Aquarius Full Moon Round-Up

The few days before a Full Moon are usually great times for parties and get togethers.

So, with the Full Moon on Monday falling in friendly, sociable Aquarius and exactly on my natal Moon at 3 Aquarius, I couldn't resist the opportunity of hanging out with a bunch of dear old friends, at a birthday picnic in seaside Hove yesterday.

It was a great get together and I reconnected with a few good folk I haven't seen for over 15 years and made some new friends too.  Got the last train back to London, the 'party train', which felt like a social event in its own right.

Hove is the sister town to Brighton, a very friendly and diverse Aquarian type place, which attracts a large population of unconventional, progressive and freedom loving types.

Great place to celebrate the Aquarius Full Moon and a few Leo birthdays!

Here's a quick round-up of some of the best Aquarius Full Moon write-ups from some great astrology bloggers:

Culminatous Interruptus from Julie Demboski's Astrology

Full Moon in Aquarius ~ Feel Like Bucking the System? from Auntie Moon

Aquarius Full Moon from Ravenesque

And here's one from a blog I've just disovered: Aquarius Full Moon from Tracy's Astro Salon

With love Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/

Saturn in Libra Through the Houses ~ Part 2

To Read About Houses 1-6 See Part 1
To Read About Houses 7-12 See Below

We’ve already had a taste of Saturn in Libra…it was in the sign of the scales from October 2009, before turning backwards and re-entering Virgo in April. Saturn moved back into Libra on July 21 2010 and will stay in Libra until October 2012, so what will this mean for us?

Saturn in Libra Themes

Saturn in Libra brings lessons and tests around diplomacy, compromise and fairness.

It’s a time to set healthy boundaries in relationships and to get the give-take balance right. Relationships generally need to be taken more seriously. Any kind of relationship could feel like a heavy responsibility under this transit. Solid relationships can become more committed and grounded and real during this transit, or they can suffer the harsh light of reality and die away.

How we communicate and relate to others comes under scrutiny. It’s time to play by the rules, stop competing and learn to cooperate and negotiate. It’s a good time to settle disputes, arguments and claims, or to start them, but don’t expect things to get resolved too quickly! Peace and harmony is more than possible, but we will have to to work hard to achieve it.

Saturn in Libra Through the Houses

For Houses 1 - 7 Click Here
For Houses 7 - 12 See Below

The house in your chart that Saturn in Libra is moving through will reflect the area of your life where you are likely to meet Saturn’s tests, delays, obstacles and challenges. Saturn will ask you to take responsibility, meet obligations and learn lessons, according to the house it’s transiting. Being prepared, taking responsibility and actively taking on the challenges represented by the house in question is a great way to tackle Saturn’s transit through a house.  Because Saturn is a practical planet, here are some tips to help you navigate your Saturn transit.....

(If you don’t know which house Saturn will be transiting, please scroll down to the end ~ also includes a tip for finding out which house to look at if you don’t know your birth time or rising sign).

The Seventh House

The 7th house is about relationships and partnerships, both personal and business, and the kinds of people we attract into our lives. It’s also about how we project our ego out onto the world and how we are received by others. Anyone we enter into a legal contract with such as marriage or business partners falls under this house.

Tips for Saturn in Libra in the 7th House – Relationship Reality Check!

Take off your rose tinted spectacles, the honeymoon is over! With Saturn in the 7th, your relationship could face a reality check. If you like what you see, this could be a time when your relationship becomes more serious, deep and committed. If you don’t, it could be time to move on.

Significant others could make heavy demands on your time during this transit, so ensure you maintain healthy boundaries and take some time for yourself.

Be prepared for the possibility of old flames coming back into your life. Yes, that boy who broke your heart in high school might ask you to be his friend on Facebook! Approach it as a good time for closure, rather than an opportunity to reignite lost love.

Don't turn your relationships into a battleground. Instead, use this transit for conflict resolution. To resolve conflict you will need to learn skills of negotiation, mediation, and diplomacy, great lessons for a Saturn in Libra transit.

Do your best to be honest, up front and fair in all your dealings with others.

Ensure all legal documents and formal partnership agreements are checked and re-checked.

The Eighth House

The 8th is the house of mortgages, inheritances, insurance, the resources of our partners and the dreaded taxman! Psychologically it is about the power money holds over us and the power others have over us when they hold our purse strings.

Tips for Saturn in Libra in the 8th House – The Power of Money!

It never feels like the right time to make a will, especially if you’re still relatively young, but it really is essential, so stop putting it off.

If you have parents who are elderly, encourage them to get their finances in order, in preparation for the time when you may have to make financial decisions for them. It goes without saying that you will need to approach this sensitively, as most people’s emotions run deep when it comes to these matters.

Take a look at your long term financial commitments such as mortgages, loans, insurance policies, investments and debts. Take some professional, independent advice on how to make your money work better for you (and don’t forget to read the small print before you sign anything).

Contemplate the power money has over you. Why do you desire/need money? Is it because of the security it affords or is it the power and status it can bring? Think about whether you need to change your perspective on money to something a little healthier. Remember that money is merely energy we exchange for the work we do and then exchange in turn for the things we need. Yes, money makes the world go around, but it is our attitude to it that gives it so much power over us.

Work on releasing your fears about money by doing some prosperity work through meditation, affirmation or some other preferred energy work. [OK, my personal opinion here: the bookshops are chock with spiritual books on manifestation and prosperity work. While there are some really good approaches and methods out there, it is my belief that prosperity work should be about healing your attitude to money, such as your fears around not having enough. It should be about learning to feel emotionally rich, whatever your income. Doing this kind of work with the aim of becoming literally rich is counterproductive and probably doomed to failure – we’re talking Saturn here – get real!]

