Category: Evolutionary Astrology

There is a correlation between our inner being and the vast universe. Evolutionary Astrology illuminates your current life Soul-intent while analyzing and reviewing past life gifts and blockages. Because the Soul is the most profound level of our being, it produces the widest and most meaningful context for direction in our lives. As the old saying goes, you can’t know where you are going if you don’t know where you have been. I provide the “a ha” moments as you uncover subconscious blockages and bring latent gifts to life. No matter how many times we reincarnate we are never the same person again – make the most of each life – live a life that is most in tuned with the universe and nourishes your soul most deeply.

Guest Blog: 5 Ways to Get Control of Your Time Today – Julie Gray

5 Ways to Get Control of Your Time Today

When was the last time you complained about being too busy?

It makes sense. You’ve got a ton going on. Between work, school, and family – there is a lot to manage at any given moment.

What I find fascinating about this life-at-warp-speed-epidemic that has spread around the globe is that researchers have discovered the happiest people on our planet are busy.

So what gives?

Why are you running around bemoaning your busyness when it can actually make you happier?

Here is the critical distinction: the happiest people are busy – but not rushed.

As soon as you tip the scale from living a full, productive life to an overwhelming, chaotic existence you’ve lost your sense of control. It starts to feel like life is happening too you not the other way around.

You are no longer in the driver’s seat. As one of my clients put it, “I’m not even in the car. I feel like I am just chasing it down the street at this point.”

As soon as we lose our sense of control, we stress more, sleep less, and the part of our brain that helps us organize, prioritize, and make decisions gets overwhelmed.

As it turns out, managing your sense of control is a really smart time management strategy.

Here are 5 ways to boost your sense of control (and save you a ton of time) starting today:

1. Get more sleep. The power of a good night’s sleep cannot be underestimated. Overnight you can vastly improve your ability to organize, manage your emotions, and maintain a sense of control.

Tony Schwartz, one of my favorite authors on the subject, recently outlined this cold, hard truth in The New York Times:

“Even small amounts of sleep deprivation take a powerful toll on our cognitive capacity. A vast trove of research suggests that 95 percent of us need at least seven to eight hours of sleep to feel fully rested, while 2.5 percent need more than eight hours. The final 2.5 percent — or about one out of 40 people — require less than seven hours.
In other words, you are not likely one of them, even though you may well think you are.”

If there were one silver bullet that can automatically make you a better time manager it would be sleep.

2. Cut your to-do list in half (or more). Here’s one of my favorite tricks: Draw a line across the page of your to-do list. All tasks you place above this line are the items you have to get done today. Everything below this line are the tasks you would like to complete. By zeroing in on your key priorities, you will be operating proactively vs. reactively and will enjoy a stronger sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.

3. Get clear on your capacity. It is common to overestimate the time you have available each day to complete your tasks and underestimate how long these tasks will take. This can leave you feeling defeated and frustrated. Look at your calendar each day and get clear just how much time you actually have to get things done. Setting realistic expectations for yourself can greatly improve your sense of control.

4. Focus on small wins. Life isn’t about overnight transformations. What creates true, long-lasting change is the small incremental shifts you make each and everyday. Research has proven time and again that the more you celebrate your small wins each day, the more momentum you create to carry you forward.

5. Own your time. The quickest way back into the driver’s seat is to recognize that you decide each moment of how you spend your time and attention. You are always at choice. Really owning this fact makes it easier to say no to requests that are not your priority – and yes to the activities that really matter to you.

Bonus tip:

6. Take breaks. It can feel extremely counter-productive to take time off when you are feeling overwhelmed. In my experience, this is one of the best time to give yourself a half-day, full day, or even a long weekend to unplug, decompress, and recover. Again, the science backs this up. You will come back to your work with a new perspective, dramatically improving your creativity, productivity, and sense of control.

Now it’s your turn. What tips do you use to stay in control of your time and energy? Be sure to share in the comments below.

Julie Gray, COC is a time coach that teaches creative entrepreneurs and executives how to regain control over their life, have more guilt-free time in their schedule, and live with far less stress and overwhelm. Download her free template and guide on How to Get Out of Overwhelm in 5 Minutes a Day or Less here clicking here.

