Jupiter / Expansion / Magic

We're almost two weeks into 2014. Whoa. I feel like I'm still settling in, getting my bearings back from the holidays. Our house is a wreck (although it did get some attention today, and I'm pleased to announce that the kitchen is no longer gross), and a lot of things seem up in the air. But it feels more focused  than it did last year. I feel like I have more of a sense of where I want to go. And most days I'm lucky if I make a baby step, the smallest of small, on that path. Sometimes it's just a thought, a reminder, a sentence I speak out loud. Obstacles intimidate, but thinking of Neptune, of Pisces here, and dissolving them or maybe just swimming around, over, or through...

The point I'm trying to make here is that I've been reading, noticing, people saying lately to focus on what you want to expand it, instead of fighting what's no longer working. This is very Jupiter. I'm in the midst of this amazing book that I would recommend to anyone, called Making the Gods Work for You, by Caroline Casey. I just finished the Jupiter chapter (yes, each planet gets a chapter, and there are also rituals to do for the witchily-inclined), and she talks about how Jupiter expands what it touches. Regarding things you would like to be rid of, she suggests:

"Jupiter tells us not to trouble our pretty little heads about how we are to be rid of our burdens. When we ritually place these things on the curb of our psyche, so to speak, Jupiter's Removal Service will take it away. We do not have to worry about the removal process. We just have to imagine putting it in bags..."

I think another point made by this is how by visualizing these things in their trash bags, it declutters our mental space and makes room for us to grow what we desire. Expanding it. Going with the flow instead of wrestling to get to that space.

So what do you want to expand? What do you want to draw in? What do you want to DO? Jupiter is in the sign of Cancer now, helping us to get in touch with our feelings and thoughts, the ones we cherish and protect under the crab shell... unintentional living won't fly here...


OH and this blog post by Tonya Leigh from French Kiss Life was a wonderful supplement to all this Jupiter talk, I thought... She says to fill up your life with what you want so there's no space for the shit... but much more eloquently. :)


Thanks for reading :) Maybe I'll be back again soon. Here's some photos from my neck of the woods. If you want more, find me on instagram @sightsofmaine 

off the top of my head

I think that I'm moving to WordPress. And/or working on improving this site. If things get a little weird around here in the next few days to a week, that's probably why. It looks like the process should be pretty painless, thankfully. Just wanted to give a heads up. :)

So we're onto longer days, every day. It's a nice thought. I'm feeling zonked from the holidays but I think I will fix myself a hot cuppa and make a list and get some stuff done, life-wise and around the house. At the moment, though, I am loving my work space. Here's the view:

It's from last week. :)

Originally I tweeted it. Are you on twitter? Find me here! Other places I'm around online are to the right.

How are you feeling today? The moon and Jupiter in Gemini (although no longer conjunct) is motivating- for sure- but the side effect is feeling overwhelmed! A rushed, how will I do all this? feeling. But a lot can be found out, as well- this is a GREAT time to set goals for the year ahead, or just a general idea of what you'd like to happen (if you're into that kind of thing). If you do a vision board, now is a great time to work on it.

Felt compelled to draw a card (which turned into three).

From the oracle deck The Wisdom of Avalon by Colette Baron-Reid.

the frog- cleaning house & releasing emotional baggage. get rid of clutter in your environment, head, and heart. it's time to get rid of anything that clutters your life or your space with unwanted, burdensome energy, or that weighs down heavily on your heart.

cleaning up allows for new and fresh energy to enter your world. it allows for positive and supportive energy. the frog says to release all things no longer appropriate to bring on your journey.

the fire faery- creative action & optimism. she sparks ideas into action and encourages you to move quickly. she's also the voice of happy optimism,, showing you signs, signals, and omens to support your dreams. she brings energy to support ideas that serve the greater good. she also brings illumination. if you're in the dark about something, a light.

burden- this card asks what burdens your are carrying on this part of your journey. are they so heavy that they slow you down? stop and look at your responsibilities & commitments.

release others to their own path. it's time to leave behind any unnecessary burdens, and know you have the strength to carry what is yours.


Interesting combo! I'm definitely feeling the need to write and expand my blog and work...

Do these cards make sense to you, too?
Happy Holidays. :)

i'd rather be sleeping

Gah... I have been SO low-energy lately. Last week/earlier this week I could blame it on tangible illness, but now I have moved past that and I just feel burned out, foggy-headed and fatigued. And it's really, really annoying. I feel guilty that I haven't been able to pay enough attention to my child, and that he's been getting too much ipad time.I mean, I'm paying attention to him, I just haven't been able to play with him like I usually do. I got 8+ hours of sleep last night, so it's not that. I've eaten enough today. 