Who gives you money (other than your employer/clients)? Are there strings attached? Perhaps it’s your partner or your family? Are you allowing yourself to be ‘bought’ by them? Do they expect you to do certain things or behave in certain ways in exchange for what they give you and is this a trade-off you are comfortable with? If not, it might be worth considering whether you are allowing them and their money to control you. Difficult issues, but ones which may become important under this transit.

How are your partner’s finances holding up? Under this transit, you may need to support them as perhaps they are out of work or sick. If you are able to help them, do it with good grace, for they may be feeling depressed or powerless. Consider that while this can be a very stressful and challenging time financially, it can also be emotionally rewarding, an opportunity for your loving bond to grow in time, the gift of Saturn in Libra.

The Ninth House

The 9th house is about the religion and philosophy we embrace in life. It’s also about vision, learning and deep understanding and therefore rules higher education and advanced study. It’s about travel and far flung foreign places and how we seek to broaden our horizons. For a house that is essentially about expansion, a Saturn transit doesn’t seem like a good thing, but this transit could be very beneficial if you handle it as a valuable learning experience.

Tips for Saturn in Libra in the 9th House – Lessons Learned!

If you become frustrated by limitations, challenges and obstacles to your dreams and ambitions during this transit, remember that Saturn will transit the 10th next, so use this time to clarify your objectives, put the hours in and work hard. Then, by the time Saturn hits your 10th you could be ready to reap the rewards of your efforts.

Be prepared to have your world view, philosophy or religious beliefs challenged. The lesson of this transit is tolerance and you would do well to appreciate that there is more than one point of view, or life path.

Embark on a course of deep study and learning.

Broaden your horizons by traveling and/or socializing with people from different cultures, countries and religions. Under this transit, this could be a valuable learning experience.

Cultivate pragmatism and understand that anything worth achieving is worth working for and waiting for.

The Tenth House

The 10th is the house of vocation, career, status and reputation. It’s where we’re heading and what we hope to achieve. It’s also about authority figures and how we ourselves embrace authority and responsibility.

Tips for Saturn in Libra in the 10th House – Take Responsibility!

This is not a great transit for winging it in your career, the chances are you won’t get away with it. Go to meetings well prepared, know what you’re taking about, become an authority, go the extra mile, be a team player.

You may be pushing very hard to achieve your ambitions under this transit, but make sure you play fair on your way to the top. Ultimately you will achieve more with the cooperation and support of others.

Embrace any opportunity to take on new responsibilities and leadership roles at work.

Set tangible, realistic goals, building on what you’ve already achieved, as opposed to going off in a completely new direction.

Use social networking to raise your professional profile, but if you want to see some rewards you have to put some effort into it, so make sure you have a solid, serious, quality product, service or idea to promote.

Don’t neglect your personal life/home life, maintain a healthy balance.

The Eleventh House

The 11th house is about our hopes, dreams and desires. It's also about our friends, our peers and the groups we belong to, our social consciousness and the social issues that get us fired up.

Tips for Saturn in Libra in the 11th House – Group Effort!

A great transit for cooperating in team efforts, but be prepared to compromise and ensure that everyone in the team gets their voice heard.

Take on new responsibilities in groups you belong to. Lead by positive example.

Be prepared for a few difficulties with friends. Don't despair, Saturn is just helping you weed out unhealthy associations.

Remember that you can't please all the people all of the time!

What social issues get you really worked up? This is a good transit for forming or joining a well structured, practical, realistic campaign that, with effort, can make a real difference. Don't forget the power of networking, get others involved in your cause.

With Saturn in this house, fulfilling your dreams and aspirations could feel like an uphill struggle, so be prepared to work extra hard at it. Saturn will help you recognise unrealistic aspirations so you can concentrate on more realistic ones. Remember that any reward earned under Saturn is yours for keeps, it can't be taken away from you!

The Twelfth House

The 12th house is about that which we repress or hide. It's about how and why we withdraw and retreat and about our spirituality. It's also about self-defeating behavior and can be about health issues. Traditionally, Saturn is said to be in its 'Joy' in this house, this is probably because Saturn gives this nebulous house a structure and a framework to work with. Antother theory goes that with Saturn here, it can't do much, so its negative effects are minimised.

Tips for Saturn in Libra in the 12th House – Saturn Takes A Break!

Pay attention to the delicate mind-body balance. Good mental health boosts the body’s natural immune system, but mental health issues can weaken the immune system. Look for ways to reduce stress and negativity. Contact your doctor or alternative health practitioner if you think you need help in this area (the same applies to Saturn in the 6th).

If your energy feels low during this transit, don't push yourself too hard. Rest and prepare for the next cycle of  action when Saturn crosses your Ascendant.

Review your life! What have the last few years been like, what do you want for the next few years? Consider getting some life coaching or making a life plan.

Start a dream journal and look for recurring themes. Before you go to sleep, ask your subconcious to give you a helpful dream. 

Think about any self-limiting and self sabotaging behaviour patterns you may have. Where do they come from? Consider how these behaviours have been blocking your progress Think about how can you release them and stop doing it. Get some therapy or some self help to assist you in your process.

If you feel the need to hide under the bed covers and withdraw from the world for a while under this transit, then do so, but remember there's also a real world out there, this is not a transit for losing yourself in fantasy.

For Houses 1 - 7 Click Here

For Houses 7 - 12 See Above

Which House is Saturn Transiting?

You will need to get your birth chart done. You can do this for free at www.alabe.com The chart that comes up will be divided into 12 segments. Find the segment/s that have the Libra symbol (shown right) and that’s the house you will need to look at. The first house starts at the horizontal line on the left. Count that as 1 and then count anti-clockwise from there. For example, in the chart below, Libra is on the cusp of the 7th house. You can see Saturn in that house too – it’s the one that looks a bit like a h.

