Thursday, December 14, 2006

Fallout From the Planetary Parade of 2006
















"The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper."
-- Eden Phillpotts

As 2006 winds down I am drawn to look back over the year to see it from a new perspective. I've been considering the life-altering effects of the planetary cycles of the past year on the lives of so many, particularly those of us with planets in the fixed signs: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius.

The fixed signs have been hosting some of the outer planets (Saturn in Leo, Jupiter in Scorpio and asteroid/planetoid Chiron in Aquarius) as they traveled, throughout much of 2006, in and out of a series of dynamic patterns stirring up a wild combination of inclinations, indecision, tension, overextension and general chaos in areas of our lives we'd come to count on as solid, stable and grounded. I have all four signs well represented in my natal astrology chart and can say from personal experience my life will never be the same as it was when the year dawned.

Personal relationships have changed dramatically this year as the planets danced, dos-y-do style, first opposing then backing off to release the mounting tension before once again coming face to face. In my case, some of the people I thought I'd always know and be close to have left my life. Some have passed away, some moved away and others are growing in directions that are right for them but not on my path. And then there are those dear old friends and family members with whom I had long ago lost contact who've recently come back into my life; evidence that nothing that really belongs to us or with us is ever truly lost.

Since the year began I have found myself questioning my assumptions about almost everything. The things that once supported me beautifully no longer appeal to me. I have swung wildly between clearly knowing my truth and my heart, and feeling lost and alone. The push-pull pulse of the birth process is in full swing. Part of me wants nothing more than to dash into the future and another just to be safe, warm and dry right where I am; maybe forever...

Though I am no longer where I was I find I'm still in transit to a place where I can dwell comfortably for a while. I used to believe I would eventually arrive. No more. Now I see the value of the journey and know myself well enough to know that if I'm not moving I'm not growing. I'm here to experience it all--all of that which calls to me, at least.

Settling down means something different to me now than it did when I was younger. I used to think it meant giving up the excitement of living life uncommitted and on the edge, with a little reckless abandon thrown in for good measure. Now settling down means that I can abandon my recklessness, (which sounded like more fun than it actually proved to be) relax and let go of all the things I used to believe defined me and just live more and more from my wholeness. Now I can take the time to know my holiness and recognize it in those around me.

All the shaking and quaking of the past year put me through a new level of releasing more that simply is not me. There is nothing I have lost that was appropriate for me in my life today and as I remember that I can 'bless all the little earthquakes' as my dear teacher/mentor/friend, Ananda, who passed earlier this year, used to say.

In all the changes in my life in 2006 I have become increasingly aware of how blessed I am. Magic and miracles really are everywhere we bother to look for them.

When you look back on 2006 what do you notice has shifted and altered your life for the better?

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Sagittarius

sagittarius
Sagittarius~The Archer

Traits: Optimistic and freedom-loving
Jovial and good-humored
Honest and straightforward
Intellectual and philosophical
Blindly optimistic and careless
Irresponsible and superficial
Tactless and restless

Likes: Traveling
* Getting to the heart of the matter
* Freedom
* Laws and meanings
* The general 'feel' of things

Dislikes: Off the wall theories
* Being tied down domestically
* Being constrained
* Cooling their heels
* Being bothered with details

Animal: Horse
Color: Purple
Planet: Jupiter
StarStone: Turquoise
Element: Fire



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Scorpio

scorpio
Scorpio~The Scorpion

Traits: Determined and forceful
Emotional and intuitive
Powerful and passionate
Exciting and magnetic
Jealous and resentful
Compulsive and obsessive
Secretive and obstinate

Likes: Power
* Discovering hidden causes
* Being involved
* Work that is meaningful
* Being persuasive

Dislikes: Being given only surface data
* Being taken advantage of
* Demeaning jobs
* Shallow relationships
* Flattery and flattering

Animal: Scorpion or Eagle
Color: Maroon
Planet: Pluto
StarStone: Topaz
Element: Water


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Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Scorpio Newsletter Posted

I've just posted the Scorpio issue of my Light In Motion newsletter. You can find it at my website Light In Motion.

