Snake/Woman

I did not want him. Even as my husband asked ever-so-sweetly and my step-son promised to take care of him. It was not that I did not like him As a Shamanic practictioner and Goddess follower, I have great reverence and respect for his species. I just don't think snakes make good pets. And the idea of buying live animals to feed him just turned my stomach. So I swore I would never take part in his care and agreed to let him live with us.

I tried to ignore him. He lived in the corner of my step-son's room I avoided him if I could For a while, the boys took care of him But slowly, the time between his feedings grew longer his cage stayed dirtier I demanded they handle it but as my mother reminded me when she insisited on buying him a rat any time she came to town the "mother" always ends up caring for the animals. We had our moments I even tried to hold him and show him to any willing friends sometimes I even felt drawn to check in on him or his dancing on the full moon night would catch my eye as I walked down the hall but remained seperate, resistant to this reponsibility.

Last month we decided to move and the snake was not supposed to come. Then I had a dream. A snake dream, which is not unusual, I have them a lot but when I woke up, a decision had been made I would keep the snake. I would commit to his care, feeding and cleaning. So I put his cage in the big window with lots of light and company. I talked to him fed him It seems impossible, but he has started to look for me come out when I get home watch me in the kitchen lets me hold him without recoiling and even curls into my arms I just realized we are on the same... shedding cycle!

I have noticed other things, too that we both seek the sun spot at the same moment are effected by the cycles of the moon We are restless in the middle of the night and want to hide in the morning

I don't know what this connection means or where it might lead I know snakes have been a symbol of the Goddess for millenia and no other creature better represents such power I don't know what agreement was made in that dream but I feel like I am tapping into something something magical, ancient, precious and I am grateful.

Taurus Full Moon & Hallowmas October 2012

Taurus Full Moon & Hallowmas~ Back to Earth

~We all come from the earth and we all return to the earth~

Hard to believe that mid-autumn is nearly here. This time of year brings much cooler days and longer nights. In many cultures, the holy day of Hallowmas (aka Hallow's Eve, Samhain and yes, Halloween) meant the end of the current year. From November 1st to December 21st (Winter Solstice) was a "timeless time, " a complete deathing of the old cycle and immersion of darkness and rest before the light was re-born at Solstice. This is also considered the most powerful time for prophetic dreams, connecting with the spirit realm and honoring all those that have passed on. Overall, this holy day is symbolized by death, dark and divination. If we were to link this particular celebration with the lunar cycle, Hallowmas would most closely relate to the dark moon, the end of a cycle.

How interesting that in the auspicious year of 2012, this Hallowed eve will be experienced under a full moon and not just any full moon, the consummate mother goddess full moon, Taurus.

Taurus, like Libra, is ruled by Venus, and here she is much more at home. Moving from the mental realm of cardinal air to the sensual roots of fixed earth, this is the sign where Venus luxuriates in the gifts of the physical. Slow, steady, sweet and stubborn, Taurus venerates beauty, food, sex, touch and comfort. The Taurus new moon happens in May, generally around the decadent May day festivals, where everything is blossoming, everyone is flirting and love is in the air. In her full moon expression, always in the autumn months, Venus/Taurus again asks us to appreciate the changing earth, offer gratitude for the harvest and abundance of the year passing and start to settle back into our roots for a long winter's rest.

What is the message of the Earth Goddess as she appears in the full moon light so close to the spirit ruled Hallow's eve?

Trick or treat, my friends. That is for you to find out, if you dare. (Insert evil laugh here)

Kidding, kidding. But not really. This holy day is incredibly personal and can be the most powerful of all holy days if you choose to tune in and connect. Plus, a huge reason there is so much dis-ease of every possible kind is because we are so disconnected from the earth. We hardly have a personal relationship with the planet that we are born on, live on and eventually, die on.

I once thought, because I hiked a lot, sat outside and planted a few veggies, that I knew the earth, that I had this really close relationship with her. Now, we did have a relationship and to some extent it was a deeper connection than many have the chance to cultivate; but it was not until I spent 5 days alone in a 10 foot circle with nothing but water, toilet paper, extra clothes and a sleeping bag that I got some idea of what it actually would be like to truly live according to the rhythms of the earth. It was terrifying, challenging, humbling, inspiring, beautiful and more pure than anything I have ever done to date. For the first time in my whole life, I was completely reliant on the planet to keep me safe, no technology or modern comforts, no one to else to take care of me. And she did.

Now I am NOT telling you to go spend 5 days fasting next week. That practices takes lots of prayer and preparation, but this cycle, full moon/hallowmas has all the power and potential of a vision quest. So, what is something you can do between 10/29 and 11/4 that could connect you more fully to earth than ever before? A hike, gardening or simply sitting outside are all great places to begin. This lunation is a magical vortex, because for a few rare, precious days, we are invited to love and celebrate our roots, plants, stones and flesh and at the same time, receive wisdom, guidance and vision from our spirit guides and ancestors. I can't think of any sweeter opportunity.

Perhaps take a little time to adorn your body with oils or delicious scents, then create an earth altar in a natural setting that feels sacred to you. Place pictures of loved ones passed and items that represent the gifts of your life. Collect beautiful stones, fall leaves or sticks that call to you and decorate them. Cook or bake something delicious and offer it the spirits, and then dance, meditate, make love or sit sky clad under the full moon.

Since my 5 days in nature, I no longer use a flash light. I did not have any light other sun or moon and actually found that in open nature, it never gets that dark. I have found I love to walk and hike in just moonlight. That could be something you experiment with next week, too (in a safe way, please). It can heighten the senses to be in the dark, and softens our vision to truly see the world around us.

If nothing else, simply make a mantra of the opening words: We all come from the earth and we all return to the earth.

At this pivotal moment where another year is ending and the darkness comes closer, it is important to return to practices that deeply honor and connect us with this beautiful planet. We must respect our roots, all of them, from our families of origin to the roots of our species and the roots of all earthly beings up to the roots of our soul journeys. We must care for all these roots, acknowledge the relationships between them and revere them in every aspect of our lives. We are hearing this plea from the earth Goddess herself! From our roots come wisdom, strength and healing. This is the time to go back to the earth and trust her to guide and nurture you in the dark months ahead.

Let her speak to you, let all the earth spirits speak to you, through the soles of your feet or the palms of your hands. Through the base of your spine or the softness of your belly. Get out on the earth under this full moon and let your body and spirit dance.