Hang onto your Hats, Folks – Funky Full Moon Eclipse Tuesday/Wednesday

The full Moon eclipse that will peak at 7 a.m. EDT on Wednesday morning is going to pack quite the punch. That time alone is significant. Depending on the skies where you are, it could be possible to see this total eclipse of the moon and the “rising” Sun at the same time. Known as a “selenelion,” it is something that actually cannot happen. An eclipse occurs when the Sun and Moon are 180 degrees away from each other – the moon is “full” because it is so far away from the powerful Sun energy. Technically we can’t see them both because of this angle but because space-time is a trickster to say the least and with the help of refraction, we can actually see the Sun “rise” and the Moon “set” a few minutes before they do. Pretty neat, huh? Of course, this would be a wild full eclipse as the Moon is in that most determined sign, Aries, while conjunct rebellious Uranus which is still squared with Pluto. All of this is trining expansive, over the top – knows no bounds Jupiter. Didn’t I tell you to hang onto your hats? As if the Pluto/Uranus square has not caused enough turmoil in the world, this Aries Moon eclipse is brining on emotional outbursts and wild unpredictability. Have I mentioned that Mercury has gone into a three week retrograde? Sorry, I did not know any good way to sneak that in. Back up your computers, take ten, no twenty, good deep breaths and just pray that some lunatic or a flock of them does not get some full Moon madness. Remember, the time of the consequences of this eclipse could come a bit later down the road. When I was writing about the terrible effects of the April grand cross I mentioned that it could brew evil that will come back to haunt us later. What did we get later, ISIS and Ebola? This Uranus/Pluto square is the remnant of the Grand Cross. All and all, it is a tough astrological year.

Homeopathic Veterinary Care

Today, I welcome a guest blog by a past guest on “Astrological Cook,” animal communicator, Cindy Wegner

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Pets continue to be popular in our society, yet the reasons we have them is changing. No longer are our dogs, cats, and horses “working” for their keep, they have become trusted companions and family members. They enjoy the comforts of our homes, and in recent years the benefits of improved health care and specifically holistic veterinary care.

Over the past 40 years and 17 generations of dogs and, cats we are seeing a tremendous increase in chronic ill health in our pets that was rare back in the early 1960’s. Most of these illnesses revolve around breakdown in our pets’ immune systems, which may include chronic skin/ear allergies, digestive upset, thyroid/adrenal/pancreatic disorders, seizures, gum/ teeth problems, degenerative arthritis, kidney/liver failure, and cancer across all ages and breeds. There are also a record number of behavioral and emotional disorders including alarming and unexplained fears/aggression., as well as difficulty in training and paying attention/focusing. The analogy of these compared with the escalating immune/behavioral diseases in children is quite disturbing. Holistic veterinary practitioners in general and homeopaths in particular, like that of human practitioners, looks at the “whole”, not just isolated parts. It focuses on resolving the cause and the problem, not just alleviating symptoms. In homeopathy, symptoms are important tools, both for determining which remedy is needed in the case, and for monitoring the healing process. Homeopaths do not use drugs or remedies to suppress symptoms. This is the opposite of most conventional medical treatments, which are mainly directed at getting rid of symptoms: anti-inflammatory, anti-biotic, anti-viral, and so forth. However, homeopaths believe that suppressing symptoms thwarts the body’s effort to heal, and will only drive the disease to a deeper–and more dangerous–level. Overall improvement of the quality of life and living is the goal. In addition to western approaches, such as antibiotics (drugs) and surgery, holistic approaches include acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic, herbology, flower essence remedies, and nutritional therapy. (www.herbsforyourpets.com )

A major key in holistic veterinary care is that the doctor looks at the whole picture. Most will take a detailed background of the animal–medical being just a part. They will look at the environment the animal came from and where it is now, any recurrent problems and their pattern, and the pet’s relationship with its owner (and family members). From this information the veterinarian, with the owner, can work to pinpoint causes and develop appropriate and feasible treatment plans. The plan may include several approaches and phases with optimum health as its goal. An example may be that the pet receives an antibiotic for a severe infection, acupuncture for improved healing and well-being, and an improved diet.
Homeopathy is not a quick fix, nor can it cure every single condition. However, it offers a viable alternative in helping to cure pets and making their bodies healthier, even in terminal cases, it can be helpful. Homeopathy works with rather than against the body’s own energy and natural defenses. In the hands of a skilled practitioner, homeopathy can move the patient along a gentle, steady course toward ultimate cure and good health.
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Some suggested reading/handy guides:
Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cat, Richard H. Pitcairn, DVM, PhD and Susan Hubble Pitcairn
The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care, CJ Puotinen
Cats: Homoeopathic Remedies, George MacLeod, MRCVS, DVSM, Vet FF Hom
Dogs: Homoeopathic Remedies, George MacLeod, MRCVS, DVSM, Vet FF Hom

