Late Summer is Here

[caption id="attachment_4205" align="alignright" width="210"] Magical pumpkin patch 2007[/caption]

They don't call Virgo the sign of mutable earth for nothin! the earth was shaking and quaking around here last week, only for a minute though, along with huge felled trees and unfortunately lots of flooding up north in my alma mater state Vermont, due to hurricane Irene.

Now, the power is restored (after 3AM chain saws roared--no joke--to finish cutting up trees lying in the middle of three surrounding roads) and we can get down to focus, the delight of Virgo--intense detailed discerning focus!

I usually don't enjoy the shift from Leo to Virgo that much, being a Leo Sun sign, I would like for the summer to go on and on, at least for two more months.  But every year the harvest sign comes around and we shift from intense heat and play to harvesting what we planted throughout the birth of spring and the light of summer.  To reap the harvest though, we have to work, another attribute of Virgo.

This summer was light to say the least, especially August.  My birthday (August 10th) was filled with reactionary people and a much needed, but lone vacation.  Not the way the typical Leo wants to celebrate a birthday.  Nevertheless, my ducks are in a row for harvesting and I am ready for late summer, the season of Virgo. This week I officially start at National Integrated Health Associates, offering integrative bodywork, Pilates sessions and classes, while plans for moving to a new home (with enough space to house in-depth training programs and events and in support of my higher multi-dimensional healing work with animals and people) is in progress, plus I am giving an astrological presentation on September 23rd, the Autumnal Equinox on the Soul & the Signs of the Times (location to be announced soon--hopefully Unity in Gaithersburg!).

More posts to come with planetary insights for September.  For now, glad most everyone is okay from the immense shifts we are all going through, and I send love, light and prayers to those who have suffered or lost their lives from the wrath of Irene.

Tomorrow is the last day of August :(, so sad for Leo...even for this earthy mama!

Love to you all,
Wendy

Galvanizing the Boon

Many years ago I began a courageous journey, naive to what lay ahead, and the amount of consistent effort required to evolve with love and acceptance towards the continuous moments and events of my life.

Rather than stay stuck and stagnant, I stepped forward and stumbled.  This led me back to myself, to searching deeper into my inner world.  There I found desire, to discover what made me tick.  In my discovery, I found the language of mythology, astrology, and the heroine's journey.  These became my collaborative evolutionary tools (they are always cheering me on).

Now, twenty-two years later, Saturn, the planet linked to the heroine's journey, which galvanizes us into maturity, form, and responsible action, is making its way through the second quadrant of my chart, into my 5th house of creativity and children, slowly approaching my descendant.

I wonder what will my creative maturation bring to the world?

The final work is that of the return.  If the powers have blessed the hero[ine] [s]he now sets forth under their protection, if not, [s]he flees and is pursued [obstacles].  At the return threshold the transcendental powers must remain behind; the hero[ine] reemerges from the kingdom of dread.  The boon that [s]he brings restores the world.
~Joseph Campbell, The Hero's Journey

The heroine believes without the shadow of doubt that what she brings forth is for the greatest good.  She knows her work and her creations are restorative to the collective somehow, by igniting courage and heart in those that have gone astray or lost hope.  But, this idea, the heroine's journey, is but an ideal that can be usurped by the Virgonian-Scorpio mind (pulling the heroine away, obsessed with the perfection and the task, and over-thinking rather than being present and clear).  The way to actualize the ideal is through the use of discernment (and forgiveness of self and other), an imperative to staying the course, as distractions always come along.

Once on course, creative juices flow again.  Eventually, the heroine reaches the threshold, planetary transits clear away the illusory falsehoods within the psyche and life of the heroine, making way for the boon to come, if the soul's desire and requisite action (Mars=choices) to evolve is strong enough.

Whether the heroine improves the world in some minor or major way is not important.  The magnitude of her contribution comes as she births her creative voice and creative power.  If her mission is linked to her soul's evolutionary purpose, and she is dedicated to complete and utter soul-responsibility, she will succeed.

This is my creative mission now, as Saturn moves forth with its galvanizing force, to further prepare my creative boon to share with the world.

Thoughts for the journey along with way~

• Even in the midst of pain, resentment, and despair, one thing I know for sure, that which is projected outwards is a calling for internal acceptance, self-love, self-parenting, and the establishment of soul-responsibility.

• When we walk through the shadows and reach into the abyss, to face our darkest fears and enter "the dreaded cave", we most surely will find treasure.

• This is the work of Soul, to be responsible for ourselves and the birthing of a liberated new world--our personal and collective work over the next fifteen years as Pluto transits in Capricorn.

• What are you working with now?  What is calling to you most deeply?  Are you listening?