What if You Don’t Know Your Birth Time?

No worries. In fact this is even easier, because all you need to know is your Sun sign to work out which solar house Saturn in Libra will be transiting. Even if you know your time, it’s work looking at this house as well:

Aries Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 7th solar house
Taurus Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 6th solar house
Gemini Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 5th solar house
Cancer Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 4th solar house
Leo Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 3rd solar house
Virgo Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 2nd solar house
Libra Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 1st solar house
Scorpio Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 12th solar house
Sagittarius Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 11th solar house
Capricorn Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 10th solar house
Aquarius Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 9th solar house
Pisces Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 8th solar house

Saturn in Libra image from http://www.daykeeperjournal.com/2010/01/dumb-and-dumber/

[Please note, these tips are offered as suggestions to help you understand your Saturn transit. The astrologer is not a trained therapist or financial advisor and accepts no responsibility for the results of following these tips. Please consult a relevant qualified professional if required.]

http://www.mandilockley.com/

Lions Roar ~ Quotes From Some Very Famous Leos

As the Sun moves into the sign of the lion, all you lovely Leos out there will be busy planning your extravagant birthday celebrations...To get you in the mood, here are some inspirational quotes from some very famous Leos (is there a Leo who's not famous, really???) As always, the quotes also reflect their Moon sign. Enjoy!

Everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.
Andy Warhol, Artist
Sun Leo – Moon Aries

Anything worth doing is worth overdoing.
Mick Jagger, Singer
Sun Leo – Moon Taurus

So many worlds, so much to do, so little done, such things to be.

Alfred Lord Tennyson, Poet

Sun Leo – Moon Gemini

I have as much privacy as a goldfish in a bowl.
Princess Margaret
Sun Leo – Moon Cancer

I spent a lot of time with a crown on my head.
Halle Berry, Actress
Sun Leo – Moon Leo

Like a Virgin, touched for the very first time. Like a virrrrrgin, feel your heartbeat next to mine.

Madonna, Singer

Sun Leo – Moon Virgo

Film is a very, very powerful medium. It can either confirm the idea that things are wonderful the way they are, or it can reinforce the conception that things can be changed.
Wim Wenders, Director
Sun Leo – Moon Libra

I just feel like sometimes I'm a force to be dealt with. My talents are sometimes overused and also sometimes underused. It's not easy being me.

Ben Affleck, Actor

Sun Leo – Moon Scorpio

This is one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.
Neil Armstrong, Astronaut, First Man on the Moon
Sun Leo – Moon Sagittarius

If you work hard and play by the rules, this country is truly open to you. You can achieve anything.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Actor, Politician

Sun Leo – Moon Capricorn

It's great to be queen!

Helen Mirren, Actress

Sun Leo – Moon Aquarius

Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.

Coco Chanel, Designer

Sun Leo – Moon Pisces

Quotes from http://www.brainyquotes.com/

With love
Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/

Saturn in Libra Through the Houses ~ Part 1

We’ve already had a taste of Saturn in Libra…it was in the sign of the scales from October 2009, before turning backwards and re-entering Virgo in April. Saturn moved back into Libra on July 21 2010, where it will stay in Libra until October 2012, so what will this mean for us?

Saturn in Libra Themes

Saturn in Libra brings lessons and tests around diplomacy, compromise and fairness.

It’s a time to set healthy boundaries in relationships and to get the give-take balance right. Relationships generally need to be taken more seriously. Any kind of relationship could feel like a heavy responsibility under this transit. Solid relationships can become more committed and grounded and real during this transit, or they can suffer the harsh light of reality and die away.

How we communicate and relate to others comes under scrutiny. It’s time to play by the rules, stop competing and learn to cooperate and negotiate. It’s a good time to settle disputes, arguments and claims, or to start them, but don’t expect things to get resolved too quickly! Peace and harmony is more than possible, but we may have to work hard to achieve it.

Saturn in Libra Through the Houses

For Houses 1 - 6 see below
For Houses 7 - 12 click here

The house in your chart that Saturn in Libra is moving through will reflect the area of your life where you are likely to meet Saturn’s tests, delays, obstacles and challenges. Saturn will ask you to take responsibility, meet obligations and learn lessons, according to the house it’s transiting. Being prepared, taking responsibility and actively taking on the challenges represented by the house in question is a great way to tackle Saturn’s transit through a house.  Because Saturn is a practical planet, here are some tips to help you navigate your Saturn transit.....

(If you don’t know which house Saturn will be transiting, please scroll down to the end ~ also includes a tip for finding out which house to look at if you don’t know your birth time or rising sign).

The First House

The 1st house is about personal identity, self image, body image, our approach to life and how we project ourselves out into the world. When Saturn transits this house, these concepts could be challenged and tested

Tips for Saturn in Libra in the 1st House – Look in the Mirror!

It’s time to make peace with your body image, so take a long look in the mirror. Congratulations! If you look with a realistic eye, chances are you’ll realize you’re probably looking pretty good for your age!

This is a great transit if you’re overdue for a wardrobe makeover. Is your style age appropriate? If you’re over 40, chuck out the crop tops and minis and go for a fabulously classy new style. If you’re 23, why are you hiding yourself under saggy, baggy sports wear? Have some fashion fun while you can!

Self discipline is a big theme for Saturn in the 1st, so this is a great transit for starting a new healthy diet and exercise routine and for making it stick! Doing it with a partner or friend could double the benefits, because you can help keep each other motivated.

When Saturn is transiting the first house, there can be a tendency to see yourself in a negative light and ‘beat yourself up’. Instead, try to form a realistic self image. Take responsibility for your faults, but remember that nobody is perfect and it’s our charming flaws that make us unique and likeable.

