Book Review: The Secret Language of Astrology

This is a stunning book to look at and fortunately its content more than lives up to its beauty.

The title gives away a secret most people don’t know - that astrology is a language, one rich in symbolism and myth with a history spanning some 5000 years or more.

Starting right at the beginning, Roy Gillett’s book offers a concise, but comprehensive exploration of the ancient origins and development of astrology, taking us right up to the present day. He explores astrology’s current reputation, how and why it’s been dismissed by both religion and science and why we should reconsider astrology as a vital tool for understanding not just ourselves, but our world and our collective place within it.

“The cycle of the heavens, and of each individual consciousness within it, may be seen as a reflection of one unified world soul.”

However, what most people new to astrology picking up this book will be asking is what does astrology say about me? In this respect, The Secret Language of Astrology will not let you down.

Just like learning a new language, Gillett breaks it down into its basic components, starting with the planets and exploring the astrological themes, mythology and astronomy of each planet in turn.

In the language of astrology, the planets are like nouns and the zodiac signs describe how the planet will behave according to the sign it falls in. For example, Mars is the planet of action. In impulsive Aries it will act “bravely and aggressively”, but in peace-loving Libra, it will act “urgently and defensively.” The Houses are also explored, the next building block in the astro-lingo, describing the arena each planet has to operate within.

Then comes the fun of putting it all together. Fortunately, now we are in the internet age, this book is supported by a website where you can draw up your birth chart instantly, so within minutes you can take your first steps into delineating your Sun in Cancer in the 10th House or your Mercury in Taurus in the 8th and so on.

Once you’ve got your birth chart online though, I would also recommend, if you are new to astrology, that you draw your own chart out by hand. This process really helps you connect with your chart and it’s a fabulous document to look back on years down the line. I still have mine, painstakingly calculated and drawn out.

Taking it further, this book will also help you explore the relationships the planets make to each other in your chart - the aspects. This is the space where your personal story, your challenges and opportunities really start to come alive through the astrology.

The final chapter deals with how to put it all together. This is where the art of astrology comes in. It's the part that takes the longest to master but the one that promises the most rewards, as the chart slowly unfolds and offers up its secrets. Lucky for us, this section of Gillett's fine book is chock full of tips and hints, along with a masterful and detailed exploration of the chart of the Dalai Lama. Gillett also tackles what he calls The Challenge to Transcend, how difficult aspects and planetary placements do not necessarily spell doom, gloom and failure, but present an opportunity to overcome challenges and obstacles and find success and fulfilment:

“We are destined to face our future, but we are not doomed to suffer it… Astrology lays out the territory of our lives, but we have the freedom to choose how we walk through it. Knowing about astrology can make it easier for us to map and monitor progress, and to be clear about the decisions we face. It is the motives behind our actions that largely determine the outcome.”

For the beginner or novice, this is a must have book. If it’s your first astrology book, I can guarantee it won’t be your last. It will start you on your path to discovery so you’d better start clearing a space on your shelf now. Once you’ve looked at your own chart and enthusiastically shared your insights with your nearest and dearest, you’ll soon be bombarded with requests to look at their charts and your journey into this most wondrous of self-development tools will be well on its way.

For the more experienced astrologer, this book might seem basic at first glance, but don’t dismiss it. I guarantee you will discover something new or something you’d forgotten. And at a time when ‘serious’ astrology is becoming more and more academic (and there is a place for that, of course) this beautiful book provides an excuse to go right back to the beginning and re-discover the sense of awe, wonder and magic we all felt when we first started out on our astrological adventure.

The Secret Language of Astrology: The Illustrated Key to Unlocking the Secrets of the Stars by Roy Gillett.

http://www.secretlanguageofastrology.com/

 
Roy Gillett is the president of the Astrological Association of Great Britain and the author of Economy Ecology and Kindness and Astrology and Compassion: The Convenient Truth.
 
With love,
Mandi

This month's Moon Phases, Moon Sign Shifts and Void of Course times are now up at www.mandilockley.com

For more Astroair, don't forget to 'like' the Astroair Astrology Facebook page

Some Suggestions for the Virgo Full Moon

The Virgo Super-Moon on the 19th March seems to have a lot of people worried. I'm not going to make any predictions, that's not my job, but instead offer a few suggestions that you might find helpful.

