What makes the Full Moon so alluring? Is it the  luminous warmth shading the Earth with an other-worldly complexion, or is it the illuminating light of the Sun impregnating the Moon with enchanting promise, or  perhaps it is the eternal round of a lunar cycle shaping the palpable presence of a sublime mystery. Whatever “it” is that catches and captivates our attention  it seems certain that the luminosity of an all knowing, all giving force of nature reflects the numinous power to give life and to take life away.

The Sun-Moon opposition in Cancer-Capricorn reflects the conflict between our indentity being dependent on the individuality of others, and our need for security dependent upon being emotionally independent. The Sun in Cancer tells us that our individuality can be receptive to the care and needs of others when we stop personalizing or internalizing their behavior as our own. The Moon in Capricorn is guiding us toward a greater emotional maturity and helping us define clearer boundaries that separate our feelings and the feelings of others.

The Sun opposing Pluto suggests that our life vitality is being sucked inside a vortex making it difficult to honor our unique individuality, and the Moon conjoined Pluto speaks of the emotional death and transformation that comes when we break free from habitual patterns of behavior. The Moon-Pluto conjunction reflects an intensity of emotions that may overwhelm us at first but with time can heal wounds from our past.

Under the luminosity of this Lunar Eclipse our emotional commitment is being tested on an unconscious level while on a conscious level we are becoming more realistic about ways in which we can accomplish our material goals.

When the Moon opposed the Sun and conjoined Pluto it was translating the light  of the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction in Aries square Mercury in Cancer causing our impulsive actions to butt heads with our emotional reserve, which in turn, caused our perception of reality to retreat inside a shell of self-protection.  We need to be careful of not feeling sorry for ourself or wallowing in a pool of tearful regrets. The is a good time to communicate our feelings to others.

One challenge facing us is learning to  balance our emotional daring with prudent action. It is time to garner the finesse to think before we act without strapping our gut-felt- intuition inside a straight-jacket. This is not the time to retreat from the intensity of our emotions and we need to be weary of disassociating from our feelings and unwittingly view ourself and our life from the wrong end of the telescope.

This Lunar Eclipse triggers the first of a series of summer Cardinal Crosses warning us to temper our  impatience with the status quo least we risk hitting, head first, a wall of resistance. We need to modestly work behind the scene diligently learning, or teaching others, the skills necessary to improve our relationships with one another. We have entered a period of sudden and unexpected changes demanding that we set our expectations free and imagine the unimagined.

Mercury square Jupiter is the celestial signature of judgment running wildly amok. Mercury in Cancer guarantees that our thoughts and feelings will fluctuate  from one moment to the  next challenging our effort to make an emotional commitment to something we want to accomplish in our life. If we can steady our course by remaining persistent in our work and accepting of the delays that we are certain to encounter we may discover that our actions are nourishing the beginning of a new way of feeling sage and secure in life.

Today, Venus enters Pisces and our goddess of love wrapping herself in a velvet cloak of compassion softens our questing for personal gratification. For the next month we on Earth have the exquisite opportunity to experience the depth of our connection with the source of All Life. Venus in Pisces stimulates our deepest imagining and allowing our creative talents to flow like healing water we have Pluto and Mars in Capricorn giving form to every drop. Venus in Pisces is demanding that we surrender our illusion of our separateness and isolation if we are to experience our love transformed.

Later in the month, on January 21, Venus and Mars unite in creative harmony and our self- asserting impulse finds balance long side what we want in life. The good will and charm between these two planets can bring love and peace into our life making it a fantastic day to acknowledge the love we receive from others.

However, not all is love and peace this month and we need be very weary of slumbering in fanciful dreams and escapist delights. Venus in Pisces makes us dangerously susceptible to confusion and delusion as we struggle to balance our boundaries and recognize the differences between what we value and the values of others. Self sacrifice and martyrdom can be rampant when Venus is in Pisces and we need to be watchful of not falling prey to unconsciously manipulating situations dressed as service to others.

On January 22 Venus conjoins Uranus either sky-rocketing our wildest imagination into orbit or stimulating our wanting to break free from an imprisoning relationship either imagined or real. This is a time to remain calm and measured in our actions and rely upon the creative harmony we just experienced between Venus and Mars to temper our lust for freedom. Moderation, taking the middle path, is this month’s theme and in case we miss the point at the ending of the month we have a hard angle between Venus and a retrograde Saturn in Virgo providing a stern reminding that temperance  along side commitment are two vital ingrediants for preserving what we value in life. One key to self-awareness this month is understanding what aspect of our self-worth we have imprisioned within ourself which is ready to be set free.