Saturn in the 1st could test your self confidence. The lesson is that you need to develop a deeper sense of self confidence in yourself that’s not based solely on feedback from others. Read some books or take some courses or therapy to help develop self-belief.

The Second House

The 2nd house is about how we earn our money, how we handle it and what we spend it on. It’s about what we value and how we value ourselves. Saturn transiting the second house is often feared as a time of financial loss. While this is a possible manifestation it’s not necessarily going to be the case. In fact, steady financial growth may be possible if you’ve handled your finances well to date.

Tips for Saturn in Libra in the 2nd House – Do Your Sums!

Take a realistic look at how you spend your money – are you trying to have a designer lifestyle on a discount store income? Weigh everything up, Saturn in Libra style. Do your outgoings match your incomings? How can you cut back? How much do you spend each month on little daily indulgences, like fancy coffees? Cut back on these and watch the savings add up.

If you need to make a big purchase, shop around, negotiate a discount. You’d be surprised how often you can make big savings this way, especially in this current climate with companies competing for your business.

Need to raise some cash? Have a house full of junk? Your junk might be someone else’s treasure and with sites like Ebay and Amazon, it’s never been easier to pass things on. It’s probably only the fact of getting around to doing it that’s stopped you before. The side benefit is a bit of healthy space clearing, making room in your life for fresh new energies.

The 2nd house is not just about cash, it’s about valuing yourself. Without going crazy and while staying within your means, realise that sometimes it’s OK to indulge yourself every once in a while – you’re worth it! Stepping out with a snazzy new haircut or a new set of clothes can raise your self esteem and in the right context can even boost your earning power.

Are self esteem issues holding you back from earning what you (realistically) deserve? Yes, it’s difficult in this economic climate to ask for a raise, but you can still use this transit to plan for a future raise by learning new skills to add to your resume, getting involved with new projects, learning how to network, building your confidence and learning how to assert yourself.

Are you spending to compensate for low self esteem? Is this causing you financial difficulties? Difficult questions, but under Saturn’s transit of the 2nd (or the 8th) this is a good time to admit to yourself that you have a problem and seek some practical and therapeutic help.

The Third House

The 3rd house is about how we communicate, think and learn. It’s also about our neighbours, our siblings, our immediate environment and the day to day journeys we make. Saturn in the third is a transit for serious thinking, patient communication and disciplined learning.

Tips for Saturn in Libra in the 3rd House – Think Again!

Learn to negotiate. This key communication skill always comes in handy.

Take some exams! Many of us fear exams, but love them or loathe them they are still essential for proving our qualifications. Use this transit to update your skills and get a certificate to prove it – Saturn will love you for it!

At the same time, wise up! Saturn is the planet of wisdom through experience. Recognise that there is a difference between knowing lots of stuff and true wisdom and that wisdom is earned, it doesn’t come out of a book.

Saturn in Libra in this house suggests that your ideas, opinions and point of view will be tested and challenged. Learn to look at the other side of things and accept that compromise is sometimes the best solution.

Set clear and healthy boundaries in relationships with your siblings, your neighbours and other folk you come into day to day contact with.

Organise your neighbours. Join or form a neighbourhood group and encourage everybody to take pride in and responsibility for your local environment. It’s also a great way to make a few new friends.

The Fourth House

The 4th house is about our roots, our early home life and upbringing, our physical home and about how we feel safe, secure and nurtured. When Saturn transits the fourth, we can often feel fearful about our security

Tips for Saturn in Libra in the 4th House – Back to Your Roots!

Reorganize family life. Is everyone pulling their weight at home? If not, reallocate chores and responsibilities, so that things are fairer for everyone.

How much time are you spending at home vs. time at work and time out socializing? Too much? Not enough? Are you neglecting your responsibilities at home due to commitments outside the home? Now’s the time to get the balance right.

Consider how much responsibility you have towards your parents. Perhaps you don’t do enough for them, or perhaps you are so busy running around after them that you don’t have time for yourself? Weigh up their needs against your own, adjust the balance if necessary.

Saturn transiting the fourth is not generally accepted as a good transit for moving house, because it’s associated with delays and frustrations. So, if you are thinking of moving under this transit you could find yourself learning a lesson about patience and compromise.

Update your home security. Not to say anything bad’s going to happen, but it could be wise to fit new window locks or change the batteries in the smoke alarm etc.

Find our where you come from! Researching your ancestry can be emotional, exciting and surprising. Now easier than ever thanks to online resources.

The Fifth House

The 5th house is about creativity and self expression, pleasure, fun and the love we share with others. It’s also about our children specifically and everything we ‘birth’ in general. The 5th is also about gambling and risk taking.

Tips for Saturn in Libra in the 5th House – Serious Fun!

Any creative endeavors will be hard work under this transit. It's the lesson of the cliche ~ 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration! Anything you do create could be long lasting and attractive to others if you put enough effort and discipline into it.

Risk taking and gambling is not well starred during this transit. This is a time to be sensible, practical and realistic.

Intimate relationships could be slow to develop or get off the ground during this transit. Don't be disheartened, there are valuable lessons to be learned about what you want from others and how you give your love in return.

Use this transit to learn more about yourself and what you want out of your leisure time. Where do you find pleasure, what makes you relax? Go to classes or join a group who share a common interest, you could meet some like-minded new friends and learn something new.

Work on being a good example for your children. Teaching them loving lessons in discipline is a good use of this transit.

The Sixth House

The 6th house is about work and chores and day-to-day routines. It’s also about cleanliness and health and our pets. It’s the house that represents employees and coworkers and those people we serve through our work.

