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Saturn Retrograde in Sagittarius ♄ Mar 25 - Aug 13

Mar 25 - Aug 13, 2016

Click here to learn about Saturn.

For about 4.5 months out of the year, Saturn is retrograde. Planets in retrograde are not actually spinning backwards – it is entirely an optical illusion as seen from Earth. Backwards motion appears to happen when Earth passes slower moving planets in the outer solar system. In astrology, this illusion manifests as a “backwards” functioning of the planetary roles. Click here to learn more about retrograde.

The last Saturn Retrograde cycle was from Mar 14 - Aug 2, 2015, initially in Sagittarius, and then in Scorpio. Saturn and Scorpio make quite the duo. While Saturn claws at our most hidden, visceral insecurities, Scorpio desperately attempts to cover them up. We were urged to share our souls without fear, but this very thing was the most excruciating. Saturn Rx in Scorpio delved into the subconscious to elucidate the patterns that dictate our lives. To conquer these vicious cycles, we had to face them head-on. This transit demanded that we feel everything at the deepest level before we were allowed to move forward. The source of bad habits, compulsions, debts and addictions was revealed so that whatever was truly missing – whatever led to imbalance in the first place – was finally illuminated. Saturn Retrograde is the nitty gritty, the true purpose of any Saturn transit, the point at which we see what we are really supposed to be learning.

Saturn is spinning now through Sagittarius. This placement is a contradiction in itself. Saturn is all about contraction, Sagittarius expansion. Saturn in Sagittarius demands that we evolve rapidly, yet within a structured and disciplined framework. Sagittarius rules higher learning, truth, morality and honor. So this is where Saturn directs his iron first. The time has come to review/revitalize our beliefs and morals. This manifests differently for everyone. What we are seeking and how we will get there is unique to all. However, on some level, I think we have all felt pressured since the beginning of this transit to rid the Self of complexes and live, fully and honestly, by our own personal code. We are on a quest to align with empowering and uplifting philosophies in order to achieve this liberation. This indicates an interest in spiritual teachings.

When direct, Saturn in Sagittarius seeks wisdom and experience connected to something greater than the Self. When retrograde, we reach instead for the highest version of the Self. Our quest for understanding is about to become a very personal journey. Retrograde periods return to that which has been ignored, forgotten or discarded, so we will revisit lessons we failed to learn the first time around. Whatever you’re working on will now be amplified to extreme proportions. You’ll be more immersed in it than you could have ever imagined. One way we can satisfy both Saturn and Sagittarius is in the acquisition of skills/trades in a certifiable setting. This is the perfect time to go (back) to school or vocational training. Mind expansion through learning pleases the archer; regulated, officious environments like school/apprenticeships gratifies Saturn. Also watch for the continued arrival of mentors - this is the natural result of Saturn the Patriarch joining Sagittarius the Just.

Sagittarius is a free thinker, but not Saturn. He serves a different purpose. Saturn wants to know: what are you really capable of? How far can you be pushed before frustration sets in? Saturn Rx in Sagittarius will not leave you alone until you truly understand. There is no room here for complacency or superficiality. Saturn Rx in Sagittarius places us in grueling circumstances where we must discern with utmost prudence what we deem right and wrong. Although we are in a state of heightened awareness, we must move with caution. Saturn Retrograde refuses to indulge the centaur’s propensity for carelessness.

That’s the crazy thing about Saturn - he doesn’t miss anything. Even when we think we’re being careful, even when we’re meeting our own normal standards for correct decision-making, Saturn turns us back to the end of the line to start again. Zero tolerance policy. So you may begin on a path that seems perfectly fine, but if there is even one tiny aspect that doesn’t fit the strict Saturn-Sagittarius requirements, you will be ejected with full force from this endeavor.

The outset of Saturn in Sagittarius was leisurely and meandering, but that changed rapidly with the first retrograde station, and I expect that it will be no different this time around. Jobs, relationships, apartments, the places we live - anything in life that isn’t quite right will be immediately heated to scorching. Within weeks of Saturn turning retrograde last year, all of my efforts to build my life in Montana crumbled around me. It simply wasn’t the right place for me. I knew this intuitively, but I kept trying anyway until I was forced out. This is the essence of how Saturn operates in our life.