Helpful Suggestions for the Virgo Super-Moon

Try not to worry
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie


Definitely don’t panic

How Not to Panic from EHow


If you feel angry (this lunation connects with Uranus in Aries), try to detach from the emotion and simply observe it. Let it go, let the anger pass

Apply yourself to practical service and helping others

Avoid criticising others and try not to let criticism that comes your way get to you, unless it’s offered in a constructive, kind way

Give thanks for what you’ve got

If you’re feeling particularly stressed, take Bach Rescue Remedy ~ a formula for comfort and reassurance

Practice meditation. Mindfulness, Compassion and Wisdom, Three Means To Peace meditation from Shambhala Sun seems appropriate for this lunation

Eat healthily, drink camomile tea, get some rest

Go to a party, it’s a Full Moon after all! (And help the host to clear up afterwards – LOL!)

With love

Mandi
www.mandilockley.com 

Planetary Retrograde Dates for 2011

Planetary Retrogrades for 2011

(For an explanation of Retrograde, Station and Direct, please click here)

Mercury
Mercury turns retrograde on 31 Mar 2011 at 24Ari21
Mercury turns direct on 24 Apr 2011 at 12Ari53
Retrograde period (including Station): 25 days

Mercury turns retrograde on 4 Aug 2011 at 01Virg12
Mercury turns direct on 27 Aug 2011 at 18Leo41
Retrograde period (including Station): 24 days

Mercury turns retrograde on 25 Nov 2011 at 20Sag07
Mercury turns direct on 15 Dec 2011 at 03Sag51
Retrograde period (including Station): 21 days

Venus
No Retrogrades in 2011

Mars
No Retrogrades in 2011

Jupiter
Jupiter turns retrograde on 31 Aug 2011 at 10Tau21
Jupiter turns direct on 26 Dec 2011 at 00Tau21
Retrograde period (including Station): 118 days

Saturn
Saturn turns retrograde on 27 Jan 2011 at 17Lib13
Saturn turns direct on 14 Jun 2011 at 10Lib26
Retrograde period (including Station): 139 days

Uranus
Uranus turns retrograde on 11 Jul 2011 at 04Ari33
Uranus turns direct on 11 Dec 2011 at 00Ari38
Retrograde period (including Station): 154 days

Neptune
Stations Retrograde on 4 June 2011 at 00Pis55

Stations Direct on 10 November 2011 at 28Aqu08
Retrograde period (including Station): 160 days

Pluto
Pluto turns retrograde on 10 Apr 2011 at 07Cap30
Pluto turns direct on 17 Sep 2011 at 04Cap53
Retrograde period (including Station): 160 days

Chiron
Stations Retrograde on 9 June 2011 at 5Pis29
Stations Direct on 11 November 2011 at 00Pis38
Retrograde period (including Station): 155 days

Notes

All dates are based on GMT time.

See also:
An Explanation of Retrograde, Station and Direct
Retrograde Planets in the Birth Chart

Mandi

http://www.mandilockley.com/

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.

Aries New Moon: Clear Your Head

Welcome to the Aries New Moon, the first New Moon of the astrological year!

This lunation is a good one for clearing your head (Aries rules the head) and moving forward.

Here are a few simple and easy ways to clear you head that you can do now!

Exercise: Walk or run. Do it fast! Get into the zone.

Practice your breathing:
There’s a very simple but effective breathing exercise in a recent post. Especially good for those impulsive, fiery ‘Aries’ moments! Click on this link and scroll down

Keep things simple in what you eat and the way you work. Get straight to the point in your interactions with others.

Have a laugh! There’s lots of humor on the astrology blogs this month. Check out these fun links:

http://mandilockley.blogspot.com/2010/04/astro-giggles.html

http://auntiemoon.wordpress.com/2010/04/07/astro-humor-astrovibe/

http://skywriter.wordpress.com/2010/04/07/english-for-astrologers-no-astrobable-please/

http://www.midlifetransits.com/blog/2010/04/09/top-ten-astro-songs-pluto-edition/

http://astrologyexpressed.wordpress.com/2010/04/03/astrology-post-for-the-national-humor-month/

http://northernlighte.blogspot.com/2010/04/t-square-blues.html

A Good Read for the Aries New Moon:
http://www.eckharttolle.com/home/books/  

  

This famous self-help book is your guide to leaving behind the analytical mind and the ego, connecting with the essence of our Being and learning to live in the now.

