“As the Sun spirals its longest dance cleanse us. As nature shows bounty and fertility bless us. Let all things live with loving intent and fulfill their truest destiny.”*

In the Northern Hemisphere day is swallowing night as the Earth rotating around the Sun approaches Summer Solstice and the triumphant returning of the longest day of the year. As the dawn of Summer Solstice ascends the golden rays of the Sun illuminate our life with eternal vitality and creativity. We have reached the annual summit of our creative potential and dancing in mimetic grace with the Sun we stand poised to bring to fruition  something uniquely our own. The joyful pleasures and sensual playing of summer begin as soon as the Earth enters Cancer. When we are under the influence of Cancer we are seeking nurturing, sustaining, and protecting. Our sensitivity to being hurt is on high alert and we intuitively guard against being bruised by the outer world. When the Sun is in Cancer our instincts are hot and humid. Our life force and creative vitality is thriving and we are at the peak of our creative potential.  I find a tender pathos knowing that when we are at our most creative we feel raw and exposed.

This Summer Solstice our creativity is more vivid and electrifying than usual. Jupiter and Uranus, momentarily fused in the fiery spirit of Aries, have inflamed our desire to break free from conventional  wisdom and expand our conscious awareness beyond what feels safe and secure. Jupiter and Uranus conjoined in Aries is the celestial signature of the impulse to change. Aries garners a new beginning, Jupiter expands, magnifies, and exaggerates what it touches, and Uranus delivers sudden, unexpected, even shocking change. The cosmos is setting at our feet a golden opportunity for a radical change in our beliefs about ourself and our Universe, which can become the new foundation supporting our primal need for security.

The first aspect the Sun in Cancer makes is a square to Uranus in Aries unleashing a torrent of impulsive actions feverishly bent on breaking free from all manner of restraint that could easily backfire if we forget to first secure a balance between our needs and the needs of others. The Sun-Uranus square is softened by the Sun-Chiron trine creatively directing our impulse for sudden change toward healing a wound to our individuality. The time is ripe for us to recognize and value our individual contribution to the entirety of life. Whatever it is that we are giving birth to within our own psyche has something to do with sustaining and protecting the needs of humanity, which is why it is imperative that we become aware of our actions and the influence they have on the collective front.

At this solstice there is a blind spot in our psyche. When the Sun enters Cancer on June 21 the Moon, the source of our eternal being  and ruling deity of Cancer, is unerringly silent at the last degree of Libra. We may discover that our first impulse to act is aborted before becoming fully formed, which can become the catalyst for our self-acceptance. The Sun-Pluto opposition is telling us that our dependency on the past for nourishing and sustaining the present has left a dark hole in our heart, and that when we assume personal responsibility for our actions and what our actions are creating in life we allow the light of our creative vitality to shine forth in the world.

The Sun is in Cancer from June 21  through July 21

* an ancient Pagan blessing for Summer Solstice

On February 17 Chiron in Aquarius conjoined Neptune fostering, in the words of astrologer Melanie Reinhart **, healing illusion and awakening compassion.  Chiron, the archetype of the wounded healer, is the aspect in human consciousness aware of a wounding to humanity that pricks at the flaws, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities of being human. When we are under the influence of Chiron our aspirations for immortality are brought down to earth where we discover a wounding to our mortality; our illusion of being separate and apart from the life we are creating. Chiron is that aspect in each of us  painfully aware of our human limitations and imperfections. Under the influence of Chiron we are seeking a holistic healing of our body, mind, and spirit, and in striving for our inner wholeness we eventually discover self-acceptance. Being human requires enduring a psychological Achilles Heal usually caused by rejecting an unwanted aspect of ourself society has labeled maladaptive, a social misfit, and because we fear social ostracizing we conform swallowing our self-betrayal and along with it our potential for creative self-fulfillment. Our mind often comprehends through a distorted reflection and what we reject about ourself is what we fear most about others and unwittingly encourage punitive action repressing the nurturing of our unique creativity.  The grace of Chiron in Aquarius teaches us that healing a wounding to humanity requires nourishing our individuality in appreciation for the distinct beauty our multi- faceted- Self contributes to the collective whole of humanity. The conjoining of Chiron and Neptune in Aquarius is dissolving our mental barriers and perceptual boundaries that have inhibited our deeper acceptance of our imperfections, our unruly social misfits, our all-to human frailty and vulnerability that are the threads of our common humanity. Those of us living with a strong influence of Aquarius in our psyche adamantly refuse to change when pressured to do so by external forces.  Always with Aquarius change comes from within and this transit of Chiron and Neptune is our celestial calling to fulfill our creative potential from inside out.