I am grateful to have learned from so many wonderful guides along the way, such as Clarissa Pinkola-Estes, Joesph Campbell, Carl Jung, Jeffrey Wolf Green, Louise Hay, and from the many and varied modalities of bodymind integration, and the many personal teachers who have graciously and willingly assisted me, including all my friends and evolutionary astrology soul family I have met on this journey.

Namaste~

A Good Time to Lay Low

This is a short piece to inform you of the extreme energy building beginning next week--a good time to lay low and focus on creativity and peace. 

Wow, the weather here in Washington, DC today (August 3rd) reflects Mars ingress into the sign of Cancer--the temperatures have cooled off  and water weighs heavily in the air. Normally this energy would chill everyone out, but the Moon in Libra squares Mars and tension is in the air.  Additionally Mars is the third planet this summer to activate the early degree cardinal grand cross.  By August 9th, Mars will oppose Pluto and square both Uranus and Saturn.  Whoa!!! this energy is loaded.  Grand crosses are a mixture of extreme conflicting aspects, heightened by the force of the outer planets, Uranus and Pluto.

Mars is all about instinct, drive, lust, competition, hunger and the brute strength to go for it.  Since Aries (Mars sign) comes after Pisces, the culminating sign of the wheel, it represents beginnings and its inherent vigor to sprout from a seedling and push up through cement if necessary to reach its goal.  We see this occur every spring.

This instinct in the sign of Cancer (emotional body of the ego), in square and opposition to the outer planets of deep metamorphosis and r-evolutionary change, is bound to set off collective emotional outrage, in action!!!  Hopefully no hideous Mars expressions will come forth.  Since Mars also makes trine aspects to Neptune and Chiron in Pisces and sextiles Mercury in Virgo, as it begins its retrograde passage into Leo, it is a great time to ride the waves of meditation and higher consciousness.  This energy is quite lovely in the midst of the grand cross.

Generally Mars wants to push forward in active participation, daring to fly where angels fear to tread. So it wouldn't surprise me if we see some direct attacks towards the powers that be and their mismanagement of funds (Cancer is conservative when it comes to money), while grace and love just may save the day.  It all depends on how conscious we are, personally and collectively.

The Cancer archetype seeks shelter-containment from the outer world, so it can nurture the emotional body of others and themselves, that is why it's the sign of Mother and home.  But, the shadow of Cancer wants to control others, keep them close to feed on them rather than take responsibility for its emotional need (possible imbalance) for security.  When the emotions are not managed consciously, our anger builds to hatred, etc.  Mars expressing unconscious emotions, can come out of nowhere in a passive aggressive immature way.

Being mindful, grounded, and deliberate now is important.  This grand cross symbolizes the collective energies we are all dealing with, and Mars adds emotional fuel that may very well be explosive and dangerous.

Bureaucratic-corporate deceit and corruption (Pluto in Capricorn)
The evolutionary impulse to liberate from those structures that no longer serve the Earth or the people (Uranus in Aries)
and, the call for balance (Saturn in Libra)

Mars rules war, aggression.  In opposition to Pluto and square Mars--it's a recipe for unexpected violence or volcanic activity.

August 10th carries a most extreme volatile energy because the moon conjuncts Pluto, influencing the nature of the grand cross in a depressive, fear-based moody cranky irritable kind of way.  Mars and the Moon in hard aspect (opposition) are not happy together, in fact if they are not consciously directed in a healthy outlet (dancing, painting) they implode or explode.

Have you ever had a Cancer or Capricorn person angry with you?  It's not a pretty picture.  Cancer's are moody, cranky, and can be vengeful and Capricorn energy is down right cruel and cold when operating from shadow.

These energies will be with us until August 25th when Mars makes its exact square to Saturn.

The more aware we are of our charts and how Mars ingress into Cancer directly impacts us the more conscious we can be of how to manage this energy, and its specific calling to us.

During this active grand cross-Mercury retrograde time it is best to finish projects you may have started in the past.  It may be a writing project (Mercury begins it retro time 1 Virgo-sign of the writer) you want to complete, or cleaning up some area of your life to make more room for your heart-centered self to come forth.

Collectively Mercury is representative of 'we the people', and is in a fire sign that lets out a loud roar when it's unhappy.  Conscious retrograde periods are times of reflection, renewal, regrouping, reconsideration, rest, relaxation.  The expression of unconscious Mercury retro can lead to miscommunication where the heart is concerned.  When Leo is misunderstood, it gets hurt easily, and can roar the almighty roar, so it's a good time to be mindful our of creative heart life and fuel it by telling ours hearts story.

Express yourself in a creative, fun way.  Connect with your inner child, be mindful of your relationships with the children in your life and express your feelings of love (Leo and Cancer), spend time connecting with your intuition and with what inspires you.  Be a shining expression of grounded mindful love and above all else lay low, this is not the normal Sun in Leo time.

For more about Mercury retro see the previous post.