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The Full Moon is on Thursday, July 10 at 3:36 pm CDT in 19° Capricorn. This Full Moon puts the focus on responsibilities and those tasks and chores that cannot be put off. Saturn, the ruler of Capricorn, is at a stationary point on July 13th as it turns retrograde at 1° Aries. This week and next is not the best time to start new projects or add extra things into your current schedule.
More at the link below.
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The New Moon is on Wednesday, June 25 at 5:31 a.m. CDT in 4° Cancer.
All the nurturing nature of Cancer is expanded by its conjunction with Jupiter at 3° Cancer. It's like floating on the warm waves of the ocean, with the Sun of the solstice warming us from above. Perfectly relaxed and comfortable. The New Moon in Cancer conjunct Jupiter symbolizes the gifts of the mother. I came across it expressed this way in chapter 51 from the Dao De Jing (Ken Liu translation with me paraphrasing a little): “This virtue creates without possessing, gives without expecting, nurtures without dominating.” 
The ongoing challenge of Saturn conjunct Neptune
In the chart of the New Moon, we also have the ongoing challenge of the Saturn/Neptune conjunction in Aries. The key phrase for this conjunction is "facing reality." The longer we have ignored an issue, the stronger the events we have to face, especially now through mid-July. I've been reflecting on this quote from Eric Klein of Wisdom Heart, "“Until you meet your life fully – as it is – the wisdom that is encoded in experience will be concealed and the next step of your awakening journey will remain hidden.” Aries is a sign that exemplifies courage, which we need in order to boldly look life right in the eye and then take the wisest action possible. 
Neptune goes retrograde on July 4th at 2° Aries. A week on either side of that date is a time when it's harder to face reality because it's difficult to discern exactly what is true and what is not. Saturn goes retrograde on July 13th at 1° Aries, so as the 'spaciness' of Neptune dissolves away, our situations become clear but with work and responsibilities ahead. Take your time with decision-making. Read the fine print.
Uranus moves into Gemini on July 7th
Uranus is moving from Taurus to Gemini. In the fixed earth sign Taurus, Uranus - the planet of unexpected changes - was limited. When it moves into Gemini a mutable (flexible) air sign, it will be unlimited. More freedom, more choices, but likely more chaotic. Our ideas will be brilliant but fleeting - write them down quickly. With Pluto in Aquarius and Uranus in Gemini, information technology, whether computers or artificial intelligence, will be transformed exponentially rapidly, and in ways we can’t comprehend now. 
Online:
Here is the video of my talk for the Summer Solstice. It includes a guided meditation using the colors of the flowers to intensify our prana when we're in the midst of the beauty of nature.
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The Full Moon is on Wednesday, June 11 at 2:43 a.m. CDT in 20° Sagittarius.
You may find yourself making your own plans for travel and adventure or simply enjoying books, movies or TV shows of others who go to the farthest reaches of the earth. Maybe a lunch or dinner at a restaurant of a culture different than your own is your type of adventure. Learning something new that you can take a deep dive into is also part of the Full Moon in Sagittarius. Because Sagittarius is a mutable fire sign, it often burns bright but quickly burns out. Because of this, give yourself permission to check new things out, but also to quit if a long term commitment to a project or hobby doesn't feel right. Jupiter, the astrological ruler of Sagittarius, moves from Gemini to Cancer on June 9th. Jupiter is in each sign for about 12 months. Look for Jupiter to expand all things Cancerian - home, family, emotional levels (both up and down), our sensitivity to our environment and our natural intuitive abilities. With Jupiter in the cardinal water sign Cancer, I'm reflecting on the waves of the ocean and the powerful currents in a river like the Mississippi. Water symbolizes our emotions, so we could make the connection to a 'flood of emotions' or emotions overflowing. Jupiter in general symbolizes optimism and positivity, so there can be an uplift in our attitudes this year. In our meditations and prayers, the feeling state of unconditional love and infinite compassion may be more easily accessed. Jupiter is related to wisdom and learning. In Sanskrit the word for the planet Jupiter is "guru". Sri Ganesha is an aspect of the Divine related to learning, especially to life-long learning. This is a Sanskrit mantra for attunement to Ganesha by Deva Premal. Sri Ganesha is also the "remover of obstacles" so there is an extra blessing to this mantra.
Coming up:
The Summer Solstice is on Friday, June 20th at 9:42 pm CDT. Kriya Yoga Teachings is offering a short solstice talk and meditation given by me on that day at noon central time via Zoom. Newsletter subscribers will receive the zoom link or email [email protected] The Astrology Study Group with Marcia Sacks meets on Wednesday, June 18, 7 pm central time via Zoom. The topic will be Electional Astrology. If you're not already on my email list for the group, register here. The Tarot Study Group with Marcia Sacks meets on Friday, June 20, at 5 pm CDT via Zoom. More information and registration link here. Online: Here is the video of my talk from last Sunday: Tarka: The Spiritual Practice of Reflection
A lovely article I found recently called The Zodiac as Memory.
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The New Moon is on Monday, May 26 at 10:02 pm in 6° Gemini. New thoughts, new ideas, and the urge to share them with everyone. Gemini and its planetary ruler Mercury, also in Gemini, have lots to do with writing, teaching and communicating in general. Fun conversations with topics that skew all over the place. Gemini energy is lively and playful - inside for games and puzzles - outside for walking and talking.
When the mind is restless, as it might be with all the Gemini influence at the new moon, it can be helpful to chant or sing a mantra out loud. Or put your affirmation to music. Or hum along to music - it can vibrate the throat chakra. The benefits of humming are described in The Humming Effect. Listening to this OM mantra can be very calming:
Saturn and Neptune in Aries
Saturn has just gone into Aries on May 24, immediately approaching its conjunction with Neptune. The exact conjunction won't take place until 2026. However, these two planets are very close in July. The two critical dates are July 4 when Neptune is stationary going retrograde at 2° Aries 11' and July 13 when Saturn is stationary going retrograde at 1° Aries 56'. Right now would be a good time to take a look at what needs to be fixed and take care of it before July. Saturn conjunct Neptune means "facing reality." So, metaphorically, a drip in a faucet that could have been an easy repair, when ignored (Neptune), could lead to facing the reality of a flood and a big (expensive) repair. 
More on Saturn in Aries On the other hand, we were just talking about Saturn in Aries in my Friday morning class. One wise soul pointed out that Saturn represents our habits. He pointed out that to refrain from a bad habit, it can be helpful to put that Saturn in Aries energy into establishing a new good habit. In this way, you use the discipline of the good habit to replace the bad habit. Online: The lecture I gave for the Northern Illinois Chapter of NCGR is available for a $5 donation to the chapter: May 2025 - Marcia Sacks - Karmic Astrology: Trining your Squares and Squaring your Trines More of my talks and a special discount link are listed here under NCGR lectures. Coming up: June 1, Sunday 10 a.m. CDT, via Zoom from Kriya Yoga Teachings Tarka: The Spiritual Practice of Reflection with Marcia Sacks One of the niyamas in the eight-limbed path of yoga is swadhyaya or self-study. There are many ways to learn about ourselves in order to gain awareness and find balance in our everyday lives. One important practice is tarka which is all about taking quiet time to reflect on our lives and Life Itself. In this talk, you'll receive some suggestions on how to do tarka plus a specific tarka ritual taught by Goswami Kriyananda. The twenty minute talk will be followed by discussion. Email [email protected] to request the Zoom link. 