This November there are five planets transiting through Scopio with Venus and Mars currently close to the Sun in the sign of transformation and power. I expect to hear of many people reexamining their personal relationships, questioning their values and reconsidering where they are investing their time and resources.

Jupiter is in its final weeks in Scorpio having been there for about a year now. Lots of clean up and completion and tying up of loose ends in the sign of politics, psychology and passion before it moves into own sign of Sagittarius for the next year.

Mercury is retrograde in Scorpio now. If you feel like you don't know whether you are coming or going blame it on the planets. Take your time, double check your work and your plans and give yourself a big time out to reflect, retreat and reconsider whatever isn't working for you these days. There is great power in releasing that which no longer serves our lives and these days of so much shifting manyof a progressive spiritual mindset and vibration are outgrowing our situations and circumstances on a regular basis.

This month is the perfect time to walk the talk, to engage this energy and make the changes that allow your life to flow anew.

For more, please do check the newsletter. I'd love to hear any feedback you have to offer from your personal experience of these days of change.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Libra

libra
Libra~The Scales

Traits: Diplomaitic and urbane
Romantic and charming
Easygoing and sociable
Idealistic and peaceable
Indecisive and changeable
Gullible and easily infuenced
Flirtatious and self-indulgent

Likes: The finer things in life
* Sharing
* Conviviality
* Gentleness

Dislikes: Violence
* Injustice
* Brutishness
* Being a slave to fashion

Animal: Eagle
Color: Blue
Planet: Venus
StarStone: Opal
Element: Air


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Sunday, September 17, 2006

Virgo

virgo
Virgo~The Virgin
Traits: Modest and shy
Meticulous and reliable
Practical and diligent
Intelligent and analytical
Fussy and a worrier
Overcritical and harsh
Perfectionist and conservative
Likes: Health foods
* Lists
* Hygiene
* Order
* Wholesomeness
Dislikes: Hazards to health
* Anything sordid
* Sloppy workers
* Squalor
* Being uncertain
Animal: Dove
Color: Brown
Planet: Mercury
StarStone: Sardonyx
Element: Earth


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Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Leo

leo
Leo~The Lion

Traits: Generous and warmhearted
Creative and enthusiastic
Broad-minded and expansive
Faithful and loving
Pompous and patronizing
Bossy and interfering
Dogmatic and intolerant

Likes: Speculative ventures
* Lavish Living
* Pageantry and Grandeur
* Children
* Drama

Dislikes: Doing things safely
* Ordinary, day to day living
* Small minded people
* Penny pinching
* Mean spiritedness

Animal: Lion

Color: Gold

Planet: Sun

Star Stone: Ruby

Element: Fire



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Cancer

cancer
Cancer~The Crab

Traits: Emotional and loving
Intuitive and imaginative
Shrewd and cautious
Protective and sympathetic
Changeable and moody
Overemotional and touchy
Clinging and unable to let go

Likes: Hobbies
* Romance
* Children
* Home and Country
* Parties

Dislikes: Aggravating situations
* Failure
* Opposition
* Being told what to do ;)
* Advice (good or bad)

Animal: Crab

Color: Silver

Planet: Moon

StarStone: Pearl

Element: Water



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Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Gemini~The Twins

gemini
Gemini~The Twins

Traits: Adaptable and versatile
Communicative and witty
Intellectual and eloquent
Youthful and lively
Nervous and tense
Superficial and inconsistent
Cunning and inquisitive

Likes: Talking

Novelty and the unusual

Variety in life

Multiple projects all going at once

Reading

Dislikes: Feeling tied down

Learning, such as school

Being in a rut

Mental inaction

Being alone

Animal: Wolf

Color: Yellow

Planet: Mercury

StarStone: Moss Agate

Element: Air



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Monday, May 01, 2006

Venus~Goddess of Beauty and Love

Last May I celebrated my 50th birthday. Entering a new decade is always a milestone, but turning fifty was unlike any other and as I thought about what this meant to me and just what I’d like to do with this time in my life. I was surprised at what I discovered, as I’d never really considered myself an artist. Writer? Yes. Photographer? Yes. Lover of all things beautiful? Definitely, but did that make me an artist? In searching my heart for a creative idea around which to organize in order to make my fifties an inspiring adventure in my mind and my life, this is what I wrote:

I am dedicating my fifties to Beauty—Beauty and Love--to living more fully as the artist I am, at heart. I’ll seize these precious moments and make it my mission to focus on the qualities of beauty, love and joy! Joy is of the essence and the natural child of beauty and love. Joy or enjoyment is confirmation of alignment with one's higher purpose. Joy is my True North.

In the eleven months since, all kinds of miraculous things have occurred to naturally move my life forward in new and joyful directions that allowed me to easily explore and express more of my creative, visually artistic self. Over the last few weeks I’ve begun to see just how much the act of consciously dedicating this time in my life to one idea has opened my eyes to possibilities and attracted opportunities through which to live my heart's desire.

When I step back and look at it, I have whole-heartedly embraced my artistic self this year. Beauty and love are ongoing themes for me, whether in my awareness of their absence in certain situations or in the realization that my world has always been full of beauty and love. Only as I began to focus on those qualities did I see how prevalent they are. Now, I’m amazed that any of us is able to keep from noticing beauty and love.

All this talk of Beauty and Love of course is related to this month’s astrological theme, Taurus and the planet associated with it, Venus, the Goddess of all things beautiful and lovely. Venus has been moving through Pisces, the sign in which she expresses her compassion and imagination in a spiritual and creative manner.

On May 3rd, Venus enters the sign of Aries where she gets down to business. Finished with the dreamtime idealism of Pisces, Venus in Aries wants what she wants when she wants it. This is the period in the annual Venus cycle when we may feel more enthusiastic about taking action on our desires; impulsively and instinctively initiating something new and if it’s exciting, so much the better. Under this energy we may be more inclined to feel impatient, or “see red” (Aries’ color) if our efforts are frustrated or denied this month. Don’t get mad, get busy. If you find your actions thwarted when moving in one direction, back off and proceed in a new way.

What do you find beautiful and lovely? What actions can you take to include more of the gifts of Venus in your life in the days and weeks ahead? May all your Venus inspired acts bring you joy.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Taurus~The Bull

taurus
Taurus~The Bull

Traits: Patient and reliable
Warmhearted and loving
Persistent and determined
Placid and security loving
Jealous and possessive
Resentful and inflexible
Self-indulgent and greedy

Likes: Stability

* Being Attracted

* Things Natural

* Time to Ponder

* Comfort and Pleasure

Dislikes: Disruption

* Being pushed too hard

* Synthetic or "man made" things

* Being rushed

* Being indoors

Animal: Bull

Color: Orange/Pink

Planet: Venus

StarStone: Emerald

Element: Earth


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Saturday, April 22, 2006

Taurus~The Heart of Our Feeling Nature


In honor of the Sun's recent entry into Taurus, I created this image to represent the Taurus coppery-orange, second chakra, passionate, emotional, feeling energy.

Ruled by Venus, Goddess of Love and money, beauty and balance, self-esteem and worthiness, value and values, the territory of Taurus includes sensuality, body awareness, deliberate action, our posessions and earthy beauty.

As a fixed sign, Taurus tends to hold on for the purpose of creating stability, but too much holding on hinders one's ability to flow energetically, particularly when it is emotional material (second chakra issues) we are holding.

Taking a deep breath and connecting with one's heart and inner being in any moment can serve us in remembering our true value lies in expressing our unique perspective and individuality. Our value has never been dependent on how we do or don't feel or what we do or don't have.

Taurus represents the journey to experiencing the one who lives in the body and experiences life through the senses. Indulge in the beauty, color, sounds, textures and tastes you love this month and watch your spirit come alive.