Saturn’s lessons are necessary evolutionary catalysts, but not necessarily enjoyable as they concern the inevitable. Saturn moves slowly and deliberately, especially when retrograde. He demonstrates that nothing is worth having if it is does not take time and work. Sometimes this means learning the hard way. Saturn Rx in Sagittarius examines the crown chakra and our willingness to learn, our potential for Self-expansion. We must face and define spiritual blocks with the knowledge that, in so doing, we effectively dissolve the power of lingering fear, hesitation and mistrust. Indeed, to know the problem is to know the solution.

Sagittarius is the eternal optimist, diehard idealist and potential escapist - always looking on the bright side, conscious blindness. A propensity for denial, running from the shadow, telling the Self whatever it needs to hear in order to uphold the illusion of pure happiness. Sagittarius is so intent on having the best time ever that he’ll gleefully ignore that which rankles. A wide grin and booming laugh as he shakes his head and moves on, always moving.

The centaur archer’s ultimate lesson is justice and Truth. You may run until you can’t breathe anymore, but these horse legs do not tire, my friend. Speak your truth now lest it rears its magnificent head. The archer does not want to look anything squarely in the eye if it’s less than perfectly jovial. However, we cannot continue on until we do exactly this, so resist the urge to flee. Saturn Retrograde is the work, the work we have to do before we step completely into Sagittarius’ effervescent flames. Saturn Rx in Sagittarius is all about embracing responsibility and discipline, rather than taking half-baked shortcuts. Standing here with nothing left between the Self and Truth, we fool ourselves into believing otherwise - but there is no separation.

The paradox with any retrograde period is that the very thing we are encouraged to do is the most trying. However, this is precisely what makes these transits so rewarding and powerful. You won’t be let off the hook without doing the work :) Change is necessary to move forward. All things must come to an end. I wish you total clarity. May all of your most deeply held convictions effortlessly rise to the fore of Awareness and whisper: this is important, this is who I am, these are my beliefs. Celebrate with Sagittarius Yoga.

I was born when Saturn was retrograde. To find out your Saturn sign and whether he was direct or retrograde at the time of your birth, click here.

Mantra: expansion within

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First Quarter Moon in Gemini ☽ Mar 15, 2016

Tuesday, March 15 at 12:07pm EST

Click here to learn about the Moon. Click here to learn about Gemini.

The Sun in Pisces squares the moon in Gemini. The moon will rise at noon, peak at dusk and set at midnight.

Quarter moons can be provocative. They prompt definitive change. As CafeAstrology notes, these phases are a “crisis of consciousness.” This is the best time to review existing plans - and really, think long and hard about what’s going on in your life. The week between the first quarter and full moon (March 15 - 23) is the most potent of the lunar cycle. It’s time to gather the Self.

I remember this phase very well from last year. New information about my workplace was officially confirmed, information which put me at moral odds with my job. Gemini lives in words, in revelations, in lessons. Anything that comes flying through the air is not to be ignored…! That’s the crux of this quarter moon. Do not wait until it is too late to act. Intuition is not just some schmaltzy annoying voice in your head. It is easy to get swept away in a mighty current of wishful thinking. From Pisces we learn to be optimistic and gentle, but we must also be able to confront the harsh details of reality.

Imagine each Moon cycle as a procession of poignantly themed challenges. Generally speaking, the Pisces cycle is spiritual in nature. The Gemini twins catch the fishes now in all four hands to inspect them meticulously. Are your Piscean hopes better left in the depths of cherished dreams? I think that’s what’s so hard about this phase - if we have to walk away, it’s usually from something we’ve been holding on to very tightly. Are you living up to your responsibility to be happy and honest with the Self and others? Identify what is most important to you and then ask: how can I embody this in mind, body and spirit? How can I become it? I suggest recording everything, in writing or otherwise.

The purpose of this quarter moon is thorough meditation (Gemini) on whether your life is truly living up to the idea you have in your mind about it (Pisces). Gemini wants to contain and categorize Pisces. The twins are not satisfied with unanswered questions. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of following your gut feelings. You’ll know when all is good and right because it’s easy and joyful - and when it’s not, don’t be afraid! Change is your friend!

