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Greetings dear Ones,

I’ve always loved the month of March. It’s a capricious time. March comes in “like a lion and out like a lamb” and Pablo Neruda said: “You can cut all the flowers, but you cannot keep the Spring from coming.” March is a month of transition. I know here on the western slope of the Rockies, we’re finally celebrating winter. The snow we needed in December has arrived, at the end of February. This delayed reaction is a pre-cursor to the celestial activity in front of us.

In March the energy shifts from the end of things – Pisces – to the beginning of things – Aries, at spring equinox on March 20^th. Planets change signs. And Mercury retrogrades beginning a long series of retrogrades that give us only a couple of windows in 2018 to do very much with.

February did not have a full Moon, but March has two! The month opens on the 1^st with a fat Virgo Moon reminding us that life is good, and health is key.  There’s a plethora of beautiful watery Pisces energy at this lunation. The Sun, Neptune, Mercury, Venus, and Chiron are all in Pisces. Those born under the sign of the fish are here for compassionate reasons. Their role is one forgiveness and mercy. And the Virgo Full moon shows us that our physical and spiritual health are linked to one another. Where are you holding a grudge and how is the grudge making you sick? Let go at this Full Moon and celebrate renewal.

Release is especially pronounced when the Sun conjuncts Neptune on March 3^rd and 4^th making these great days to let go of grievances. It’s an opportunity as well for deep rest and spiritual renewal. Mercury and Venus are also conjunct on those days making the first weekend in March a special time of love. With wounded healer Chiron nearby, the next few days may feel tender. Lay low and rest up.

The energy shifts as the move into active Aries begins. Prepare to consider new ventures and options when, just after mid-night on the 6^th, Mercury leaves watery Pisces for energetic Aries. It will retrograde in this sign on the 22^nd and stay in Aries until May. It turns direct on April 15^th, just in time for taxes. Late in the afternoon on that same day (6^th), Venus also enters Aries. Folks become more self-sufficient under these skies and may even appear to be selfish. Venus will remain in Aries until the end of the month so use this time to put your needs first.

Abundant Jupiter turns retrograde on the 8^th and stays that way for the next four months. This turns your vision inward. The knowledge you seek is inside, not out there somewhere.

The 8^th and 9^th bring fiery energy to your ventures as the Moon travels through Sagittarius and meets active Mars.

On the 11^th, Mars and Uranus form a relationship making the 11^th an especially good day to move things around and push through inertia. This is also when the clocks change, and our schedules change once again to deal with that “lost” hour. My favorite saying about Daylight Savings comes from the Native American culture which is reported to have said that “only a white man could cut the end off a blanket, sew it at the top and say the blanket is longer.” I really don’t like messing around with time.

Venus and Saturn form an uncomfortable square on the 13^th and 14^th indicating a conflict in values. Choose what will work in the long run. Short term temporary measures are just that.

Over the next few days the Moon grows smaller as it approaches the Sun the same time Mars conjuncts the Galactic Center. Align yourself with your highest principles. Know what it is that you’re doing and why you are doing it. Plant those seeds at the Pisces New Moon early in the morning on the 17^th at St. Patrick’s Day. Put a little oomph in it. Mars squares this New Moon adding some spice and perhaps a little aggression.

Mars enters sensible Capricorn on the 18^th bringing your desires back to Earth and giving them practical application. Mars will stay in this earthy sign for the next two months (until the middle of May). This is great mojo and will help you keep focus.

The 19^th is a little tender when the Sun conjuncts wounded healer Chiron. Get help if you need it.

On March 20^th at 10:34 AM MT the Sun enters Aries at Spring Equinox. Hello Aries and happy birthday to you! On this momentous cosmic occasion of perfect balance between night and day Mercury and Venus make an exact conjunction. If there were ever a time to speak your truth, this is it. But be warned, in just two days on the 22^nd Mercury retrogrades until tax-day April 15^th and all you’ve said may come back to haunt you.

The rest of the month represents the higgledy-piggily energy that is classic March: up one day and down the next.

The 22^nd, 23^rd and 24^th are rather tough as the Sun squares Mars, Mars opposes the Moon, and the Sun squares the Moon respectively. Irritation could arise as well as a great deal of self-interest. It’s not all about you, hard to remember when it feels like it, but do try to depersonalize this energy.

There’s a sudden change in direction on the 28^th when Venus and Uranus make a conjunction. Hmm… this could be an interesting time to meet your lover and try something new.

Having sped up, things slow down on the 29^th when the Sun squares Saturn. Mars slowly creeps up to Saturn, both of them in earthy Capricorn, and you may find your way blocked, or obstructed. This will continue over the next week so be patient and thorough.

Gracious Venus enters her home sign of Taurus on the 30^th grounding us in practicality and beauty. The month ends with a full Libra Moon on the 31^st. There’s a lot to talk about – the Moon opposes both the Sun and a retrograde chatty Mercury. In many ways it’s time to put yourself first.

