A Lunar Eclipse punctuates a shift in our conscious by marking the completion, sometimes the passing, of something we have created in our life. When a Lunar Eclipse is in Sagittarius and Gemini we are challenged to look closely at our reality and follow our heart in search of the meaning of our existence. A series of eclipses in Sagittarius and Gemini will continue unfolding throughout 2012 illuminating the ebb and flow of our existence. Those experiences that touch us most deeply will force us to look at what we believe and how our beliefs create what we experience. The cosmos is encouraging us to let go of our attachment to the beliefs of others and rather than mindlessly follow the thoughts, feelings, and actions of others, discover what is true for ourself.  The spirit of Sagittarius inspires us to reach beyond what we know in search of something never before experienced, and the spirit of Gemini infuses our life force with boundless curiosity and a youthful wonderment ready to embrace everything that life has to offer. Our consciousness is awakening as never before imagined encouraging us to free ourself of the limitations imposed by our past and open our heart to the infinite possibilities awaiting us in the unknown.

I was unable to find the name of the author of the quote or the artist of the sculpture.

“My soul, where are you? Do you hear me? I speak. I call you – are you there? I have returned. I am here again. I have shaken the dust off all lands from my feet, and I have come to you. I am with you. After long years of long wandering, I have come to you again.  Should I tell you everything I have seen, experienced and drunk in? Or do you want to hear about all the noise of life and the world? But one thing you must know: the one thing I have learned is that one must live this life.” * Recent events in my life have turned my head around and I now find myself walking forward looking backward reflecting on the life I lived fourteen years ago. At that time Saturn was transiting my natal fourth house, now in 2010, perky in my tenth and approaching a second Saturn return, Saturn challenges me to consider more deeply the  source of my origin.

2010 promises to return us to the source of all that we have ever been and will ever be.  The New Year arrived under the  auspicious reflection of a Lunar Eclipse with the Moon in Cancer opposing the Sun in Capricorn and both luminaries approaching the Moon’s Nodes.  The Moon’s Nodes are our celestial pathway from whence we have been to where we are going, which is one reason why eclipses are so significant to astrologers. The Moon as the keeper of our personal and collective unconscious is the shrine and tomb of every thought, feeling, and action of human consciousness. For this reason many astrologers consider the Moon to be the embodiment of our eternal self, our soul.

This Lunar Eclipse is taking us deeper into our unconscious motives by shifting our focus from external to internal reality. The opposition of the Moon in Cancer and the Sun in Capricorn is bringing tension to those aspects of ourself that need to be integrated inwardly rather than projected outwardly. When we are under the opposing forces of Capricorn and Cancer we hear the rattling bones of our ancestors calling us home. Capricorn defines. Cancer binds. And without a deepened self-awareness we are vulnerable to the traditional tribalism of family, community, and culture dictating how we live this life.

Cancer is the universal principle of caring, healing, and nurturing ourself and others. The shadow side of Cancer  is our fear of difference and diversity pushing us to congregate with those of like mind and heart forgetting that at the deepest level of human relating difference and diversity nourish the infinite possibilities of being human. This year we are going to reach into the bowels of our humanity, the joys and sufferings alike, and grow more human.  Our inner work in 2010 is to soften the hardened shell of self-protection and self- defense shielding our vulnerability and preventing our sharing  with each other all that life has to offer because of our fears.

Neither Cancer nor Capricorn encourage change and our task ahead is adopting a tenacious persistence  and self- determination to reach our goal, which is nothing less than caring, healing, and nurturing all of life in spite of our fear. We have inherited  so many fears from sources that have nothing to do with our authentic self that with conscious awareness and mindful actions we can change our perception of  fear.  In order for this to happen we must be willing to journey to the source of our origin and wrestle with our shadow selves; those nasty aspects of our self that we gleefully project onto others.

At the time of the Lunar Eclipse Mercury in Capricorn was retrograde and close to the Moon’s Nodes insuring serious introspection that challenges the traditional structures in our life that we  are dependent upon to give our individuality shape and substance.  Mercury is the universal principle of the mind and guardian of all forms of communication, and when retrograde in Capricorn Mercury is helping us re-construct our thoughts and feelings into new forms. We can expect 2010 to add a serious tone to our communication, as well as, a self -disciplined commitment to make constructive changes in how we live this life. The Lunar Eclipse has pushed us down a rabbit hole forcing us to re-examine the distortions in our life that we have personally created because of our fears.