Aries Full Moon 9/29/12~ Ceremony of Fire

Aries Full Moon~ Ceremony of Fire

Welcome to Autumn! How have you felt over these last two weeks of waxing lunar and waning solar energies? The transitional seasons, autumn and spring, give us a chance to find our balance between the extreme cycles of summer and winter. Spring is ushered in by the Aries new moon. Like lighting a brand new candle that lights up a dusty room, urging us to action, the Aries cycle is inspiring, energizing and full of promise. Autumn is generally brought in by Libra, and while the day of equinox is still the day the sun entered Libra, if you recall, we had a Virgo new moon this month. The mutable earth powers of Virgo have felt extremely appropriate for me the last couple weeks as I have been cleaning, sorting, packing and moving.

Plus, not sure if you felt it, but last week we had some celestial action as Pluto, ruler of sex, death, power and transformation, came out of retrograde in Capricorn and squared equally intense Uranus, our lord of electricity and liberation, who is rockin out in Aries. These 2 outer planets don't square very often, but this was the 2nd of four face-off's they will have in the next couple years. Even if this was the only major celestial event of 2012, which it's not, it would signal that we are in a time of great, great change. In case you had not noticed.

Virgo brought in lunar Autumn; Pluto, Uranus, Aries and Capricorn line ups and we had the equinox in less than 14 days. Everything is being shaken up and we need, now more than ever ever ever, to let go. To let go of what is not true, real, appropriate or sustainable for you, your loved ones and the planet.

Enter the Aries Full Moon.

I have been reading a lot of other astrology reports about the final chapter of 2012. I am not an astrologer and am happy to recommend my peeps who are if you want to get the authentic low down of what is happening, but I feel pretty sound in stating that this full moon is an opportunity to really let some s&^# go. Aries new moon brings in Spring, Aries full moon releases summer and welcomes Autumn. Fire initiates the waxing cycle of each year, illuminating our goals and keeping us hot and bothered enough to take action. Now, let fire be your guide in burning away that which does not need to continue into the rest of the year or into the next one. Let fire either soothe you or singe you, as is necessary to really get honest and brave about what is required for your spiritual growth. Fire does rule the spirit, as air rules the mind or earth the body.

The veils between the worlds get thinner and thinner as we move towards Samhain (Oct 31st/Nov 1st) the traditional end of the year when we are able to fully immerse ourself in spirit and deep rest during the darkest weeks before Winter solstice brings back the light. What do you really need to keep you warm in the cold and the dark? Initially, that question might make you want to actually pack in all you can to make you feel safe. No one likes to be alone on a cold, dark night. But if you really meditate on it, real comfort is not brought on by material or surface gratification. Real cold gets into your bones, and only the fire of true love and spirit can warm that.

The Aries full moon requires a sacrifice, a fire ceremony. Fire ceremonies have been practiced with awe and reverence for as long as we have had the gift of fire. I have been truly blessed to participate in a variety of fire ceremonies, from Peruvian Shamans to Native Americans to Goddess practice. Not to mention the ceremony of watching a wild fire or even the fire you make in your fireplace. Fire is sacred, no matter where it burns. Fire is true alchemy, it changes EVERYTHING it touches! Are you willing to let it touch your spirit this weekend? Are you willing to stand under the brilliant harvest full moon and say to the flames "Please take this from me! Please accept this offering of all that does not truly serve me." These offerings should not just be easy ones. Dig deep, which should not be too hard as Pluto has pulled so much of our wounds and fears to the surface, but we still might not want to look at that stuff. Aries demands raw honesty. Nothing else will satisfy this moon.

Your ceremony can be done however you want. What makes a ceremony a ceremony is intention. Rituals are usually done the same way every time. I am not asking you to do a ritual, I am asking you to do a ceremony, which means there is no right or wrong. It is a dance between you, spirit and the Aries full moon and as long as you do it honestly and fully, it is perfect. Aries is also represented by the child, being the youngest of the signs, and as the warrior, since she is rules by Mars, as well, of course, as an aspect of the lover: passionate, heated, unsatiable. This gives us a broad spectrum of how to approach our offering. Sit with what you want to let go of. Fall is a great time for inventory. Write out where you are right now, where you have been this year and where you really want to be, looking at spirituality before anything else. Then, think about what and how you can release. Maybe you have gotten too serious and lost your joy. Make your ceremony bright and fun. Light candles, dance, sing and play as you feed the flames slips of paper or autumn leaves that represent what you are offering up. Or, if you have had too much play, not enough focus or discipline, create a bigger fire, call in your strength, your inner warrior and hold that image as you burn away what you need to. Or, perhaps you have been too much child and too much warrior. This is a great moon for "sexual healing," which can be done alone, or with someone else, of course. Create a steamy space, candles, music, whatever connects you to desire, an aspect of fire. I would recommend some kind of heating movement, ahem, take that as you will, and let your sweat be the offering and release. But you gotta work up a sweat! and consciously, as you get hotter and hotter, feel yourself burning off the old, purifying body, mind and spirit.

You get the idea, yeah? It can be anything you want, as long as it is both an offering to the fire and a sacrifice of something you know you don't need. There are going to be a lot of witnesses to this full moon, Uranus, Pluto, Mars and the moon herself are just a few of the honored guests. The whole universe is paying attention right now and we need to stand up and show our courage and commitment to growing, transforming and evolving. If we can honestly and thoroughly honor the ceremony of fire for ourselves, I truly feel our individual flames will grow collectively and we can create a purificaton for this whole planet. Whether you invoke the child, lover or warrior on Saturday night, do it with conviction and passion. Meet fire with fire and surrender to the heat of spirit. This release has to happen, understand that, please. As always, we have the choice to go with the flow of earth/moon/universe or to resist, which is futile. Welcome this chance for communion, catharsis and cleansing with everything you have, and let go of the rest. I will be with you in the circle of fire.

Aquarius Full Moon/Lunar Lammas 8/1~ Receive and Release

Aquarius Full Moon/Lunar Lammas~ Receive and Release

Welcome to our second unusual new moon/full moon pairing. Normally, the Aquarius full moon balances the fixed fire energy of Leo, but thanks to that 2nd Gemini new moon, Aquarius is aligning with Great Nurturing Mama Cancer. In the middle of Mercury retrograde, on the tail end of intense solar flares, and falling almost exactly on the cross quarter holy day, Lammas, the mutable air full moon might be just the right sign to remind us of our universal relationships and responsibilities.