What a celestial line up above our head this morning rising: the Moon in Sagittarius leading the pack followed by Mars getting ready to enter Capricorn; Pluto, the Sun, Mercury, and Jupiter in alignment in Capricorn; and the North Node, Chiron, Venus, and Neptune in Aquarius. This unusual clustering of planets is sandwiched between the Saturn- Uranus opposition with the singleton South Node in Leo hinting that our shinning light must resonate with self-respect and confidence if we are to achieve the lasting changes in our life that will improve the quality of all life on Earth. And so it seems among our many blessings this year is our ending the year with the bright promise of lasting change! Mercury and Saturn have been in mutual exchange since December 12 and today they make a loving trine together insuring that we will end the year giving concrete form to something a long time on our mind. Whatever it is comes just in time, that is just before, both planets station retrograde in early January giving us a celestial nudge to “get our act together” in the New Year.

Taking concrete action certainly is the focus today as Mars in exalted dignity enters Capricorn to temper our impatience and sober our rash, brash enthusiasm so that we can actually instigate a plan of action with the serious intention of achieving our goal. Hallelujah. Establishing the foundation for taking action is the Moon-Pluto conjoining in ambitious Capricorn strengthening the depth of our emotional commitment to make the necessary changes in  how we assert our will to get what we want in life. The Capricorn face of Mars is deadly serious, determined, and cautious; which is blessed news considering that the first aspect Mars in Capricorn makes is face to face combat with Pluto igniting a brute force of will that if not tempered with prudence could turn into a harsh ruthlessness. The planet disposing Mars this month is Saturn stationing retrograde on January 1 and delivering a cautionary message that if we do not want to turn that brute force within we need be mindful to begin our New Year in victorious self-awareness.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/12/26/getting-our-act-together/feed/ 0 laurenlesko Cosimo I http://laurenlesko.com/2008/12/21/celebration-of-lights/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/12/21/celebration-of-lights/#comments Mon, 22 Dec 2008 04:55:40 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=877 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

When the Sun reaches its lowest point in the northern hemisphere at 00 Capricorn those of us living in that hemisphere experience Winter Solstice: the seasonal demarcation heralding the birth of solar vitality without which our life would cease to be. Our ancestors well understood the significance of this celestial event as a festival of lights harbored in the sacred flame of candles and the burning of yule logs. On December 21, Winter Solstice punctuates the longest night of the year and the Sun dramatically accentuating this event stands still for three days before ascending upward insuring the lengthening light of day and affirming that life has prevailed the deathly darkness of the long nights passing. From an astrological perspective one meaning for this deathly darkness is our preparation for an illumination in consciousness. This Winter Solstice is spectacular with the promise of just that because for the first time since the Winter Solstice in 1762 the Sun and Pluto conjoin on the solstice point. Their momentous meeting is launching a cosmic torpedo guaranteed to bring to surface a deeply rooted anxiety shared by our collective unconscious that will illuminate an overwhelming fear of loss in power and control.

There is an alchemical axiom that says, “the tree wanting to send its branches to heaven must send its roots to hell”, and heaven and hell are as far apart in our consciousness as are the Sun and Pluto. Pluto, the planet furthest from the Sun is deprived of solar light and vitality, and any celestial contact between the two reflects a time when something alive needs to  die in order for something new to be born. Human death is but one form of the myriad of deaths we experience during our life time and the force of Pluto influences everyone of them. The physical size of Pluto is admittedly tiny in comparison to the enormity of its impact on human consciousness which is one reason why many astrologers compare the force of Pluto with an atomic bomb.* The magnetic pull of Pluto acts as a vacuum sucking the life vitality from the Sun into a vortex and placing this whirlpool of concentrated power at the disposal of a radical cosmic surgery we on Earth are insured of  an irrevocable change in our consciousness.

