This week brings with it many changing faces: the balsamic “face” of the monthly lunation cycle emphasizing the internalizing of our experiences following the Leo and Aquarius eclipse cycle; the waxing Gemini Moon’s conflicted celestial faces turned to Mercury, Venus, Uranus, Pluto; and thousands of hopeful faces at the Democratic National Convention gathered in force to generate enthusiastic support for a Democratic victory in November. Traditional astrology talk will say that the days before a new Moon are spent in contemplative calm reflecting on what has recently transpired while preparing for a new cycle of action beckoning the coming lunar cycle. The days before a new Moon can be fruitfully spent meditating on our future intentions, but it is most definitely not a week for taking action which makes me wonder about the intentions of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Astrologer, Julie Demboski, sees passive-aggressive behavior in this weeks celestial atmosphere blanketed with low lying hyper criticism and turbulent self-defensive. This does not bode well for generating a spirit of unification required for the healing of deeply incurred wounding necessary to victoriously carry the Democratic Party to the White House; unless all concerned heed Julie’s warning that “there’s hope for a more tranquil atmosphere, found in several other influences, if we can just shift our energy away from shooting those ego-loaded arrows out into the world.” Unfortunately, “ego-loaded arrows” has been, in my opinion, the unfortunate mantra in the Democratic Presidential race, undermining a golden opportunity for the Democratic Party to actualize significant historical and cultural change in the Unite States by honoring that party’s commitment to liberal social changes underwritten in affirmative action stupendously manifest in this years Democratic Presidential race featuring a woman of Anglo heritage and a man of Anglo and African heritage. A terrible shame that so much bitterness soured the majestic possibilities of this coupling.

As the Democratic National Convention (DNC) comes to life the Moon in Gemini opposes Pluto establishing the psychological undercurrents of this event. I direct your attention to astrologer, Eric Francis, for a must read analysis of this celestial signature. I encourage you to keep in mind, as you read Eric’s insights, that Senator Obama was born when the Moon was in Gemini, as it is tonight, closely square Pluto in Virgo.

About two hours into the DNC the Moon enters Cancer bestowing the opportunity for a carefully considered nurturing of family; at home, abroad, and ancestral. This is a fertile time for each of us to consider constructive ways of providing care and protection that will bestow nourishment to mind, body, and soul without falling into the all to familiar mode of hardened self-protective defense. It feels hopeful for the DNC that it is happening at a time when the transiting Cancer Moon conjoins the United States natal Cancer Sun assuring the people of the United States that the Democratic Party is deeply committed to serving and protecting both the emotional security and individual sovereignty of the American people. Danger lurks behind patriot rhetoric and sentimental slogans reducing the significance of this political forum to a solipsistic pandering to convention. It is also worth noting the one degree conjunction of Venus in Cancer between the natal charts of Senator Obama and the United States conferring the celestial signature of strongly shared values, a desired aspect in the synastry between any couple, but one which needs careful monitoring in this relationship to prevent becoming overly sensitive to the slings and arrows of others.

When the Moon enters Leo on the 27th, if we listen with our heart, we may hear the recent Solar Eclipse whispers of authenticity, and the Lunar Eclipse encouragement to give the gifts of our unique individuality in a mutual working together with others, which if heeded, may have auspicious results for the Democratic Party. The Leo Solar Eclipse conjoined the natal South Node in the United States chart and the natal Sun in Senator Obama’s chart clearly suggesting that the unique gifts the Senator will bring to the U.S. Presidency are valuable assets for the future evolving of the United States. The additional fact that Senator Obama’s natal Sun falls in the natal 12th house of the United State’s chart is a haunting cord that the Senator has plumbed the depths of the United States psyche offering possible healing for the unconscious wounding of the entire Nation if those wounds are allowed to be brought up from the turbulent waters of the unconscious into conscious light.

When we are under the influence of Leo our creative self- expression shines brightly illuminating our dynamic leadership abilities seasoned with unabashed pleasure. It is always important with Leo to be mindful of not falling foul of our insecurities making us vulnerable to the approval of others and blinding us to the evolutionary growing of Leo which brings self-assured self-confidence regardless of the opinion’s of others. I can’t help but feel that this theme is in high relief at the DNC considering that Leo fills the 2nd house, the house of self-worth, in the Solar Eclipse chart for Washington,D.C., as does Senator Obama’s natal Sun, Mercury, and Uranus.