I like to visualize Gemini as an arcade: stimuli for days, an endless turbine of noise and color and movement. Inside the mind, this often results in confusion and exhaustion, so find a quiet place, take time for yourself.

Clear your mind with Gemini Yoga.

To ascertain your personal Moon sign, click here.

Mantra: surfacing for air

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Venus in Pisces ⚢ Mar 12 - Apr 5

Mar 12 – Apr 5, 2016

Click here to learn about Venus. Click here to learn about Pisces.

Venus in Aquarius was exploratory, spontaneous, vibrant, stimulating, satisfyingly unusual; Venus in Pisces is euphoric. After further cultivating the intellect, let’s slip into the underwater realm of the chimerical fishes: a spaceless space where the heart’s language is understood perfectly, silently.

Pisces is the last sign in the zodiac realm, Master of Imbrication, rainbow scales sparkling in the starlight. Venus in Pisces is neither rational nor logical, twisting this way and that, submerged in the deep well of the heart. Pisces is sentimental, perceptive, yielding. The fishes struggle to stay present and are quite prone to daydreaming. Venus is quite at home here. There is a distinct restlessness to the sign which may take the form of addiction, denial or compulsive lying. When imbalanced, this mutable modality manifests strongly in the shadow of Pisces - as sensitive creatures, the fishes are easily overwhelmed, swimming away at the first sign of turbulence, unwilling to awaken from the dream and face reality. Discord scatters Venus in Pisces to the far reaches of the subconscious, where she rests until the waters have calmed again. Of course there is a time and place to retreat within, but Pisces must be cautious not to stay there too long.

Venus in Pisces is ethereal, otherworldly, mystical, metaphysical, eternal…she speaks to the soul as a soft and malleable entity, ready to shift into whatever new form best captures and emanates the light of Universal Love. Venus in Pisces strives to accommodate all people at once, to be of service to the greater good. And yet, her love is a bit reserved, quiet, almost shy. Pisces may hold back because she is always at the brink, poised at any moment to sail noiselessly into the Divine abyss. She thinks a lot and says little, perhaps feeling no need to verbalize Love because she abides here at all times: Pisces is Love. But watch for the tendency to remain silent if something is bothering you – Venus in Pisces likes to internalize.

Venus in Pisces is an all-encompassing blanket of seraphic wisdom permeating every corner of Existence. In Hermann Hesse’s classic Siddhartha, Buddha and a fisherman discuss how a river flows in many places at once and yet is still called by the same name. This is how Venus in Pisces operates: love and leisure stretch and dissolve and bloom again, forever cycling through a phantasmagorical series of awakenings in the waters of perpetuity. Pisces is the Oversoul, the transparent eyeball of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Nature.

When I visualize Pisces, I see rings and spirals. Inside these, the fishes can become trapped in ever-tightening circles of delusion. Venus in Pisces would rather escape from the mind than try to analyze a troublesome situation. She is vague, abstract, mysterious; not at all practical, organized or detail-oriented.

This transit sees no need for particulars – it is enough to simply be, to breathe and to love without questioning, without needing to know why or how. We often forget, in the midst of endlessly working and preparing, that we are already directly linked to something impossibly beautiful and bountiful. Venus in Pisces carries herself with striking modesty and inner calm: all is One. Descend to the cove below. Close both eyes to see with the other, as Rumi tells us. Namaste starseeds.

Celebrate with Pisces Yoga.

If you were born with Venus in Pisces, this month is your Venus Return. If you don’t know your personal Venus sign, click here.

Mantra: I believe

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Supermoon Solar Eclipse in Pisces 🐟 March 8, 2016

Tuesday, March 8 at 8.55pm EST

Click here to learn about the Moon. Click here to learn about Pisces.

Remember the Solar Eclipse in Virgo last September? Welcome to the follow-up, little starseeds. This one is a Supermoon – yes, even New Moons qualify – because, according to Richard Nolle’s definition, it occurs “…with the moon at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit.” This phenomenon is also known as perigee. We’ve arrived at the next major turning point in a series of Virgo-Pisces eclipses that will continue through the year.

Let’s rewind to September. The Virgo eclipse demarcated the beginning of a new life rhythm, but it was clunky, hazy, with celestial disconnect between plans/intentions and reality. But that’s what the Virgo-Pisces polarity is all about: cutting through delusion, listening to intuition and acting accordingly.