Beginning Meditation with Sharon Steffensen
If you know someone who has been wanting to learn meditation or if you would like to refresh your meditation practice check out this six-week course on Zoom, Mondays, June 2 - July 7, 6 - 7 pm central time. There is no charge for this class but registration is required. To register and receive the zoom link, email [email protected] Discuss what meditation is and is not, the benefits, techniques, and how to get the most out of a short practice. The teachings are based on Goswami Kriyananda’s book, Beginner’s Guide to Meditation (suggested reading). Sharon Steffensen is a long-time student of Goswami Kriyananda. She graduated from his meditation teacher training, Hatha yoga teacher training, and seminary. She is the founder and publisher of Yoga Chicago magazine, which appeared in print from 1994 through 2020, and continues online at www.yogachicago.com. Photo credits: New moon photo by Benjamin Voros on Unsplash Flooding by by Pete Linforth from Pixabay 
The Full Moon is on Monday, May 12 at 11:55 a.m. in 22° Scorpio which gives us a deeper awareness into our subconscious mind where we can see the motivations for our actions more clearly. We are more intuitive than usual at this time. And our minds are drawn both to what we have and what we need to let go of. In the spring, the seed needs to let go of its protective shell in order to sprout and grow.
A good mantra for this type of letting go is "Om Namah Shivaya" honoring the Divine process of transformation and renewal. Here is Krishna Das chanting it with Nina Rao and others:
Full Moon opposed Uranus
The Full Moon at 22° Scorpio opposes the Sun at 22° Taurus and Uranus at 27° Taurus. This suggests sudden, unexpected changes of plan. For all of us, there's a certain amount of restlessness or agitation. For some, Uranus brings chaos. Moving with awareness, deliberately slowing down, and thinking before speaking can help. Watch for the flashes of genius Uranus can bring. Unusual ideas, inventions, even resistance to norms can help us find a new path. An Astrology Experiment Try this at each full moon: go back to the previous new moon in the same sign. For example, the new moon in Scorpio was on November 1, 2024. If you journaled then, you can determine if there is a message from your past self to your present-day self. Can you see a repeating pattern? Have circumstances in your life changed since that new moon. What is obvious to you now that you didn't know then? Did you begin something then, that is coming to culmination now? 
Coming up: Saturn enters Aries on May 24th
On May 24, Saturn enters the fire sign Aries for two and a half years. Saturn's positive keywords are foundation and construction. Saturn in Aries is like clay fired in a kiln. A cup or plate might be created which can be useful and a beautiful work of art. A brick can be created which is strong and can be used to build a house. Saturn's other keywords are limitation and constriction. A clay object, whether pottery or brick, has lost flexibility when fired in a kiln. It must remain in that shape. All your experiences with Saturn in Aries will either build strength or limit you in some way. Use wisdom, self-discipline, and skillful means to get the best from Saturn. Karmic Astrology Seminar The Northern Illinois Chapter of NCGR presents: Karmic Astrology: Trining Your Squares and Squaring Your Trines with Marcia Sacks Tuesday, May 13, 7:30 pm CDT via Zoom $5 NCGR Members, $10 non-members Registration click here Bring your own horoscope and learn how to create a positive future using the karmic astrology techniques of trining your squares and squaring your trines. Multiple methodologies will be discussed which you will be able to apply to any aspect in your natal, progressed or transiting chart. This process is sometimes called remediation, mitigation, sympathetic magic or the yoga of wise action. Babaji Festival 2025 - Celebrating the Living Lineage Here is our video from the April 27th Babaji Festival where we honor Babaji and the gurus of our Kriya lineage. My talk on "Planetary Changes, The Eternal Dharma, and the Living Lineage" is included along with other talks, mantra, music and stories.
The New Moon is on Sunday April 27, at 2:30 pm CDT in 7° Taurus. The strength of a Taurus new moon gives us the ability to get really down to earth, really practical in our projects and ideas. In the northern hemisphere we are experiencing spring and can easily commune with nature. Even looking out my window as I'm writing, I'm hearing a multitude of birds chirping and seeing the mist of new green leaves appearing in the distance. Fresh air from an open window is a joy. Taurus is ruled by Venus, the planet of beauty. Tuning into nature's beauty is a known stress reliever.
The main aspect in the new moon chart is a T-Square with the Sun and Moon at 7° Taurus and Mars squaring that point from 4° Leo and Pluto squaring from 3° Aquarius.