Senator Obama’s natal Uranus plays a significant role in his presidential candidacy contributing to his electrifying oratory, mantra for change, and image of a man heralding the future. His natal Uranus opposes his natal Aquarius Ascendant, as well as, opposing the United States natal Aquarius Moon. Both Ascendant and Moon were conjoined by the Lunar Eclipse anointing Senator Obama’s already intuitive understanding of the emotional temperament of the United States: at best a deeply felt humanitarianism and concern for the equality of all people, and at worst a cold hearted rejecting of individual needs in favor of a faceless, mindless mass. Perhaps the message here lies in the ability of candidate and country to connect with the needs of the ordinary people.

The last aspect from Mercury, just before our celestial messenger enters Libra, is a square to Pluto adding psychological probing in our communication with others.* The Mercury and Pluto square definitely marks the occasion with the necessity to transform the way people are using their communication skills. Libra is that aspect in our psyche that intuitively understands diplomacy and the social art of compromise insuring that the needs of everyone involved are considered and negotiated before reaching a firm decision. Libra is a cardinal sign, ruled by Venus, speaking the virtuous language of human dignity for every action taken on behalf of human justice. It is possible that this theme will crown the DNC when we consider that Mercury in Libra conjoins the Mid -Heaven in the Lunar Eclipse chart for Washington,D.C., hopefully setting the intention for the Democratic Party of peaceful negotiation through a reconciliation of differences.

*This sentence has been revised from the original post due to my mis-calculation when Mercury made a square to Pluto.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/08/25/peaceful-negotiation-at-the-dnc/feed/ 3 laurenlesko Hermes Trismegistus http://laurenlesko.com/2008/08/08/acquired-crafting/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/08/08/acquired-crafting/#comments Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:10:42 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=300 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

“A total eclipse of the Sun in Leo stands as a direct invitation to wake up and pay attention to who we are. But rather than trade one Self-Concept for another, we have a bold calling to trade a Self-Concept for an actual sense of self. ” I have been reading amazing insights from other astrologers about the meaning of the August 2008 Solar Eclipse and all are pointing fingers at gaining a deeper understanding of who we are by surpassing what we identify as our ego. The quote above is from the astrologer Eric Francis who, in the same article, pointed out that the last time we experienced a Solar Eclipse on the Leo South Node was in 1971 a time in recent history when people were willing to give up how they identified themselves for something new and unknown. It seems possible that once again we are given the same celestial opportunity to drop the prescriptive veiling of our individuality for something more authentic and rooted in the core of who we are.

On Friday August 8 we experienced the waxing phase of the new Moon Solar Eclipse, the Moon in Scorpio, alerting our attention to survival. Few celestial signatures are as intense as a Scorpio Moon and when coupled with the Leo Solar Eclipse it seems likely that we are preoccupied with the survival of our individuality. This of course can take on a myriad of faces and easily account for any number of worldly events all of which seem to point at a fearful ego terrified of sitting on the side lines. When under the influence of Scorpio our insecurities can flare manifesting raging jealousy and manipulative possessiveness. Certainly not the prettier faces of Scorpio but perhaps the faces we need to face in order to discover the rich treasures buried deep within our Scorpio nature; self honesty and profound self-transforming.

This Scorpio Moon bestows celestial harmony except on the Sun, Neptune, and Mercury offering us on Earth a curious déja vu when earlier in the week Mercury opposed Neptune and communication was rife with uncertainties and mis-understandings. Moon square the Sun brings conflict with how we emotionally express our self and Moon square Neptune can provide creative communication if we can stay afloat of emotional innuendos. The last aspect the Moon makes before leaving Scorpio is a square to Mercury adding additional stress on changing the way we emotionally communicate. The square aspect harbors creative change disguised as tension or stress, and this particular square, coinciding with Mercury’s ingress into Virgo, is heralding a definite time for thoughtful communication taking full advantage of implementing the many useful skills acquired in prior years.

Today is the waxing phase of the lunar cycle demanding action be taken. But what kind of action? The new Moon Gemini beckoned the opening of our mind allowing for fresh mental breathing, and now, the waxing Moon Virgo is calling for discernment and discrimination. The action called forth with this waxing Moon is to slow down and analyze all that we have been open to the last week. The Virgo Moon is reflecting our unconscious seeking of wholeness, our completeness within our self, requiring that we step back and understand the value of our recent experiences. It is possible in the coming days to feel isolated, even critical of our self and others, so it is important to understand that our frustration is our awareness of the imperfection of our situation. Gemini never weighs the value of a situation, but not so Virgo, which is that aspect in our self seeing every wrinkle of imperfection in life. It is tempting to spiral down a rabbit hole of discontent and forfeit our opportunity to see our current situation as an expression of the whole. We need to be watchful not to exaggerate or judge our situation and miss experiencing the fullness of life because we see only the part.