Virgo and Pisces handle their problems very differently, so we won’t witness the same unfolding, but instead a continuation, a variation of the theme. The Solar Eclipse in Virgo was at once a brutal wake-up call and also a perfect storm for out-of-control fantasy-brain. I think that, on an individual level, we were all aware of what we needed to do, but then thought, maybe I’ll defy the Universe one more time and see if life magically acquiesces to what I want :)

Why do we do this, why do we ignore gut feelings? Probably because it feels so good to celebrate, to release, to float for awhile, that when we must turn again to self-work it feels like a chore, a letdown. At this point, life has twisted and turned enough that we’re prepared, even eager, to surrender and begin. I think that’s just how it needed to happen, like an unforgiving lesson, so vicious that we stalled until the stars hunted us down and yanked us out of our bubble and into the seething, roiling pot of What Must Be. So here we are, in the pot! There’s no time left to move without direction, following the beat of nothing in particular – the planets have swooped in with galactic force.

Pisces likes to see us in motion, so if you can, get out of the house and go on an adventure. Even if you don’t have the opportunity to physically move about, know that you are being rapidly transported from one level of consciousness to the next, my friends. This is the sweet, sweet end, so gentle and understanding. Relax your grip, here it all comes in vivid form.

It goes without saying that the Supermoon + Solar Eclipse + New Moon combo packs a serious punch. We must enact the highest expression of who we want to be at the beginning of each lunar cycle. But there’s nothing to fear because we’re ready, and have been for awhile, to leave this year behind and start on the next path. Piece by piece, dismantle everything that’s left. You can’t take it with you, lovelies, even if you try, so let it all go. The purpose of any new moon is to clear out and start over. Whatever lingers has little strength left by now. I hope you are proud of yourself for all the work you’ve done and resulting space created. Sit back and watch the new arrivals stream in your soul’s door. YES!

Celebrate the Super New Moon Solar Eclipse with some Pisces Yoga.

To ascertain your personal Moon sign, click here.

Mantra: sweetness

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Mars in Sagittarius ♂ Mar 5 - Sep 27

Mar 5 - May 27, and then, due to a retrograde period, Aug 2 - Sep 27, 2016

Click here to learn about Mars. Click here to learn about Sagittarius.

Mars, ruler of the body. Divine masculine warrior-god of the stars. Since January 3, he has been in Scorpio, taking care of some intense stuff. Oh sweet relief! Out of the woods, stepping into the light. Surface from the depths of the psychic well, dear friends. Reemerge with all your new wisdom. Martial power is sourced now from ideals. No longer do we dwell in the uncomfortable caverns of Scorpio’s emotional body. Mars in Sagittarius dances around an enormous bonfire: joyous, animated, alive. Mars normally rules Aries, so he is right at home in a fellow fire sign. Prepare for a rush of physical energy.

This transit asks whether or not we’ve gotten too comfortable. Mars in Sagittarius rejects routine and predictability. He is expansive and restless, like a new star blooming in the night sky, like a rocket leaving Earth with an uncertain destination. Mars in Sagittarius thirsts for experiences and adventures. Choose your target and take aim.

Mars in Sagittarius is a rainbow comet blazing through the darkness, gathering speed and understanding along the way: fearless, optimistic, forward-thinking. Spontaneous and open-hearted, the archer surmounts difficulty with ease, moving ever above and beyond. No stress.

With Mars in Scorpio, we had a one-track mind. Now the tracks will multiply, looping and crossing in every direction. Draw upon the flexibility of the mental body and feed your burning desire to learn! Through knowledge we connect to all that is greater than the Self.

The pace of life will spiral into insanity now. With spirits soaring, we are itching to meet new people and have some good old-fashioned fun. Mars in Sagittarius is candid, sincere, forthright and maybe a bit fidgety. His shadow lies in being overly blunt and reckless. Be honest, but not brash; daring, not irresponsible. Learn the art of moving clearly and calmly. It is easy to get carried away during this transit. Ask all the important questions and then be sure to listen. When we’re gleaming with enthusiasm, slowing down can be quite frustrating. However, if we fail to take our time, we miss crucial details.

