time and guiding lights

I was watching Kaypacha (a.k.a. Tom Lescher) on his weekly Pele Report and he was talking about, amongst other things, the current collective perception of time. How it feels like it's speeding up, whizzing past us, we can't keep up. I'm paraphrasing, here is the video in its entirety if you are interested:






This struck such a chord with me. I've been lamenting time for months now, casually dropping it in with conversations with acquaintances I normally keep things light with because the subject is taking up so much space in my head.

Saturn. Saturn (Capricorn) is the keeper of time. The years. While Mercury (Gemini/Virgo) is more day to day...


I think it's really easy for these feelings to snowball into feeling like a failure, like you haven't done ENOUGH with your time, where has it gone, have I been a good enough partner, parent, person, friend over the years. And it's so easy to see the cracks, your not so great moments, the things you should have done in retrospect, but hindsight is always 20/20...


But, and this is partially for myself, don't let that icky feeling, that blend of nostalgia and reflection and that feeling of that time is gone forever/I can never go back pull you in. As Caroline Casey says in the fabulous book, Making the Gods Work for You, don't fall, but instead, dive. Feel it. Maybe take something from the feelings. Why do you feel that way? Maybe not. Either way. And please don't forget all the amazing things you've done, too. Cherish who and what you love. And maybe these feelings can help to remind us what is really important. Where we wish we would've done more. Maybe this can help to guide us in the present and the future. :)


Are you feeling it?

maine.

autumnal / photos from around

Oh hey! Happy Fall! Autumn is my favorite season. I know in the back of my mind that it is fleeting, but for now I am simply enjoying it, living it. Yes I drink pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin coffee. I'm a sucker for anything pumpkin-related. Sad but true. Anyway, thought I'd share a few photos from my fall obsession. Were/are you feeling the Libra new moon from yesterday? I am. It was about 50% rough for me, 50% productive on an inner level. A bit more tumultuous than Libra normally is, but I think the scales were feeling the tipping pull from Uranus in Aries opposing the Moon and Sun in Libra, and the square from Pluto in Capricorn. (They're all cardinal signs, so all at odds with one another. The technical word for this is t-square).

In between the Harvest Moon and the Hunter's Moon, this new moon asks us what we want to create for ourselves, what we want to bring into our lives, into our consciousness, into our ways of being.

Here's a few photos from lately...

PS I saw something that would have been a really cool photo yesterday while driving (I drove for approximately forever yesterday), and am totally kicking myself for not stopping. Anyway...

sure sign of october

beautiful carved pumpkin from common ground fair 2013
fire flower garden

the marsh at nearly high tide

autumn beach. a dirty secret of mine is that i prefer this version to the summer one.

Thanks for looking. <3 Enjoy your October wherever you are. Feel free to link to/post your fall photos in the comments below!

saturn / zen

I've been really drawn to minimalism lately.

I'm not sure what the driving force behind it is exactly. Most likely a lot of little things wearing on me. Living in a small space (not complaining, just saying), having too much stuff that just looking at gives me bursts of anxiety. Clutter is making me feel claustrophobic.

I went through my clothes last month and earlier this week I went through them again.
I sifted through my son's toys and put the neglected ones in a bin in the laundry room (but now I need to figure out what to do with them next).
I got rid of stuff around the house that was just taking up space (there's still more).


And I got really into it like I tend to do with things and then I started to feel impatient and frustrated with myself because I wasn't getting there fast enough. I keep thinking of the things I have to do to work toward my goal. Which is both motivating and repressive. That mindset is holding me back. In reality, it's a process. The process matters. I'm trying to be more zen but at the same time being totally un-zen with this anxious mindset. The monkey mind is up and running and taking a lot of my attention as usual, but there's more beyond that in our brains. Like breaking through a layer of Earth's atmosphere. I think of it as a clearer place. Not as cluttered.



I have more to say on this topic but the thoughts are currently swirling and not sentences.

What are you drawn to lately?

art on congress st., portland, maine.

The Care and Keeping of You / Living Intentionally

Something that I've been hearing about from multiple people lately is that they're feeling worn down. Tired. They know that they need some mega relaxation and rejuvenation time, but are so overtired they don't know where to begin, so the stress just keeps building. I find myself in that boat, as well. And I'm tired of it. I figure, there's got to be some easy ways to deeply relax so that we can feel better and more clear headed and thus able to move forward in life, instead of circling around in indecision. That's something else I think this chronic tiredness leads to- we can't see things clearly. Our minds are rattled along with our bodies and it keep us trapped.

So. Where to begin?

This is counter intuitive, but I think scheduling this time, or consciously allowing it is paramount. Allowing time for it shows us that it is a priority, the same way work, or grocery shopping, or the list you have of things to do is. :) Not saying it has to be exactly at the same time every day, but if you make a general time, or even just have the intention after dinner but before bed, or whenever works best for you, this makes it INTENTIONAL. This needs to be an intentional act. No one is going to hand it to you, ya know?

Secondly, you'll need to ignore your phone/computer/iPad/whatever during this time. A mental break from the dings of notifications and rings of phone calls. I'm sure this goes without saying for many of you, but not for me, haha! So I am writing it here. :)

Third, I think music plays a big part in getting into your zone. Again, this is probably a duh one for most of you. But I needed the reminder, so again, writing it  here.

