Pisces

Are We in the Age of Aquarius? Season 2, Episode 2

Courtesy of Helen

Courtesy of Helen

On this episode of the Star Love Podcast, we welcome astrologer Terry MacKinnel. We discuss Terry’s pioneering work that rectifies the astrological ages (just what age(s) are we in? you’ll be surprised!). A man interested in epochal historical and cultural development, we discuss everything from maritime discoveries to Lucretius to the printing press. Perhaps my favorite part of the interview is the elucidation of Terry’s parallel occupation that dives into the deeper aspects of spirituality. If you’re interested in spirituality, the astrological ages, history, and how to get into the mood of loving life, this is an interview not to be missed!

Time Stamps for Timekeepers

0-6:59 Introduction

7:00-11:04 How Terry got into astrology

11:05-14:11 Terry’s spiritual pursuits 

14:12-19:41 The astrological ages and different zodiacs

19:42-31:21 Age of Aquarius and astrological divisions and subdivisions

31:22-35:29 Reception of Terry’s ideas

35:30-41:49 Heliacal Rising, Hipparchus, and Visual Astrology

41:50-50:44 Other astrological ages and overflow of ages

50:45-57:17 Terry’s astrological practice and the nature of astrology

57:18-1:03:42 Fate and Free Will

1:03:43-end Closing

Links and Other Resources

Terry’s Website on Macro-Astrology

Terry’s Blog

Terry’s Website for Vedic-Western Fusion Astrology

Link to the Lucretius poem mentioned by Terry

Prem Rawat’s website, the spiritual teacher Terry mentioned

Star Love Podcast Season 2 Episode 1 Featuring Astrologer Janet Booth

J Booth portrait low res.jpg

Janet Booth

The Astrologer Who Helps You “Plan-It”!

For the opening episode of the second season of the Star Love Podcast, we welcome astrologer Janet Booth! I met Janet through my involvement with the Astrological Society of Connecticut, and we’ve kept up the connection ever since. We discuss her soon to be famous “Libra” shirt, our mutual love of Connecticut pizza, her business background, and the unique astrological techniques she employs in her work. The majority of the interview is spent exploring the transits of 2020 into 2021 and how you can apply these energies for your sun and/or rising sign.

This episode was recorded June 17, 2020. Please rate us on Apple Podcasts, and if you’re interested in sponsoring a future podcast, email Inner Makeup business manager James. To make a wish for yourself and support the continued production of the Star Love Podcast, click here.

Time Stamps for Time Keepers

0-6:07 Introduction

6:08-9:57 Janet’s career working in business administration and then astrology

9:58-11:56 The inspiration behind Janet’s website Astrology Booth

11:57-14:24 Janet’s and my mutual love of Connecticut style pizza

14:25-19:19 Janet’s unique approach to astrology

19:20-24:49 Astrology and the pandemic

24:50-28:42 Human nature and astrology

28:43-36:44 Shifting from major Capricorn transits to Aquarius transits

36:45-49:29 2020 Saturn Jupiter conjunction and recommendations for each sign

49:30-54:04 Mercury Retrograde

54:05-57:39 Janet’s famous “Plan-its” and how one can use the moon phases

57:40-end The planetary body Eris and closing remarks

Links and Other Resources

Visit Janet’s website, astrologybooth.com for a plethora of free content, including resources for 2021, free downloadable pdf’s with ratings for each day, a best and worst days list, and a retrograde bar chart called “On a Page”. You can also sign up on the footer of any page on astrologybooth.com to receive free occasional newsletters and free morning messages with the day's rating describing what the day might be like or how to utilize the planets' energies.

Here is a link to the article about Ceres, Pluto, and Eris mentioned on the podcast.

Star Love Podcast Season 1 Episode 9 Featuring Astrologer and Marketing Guru Lori Randall Stradtman

Lori Randall Stradtman

Lori Randall Stradtman

On episode 9 of the Star Love podcast we welcome astrologer Lori Randall Stradtman. Lori and I met in an online forum under an auspicious Pisces moon and lucky degree (12) of Gemini Rising (to research this further, and maybe use for yourself, purchase this book and go to page 165-166). We discuss Lori’s early interest in mythology, her impressive background in marketing, and her move to use astrology as a tool to guide people to their evolutionary purpose and ultimately, happiness. To support the production of the Star Love Podcast, leave a donation in the Leave A Tip, Make a Wish section. Please rate us on apple podcasts, and if you’d like to sponsor a future podcast, e-mail james@innermakeup.net.

This episode was recorded in late March 2020.

Time Stamps for Time Keepers

0-3:29  Intro and Lori’s background 

3:30-8:52 Lori’s early fascination with mythology

8:53-12:27 Story of Chiron exchanging places with Prometheus 

12:28-16:57 Long term cycles from 2020 onward

16:58-20:20 Lori’s Christian background and moving in a different spiritual direction

20:21-25:29 Lori’s harrowing experience that moved her to pursue astrology

25:30-34:39 Defining happiness 

34:40-36:20 Strategies towards orienting the mind towards happiness

36:21-40:00 Astrology and happiness

40:01-41:00 Fate and free will 

41:01-49:12 Ecstatic happiness and feeling blue

49:13-56:58 Digitizing what you love to do

56:59-the end 

Book Recommendations That Cover Topics Discussed

The Happiness Myth is a great book that deconstructs common assumptions about what it means to be happy. Purchase below.

Circe is a wonderful book that gets you in the spirit of magic when you go up against the Gods. There is a gripping description of the story of Prometheus, a mythological character that has played out prominently in Lori’s life. Purchase below.

Circe
By Miller, Madeline
Buy on Amazon

Star Love Podcast Season 1 Episode 6 Featuring Monisha "Six" Holmes

Star Love Podcast Season 1 Episode 6 Featuring Monisha "Six" Holmes

On episode six of Star Love Podcast we welcomed Six, a Miami-based Astrologer, Intimacy Doula, and student of human sexuality. We discussed her formidable academic background, her unique approach to astrological chart interpretation, her work promoting sex-positivity, and her effort to help clients heal their darker experiences with sexuality.

Star Love Podcast Launch: Episode 1 Featuring Tracie Storey

Photo Courtesy of Rakicevic Nenad

On the debut episode of the Star Love Podcast, we welcomed Tracie Storey. I met Tracie at the Astrological Association of Great Britain’s 2019 Conference, and we became fast friends under an intense Scorpio full moon. On the show, we discussed how Tracie fuses astrology, sound therapy, and more through her practice Elemental Resonance. We also explored how early on she studied classical music while also making mix tapes from what she heard on the radio. She was then inspired to pursue a career as an international DJ but later, wanting to find peace from the beats, Tracie transitioned to her current career, and on this podcast, we offer a few examples of her sound work that you can experience yourselves, live. Visit her website to explore Tracie’s offerings including meditation events, unique products, and her album, also entitled Elemental Resonance. Visit here youtube page to start working with some of her techniques.

Moon Messages for the Next Two Weeks

Thanks Reynaldo for this beautiful photo. At the time of this article being published, the moon is, like the photo, in the waxing gibbous phase.

Corona. What just came to mind? Of course the virus that has caused mass disruption on a global scale that is entirely unique to this moment. I say unique because the world at this point is more interconnected by media, transportation, and economies than ever before. Thus, when a modern virus appears, it can spread literally and spiritually, by nature and fear.

But the principal meaning of corona, different than the one that initially popped into your head, is the outermost region of the sun’s atmosphere that becomes visible during an eclipse. When I learned this, I struggled to ponder what the astrological symbol of corona could mean. I did a little digging and found out that the sun’s atmosphere made visible during an eclipse is comprised of plasma. The last solar eclipse occurred in December, right around the time Coronavirus was ramping up. Most would interpret this as an ominous sign, but many of the great astrologers and diviners teach us to find the silver lining when the heavens look difficult. After some more research, I found that scientists are looking into the plasma of recovered coronavirus victims to develop treatments. That would truly be something if a difficult eclipse also held the metaphorical clue to its abatement. 

On a personal level, I think the coronavirus calamity can be interpreted as a symbolic call to reconnect with home, family, and all things that nourish us. The north node of the moon, which indicates karmic future, is suggesting as much by continuing her transit through the emotive sign of Cancer.

Aries: March 21 - April 19 

By now, it comes as no surprise that your social life has hit the wall. This is reflected in the heavens as the saturnian influence of the planet Saturn has just combined with the aggressive force of Mars in your sector of friends. The best thing you can do is reasonably rely on technology to keep you in the loop while focusing on siblings and neighbors to sate your in person social needs. This will help with social distancing as well as it will focus on a smaller number of interactions that are more meaningful anyways.  

