Readings with Lauren: if you enjoy these Newsletters, how can I help to heal you personally? The intention of my readings is use astrology to get you into alignment with your energy so you can heal, love, and prosper. My readings continue to evolve, so please see my readings page. I look forward to your reading!

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[ArtCharts] Inspired Astrology Newsletter: Total Eclipse-New Moon in Leo

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Total Solar Eclipse/New Moon in Leo: standstill and awed

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The Total Eclipse/New Moon is in Leo: standstill and awed:
connecting with your inner genius for possible group illumination.

There are times when we are awed. Eclipses are one of those times.

When we attend events, we gather in large groups to WATCH something. With perfect timing, this Eclipse coincides with the Olympics in Beijing while the Eclipse goes visibly through China, opening that country to the entire world. And as our attention goes to the main event, our minds quiet down, we stop talking, we stop thinking about what we need to get next, and we focus. On what? On someone or something doing something outside of time. We watch time stand still. We wait with baited breath as the athlete leaps through the air and does the impossible. And all together, we take a deep breath, we sigh, we are awed. We have witnessed someone going beyond what seems like normals boundaries to reach into their inner genius and do the undoable.

At the Eclipse, we watch the Sun and the Earth seem to stand still. We SEE the Moon reflected in the Sun. We SEE the planets in orbit, and they seem to stand still, just for a few minutes. We gasp, we are watching something much larger than ourselves. We are in awe.

And this experience of group AWE reminds us of our own inner genius. It opens a new doorway, a new consciousness arises. We have gone through something. We can't go back.

Click here for a Solar Eclipse diagram on Wikipedia

But what does this Total Solar Eclipse mean? Astrologically, the inner planets -- Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus -- are in Leo, along with the South Lunar Node. This is a dramatic time. We are not in the mood for clever ideas, we don't want to talk, we don't need to get emotional-- we're in the mood to passionately pursue what we want.

This Solar Eclipse is conjunct the South Lunar Node (all Eclipses are conjunct either the South or North Lunar Node, it's what makes them Eclipses), so we are literally full of ourselves. We feel there should be no limits to how much we can have. We want more and we may not feel much gratitude for what we have, or appreciation towards those who have given to us, dismissing it as nothing or not enough. We do not think we should have to count our blessings or be thankful because we are entitled to whatever we have, and should have that and more. Yet, this is one of those good ol' ego beliefs that only serves to keep us stuck in a rut pattern. The Universe is not "supposed" to take care of us, so the feeling of entitlement is an irrational thought. When we expect the "The Universe" to take care of us, we give up our power to create change. We don't take responsibility to find solutions, and we give up our personal power to be creative and effect change. When we identify with "the victim", we ask for pity. Yet, pity is condescending. So when we are pitied, it stimulates our ego to become competitive, to prove it's better, to get as much as it can so it has more than anyone else. But since we have already given the Universe the message that we have receive "nothing", we receive more nothing. But this only happens because we are getting what we ask for! WE are asking for pity and we are getting it. Yet, pity feels controlling, so we reject it. The feeling others should take care of you is not even possible, because you can do that better than anyone.

As this Total Solar Eclipse goes directly through the Ascendant of Washington, DC, we receive the message that arrogance has misguided us. To think this is not a reflection of our own inner selves is further misleading. Not accepting our responsibility for how things are keeps us in denial, where we can comfortably blame whoever seems to be the culprit. Meanwhile, we forget to look at ourselves, the only place we can start the process of change. Yet, if our ego needs to always be The Best, we block the process of learning about ourselves. We can't learn because we are in competition and have to know more, be better than anyone else, and we keep ourselves in a frantic state of trying to get more. People always ask me, "so what do I do?" First and foremost, are you giving your best to someone who doesn't care or appreciate it? Are you hoping they will save you, protect you, or are they taking you for granted? If you're always waiting for someone to give you more, your relationships will not be balanced because you are not involved in a balanced give-take relationship. You are trying to get as much as you can in a frantic manner, and disregarding what you are receiving. You are also glossing over the real source of all love, that starts with you. So start appreciating you! There must be something good happening for you. Notice it. Focus on it. Express something positive, step into your higher self and watch as new options open up. It's Leo, be regal!

Blessings to you!

Ongoing Astrology Note: Chiron and Neptune are both in the 3rd decanate of Aquarius. And they will continue to travel together for the next few years, culminating in an exact conjunction in February 2010. You can read what I wrote about this long-term Chiron-Neptune conjunction on artcharts.

