Sun in Leo, Jupiter in Leo

Heart, like love, is a single word with many meanings. It is a physical organ, essential to life. It is the center or essence of something. We can learn something by heart, meaning that it has rooted thoroughly in our memory. We can do or say something with heart, meaning that we put our full self into our action or speech. It shares the same root as the word, hearth, linking it with a sense of life-giving internal fire. It has connotations with rhythm, timing, and with alternating between expansion and contraction.

Expansion: Jupiter in Leo, 7/16/14 - 8/11/15

This morning, Jupiter entered the sign, Leo, and will remain in this sign that rules the heart for a full year. Jupiter expands whatever he touches, but first he requires that we take an appropriate leap of faith for we cannot become more than we are until we stretch ourselves beyond our comfort zone. With Jupiter in Leo until next summer, this means you must take leaps of faith in those areas that are dearest to your heart. In the process, however, you may need to let go of some things that matter less to you. Jupiter bids us to reach out beyond ourselves, and into the collective. Jupiter in Leo insists we reach forth from our heart, and in so doing, touch the hearts of others.

What brings you joy?

What activities, relationships, & places do you cherish most?

How might you increase your experience of the people, places & endeavors you love?

How do you distract yourself from &/or compromise that which you love?

What might “the next level” be for these relationships & activities you hold dear?

Contraction: Saturn stations direct in Scorpio, 7/20/14

A few days later, the next planet out in our solar system, Saturn, stations direct in mid-Scorpio. Whereas Jupiter reaches out into the collective with boundless and inspired enthusiasm, Saturn is our experience of the limitations of society and of reality in general. Saturn’s transit in Scorpio, since October 2012 and through December 2014, has us restructuring our lives based on what matters most to us, and is also asking us to take a look at our use and experience of power. Saturn imposes limits on Jupiter’s wild ideas. Limits might not always be fun, but they do inspire innovation and focus.

What has been hung up in a restructuring process since early March 2014?

What has died for or in you since then?

What is now ready to be reborn, & how has it shifted within that time?

How can you set up healthy structures that empower you and support your rebirth?

Expansion: Uranus stations retrograde in Aries, 7/21/14

The next day, the next planet out in our solar system, Uranus, stations retrograde in mid-Aries. Uranus is genius, pure idea, flashes of insight, Eureka! in action, electricity. Uranus explodes Saturn’s boundaries, disrupts his established order, and imposes his own brand of Chaos. When this god of sudden change stations retrograde in Aries, however, our attempts at personal liberation become private implosions, rather than outer world explosions. Translation: look at things differently, and blow your own mind.

What radical shifts have occurred since mid-December that have blown your world asunder in some way?

How might you integrate these outer changes into your perspective and understanding?

What kind of energy have these shifts generated in your life?

How might you patch any energy leaks that may have occurred in those explosions?

More Expansion: Sun in Leo, 7/22/14 - 8/22/14 (PDT)

The next day, the heart of our solar system, the Sun, enters his home sign of Leo. This galvanizes Jupiter’s recent ingress into Leo. For this next month, get clear about what you care about so you can get the most out of this year of Jupiter in heart-ful Leo. Let your heart glow. Dedicate yourself to what and whom you love. Cut back on the distractions and the drudgeries. Enjoy life, and above all, cherish yourself.

Contraction: Mars in Scorpio, 7/25/14 - 9/13/14

A few days later, Mars enters Scorpio. This puts Jupiter in a bit of a Scorpio sandwich, as these are his two nearest planetary neighbors. That will function as a nice tempering to what might otherwise be a bit too hedonistic and over-inflated of a Leo solar month. Decisive Mars has been transiting uncomfortably in wishy-washy Libra since early December 2013, so he will be all to happy to enter one of his home signs. The combination of both Saturn (the planetary architect) and Mars (the planetary muscle) in Scorpio gives us the ability to put our empowering plans into action.

What’s a big vision you feel able to commit deeply to?

What’s your plan for making it happen?

What’s the next step to take?

For more personalized insight, you may schedule a private astrological consult, healing session, or healing intensive in person, over the phone, or via Skype. Feel free to like, forward this page on & repost it as you see fit. Until next time, wishing you insight & heartsight.  Thanks for reading,

Rae Diamond

Sun in Cancer, Mercury stations Direct

Rumination. Rooo... minnn... ayyy... shunnn... The root of this word means “to chew,” so when we ruminate on something, we chew on it in our minds. Chewing is the first process in digestion. If you skip this step the rest of your digestive system has to work extra hard, and even with that extra effort it’s hard to get the nutrients from what you eat. But if you get stuck chewing on your food without ever swallowing it, your jaws will grow tired, the rest of your digestive organs will actually start to eat themselves because chewing stimulates enzymes to be released that help to break down food. If there’s no food for the enzymes to work on, they can start affecting your bodily tissues instead. Meanwhile, you’re not getting any nourishment. The moral of this month’s astrological story is: chew well, and then swallow.