Lammas, also known as Lughnasadh, symbolizes the first harvest. The summer crops have come to fruition and it is time to start reaping what we have sown. The first crop, traditionally, was wheat or grain, and most cultures were very glad when this day came, because last year's stores are usually barren and needing to be filled. It is the counter point on the wheel of the year to Imbolc, falling around February 2nd, where the first milks were made available and we began to sense the coming of Spring. Now, we sense the coming of fall and there is both gratitude and fear setting in as to what the colder season may bring.

Aquarius is fixed air, which confuses people as it's symbol is "water-bearer" so they presume it is a water sign. Close, though, being fixed, air at it's most contained, palpable quality. I think of Aquarius as mist, or fog, which has a mysterious nature and can cover the whole country with it's veil. That is, ultimately, what Aquarius likes to do: bring beings together in an unattached, unconditional, all encompassing way for enlightenment and idealism. Aquarius works with higher energy centers, it is not concerned with physical, material things, but is fixed on showing everyone that they are spiritual beings.Though air energy is generally mental, Aquarius is interested in the high mind, the collective consciousness rather than the individual mind.

It is interesting having such a mental sign during the extremely emotional Cancer cycle. But I think it is rather profound to bring these two together and recognize the relationship between them. For Aquarius' ideals to be sustainable, they need to be rooted in deep love, affection for home and family and an appreciation of life's juiciness. I also find it fascinating that Lammas is being celebrated under Aquarius's mist, perhaps this will remind all of us that no mater how hard we have worked, there are still those in need, and we can be of service to them at this time, especially if we are reaping well.

Our ancestors used to sacrifice a portion of their crop back to the earth as an offering to their deities to thank them for the harvest, but to me, it also symbolizes the idea that, if you want to truly absorb something, you have to be willing to give it away. Once you are full, you have to empty, so that you can fill again. Lammas is a powerful time to meditate on the pulsation of receiving and releasing as both Cancerian nurturing and Aquarian non-attachment.

Aquarius can affect our minds with her mist, helping us to remember that we are not alone on this planet, and that everything we do can benefit other beings, or harm them. She shows us not to be attached to the material world, to recognize our spirits and that all spirit is connected. We come out of our own self absorption and focus on service and community.

Cancer keeps us connected to the feminine, to our homes and loved ones, continuing to whisper that we need to honor love, gratitude and the flow of nature. She won't allow us to forget our humaness, but can deepen the emotional connection we have to each other, keeping us from being too detached or airy.

And Lammas, as a physical shift of the wheel, brings it all together, the emotional, personally invested feeling of bringing goals to fruition, the joy of sharing our triumphs and the very humble spiritual quality of acknowedging that everything changes, winter will come, and we each need to do our parts to take care of the tribe, as well as recognize the gifts spirit has given us this summer season.

Keep an open mind, and an open heart, at this full moon. As we move towards the darker side of the year, our commitment to both receiving and releasing is what will keep us willing, humble, present and kind to ourselves and others. Embrace your feelings, because it keeps you human, seek out a higher consciousness, because it allows you connect to all beings, and appreciate fully all the gifts in your life right now, for this cycle, too, shall pass.

Capricorn Full Moon 7/3/12~ Anchoring the Wind

Capricorn Full Moon~ Anchoring the Wind

The first week of the 2nd Gemini cycle has been pretty sweet. Much of the eclipse heaviness has burned off with the summer solstice sun and people seem to be feeling lighter, clearer, on all levels. And for the first time since I realized we would have a Capricorn full moon during Gemini, I am feeling the absolute perfection of the pulsation.

Gemini is almost always paired with Sagittarius, mutable air to mutable fire. However, because of a 2nd new moon falling in Gemini, rather than Cancer, Capricorn's usual partner, we are seeing a very unusual lunar dance. I often joke that out of all the signs, Capricorns are who I struggle with the most. I remember reading in some astrology book, maybe Linda Goodman, that these two signs are NOT compatible, that the steadier mountain goat (Capricorn) is bewildered by the twins (Gemini). Bewildered!!! I love that word, and it is definitely one I would use to describe both my reaction to my Capricorn friends and their response to me.

And yet, I was always drawn to Capricorn folk, and my struggles with them all resulted in beautiful growth and transformation. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, good old "father time." Cardinal earth, the sign that heralds winter solstice and demands structure, steadiness and material intention; symbolized by the mountain goat, a relation that can scale the summit without losing her footing once. I also just like to think of Capricorn as the mountain... cardinal earth at it's finest... these beautiful, powerful mountains that take thousands of years to move.

In this auspicious year of endings and beginnings, we get to experience the twins dancing on the mountain, rather than 'round the bonfire (Sag) under the full moon light.

Truth be told, from here on out, every sign will be coupled with an unlikely partner, and I think we will all be the better for it. It is always an interesting game to be teaching a class or workshop, telling students to partner up, but then following with "find someone you have never worked with before" and then watching what unfolds. There is always a moment of collective groaning, looking longingly at your BFF, and then, with a sigh, looking around the room for the someone who looks "normal." It never fails that they find the exact right person for the task, and both people learn and experience something they never would have, if they had stayed with the familiar.

Embrace the mountain and the wind on this full moon. The Gemini cycle, when she is with Sag, is so quick and energetic, fire and air pulsing and weaving all month long. No sense of time, boundaries or responsibilites, just mutable energy at it's strongest.

Enjoy this calmer, steadier Gemini, supported by Capricorn, and be grateful, also, for the softening of Saturn, his little brother Mercury nipping at his heels and urging him to have a little fun. I was just hanging out with friends who have an older dog. It had seemed like her puppy days were truly past, but then they got a brand new pup, who brought the energy back to the old dog. And the old dog, in turn, has helped train and calm the pup.

The universe knows what she is doing. Time is passing as it needs to pass and the wheel turns. This full moon, and in the next full moons ahead, we have a beautiful opportunity to move a little differently, shake up our dance card. It is so fitting that it begins with the unlikeliest of partners, quick, changeable, airy Gemini and the anchoring, grounding, responsible Capricorn.

