MARCIA SACKS

The Full Moon is on August 3 at 10:58 a.m. in 11° Aquarius which is generally good for social gatherings. I have a lot of gratitude for living in the time of unlimited phone minutes, the ability to do video call and group meetings, and so many ways to get together on social media. Aquarius full moon are also times when we're likely to come in contact with creative people and new ideas.

Uranus is currently at 10° Taurus in a square (inharmonious) position to the Sun and Moon of this full moon. One key phrase for this aspect is "unexpected changes of plan." Uranus rules electricity so part of the "unexpected" events may be challenges with computers and other devices. Uranus also rules invention, so watch for stories about new discoveries and gadgets.
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On August 15th, Uranus goes retrograde, still at 10° Taurus. This makes the two weeks of the Full Moon to New Moon a very restless and unpredictable time. If you have planets in your natal horoscope in fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius), you might feel the Uranus electricity as a type of agitation. Slow down your decision making - there's a tendency to go to extremes.

If you find that you are too restless to do sitting still type of meditation right now, switch temporarily to slow, gentle hatha yoga, tai chi, or simply go for a walk outside. Chanting a mantra or repeating positive affirmations can help gain calm before going to sleep.

I have some mantras and chanting in a playlist that I've collected from around the internet.

The Temple of Kriya Yoga Musicians have mantra on their albums, which you can sample here.

​You can find me on:

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There's a New Moon tomorrow, Friday, January 24, at 3:42 p.m. CST in 4° Aquarius. Aquarius new moons are excellent times for socializing with friends, exchanging interesting ideas and doing something different from your everyday routine. The sign Aquarius embodies both scientific thought and metaphysical pursuits. Experiment by pulling a Tarot card at the time of the New Moon and see how that message resonates with you and the next two weeks ahead. If you're not a Tarot person, try bibliomancy:

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1. Pick a book - traditionally the Bible, but it could be any spiritual text that's meaningful to you, such as the Bhagavad Gita or Dhammapada.​
2. With your eyes closed, open the book to a random page, let your finger hit somewhere on the page.
3. Open your eyes, read the passage (maybe bookmark it or copy it down).
4. Reflect on the what you've read. How is this a message for you?
5. Watch how the symbolic message plays out in the next few days (or the whole two weeks until the Full Moon).

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​To be more Aquarian in the sense of egalitarianism, try stichomancy. With stichomancy, you use any type of book with the same technique - close eyes, random pick, reflect on the passage. 

Online:

My article "The Journey from Mars to Venus" is now online in Yoga Chicago Magazine.

The new year is a great time to expand your knowledge of astrology. I recommend the Professional Astrology Course from the Temple of Kriya Yoga. This is a distance learning, self-paced online course that can be started any time. The majority of the course is taught by the writings and audio recordings of my guru and astrology teacher Goswami Kriyananda. I'm an instructor for the course, answering student's questions and leading monthly webinars. More information is here: https://www.yogakriya.org/professional-astrology.html
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Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the course content or want a 'tour' of the site via webinar.

You can find me on:

• Facebook
• YouTube
• Twitter
• Yoga Chicago Magazine​

The aspects coming up in these first weeks of January are very intense.  There is some similarity to the first two weeks in January of 2019. It's wise to reflect on what happened then, how you handled the people and situations at that time, what you learned and what skills you gained. This will benefit you in the weeks ahead.

The Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse is this Friday, January 10th in 20° Cancer. The Moon is exactly opposite the Sun at 20° Capricorn (forming the Full Moon), Mercury at 20° Capricorn, plus Saturn and Pluto at 22° Capricorn (exactly conjunct on January 12). This means the emotional sensitivity of the Moon are combined with the Saturn pressures to conform versus the Pluto pressure to transform. It is very much of a volcano aspect - if the pressure is not vented a huge explosion can occur. Sometimes one word (Mercury) can put the match to the fuse, so carefully choose what you say and how you say it.
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Think of how a volcano vents steam to prevent a mountain from blowing its top. We can vent by taking a walk, doing yoga or other balancing movement practices, chanting or singing, or just pulling back from a bad situation. A genuine gentle or caring word to another person may help them vent or defuse. 

For this coming two weeks forecast, I've been talking to my clients (and myself) about moving consciously and carefully. Uranus brings a general type of accident-proneness. I remember one time trying to get something done quickly in the kitchen and deciding (unwisely) to reach up into a cupboard one-handed to try to get one of my glass measuring cups out of the stack. In the blink of an eye, the largest cup fell from above my head to the edge of the sink and onto the kitchen floor shattering into thousands of tiny pieces. By the grace of God, I wasn't hurt. But I felt stupid. What was I thinking? Not much you can do at that point but sweep up. However, I was still finding teeny shards in corners of my kitchen weeks later. Try to take this story symbolically. For the two weeks move slowly and carefully, think before you speak, don’t try to rush whether at home, at work or driving.
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More on these early January aspects in my latest article for Yoga Chicago Magazine: http://yogachicago.com/2019/12/the-journey-from-mars-to-venus/

The New Moon is on February 4, 2019 at 3:03 pm CST in 15° Aquarius. This is the New Moon that signifies the Lunar New Year in many Asian cultures. Because the Solar and Lunar Eclipses in January were so intense, I'm feeling like this Monday will be my fresh start to a new year. The energy in general will be positive for friends, friendships and doing fun activities with a group several days on either side of the new moon.

​Mercury is conjunct the Aquarian New Moon bringing new ideas and quick, to-the-point communications. With Jupiter in a trine (harmonious) aspect to the New Moon, it's excellent for learning new things especially related to science, space travel, computer technology, and astrology which have a symbolic correspondence to Aquarius. Also good for learning things like foreign languages and religious or spiritual philosophy (which relate to Jupiter). 

Jupiter is also the planet of abundance. We are blessed with an abundance of free learning opportunities whether through the library system (books!) or online. I was watching Marie Kondo (author of "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up") on Netflix and became entranced as she spoke in Japanese. I wondered if I could learn Japanese and went online to Duolingo.com . 
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I was delighted to find that they now have Japanese and I started their lessons. Wow! So much harder than any language I've ever tried. But my brain felt happy that I was learning something new. Don't know how far I'll go, but so fun to explore it. Jupiter is in Sagittarius for only one year out of every twelve. What would you have fun learning this year?

Mars is approaching a conjunction with Uranus at 29° Aries: accident proneness, especially cars, electricity and sharp objects. This aspect could fire early at the New Moon or closer to the exact conjunction on February 13th. It may feel so right to take that risk but that feeling could get you into trouble.

I have to tell you that shortly after writing this about Mars and Uranus, I was getting a few things out of my kitchen cupboard (most likely in an unwise way) and a glass measuring cup fell onto the edge of the kitchen sink and smashed into pieces. It was one of those things that happens in the blink of an eye (Uranus) and left hundreds of sharp shards of glass (Mars) on my counter, floor, and sink, not to mention the pieces that fell into the garbage disposer.  My first thought was "Mars/Uranus fired really early!"


I'd recently heard Goswami Kriyananda say (on an audio recording) that lunations (new moons, full moons and eclipses) often trigger an approaching aspect, even a few days before the lunation itself. Anyway, safely clearing up the pieces was a long chore. To me, though, it was an important message that there was some karma going on and a warning not to trigger that Mars/Uranus aspect in other ways. I'll do my best to focus on "shanti, shanti, shanti" (peace, peace, peace). 

In the future:

Sunday, February 10, 2019, I am giving the noon meditation at the Temple of Kriya Yoga:

"Creating Your Cosmic Connection"
Attunement to the Divine or Ishvar-Pranidhana is a key observance in the yoga tradition, and component of spiritual maturity. This noon meditation with focus on the actions we can do mentally and in our everyday life to come nearer to an awareness of our "cosmic connection."

The Professional Astrology Course: How to Be a Practicing Astrologer

Temple of Kriya Yoga is re-launching The Professional Astrology Course: How to Be a Practicing Astrologer. This is a distance learning course where you can go at your own pace. Along with the recorded lectures and written material by Goswami Kriyananda, there will be monthly conference calls or webinars with Temple instructors. It starts with the basics of astrology, planets, signs, houses and aspects, goes through natal chart interpretation, adds in progressions and transits, karmic astrology and advanced topics. So even though it's called a professional course, it's really a good program for anyone who wants to learn astrology in depth. Of course, there is also information on how to consult with clients and other aspects of being a professional astrologer.

I'm one of the program leaders and an instructor for The Professional Astrology Course and would be happy to talk to you about the course and its content (you can message me on the contact page. If you have questions about registration, please contact the Temple of Kriya Yoga.   

The Full Moon is on October 24, 2018 at 11:45 a.m. CDT in 1° Taurus.

The chart of the Full Moon shows Venus and the Sun conjunct in Scorpio opposite the Moon conjunct Uranus in Taurus.

This combination indicates disruptions and restlessness in the areas of partnerships, romance, and sexual attraction. Also, unexpected changes in financial endeavors.  Is it possible to slow down your decision making at this time? For a few days before and after the Full Moon, there may be temptations that will seem very appealing but may not be valuable in the long term.

With Uranus involved, use caution with electronic devices and be sure your computer data is backed up. Some of the temptations may involve purchasing a new mobile phone or tablet. Read the reviews carefully and wait to see if the craving for a new toy subsides enough to make a sound decision on the purchase.

I like this affirmation (inspired by Louise Hay):
"I am Divinely guided and protected and I make choices that are beneficial for me."

The sextile from Venus and Sun to Saturn along with the trine from Moon and Uranus to Saturn signifies help and stability from longtime friends. 

Today, as I'm writing this Uranus is in 2° Taurus making its turn retrograde.  Stationary points concentrate the energy of a planet in that position.  Uranus is high energy, the energy of a lightning bolt or live wire.  It's accident proneness and sudden unexpected changes of plan. Stay flexible and ready for adventure over the next several days.

Generally, I say to clients, "Don't stick a fork into the toaster." This is a symbol to keep you conscious of the potential for household electrical issues.  You should apply this to your own circumstances. Turn off the light before you change the light bulb. Pop off the circuit breaker before you repair an electrical socket. If you see the people around you are on edge, calm yourself down first before speaking. And as I said a couple weeks ago, take a deep breath and bless your car before you drive.

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​With all the excitement, we need some inner peace. The mantra calling on the Universe to help us find peace at every level of our being is "Om shanti, shanti, shanti".

You can listen to it on the Mantra: Sounds of Transformation album - it's the last track:
https://kriyau.com/music/mantra-sounds-of-transformation/
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(Just FYI, I'm one of the voices in the chorus on this album.)

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This same week, we have the Solar Eclipse on August 11, 2018 at 4:57 a.m. CDT in 18°Leo.  The Sun represents your outer life and the Moon represents your inner life. So the inner and outer parts of you are aligned but intensified in the glow of Leo.  In my article for Yoga Chicago magazine I describe this intriguing aspect to the eclipse:

"the finger of God" (yod) aspect from the transpersonal Neptune and Pluto to the Eclipse Sun and Moon … reminds us that we are infinitesimally small in proportion to the universe, whereas our pride and ego are galactically large." 

What I mean to say is that Leo as a zodiac sign is symbolic of leadership and creativity.  With the eclipse in Leo everyone needs to watch their motivations. Are you a servant leader or dictatorial leader? Are you playful and generous in your artistic endeavors or are you a diva? Over-inflated egos may get deflated by circumstances outside of their control at this time.

Saturn in Capricorn is still in that favorable trine to Uranus in Taurus. Keep steady toward your goals. Your hard work will pay off, first when Mercury goes direct on August 19th and even more so after Mars ends its retrograde on August 27th.

Coming up:

Astrologer Lyn Ewing with be speaking on Tuesday night, August 14 at the next NCGR meeting on:
A JOURNEY THROUGH THE HOUSES OF THE HOROSCOPE: THE CREATION OF IDENTITY
http://www.chicagolandastrology.org/news.html
​I'm a member of this NCGR chapter and enjoy hearing different perspectives on astrology each month.

The new moon is on Tuesday, January 16, 2018, 8:17 pm CST at 26° Capricorn. 

Whatever you do at a new moon will follow you for at least the following two weeks.  Capricorn is a sign of the earth element and the cardinal quality (a force of outgoing action).  Think about the power of the earth when it moves:  mud slides, avalanches etc.  Remember that a huge rock slide can start as a small stream of pebbles. These pebbles are the thoughts you think repeatedly and words that you choose to say.  They are also the small activities that you choose to apply toward your life goals.

There is also a lineup of six planets in the sign Capricorn.  Capricorn energy is all about your life responsibilities.  In general, people will feel that they are surrounded by life responsibilities at this time.  For those with steadiness of purpose this energy can be very productive.  However ….

The new moon is in a close square to Uranus (24° Aries) and a wide conjunction to Pluto (19° Capricorn).  The keywords of this aspect is "rebellion against responsibilities."  If you're looking at the pressure of responsibility and thinking "I quit!" this would be the time to take a deep breath and resolve to wait three or four days after the new moon and re-evaluate the situation.

There's also a tendency to give others an ultimatum in the sense of "If you don't do [this], [I quit] or [I'm leaving] or [get out]."  This will tend to provoke an immediate (but not usually positive) result.  My spiritual tradition asks us to use wisdom when we feel these types of overwhelming emotions arise.  Is it wise to speak at this time?  Can you wait a few days to have that conversation?

Sort things out and find inner peace through creative work:  draw, paint or write poems about your feelings and emotions. 
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Soothe the jagged edges with the mantra "Om shanti, shanti, shanti."  Om is the sound of the oneness of the universe and shanti is the Sanskrit word for peace.  You can use this affirmation which is one way to translate the mantra: "On every level of my being, let there be peace, peace, peace." 

The first full moon of the year is on January 1, 2018, 8:24 p.m. CST. at 11° Cancer.  The full moon in this sign is great for enjoying things having to do with home and family. This full moon is trine to Neptune so excellent for taking time for meditation, reflection, guided imagery and paying attention to your dreams.

Uranus is station direct on January 2 at 24° Aries with a week on either side of this date for the effect.  One positive phrase for this is "creative insights."  Keep a pen and paper handy to right down all your ideas no matter how far out they seem.  If not written down, they may be ephemeral, easily lost among the multitude of thoughts racing through your mind at this time.

The phrase that embodies the challenge of Uranus is "sudden, unexpected change of plan."  Remember that humans are generally good problem solvers. Take a deep breath, be flexible and find the "creative insight" to make things better.

What about New Year's resolutions you ask?  Resolve to be happy!  Here is a reprint of an article I wrote for The Monthly Aspectarian back in 1998 which describes some perils, pitfalls and opportunities for success with your resolutions:

The full moon this month occurs on Saturday, November 4, 2017, 12:22 a.m. at 11° Taurus.  It is opposed to the Sun and Jupiter and sextile to Neptune (plus a wide trine to Pluto).  A significant aspect in the chart of the Full Moon is Venus in Libra exactly opposed to Uranus in Aries.

"What the new moon promises, the full moon fulfills."  That old astrological saying means you have to remember and record what happened at the new moon in order to look back.  Just jot down at the new moon what happened; in particular, new beginnings, the people you met for the first time, and anything out of the ordinary.  Then record at the full moon if you can see a relationship between those new moon occurrences and things that happen at the full moon. 

With Jupiter involved, projects or ventures that were started under the new moon will expand, hopefully in a positive financial way but it could be in scope or work hours. 
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The mood of this full moon is upbeat and optimistic.  You might even feel some pronoia. It's the feeling that the universe is out to do you good (the opposite of paranoia).  Classically, one might say there's a potential for good luck or good fortune.  Spiritually, experiencing greater connection with the Divine is a possibility.

Here's the cautionary note:  With the Venus/Uranus opposition, if you're prone to bouts of manic shopping or spending, this aspect might encourage it.  In general, relationships started at this time might be fun but not long lasting.

Full Moon Affirmation:  I am open and receptive to all the good and abundance in the universe. (Louise Hay)

I am reading:  Sidewalk Oracles by Robert Moss