The caveat of course, is the retrograde energy of Mercury and the transitory nature of Pisces to Aries. We often lack the courage to be who we think we need to be and we blame it on the people around us. If there’s anything March can tell us, it’s this – live from the inside, not from the exterior. What does your wise body tell you? What is your heart saying? Pisces brings compassion and Aries brings the Self. What new seeds and notions about yourself can you plant in this wild environment? Be prepared to wait for the new growth to show itself but show itself it will.

Thanks for reading and I’ll meet you back here in April.

Your astrologer,

Dulce

Greetings dear Ones,

The month opens with the resonating Moon. A huge super Full Moon total lunar eclipse has just occurred (Jan 31). We begin the shortest month of the year with this ringing tone, still feeling the power and energy of it. And then we face another eclipse. This time a solar one (Aquarian New Moon) on February 15^th. We then celebrate Chinese New Year on the 16^th and invite in the energy of the Earth Dog.

Quite frankly, all the lunar energy might be a bit much. As a result you may want to take time off, but know that the days of flow are numbered. On March 22 Mercury will retrograde and complicate matters so it’s best to take care of business while you can. The summer through the fall is full of retrograde energy including Mercury, Mars and Venus so February is an important month because we have flow. Use February to get things done

Aquarius is the cosmic flavor for most of this month. Happy birthday to all you rebels out there! Aquarius gives us the opportunity to gather with friends, to read interesting books, to write, to participate in debate and to enjoy our inalienable rights and freedoms. The Moon (public) in the USA chart is Aquarian and it will be eclipsed at the New Moon on the 15^th. More anon.

The first seven days of February are a bit of a struggle as the Sun makes hard aspects with the Moon and then Jupiter. Keep moving but get your rest too, for as the Moon wanes, so too does our energy. On the 10^th, gracious Venus enters loving Pisces and brings compassion to everyone. This is a very tolerant energy we’ll all get to enjoy until March 6^th.

February 9^th to the 14^th the Sun and Mercury square Jupiter creating a can-do overly optimistic (or pessimistic) feel. Things are a little over-the-top right now. Keep moving but be moderate.

Valentine’s Day is social and loving. Meet up with friends to celebrate as well as enjoying private time with your special someone. If single, hang with friends. It’s a great time for it. 

The Aquarian New Moon partial solar eclipse is on Feb 15^th. This eclipse occurs opposite Donald Trump’s Mars and on the Moon for the United States. Mars is associated with anger and turbulence, even war, while the Moon reflects needs for security, food and housing. Something (someone) may really upset the populace. Or, conversely, we may be spurred into action (Mars). Time will tell! One thing is for sure, the American people have a voice and they will use it.

This eclipse is part of a Metonic cycle and occurred in this same celestial spot 19 years ago in 1999. What happened in your life that year? You may have felt the effects of some inner change or outer circumstance, the following year in 2000.

February 17^th the Sun and Mercury come into conjunction in the last degrees of Aquarius. The Word is All. Pronouncements and Declarations may occur. This is good mojo for writers. Use it. Also on this day, Mars squares Neptune suggesting low energy and/or deception. What is true? Take it easy today if you can and don’t expect too much from anyone. This transit may encourage inspired creativity so keep your artist’s eye open.

Also on the 17^th Mercury changes signs, leaving intellectual Aquarius for gentle Pisces. Time begins to slow down, and you may desire a second glass of wine. This fuzzy feeling amplifies the next day when the Sun enters Pisces as well. Breathe a deep sigh of relief…

Happy birthday Pisces! 

Pisces ushers in the principles of mercy and compassion. It invites forgiveness and dreams; creativity and the development of Christ consciousness. This is the time of year to soften and open to your intuition. Issues or memories related to the past can be reviewed and, if you like, released. It’s time to remember the forgotten and to practice kindness.

The energy becomes more watery as the days go on. Water is associated with emotions and creativity. Write poems, paint pictures, sing songs and pray for rain. Over the next few days loving Venus draws close to saintly Neptune coming to a conjunction on the 21^st where you’re likely to see her in the west just after sunset. This is truly a lovely aspect and time spent with your loved one/s or in your favorite tub of hot water, or at a fishing hole, will be magical. If you’re near the ocean do spend sometime in the sea.

The 22^nd and the 23^rd the Moon opposes feisty Mars and squares Venus. Oh oh. Someone’s not happy. All is forgiven by the 24^th when Mercury meets Neptune for a couple of days. Information is not to be trusted now. The details are blurry. Don’t make any decisions while Mercury and Neptune are together. Make music. Make love. Make art. Practice forgiveness. Meditate. Nap. But don’t set anything in stone until after the 26^th. 

Late on the 24^th the Moon enters watery Cancer and spends the next two days flirting with all the planets floating through Pisces. This is really nice and helps us all find peace, calm and serenity. Love and tenderness go a long way under these skies.

The month comes to an end just as the Moon enters Virgo and fattens to fullness on March 1^st.

Lots of things to talk about for March, so come back here next month. In the meantime, go with the flow and stay grounded. Keep making progress and set your intention firmly in your mind and your dream world. All is unfolding as it should.