Data (add one hour to times for daylight saving):

• Moon enters Aries on 12th April at 13.31 GMT / 08.31 Eastern Time / 05.31 Pacific Time
• Aries Full Moon: 14th April at 12.29 GMT / 07.29 Eastern Time / 04.29 Pacific Time 
• Moon enters Taurus on 14th April at 22.55 GMT /17.55 Eastern Time / 14.55 Pacific Time
• Sun enters Taurus on 19th April 04.30 GMT / 20th April 23.30 Eastern Time / 20th April 20.30 Pacific Time

Look After Saturn & Saturn Will Look After You (IAD Blog-A-Thon)

Astroair Astrology Proudly Presents The 2010 International Astrology Day Blog-A-Thon Saturn Collection

Transiting Saturn’s oppositions to Uranus were accompanied by sudden change, shocks and upsets to the status quo, resulting in economic crisis. As the ripples reached our personal lives, our ability to remain flexible yet strong in the face of disruptive change has been tested, none more so since Saturn moved into Libra and began to square Pluto in Capricorn, a transit signifying restriction and hard, hard work. Now, with the upcoming entry of Uranus into Aries, signaling the start of the Saturn-Uranus-Pluto cardinal t-square, many of us are worried and puzzled about what it means for ourselves and our loved ones.

How This Article Collection Can Help

When facing and working with the energies of the three planets in the t-square, Saturn is the most easily accessible energy, providing a sound anchor for working with Uranus and Pluto issues and unlocking the more optimistic promises of the t-square. This collection of articles, therefore, aims to help you to work positively with a whole variety of natal and transit Saturnian issues, during these t-square times and beyond.

Written by experienced astrologers, these essays invite you to view Saturn not as a planet to be feared, but as a necessary, helpful teacher whose lessons can help you through life’s challenges. They also offer some useful, practical resources, some down to earth advice and some inspirational coping and healing tools.

How To Use This Collection:

When you click on the links below you will go to the authors’ own blog or website, so you can read their article and explore what else they have to offer. Before you start clicking, bookmark this page so you can find your way back here. Scroll to the end for the link to the Pluto and Uranus collections and all the other special Blog-A-Thon events.

Saturn The Wise Teacher

Saturn Without Suffering Obstacles, fear, failing, falling and suffering...Jessica Murray of MotherSky takes on all the big themes of Saturn and discusses how, by accepting Saturn’s teachings and consciously changing our attitude towards them, we can truly grow from the experience.

Saturn is the Gateway Amanda Owen explores Saturn’s role as the gateway to the outer planets and explains how in taking responsibility for our lives (Saturn), we set ourselves on the path towards the highest gifts that Uranus, Neptune and Pluto can offer…uniqueness, divinity and power.

Growing Up and Growing Old

Coping with the Quarter Life Crisis Our early twenties should be exciting times as we embark upon adult life, but for many this can be a confusing and stressful time, with many challenges to navigate. Verena Donath discusses the astrology of the so-called Quarter Life Crisis and what it means for the current generation.

King Saturn and the Archetype of the Father Stefanie Iris Weiss and Sherene Schostak, the Saturn Sisters, discuss father issues, finding Saturn’s heart in the daddy archetype and how learning to say and mean ‘no’ is essential for setting healthy boundaries and becoming the author of our own lives.

Astrology Can Improve Parent-Child Relationships Being a parent is probably the hardest job anyone will ever have. Using client examples of parents with strong Saturn-Moon-Pluto configurations, astrologer and counselor Gretchen Lawlor demonstrates how astrology can help parents strike the right balance between nurture (Moon) and structure (Saturn). For more articles by Gretchen, go to www.gretchenlawlor.com

Getting a Handle on your Second Saturn Return If you’re currently having, or coming up to, your second Saturn return, you’ve also got the Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn dynamic complicating the picture. Victoria Bazeley, whose specialty is helping clients deal with their midlife transits, explains all and provides some very useful suggestions for making the best of this important time of life.

The Astrology of Love in Midlife Just because we get older, it doesn’t mean that we lose our need for love, passion and partnership. With Saturn in Libra putting the spotlight on relationships, Lara Owen discusses the importance of the transits and progressions of midlife to relationships, including the Saturn opposition in our early forties and the second Saturn return in our late fifties.

Practical Saturn

Saturn Transits – What Do They Mean For Your Career? If Saturn is moving through one of your career houses, is this bad news for your job prospects? Not necessarily, explains astrologer and therapist Donna Cunningham. Working with the issues Saturn brings, could be just what you need to get you right on track!

RESOURCE: For some helpful tips and resources on how your birth chart can help with your vocation questions, see Giz a Job! Using Astrology to Make Career Choices

Surviving Financially Difficult Times with Saturn Astrologer Jan Tud of astrogrrl.com explains why for many of us, the next couple of years will be crucial for taking control of our finances and developing a healthier relationship with money. She also offers some useful tools and resources to get us started.

Tightening your Belt with Saturn Transiting Saturn in your 2nd or 8th house? Fearful for your finances? These transits don’t have to be disastrous, especially if you take a realistic and practical approach. Mandi Lockley makes a few suggestions to help you get prepared.