My astrologer pointed out that today Jupiter goes retrograde- he's been in the sign of Gemini, transiting my 9th house of higher learning, spirituality, travel- and boy, have I been feeling the expansiveness in that area. The astrology classes, becoming more in tune with my cards- It's been a lot in a relatively short period of time. And it's... not physical. That component is missing. Obviously, I still, you know, move, but largely my focus has been on intellectual and metaphysical pursuits. Jupiter retrograde should be a break, a rest. God, I need it. But resting is just so inconvenient. Our society does not support the notion of rest. We are expected to work through illness and exhaustion. My personality is not one for rest. I'd rather be doing things. But then the dizziness and lightheadedness comes and it's just not worth it. My body speaks and my brain ignores, but today I will succumb.

editing to clarify that getting a break from all this mental activity (while Jupiter backtracks) is much-needed for me, to recoup- at this point, I feel like I can hardly absorb anymore information. I really need to meditate, routinely. Like daily. It's the ultimate brain-break. Sticking to routines can be so challenging when I'm the only one enforcing them...

Sorry... I don't mean to complain. I did get out for a beautiful walk this morning on the salt marsh:

Wondering about your Jupiter? I'd be happy to take a peek and see what's up.

elusive creativity

So I'm taking this amazing astrology class, courtesy of moonpluto (her blog is awesome as well, I highly recommend it), and last night I had a bit of an a-ha moment while learning about one of the asteroids (Vesta). She's in my fifth house- which rules, among other things, creativity, children, and spirituality. Now, I have Jupiter there, so I know that this is a BIG area of my life. But as much as I love each of these things, I do need breaks. I need peace and space from time to time. From them, and with them! Does that make sense?

And last night, I kind of realized- I've been so intellectually focused, like on learning and words and communicating them- that I'd been neglecting the other parts of me! Like, my body (physical self), and doing things like meditation (spiritual)- I had just been totally focused on learning, and it was draining the rest of me! I literally NEED balance or parts of me can't function properly! lol. And I think that *this* also contributes to the creative blocks I am forever experiencing.

Another thing I learned- While I do have a penchant for daily work in life, I have felt a bit lost when trying to apply this concept to my creative life (and I use the word "creative" in a broad sense to encompass inspiration, drive to create, actual creation, etc.), i.e., "scheduling" time to write, art, whatever. This works great with all of my other tasks- I love making lists, completing tasks, feeling busy- but it just doesn't work in this area of life. Scheduling=forcing it. And I say this, in class, and moonpluto says how it's going to come up at odd times- I can be creative at weird times and places. And it's true. I was just over-thinking it, trying to apply to it a concept that just doesn't work, and I didn't realize it at all! 

Seriously, this is why I am obsessed with astrology- there's ALWAYS something new to be learned, a new aspect of yourself to better understand... it's fascinating.

How are you creative? Thoughts on the subject? I'd love to hear.

love in the sand.

Sun Sign Basics.

The sun sign is what western astrology is based on. It's the sign you reply with when someone asks you what your sign is. It's where the earth is, in relation to the sun, the day you were born. Every birthday marks your solar return. That's where the expression, "and many happy returns!" comes from.

I'm thinking I'll list the signs, ruling planet(s), and anything off the top of my head I can think of. 

Aries: Ruled by Mars, the red planet. This energy is independent, assertive, with a strong sense of self. Not afraid of, may even willingly hunt for and take on, challenges.

Taurus: Ruled by Venus. Taurus is characterized by love and beauty in nature, environment, in general. The definition of such, will of course vary. Security. Finances. Steadfastness. (Some may say stubborn... what?)

Gemini: Ruled by Mercury. Intelligent, a bit erratic, unique. That brain is always thinking, always going, sometimes multiple trains of thought at once!

Cancer: Ruled by the moon. The moon waxes and wanes, and especially influences the emotional states of those with Cancer prominent in their charts.  

Leo: Ruled by the sun. This energy is obviously warm and expansive, but wants/needs attention and recognition for all that they do. Also generally affectionate and generous.

Virgo: Ruled by Mercury, as well as Gemini. The energy is expressed differently in Virgo, though. Virgo is characterized by a strong work ethic and "purity of purpose" in their ideals (some may say "perfectionist"). Also loyal and truthful.

Libra: Ruled by Venus. This sign is all about relating, to themselves and to others. It also rules beauty and is intellectual in approach and nature. Balance is especially important for Libra types.

Scorpio: Ruled by Pluto, but before Pluto was discovered it was ruled by Mars. Scorpio's energy is deep and intense, and this power can be used for good or otherwise. They have potential to be great healers.