Pluto has been busy all on its own bringing to light the ruthless ambition and institutional corruption that created the faulty structures crumbling before our eyes. Our life has suddenly and irrevocably changed in ways beyond our control, and now, with the support of the Sun these two mega giants, in the sign of Capricorn, are insuring a profound transforming of the traditional structures that  because of a misuse in power have weakened over time. We need only look to the raping of the Earth by international corporations, the ravaging of nations and peoples in the economic interests of the elite seeking to control the Earth’s natural resources, and the wholesale killing at every corner of the globe in the name of Truth, to fully understand the depth of destruction and deprivation administered which now is in need of radical transforming.

The Sun and Pluto joining forces in Capricorn promise that new structures will replace the old but not without each of us assuming personal responsibility for making changes in our own life that support the changes made in society.  Capricorn is providing self-discipline, perseverance, and the tenacity to accomplish what at the moment seems like an insurmountable  task. The Sun and Pluto working together suggests that something obstructing our life force is ready to be eliminated so that our experiences of life are transformed into something entirely new and utterly unknown.

The planet Saturn rules Capricorn and has had its hands full since November 4 when it opposed Uranus igniting social unrest and upheaval throughout the world. It also ushered the historic presidential election in the United States in stride with President-elect Obama’s promises of a new humanitarianism. Saturn and Uranus will cross paths again in the new year, once in February and then in September, emphasizing the significance of the social changes taking place at this time.  On January 2 Saturn stations retrograde mixing disruption into the brew that will force us to re-evaluate our commit to the goal. During the first few months in 2009 we are well advised to expect circumstances in our life to challenge our commitment to achieve what we began in 2008. The somber influences of Saturn and Capricorn have definitely dampened the party atmosphere of the past years and heralded a time of social responsibility demanding that a public and private commitment be made to achieving prosperity for everyone not just for a few.

* The planet Pluto was seen for the first time in the 1930′s, and astrologers say that is was not by chance that the discovery of Pluto coincided with the creating of the atomic bomb.

As the Moon enters Pisces we begin our experiencing of the waxing phase of the Sagittarius new Moon; and making a square first to the Sun and then to Mars this Moon directs our attention to a conflict which we can creatively manage depending upon how we assert our individuality. The Sun, Mars, and Mercury are fellow companions in Sagittarius, at best,  enlivening one another in philosophical questing and inquiring into new  concepts, at worst, in self -righteous proselytizing and impulsive proclaiming. Sagittarius is that aspect in each of us physically and mentally reaching for new horizons so that we can experience the unfamiliar, the exotic, and the foreign as aspects within ourself but first we need to be willing to let go of what we believe to be “truth”.

The waxing Pisces Moon signals that the time  has come for us to dissolve those boundaries separating  “me” from “you” in order to experience a reality of inter-connectedness and oneness with all of life. And because reality is construed in the form of what we perceive reality to be the waxing Pisces Moon offers us a golden opportunity to question our perception of life. When we are under the influence of Sagittarius we are seeking universal understanding, and when we are under the influence of Pisces we are seeking universal surrendering: and both expressions of human experience require that we reconfigure the silhouette we call “self”.

It is not by chance that our ancestors gave the benevolence of Jupiter as guardian ruler to both Sagittarius and Pisces, especially when we consider that Jupiter is that aspect in each of us seeking to connect with something within ourself which seems far greater than ourself. The planet Jupiter is currently transiting in Capricorn adding  stability  to Sagittarius and containment to Pisces which is helping give form to our eternal quest for meaning and significance in life. Add the guidance of the waxing Moon in Pisces and it is likely that something we believe to be sacred will be challenged in the coming week. The probability of this happening is further emphasized because the Moon contacts the Saturn-Uranus opposition highlighting a sudden and unexpected breaking free of tradition, which may expand our conscious awareness that our perception of reality is much more fluid than we often believe it to be.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/12/05/asserting-our-individuality/feed/ 0 laurenlesko A French Zodiac http://laurenlesko.com/2008/12/03/of-lasting-value/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/12/03/of-lasting-value/#comments Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:12:12 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=460 ]]> click on the image to red about the art

I am writing this posthumous of an event of which I am well aware having gazed with affection at the sliver of the new Moon cradled below the punctuated lights of Venus and Jupiter; all three celestial bodies nestled in the arms of Capricorn. I did think at the time to take a photograph and fortunately my camera was out of batteries leaving me content to experience the moment undisturbed. When I opened an enthusiastic email from a dear friend inquiring into the significance of such beauty in the sky, the likes of which will not be seen again until 2054, I was inspired to  articulate in words one possible meaning of this celestial event. The conjunction of the Moon, Venus, and Jupiter took place on December 1, the first day of the new month, and for that reason alone a momentous offering of significance when we consider that the “birth” of any moment be it a body, an event, or an idea carries the seeds for the potential flowering of that birth.

