Last Quarter 2002

I am heartbroken to read about what happened in Bali - such horror in a beautiful and spiritual country and the senseless loss of young lives. Here at home there's a sniper on the loose in Maryland. We may very well be going to war with Iraq. Our economy is very shaky - CEO's -supposed pillars of the community - are being hauled away in handcuffs. And people ask me - they want to know what is going to happen? Are we going to war? Will the economy improve?

I wish I had all the answers. But astrology doesn't tell us what will happen but only what the climate is and if each of us understood better how to best harmonize our lives with the intent of the Universe, we could be experiencing a very different world. I think that is exactly where we are headed.

The world is not ending but we are at the end of an Age. The Age of Pisces is ending and the Age of Aquarius is being birthed. We are in the midst of the transition - which like all deaths and births is traumatic.

Pisces is the sign ruling religion, and during the era of Pisces we saw the rise in power of major religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism. Sacrifice is another Piscean characteristic prevalent within these religions. Christianity and Islam have encouraged men to sacrifice themselves for their religion and god. Isn't it interesting that one of the Christian symbols, that of the fish, is also the symbol of Pisces?

We have been witnessing the decline of religion, which is rapidly accelerating. The Catholic Church has had a great deal of political and financial power and has been steadily losing it's influence and now, with the Priest scandal, it has lost most of whatever reputation and power it once had. We have Muslims sacrificing their own lives in the name of Allah in order to destroy others. This is another deathblow to religion and the way men can manipulate religion to achieve their own ends rather than to truly live in harmony with God's laws.

Religion is not a god-made structure but a man-made structure meant to deepen the individual's connection to his soul and God. But the structure is corrupt and is failing. Every one of our structures - financial, education, health care and the judicial system are failing. And in a way, we should be rejoicing at their death but it is frightening. It's frightening because nothing else is taking its place. We're left with a void or chaos but that too is a necessary part of the process of rebirth.

There is a theory I heard about some time ago. A scientist did an experiment and he took a jar of water with colored sediment on the bottom and he shook it up and every time he shook it up and let the sediment settle, it formed a more complex pattern. So we can theorize from this experiment that from chaos and disruption comes a greater order and creativity.

In looking at what the Universe "intends" through the lens of Astrology, what is the new Age of Aquarius bringing in and how can we as individuals cooperate with birthing that into being? Well first of all Aquarius is a very collaborative sign. In the Pisces era we had the Myth of man going it alone or man against the world- it was the hero's myth of accomplishment by one's own power.

Aquarius is about groups, about building and achieving more through community than can be achieved alone. We can expect to see the building of communities of people working towards a common aim. We can align ourselves with this new energy that is coming in by being a part of groups. We are too alienated from each other and the world. In the Age of Aquarius we will realize the importance of community.

The Frenchman Tocqueville in his book "Democracy in America" wrote in the 1800's that the American characteristic he most admired was individualism but he also foresaw and warned that if this individualism was not balanced by other qualities, it would lead to fragmentation of our society and the isolation of its citizens. That's where we have arrived.

There is so much distrust in the world today. In these chaotic times we have an even greater need to work together, to feel part of a group that is supportive and empowering. Scott Peck wrote a book called "The Different Drum" on community building that is a wonderful blueprint for the kind of work that we will be doing in this New Age. There are communities such as the Alcoholics Anonymous groups that are extremely successful. In such a community it is not a top down sort of thing with one leader and many followers. That model is no longer effective. A community in which each individual is a leader is the community that works.

Aquarius is connected with technology and the technological advances in the last decade are mind-blowing. I got hooked up to the Internet 6 years ago and I wonder how I got along without it. Communities which transcend time and space are being created through the Internet. The advances in genetic science could well increase our life spans dramatically. How would that have to alter the way we live?

Aquarius is also the sign connected to Astrology. I believe it will be one of the main tools for us to understand our place in the universe and to live our lives more in harmony with our soul's intentions, the planet we live on and with each other. Astrology is not a religion. But it is a useful model for understanding the cosmic intelligent force that is animating this whole show.

Through astrology we can understand there is a time for external activity, there is a time to be still and rest, there is a time to fight and a time to let go. Through understanding our birth chart and the meaning behind the current transits to our chart, we can live more in accord with our soul's and the Universe's intentions.

If Saturn is contacting your moon, you are learning about your emotional life. How well do you take care of yourself emotionally, do you get enough nurturance, do you know how to nurture others without sacrifice your own needs?

If Jupiter is moving through your house of relationship and you are single, then get yourself out there! The Universe is saying, it's time to expand into partnership and if you put forth the intention through action, the Universe will support your quest by bringing a special someone into your life.

How much easier life becomes when we are conscious of relationship with the cosmos and cooperate with it.

Solar Return Birthday Trips

One of the best gifts you can give to yourself is a Solar Return Birthday Trip. In times such as these, they are especially important. Taking a pilgrimage to a place on your birthday that puts the planets in a position to support you, can make a noticeable difference in how you experience your year.

