Scorpio

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 7 Featuring Psychic Cari Roy

New Orleans #1 Psychic Cari Roy.

New Orleans #1 Psychic Cari Roy.

On episode 7 of the Star Love Podcast we welcomed New Orleans’ #1 Psychic Cari Roy. I met Cari Roy at a hobnobber event, and we became fast friends. On the show we discussed having common roots in Philadelphia, how her parents sang opera professionally, and even an experience where as a young girl she sat on William F. Buckley’s lap! Cari is one of the smartest psychics you’ll ever meet, and it was a joy to talk with her about metaphysics, religion, skepticism, and how people starting out in a creative or non-traditional career path can succeed.

This episode was recorded on November 11, 2019, the date of a very special lunation where Mercury was cazimi, or in the heart of the sun, meaning Mercury was visually was right in the center of the sun. As mentioned in the podcast, this hit both Cari and my chart’s at very powerful points, so it was an interesting time to record this podcast. It was somewhat haphazard, the date we chose, as we had to reschedule a couple of times, but maybe it was divinely planned :). Or maybe just chance. Take your pick.

Time Stamps for Time Keepers

0-6:43 Introduction, Cari’s bio, the special lunations at the time the recording (November 11, 2019), Cari’s early psychic experiences, and Cari’s family background

6:44-12:45 Cari’s family members who were both scientists and “creatives-types”, science and creativity, Uranian and Neptunian strands of the divinatory arts, knowing and mystery, and religion and science 

12:46-21:44 Cari’s opera singers parents and her singing background, her extensive international travels, and how singing led to her psychic career 

21:45-27:24 The history of the occult arts in New Orleans, Cari’s learning her trade from her forbearers, and having the discipline to do multiple psychic readings in a day  

27:25-35:53 Cari’s childhood run in with William F. Buckley, the enduring line of her career as a psychic, and her advice for young aspiring creative professionals

35:54-39:16 Cari’s attending school in Philly, her educational backgound, and studying comparative religion 

39:17-41:27 Cari’s take on divine creative inspiration and its relationship to psychic ability

41:28-46:02 Why people come to see Cari for readings, fate and free will and how it relates to time, and what free will agency, if any, we humans have

46:03-55:30 Ethical questions surrounding predictions and the psychic arts, how to handle different situations and clients, and the participatory nature of a reading  

55:31-57:07 Dating as a psychic

57:08-1:02:44 Cari’s second Saturn return, going through breast cancer, and upcoming transits for Cari

1:02:45-end Cari’s take on current astrological transits, the value of taking a break from looking at transits, and how frequently one should get a reading

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 Season 1 Episode 5 Featuring Arielle Guttman

Credit: Karin Henseler

On episode 5 of the Star Love Podcast we welcomed astrologer Arielle Guttman. We discussed Arielle’s unique work with the Venus Star Point, how the Venus Star Point plays out in one’s life, and how you can learn to use the loving energy of this special astronomical phenomenon. Please rate this podcast on Apple Podcasts, and if you’re interested in sponsoring a future podcast, email Inner Makeup business manager at james@innermakeup.net.

Time Stamps For Time Keepers

Introduction and brief overview of Arielle’s background 0-4:10

Arielle’s early experiences and her astrological journey 4:11-8:03

Addressing the issue of defining astrology 8:04-13:05

The astronomy and astrology of the Venus Star Point 13:06-17:48

The Golden Mean and Venus 17:49-20:42

The Venus Star Point in your life and the current Venus Star Point cycles 20:43-24:13

Oprah Winfrey’s Venus Starpoint 24:14-29:19

Star Mates 29:20-34:09

Who the Star Love Podcast is aimed at 34:10-35:45

Difference between Venus and Venus Star Point 35:46-38:30

Arielle’s Venus Star Point in Aries and how that has played out in her life 38:40-43:40

Current and Future Venus Star Point Transits, fun stories, and closing comments 43:45-end

Extended Notes, References, and Resources

Link to Arielle’s Website

Link to find your Venus Star Point

To further explore Carl Jung’s thoughts on why it’s difficult to conduct traditional science during individual moments i.e. in the course of a psychology or astrology session, explore the first few dozen pages of The Undiscovered Self.

To further explore the idea of cycles such as the Golden Mean, try Naseem Taleb’s book, The Black Swan

Link to Arielle’s book Venus Starpoint: Getting Straight to the Heart of Your Life with Venus

Link to Arielle’s book Venus Starpoint: A New Cosmology for the 21st Century

Link to Arielle’s other books

Star Love Podcast Season 1 Episode 4 Featuring Samuel Reynolds

Be forewarned there is one curse word in this podcast, so if you are offended by a smidgen of profanity, please be advised.