Traditional astrology foretells beneficence whenever Venus and Jupiter are in harmony their conjoining construed with “our cup  runneth over”; yet, if we look at Jupiter through a modern lens we see that Jupiter magnifies whatever it touches, in this case, a conserving Venus in Capricorn graciously maintaining the status quo. It seems unlikely that this conjoining of Venus and Jupiter will manifest in immediate, tangible  good fortune because the fortune we are offered is of a more subtle variety.

Venus is that aspect in ourself manifesting in what we value; and the places, the people, and the things that give us the most pleasure and satisfaction in our life all reside under the canopy of our personal values. When Venus is in Capricorn one thing that we value is our ability to preserve that which we value most in life. Not surprising then that our attention turns toward “relationship” adding a more mature hue to our view challenging us to seriously consider the lasting consequences of our actions. When we are under the influence of Venus in Capricorn we accept personal responsibility, and self-discipline in all matters of our heart; we are even  willing to sacrifice our immediate pleasuring, a tragedy for our goddess of love, in order to insure that what we value in life continues to thrive for generations to come.

The heady exuberance of Jupiter is noticeably restrained in Capricorn frustrating our enthusiasm to broaden our experiencing of life by planting our feet firmly upon the earth, taking one measured step at a time, and keeping our attention focused on accomplishing the goal in hand. In the modern world of “perpetual distraction” maintaining a single point of focus is becoming a lost art but the gift of Jupiter in Capricorn offers us the capacity to focus our intention in order to actualize what we aspire to be, to do, and to have in life. It is worth our remembering that Capricorn is an earthy sign full of robust sensuality bridled just beneath the surface of social respectability and when in company with Jupiter we can experience a healthy dose of unleashed sensual appreciation for being alive tempered with our sobering respect for life and awareness of the consequence and accountability of our actions.

This month seems destined to be remembered as one in which we consciously committed ourself to the hard work necessary to accomplish our cherished goals, and while, we may have to sacrifice the seductive sensuality of Venus and the jubilance of Jupiter, we gain the emotional maturity, self-determination, and personal authority to withstand whatever hardship might lie ahead knowing that each step we take contributes something of lasting value to our life.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/12/03/of-lasting-value/feed/ 0 laurenlesko Venus and Cupid http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/22/shooting-for-stars/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/22/shooting-for-stars/#comments Sat, 22 Nov 2008 16:00:31 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=446 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

When the Sun enters Sagittarius our nights are growing longer than our days and our conscious attention in tandem is seeking an expanded meaning of life beyond our daily toil. The wisdom of our ancestors honored the cycles of the seasons choosing to awaken the story-telling of their life experiences during the lengthening nights when human activity is beckoned inside. In the decreasing daylight of the fall season we find our self spending more hours indoors than out appreciating this time for exploring  unfamiliar territory within our self, and expanding our consciousness we set upon an inner journey home to the source of our creation. For the ancient Maya Civilization this home was found at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, the World Tree rooted at the crossing point of the Milky Way along the ecliptic in Sagittarius. In Roman mythology Juno, the wife of Jupiter, is responsible for the birth of the Milky Way Galaxy born from the milk of her breast spilled from the mouth of Hercules. More recently, in the 20th century, the astronomers discovering the Galactic Center, a black hole in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy located along the ecliptic at the same place as the Maya World Tree, believe it to be the source of everything in our galaxy including human consciousness. When we are under the influence of Sagittarius we instinctively understand the evolutionary calling of cosmic consciousness expanding our perception of life beyond the contours of our ordinary experiencing taking us to a place different than our material self.  Taking our cue from the symbol for Sagittarius, half man and half horse shooting an arrow to the heavens, when we are under the influence of Sagittarius we aim our sight for the stars.

