Simone Butler's Blog, page 23

Aquarius New Moon: Cock-a-doodle-do!

Last weekend I joined close to 40,000 people in downtown San Diego for the Women’s March. The streets were a sea of pink hats and protest signs as we dodged the raindrops to show support for human rights. We weren’t the only ones. Across the world, an estimated three million women and men took to the streets – there were more people marching in Washington, D.C. than attended the Inauguration!

Too young to join the protest movements of the 60s, this was a new experience for me – and, I suspect, for many of the marchers. We can thank Donald Trump for that: His intent to dismantle many crucial protections for humans and the environment has issued a wake-up call so loud that it can’t be denied.

Let the crowing begin! We’re about to enter the Year of the Fire Rooster, with its flashy strutting and red plumage (eerily reminiscent of our new Commander-in-Chief). Cocky and finicky, the Rooster rules the roost. His job is to tend the flock, but he can become overly aggressive and end up attacking those he’s supposed to protect. Yet his fiery nature, if channeled properly, can also warm hearts and bring people together.

In a recent article, Feng Shui practitioner Karen Abler Carrasco says this will be a year in which we “become overly sensitive to anything that comes near our own sphere of influence.” But, she adds, “We can transform this into a positive quality by steadfastly remaining focused locally, letting the global arena take care of itself. There is more than enough work to do to feed our own communities.” She strongly urges us to get acquainted with our neighbors and tend to them, including those from different backgrounds. Despite the masculine “yang” qualities of the Fire Rooster, she adds, this is actually a “yin,” or feminine year. “Sharing feels better and more secure than hoarding.”

This observation is perfectly suited to the upcoming Aquarius New Moon (Jan. 27, 4:07 p.m. PST), which coincides with the Chinese New Year on the 28th. Long associated with brotherhood, sisterhood and progressive causes, Aquarius energy helps us connect with our communities and strengthen ties with friends. This New Moon happens just hours before fiery Mars charges into Aries, the sign it rules, heightening passions through early March. It’s important to remember during this heated period that going after what you want works better than complaining about what you don’t want. Inflammatory dialog will be rampant, with fiery Aries whipping the freedom-loving winds of Aquarius. Think twice before making angry, fearful posts on Facebook, though. Use this potent Aquarius New Moon to join with others and make a plan to tackle problems. Then, like the Rooster, start pecking away at solving them. The sense of community that’s building right now will do us all good.

This is an excellent time to call in help from your angels and guides. Check out this Aquarius New Moon ritual from my book, Astro Feng Shui: Making Magic in Your Home and Life. You’ll also find a short video there in which I describe how to work with the Helpful People area of your home, so you can draw in whatever assistance you need.

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Cancer Full Moon: Fall on Your Butt, Not Your Face

Known as the “snow guardian,” billy barr has lived alone for over 40 years in a remote cabin in one of the coldest regions of the U.S. The lone resident of Gothic, Colorado, a ghost town since the 1920s, barr (who prefers the lower case spelling) spends his days reading, sipping tea, watching Bollywood films – and, in the winter, checking snow levels twice a day. His notebooks, filled with carefully recorded measurements over four decades, have provided scientists with a treasure trove of weather and climate trends – including the effects of global warming.

A nature and animal lover, barr said he started recording the weather mainly because it gave him something to do. Up till recently, the only social interaction barr experienced was when he skied into a nearby town for supplies every few weeks. Yet now he’s in the public eye, thanks to Morgan Heim of Day’s Edge Productions, who made an award-winning five-minute film about the articulate hermit. In it, barr admits he’s not very hopeful about our ability to reverse the alarming climate trends he has documented. Yet he soldiers on as guardian of the snow, living a life most would find unbearably lonely, and taking a pragmatic approach to whatever difficulties he faces. For instance, he says, “I learned how to ski better so I wouldn’t fall down all the time. Learning how to fall is the most important thing. It’s a lot easier falling on your butt than your face.”

Wise advice at any time, but especially for Thursday’s Cancer Full Moon (Jan. 12, 3:34 a.m. PST). This Full Moon forges a dynamic cardinal grand cross with take-no-prisoners Pluto, I’ll-do-it-my-way Uranus, and let’s-learn-from-this Jupiter – all catalyzing the sensitive Cancer Moon and stoic Capricorn Sun. There is the potential for life-changing awakenings and developments, but also for sudden upsets. Rather than succumbing to fear, stay as patient and calm as possible regardless of what others may say or do. Try to harness the power of this fertile action period, which falls on the heels of mover-and-shaker Mercury’s direct turn, to achieve your goals.