Your astrologer,

Dulce 

Oh my gosh my golly, eclipses, retrogrades and folly! 

Dear Ones,

Welcome to 2018, the Chinese Year of the Dog, and the magic and wonder of a fresh start.

There are five eclipses this year. These are cosmic doorways and if you have planets within one degree of an eclipse you’re likely to experience its influence. Eclipses occur in both 19-year (Metonic) and 18-year (Saros) cycles, so you can look back 18 and 19 years to 1999 and 2000 and see what was going on for you. The eclipses are January 31, February 15, July 12, July 27 and August 11. The most interesting eclipse for Americans will be the one in February because it activates Donald Trump’s chart. It occurs opposite the eclipse point of August 21, 2017 which was a direct “hit” to his Mars. That’s two “hits” in six months – that’s a lot to overcome. As my perceptive  astrologer friend Nancy says, “His karma will come due.” We shall see! Something will happen that’s for sure. Eclipses are powerful tools for change and in my long experience as an astrologer I have seen the extraordinary relationship between eclipses and significant life effects.

Mercury retrogrades three times this year: 3/22 to 4/15; 7/25 to 8/18; and 11/16 to 12/6. Mark those dates on your calendar. Those are your reflect, redo, relax times when you can catch up with yourself. Don’t buy any big items or electronics during that time. And don’t sign anything noteworthy. I’ve seen the effects of Mercury retrograde deals and they are not pretty. Of course, there are always a few exceptions to this rule. Another astrologer friend, Cassandra, loves to mess with Mercury retrograde periods by traveling during them. I affectionately call her the “contrary astrologer.” 

Change agent Uranus really shakes things up by nipping from Aries into Taurus for the first time in 84 years. Wow. This will really highlight earth changes, climate change, resource availability and so on. There are major value changes ahead of us and I’m glad, though also concerned. Why does it have to get this bad before we wake up?! Keep your eyes and ears open mid-March to early November before Uranus skedaddles back to Aries. Don’t worry, it’ll be back and those issues will be right there in front of us for the next seven years.

Uranus in Taurus reminds me of Pharaoh’s dream (Genesis 41). I certainly hope we’ve got enough sense to avoid something that dangerous in this country, though there are many parts of the world where this is already happening. Truly, we are One World, our climate patterns are so huge now, that what happens there, happens here. I’ll be teaching a class on Uranus in Taurus in the near future so we can fully explore what this 84 year/7 year cycle will look like for you. In the meantime watch the History Channel show “Alone” for a keen understanding of our connection to wilderness. Better yet, get yourself out there in it.

Active Mars retrogrades this year also from 6/26 to 8/27. Be mindful of wasted action, or things that need to be redone at this time. Issues associated with the military may arise now too.

The Chinese Year of the Male Brown Earth Dog begins in mid-February. It has a lot to do with matters related to the Earth and natural resources. 

There’s a lot more to the year then just the above highlights and I’ll elaborate on them in my monthly columns as they occur.

Yellowstone – Earth, Fire and Water

January brings us the energy of Capricorn – the water goat. Water because Capricorns do struggle with emotions and goat because they want to get to the top no matter what. There is nothing these folks can’t do. Happy birthday to ya! And good luck over the next two and a half years as your ruling planet, Saturn, moves through your sign. You’re going to be able to get a lot done as you focus on your priorities. As Tim Gunn says in Project Runway “Make it work!”

January gets us off to a good start with not one, but two full moons. The first is on New Year’s Day in the sign of Cancer. It’s a super moon (that’s a really big moon that’s closer to the earth than usual). Full of emotions and good intentions this watery lunation encourages us to come from the heart this year and to tend to our foundations. Pluto, the Sun, Venus and Saturn are all in Capricorn – foundation and structure; business and authority; family and duty; career and country. This is a major theme as stern Saturn is now in thrifty Capricorn for the first time in 29 years and we’re all considering what’s the most important thing for us. I’m teaching an experiential workshop January 27^th on this very subject. I so hope you can join me. You’ll understand Saturn as you never have before. https://www.astrologybydulce.com/events/

This Full Moon trines with Neptune and Mars encouraging you to live your dream by putting it into action. This is helped by Uranus’ direct motion the following day on January 2^nd. You can do it! 

If you need a push, use the 5^th through the 8^th when Mars meets with Jupiter. You can move mountains under these skies. It’s heavy lifting time so be careful.

January 9^th the Sun connects with Venus and Pluto exactly. Wow. What a day. It’s a powerful opportunity to transform hate to love, fear to empowerment and the opposite is true too. There could be some kind of governmental decree at this time, possibly related to money or coins.

Mercury hovers at the Galactic Center helping us orient to the truth before it too enters Capricorn on the 11^th. It’s time to get serious and to walk your talk. The Moon connects with Mars and Jupiter now suggesting public response to legislation and/or taxation. Emotions could run high. There’s a sudden change in mood on the 13^th when Venus squares Uranus. 

