First Quarter Moon: determined for success

Friday, October 19 (4:33 am edt) the Moon and Sun are exactly square, forming the First Quarter Moon.

The Moon is in Capricorn. The Sun is in Libra. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn; Libra is ruled by Venus. Again, we see Venus and Saturn making a connection.

So where are you? What have you learned that you can APPLY it effectively in the world to achieve goals? With Mercury Retrograde (at 5 Scorpio 36) at this First Quarter Moon, take the time to keep looking until you feel you've reached an honest assessment.

Saturn, ruler of the Capricorn Moon, has been conjunct Venus (ruler of the Libra Sun) in early Virgo and both Saturn and Venus are at the Mercury/Mars midpoint -- and making helpful sextiles to both Mercury and Mars. Do not underestimate the value of a good plan to achieve your desires. You may be feeling lots of determined, positive energy, but to be effective, you need to know what to DO with it. Saturn's energy is constricting, yet it guides by setting limits and creating boundaries so you can focus on what you WANT to do.

Before you can make decisions, you have to be clear. What DON'T you want? What DO you want?

Taking responsibility for your choices is daunting, but if you're NOT willing to take responsibility for the choices you make, or aware that you have a choice, you can find yourself manipulating others to take responsibility for your decisions. It's always someone else's fault. Realizing the serious weight of responsibility can be overwhelming. Yet, if you don't take it on, you can feel victimized because others are making the important decisions for you.

Making a commitment DOES restrict how much time and energy you can put into other things, yet by putting your attention on what you choose and select, Saturn's restrictions can be opportunities to concentrate, make progress, get closer to a goal, all themes of Saturn energy.

While Mercury is Retrograde and exactly sextile Saturn at the First Quarter Moon, you may reflect on your goals and get clear about the steps you need to take to achieve them. Information may be hidden and hard to access, especially until the Sun-Mercury conjunction at 0 Scorpio (on Oct 23), but don't let that stop you! After the Sun-Mercury conjunction (the "inferior" conjunction) you may be able to access deeper information than you have recently, IF you are ready to look behind the scenes, under the covers, and beyond what your ego wants you to acknowledge.

Message of the First Quarter Moon: this is THE perfect time to get organized. Sort it out, write it down, think it through, again. And if you're still not sure, there's something you're missing, so do it again.

Once you know what to do, there can be opportunities to move ahead, but the strong Venus influence of this chart reminds us that it helps to be KIND. Being considerate can persuade even the most sensitive or difficult person.

But what's the problem with pressing your point when you KNOW you are right? Aren't you justified??! Yes, if you want to spend your energy holding on to being right.

Why do we need to be RIGHT? To prove our self-worth. When you need to be right to prove your self-worth, or for you ego's sake, the message your are broadcasting -- to yourself and others -- is that you're only worth something IF you are right. Feeling and believing that "you're only worth something IF you are right" is a belief that leads to unhappiness and negative feelings about yourself that can radiate out and touch everyone and everything you contact. What if feeling worthless causes bad feelings-- not because it's true, but because it is NOT true. And spreading bad feelings makes it worse, and worse.... So why not spread good feelings, because you really ARE worthy. That would be a strong positive statement that would empower you, which also radiates and vibrates.

in Love&Light,
Lauren

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Making this workweek work

Continuing on with the Venus-Saturn conjunction theme, because the sky is not letting it drop...

Venus is quickly approaching the current Mercury-Mars trine by making a sextile to Mars and Retrograde Mercury (on Tuesday 10/16), while Retrograde Mercury and Mars form a perfect trine before dawn on Wednesday (10/17). With the Nodes, this forms a KITE formation, which is a Grand trine and a sextile to one of the points [Mars in Cancer trines North Node in Pisces trines Mercury in Scorpio and both Mars and Mercury sextile the Venus-SNode-Saturn conjunction in Virgo]. The KITE pattern is a symbol for supreme success. This is about figuring out the details for your greatest success.

You may see what you want, and you may want to go for it. Yet, making a decision can bring up endless details to figure out. If you allow that to change your mind or "awfulize" a situation until there is no way out, you can talk yourself into a negative spiral. This is about focusing on the positive by watching where you place your attention.