Goswami Kriyananda described the Sun as an external amplifier and the Moon as an internal amplifier. So, a new moon or full moon are always intensifying events happening in your outer world and heightening your emotions.
If Mars (activation, motivation, anger) and Pluto (transformation, rebellion, revolution) are in a challenging aspect to the Sun and Moon, they can test your resolve to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, if you find yourself motivated to take your old papers to the neighborhood shredding event, you are using this aspect's energy in a positive way. Recycling is a Pluto word, symbolizing the 'circle of life.' What other things could we do to honor Pluto's transformative nature? 
I like to clean out a drawer or closet during Pluto aspects. Pluto in mythology is the god of the underworld. Closets, drawers, basements - these are our symbolic underworlds. Like our subconscious, things may get stored away because we don't want to deal with them. Here's my affirmation:
I am cleaning up and clearing out making space in my life for all the good coming to me now.
One more note of caution: When we start feeling like we know best how the world should be run or what other people should do, that’s a Mars in Leo opposed Pluto in Aquarius thought. We are more easily magnetized to those type of thoughts at this new moon. When we become aware of those thoughts, that’s our clue to pull inward and reflect on the work we still have left to do on our own selves.
Coming up: Pluto goes retrograde on May 4 at 3° Aquarius. Pluto is a powerful motivator. If you have clear goals, Pluto will give you a push toward achievement. If you are stuck, Pluto will provide strong reasons to make that change now. You can find me on:  The Full Moon is on Saturday, April 12 at 7:22 pm CDT in 23° Libra. Take time to reflect on your partnerships, whether romance, business or just working with someone on a project. Partnerships, relationships, and diplomatic missions are ruled by Libra and therefore more significant at this full Moon. Look for balance, compromise, and compassion as much as possible. Mars at 27° is squared to the Sun and Moon indicating that we will all be more sensitive to criticism, even mild critiques. On the other hand, the cardinal energy of Aries, Libra, and Cancer may give us the push to get going on those plans that faltered when Mercury went retrograde. Venus is at a stationary point, turning direct on April 12 at 24° Pisces. Venus is moving slowly to conjunct Saturn at 25° Pisces (exact around April 25). With Saturn and Venus in close alignment people tend to feel dissatisfied with life. That dissatisfaction (Saturn) can relate to purchases (Venus represent money) or a feeling of confinement (Saturn) in romantic relationships (Venus). The benefit of knowing astrology, is knowing that a Venus transit is relatively brief. If it is logical, delay money and relationship decisions until a week after April 25 to see if your situation or attitudes have changed. Just when you think we're out of Mercury retrograde you realize it's heading back to the conjunction with Neptune making things unclear and uncertain at least for a week or so. Review all documents. Proofread important messages. Do your best to communicate clearly. Be willing to give others the benefit of the doubt in written messages that lack tone or verbal cues. Ask for clarification.  Coming up this weekend: The Furthest Reaches of Dreamwork This Saturday, April 12, noon central time, Robert Moss will be doing another of his valuable talks on dreamwork, free via The Shift Network. https://theshiftnetwork.com/Furthest-Reaches-Dreamwork Second Sunday Tarot A discussion group for anyone from beginner to long-time reader of the Tarot. Sunday, April 13 12 - 2 pm CDT via Zoom https://www.meetup.com/tarot-336/ Ongoing: Astrology, Kriya Yoga, and the Path of the Mystic Open Q&A with Marcia Sacks, Swami K. Adinadananda Most Fridays, 11 am - 12 pm CST via Zoom Click here for description and registration Astrology Study Group with Marcia Sacks Webinar: The Karmic Lessons of Your Ascendant Wednesday, April 23 at 7 pm CDT via Zoom. More information and registration: http://www.kriyastrology.com/astrology-study-group.html Resources: A minute of nature and relaxing meditation with Swami Jnanamudrananda https://www.facebook.com/reel/2363456314027794 The Healing Power of Sound: Nina Rao Performs "White Tara Mantra" Healing Light Meditation with Marcia