Taurus: April 20 - May 20

Regardless of the disruption you’ve been experiencing, this is a good time to think about your finances as it relates to career. Interestingly, even though the world has been historically upended in the last few weeks, you have been feeling something on a similar level for almost two years. This relates to your work life, and the best way to handle surprises is to adapt to them. Lean on a group of girlfriends to help you sort through these issues—personal, professional, and financial. Though these matters will not resolve themselves instantaneously, the next few weeks will give you a window about how best to carve out your public, individual, and financial path forward. 

Gemini: May 21- June 20

You’re feeling the itch to travel, but clearly that is not going to happen right now. Your best bet is to put those urges to more local endeavours. When was the last time you played a video game, sat down to read a book, or even played chess or checkers with a partner? These activities will give you the fix you’re needing. And, you won’t miss the trip you so desperately thought you needed. 

Cancer: June 21 - July 22

The personal growth you’ve been experiencing over the past year and a half changes at the beginning of May. The shift will occur from the self to a oneness with all that is—in other words, your spiritual world. The interesting thing is that this doesn’t mean renouncing modern society and living in a monastery. What is the hidden, spiritual part of you that connects to the collective consciousness is your fun side! You need to make time to retreat and have a dream world that is childlike and fantastical.  

Leo: July 23 - August 22

You’re feeling the urge to balance your checkbook. The reason this is a challenge is because joint finances with a partner are not clear. I have a feeling this partner is being elusive and possibly deceptive around these matters. This has been happening acutely during the past Mercury Retrograde, the surrounding weeks, and even now. However, this is a long term cycle from 2011-2026. There is an upshot to this—what are your dreams as far as your shared resources with all your partnerships? When you get some clarification around that question, the confusion dissolves.  

Virgo: August 23 - September 22

You’re being your usual Virgoan self—critical, meticulous, and worrisome. To make matters more difficult, a partner is behaving just the opposite—dreamy, out of touch, and unfocused. The best thing you can do is juggle the practicality of what you need romantically while understanding that trying to control others rarely works. A little madness and magic will do you good anyways. 

Libra: September 23 - October 22

Your daily routines and working life have been marked by a lack of clarity since February. You feel like you’re out of focus not only individually but how you relate to society at large. This has generally been a phenomenon since 2011. The best thing you can do, especially since you are at homebound, is take a hard look at your immediate surroundings, change what needs to be changed, let go of what is karmically dragging you down, and reallocate resources that need to be adjusted. This will put things into focus for you.   

Scorpio: October 23 - November 21 

Through the end of June, you’re getting a glimpse into the future of what your home life will be. Your intensely driven to make realize this vision, but future insights are not the present. By the end of 2020, you’re able to start actualizing these goals, but it will still be an effort through 2023 to make all this happen. The key is to stay somewhat emotionally distant from the process while acknowledging your emotions with regard to the situation. Focus on the fundamentals down to the water and electricity—flow, literally and metaphorically, and realize that though the future isn’t the present, how you feel in the present leads you to the future you desire. 

Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21

Watch out for fights on social media with siblings and possibly neighbors. It’s tough to be isolated, and technology is no substitute for in person, human interaction. However, business driven media’s main objective is to fan the emotional flames of the passions between human beings, so be wary of engaging with others on this level. However, the upshot to this is a chance to reflect on what truly motivates you and those around you. 

Capricorn: December 22 - January 19

The losses you’ve been experiencing personally in the past year and a half come to a close in May. Through material losses come spiritual gains. You carry these experiences into the next year and the half, and you have a real chance to experience a spiritual awakening. You become liberated from the things in your life that are the source of your undoing, namely your ambitious nature. 

Aquarius: January 20 - February 18 

Through the month of June, you have the choice of going down one of two paths. The first path is adopting a conservative, slow approach that has you walking into the future by obeying the laws of time and karma. Or, you can yield to an unrestrained passion of trying to improperly launch yourself into the future with less than stellar results. This glimpse into your future self that ends in late June takes material form in late 2020 and will remain through early 2023. Which path you should choose seems obvious to me. 

Pisces: February 19 - March 20

Your physical state that might seem in flux right now gains more sure footing by the second full week of April. At that point it would be a good idea to think about how you want to achieve harmony on the home front. You have a nice opportunity to have some fun, sweet, loving energy come into the house. Come the second full week of May, you’ll be glad you set your mind to your dwelling as opposed to other fantasies that take you away from what really matters.  

 During these tumultuous times, an astrology reading can provide guidance, psychic relief, and hope. Go to the contact section to book your appointment.

Master Your Circumstances, Master Your Destiny

Original Link for photo. This article appeared originally in Ambush Magazine.


You’re experiencing something you’ve never experienced before—forced social isolation. The cycles that have largely governed your life—going to work, visiting family, and hanging out with friends—are temporarily paused with no clear end in sight. As an astrologer, I’m being asked, “What do the heavens have to say about all this?” While it’s true that one can see events here on earth reflected in the sky—as above, so below—there is another way to use the tool of astrology, namely that the stars are a human expression of what is within us. This means that instead of understanding reality as something objective, we can understand it as an active relationship with the cosmos. This has profound implications and yields practical, applicable solutions, the most pressing of which concerns how you will approach your daily activities in light of an unexpected and cataclysmically disruptive event.

So what are you to do? Amor Towles through his novel A Gentleman in Moscow, which can be purchased below, gifts us a helpful maxim through the Grand Duke’s advice to the Count Rostov: when the Count’s parents succumbed to cholera…it was the Grand Duke who took the young Count aside and explained he must be strong…adversity presents itself in many forms; and that if a man does not master his circumstances then he is bound to be mastered by them. Put another way, if you can master your circumstances, you can master your destiny. I was gifted that latter maxim from my friend and colleague Tracie Storey, a former DJ who now practices Vibrational Sound and Colour Therapy while also using a myriad of spiritual techniques. Read on to see how each astrology sign can best adapt to this trying situation. 

Aries: March 21 - April 19 

You are the first sign of the zodiac and the most viscerally powerful. This power exists on a physical level. You are going to need to release this energy through exercise, and you probably already know this. However, where the real adjustment comes in is combining your pioneering, individualistic spirit with the logic required to organize yourself in a practical, daily routine.  

Taurus: April 20 - May 20

You may relish this opportunity to be grounded at home as you are the most earthly sign and also concerned with immediate environments. Certainly enjoy this time, but make sure to take care of the most significant partner in your life. This will help you in your own daily activities and give you the gift of harmony. Love will emerge here as Venus oversees both of the signs involved. 

Gemini: May 21- June 20

One of the struggles as the great communicator of the zodiac will be your lack of immediate ability to exchange ideas with those around you. A way you will need to shift your thinking is to focus on the business of things, and this means taking out the trash. Your flurry of thoughts turns into materials, too many, and this is a good time to purge. This will help your bottom line. 

Cancer: June 21 - July 22

As the homebody of the zodiac you’re primed to settle into your natural habitat. One thing you will have to work on is the greater emphasis on the technology that will be surrounding you. If you put your mind to the future and how you must discipline yourself  to get there, you will succeed mightily. You’ll be tempted to get distracted by all the screens so make sure to envision the devices around you as tools, not comfort food. 

Leo: July 23 - August 22

Self-expression and dramatic flourishes are the natural in Leo. However, this quarantine is a symbolic message to tone things down. Setting up structure in your life that is more stoic and conservative will stand you in good stead. Giving yourself boundaries will allow you more freedom to do all things Leo that you love. 

Virgo: August 23 - September 22 

As the most heady sign of the zodiac, you’ll be the most at risk to go stir crazy. You’ll want to make sure everything around you is perfect, and you just might make it so. However, your best is to get outside. Virgo is the virgin who collects the bounty of the harvest, thus you have a unique relationship with nature. Enjoy the birds, flowers, and trees, and reap the rewards of your discriminating taste towards the outdoors.   

Libra: September 23 - October 22

This is the time to get spiritual. Envision this situation as if you were trapped in a nunnery. You have one of the most formidable minds in the zodiac, living up to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ideal of being able to hold two opposing ideas at the same time. However, for you, daily ritual and meditative suspension of your cognitive faculties will help you deal with this pandemic. 

Scorpio: October 23 - November 21 

This is not the time to sit back and furtively observe the fracas that is in the news and society at large. Lead yourself, daily, and cast off into projects that fulfill you on a selfish level. You are so easily bonded to others that you lose yourself in the lives of others. You forget that you have such treasures to offer, perhaps the most of the zodiac, so get to work and bring your jewels to the world that so desperately needs your help.  

Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21 

As the most expansive sign of the zodiac, you’re going to want to go off into the ethers, literally or figuratively. But being grounded out, as the world and corona virus is demanding, is the way to go. Enjoying the simple pleasures that your immediate surrounding has to offer will sate your desire to go to the ends of the earth. You’ll find that once you acknowledge the part of your nature that wants to go far, and release it for now, you wake up and smell the flowers. 