Sagittarius: Ruled by Jupiter. Expansion in all areas of life is a focus for Sadges. Travel, philosophy, education (formal or not), spirituality, art, and the like- these are all very important to this sign.

Capricorn: Ruled by Saturn. Very capable energy- they can do anything. May at times feel fearful of expanding, but this is the lower vibration. The sea-goat wants to keep ascending, and again- are EXTREMELY capable of doing so.

Aquarius: Ruled by Uranus, and was ruled by Saturn before Uranus was discovered. Aquarians are VERY independent, but in a different way than Aries. Aquarians just have to be, whoever they are. Period. To others this may seem rebellious, erratic, or weird, but Aquarians know that what others think doesn't really matter. ;)

Pisces: Ruled by Neptune, and was ruled by Jupiter before Neptune was discovered. Pisces energy is subtle but deep. Their lives may be lead more by intuition than they realize. Art, spirituality, and that which is unconscious, like dreams, interest them. Prone to confusion and escapism, however!

So there's my round up. What do you think?

From adventures in Eastport, Maine.

10th house and career

Lately the subject of career has been coming up, and I've been thinking about mine, too! So I figured I'd write about what different planets in your 10th house- which rules career and your public persona- might look like. Let me know if it's accurate, I'm new at this! ;)


This is how I find a chart and transits (it's under 'free horoscopes,' then 'extended chart selection,' then 'natal chart and transits' in the drop down menu... or you can ask me to find it for you, I don't mind ;) ). Around the outside of the charts, the symbols for the planets are in green... that's where the current planets fall in your chart! Like this... so, this made up person has the moon transiting their 10th house.
 


(note- if you sign up at astro, you can save chart info so you don't have to enter it every time)

The sun here is going to illuminate the subject of career in your life- will bring to light what's working, and also what isn't, and you may be able to glean some important information. You'll probably want your efforts to be recognized and appreciated, perhaps through a raise, some other sort of perk, or maybe leaving a place that takes you for granted for a better fit. Just keep your ego in check!

The moon rules emotions and nurturing, among other things, so every approximately 28 days for about 2 1/2 days (the moon's cycle and time in each sign, respectively), you need to take some you time and decompress. Care for yourself as much as you care for others in whatever your work is- and that could be anything, not necessarily a job you get paid for. After all, you can't do well at your profession if you don't have yourself together, so do what you need to do to really relax. :)

Mercury is all about communication, words, and work, but the word work could mean different things for different people. ;) I see this as either helping communication or revealing professional relationships that are weak in this area. Either way, this is a good time to get info on careers you are interested in and explore your options. Mercury loves to multi-task!

Venus rules beauty and the arts, I see this as a time when you can improve your current career space (and yes, this could be by quitting and starting a new path) so it better suits you and your needs, and/or make time to do the things you love- maybe to make it your life's work, maybe just to feel more balance in your life because you've been working too much lately and need to reconnect with the rest that life has to offer. :)

I think of Mars as bringing a boost of energy to whatever house he is visiting in your chart! So think of this as the time to really get shit done to reach your goals, short and/or long-term. It's just that- an energy boost. Savor it, but remember to still take care of yourself, and get enough sleep so you don't burn out.

I view Jupiter as expanding this area of life- bringing new opportunities, or showing advancement of some sort in whatever it is that's your career/what you're trying to make your career. Depending on the sign these opportunities may be hidden, but they are there! :)

Saturn is going to bring the principles of hard work and discipline into your career path. You may have a vision, and have the necessary training and are just trying to earn money/get ahead in your line of work. The time you bring in will also bring you reward, especially if you're not just phoning in your efforts.

Uranus brings a shakeup of some sort. Maybe an opportunity out of nowhere, or a shake up at your current employment. Maybe you'll suddenly just go in a new direction altogether, and forge your own way. A good time to show and live independence, especially in the area of career! I'm thinking that this is something that others will really take notice of, as well.

Neptune is going to help your dream job vision, if you let yourself go there! ;) I'm seeing this as a great time to pursue your interests and make time to do the things you truly enjoy, in whatever propensity is doable. Just revisiting, or doing more of, these things, you will bring inspiration!

Pluto may bring a shake up, but a different kind than Uranus. I see this as a time where you may have to regroup and strategy. What are your values? And not just in the career world, but in real life. Is whatever you're doing living up to those values? What can you do to change that? Look inside yourself and learn.

If you don't have a planet in your 10th house right now, worry not! Something will be there soon, and besides, other areas of your life may be taking front stage right now. You can always look at the sign that starts the 10th house (and the corresponding planet- for example, in the chart, Sag is the beginning of the 10th house, and it's ruled by Jupiter), and see how your attitude in work may be in general. :)