Like billy barr, you may need to practice your falling technique as you forge ahead. As astrologer April Elliott Kent put it in a recent essay, “I think we miss something in trying to inoculate ourselves from life’s difficulties.” This Full Moon, she adds, is “a reminder that in order to best enjoy life’s tenderest pleasures, we often must first confront the gargoyles of pain and fear.”

 

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Capricorn New Moon: Resolution Redux

Batten down the hatches: 2017 is almost here. Especially for those of us in the U.S., the next four years are apt to be uncertain as the new administration finds its footing and attempts to dismantle much of what was accomplished during the last eight years. But regardless of who is president, we can still commit to helping those who are struggling, and to making 2017 a personally rewarding year.

Have you made your New Year’s resolutions yet? Or have you given up on the notion, since they rarely come true? Inspired by Martha Beck’s recent column in O Magazine on why New Year’s resolutions so often fail, I’ve decided to review and reevaluate my 2016 list to help me decide what’s next. The timing seemed appropriate, with Mercury in retrograde conjunct a perspicacious Capricorn New Moon a few days before New Year’s (Dec. 28, 10:53 p.m. PST). So, as Beck did with her list from last year, I examined whether my resolutions were truly aligned with what I want, how I might reframe some of them for 2017 and what insights could be gleaned from what went wrong.

Some of my resolutions (or intentions, as I prefer to call them) did indeed happen. I wrote my book Moon Power, a fruitful if sometimes frustrating collaboration with a publishing house, due out in June. I joined the board of the San Diego Astrological Society and became a vital part of a small but mighty organization, helping to produce events and educate the community. Both of these accomplishments served my intention of joining with others to achieve greater things than I could on my own.

Several other intentions did not pan out, however. Once again, I didn’t lose those infernal 30 pounds. Why not? Upon reflection, I think my body is telling me in the only way it knows how that I need to live larger, to proudly take up space on the planet. So here’s my “resolution redux” for 2017: I resolve to own my greatness and allow myself to expand. Also, I did not unite with the man who’s perfect for me. (There is one interesting prospect, but that remains to be seen.) Meanwhile, I’m rethinking this goal as well. Resolution redux: I resolve to love myself with all my flaws, and to give more love to others, including the man who’s perfect for me.

As you review your intentions for last year and compile your list for 2017, listen closely to what your inner self wants – it might surprise you. Maybe you really want to run for office! (lots of people, especially women, have been inspired to do so after the recent election). Or, perhaps your soul longs to volunteer for a grassroots organization that’s working for change. Rather than heaping yourself with resolutions you’re unlikely to attain (and feeling guilty about it at year’s end), use the lean-and-mean Capricorn New Moon to devise a realistic, doable list. As the New Moon joins retrograde Mercury, ask yourself why former resolutions may have failed, and how you might rethink them. And, be sure to acknowledge yourself for things you’ve attained that weren’t even on your list. For instance, in 2016 I finally broke the life-long habit of stuffing my emotions as soon as they come up – this was huge for me!

At the New Moon, liberating Uranus turns direct after a five-month retrograde – bringing a jolt of energy and a sense of release. Maybe all it requires to make your goals attainable is an attitude shift. Think outside the box: Perhaps allying yourself with an unlikely companion or group could make a long-sought dream come true. Or maybe there’s a habit you’re ready to release now that would make all the difference in your quality of life.

The Capricorn New Moon is especially good for reviewing and re-framing your career. If you need help being recognized for your talents and opinions, try this Capricorn New Moon ritual from my book, Astro Feng Shui: Making Magic in Your Home and Life. And check out the mini-video on that page, which illustrates how to remake your Fame gua to bring in more career recognition and success.

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Gemini Full Moon: A Blast From the Past

The annual Geminid meteor shower is nearly upon us, and fireballs are already flying as early-arriving meteoroids from the constellation of Gemini hit the Earth’s atmosphere. This year, the cosmic show peaks at the Gemini Full Moon (Tues. Dec. 13, 4:06 p.m. PST). On the 13th and 14th, from 20 to 30 fireballs per hour will light up the night sky – an impressive show, even though some may be less visible than usual due to the Full Moon’s glare.

A meteor shower at a Full Moon is significant metaphorically and energetically – and even more so when you factor in Mercury’s powerful stationary stance as it prepares to turn retrograde on the 18th-19th.  The Gemini Full Moon, which has been building all week, coincides with illuminating messages arriving or ideas bursting out of left field to change our thinking. With Gemini’s ruler Mercury turning backward, these messages have a connection to the past.