Capricorn: December 22 - January 19

You’re the most ambitious, serious sign of the zodiac, and thankfully so. Without Capricorns, we would not have the structures of society that hold us together. However, while you mind is on all of that, especially given the current predicament, you’re going to need to have fun. Games and the quick exchange of ideas will lighten the load you’re carrying right now. 

Aquarius: January 20 - February 18

You’re generally going to be happy at home, save for the social isolation. What I mean by that is you’ll naturally transition some of your outer world social activities to social media. However, there is a downside to this. Social media, though a good tool, can be a poor substitute for true, in person social interaction. The key will be turning to family, and then you’ll receive the emotional nurturance you need. 

Pisces: February 19 - March 20 

You run the risk of getting washed out at home, possibly drifting into a dream world of your own making. The best way to counteract this is to put these dreams into reality by engaging in expressive activities. These is a deep reservoir of creativity to which you uniquely have access. Don’t let these esoteric, intuitive materials go to waste.

Thanks for reading. I’m Dan Beck, #1 Astrologer in New Orleans. Contact me for readings at dan@innermakeup.net or by calling 504-313-8706. Visit http://www.innermakeup.net/contact-me 

Mardi Gras Horoscopes and A Special Celebratory Offer

Happy Mardi Gras! We just hit 400 likes on facebook and numbers like 40, 400, 4000, etc. are special because they indicate slow, steady, gestational growth. This shows up spiritually in many different ways. To show gratitude and plant the seeds of future success, I’m offering 40% off all services through the end of this week. Go to the contact page to get in touch to book your appointment or purchase a gift.

What is a sacrifice? This word combines sacra, “sacred things”, and facere, “to do or perform”. A ritual sacrifice provides the opportunity to connect with the divine and requires giving up something to gain something. Mardi Gras of course means Fat Tuesday and derives from the custom of using all the fats in one’s home before Lent. The Carnival Season modulates from simple rituals like emptying the home into full, decadent ecstasies. Mardi Gras offers the chance to convene with the divine and empty oneself. 

Since we live in a consumptive culture that creates and grants an unprecedented largesse of materiality, cleaning out the fat of the house becomes unimportant as we are less bound by the cycles of nature. This is true except for the characters on the show Hoarders. We’ve largely abandoned the spiritual ritual as it relates to Mardi Gras. If this desertion of sacrifice is not understand, we fall prey to it. In other words, if you don’t understand what is spiritually occurring when you empty yourself through decadence and celebration, you will be a victim to your own vices. 

New Orleans is the American City who most triumphantly convenes with the Gods. But its people have largely forgotten them. To remedy this, take a moment to ponder the characters of the myths. Take for example Endymion, the shepherd and astronomer who loved the moon and observed her movements. Argus, the giant with a hundred eyes whom Hermes evaded and slayed, and so on…Consider these Gods, if only for a moment, and have these primal stories surface through your soul. Then, you will have made your sacrifice.  

Aries: March 21 - April 19 

For the week of Mardi Gras, you find yourself fighting to achieve harmony within. This internal struggle is a mismatch of energy, harmony and discord. But order and chaos are always cyclical, and your do best to accept this dance of tension and resolution. If you don’t, you will surely be left with disharmony.

Taurus: April 20 - May 20 

You’re experiencing tension with what you believe. These are beliefs of a spiritual nature. This will require some juggling and irritability to work these things out. Some of the structures you’ve held onto are crumbling, but others are holding strong. Understand that these losses reward you in the coming months with spiritual gains. 

Gemini: May 21- June 20

The thinking around your career is very hazy right now. There are some people who are deceiving you. In the coming months, you do best to shield yourself from these attacks. Through this process, you begin making substantial karmic gains personally when the summer hits. 

Cancer: June 21 - July 22

You’ve been focusing on yourself for the past year. That will change come the summer. At that point the emphasis will be much more on spirituality. Spirituality is a process of letting things go so you can dissolve and begin anew. Letting things go and opening up to the universe is almost always the preferred path. 

Leo: July 23 - August 22

The next several weeks see subconscious, psychological issues coming to the fore. These emotions are confusing but must be dealt with. You do best to keep your response to these emotions structured within your daily practice. In other words allow time for these feelings to emerge while having the discipline to allow the space for them to be honored. 

Virgo: August 23 - September 22

Now is a good time to clarify all things related to relationships and partnerships. If this is a romantic partnership, past issues are reviewed. There are some losses here, but the structures that are strong will hold. Structures need to be challenged and transformed or they will crumble. 

Libra: September 23 - October 22

Now is the time to act on matters relating to the home. You have a window through the end of February through March. A physical drive to act on these issues emerges. Put this energy to good use, and make the necessary changes. 

Scorpio: October 23 - November 21 

You are in a powerful position to deal with your siblings through March. You are so powerful that you may turn to unnecessary force. There is a real window here to make some structural change with your kin. However, use force only when necessary.

Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21

This is a great time to act on a matter related to finance. This relates to your money that is tied up institutionally. What is working, what is not, and what needs to change? This will require some juggling, but when you use your visceral drive relating to these issues, you make powerful change. 

Capricorn: December 22 - January 19

The material and even physical losses that have been occurring over the last year and a couple of months come to an end by the summer. This has given you spiritual gains, though. Through the beginning of April, act on what you have learned. The lessons you have been given should not be abstract, philosophical musings but made into concrete plans.

Aquarius: January 20 - February 18

You have good fortune over the next couple of weeks. This happens in the area of your spirit and health. Enjoy this because by the beginning of spring, you get a glimpse into the future that will herald a new era for you in the years to come. Enjoy it. 

Pisces: February 19 - March 20

Known for being a spiritual sign, you have good fortune when you go on your own individual, unique path. This requires finding your own way and even bringing the insights of your journey to the groups. Finding your way is truly about finding your and not letting the drumbeat of the collective tell you otherwise. 

 

Valentines Day Horoscopes and a Special Gift Offer

Happy Valentine’s Day! Forgo the fondue and give the gift of astrology! Through the end of this week, receive $40 towards any Inner Makeup session. Call 504-313-8706 or email dan@innermakeup.net to order.

The origins of this holiday find their roots in the courtly love espoused by the milieu of Geoffrey Chaucer. Courtly love is defined as love that privileges the virtues of nobility, chivalry, and social acts. Nowadays, the consumption of gifts in the form of restaurant meals and commodities are exchanged as opposed to immaterial gift-giving. Last year I decided to forgo the obligatory heart shaped box and instead offered a lecture to an audience at the East Jefferson Parish Regional Library called What Astrology Has to Say About Love. The audience was comprised of largely older women who knew better than to accept the usual Valentine’s Day trappings.   

So what does astrology have to say about love? Even if you know nothing about astrology you know that Venus is love. In antiquity Venus was said to find her joy in the astrological sector of love, creativity, children, and good fortune. In modernity that area has much more to do with the sun which embodies romance via will and ego assertion. There is a conflict between these two concepts—gestational creativity vs. self-driven dramatics. To further complicate matters, the sector of astrology that governs daily routines and health is said to be in aversion to romance. This makes sense—fun recreational love and sex rarely have to do with the mundane aspects of long term relationships. It is a challenge to integrate these to concepts. What to do then? The song My Funny Valentine is instructive. The lyrics tell of loving one whose looks are laughable or whose figure is less than Greek. As the comedian Greg Stone once said, “real love isn’t when everything is going well, it’s when it is not going well.” So yes, you need love and you need to feed your ego, but you also need to look for love in the most unlikely of places—the mundane world of your daily existence.  

Aries: March 21 - April 19 

Out of all the signs, you are the lover this Valentine’s Day. However, because you are the most aggressive of all the signs, there is a dissonance of harmony and discord within. What this is really about is your wanting to create stability for yourself in matters of the heart. Act on your vision of love that is seeking structure, and you will triumph. 

Taurus: April 20 - May 20

Watch out that a love affair doesn’t get you in trouble this Valentine’s Day. You need to think about how love can disrupt what you’ve been constructing for yourself. You’ve had some sweet peace as of late, especially amongst friends, and going off on a fling might be your undoing. Let this one go. 

Gemini: May 21- June 20

Things are a little foggy with regard to career matters. You do best in the coming months to review what’s been going on at work. Retreating a bit come March will do you some good and by May, your head will be clear about what you need to do. This will all lead to personal gains. 

Cancer: June 21 - July 22

Focus on yourself for the next four months or so! You are able to make the kind of gains that only come astrologically once every eighteen years. There will be a lot of action relationship wise in the next couple of months, but don’t put any extra effort into this. The energy is already celestially there. But to truly progress, your personal karmic future is where it’s at. 