So by the time you've gotten to this point, you're already focusing on yourself and your needs. You've taken away distractions, gotten yourself in your own peaceful space. You should be feeling better already.

The best part is, by this point you have total freedom. You can do whatever you want. What relaxes you? Maybe you take five or ten for a little meditation to clear your head, to get away from the monkey mind and into your elevated consciousness. In fact, I highly recommend this part, and part of the new goals I have for myself is to get into this state nightly. I've been majorly slacking, and when I FINALLY meditated last night, my head felt hot and jittery at first. Not a good state for me. No wonder I was feeling rattled. (Also, if you're interested, here's a post I did a while back on meditating and clearing chakras)

Okay, so now you should be feeling much, much better. What now? Well, what do you love to do but don't have time for during your busy day? Art, some yoga stretching, reading, playing with cards, playing music, doing some photography, doing a foot soak, whatever. Now is the time to sink into it.

I think that these things, intentionally doing things that you love outside of your busy daily life, help to relax and rejuvenate us. It will make you feel better, like you are living your life intentionally, and making time for yourself because you value yourself and know that you can't run around on empty all the time because you'll go crazy.

I'm seeing how this relates to other areas of life too- making little pockets of time in your day for the things that are important to you. So it can expand out, like the veins in a leaf, to living your life the way you want to, a way that nurtures you and empowers you to move you forward.

What do you do to relax? Please share in the comments below!

Rainy day farmhouse and willow in Maine.

The Hanged Man and Homemade Prayer Flags

I've been thinking about the hanged man in tarot lately. For a string of questions about decisions to be made, he would show up somewhere in the spread. This is what he looks like:

My understanding from interpretations I have read is that he is hanging from his own free will. He is voluntarily gaining a new perspective of his surroundings. Things had gotten stale and stuck with the current vision, so he has flipped to see what he's been missing. Gathering information. The halo around his head stands for enlightenment- he has found his way in this pose. Know what else I just thought of? How he is detaching. Asking us to detach from our perspectives and expectations, to find actual truth.

THM is also a paradoxical card- doing the opposite of what seems natural to do. It is not natural to most to flip and do the opposite of your reaction, but sometimes our reactions are simply that, and do not help us to find resolution in our queries and problems.

How I've seen this as a lesson in my own life- when I'm frustrated or irritated with someone close to me, and my reaction is to distance myself, or back away, instead, doing the opposite. Instead of creating more distance, offering up peace. Talking. Putting energy in while stepping away from my emotions.

Not that I'm saying to neglect your intuition in a toxic relationship, or anything. Far from it. Just telling how I have seen THM play out for me. And I know it's only the tip of the iceberg, that there are many other ways I can expand my vision to help me move forward with this decision making process that seems overwhelming to me. :) Sometimes I feel frustrated when I see this card- I AM trying to expand my perspective and get more info! WHY isn't it working? Sometimes I get caught up in and distracted by questions rather than just moving toward what I want.


Oh, and for those of you who were following the post about altars and such, I wanted to share a photo of prayer flags my son and I made together. It was SUPER easy to do, just construction paper with whatever we wanted drawn or painted on them, taped onto string, which is taped to the wall. Easy peasy. :)

I'd love to hear about your thoughts/experiences with The Hanged Man! xo

Mt Blue Meditations

Happy Virgo Season!

Virgo is a mutable Earth sign. So I thought it was fitting that I spent the first weekend of Virgo camping. I got a little Virgo-y a.k.a. organized with the maps at one point too: 

(Side note: I want to start mapping things old-school again. We had no service at our campsite, and I felt like it was a nice reminder to start doing so again.)

On the note of Virgo, I am feeling the shift in signs. My nerves are acting up a bit, and I think that I need to reduce my caffeine intake to help this. I drank SO MUCH COFFEE over the weekend and I think it just flooded me. Back to the Tetley for me, for the time being. That's what I did for breakfast, but made coffee late morning and it didn't agree with me. I also want to devote more time daily to stretching/light yoga. And meditating. And going for more walks. Virgo likes healthy routines.

Anyway, I wanted to share some photos from our weekend, camping in Western Maine. It took me back to being much younger, spending time on the lake. When I wasn't swimming or playing I'd be reading or drawing. The simplicity and also richness of being in nature, unplugged, was something I wasn't even aware of that I desperately needed. And now I am blogging about it. Yay irony.

Driving into the park. Western Maine mountains.

Campfire. Nothing like it. I love that the scent followed us home on our clothing.

Boats.

On the dock at sunset.

Perfect lake.

Taking a dip.

Happy Tuesday. Happy Virgo. Sending peace.

zen homes and altars

I'm in the process of downsizing. Releasing objects from my home that I no longer need is a wonderful feeling. Clutter gives me anxiety to look at. I have a craving for the minimal. 

from lisa congdon

I also have a three year old. And live in a small space. So clutter can, and does, happen quickly. The recycling area and dishes in the kitchen, books and photo prints left on the dining table, and the TOYS- look a lot more offensive in small spaces- it's less forgiving.