The Sun enters Cancer on the Summer Solstice, 6/21. Cancer is the sign most concerned with nourishment - both in the physical realm of eating and processing food, and in the subtler realm of what fulfills us on some deeper level, such as loving and being loved, and feeling a sense of belonging. Meanwhile, Jupiter is completing his yearlong transit through Cancer throughout most of the Sun’s month in Cancer. Since the Sun illuminates, we’re all given a last chance to understand how to increase our experiences of nourishment and belonging (to a place, as in “at home in the world,” and to an intimate group of people, as in “family,” loosely defined). Here are some Cancerian concepts to ruminate on this month:

Are you nourishing yourself well - with healthy food, with quality alone time, with quality social time, & with quality intimate time?

Are you nourishing what’s important to you - important relationships; the people you lean on; the establishments you love; the environment on the micro & macro levels?

Are you being nourished by your work in the world? If not, do you need to ask for more support in exchange for your efforts, or do you need to look for other, more fulfilling work?

Are you being nourished in your various relationships? If not, what happens if you ask for more support?

Mars is happily in the last stretch of his final pass through the shadow of his retrograde in Libra. Mars is a planet of decisive action. Libra is the queen of rumination. This month is the time to make some final assessments, bring some things to a close, make some choices, and let certain options fall away. In the Libran realm of relationships, make sure that things are feeling lateral and honest, without getting caught up in the relative and fluid realm of “fairness.” Mars entered this retrograde shadow in late December 2013, so it’s going to feel really good to get some closure on these issues. Welcome the decisions you make. Welcome the decisions others make, even if it’s not what you would have chosen. Accept your situations as best you can, take affirmative action, and move on.

What are the choices you are facing?

Which options give you a sense of balance and poise?

How can you be kind to both yourself and others in carrying out the choices you make?

What are the most beautiful choices you can make within the confines of your reality?

For artists - what sense of conviction about and direction in your art have you gained since late December?

Mercury completes his retrograde cycle on 7/1. This retrograde began in early Cancer, ends in late Gemini, and thus blends the realms of feeling and perception. Hopefully, you’ve noticed the cycle of how feelings affect what you perceive, which in turn affects how you feel. This Mercury retrograde gives you an opportunity to break or evolve those cycles. For instance, people with low self esteem intensely notice when others criticize or ignore them, but gloss over the moments when they are praised or given positive attention. This pattern of selective perception “proves” and perpetuates the originating issue of low self esteem. So yes, you can rejoice that with Mercury moving forwards, your internet, your phones, your vehicles, and your computers can run smoothly again, but hopefully you also learned something about the nature of your mind:

What assumptions do you make when you don’t hear back from people?

What do you notice when you’re happy? What do you notice when you’re angry?

What do you notice when you’re sad? What do you notice when you’re feeling anxious?

What events do you gloss over  in your memories, & how does this shift the story you’re living?

What if the world is full of ambiguities, & people are not all bad or all good, & things do not come together in tidy little stories?

Is that terrifying, or is it freeing, or maybe both?

The sticky convergence of inner planet retrogrades cycles, stretching way back into mid-December is about to come to an end. My closing advice is REST UP. Withdraw a bit, even if you have to steal yourself away from the pulls of the world because you need some you-time to process everything that has shifted, ended, begun, gotten lost, resurfaced, or been utterly shaken and stirred in the first half of this year. If you do this, the next half of the year, which will be much more fast-paced, and with much more forward momentum, will be exhilarating and fun. This is the year of the Green Horse in Chinese astrology, and this is the month where you need to make sure you have a firm grip on the reigns before that horse begins to gallop.

If you would like to know the astrological currents of this summer, mp3’s of my workshop, Aligning Heaven & Earth: Summer 2014, are available for $5. The talk covers the major planetary events of the season, offers herbal support for working with those energetic shifts, plus meditations to get you in touch with the evolution the planetary energies suggest. You may purchase them here.

Thanks for reading,
Rae Diamond 

Sun in Gemini 2014, Mercury Retrograde in Cancer & Gemini

How fast can you run in knee-deep mud? What is the conversation between Immediacy and Obstacle like? What kind of story would you write with a pen that randomly changes color on paper that intermittently shrinks and grows while your mind’s perceptions shift like a kaleidoscope under water?

