Astrology & Lisa Dale Miller

Astrology provides us with important tools on the road to self discovery and self evolution and keeping track of the planets and their activities gives us a framework for planning that road.  I have had my charts done in the Western system and the Vedic (India), as well as having my son’s charts done.  I have been reading about astrology for years and I am always impressed with the accuracy of the information applied to my life.

Sometimes, as I get busy in life and do not stay up on my reading about the movement of the planets, I find a repetitive pattern occurring in my life and when I check back with the planets, sure enough!  There it is!  In that vein – Jupiter being retrograde since mid May makes COMPLETE sense for me.  Check it out and you I am sure you will find the same.
Here is the link to her site: Lisa Dale Miller.  Lisa Dale Miller is a psychotherapist and artist and also teaches astrology and tarot from a depth perspective.  She has done Empowerment Workshops for women and I have always found her Moon Messages to be spot on!  I hope you enjoy and have a happy Friday!

Ldm Ritual 1998

Transiting Saturn Retrograde

Saturn is retrograde every year for a little less than five months. This amounts to about thirty-six percent of the time. It is currently retrograde and will remain retrograde until mid-April. Saturn is associated with business and employment. It has been my observation for nearly thirty years that if one starts a business while Saturn is retrograde, one will be out of business a year later. Similarly, if one starts a job while Saturn is retrograde, the job will be either temporary, a drudgery, or both. The temporary condition is not necessarily negative. One can be promoted within the first year, the job might change within the first year, or temporary employment might be all that is desired. (Arlene Kramer)

Saturn, the planet of boundaries and life lessons, is retrograde about thirty-six percent of the time. And just like Jupiter, the stations of Saturn — the points at which Saturn seems to turn around in its orbit — are the most important times in the cycle, and are also related to trines from the Sun. When it’s retrograde, Saturn shines its baleful, beautiful yellowish light on us all night long.

Saturn already has the reputation of being a downer. How could four-and-a-half months of Saturn Retrograde possibly be a positive thing? Well, easily. Instead of getting more serious, folks back off a little bit. It’s a time to take a little breather from the usual breakneck pace that most people keep these days. Don’t worry, you’ll still get plenty of work done; it’s not like Saturn changes personality during this period. It’s just that the sense of urgency and anxiety relaxes somewhat. Doesn’t that sound like a relief?

Sometimes old tasks come back to haunt you during Saturn Retrograde. If so, you’ll have to reorganize your priorities and keep your perspective. What’s important to do now, and what can wait? Let others, especially those in authority, know about the changes. Reduce your expectations somewhat. Don’t cave in altogether, though; that won’t make Saturn happy!

This is not a good time to break away and start something new, but it’s a fine time to plan for the projects you’ll begin when this planet goes direct again. Take the time to do things right on the first attempt. Watch for authority issues — another domain of Saturn. As always, Saturn wants us to develop patience. It’s good for the soul! (The Astrologer)

Venus in Virgo

Venus in the First House 1st hs
Venus in Virgo
Venus Square Neptune
Venus Trine Midheaven
Venus Trine Saturn
Venus Trine Mars

Venus in the First House 1st hs

This is a very favorable position because it enables you to make a good impression on others and to be liked. You concentrate a great deal on your appearance, because you hate to look sloppy. You may develop some artistic talent, which will be furthered by your sense of form and design.

You work very hard to get along with others, and you usually try to win arguments with diplomacy and tact rather than force. You must learn to be self-assertive when necessary and to stand up for your rights, forcefully if need be. You can give the world much beauty, and you will present it most effectively if you learn to combine charm with strength.

Venus in Virgo

You like to do favors for the people you like, because serving is one of the ways that you express love and friendship. The only problem in relationships is that you may believe that people like you for what you do, rather than for what you are. You may underestimate your own worth and not understand why other people like you. Learn to love yourself as well as others.

You have high standards of perfection, but you don’t let them overrule your sense of grace and form.

But you must learn not to reject everything and everyone that does not live up to your high standards of beauty or of duty in relationships.

You have a good sense of discipline.

Venus Square Neptune

This aspect indicates that you tend to be a romantic and that you prefer to deal with lovely fantasies rather than with the real truth. Partly this is because you idealize others, and when they turn out to be less than you had imagined, you are disappointed. On the one hand, you may feel that you have little right to ask for anything, that you are not worthy of love. Because you won’t stand up for your rights, you are likely to attract persons who are not very good for you.