*Martin Luther King, Strength To Love

** I enthusiastically recommend visiting the website of Melanie Reinhart and reading her wisdom directly. I discovered the quote by Dr. King in her book, Chiron And The Healing Journey, a book of poetic prose that never fails to bring me new insight with every reading.

In cultures around the world it is said that  on November 1 and 2 the portals open between the living and the dead allowing us on Earth to mourn the one in celebration of the other. What makes this November 2 an even more potent celebration of life is the Scorpio Full Moon; the annual Full Moon of death and transformation. Every month the milky-white luminosity of a Full Moon reflects the life force of the Sun beaming sweet nourishment to our soul. Every autumn when the Sun enters Scorpio we experience a breaking down of our individuality, and when the Sun in Scorpio opposes the Moon in Taurus we begin breaking down the hollowed, inauthentic aspects of ourself that have starved our soul. The Moon is exalted in Taurus creating enduring change and growth, and when the Moon is  full in Taurus the promised growth becomes our reality when we understand that material security comes from the deepest roots of our being.

Easier said than done. Making no mistakes the journey to our eternal being is mined with unimagined traps of every distortion, inventions and manifestations of our fears, meant to prevent our growing in a deeper self -awareness. Our greatest fears reside at the side of death but oddly so not so much our physical death as the death of our knowledge of what we think is real. This is a fascinating conundrum that human consciousness has created for itself, suggesting that knowledge is a dead thing, if we consider that knowledge comes from past experience and past experience is something that has  already happened hence it is dead and gone.

Our attachment to what we think is emphasized this Full Moon both by Mercury in Scorpio and the challenging aspects the Sun and Moon will make to Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune in Aquarius. This month illuminates our resistance to change highlighting our determination to build security by holding onto what we think,  what we feel, and what we own.  It seems likely that one of our greatest lessons this month will have something to do with trusting our inner authority and building a permanent alter in respect of our self-worth.

The last aspect the Taurus Moon makes before leaving sign is a trine to the North Node in Capricorn pointing an authoritative finger in the direction of our future growth; letting go of our dependency on the past and accepting personal responsibility and leadership in creating our personal security from the inside out. Saturn recently entered Libra shifting our sense of personal responsibility away from health toward relating with one another. Our relationships  with one another truly foster our greatest growth and if we consider that this month is our time to die to what we know about ourself, in the spirit of Krishnamurti’s immortal words, “freedom from the known”, we have a wonderful opportunity to relate to one another with fresh possibility.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2009/11/02/fresh-possibility/feed/ 2 laurenlesko Scorpio Full Moon http://laurenlesko.com/2009/02/08/cosmic-purifying/ http://laurenlesko.com/2009/02/08/cosmic-purifying/#comments Sun, 08 Feb 2009 22:37:48 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=2052 ]]> click on the image to read about the art
Every month the Sun, the source of our unique life vitality, and the Moon, the substance of our eternal self, conjoin in the same sign to give birth to a New Moon Cycle signaling something deep within our unconscious is being brought to conscious light. Twice a year, roughly six months apart, the Sun and Moon conjoin along the ecliptic at a point  on or near where the Moon has previously crossed on its journey around the Earth. This cosmic punctuation marks the Nodal Axis of the Moon and it is there that the Moon gracefully moving between the Sun and Earth briefly swallows the light of the Sun precipitating a Solar Eclipse and a dramatic changing in human consciousness.

And so………... it was two weeks ago that we set our intention for the next six months by deciding how we want to contribute our unique individuality to humanity. The influence of Aquarius is helping us understand that change comes from the effort of separate individuals working together on behalf of the greater whole. Today, two weeks after the Solar Eclipse, we glimpse the other face of the ecliptic cycle as we turn our gaze 180 degrees to face the Lunar Eclipse. A Lunar Eclipse is a Full Moon, a Sun and Moon opposition, illuminating a  unique time when the Moon gently moves into the Earth’s shadow and the Earth positioned between the Sun and Moon casts a shadow over the face of the Moon. When this happens we on Earth are made aware that an aspect of our individuality has eclipsed our unconscious and in order to grow in self-awareness we need to become consciously aware of that aspect of our self and whether it is a constructive or destructive force in our life.