Sacks  The New Moon is a Solar Eclipse taking place on Saturday, March 29 at 5:57 a.m. CDT in 9° Aries. Coming right after the Sun's entrance into Aries at the Vernal Equinox on March 20, this Solar Eclipse is filled with energy, vitality, and the urge to go headfirst into something new. With the full force of the Sun and Moon, the eclipse is conjunct the degree Mercury went retrograde on March 15 and the degree Venus went retrograde on March 2. This suggests that however strong the desire to take action is, it could be wise to pause for a moment of reflection. Are you setting out onto a clear path, one that aligns with your highest goals? Or, are you walking into the fog (or off a cliff)? Mercury is still retrograde until April 7 and less than a degree away from an exact conjunction with nebulous Neptune as the eclipse occurs. There's a lot of idealism, imagination, and vague intuitions, but perhaps fewer facts. Mercury retrograde can be good for research and planning, so it can help to start all new projects with those.  Mars is the planetary ruler of Aries, so any mantra, meditation or balancing of chi related to the Mars (manipura) chakra can be beneficial. Ram is the seed syllable of the Mars chakra and relates to Rama, the avatar of Vishnu and the hero of the Ramayana. Here is a Ram mantra from Krishna Das: Coming up: Neptune enters Aries on March 30 transiting this sign for the next 14 years. When you are confused, have a cup of tea. It's a symbol of boiling water (the fire of Aries, the god of the waters Neptune) creating something healthful and soothing. Patanjali's Yoga Sutras - Asana and Pranayama The Practice of Balancing Your Physical and Pranic Life Energies with Swami Pharananda A 20 minute talk with discussion afterward Presented by Kriya Yoga Teachings Sunday, April 6, 10 a.m. via Zoom Email [email protected] to receive the zoom link Relationship Astrology - Synastry with Lynn Ewing presented by the Northern Illinois Chapter of NCGR In comparing their individual natal charts to one another we can understand the karma that brings them together as well as understand the difficulties, challenges, eases and successes within their connection. Tuesday, April 8, 7:30 pm via Zoom Members: $5, Non-members: $10 To register and pay for this seminar Ongoing: Astrology, Kriya Yoga, and the Path of the Mystic Open Q&A with Marcia Sacks, Swami K. Adinadananda Most Fridays, 11 am - 12 pm CST via Zoom Click here for description and registration Online: Here's the video of my talk given on the Vernal Equinox, March 20, 2025  The Full Moon is a Lunar Eclipse on Friday, March 14, at 1:54 am CDT in 23° Virgo. If emotions are high at a normal Full Moon, they are intensified in the days before and after the Lunar Eclipse. Eclipses bring change, so we look at aspects to the Moon to see if those changes will be harmonious or inharmonious. The Moon in this Lunar Eclipse is opposed to Saturn at 22° Pisces and, of course, the Sun at 23° Pisces. Saturn in this configuration makes it a difficult time for changes, often indicating that the changes could be forced on you by a boss or other authority figure (or the government). Under any Saturn aspect, tasks will take longer than planned or be a greater commitment than described. . With the Moon in Virgo involved, there is a tendency for everyone to ramp up complaints and critiques. While Virgo types might imagine they are being helpful pointing out the faults of others, Pisces types take it personally and feel hurt or victimized. Goswami Kriyananda taught that "santosha" or contentment was the most important of the yogic observances. In his book "The Spiritual Science of Kriya Yoga" he explains that verbal contentment means not complaining. I talked about this in my noon meditation last Sunday for the Light of Kriya Sangha. The video is listed below. If you want a Lunar Eclipse challenge, try a "complaint fast". So instead of going for 24 hours without food as a spiritual discipline, try going without verbally complaining about anything for 24 hours. If you think that won’t be too hard, step up your game and try not to complain silently in your mind for that time.  