential for flashes of insight that can provide solutions.

The first part of this month – until the 21st or so provides in general, a good time for reflection. It’s best to heed intuition and let thoughts and ideas emerge organically.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”The seed grows into knowledge and life.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

 

“Last night
the rain spoke to me
slowly, saying,
what joy
to come falling
out of the brisk cloud
to be happy again
in a new way
on the earth!” Mary Oliver

“Dreams are the best evidence that we are not as firmly shut in our skins as we believe.”Fredrich Hebbel

Many spiritual traditions believe this time of year (from 12/25 to January 6) to be a time when the veils are thin and it’s possible – with attention- to access higher levels of  spiritual guidance. This is particularly true in the beginning of this week as retrograde Mercury in Capricorn  will be forming a beneficent aspect to Neptune in Pisces. This alignment creates an excellent opportunity to build a bridge between higher aspirations, dreams and visions and  pragmatic methods of working with them in new ways. The early part of the week -in general- is a good time to provide extra downtime for this reason.

One Monday the Sun squares Chiron. This, in addition to the Mercury/Neptune alignment can bring to light more clearly the areas where evolution away from old programming would be beneficial.

Venus moves into Aquarius on Monday. Venus is Aquarius is a lover of freedom and authenticity in friendship and relationship- moving away from the more traditional ways of Venus in Capricorn.  Venus is moving up to a sextile with Jupiter – making this a good week  for socializing and getting together with friends. This is an expansive aspect that can bring  optimism and good luck.

Also this week the Sun will trine Uranus in Taurus – a great time to add innovation to your thinking about things you are trying to accomplish. This can open the door to a new cycle where new alternatives and approaches can be accessed. It’s a good time to allow your mind to explore new ideas and stay away from limited thinking.

The Full Moon is Friday January 6 at 6:08 PM at 16 degrees of Cancer. More on this later in the week.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”An unexpected thunderstorm.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

 

“Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
And spills the upper boulders in the sun;
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast…
Before I built a wall I’d ask to know
What I was walling in  or walling out .
Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.” Robert Frost

“A new paradigm comes along because it solves problems that couldn’t be solved under the old paradigm. Create your own vision of what we might become as the old paradigms slip away and new ones coalesce.” Michael W. Munn

Mercury, the fleet footed messenger, stations retrograde Thursday December 29.  Mercury will station conjunct Venus, the planet of love and beauty,  at 24 degrees of Capricorn. Mercury and Venus will square Eris at this time. Eris is associated with disruption. It provides an excellent retrograde period (through  January 18, 2023)  to think about where  thinking has become too rigid or too aligned with unproductive patterns that have outlived their usefulness.

It’s a good time to assess how matters of love and finances are handled.

It’s an important time for personal evolution that helps to create critical mass for a more healthy sustainable future.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”A mountain pilgrimage.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

“Keep a flowering branch in your heart and the singing bird will come.” Proverb

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

Jupiter leaves the sign of Pisces and enters the fiery sign of Aries on December 20- the day before the Winter Solstice. Jupiter in this sign increases personal courage and brings alive  a sense of adventure. It is a good time for renewing inspiration, vitality and hope. Jupiter will be in Aries until May.

The Winter Solstice, when the Sun enters Capricorn is December 21. This earthy, grounded sign helps us manifest our goals and dreams through responsibility, pragmatism and commitment.

Mercury will station retrograde on December 29 at 24 Capricorn. The retrograde period lasts through  January 18 when Mercury will station direct at 8 degrees of Capricorn.

It’s wise as always during the retrograde period to anticipate possible delays and miscommunications. Best to make sure all important info is backed up.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”A nature spirit dancing in the mist of a waterfall.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill