Much of this week can revolve around our place in the world and our place vis-à-vis other significant people in our lives. How do we fit in? How do we stand out? What is expected of us? What are we willing to give of ourselves?

Relationship issues could dominate the week and we might have to balance our personal needs with those of someone else or the needs of other people. The balancing act can prove difficult, so we need to accept the fact that there could be wild swings in our interactions with our community.

The Leo Full Moon on Tuesday comes at the time of Saturn turning retrograde in the last degree of Libra. Saturn reaches the cusp of Libra – Scorpio but retreats back into Libra for its four and a half month retrograde cycle. Saturn has been transiting Libra for the past two plus years, a transit that asks us to address how we deal with other people, those significant relationships in our lives. With Libra representative of the ‘other’ in our lives, the complement to ourselves, many of us have been doing soul-searching regarding who we are in reflection to the important people in our lives, what we do and how we are defined.

With Saturn retrograde until the latter part of June, let’s also keep in mind that there can be greater delays and difficulties in getting things done. Saturn retrograde is akin to winter hibernation, for the attention is less on the external world and more on our internal world. Like nature in winter, we tend to go through a more inner focus.

Shortly after Saturn turns retrograde and the Leo Full Moon on Tuesday, Venus exits Pisces and enters Aries on Wednesday and conjuncts Uranus on Thursday.

Relationships can be highlighted, but the focus on relationships can be less about a balance of personal needs with those of someone else. Instead, everyone may become more self-centered, self-focused and self-absorbed. We might be far more interested in how relationships are impacting us and less considerate of how the relationship is impacting someone else.

This week could have us more infatuated with the new and the different, entertaining quirky characters as comic relief to our own day-in, day-out lives. If we have been feeling boxed in by our everyday life and our usual circle of friends, we might want a breakout period where we experiment with a new sense of our being. We might try different hairstyles, consider hip new wardrobes or just seek to do things differently. We may assume that the old is tired, even worn out, and we want something vibrant, exciting, enlivening, different.

This week is an exciting time, a week when we are looking at the people in our lives and what they mean to us and for us. We may broaden our social circle and incorporate some interesting new people who serve as a mirror for some of the changes we are looking to instill into our own lives.

Even though we may be in high gear this week, with significant braking action at times, let’s try to take some time to slow down and catch our breath.

Monday, February 6th – Tied Down, Breaking Free – Venus, Saturn, Uranus, Jupiter. We may awaken on this Monday with a sense of responsibilities hanging over our head. The feeling of what we need to do could be strong but so too our resentment towards what we have chosen to take on. The day begins with the Moon in Cancer trine Venus and square Saturn. Some of our obligations may be as a result of our willingness to help, which in hindsight now seems like getting entangled in other people’s messes. If we have committed to being the cosmic mother [no matter our gender], then let’s do what needs to be done without grousing or complaining. We might also assume that no matter what we do or how much we do, it is not enough for the other person. As the day progresses, the Moon exits Cancer and enters Leo, where it trines Uranus and squares Jupiter today. Once we have dealt with some emotional dramas, we can break free to do what we want to do, one part of which is standing out and not just fitting in. We could be looking for adventure with costs not a consideration. We do have to be wary that we don’t get carried away with our desire for freedom of movement or that we indulge our appetites to the extreme. This is a day of extremes, the beginning of the day our feeling possibly tied down by someone else’s stuff, the latter part of the day our breaking free and doing things spontaneously with little regard to cost.

Tuesday, February 7th – Turning Back – Leo Full Moon, Sun, Mercury, Saturn retrograde. Tuesday can be one intense day, a day when the spinmeisters can be out in full force, talking about future prospects, discounting real problems and creating an image of a wonderful world. Nirvana, at last. Or maybe not. This day is a Full Moon day with the Leo Moon opposed the Sun and opposed Mercury, at the time that the Sun and Mercury are conjunct. Saturn turns retrograde today and continues its retrograde cycle through the last degrees of Libra into June. What we see is not what we get, but the liability to grandstanding can be huge. Yes, the hucksters could be out in full force making promises that things are far better than we realize and far better than true reality. Significant issues can be kicked further down the road, problems swept under the rug as people try to paint things in a bright and rosy picture. While upbeat, optimistic attitudes are essential for positive circumstances, there is a point in which such exuberance and enthusiasm leads us down the yellow brick road of candyland, fantasyland and la-la-land. It may be fun to go there, but it would be wise to keep a grip on how things really are. There can be a slow down, with various braking actions and other people getting in our way. We might also feel that other people are acting as legends in their own mind. Even we could be susceptible to such a disposition. We do need to be careful that we do not step on other people’s toes. Each of us may be a little too self-involved, watching out for own self interests without taking into account how it impacts other people or whether our actions are in synch with the greater good.

Wednesday, February 8th – Me and Mine – Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Venus Aries. Wednesday begins with the Leo Moon sextile Saturn and opposed Neptune. We can certainly win people to our side by means of our performance [oops, should I write presentation?]. We could be a little smarmy today, seeking to gain adherents to our cause and support in regard to what we want to accomplish. Unfortunately, we could be so engrossed in our own plans, supported by the ‘yes’ people who are encouraging us on, that we don’t question or even clearly consider where we are marching off to. Are we the grand marshal of the lemming parade heading towards the cliffs? A sense of due diligence is called for today. Fortunately, the Moon exits Leo to enter Virgo where it trines Jupiter today. Even if we have to backtrack from boneheaded directions, let’s swallow our pride and consider in detail what we are doing and where we are going. While we might consider some purchases as necessary for our successful implementation of plans, we need to be certain that our plans are leading us in the right direction and that we are not like a dog chasing its tail, going around in circles, enamored with ourselves. This Wednesday also has Venus exiting Pisces and entering Aries, a Sign where Venus is not comfortable. Much of our compassion and emotional excesses of the past three weeks can drop away. We become less interested in other people’s needs and more concerned with the idea of ‘what about me?’ With Venus in Aries and Saturn retrograding in Libra, we might lose the lesson of what and how we should interact with other people. On the contrary, we might be far more focused on how other people interact with us and what they can provide us. While we might have been going out of our way for other people, we now become ever more attentive to the idea of: ‘what have you done for me lately?’ Self-absorption, self-focus and self-centeredness can be the order of the day, as we become less interested in ‘you’, ‘we’, ‘us’ and more interested in ‘me’ and ‘mine’.

Thursday, February 9th – Infatuations & Distractions – Pluto, Venus, Uranus. Thursday continues with the Moon’s transit of Virgo and today the Moon trines Pluto. Venus, which entered Aries yesterday, conjuncts Uranus today. The energies are quite different but could be used to our advantage if we don’t veer too far off track. On the one hand, we can be incredibly resourceful and expeditious in getting things done. We can accomplish a great deal and move ever closer to the realization of our hopes and dreams. We just need to prioritize and not get overly distracted by thrilling possibilities that could arise unexpectedly. We may want to do what we want to do but let’s not take our eye off the ball. Some connections today could prove serendipitous and may open new doors for us. There can be infatuations that entice us to be impulsive, to step away from our responsibilities and engage the new and the different. We might easily get distracted and diverted from our plans to explore something more exciting. It would be great if we could balance the unique and innovative into our course of action.

Friday, February 10th – Battle of Wills – Mars, Moon Void-of-Course, Uranus, Venus. Late Thursday, early Friday the Moon finishes its transit of Virgo with a conjunction to Mars. We could be scurrying around, taking care of this, attending to that. We may concentrate on the details and the specifics, although we could lose sight of the big picture and forget some of the unexpected scenarios that might have opened to us yesterday. The Moon then goes Void-of-Course for over fourteen and a half hours making no further connections to the planets as it finishes its transit of Virgo and before entering Libra. The energy dies down for much of this day. As the Moon enters Libra, the Moon opposes both Uranus and Venus in Aries. We may find ourselves having to put our own personal interests on the back burner as other people need our attention. Funnily enough, we may be in a more considerate attitude, more concerned with other people and we might negate our own interests. We do have to avoid a battle of wills, a tug-of-war between what we might want and what someone else might want. One of us could be more adventuresome, in a risk-taking mode, while the other person could be more complacent, seeking the easy way out.

Saturday, February 11th – Back in the Sauce – Pluto. We may have our schedule set for this Saturday, and it might be one with a long list of errands. The Libra Moon today squares Pluto. Some of our ‘to do’ list could be more associated with situations that are important to someone else and not that significant for us. Let’s be careful not to get entangled in other people’s messy situations that have little chance of positive outcomes but more likely could be crazy-making. We have to watch that we are not involving ourselves with prima donnas, those people who are self-involved, temperamental and have little consideration for our wishes. They may be far more engaged with the drama than a resolution. We could find ourselves taking care of other people’s desires but with a sense that enough is never enough. If we can do the tai chi moves and wiggle out of obligations that we know to be an oncoming train wreck, we might save ourselves from a great deal of grief. Should we encounter any blockages, it would be wise for us to stop and then step around them.

Sunday, February 12th – It’s a Beautiful Day – Saturn, Sun, Mercury, Neptune. If we were able to sidestep landmines and explosions in our interactions with other people over the past few days, then this Sunday could offer some wonderful get-togethers. The day continues with the Moon in Libra which today conjuncts Saturn and trines all three transiting Aquarius planets — the Sun, Mercury, Neptune. While relationship issues could have been somewhat weighty over the past few days with liabilities to tug-of-war interchanges, this Sunday allows for upbeat and scintillating exchanges. Whether on the phone or in person, our time with other people can be brief but also great fun. We may be like a butterfly today, flying from flower to flower, alighting briefly, engaging in fun repartee and then flying off to the next person for a lively and enjoyable time. If we do not allow any one person to monopolize our time, we can cover many bases today. Any relationship issues can be smoothed over. Our thoughts can turn to future plans, all the while putting present problems aside. Yes, this Sunday can be a beautiful day, good times with good friends and discussing exciting prospects. They say that Sunday is a day of rest, but this Sunday could be a more restoring and re-invigorating day shared with someone special or various special people.

For this week is the last full week of Saturn direct and before Saturn turns retrograde a week on Tuesday. Saturn retrograde often ties in with the energy of the Winter, a time when nature turns inward and much of our energy is focused internally. Things may take longer, frustrations are likely and delays with brakes sometimes applied being a constant reminder of the need to re-evaluate and re-work.

This week also has the Moon’s movement through Taurus, Gemini and Cancer. As the Moon transits Taurus Monday into Wednesday, the Moon creates a Grand Trine in the Earth Element, linking up all three Signs of the Earth Element and allowing us to be practical, productive and focused on mundane affairs. As the Moon transits Gemini on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the Moon creates a Grand Trine in the Air Element, linking up all three Signs of the Air Element and providing us with the communication skills and varied interests to address friends, contacts and other relationships in which we can share ideas and offer suggestions.

This week also has Neptune changing Signs, exiting Aquarius and moving into its own Sign of Pisces which Neptune will transit for the next fourteen years. A new day is dawning, a spiritual renaissance being offered us but also with moments of doubt and confusion. We are on the threshold of a paradigm shift, a time when that which was valid and true may no longer be, a time when the ways things worked effectively once might only be handicaps to our forward movement. Although we can have times of confusion, I always say that confusion is the starting point of wisdom. For confusion breaks down the rigidity and fixity of our assumed opinions and forces us to be open to possibilities and understandings that we might have been closed off to previously.

This is a dynamic week and a time when we can accomplish much. The wind is to our backs, but it would be wise to work with the energies and concentrate on the particular influences on these different days.

Monday, January 30th – No Running – Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Mercury, Pluto, Sun. Monday begins with the Moon ending its transit of Aries and in so doing the Moon opposes Saturn and sextiles Neptune. We may have great plans for this day, but our schedule could be impacted by other people’s needs. Although we might want to run ahead today and implement some of our plans for the future, this day is better spent focusing on what needs to be done on a pragmatic, mundane level. The Moon moves into Taurus where the Moon conjuncts Jupiter, squares both Mercury and the Sun, and trines Pluto. Although we could get easily distracted by the noise of potentials and possibilities, let’s not get diverted from putting one foot in front of the other and taking care of business and dealing with our daily responsibilities. Today is a day when we can put things in their right place and present the package in the most appealing form. If we would concentrate on our daily tasks, we could be highly effective and expeditious in getting things done. Other people may want our attention and even for us to play ‘hooky’ today, but if we go there we lose a marvelous opportunity to address our basic needs and take care of our usual responsibilities.

Tuesday, January 31st – Picking Up Speed – Venus, Mars. Tuesday continues with the Moon transiting Taurus and today the Moon sextiles Venus and trines Mars. If we were not waylaid by friends and distractions yesterday but actually focused on our tasks at hand, we could continue with our highly effective and productive means to accomplish a great deal. We can prioritize and concentrate on the specifics and the particulars. We are unlikely to drop a stitch today but rather utilize due diligence, all the while that we are making it look easy. Structural changes, format modifications and any retooling can be done quickly and efficiently. Monday and Tuesday this week can have us getting more done in a shorter period of time than usual. We just have to avoid those desires to be elsewhere, doing some thing else, and daydreaming about what could be instead of dealing with what is. We take care of what is and we lay the groundwork to be able to spend time on the whats could be.

Wednesday, February 1st – In a Spin, Loving the Spin I’m In – Venus, Mars, Neptune, Uranus. In 1958, Louis Prima and Keely Smith had a Number 1 charting song that became a classic, ‘That Ol’ Black Magic’, in which the lyrics went: ‘In a spin lovin’ the spin I’m in’. This Wednesday, which is the first day of February, could have us feeling in a spin and possibly loving it. The day begins with the Moon in Taurus and square Neptune. The Moon then moves into Gemini where it sextiles Uranus. This day also has Venus opposed Mars. We might start the day looking to do certain things, but an element of confusion or distraction can get in the way of the implementation of our plans. We could also be enticed to spend frivolously, so it would be wise for us to keep a rein on our wallet or pocketbook. The potential for confusion and lack of clarity could be strong, and we might easily fall into the trap that things will occur whether we are involved directly or serve merely as passive participants. We could easily gloss over details, assuming that everything will just neatly fall into its right place. We are not interested in being harnessed today. On the contrary, we would far prefer to be out and about, being spontaneous with a liability towards being impulsive. Maybe we have had nose to grindstone over the past two days. And if in deed we have accomplished a great deal, then the latter part of this day could see us taking some time off, doing our own thing and exploring areas and interests that are new to us. We like things fast and furious today and are awaiting any new surprises that could come our way. Due diligence might go by the wayside, for we are far more interested in picking up the pace, juggling a number of things and not feeling constricted by what we might assume needs to be done.

Thursday, February 2nd – Limitless Possibilities – Mercury, Sun. Thursday continues with the Gemini Moon, which today trines both Mercury and the Sun in Aquarius. With the Moon in Gemini, we have the Grand Trine in Air with the Moon triggering today two of the three planets in Aquarius, tomorrow the third planet in Aquarius and late on Friday, early Saturday the planet in Libra. We can deal with a vast amount of information today. We can juggle any number of things, just as long as we keep up the pace and not try to be too attentive to the specifics of any one thing. We are far more interested in what the future holds than our present day reality. We may spend time on this Thursday discussing with friends and anyone open to hearing what we have to say. The gift of gab is strong today and people can use it to the extreme. Conversations may be longer and jump with non-sequiturs from one thing to another to another. With some people, we might need a roadmap of their thoughts and ideas as each of us may shift quickly from one topic to another. Many of our conversations today can revolve around possibilities, prospects, potentials, our desires and what we wish for our future. This can be an uplifting day when we draw from a very broad palette. We do have to take things with a grain of salt, for the power of persuasion could be far stronger than the reality behind the presentation. Let’s enjoy our mental meanderings through the realm of limitless possibilities but not assume that there is much substance behind what is being told us or even what we might be considering.

Friday, February 3rd – High Anxiety – Lunar T-Square, Mars, Venus, Neptune Pisces. Friday could have us running around but possibly more like a chicken with its head cut off rather than in a rhythmic and focused manner. We could be all over the place today and not merely physically but emotionally as well. The Gemini Moon today creates a Mutable Sign T-Square as the Moon squares Mars in Virgo and squares Venus in Pisces. Adding to the confusion, Neptune exits Aquarius to enter its own Sign of Pisces until 2026. Welcome to high anxiety, whereby we could be cast in the role of savior, and also martyr, and possibly with the shift between the two in a nanosecond. This is a day when the spinmeisters may be out in full force, tugging at people’s heart strings, making all sorts of baseless promises and enlisting pretty pictures that only play to fantasy and illusion. We need to take everything with a boulder of salt, not accept anything at face value and not be seduced by images or promises or appearances. What we see is probably not what we get today. This day could be crazy-making, if we get caught up in the whirlwind of nervous energy. Let’s try to maintain our balance, stay grounded and not jump to conclusions. By the end of the day we could be quite exhausted with all the running around and the whipsaws of emotions we might have been subjected to.

Saturday, February 4th – Resolutions and Limitations – Lunar Grand Trine, Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Lunar T-Square, Uranus, Pluto. While Friday could have been crazy-making with all sorts of misunderstandings, screw-ups and even panic attacks, late Friday, early Saturday allows us to smooth things over, get back into our body and be a little clearer about what is really going on. Finishing its transit of Gemini, the Moon creates an Air Grand Trine with the Moon trine Saturn and trine Neptune. The fog may lift and we can be more attuned to what is really going on. If we stepped on toes on Friday, we can make amends today. The air can be cleared and we can resolve differences. While resolutions can be happy-making, the energy shifts dramatically as the Moon enters Cancer, sextiles Jupiter and the Moon creates a T-Square in the Cardinal Signs with the Moon square Uranus and the Moon opposed Pluto. We may have a great deal placed on our plate today. Some of the stuff we have to deal with may not be of our making, but our compassion and consideration can get us entangled in caretaking, co-dependency and being the cosmic mother [no matter our gender]. Some of our own interests might have to be put on the back burner as unexpected situations arise demanding our attention, and old issues, that we might have thought resolved, call for a look see and further work to bring them to conclusion. By the end of the day we could be worn out and fortunately tomorrow might prove to be less energetic and consequently a day for rest.

Sunday, February 5th – Slow going – Mars. After a fairly hectic week and especially a fairly frenetic Friday and Saturday, Sunday seems a day to take it easy and go slow. The Moon continues its transit of Cancer and sextiles Mars today. We may want to stay around home base, possibly take care of some of our household projects and not feel like we have to make an impression on the world, much less enter the fray of the hurly-burly world beyond our four walls. After a week when we could have been fairly productive, entertained a variety of ideas and possibilities and engaged in some wild swings of emotion and frantic activity, this Sunday may be a good day to take as a day of rest with brief spurts of energy now and them to deal with home projects, household chores and family matters.

Under the signature of the Aquarius New Moon, this week and fortnight period allow us to put some of our hopes and wishes into motion. The changes we may have envisioned can take greater hold. It is essential that we keep in mind that every journey begins with a first step. As we take our steps into our future, we must keep in mind that our path is not necessarily a greased wheels straight line from the launch time to completion, but can take on all the aspects of a long and winding road. Our energy may flag at times and our confidence might waver. If we would see delays and frustrations, the twists and turns convoluting a straight-line trajectory as but a tempering and honing process, we could recognize that our projects may need re-evaluating and reworking as we go along.

This week allows us to consider our plans, question our destiny and take initiatory action.

The early part of the week can have us in a celebratory mood. We all need some good news and what better news than the Chinese New Year of the black water dragon? Yippee! I know I’m excited for some good news and what better than the potential of an auspicious year ahead.

We may choose to get together with friends, do something different and step off the proverbial track to explore and investigate possibilities. Although our focus could be more on our future than our present day responsibilities, we could be flagging a little, our energy drained as the anxieties and concerns we’ve been dealing with catch up with us and the reserve of adrenaline that we may have been running on comes up empty.

During the week we can have fits and starts of energy, times when we have a great deal of energy and can be highly active, other times when we can hardly lift a fork to our lips.

The latter part of the week and over the weekend can have us caroming between our responsibilities and our desires for something new. Our commitments to someone can tether us to obligations and tasks we need to perform before we can break away and explore the possibilities of our future. In a desire to put our own imprint upon our life’s conditions, we have to be wary not to be over-expansive or assume that we can have it all. These times ask, even demand, that we be resourceful, put something aside for future contingencies and not fall into the trap of assuming that everything is now coming up roses. Let’s keep our finances in mind, utilize a best practices approach and always be aware and mindful.

Monday, January 23rd – Let the Games Begin – Mercury, Mars, Uranus, Jupiter, Aquarius Lunation, Sun, Mars retrograde. Monday starts the week with us in high gear. And why not? We are moving into the Chinese New Year of the black water dragon with the Aquarius New Moon, late on Sunday, early Monday. This Moon Sun conjunction also has the Moon sextile Uranus and square Jupiter. Even if we discount the idea of the Chinese New Year and the auspicious nature of the dragon, we are still focused on creating good times for ourselves by concentrating on our future prospects and seeking to bring change into our lives. And the change we are looking for are changes that allow us greater freedom of movement, more autonomy and the opportunity to be our individual selves. Where a problem could arise is that we could buy into a concept that whatever we want we can get. There is the liability today of being extravagant and expanding beyond our reach. Fortunately, Mercury trines Mars, and we can develop a best practices approach by which we can create a strategic plan with specific details to accomplish our goals effectively without excess expenditure. Mars also turns retrograde and our physical energy can wane. It would be wise for us to maintain, or engage, a good health regimen, since we may be feeling exhausted and worn down. We have all been through the wars these past few years, and it may have taken a toll on us. We don’t want to spend the winter in sick mode so let’s work with the volatility of these times — go forward with our projects and activities when we have the green light and stop to recharge ourselves when we have the red light.

Tuesday, January 24th – Dreaming of the Good Times. After a sprint out of the starting gate yesterday to start the week, this Tuesday slows to a crawl. The Moon continues its transit of Aquarius but makes no connections to the planets today. Added to this lack of energy is the lack of energy we might feel as a result of Mars having turned retrograde yesterday. We might feel as though the wind has been knocked out of our sails. We may be lethargic, unable to proceed quickly with all that we have on our plate. On the contrary, we would prefer to get lost in dreamtime, the reveries of what could be, who we could be and how we could be. Today is a good day for our mind to wander, to get lost in the realm of infinite possibilities. Getting together with friends today can be both a pleasurable time and moments of bouncing off ideas of what we might wish to engage as far as our future plans. Let’s keep in mind that in this paradigm shift from linear, sequential reality into the synchronistic, asequential reality that I often refer to as the magical, mystery tour, there is a collapse of time space co-ordinates when every thing — past, present, future — are all in the NOW. We know that our thoughts can impact our future. If we will focus on the positive and life-affirming thoughts today, we are seeding our consciousness of wondrous possibilities that can conceivably come true, no matter how impossible they might seem.

Wednesday, January 25th – Moving Right Along – Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Pluto. Wednesday begins with the Moon finishing its transit of Aquarius. As it does so, the Moon trines Saturn and conjuncts Neptune. We may be appreciative of the people in our lives and even feel as though they are providing us clues and insights into where we are going with our lives. Like a scavenger hunt, these times provide clues as to what our next steps might be and what our future trajectory could become. We just have to be aware and mindful of the signals along the way. Other people can provide an objective and detached perspective regarding some of the activities we are involved with. As the day progresses, the Moon exits Aquarius and enters Pisces where the Moon sextiles Jupiter and sextiles Pluto. We can feel imbued with manifest destiny, a sense that we are being guided by an inner knowing towards what is truly meant for us during our life journey. No matter what the apparent obstacles might seem like, we are confident that we can meet any challenge in an expeditious and resourceful manner. This is a day when we can put our spirit into action, optimistic about our path and able to focus on the most important aspects of our lives.

Thursday, January 26th – Moody or Picky – Venus, Mars. Thursday has the Moon in Pisces conjunct Venus and opposed Mars. Our compassion for the plight of other people can get in our way today as we look to do the right thing. We could be highly emotional today and easily played upon. Our desire to be of assistance might have us entangled in someone’s mess, especially if we react hastily without considering the source and their agenda. Some people are attached to their drama and unwilling to let it go no matter how much we try to extricate them from their problems. We may find ourselves flipping between the martyr – savior syndrome today. We are incredibly sensitive today, and our moods can swing from the upbeat to the depressed. While we might choose to be of service to someone today, we do have to avoid self-sacrifice. There is a jaded, but often true saying that states: ‘no good deed goes unpunished’. We could bear the scars of such a statement today. If we do feel that we are being taken advantage of, then our desire to help can shift into a nasty resentment. Let’s find the balance between what we can do for someone else and what we need to leave to their own devices. We all have our own individual challenges and tests, and it is through meeting those challenges and passing those tests that we grow stronger in character, in wisdom and in our understanding.

Friday, January 27th – Getting Unstuck – Mercury, Saturn, Uranus, Mercury Aquarius. Friday could continue with some of the messes we might have stepped in as a result of maudlin sentimentality or misplaced compassion yesterday. The day begins with Mercury, finishing its transit of Capricorn, square Saturn. We may have made certain commitments yesterday that come back to haunt us today. Although we are looking to help out someone with some of their imposing matters, we may feel the weight of our sincerity and our offer to help like a ten ton wrecking ball. Instead of grousing about our good nature and it having been taken advantage of, let’s do what needs to be done and then divest ourselves of any further obligations. There are times when assistance to other people can be a bottomless pit with their needs always unfulfilled and their attitude being one of ‘what have you done for me lately’. While this day could begin with us feeling under the thumb of someone else, we may not stay in that mindset or sense of responsibility for too long. For this day has energy configurations that are of two totally different dispositions. We begin with the Mercury square Saturn and the Moon finishing its transit of Pisces. Yes, we might have agreed to do certain things out of the goodness of our heart but that now we have come to resent. Let’s avoid beating ourselves up about it and instead just do what needs to be done. The day shifts dramatically, as Mercury exits Capricorn to enter Aquarius thereby creating a Stellium of three or more planets in Aquarius as Mercury joins the Sun and Neptune in the Fixed Air Sign. The Moon exits Pisces and enters Aries where it sextiles Mercury and conjuncts Uranus. Taking care of our responsibilities and other people’s needs can then change drastically as we shift our focus to what we want to do and the changes we want to make in our lives. We become more attentive to unexpected opportunities that could open the door to inspired and uplifting future projects.

Saturday, January 28th – Going for the Gold but Sparing No Expense – Sun, Pluto, Mercury, Uranus, Jupiter. Having gotten a second wind yesterday, this Saturday could have us in sprint mode pushing our future interests but perhaps more out of impulse than reasoned thought. Today the Aries Moon sextiles the Sun but squares Pluto. Mercury, just having entered Aquarius, sextiles Uranus but squares Jupiter. We may be feeling our oats today, ready to take on the world and put our imprint and mark upon it. While such an attitude is commendable, we may not engage a best practices approach. On the contrary, we might go for the gold, pushing ahead with our personal interests that lay the groundwork for future goals, but without due consideration of the costs involved. We could easily wrack up some significant expenses today as we seek to get the tools necessary for the development of our plans. Although we can be insightful today, we may be running more on adrenaline and on our hopes and wishes rather than reasoned thought and well-considered strategies. Let’s try to slow things down, keep to a budget and give consideration to the most expeditious ways by which we can attain our dreams. We may promise too much today based more upon our confidence and optimism than the true reality of the situation. If we can harness the energy, not be a law unto ourselves, and be open to receive the serendipity of unexpected variables developing to assist in the realization of our hopes and wishes, then things can go fairly smoothly. We need to keep in mind during these times of paradigm shift that the universe works and that our sense, or even need, of control over situations has to give way to us being co-creators with the synchronicity of the universe in working towards the accomplishment of our intentions.

Sunday, January 29th – A Day of Rest in the 21st Century. Sunday has the Moon in Aries but with no connections to the planets. There is not a great deal of energy today to move things forward. This could be a day of rest but perhaps not the most relaxing. We are not interested in lazing around today but instead would like to be on the go. We might choose to get out of Dodge today, take a drive into unfamiliar terrain and just spread our wings and soar on the air currents of exploration and investigation. No demands are likely to be engaged today, no matter what other people might want or what our pressing needs might be. This is a day for us to take off, broaden our interests, recharge our batteries and expand our scope. Rest and relaxation in the 21st century may be more along the lines of searching out good times and enjoying the freedom to just ‘be’. By getting off the track today, we can reinvigorate ourselves and recharge our batteries. En joy!

While much of our energy at the beginning of the week might be focused on sorting through things and throwing things out, we have the opportunity to clean up our space by clearing out the extraneous. Our desire to disentangle ourselves by doing a huge new year clear out can then provide room for new interests and expanding our activities in the mid-part of the week. We may want to engage new involvements but we are also likely to be looking to engage a new modus operandi — seeking to be highly effective with less expenditure of energy and scraping the barnacles and dysfunctional from our trajectory. Getting out of Dodge in order to have a fresh perspective in evaluating the possibilities of our new participations could also give us a sense of enthusiasm and exuberance as to where we choose to go rather than being saddled with where we have been.

The end of the week and the weekend could have us putting our spirit into action. We may take some of our new ideas and some of our thoughts of expanding our activities and start to blueprint a best practices approach as to how to get from where we are to where we want to go, all the while being certain not to be overly encumbered by the past or by our obligations. We can strategize and plan and discover how truly resourceful we can be.

Monday, January 16th – Too Much or Too Little – Sun, Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Venus. There are times when we lose the balance between doing too much and doing too little. There is a fine line between service and self-sacrifice. And this Monday could prove something of a balancing act in that regard. The day begins with the Moon continuing its transit of Libra and the Moon square the Sun, conjunct Saturn and trine Neptune. We may have certain loose ends to tie up as we start the week, and some of these loose ends might not be so much of our making as much as other people’s issues. The sense of obligation could weigh heavily on us. If we will do what needs to be done without grousing but rather with attentive concentration, we can take care of outstanding matters and win some praise for our efforts in the end. Once we have addressed basic responsibilities and someone else’s needs, we can then move ahead in considering future plans. We are likely to have a supporter of our new interests and involvements, but the question as to how we do things will be a central issue. Do we do too much or do we do too little? The question arises as the Moon moves into Scorpio where it opposes Jupiter and trines Venus. We could either be indulgent and extravagant with our resources or we might hold tight with our resources. The balancing act is engaged, but it would be wise to keep in mind that balancing is an action of gradations between two polarities until we find the mean. And so it could be for us today. On the one hand, we might want to eliminate the dross from our lives. But on the other hand, we may not want to feel as though naked unto the world and in reaction we could take on more than would be appropriate. Eventually, we shall find the mean, the perfect medium, but in the process we can swing between doing too much and doing too little.

Tuesday, January 17th – Perfect Honing – Pluto, Mercury. Tuesday can be one of those primo days when we don’t miss a beat but are micro-focused with every step we take being essential to the process. The Scorpio Moon today sextiles both Pluto and Mercury in Capricorn. Nothing is wasted today. We have the ability to strategize, to effectively plan by taking into account both the big picture and the specific details along the way. This is a day when we could virtually move mountains. We may hold our cards close to our chest and do things without necessarily giving commentary along the way. We are not interested in diversions or distractions today. We are passionate about what we are doing, and we can devise a best practices approach from getting from the abstract of concept through the steps of execution to successful completion and manifestation of our goals. Yes, we could be driven today and it would be wise for no one to get in our way, for we might be like a steamroller intent on where we are going, willing to roll over anything and everything in our way and unconcerned about what we have to do in order to achieve our plans. Our discussions can be to the point and without much decorum. This is not a day when we are censored by the niceties. We see where we want to go and we are determined to get there in the quickest and shortest ways possible.

Wednesday, January 18th – Pushing Through to the Promised Land – Mars, Sun, Neptune, Uranus. Wednesday begins with the Moon finishing its transit of Scorpio and as it does so, the Moon sextiles Mars and sextiles the Sun and squares Neptune. We can continue with our honing, tempering and making room for the new while we eliminate outstanding matters of the old. We might also be champing at the bit wanting to get on with new interests, new activities and consider what’s next for us. There is a wise and true saying that states: ‘the cup must be emptied before it can be filled’. We may still have some clean up and clear out to do, but we are likely to be growing tired of dealing with our messes and itching to get on with new areas of involvement. We just have to watch that we are not looking to re-create our past. Whenever we go through significant changes, past patterns and old scenarios often show up in disguise to see if we have really made significant changes to our attitudes and intentions or if we are going to fall back into the complacency of discontent and just repeat the past under the guise of different parameters. As the day proceeds, the Moon moves into Sagittarius and we may feel as though we have gotten a second wind. Just so long as we don’t get fixated or rigid on what we want to do and how we want to do it now that we have created space for new activities, we could have some wonderful surprises, doors opening that we might not even have imagined possible for ourselves. Let’s keep in mind that these times call for us to let go of our sense of total control over conditions and circumstances in order to be open to the synchronicity and serendipity of these times when things can come up from out of the blue. The Moon trines Uranus and unexpected surprises could offer us a new direction and greater autonomy in our actions. We have to be free to explore and investigate possibilities and options that may be more in keeping with where we want to go and not back into where we have been.

Thursday, January 19th – Blown Out – Venus, Sun, Saturn. Too much of a good thing can just be too much. This Thursday continues with the Sagittarius Moon, which today squares Venus. The Sun squares Saturn. We may have bitten off more than we can chew in our enthusiastic rage to expand and broaden our interests. And we might have neglected our responsibilities to someone else. Today, our energy may flag as if we feel blown out from all that we explored and discovered yesterday. We could feel like a bungee jumper snapped back to close to where we were. We might also experience some naysayers, those parade rainers who want to burst our balloon of exciting new opportunities and get us back in line with their definition of who we are. While we might have to step back and address old patterns or our obligations, let’s not allow anyone to dissuade us from our adventures into the unknown, into our future. It is important for us to keep in mind that trajectories nowadays are no longer straight lines [as if they ever were] but more zig-zags with various twists and turns as we proceed along our journey. There are times when we have to go back in order to move forward. This Thursday could be one of those days when past situations confront us and demand that we resolve certain matters before moving forward. Let’s deal with our tasks at hand with the recognition that once resolved we can move forward into the new terrain unencumbered by old baggage.

Friday, January 20th – Smoothing Things Out – Mars, Venus, Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter, Sun Aquarius. Friday has the Sagittarius Moon square Mars, sextile Saturn and sextile Neptune. Venus sextiles Pluto. And the Sun exits Capricorn to enter Aquarius. We may have a great deal on our plate today. Our schedule can be packed with things we need to do. Let’s just be careful not to skim over details or neglect important particulars in anything we do today. While we might have various tasks to address, this day is also an important day for us to address any interpersonal conflicts, whether those disagreements are overt or simmering below the surface. We can have some good heart-to-heart discussions today and resolve various issues with other people. We can be compassionate and caring and even uplifting to those people that may feel down. The Sun exits Capricorn to enter Aquarius. We might feel enticed to focus on friendships and contacts, especially with those people who are marching to the beat of their own drum. We are not interested in shallow or superficial people, except for some amusement. We want our connections to be deep and meaningful and to be full of character. As the day progresses, the Moon moves into Capricorn where it squares Uranus and trines Jupiter. Although we might be far more interested in doing our thing, being spontaneous and impulsive, we could accomplish some of our objectives by enlisting our recent enthusiasm and confidence and putting spirit into action. We are moving into a weekend when we might be dealing with errands, taking care of business and dealing with practical matters. We have a game plan and are ready to engage it.

Saturday, January 21st – A Little of This, A Little of That – Pluto, Venus, Sun, Uranus. Saturday can be a time when we accomplish a great deal with some interludes of fun adventures. The Capricorn Moon today conjuncts Pluto and sextiles Venus. We can be expeditious and effective in getting things done. The more we can accomplish earlier in the day, the more time later in the day we shall have to do things that allow us to try out new interests or participate in new activities. We have a ‘get it done’ kind of attitude today. Not only can we deal with what we need to do, but we might also be able to help those who cannot help themselves. Our organizational abilities today can be superlative as we look to put everything in its right place. People will be surprised at how accomplished we seem. Not only can we do what we need to do but we can also be productive in getting other people to attend to their responsibilities as well. We just have to be careful not to get enmeshed in other people’s issues, especially if they are attached to their drama. Today is a day for us to see where we can be effective and where we have to step away. The Sun, just having entered Aquarius, sextiles Aquarius-ruler Uranus today. Once we have taken care of our responsibilities, we may want to engage the quirky and the different, whether those involvements are with people who are characters or activities we have yet to explore.

Sunday, January 22nd – Eyes Bigger Than… – Sun, Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Saturn. Sunday can be one of those days when our eyes could prove to be bigger than our stomach. Our appetites, and especially a desire to savor the unique and uncharacteristic, can be strong on this Sunday as the Sun squares Jupiter. We have to watch our expenses today, for we could easily buy into images and appearances and presentations without considering the fundamentals, the basics or the substance. Let’s keep a rein on our finances since the liability to be generous to a fault could prove strong today. Fortunately, much of the day has the Capricorn Moon which today conjuncts Mercury, trines Mars and squares Saturn. Due diligence would allow us to focus our energies on the meaningful and activities that have some purpose rather than wasting our time on the irrelevant and dysfunctional. We do have to avoid not getting entangled by someone else’s needs. People could play the guilt card and we have to restrain our idealistic qualities whereby we accept the belief that ‘there but for the grace of god go I’. Although it may sound jaded and harsh, the balance point between service and self-sacrifice can often prove a delicate mean. There are times when engagement in other people’s issues can be more a detriment than a service to them, as we start messing with their karma. Let’s be supportive of other people’s challenges but not get in their way of successfully resolving them.

We begin the week with a high level of energy. While we might believe that we have a great deal on our plate to contend with, we are not shy about adding more on to our ‘to do’ list. We are looking to stand out and whatever can get us in the public spotlight we are likely to engage.

Although we may have to do a balancing act as we start the week, balancing family matters with daily responsibilities, we could feel up to the challenge. We are looking to be in charge of situations this week and not overly interested in playing second fiddle or being tripped up by someone else’s demands.

The energy this week can have some peaks and dips. At times, we could feel as though we are at the top of our game, able to bend conditions to our will. Other times, we might feel as though we are behind the eight ball, impacted by the vagaries of these times and by other people’s needs.

Let’s keep in mind the tai chi moves this week, aware of the energies operating and working in concert with them. We could take on a great deal this week, commit through a sense of omnipotence and assume that whatever we want to achieve we can easily achieve. And there is some truth to that.

The beginning of the week can have us feeling at the top of our game, and the latter part of the week can have us utilizing a best practices approach and dealing with specifics in an expeditious manner.

The weekend may have us far more concerned with other people’s interests rather than our own. Our compassion is engaged and we might go out of our way to help someone who needs our assistance.

All in all, this week has a wide variation, with us looking at our own personal goals, taking care of business and then addressing the desires of someone special to us.

Largely a pleasurable week, this week continues with a sense of volatility and wavelike motions. If we are aware of the wave and mindful as to how best to ride the wave, we can feel invigorated, confident of our abilities and win people to our side.

Monday, January 9th – Balancing the Personal and the Professional – Cancer Full Moon, Sun, Mars, Saturn. Sunday evening, early Monday morning has the Cancer Full Moon with the Moon in Cancer opposed the Sun in Capricorn. We may be very emotional as we start this week. We are being asked to find the median between our personal lives and our professional lives. We may feel as though we have so much on our plate that we cannot truly attend to our personal interests and needs. If we don’t find a happy medium between our personal and professional lives, then we could find that whatever we are neglecting becomes a sore point and will later demand attention and remedy. After the Full Moon, the Moon then goes on to sextile Mars and square Saturn today. We may feel driven to get things done, but we do have to avoid stepping on someone’s toes. We could be impelled by our emotions to deal with situations, but we have to be certain that we are addressing situations in a focused, methodical manner and not only from emotion. The potential for losing it today and feeling victimized by someone’s cavalier attitude cannot be discounted. This is a day when we need to slow things down, not react to things said or done without taking the time to evaluate and consider the factors involved. If someone does something that upsets us, let’s not react immediately but rather respond once we have considered the source and their agenda.

Tuesday, January 10th – Shifting Gears – Jupiter, Uranus. Yesterday could have had us on full tilt, especially if we were being driven by our emotions. We might have felt like either savior or martyr yesterday. This Tuesday is a different story. The Moon is in Leo where it squares Jupiter and trines Uranus. We might be a little too self-focused today, looking to be a law unto ourselves and not terribly interested in how our decisions and our actions are impacting other people. The day begins with a thrust of energy and a liability towards excess and extravagance. As though to make ourselves feel good, we could go on a shopping spree, a buying binge. Although we might get a momentary exhilaration from our indulgences, our exuberance might be short-lived, our incurred financial debt long-term. We may be champing at the bit today to do something different, to engage fun activities and even shirk some of our daily responsibilities. It would seem important that we participate in some new interest or activity in order to get our energy out and feel as though we were in control of our own lives. If we do not have a diversion to vent our desire for freedom and self-actualization, we could wind up spinning our wheels and not accomplishing a great deal. This Tuesday is a day for us to feel like we are important, that we are able to express our talents and that we are appreciated for the efforts we make. After an initial pop of energy to begin this day, and probably the last unwinding of yesterday’s intensity, the energy today drops off and continues in a less energetic manner through tomorrow. We may want to just enjoy ourselves and not feel pushed or pulled by either our demands on our self or the expectations of other people. We are shifting gears and looking for some fun activities without having to prove ourselves.

Wednesday, January 11th – Reveries and Visions. The Moon in Leo makes no connections to the planets today. There is not a great deal of energy, so we might as well take this day as a ‘mental health’ day. No matter what our schedule is for the day, this day is best served by our reflecting on where we are and by our considering where we want to go. We might even feel as though we are contemplating James Thurber’s character in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, seeing our lives as being possibly far more adventuresome than they actually are. This day is the 11th, a master number in numerology, indicative of the visionary. If we embrace the master number concept, then we can give thought to how we can engage our creativity, stand out by the expression of our own unique talents, and develop a game plan to get from where we are to where we might prefer to be. If we don’t engage the 11 but bring the day down to the 2, then like Mitty we might feel that our true reality world is one of being dominated and impinged upon by things beyond our self — other people, our responsibilities, the definition of ourselves based upon conditioning and experience. This Wednesday is a day to clearly differentiate between who we are and what we do. Let’s look for the joy, the pleasurable and the entertaining today, and not only as observers but also engaged as participants.

Thursday, January 12th – Pulling Rabbits Out of Hats – Venus, Saturn, Neptune, Lunar Grand Trine, Jupiter, Mercury, Pluto, Sun, Mars. Thursday begins the day with the Leo Moon opposed Venus, sextile Saturn and opposed Neptune. We may have to pick and choose those areas that we wish to develop more fully and disregard other areas that are only illusions and would take us down the garden path to nowhere. Our selections could be assisted by the input of someone we trust, someone with a detached and objective viewpoint who can make us see what is truly fulfilling for ourselves and at the same time what is within practical realization. As the day progresses, the Moon moves into Virgo and triggers the Earth Grand Trine, which has been operational since mid-November. The Moon trines Jupiter in Taurus and the Moon trines both Mercury and Pluto in Capricorn. Adding to the earthiness and practicality of this day, the Sun in Capricorn trines Mars in Virgo. This day can be highly productive. We can get a great deal done. We might have to spend a little but we are also likely to be resourceful, get the best deal and streamline our operations. No fluff or distractions for us today as we focus our intent on accomplishing both our tasks at hand and laying down the foundation stones for some of the goals we have thought about yesterday. This is a primo day. We are operating on all eight cylinders, can put the pedal to the medal and can be effective and expeditious in all that we do. If we shirked some of our responsibilities earlier this week, this Thursday and Friday allow us to get more done than our normal pace.

Friday, January 13th – Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? – Venus, Saturn, Mercury, Pluto, Neptune, Mars, Sun. Although many people quake and suffer from triskaidekaphobia, the fear of the 13th, in numerology thirteen is considered the number of transformation, the realized individual. And this Friday the 13th could actually spell some very interesting, focused, yet otherworldly feelings and sensations. On this Friday, Mercury conjuncts Pluto with both in Capricorn and provides a laser-like vision to cut to the core and to be aware of the basic fundamentals of any situation. Our discussions may be to the point and exceptionally incisive. Today, Venus in Aquarius also conjuncts Neptune in Aquarius and trines Saturn in Libra, just before Venus moves into Pisces tomorrow. Our interactions with other people can be close to idyllic and we may find that we have an ardent supporter of not only what we are doing but also, and more importantly, who we are. Adding to all this good stuff, the Virgo Moon also contributes to greased wheels and fast-paced energy, while never missing a beat, with the Virgo Moon conjunct Mars and the Moon trine the Sun. Thursday and Friday are primo days of incredible effectiveness and high productivity. We can be attentive to the most important aspects of our lives and virtually able to move mountains today. Let’s not let this energy of these two days pass us by without us making some significant advances in our projects, both intended plans of new projects and our daily responsibilities. Instead of wondering ‘who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?’, we could be saying ‘how could it get any better than this?’

Saturday, January 14th – The Push Pulls of Other People’s Interests – Lunar T-Square, Uranus, Pluto, Venus Pisces, Venus, Jupiter. Saturday has Venus moving into Pisces and the Moon moving into Libra. The Moon in Libra today creates a Cardinal Sign T-Square with the Moon opposed Uranus in Aries and square Pluto in Capricorn. Venus in Pisces sextiles Jupiter in Taurus. We may be far more compassionate and interested in other people’s needs instead of our own needs and desires. Nice concept, right? Well, it could be, if the balance isn’t lost. If we have felt that we have been a little too self-focused, the pendulum could swing and we could become incredibly generous, accommodating and even capitulating to other people’s wishes. If we give a little, someone might want a lot. Although today we might engage the thought ‘there but for the grace of god go I’, it is also important that we keep in mind that each of us has their own individual pathway to walk and along that individual pathway we all, each of us, at some time or another have our own cross to bear. Compassion, caring and wanting to help other people are great qualities but carried to an extreme they could also wind up messing with someone else’s karma, their challenges and the need for them to be accountable and responsible for their actions and their circumstances. I know it may sound harsh but there are times when trying to help someone we actually impede their progress and their evolution. This Saturday could prove an excellent heads-up, or whack on the side of the head, in regard to our interactions with someone. We might be generous to a fault, which could raise the specter of resentment in the other person. We may be overly accommodating, fixing something for someone else and in the process taking away their opportunity to develop another tool to their skill set. This Saturday it would be wise for us to rein in our emotions, to be of service without falling into self-sacrifice and to seek the balance between our personal desires and the wishes of someone else.

Sunday, January 15th – Rest Time – Mercury. Sunday doesn’t have a great deal of energy. The Libra Moon squares Mercury and that’s about it. We might want to take some ‘time out’ today, relax, recharge and ready ourselves for the week ahead. Discussions with other people might prove a little prickly, especially if we or someone else are pushing opinions, judgments and personal perspectives. We might have various things that need to be done, but we are more likely to put them to one side today and not engage them. We may be feeling a little wiped out and it wouldn’t be surprising considering the whipsaws of energies, with intense energies followed by little energy and then back again, that much of this week was like. We all need some down time and this Sunday would be a good day for us to laze around, not feel obligated to do anything specific, even plans already committed to, and just enjoy ourselves. Every now and then, each of us does need a day of rest. Here’s one!

While the concept of beginning, middle and end is an old paradigm mindset, let’s engage the belief that this week allows us to start over.

With a heavy emphasis upon an Earth Element Grand Trine, we can be pragmatic and practical this week. We might consider certain purchases that would alleviate some of our stresses by streamlining our operations. We could be motivated to upgrade our computer software, invest in time-saving equipment and even consider a best practices approach to our daily routine by cutting away some of the needless distractions and diversions that we might have put up with previously.

As the week progresses, our intention to focus solely on the truly meaningful could become a little cloudy and our old tendencies to take on more and involve ourselves with greater participations might surface and have us engaging more, more, more. If we can change the ‘how’ of how we do things and be more effective with less expenditure of energy, then we could in deed juggle a variety of activities without getting ensnared by any one thing or dropping the ball by our sense of overload.

We may feel that variety is the spice of life and seek out during the latter part of the week varied activities and explore new interests we might want to fully engage further down the road.

The weekend can have us wanting to stay by the home fires, enjoying the comforts of home and catching up with those people that we were unable to connect with over the holidays.

This is a week when we may feel the need to line our ducks up in a row, attend to various matters, both personal and professional, and ready ourselves for a successful and self-fulfilling year ahead.

Monday, January 2nd – Fast Out of the Gate – Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter. Monday begins with the Moon finishing its transit of Aries and in so doing opposes Saturn and sextiles Neptune. We may be champing at the bit, wanting to initiate some of our plans for the new year but feeling a little crimped by someone else’s expectations or demands. We might have the sense that someone is less an advocate of our intentions and more an impediment to our moving ahead. Although there could be delays and frustrations, let’s avoid any blow-ups with other people. The more we recognize that timing is everything and that we might not be able to move forward as fast as we would like, then we can cool our jets and not get overly annoyed by someone’s slower pace or dysfunctionality. In fact, the slower pace could allow us to hone our intentions and focus on our future goals, all the while devising a best practices approach. As the day progresses, the Moon exits Aries and enters Taurus where the Moon conjuncts Jupiter and over the next two days triggers the Earth Grand Trine. This Monday could have us feeling like the story of the tortoise and the hare. We might want to be hare-like but forced to be tortoise-like and the slower pace could actually win the race for us. Yes, timing is everything and sometimes delays and frustrations work to our advantage.

Tuesday, January 3rd – Focused Intent – Pluto, Sun. Tuesday allows us to put spirit into action. The Taurus Moon trines both Pluto in Capricorn and the Sun in Capricorn. We may feel as though we are plodding along today, but our concentration is highly attuned and we are focusing solely on the most important and the most meaningful. We may be interested in making certain purchases that could help us in achieving some of our goals. We are certainly looking at a best practices approach and building our projects with a solid base and strong foundation. We are not interested in the decorative or the superfluous. We want to be lean and mean in the ways we do things and concentrate on those things that will give greater purpose to our lives. This early part of the week can be highly productive. We may feel as though we have greased wheels as we accomplish one thing after another, all leading to the realization of our greatest hopes and wishes.

Wednesday, January 4th – Bumps Along the Way – Venus, Mars. Wednesday continues with the Taurus Moon which today squares Venus but also trines Mars as part of the Earth Grand Trine. As we may be feeling highly effective and productive and have proven so over the past two days, we might allow ourselves certain indulgences today. We could easily go on something of a bender, looking to buy things that make us feel good about ourselves, no expense spared. If we are not diverted by our focus but engage brief respites of extravagances, we could quickly achieve some of our plans. We all like treats and may remember the proverb: ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’. We all need a break from our nose to grindstone and today we might take a break from our scheduled activities to enjoy ourselves. Once we have gifted ourselves with a little indulgence, we can get back on track and focus on what needs to be done.

Thursday, January 5th – Exploring All Options – Neptune, Uranus. Late Wednesday, early Thursday finishes the Moon’s transit of Taurus and as it does so, the Moon squares Neptune. We might question whether we have gotten off track. We may have been so micro-focused that we lost sight of the big picture. We could even wonder whether our plans and intentions are leading us in the right direction. The beauty of these times is the fact that we no longer have to do it all. The universe often steps in and provides alternatives that we might never have considered. And so it is on this Thursday, for as the Moon exits Taurus to enter Gemini, the Moon sextiles Uranus. Suddenly, we may have a broad palette of options from which to draw upon. We might not be interested in committing to any one thing but rather in sampling the myriad of possibilities. Things can come out of the blue and we might feel as though we have wandered into a smorgasbord of tantalizing delights. This is a day for having patience with the realization that sometimes good things happen to those who wait. Even if we have scheduled commitments, the latter part of the day may have us acting impulsively, negating our plans and doing things spontaneously and being very much in the moment.

Friday, January 6th –Hitching a Ride – Venus, Mars. Friday continues with the Moon in Gemini, which today has the Moon trine Venus and the Moon square Mars. We might be far more interested in social get-togethers rather than dealing with our responsibilities. We could easily embrace the T.G.I.F. [thank goodness it’s Friday] mentality and start our weekend early. We are likely to gloss over our tasks, postpone some of our ‘to do’ list and instead engage with friends and companions in discussions about the ‘what could bes’. Our concern lies less with our daily mundane routine and far more with our possibilities and our prospects. We may be looking to the distant horizon rather than the steps right in front of us. If we are trying to accomplish our normal tasks, it would be wise for us to pay attention and not let our minds drift into future worlds.

Saturday, January 7th – Reaching Out Far and Wide – Mercury, Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus. Saturday is an action-packed day. Mercury in Sagittarius sextiles Saturn in Libra and sextiles Neptune in Aquarius. The day begins with the Moon still in Gemini and today the Moon trines Saturn, trines Neptune and opposes Mercury. This day has the gift of gab — a lot of discussions, conversations, or people just running off at the mouth. On a positive level, this day allows us to discuss lofty thoughts in an upbeat manner and may open the door for contacts with people far and wide. We may be in hyperdrive today, trying to accomplish as much as possible, all the while juggling a number of activities and involvements. If we could start the day planning our course of action and all the various things we wish to accomplish, we could speed through various errands, all the while having time to chat up friends and loved ones. The latter part of the day has the Moon moving into Cancer where it sextiles Jupiter and squares Uranus. Perhaps one of our New Year’s resolutions is to add a little flair and make some changes to our home décor. We could certainly be spending time fixing things up around our home base or making purchases that spice up our lives. This could be a fun-filled day when we have nary a care in the world. We are feeling too exuberant to let any little thing get us down, but it would be wise to keep a rein on our financial expenditures.

Sunday, January 8th – Practical Implementations – Pluto, Mercury Capricorn, Jupiter, Uranus. Late Saturday, early Sunday has Mercury exiting Sagittarius and entering Capricorn. Not only is the Earth Element Grand Trine reinforced, but Mercury coming into Capricorn creates a Stellium of three or more planets in the Cardinal Earth Sign as Mercury joins the Sun and Pluto in Capricorn. We also have the Cancer Moon opposed Pluto and Mercury in Capricorn trine Jupiter and square Uranus. At the end of the day, early Monday there is the Cancer Full Moon. The balance between our personal lives and our daily involvements needs to find a proper medium. We may be so focused on our goals and our ambitions that we are not giving enough time to taking care of our personal selves. Yes, the economy is rough and the job market tough and more is expected of each of us to increase our productivity. But we have to ask ourselves: ‘at what cost?’ Are we spending so much time on our responsibilities and what we need to do that we are sacrificing our personal well-being? Is society presently in gerbil on the wheel mode whereby we are afraid to step off the fast track in case we can never get back on? While this Sunday allows us to strategize and consider a best practices approach, part of our thought processes needs to encompass how we can be more productive and more effective in a streamlined manner. There are only 24 hours in a day and working 24/7 is a prescription for burnout. Let’s be pragamatic and practical in our approach and realize that the paradigm shift talks about us being co-creators and being open to the gifts presented to us by the universe — qualitative time more than quantitative time, technological tools that increase productivity, working smarter rather than harder.

As though unable to break the frantic mode, the week begins with us having to deal with obligations we might not have taken care of earlier in the holiday season. There could be yet another wave of holiday shopping and returns to start the week. But we are also looking for variety and seeking ways by which we can do something other than our usual routine.

As the week progresses, we are not looking to push ourselves. We are still in holiday mode, interested in touching base with friends near and far. We may be far more interested in good times and future plans than dealing with our daily responsibilities. Can we consider this week to be a hiatus week? Certainly it is a hiatus from the year we are ending and the year we are just about to start. And we may use this sense of hiatus to enjoy ourselves, take time out from our normal activities and slow things down.

The energy ratchets up as we move towards the weekend and New Year’s Eve on Saturday. We may be making our resolutions, seriously considering those areas we want to be rid of in the new year and even doing a bit of cleaning up and clearing out baggage that we do not want to bring into 2012.

The energy could prove a little frenetic as we approach the new year. Is it that we have all gotten conditioned into the new reality of overload and overwhelm? Are we all so engrossed in more, more, more that we take on so many scheduling events that we are running from one thing to another to yet another without a moment to breathe, much less assess matters and do things in a methodical, focused manner?

The ball drops on New Year’s Eve signaling the new year of 2012, with us all ready to step forward into a new realm, new territories and a new sense of our own being, all with a focus on our own personal interests. Let’s just try and avoid being so self-absorbed that we don’t see that we are stepping on other people’s toes and that we have become so self-centered to be boorish.

We end the week with a New Year just begun, although endings and beginnings are more a mindset of the old paradigm, the new paradigm speaking to continual process.

Monday, December 26th – Another Manic Monday – Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus. As though any relief over the weekend had been a momentary hiccup, we start this week off and running, again. The day begins with the Capricorn Moon square Saturn. We might have a large ‘to do’ list of items and activities that we intended to accomplish earlier but just didn’t get around to. We may feel our obligations weighing heavily on our shoulders. Whether we go out shopping for that gift we didn’t get or we stand in returns lines to bring back items that we would never use, we may be out and about attending to the necessities of this holiday season. As the day progresses, the Moon moves out of Capricorn and enters Aquarius where the Moon today squares Jupiter and sextiles Uranus. A little indulgence could be called for and, called for or not, we might find ourselves spending too much on either items that we wanted but didn’t receive during the holiday gift-giving or taking time to have a relaxed lunch with someone we haven’t gotten together with earlier in the holiday season. While the day begins with our sense of tasks and responsibilities, we move into a more adventuresome time as we seek to do the unusual, the unfamiliar and step off the track of our normalcy.