When under the influence of Virgo we intuitively create rituals which honor the rhythms of our daily life, our body, our psyche, because we understand that our wholeness is an integral continuum of the wholeness of life. The Moon is that aspect of our self reflecting our instinctual awareness of cyclical change, and each year, at this time, the waxing Virgo Moon is directing our attention toward our need to honor the cycles of our life. The four faces of every lunar cycle reflect our process of change; the new Moon initiation, the waxing Moon action, the full Moon completion, and the waning Moon integration. The Mayan culture believed that each life force, living spirit, was a single thread woven by the Moon Goddess, Ix Chel, into an intricately patterned cloth of life. I can’t imagine a more beautiful metaphor for our seeking wholeness, the part integrated into the whole, than Ix Chel eternally weaving the living cloth of life.

Our minds have been soaring high above the maddening crowd seeking a fresh life perspective, and today, the waxing Virgo Moon is challenging us to come back to Earth and put our new found perspective into practical skills. The first aspects the Virgo Moon made were a trine to Pluto and a conjunction to Saturn offering us cosmic helping hands to guide our thoughts and feelings toward a gentle landing back on Earth. Venus has been in the heart of the Sun infused with the radiant light of consciousness getting ready to translate our newly gained awareness but before that can happen the Virgo Moon will square Venus and the Sun, and trine Jupiter; funneling our scattered attention into a directed focus of inquiry reaching beyond our self, as long as we are careful not to undermine our sense of curiosity with a false sense of duty. The lunar opposition to Uranus, and the quincunx to Chiron, the South Node, and Neptune are directing our attention to the necessity for integrating our recent experiences into a personal expression that reflects our skillful interweaving of our many faceted selves into an elaborate wholeness.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/06/10/part-of-the-whole/feed/ 0 laurenlesko Ix Chel http://laurenlesko.com/2008/05/28/birds-eye-view/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/05/28/birds-eye-view/#comments Wed, 28 May 2008 14:31:01 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=190 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

At the moment, there is a predominance of the element of air circulating in our celestial landscape transporting our Earthly experiences as if they were origami birds leaving us little choice but to flow with the current spread our wings and fly. I actually feel that this is a golden moment of enlightenment infusing us with conscious awareness of the limitations we create and the barriers we erect because we are attached to ideas acquired long ago. The Sun and Venus are in Gemini, a retrograde Chiron in Aquarius side by side the Aquarius North Node, and both Mercury in Gemini and Neptune in Aquarius stationing retrograde on the same day. Add the Moon in Aquarius, on May 26th, translating the influx of celestial breath to Saturn, Mars, Uranus and the South Node, and we begin to understand the connecting purpose of air moving laterally in boundless expansion. If we allow our mind to move in tandem this series of transits is offering us a birds eye view of our experiences gleaming a fresh perspective.

Think of air as the expansive space of your mind, your mental breathing, your inhaling and exhaling of experiences. The extraordinary number of planetary bodies currently in air signs are providing us with a lovely atmosphere for consciously awakening from a deep slumber, all we need be is open to changing how we think. Change is never easy, usually met with resistance out of fear, hence a deep slumber. The element air is not intrinsically motivated by fear it is seeking the mental intimacy experienced in connecting with people, places, things, and ideas. When any planet stations retrograde it is time for us to become intimately acquainted with that planet by turning our attention within and gaining a deeper understanding of how that planet manifests in our lives.

When Mercury turns retrograde the universe is showing us the working of our conscious mind every time we experience disrupted communication in the world, and in this way, helping us work to stabilize our mind. When Mercury is Rx in Gemini we are experiencing that aspect in our self which is of two minds; curiously inquisitive and restlessly disruptive and definitely prone to disconnecting when overwhelmed with responsibilities.

When Chiron turns retrograde it is time for a deep wounding from our past to surface and we may experience something currently in our lives as wounding to our self esteem. When Chiron is Rx in Aquarius our wounding has something to do with our attachment to our ideals and our healing has something to do with learning to receive the ideas of others.