Slowly, I am getting there though. The thought of having less stuff is a freeing one. Less holding me down, less visual clutter entering my mental sphere.

While I am for sure no pro on the matter (my home is really messy at this writing), here are some tips that currently work for me in getting my space at least somewhat zen.

1. Do it for the zen.
Your entire living space is not going to be immaculate all the time. You do LIVE there, ya know? Perfection is not the goal here. However. It is very, very possible to have an area or two, away from the reaches of children and high traffic areas, that are simple and clean-looking. For me, it's the top shelf of a changing table turned shelving unit. I have six items on the top shelf (the other two hold toys), and that's it. I make a (small) effort to keep it this way. It's easy because it's so minimal. In a sea of chaos, there is a slice of calm. :)

2. The less you have, the better everything looks.
I used to clean houses for a job. One thing I learned from going into various homes was that the houses that looked the best BEFORE cleaning were the ones that had less stuff. Fewer possessions overall. And the possessions that were there seemed tastefully selected. These would be neater in part because they HAD less to clean up, organize, and so on. Instead of attempting to organize too much crap, there was simply less of it. Once I saw this in person it all seemed so clear to me!

3. Make regular trips to goodwill. 
Or have regular clothing/stuff swaps, or consignment trips, or eBay listings. If you can, designate a basket or bag on a door knob to toss the things you'll be donating. This way it's an ongoing process, and is a much smaller step than attempting to sort through huge piles at a time and then getting overwhelmed and going to do something else!

4. Consider creating an altar.
On the same note as point one, having an altar can be a great way to keep an area free of clutter. Basically, an altar consists of a space- I'm limited in that area so I use the top of my dresser  in our bedroom- where you keep meaningful and inspirational objects to look at as often as you please. Another slice of calm in the chaos.

Ideas for altars: Oracle cards with a card for the day. Stones or crystals you connect with. Written intentions. Inspiring/spiritual figurines. A photo or two that elates you. Artwork. Prayer flags/beads. Flowers. Pine cones. A candle or two. A singing bowl. A chime. Whatever. This space can be as non/multi-denominational or as religious as you wish. Or it can just feature elements that are important to you.

Some inspiration...

From artnlight

simple

from apartment therapy

buddha

botanical altar from ecosalon

from crafty chick's cuppa coffee

love this outdoor altar from hidden hills garden

ganesha teacup altar from leigh's wiccan boutique

I'm so inspired now from cruising photos of altars on pinterest. I'm going to give mine a makeover soon! I'll post a photo after I do.



Well this post certainly took an unexpected tangent! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, and please feel free to share your tips and tricks- or a photo of your altar- in the comments!

Wednesday Roundup

I'm going to be listing some of my favorite blog posts and videos for today. But first, the moon is currently in Scorpio, and moving into Sagittarius this afternoon. Expect your mood to lighten with this shift! These days I think of the Sag moon as a break between Scorpio and Capricorn moons, both of which make some uncomfortable aspects with other planets in the sky right now, which can feel heavy.

Okay, I'm feeling pulling a card for y'all today. What to embrace right now.

From Steven Farmer's Earth Magic deck- Iceberg. Submerged.

How fitting for this Scorpio moon. This card is about dealing with your shadow aspects. The parts of yourself that you try to keep out of your conscious awareness, because it is uncomfortable, icky, youjustwanttothinkaboutanythingelse. So we stuff it down. Like the tip of an iceberg, it rears it's head with shame and guilt, while the bulk of it lies beneath our consciousness.

Now is the time to embrace this. Instead of shunning it, hugging it, so to speak. Sending love there instead of shame. Dissolving the blocks. A little at a time. Maybe it's a dream you have but feel it's impossible to attain, maybe it's something far yuckier, but either way embrace it. Right now is the time to get in touch with this and allow the flow of feeling without self-judgement. Feeling things is natural. The feeling can lead to healing.


Anyway... the links.

Wonderful article on the current Neptune retrograde and how you may be experiencing it from Starcana.

A really inspiring post about walking away from corporate life by Biddy Tarot.

Some asteroid talk featuring Juno from Aliza at MoonPluto Astrology.


If you're interested, here are the videos I'm queuing up for myself when I make the time.

Weekly horoscopes by Chris at SoulGarden. I like to watch for both my sun sign and rising.

Doreen Virtue's latest three-card reading for the week here.

Monthly horoscopes by Kelley Rosano. She's already into September, but her August ones are available as well!

It's not up yet, but the weekly Pele Report should be up later today.


I've been having some minor issues with subscriptions being delayed in getting sent to people! I'm working on a solution. In the meantime, if you're on facebook, feel free to like my page (make sure to select "show all" for posts) to keep current. Thank you!

Test

Hello! I've been having some issues with subscriptions on my blog, so I am doing a test post to see if this reaches you, and if so, what URL it directs you to. Hopefully it just takes you to thesewanderingstars.com, but some people have been having problems, so please let me know if you are! As a precaution I've updated the subscription form on my blog, so if all else fails re-subscribing there should work.

Thank you!
Caroline

Rough Days

Today was a rough day.

It's kind of been a rough week.

I can think of possible reasons- settling back into our "normal" routine after travel/having company. Everyone in the dang house having terrible and less sleep than usual, which is never a story for success. Or maybe we're all just grumpy for no good reason.