* C.G. Jung, The Red Book,  1913, Liber Primus

This season’s Cancer Full Moon illuminated the face of a Lunar Eclipse beaming transcending rays of death and regeneration down to Earth. The Moon  in Capricorn was the culmination point on the ecliptic of a lunation cycle that began with a decisive Sun-Moon conjunction in Cancer opposing Pluto in Capricorn; a cosmic dance alerting us from the very beginning that the celestial atmosphere enfolding this lunar cycle could manifest in world events that would purge intense collective emotions. The June 22 birth of the Cancer New Moon was sandwiched between the sudden and brutal killing of Neda Agha-Soltan on June 20 and the unexpected and shocking death of Michael Jackson on June 25. The tragic passing of their lives penetrated to the core of the collective unconscious unleashing an out pouring of mass grief and public mourning that, at least temporarily, sought to unify individual differences and cultural diversities into a world family; the perfected mirror image of a Capricorn Moon.

This Lunar Eclipse was considered rather weak just grazing the Earth’s shadow, yet, strong enough to trigger a flood of collective emotion that each of us now has the opportunity to transform into a personal commitment to nurture, nourish, protect, and defend the needs of our world family. Saturn in Virgo disposes the Sun, Moon, and Mercury telling of a perfect time for us to use our discerning care in a world-wide distribution of the basic necessities of life under the umbrella of open communication.

On the day of the eclipse Mars in Taurus made a forceful square to Jupiter -Neptune conjoined in Aquarius  presenting a cosmic warning not to fall prey to our fear of scarcity by hording our wealth and damning the flow of our humanitarian care. Jupiter and Neptune are retrograde in Aquarius suggesting that our expanding optimism to dissolve  the boundaries of the realities that are preventing the world from uniting as one family will manifest outside our ordinary box of expectations; these are unusual times calling forth unusual solutions. When we are under the influence of Aquarius we are aware of the needs of humanity and the necessity to contribute our unique individuality on its behalf. The next Lunar Eclipse to illuminate near the Aquarius North Node will be in 2027 leaving us today with the sobering reality that consciously or not each of us on Earth is contributing to the evolution of humanity through daily actions that directly impact the quality of life for our world family.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2009/07/08/our-world-family/feed/ 2 laurenlesko Atlas http://laurenlesko.com/2009/02/17/self-honesty/ http://laurenlesko.com/2009/02/17/self-honesty/#comments Wed, 18 Feb 2009 02:28:11 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=2482 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

The lunation cycle that began with the Solar Eclipse in Aquarius,  a New Moon, has reached the waning phase as the Moon in Scorpio prepares the way for a deep emotional healing if we are willing to journey into the murky waters of an overwhelming fear. At the Solar Eclipse we were offered a time to set an intention for the coming six months. The eclipse was in Aquarius suggesting that our intention had something to do with recognizing that our life vitality, our essential self, is reflecting something much larger than our self, which in turn, is propelling us to participate in something greater than our self. As this month’s lunation cycle unfolded we discovered at the waxing phase that we were building self-esteem and self-confidence, and at the Lunar Eclipse, the Full Moon phase, we recognized that embracing self-love was an act of humble reverence honoring Life.

In every waxing phase of the lunation cycle we enter a period of self-reflection examining our actions during the previous three weeks. When we are under the influence of Scorpio we are challenged to look directly into the eyes of our soul in self-honesty and naked truth. This waxing Moon is translating to the Sun the thoughts and feelings of six planetary bodies in Aquarius including Mercury’s recent re-entrance into Aquarius bringing flashes of insight like electrical shock waves rippling through our perception of reality. This is a good time for us to investigate our perception of reality in order to gain fresh insight into those unconscious  motives that have become our conscious realizations. The infusion of this much Aquarian influence in our daily living has baptized our conscious awareness in cosmic clarity giving us a deeper self-understanding which hopefully is leading each of us to a deeper self-appreciation and self-acceptance. The greatest gift of Aquarius is opening our mind and heart to receive the intelligence of the Universe.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2009/02/17/self-honesty/feed/ 0 laurenlesko Lunar Phases 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/2008/08/19/big-fat-reminding/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/08/19/big-fat-reminding/#comments Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:32:43 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=309 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

On the full Moon Lunar Eclipse Mars made a Big Fat square to Pluto and we were given a Big Fat reminder to temper our willful acting. Today, Mars enters Libra and we are given the golden opportunity of acting with balance and harmony. The first aspect to Mars in Libra is an opposition from the Moon in Aries pricking our emotional impatience urging us to diligently reconsider our impulsive reactions in our relationship with others. This is a time for becoming aware that our impatience with our self and others disrupts our equilibrium in life tossing us upside down and inside out. When we act without forethought, as Mars is oft to do, we can create double work for ourselves cleaning up our mishaps.