The 13^th and 14^th could bring heavy news when Mercury connects with stern Saturn. Get busy and keep working. You can accomplish a lot under these skies.

The Capricorn New Moon January 16th at 7:15 PM (MT) is loaded with energy. This New Moon is your best opportunity to get your project started. The Sun, Moon, Venus, Mercury, Black Moon Lilith and Saturn are all in Capricorn for this lunation. Remember the key words for Capricorn? Practicality, business, family, duty, tradition, government, work, career, father. There are books on the subject of Capricorn – check ‘em out. But do use this New Moon to your advantage. Use it. That’s what Capricorn teaches us. It shows us how to be useful and how to put things to use. You can kick serious butt by using the last of the Capricorn energy because soon the energy changes.

The energy prepares to shift to social, rebellious Aquarius which it does the very next day on the 17^th when the Moon and then lovely Venus enter this egalitarian sign.  The energy continues to change on the 19^th when the Sun enters friendly Aquarius too. The people have a voice and there’s a sense of rebellion in the air.

Things feel a little tender on the 21^st when the Moon connects with Chiron. Mercury approaches a conjunction with secretive Pluto. It’s best to bite your tongue as words have power, especially on the 24^th when Mercury meets up with Pluto. Pluto has a lot to do with secrets. Are you holding on to toxic secrets? If so, this is the time to let them go, in a safe setting of course.

There’s a profound energy shift on the 26^th, when active Mars leaves intense Scorpio for fun-loving, happy-natured, and sometimes dogmatic, Sagittarius. Let the adventures begin! Pack that bag. You can plan your trip, or even head out to meet friends on the 27^th when the Aquarian Sun and Venus trine the Gemini Moon. You can come to the Saturn in Capricorn class! https://www.astrologybydulce.com/events/

Energy builds, and emotions rise as the Moon in January waxes to fullness at around 6:15 AM MT,  on the 31^st at a total lunar eclipse at 11° Leo/Aquarius. This is a Blue Moon (2^nd Full Moon in a month) and another Super Moon (close to Earth). As such it packs a punch and you may want to make an easy day of it. Just ride those emotions out. This too shall pass. The eclipse will be visible across much of the USA. Check out its path here: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2018-january-31

If your birthday is around this time 2018 may be a significant year for you. Think back 19 years and see what was going for you. If something significant happened, then 2018 may be another turning point for you. The last time an eclipse occurred in this spot was Jan 31, 1999. 

The energy of the eclipse continues as little Mercury, not to be outdone, gets in on the act and moves into Aquarius that very next hour.  The message that this eclipse brings is that we are indeed all connected. This is our home. There’s no where else to go and those people are our people. There’s only one of us here, says the Course in Miracles. That knuckle head over there is a part of you. What ya’ gonna’ do? Acceptance and equanimity are keys for this time. How can you reduce the mental stress in your life? What can you relax into and simply accept? 

From the practicality of Capricorn and the development of foundation, we end the month focused on the inter-connected web of society and our place in it, and our contribution to it. 

I look forward to seeing you next month which features a solar eclipse the day after Valentine’s Day.

Many blessings and take care out there!

Your astrologer,

Dulce

Welcome to a new world in a New Year dear friends!

What a year it’s going to be! I’m most excited about the total solar eclipse on August 21st where the Moon’s shadow will fall on the northern part of the USA. This is the first time since the 1970s we’ll have such “access” to an eclipse. I’ve already ordered my special eclipse atlas! Think road trip!

In the meantime 2017 brings us all the usual suspects including four eclipses (Feb 10 and 26; August 7 and 21); Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and the outer planet retrograde periods. (Mercury’s retrograde periods are 12/19/16 – 1/8/16; April 9 – May 3; August 12 – Sept 5; and Dec 2 – Dec 22. Venus retrogrades early March to mid-April). 

This is also the year of the Fire Rooster, according to Chinese astrology. This powerful energy encourages us to break free and overcome obstacles. This is what we will all be doing this year as wild card Uranus moves through fiery, independent Aries in opposition to abundant Jupiter – doing its level best to keep the status quo in balanced Libra. Whew! What a trick! Change or not to change, that is the question. It’s like making changes without changing (sounds very Zen); making change in the face of polarizing beliefs; or pushing through on what you want regardless of anyone else. It could even look like dogma forced upon the individual. It makes me think of all the last minute power acts President Obama is doing before he leaves office that will be very hard for in-coming President Trump to overturn. Be sure to think for yourself this year precisely because of this energy (Jupiter oppose Uranus).

If you’d like to know how this year is going to shape up for you, the USA, and in general, please come to class with me on either Jan 7th OR Jan 14th. Full details here: https://www.astrologybydulce.com/events/ We’re going to have a fun afternoon going through the complexities of the year, turning astrology into English, and enjoying the experience of the collective mind (Uranus). Also, I wrote about the next four years for the USA in October 2016, before the elections. You can scroll down from here to read that interesting article.