The motivating force of Sagittarius is our quest for the quintessential meaning of life requiring the full immersion of our mind and senses in a broad experiencing of life. In Greek and Roman mythology  centaurs were creatures born of raw instinct with an unbridled sensuality often expressed in human form as a fun loving and robust sexuality not mired in the tribal mating rituals of either fidelity or commitment. On the surface of life this behavior appears lacking in respect and sensitivity to the feelings and needs of others, yet, if we reach beyond the surface we encounter the unconscious motivate; sensitivity to a stultifying tribal view of reality that compels us to break through the “chains that bind” into a more universal perspective that is respectful of the source of all life

Chiron, half brother to Jupiter, and progenitor of the race of Centaurs, was a wise teacher and healer of gods and humankind alike who himself suffered an incurable wounding which only his death could absolve. He arranged with the Olympian gods to exchange his immortal life for the release of Prometheus, the giver of fire to humankind, by entering Hades and freeing Prometheus from his chained bondage to a rock. The planetary body discovered in the 1970′s and named after the mythological Chiron orbits between Saturn and Uranus offering us on Earth a mediator between our bondage to traditional authority  and our ability to unleash our full creative potential. When we are under the influence of Chiron we are made aware of a wounding we inherited from  the collective experiences of humanity which can only be healed by dying to an aspect of our individuality which has inhibited our conscious awareness. The necessity for our healing is made all the more urgent with the insistence of the current Saturn-Uranus opposition.

Yesterday the Sun entered Sagittarius following Mars and followed today by Mercury. This celestial trio is offering a period of cosmic expansion broadening our perception of what our life can be. Mars our impulse to be, the Sun our essential life force, and Mercury our interpreter of reality, are under the influence of an evolutionary growth in consciousness that can shift our focus from what we do, our achievements in life, to who we are, the discovery of the essence of our life. Admittedly, this journey  is an elaborate odyssey taking the entirety of our life before reaching our final destination, but this month we are given extra guidance from a potent cluster of planetary ruler ship with Jupiter and Saturn at the helm.

Sun, Mars, and Mercury in Sagittarius are disposed by Jupiter in Capricorn, the sign of Saturn’s ruler ship, and in trine to Saturn in Virgo, the sign of Mercury’s ruler ship. Uranus in Pisces is under the  shared ruler ship of Jupiter and Neptune, and Neptune is in Aquarius along side Chiron  and the North Node, all disposed by a Saturn and Uranus shared ruler ship. Venus in Capricorn and Pluto’s ingress into Capricorn cement this cosmic union of an extended celestial family which mirrors the potential unity of the extended family of humanity on Earth. This cosmic flurry of activity promises that we can  manifest an inspired vision for the future if we reach beyond the perceptual box of what is and fully participate with all of humanity to create what can be.

This will be made more clear to us later in December when first Mercury, then the Sun, and lastly Mars square the Saturn – Uranus opposition alerting us on earth that certain structures created to serve society are ready to be fully integrated into the service of a greater humanity; the only caution being that we do not encourage those in authority to “throw out the baby with the bath water”. At the same time it is essential that we clearly understand the nature of the social policies presented in service to society and who exactly in society they serve.

At the end of November Venus in Capricorn dances in harmony with a newly directed Uranus in Pisces before joyfully falling into the arms of Jupiter. Tradition holds sway that when the two beneficent planets, Jupiter and Venus, are in joyful harmony that which we call luck springs eternal. Uranus in Pisces, the sign of exaltation for Venus, further suggests a universal awakening in what we value in life. The only advisable warning is to make sure that we do not become complacent observers expecting the change in our future to come from the efforts of others.  Jupiter and Saturn are telling us that our efforts are an essential component for doing the work needed to accomplish the goal.

Pluto, our celestial ambassador having recently conjoined the Milky Way Galaxy adds a sobering mood to this months celestial euphoria when entering Capricorn; insuring that evolutionary transformation is on our horizon but not before we experience a significant death of an aspect of our self which we have held dear to our heart. This is not a time to fearfully cling to our past if we sincerely want a better future for our self, our tribe, our species, our Earth.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/22/shooting-for-stars/feed/ 2 laurenlesko The Birth of the Milky way http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/18/true-to-the-mark/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/18/true-to-the-mark/#comments Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:46:19 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=443 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