The Moon in Leo emphasizes our emotional need for recognition from others reassuring us that who we are and what we are doing is making a valuable contribution to humanity. When we are under the influence of Leo we are hyper- sensitive to what others think about our individual uniqueness, and while we generously give our life vitality for others to enjoy, we tend to suffer self-doubts and insecurities concerning the true value of our self. When we experience a Lunar Eclipse in Leo the time has arrived for us to make an honest self- evaluation of how we express our self, and in turn, what we are contributing to the continuum of human consciousness.

One of the unabashed gifts of Leo is our learning to appreciation our process of  creative self-expression as the spiritual act of watching our self creating our self. It is all too easy to dismiss this process as self indulgent but  in so doing we deny the importance of affirming our unique individuality in tribute to the living intelligence of which we are apart. The Buddha taught that we are creating our self in each moment lived. Once we affirm our creative self-expression we can affirm the creative expression of all others and truly manifest the Aquarius aspect in each of us seeking to honor the diversity and differences of humanity.

This next six months may garner times when our ego flaring like a wild fire insists on unbridled freedom of expression.  At these times it is best not to take our self too seriously, instead, mindfully observe that we have set ablaze our self-doubts and insecurities. It might be helpful to consider this Lunar Eclipse as a tremendous healing for humanity. Chiron, the wounded healer, is in Aquarius and the Lunar Eclipse will make an exact conjunction and opposition with Chiron suggesting that our individual and collective healing has something to do with eliminating self-doubts and insecurities that are the source of defensive and brutish bulling of others. It is time to set aside our childish fears of doubt and inadequacy without sacrificing our child-like joy and pleasure in self-creating. The challenge facing each of us is gaining a true appreciation for the unique gift that we are contributing on behalf of the collective human experience of being alive in the world.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2009/02/08/cosmic-purifying/feed/ 1 laurenlesko Lunar Eclipse http://laurenlesko.com/2008/12/12/a-grand-square/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/12/12/a-grand-square/#comments Sat, 13 Dec 2008 05:02:38 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=591 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

The Sagittarius Full Moon is stimulating a restlessness within each of us which may be pricking our dissatisfaction with the way things are. This is especially  true for those of us born with a strong influence of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces at 21 degrees. This is not a negative experience, in fact, this Full Moon is spurring us onward to fulfill our dreams of the future aided with a tempering of our expectations of what that future will be. Gemini and Sagittarius have difficulty concentrating on the mundane concerns of life and yet this is exactly what we are challenged to do. One lesson taught, and hopefully learned, under the influence of this Full Moon is the necessity to create “boundaries”, which means to respect both the sovereignty of ourself and others. Another lesson offered is learning to take responsibility for fulfilling our commitments by keeping our mind focused on the goal and taking one precious step after another. In other words, this is not a fortuitous time for  entertaining distractions.  We need  to be watchful of becoming discouraged if things are not moving as fast as our mental imagining. The trick this week is to give ourself enough mental breath to “realize” what we think and feel, separate and distinct from others, without escaping into imaginary flights of fancy.

The exuberance of the Sun in Sagittarius opposing the Moon in Gemini conjures a wild horse ready to bolt, which is exactly what we may feel like doing because this Sagittarius Full Moon makes a Grand- Square to Saturn in Virgo opposing Uranus in Pisces, and corrals our expansive vision for the future.  Remember this Full Moon is teaching us about boundaries and corralling our vision for the future can actually work in our favor if we accept the celestial challenge and become more methodical in accomplishing our goals. It is also possible that this transit will highlight where in our life we tend to give up too easily fostering frustration, regret, even resentment toward others.

A real treasure of this Full Moon is found in the supportive relationship between Mercury and Jupiter reinforcing that we can accomplishment our goals but it will require self-discipline, an unwavering commitment, and personal sacrifice.  Hours before the Full Moon, Mercury, the ruling planet for Gemini and Virgo, entered Capricorn  straight into the arms of Pluto a clear signal for transforming our perception of social power, authority, and leadership. Jupiter, the ruling planet for Sagittarius and Pisces, is in the sign of Capricorn and having recently made a trine to Saturn is valiantly navigating a stormy sea of uncertainty. Together, Mercury and Jupiter in Capricorn are helping us achieve what we imagine our future to be by keeping our feet firmly planted on Earth.