Animal Communicator, Cindy Wenger offers compassionate support for your pet’s body, mind, spirit and emotions. The informative communication sessions help clientele understand their pets’ needs, and help foster a better understanding and deeper bond between them. Schedule a session today, your pets will love you for it! www.CindyWenger.com

Franklin and Eleanor – A Karmic Relationship No Matter How You Look at It

Like many people, I watched Ken Burns’ latest documentary on the Roosevelts. Naturally, I had to run to my trusty computer to run a chart analysis of Franklin and Eleanor and could not believe what I found. If I told you only one thing about astrology, that being that the 12^th house is a highly karmic “place” in the universe, you could see what I mean!

The Combined Chart of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt

Do you think these two had some kind of cosmic connection??? I thought you would. I have never seen any chart, either that of an individual or combined, as this is, have such a huge amount of 12^th house, karmic energy.

In traditional Western Astrology, the 12^th house is the house of prisons. Seriously, when I started to study astrology I thought everyone with a Sun in the 12^th house would become a convict! While the prison idea is overplayed a bit there is a sense of the 12^th house as being where one feels trapped due to past choices and karma. When you think about it, his illness imprisoned him in his body and the relationship was something from which she always sought her freedom.

Because the 12^th house encompasses payments for choices, past karma and many other universal issues, it contains enormous energy that breaks all bounds. That fits these two as well as they and their fascinating relationship will forever intrigue Americans. In them, we see every universal saga, illness, betrayal, redemption, compromise, uniqueness, tragedy and endless hidden secrets. Their life would have been fertile soil for Shakespeare.

We karmic astrologers think of the 12^th as that connection to past and future lives and the universal energy. Well again, we have a winner! How did they find each other, love together, hurt each other and work out – hopefully – ancient issues?

Of almost more importance, is that Sun and Mercury combination in Gemini in the first house. Any Sun/Mercury combination bestows charisma. The closer these two sit together, the higher the charisma and in this chart they are just one degree apart. It is no wonder the captivated Americans and still enthrall us – they were not just a power couple, they were dynamite.

Gemini is the communicator and with Mercury in its natural home of Gemini, we can see how they could control the airwaves. Mercury is in retrograde and I see that as his voice being still by illness for years and that illness giving her the boost she needed to come into her own and start speaking her own words.

Will they come together again? I have a feeling they might as they still had many issues unresolved at his death. I do not know if they will take the world by storm again. Perhaps they will need time to appreciate and love each other – alone – for a bit.

Joan and Johnny – the Feud

With the sudden death of Joan Rivers, I decided to look at her battle with Johnny Carson that lives as one of the Hollywood’s great feuds. The story unfolded when, after years of being his fill in host, Joan Rivers took a job with the new Fox Network to host her own late night show. According to Rivers, she had inside information that NBC would never give the show to a woman and her contract was ending. Whatever the details, Carson hung up the phone when she called him and never spoke to her again.

Karma anyone?

Of course, I had to look at their charts to see what forces could have led to him first giving her career the boost it needed to take off and then almost destroy it.

The biwheel of their chart tells me three things immediately – karma, power and jobs. Let’s do the juicy stuff first – karma. Her retrograded Juno, the goddess of loyalty and partnership, is on his Mars, the warrior, in the 12th house. There is no more karma house that the 12th because it connects us to the universe and carries our karmic history. Hmm, it seems like this played out once before. She was in an inferior position (because of the retrograde) and royally annoyed him by defying his power. Mars is the leader, the epitome of male energy, so it seems Johnny just didn’t like this happening again! I wonder if they are doomed to repeat the situation although she always said she appreciated what he did for her career and a good deal of pain over the whole thing. Has he moved on? Guess we will have to wait and see.