Sun in Gemini, 5/20/14 - 6/21/14:

The Sun’s transit through Gemini is normally a time of accelerated activity, when we can expect to be running about, chatting with people, and gathering up quantities of facts and ideas to process & catalogue in our noggins. We are alive with ideas, inspiration, energy and creativity, and not particularly drawn to such things as focus and commitment. Spring is overflowing, and starting to tip over into the fullness of Summer’s luminous energy. It’s time to have fun, but be patient this month as the pace of this year’s solar transit of Gemini will feel like an odd mixture of rushed yet sludgy.

Mars Stations Direct in Libra, 5/19/14:

<> Mars is a planet that appreciates neither the stillness that occurs during a planetary station, nor the grace, idealism and prudence of Libra. This is not a comfortable transit, but it does offer a reset button in terms of where and how we are directing our energies, especially in the context of relationships, & what actions we can take to attain & maintain balance.

<> When Mars is thwarted from expressing decisive force, strength and valor, he can resort to willy-nilly aggression. Depending on your temperament, this may show up as undue anger either expressed by you or at you, or as an injury, or a mental or physical illness that slows you down (especially be wary of adrenal fatigue & lower back injuries). Mars will not be up to his normal speed until July, so maintain patience in your relationships, and if you’re an artist, maintain patience with the progress of your art.

What actions can you take to bring your life into balance?

Where are you experiencing indecision in your life?

What do your values & your body tell you about the decisions you are facing?

How have your relationships shifted since late December?

Are your relationships in better balance, or do more adjustments need to be made?

What shifts have occurred in your body & physicality since late December?

What might your body be telling you, & how can you bring your body into an evolved state of balance?

grand Water Trine & Grand Cardinal Cross:

Throughout this month, we’re teetering between the tugs and shoves of one major configuration and the tides and strides of another, with jolly Jupiter at the center of this massive seesaw: Cosmic tough love meets redemptive cosmic gift this month, with the biggest challenges being:

Are you alert to the opportunities showing up?

Are you showing up to the opportunities that present themselves to you?

Are you leaving empty time in your schedule to let new inspiration & opportunity find you?

What these configurations offer:

<> The grand cardinal cross challenges us to maintain our center in the midst of pulls between finding balance in relationships, activating new inspirations about identity, attending to longterm transformations from the foundation up, while increasing the nourishment, support and love we give and receive.

<> The grand water trine is an intriguing mingling of nourishing expansion within intense limitations in such a way that redeems your animal nature, and dissolves old wounds. Now there’s a riddle to ruminate on:

What activities, people, places & practices return you to center?

What activities, experiences, & states of mind unite your instinctual & emotional nature with your intellectual & philosophical-spiritual nature?

Are you cutting away the unnecessary & unimportant in order to support your truest directions of growth?

Are you nourishing yourself appropriately - physically, mentally, emotionally, & spiritually?

Are you nourishing what’s important to you - relationships, communities, projects, environments?

Configuring time:

<> The grand water trine  is strongest in the second half of May.

<> The grand cardinal cross peaked most strongly in mid to late April, but it will have a smaller spike in intensity around the Sagittarius full moon on 6/12.

<> Get your nourishment issues squared away now (apologies for the astrological pun) because this is the last month of Jupiter’s yearlong hurrah in Cancer.

Mercury Retrograde in Cancer & Gemini, 6/7 - 7/1:

The good news is this Mercury retrograde cycle marks the apex of the early 2014 mire, & once it’s over, things will run a lot more smoothly - maybe too smoothly, so use this slower period to rest up. Also, be flexible and patient as this is the longest, slowest and most potent of this year’s Mercury retrograde cycles.

General Mercury retrograde protocols:

<> Until Mercury stations retrograde on 6/7, back up computers and other devices, tune up cars and bikes, and solidify any ambiguous communications and travel plans.

<> During Mercury’s backwards transit, 6/7 - 7/1, maintain flexibility during your commutes and travels, and suspend judgment and keep your mind open during communications.

This Mercury retrograde is brought to you by the Hanged Man tarot card:

<> Mercury retrograde periods offer us opportunities to evolve and shift our perceptions. With Mercury stationing retrograde in early Cancer, pay attention to how your emotions affect your perceptions. Also, your perception of your past is up for review - it’s time to update your story so you can create a more nourishing future.