Astrology of Time Management: Bringing Balance into Productivity The demands on our time are ever-increasing in modern life, and now with transiting Saturn being aspected by Pluto in Capricorn and eventually by Uranus, effective time management could be considered a survival skill. Hiroki Niizato presents an astrological perspective on time management as part of his 7-part series on facets of Saturn.

Coping and Healing Tools

Taking Up the Long Conversation with Astrology with Saturn in Libra squaring Pluto bringing up difficult questions for so many people, Jessica Shepherd asks how can astrology help, exploring the value of the creative dialogue between astrologer and client in this beautiful and moving article.

Saturn Survival Tips (He is your Ally, not your Enemy!) The Saturn Sisters, as the name suggests, are experts on Saturn. “Don't have too many rules or too few rules” and “Remember that limits create freedom” are just a couple of their snippets of sound advice for getting the planet of blocks and limitations firmly on your side.

Saturn and the Healing Power of Crystal Quartz Shakti Carola Navran, author of Jewelry and Gems for Self Discovery shows how Quartz Crystals and the Hermiker Diamond, which symbolise clarity, insight and balance, can be especially beneficial tools for coping with the current astrological climate.

Tapping For Saturn: Astrology And EFT Astrologer and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Practitioner Kathy Loveless demonstrates how this simple, versatile but powerful healing tool can help you release and overcome the negative emotions and karmic patterns associated with Saturn transits and natal Saturn aspects.

Saturn Transit Libra: A Lesson in Boundaries Astrologer and energy healer Kachina Houska offers this simple visualization and energy technique to help promote boundary development within relationships, a positive and valuable way to connect with the energies of Saturn in Libra. See also Kachina’s Tips For Maintaining Physical Well-Being during these stressful Saturn-Pluto times.

For more helpful coping and healing tools for many of the issues our transits bring - including Saturn transits - check out the wonderful collection of articles on astrology and essences at Vibration Magazine Blog

Saturnalia (Mostly for Fun)

The Astrology of Aging Gemini’s in denial, Virgo’s feeling smug for once and Pisces has lost the plot altogether! Astrologer and cartoonist S.A. Hopkins, takes an irreverent look at the bodily effects of old father time. You can also see more of his cartoons at www.astrologic.us

How Strong is Your Saturn? Are you Saturnian? Find out with this quick and simple quiz from Donna at Sky Writer, then do the quizzes for Uranus and Pluto and compare your scores…You can also enter The T-Square Championship – with a great prize for the highest combined Saturn, Uranus and Pluto score. Discuss and compare your scores at the Astrocreeps Forum

The Sounds of Saturn We’ve all used music as a cathartic self-help tool at some time or other, even if we didn’t realize that was what we were doing. In that spirit, here’s a selection of rocking classics and melancholic dirges – perfect accompaniments to a Saturn transit.

RESOURCE: For further info, dates and data for the T-Square see: The Cardinal T-Square – What’s It All About?

RESOURCE: Don’t forget to check out Donna Cunningham’s Pluto-Saturn Preparedness Kit on her Skywriter blog

I really do hope you found this collection of articles helpful, enjoyable and insightful. If you would like to comment on individual articles you can do so on the author's own blog in most cases or you can discuss what you've read on the Astrocreeps Forum.

This collection is part of the 2010 International Astrology Day Blog-A-Thon, a permanent collection of articles launched 19-21 March. The theme of the blog-a-thon is the upcoming cardinal t-square. Click on the link below to go to the main event blog where you can follow the links to the Pluto and Uranus article collections, as well as all the other special events including: Sasstrology's Saturn in Libra relationship special; Vibrational Magazine's special on combining astrology and essences; Sound bytes from time past at the Astrologers' Memorial and Jude Cowell's stunning Cosmic Art Show.

For links to all IAD Blog-A-Thon Collections and Events Go To:

The 2010 International Astrology Day Blog-A-Thon

Please do bookmark this page before you go so you can come back and read more articles in this collection!

Photo Credits:
Saturn photography courtesy of NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
Neon Saturn courtesy of NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Saturn spies the Moon by Jude Cowell

It was a real pleasure and honour to coordinate this fantastic collection. A huge thank you to all the wonderfully talented authors who contributed and a big thanks also to Donna Cunningham for conceiving and driving this important event and giving me the opportunity to get involved.
The International Astrology Day Blogathon articles collections are for educational purposes only.

Inclusion in the Blogathon Collections does not mean to imply recommendation or certification of any of the authors or their companies. We ask website visitors to make their own judgments about the quality of services or products described. Articles are not meant to be advice, and the information is not meant to replace medical or psychological treatment. Opinions expressed by authors and readers do not necessarily reflect those of the Blogathon coordinators.

