The Aquarius lunation cycle began on January 21, with Venus and Saturn embraced in the sign. Did you end, encounter hardships, or successfully overcome challenges related to love, beauty, or relationships? Did making new commitments require you to forsake some others? I changed my hair stylist to save money, had my last appointment with my Invisalign orthodontist, and decided that I may eliminate alcohol. Anyone who knows me knows how much I enjoy wine, but I joined the Alcohol Experiment for dry January. When I began drinking again, I had an epiphany that I no longer enjoyed the buzzed feeling. The conjunction squared my natal intoxicating Neptune in the fifth house of pleasure. Stopping drinking is on brand for this transit. We shall see if it is permanent.  

During the Leo Full Moon, Uranus in Taurus squared the luminaries on a world point bringing high visibility to dramatic, disruptive, and shocking events. A few of the stories that stood out include: 

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As I write this newsletter, I am still reeling from the brutality of the murder of Tyre Nichols by 5 Memphis police officers. This story is deeply connected to the Pluto return of the USA. Pluto rules death, brutality, and domination. Its transits unearth the shadows of our nature we would rather disown. This transit is forcing Americans to decide whether we will live up to the nation’s core values of justice and fairness for all. As we move toward the Full Moon, I am concerned that bad actors may use the cover of peaceful protests to wreak havoc. The astrology of the weekend is intense so stay safe. I discuss the astrology of this horrific event in the video here. 

This lunation on the axis of self-expression vs. the collective is powerful. The Aquarius Sun opposing the Leo Moon invites you to consider if you dim the light of your personality or hold yourself back out of fear of judgment. The luminaries will square Uranus, breaker of chains. Use the cosmic energy to...

Get ready for forward motion! Action planet Mars finally turned direct at 8º Gemini (mutable air) on January 12, and this Wednesday, chatterbox Mercury goes direct at 8º Capricorn (cardinal earth). These two signs are quincunx, an irritation that needs adjustment. They have nothing in common by sign, modality (cardinal, fixed, mutable), or element (fire, air, earth, water). This aspect moves us into new situations and requires releasing something. During my two-week vacation, I realized how much nonstop activity was exhausting me. I am thankful for numerous opportunities but decided to be more selective in 2023. I am just one person and cannot do it all.  

Last week two stories illustrated the connection between the two retrograde cycles.  

• The FAA grounded all US flights for 90 minutes due to a computer glitch. Mars (actions) in Gemini (transportation) stationed on the Uranus (airplanes) of the USA. Mercury (communication) is in Capricorn, which...

Please take the opportunity to ease into 2023; the energy is tumultuous. The double retrograde of the action planet Mars and communication planet Mercury is bringing scheduling delays, hassles, reversals, and unexpected burdens. Stable Saturn and chaotic Uranus also have a secret conflict; the contra parallel. Structures we thought we could depend on will continue to break down. People will fight against oppression, and some will cause upheaval seemingly without a cause. When frustrated, realize that the tension will lighten by the end of the month.   

For myself, a power outage brought two days of stress but relatively minor inconveniences. As I write, the Bay Area is experiencing an apocalyptic storm, so keep us in your thoughts. Also, there were over 20 nominations for the ISAR board. The board cut the list to 7 for voting, and I am not on the ballot. The selected candidates are top-notch.  

Athletes are martial figures. Football player Damar Hamlin...

Happy Holidays! I am back from my trip and feeling refreshed. It was beautiful to see the night sky clearly in Mexico, especially watching the Full Moon passes over Mars Rx in Gemini. I discussed several stories related to this lunation on Instagram. However, the clearest one involves international politics, with two martial figures taking flights home. Brittney Griner, the basketball player, imprisoned in a Russian penal colony for having cannabis in her luggage, was swapped for an arms dealer nicknamed the Merchant of Death. Astrology is often literal.

• Mars rules athletic competition and weapons
• Gemini rules the hands (basketball), merchants, and air transportation
• Retrogrades bring reversals (prison sentence revoked)
• The Moon rules home

The earth sign of Capricorn rules ambition, responsibility, and success. The sea goat has the persistence and determination to keep going despite setbacks. I suggest focusing on your top goals for 2023 and slowly building an action plan. The...