Some people seem to be easily able to pull themselves out of such slumps. I wish I were one of them. I have a history with depression, and I can recognize some of its symptoms within me on days like today, weeks like this week. I feel like time is flying and I'm not doing all the things I need/want to do. I need to slow down. I need more self-care. I think I will skip out on coffee for the rest of the week, even though I just picked up half a pound of Jim's Organic Sweet Love dark roast blend, and it will be tortuous not indulging myself in the morning when I feel like I can't even function. I need a pause from the jittery mental state.

Today was a day where my emotions got the better of me. I had to remember to give hugs, show love, to diffuse some power struggles. And yes, I'm having a margarita as I type this.

What's the point of this? Oh. I suppose, I'm trying to say that we all have rough days (or weeks), and it's okay. I think it's part of the human condition. We don't need to get hung up on hating ourselves for it. Take care of yourself, do or watch something silly to lift your spirits, whatever. Learn from today to make tomorrow better.

xoxo Thanks for reading.

Saturn Direct + Getting Clear

I haven't been around for a while so I just wanted to write a little something today.

I've had Saturn ON the brain lately. Probably because it is currently transiting my first house and so ALL up in my business. It was retrograding (appearing to travel backward from our perspective here on Earth), and only a few days ago turned direct again.

For me, a big theme of the retrograde was realizing that I need to become more clear about what it is I want for myself. The first house is the house of the self. Not that I magically have it all figured out now that it's direct or anything, but I had to strip down to the essentials. I saw this literally, physically- I stopped wearing makeup for about a month (literally used to be unthinkable for me. Now I'm back to using a little bit), stopped using anti-antiperspirant all together.

Silly examples maybe, but it was like an echo of what's going on inside with me. As above, so below. I'm trying to move forward on my path and I get SO discouraged at times, but I know that I have to keep putting in the work. It's Saturn. I have to put the work in.

If you take a moment and peek at your chart, see where Saturn is transiting for you. That could be the area of life where you need to get rid of the fluff, get down to basics, lay out a game plan.

Does that make sense? I'd love to hear if this rings true for you.

*Edited to add instructions for finding where Saturn is in your chart. Go to astro.com. From there:

1. Click "Free Horoscopes" on the upper right-hand side

2. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page, and click "Extended Chart Selection."

3. In the third drop down menu that says "Please select the type of chart you want," Select "Natal Chart and Transits."

4. On the outside of the chart, there will be symbols in green. ♄ is Saturn. You'll be able to see which house it's in (houses are numbered 1-12 around the wheel). Voila!

*Note: At some point in the process you will have to put your birth info into astro.com. You can do that either by signing up or just doing a guest chart.

Let me know if you need any help! Seriously, I'm happy to. :)

Sometimes it feels like this, right? 

On Decisions

I have some decisions to make that are haunting me. Or in reality, they may be things I want to do that so far I am too chicken to do. Does that make sense? And they are only being proposed as decisions in my mind, where I am in the middle splashing about wondering WHAT to do, but I know what I want to do and am resisting it?

I don't know if it matters. Either way, I get caught up in the agony of my situation, and for too long now have been brushing it off, "I'll think about it later" and later never comes, and the frustration simply grows! It's a trap.

There was a lunar eclipse last night, Sun in Taurus, Moon in Scorpio. This eclipse occurred in my first house. House of self. I have Saturn transiting there as well. The way I see myself is changing. The way I want to be is changing.

Taking a chance. Making a decision is about taking a chance. It's scary for someone like me, with a Taurus moon that longs for security, safety, knowing.

And I've been putting too much pressure on myself to decide. Which obviously only freezes things up. So I am trying to relax. Not forcing myself, but letting myself arrive. One layer at a time. Not everything right this instant.

I set myself a goal. By the end of August I will know. So there is time. There is time to begin to slowly uproot myself. I can't live with myself if I choose anything otherwise. The price I'm paying to not think about decisions I have to make has gotten too high.



I know this is a bit... cryptic. Sorry. :) I've been neglecting this blog so, and I've been feeling the urge to start blogging again semi-regularly.

Do you have any decisions to make? How is your process? Always happy to hear your thoughts.

the buddha moon.

Happy Sunday

Are you riding the wave? The wave of water, of Pisces, of all the Pisces in the sky, in the earth, right now. There's a full moon building, which means the moon will be in Virgo, opposing all the Pisces. Are you moving toward a resolution internally or externally? Which houses hold your Pisces and Virgo? This can give you clues to the areas of life (which the houses represent) that are being activated now.

And let's not forget Saturn in Scorpio. This is working with the Pisces, as both are water signs. What has recently come to light? Things deep within us want air now, want us to recognize them. Want our attention. We are being called to resolve these ongoing issues in our lives. We can resist but, we can try to stuff it back down, but that won't make it disappear. By now you may know where you need to dedicate your energies...

I've been having trouble blogging lately. I think all the Pisces has made it difficult for me to put some things in written word. Feeling things, but having trouble translating them. Funny, because normally for me, writing is how I best express myself. But lately I've been feeling the expression in other ways. Internally. Simply FEELING things. Letting myself feel what I feel, trying not to block them as I so often do because I fear the intensity. Again, riding the wave. 