January begins with Mercury retrograde until the 8th. This gives us all a chance to catch up with ourselves and to reflect on the year ahead. How do you want it to go? What do you want to achieve? The Sun, Mercury, and Pluto are in earthy, practical Capricorn, the sign of achievement and prudence.  The water goat wants to get to the top of the mountain, it wants to achieve something.What is that thing for you? Spend the first week of the year pondering, planning, and visioning your year ahead.

The year opens on a new and waxing moon, we’re off to a good start. On Tuesday the 3rd, lovely Venus leaves egalitarian Aquarius to join a whole posse of planets moving through the watery compassionate sign of Pisces. This is your cue to hone your intuition and to focus your values on your interior landscape and the health and wholeness of your spiritual life. Tune into Kosmic Voices at noon (MST) today, Tuesday, for a fabulous show that will help you get your year together. http://www.kafmradio.org 

Early on the 4th, retrograde Mercury re-enters Sagittarius giving you another opportunity to examine your beliefs and to connect the different areas of your life into one cohesive vision. Mercury then connects with the Galactic Center (GC) and stations direct there on the 7th and 8th. The Galactic Center, in the words of astrologer Philip Sedgwick, “imposes its enlightenment on us.” This is a time of vision. Use it wisely. Saturn will conjunct the GC (27 º Sagittarius 47’) for the first time in 29 years in March 2017 and turn retrograde at that point until late August. This gives us an opportunity to ask the really hard questions about hope, faith, and sustainability. It’s time to let the TRUTH guide us – not post truth, but the actual truth. It’s not about dollars and cents anymore folks, it’s about sense.

Energy builds and quickens with Mercury direct. The Moon waxes to fullness and early on the 12th opposes both the Sun and powerful Pluto at the Cancer Full Moon. This is a biggie folks. Power and control issues come to the fore with Pluto around. We’re looking at real divisions and controversy here in the USA because we’re a Cancer country and the Moon represents the public while the Sun and Pluto in Capricorn represent government and power. There may be fear-mongering and security issues raised now. This Cancer Full Moon asks: what needs nurturing? What part of your life is hungry for love and care? Take care of the crying baby. Do what you must to care for those unable to care for themselves. Love one another.

At the Full Moon on the 12th, Venus connects with dreamy Neptune and stays in the fantasy of it all until the 15th. Keep your eyes open! Dream big, sure, but stay grounded. Make music and love and write poems under these tender dreamy skies.

From the Full Moon to the 18th active Mars connects with fragile Chiron suggesting vulnerability. Keep yourself well. Avoid air and water borne diseases. Rest – a lot! This is a great time for intuition, forgiveness, and breaking free from addiction. Set yourself free from the inside out.

January 19th the Sun leaves practical Capricorn for analytical social Aquarius. People Power Time! It’s time to be social and aware, as well as open to learning and intellectual exploration. The shift to Aquarius sets us up for the inauguration of Donald J. Trump on Friday January 20th at noon in Washington DC. The chart looks somber for Trump but clearer then it did for President Obama who was sworn in under a retrograde Mercury on Jan 21, 2009. You may remember what a fiasco that was. He had to repeat the oath of office twice because what’s his name screwed up.

The Moon leaves steamy intense Scorpio, where it is for the Inauguration, and enters fiery, optimistic Sagittarius the first few days of the new President’s office. Hope abounds but reality quickly sets in when the Moon conjuncts stern Saturn on January 24th. Around this time, sweet Venus conjuncts wounded Chiron suggesting some kind of market dip or value crisis, or conversely, a healing may occur of these things. Women’s issues predominate at this time. The energy remains sensitive as women express themselves through to the 27th and the Aquarian New Moon.

At this lunation the voice of the people is heard. It’s a great time to use your intuition, connect with like-minded others, and to use your brain power. 

The tone changes early on January 28th, and becomes fiery when athletic Mars enters warrior Aries for the first time in two years. As this occurs, Mercury moves into its second conjunction with secretive Pluto. Expect an expose at this time. Use your thinking mind to get to the bottom of problems. Stand up for yourself! Set good boundaries.

The month ends with a Moon/Mars conjunction in Aries setting us up for a bold, new start. Energy hums through the world. Start your engines ladies and gentlemen! Vroom! Vroom! Beware of aggression and extremism but do leap forward! We’re headed for the month of February and two eclipses. Watch out world! Here we come!

In the meantime, check out this video on the evolutionary thrust of humanity. It’s empathy folks, empathy. https://superhumanos.net/empathic-civilization/ 

Blessings and love,

your astrologer,

Dulce 

Greetings fellow earthlings,

It’s a Scorpio time of year – intense, brooding, powerful, and regenerative. It’s your opportunity to get in touch with the part of you that wants to win, must win. If you like, tap into this fierce energy and do something with it. It will take you far.

Here’s the cosmic play-by-play for the month:

November begins on a waxing Moon in Sagittarius, always a hopeful and optimistic sign. However, the tone quickly changes during the first week as the Moon makes aspects to Saturn, Uranus, Pluto and Mars making the 2^nd through the 6^th a bit of a cosmic roller coaster. This makes sense for us here in the United States as we choose our next President. Election Day November 8^th sees the Sun in Scorpio and the Moon moving into Pisces in the late afternoon. This is the same energy that Hillary Clinton was born under making her the favorite to win. However, late that evening feisty Mars (a prominent planet in Donald Trump’s chart), enters rebellious Aquarius shifting the energy Trump’s way.