Tapping For Saturn: Astrology And EFT

A big welcome to guest blogger Kathy Loveless, Astrologer, EFT-ADV, who in this beautifully insightful and helpful article discusses the creative use of the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) in co-operation with Saturn natal aspects and transits.

What is EFT and How Does It Work?

EFT, Emotional Freedom Technique, has become a popular healing tool in today’s fast-growing field of energy work and complementary medicine. It has been shown to be effective in assisting healing on a physical, mental and emotional level.

With this technique, one practices a simple sequence of tapping points located along the body’s meridians. These points correspond with some of the key acupuncture points. (A simple online diagram is available at http://www.emofree.com/ and from there you can also download a free manual which gives you all the EFT tapping points and basic procedures to enable you to start using it on yourself immediately).

EFT is acupressure which is applied through our fingertips. We simply tap a sequence upon the face, hands, and torso of our body, while focusing on and stating a current problem or painful condition we want to get rid of.

Each statement we make is countered by a positive ending, i.e. “Even though I have this problem, negative feeling about myself”, (etc) “I deeply and completely love and accept myself.“ This point-counterpoint phrasing seems to help discharge the source of the problem from our energy field and “resets” our system, allowing the stuck pain, emotion, or habitual negative behavior to be released.

Tapping on these points while focusing on our problem often brings about a reduction or disappearance of our pain or distress level. However, the memory of our problem does not leave us; the only thing which disappears is the emotional distress or physical pain which had become stuck.

(EFT disclaimer: The information contained in this article is provided as a general information only and is not intended to represent that EFT is used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any diseases or psychological disorder. EFT is not a substitute for medical or psychological treatment. Any stories or testimonials contained herein, do not constitute a warranty, guarantee, or prediction regarding the outcome of an individual using EFT for any particular issue.)

Healing Our Ancestral Patterns with EFT: Aspects of Saturn in the Birth Chart

When we look at a birth chart and see one or more challenging aspects involving Saturn, it can indicate that the person is carrying forward issues to do with self limiting emotions. The emotions might include fear of failure, a limiting outlook on life, or a pessimistic view of the future that can lead to physical ailments or hypochondria.

Saturn will, in the course of one’s life, come around and “touch off” these issues for review and test to see if we’re making headway in releasing these innate fears.

Of course, our birth planets and their aspects represent our family ancestral patterns. Our shared history and DNA influences our temperament, challenges and experiences. For example, a whole family may exhibit difficult Saturn aspects in their individual charts, though each person was born several years or even a generation apart. Perhaps the charts of your whole clan contain variations of Jupiter and Saturn aspects, revealing several individuals who have wrestled with depression or bipolar disorder.

So, how do we break the link with a negative ancestral or “karmic” imprint? I believe it is by consciously addressing Saturn, which is linked to “cycles of time and chronic illness”; and by turning on the light in the birth chart. EFT gives us a tangible method of working with Saturn to release these imposed restrictions that can manifest in the emotional and physical challenges of a family. To help the individual transcend this cycle, an acupressure tapping sequence would be accompanied by an affirmation:

“Even though I share this connection with so many ancestors who have had depression, I choose to release my link from this chain of illness I see in my chart; and I deeply and completely love and forgive myself and any others for anything I or they may have done to contribute to this family affliction. I am now healing this depression and all its origins and genetic variations, from 100 generations back into my past and 100 generations forward into my future.”

Using EFT to Work With Saturn During Difficult Transits

In dealing with “chronic” problems, we turn our attention to the planet Saturn and how this sometimes feared, seldom revered, planet actually operates in our lives to help us achieve success and wisdom on all levels of experience here on Earth.

Wherever Saturn is active in our chart is where we need to spend some time and effort in testing the foundation in that particular area of our life. I find that turning the light on in the chart and consciously engaging, in this case, Saturn in the healing process, is very empowering and helps to dissipate fear and depression. Careful examination of the chart in conjunction with a pre-treatment consult is necessary to identify the emotions surrounding the issue. If that emotion is fear, isolation, worry, depression, restriction, loneliness…you are quite likely experiencing a challenging Saturn aspect. By examining the emotional issue in question, we can determine what practical methods we can use to begin to heal.

For example, when a client was going through a difficult Saturn transit to her Sun, she was diagnosed with osteoporosis. EFT sessions were begun to allay her fear and depression. As her fear faded, her sense of empowerment and faith began to flow once again. She spent more time outdoors in the sun; she was guided to make gem elixirs for increased bone strength. She attracted other “resources” to help heal and empower herself, including inspiring information on Vitamin D and K – tangible things to honor and support the process of healing this Saturn-Sun related imbalance.