Leo: July 23 - August 22

Your will is truly focused on a relationship right now. However some business dealings are holding you up. You might have to postpone things until a later day. Plan for a trip down the road. This will ease the current tension with that partnership. 

Virgo: August 23 - September 22 

Circumstances around a relationship are unclear. You do best to sort this out over the next few months and not make any moves. You might have to juggle a bit to have the romance you want this Valentine’s Day. Hey, Jeff Bezos said to his mistress, “I want to talk to you and plan with you.”

Libra: September 23 - October 22

Things could really heat up for you this Valentine’s Day—for better or worse. Finding harmony through the fire is not always easy. Those types of energies are best funneled into concrete actions. Working through pain points will allow you to use the passions to take your relationship to new heights.  

Scorpio: October 23 - November 21 

You’re going to be a real talker for the next couple of months. Your communication style takes on an aggressive, driving tone. On one hand this is good for you. Scorpionic energy struggles to get things out. But don’t let the cat get your tongue. You might be the one who ends up getting your ass bitten in the end. 

Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21

You have a chance over the next couple of months to make some money moves, but it will be volatile. It will be a combination of acting, juggling, staying steady, and making some deep sometimes cataclysmic changes that need to occur. While this is regarding your money, you make gains more easily with investments and even tax refunds. 

Capricorn: December 22 - January 19

You’re coming down the pike of what feels like a loss of self. This is not bad, and it gives you spiritual insights. Losing oneself is painful, but the dissolution of identity is freeing at the end of the day. You make progress when you focus on partnerships and how you relate to others in general. 

Aquarius: January 20 - February 18

Something is unclear about your finances right now. Don’t make any moves in the next couple of months. Let the facts surface as they will. Come this spring you will be in a good position to take some healthy risks. 

Pisces: February 19 - March 20 

Things are a little unclear for you physically. You do best to wait this spell out. Don’t make any big changes with regard to your health. Come this spring you’ll get to the bottom of what’s going on and the matter will end. 

These horoscopes were originally published in Ambush Magazine.

Dawning of the Age of Aquarius or the Month Ahead

Original Link from http://adrienneelise.com/

Welcome to the Age of Aquarius, or rather a glimpse into it for the next month. Signs are seasons i.e. Aries is the break from winter and the ramming into spring; Libra is the beautiful placidity of autumn preceding the descent into winter, etc. But Aquarius is about the future. In astrology it’s debated when the Age of Aquarius started, but I believe it started not when that famous song heralded the dawning of the New Age with Jupiter in the 8th house but rather with Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press. The ability to read was not anymore reserved for a privileged few but was to be enjoyed and utilized by the masses. Language and all of its efficient advantages presaged the even faster modes of telecommunications we experience today. We can soon expect even faster forms of communication and travel in the future, perhaps a future closer than we can perceive at present. 

But what does this mean for you, the most critical question, as astrology is ultimately about the you the individual and I the astrologer. It means things are not about the now, or rather the now is about the future. The will and force that desires the future now is really about the structures that allow stability and continuity to process into the days ahead. In astrology one technique projects the future as one day equaling a year. What will your days look like? This can give you a glimpse into the future as the groundwork you lay in 2020 will culminate by the end of the year into the most powerful form of your future. A phenomenon called the grand conjunction will occur in the sign of Aquarius which historically heralds the rise of a new monarch. How will you rise? Look at your individual days and this will yield a clue. Choose wisely your moments, as minutes turn into hours turn into days turn into months turn into years turn into decades, and so on. This is linear thinking, but thinking vertically or emphasizing single moments will indicate what your daily reality will look like in the years to come. How will you experience yourself at present, realizing past present and future are one and the same. 

Aries: March 21 - April 19 

You’re being called in a spiritual direction. Where you’re being called from is mysterious, however. You will be moved to sacrifice yourself in some way. You face two directions—one passed and one yet come to pass. You let part of yourself die so that you may be reborn.

Taurus: April 20 - May 20

Subconscious drives roiling deep beneath the surface of your mind are erupting. These take the form of spiritual beliefs and manifest amongst your milieu. Paradoxically these emotions are both aggressive and confusing. From this fluid and fiery process you gain a new religion that has you juggling the possibilities of the future while granting you the stability required to turn belief into knowledge. 

Gemini: May 21- June 20

You’re interested in how technology can further the future of religion. You say why does religion have to be about the old and not the new? The insight here is that such thoughts are not the present. There will be battles around your endeavor to change existing dogma. Keep your head in the future while staying in the present lest you get sidetracked by the skirmishes in the present. 

Cancer: June 21 - July 22 

You feel so spiritually inclined and in touch with your coworkers that you can’t understand why a fellow employee insists upon attacking your esoteric mood. You do best to follow your feelings and let this battle go, leaning upon those people who do understand your current disposition. However, beware of letting your newfound freedom lead you down the path of self-sacrifice in the effort to keep the peace and maintain your sanctity.

Leo: July 23 - August 22

Recreational sex and deep, penetrating sex are two different states of being. You’re driven to the former but ironically find sweet salvation in the latter. Ironically you find this in your daily goings on, not in a higher minded love affair. When you submit to this simple realization, your transform. 

Virgo: August 23 - September 22

Your daily work and the conditions that surround it may not be to your exacting standards but remember it is a process of getting your labor space in order. You end up experiencing some loss as you creatively construct an environment that will serve you in the future. A surprise change in your philosophy of living aids you in this effort. 

Libra: September 23 - October 22

You find love amongst your coworkers, but don’t be so moved by this situation that you lose your bearings. This manifests particularly at home. As long as you stay rooted in your dwelling, you bounce along in your daily affairs while managing the challenges in your abode.   

Scorpio: October 23 - November 21 

You’re driven to act on a money matter right now, but this will leave you enslaved. Love is where it’s at. Release yourself to your most wild, decadent visions of romance. Instead of focusing on the materiality of money you instead transcend reality and find yourself freed. Otherwise you will descend into a hellish realm. 

Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21

You act impulsively on a risky, creative endeavor. This has you shooting from the hip and missing your mark. Step back and find your grounding. Stay rooted and without tension and you’ll hit where you’re aiming. 

Capricorn: December 22 - January 19

Instead of working on your house, get out of the house! You have a chance for a sweet, wine-induced love affair with a neighbor. That person has been looking good as of late, and there’s nothing stopping you. Though you can be the most structured of all the signs, letting go for a bit will do you some good. It’s even better that the tryst happens right around the corner. 

Aquarius: January 20 - February 18

Happy birthday! This year you are especially Aquarian, meaning you are futuristic, visionary, and not a little bit stubborn. But your values shift. You become more fluid, mystical, and loving. This will come as a surprise to you, but when you accept this change you will find it easily brings you the hidden treasure you’ve been seeking. 

Pisces: February 19 - March 20

There has been a lot of intense career activity for you over the past month. You do best when you practically juggle and spiritually accept your normative, fluid state of mind. There’s somebody who’s looking for a fight at work, but steering clear of this will help you truly advance your career. 

Thanks for reading. I’m Dan Beck, #1 Astrologer in New Orleans. Contact me for readings, parties, events, corporate trainings and more at dan@innermakeup.net or by calling 504-313-8706. This article was originally published in Ambush Magazine and has been edited for formatting purposes.

First Horoscopes in 2020

Original Link: https://tinyurl.com/slgldsf

Once upon a time, humans engaged with the possibilities of the future through omens, prophecies, and oracles. The art of astrology evolved out of these practices and now emphasizes your moment of birth, the celestial reflection of who you are. This combination of your birth chart and the usage of that document to divine the past, present, and future is here for your taking. Astrology offers the LGBTQ community a chance to reclaim a space lost to modern science and religion. Ancient pagan cultures venerated divination and celebrated what we now recognize as modern gay elements. These horoscopes are for your entertainment, so let’s start the party that will take us to the stars!

 

The most important astrological events of the beginning of 2020 are the lunar eclipse and the coming together of Saturn and Pluto. They don’t literally bump into each other in space but do appear next to each other from the vantage point of earth, although Pluto is not visible. Saturn is the Roman equivalent of Chronos, father time, and Pluto is the equivalent of the Greek God Hades, Lord of the Underworld. Around two millennia ago the concepts of the Gods became embodied in the planets, a move that formalized spirit into planetary form. Now we view the movements of the stars and planetary bodies as a clock through which we can understand ourselves in relation to the universe. 