Enjoy this effervescence! Celebrate Mars with a ritual fire and some Sagittarius Yoga.

To ascertain your personal Mars sign, click here.

Mantra: life is a gift

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Mercury in Pisces ☿ Mar 5 - 21

Mar 5 - 21, 2016

Click here to learn about Mercury. Click here to learn about Pisces.

In speech, writing and self-presentation, we twist and flow now as wise water wends the bends of the ancient riverbed. No matter the destination, we have only to leave enough space for fantasy, flexibility and ambiguity. Make no mistake: the power of the imagination can and must rule supreme. Mercury in Pisces significantly blurs the line between dreams and reality. Life may feel illogical or irrational – trust the process! Although you cannot change or control the direction of your river-path, rest assured that it ends in light and understanding.

Mercury in Pisces is scattered, not particular or demanding. Relaxation abounds. There is no point to be made, no message to get across, just deep and abiding presence. But this is precisely why we must examine the apparent “order” of daily life. Choose goals that are spiritual in nature.

Now comes the proverbial death of the outward personality. Let it fall away so that we may create the Self anew, fresh and light as a daffodil opening unto the first warm spring afternoon. This death-rebirth favors copious introspection, writing and daydreaming. Artistic endeavors will prove unusually gratifying now as our work embodies an unmistakable sense of finality.

The greatest challenge for Mercury in Pisces is learning to be of equal service to both the Self and the Universe. The fishes oscillate between total selflessness and intense periods of inward ego reconstruction. Pisces should devote herself to only one endeavor at a time. Otherwise she will give and give and give until nothing remains, not even personal stores of energy and self-love. This imbalance leaves the mental and emotional bodies depleted and in great need of attention.

When Mercury the Messenger gets tangled in Pisces’ net, we may over-internalize words/emotions. Pisces has a habit of stuffing thoughts and feelings deep in the psyche, and she will masterfully ignore the building pressure within, handing the Self and others endless free passes and second chances. Her shadow lies in evasive speech, miscommunication, denial, deceit and unchecked idealism.

Pisces is rambling, utopian, subjective…perhaps to the point of delusion. Indeed this transit is rather undisciplined. Pisces symbolically dismantles all that we’ve been building since the spring. Staying organized is an uphill battle beneath the waves, disconnected from time and space. The inclination here is to glance, to gloss, to slip away – fight this! Know when to look at the world with eyes focused; harness the power of objective analysis and critical thinking. Some want to fix everything, but Mercury in Pisces is inclined to just call it good. Or is that exactly what you need, to relinquish apparent control over a given situation? Refrain from planning.

Mercury in Pisces brings to mind performance art, especially science fiction and psychedelic-inspired works; transcendentalism; meditation; mysticism; shamanism; emotional healing; energy fields; surrender; acceptance. Soften gracefully to subtlety and silence.

This is the final attunement of the spirit - blending, confusing, muddling, swirling - the fish are born in dreams. Celebrate with Pisces Yoga.

If you were born with Mercury in Pisces, these next few months include your Mercury Return. To find your Mercury sign, click here.

Mantra: my dreams speak

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Last Quarter Moon in Sagittarius ☾ Mar 1, 2016

Tuesday, Mar 1 at 6.10pm EST

Click here to learn about the Moon. Click here to learn about Sagittarius.

Square aspects are sharp, angular junctions that prompt change. The Sun in Pisces squares the moon in Sagittarius. The moon will rise at midnight, peak at dawn and set at noon. If you view the moon at midnight, the Sun will be positioned directly beneath your feet. Staring at the moon during this time will align you so that you are looking right out (approximately) along the forward path of Earth’s orbit around the Sun ^__^

Sagittarius is Pisces’ fiery predecessor - buoyant, fearless, adventurous, optimistic. The centaur archer flips the fishes out of the water and up to the starlight, shouting delightedly: dance and be free! Find joy and excitement in transformation! The fishes live within, swimming and dreaming, dreaming and swimming, but the archer moves courageously through time and space. Let’s return with body, mind and spirit to the tribal fire ring, out from the depths. After earnestly polishing the bright inner diamond of the heart and soul, breathe life back into expansion. You know who you are and what you believe, so rise from seated lotus, burst forth with an ecstatic surge of raw energy.