Here’s an example that surprised and delighted me: Former VP Al Gore, a long-time climate change educator and activist, was recently summoned to Trump Towers by soon-to-be First Daughter Ivanka – also a climate champion. A close adviser to her father, Ivanka intends to make this issue her signature project once he takes the White House. Gore reported that he spent most of the “productive” 90-minute talk with the president-elect himself – a man who’s called climate change a hoax. “I found it an extremely interesting conversation,” said Gore, “and to be continued.”

Ivanka is a powerful Scorpio with a truth-seeking Sagittarius Moon, as well as a caring, idealistic Venus-Neptune conjunction in Sagittarius that activates her father’s Full Moon chart (Sun in Gemini, Moon in Sagittarius). She definitely has his ear. And, the coming Full Moon lights up their Venus-Neptune-Sun-Moon connection! Despite their differences, one hopes for the good of the planet that Ivanka will continue to influence Donald’s thinking.

At this Full Moon, listen for your own, personal messages from above. Reconnect with people and priorities you hold dear. And be sure to look skyward for inspiration between local midnight and sunrise on Dec. 13 and 14 (in both hemispheres) as the Geminid meteor shower brings us a blast from the past!

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Sagittarius New Moon: Taking the High Road

“Things do not change; we change.” –Henry David Thoreau

Grandpa Hewes was a true Sagittarian. Born at the turn of the last century, Mom’s father was a free-wheeling blacksmith-turned-postmaster who regaled us with songs on his banjo – and told dubious tales that he swore were true. While smoking a pipe filled with cherry tobacco, he’d root for his favorite baseball team. But Grandpa’s favorite thing was being out in nature, hunting wildlife with his dogs. In later years, he and Grandma would jump in the car on Sundays and drive two hours to the mountains of Julian, where they’d chow down on fried chicken and apple pie.

Grandpa loved the holiday season. Each year around this time he’d draw festive trees on his fence, which he’d then paint over at the New Year. I loved my grandpa, but going to his house had a dark side. Surrounded by a captive audience, he’d go off on bigoted rants. And poor Grandma acquired an ulcer from trying to get him to see reason.

Grandpa would have scoffed at Thoreau’s quote (above). Changing himself was not on the agenda – it was others who had to change. The idea that your opinions shape what you see, and therefore what you experience, would have been lost on him. Yet quantum theory has proven what metaphysicians like Thoreau have known all along: That if you change your thinking, the outer world will start to reflect that shift.

At Thanksgiving, our thoughts naturally turn to who and what we appreciate. Yet many of us aren’t feeling very appreciative this year. In the wake of the most divisive election in recent history, some are opting out of family gatherings altogether. Dreading the inevitable confrontations, they’d rather stay home – or join instead with those of like mind. That makes sense, especially with righteous Jupiter in judicious Libra squaring ornery Pluto in old school Capricorn. But taking the high road is not impossible, as long as you stay focused in your heart.

The coming Sagittarius New Moon (Nov. 29, 4:18 am PST) conjuncts Juno, an asteroid that symbolizes our most fundamental feelings about those we love. Juno’s fights with her husband Jupiter were legendary, and yet they adored each other. With Juno is in Jupiter’s sign, joining the Sun and Moon, we’re asked to see beyond differing opinions and reach for the love that lies beneath. That might mean changing your attitude or approach. Let the alchemical fire of Sagittarius transmute your old beliefs. Don’t wait till that person is gone, and it’s too late.

Later this month and into the first week of December, Jupiter supportively sextiles Saturn – while Mars clicks in to harmonize with them both. This golden phase is auspicious for righting wrongs, gaining clarity, and launching new business ventures or relationships. Set your New Year’s goals early, rather than waiting for Jan. 1, when Mercury will be retrograde (Dec. 19 – Jan. 8). And, be sure to let me know when you’re ready for an upbeat, laser-like reading on what 2017 holds for you!

Why not make a treasure map near the New Moon to chart the course for your New Year? Check out the Sagittarius New Moon ritual from my book, Astro Feng Shui: Making Magic in Your Home and Life, for help. And, watch the mini-video on enhancing the Knowledge gua of your home for more clarity and better decision-making.