Late on the 11^th, Venus enters prudent Capricorn turning our attention to money, values, business and women in government while on the 12^th chatty Mercury, who represents the news, will enter philosophical, occasionally dogmatic Sagittarius. This shift encourages debate which vacillates between hope and despair. Meanwhile, energy continues to build toward the Full Moon on the 14^th. The Full Moon in Taurus is ruled by Venus which further highlights values, money, banking, and the overall cost of things. Stubborn adherence to the old ways seems to be the norm now with lots of rhetoric filling the air. Find comfort in your usual routines and lay low.

On the 19^th, the Moon opposes fiery Mars bringing strong public opinion to the fore. On a personal level, it’s a great time for team sports. Get out there and get active!

The energy shifts when the Sun leaves steamy secretive Scorpio for upbeat Sagittarius on the 21^st. Our national affairs become global and the larger world comes into focus. Philosophy and vision are Sagittarian by-words and this shift may take us into the world of talk and speculation. Personally, this is an excellent time for you to consider your future by taking the highest stance possible. Rise up, look down, and put things into perspective.

The 22^nd and 23^rd bring strong, stern talk when Mercury conjuncts Saturn and on the 24^th, Thanksgiving in the USA, Venus conjuncts Pluto and both square the Sun in the USA chart. Money, money, money, and women, women, women. Just what are your values anyway asks this astrological configuration. Please scroll down to read my article on the next four years for more information on these transits on the national level. On the personal level, Thanksgiving provides not only opportunity to be with family to express gratitude, but is also a time to address deeper issues, some of which might feel uncomfortable. Thankfully the Moon is in harmonious Libra and hanging out with Jupiter – there’s nothing a little dignity and decorum can’t fix! The next day however, the Moon opposes Uranus bringing surprises. Be flexible.

The energy shifts and changes at month’s end with a New Moon in Sagittarius. This is a wonderful time to plant seeds of hope and optimism for the year ahead.

Your astrologer,

Dulce

Greetings fellow earthlings,

I write this column about the USA and the current political situation with a sense of duty as a citizen of this fair land and beautiful world. Though I cringed many a time during the second Presidential debate my heart was warmed by a couple of questions posed to the candidates by the audience members. The question about devotion to country shifted the tone on that stage; and the last question “What strengths do you see in the other?” completely changed the energy. I felt a surge of love and calm as I recognized that on the main, the American people are not fooled, nor distracted by, the fiasco that is the current political scene. This inspired me to be direct with my astrological opinion regarding the chart of the United States of America. I use the so-called Sibly chart: July 4, 1776 5:10 PM Philadelphia, PA.

The nation is experiencing a number of direct planetary transits that are “activating” latent energies and patterns intrinsic to it. Using the Sibly chart, they are as follows:

Jupiter square Sun and conjunct both natal Saturn and the mid-heaven.

Saturn conjunct the ascendant, oppose Uranus, trine Saturn. Approaching an opposition with Mars.

Chiron oppose Neptune.

Uranus conjunct Chiron and square Mercury.

Neptune trine Jupiter and Sun; and inconjunct Saturn.

Neptune conjunct the progressed Sun.

Pluto oppose the Sun and square Saturn.

Folks, this is a LOT! If the USA were a person, I’d be talking seriously with him or her.

In a nut shell, what you’ve been sensing is true – we’re in a time of great and incredible tension. This is a karmic test. It is a real test; a test of our integrity as exhibited by our natal Saturn, exalted in ethical Libra. This test involves who we choose as our leader. Transiting Saturn to the ascendant marks not only a new beginning and identity but a period of reflection. This is when we get to re-do and re-create our image and structure. The questions the country asks at this time are: “do we want to keep doing this? Is there a better way?”

In the USA chart, at the birth of our nation on July 4^th 1776, Mercury was retrograde and opposite Pluto. In 2022 this country will experience a Pluto return – an important completion of that powerful, transformative cycle. Currently, Pluto’s slow insidious opposition to our Cancer Sun will continue as Pluto travels on to eventually oppose Mercury in the USA chart. In other words, we won’t be done with this critical transition until 2021. That’s an election cycle away. It seems we come to our senses and stabilize after the election in 2020. That election process will be especially intense as Pluto, guardian of the underworld, opposes Mercury in the USA chart – a lot of dirt will be thrown then. Very similar to what we’re experiencing now.

Pluto’s current transit to the USA chart means that we get to listen to ugly stuff, stuff bubbling up from the bowels of humanity. Pluto transits can be very nasty and this one is no exception. Pluto’s opposition to the USA Sun and square to the USA Saturn is a real struggle for our identity via our leadership. We felt Pluto strongly at 9/11/2001, again when the housing market collapsed, and now, at this election.