<> However, the bulk of this retrograde occurs in late Gemini - Mercury’s home sign, and the sign of the Sun’s current transit. Meanwhile, Neptune stations retrograde in Pisces on 6/9. The key word in these planetary maneuvers is Suspension: Suspend belief, suspend judgment, suspend your urge to speak, suspend your movements. Only then will new beliefs make sense. Only then will true discernment shine through. Only then will you truly hear. Only then will you know your true direction.

What are the stories you tell?

What is the picture those stories paint?

Is that picture the landscape you want to inhabit?

If not, how can you shift your stories to create a more nourishing climate?

How do your emotions affect your perceptions?

Mind is an infinite territory - how can you expand the range you “in-habit” within that boundless expanse?

How might forgiveness and compassion expand your perception?

Coming Soon:

Next month’s posting will cover an overview of Summer 2014, the completion of the Mercury retrograde cycle, and (drum roll, please) Jupiter’s exciting entry into heart-warming Leo.

For more personalized insight, you may schedule a private astrological consult, healing session, or healing intensive in person, over the phone, or via Skype. Feel free to like, forward this page on & repost it as you see fit. Until next time, wishing you insight & heartsight.  Thanks for reading, Rae Diamond

Sun in Taurus 2014, Mars Stations Direct

Normally, the Sun’s transit through Taurus is a time of profound embodiment, rooting and settling. However, there is no place for the word, normal, in Spring 2014. There are times and places that exist as thresholds between this reality as we understand it, and something else. We are in such a time-threshold now, in which we can allow the known to become mysterious, and simultaneously welcome the mysterious into our conscious understanding.

Then it’s time to hang on tight for what can only be a wild, wild ride.

I’m writing in the wake of last night’s full lunar eclipse in Libra (4/15 just after midnight on the West Coast), which came on the tails of Mercury & the Moon activating the current grand cardinal cross throughout 4/14. In human terms, that was a LOT of tension to withstand. A friendly astrological tip for you, dear reader, is this:

Quick Tip on 4/16:

The Moon in Scorpio activates a brief grand water trine with Venus in Pisces & Jupiter in Cancer on the morning of Wednesday, 4/16. This configuration offers a healing release of that eclipse and grand cross tension. Trines tend to feel so pleasant that we often don’t act on them, but you will benefit from doing any of the following:

<> Sleep in & pay attention to your dreams (drink mugwort & vervain tea to help both soften & remember those dreams).

<> Improvise in any media - music, visual art, dance, writing, etc.

<> Go see a healer of your choice (referrals here) - LMP, acupuncturist, therapist, etc.

<> Engage in a gentle consciousness practice, such as pranayama, qigong, or meditation.

Solar month of Taurus, 2014: 4/19 - 5/20

Taurus wants peace, quiet, and the ability to enjoy whatever comes in through the physical senses, including the joy of right work. But there is little peace to be found in this solar month unless you go out & steal it, & that is exactly what I recommend you do, friends. GET AWAY some time this month - get out in nature, get into a sensory deprivation tank, get into your creative zone, get outta Dodge - unless you want to be eaten alive by the wild energies that will be only to happy to drag you hither and thither. Make time for you.

Change: One of Taurus’ least favorite things

On 4/20, Jupiter in Cancer activates a pretty exact T-square configuration with Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn, just before the next exact pass of Uranus squaring Pluto on 4/21. This configuration of Uranus & Pluto has been active since 2012, & will continue to instigate profound change in us as individuals, as communities, as a species, & as residents of this changing planet through 2015. Both of these planets want change, but they are functioning on different levels and time frames - Pluto’s slow but effective overhaul of the core structures of things, including the rooting out of dead wood does not blend easily with Uranus’ revolution my way now. Jupiter’s presence in this configuration reminds us to advocate for our needs, and to learn how to both give from and receive deeply into the heart. He offers a welcome reminder that even as we make these radical shifts & calculated transformations, we also need time for snuggles, meals, & things soft, safe & cozy.

What do you believe you need? What do you actually need? How do you bridge that gap?

What/where/who is HOME to you?

What’s the progress of your massive overhaul (look back to 2012 for a sense of this)?

Have you revolted in some way since 2012?

    If not, are you conforming to the point of squelching your truth?

    If so, has the dust settled enough that you can see what to make of the rubble?

The next day, on 4/22, retrograding Mars in Libra squares Jupiter, & then opposes Uranus & squares Pluto on 4/23. This is the thick of the spring’s grand cardinal cross. Although Mars adds further tension to this configuration, he also offers much balance - because he is in Libra, the sign of the scales; because he evens the score of two retrograding planets (Pluto stationed retrograde on 4/14 & is still relatively motionless), & two direct planets; & because there is a stabilizing, albeit uncomfortable, element to a grand cross. The four opposing energies actually hold us up if we let go of our attachments to specific outcomes.