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Taurus Full Moon: Hidden Treasure

 

I was shocked when astrologer Barry Goddard blogged just before the election that in his opinion, Trump would win. Yet he went on to say that a Trump presidency might not be as bad as anticipated. Noted the Scottish astrologer, “He may occasion America thinking about itself in a way that the same-old of Hillary would not.” And, he observed that since January’s inauguration chart has an unaspected Sun (reflecting the leader), Trump probably won’t be able to get much done. This wouldn’t be too surprising, as “he has shown an inability to work with members of his own party, let alone the opposition.”

Now that the unthinkable has happened, it seems to me that we’ve got to focus on the bigger picture: Bigotry and hate have risen to the top to be recognized and transformed.

The election occurred a week prior to a Super Moon (the third of four in a row – not the most powerful in our lifetime, as some have claimed, but potent nonetheless).  As the Taurus Moon approaches its opposition to the Sun in Scorpio at the Full Moon (Monday, Nov. 14, 5:52 a.m. PST), things happen in mysterious ways that may not make sense at the time, but ultimately bring blessings.  Jupiter is about to make the first of three squares to Pluto and three oppositions to Uranus through next fall, catalyzing social, economic and political reforms. No matter what we think of him, it seems we need Trump (himself born at a Sagittarius Full Moon) to fan the fires of change.

The Sabian Symbol for the upcoming Taurus Full Moon is: “A jewelry shop filled with valuable gems.” This image suggests that we’re being offered a gift, even if it comes wrapped in chaos and challenge.

As astrologer Kathy Biehl advises, “Outside of us, there may be massive chaos…but inside, beautiful things are blossoming. Keep your little part of the world as neat and tidy and as happy as you can. And stick with people who share your concept of integrity and how other people should be treated. We are creating the safety net and the new infrastructure that will be in place when other things collapse around us. Recognize fear is out there, don’t feed it and live your own life the best way you can.”

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Scorpio New Moon: Time to Regenerate

Will Harris, owner of White Oak Pastures

After making a big change in your life, no matter how longed-for, it’s common to suffer regrets. Wincing as the first payment comes due on that shiny new car you love so much, you wonder, “What was I thinking?” Or, as you lie in bed trying to sleep over your new beloved’s snoring, you muse, “Maybe I was better off alone.”

This is what we call a Scorpio moment.  The sign of wealth reminds us that something must die for something new to be born, and that there is a price to be paid for up-leveling your life. A friend discovered this a few years back as she prepared to do a wealth ritual at the Scorpio New Moon. With visions of dollar signs dancing in her head, she laid out the items for the ritual and went to sleep. At the New Moon the next morning, her husband sat down on the bed – and it collapsed! Suddenly they needed to buy a new bed. Not quite the ritual my friend had envisioned – yet a new bed was long overdue. That month, both of their cars as well as their ancient furnace needed major work. “It was like the gremlins came out to stir things up,” she confided. My friend’s intention for a more abundant life required an outflow of cash to upgrade her basic infrastructure. After that, greater wealth began to flow in.

I thought of this story recently when I read about farmer Will Harris, who transitioned his profitable Bluffton, Georgia industrial farm to a glorious organic ecosystem free of chemical fertilizers and antibiotics, with goats, pigs, chickens and cows roaming free. Harris went from being debt free to taking out $7.5 million in loans to build the processing facilities he needed to go green. As he relates in the short film, “One Hundred Thousand Beating Hearts,” the operation lost money for several years. These were dark times when Harris feared he might lose the farm that had been in his family for 130 years. But he persevered. Now he says he’s very glad he made the changes, as White Oak Pastures is even more profitable than before – and both the soil and the animals are flourishing with new life.

This year, the Scorpio New Moon (Oct. 30, 10:38 a.m. PDT) coincides with the Celtic New Year – making it a particularly potent time for a fresh start. The Sun and Moon join messenger Mercury in Scorpio, lending depth and power to our thinking and intentions. And, all three trine mystical Neptune in Pisces – intensifying the experience of being “between the worlds,” and making it easier to receive our ancestors’ blessings. Whether it’s wealth, love or health that you seek, this New Moon can help make it happen. This is also a good time to probe beneath the surface of events and plumb life’s deeper meanings so you can regenerate. Trust that your ancestors have your back (as they definitely did for Will Harris!) and will help you through the transition period. Just be sure to ask.

If you need help burying the past so you can freely welcome the new, check out this Scorpio New Moon ritual from my book, Astro Feng Shui: Making Magic in Your Home and Life. At the bottom of that page, you’ll also find a mini-video showing how to enhance your Wealth Gua to invite in greater abundance.

 

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