The USA is, and always has been, a divided nation. The country’s population is split into two distinct groups. The Sibly chart has mutable Sagittarius rising. On 9/11/2001 when the twin towers came down, Saturn was opposite Pluto on the ascendant/descendant of the Sibly chart. The experience of dualism occurs with diverse opinions and polarized views. The rising sign and descendant of the chart Sagittarius/Gemini reflect this dualism.

In the meantime, the next four years sees Saturn oppose Mars, Venus, Jupiter, the Sun, and Mercury in the USA chart. We’re headed for some lean years and some strict re-structuring. It’s time to invest in the essentials – food production, clean water, the electricity grid, community business. Things could get so tough that the majority of folks quit taking needless medication and watching empty TV and pick up a shovel and get to work planting potatoes. That can’t be bad, right?

First though, the new administration is going to have to deal with blocks and obstacles starting with the new term in January 2017 and running to November of that year, as Saturn opposes Mars in the chart. Late 2017, Saturn enters practical Capricorn for the first time in 28 years and opposes Venus in the USA chart. This could feel like a shortage of cash. Those interested in growth as usual will be disappointed. This transit is not about growth. It’s about taking care of what you have and making do. If you’re interested in recycling and animal husbandry, you’ll love this down-to-earth, back-to-basic time.

The last time Saturn was in this position (1987 – 1988) Black Monday occurred (at that time Saturn was conjunct the ascendant and opposite Mars and transiting Jupiter was conjunct our Chiron); George H.W. Bush was elected; the Gulf War took place, as did the trial of Oliver North; there were massive protests in support of abortion; coal and Boeing workers went on strike; the Berlin Wall came down, and the Cold War eventually came to an end.

How do the transits of the next four years affect you personally? Look for the Capricorn/Cancer axis in your chart and examine the houses they’re in. Also look back to 1987/1988 and 2001/2002. What was going on for you then? How did you handle it?

Here’s my advice, as your astrologer, buy local and prudently. Develop community connections, invest in local agriculture, make your home energy efficient, take up a hobby, and buckle down. This too shall pass and there are many rewards along the way.

With blessings for health, peace, and sanity,
Your astrologer,
Dulce

Greetings, dear Ones!

Thanks for tuning in to my cosmic report.

2015 has been creeping up on us as yet another pivotal year. Major shifts have occurred, the tipping point has been reached, the Age of Aquarius has long been with us. The Cardinal Cross, which began in 2011, ends late 2015. We know what we’re dealing with – the same old really important stuff of sustainability, climate change, wars, species extinction, where to get power and energy from, and so on. We also know many of the answers and are collectively galvanizing ourselves toward sensible long-term solutions by way of collaboration and innovation. We are moving very quickly toward second tier consciousness.

http://davidrainoshek.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Spiral-Dynamics-Stages.jpg (Ken Wilber).

If you tune in you can feel the excitement. 2015 is a year of straddling energy, in which planets, notably Jupiter and Saturn, straddle two signs, shifting our focus. It’s also about the development of our other senses, the aspiration of the human race to reach toward the light of consciousness, mindfulness and right action.

This comes to us by way of the cosmos and the beautiful forces of both light and shadow seeking integration. A marker of our shifting experience is the continual process of ending duality. One way this occurs is through stern Saturn’s move into philosophical Sagittarius – for the first time in 28 years. Those of you who are 28 to 30 years old or 58 to 60 years old are likely to experience Saturn’s sojourn as significant, as will those in the signs of Sagittarius, Gemini, and to a lesser extent, Virgo and Pisces. Saturn governs reality as we know it – call it the principle of karma in the realm of humanity. As Saturn spends the next two and a half years moving through the wisdom and vision of Sadge, our collective challenge is to acknowledge the presence of spirit and the intelligence that moves and creates life. Please check out Brian Swimme’s work – The Powers of the Universe to truly understand our celestial origins from the viewpoint of science and consciousness.

Things are not totally clear cut however, as Saturn, who begins 2015 in optimistic Sagittarius, spends half the year back in Scorpio (see below). This “straddling” of signs occurs for Jupiter too, which is the other significant move of the year. Jupiter transits mid-year into Virgo. This is an important 12-year cycle especially because Jupiter is the ruling planet of Sagittarius (the same sign Saturn is in). Jupiter is the active principle behind learning and philosophy. Jupiter teaches, preaches, inspires, guides, leads, adventures and publishes.

Virgo works on the density of the physical plane – organizing the cells of the body, connecting tissue, the mystery of DNA, (health care and medicine, nursing), wordless communication, animal behavior, plant life, and so on. Jupiter is happiest in the ethers, contemplating the vast mysteries, and may feel overwhelmed by Virgo’s reductionism. And yet at the same time this is exactly what we need right now – a deeper understanding of how we can shift our physical selves toward greater health. Imagine contacting your friend with telepathy; visiting yourself in the past to offer encouragement, travelling to your future to fine tune your path. The many routes of reality become more accessible over the next year or so if you’re willing to fully inhabit your sacred temple – your body. See too, how this attention will positively influence our relationship to our Earth.