I plan on spending the full moon on a mountain, feeling the firmness of earth and at the same time reaching my arms to the wind, knowing that at this time, it is possible to bring all creativity, intellect and movement down into reality, into manifestation. Capricorn is just the friend we need to slow down our racing thoughts and plans, to remind us to stay connected to our foundation. Imagine this full moon as a colorful kite, able to dance, swirl and fly in the wild winds, knowing there is someone keeping it's roots close to earth, supported and safe. You need both air and earth to successfully and joyfully fly a kite, right? What can you do, in your life, to experience that kind of freedom and grounding?

Gemini New Moon & Summer Solstice 6/20~ Duality

Whew~ we made it through another eclipse cycle and the culmination of the rare Venus transit. As the moon wanes and the days lengthen, most of us are still feeling the intense effects of Gemini's duality. Confusion/clarity, calamity/serenity, birth/death, light/dark are just a few of the polarities dancing around my head... one moment I feel focused, at the next, utterly overwhelmed. We are being transformed, our old patterns/karma/fears dissolved. This process will continue through the next month as we welcome a second new moon in Gemini the day before Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year.

Venus is retrograde until June 27th, and on July 14th, Mercury will begin it's next backward cycle. We are still in the underworld, my friends, probably, in one form or another, until 2013. This whole year has been about re-birth, re-newal and re-aligning with our highest truths, so it is appropriate that we are experiencing so many astrological line-ups that encourage the clearing away of the old and bringing us ever closer to our authenticity and destiny.

Summer solstice marks the exact half-way point in a highly charged year. Next Wednesday, we will greet the longest day with the discerning eye, inquiring mind and open hands of the previous night's Gemini new moon. This moment of strongest sun is the most powerful, palpable, pranic time of the year, an auspicious day for healing and illumination. Then, the very next day, nights slowly lengthen and the gentle ebb of the seasons begins. As Gemini teaches us, while we live in this world, there will be duality, and it is only through this opposition that we can truly experience life.

I don't think that the point to being human is to transcend our nature, or to be one with everything else. The philosophies I resonate with say being human means constant change and experiencing the extremes of nature: hot, cold, light, dark, up, down. Living with so many different expressions means we sometimes suffer and the best antidote to suffering is to develop a relationship with the dualities and discover how to live as happy, joyous and free as you can while being in the moment.

As we move into this next month, I want to encourage you to keep going and to slow down. I want you to play, and get more rest, let something go and welcome someone in, enjoy the sun but allow the darkness. Much of our lessons right now are in letting the mind think, the emotions feel, the spirit fly and the body move. Each of these aspects is completely different and sometimes what they want are equally different that is seems impossible to take action! All are part of being human and as Gemini continues to light our way through the summer, trust that you are letting go of what you need to let go of and making space for what you want and these things happen simultaneously.

It is not about simply balancing our differences, our schedules, our victories and defeats, it is about allowing each to come to light and allowing that experience to blend into our individual and collective 2012 transformations. We are all transitioning in many ways, some that make no sense right now. And they don't have to. Human life is finite and we are playing with the infinite, so stay in the game, loving each play for what it teaches you about your journey.

One of my favorite simple sanskrit mantra's is "Om Shiva Shakti" and it honors both the yin/yang, masculine/feminine, light/dark, life/death, sun/moon through the aspects of Lord Shiva and Goddess Shakti. Sometimes, when my Gemini nature is making me crazy, I say this chant over and over. It reminds me that though right/wrong would make some decisions easier, it would take the magic out of being alive.

Welcome the light of summer and the dark of the new moon to move through you this month, mind, body, emotion and spirit. Make decisions based on where the light is shining and trust the play of the infinite. Gemini can make you crazy with her mind games, but she is also the messenger of the divine, if you can stop taking her riddles literally and instead, make them part of the dance. Use your energy and life force wisely now, honor the clarity received through last month's chaos and from the center of light and dark allow your own color to shine.

Scorpio Full Moon/Lunar Beltane 5/5

Scorpio Full Moon~ The Depths of Desire

I am writing this on an overcast and chilly Beltane afternoon. Beltane, one of four cross-quarter holy days, celebrates Mid-spring and the marriage of the fertile earth Goddess to the strapping sun God, who is coming into his power more and more as each day passes. This holy day favors dancing around the May Pole, lighting a giant bonfire and encouraging men and women to flirt, frolic, drink, dance and make love. These rites have been practiced for many years, but spent some time underground when the activities were considered heretic. Even then, the celebration of the first of May lingered, as all holy days will, no matter what new names or meanings we give them.

And yet, today, there is no trace of the Sun God and the Earth Goddess, while present in the chirping birds and green grasses, seems sleepy, and not quite in the mood to dance. I also feel a little tired, cranky and even a little grateful that the day is not very inviting, otherwise I would have to go outdoors and greet the height of spring. Instead, I am called to write about the other waxing energy, the full moon in Scorpio, whose phase begins Friday and will carry over into Sunday.

Just as the cross-quarter days herald the middle of each season, the full moon also marks the climax of the current lunar cycle. It is auspicious to have them fall so close together and this is a potent week for filling up. But filling up with what?

Taurus, the ruling sign of the month, is fixed earth, the goddess Venus herself, clothed in the grandeur of Spring. The sign that opposes her in the glow of the full moon, is Scorpio, fixed water. Water energy is emotional and it's fixed nature demands the deepest emotions available, the unconscious; imagine a deep, dark well. Where Taurus is led by beautiful, fertile Venus, Scorpio carries the banner of Pluto, ruler of the underworld and master of sex, power, passion and death. Their dance is a mighty one, a passionate one and an unrequited one. For while Venus may occasionally retreat to the underworld, as Persephone or Inanna, she always returns to her sunnier suitors. But it is her visits to the underworld and her encounters with Pluto, that make her powerful. The stories of goddesses embarking below are legendary. She may enter a maiden or princess, but she emerges a queen.

Perhaps that is the message of this gloomy Beltane as the moon waxes beneath a clouded sky; it is not enough to frolic in the spring time, wrap a ribbon around a pole, light a fire or mate frivolously. It may be fun, and we do need to play and find pleasure at this time, but it might be that more is demanded. What do you really want to bring into your life? What truly fulfills you and your soul's purpose?