Tips for Saturn in Libra in the 6th House – Clean Up Your Act!

Take yourself for a health check up. Saturn transiting the 6th doesn’t necessarily mean ill health, it’s more of a wake up call to change unhealthy habits. Pay particular attention to skin, hair, teeth, bones, joints, kidneys, lower back and bladder.

Pay attention to the delicate mind-body balance. Good mental health boosts the body’s natural immune system, but mental health issues can weaken the immune system. Look for ways to reduce stress and negativity. Contact your doctor or alternative health practitioner if you think you need help in this area.

Get organized at work! Think of some time saving ideas and share them with your colleagues.

Bring everyone together at work. Arrange a team building exercise or a social event.

Get everyone, at home and at work, to take fair and equal responsibility for the mundane chores. It’s not fair if that stuff gets dumped on one person all the time!

A dog is man’s best friend! Take your dog for a walk more often, or offer to walk a friend’s dog. The dog will benefit and so will your fitness!

For Houses 1 - 6 see above

For Houses 7 - 12 click here

Which House is Saturn Transiting?

You will need to get your birth chart done. You can do this for free at www.alabe.com The chart that comes up will be divided into 12 segments. Find the segment/s that have the Libra symbol (shown right) and that’s the house you will need to look at. The first house starts at the horizontal line on the left. Count that as 1 and then count anti-clockwise from there. For example, in the chart below, Libra is on the cusp of the 7th house. You can see Saturn in that house too – it’s the one that looks a bit like a h.

What if You Don’t Know Your Birth Time?

No worries. In fact this is even easier, because all you need to know is your Sun sign to work out which solar house Saturn in Libra will be transiting. Even if you know your time, it’s work looking at this house as well:

Aries Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 7th solar house
Taurus Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 6th solar house
Gemini Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 5th solar house
Cancer Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 4th solar house
Leo Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 3rd solar house
Virgo Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 2nd solar house
Libra Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 1st solar house
Scorpio Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 12th solar house
Sagittarius Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 11th solar house
Capricorn Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 10th solar house
Aquarius Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 9th solar house
Pisces Sun - Saturn in Libra will transit your 8th solar house

Saturn in Libra image from http://www.daykeeperjournal.com/2010/01/dumb-and-dumber/

[Please note, these tips are offered as suggestions to help you understand your Saturn transit. The astrologer is not a trained therapist or financial advisor and accepts no responsibility for the results of following these tips. Please consult a relevant qualified professional if required.]

http://www.mandilockley.com/

Happy Birthday Astroair!

Astroair Astrology is one year old today!

It’s been a fun year. 119 blog posts and approximately 100,000 words! I’ve certainly learnt something and I hope you, my readers, have too.

Thank you to everyone who’s read this blog and thank you for all your comments. Thank you also to all the other astrology bloggers who have added a link to this site on their blog, it’s a fine network and I really enjoy connecting with all my online astro-buddies (and if I haven’t yet added a reciprocal link, please give me a nudge).

I’d also like to thank and say hello to all the recent new readers from Taiwan and Hong Kong (thanks to http://rodmagic.com/)  and apologies for not being able to read your comments.

The highlight of the year has to be my involvement in the 2010 International Astrology Day Blog-A-Thon in March, which is a permanent collection of informative and helpful articles around the cardinal T-Square. When Donna Cunningham got in touch and asked me to coordinate the Saturn content I was thrilled and had great fun putting it together. I also met so many amazing astrologers, including CJ Wright, Neeti Ray and Fabienne Lopez, and the talented astrologers who contributed their wisdom to the Saturn collection of articles.

With the T-Square still building, the Blog-A-Thon collection is now more relevant than ever. The links to all the collections are at the top right of this blog, or go to: http://2010astrologycarnival.wordpress.com/  

As well as the Blog-A-Thon articles, here are links to some of the other popular posts here at Astroair over the last year:

The Outer Planet Cycles Series: A number of Articles on the big outer planet cycles, including Saturn-Uranus, Saturn-Pluto, Jupiter-Uranus and more. Their influence on history, culture, politics, economics and on our personal lives.

A Uranus in Aries Brainstorm: Build a fire pit, don’t bear a grudge and other advice from a few Aries types

Uranus in Aries and Your Personal Mars Sign: A two part article looking at how your Mars could be affected while Uranus is in Aries

Chiron in Pisces – Water Over Rocks: A meditation on Chiron in Pisces (mentioned on the Mountain Astrologer Blog)

The Cardinal T-Square – What’s It All About: A brief overview of the T-Square themes, plus stats and dates for the major aspects involved

Working With Eclipses: The 19 year old Eclipse cycle, transits to Eclipse degrees and Eclipsed Moon Families explained

And if you’re into horror movies, here’s my astrological take on The Descent. This article was also published in the Journal of the Astrological Association of Great Britain

More recent favourites include:

The Solstice and the Grand Cross

Capricorn Lunar Eclipse: Letting Go and Yin and Yang

Feedback and a chance to win a birthday present from Astroair.

One year on, I would love to hear what you think about this blog. What you like, what you don’t like, what you would like to see more of or less of. I’m not looking for compliments (or insults) I would just like some feedback so I can plan for a successful year two at Astroair. Please leave a comment below, a comment on my Astroair Astrology or Mandi Lockley Facebook page or email me at mandi@mandilockley.com

Anyone who gives feedback, or even just drops by with a quick line and says hello, will go into a draw to win a personal year ahead astrology report, a birthday present from Astroair.

Thanks once again to everyone who’s stumbled here and stayed long enough to read a few astro-snippets… you are very much appreciated.

Here’s to year two!