The first aspect the Moon made in Gemini was to nourish Venus in Aquarius which accentuated the universal theme of “human value”, and insured that we can experience grace and beauty in the arms of this Full Moon if we put our judgement from the past to sleep and awaken our appreciation for each unique expression of life. This Gemini Moon is also nourishing the North Node, Chiron, and Neptune Aquarius, which is helping us heal a deep wounding to humanity by opening our mind and heart to the unimaginable. Aquarius is that aspect in each of us learning to receive from others, and with the help of the Full Moon after-glow our thirst for new experiences and our quest for the unknown can guide our discovery of the full potential of what the human imagination can accomplish accompanied by self-determination.

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/2008/10/19/weighing-our-heart/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/19/weighing-our-heart/#comments Sun, 19 Oct 2008 19:57:52 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=387 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

The balancing scales of Libra make their earliest imprint upon  our human consciousness in the Hall of Maat, solemnly described in the Egyptian Book of the Dead as the place where the judging of a dead soul was performed. Judgement was passed by weighing one’s heart (conscience) against the feather of Maat and if the scale tipped even slightly the person was sent back to earth with the solemn responsibility of releasing the extra weight. Maat personifies the concepts of balance, truth, and justice  which were primarily conceived modeled in social relationships and remain so today visible in our contemporary understanding of the unconscious expression of Libra.  When we are under the influence of Libra we are unconsciously aware of our personal responsibility to balance our behavior while alive, which is one reason why we consciously weight in judgment the behavior of others. Libra, the aesthetic realm of Venus, is our mirror as well as our scale of conscience reflecting what we value back to us in our judgment of the values of others. One of the greatest gifts offered to us by Libra is the grace and beauty of our love reflected in the dignity of our ethics honoring justice and fairness especially when looking into the face of overwhelming difference.

Last Wednesday Mercury in Libra stationed direct, and it seems that every time our celestial messenger shifts direction in the sky we on earth shift direction in our consciousness. In all probability, Mercury delivered a direct challenge for us to become more consciously aware of how we communicate to others what we value most in our life; a challenge immediately self-evident on that same Wednesday evening during the US presidential debate between Senator Obama and Senator McCain. With Libra vibrantly alive that night, Mercury having stationed direct and basking in the after glow of the Aries Full Moon, is it any wonder that the majority of people watching and listening looked with disfavor at the aggressive attacking emanating from Senator McCain toward Senator Obama? I watched in stupefied fascination as Senator McCain valiantly undermined the credibility of his values with every barbed attack against the values of Senator Obama, and I thought it worth while to look  back at the debate using an astrological lens to gain insight into understanding something about ourselves.

Both candidates have Libra on the cusp of their natal eighth house, the house of other people’s resources including what they value, which suggests to me that Senator McCain and Senator Obama are equally aware of respect and fairness when considering the values of another. Senator McCain also has natal Mercury in Libra further highlighting his love of peaceful and harmonious communication thus making his aggressive attacking all the more wounding to himself. This is not surprising considering that his natal Chiron, astrology’s “wounded healer”, conjoined the Ascendant of the event chart making his self- wounding visible for all the world to see; a wounding that has something to do with him lacking self- confidence in communicating his ideas in an articulate and comprehensible manner. Senator McCain’s natal Chiron opposing his natal Jupiter is in square with his natal retrograde Saturn-Venus and Neptune opposition which creates a powerful Grand Square, a celestial signature of conflict, that sequesters an enormous amount of self-contained frustration usually released onto others. The natal Saturn-Venus opposition in his natal 1st and 7th houses suggests that Senator McCain is  expecting rejection and criticism from others, and though he stands in ready self-defense, Mars in Leo, he never the less experiences criticism as a powerful undermining of his self-worth.

Senator McCain’s obvious frustration Wednesday night was agitated, actually exaggerated by debating with Senator Obama, because his natal Grand Square conjoined the Ascendant (self) and Descendant (other) of the event chart. Not only did the world witness his wounding but they saw the rawness of his insecurities metamorphose into condescending arrogance, hostel judging, and demeaning bulling  when relating to Senator Obama which seriously questioned his ability to effectively communicate upon the complex stage of global politicking. Adding insult to injury, the transiting Moon-Mars opposition made an exact aspect with Senator McCain’s natal Uranus accentuating his emotional detachment from  any genuine participation in the debate in service of obstinately insisting upon pursuing his rhetorical commentary regardless of the consequences to himself or others.