I have posed that question to myself for months now. But Pluto has a patience fiery Aries did not have and waters that Taurus's roots cannot touch. Next month Gemini rides in on a summer wind bringing eclipses and mutable energy sent to dissolve anything not firmly held. Now is the time to leave the warm fires and soft earth with her blossoming flowers and follow Scorpio down the deep well. When you sit alone, in the dark, what dreams keep your will strong? What do you hold so dear it keeps your fear at bay as you go deeper and deeper? Pluto is the lord of the underworld, and he is counseled by dark goddesses like Kali and Ershkigal, and they will accept nothing but your rawest truths and most powerful desires.

If you can muster the courage to speak to them under the Scorpio full moon, perhaps, like Persephone or Inanna, you will emerge victorious, with new allies and carrying a vision and direction that will hold through the windy Gemini summer. It is only when we are able to look the lords and ladies of the underworld in the face that we can see what matters most. They are not enemies or villains, they are our truest teachers.

Their eyes will be hard to miss this weekend within the full moon, and I encourage you to take the time to look. The sun will come out from the clouds and Beltane festivities will abound, as they should and as is needed to bring love, light and abundance to the earth, but Pluto is there, too, and in that dark well lie the waters of life. Drink deeply, meet their gaze and do not fear to follow into the depth of your desires.

Taurus New Moon 4/21/12~ Body (and Earth) as Temple

Taurus New Moon~ Body (and Earth) as Temple

From the moment the full moon in Libra rose last week until the June 6th transit with the sun, Venus is holding the celestial spotlight.

The month of May, mid-spring, has always been center stage for the sensual Goddess, ruling her most comfortable sign, fixed earth Taurus. The sign of the bull maintains and venerates the physical. The body, the senses, the flowers, trees, animals, anything that is visceral and can be touched, smelled and tasted awakens the earth mother. This is the cycle of fertility for all living beings and fecundity has been celebrated by humans for millenia. Sadly, our current society (meaning the last few thousand years) has overall been more disconnected from the power of life and nature than any culture before; and that separation does not seem to be creating more love, joy and peace in the world, does it?

Venus is getting a lot of attention this year, not only with her usual April full moon cameo and regular season of worship in May, she is also next to go retrograde and is an integral part of both the Mayan and Cherokee prophecies for 2012, which includes her completing an eight year solar transit when she crosses the sun on June 6th.

If I were to say there is just one thing we could collectively do to bring more harmony and balance in such chaotic times, it would be to make a regular practice of honoring Venus.

Like, NOW.

The Taurus new moon is Saturday April 21st, and precedes another intense eclipse cycle over the summer. That feels to me like Venus giving us a chance to ground through sweet physical practices, surround ourselves with the people, places and things that bring beauty to our lives and sustain the mutable time ahead through gratitude, connection, community and love.

The thought that came to me as I admired Venus in the sky (as her planet self and as the energy behind the full moon) was the saying "my body is a temple." I don't know if that inspiration came from the earth, sky or from within myself, but it could truly be said for all three, and that is my intention for this month and those that follow.

How would you treat yourself and the planet differently if you really believed they were temples? I mean, have you ever walked into a space and just wanted to fall to your knees and weep in reverence? That is my reaction to seeing a Red Wood or Sequoia, to standing at the ocean, climbing the red rocks of New Mexico or entering the cathedrals of Italy or Spain. I have always felt that "temples" can be made by hand or nature, as long as the intention upon entering is to worship. What temples have you honored in your time? How can you create that feeling in your own form and the places you call home?

Could you eat better? Maybe this month is the time to plant that garden of veggies and herbs, or find a farmer's market. Have you been meaning to switch to natural in your cleaning, bathing, beauty or home products? Start researching your options. Have you wanted to find a more joyful community? Get into massage, or crafting? There are groups all over this city! What actions can you take to bring more beauty into your life, and into the world around you? I have friends working in community gardens, meeting monthly to align their chakras, doing book clubs, planting trees, hiking in groups, biking to work together, taking time for the spa, learning to cook, all of these and more are Taurus tasks!

Another simple way to connect with Venus is to paint, print or purchase an image of the love goddess in one of her many forms (Venus, Ishtar, Inanna, Astarte, Aphrodite, Hathor, Isis, Lakshmi) and either place it on your mirror, altar or even make an altar just for her. Offer her sweets and flowers and ask for her blessings through this time.

Venus will be retrograde for part of her reign, and that means cleaning up old wounds, particularly around relationships, body issues, environment and abundance. This is the time to put your focus on the temple around you and within you, tidy it up, decorate and celebrate!

Take time to meditate on Venus's invitation. I feel really strongly about how important creating a connection with her is right now and I hope you can create the space to experience her beauty and love in your life. You really are a sacred vessel, worthy of the gifts of the Goddess.
I leave you with an excerpt of one of my favorite Navajo blessings~

In beauty I walk
With beauty before me I walk
With beauty behind me I walk
With beauty above me I walk
With beauty around me I walk
It has become beauty again

May we all walk in beauty~

Libra Full Moon 4/6

Libra Full Moon~ Softening the edges

I was lying awake last night thinking about this full moon, because that's what I do when I can't sleep. (Which has been happening more and more with the active solar flare cycle, I might add.) I was thinking about Aries and how interesting the last couple of weeks have been thanks to the pulsation of fiery spring spirits and retrograding planets altering the natural flow of the season. I have been more sensitive, but also a little more focused than I usually am this time of year because of it, and have found myself grateful for the challenges. Aries is the warrior, after all, and what fun is life without some opposition to make you stronger?

The full moon, always in a different element but same energy of the new moon, tends to bring more clarity to this opposition. I was laying awake at 1am musing on the unlikely but perfect tango between Aries, Cardinal fire ruled by Mars, and Libra, Cardinal Air ruled by Venus. Where Aries brings the initiationn of spring and the inspiring heat of flame, Libra heralds autumn and cooling breezes of balance. Mars is the God of war and Venus the Goddess of love. Mars wants to stir things up and make his presence known and respected, whereas Venus wants to calm things down and bring appreciation and alignment.

With all the current planets in retrograde, other planets heading in that backward direction and a variety of other alignments that my brain can't comprehend, I was trying to sense what illumination these two signs could bring us in the full moon phase. Then, it hit me, I know exactly what the magic between Aries and Libra is, because I live it every day. Aries is my moon and Libra is my rising. Some of you know astrology and what I just wrote perhaps brought an "ah," but many are less familiar and went "what?"