The purpose of any last quarter moon is clearing out, preparation for new beginnings. Sometimes Luna drags us into undesirable emotional backwaters at quarter phases, even when we’re otherwise feeling wonderful. This manifests differently for everyone, I’m not here to tell you how it will be exactly. What I can say is that most of the time, our concerns are not only trivial but remarkably temporal. Any issues that surface are therefore well-worn guests in your mind-house, ones who make your upper lip curl with familiar disdain. As it is in life, these guests are teachers. Intuitively I feel that this phase will be a follow-up to the Last Quarter Moon in Scorpio at the beginning of February. Sometimes that’s how it is, like a sonic boom arriving long after you’ve seen the rocket leave, like golden glitter snowing down after the dust has settled in silence.

If you don’t feel elevated in consciousness, I expect you will be that much closer now. Us lunar folk descend with the celestial tides, occasionally dipping below to the sea of confusion. Even so, an electrical supernova of unthinkable proportions has been crackling, the backdrop of All, since the inception of the Universe. Nothing to fear.

The balanced centaur knows that emotional work comes first; if we do not give ourselves the opportunity to rest and reflect, we fail to move. But we can pause the introspection for now. Recharged, thoughts and ideals become actions: applied wisdom in waking life. Allow restlessness to inspire forward motion. I wish you enough strength to shoot the archer’s bow and enough sensitivity to care for the fishes, swimming in the heart, silently, constantly, forever chasing tails. Like a flame from the great cosmic bonfire, ascend in a sparkling blaze to worlds that do not yet exist! Rise up from all directions!

Celebrate Luna with a ritual involving fire and some Sagittarius Yoga.

To ascertain your personal Moon sign, click here.

Mantra: I invite the unexpected

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Full Moon in Virgo ♍ Feb 22, 2016

Monday, Feb 22 at 1.22 pm EST

Click here to learn about the Moon. Click here to learn about Virgo.

This particular full moon was known by the Algonquins as the Full Worm Moon because it coincides with springtime softening and the reappearance of earthworm casts. This phase is also known as the Sap Moon because it demarcates maple tapping season. The Moon will rise at sunset, peak at midnight and set at sunrise.

The Sun and Moon in total opposition between Pisces and Virgo: the axis of service, infinity vs. finitude, dreams vs. reality, expansion vs. contraction – Pisces flows and spreads, Virgo tightens.

Let’s meditate for a moment on the ruling planets of each sign, Mercury and Neptune respectively. Mercury rules Virgo and the rational, waking mind. Mercury solves, ponders, learns, communicates and judges. Neptune, ruler of Pisces, oversees transcendence, fantasies, intoxication and metamorphosis. What we need to learn is that our spiritual goals (Neptune) cannot be mastered without first committing to a daily routine (Mercury) which keeps body, mind and spirit running in top form. The Full Moon in Virgo provides direction.

Pisces receives messages from metaphysical guides and inner voices - these she honors as truth. The Full Moon in Virgo grabs us by the shoulders as if to say: pay equal attention to the voices of the external world! Keep your eyes open, head up! It is very easy, especially for those of who us are decidedly right-brained, to ignore obvious signals. Pisces seeks reassurance in the richness behind closed eyes, but Virgo finds this outside the Self, particularly in work.

The challenge now is to sink below the surface to explore our feelings and yet remain grounded and present for the mundane. Attention to detail forms a crucial foundation upon which everything else rests, including spirituality. Letting day-to-day responsibilities slip compromises our potential as extramundane beings. However, my favorite art teacher once told me that we cannot create and analyze at the same time – these are separate, conflicting processes.

Be on guard against two equally powerful temptations: getting lost in the boundless mind (Pisces) or becoming totally consumed by trivialities (Virgo). Both Pisces and Virgo have a habit of getting stuck. For Pisces, this often manifests as an emotional rollercoaster of guilt, denial, indecision. Virgo spins in ever tightening circles of anxiety, attempting to control immediate surroundings to regain calm. Virgo’s shadow is ruthless practicality, whereas Pisces is prone to brooding, passive aggression and irrationality.