Friday, March 31, 2006

Aries

Aries~The Ram

aries
Aries~The Ram

Traits: Adventurous and energetic
Pioneering and courageous
Enthusiastic and confident
Dynamic and quick-witted
Selfish and quick-tempered
Impulsive and impatient
Foolhardy and daredevil

Likes: Action

* Coming in first

* Challenges

* Championing Causes

* Spontaneity

Dislikes: Waiting Around

* Admitting Failure

* No opposition

* Tyranny

* Other people's advice ;)

Animal: Ram

Color: Red

Planet: Mars

StarStone: Diamond

Element: Fire

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Sunday, March 26, 2006

Mercury's Meandering Journey Through Pisces



The planet Mercury, Messenger of the Gods, ruler of the signs of Gemini and Virgo, represents the mind; our connection between spirit and matter. Mercury symbolizes the power of communication and our ability to interpret and make sense of what we perceive and experience.

This year Mercury is in the sign of Pisces from February 8th-April 16th. Since Mercury usually moves through an entire thirty degree sign in about three weeks this extended journey through Pisces is notable. You may already have seen or felt the effects in your life.

Mercury, has just completed the first of three retrograde phases of its cycle for this year. Mercury “goes retrograde” three times a year for approximately three weeks before resuming forward motion. During the retrograde cycles we revisit the ground covered in the recent and distant past. Anything with the prefix re- is favored, return, reconsider, refinance, retreat, realize, restore, recapitulate, remind, remember, respond, reply, responsibility, reward, etc. People and things return to us under Mercury retrograde cycles, lost ideas or incomplete projects are up for reconsideration. It is time to pick up the dropped threads and either weave them into the tapestry of our lives or decide to cut them and be done with them.

Mercury has been floating through the spiritual, imaginative, twelfth and final sign of the zodiac, Pisces, since February 8th dissolving old, outdated thought processes, and ways of communication. While in Pisces, Mercury’s natural logic and analysis give way to more nebulous right-brain activities. You may find you are more prone to daydreaming and flights of fancy, now. Imagination is stimulated and fantasy reigns supreme as cold hard facts are hard to pin down in this spacey atmosphere of the ideal and the surreal.

During Mercury’s recent three week retrograde cycle in Pisces (March 3rd-25th) you may have gained insight into some of the things that once were true and valuable for you but no longer offer the same benefits because either you have changed, the situation has changed or your life is calling you in new directions today.

While Mercury is in Pisces, we are more apt to consider having a sense of purpose and meaning in our lives a priority and are more inclined to release old concepts and ways of communicating that no longer work. It is easier now to see that which we value and can embrace with compassion. Looking at where we've been in order to integrate past experiences, clean up loose ends, and catch up with the activity of the recent or even distant past is indicated. Now that Mercury has resumed direct motion, we are ready to move forward with greater clarity, present in the moment.

Monday, March 20, 2006

Happy Equinox



Today is the first day of spring.

Time to consider which seeds of potential you'll plant in the garden of your life as this growing season begins.

May the beautiful signs of spring stir and spark your creative fire!


Pisces~The Fish

pisces
Pisces , The Fish
Traits: Imaginative and sensitive
Compassionate and kind
Selfless and unworldly
Intuitive and sympathetic
Escapist and idealistic
Secretive and vague
Weak-willed and easily led
Likes: Solitude to dream in
* Mystery in all its guises
* Anything discarded to stay discarded
* The ridiculous
* like to get 'lost'
Dislikes: the obvious
* being criticized
* feeling all at sea about something
* know-it-alls
* pedantry
Animal: Fish
Color: Sea green
Planet: Neptune
StarStone: Moonstone
Element: Water


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Thursday, February 16, 2006

Love is...


Love is the truth of who we are
Wise and gracious
Love knows better
Than to bend to fear or doubt

Love is inclusive and kind
Transcending all obstacles
Love bows to the beauty it knows
In all that is

Love is forgiving and expansive
Magnificent in its expression
Love is quiet as the morning dew
Sparkling silently as it blesses the earth
And her inhabitants with its rainbow of light

Love is music, magic and muse
The shining truth of all that is
Love is...