I am not an astrologer. I love astrology, I dabble, google and have also invested in really good readings that have taught me more than I could discover on my own. One of the first things I learned about my chart is that even though all planets, houses and alignments have meaning, if you can at least learn your sun, moon and rising (also called ascendant or first house) you can get a good sense of what energies affect you most. It makes you more three dimensional in the celestial realms, rather than the one dimension of knowing I was born between May 21 and June 21 which makes me, along with a million other people, a Gemini sun.

The sun is the masculine, active purpose in our lives, kinda what we came here to DO. The moon, is the feminine, emotional, receptive side, often what we are bringing in from where we were before this life, and shows us how we need to BE fulfilled so we can commit to our solar purpose. The rising is the outer appearance, how we move in the world with the sun/moon dictating, the yoke between them. Someone once told me that rising is like the car you drive, sun is the driver and moon is the navigator.

My solar purpose is Gemini, to communicate, educate, network, travel, read and write. But my moon is that reckless Aries, so in order to stay balanced in my airy day to day functions, I require my independance, strong physical practice, ability to pursue my passions and a lot of heat in emotional connections (which is what many of you may be experiencing right now in the Aries lunar cycle). Yet, when people meet me, they often see Libra, Thank the Goddess, who can harmonize anything, including the Gemini mental air and the Aries spiritual fire. With Libra rising, I might seem charming, committed and clever, rather than manipulative, intense and a know-it-all, which is how I imagine I come across when my Aries moon runs the show.

Libra softens Aries "I-don't-give-a-f$-about-anything-except-what-I-want-right-now" mentality and brings the awareness back to relationships with others. Aries fire would burn every bridge in town if it meant pursuing her passion, and then, once the desire is satisfied, she would look around like my dog does after she has dug up my garden, kinda like "what happened? why is everyone looking at me like that?" Aries is the youngest, most impulsive of the signs and Libra is the loving mama, who sweetly hands Aries a coloring book and wipes the crayon off the walls. She wants harmony, balance and acceptance in all situations, so she definitely has her work cut out for her in this crazy cycle.

The best I can suggest, having a personal relationship to these signs, is to simply open yourself to taking some deep breaths under this full moon. Let Libra's calming winds soften your Aries edges. Check in with your loved ones and see if anyone has been feeling neglected or hurt during the chaotic weeks of Aries reign and Mercury's retrograde. This is not the time for solutions, but just to open the lines of communication. There is not much Libra can't weigh out and she might offer all of us some clarity and gratitude for the challenges we have been facing.

If nothing else, perhaps she can makes us appear more appreciative and aligned whilst we play out the rest of this month. Ask her to take your hand and guide you through the waning cycle, helping to clean up wreckage from Aries' tantrums, repair any bridges and remind you of what is beautiful and balanced in your life.

Virgo Full Moon 3/8~ Critic, Addict or Healer

Virgo Full Moon~ Critic, Addict or Healer

How are you feeling? As the Pisces cycle reaches it's climax, this is a great week to tune back in to dreams, emotions and receptivity. The full moon is highly charged and makes us extremely sensitive, because the earth is getting the total reflection of the sun. It serves as a magnifying glass, or one of those cosmetic mirrors with the lights that shows every little detail in your face, which can be a little confronting.

The full moon is also always in the opposing sign of the current cycle, so while Pisces is still "swimming" the show, we now have Pisces astrological partner, Virgo, highlighting either the intentions that are serving and culminating or those we should release.

Pisces and Virgo are both "mutable" signs and mutable energy is transforming, adapting or dissolving. In Pisces we see that quality in our emotions, whereas in Virgo, being earth, we see it in the physical. In Pisces it comes out as dreaming, intuiting empathy, or as the shadow of deluded, oversensitive codependance. In Virgo, mutability manifests as healing, cleansing compassion or critical, judgemental addiction.

Those qualities may seem pretty extreme, as do the labels of "Critic, Addict or Healer" but remember, the full moon is enhancing energies that are normally pretty subtle. Virgo is certainly not the only sign connected to healing and addiction, but it is highlighted in this realm.

Mutable earth is a hard nature to describe. Earth seems so much more concrete in the mountain of Capricorn or the tree roots of Taurus. I struggle to find the most appropriate, tangible image for Virgo, but a really close one is the human body. While our bodies are made of all elements, these bones, muscles, bands, skin and organs have an earthy sensation; and we are constantly transforming, dissolving and changing in these forms.

If we are intently focused on the mutable nature of earth, we often see it manifest in the following ways:
1. The critic: Our body is never good enough, nor is our home, job or anyone else. We only see what is wrong and are constantly trying to "fix" it from the outside. We want things to "look" perfect.
2. The addict: Often if we feel not good enough, or have been told that, we start trying to dissolve this form by filling it with another physical substance, which can be drugs, alcohol, food, sex, clothing, other people, etc; anything that makes us feel more comfortable and whole in our skin, or makes us feel like we are out of our bodies for a while. Once either of those states are experienced, we want it all the time.
3. The healer: We recognize there is change occurring, often uncomfortable, but we also see an opportunity to adapt to the change versus fixing or denying. Rather than being defined by the outer appearance, we see it as a gateway to transformation. We go with the flow of the form, which guides us in making the appropriate change. Within the movement, we experience true healing and freedom.

Again, these are very specific archetypes not limited to Virgo alone. Most of us experience some level of criticism, addiction and healing throughout our lives; but as this full moon is in Virgo, and these are her more potent qualities, we are getting a magnified look at our tendencies and the chance to make change.

It can be very healing simply to bring the emotional, intuitive essence of Pisces into the body right now, especially if you have been feeling disconnected and out to sea the last couple of weeks. But I do encourage you to take advantage of the healing potential in the next few days. Examine your own relationships with Virgo's archetypes, sit under the moon, let her light fill your mutable human form and support you in developing a sweeter relationship to your flesh. Try getting a massage, seeing the acupuncturist, chiropractor, energy worker or explore practices like Yoga, Tai Chi and Qi Gong.

The Vernal equinox is right around the corner (Monday 3/19) and our intentions around this full moon, as well as the following waning cycle, will initiate our spring blossoming and summer fruition. If we can let Pisces guide us in cleansing emotionally, connecting more deeply to our dreams, and allow Virgo to bring us into right relationship with our bodies and physical connections, we can greet the fiery Aries cycle that heralds Spring with a healthy, fertile space to hold the power of manifestation.