The incident in Bali has people on edge and some of my clients have expressed concern about traveling. I have seen some interesting phenomena at work with Solar Return Trips. Oftentimes your resolve to take a trip can be severely tested in some way. When I first starting taking Solar Return trips myself, I ran up against deterrences. I had a car accident on the day I was to leave on my first Solar Return Trip. I had to drop my car off at the shop and high tail it to the airport. Then a few months prior to my trip to Turkey there was a devastating earthquake and everyone said I shouldn't go. I did and it was an absolutely magical trip. Turkey had lost its tourism so I had the best hotels to myself and was treated like royalty.

Some trips are more difficult but I find it's worth the investment because it's the gift that keeps on giving all year! I got a call from a client a couple weeks ago who has been taking Solar Return Trips. She's had many trials during the past year which was reflected in her birth chart but she said it feels like she has protection because she persevered through them and almost all the major difficulties came out in her favor. This client is traveling to Fiji next month. I have another client who feels it's too risky to take that trip.

Ultimately I encourage everyone to listen to their intuition. But I think that in any important endeavor there are dragons that guard the gold. Myths and fairy tales are full of such stories because it's a true phenomenon. Artists talk about the inner and outer resistances that emerge as they set out to create. There are the sabotaging dragons of self-doubt and self-criticism that need to be slain to get the prize and even external demands and circumstances that seem to conspire to keep us away from the treasure. So we need to discern between our intuitive voice and the voices of the fear-dragon. With true intuition is there is a feeling of serenity not anxiety and fear.

Obviously I would not recommend a destination that has a travel advisory which Bali now has. But I also know that the charts I design for people are very supportive charts so I feel there is an added protection for Solar Return travelers. Frankly, no place is safe. You can be hit by a sniper's bullet coming out of the Wal-Mart. We are all "only dancing on this earth for a short time". All the more reason to live our lives fully and consciously.

The Months Ahead

October-December

The Moon Wobble, indicating a period of instability in the world, ended on October 15th. The Bali tragedy happened during this period. In addition Mars was squaring Saturn, an aspect which is often associated with violence. The march towards war with Iraq is also advancing under these cycles. These last two weeks of October and into early November are a bit more stable astrologically. Perhaps the impending elections synchronously will keep war at bay. The next Moon Wobble period begins on November 15th and Mars in Libra can stir up issues relating to war and peace and amplify aggression and conflicts in the world.

What can we do? The power of prayer is now being confirmed by scientific experiments. Researchers at Columbia University announced their finding that women in a fertility clinic were almost twice as likely to get pregnant when, unknown to them, complete strangers were praying for their success. People in the U.S., Canada and Australia were given photos of women in the Korean fertility clinic and told to pray for them. Women in the prayed-for group had a pregnancy rate of about 50% versus 26% for the control group. Neither time, nor distance, nor knowledge of being prayed for can account for the amazing results. Other studies of prayer are confirming its effectiveness. In the Aquarian Age we will come to understand scientifically the mechanism which makes prayer and other metaphysics work. But we don't have to wait to find out why it works in order to use it to transform our lives and the world today.

On a personal level, on October 10th the Planet Venus turned retrograde for 6 weeks. Venus is the planet that correlates to relationships, art and beauty. Under this cycle it is best to avoid making or breaking romantic commitments. It is a good cycle to be introspective about your own relationship needs and how you can contribute and receive more from all your alliances. But it is best not to start discussions and/or make relationship changes until this cycle is ended. Allow the full 6 weeks to process inwardly before moving forward. And wait until Venus is in direct motion on November 21st to schedule plastic surgery, or any other major appearance changes. This is a supportive cycle for refinancing and reducing debt.

There are difficult astrological aspects on November 15th-17th and on November 29th and 30th. Knowing about difficult or dangerous cycles is not about becoming fearful but, instead, living more consciously and understanding the best timing for our endeavors. Use these times to keep a light schedule and take it easy. Slot more time for relaxation and those things that bring more calm into your world.

The Moon Wobble continues into December. There is a power Solar Eclipse on December 3rd, in close proximity to Pluto. This reflects that the next year will accelerate the transformation changes in the world. All that is not growth-enhancing will come to the surface to be purged. We saw the beginnings of this in 2002 and in 2003 we will the process in full force. Leaders who repress the people must topple as this is not a model that works in Aquarian-ruled times. Those that put their own greed or need for power ahead of the needs of the community will reap difficult consequences. This cycle can assist us in transforming what is not working in our own lives.

There is a powerful Moon Void period on December 9th and the Sun is conjunct Pluto -a definite take-it-easy date. Also you can pencil in the astrologically stressful period of December 14th through the 20th as time to relax and enjoy the holiday season.

And on that note, I wish you all a very rich and soul-fulfilling holiday season and many blessings in the New Year.