Mars is definitely at home in the cardinal signs, Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn, the impetus of each to take action. The lesson we are learning each time Mars travels through Libra is the best time for taking action, which can be nerve wracking with one foot on the gas and the other on the brake. I have Libra at my mid heaven and I never enjoyed, even as a child at the amusement park, being jolted about, however, it is worth pondering the deeper meaning of Mars in Libra exposing our awkwardness, and difficulty, in taking harmonious action.

The first aspect this LIbra Mars makes is a square to Jupiter in Capricorn challenging us not to exaggerate the imbalance of our actions, instead, to use this aspect and garner disciplined action leading to constructive results. The conjunction with Mercury and then Venus, when both are in Libra, accentuates harmony in our communication with others; and the trine to Chiron and the North Node in Aquarius provides added breath to our actions allowing them a wider circulation and greater effect within the collective. The quincunx to Uranus curbs our tendency for defiant action, the trine to Neptune softens our motives, and the sextile to Pluto stimulates creative resolution. All in all, Mars in Libra heralds a time of greater accepting and allowing for each other’s differences which can open new levels of communication bringing understanding and offering mutual benefit.

Venus moving into Virgo directs our attention to using our discerning eye in relationship with others. Gone are the lazy, crazy, fun filled Leo days of spontaneous romancing and love-making. A Virgo Venus brings us a time of reckoning when we need to digest the love we have given and received since the last time Venus entered Virgo, eighteen months past, and with a practical reasoning discern what has improved and what needs improving . When under the influence of Virgo dissatisfaction with what “is” can drive us to distraction as we strive for perfection knowing deep within our heart that life is eternally imperfect, or so it seems. From the point of view of a learned sage life is perfect just as it is and what makes it imperfect is our human dissatisfaction. Many years ago I was sitting with friends, all of us complaining about what we were being given, our dissatisfaction hovering in the air like a heavy blanket, and I understood in a flash of insight that the purpose in life really is “to be” and all our striving to improve ourselves and others generates tension and aggression. For thousands of years, in every culture known to humankind, sages have taught us humans that what we are seeking outside ourselves is already within ourselves. When Venus is in Virgo the perfection we are seeking in love and partnership has something to do with self acceptance.

Venus is fast moving this month directing our attention to the certain intensity of personal growing in our relationships with others. Venus enters Virgo sandwiched seven degrees ahead of our capacity for communicating, the planet Mercury, and seven degrees behind our capacity for taking action, the planet Mars; telling me that this is a good month for analyzing our relationships and working toward resolving conflict by keeping in mind that our dissatisfaction is speaking on behalf of something within ourselves. On August 13 Venus and Saturn hold hands helping us better understand what constitutes personal responsibility and commitment in our relationships. When under the influence of Virgo the celestial spotlight is on work, and because Venus is our capacity for relationship, it seems likely that we will work hard to improve all of our relationships but especially those that involve our work environment. Best be prepared for the relationships in your life that are not fulfilling your standard of excellence becoming difficult to continue.

Shortly thereafter, on August 16 the day of the Lunar Eclipse, we are given a celestial helping hand when Venus and Jupiter harmoniously garner buen fortuna from our hearts. What an auspicious event heralding our awareness of the value we place on our skills and talents and our willingness to place them in service to others. This is a wonderful time to turn our gaze within and take appreciative note of everything that we have learned on our life journey thus far. It is time for an honest evaluation of how well we have assimilated and disseminated our knowledge of the world by keeping in mind that when looking at life through the lens of Virgo there is always room for improvement but not at the expense of loosing our perspective on what we have accomplished.

Later in the month Venus opposes Uranus stimulating sudden changes in the quality of our work relationships which could bring disruption when hidden agendas are brought to the light.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/08/05/the-love-we-give/feed/ 2 laurenlesko Venus and Amor http://laurenlesko.com/2008/07/29/go-beyond-the-familiar/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/07/29/go-beyond-the-familiar/#comments Wed, 30 Jul 2008 02:48:57 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=297 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

Eclipses are major events in astrology, and no wonder, they are the intimate aligning, the celestial “ménage á trois”, of the three most significant players of the zodiac; the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth. Our ancestors considered eclipses to be “harbingers of calamity” for the simple reason that human consciousness experiences change with fear and foreboding. But this is not the only reason. Our ancestors worshiped the Sun and the Moon as God and Goddess who created, nourished, and sustained life on Earth, and witnessing the bright face of either deity suddenly blacken or turn blood red must have seemed tantamount to witnessing the wrath of the Universe. Today, most western cultures pride themselves on a mechanistic ordering of life, the Sun and Moon benign within the physical comprehending of phenomenology, and yet, observing an eclipse can still fill the human heart with awe and wonder at the numinous power of the same Universe of our ancestors of which we are a living part.