How do your relationships affect the changes you are making/experiencing?

How are your relationships affected by the changes you are making/experiencing?

Which relationships are family relationships? What does family mean to you?

What is center for you?

How can you stay connected to that center in the midst of all of these tugs at your energy & attention?

Annular Solar Eclipse in Taurus: 4/28 at 11:14 PM PDT

This is the last eclipse in Taurus for about 9 years, so it mingles both the energy of completion and the new moon & solar eclipse energies of beginnings. It’s a partial eclipse, so it won’t be as dramatic as the lunar eclipse of 4/15, but the energy of that massive eclipse is still with us, coloring this transit. With earthy Taurus’ ruler, Venus, in ethereal Pisces, a mingling of realities is now available. Past, present & future are one. Dream & reality coincide. The impossible becomes real, & reality no longer makes sense. Tonight would be another good night for some mugwort and vervain tea, in order to gain insight through dreams.

What do you value, both in material reality & in more mystical & philosophical spheres?

How can you better embody your values in your day-to-day life & in your goals?

What do you enjoy? Do you experience enough &/or too much of what you enjoy?

How have your values shifted over the past year and a half to two years?

And then there’s the merry month of May:

May is a relatively calmer month than April... kind of... sort of... a little bit... Eclipses can be felt for - depending on which astrologer you follow - a few weeks or months before & after the actual event, so we’ll still be riding the wake of those wild April waves. Things won’t exactly be smooth, but they will be a bit less rough.

Mutual Reception of Venus & Mars, Venus goes wild:

Venus enters Mars-ruled Aries on 5/2, which adds a nifty twist to Mars retrograding in Venus-ruled Libra. The potency of that mutual reception is further deepened by the sun’s transit through Venus-ruled Taurus, in the wake of two eclipses in Venus-ruled signs, during the lunar nodes’ transit through Mars & Libra. But wait, there’s more: Venus opposes Mars & the moon on 5/11 while the moon activates the grand cardinal cross all over again that day, and then Venus activates the Uranus/Pluto square on 5/14’s full Scorpio moon & on 5/15. And, finally, Mars stations direct in Libra on 5/19. This is the stuff of astrology nerd phantasy. The mingling of these two energies is so thick at this time (again that mingling of realities) that the potential for change & growth in these areas of experience is astounding.

How is your balance of compromise and self-advocacy?

    Do you compromise effectively when necessary, or too often, or too reluctantly?

    Do you effectively stand your ground when necessary, or too often, or too reluctantly?

Are you a compassionate & mindful warrior for peace?

Mars stations direct: 5/19

Mars - our will, our drive, our decisiveness & our actualizing force - has been wandering backwards in cautious, thoughtful, noncommittal Libra since March 1st. It’s not the easiest of energies to mingle, but that’s how growth happens. During a planet’s retrograde cycle, it transits three times through a particular portion of the zodiac. In the first pass, issues arise (late December through 3/1) through our dealings with others & the the world at large. In the second - backwards - pass (3/1 through 5/19), those issues get revisited, but in a way that causes our perception of these events, relationships & issues to shift. In the third and final pass (5/19 through mid/late July) we resolve those issues through decisions we make & actions we take, based on the retrograde-induced shifts in our understanding.

How have your aims shifted since March 1st?  ... since late December?

Are your aims driven by your values & ideals or by basic needs?

    Can you incorporate both of the above realms into your drive?

How has your awareness of others deepened?

How has your awareness of yourself in the context of relationships deepened?

Have you learned the value of restraint (this is also a great question for artists to apply to their art)?

Coming Soon:

Next month’s posting will cover the next installment of Mercury’s unduly infamous retrograde cycle and a healing grand water trine, brought to you by the social planets, Jupiter & Saturn, & the philosopher planetoid, Chiron.

Upcoming Bay Area Events:

<> Second Fridays of the month, drop in for an energetic realignment during the saging hour, 12 PM til 12:50 PM, or schedule a private CoAlithesis session at Homestead Apothecary’s low-cost clinic.

<>Long tone choir gatherings are second Mondays of the month at 6:30 PM. Take part in a mingling of music & consciousness. It’s free, & all are welcome.

For more personalized insight, you may schedule a private astrological consult, healing session, or healing intensive in person, over the phone, or via Skype. Feel free to like, forward this page on & repost it as you see fit. Until next time, wishing you insight & heartsight.  Thanks for reading,

Rae Diamond

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