The fishes live suspended in holy water, detached from physical limitations and the passage of time – folding, flowering, fading, reemerging. Virgo remains firmly attached to all that can be experienced through the senses. The earthy virgin reminds the fishes of the danger of ignorance; Pisces reminds Virgo that we become mechanical and insensitive if we fail to bask in meditative silence once in awhile.

Celebrate the full moon with some Virgo Yoga.

To ascertain your personal Moon sign, click here.

Mantra: I see everything

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Sun in Pisces ☼ Feb 19 - Mar 19

Feb 19 - Mar 19, 2016

Click here to learn about the Sun. Click here to learn about Pisces.

Disclaimer: the Sun sign is a much-celebrated yet oversimplified astrological element, usually given more significance than it deserves. Remember – you are a whole soup of planets!

The Aquarius cycle has been indescribably wonderful, but it’s only getting better from here. Pisces is comparatively passive and right brained. It’s hard to believe that we are already at the final stop on the zodiac wheel, bedding down in preparation for the springtime fires that will ravage the soul’s forests. If any spiritual/emotional work has been left undone, Pisces will not reveal her light in full splendor. When the ice beneath you begins to crack and drift, allow yourself to fall straight into the glacial melt - salvation awaits you in the frozen grit!

When I visualize the fishes chasing tails in the holy waters of eternity, I am simply inspired. Pisces puts us in a trance. She evokes vivid reveries, total surrender to the power of art and divine recognition of the human mind’s capacity for expanded consciousness. Flexible spine twisting in the river current, Pisces embodies many dimensions at once, lost in bliss, wave after wave of creative insight pouring forth.

Imbalanced Pisces makes us too susceptible, energetic membrane thinning to nonexistence. The challenge is to maintain our sensitivity as we rise with dignity from titanic depths, trident piercing the sky. The purpose of this cycle is to address the proverbial death of all things. Pisces wants us to get comfortable with intangibles: infinity, immortality, subconsciousness, transcendentalism.

It’s not that Pisces is irresponsible or careless, although she can be when imbalanced, but rather that she is constantly preparing for “the end” – who needs a solid routine when life could disintegrate at this very second? In a way, the Pisces cycle is one giant dismantling of all the structuring and organization that we established in the autumnal Virgo season. Pisces lives on the spur of every precious moment, disconnected from time and space. So we must find a balance: yes, live in the present, utterly consumed by the beauty of the Divine in all things, and yes, also make sure you’ve covered the finer details and prepared to live another day. Pisces swims freely in the waters of forever. Just remember to walk along the jeweled shoreline once in awhile to ground yourself.

The Pisces cycle aims to achieve the same end by one of two (or both) means: blossoming to new heights of awareness, accompanied by a constant feeling of ecstasy; or silently and masterfully identifying the internal struggles that make us feel the weakest and most vulnerable and then, using these, breaking us down so completely that we have no option but to turn to something greater than the Self, something majestic and omniscient. Day-to-day concerns often get left in the dust when it comes to this kind of self-work. Any emotional landscaping you do now will not be straightforward; imagine tumbling deep within an underwater whirlpool, clueless as to the direction of anything at all. Paradoxically, the more you can relax into the fishes’ snare, the faster you will be able to find the sunshine and ascend to the surface.

Notice that the nature of pain and suffering is in constant flux. Life continues inexorably and relentlessly like water flows downstream. This is all part of something bigger. Have patience, even when there appears to be no method to the madness. The progress you make will only be obvious at the end, as everything happens now internally, tucked away from normal sensory perception.

Allow fear to become curiosity as you trust-fall into a bottomless sea. Gather hesitation and nervousness into a giant ball and then melt, fuse, transform it. Swim towards change and endings at full speed, knowing that whatever happens now is designed with something inconceivable in mind. Listen for the voice that whispers, you’ll see. Water is inherently liberating: watch the eel squiggle through her coral lair. Flow anywhere you like, in the direction of all things beautiful. Unleash what lives in the privacy of the heart and mind. Birth your silent intensity into a world of noise and color.

Pisces is the tidal wave that destroys everything that no longer serves us; the rocking and splitting of the earth as she crumbles into light; the high pitch of impending implosion. We’re about to get wrapped up in the mighty arms of the soul’s inner ocean, safe, shielded by a diaphanous cocoon of lucid reality.