Tuesday, December 27th – Good Feelings – Venus, Mercury. Tuesday continues with the Aquarius Moon, which today conjuncts Venus and sextiles Mercury. As though the harried nature of the holidays has suddenly dropped away, this Tuesday can be an especially pleasant day. We may feel upbeat, consider getting out of Dodge and just luxuriating with that special person, or people, in our lives. This Tuesday can be a ‘feel good’ day. We are not looking to set the world on fire or to expend too much energy. We might enjoy moments with people discussing future plans and possibilities that are enlivening and engaging. We certainly are interested in getting off the track, whether we do so literally by getting out of town or do so figuratively as we engage thoughts of prospects and good times rather than our usual, daily grind. This day is a primo day without much exertion and few demands. And even if other people have expectations of us, we do not feel the need to measure up to their standards. A highly pleasant day, this Tuesday allows us to catch our breath, recharge our batteries and enjoy ourselves.

Wednesday, December 28th – Reveries and Indulgences – Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter. Wednesday continues with the feel good energies of yesterday. These two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, could be close to idyllic, especially if we are able to get off the fast track and just enjoy ourselves. Today the Moon continues through Aquarius and trines Saturn and conjuncts Neptune. Connections with those special people in our lives can be heart-warming and enlivening. We may feel the comfort and nurture of our interactions with that special person in our lives or with those friends that are more like real family than our original family members. There is a soul connection to this day in our interaction with other people. We are especially appreciative of the people that sparkle in our lives. We may be lost in our reveries of those lovely memories of significant times with those special people that have met us along the pathway of our life’s journey. Later in the day, the Moon exits Aquarius and enters Pisces where it sextiles Jupiter. Still feeling good about things, we could become a little indulgent and extravagant, eating or drinking too much and with a tendency to overspend. There is a saying, one often discounted in our material society but true nonetheless, which states: ‘the best things in life are free’.

Thursday, December 29th – Self-Examinations – Sun, Pluto. Thursday is a day when we may feel as though we need to take a very close look at who we are, what we are doing and where we are going. The Sun conjuncts Pluto and the Pisces Moon adds to this energy configuration with the Moon sextile Pluto and sextile the Sun. This is a day of intense self-examination, a day when we want to pierce the veil of maya, dispel the illusions about our lives and get back to the bedrock of our being. Who are we? What are we doing with our lives? And why are we doing what we are doing? Are we fulfilling the true purpose of our lives? Do our involvements have true meaning? Or have we merely bought into the whos, whats and whys of societal conditioning? This day can bring up a lot of questions, all focused on greater self-discovery. We may consider what we need to be rid of in the year[s] ahead, and we might give thought to resolutions regarding disengaging from the old and the outmoded in order to make room for the new and the more appropriate. Let’s keep in mind that the universe does not like a vacuum, and that there are times when the cup must be emptied in order to be filled. This period also could see some celebrated people leaving the world stage. Certainly with the Plutonian energy engaged, this time of year of ‘out with the old, in with the new’ is highly accentuated.

Friday, December 30th – Back on the Fast Track – Lunar T-Square, Mercury, Mars. Friday could have us back on the fast track, possibly preparing for the New Year’s Eve celebrations or just getting ramped up again as the social media turns up the volume and the rhythm. This Friday has the Pisces Moon creating a Mutable Sign T-Square as the Moon squares Mercury and opposes Mars. We might be in something of a dither today, feeling like we need to get a lot done, going hither and yon, but possibly not accomplishing much. And whatever we do accomplish, we could easily skirt over particular issues and important details. We may have too much on our plate, committed to doing too many things, all with the idea that the fast and furious is the modus operandi for the New Year’s celebrations. Aaargh! Although earlier this week we might have been truly enjoying a sense of downtime and being in the moment, we now seem to realign ourselves with the intensity and excitement [?] of these times. It may seem as though everyone is once again racing around, and possibly with nowhere really to go, but just caught up in the pace like lemmings on parade heading for the cliffs in a race.

Saturday, December 31st – Can’t Get There From Here – Uranus, Pluto. This Saturday has the Moon moving into Aries where it conjuncts Uranus and squares Pluto. Although it’s New Year’s Eve and we may have made our plans weeks, even months, ago for this New Year’s Eve celebrations, now that we have come to the event we might question whether we really want to engage what we have committed ourselves to. We may be feeling a little feisty today, on the one hand wanting to do our own thing, but on the other hand feeling tied down by our previous commitments. The sense of being in the moment could aggravate us when we realize that we are programmed to make plans far ahead of the actual event in order to assure ourselves a place at the table. And when the event actually arrives, we might decide we don’t even want to sit at that table. We could be in a bit of a pickle today, but if we do have this conundrum of what we want to do now versus what we committed to back when, let’s use it as a recognition that these times speak more to spur-of-the-moment decisions whereby we can embrace the synchronicity and serendipity of the paradigm shift, also known as ‘being in the moment’.

Sunday, January 1st – A New Day Dawning – Mercury, Mars, Sun, Venus. This Sunday begins the New Year of 2012, an auspicious year which some claim will herald a transformation in consciousness but a foreboding year that others claim to be the apocalyptic end of the world. Anyway you slice it, today is the first day of 2012. This day begins the new year with Mercury square Mars and the Aries Moon square the Sun, sextile Venus and trine Mercury. Our focus may be more on the new and not necessarily on outstanding matters or old baggage that we might have brought into this new year. No, although it would have been wise for us to clean up issues more associated with our past, we might have brought them with us in crossing into 2012. No worries though, we are not considering them today. On the contrary, we are far more engaged in what we want to do and we are giving little thought to the mechanics or the means by which to accomplish our plans. This is a day when we feel as though we are starting new, kind of like a total do over of our lives, creating a blank slate on which to draw, although there could be heavy markings from our past that we are neglecting and avoiding to see. It would be wise for us to start the new year in a go slow manner, but that too is rather unlikely. We may feel that we want to be fast out of the gate, that our impulse and projection can take us where we need to go without us having to engage due diligence, strategize, plan or consider our itinerary and our direction. No, on this first day of the year we might be leaping and not looking. Oh, well, it is a so-called new beginning, even if the paradigm shift has moved away from beginnings, middles and ends and transformed into continual unfolding process and processes. Happy New Year! [he writes with a twinkle].

This Christmas week will also be replete with Dickens’ concept of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol as we visit incidents, connections and circumstances of our past, our present and our future — all in the NOW. We may feel in a whipsaw of emotions as we reconnect with our past, yet look enticingly towards our future. While we may feel obligated, even restricted, by elements of our past, we could also use such feelings as an indication of some of the changes we have gone through on an internal level.

Let’s keep in mind that everything begins in the abstract with the concept, the intention, the impulse. Eventually, force takes form, the internal manifests on the external. And so it is for us leading up to Christmas. We may revisit the ghosts of our past, yet long for the externalized change of our future. Duties and responsibilities could be foremost in our mind as we pay deference to our past and to connections that are more social obligations than desired interactions. But any reconnections may provide us a mirror to see where we are now versus where we have been.

Christmas week with the beginning of Hanukkah is a busy week with two Sign changes as Venus enters Aquarius on Tuesday, also the beginning of Hanukkah, and the Winter Solstice on the 21st-22nd as the Sun enters Capricorn. We also have Jupiter turning direct on Sunday, Christmas Day.

No matter what our religious or philosophical beliefs may be, this week can be a deep, internalized soul-searching week during which we may choose to brighten our own light and pursue our greater en-lightenment. We can dedicate ourselves to grow and develop our spiritual side, all the while balancing the spiritual with the material. Or to put it more glibly, we can have our feet firmly planted on the ground taking care of our material needs while we have our head in the clouds with our intent on our spiritual evolvement.

The Winter Solstice is indicative in the Northern Latitudes of the birth of the Sun, for this day is the day of greatest darkness before the Sun moves north increasing daylight, day by day increasing in light until we get to the Summer Solstice towards the end of June. This birth of the Sun is also symbolized in Christian theology with the birth of Jesus, the birth of the Son of God.

For each of us, the Winter Solstice speaks to a birthing period, although we tend to see the celebration of the New Year as being the time of ‘out with the old, in with the new’. A ritual, gesture or acknowledgment at the time of the Winter Solstice is also a way for us to spiritually engage our own rebirthing, our birthing anew, which is especially punctuated during this time of paradigm shift.

While change is definitely in play, it would also be wise for us to realize that things can change in a nanosecond. Even our plans can go awry, due to unexpected variables. This is a time for us to be nimble and quick and to always check and recheck the parameters, the conditions and the circumstances in which we find ourselves moving. And, of course, it is essential for us to embrace a new way of being — accepting ourselves as co-creators with the universe unfolding and letting go of our sense of control over all situations, our belief that we alone can make things happen. Liberating in deed but also possibly scary as we let go the reins of our assumed control and acknowledge the magic of being open and receptive to the natural unfolding with its moments of serendipity and its incidents of synchronicity.

It’s an energetic week, and one when we may question whether we are coming or going but obviously knowing that we are in swift movement.

Monday, December 19th – Old Friends – Sun, Saturn. Monday begins the week with the Moon in Libra and the Sagittarius Sun sextile Saturn. Our focus today may be associated with the significant people who are, and have been, in our lives. We might find ourselves calling people up, dropping emails to friends with whom we have not been in contact for a while, or writing holiday notes to reconnect with friends and loved ones. Lunch or dinner with important companions can add some sparkle to our day and to our season. All of us have been through the mill figuratively, dealing with the harsh realities of transformation with its releases, eliminations, losses and letting go. We may not be fully aware of what our next steps might be or where they may lead us, but today we can take time to reach out and show our appreciation to those special people who have joined us along our journey through this life experience. This holiday season allows a deepening of our thoughts and our sensibilities. We can step away from the harness of our daily obligations and engage instead the wonder of life experience with its sparkling incidents and its enlivening interpersonal connections. Every now and then, it is important that we take a ‘time out’, reflect on where we have been and consider the possibilities for our future. Today is one of those days to take time and take into account all that has gone on in our lives and how the events have shaped us in preparation for our future.

Tuesday, December 20th – Demands and Obligations – Sun, Neptune, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto. Like a roller coaster, yesterday may have been more of a coast and today more of an uphill climb. This Tuesday is a high energy day. The Sun sextiles Neptune, and Venus entering Aquarius squares Jupiter. The day begins with the Libra Moon conjunct Saturn, sextile the Sun, trine Neptune and square Venus, while Venus is still in Capricorn. As if the clock is ticking down, we may feel that we have a great deal to do in order to complete our preparations for the holiday celebrations. Unfortunately, the celebrations may seem daunting as far as the tasks, obligations and expectations that we are placing upon ourselves, or other people are placing on us. Like a Hallmark holiday, sometimes holidays come with a long list of ‘to do’ and the spirit of the holiday becomes consumed in the rigid format of how the holiday is to be expressed. This Tuesday could have us running around, possibly overspending, even trying to do too much. The potential for excess today cannot be discounted. We might be so involved in overdrive that we forget to budget or keep tabs on what we are doing. Venus enters Aquarius today and suddenly we might assume that we have to be the Sandy Claus to all and sundry. As the Moon moves into Scorpio, the Moon opposes Jupiter and sextiles Pluto. If we will take the time to check our list of ‘to do’, be selective in prioritizing the most important tasks at hand and maintain a tight rein on our expenditures of time, effort and monies; then we can be highly resourceful and fully effective. We just need to slow down, not buy into the holiday frenzy and recognize that whatever we give to other people is not based on their expectations but rather comes from our heart. Today at sunset also begins the eight days of Hanukkah, ‘the festival of lights’ in Judaism that celebrates dedication through both faith and action to the pursuit of high religious and human ideals. Happy Hanukkah!