What about success and abundance challenges your beliefs about your routine and work?

How can you look at the feedback you're receiving to turn things around in your favor?

If something is in your way, talk it out, write it out, journal it out-- argue it out if you have to. And with the air cleared, you may be able to figure it out.

in Love&Light,
Lauren

Manifesting Love: the conjuntion of Venus and Saturn

Love is a teaching, and you're ready for the lesson.

Venus and Saturn are making a conjunction in early Virgo. What makes this reunion all the more powerful is that Venus Retrograde (this summer) gave us 3 Venus-Saturn conjunctions. This is the 3rd and last time.

A commitment you didn't feel ready, willing, or able to make earlier this Summer may seem like the right thing to do this Fall. It's a good time to get serious about a relationship.

The astrology books caution that Venus conjunct Saturn inhibits affection and can act as a barrier to love. Yet, committed relationships do create an exclusive club and form a barrier by their very nature. Yet, ongoing relationships can get an energy renewal [as Mercury and Mars form a trine to each other and sextiles to the Venus-Saturn conjunction]; guidance or reading can help you understand each other better so you can relate reasonably. When you approach a relationship as 2 people who are accountable for themselves AND responsible to the relationship, you can reach a renewed level of appreciation for the ongoing love you share-- no matter how you decide to proceed.

All relationships count, and business relationships can also mature now as you coordinate with a partner to plan for the future. Don't hideout-- get socially organized; work your social networks.

The conjunction of Venus and Saturn in Virgo can make learning more enjoyable, especially if it can help you to earn more from your profession. If there's a subject you're attracted to, take opportunities to learn in more depth. When you love your subject, even the most technical details are fascinating now.

If you can create a barrier to negative judgments, your passionate commitments can give you plenty of energy to enjoy an active and enlightening weekend.

Put feeling good first on your agenda and enjoy!

in Love&Light,
Lauren

ps, if you benefit from the free articles on this blog, let me know by buying my absolute favorite gift - an Amazon gift certificate. My email is lauren@artcharts.com Click Here! Thanks:-)

It's GO time. What's your plan?

Now that Mercury is in Scorpio and Mars is trine in Cancer, it's clear sailing!

And to make you even more productive, both Mercury and Mars are sextile Saturn.

Message:

There are A LOT of ideas flying around, many of them very energizing. But before you make a move, get grounded, have a direction, and plan well.

That means it's time to make a DECISION!

As you get clear about your goals, the next step will come into focus.

But before you can make a plan and move forward, you need to make a decision. And to honor the choices and commitments you make, you'll need to follow directions and take all the necessary steps.

Since both Mercury and Mars are close to Retrograde stations, the progress you make right now may not be immediately visible, but it is happening. You CAN make VERY real progress if TRUST your process and put your energy into what you KNOW is your path.

Trust your guidance-- and be prepared to do whatever it takes to make it real.

Once you KNOW your next step-- and you KNOW it because it ENERGIZES you-- the next few months are the perfect time to do more reading and research. Whatever you need to learn is there to access! You only need to make a commitment and stay focused.

Once you know WHAT to do, Saturn at the midpoint of Mercury/Mars advises us to get GROUNDED.

What are the details and exactly HOW will you proceed.

As the SUN trines Moon and Chiron forming a fast-moving GRAND TRINE, you can find on-going inspiration from a mentor and/or teacher.

Timing: this can be felt on a personal level from Sunday night through Tuesday as the Moon (personal feelings) contacts this configuration.

in Love&Light,
Lauren

ps. If you benefit from the free articles on this blog, let me know by buying my absolute favorite gift - an Amazon gift certificate. My email is lauren@artcharts.com Click Here! Thanks:-)

Obstacles, or steps to success?

On this Sun-Saturn conjunction in Leo, you can feel responsible and strong, serious and professional.

Are you working towards a goal? Are you succeeding? If not, why not? This is a good time to get clear about goals. (Saturn will enter Virgo September 2)

When you encounter obstacles to goals it can mean: 1- you need to change your goal, or 2- you need to improve your skills and find more creative ways to overcome blocks and start generating strength and success, even if you're not making big $, yet.