Take care of yourself, each other and the earth.

Pisces New Moon 2/21

Pisces New Moon~ Dreaming Waters

On February 3rd, just one day after Imbolc, 4 days before the Leo Full Moon and a mere two weeks before this new moon, Neptune, the planet of mysticism, returned to it's home sign of Pisces. Neptune has not spent time in the Piscean depths since 1861 (except for a short time last year as it prepared to leave Aquarius) and will rest in it's natural element until 2025. During it's last 13 year reign, we saw a multitude of artistic, spiritual and cultural transformations, from the birth of the impressionist movement, to the abolishment of slavery, the creation of anesthetics, declaration of women's rights and the invention of the blue jeans.

Much of the Mayan prophecy 2012 chatter has been based in specific, powerful planetary alignments. One is the Venus/Sun transit on June 6th, another is the Pluto/Uranus square and this shift of Neptune into Pisces is also considered a catalyst in creating the new era.

I think the timing of this transition, coming in so close to the Pisces lunar cycle, is a beautiful and blessed opportunity to give us a taste of what the next 13+ years might hold.

The Pisces cycle is the month between winter and spring, where the mutable water element both dissolves the icy snows and nurtures the first seeds to blooming. Mutable energy is transformative and water connects us to our emotions and unconscious minds. I think of Pisces as the changing waters from the sky~ ranging from light rain to hail and everything in between. It can be gentle and healing or cold and damaging.

The best way to explore Pisces/Neptune is through dreams, intuition, meditation and working with water. You may have already noticed your sleep shifting in the last couple of weeks; or perhaps your dreams got really good or really bad. Building up what the shamans call a "dreambody" and spending more healing time with water are tasks that will not just support an interesting month, but tools that can assist you (and others) in moving towards a higher realm of consciousness/awareness/growth that will support our planet's much needed shift.

I have mentioned before that the outer planets are pretty impersonal. Neptune in Pisces will manifest whatever spiritual/emotional changes are needed to continue evolution in our solar system, regardless of our willingness; but we do have a choice about how we experience it and how it effects us. We can harness this lunation and become co-workers in the process. We don't need to drown or get lost in Pisces' adapting waters, we can accept the umbrella offered and decide to dance and sing in the rain.

The umbrella offered, in my opinion, is from our constant ally, the moon. Our grandmother is giving us 28 potent days before Spring Equinox to really drop into our emotional and dream bodies, to cleanse, shift our consciousness, open our creativity and set the intentions needed to ride the coming waves. This is the month to designate a dream journal to your bedside table and commit to writing in it every day, not just dreams, but any message or intuition that comes up through your day/night.

Dream work comes easy for some, and way hard for others. I have always struggled with dream work. Part of my Shamanic apprenticeship involved extensive strengthening in the dream body, and I must confess mine never could carry much weight. It has been one of the bigger challenges I face in mystical work and I have nothing but awe and reverence for the powerful dreamers in the world. Luckily, Neptune in Pisces should automatically enhance everyone's dreaming abilities, so this is a good time for those of us who have a hard time to put in some focus.

In addition to writing down your dreams/intuitions every morning this month, whether or not you recall them, increasing meditation will also open up the unconscious and form a better container to hold messages/visions/dreams. Sitting by water would be a great way for new and old meditation practitioners to set their intent, and using actual water elements tune us more deeply into Pisces' frequency. You can also get some music with sounds of waves/rains/rivers to listen to as you just sit quietly and breathe. Physically working with water is also recommended. I am ever the fan of hot baths, and cold dips in oceans and streams.

The waters of our planet play a pivotal role in the survival of the human species, start to explore ways to conserve, protect and restore our water sources. Buy a new eco friendly shower head, put filters on sinks rather than buying water, say thank you in your shower, donate money to groups that preserve waters and only wash full loads of dishes/laundry with organic soaps.

Maintain a mind that is conscious of how precious this element is as you ask it to bless, cleanse and heal you. Form a relationship with the waters around you, a relationship based in gratitude, and the waters will also respect you and deepen your intuitive process.

One other helping hand that is reaching out to support our experiences are healing herbs. For thousands of years, mystics have ingested, burned, bathed in and slept with sacred herbs to enhance the benefits of water, meditation and dreaming. Consider accepting the guidance of some Mugwort, Wormwood, Chamomile, Valerian Root, Rosemary or even Lavendar in your Pisces journey. I do not ingest many herbs and I don't recommend anyone trying without guidance, but I do love to put them under my pillow while I sleep or steep in my bath before meditation or bed.

Bring the same intelligence and reverence to the herbs as you do your water and dream work, and you will find yourself becoming a more sensitive, creative, intuitive and connected being in an era where that consciousness is desperately needed.

Pisces and Neptune have 13 years to bring about amazing changes, and we have the next 28 days to align ourselves with this transformation and pick up tools that will allow us to be more awake and active in the mutable weeks and months that follow. I hope you will decide to spend some time in Pisces company and begin to understand what a difference each of our own dreams can make when we bring them into consciousness.

Leo Full Tues February 7th

The sun has been glorious the last couple of weeks. I mean, Southern California is pretty much known to be regularly abundant in the vitamin D department, but there has been something especially sweet lately in those life-giving rays. This morning, after I took my shower, I was freezing (winter in LA often means it is toasty outside and cold inside), so I grabbed my cup of tea and went out to one of my favorite sun spots. I sighed in instant relief as the heat caressed my cold, wet skin and I watched how the light danced across my tea. I had a moment of deep gratitude for this incredible star that brings life to our planet without discrimination. I thought of my dear friend Christy's favorite Hafiz quote:
"The sun never says to the earth "You owe me"/Look what happens with a love like that/it lights up the whole sky."

That about sums up the intent of Leo, particularly the Leo full moon.
The Aquarius cycle, that we are in the midst of, is definitely universally oriented. Aquarius focuses deeply on maintaining a creative consciousness and finding union in all opposing thought. But Aquarius is an air sign, which is mental energy, and can be way more dedicated to the goal, rather than the journey. Aquarius is also known for being a little emotionally detached and is often baffled by the very human need to have "feelings" and individual experience.
Which is why Leo is companion to Aquarius in the zodiac and in the lunar cycle. Leo, fixed fire, is also passionate about bringing people together, but fire energy is spiritual energy, alchemy, and honors the desire in each of us to express ourselves as dramatically as necessary.