But what specifically can these astronomical phenomena tell us about ourselves and the events yet to come? I believe it is the heralding of the death of cold, calculating ambition in favor of the structures that truly serve ourselves and each other. Too often are ambition and success treated as God. This eclipse and Saturn and Pluto coming together indicate the letting go of that striving part of ourselves while maintaining the security that ambition and structure grant. Family and friends are where we make karmic gains giving further credence to the old saying, “it’s lonely on top.” 

There are more images than ever flooding the screens before us, appropriating true human connection that gives deep gratification. These images are blinding and chaotic but lead us, if we are attuned, to the reality that why each of us is trying to triumph is because deep down we seek love. 

Aries: March 21 - April 19 

You take up arms for your beliefs this year. Understand these ideas take on a rebellious nature. You will probably engage in some battles. Choose your fights wisely, and make sure you enlist a mentor who has learned to tame his demons in the service of wisdom worth fighting for. 

Taurus: April 20 - May 20

You have a stupendous social year this year. You attend many social gatherings where the food and drink are excellent. However, this can only happen if you don’t think too conservatively about yourself. Getting out and having fun might not seem important but in fact it is the key to your success.

Gemini: May 21- June 20

The structuring of your investments come to the fore this year. Some of the conservative moves you have made will do you well, but others will topple. You will need to discern which is which. The way to go is to see this as a juggling act with long term rewards and value what gives you psychic relief above all else. 

Cancer: June 21 - July 22

I’ve been writing about this for a while but the karmic gains you’ve hopefully made come to a culmination through this eclipse. You will feel the effects of this through the first half of the year. This has to do with you personally. Relationship wise you’re due for some change, and when you open your mind to balancing relationship and self, you achieve more than you thought possible. 

Leo: July 23 - August 22

Your daily life has taken on a very ambitious tone in recent months. You have a lot of pots on the stove and have big plans. But how do you feel about all of this? If you don’t process your emotions and protect yourself, it will be your undoing. 

Virgo: August 23 - September 22

Ever the worker bee, you have been loving your work more recently. You are also very determined to succeed creatively. However you truly make gains amongst the friends and social networks that nourish you. There you can really confide in others your hopes and wishes and allow spirit to help make them come true. 

Libra: September 23 - October 22

This year, like Taurus, you also have a great social life. However there is a subtle difference. You bring some insights that you’ve gained recently to the larger group. Ultimately the lessons you learn individually are best expressed to a wider group. Otherwise, that wisdom exists in a vacuum. And because you’re Libra, it is your will to relate to others.

Scorpio: October 23 - November 21 

Your pocketbook grows this year, but only if you take some calculated risks. Lean on a wise mentor who took some risks and at some point and suffered the slings and arrows. You’ll be able to avoid those same mistakes but make great gains in the process. You’ll also be put in a position to give back some of the wealth you’ll accrue.

Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21

You’re on fire this year, even more so than usual. Watch out that you don’t burn yourself out. Your mind and body are in a compulsively aggressive state. A good way to burn off this energy, and make psychic gains, is in the bedroom. 

Capricorn: December 22 - January 19

More than any sign, you’re the planetary star of the zodiac this year. With so much emphasis on yourself, you’ll need to rely on a relationship or partnership to nourish you emotionally. Too much focus on the self will have you crippled. You make gains when you put yourself in a state of mind of letting things go that you can’t control. 

Aquarius: January 20 - February 18

This started last month, but you have gotten into a loving mood. This is wonderful. The trick is to put this energy into your daily life. It can be hard to see, but how do the daily pleasures in life bring you love? When you open up to this, you value the things that matter more than the sheer brute force of materiality. 

Pisces: February 19 - March 20

This eclipse screams romance for you. Though your emphasis in the coming year will be on friends, you have to make sure romance and creative expression don’t get washed out. In fact it’s being washed away that will lead you to a mad romance that will do you well. Just make sure to protect yourself along the way.

Thanks for reading. I’m Dan Beck, #1 Astrologer in New Orleans. Contact me for readings, parties, events, corporate trainings and more at dan@innermakeup.net or by calling 504-313-8706. Visit http://www.innermakeup.net

Happy New Year, Now Get Real

Original link from bustle.com https://tinyurl.com/v35xzd8.

You might not want to listen to the omens in the form of your horoscopes too closely. That is exactly what the famous Aztec king Moctezuma did, and it contributed to the collapse of an entire civilization. At the time unusual planetary phenomena were occurring, and this coincided with rare, unfortunate events such as the burning of sacred temples. These were fearfully interpreted as ominous signs. Out of self-interest the court astrologers tried to deny this, and it got them imprisoned. These negative prognostications were also coupled with the order fulfillment of a previously prophecized messiah coming to fruition in the arrival of the deadly Conquistador Cortes. This created a toxic cognitive dissonance in the head of Moctezuma and the culture at large. On one hand, it was the end times. On the other hand, they were being saved. Sound familiar? The Spanish invader Cortes was instead less concerned with divinatory messages from the Gods and privileged reality and the ruthless means required of an explorer to totally destroy his enemy. 

The same planetary configurations that occurred 500 years ago are similar to the ones happening right at the beginning of this new year. One might look to the past and believe it will replicate catastrophically. But unlike repeatable things such as electricity and flying planes, the future is largely unwritten and undetermined. Moctezuma relied so heavily on the stars that he became enslaved to them. The heavens were no match for the guns and germs of Cortes. Nevertheless the planets incline even if they don’t compel, so it is said. So what is the message that led the Aztecs to crumble but from which we may reasonably learn? Two words—GET REAL.

Aries: March 21 - April 19 

Your social life will light up in 2020. However, this will take some juggling with your career. I generally recommend keeping a healthy distance between work and friends as technology demands much interconnection that leads to the privileging of career. However in your case, the co-mingling is to your benefit. You also have a powerful chance to act on your non-movable finances such as retirement funds.  

Taurus: April 20 - May 20

You have a great career year this year. However, I would not recommend doing a ton of travel. You have good fortune enjoying yourself at home and in your local community. A relationship or partnership gets very intense, but through this you transform and make progress.

Gemini: May 21- June 20

You make great strides financially as long as you protect your own money. You may experience losses, though, through joint finances or investments. You can handle this as long as you stay flexible. You’ll look back and realize those hard changes happened for the better. 

Cancer: June 21 - July 22

Continuing on from last year, you make gains personally, especially on a physical level. By mid-year the focus turns to your spirituality. What are the things you need to let go of in your life? When you let them go, you become free. 

Leo: July 23 - August 22

You’ll be happy to hear that by betting on yourself, you have good fortune this year. However, when the times are good, it is recommended you steer a more conservative course, especially in the area of health. Having daily discipline will help you acquire long term abundance. You’re also going to need this mindset for the career surprises that are in store for you. 

Virgo: August 23 - September 22

Your creative endeavors are emphasized this year. Adopting a long term, conservative approach helps you field the massive changes that occur in how you express yourself. Hard, destructive change helps creativity even if it is difficult. On a lighter note, your health is good this year even if you do have a bit of a sweet tooth. 

Libra: September 23 - October 22

As you are the sign of balance and relationships, the Goddess Juno asks that you adjust your partnerships with coworkers and set appropriate boundaries. These are demagogues who are deceptive. One coworker in particular is swaying the emotions of the team and you’re going to need to protect yourself. Think about your own long term security as a guiding principle. 

Scorpio: October 23 - November 21 

You are extraordinarily powerful this year. You may even be intoxicated with your potency. However, this may lead to fights with coworkers. This is a chance to look at the pain points that are holding the team back. When those battles ensue, step back and look at the underlying causes of what is causing the friction. Then, use those insights to go for the impossible. 

Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21

You experience some losses financially this year, but you’re able to handle this as long as you approach your immediate, movable finances with the year ahead in mind. You actually triumph by the end of the year. A structured, nimble, conservative approach here is good. On the flip side, your investments do well through the first half of the year. 

Capricorn: December 22 - January 19

You have a good year financially and succeed in a relationship. However, even with this good fortune, your thinking may be a bit unfocused and this could lead to some misfortune. As I wrote in the opening paragraphs, the theme of the year is GET REAL. This specifically applies to you, but some of this absentminded, dreamy thinking will give you great insights into the true nature of reality. 

Aquarius: January 20 - February 18

This year you are the lover. This is wonderful as you are one of the most heady, intellectual, scientific signs of the zodiac. You’ll be surprised that you experience love and romance on the home front. The irony is that even though you are one of the most surprising, freedom-loving signs of the zodiac, you have trouble accepting disruption when you can’t control it. 

Pisces: February 19 - March 20

You’re due for some changes in your social networks this year. The strong bonds will hold and the fair weather friends will crumble away. Don’t fight this as it’s necessarily to have those around you who can help support your goals and wishes. You really make gains in romance, however, regardless of what happens with your friends. 