In stark contrast, Senator Obama’s self-assurance and stately command during the debate were further enhanced by his conscious integration of Libra’s gifts of dignity, honor, and justice while communicating his values to the American people; values which are dramatically similar to those of the American culture as told by the close conjoining of his natal Venus, 01 Cancer 48, with the US Venus, 02 Cancer 43. Senator Obama’s natal Venus forms a water Grand Trine, the celestial signature for emotional harmony, and shared with Neptune and Chiron underscores his empathy for the suffering of others along with his concern to preserve and protect the family and spiritual values of the country.  A Venus-Neptune contact  bestows visionary dreams which can foster a true spiritual awakening born from the highest ideals as long as one eye is left open to the practical manifestations of the dream.

If Senator Obama allows his Grand Trine to nourish his warring avatar, natal Mars in Virgo, then he can do the practical work necessary to insure his visionary dream for the American people which he consistently outlined during the debate. One of the earliest imprinting of Virgo upon our human consciousness is embodied in the sacred work of the virgin priestesses responsible for distributing the annual harvest of grain through the winter months as the earth lie fallow threatening starvation. Social conscience and care for humanity have roots reaching back into antiquity and it is not surprising that Senator Obama values the humanitarian objectives of working together and using the common resources of everyone to make the necessary improvements that he believes will help preserve a sustainable quality of life for all.

On the evening of the debate Senator Obama’s natal Ascendant-Uranus opposition prominently conjoined the MC and IC of the event chart highlighting his humanitarianism at the top  of the chart opposing sudden change at the bottom of the chart. That night, he succinctly broadcast to the world his ideas for social change and spoke eloquently of his ambitions and goals if elected president which, in the words of his campaign, “will require building a movement for change from the bottom up”. I cannot imagine a more fitting sentiment recognizing that we the people are the change coming from the bottom up and we the people are the ones solely responsible for balancing the scales of social justice.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/19/weighing-our-heart/feed/ 0 laurenlesko Maat http://laurenlesko.com/2008/08/20/intricately-woven/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/08/20/intricately-woven/#comments Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:04:04 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=310 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

Discerning how successfully we communicate in our relationships is on the rise. Yesterday, Mars entered Libra, the celestial signifier of diplomatic negotiation. And, today Mercury and Venus indulge in a discriminating kiss in Virgo directing our attention toward a thoughtful deliberation in our communication skills. This is not a time to be brash or impulsive, remembering that Mars recently made a square to Pluto, our impatience with our self and others is being reined – in and our celestial guides are directing our attention toward a measured assessing of our current situation before asserting our will. Mars, the God of War, is seeking balanced negotiations; solutions and resolutions that consider the interests of each person involved. Never an easy job having been made more irritating today as Mercury and Venus quincunx Chiron and the North Node in Aquarius. We are warned not to allow our analyzing and discerning to become overly determined and rigid to the point of suffocating our mental breathing. Chiron and the North Node in Aquarius are offering us the opportunity to open our minds to the new and unconventional and the influence of Virgo can ground our hopes and wishes if the threads of discrimination are masterfully interwoven into the intricate fabric of our life.

The waning Taurus Moon is telling us to evaluate the importance we place on the things we own in life and use as reflections for what we value in our self and measure as the breadth of our self-worth. This is a good week to ask ourselves if we spend more time worried about our material comfort than our spiritual evolving. The Moon is that aspect of our self seeking emotional security and well being feeling that we belong to the continuum of life. When we feel connected with our lunar self we intuitively understand that we belong to and are a part of the wisdom of nature; the divine Mother, our eternal “Feminine”, creator and destroyer of life. A dear friend recently returned from the Amazon in Brazil having experienced first hand the awesome magnificence of our divine Mother, “Madre Tierra”, tenaciously, and with a profound indifference to the momentary comforts of the human species, providing every breath of our existence. When under the influence of Taurus each cell of our body is made alert to the sensual experiencing of being alive. When we look into the loving eyes of creation spewing forth new life while devouring our decay we witness the chthonic source of our own creativity ripening into self-expression.