In the words of dreamer Robert Moss “Since time is always Now, we can slip in and out of linear time, at least on the level of the mind… we are ready to become conscious time travelers… We can seek to rise above the perspective of these personalities to that of a Self on a higher level who can read patterns of connection and help reweave them for the better” (The Boy Who Died and Came Back, New World Library 2014). I’d like to add here that time travel is a specialty of mine and something I can help you with via the tools of alchemical hypnotherapy.

The key words for Saturn, Sagittarius, Jupiter and Virgo are: discipline, rigor, restriction, routine, authority, government, vision, truth, dogma, spirit, religion, foreign affairs and foreigners; education, wisdom, politics, teaching, travel, routine, order, service, perfectionism, analysis, animals, grains, genetics. Weave these words together in a poem to map the unfolding year in your own creative way. Keep in mind that Jupiter won’t enter Virgo until August 2015 triggering your poem. If you want to know more about truth and flow please read James Redfield’s The 12^th Insight. In there you’ll discover that importance of being truthful, and how truth keeps you aligned with the ebb and flow of synchronicity and how synchronicity unfurls to guide you to your full, glorious potential, service to others, and ultimately world peace. No kidding!

So let’s look at some of the cosmic details:

2015 starts with a waxing Moon, stable and grounded. The practical Capricorn Sun trines the Taurus Moon, inviting stability. Yet the Cancer Full Moon on January 4^th has the capacity for a breakthrough. Some deep and powerful shift is required of us all, especially Americans, if we’re to make it a good year. From where I write this (Thanksgiving 2014) military action seems possible. This could be internationally, or locally, and related to social rights issues.

The practical and somber, yet lusty energy of Capricorn gives way to social, fair minded Aquarius on January 20^th with a New Aquarian Moon. The 0 degree of this lunation is part of a series begun in late 2014, suggesting that in many ways we are starting over. Beginner’s mind is required. We have to see things freshly with the eyes of curious space travelers or children. The very next day, January 21^st, Mercury retrogrades at 17 Aquarius all the way back to 1 Aquarius before turning direct February 11^th. Avoid making major purchases during Mercury retro periods , launching businesses or having paper work or contracts done, until the master of communication turns direct. However, if any of these things should occur do not panic. Rather check out the list of successful businesses that did start during Mercury retrograde – quite possibly Coca Cola was one of them.

The other Mercury retrograde periods of the year are: May 20^th to June 12^th (13° Gemini to 4° Gemini) and September 18^th to October 10^th (16° Libra to 1° Libra). These are good times in which to retreat, particularly to rethink strategy or to rewrite or reflect on matters, especially those associated with relationships and communication. Slow and lazy vacations are great during Merc retros.

Venus, the planet of love and values, also retrogrades this year. During her “disappearance” do NOT get married, or make or promote anything of beauty unless you are of old acquaintance and then just want to in reveal over and over in it. Venus’s retrograde is great for reconsidering aesthetics, lingering over past art, and revisiting old love or financial affairs, but not for moving forward on anything related to beauty, money, art or love. Venus retrogrades July 26^th at 0° Virgo to September 7^th at 14° Leo.

As mentioned, the year begins with a retrograde Jupiter who turns direct April 9^th. If you have a business to launch, wait until after Jupiter turns direct to gain the maximum benefit of the planet of expansion. If you’re buying, prices may be cheaper while Jupiter and Venus are retrograde so keep your eyes open for good deals during those months. Yet be sure you’re getting what you want, not something that’s merely cheap.

In the meantime the old slow beings keep to their cycles. Saturn retrogrades at the Ides of March and slips back from Sagittarius into Scorpio June 16^th. Saturn turns direct August 3^rd and finally re-enters sunny Sadge September 19^th. Uranus and Pluto, at times tightly and at other times loosely, maintain the Cardinal Cross which totally depletes itself at the end of the year. This is truly something to celebrate! The Cardinal Cross is a long sustained period, starting around the time of the Arab Spring, in which Uranus and Pluto are in square with one another, creating global stressors, political change, weather pattern upsets, governmental shifts, economic crisis, social revolution, inventions, and all kinds of phenomenon designed to shake the status quo. As 2015 comes to a close we can expect things to settle also.

In short, 2015 is a year of transition. Our real work begins in 2016. 2015 is about learning the ropes, shifting perception and feeling free, brave and creative enough to live fully and with joy.

Finally, Chiron the Wounded Healer and Neptune the Muse, continue their slow sojourn in gentle Pisces. We still have much healing to do. Forgiveness is still the path. And I mean radical forgiveness (see Colin Tipping’s work). When we can truly see with the heart and feel with our spirits that all is in divine order and when we can trust that we are held in the arms of love, then we can let go of our small selves. This is our greater journey toward becoming the homo luminous we must become in order to live in harmony with all the other species on our beautiful earth home.

Bless you, and thank you for being fully who you are.

Your pal,

Dulce

P.S. Please refresh this page frequently as I add to the blog.