 The New Moon is on January 31, at 11:45 pm in 12° Aquarius. For many of us, the Aquarian feelings of fellowship and urge to get together with friends will continue to be fulfilled by social media and Zoom. That's because the New Moon is conjunct Saturn (limitation) and square to Uranus (electronics and technology). The mood of rebellion (Uranus) against those in power (Saturn) is strong. Observe your own emotions in order to balance out inner conflict between authority and defiance. You may find yourself on one side in one situation (i.e. parent/child) and on another (i.e. boss/employee) in the same day. The best mantra is "Om, shanti, shanti, shanti" or the affirmation "Let there be peace on every level of my body and mind."  Mercury goes direct on February 3rd at 24° Capricorn which puts it conjunct Pluto at 26° Capricorn. If you have projects that have been going slowing or were put on hold, they will most likely have a jump start around February 3rd. Pluto is a planet of motivation and Mercury is thoughts and ideas so a lot of impetus to get going. With communications, though, the aspect symbolizes harsh words spoken. Your responsibility is to use tact and diplomacy as much as possible. Check those quick phrases of texts and instant messaging to ensure they are not misunderstood. In about a week after the Mercury direct, things will be flowing more smoothly. 
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 The Full Moon is on Monday, January 17 at 5:48 p.m. in 27° Cancer, the zodiacal sign of home and family. Is there something simple you can do to make your home more comfortable? Around here in the Midwest that might mean putting a comfy blanket on the couch to wrap up in during this cold weather or making a pot of soup. Incense or essential oils can lift the vibration of a living area. The Full Moon is opposed to Pluto at 27° Capricorn. I'm always looking for correspondences between events in the news and the current planetary aspects. When I saw the stories (today as I'm writing this) about the underwater Tonga volcano and tsunami, I felt that resembled the combination of aspects in the Full Moon chart. Then, I take the symbol and apply it to our inner life. Pluto is the ruler of the underworld, and therefore the fiery depths of the volcano. But "fiery depths" can also be our angers and resentments that simmer in our subconscious for a long time but suddenly "erupt" into the open. The Moon and Cancer rule the oceans and our emotions in astrology. So with the Pluto, we might see that volcanic explosion turn into a tsunami of emotion that floods out in a destructive way toward other people.  What do we do with this information? Stay conscious. Be aware of when another person or something you see on TV, read in a book, or hear about on the news triggers a memory of a past hurt, anger or resentment at this Full Moon. First, you acknowledge to yourself that you recognize the aspect in as logical way as possible. "Hey, look at that - there's that Full Moon and Pluto." Or "There's that volcano heating up my emotions." Sometimes just the awareness helps us to let go and stop the build up of pressure. Secondly, we need to do things to let off steam whether it's writing it out, talking to a sympathetic friend, or going for a walk. Active forms of attunement to peacefulness can be helpful such as chanting/singing out loud. Try this mantra which means "May all beings attain peace and harmony." Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu Uranus going direct at 10° Taurus on January 18th adds to the combination of hard to manage situations indicated in the Full Moon chart. Unexpected changes of plan is one key phrase. Issues with electronics and computers can occur. Watch your anger/emotional reaction to these circumstances as well. In general, with the aspects this week, it's not a good time for important decisions. Wait a week if possible. You may find that things will be seen from a different perspective then. There is an abundance of beautiful chanting and meditative music on YouTube. Here are some I've collected:
Mantra, Kirtan, Chanting You can find me on: If you want to receive this blog post as an email newsletter, please contact me.  The first New Moon of the year is this Sunday, January 2 at 12:33 pm CST in 12° Capricorn. The down-to-earth energy of Capricorn is good for new beginnings of projects or resolutions that are practical and achievable. Think about that one thing (idea, action, or affirmation) that will be your foundation for the year. The new year and the new moon with its Capricorn potential is also great time to put organizational structures into place (calendars, task lists, etc.) which will help you to get those things done.  Mercury goes retrograde on January 14th in 10° Aquarius. It will be conjunct Saturn at 13° Aquarius. Plan ahead to get important communications out or critical project started before then (or after February 3rd when it goes direct). Keep this in mind if you've made New Year's resolutions. You may feel discouraged about the results of your efforts during this Mercury retrograde period. But after it goes direct, the time and intensity you put in will begin to pay off.  My astrology talk for the Temple of Kriya Yoga "Your Spiritual Journey with Astrology in 2022" can now be viewed on the Temple's YouTube here: Wishing you all a very healthy, happy and harmonious new year!
 The Full Moon is on Saturday, December 18, at 10:36 pm CST in 27° Gemini. This sign is lively and social, with a strong desire to communicate thoughts, ideas, and philosophy. The polarity of the Moon in Gemini and the Sun in Sagittarius will illustrate the distinction between people who get the gist from reading the headlines and those who enjoy reading longer articles and books. The chart of the Full Moon includes Venus at its stationary point going retrograde on 12/19 at 26° Capricorn. Not a good time for major purchases - things turn out to be of less value that they first appear. This position of Venus puts it conjunct to Pluto. Emotionally, this aspect symbolizes strong desires and possibly jealousy and envy a few days before and after the Full Moon. Can you temper those with wisdom? Or at least stop watching those commercials where people get a new car in their driveway with a bow on it for Christmas?  The Winter Solstice takes place on December 21st at 9:59 am when the Sun is at 0° Capricorn. It marks the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of a new quarter of a year astrologically. Within the chart of the Solstice, Saturn is coming up to square Uranus (the exact square is a few days later on December 24). It is important to reflect on the past year to see if we've learned to handle our internal Saturn and Uranus conflicts (sorry, there still might be outer events beyond our control no matter how internally balanced we are). The past dates for the Saturn square Uranus were February 17 and June 14th. Look back at those periods of time to get a sense of what might be happening on December 24th. One theme for Saturn square Uranus is rebellion (Uranus) against authority (Saturn). Another is the feeling of our new ideas being squashed by tradition. I've written in the past about how the approaches to the pandemic exemplify this aspect. Wearing masks is a practical way to prevent the spread of airborne diseases. Yet, there are many who feel so rebellious that they act against their own interests by not wearing a mask. The same thing is illustrated in the opposite way as Uranus indicates innovation in science like the vaccine which can ultimately bring us freedom from the confinement of pandemic restrictions. Saturn then represents the resistance of those who are reluctant to being vaccinated. From my perspective as a human who is trying to find peace and practice compassion, I need to be able to balance the emotions that arise in these types of situations and also to decide if it's necessary to take action to get my needs met. I like the Serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change To be honest, most of the time we can't change other people, only ourselves. Knowing that there's a stressful aspect on Christmas Eve gives us the opportunity to resist the temptation to criticize others and their beliefs (Saturn) or to toss edgy ideas into the conversation that we know will get a rise out of others (Uranus).  Coming Up: My astrology talk "Your Spiritual Journey with Astrology in 2022" for the Temple of Kriya Yoga will be online this Sunday following the noon meditation noon here: www.yogakriya.org/sunday-services.html and will be available there the rest of the week. My previous noon meditations and those of other Temple swamis are here: https://www.yogakriya.org/sunday-service-recordings.html Online: Ray Grasse studied astrology with my guru Goswami Kriyananda and my guru's guru Shelly Trimmer. Ray is featured on the latest Astrology Podcast: https://theastrologypodcast.com/2021/12/07/the-practice-and-philosophy-of-astrology-with-ray-grasse  The New Moon, which is also a Solar Eclipse takes place on Saturday, December 4, 2021 at 1:42 a.m. CST in 12° Sagittarius. This is lively energy that imbues us with a sense of adventure. If weather permits, going out into nature can be uplifting. We tend to enjoy reading books or seeing movies describing other's adventures. Jupiter ruled Sagittarius gives an attunement to religion and philosophy which matches well with the holiday season. A solar eclipse symbolizes a change in your life for the year ahead. This can be on the solar (external) level and the lunar (internal) level. It can worthwhile to think about something you would like to plant a seed for and create an affirmation for it. If you don't have a specific agenda try this affirmation "I am open and receptive to all the good and abundance in the universe" .  If you're an astrology student and want to be more specific, you can look at your own natal chart and see what house the eclipse falls in. This will show what life area the change will occur in.
If you are a student of yoga, use the alternate breathing pranayama technique (nadi shodana) to balance the solar and lunar energies at this eclipse time. Right now we are in a Neptune station direct period (December 1, 20° Pisces). Under Neptune's influence this week, we are likely to be more forgetful (and not as likely to catch typos - so please forgive any you find here). Not a good time for major decisions because there may be hidden information. Good for meditation, music appreciation and enjoying the arts. My latest noon meditation for the Temple of Kriya Yoga can be found here: https://www.yogakriya.org/sunday-service-recordings.html You can find me on: If you want to receive this blog post as an email newsletter, please contact me.  The Full Moon this month is also a Lunar Eclipse. It is on Friday, November 19 at 2:57 am CST in 27° Taurus. Our physical and emotional energy is elevated at a lunar eclipse. The Moon's desire to make changes is in conflict with the Taurus urge for stability. Remember that you don't have to make your changes immediately. You can turn the impulse to change into a slow but steady (Taurus) plan of action. Because Taurus has a lot to do with our possessions, we can honor and balance the Taurus part of us by consciously enjoying those possessions which create comfort and stability. The easiest way to do this is with everyday gratitude. When you sit in a chair, be grateful for its support and restfulness that you feel. Taking a moment of thankfulness before a meal. Thinking or saying "mmmmmm" when we eat something delicious. Absorbing the beauty of a work of art on our wall or the background of our computer. Appreciating the wisdom contained in the books on our shelves.  If you enjoy chanting, here's a mantra aligned with the principles of Taurus and its planetary ruler Venus. It's a mantra honoring Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, prosperity and generosity. Om Shrim MahaLakshmiyei Namaha with Deva Premal Coming up:
Sunday, November 21 Temple of Kriya Yoga (Online) Noon Meditation with Marcia Sacks, Swami K. Adinadananda "Your Divine Opportunity" A reflection on the nature of time, including how to take advantage of every moment to pursue your spiritual (and earthly) goals. The link for this talk will posted at noon on Sunday here: https://www.yogakriya.org/sunday-services.html  The New Moon is on Thursday, November 4 at 4:14 p.m. CDT in 12° Scorpio, asking us to look more deeply into the mysteries of life, especially the whole greater transcendent pattern of birth, death and rebirth. Scorpio's ruling planet is Pluto, symbolizes our motivation to transform. This combines with the "new beginning" energy of the New Moon. Take a little time to think about what ways you would like to transform your life. It might be helpful to think about the three symbols for the sign Scorpio and how they can give us clues for the type of transformation we need.  The first is (obviously) the scorpion. It's known for its venomous stinger. Have we learned how to be insightful in conversations without doing verbal violence to others?  The second symbol is the eagle. The eagle soars high in the sky and has the focus to pick out the slightest movement of its prey on the earth. Can we be in the now, in the moment, above the melee of daily life and still have our focus on our goal, ready to swoop toward accomplishment?  The true essence of Scorpio is the phoenix. The phoenix is a mythical fire bird that dies in flames and is reborn from its own ashes in a repeating cycle. This is a symbol of immortality of the soul. In yoga we say we are 'kalapurusha', spirit moving through time. How do we become more aware of this essential innate divinity? Can we bring whatever wisdom we've gained in this lifetime into our future? Coming up:
Tuesday, November 9, 7:30 p.m. via Zoom The Northern Illinois Chapter of NCGR presents: "America in the 2020s" with astrologer Mitchell Scott Lewis More info here: http://www.chicagolandastrology.com/news.html Or here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1590076594675656/ If you want to be on the email list for NI-NCGR and receive the Zoom links for these meetings email janetberres@gmail.com You can find me on: If you want to receive this blog post as an email newsletter, please contact me.  The Full Moon is on Wednesday, October 20 at 9:56 am CDT in 27° Aries. After the slowdowns and frustrations of the past several weeks, we will enjoy the energy and vitality of this Full Moon. With Sun, Moon and Mars squaring Pluto in the Full Moon chart, the Aries confidence and passion could tip over into aggressive self-righteousness. You might start out thinking it's a friendly debate but the other person could think you're asking for a fight. Mercury and Jupiter have just gone direct opening up opportunities for communication and higher education. Dive back into whatever studies expand your world and your mind. Because of the pandemic, I've been doing a lot of virtual traveling. For example, I recently went to Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) for a Tarot meetup. They have one this Friday night: https://www.meetup.com/Edmonton-Tarot-Meetup/ At the Second Sunday Tarot meetup https://www.meetup.com/tarot-336/ which was in person in the NW suburbs before Covid, now has people Zooming in from all over the world. At the last meeting, one of the facilitators suggested pulling three cards each day and use them to write a haiku style poem. I'm hoping to incorporate that into my daily journaling. The International Society for Astrological Research is planning their conference in person in Colorado in August 2022. They have a super lineup of speakers: https://isar2022.org/speakers/ Very much hoping for safer travel and gatherings by then. I've attended some awesome virtual astrology conferences in the past two years but I'm so ready to see people IRL.  Of course, I want to mention The Professional Astrology Course from the Temple of Kriya Yoga. Goswami Kriyananda is the instructor via his audio recordings and writing. I help to grade tests and correspond with students. Let me know if you have any questions about the course content or how this program works.
https://www.yogakriya.org/professional-astrology.html  The New Moon is on Wednesday, October 6 at 6:05 a.m. at 13° Libra. Libra is all about partnership. It's how we work and communicate with others. And how we balance how much personal energy we put into others while understanding how much we need to take care of our own selves. Partnerships and balance get a jolt from the New Moon's conjunction with Mars, also at 13° Libra. Have we mastered being assertive but not aggressive? Can we keep our balance while others around us are losing theirs? Are we skilled in gently deflecting critiques shot at us and not returning fire? If so, Mars can give this New Moon an extra boost of "new beginnings" intensity. Also on October 6, Pluto goes direct at 24° Capricorn. The influence of Pluto is transformation. The key to a Pluto influence is to be prepared to be transformed. One way to do this is to release those things (or thoughts) that are no longer useful. You can use symbolic correspondence to mitigate Pluto. For example, I've been cleaning out my home's crawl space (Pluto in mythology is the lord of the underworld after all). Did I really need to save those old magazines in a carton in a crawl space for 40 years? Recycled! (Recycling is a positive Pluto symbol of Life, Death & Rebirth.) If there's a closet or drawer in your home, this is a great time to use it for Pluto type reflection.  One more note on Pluto. In Capricorn, Pluto signifies the domination of the corporation in society. Pay attention to how you are affected and manipulated by ads and commercials at this time. Are you being persuaded to buy things that you don't need or even want or aren't good for you? But wait, there's more! Saturn has a stationary point on October 11 at 6° Aquarius. There is a conflict between the urge to transform of Pluto and the urge for things to stay the same which is Saturn. Remember you can use the capabilities of both planets if you (1) remove emotionality from the equation and (2) use the motivation of Pluto to finish the long term projects you've already started. Saturn rules time and everything goes slower around a Saturn station. Put fewer things onto your to-do list and you'll get more actually accomplished. If you are experiencing frustrations in these first weeks of October, keep in mind that Mercury and Jupiter go direct on October 18. Those directions will begin to shift everything into gear. Ray Grasse posted the following on Facebook. It's a quote from his book "An Infinity of Gods" (Ray's conversations with Kriya Yoga mystic Shelly Trimmer who is Goswami Kriyananda's guru). A very meaningful description of the ways I look at astrology - both the literal and the symbolic.  Coming up:
October 12th, 7:30 p.m. via Zoom, Free The Northern Illinois Chapter of NCGR presents Jon Parks - Your Solar Return Chart As A Plan For The Year If you want to be on the email list for NI-NCGR and receive the Zoom links for these meetings email janetberres@gmail.com You can find me on:  The Full Moon is on Monday, September 20 at 6:54 pm CDT in 28° Pisces. We have moved from the New Moon in Virgo with its emphasis on the details of every life to the wide open ocean of Life that Pisces symbolizes. Pisces energy can be "spacey" but it's full of imagination and dreams. Take a look at the day or night sky to feel a sense of expansion and the infinite. Louise Hay often used this affirmation in her book "You Can Heal Your Life": “In the infinity of life where I am, All is perfect, whole and complete … " When the Moon is in Pisces, it is easier to connect with that feeling of optimism and of faith in the goodness of life.  There is also some strong Mercury influence in the Full Moon chart, as Mercury is square (inharmonious) to Pluto and trine (in harmony) to Jupiter. An excellent time for a deep dive into the study of something meaningful. With the Libra Mercury to the Aquarius Jupiter, you might find yourself in a big discussion about religion, politics, philosophy or law with another person who has an intriguing viewpoint. You may gain knowledge or a new viewpoint. The Pluto square from Capricorn suggests that you keep things light before a congenial talk turns into a verbal battle. The Mercury, Pluto, Jupiter dynamic is also in the chart of the Autumnal Equinox which takes place on September 22 at 2:20 pm CDT with the Sun at 0° Libra. It's a time of balance, a moment's rest, and a new beginning into the new quarter year. With the strong Mercury, projects that relate to writing, speaking, teaching and other communication areas will be highlighted. Mercury goes retrograde on September 27th at 25° Libra. This is exactly when you should stay out of discussions about religion and politics. Mercury at this point is square to Pluto which has its own station point (going direct) at 24° Capricorn on October 6. During those times, it would be wise to watch the things you say and the tone of how you say them. Not a good time to begin new things, but can be good for researching information needed for projects that begin after October 18th when Mercury goes direct.  |
AuthorMarcia Sacks is an astrologer in the Kriya Yoga tradition. Archives
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