Sunday, we experienced a celestial loop above and within; Mars entered Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter and Mercury in Scorpio, ruled by  Mars, made a creative aspect to Jupiter in Capricorn, the sign of Mars exaltation. And if that were not enough, Mercury also made harmonious aspects to the Saturn – Uranus opposition, and because Saturn is in Virgo, ruled by Mercury, and because Mercury is the second fastest moving celestial body after the Moon, we on Earth seem destined for fruitful communicating during the week, communication that can ripen into meaningful change in our life respectful of the past and honoring of the future.  For the past month, Mercury in Scorpio has been delving into our daily communications leaving “no stone unturned” in our examination of our past actions and their contribution to our current circumstances. Enter Mars in Sagittarius and we set ourself a course of  restless questing and relentless seeking of life’s quintessential meaning giving ourself a golden opportunity to discover with courage and daring what we really believe our life is all about.

Mars, our impulse to act, has entered Sagittarius at a time when reality as we know it to be is under siege and our individual efforts to effect our environment are so many cascading arrows having missed their mark.  Some might say that these are timely circumstances and that Mars in Sagittarius is helping us break down barriers, most likely in our perception of reality, that are preventing us from appreciating a wider experiencing of our life. If this is so, this cosmic message hit close to home this weekend when dear friends almost lost theirs along with thirty years of collected memories; jewelry that my mother had collected the last thirty years was stolen from her home; and the security my brother painstakingly built over thirty years is being washed away in an ocean of change; and what is left in the wake of devastation and loss is the valuing of human life  and relationship above those things which are owned.

Sagittarius is that aspect in each of us instinctively aware of “the bigger picture” underpinning every human experience. We are after all individually and collectively connected to the evolutionary consciousness of life which in times of crisis is made all the more apparent to us. Not surprising that the wisdom of our ancient ancestors encompassed knowing that the source of  all life and evolutionary change found in our galaxy is where astronomers today locate the Galactic Center; the crossing paths of our Milky Way Galaxy on the ecliptic in Sagittarius.

Things are going to get pretty interesting after November 21 when Jupiter in Capricorn disposing the Sun, Mercury, and Mars in Sagittarius adds commitment  and achievement to the exuberant, spontaneous, freedom seeking Sagittarius promising concrete solutions between divisive beliefs. This is made all the more possible because  Jupiter and Saturn join in celestial harmony insuring that our expanded view of human value can reach beyond the inscribed boundaries of the past. Adding to this celestial brew is Pluto’s entrance into Capricorn and Venus in Capricorn conjoining Jupiter making the last days of November a bonanza month  for stellar achievement if we can keep our focus on the goal and our aim true to the mark.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/18/true-to-the-mark/feed/ 2 laurenlesko Sagittarius http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/13/cosmic-boomerang/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/13/cosmic-boomerang/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:29:51 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=439 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

Yesterday, we were given a glorious celestial awakening when Venus, our goddess of love, kissed Pluto, our god of death and transformation, not once but twice, first in the last degree of Sagittarius and then in the first degree of Capricorn, and we on Earth were given a double dose of love transformed. Venus is that aspect in each of us that loves because we are loved, and when we are under the influence of Venus we weigh the gifts of our love seeking to balance the scales between what we give and what we receive. Venus is our celestial boomerang and by sending back to us what we give to others the celestial goddess of love administers the irrefutable cosmic law of karma in the causation of our actions. When we are under the influence of Venus we are well aware that we are the  master builders of our fate, the architects of our life creating the life of our design. When Venus is in Capricorn we are learning that nothing in life is for free and that each act of love is marked with responsibility and commitment. This particular passing of Venus in Capricorn is disposing the face of the the Scorpio Full Moon, the luminous light of Taurus, intensifying the transforming of the love that has shaped our past and contours our present.

When we are under the influence of Venus in Capricorn we are made aware that love requires our maturity and we learn to respect and honor our self-value and the value of others.  Our usual frustrations vented in anger turn a sober face disarming the childish disappointments we carry from our past by transforming our poisoned resentment into a deeper appreciation of our life, which is  nothing less than the crowning jewel offered Taurus, and something of which I was reminded reading Full Moon in Taurus Brings Scorpio Love Lessons. I especially appreciated Jessica’s encouragement to value the simple physical pleasuring of the body, I’ve learned that Taurus Moon doesn’t care a wit about muddling through the complexity of my feelings — or his. That’s Scorpio. Hug therapy, sexual therapy, cuddle therapy are Taurus.”