Astrology is the charting of the eternal cycles of change, the same cycles that govern the ebb and flow of our individual lives, navigating three distinct cycles of time: the annual cycle of the Earth through the zodiac, the monthly cycle of the Moon through the zodiac, and the daily cycle of the Earth rotating upon it’s axis through the zodiac. If we consider the significance that interweaving all three cycles adds to the meaning of our life experiences then we can appreciate the cosmic forces of change presented to us with every Eclipse.

In astrology the Sun represents our life force, the core of our essence, our unique individuality; the Moon our instinctual need to survive, our intuitive sense of security, and our emotional seeking to belong; and the Ascendant our window onto the world through which we see our perceptions and expectations of life reflected back to us. When we experience a Solar Eclipse the Moon has moved between the Sun and the Earth and our life force is momentarily consumed by our instinctual need to survive and disrupting our view of the world we are offered the opportunity to set new agendas and patterns in our life. When we experience a Lunar Eclipse the Earth has moved between the Sun and the Moon and our perception and expectations in life are casting a long shadow on our emotional need to belong stimulating us to break old habits or eliminate past conditioning in ways that will enhance our self-awareness and unique individuality.

On August 1 we will experience a Solar Eclipse at 9 Leo 32 and on August 16 a Lunar Eclipse at 24 Aquarius 21. The theme of Leo and Aquarius eclipses is the conflict between the creative expression of the individual verses the ideology of the group. Two fruitful questions we can ask ourselves are: how can we integrate the creative expression of our unique individuality with the hopes, wishes, and aspirations of our community; and, are the communities that we have created successfully honoring and respecting the ideas and opinions of each individual? Astrologer Marielle Croft recently wrote that the greatest theme for this New Moon is global peace and I absolutely agree, in fact, the August Eclipses are harbingers of hope not calamity if we can truly open our hearts and minds, the realm of Leo and Aquarius, and enthusiastically embrace working together in global consciousness to improve the quality of life for our collective community, Earth.

A Solar Eclipse sweeps away the old offering the possibility for something new to rise in conscious light at the Full Moon Eclipse. The Leo- Aquarius Eclipse axis is directing our attention to the necessity for individuals to step up and challenge corporate decisions dictating global policies which foster the interests of a “royal few”. Now is the time for a social revolution which requires the full participation of every individual united together as world citizens regardless of gender, race, and religion. When we are under the influence of Leo the core of our essence, our radiant light, our unique individuality generously shines forth for the well being of all others. We can use the coming months observing when we act from insecurities and self-doubts which we have unconsciously projected onto the behavior of others. We can use this time to observe within ourself when we mentally scapegoat, bully or intimidate anyone who does not agree with our thoughts, wishes, or ideals.

When we are under the influence of Aquarius we are keenly aware of our individual participation within a group of our choosing preferring to focus on the interests of the group rather than the interests of the individual. However, it is worth remembering, as the deeper expressing of Aquarius understands, the interests of the group reflects the individual interests of the members, without which there would be no group. Aquarius is that aspect in our self which can be open minded and inclusive of all points of view if we are willing to let go of our intellectual attachments to what we believe. We cannot afford to continue as before overwhelmed by the complexities of contemporary life allowing a hand full of individuals to determine policies for the majority. Many of us have allowed ourselves to be lulled into complacency considering the material comforts of ourselves and our families more important than the quality of life on Earth, and in so doing, we have unwittingly undermined the very thing that we were seeking. Leo and Aquarius working hand in hand understands that the strength of any group is dependent upon the heart of the individuals within that group. The August Eclipses are offering us the courage to open our hearts and minds to the unknown and risk going beyond the familiar.

I highly recommend reading Julie Demboski’s insights into the August Eclipses especially if you are interested in knowing about the contribution of the asteroids.

Another insightful inquiry into the August Eclipses is found at Cafe Astrology which includes excellent information on the meaning of the Eclipse axis in each zodiac house.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/07/29/go-beyond-the-familiar/feed/ 0 laurenlesko An Eclipse 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.