Also, Tarot. Been sucking me in, I think something else that's been getting my attention, over blogging. And, shockingly, the spoken word. Trying to be more clear in my communications with others. Less foggy. Or maybe I'm still foggy but all the Pisces, which is foggy too, makes connecting, sharing, a little easier.

I didn't mean to write this much. I wanted to share some links and videos I've found lately that I thought others might enjoy. Please feel free to share your thoughts on the Pisces, or full moon, or whatever.

Really enjoyed his take on the current astro weather. :)

My friend Ariana's great blog about RV living (with two kids!) in the American Northwest:: nonschoolvoyager

I love her message here about finding and making some structure, consistency in your life, which I think supports the Pisces, the flowing:: moonplutoastrology

Blogger wouldn't let me embed this video, but this is a helpful, five minute meditation on connecting with your higher self's wisdom:: doreen virtue

looking downriver.

messages

A message I keep getting with Tarot is that I need to plan, visualize my goals.
Really, this is part of magic. Setting the goal, DEFINING the goal (which can prove quite difficult),
then using your resources to propel forward.

Many planets in Pisces now. Plus the moon is in Scorpio today and tomorrow.
Much of the Pisces planets are on my Jupiter. Spiritual expansion?
But Neptune's there... foggy.
Hmm.

The things I value most include my family and friends, of course.
Also, TRAVEL. Important to me. A goal. Ongoing. : )
And, Astrology (and Tarot). I really am inspired to beef up my knowledge. Make something more. Build my foundation more sturdily.

Both things seem limitless, and I think that is part of what draws me in. No upper limit. "The limit doesn't exist."


Another message I received from Tarot today was one of personal power. To be the one in charge of my emotional well-being. Not giving that power away to others.
I think this is something that a lot of sensitive types deal with, and I think, for me anyway, it has to do with my moon. My moon in Taurus, in the 8th house. I can get too invested in the feelings, emotions of others without even realizing it. This doesn't lead anywhere good.
 I've gotten this message before but not as poignant as today. It's like the card (King of Cups, reversed) was shouting at me to reign that in, bring it back. To get a handle on it, which in turn can help me move further with my goals, visualizations...

What do you think? What does your moon say?

this is what it feels like in my head today!

uranus and the hierophant

It's funny what the cards bring up. I haven't been using my new Tarot cards every day yet, but I am able to get some good sessions in on the weekends and sometimes at night during the week. I made a point to wake up earlier than usual today, to get some centering time to myself. I didn't go to bed earlier than usual last night- still stayed up late. I woke up and drank some coffee and attempted to blog but it wasn't going anywhere, so I drew a card and then decided to meditate. I'm still taking my meditation class. I still need to do at least 10 minutes a day, to get my money's worth. ;) There's only another week left anyway.

The card, by the way, was The Hierophant. It's funny because The Hierophant, in my limited knowledge, represents order in spirituality (aka religion). Learning from an old way, a tradition. Conventional. "An institutionalized way of seeking the sacred." -Biddy. Hmm.

And then there's Uranus. Basically the antithesis of The Hierophant. Individualistic, progressive, here and there and erratic and creative and even destructive. Breaking down new barriers, not exactly focused on religion or teachings of the past. Uranus is prominent in my chart. Not only that, I have been feeling the Uranian energy strongly lately. Organized religion is not, and has never, been my thing. He conjuncts my Mars in Sag, a fire sign (wicked mouth), and is currently transiting my sixth house of daily routine. In Aries. As in, what daily routine? Aries and Uranus both have to do with new, as well. A new phase of life to navigate.

Drawing The Hierophant seems to echo what I was writing about here last week. Holding onto a thread, just a thread, of this energy to help me grow and expand (Jupiter/Sag rules religion and expansion), instead of just floundering. The Hierophant stresses having a teacher, a guide, on this leg of your journey. Of course. Of course Tarot is right. Right now I do need a guide, I AM being guided to meditate every day, because otherwise I WOULD NOT DO IT. I would talk about how good it is for me and how it's something I've been meaning to do, and might even meditate for a couple minutes before passing out at night but it is not the same thing. It's not structured, it's not setting a foundation, it's nothing I can grow from. Guidance is necessary... And even if I can't always have a physical guide, being able to better direct myself.

I'm imagining The Hierophant in my 6th house now, along with Uranus. Providing an outlet, which I think, too, will help me use the Uranus energy that can be so good and so creative and so progressive, if I'm in a better place to receive it. Ya know? Instead of indulging it's lower tendencies...

Organized Spirituality meets...

Uranus, just spinning around on it's side. Doing it's own thing.

navigating daily life

Boy have I felt scattered today so far, and the past week. I'm sure lots of you feel that way too, with all the different facets of life to keep up with... jobs, other work, school, kids, families, pets, friends, relationships, keeping up with your home, travel...

AND THEN the things we value but have to squeeze in between the things listed above... writing, blogging, art, music, meditating, exercise, FUN, other endeavors, spending time in nature, spending time in the city... what have you. Let's not forget the guilt that can come with neglecting the top list for things on this one...