Get clear about your goal. Is it your goal, or is it something you think you "should" be doing. Should doesn't give you much energy or inspiration and makes everything more difficult and complicated to achieve.

Write it down. That makes it clear, which makes it more likely to become real.

If you are truly on the wrong path, be open to finding a better solution. There is more than one way to reach a goal. If you are a panic about not fulfilling a goal, remember that being overwhelmed does not help your creative problem-solving ability.

If doors continue to close, take a break. Do something for YOU. Take a walk, do something that inspires you, ask the right people for support or assistance. Wait until something in your best interests presents itself, and it will-- if you are open to it!

You have the power you need to create the life you want. Saturn is also trine Pluto, the aspect that saved the day for the financial markets last week. This is ultimate power and we each have it--- IF we think we do!


in Love&Light,
Lauren



ps. I love giving and I am open to receiving! If you benefit from the free articles on this blog, let me know by buying my absolute favorite gift - an Amazon gift certificate. My email is lauren@artcharts.com Click Here! thanks:-)

Good wishes meet resistance

When we send or receive good wishes, the very next thought is often: RESISTANCE.

We immediately start to think of all the REAL reasons our good wishes can't, shouldn't, won't come true. It's almost automatic, especially if we're on autopilot!

You may think that thinking well of yourself is not realistic and will only make you weak and self-satisfied. Yet, it is precisely this thought that keeps you stuck where you are.

Why is this theme so prevalent right now?

Because Saturn and the Sun are conjunct in late Leo. The Sun "rules" Leo. They are SOLAR archetypes-- how we shine and radiate our essential Self (Sun) has come under the scrutiny of Saturn (restrictions).

This week is also the time Venus becomes the Morning Star, called heliacal rising (rising before the Sun). This is a powerful moment in Mayan legend, when armies were sent marching, and the potential for the "gods" to go on a destructive rampage was almost guaranteed.

Jupiter and Mars are opposing (exact on Thursday, 8/23, but also strong and personal through the week as the Moon interacts, conjuncting Jupiter and opposing Mars on Tuesday, 8/21, increasing energy and enthusiasm, although a successful outcome may not manifest on command.

When you see someone doing something that interests you, that could be a sign -- this is something you can do, too. Instead of resenting the person or thinking there is a limited amount of space for all the people doing it successfully, try shifting your perspective to love and abundance and you can immediately realize -- "this could be something I'm good at too." Sure, you may not be a pro the first day, but education and practice and desire can change all that in a relatively short amount of time. To create something you want takes a commitment of time and money, but it is an investment in building your own future.

Resistance can also come through inflated expectations of others to always be perfect and to always meet our needs. That is not possible, so this actually keeps you feeling less-than, which feeds resentment. When you see someone doing something you think you can do better, do you get hyper critical of the person and look for reasons to invalidate their efforts? Insisting on perfection, yours or theirs, is a sure way to keep yourself apart from the abundance you would like in your life and is how many of us resist love and abundance when we do not feel ready or capable of taking on more responsibility.

So where are you right now in your ability to take on more responsibility?

As you journey towards reconnecting with self-love, remember we maintain our own limits and keep ourselves in a bind. We resist. Even if a solution is just a thought away! When we are overwhelmed thinking "I can't", we don't think beyond that point.

We think we can't afford something, yet the funds are right there! We say we don't have what we need, yet what we are being offered something that could help us out of a jam and into a more lucrative situation.

Can you give yourself enough self-acceptance to open a pathway to more love and abundance?

in Love&Light,
Lauren



If you benefit from the free articles on this blog, let me know by buying my absolute favorite gift - an Amazon gift certificate. My email is lauren@artcharts.com Click Here! thanks:-)

Focus

Mars, the ACTION planet, is in the hot seat.

Mars is exactly square Saturn Tuesday and is also square Neptune, creating a tense t-square that DEMANDS action while making it more difficult to TAKE action.

Outside, expect HOT weather. On the personal level, there is an opportunity to free up STUCK energy and start moving towards achieving your goals. How? FOCUS.

If your FOCUS is on what you see as problems and imperfections, that is what you will continue to get, and more of it. Goals will be more frustrating than motivating, and your resistance will keep things exactly the way they are, even if you SAY you want change.