On the other hand, you may seek out someone who is even worse off, so that you can take care of him or her. Helping someone in a worse situation makes you feel better about yourself by contrast, and it also uses the more positive side of this aspect, which wants to love generously and unselfishly.

Venus Trine Midheaven

This aspect means that you love working with and owning beautiful things. But it also means that you have a harmonious nature, that you like to have a good time with others. You are not especially aggressive, preferring to give in or smooth over a possible dispute rather than fight. This is not because you lack self-confidence, but because you hate conflict. You are very warm-hearted and friendly, and you like your relationships to be smooth.

You do not like to be alone very much, for you find it difficult to amuse yourself, feeling that nothing is really worth doing unless you share it with someone else. So you always try to have friends around you. When you are older, you will seek out love relationships so that you are never alone for any length of time.

This trait also makes you a good team worker, because you know how to bring together the various interests of people in a group, so that they work for everyone’s good.

Venus Trine Saturn

You are reserved about showing your affections and not very demonstrative. But once you decide that a person is worthwhile, you are totally loyal and loving. You may not have many friends, but the ones you do have will be very long- lasting. You are attracted to people who take life seriously. Even while you are young, you will understand that romance alone cannot support a shaky relationship. But once you commit yourself to someone, you are more willing than most to put an effort into saving your relationship.

Sometimes you find it difficult to have fun, especially with other people. In fact, being in a large group makes you feel alone, rather than with company. You are best in a one-to- one relationship with someone.

Venus Trine Mars

You have an enthusiasm for life that others will find inspiring and catching. You like to be with others and have good times, but you do not suppress your real self in order to do so. People will like you for being yourself, so you will attract people all your life.

You will feel fulfilled and complete only when you are involved in creating something.

Your passionately intense approach to life may not be clear while you are young, but it will show up as you get older, especially when you begin having love relationships. For you, such affairs will not be casual, but will be intense and total encounters. Even your friendships will be like that. You need to feel any kind of love totally. People who aren’t so committed will not interest you.

Essay – Void of Course Moon

Dion Fortune was an amazing woman. She was an occultist, a pioneer in the field of psychology, a medium, a channel, an author and so much more and ALL at the turn of the century! I cannot say enough to encourage everyone to read her books – she has fiction (Of which Moon Magic is one) and non-fiction. She has written one of the most comprehensive Qabala books in the occult world and 70 years later, the “Mystical Qabala” is still THE reference book for all other authors. Her fiction is not completely that – as she says in many of her writings – there are always things there for those that have the eyes to see and the ears to listen. Borders carries many of her books and of course, Amazon is the resource. She founded an Occult Fraternity – the Inner Light and they are still operating today – with an amazing woman by the name of Dolores Ashcrofte-Nowicki at the helm. Check her out – Moon Magic and the Sea Priestess are the bare requirements IMHO!

LUNA
“I am the star that rises from the sea, the twilight sea.
I bring men dreams that rule their destiny.
I bring the moon-tides to the souls of men,
The tides that flow and ebb and flow again;
That flow and ebb and flow alternately;
These are my secret, these belong to me.

I am the Eternal Woman, I am She –
The tides of all men’s souls belong to me.
The tides that flow and ebb and flow again;
The secret, silent tides that govern men;
These are my secret, these belong to me.”
Dion Fortune, Moon Magic

Antaia Metet Allecto

“We who are Priestesses of the Moon know how to bring it through in its pure form, undiluted by matter, and we call it the moon-force.” Dion Fortune, Moon Magic