Wednesday, December 21st – New Doors Opening – Venus, Uranus, Mars. Wednesday has the Scorpio Moon sextile Mars and Venus, just having entered Aquarius, sextile Uranus. We can be highly effective today. We are not interested in the superfluous or the extraneous but want to concentrate our resources on the most essential tasks at hand. This is also a day when serendipity and synchronicity are at play. Like a scavenger hunt, we may get various clues along the way during this Wednesday. We could bump into some interesting contacts and connections. We might realize options and alternatives for ourselves that truly speak to us. This is a day for us to marshal our resources but to also work with peripheral vision. The more we can have free time to take advantage of options that we might not be aware of, the more we can engage some wonderful surprises. This Wednesday is a day to keep one foot on our present trajectory but to have another foot alert to stepping off into new terrain and possibilities. Let’s keep in mind that this season is a very spiritual season and the gifting during this time may be one of new insights, new connections and new prospects for our future. We are also at the last day of Autumn, just before the Winter Solstice and the Sun’s entry into Capricorn, the shortest day of daylight in the northern latitudes and the birthing of the light, as the daylight increases daily to the Summer Solstice. This Winter Solstice begins tomorrow for many of us, but begins tonight for those in the western US. A new day is dawning. New doors are opening.

Thursday, December 22nd – Birthing into the Light – Winter Solstice, Sun Capricorn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus, Mercury. Last evening or early this morning, depending upon where we are on the planet, begins the Winter season as the Sun exits Sagittarius and enters Capricorn. As it moves into Capricorn, the Sun trines Jupiter and squares Uranus today. The day also begins with the Moon in Scorpio square Neptune. The Moon then moves into Sagittarius where it trines Uranus, sextiles Venus and conjuncts Mercury. This day is the 22nd, a master number in numerology indicative of the Master Builder. This Thursday can be an incredibly auspicious day, for we in the northern latitudes are coming out of the dark now and birthing into the light. We have the opportunity to consider where to place our energies in the year ahead and how best to expand our interests. We do have to be wary that we do not take the attitude of ‘being legends in our own mind’. We may want what we want, but it would be wise for us to consider the parameters of conditions and circumstances and then apply a best practices approach by which to get from where we are to where we want to go. Within the coordinates of the paradigm shift, it is essential that whatever plans we make we do so with humility and a recognition that unexpected variables can crop up without a moment’s notice to force us to rework and reconsider where we are going and how we are going there. This Thursday can continue with a certain sense of the magical, mystery tour, whereby surprises can come forward and new possibilities, connections and options open up to us. This Thursday is a day for us to take a moment, go internally on a soul level and consider what we truly want to have in our lives. We can continue the excavation of releasing the past just as long as we are considering the essential fundamentals and basic building blocks upon which we wish to grow our future.

Friday, December 23rd – Skipping Ahead – Mars. Friday has the Sagittarius Moon square Mars. We may be rushing forward with so much to attend to that we could either be on overwhelm or we could skip over important details. We might be a little too glib today, making assumptions without checking the facts or doing our due diligence. Things may not be as they seem but our positive attitude might allow us to put on rose-colored glasses and concentrate only on the good, even the fantastic and illusory, and neglect the true reality of what is really going on. This is a day to curb our enthusiasm and slow down. We may be so caught up in the frenzy of the holidays that we negate important details or not take notice of signs and signals. We are coming to Christmas weekend and everyone may be rushing around, trying to cover all the bases without fully connecting with any of the bases. If we have plans for this day, it would be wise to confirm and check to be sure that our plans are still a go. It would be important for us not to take on too much today but to take things step by step in order to be certain that we are taking care of the necessary specifics.

Saturday, December 24th – Render Unto – Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus, Capricorn Lunation, Sun, Pluto. This Saturday begins with the Moon finishing its transit of Sagittarius and as it does so, the Moon sextiles Saturn and sextiles Neptune. The Moon then moves into Capricorn where it squares Uranus and conjuncts Pluto and conjuncts the Sun at the time of the Capricorn New Moon. This day starts with an emphasis upon good feelings and pleasurable interactions with friends and family. The mood shifts abruptly, as unexpected situations develop that impinge upon our personal decisions and our desires to be in total control of our plans and our actions. The sense of control over situations being more associated with the paradigm from which we are moving, while serendipity and synchronicity and things coming out of the blue are more akin to the paradigm we are crossing into. As the New Moon imprints the fortnight, we are entering a two-week period when we might be more engaged in throwing things out, doing a severe inventory-taking and being rather harsh with anything that does not meet our personal standards and that we have found to be limiting to our future trajectory. We are all going through a major transformation and this two-week period shows us the areas in our lives that no longer work for us. Even if we try and conceal aspects of our lives now, things are likely to be revealed. This period and this day ask that we be honest with ourselves and with other people, that we take into account the truly meaningful for our lives in comparison to the dross, and that we re-evaluate who we are, what our best intentions might be and where we are choosing to go and the ways by which we determine how we are getting there. As the saying goes: ‘Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things which are God’s.’

Sunday, December 25th – Brightening – Mars, Jupiter direct. Sunday is Christmas Day, celebrated in Christian theology as the day of the birth of Jesus who would become the Christed. This Sunday has the Capricorn Moon trine Mars and Jupiter turning direct. There may be gifts and presents and social gatherings galore. But this day also speaks to stepping forward and putting our best foot forward. With the expansive planet Jupiter turning direct, we may also better focus on how we can best increase our revenue stream and protect our asset base. This day is very earthbound and this period of time, over the next two weeks at least, can concentrate on what we need to do to both protect and supplant our finances. Today has a Grand Trine type of energy in the Earth Signs with the Capricorn Moon trine Mars in Virgo and Jupiter in Taurus turning direct. While we may concentrate on the details of our material world, it would be wise for us not to lose sight of our integrity and honesty. Balancing our spiritual aspect with our material aspect may, at times, be a fine line, but we could take advice from Christian theology’s Bible and the admonition in Luke 9:25: ‘What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?’ While we may all have been concerned, or even suffered losses, over the past few years during the geopolitical financial debacles, it is essential that we realize the material realm is only one side of our being, another side being our spiritual aspect, our integrity, our character, our spirit and our soul. I wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas with the emphasis upon the celebration of our potential to realize the christed consciousness within ourselves, to achieve true en-lightenment.

Although Mercury turns direct on Tuesday or early Wednesday [according to our time zone], we shall still be in the ‘shadow’ of the Mercury retrograde into early January. We are not out of the woods yet, and it would be wise for us to engage due diligence in all our decisions and actions, all the while cutting ourselves a little slack as we recognize that we may be facing the headwinds of miscommunications, misunderstandings, computer issues, travel difficulties, et al.

Despite various bumps in the road from the change in direction with Mercury, this week can be a week when we are embracing the holiday spirit [and spirits], preparing for the holidays and trying to avoid nasty pitfalls or emotional upsets.

The early part of the week can have us decorating our homes with festive overtones, touching base with family members and dealing with the social obligations this time of year often demands.

The mid-part of the week could have us out and about, looking at various holiday decorations, taking time out for pleasurable activities and just focusing on having a good time.

The end of the week and part of the weekend might have us tidying up, taking care of outstanding matters before the full force of the holidays is upon us.

There are no major blips on the screen this week, except for the confusion likely to occur with Mercury turning direct from its retrograde motion.

Monday, December 12th – Straightening Things Out – Mars, Venus. Monday begins the week with the Moon in Cancer sextile Mars and opposed Venus. We may want to take some time today to do a major cleaning or straightening up affairs. We could feel pulled between just wanting to stay home for a self-care day and needing to deal with our obligations. Although we can be very effective today, we also have to be wary of taking on too many projects or getting too involved in other people’s messes. Our compassion could be strong and we might feel as though we can be the savior for other people and the ombudsperson to deal with various affairs that are not of our making. Let’s be aware of the fine balance between service and self-sacrifice, between being of assistance and getting entangled, and between our nurturing qualities and our self-aggrandizement. Increasingly, we are being asked to fine tune what we do and how we do things. We are all going through an alchemical process, times when we need to concentrate on that which is truly integral to our process as opposed to those things that we do in order to make ourselves look good in the eyes of the world. At the end of the day [figuratively not literally], there is clear transparency regarding our intentions, our motives and our character.

Tuesday, December 13th – Startling Revelations – Saturn, Moon Void-of-Course, Jupiter, Lunar Grand Trine, Uranus, Mercury, Mercury direct. In the wisdom teachings, the number thirteen represents transformation and offers the promise of transcendence from the base mettle of our egocentric personality into a realized, en-lightened be-ing. And this Tuesday could provide us with some insights into the possibilities and the prospects for our future. The day starts off with a bit of a clunker as the Cancer Moon squares Saturn. Similar to yesterday, we may feel other people’s demands or needs impinging upon our good nature and our nurturing tendencies. We might be emotionally withdrawn as though people are just asking too much of us. The Moon then goes Void-of-Course for over five and a half hours making no further connections to the planets as the Moon finishes its transit of Cancer and before entering Leo where the Moon squares Jupiter and creates a Fire Sign Grand Trine with the Leo Moon trine Uranus in Aries and trine Mercury in Sagittarius. Although we may go on a spending spree and put a healthy dent into our finances, we are also more interested in good times and uplifting thoughts. This is a day when we could be privy to startling revelations, understandings that come up out of the blue and possibilities that we might never have considered. The one caveat to the feel good nature of this day is the fact that Mercury is turning direct today. While we are appreciative of Mercury ending its retrograde cycle, whenever Mercury is stationary and shifting gears we have to be aware that things are not likely to go smoothly but that various monkey wrenches could be thrown into the spokes of our wheels. Let’s embrace new thoughts, new ideas, but let’s also take them all with a grain of salt, allowing time to test the validity of any new concepts or new prospects.

Wednesday, December 14th – Pleasuring Ourselves. Tuesday may have been a high energy day and so too with tomorrow. This Wednesday has the Moon in Leo but no connections to the planets to generate much activity. This Wednesday could be a day when we seek to luxuriate in our own safe place, a happy place with us doing whatever we want. We may feel greater levity in regard to the world condition or our own personal circumstances. We might choose to take in the various spectacles of holiday trappings and just enjoy the season and the celebrations. This Wednesday we can be highly creative, have us putting our best foot forward and allow us to explore areas that we normally just don’t take time for. Even if we have a great deal on our plate to contend with, we are far more interested in taking the time for ourselves rather than trying to realize other people’s expectations. En joy!

Thursday, December 15th – Making Dreams Come True – Sun, Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter. Thursday continues with the Leo Moon, which today trines the Sun, sextiles Saturn and opposes Neptune. We are likely to be feeling upbeat, expansive and inspired. Someone might prove a meaningful advocate of our plans and our abilities. This Thursday can be a feel good day. Perhaps we recharged our batteries yesterday and today we are ready to go and broaden our reach and move forward with some of our new goals. The caveat to the day is for us not to bite off more than we can chew and to be certain that we have engaged due diligence regarding our plans and our intentions. We do not want to move forward in the wrong direction or engage activities that have little hope of realization on the long term. While we are exuberant and enthusiastic about our possibilities, other people might prove important sounding boards to determine whether we are developing our dreams or merely following illusions. As the day progresses, the Moon exits Leo and moves into Virgo where it trines Jupiter. If we have focused our interests and strategized a best practices approach to achieve our goals, then we could find ourselves putting spirit into action, taking our dreams and creating the steps necessary to make our dreams come true.