We’ve never had any control, only the illusion of such. Connect now – to anything – in preparation for metamorphosis. It’s time to remember where we’ve come from and why we’re here. Extraordinary passion and vision radiates a certain luminosity that requires no explanation, like one long delicious dream. Celebrate with Pisces Yoga.

Mantra: All is One

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Jupiter Retrograde in Virgo ♃ Jan 7 - May 9

Jan 7 - May 9, 2016

Click here to learn about Jupiter.

Jupiter is retrograde approximately 4 months out of the year. To be very clear, planets in retrograde are not actually spinning backwards – it is entirely an optical illusion as seen from Earth. Backwards motion appears to happen when Earth passes slower moving planets in the outer solar system. In astrology, this illusion manifests as a “backwards” functioning of the planetary roles. Click here to learn more about retrograde.

The last Jupiter Rx cycle was from Dec 8, 2014 - Apr 8, 2015 in the sign of Leo. Jupiter in Leo placed particular emphasis on children, romance and recreation, but it was far from play time, especially during the retrograde period. We were pushed and pulled with constant tests of character. The grandeur of our dreams was matched only by the supreme difficulty inherent in their manifestation. Dark challenges crashed in day after day after day. After this last experience, I see the Jupiter Rx period as the real nitty gritty, the true purpose of any Jupiter transit: the point at which we are delivered to what we’re really supposed to learn. In fact, Jupiter is ruler of higher learning.

With Jupiter in Virgo since August, our attention has been directed toward work, health and routine. We’ve been taking an intensive look at our professional life as well as proper nutrition, exercise, sleep schedules, meditation, etc. Jupiter in Virgo seeks to regain bodily sovereignty. Jupiter in an earth sign comes back to the body: total agency and impressive self-discipline. If you’ve been waiting for some force to come along and kick you into action, this is it.

When Jupiter is retrograde, our collective quest for greater understanding becomes a very personal journey. We are now more preoccupied than usual with our path and whether we’re on the right one. This as an opportunity to stop, take a step back and get a good look at where you’re really heading. Jupiter encourages us to be aware, especially of our boundaries. In pausing and reflecting, we see what we need to change in order to move in the proper direction. Jupiter Rx in Virgo will illuminate the reality of our karma.

Anything you’re working toward is about to be turned up about 3000 notches. You’ll be more immersed in it than you could have ever imagined. For me this is a life commitment to yoga and art. In a month I’m traveling to India to manifest these dreams. Are you hoping to switch careers? Go back to school? Release ancient emotional pain? All of the above? Jupiter in Virgo can’t wait to get your life in order. He wants you to communicate with the Self. Deep within is an eternal wellspring of perfect wisdom. With a quiet mind, all bubbles up effortlessly.

We are about to revisit lessons we failed to learn the first time around. Retrograde periods return to that which has been ignored, forgotten or discarded. Virgo marks halfway around the zodiac wheel, which is appropriate considering her role as Goddess of Harvest. It is Virgo’s responsibility to cut and chaff all that has been growing. In the process, we come face-to-face with the results of our labor. We’ve reached The Inspection, my friends. Jupiter Rx in Virgo will tell us in detail what’s going well and what’s not, so listen up. This cycle is as brutally honest as it is helpful.

When direct, Jupiter asks us to reach beyond what we think is possible. When retrograde, we reach instead for the highest version of the Self. The paradox with all retrograde periods is that the very thing we are encouraged to do is the most trying. However, this is precisely what makes these transits so rewarding and powerful. As we jump higher and higher with each successive transit, we become ever stronger and more knowledgeable.

What were minor aches and pains before will be hard to dismiss now. Virgo brings even the most minute to the fore. Issues surrounding work, school or health will be magnified to extreme proportions if you try to ignore them. Let’s channel Virgo’s highest expression and make change – this is the essence of mutable energy after all. We can’t sit still, so keep moving, and if you’re trailing behind, look around and be inspired by the changes that others are making for a better life, now and in the future. Try some Virgo Yoga to calm the nerves.

To find your Jupiter sign and whether he was direct or retrograde at the time of your birth, click here. It is interesting to note that, if you were born with Jupiter Rx, you may not notice the effects above as strongly, if at all.

Mantra: harvest time