With love,
Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/

Cancer Solar Eclipse and the Cancer-Capricorn Dynamic

Earth Angel by Josephine Wall

Falling in the cardinal water sign of Cancer, the Total Solar Eclipse of 11th July, reminds us, once again, that Cancer is the only Cardinal sign not represented in the current T-Square of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Pluto.

In fact, since the T-Square began to form in 2008, with the entry of Pluto into Capricorn and the start of the Saturn-Uranus Oppositions, there have been (and will be) a number of Solar and Lunar Eclipses in the sign of the crab and in its opposite sign, Capricorn the goat (details at the end).

This I find very interesting. If you consider that the effect of an Eclipse lasts around six months of so, we are pretty much consistently under the auspices of powerful Cancer-Capricorn eclipsed lunations for the duration of the T-Square.

Cancer is ruled by the Moon, the feminine, nurturing, lunar archetype and Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, the masculine authority, the limit-setter, old father time. The Cancer-Capricorn axis is to do with mother and father and the parental archetype in general. It’s also to do with the balance between home and work and about our roots, our early home life and the authority figures we encountered there. It’s how we were nurtured and how from that point we branch out into the world to acquire our own standing, status and reputation, in the process becoming parents and authority figures ourselves. 

In essence, this axis is about where we come from and where we’re heading towards and the intricate, inseparable relationship between those two places. Both Cancer and Capricorn need to feel safe and secure. For Cancer the emphasis is on emotional security and nurturing and for Capricorn, the emphasis is on worldly, material security. 

Both signs, in their own ways need to learn to set healthy boundaries and together, they can show us the way to find the balance between a healthy emotional life and a secure material life. Finding this Cancer-Capricorn balance is all important, if we are to avoid collectively and individually slipping into the shadow expression of these signs. 

The shadow side of Cancer is needy, over-protective and emotionally manipulative. Nothing new can be learnt from this position. Rather, the emotions become stagnant and turn in on themselves, with ever diminishing returns.

The shadow side of Capricorn is rigid, over-structured and cold. Making progress in the so-called real world is the only thing that matters. Integrity, other people’s safety and security and taking responsibility for our actions goes out of the window.

In the shadow side of both signs, the world is a harsh, difficult, dangerous place. In this expression of the two signs, the energies can’t flow naturally, they are blocked and squashed and transmuted into something which can harm rather than heal and we are locked in a compulsive pattern of doing what we feel we need to do in order to ‘survive’.

Pluto in Capricorn is collectively urging us to unearth, reveal, purge and transform the Capricorn shadow. Just looking at the state of world’s economies right now is all the evidence we need to suggest we have let ourselves fall into the Capricorn shadow. It’s also evident in the way we have been raping our earth and our ocean’s resources. It is now totally clear that the way we have been doing things is totally unsustainable. Doing something about it is up to all of us.

Cancer, the missing element in the T-Square, points us in the right direction, demonstrating through its relationships with Capricorn that finding the right balance is key. Mother earth is plentiful, she has enough to go around, but her abundance needs to be honoured, respected, shared and replenished, not plundered for profit, never mind the consequences.  

Eclipse Image: Credit Nasa

So, at the time of the July 11th Cancer Eclipse and indeed beyond, I will be considering all these themes and meditating on the balance and the light in the Cancer-Capricorn axis. 

Looking specifically at this Eclipse, at first glance, the New Moon in Cancer doesn’t connect with the T-Square, in way that it did during the Capricorn Lunar Eclipse on 26th July (which formed a high energy Grand Cross with the T-Square), but if you look closely you will see that it does in fact make a Quindecile (165 degree) aspect with Pluto in Capricorn (see the chart below – also shown is the chart showing all the planets).

If you don’t use the Quindecile, it’s worth investigating. Noel Tyl counts the Quindecile as a major aspect and describes it as “an aspect of unrelenting motivation, obsession, determination, upheaval, disruption, even separation”.

Between the Sun and Moon in Cancer and Pluto in Capricorn, this aspect speaks of an intense drive for power, of the urge to achieve goals through the use of control and manipulation, of planting seeds of fear and insecurity. At best however, this powerful connection between Pluto and the Eclipse, gives us the collective opportunity to disrupt and upset that pattern, to expose it for what it is and demand a healthier, more balanced way of being. It also gives us a collective and individual opportunity for self evaluation, for purging old emotional wounds and facing our insecurities.

As I have said on this blog many times before, we seriously need to redress the balance between the masculine and the feminine, the inner and the outer, the yin and the yang in our individual and collective lives. We need to honour the sacred feminine spirit, nod to the goddess and respect mother earth. 

These years we are living through are a real opportunity for a positive shift in mass consciousness. Let’s not waste them.

My very first blog post here at Astroair dealt with this very same topic ~ an Eclipse in Cancer and the Cancer-Capricorn dynamic and here I am reiterating it again. Is it a coincidence that this blog celebrates its 1st birthday on the day of this upcoming Cancer Solar Eclipse?

With love,
Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/

Notes

Eclipses in Cancer or Capricorn 2008-2011

• 7 July 2008: Lunar Eclipse with Sun at 15 Cancer and Moon at 15 Capricorn
• 22 July 2009: Solar Eclipse with Sun and Moon at 29 Cancer
• 31 December 2009: Lunar Eclipse with Sun at 10 Capricorn and Moon at 10 Cancer
• 15 January 2010: Solar Eclipse with Sun and Moon at 25 Capricorn
• 26 June 2010: Lunar Eclipse with Sun at 5 Cancer and Moon at 5 Capricorn ~ forming a Grand Cross with the Jupiter-Saturn-Uranus-Pluto T-Square
• 11 July 2009: Solar Eclipse with Sun and Moon at 19 Cancer
• 4 January 2011: Solar Eclipse with Sun and Moon at 14 Capricorn
• 1 July 2011: Solar Eclipse with Sun and Moon at 9 Cancer

What is the general meaning of an Eclipse?