This article relies in part by an essay written by Bruce Scofield in the summer 2019 magazine Mountain Astrologer. This article was originally published in Ambush Magazine and has been edited for formatting and convenience.

Tis the Season of Turning Points

Original https://tinyurl.com/wtzm6sf wishingmoon.com This article was originally published in Ambush Magazine.

As you’re reading this column your mind will be occupied by the goings on of the season. Religious rites coloring different times of the year find their footing in the seasons. For example the hopeful moment of the birth of Christ on the darkest day of the year finds expression in the cardinal turn of the winter solstice. Cardinal, turning points are the screws upon which the world and our lives spin. The Greek word tropos means turn and is the origin of the word tropical. Maybe you just need to get the hell out of town and go on a vacation! Western Astrology based on the tropical zodiac, the zodiac embodying the turning of the seasons, has something to say about this season and you might want to stick around. I believe the gift of this year is the gift of family. Regardless how far one wanders family ancestry is never far behind. Your deep emotional connection to past origins emerges and when you explore this terrain, you make gains. Family interactions bring up issues of identity because how you’re known to the world and how your aunt knows you are two very different things. You are likely to have more of a vested interest in the former. The trick is not to be stubborn about this. It is actually an opportune moment as tropos is also the root of the word opportune meaning this is where you can take bold action and triumph when the gift of family presents itself. This is not a material, conspicuous gift but a gift that gives personal gratification namely in the form of love and nurturance from irritating family members. Do not drink too much as you’ll find moderate sobriety provides the healing you’ve been seeking. When you’re given the chance to let go of your idealized self for the person your family knows you by, realize this is a gift in disguise even if it leads you straight into your grandmother pulling at your ear, gushing over just how much you’ve grown.   

Aries: March 21 - April 19 

More than any sign this season, you make gains with your family, especially your father or paternal-like energy. This is helpful for you but you have to let some past incidents go. You’ll find that by balancing some of the tension with family, the other sectors of your life light up.  

Taurus: April 20 - May 20

Your family gets entangled with your romantic life and children. This is going to take a little bit of juggling as it’s ironically hard to find love amongst family drama and the needs of your kids. The “kids” can also be your creative projects or creative babies. Communication is key here and this is where you make gains. Protecting yourself regardless of the outcome and emphasizing your thoughts as opposed to deeply held beliefs.

Gemini: May 21- June 20

Don’t be afraid to look into the family finances this holiday season. Proceed with caution and diplomacy, but there are massive changes occurring in the structures of the wills being written. You’ll find that dealing with the demons of inheritances and family trusts provides you will some long term psychic relief while ultimately padding your own checkbook. 

Cancer: June 21 - July 22

Siblings come to the fore for you this holiday season. You also make gains in relationships and friends, but you lose some partners along the way. This is surprising but choosing the company you keep allows you to progress personally.  

Leo: July 23 - August 22

You’re feeling a bit snooty about your money. This is related to your mother and her past sacrifices she made to get you where you are. However, the psychological challenge is to let this attitude go and receive the gift you’ve been given. Money is only as good as the current along which you spend it. Spend it wisely and don’t worry about its literal worth. 

Virgo: August 23 - September 22

Out of all the signs, you yourself are most deeply connected with your family this season. This is very feminine, maternal, changeable energy that is related to your past. There are great gains to be made here amongst friends and family but only if you juggle these intense feelings and realize they are part of the larger picture as you move into the future. Let go of your criticisms and pretensions. 

Libra: September 23 - October 22

The male head of the family is strong this holiday season, and you do best to go with him. A rich, dark son will seek to overthrow him, and might succeed in doing so, but stick with the elder. He will need your help even though he might not realize it. Help this modern King Lear pick the right child this time around. 

Scorpio: October 23 - November 21  

You’re generally in a very powerful position through the end of the year into 2020 and then again in spring. Be careful though not to get in fights with coworkers or siblings during those respective times. You do best when you apply power judiciously. If you don’t, you end up scorching the path for all those around. 

Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21

You’re feeling very proud of your career, and so is your mother. However you believe in yourself so strongly that you don’t see the bigger picture of your finances. Glory is great, but cash is king. Make sure your thinking is clear about the realities of the money related to your work life or you might be headed for a wrong turn that grounds you out. 

Capricorn: December 22 - January 19

For the next year, you’ll be juggling a lot of things as you bounce from one area of your life to the next, but this season, focus on the love that your family can give. This really provides something spiritually for you, and you might all even decide to take a trip together. If not, at least connect philosophy about what y’all believe and get to the core of who you really are as a family. 

Aquarius: January 20 - February 18

It’s critical that you take your time during this holiday season. We can’t escape the time in which we inhabit in this dimension, and as Aquarius your head is usually in the future. Your father or paternal energy is reemphasized this season, and you do best to ground yourself out a bit, coming down to earth and putting your futuristic visions on hold. You’ll be surprised what happens when you get your head out of the clouds. 

Pisces: February 19 - March 20

This holiday season, you are able to make gains creatively, romantically, and with children. With friends, not so much. With things going so well, your partner feels a bit cocky. You do best not to get emotionally tied up with that feeling and let things going spiritually. When you let things go, magic happens.  

Astrology was originally understood as omens, prophecies, and oracles. Whenever you go to a psychic, tarot reader, or astrologer like me, you’re engaging with the possibilities of the future. But modern astrology is also the alignment of the heavens at your moment of birth that serves as the signature of your personality. This combination of your star chart and sun sign—Aries, Taurus, etc.—and the usage of that tool to divine the future is here for your taking. Astrology offers the LGBTQ community a chance to reclaim a space lost to modern science and religion. Ancient pagan cultures venerated divination and celebrated what we now recognize as modern gay elements. These horoscopes are for your entertainment, so let’s start the party that will take us to the stars!

The Best Planetary Shift That's Happened as of Late

One of the most watched events in astrology is when a planet, especially a planet that appears to move more slowly, shifts into a new sign. Jupiter spends about a year in each sign. When a planet moves into a new sign you can look for some kind of shift, event, or change. Jupiter is the greatest of all benefics, expanding anything he touches generally bringing luck and good will. Jupiter embodies philosophy, religion, belief, spirituality, and higher learning so with Jupiter moving into his home sign of Sagittarius, look out for a big shift for the better. Astrology is only as good as what you do with it as suggested through the psychological underpinnings of the great body of work of Alan Leo. Incidentally he was friends with the composer Gustav Holst who wrote the famous piece The Planets one of the most famous movements being his Jupiter movement. Also Mozart wrote a Jupiter movement. Both pieces are upbeat, optimistic, and especially with the Holst, spiritual. Look below to see how you can think about benefitting from Jupiter this next year or so, but don’t think too much. Jupiter does not like to think; he believes.  

Aries: Expect a shift for the better with higher learning, travel, and spirituality.

Taurus:Look for an expansive succession of deeply regenerative sexual experiences and also get lucky in the area of your financial contracts with others.

Gemini: Expand in your area of partnerships, relationships, and how you intersect with the public. 

Cancer: Watch your health and daily working conditions improve this year.

Leo: You ride high on your creative, erotic, and romantic spirit. 

Virgo: Things get better for you on the home front.

Libra: You’re able to expand in the area of communications and your relationship with your siblings gets a boost.

Scorpio: You get a boost in your finances this year.

Sagittarius: You yourself are on fire so strut your stuff. 

Capricorn: You retreat to a monastic space this year and expand there.

Aquarius: You expand through your friends and social networks this year. 

Pisces: Your career jumps this year. 

Feng Shui for your Sun Sign

Everyday Yin and Yang Astrology. Original Link

Many identify with your sun sign, but how is the sun understood in astrology? In Western astrology the sun is the self, will, and purpose, the driving force in one’s life. In the West this is seen neutrally as there are many cultures that have sought to harness the sun’s energy namely in the Mediterranean region and in remote arctic regions. In other areas the sun is seen as a malefic planetary body too hot that burns a hole through everything upon which it casts its rays. I perceive the sun as a blend of both, a driving force that can be harnessed but must be tamed in order to function productively. Interestingly I’ve been experimenting with Feng Shui with regard to harnessing sun as human beings are the element of fire, the element of the sun. Using different elements to harness that fire, your sun sign, is a fun way to dress yourself using Feng Shui principles. Below are some suggestions based upon your sun sign as to how you can look at your closet from a different vantage point through Feng Shui.

Aries: You are the fieriest of the zodiac. Therefore you need the element of water to tone down your fire. You do best to wear clothes with darker undertones to cool off. Reflective surfaces work well such as crystals and glasses. Fluid shapes are recommended. 

Taurus: You are woody earth benefiting from the bounty of the spring. The trees, plants, and flowers that thrive in this season anchor your earth. You do well with blues, greens, browns, and flower prints. Metal and mineral colors help tend to the flowers, plants, trees, and weeds that spring from the earth.