She was directed to ask herself: “What structures (Saturn) in my life are no longer strong or safe enough to support me?” – Every physical restriction has an emotional component. It was revealed that she held a suppressed fear of getting old and of not having much time (Saturn) left to fulfill her own dreams (Sun). EFT could be used to address this wounded part of herself. As new “roots” of an issue are revealed, they can also be tapped on and released, using this process.

The Saturn-Uranus-Pluto T Square – All for One and One for All

Most of us have read with keen interest the possible meaning of this dynamic planetary configuration. Certainly there is a theme of powerful Change and Rebirth. I believe these changes can be through us as well as to us. Saturn in this picture represents where we hold onto the old, afraid to embrace the new (Uranus).

Every one of us is experiencing this planetary dynamic in some department of our own lives. We can use the keywords of Saturn to help us with identifying our personal issues and use EFT or other empowering healing tools to add grace and healing to this challenging life passage.

Group work can maximize the grace in a planetary transition like this. Most healing work, when used in a group, can be very potent. An all for one and one for all effect is often reported. With EFT, the whole group taps along with a person who is addressing a concern, only to find afterwards that they, too, are experiencing “well being” or healing effects. Physical location is not a limitation; these surrogate tapping energies can be directed to people and places in need around the world. Like prayer, EFT can be another powerful form of subtle activism.

NOTE: This is part of a collection of articles about Saturn transits for the International Astrology Blogathon, March 19-21, 2010. The rest of the collection can be viewed here from 20th March: Look After Saturn and Saturn Will Look After You. For the main event page, for links to the Pluto and Uranus collections and the rest of the Blogathon events, go to 2010 Astrology Carnival

Recommended Sites:

For those wishing to explore EFT and its many applications, you may learn much more by going to http://www.emofree.com/ where you will find articles on hundreds of its possible healing applications, as well as a list of trained EFT practitioners.

For those interested in Tapas Acupressure Technique (TAT) by Tapas Fleming – go to www.TATLife.com There are many flower essence resources; I find Lila Devi’s site an important resource. http://www.spirit-in-natureessences.com/

Recommended Books:

The Heart & Soul of EFT and Beyond… by Phillip Mountrose & Jane Mountrose

The Genie in your Genes: Epigenetic Medicine and the New Biology of Intention, by Dawson Church, PhD

The Promise of Energy Psychology (Revolutionary Tools for Dramatic Personal Change), by David Feinstein, Donna Eden, and Gary Craig, founder of EFT

The Essential Flower Essence Handbook by Lila Devi

About Kathy Loveless, Astrologer, EFT-ADV:

I am a practicing astrologer with over 15 years of consulting experience. I attended 4 years of structured classes at the Michigan based Academy of Astrology, where I achieved my certification in astrology Born to truth-seeking parents, I thrived on the variety of metaphysical teachings and practices I was exposed to early in life, including astrology, meditation, and energy healing. By my teens I had begun a serious study of astrology. I developed a strong spiritual foundation which I bring to my practice. I have always tried to link astrology with healing in some way. So, when a client’s chart reveals stressful conditions, I can present simple yet effective forms of self-healing, to reassure them that we are not victims of our chart, but instead, powerful co-creators in this process called Life!

I have an advanced certification in EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), a simple acupressure exercise which is used to release mental and emotional blockages in the energy field. I am also a certified flower essence therapist, trained through Lila Devi’s two year practitioner course on flower essences. Though gentle and safe to take, these “unassuming little genies” work wonders in restoring balance and well being on every level!

I offer a full range of astrological services, including birth chart analysis, monthly or yearly forecasts, relationship compatibility charts, vocational “calling”, and more. I live in Michigan with my husband, John. Together, we enjoy travel, spiritual philosophy, and all kinds of live music. We also love time spent with our two grown daughters and two precious young grandchildren.

To learn more, I welcome you to visit my website: www.StellarObservations.com. You can contact me by e mail at: Kathy@StellarObservations.com

Saturn & The Healing Power of Crystal Quartz

A big welcome to guest blogger Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author of "Jewelry & Gems For Self Discovery" who shares her expertise in using gemstones to help maintain balance during challenging astrological transits.

There is much talk in the astrological community about the T-square between Saturn, Uranus and Pluto and its deep and transforming impact. There is the global impact, showing as a major cultural turning point, and a very personal impact on each one of us as individuals. Wherever the early degrees of Libra and Capricorn fall in your chart you will feel personally challenged and called to grow into more clarity (Saturn), while building and re-negotiating your place in relation to others (Libra), allowing the rebirth (Pluto) of a new you, along with the dissolving of old beliefs and values (Uranus).