It feels a little overwhelming at times, right? I've been trying to get a rhythm down... not a strict schedule, but a certain... flow, to my days. Well, I guess it IS a schedule of sorts, but it's super flexible. Even though day to day can vary a lot, there are certain core things that I need to make time for every day. I am feeling the learning curve of it all, but so far it has helped, somewhat, the scattered feeling, if I can think back to my general time map of what I should be doing... it feels like work, to an extent, but GOOD work, if that makes any sense?

Today I'm a little out of it. The moon is void of course, so the moon's a little out there today too. Void of course, or VOC moon means that it's not making any aspects with any of the other planets. To me it feels almost like a free fall of sorts, unattached  It's in Gemini which can feel this way anyway, unfocused because we're trying to focus on too many things... I feel like I'm vibing with the moon. I could have slept all day, I'll tell you that right now. :) I have a certain song I've been obsessed with (I get like that with songs), and have been listening to it over and over to help me focus somewhat. Necessary when blogging or doing readings. Otherwise I get distracted by every little thing.

Second day of my meditation class. It's a challenge, for sure, for me, to meditate every day. Yesterday I did two five minute stretches. Did one ten minute session today. I started to have the thought yesterday that there's no way I will be able to do this every day... I'm too busy... but that's kind of the point... to work these things, that are important to you and beneficial and really help you to be on the path you want to be on, into your life... slowly, slowly, so it sticks...

Monday

This is super quick, just checking in- I wasn't very good at being around last week! It's a funny time of morning now, worked on a reading when I first woke up, then playtime and chores with the little one. My concentration is all but gone for the morning- I'm planning a nice session this afternoon, will finish the reading and I also have some cards to pull for people. :)

This makes me feel good. Reading charts and doing card pulls/spreads is work that I truly love, although I am just starting on the path, and am still in the learning, gathering information and synthesizing it stage... I really want this to be my career. Or, a big part of my career.

A friend and I were discussing the other day how intimate it can be to have a reading done. Having someone see your chart, or cards related to your situation, can be revealing. And sometimes I feel like I'm getting TOO intimate. Like, where's the line on what's too personal to talk about? I realized about myself as a reader that I don't want to NOT go there, ever. Honesty is important to me. I want to be real with what I see and not put up illusions... As my Astrology teacher asked this morning, about Saturn's transit and how it's affecting us, Saturn going through my first is really knocking down any illusions I had about myself... and going over my natal Pluto, much is being revealed... and this is just the beginning! How are you feeling it?

Also, Happy MLK, Jr. Day! From my facebook page, one of my favorite quotes of all time. By the way, he was a Capricorn with a Pisces moon and Taurus rising. Pisces=Vision. Capricorn=Putting in the hard work. Taurus=Not backing down!

Truth.

In search of less.

All I want to do is purge my home of things I don't need or use anymore. If I ever did at all. I just did this about a month ago, but the urge is creeping back up. The post-Christmas/birthday business. We live in a small space. Which is fine. I'm used to small spaces. :) I just don't like them to feel cramped and cluttered.

I have a nearly-empty fourth house in my chart, but right now (Capricorn/Aquarius season!), I have many transiting planets there. Cleaning house.  It feels like a cleansing on so many levels. I want to cleanse my home, my brain, my spirit. And to do that you have to go through some shit. You have to go through all the junk that isn't serving you anymore but is still hard to part with because you've had it for so long.

Capricorn wants to reach its goals, one summit at a time. Mars in Aquarius (also going through my fourth) creates the sense of urgency. Fourth house is the home, the spaces we dwell in and also the home of our souls, aka our bodies. The cusp of the fourth house is called the Imum Coeli, or IC, and I once read that this is the point where the soul enters the body. Fourth house is also feelings, emotions.

Trying to cleanse my mental states of stress that pop up. One thing that helps is, when I feel overwhelmed, is to consciously give the stressful feelings away to the universe (or deity of your choice). To get them out of your body. This is a mental/spiritual exercise but you can feel it in your body, as stress affects the body so much... Giving away the junk. This allows new things, better things, to come in. If the space is clogged up, nothing more can come in. That goes for our physical homes, too. :)

I suppose what I'm really trying to do is care for these things, my physical and spiritual homes, myself and my body, and it is somewhat foreign to me, so I need to write about it apparently! (Actually, Mercury, aka communication, is there as well so I guess I really do! haha). What needs your attention and care right now?

The Ace of Cups, my favorite of the limited number of Tarot cards I've seen so far. My understanding of the card- spiritual abundance spills over to material abundance...

three card draw

I purchased my first-ever Tarot deck last week. I am a super beginner with Tarot, and while I've done a couple of draws for myself I feel more like... the deck is using me, than I am using it, at this point. haha. I'm not fully confident! So, I have been doing some research on the topic to try to learn more.

Because I'd been so engrossed with my Tarot deck, I had strayed from my original card deck, my Avalon oracle cards. Yesterday I went to do a draw with Tarot but realized that I missed my Avalon cards, so I did a draw with those instead. Just a quick three-card spread, not even focusing on a particular question, I just wanted to see what came up.

The Grail Knight, The Queen, and Letting Go.

The basic message: Let go of past relationship issues/troubles (romantic or otherwise) to have the best possible present.