OK we had karma how about power? Look at the eighth house, the house of personal power. He had Pallas and Vesta there, ironically they are two female asteroids named for the goddess of war and the goddess of the devotion to a cause, respectively. These two gals gave him drive and determination as Vesta gives us the desire to overcome all obstacles. However, right on top of these powerhouses are Joan’s Sun, Mercury and Venus; her inner energy, her communication skills and her creative energy. That makes sense in light of the encouragement he gave her to reach her creative goals in the entertainment business. I do find it funny that they have their Vesta’s in conjunction meaning they could have – and they did indeed- work together for a long time to overcome power obstacles. He boosted her career and she was a reliable co-host. However, playing with that much energy and that much power is a little bit like dancing with burning torches – you can get seriously burned at any time.

Finally, Carson had a retrograded Chiron in Aries, the wounded warrior, in his 6th house, the house of day-to-day work. This accounted for his colossal temperament and touchiness when on the job. He was carrying an enormous chip on his shoulder in the workplace. Mars rules Aries and he was always looking for people who were threatening his power. Well along comes her Uranus, the rebel and it plunked right down on that wound issue. Uranus is the rebellious teenager of the Zodiac. Who better to stick a pin in Aries ego?

The stars show the battle that ensued. Why there was no kiss and make up between the two might have something to do with his Mars and Saturn in stubborn and vengeful Scorpio in the first house. Mars and Saturn in conjunction is not a good placement – it is warrior energy and authoritarian energy (see my recent blogs on the current Mars/Saturn conjunction and the havoc is it causing to the planet right now.) Johnny may have been the king of late night but he was a difficult man, a secretive man, an insecure man and a man of vengeance. She got on his wrong side and there was no going back.

Maybe now – maybe now – they can meet on the other side and put a stop to this. Maybe…

Robert Smalls from Slave to Member of Congress

In reading my “American History Magazine,” I came across the name of a man I am ashamed to say I never heard of before. Robert Smalls was born a slave on April 5, 1839 in Beaufort, South Carolina, although his father was likely the owner of the plantation. While we do not have his birth time, it is a small miracle that we even have the correct date and location, as such things were not bothered with much when dealing with a slave birth.

In May of 1862, Smalls commandeered the CSS Planter when the white crew went on shore. Using his skills as a seaman, he steered the boat past Confederate guards and toward the Union ships blockading Charleston harbor to freedom. He would be the first African American appointed captain of a military ship and would go on to lobby President Lincoln to allow black soldiers into the army.

With the Civil War over, Smalls served first in the South Carolina legislature where he was instrumental in establishing the first free and compulsory public school system in the United States in South Carolina and help found the Republican Party of South Carolina. In 1874, South Carolina elected him to the United States House of Representatives. (Note that was when the Republican Party was for universal suffrage and freedom.)

A personal moment of great satisfaction came in 1863 he purchased the home of his former owner and father Henry McKee for his mother. Members of the Smalls family would live there for 90 years and the house is now part of the National Historic Trust.

Even without his birth time there is a lot we can learn astrologically about Robert Smalls. He was born with the Sun in Aries, of course; however, his Sun also makes a strong conjunction to Pluto. Pluto Sun conjunctions in birth charts are indicators that person must undergo change in their lifetime. This doesn’t mean everyone will – we have to take into account that pesky idea of free will – however, if one is attuned to that energy the possibilities for growth and change are endless.

I find his retrograded Mars in Virgo very interesting. Mars does not enjoy being in Virgo. It is after all the warrior, the fighter and Virgo is far too reticent for battling Mars. Add to that a retrograde, an inward motion and a karmic pause that often makes people unable to channel their anger. He could have seethed under slavery and given up but he use his Aries Sun and heeded the call of Pluto to make great changes for himself and his society.

This is an important point about retrogrades. Too often people use them as excuses. They take on an attitude of I cannot do anything about this situation because I have a retrograde and well it stops me. No! Retrogrades are meant to be overcome. Smalls’ master and father hired him out in Charleston when Robert was just 12 years old. Over the years, became a lamplighter on Charleston’s streets and then became a stevedore and a wheelman. There is something very “Shawshank Redemption” in him using his Aries spark and that Mars in retrograde to control his emotions, learn the trades and build the knowledge he needed to utilize when the moment for freedom presented itself.