I love reflecting on the actual astronomy of the planets. For something new about Saturn, check out this article about The Moons of Saturn. Online: I gave a talk for the Light of Kriya Yoga Sangha last Sunday called "Bloom Where You are Planted." Along with my thoughts about living in this wondrous garden of God and how to gain more contentment, there is also a guided healing meditation at the end. This week: My four-week "How to Read Tarot Cards" starts this Friday, March 14 at 5 pm central time via Zoom. Class description and registration information. Coming Up: Kriya Yoga Teachings invites you to a short talk and meditation to celebrate the arrival of the Sun at 0° Aries, the start of spring, and a time for new beginnings. Vernal Equinox: The Blessing of New Beginnings Thursday, March 20, 2025 12 noon central time via Zoom With Swami K. Adinadananda (Marcia Sacks) Email: [email protected] for the zoom link Ongoing: The topic for this week's talk and discussion is "Reincarnation" at Astrology Kriya Yoga and the Path of the Mystic (every Friday at 11 a.m. central time). Class description and registration information. Astrology Study Group: once a month Q&A or occasional webinar. Description and registration.  The New Moon is on Thursday, February 27 at 6:44 pm in 9° Pisces. Actually, there are a lot of planets in Pisces right now, making it a very 'watery' time. Water signs, like Pisces, enhance our intuitive nature but make us hyperaware of all the suffering that's going on around us. It can be helpful to cleanse or strengthen your own aura - not to block out the world - but to be more attuned to the unlimited flow of Divine Goodness and to be able to send that Goodness back out as a blessing to all beings. Cleansing your aura can be as easy as taking a pleasantly warm shower, especially after work or after a difficult human interaction. For those of you who have learned pranayama - yoga breathing techniques - those with the rapid in and out of the breath (such as the bellows breath), give your aura a good shake, like taking a dusty rug outside and flapping it in the wind. More simply, walking in nature, especially a walk by a river or around a pond can be aura cleansing. For aura strengthening, try this: standing straight, arms at your sides, turn your palms up, begin to inhale and raise your arms out to the side and over your head till your palms touch together. As you are bringing your arms up, imagine that you are pulling beautiful white or golden light up around you, from below your feet and over the top of your head. Turn your palms 'face out' and as you exhale, push the light further out around you as you bring your arms back down to your sides. Do this a few times and then relax. (PS - If you have any physical limitations, do this sitting down, laying down, or just use your imagination and picture yourself doing it.)  NEW CLASS! How to Read Tarot Cards with Marcia Sacks, Swami K. Adinadananda 4 weeks beginning Friday, March 14, 5 pm CST via Zoom Learn to read Tarot Cards and understand their symbols and deeper meaning including a Kriya Yoga and astrological perspective. Recommended deck: Rider-Waite Tarot (also called Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot) Recommended text: A Complete Guide to the Tarot by Eden Gray There is no charge for this class because I am paying forward the generosity of my guru, Goswami Kriyananda and his abundant sharing of wisdom with his disciples. Because Tarot tradition requires some sort of energy exchange, I'd like you to send me a message requesting to be in the class - that's an easy energy exchange :) If you are moved to do so, consider making a donation to a charity that represents what you would most like to see manifest in the world. Kriya Yoga Teachings This Sunday, March 2, 10 am via Zoom Life fulfillment, maximizing yoga's yamas and niyamas to unfold your life's journey with Swami Rakshananda (Gary Wager) The yamas and niyamas are a detailed map of where you are in your unfoldment and potential of your life. They free you to take ownership of your life, directing it to the fulfillment that all seek. Email: [email protected] to receive the Zoom link. All are welcome. Online: So grateful for this The Astrology Podcast episode with Jason Holley, not only because I love experiential astrology and use it when I teach, but also because he honors my beloved friend, and sister in the dharma, the late Barbara Schermer. Her book Astrology Alive! is sadly out of print but available as a used book. Barbara and I studied together with Goswami Kriyananda and she was an inspiration and mentor to me as I began my astrology practice. |
AuthorMarcia Sacks is an astrologer in the Kriya Yoga tradition. Archives
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