Gemini: You are fiery air, as you wax towards the most sun of the year and are the bubbly twins of the zodiac. As Feng Shui means wind and water, you need earthly structure to tame your changeability with some water thrown in to cool you off. Browns, greens, and yellows are suggested as are clothes with darker undertones. 

Cancer: You are earthy water as you traverse both land and water. A good dose of earth and fire will do you well by donning reds, pinks and oranges will some yellows, blues, and general earth tones. 

Leo: You are earthy fire as your reign supreme prowling over the Savannah. You need wood and water, so lengthy clothing like pants and long-sleeved tops are recommended with dark undertones and floral prints.

Virgo: You are airy earth therefore you need wood the most. Blues and greens, florals, plants and trees and all wooden colors do you well. 

Libra: You are metallic air as your scales are metal and you sit high on your judges’ perch contemplating lofty ideas. You need a bit of fire to harness this metal. Reds, oranges, pinks, and the natural triangle shape of your scales helps. Pictures of animals and human beings help too.

Scorpio: You are stinging, fiery water. You need wood and earth to ground you, so yellows, blues, greens, earth tones, flowers, rectangular shapes, and general earth tones help. Avoid fiery colors and colors with dark undertones. 

Sagittarius: You are airy, earthy, fire, the human who combines with animal spirit and gallops over the earth. Water helps you most as you are not a camel who can retain water. Fluid shapes, dark, undertoned colors, and reflective clothing help. Metals can also aid in your efforts to hold that water, so grays and metallic colors are recommended as well. 

Capricorn: You are watery, airy, earth, as the sea goat and the mountain goat, depending on the astrological interpretation. You’re going to need wood and fire on your journey, so reds, oranges, pinks, and triangular shapes coupled with rectangular shapes, flowers, plants, and blue and green colors.

Aquarius: You are watery air as the water bearer. You need earth to stay grounded with some fire and wood to keep you warm as you are the sign situated in the dead of winter.  Earth tones and yellows; for wood to feed the fire, blues, greens, column shapes, and floral and plant prints.

Pisces: You are water, plain and simple. Thus you need earth to keep you grounded. Rectangular and square shapes, yellows and earth tones, and imagery of landscapes and wide portraits of nature.

 

 

Which House System Do You Use? All of Them

Original: https://tinyurl.com/y87jea2v House divisions here on earth create property disputes just like house system disputes in astrology.

Anyone who veers far enough into the art of astrology will eventually confront the question of which house system to use. Houses are divisions of space and time in the sky that denote various sectors or topics in one’s life, for example money, partnerships, career, etc. They are usually divided into twelve sections around the wheel of the zodiac using different methods. Which system do I use? All of them.

When I became a serious student of astrology, I began by using the Placidus system as do most astrologers. Not understanding the seemingly convoluted system of house cusps and unwieldy visual aesthetic, I was attracted to using whole sign houses which emphasize the signs and functions of the planetary bodies. However, I didn’t want to abandon Placidus while learning about other systems such as Equal House. As it stands now, I use a combination of whole sign and Placidus house systems, inspired by an approach based upon the French astrologer Morinus. I also stay flexible with the use of other systems. Let me demonstrate.

I had a client recently, a very successful creative professional. She’s a Scorpio Rising, with classical Mars rulership, and her Mars is in the fifth house of creativity. Right off the bat this seemed a fitting aspect for a creative professional, and her fifth house is dominated by Pisces. This further buttressed her basic makeup as a creative person. Her work is very “Piscean” fluid and colorful with a spiritual bent. In the course of her session she expressed that often times she feels like a servant to her work duties. In that moment of this session I realized that Mars rules her sixth house of work and daily conditions, being dominated by the sign Aries. In whole sign, Hellenistic astrology, Mars finds its “joy” in the sixth house. She had a day chart, so Mars can be troublesome during the day, but being below the horizon, functions a little bit better. This seemed to fit being that she has success in her daily conditions, but she is a servant in her work, Mars finding his “joy” in the sixth house being a positive and negative. If I were to interpret her sixth house activity using a more Placidian framework, I might have interpreted her sixth house as having a driving, active quality which also fits as well, as her work is very active and physical, with a little bit of self-undoing thrown in as Mars in Pisces is the twelfth sign and ruling planet of Aries. Nevertheless, it was the client, the moment, and the use of two house systems at once that led to these insights. 

Astrology is the contemplation and interpretation of the heavens, but that star stuff lives on in each human being. Coming to understand a client through each moment as a creative and revelatory process can yield great results if one is open to the practical application of different methods, including various houses systems. It is my hope that the field of astrology can avoid the property disputes that come with debating the different pros and cons of different house systems and instead adopt a more flexible, practical, and creative approach in the application of the largesse of techniques we now possess in the modern era. 

Venus' Return, and a Birthday Party for Inner Makeup

This past weekend I celebrated Venus returning to the exact point she occupied when I was born. Today, I also celebrate the birthday of Inner Makeup, the astrology business and ever evolving spiritual practice I founded two years ago. What do returns mean in astrology, and what do birthdays mean in astrology? Returns do not mean what they do in finance, a profit from an investment, rather, a return in astrology is a recapitulation of a theme, albeit slightly different, as the planetary bodies are constantly in motion. Similarly, a birthday is the exact point where the sun returns when a person or event was born, with slightly different planetary configurations.  The theme of my Venus, and her return, is drama, occupying the expressive sign of Leo; thus we endeavoured to celebrate the sweetness of Venus, the brightest “star” in the sky with a grand party where I sang the celestially-themed East of the Sun, West of the Moon. This heavenly configuration also featured the North Node of Karmic Future and Mercury, the planet of communication, in close aspect in the creative sign of Leo. Venus is also a particularly social sign, so harnessing all of this Venusian and Leo energy was paramount. Similarly, the birthday chart of Inner Makeup also featured Venus prominently, with a similar prominence in the chart emphasizing Venusian energy. But besides the sweet indulgences of Venus, how does one go about celebrating astrological phenomena?

In Western astrology, the signs symbolize the seasons, which is a wholly different conception of astrology from Indian astrology, or even NASA, whereby the signs as constellations take precedent. Western astrology is based on the sun, the amount of light shed throughout the year, and its subsequent creation of the seasons as experienced on earth. Thus, we endeavoured to offer seasonal delights for our guests to celebrate each sign, or season. Take a look below to see our interpretation of each dish as embodying each season. 

Aries, The Ram

The Sun is exalted in the sign of Aries, the fiery, powerful manifestation of spring's awakening, the spring equinox. For this, we selected spring lamb, a robust, aggressive choice paired with chimmichuri sauce.

Taurus, The Sitting Bull

If Aries is the violent burst into spring, Taurus is its beautiful flowering. For this spirit, we chose earthly tri-colored carrots paired with cumin creme fraiche. 

Gemini, The Twins

Gemini are the children of the zodiac, and exhibit a sunny, airy, playful, curious, and mischievous duality, embodying the sunniest time of the year. Confetti cookies were the natural choice!

Cancer, The Crab

Perhaps the easiest selection of the bunch, Cancer is the ancient crustacean. For this we spruced up the ceviche with a Thai-style crab. 

Leo, The Lion

The sun finds its home with the lion, the fixed, lazy days of late summer. Sweet tomatoes are to be found, and we prepared a dramatic roasted cherry tomato tart.

Libra, The Scales

Libra is literally the fall of the sun, the autumnal equinox that sheds equal day to night. Yet the fall, like love, is beautiful, and we prepared an apple pie cake to symbolize this most beautiful time of the year. 

Scorpio, The Scorpion

The most intense sign of the zodiac, where the beautiful leaves of autumn are undertaken by the sting of the scorpion, we sought to create the most daemonic dish, a dark chocolate ganache with amareno cherries. 

Sagittarius, The Archer

To capture the blunt, forward spirit of Sagittarius's arrows, we offered antipasto spears.

Capricorn, The Goat

The grounded, conservative nature of Capricorn was captured in roasted cauliflower with tzatziki and harissa sauce.

Pisces, The Fish

Along with the crab, Pisces was somewhat easy to embody, the fish. Last but not least, we prepared smoked salmon on naan bread. 

Apologies to Virgo and Aquarius, as we missed photographing you. Virgo was a virgin rose and Aquarius was an innovative orange blossom spherical ice cube drink. How are you reflected in the seasons and signs of astrology? Contact me to book an Inner Makeup session to explore your personal astrology. 

Dance with Venus and the Moon

From New Earth Heartbeat. https://bit.ly/2JQc8zV

Moon Messages Week of April 16, 2018

 

Most astrology focuses on the Sun—Your Will and Purpose

But what about the Moon?