As the moon moves through its monthly journey through the zodiac signs, it also takes on aspects of the other planets. It may at any time be conjunct, sextile, square, trine, opposite one of the other planets; however, at the end of each sign, the moon makes its last aspect and still has some time left in the current sign to traverse. Basically, the Moon has done its business and it is marking time until it enters the next sign. This time period is referred to as a Void of Course Moon. The time frame can be as short as a few minutes or as long as a few days depending on the position of the heavens and if the other planets are in a late or early degree. As soon as the Moon exits Void of Course, it begins taking on the attributes of that sign.
It is my opinion, based on study and ritual experimentation that the Void of Course Moon Time is one of the most powerful times for pure, unadulterated LUNAR energy. It is the time when the Moon is just the MOON. It does not carry any of the attributes of one of the zodiac signs – it is simply LUNA.
You will find that most astrologers counsel caution during a Void of Course. They will say that decisions made during Void of Course turn out to be non-realistic, false starts abound, judgment may be affected to the detriment, plans stop and start and change. It is also said that a Void of Course Moon can bring out neurotic behavior (who?me?) and delay and frustration run rampant. Void of Course Moons also affect historical events – only a few presidents have been inaugurated during a Void of Course – Lincoln, JFK, Nixon, Reagan, and Clinton which gives us 2 assassinations, an impeachment, an attempted assassination, and an almost impeachment. Reagan actually avoided making any speeches during a void of course moon – going so far as to delay them if they were scheduled. Contracts signed at this time may have to be changed later or may turn out null and void (gads – who could resist? Lol). Things just are not grounded, centered, or predictable during a Void of Course Moon which in my mind is JUST PERFECT for MY PURPOSES!
Soooo…Snatch your almanac and start paying attention to the Void of Course Moons. Get to know Luna naked. This is the perfect time for some intense meditation and mind expansion with Mother Moon. It can be as light or heavy as you wish…just remember the grounding issues during Void of Course and be prepared. The Void of Course is the time when the Moon finally drops Her mask and we can commune directly with the lunar energy. Keep the waxing and waning phases in mind as you connect; it will help you decide which aspect to focus on.

Other activities that are recommended for Void of Course Moon:
Prayer, yoga, FUN, parties,
psychotherapy (being the divine “lunatics” that we are!),
sleep, meditation, vacations (with no set plans),
mind altering journeys (my personal favorite)

All in all…Have a GOOD TIME and take this opportunity to hang out with LUNA during Her time off!

Essay – Mercury Retrograde – Days to Stay in Bed

MERCURY RETROGRADE -
days to just stay in bed

You wake up late because your alarm did not go off. You fight with your children and partner through breakfast and out the door. The car won’t start. Once it does start, you end up in a traffic jam from hell. All of your clients/customers are crabby and looking for a fight. In the middle of one such fight, your hard drive crashes. Staggering into the house at the end of the day, you order a pizza with extra cheese and pepperoni and you get one with anchovies.

Nope…just another day in the movement of our beloved planet Mercury – when it is moving retrograde, that is. About 3 times per year for about 3 weeks, Planet Earth is reduced to chaos. Common everyday problems mushroom, nothing mechanical wants to work, and computers the world over go on strike. And forget talking about it. Mercury rules communication – whatever you say will be taken the wrong way anyway.
All the planets except the Sun and Moon exhibit retrograde motion. Mercury retrogrades the most often (lucky us), Venus the least often (actually, THAT may be lucky us), and Pluto for the longest period of time. Unfortunately, Mercury Retrogrades cause the most problems in the everyday world. This is a period of communication upset.
Communication in every form is delayed, misinterpreted, misdirected, completely lost in the aethers, ignored, minimized, and screwed in any way that Mercury, a true Trickster God, can create.
Travel is delayed, re-routed, cancelled, and screwed in any way. (Are you getting that we are all just screwed for these few weeks?) Yup – Mercury is the Planet of travel as well as communication. Appliances misbehave – computers just lose it – cars drop transmissions and frustration increases in direct proportion to dread with each passing day of the retrograde. Contracts signed during this period will not be honored or will have to be revised…Ask me how I know this one. Deadlines are the stuff of DREAMS.
SO…you may ask – what is the up side, if there is an up side? Thankfully, our capricious Mercury does not abandon us completely although it may take a few minutes to calm him down since he is laughing so hard.

Things that a Mercury Retrograde is good for:
Cleaning up old stuff from material things like a closet to emotional issues that have been left too long (but be careful how you word that – I would stick to the closet),
Reflection, introspection, dwelling on the past (like when your car would start and your kids would speak to you),
Getting second chances,
Dealing with Otherworldly matters (EXTRA POINTS TO THE SEEKER WHO CAN TELL ME WHY THIS IS MERCURY’S PURVEY????),
Keep things light,
Get Drunk (SERIOUSLY – one source suggested that),
Psychic activity linked with the past (REGRESSIONS!),
General Historical Research,
Doing stuff over again that did not go well the first time,
BASICALLY…
This is a COSMIC CLEAN UP TIME…

Sooo…Take note…and next time Mercury goes Retrograde…have a plan…not that it would help, but you might feel better!

I also would like to take this opportunity to mention that for those that are born during Mercury Retrogrades, we seem to suffer less directly – of course, as it affects all the things around us, no one can really avoid it completely. But, check your natal chart. I have Mercury in Retrograde so for me, I just destroy cars and hard drives at other times – haha – so not laughing.