Valentine’s Day 2006
(c) 2006 Jodi Flesberg Lilly

Sunday, January 29, 2006

Aquarius~The Water Bearer

aquarius
Aquarius~The Water Bearer
Traits: Friendly and humanitarian
Honest and loyal
Original and inventive
Independent and intellectual
Intractable and contrary
Perverse and unpredictable
Unemotional and detached
Likes: Fighting for Causes
* Dreaming and Planning for the Future
* Thinking of the Past
* Good Companions
* Having Fun
Dislikes: Full of Air Promises
* Excessive Loneliness
* The Ordinary
* Imitations
* Idealistic
Animal: Dolphin
Color: Turquoise
Planet: Uranus
StarStone: Turquoise
Element: Air

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Capricorn~The Goat

capricorn
Capricorn~The Goat
Traits: Practical and prudent
Ambitious and disciplined
Patient and careful
Humorous and reserved
Pessimistic and fatalistic
Miserly and grudging
Likes: Reliability
* Professionalism
* Knowing what you discuss
* Firm Foundations
* Purpose
Dislikes: Wild Schemes
* Fantasies
* Go-nowhere jobs
* Ignominy
* Ridicule
Animal: Goat
Color: Black
Planet: Saturn
StarStone: Onyx
Element: Earth


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Sunday, January 15, 2006

Chiron and The Dawn of 2006

The circumstances under which something begins, whether considering it from an astrological perspective or a more mundane point of view, reveal the atmosphere and conditions under which it will develop.

In paying attention to the energies at play as the year begins we can choose to engage these energies, to 'catch the wave' and benefit from the natural momentum by focusing on projects that are harmonious with, naturally graced and blessed by the current conditions.

2006 dawned with the Moon, setting the emotional tone, universally, in Aquarius, sign of progressive, visionary pursuits; equality; humanitarian endeavors; evolution; and science, meeting up with Chiron, The Wounded Healer and Venus, The Goddess of Love. The Moon rules our needs, family, the unconscious and emotions. Venus rules love and money, our desires, relationships, fair play and aesthetics. Chiron, activated on New Year’s Day by the feminine principles of Moon and Venus, points to women, nurturing and love as initiating energy foretells a year of healing the Divine Feminine within us all, through humanitarian activities, out-of-the-box thinking and progressive methods

Chiron in Aquarius, shows us the path of healing for this period until 2010, which will include healing through or within groups, alternative medicine, energetic healing, healing through technology, healing through networks, and unconventional, innovative, cutting-edge healing methods. Conversely, we can also experience wounding in these realms.


Chiron has a fifty-year cycle, spending a little more than four years per sign, so many of the issues that are beginning to arise today, had their genesis in the people and circumstances born in the mid to late 1950’s. Those of us born between 1955 and 1960 were born with Chiron in Aquarius, and may be the ones to lead the healing charge during this period as the issues inherent in this cycle are those we know intimately and are reviewing as Chiron returns to the place it was when we were born.

Chiron’s message is that we are only as strong as our weakest part; once that has been addressed and attended to we become more aware and stronger in those places, able to offer the benefit of our experience to others. At that point our perspective and our reality improve greatly. Freed of old pain we are liberated and able to more easily create that which our heart desires.

January always begins with the Sun in Capricorn, the sign of taking care of business. However, this year along with all the new activity in Aquarius on New Year's Day, the Capricorn Sun was in a favorable relationship with Mars, The Warrior of the zodiac, (initiation, pioneering and taking action) now moving through the sign of Taurus (money and values). The Sun (mass consciousness) working positively with Mars creates an environment in which it is easier to establish and maintain a maximum stride. A true atmosphere of cooperation is possible under these circumstances, wherein everyone's energies are more likely to be in synch so that the whole system functions well and all are supported in their part of the process.

Here's to a most auspicious 2006!

Thursday, January 05, 2006

New Year Dawning



Blank calendar page
Invitation to the new
Time draws us ever on

********

Storms rage, wash away
Trees sway, their branches bowing
Blessing Mother Earth

*********

New day, a new way
Tomorrow's promise calls forth
Bold inspiration