The symbol for Leo is the lion, but I like to think of her as akin to the sun, which is also the ruling body of the sign. The sun is constant, just like Leo is fixed; and while this celestial powerhouse shines equally on all of earth, our planet spins, therefore sunlight bounces around. This movement allows each of us to experience the light uniquely though our source is one and the same.

I think part of the reason my sunny spot felt so delicious this morning was because the expanding moon in the sky is waxing towards Leo, but I also sense it was an ancient comfort, a loving ancestor touching me reassuringly because I needed that support.

Aquarius is making a lot of changes. It is everywhere you look, the breaking down of old institutions that serve a "few" rather than "all." I have complete trust in the Aquarian shift, but it's a little scary for these human emotions of mine. I want to to stay in the place of detachment and continue to work for the highest good of all beings, but I have my own desires, my own dreams and my own fears. Yes, I want us all to be equal, in community and have all of life revered, but I also want to step out on my own, find my own light.. and support others as they do the same.

We should all be treated kindly, lovingly, but we are not cookie cutter beings. Each of us contains a divine light that needs to be felt on the skin of their fellows, to warm hearts and inspire further dreams. The Leo full moon understands that and says YES. Yes, we can be both individual and collective, yes, we can have all of our feelings and dramas and still be working towards the same future. Yes, we need to create changes, but if we want a future worth living, the transformation needs to come through the realization that the sun shines equally on all of us, but we each reflect it in a way that only we can.

This is the message of the Leo full moon, a full moon that falls just days after Imbolc, the holy day celebrating Mid-winter. Imbolc is a time of initiation, which means taking the first step into a new way of being. The new way of being I seek as Winter wanes, Spring draws near and the Leo full moon shines bright is a path of living in light. A light that is uniquely mine but also shines from the hearts of every other relation, light that fills me up and inspires me to be a better woman and create a better life. Light that is expansive, limitless, healing yet deeply precious.

Can you imagine a world without the sun? Neither can the moon, for it is the sun's light she reflects back to us. The Aquarius cycle asks for collective consciousness, to recognize our oneness. The Full moon in Leo supports this request, yet through her glow she reminds us that though we are given life from the same source, we should aspire to reflect it out in a way that increases its radiance, rather than diminishes, which is what happens when we compete with others, repress our luminosity or try to be the same as someone else.

This truly is a time of initiation. What new way of life are you ready to take the first step towards? Set that intention under Tuesday's fiery moon. And if you are unsure, ask her to show you the way. You will know if it is the right path, just follow the light.

Cancer Full Moon 1/8~ Nourish & Nurture

Cancer Full Moon~ Nourish & Nurture
From the top of Capricorn mountain, our attention is now drawn down and west, to the depths of the ocean, or the Cancer full moon.


Cancer is cardinal earth, the initiator of emotion, and for me, nothing has embodied the mystery, healing, sensitivity, life giving qualities of this sign more than the ocean. 


Well, except for my own mama, who happens to have a Cancer moon and arrives the day this lunation begins. She did not know that when she bought her ticket, but these are the synchronicities that assure me we are in the flow of nature. Cancer is the only sign that is also ruled by the moon, so this is where the lunar goddess feels most at home. I did not know my mom had a Cancer moon until I was older, but now it is extremely easy to see.


Where the moon falls in your chart generally indicates what you need for emotional fulfillment. It is our "feeling" side, where we are most sensitive, fragile and also truly fulfilled. If you are ignoring the needs of your moon, you will probably never feel completely whole. My mother is the most loving, sensitive, intuitive, healing person I have ever known. She cries at the drop of a hat, has the most nurturing hug and I don't think I have ever had a single friend my entire life who did not love my mama and claim her for their own. Some people were just meant to be moms, to everyone, you know? And I would make a little wager that a lot of those women have Cancer somewhere close to their moon.


This is the weekend of receiving the motherly love you need. 2012 has come in strong and most of us sense this is going to be a big year of change and growth. Capricorn has already gotten many making plans, preparations and their heads "in the game." But the universe is about balance, and lest we burn out before February even gets here, Cancer asks us to take a break, check in to see if our "physical" plans harmonize with our "emotional" needs and lay our heads in her lap. I cannot wait to put my head in my mother's lap and I know how blessed I am to have my very own Cancer moon Great Nurturing Mama with me this full moon cycle. But a lot of folk don't have that and there are a lot of other ways to receive the tenderness we all require to thrive.


A trip to the ocean and just meditating on the waves is a great practice. As you sit on the beach, imagine each inhale pulling in cleansing waters and every exhale letting go of your anxieties, fears and doubts. With each breath, let the salt air soothe you, the singing birds soften you and the power of mama ocean hold you.


If the ocean is not available, sitting under the full moon will work just fine. Perhaps pull out your favorite blanket, stuffed animal or pictures of a healing mother in your life, whether it is your own, mine, the Saint Amma or even a mother goddess like Durga, Demeter or Isis. Bundle up under the moon feeling "held" by the images or items and again work with your breath. Let your breathing invoke the ocean, pulling the inhale like a wave of love and support, and releasing the exhale as if letting go of anything that does not nourish you. 


It would also be a nice idea to get LOTS of hugs from friends, take a warm salt bath or hit the spa. If you feel like journaling, maybe just list all the emotional qualities you want to manifest in your life as you move forward in the new year. It is so easy to disregard our feelings when we are beginning a new year, and without a healthy relationship to the emotional body, a lot of plans will eventually fail. I would recommend, if you don't know it, finding out what your moon sign is and then spending the last two weeks of this cycle nurturing it. 


Finally, Cancer is the sign when I most like to make an offering back to the mother. She is always giving and if we only take, soon she will have nothing left. If you feel comfortable ringing out your moon-blood in water and giving the water back to the ocean, earth, stream, etc, that is a very powerful gift. Or, if that is not your style, make a donation to Heal the Bay or Plant a Fish, non-profits that take care of our waters. I also plan on treating my biological mom to the spa for the same reasons;)


Be gentle with yourself this weekend. Drink lots of fluids, be around water in whatever way you can, pay attention to your emotions, do activities that are nurturing and take time to honor and receive the Great mama in your life.