Friday, December 16th – Cutting to the Core – Mercury, Pluto. The Virgo Moon on this Friday squares Mercury and trines Pluto. If we are not consumed by the glitz, the glamour and the appearance of things but rather focus on the fundamentals, the substance and the significant, this day could prove a highly productive one when we can get a great deal done. With the holidays rapidly approaching, we might use this Friday to attend to various matters that we wish to resolve and deal with situations that we just don’t want hanging over us during this holiday period or bringing them into the new year. If we are not distracted by the irrelevant and the future prospects today, we could be focused, virtually with tunnel vision, to deal with the details of our lives and tie up various loose ends and eliminate some of the issues needing to be resolved. A highly productive day this Friday can be if we cut to the core and not waste our time on possibilities. There will be time to consider future prospects, but this Friday is best served by having our nose to the grindstone.

Saturday, December 17th – Putting on the Ritz – Mars, Sun, Venus. Saturday continues with the Virgo Moon, which today conjuncts Mars, squares the Sun and trines Venus. We could be in hyperdrive today trying to accomplish as much as possible regarding the holiday details, decorating our homes or our personal image and putting our best foot forward. In regard to an overdrive tendency today, we could also try to do more than humanly possible and in the process negate certain details and disregard important specifics. We might have a great deal to achieve on our ‘to do’ list today, but it would be wise for us to write things down, check them off as we accomplish them and take things step by step. Otherwise, we could be racing around, like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to accomplish much but not getting a great deal done. This could be a day when we might easily overspend, justifying our expenditures as necessary for a personal makeover and putting on the ritz. Late in the day, social occasions can be obligatory but also a venue by which we show ourselves off to the best of our ability.

Sunday, December 18th – Great Expectations – Venus, Saturn, Mercury, Lunar T-Square, Uranus, Pluto. Sunday could be trying. Venus squares Saturn and the Moon moves into Libra where it sextiles Mercury but also creates a Cardinal Sign T-Square with the Libra Moon opposed Uranus and the Moon square Pluto. Interactions with other people could be dicey today. We might feel restricted by other people’s needs or expectations. We may want greater independence, the freedom to be without being hampered by people’s definitions of us based upon past experience. If there are any irritations with other people, it is essential that we open the door to communications and discuss our feelings and what is going on for us. This is also a day when we might choose to explore new areas of interest, getting off the familiar track and trying something new and something different to ‘same old, same old’. Let’s try and take things down a notch or two, since this day could be explosive if we do not have the necessary vents to release some of our energy. Certainly, we do not want to be fenced in or hampered by other people’s needs or wants. Getting out of Dodge or just engaging activities that we want to explore for ourselves would be ways to temper the potential intensity of this Sunday. Explorations don’t necessitate discovery as much as broadening the perspective and seeing what alternatives might be out there for us to engage.

We are feeling good as we start the week. We may have had a strong dose of holiday cheer over the weekend, but we are likely upbeat and looking to connect and reconnect with our circle of friends and acquaintances. The mid-part of the week could have an impulse towards spending-buying frenzy, as we all seem to get enmeshed in the expectations raised for us to be generous, even extravagant, to show our appreciation for one another.

As we come towards the end of the week, we may pick up the pace as we find ourselves juggling any number of things and trying to grab for all the gusto that we can. This season of holidays comes but once a year and this year we may feel that we deserve more than ever good cheer and nice amenities to our daily lives. We just have to be wary that we don’t overspend, exert too much energy and wear ourselves out.

The weekend is punctuated [or is that punctured?] by the Lunar Eclipse. Like little children, we could be so enamored by the spectacles, dreams and fantasies of this time of year that we allow ourselves to forget and negate due diligence.

All in all, this week can be something of a coast. Let’s just keep in mind that we are still in the midst of a Mercury retrograde and there can be delays, misunderstandings and miscommunications. It asks us to check and recheck any significant decisions before taking action.

Monday, December 5th – Social Responsibility – Venus, Mars. Monday begins the week with a continuation of the Moon’s transit through Aries. Venus trines Mars today. We may be doing some form of outreach to those people that we need to connect with, whether that connection is for professional goals or for personal obligations. We are energized, upbeat and presenting a good image in a grounded manner. We can advance our interests both as a result of our enthusiasm and our ability to win people to our side. If we have been having any conflicts with other people, today allows us to provide reasonable explanations and make a side for our case. We might also be interested in how we can be of service, providing solace or support to those less fortunate than ourselves with a firm belief that ‘there but for the grace of god go I.’

Tuesday, December 6th – Necessary Expenditures – Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Pluto. This Tuesday begins with the Aries Moon opposed Saturn and sextile Neptune. The Moon then moves into Taurus where it conjuncts Jupiter and trines Pluto. We start this Tuesday dealing with outstanding matters and other people’s needs. If we can tie up loose ends, we could then focus on our future goals. As the day progresses, we become more concerned about what we need to do in order to create the right structure and right format to realize our dreams. If we feel the need to polish our image, we may make certain purchases that we consider to be extravagant but essential in our personal makeover to better our chances for the success of our personal projects. This Tuesday is a day when fueled by our intentions we can lay down some significant foundation stones, cover the basics and develop the appropriate strategy to realize our goals in the most expeditious means.

Wednesday, December 7th – Everything’s Coming Up Roses – Lunar Grand Trine, Mars, Venus. We began this week with Mars trine Venus and this Wednesday accentuates this energy by the Moon transiting Taurus creating an Earth Grand Trine, as the Taurus Moon trines Mars in Virgo and trines Venus in Capricorn. We can be highly productive today, with part of the reason being the greased wheels of accomplishment and realization. Our potential for manifesting is incredibly strong today. We have it all together — the image, the intention, the specifics and the right approach. This Wednesday is one of those days when it is wise to get as much done as possible, with the understanding that the efforts we expend can be rewarded exponentially. A primo day for us to fit all the pieces neatly into the puzzle, but this is also a day when we can clear the decks and prepare for new adventures and options we might not have been able to consider due to our previous obligations.

Thursday, December 8th – Hitting a Snag Before a New Trajectory – Neptune, Uranus. Thursday begins with the Moon in Taurus square Neptune. To paraphrase the well-known quote of poet Robert Burns: ‘the best laid plans of mice and men often come to naught’. And this Thursday could provide us evidence of this sentiment. We may find, as we start this day, that some of our plans are hitting the wall. Perhaps we have reconsidered our goals, or maybe we realize that the expense of our intentions is too great for us to commit to. Any way we slice it, we may find this day begins with us a little confused, situations somewhat convoluted, and a sense that we are at a crossroads. Do we persist and move forward with plans that now seem less appealing? Or do we accept the parameters of these times whereby we recognize that our perspective at one point in time has shifted and we now see things in a different light? It is essential that we recognize that these times are times of dramatic shifts and changes, times whereby our greatest goals may now seem mere distractions as we see other options and other alternatives for ourselves. As the day progresses, the Moon moves into Gemini where it sextiles Uranus. Early in the day, we might have felt as though we had stubbed our toe and been forced to evaluate what we are doing and where we are going. If we are not impetuous in our actions, then later in the day we could realize that perhaps our blinders, our tunnel vision and our singular focus on what we wanted and how we wanted it have also prevented us from seeing options and alternatives that might be even more appropriate for us. It is important for us to keep in mind that during these times of paradigm shift things can change instantaneously and that some opportunities arise not from us making them happen as much as being in the right place at the right time. We might discover later in the day that the world is our oyster and that we have more opportunities than we had ever imagined.

Friday, December 9th – High Tension Wire – Lunar T-Square, Mercury, Mars. While Wednesday may have had us feeling as though our lives and our projects were like greased wheels with everything going our way; this Friday could be one of those days when we could realize that we have so much going on, that we are juggling so many activities that we can hardly keep all the balls in the air, much less take care of what needs to be done effectively and with due diligence. On the contrary, this Friday has the Moon transiting Gemini and today creating a Mutable Sign T-Square as the Moon opposes Mercury and the Moon squares Mars. We are also approaching tomorrow’s Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse. We may be feeling somewhat stressed out [somewhat?] today. While we might have a great deal on our plate, it would be wise for us to take things step by step, sometimes baby steps, other times giant steps, but still step by step. Otherwise, we could have a tendency to rush things, negate certain details and gloss over the specifics. This day could prove to be something of a minefield. We certainly are dealing with a high level of nervous energy, possibly stressed out, and trying to do too much without being effective in our doing so. It would be wise for us to try and slow things down, although we might feel that we are on a runaway train with no brakes to stop us or even slow us down. Taking breaks at times today to catch our breath and reconsider what we are doing and how we are doing it is essential to avoid getting caught up in our own tangled web.

Saturday, December 10th – Me, Mine and Yours – Gemini Full Moon, Lunar Eclipse, Sun. People sometimes say that every day seems like a Full Moon. Well, this Saturday provides one, a Gemini Full Moon and a Lunar Eclipse. This Saturday ratchets up the energy severalfold. People may be on edge and engaging the concept that ‘a strong offense is a good defense’. Not that everyone is likely to be offensive today. But the energy today can create conflicts between personal needs and the collective needs. The liability to playing the blame game can be strong, especially if we assume that other people are blocking us from doing what we want in the ways that we want to do it. We could be all over the place today, reaching out to this person and that person but feeling as though no particular person can satisfy our discomfort or our needs. We may want to expand our horizons, but the ways we are choosing to do so could be reckless and more from the impulse of making some change to reduce our anxiety level, but change without considering the consequences or the law of unintended consequences. Similar to yesterday, today is a good day for us to slow things down, not jump to conclusions and not to do anything in haste. However we can chill out, it would be wise to do so today, for otherwise the energy could be so ratcheted up that we just don’t know what to do except play the White Rabbit in Alice’s Wonderland, emphasizing that ‘I’m late. I’m late for a very important date.’ Let’s keep in mind, that these times speak to us working with the energies and not trying to control the energies. Today is a day for us to work with the energies or find us banging our head against the wall repeatedly.

Sunday, December 11th – Taking on More Than We Can Chew – Lunar Grand Trine, Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Lunar T-Square, Uranus, Pluto. Sunday is a day of two totally different energies and can replicate the Dickensian sense of these times ‘being the best of times, being the worst of times’. Saturday night, early Sunday continues with the Gemini Moon which now creates an Air Grand Trine with the Moon trine Saturn in Libra and trine Neptune in Aquarius. Social gatherings, discussions with good friends and a sense of conviviality can delight us on Saturday evening, early on Sunday morning. Everything may seem so delicious, but similar to the Genesis story of Adam and Eve, are we too eating the forbidden fruit? Certain thoughts and ideas could enter our head, and we could easily believe that what we conceive, we can readily achieve. As the day progresses, the Moon enters Cancer, sextiles Jupiter and also creates a Cardinal T-Square with the Cancer Moon opposed Pluto in Capricorn and square Uranus in Aries. From some of the insights and discussions, we could launch forward in making significant changes but changes that are triggered more by the need for change rather than well-considered actions. While earlier we might have felt on glide, we could now feel as though we have hit a bumpy road. The wind could be knocked out of our sails and we might instigate certain actions that have little hope of being successfully realized. We could even feel a law unto ourselves. Today would be far better served by doing an inventory taking, seeing what really works in our lives and considering those areas of our lives that no longer work. Then we could start to clear things out, get rid of those areas that no longer work for us and cull those areas standing in the way of new directions, new goals.