Some details:

The Grail Knight stands for love, either of yourself or romantically. He asks you to choose love, and to seek the sacred. Choosing to focus on these things. He also reminds us that with everything, there is light and shadow. Be willing to see the shadow side to avoid illusion.

The Queen represents all things pertaining to women. Fertility, which yes, could be literally, but more generally metaphorically. Creativity. What are you creating? What life are you creating for yourself? How can you revel in the beauty of life? She also represents self-worth, having fun, and boundaries. Boundaries, but without isolation. 

If you are very sensitive to the energies/feelings of others, you can draw a boundary, shield yourself, to not absorb them. Just reminding yourself of this boundary if you're starting to feel affected by another can be enough. If you need a visual, I was once told to envision a bubble around yourself. :) You can still see and talk to the other person, and love them, but their energy can't leak over to you.

Letting Go. This represents a release of attachments, expectations, unfulfilled desired. Relinquish control. Be light and free. The past can be heavy and weigh us down if we let it...

Do these cards resonate with you? Feel free to share your tips for healthy boundaries for sensitive types.

weekend links

Laying low on the blogging front over the weekend, but I'll be back fresh on Monday. :) Meanwhile, here's a few random things from around the internet to peruse if you'd like...

perfect chill music. cuddledub?

Meditation "retreat" (at your own home), hosted by Aliza from MoonPluto Astrology. $25 is a steal. I've taken lots of classes with Aliza and she is a really insightful and attentive teacher.     -MoonPluto Astrology

Crazy cool post about psychic indicators in the chart. So interesting.      -AstroRevelations

Also taking the chance to plug my Astrology board on Pinterest. :) Come play!     -Pinterest

Love Fest Day

...Is the day when the Moon crosses Venus. This is a great video from Astrologer Chris Witeki from Soul Garden. Just wanted to share with y'all! xoxo

something for the capricorns

...and by that I mean, Capricorn suns or moons or an otherwise inclined Capricorn type. :)

(Saturn, ruling planet of Capricorn, in Capricorn? Oh, yes. You're included!)

Made by a Capricorn, can be found here.

Capricorn

-The sea-goat

-"Sea" represents the sub/unconscious, spiritual realm. Capricorn partially resides there, which is why so many of them are artists of some sort.

-Many people with Capricorn placements are feeling transformed, challenged, or even stuck (if resisting change), as Pluto, planet of transformation, transits the sign. 

-Capricorn, ruled by Saturn, can resist expansion of their natural talents and enjoyments. Your instinct may be to restrict yourself. This may be related to not feeling worthy, as they have such high expectations for themselves.

-A message to Capricorn types: you are worthy, you are talented. Put that work ethic of yours into pursuits that are meaningful to you.

Happy New Moon!

new moon in capricorn time!

The moon moves into Capricorn in the wee hours of the night, at 3:54 am eastern time. The new moon will be exact at 2:44 pm est on Friday!

There's lots of other Capricorn action in the sky right now, as well- Mercury and Capricorn and Pluto, oh my! And the sun too!

Do you have planets in Capricorn? If so, there's a good chance they are being transited by the planets in Capricorn right now. If you peek at your chart and see the house(s) where Capricorn lies (even if you don't have any planets there), it will give you clues as to the areas of your life being affected right now.

Let's say you have a Capricorn moon. All the planetary movement in Capricorn, then, is raising topics surrounding your needs and security. What do you need to feel secure, and do you feel as though it is attainable? How are you striving for this security- from outside sources, or from within yourself ? Either way, creating a strong foundation is paramount.

Taking it one step further- say your Capricorn moon is in the third house. This house is very mentally based, and has to do with things pertaining to communication (verbal and written), light daily travel, and relationships with brothers and sisters. How are you feeling about these topics? Perhaps relationships with siblings are feeling tested, or you're trying to communicate more openly with your loved ones but you're running into speed bumps. The new moon here is going to bring a focus to these topics, and if you are receptive to a solution- rather than just focusing on the problem itself- you may have a revelation, OR at least realize that you want to move forward with these things.

If you're a Capricorn sun, you may feel as though your entire being is on a wild ride. And I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way! You are growing. Up or down? Shying away or trying to embrace it?

I've talked about different meanings of the houses here. Take a minute, put your info into Astro and see what number your Capricorn house is. We ALL have a Capricorn house, so even if you don't have any planets there you still have an area of life (house) being affected. Then you can refer to this handy cheat sheet to see the area of your life being brought into focus- remember, this is where the sun and moon will be, as they are conjunct during a new moon. Illumination inside and out!

Traditional zodiac with house and sign affiliations. In which houses do you have planets?

sag moon redux

Re: my most recent blog post, I received some feedback in which my friend A hilariously noted that I had gotten "a little ADD" and strayed from the topic of actual moon in Sagittarius. Which was the entire original point! It made me giggle since it's SO true (I heart feedback, btw), and instead of making edits after the fact, I decided to just clean it up with another short little blog post. :)

Anyway- moon in Sag! Aspects aside, this is generally regarded as a happy, sociable time. Could be a little freewheeling (look out for rash decision-making). A good time for self-reflection/evaluation, and spiritual/philosophical endeavors. (Side note: I purchased my first ever deck of Tarot cards today, during the Sag moon. Not planned that way- just, the shop I got them at was closed yesterday. :) ).