With a South Node in Virgo, Smalls had experienced service before. Not necessarily a slave in prior lives, he was someone who was honed skills of hard work and common sense. Someone with a South Node in Virgo is moving toward a Pisces North Node – going from service to a particular person or career to large, worldly and other worldly issues. It is moving from life of control over a small portion of Earth to letting go and taking a risk – reaching out and trusting the universe will protect you. He did that on that night in Charleston and his continued work on behalf of newly freed slaves showed his continued dedication to powerful issues of the time.

Robert Smalls died in Beaufort at the age of 75 in 1915.

August 25 – The New Moon – No More Excuses.

We have a new Moon coming up today. The New Moon is a good time for setting intentions and decide on ways we will manifest those intentions. This New Moon is in Virgo – the worker bee of the zodiac – and the health maven of the zodiac. Think of Virgo as the one who has control over how you feed, work and care for the body. SO – what a great time – as we head into fall – to make the intentions for better health – avoid winter overeating — and better work habits.

Now here is the trick. We now have a very strong – Mars/Saturn conjunction in the very intense sign of Scorpio. Mars and Saturn is one of the true malefic in the zodiac because they bring about the intense force of Mars, the god of war, and Saturn, the cold task master. It is the classic smash up of hot and cold. If I see Mars and Saturn clashing in marriage charts I always have to raise the touchy question of abuse. Think militaristic task master! Yes, this is activating Issus, Ferguson – you name it.

Ah, but you know how I hate to talk about the negatives only and we can use this force for good! IF the tragedy of Ferguson leads to a constructive change in police tactics and the militarization of police forces and finally to some racial understanding – that we can make an evolutionary jump.

If Congress can stop bickering and help the President address Issus and Syria – well, I can hope can’t I?

For each of us personally – think of where you need to be a task master with your health, your body, your eating habits, and your work. Where have you been slacking off? Where do you need to make some hard decisions? Scorpio is the sign of going within and making deep and profound changes. Mars used to the ruler of Scorpio before poor beleaguered Pluto came into our view – as was Saturn long ago. This is a time to make WONDERFUL changes that you have been avoiding. No excuses anymore.

Here is my Pluto in Capricorn note: I get so many questions about the world falling apart around us and keep having to say Pluto in Capricorn gang – so I decided to add a little periodic Pluto note to my blogs. Pluto in Capricorn brings changes to authority structures. We saw that with President Obama’s election and the subsequent Tea Party backlash. We saw it with the banking system collapse. Now we are seeing it with the police. Change is not always good – I don’t’ think any long term good has come from the banking collapse – we are still destroying the middle class. Will that be the change or will we adopt more populist movements in the upcoming years? That is up to us!

Uranus Square Pluto Until 2015 – How Can We Forget?

A client recently sent me an email in which she bemoaned the rise of ISIS and the general nonsense in the world. She reminded me of a blog entry I made in April during the dreaded “grand cross” when I said we don’t know what evil is being brewed up now that will come to light in the near future. She asked me could this be ISIS. Yes, of course, it could. However, I don’t want to lose sight of the bigger issue here and that is the blasted Uranus-Pluto square that has been going on since 2012 and will continue until well into 2015.

Uranus is quick electric change – the desire to leap ahead and progress at all costs and Pluto is slow, grinding meticulous change. To say it another way it is radical vs. conservative, slow against fast. No matter how you put it there are two forces that don’t agree clashing up against one another. The last Uranus Pluto Square was in 1933 – 1934. Does anyone remember someone named Hitler – who rose from the German ashes of WW I and promised fast change and a new way? Yeah, it isn’t a pretty time.

With Pluto now in Capricorn, the sign of government and authority, we are seeing the clashes. The clashes are in the middle East, in the Ukraine and yes, in Missouri, where people are tired of the old way, tired of feeling marginalized and may jump at any chance to follow any movement, any person who promises a new way – now.

I refuse to predict the gloom and doom repeat of 1933. I hate astrologers who say everything must happen the same way again and again. That is absurd. We are seeing positive government changes here with the rise of the acceptance of LGBT marriages and hopefully the empowering via the voting booth of minorities and women to finally put an end to “fuddy-duddy” politicians. Perhaps out of the anger over more shootings of African American men we can see more people expressing their anger at the voting booth!