If you can look at the world and the offerings presented to you as having the potential to change, inform, and emotionally uplift your psychological energy, you can move past limiting patterns and beliefs. If all you find are faults, you are meeting your own resistance to your own passions and motivation. You can't FOCUS on gratitude and appreciation when you are blaming and assigning guilt. And-- you can't feel guilt and blame when you are FOCUSing on your gratitude and appreciation.

If you let past events determine your future, you are likely to hold on to the same fear, guilt, and inhibitions that have always limited your actions. Despite WANTING better things in your life, you will continue to self-sabotage and not receive your dream life. If you can stand on your own and take action based on what YOU know is right-action, you can start to move forward. Otherwise, you can continue to seek support and continue to find fault in how it is given.

with Love&Light,
Lauren


If you like the free articles on this blog, let me know by buying my absolute favorite gift - an Amazon gift certificate. My email is lauren@artcharts.com Click Here! thanks so much:-)

Full Moon Awareness

The Full Moon is approaching and weather permitting, will be quite a show as the moon rises this evening.

Since i see astrology as energy, i have a few comments on the current state of energy.

Mars, the energy planet, is square Saturn, the cautious planet. This is a time when everything seems to get in your way of success. You may have spent considerable time and energy trying to make something criticism-proof, yet the responses you receive can be frustrating, non-existent, or even resentful.

Insisting that everything works according to your plan or schedule can create a one-way energy system. And the problem with that is that the energy cannot renew itself. It's a dead end. So you do a lot, but then the energy dries up and you wonder, why? what happened? Things may have seemed to be going great, but they were just going your way, and/or you did not create a path for the energy to flow back; receiving energy seems to be blocked or slowed way down.

How can you make this time less frustrating and more productive? Patience! And build a path for the energy to return. Let yourself receive positive energy, don't block it by feeling the frustration or thinking there's never enough. That's the old scare-city mentality. There IS enough, but you may need to accept building patiently now if you want to continue to be productive.


with Love&Light,
Lauren


If you like the free articles on this blog, let me know by buying my absolute favorite gift - an Amazon gift certificate. My email is lauren@artcharts.com Click Here! thanks so much:-)

Saturn opposes Neptune: when reality and illusion are revealed

Saturn and Neptune oppose on Monday, June 25, 2007. This transit has been in effect since August 31, 2006. This the 3rd and last time these outer planets will oppose. This is a powerful moment.

Where were you when the illusion hit the fan? When you realized just what society has done and the cost and the karma and the responsibility? This outer planet opposition can influence us on a cultural level more than on a personal level, so you may not feel personally responsible. What if each one of us DOES make a difference? Could you have done anything differently, if you had been aware that things were so critical. Would you have made different choices? Can you start now by becoming more aware of the choices that are on your plate RIGHT NOW? That is all that matters.

Any dissatisfaction and disillusion we feel now can be more directed at those in power, who are entrusted to do the greatest good for the public. Have they? As a society, we may feel more disillusioned than protected as Saturn and Neptune oppose. We may realize that trusting blindly may not be in our best interests. Our beliefs may be based on deceptons and illusions that are the exact OPPOSITE of the truth. Only blaming what's "out there" may not be as useful as being honest with yourself.

When this major aspect is in effect, we can act out unconscious feelings we thought we had left behind in a distant memory. We may feel someone is subtly trying to undermine our progress and blame them for any increased anxiety or lack of trust we may be feeling. Taking responsibility can mean facing fears we may not really want to face, so telling ourselves stories can seem preferable and more comforting. "It's just for now", we tell ourselves. To get past the fear and into a positive state of mind, you don't have to wait for the "tides to turn". You can start now by using your conscious mind to put yourself in a positive state of mind. Be willing to face whatever obstacles are in your path to achievement; be willing to make commitments; be honest in business, politics, and all professional exchanges.

How does your reality compare with what you imagined? Is the reality the same as the dream? If it's not, how can you take responsibility and create the reality you want to live. Not everything you think you want turns out to be what you imagined. And that can become especially apparent when Saturn opposes Neptune (once every 39 years).

"What you see is what you get. But it sure ain't what we need" David Byrne