So that's sort of the general mood of Sag moon. There are more layers. For one, the aspects (interactions) the moon makes with other planetary bodies. Today, the moon made many different aspects- the moon is/was busy! So this takes the general energy of the moon and bends it a bit.

For example, an opposition to Jupiter in Gemini happened earlier today. Sensitive types may still be picking up on this theme- reconciling our needs (the moon) with that which we want to expand (jupiter). Where these two transiting planets fall in your chart will give you more clues. For example, if you had the transiting moon in the fourth house, and Jupiter in the tenth, you may be feeling a bit of a tug of war between your basic, family, home-based needs (fourth house- are you feeling as though you're in a shell?) and the desire to expand your career (tenth house). How can you meet in the middle? That's what oppositions encourage... And I just inadvertently talked about the second layer- where the planets fall specifically in your chart. That's where astrology gets personal, and becomes a helpful psychological tool. And that is why I'm obsessed with Astrology. Psychology undergrad turned Astrologer-in-training. :)

The moon is in Sagittarius until early morning Thursday. Embrace this monthly retreat to those Sag endeavors!

Expanding on your needs... one theme from today. :)

hello sagittarius moon

Last night and a little while this morning has been devoted to reading on Sky Writer. Donna Cunningham is unstoppable! Her Q&A articles in particular are just a wealth of astrological information. I think I'll just read one article and end up reading like nine!

Today the moon is in Sagittarius. Moon in Sag feels like a breath of fresh air for me- out of the intensity of Moon in Scorpio (which isn't inherently bad or anything, but I do have limits to how deep I can go before I feel overloaded!), and a break before the different kind of intensity that moon in Capricorn brings these days, as Capricorn moon conjuncts transiting Pluto. Not that that placement has to be labeled bad or anything either, to me it just feels heavy and like... staying in. Gathering energy. The new moon this month will be in Capricorn, in Friday.

The moon moves quickly. New sign every ~2.5 days. Moods and themes can change quickly. My advice is to roll with it rather than trying to resist. If you feel particularly... antisocial, or internally based, honor that within yourself, even if external circumstances are a bit... squeezing. This can be something as small as treating yourself to a hot tea or coffee in the midst of a busy day at work when you're just not feeling it at all.

Venus also will be joining the sun, pluto (and soon the moon) in Capricorn, late tonight eastern time. 11:11, to be exact. :) Love is going down deep, not necessarily cuddly, but then the specifics depend on your OWN personal chart- where is your Capricorn house? I also think this will have the potential to be revealing in your relationships. What will you uncover?

I'm getting ahead of myself- one transit at a time. Hi, Sagittarius moon! How do you notice the current moon?

Sagittarius region of the galaxy.

blocks and clearing.

How do you deal with blockages?

They show themselves in all sorts of ways, and while the antidote seems simple, especially if it's surrounding doing something, like writing, for example- just do it-  it's not. It's like you have to drag yourself, and even if you are able to it, it can feel forced or stiff or just like there's no SOUL in it and it's frustrating.

With me I feel irritable when I'm blocked. If I've been neglecting myself and some semblance of a daily routine of care. And I was feeling this today, bad. It feels gross and heavy. I made myself meditate for, oh, 7ish minutes. I sometimes (often) put it off because I feel like it takes up too much time. Like it's going to be boring when there's other stuff I need to do. But it's never either of those things. Again. Blocks. Resisting.

So since I do rush things sometimes when I'm by myself (My Mars and Uranus are conjunct, and one thing that is, is impatience! In the third house, matters of the mind. btw). My solution was to do a speedy chakra cleanse. Started at the bottom and cleared each one, just moving my hand clockwise (like you're the clock) in front of each chakra. You also raise your energy while doing this- this is energy work, and can feel it at the top of your head. Today it felt like pressure being released. Tangible pressure. Woah. How long had it been? Too long. Far too long.

It's important to feel clear.  I work with people and cards and charts sometimes, (and I would really like to do it more), and I need to be clear before doing this. I don't want to cloud anything, ya know? I need everything to flow. :) Even just in daily matters, daily interactions.

here's a handy guide. ;)

And if you're into it- some Ravi Shankar.

How else can you combat the winter blues?

Test!

Attempting a post from my phone, I haven't done much with the blogger app so far and wanted to give it a whirl.
I'm pretty much recovered at this point (yay!), and am just trying to stay warm from the Arctic weather that has taken over Maine.
Also wanted to share that a big goal of mine for 2013 is blogging very regularly (like, daily), and maybe even making this my job... which I would love. So much. :)
Many thanks to those of you who read this, it means very much to me and I'm so grateful!
The moon's in Virgo today, which I'm seeing as a good transition type day, getting us back into the swing of daily life after the holidays. Good day to get back to business, tidied up, and getting a sense of accomplishment out of it... working to propel you forward in this new year! Plus this trines the sun in Capricorn with the Earth energy, which can be both grounding AND expansive. That which arises from steady work, steady practice. Are you feeling it? How do you want to ground and expand in the new year?
Xo everyone, hope you're all having a fabulous day and making creative solutions to whatever pops up...

love-trees.