The US is in it’s Pluto return – meaning Pluto is back where it was in 1776 when we broke away from England. That is something that always brings great change – we are transforming as a nation – and no matter what people want – we will never go back. By 2040 we will not be a white majority nation no matter what the Tea Party wants. This is adding to the tinderbox.

The Middle East, the Ukraine? We are talking about centuries of tribal warfare. Will Iraq fall apart? Will ISIS take more control of areas? Will Afghanistan come under the rule of Taliban 2? Well those of us who predicted disastrous outcomes to our intervention in the Iraq kind of always knew falling apart would be a distinct possibility.

The key to remember is to keep your head together during this time and keep YOUR eye on the positive change you want to be and see. The more of us who are aware and remain centered the better we all have to get through this for the most part with positive, albeit painful, change at the end of the square.

Robin Williams – The Two Faces of Pisces Duality and Ultimate Triumph

Ah, another great talent and great humanitarian gone. I don’t know why great talent is hindered by great torment.

His addiction problems are evident to even the most neophyte of astrologers with his Pisces Moon, Neptune in the 12^th house. Neptune rules Pisces and vibrates to the 12^th house – that is just a lot of Pisces with all of its escapist, addictive tendencies, for one person to handle. Pisces is a sign of duality symbolized by two fish swimming in opposite directions. It is a tough sign to handle here on Earth.

The great ability to take on so many personas on stage and play so many varied roles is clearly seen in his Pluto Mercury conjunction in the ever “on stage” 10^th house. Pluto the change artist and Mercury the communicator together in Leo – the sign of creativity in the house that seeks societal approval was just one key to his talent.

What I find most poignant about his chart is his Pisces North Node. Robin’s past life indicator (his South Node) was Virgo in the 11^thhouse – meaning that he came from a life of service in which he sought to perfect himself. In fact, Virgo can be quite the task master, always critical, always demanding perfection to a person. He spent lifetimes managing his social circle (11^th house) – keeping them together, doing everything to keep his friends – his tribe – happy and functioning. You know the guy who always plans the birthdays, keeps everyone in touch.

In this lifetime he needed to learn the lessons of Pisces North Node in the 5^th house. The 5^th is the house of personal creativity and Pisces is an expansive sign. Moving from Virgo to Pisces one must broaden themselves – jump into the bigger world. These are the notes I made when studying this nodal placement. “This person must learn that all the world is a stage and everyone is a player. There is no need to stay in control of his little group but learn that personal, creative expression is the highest path to God. One way they can do this is to reach people with great art.”

For all of his Pisces demons, no one with a heart or brain can doubt that Robin Williams fulfilled his soul’s evolutionary goal in this lifetime and brought joy to millions by doing so. RIP.

Quintessential Leo Chart

I have a theory that people achieve fame in their lives because they have very sharply defined charts. They do not have any wishy-washy planets or aspects. On July 29, 1929, Jacqueline Bouvier was born with one hum-dinger of a pronounced chart.

With her South Node or karmic identifier in Scorpio in the first house she lived many lives addicted to drama, and passion – she saw the barriers of life – emotionally and sexually and insisted that they were there for her to break. Scorpios love living on the edge – and coming into life with this Scorpio memory, she was not interested in settling into a “normal” life.

Scorpio also sat on her first house, the house of personality. (Those dark glasses blocking out the world are a dead giveaway for someone who is trying to keep the prying world out – a very Scorpio trick.) Her life of intensity, life and death drama – and passion started with that South Node and Scorpio first house. In the eighth house, the one ironically linked to Scorpio was her Venus, the planet of love and Pluto, the planet of death and transformation. That she had a karmic relationship with her husband’s and they both ended with dramatic, Scorpio deaths was indicative of this placement. As I said, there was nothing wishy-washy about this chart at all.

Her need for money and security comes from her retrograded Saturn in the second house, the house of money and stability. Anyone with a retrograded Saturn has “daddy issues” – and she adored her wayward, womanizing father and we can say – married him twice. She needed old men with money to fill that retrograde.

With her North Node in Taurus – her goal in this life was to find inner peace and stability that I would argue she did at the end of the life – of course, with the help of her second husband’s millions but she did get there.