On episode four of the Star Love Podcast we welcomed astrologer Samuel Reynolds. Samuel and I discussed a wide range of topics (see below). His primary aim is to apply astrology in its most realistic, practical, and spiritual form through his practice Unlock Astrology. Check out an upcoming lecture Samuel is giving at the Astrological Society of Connecticut, and look out for him at NORWAC 2020. Please rate this podcast on Apple Podcasts, and if you’re interested in sponsoring a future episode, e-mail james@innermakeup.net

For Time Keepers

Introduction

4:24 All About Samuel’s Practice

6:30 All About the Different Strands of Humanism

11:20 Samuel’s Ministerial Background

24:30 Samuel’s Discovery of Astrology

33:55 Different Strands of Astrology

41:35 Samuel’s Work with Major Publications

47:01 Samuel’s Media Presence and Distinctive Fashion Style

54:38 Samuel’s Current and Upcoming Activities

Mending the Cracks Under a Full Moon in Scorpio

Death, Transformation, and hopefully Transfiguration (making something beautiful), is a lost art. The classical forces of energy break, bend, and crack as symbolized through the sign Scorpio. The tendency of the human mind seeks uniformity and organization wanting to "fix" that which is "broken". New Orleans is a unique city in that that which is broken is not immediately, if ever, fixed. Cracking and decaying is the rule, and time and nature, reigning supreme in the underworld, New Orleans is the underworld as she lives below sea level, gives us a glimpse into the process of undertaking that begins with cracks and "errors". This affords us an opportunity, the word opportunity being comprised of ops, optimism; porto, door; and perhaps tropos or tropic; to turn. Thus if one recognizes the beauty in "ugliness" there can be a turn for the better, recognizing the inevitable cycles of nature, cosmos, life. These are necessary for death and rebirth, and that which dies will ultimately surface in some other often mysterious way. So I devised a ritual based upon a Japanese technique of mending cracks of pottery with gold or other beautiful materials thus beautifying the impermanent permanent event of a crack. What has cracked in your life or culminated in the powerful Scorpio Full Moon that is leaving you? What is its beauty, fleeting, that is leaving but shall remain as an emotional imprint, as Scorpio is the most emotional of all the signs? Take a moment and lay your flowers, whether its a crack in the street or as we experience here in New Orleans, the collapse of a building like the Hard Rock. For astrology readings: 504-313-8706

Also Available for Rituals

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.

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.

Are You Stressed?

Original: https://themindseteffect.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/stress-cartoon.jpg

I got asked which astrology signs are most prone to stress. Obviously all human beings get stressed, but three signs stuck out to me.

1. Virgo: Virgos might lay claim to being the most stressed. The perfectionists of the zodiac, Virgos have a tendency to rely on analysis and logic and in turn become paralyzed by their thinking. Virgos do much better taking action rather than responding to situations with the mind. They surprise themselves by how well things go when they get out of their heads!

2. Scorpio: Scorpios are the most intense, passionate creatures of the zodiac. Carnally drawn to others, Scorpios get in deep with all relationships and become obsessed. This is a problem because they can't let go. The solution is to be frank about the underlying motivations of partnerships and relationships. Clarifying hidden agendas allows the Scorpion to truly take control. 

3. Aries: Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, and the rams are always the first to lead the pack. Viscerally athletic, they are prone to injury and burnout because they don't pace themselves, and this can lead to stress and melancholy. They key is taking time to rest and repair. 

Zodiac signs are prone to stress due to what the Ionian philosopher, Heraclitus, observed: character is destiny. Your character is largely defined by your sun sign. The sun powers everything but can burn you as well. So who we are invariably leads us to certain life situations. However, destiny is always negotiable so who we are is not a rubber stamp on life outcomes. 

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.

 

 

Fellini's Astrology Chart? He Was "Born a Liar"

Fellini earned income writing gags and jokes early on in his career symbolized by Gemini sitting on his 2nd house of money.

The filmmaker Federico Fellini has been on my mind since I gave a lecture at the American Italian Cultural Center. After doing some research I found a quote where he said he started off out as Marc’Aurelio and ended up Marcus Aurelius, meaning beginning as a gag writer, prankster and ending up a philosopher. 

In Fellini’s words, he became the philosopher Marcus Aurelius over time symbolized by strong activity in Sagittarius on the 8th house of the personal unconscious where he derived much of his knowledge later in life.

Fellini lying to us?

There is some controversy about his birth time, egged on by Fellini himself, but after exploring his life I find that the chart which has him as Taurus Rising seems to fit. It puts Gemini on his second house of materials and money, and he did draw his income from his gag writing even after he became a “serious” filmmaker. He was deeply interested in Carl Jung’s ideas regarding the personal unconscious, exploring this realm deeply with others through drugs, analysis, dreams, and sex. This I find symbolized in his 7th house sitting in Scorpio where his north node of karmic future is located, and his chart ruler Venus located in the eighth house of dark sexuality and being deeply drawn towards others. His 8th house is ruled by Sagittarius, the sign of knowledge and the seeking of profound knowledge. Even though Fellini lied to us, astrology is a powerful tool to shed light upon the unknown. 

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.