Venus in Capricorn focuses our attention on the difficult work ahead testing our fortitude and our commitment to achieving our goals. Both Taurus and Capricorn honor our commitment to achievement and this month we have the celestial blessing of Venus, ruler of Taurus, dancing in harmony with the planet of manifestation, Saturn, and the planet of expansion, Jupiter. Worldly success seems at hand but not without our determined efforts to make it so.  Saturn, the ruler of Capricorn, demands that serious attention be paid to what we value in life. Traditionally Capricorn honors our social achievements and the prestige that they garner, but on a deeper level in human consciousness, Capricorn is that aspect in each of us aware of contributing  to society the best of who we are and what we have to give. Saturn in Virgo opposing Uranus in Pisces is helping each of us to do the necessary work required to improve who we are  and what we have in order to improve what our society is and what it can become. The influence of Uranus in Pisces tells us that we are experiencing an evolutionary change in our concept of love and by breaking free from the shackles of conditional giving and receiving we  are given the gift to love because it is the nature of love to love.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/13/cosmic-boomerang/feed/ 0 laurenlesko Young Girl and Death http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/07/the-face-of-our-fear/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/07/the-face-of-our-fear/#comments Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=377 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

The waxing phase of every lunar cycle, better known as the first quarter Moon, is visible to us on Earth as two equal half circles one of lightness and the other of darkness. The waxing phase always marks a period of equilibrium before we are urged to take action along with the advancing light of the Moon culminating in the glowing face of the Full Moon. The Libra new Moon has the waxing face of Capricorn challenging us to behave with emotional maturity in our relationships in order to give form to something that we value. Capricorn brings sobriety to our relationships highlighting self-discipline and personal responsibility. On the side of the light Capricorn garners stability leading to lasting commitment and on the  side of the dark it tends toward blind allegiance to a cold authority.  Saturn, ruler of Capricorn, has a propensity for introducing us to our shadow self by showing us the face we fear within reflected in the behavior of others, Sadly we then judge and severely punish the other without awareness that we are also punishing ourself. Our fear of facing our darker self is clearly the roots of racism, sexism, bigotry, and all other forms of social injustice. When we are under the influence of Capricorn we are sensitive to the cold hands of authority limiting, restricting, denying, and when the Moon is under the influence of Capricorn it is worth considering which of our emotions we may be denying expression. The Capricorn waxing Moon is a challenged calling for us to look at the face of our fear in hope that we can see the source of our emotional denial.

The waxing Capricorn Moon comes once each year, and this year it coincides with Mercury Rx in Libra, Chiron, the North Node, and Neptune all Rx in Aquarius, and Saturn and Uranus opposing for the first time since the 1960′s. In other words, an impressive line up of celestial stars offering us the potential for awakening higher consciousness and social justice. Each of these stars, in company with the Capricorn waxing Moon, are alerting us to the necessity, and I believe opportunity, to Rx-evaluate the face of our fear so that we can stop projecting it onto the face of others. It seems that the celestial spotlight is on our individuality, asking each of us to assume personal responsibility for our individual contribution in creating social balance in our society and in the world. The influence of Aquarius brings fresh breath to a scene ripe for a change in consciousness but that change cannot manifest if we preserve the pervasive guidelines of the status quo. Aquarius is that aspect in each of us valuing the efforts of every individual, not privileging the accomplishments of a few, and understanding that if a society is to prosper all peoples must be actively contributing.

The approaching Saturn and Uranus opposition is a green light signaling that social change is very much in the air but it will not be accomplished if individuals continue to expect change to come from others. The call of Saturn is accepting personal responsibility for the structures that govern our society, and the call of Uranus is demanding the participation of every individual guaranteeing that no one is left behind. A very wise individual, Krishnamurti, spent sixty years speaking about changing conscious awareness and he believed that people are misguided thinking that better individuals are made from better societies. Individuals, like you, me, and everyone else, create our societies and if we truly want a better society we need to first create a better individual which means  becoming more self-aware of our unconscious motives manifesting as our conscious realizations. The Capricorn waxing Moon square the Libra Sun is beckoning us to consider how our fear is limiting our self-awareness and preventing us from contributing to the necessary changes that can improve the quality of our life and the lives of everyone else.

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