Consciousness is key and works as an antidote to fear and anxiety. Finding ways to consciously focus on solutions instead of problems, by using tools such as gemstones that help raise your personal frequency; will help you align with the highest potential of the astrological constellations.

As you’re called to action to make adjustments in your personal lives, your personal power lies in your own adaptation to circumstances and the answer to the question: What can you do for your own balance? To find balance, it is important to take time out of your busy life for relaxation, introspection, and inner peace, perhaps by practicing some form of meditation, Tai Chi, or yoga to slow down mental activity and anxiety.

Gemstones in particular can be your allies for healing and balance because they give us easy access to the most light-filled, highest vibrational representative of the planetary principles. They touch us through their beauty and perfection, their radiant colors, magically born in the womb of unimaginable heat and pressure within Mother Earth. They are ancient beings filled with consciousness of the Mineral Kingdom.

Meditation with gemstones is especially appealing because it’s simply a matter of lying down and placing one or several stones on your body and I believe the use of Quartz Crystals and the Herkimer Diamond can be particularly beneficial for the current astrological trends. Crystal Quartz is one of the true birthstones of Saturn’s ruler Capricorn and the Herkimer Diamond is a birthstone for Libra, the sign Saturn is currently transiting.

Crystal Quartz Is a Saturn Stone & Your Guide to Higher States of Consciousness

Crystal Quartz is one of the most common and well-known crystals in the world, found virtually everywhere on the planet and is the perfect stone to bring consciousness and light into our lives, helping us to gain clarity, insight, and a higher perspective on life.

It is the manifestation of light, concentration, and perfect crystallization, a metaphor for our own search for perfection. If you examine a single crystal you will see that as it grows it becomes more and more clearly developed and defined toward the tip. You can also see the six sides of the crystal, corresponding to the first six chakras in the body, with the tip of the crystal corresponding to the crown chakra. In this way, Quartz is a perfect mirror for our own process of growth as we move from confused or unenlightened, to a state of increasing awareness and clarity on our path to higher consciousness.

It is an amazingly versatile stone and can be used as a container and enhancer for inner work with visualizations, affirmations, raising our frequency and our inner connection to the divine.

I have written a couple of helpful articles on how to use Crystal Quartz:
Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Crystal Quartz and Its Practical Applications
Using Quartz Crystals and the Law of Attraction

The Herkimer Diamond – Saturn, Uranus and Pluto

I also recommend the Herkimer Diamond because it is one of the most amazing gemstones for supporting our inner growth towards balance because it is a double terminated crystal (a crystal with a point at each end). I therefore believe that the Herkimer Diamond is a must-have gemstone in these turbulent times because its balancing, pacifying qualities can help us deal with Saturn, Uranus and Pluto’s turbulent energies.

Herkimer can help raise our frequency and consciousness and help us find the Middle Path and working with the Herkimer, we can find an easier way towards finding inner peace and balance within our own heart. This stone is also good for keeping us safe from the electro smog which weakens our energy and which we are all exposed to from sitting in front of the computer etc. Because the Herkimer Diamond is made of crystal it can also enhance our consciousness with more clarity, focus, concentration and brings white light into our aura.

It is a stone of true wonders and you can read more about it in another article I have written:

The Herkimer Diamond – a Double Terminated Crystal

As people we need to focus more on what we want, than on what is wrong. What is wrong is just the starting point for where we want to go. Keep the vision of where you want to go as a guiding light in front of you and remember that we are the creators of our own reality and that is where our power lives. Energy goes where your focus is. Keep that in your mind, heart and soul and align yourself with that the best way you can.

As you can tell, I am very passionate about the potential of healing gems and all the different applications of these enchanting allies for raising your frequency and for finding more balance and joy.

I wish you an enchanted journey into the mysterious world of healing gemstones and I hope you will look at them in a new way! If you enjoyed this article and my perspective on things, you can sign up for my free weekly newsletter on my Astrological Signs Weather Report & Healing Gems Blog where I discuss the actual universal astrological forces and the special powers of gemstones and inspire you to use them wisely for a more successful and joyful life.

Aloha and many blessings, Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author

NOTE: This is part of a collection of articles about Saturn transits for the International Astrology Blogathon, March 19-21, 2010. The rest of the collection can be viewed here from 20th March: Look After Saturn and Saturn Will Look After You. For the main event page, for links to the Pluto and Uranus collections and the rest of the Blogathon events, go to 2010 Astrology Carnival

About the Author: Shakti Carola Navran is originally from Germany, living in Maui, Hawaii, is a professional jeweler, astrologer and author with a lifelong spiritual journey; she has been crafting personalized Soul Jewelry since 1977. In her book Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones that Delight the Eyes & Strengthen the Soul she teaches you about how to read your personal horoscope and blue print for your life. You will be able to balance yourself in your most important areas with your 12 main healing gemstones; you could call your true birthstones. Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery is a treasure chest of ideas on how to select, purchase, and wear jewelry that will enhance your body, heart, mind, and soul.