It is hard to believe that 2022 is coming to a close; how time flies! I am starting a two-week vacation as a docent at my favorite wellness spa as I write this. Airy Gemini rules communication and transportation. The Reporter, the Social Butterfly, and the Gossip are archetypes. The ability to absorb numerous facts and communicate them concisely with panache is a Gemini superpower. How perfect that I will give directions and my opinion on which activities will suit the tastes of new guests. I need the downtime as I live the life of the Two of Pentacles tarot card. It needs to stop. You can only juggle so many balls in the air before a few start to hit the floor. In part, I will use the time to consider how I can most effectively use my energy to benefit myself and the community I serve.

This lunation is tricky. Passionate, fiery Mars is retrograde and tightly conjunct the Moon and opposite the Sagittarius Sun. In mundane astrology, the Moon rules the people, and the Sun...

Eclipse season is to astrologers what tax season is to accountants. There is a never-ending flow of stories highlighting the themes. The headlines now include relationships, values, and economic transformations. The opposition between balance-loving Venus and chain-breaker Uranus was a significant feature of the November 8 lunar eclipse. Venus rules partnerships, love, and desire. What dramatic entrances and exits did you experience? For myself, I canceled my subscription to Hulu because they raised the price yet again. With the Mars retrograde, I am reconsidering how I expended my energy and decided to pull back from an astrology group I was leading. Uranus brings surprises, and I was nominated for the International Society of Astrological Research (ISAR) board. This fantastic organization hosts conferences and provides weekly talks from noteworthy astrologers. If you are a member, please consider voting for me.

I am so proud of my fellow Americans. The Pluto return requires us to...

The central theme of this fall's eclipse season is the transformation of love and business relationships. We walk through a door, and when we look behind us, there is a wall. This time brings fated turning points. The most sensational story is watching Kanye West torch his wealth and status with vitriolic commentary. He has Mercury, the planet of communication, on the feared" beheading" fixed star Algol. He has wielded his verbal sword for many years at other people. This time, it boomeranged and took him out. Transit Mars in Gemini, fighting words, is the drumbeat below his story. It entered the air sign back in August for an extended Gilligan's Island-style stay until March 2023. Mars energizes, stimulates, and motivates. It also cuts and severs.

Kanye is a Gemini Sun and a Pisces Moon. Geminis are here to communicate, Pisces to feel. At the highest level, the combination bestows an individual with the ability to express deep emotions poetically. Perfect for a world-renowned...

It's time to plunge into the dark deep. Watery Scorpio's energy is intense, probing, and passionate. Traveling into the heart of darkness and investigating the shadows is the work. The sign rules sexuality, death, and taboo subjects. The Sun, Moon, and Venus intertwine their cosmic limbs at this amplified New Moon. Over the next month, people may fall in love or be stunned by betrayal. Expect lots of shocks and awe. For years I joked about desiring a meet-cute at the grocery store. Guess what I manifested last week! We shall see how this love story unfolds. 

Eclipses are a time of fated events. Our lives great beginnings and endings typically occur when they excite our natal chart. They are portals that pull us forward. We go through a door, and when we look behind us, there is a wall. You may already know your story, as events can occur weeks before the actual lunation. We need to clear space to allow a new beginning. Are you holding onto something that has passed its...

Aries's pioneering, youthful and carefree nature is contagiously hopeful. This feisty and fiery energy leads us to take risks and challenge ourselves. The planet Mars which governs vitality, sexuality, drive, aggression, and anger, rules this sign. This annual lunation invites us to consider how we assert ourselves to meet our needs, especially in our primary relationships. If you let other people's perceptions stop you from conquering new worlds, do some reflection on why. What is driving you to make yourself small?

Evaluate how you react under stress because competition and conflicts will amplify when Mars in Gemini appears to dash backward through the zodiac. A retrograde planet has the potential to cause havoc. The topics it governs will experience delays, reversals, and unexpected returns to previous conditions. The retrograde period from October 30 to January 12 invites us to slow down and reset how we expend our energy.

The fight over women's reproductive rights and privacy...