Eclipses are very dramatic events to observe, as those lucky enough to have witnessed a Total Eclipse of the Sun or watched a Lunar Eclipse on a clear night as the Moon disappeared behind the shadow of the Earth, will verify. However, you don’t need to directly experience an eclipse for its symbolism to reflect in your personal experiences. The old adage as above, so below, stands firm. That said it is difficult to predict exactly what will happen when an eclipse touches your personal astrological chart. Their effects are sometimes exciting, sometimes stressful, often passing by without having any sort of obvious effect at the time, only to manifest as an event some weeks later. In most general terms though, eclipses represent endings and new beginnings, times when the light goes out and something is taken away, creating a space for something new to germinate. If a particular Eclipse falls on a planet or point in your natal chart and you want to work consciously with the energies, they are good times for beginning the process of releasing, letting go of outdated, worn-out emotional baggage and planting the seeds of new beginnings. For some more astrological ideas on how to work with eclipses see Working with Eclipses.

Will this Eclipse Affect You?

The July 11th Eclipse will be particularly relevant to you if you have a planet or angle between 17 and 21 degrees of Cancer or Capricorn. In particular, if it's your birthday between 10 and 12th July this is a powerful eclipse indeed and the potential for major change is in the air for you. If you do not know if you have planets or angles in the relevant degrees and/or signs you can quickly download your own birth chart which will provide you with this information in a simply understood way at http://www.alabe.com/ 

Recommended Reading on Eclipses

Lunar Shadows by Dietrech Pessin

Eclipses by Celeste Teal

Predictive Astrology by Bernadette Brady

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle (Adding to the Astrologer's Toolbox)

I've been reading A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle and would like to share this quote:

...it is impossible for the mind to understand what place and purpose a seemingly random event has in the tapestry of the whole. But there are no random events, nor are there events or things that exist by and for themselves,in isolation. The atoms that make up your body were once forged inside stars, and the causes of even the smallest event are virtually infinite and connected with the whole in incomprehensible ways. If you wanted to trace back the cause of any event, you would have to go back all the way to the beginning of creation. The cosmos is not chaotic. The very word cosmos means order. But this is not an order the human mind can ever comprehend, although it can sometimes glimpse it.

This made me think about astrology and how our study of it undeniably helps us to 'glimpse' the order of the cosmos. But, as Tolle says, we can never really comprehend the whole thing.

It also reminded me that the planets and their movements don't 'make' things happen, but merely reflect what happens to us in our individual and collective lives. Astrology constantly reminds us of the ultimate connection between all things, which we often express in terms such as as above, so below or as within, so without. However, astrology should also remind us that we have a choice in the way we act and react emotionally and mentally to the feelings, event and experiences that we attribute to this or that transit or aspect.

Because astrology is a language, with its own jargon, it's very easy to use that language in a limiting, deterministic way. We've all done this, at one time or another. Get a bunch of astrology practitioners together and you'll hear them saying things like With Uranus on my MC, I shouldn't be surprised that I lost my job or Saturn on my Venus is causing problems in my relationships right now!

Saying things in this way implies that the planets are 'causing' our problems. They're not. We are. Perhaps the symbols, myths and meanings we have attached to the planets across millennia have opened up some kind of energetic channel, but the planets in themselves do not cause things to happen. It's not Saturn's fault or Uranus' or any other planet's fault. The planets are neutral, they are not 'good' or 'bad'.

Tolle's book, to quote from the blurb on the back cover, provides the spiritual background for anyone to make their own life - and therefore the world - better and more meaningful. Shattering modern ideas of ego and entitlement, self and society, Tolle exposes the fears that hang over us all and shows how each of us can find happiness and health through a series of life-affirming steps.

Tolle discusses an Indian spiritual teacher, who told his pupils that his secret was that he didn't mind what happened, which Tolle explains is to be in alignment with what it means to be in a relationship of inner nonresistance with what happens. It means not to label [what happens] mentally as good or bad, but to let it be. Does this mean you can no longer take action to bring about change in your life? On the contrary. When the basis for your actions is inner alignment with the present moment, your actions become empowered by the intelligence of Life itself.

Perhaps astrology, used wisely, offers us the same opportunity.

When under a transit a job is lost or a relationship breaks up, instead of blaming the planetary transit, or the partner, or the boss, or the economic climate, or someone or something else, we can recognise that the blaming comes from our own ego and use the experience as an opportunity to see beyond the ego, beyond the identity we derive from playing a job role, or playing the role of wife or husband etc. We can then begin to understand that these are just transient labels that we wear. In recognising and letting go of these ego attachments and the suffering that can occur when these labels are taken away, perhaps we can truly get back to the essence of our being, of who we really are, spiritually and eternally. Even if just for a fleeting moment, we can allow ourselves to just ‘be’, present in the moment, a part of the cosmos, not minding what happens.

It's all too easy to say that so-called difficult transits are an opportunity for growth and development. It's too easy for an astrologer to say that to a client who is going through a time of stress, ill-health, change, loss, grief etc. What use is that to the client on its own, without the astrologer being able to point them in the direction of resources that can help them?

Reading this wonderful book by Tolle is a reminder to me that any practicing astrologer should have at hand a toolbox of helpful and healing resources to refer clients to. This book will certainly be a useful addition to my toolbox, as well as a helpful tool for my own ongoing process.

Writing this post has also reminded me that as astrologers we should also mind our language! I’ll say it again - planets don’t make things happen, we do. We all have the free will to respond to life (and our transits) in any way we like. We don't have to choose suffering and we certainly don't have to pass on our own suffering and our ego based fears to others.