 

The Moon is the Embodiment of Communication, Emotion, and Spirit

The Goddess

Opposite God

 

What is the Moon’s Message to You?

That is the Will and Purpose of This Column

Published Every Monday, which means Moon Day

 

There’s been a lot of talk in the astrological community recently about the difficult, squaring action between the transiting planets and signs of Aries and Capricorn. But my suggestion is to look towards the moon, in a beautiful, young, crescent state, exalted and building in earthly, Taurean energy, helped and abetted by bountiful Venus. And this week, they are coupled together if you look up towards the sky. Taurus is the most earthly of all the earth signs, and the moon finds its joy in this sign, being the steady constructor and deconstructor of the zodiac. Venus, the embodiment of the beauty of the earth in spring, finds home in Taurus. How might you approach this energy? Recognize that astrology is not all about the stars, as above so below, but also the beauty that occurs here on earth as reflected in the symbols of the seasons. Staying grounded is just as much the key to astrology as having your head in the clouds, and in the end, it comes down to the quality of your dirt. 

 

Aries, Born 3/21-4/19:The quakes of your birthday season are about to come to an end, but I have a way for you to look ahead. Sit and enjoy the material gifts of the Moon and Venus, because believe it or not, their creative powers are out in front of even your impressive head start. 

Taurus, Born 4/20-5/20: This week is extraordinarily beautiful for you, just make sure that you put some of the gifts received to work. Otherwise you risk hoarding them and their subsequent loss of value.

Gemini, Born 5/21-6/20: You’re wedded to your mind, but it’s actually your subconscious that drives you. Pay attention to your dreams—they’re trying to communicate with you the treasures your mind won’t bring you.

Cancer, Born 6/21-7/22: This week is a golden opportunity to water the proverbial flowers that are your friends and social networks. A little tending to this area of your life will result in massive, quick growth. And you’re good at nurturant watering anyways. 

Leo, Born 7/23-8/22: You’re animated towards your own dramatic self-expression, but your career takes precedent right now. If you tend to the earthly, mundane details of your public recognition, you are sure to succeed.

Virgo, Born 8/23-9/22: You may always have a chip on your shoulder for not receiving your due, and you should, but if you pleasurably apply your shrewd analytical skills to the expansion of your spirit and higher mind, nothing will stop you. But you must believe.

Libra, Born 9/23-10/22: It will take a little balancing (the keyword of your life), but some of the carnal drives that ache to be brought to light, be they your own or the motivations and problems of others, are actually the source of your treasures. Darkness must exist first to then be brought to light, and your darkness holds the keys to your treasure.

Scorpio, Born 10/23-11/21: You can relax a bit as the partnerships and relationships in your life bring you the resources and materials you need. It doesn’t always have to be about deeply intuiting what you need from others.

Sagittarius, Born 11/22-12/21: Though you are the most expansive sign of the zodiac, let Venus and the Moon do the “searching and seeking” for once. Let them build what you believe in and wish to come into fruition.

Capricorn, Born 12/22-1/19: You’re certainly one of the more practical signs of the zodiac, but loving the ground you seek to climb over is the answer for you this week. Why climb the mountain, dear goat, if you have a farm already at your hands?

Aquarius, Born 1/20-2/18:All of the energy of Taurus falls in your sector of home. Though you have the mind of a genius, without a home base, you are forever lost. 

Pisces, Born 2/19-3/20: All of the wonderful energy of Taurus falls in your sector of short travels, journeys, and writing. So, make good on it, and chatter away.

I’m Dan Beck, a spiritual consultant and astrologer based in New Orleans, LA, and I provide a variety of offerings for your spiritual longings. To continue this thread of text and spirit, click here.

Breaking Ahead, Still Held Back

From http://awitchsdaily.blogspot.com/

Most astrology focuses on the Sun—Your Will and Purpose

But what about the Moon?

 

The Moon is the Embodiment of Communication, Emotion, and Spirit

The Goddess

Opposite God

 

What is the Moon’s Message to You?

That is the Will and Purpose of This Column

Published Every Monday—Moon Day

 

This week, in a rare synchronicity, the sun’s character, having just shifted to the futuristic sign of Aquarius, matches the moon’s message, a waxing crescent that is struggling to break with the old to make way for the new. Specifically, you are beginning to feel and see the length of days expand from the darkest of the year to greater sunlight shed. This is all good news, but remember, though you feel aggressively jubilant about your prospects, and you should, where you want to be is not where you are now. You will have your personal revolution this spring, but for the moment, hold steady.  

Aries, Born 3/21-4/19: You’re really feeling the fire this week, Aries, as the moon is shifting through you and your sign. Remember that even though you are the masthead of the zodiac, a rugged individual who leads all others, enlisting the cooperation of others, especially those whom you find beautiful and diplomatic, will help you actualize the fire in your belly.

Taurus, Born 4/20-5/20: You’re feeling a little unsettled this week, a state the you, as the fixed, sitting, bull do not enjoy. Make sure to reach out to a friend or partner who can be a sounding board to shed some light on what’s upsetting you, and in turn, move forward at your own pace.

Gemini, Born 5/21-6/20: This week is a great time to start letting your ideas catch fire, especially amongst friends, larger social groups, and organizations. If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, did it fall? Your ideas want to be freed, so make a wish, and let those around you do the rest.

Cancer, Born 6/21-7/22: There’s a lot of emphasis on your relationships and partnerships right now, but make sure to take care of your own career and public recognition. You’re great at nurturing and holding onto others, but hold onto the emotions that will carry you far, and reach out to those specific people who can help to this end. You’ll be surprised at the audience you can court.

Leo, Born 7/23-8/22:  You’re thinking about the future more than usual this week, a dragon breathing fire. But remember, slow and steady wins the race, and creating the ideal blend of elements, and dispensing with the difficult elements that aren’t serving you is the way you truly get to the future you desire.

Virgo, Born 8/23-9/22: This is an emotional week for you, Virgo, especially with regard to work, the area of your life which you value the most. Understand that the pain you are experiencing now, unclear and tempestuous, will lead to better results later.

Libra, Born 9/23-10/22: This is an interesting week for you, Libra, as you’re thinking much more about what you’re creating as opposed to curating that which comes before you. This applies to sexuality, relationships, work, and creativity. Though you are the blind judge, you are a creator too. Search your feelings and let them be your guide, a departure from the airy, thoughtful being that you are.

Scorpio, Born 10/23-11/21: This could potentially be a great week for you, Scorpio, as your deeply instinctual feelings, if you act on them in a healthy manner, can take you far with regard to knowledge, travel, career, and new social networks. The trick is to manage these instincts so  you don’t feel the urge to sting.

Sagittarius, Born 11/22-12/21: You might be feeling a little deflated this week, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There’s a lot of energy for you to put some sensible checks on your finances, and even your deepest values and beliefs, so that when you do press onward, as the Centaur and archer, you can ride more easily to glory.

Capricorn, Born 12/22-1/19: There’s extra emphasis on your career this week, which is a perennial and sometimes self-sabotaging emphasis. You can’t always make it to the top alone, even if the others who help you are acquaintances along the way.

Aquarius, Born 1/20-2/18: This is quite a curious week for you, but you are the unique one of the zodiac. There’s part of you that is perpetually living in the future, yet your hidden emotional and dream world holds you back. Remember that moving forward is at once a process of negotiating with the past as you move forward. Keeping this in your extraordinary mind will help you truly move forward on your own terms.

Pisces, Born 2/19-3/20: Hang on for the ride; what is usually dreamy, formless, and fluid breaks into new life for you, Pisces. Who would have thought that your dream world could become a reality?

I’m Dan Beck, an astrologer and writer based in New Orleans, LA. To discuss the themes I wrote about above, and make them happen here below, book a session with me, today.

 

How It Gets Better

How does It Get Better? We’ve told by the It Gets Better Project that we shouldn’t worry, our best days are ahead, that whatever is difficult in life shall pass and is temporary. This is an incomplete picture as to how things get better. For things to get better, it means they have to have been bad or even worse before. In fact this is the binary that permeates nearly all of Western culture. Things are bad, and then they break for the better. We don’t enjoy the peace that Eastern cultures aspire to; rather we ebb and flow, seek and destroy, rise and fall. Yes, rise and fall. Just like the craze of Dionysus as contrasted with the blazing of Apollo. Just like the crucifixion of Jesus and his subsequent rise. Just like the season of Pisces that magically breaks from the bleakness of winter into spring. So yes it’s bad. But it will get better. However, one has to start with madness, death, hopelessness, and despair, to then experience the ecstasy of redemption. To circumvent that step would mean that, no, it doesn’t get better; it had never gotten anywhere in the first place.