When Neptune turns retrograde we experience that aspect in our self that is deeply dissatisfied with the limits of our physical experiences and we longingly turn our face toward a union with something that will dissolve our separateness in the world. When Neptune is Rx in Aquarius we are aware that our ideas can be barriers isolating us from others and that we can dissolve these barriers by becoming more sensitive to the ideas of others. During this Rx station Neptune was occulted by the Moon and anytime the Moon steps between the Earth and another planet it is a definite sign that our unconscious is absorbing the full intensity of the encounter. Because Neptune is in Aquarius it seems likely that we will experience the dissolving of our mental barriers on an intuitive level which could bring us and others a deeply healing experience as long as we do not indiscriminately loose respect for our sovereignty out of fear of our separateness.

The element air is teaching us the art of connectedness within ourselves and with others by helping us see, through our daily experiences in life, where we are rigid in our thinking and show us ways to be more opened minded by paying closer attention to the movement of our conscious mind. Remember, the distance between our contentment and discontentment is a single thought.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/05/28/birds-eye-view/feed/ 2 laurenlesko Mercury in Flight http://laurenlesko.com/2008/05/18/once-in-a-blue-moon/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/05/18/once-in-a-blue-moon/#comments Mon, 19 May 2008 03:19:55 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=179 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

We begin this week with a once in a blue moon celestial phenomenon of two Full Moons in one month. From what little I have read on the subject of blue moons there are differing opinions about what actually constitutes one.* What I can say with assurance is that this second Scorpio Full Moon reflects something unusual in our unconscious which is fighting for conscious awareness. Before the Moon moves to an exact opposition with the Sun it will make challenging aspects to Mercury, Chiron, Venus, the Nodes, and Neptune, tempered with harmonious aspects to Jupiter and Uranus. Unlike the previous Scorpio Full Moon heralding the harmonious experiencing of our conscious illumination, this Scorpio Full Moon is reflecting our frustration, but don’t despair frustration is our impetus to change and change is our lead -in to consciousness illumination. This Scorpio Full Moon promises just that, conscious illumination, if we are willing to examine the mental and emotional boxes we put ourselves inside and ask ourselves if the choices we make in life are out of obligation or in celebration of life?

When the Moon and Mercury connect it is a time for emotional questioning and the quincunx suggests that now is the time to adjust how we process and express what we feel. The square between Scorpio Moon and Chiron in Aquarius is asking us to examine if our need for emotional security is preventing us from opening our mind and seeing other possibilities and choices. We are being challenged to ask ourselves, without social pretense, tough questions that may disrupt our emotional security but ultimately bring us deeper emotional satisfaction. The fixed Grand Square with Venus and the Nodes is a dynamic aspect stimulating a lot of internal tension and forcing us to examine our emotional attachment to what we have built in life, using the resources we have, and ask ourselves if the material reality of our life truly reflects the fullness of our potential.

If the answer is no then this is the time to work with the creative energy promised by the Grand Square and make changes that honestly reflect the fullness of our life purpose and potential, which are not necessarily measured in the things we own. Venus in Taurus, square the Nodes, sextile Uranus, and trine Jupiter is helping us give form to what we like best about ourselves. The Nodes in Leo and Aquarius tell us that our unique value, our personal taste and style, cannot be dictated by society. Privilege, prestige, social status are not the guardians of our self – confidence, in fact, many times they actually diminish our appreciation of our unique individuality because we feel compelled to conform to the social norm.

Venus and the South Node are square at the same time that the South Node is quincunx Jupiter and Uranus sextile to each other. This celestial configuration is outlining the cosmic signature of a yod, a finger of God. This yod is at the heart of the Grand Square adding potency to our experiences of frustration under the illumination of this Full Moon. The astrologer, Julie Demboski, suggests that the yod is a sign of divine direction from a benevolent God. And so it can be. The South Node, the celestial point of least resistance, is where we can fall into complacency if we do not use our unique talents to expand our consciousness. The Leo South Node is telling us to become less dependent upon public opinion, to think independently, and use our creative talents in ways that express who we really are and not whom society dictates we should be. The finger of God is pointing our attention in the direction of our untraveled road which just may be gaining personal freedom, the promise of Uranus, once we accept responsibility for the choices we make, the promise of Jupiter in Capricorn. It seems that this Full Moon is reflecting the intensity of impending change and I can’t help wonder if the Sun and Moon, minutes away from changing signs, reflects the ending of a road and the marking of a change in direction?

* Blue moon is the name given to an extra full moon during a year. Most years have twelve full moons, which occur approximately monthly. However, each calendar year contains those twelve full lunar cycles plus about eleven days to spare. The extra days accumulate, so that every two or three years there is an extra full moon. On average, this happens once every 2.72 years, and different definitions place the extra moon at different times. The extra full moon is called a blue moon.