With love,
Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/

A New Earth - Awakening to your life's purpose by Eckhart Tolle.

Astrology for July - The Wheels Keep Turning

More than ever, the sky this July reminds me of a well-oiled machine, as the planetary wheels and cogs turn this way and that, getting into alignment so that when the time is right, the Cardinal T-Square of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Pluto can fall into its fullest exactness.





Here are the milestone events:

July 5th: Uranus in Aries stations Retrograde – expect a burst of erratic energy, surprising turnabouts and re-runs of old dramas. (To find out how Uranus in Aries could activate your Mars, click here)

July 21st: Saturn re-enters relationship and balance-oriented Libra after almost four months re-visiting hard working, orderly, health conscious Virgo. This brings all the t-square planets together in cardinal signs for the first time.

Then, on July 26th, those two planets make the last exact hit of the disruptive, status-quo challenging Saturn-Uranus Oppositions which started in 2008. How the world has changed since then!

Additionally, Jupiter in Aries stations Retrograde on the 23rd and by September the planet of growth and expansion will be back in receptive Pisces, but it won’t be leaving direct, single-focused Aries until it’s played its part in the Cardinal T-Square.

On July 30th we see an event of culmination when Mars joins Saturn in Libra, dramatically energizing the Cardinal T-Square configuration. Self-centred Mars is never too comfortable in other-oriented Libra, so this shift could be reflected in challenges and tension in our relationships. However, it also presents a golden opportunity to energetically heal and release some of our relationship blocks, including our relationship with our own self and our relationship to our collective world and the universe. More mundanely, Mars moving into a cardinal sign provides a good burst of forward motion energy to help us all to get things done!

The Cardinal T-Square ~ chart set for 30th July 2010 using whole sign houses

Wow! It seems that these exciting times are about to get even more exciting!

Add to this the fact that the all important Solar-Lunar cycle connected dramatically with the Cardinal T-Square energies during the Solstice and the Lunar Eclipse in June, forming a Grand Cross! We might be feeling like we’re a ball-bearing in a pinball machine or a passenger on a scary roller-coaster. But boy, rarely has there been a more energetic and creative time to face and heal old wounds and move forward into a space of positive change. Whoosh!

But hold tight, there’s more to come on this cosmic merry-go-round ride. In August, Saturn and Pluto make the last of their current series of inhibiting, constraining squares. This marks the beginning of the end for the current cycle, which began in the early eighties. This is the final crisis point of the cycle, when we are individually and collectively asked to face our fears, clean up our messes and move towards building fresh structures which will enable us to plant healthy seeds for the next cycle which begins in 2019.

Also in August, Jupiter and Saturn oppose each other in Aries and Libra, marking the peak, the halfway point, of the current cycle which began in 2000. This opposition occurs very close to the ‘private becomes public’ Aries Point, so there will be no hiding from seeing things just the way they are – the good and the bad. Whether we like what we see or not, will depend on how we’ve done up until now, but in the collective, we can reliably expect fresh revelations of corporate, political and economic derry-doings to come out of the woodwork.

Are you wondering how all this affects you personally? Well, if your chart has planets or angles in the early degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra and/or Capricorn, your life will probably have been reflecting the Cardinal T-Square themes for some time. Much more on this to come over the next few weeks….but in the meantime don’t forget to check out the Cardinal T-Square Blog-A-Thon articles, which are more relevant now than ever.

Eclipsed Again

As I write this (end June) we are in the in-between time – those slightly unsettling couple of weeks between one Eclipse and the next.

We’ve experienced a powerfully balancing Capricorn Lunar Eclipse which formed a Grand Cross with the Cardinal T-Square planets and we’re waiting for the Cancer New Moon on July 11th, a Total Solar Eclipse.

This Eclipse falls at 19 degrees of Cancer and if it touches planets and points of your natal chart, it could represent a significant new beginning for you in one or more areas of your life. More on that in an upcoming post….

For now, this time between Eclipses is good for checking in with yourself, for doing some inner healing work and asking yourself a few questions. Think back over the last couple of years. What has changed? How have you changed? Have you adjusted to your new reality or are you still attached to the past or your vision of how you wanted things to be? If you feel you could have handled things better, acknowledge it, release that feeling without negative judgment, then rest, in preparation for the next influx of cosmic energies. Until the next Eclipse, try to just let the worldly chaos whirl all around you without connecting to it, without running with it, just ‘be’ for a few days, you’ve earned that.

Sunny Days and Bright Nights

To finish off my preview of July, the Sun, which starts the month in emotional, cosy Cancer, moves into warmhearted, dramatic Leo on July 22nd. Then on July 26th, the Sun aligns once more with the Moon, for a Full Moon in the early degrees of Aquarius.

See July’s Moon void of course times and Moon sign changes here: http://www.mandilockley.com/moonpages.html

Recommendations

Ravenesque’s Preview of July – I will be reading and re-reading this one throughout the month

Auntie Moon’s Preview of July’s Moon Phases including ‘zodiactivities’, great suggestions on how to tune into each Sun-Moon combination this month

And Finally…

Happy Birthday to Astroair Astrology, which is one year old on 11th July, the day of the Eclipse! On the day, I will post a review of the year, along with links and thank you acknowledgements to all my lovely readers. Hopefully, I’ll be able to offer a small birthday gift too (thinking cap on)!

I hope you have a wondrous July. Certainly, this is set to be an extraordinary month for many of us and I hope for you, it’s a bright and positive one. Enjoy the ride!

With love and light,
Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/

Images:
Cogs and Gears by artist Paul Chatem http://www.paulchatem.com/  
Cardinal T-Square chart drawn up using Solar Fire astrology software
Eclipse images: Credit Nasa