This article is adapted from Jewelry and Gems for Self-Discovery: Choosing Gemstones That Delight the Eye & Strengthen the Soul © 2008 by Shakti Carola Navran. Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989. All rights reserved, used by permission of the publisher.

Giz A Job! Using Astrology to Make Career Choices

We are what we do and If you do a job that you love, you'll never work a day in your life, are just a couple of cliches we hear all the time, but like many a cliche there is some truth in these little catchphrases.

We spend so many hours at our work and we are so closely defined by what we do for a living, that our job becomes about much more than how we make our money, it becomes an issue of self esteem and self fulfilment. Therefore, it's very important to get it right. For many of us, this is difficult. All through our lives we are asked to make vocational decisions, but very often these are uninformed, perhaps because we're not sure what we're naturally good at or don't have the nerve to go for what we want, instead basing our choices on what our parents, teachers, peers, bosses, society etc. implicitly and explicitly tell us is the right thing to do.

This is where astrology can really help, where knowledge can really give us power to make informed decisions that are in our own best interests.

The birth chart is a fantastic tool, a personal journey map for our lives. We shouldn't see our birth chart as our fate, but rather as a wonderful resource for showing us the higher path and for making free will choices based on knowledge and insight.

So what can your birth chart tell you about what you should be doing for a living? Well, this article cannot give every reader the specific answer, as this is very personal work, but it can point you in the right direction, with some resources that can help you discover and unravel the mysteries of your birth chart, in terms of your vocational direction.

Here are a few ideas:

Consult a professional astrologer for a personal reading

Most astrologers will include vocational profiling as part of a regular consultation, but to be sure, ask your chosen astrologer in advance.

1. A good place to start your search is findanastrologer.com an ever-growing directory of professional astrologers with many who cite career as one of their specialities.


2. Check out the websites of the major astrological schools, as most list graduates who are working professionally. For example, The Faculty of Astrological Studies


3. Which astrologers do you enjoy reading? Most astrologers who write books and publish articles are very easy to find online these days and many offer personal consultations.


4. If you have friends who have consulted an astrologer before, ask them for recommendations.

Order an astrological report that focuses on careers

Usually a cheaper option than consulting an astrologer one-on-one, these reports are based on your personal birth data, tend to be computer generated and are usually delivered instantly to your inbox. There are thousands of reports out there to order online, some bad, some good, some indifferent. They are limited in that they don't 'bring everything together' in the way that a live astrology reading does, but a 'good' report is still going to be better than a 'bad' astrologer! Make sure you order from a website that offers a sample report, so you can get an idea of what you will get for your money.

1. Matrix offers a report called Opportunities which looks at the personal characteristics, talents and inclinations in your birth chart which can clue you in to what career path you might be best suited to. You can read a full sample report here> and order your own report here> for just under $15.


2. Website Cafe Astrology offers a Career Report here> for only $7. You can read a sample report here>


3. This article does not wish to endorse any particular product, so do a quick Google search Astrology Report + Career to explore more options.

Do It Yourself

If you are an astrology student you may wish to take it as a learning opportunity and work it out for yourself. There are many books that can help you and many astrology schools and conferences have modules, workshops and lectures around the vocational astrology theme. If you can't get to a class, many schools and teachers offer downloadable MP3s.

1. Vocations by Noel Tyl is a workbook that takes a methodical approach to working out the vocational route suggested in the birth chart. It requires a good basic knowledge of astrology, but Noel offers exercises on his forum, which he personally appraises, so you can polish your skills.


2. How to Use Vocational Astrology for Success in the Workplace This book is out of print, but is available to buy second hand via Amazon. Contributions from 7 expert astrologers.


3. In Search of a Fulfilling Career by astrologer Joanne Wickenberg promises a wealth of information on using the birth chart as a tool for vocational guidance.


4. If you are based in the UK, the Astrology Student Conference 2010, 24th-25th April in London, focuses this year on life path and career and brings together some top European astrologers.

Wishing you luck and love on your journey towards a fulfilling life path.

Mandi

http://www.mandilockley.com/

NB: 'Giz a Job' is a phrase popularised by the early eighties TV drama Boys from the Blackstuff, which followed the ups and downs of a bunch of unemployed men from the north of England during recession.