The wealth promised by Taurus is understanding that whatever we are seeking outside our self is first found within. The Leo Sun can be vulnerable seeking approval and appreciation from others while suffering rejection and exclusion if one’s talents and achievements are ignored. This week if we work together with the exalted strength of the Moon we may gain a deeper self-appreciation of ourselves based on our intrinsic knowing of our self-worth which cannot be measured against the standards of another. Next week we will experience a solar eclipse at 9 Leo 32 heralding a promise to eliminate an aspect of our individuality that has become obsolete. We can use this week as a prelude to the solar eclipse and reflect on what aspect within ourselves we want to sweep away for a more realized Self.

The first aspect the waning Moon makes is an earthy Grand Trine with Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter Rx suggesting that we can bring our lofty ideals down to earth and commune with the simple pleasures of life for free. One way to use the resources offered us this week is to free ourselves from the burden of our past without loosing contact with the source of our creation. The Moon squares Venus, the Nodes, Chiron, and Neptune indicating that our relationships may be challenging this week as we struggle to keep our mind open to the ideas of others.

We may find our self in situations requiring that we honor our individuality without steam rolling over our partner’s. You may feel like digging in your heels this week stubbornly refusing to budge on some aspect of your relationship that would have seemed trivial last week. This week it is a point of honor that you be right and if you allow your pride to dictate your emotional responding you may discover your partner giving you his or her cold shoulder. For those of us not in an intimate partnership at the moment we could inadvertently burden our friendships with similar behavior. The Moon sextile Uranus is itching for emotional freedom and the quincunx to Pluto requires adjusting how we relate to others if we want our relationships to foster our emotional evolving. The key to getting along with other’s this week is to turn our gaze within and observe ourselves creating ourselves.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/07/25/first-found-within/feed/ 0 laurenlesko Mother Goddess http://laurenlesko.com/2008/07/22/luminous-light/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/07/22/luminous-light/#comments Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:06:43 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=280 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

Today, the Sun, the luminous light of our unique individuality, enters the sign of ruler ship bestowing strength and vitality to our spirit of creativity. If we view this month through the lens of the pure manifestation of the energy of a Leo Sun, then this is the month to express ourselves doing those things which bring pleasure and contentment into our lives. It is not by chance that July and August, when the Sun is in Leo, are the traditional months of the year when people indulge their impulse for adventurous play with family, friends, or on their own, venturing into the wild of seaside resorts, mountain retreats, or the exotic habits of unknown cultures. It is certain, regardless of what we do this month we will become fully aware of the spark of life which is eternally ignited at the core of individuality.

The first aspect the Sun makes in Leo is a quincunx to Jupiter Rx in Capricorn highlighting our necessity to expand our light within before we can manifest our creativity without. We need to become more open to our capacity to be creative in the world, and give honor to something unique and special within our self which only we can creatively express. Astrology shows us that each one of us are a unique expression of the life force that is manifest in every particle of matter. When the Sun and Jupiter are quincunx we are witnessing our need to make some adjustment to how we expand our individuality out into the world; Jupiter retrograde is telling us that the adjustment has something to do with our internal self image. Perhaps we can see only our flaws, our ineptness, our dullness, and our ordinariness. When under the influence of Leo we are seeking an inspired, romantic relationship with life, one filled with risk, extravagance, and above all else, luxurious superlatives of undying love.

The warmth and exuberance of Leo’s love can inspire even the most cynical of souls, and this month is all about discovering self love in a big, very big, way. I am not advocating that we amplify our self-interest, on the contrary, I am encouraging all of us to experience the depth of our capacity to give and receive love. On August 1 we will experience a solar eclipse at 09 Leo 32, and on August 23 a lunar eclipse at 23 Aquarius 21. One way of understanding the passionate forces released during an eclipse is to visualize the Sun, Moon, and Earth, the three major players in astrology, enjoying a momentary “ménage á trois” and our creative juices are flowing, our instinctual needs are aroused, we struggle finding a socially acceptable mode for releasing our passion. Is it any wonder that our ancestors for saw calamitous ruin and drastic changing in the wake of an eclipse? I will have more astrological commentary for each eclipse in August.

Something else to become aware of this month are the celestial conversations between the Sun, Chiron, the Nodes, Neptune and Pluto; each one directing our attention to cosmic expansion and transformation. This month we are offered an opportunity to integrate, at the core of our individuality, our capacity to shine the warmth of our heart outward in concern for the humanitarian needs of each living individual. Do not be surprised if during the month you experience some event which opens your mind and challenges your ideas about how well, or not, traditional social structures are taking care for the needs of all of the people. The gift of Leo shines brightest when the love we feel for a few is generously given to all.