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Astro Tip of the Week: There's a Total Solar Eclipse is next week, so it's time to refresh our Eclipse knowledge. Here's a link to an Eclipse diagram on wikipedia. Solar Eclipses occur when the Lunar Nodes, either South or North, are conjunct the Sun and Moon. A New Moon that occurs within 18 degrees 31 minutes of the South or North Lunar Node is a Solar Eclipse. If the distance between the New Moon and the Node is between 0 and 9 degrees 55 minutes, it is a Total Solar Eclipse. Between 9 degrees 55 minutes and 11 degrees 15 minutes of either Node, it can be Total or Partial. From 11 degrees 15 minutes to 18 degrees 31 minutes, it's a Partial Solar Eclipse. The Solar Eclipse on August 1, 2008 is 8 degrees 59 minutes from the South Node, making this a Total Solar Eclipse.

This is Saros cycle 126, and 10S in the Brady method: suddenly, the path clears.

This is the chart for the Gibbous Moon. And here's a link to a LEGEND so you can read the symbols. It's easy to use!

The week of July 14th starts with the Moon entering the Gibbous phase.

And the Gibbous Moon in Sagittarius squares the current Mars-Saturn conjunction in early Virgo. But no worries-- there's help from Mercury aspects!

Monday (7/14) starts with an exact Mercury-Saturn sextile. While the AIR element is not prevalent in this week's chart, Mercury, the planet of thinking, communicating, and connecting, is making helpful aspects to Saturn and Mars. Mercury in Cancer makes this a good time to connect with family members and/or professional experts who can mentor you and give you practical advise.

Mars and Saturn are conjunct (you can see them together on the western horizon at sunset), so Mercury is sextile Saturn (7/14) AND Mars (7/15). Instead of the careful, cautious, considerate deliberation that you feel with Mercury-Saturn, Mercury-Mars tends toward impulsive thinking that can instantly shift directions if it can get more immediate results. Luckily, both aspects are helpful sextiles, so this can make you extra eager to share information. And since Mars and Saturn are conjunct, you can share information about serious subjects. Professional information can be readily available and business contacts can be made quickly and easily.

Mercury is also sesquisquare (135 degree aspect) Neptune, so your expectations can be based more on illusions than what is actually possible. If fear overtakes your ability to flow in the stream of your thoughts, your ability to communicate can feel blocked and your artistic vision can be dark.

Instead of feeling the overwhelming need to respond immediately, the sextile of Mercury to Saturn can help with the discipline needed to consciously put yourself in a positive frame of mind. You can focus on exactly what you want to happen, and have the strength AND control to think it through AND make it happen. It's important to reach out, and how you do that is also important. Together, Mercury sextile Mars and Saturn can give you the mental energy to push past blocks created by doubt and fear and solve very real problems.

This week starts with a fun trine of Sun to Uranus. This is the week for SUMMER FUN! It's time to do something different, take time away from the usual, trade your comfortzone for adventure, the same ol' for the thrill of discovery.

The Sun is also quincunx Neptune. So while you may want to be a livewire this week, you can also feel threads of doubt if you are too psychically open to people and the energy in your surroundings. Instead of evading or fading out, how can you create boundaries that let others be themselves without absorbing their thoughts and energies. You can not control the judgments of others, but taking them on is a choice. And being true to your own ideals can radiate inspiration to yourself and everyone you contact this week.

Make this a great week!
Yours for astrological alignment,
Lauren

ps, if you benefit from the articles on this blog, please let me know by buying my absolute favorite gift - an Amazon gift certificate. My email is lauren@artcharts.com Click Here! Thanks:-

We think we should be supplied with this by divine providence.

Sometimes we are.

But here's the problem with expecting our desires to be magically fulfilled. It's asking for pity.

Why?

When you say, "I need to be taken care of", "I need for things to magically work out exactly as I want", this is irrational thinking. You are putting yourself in the position of a victim or "poor little me". We all need help at times, but the support we need has to be built. To rely on magical assistance as a lifestyle keeps you stuck. It prevents you from thinking through a situation and coming up with creative solutions. It separates you from your own connection to your higher self and your intuition.

The reason most people come to me for readings is that they feel "stuck." Life is not happening as hoped or planned and they want to know why.

The NYTimes currently has an interesting article about psychiatrists for the very very wealthy. They cast their psychiatrists in the role of staff servant and tell them what they want to hear. I see that happening even among regular, not-so-rich people. Many of us are looking for some kind of divine providence to supply us with answers. It's "supposed to be there." We are poor little darlings whose desires should be supplied magically. Here's the problem with that mode of thinking: you are NOT pathetic. Perhaps you want to hear, oh yes, you poor dear, let me help you, you deserve everything. But that's pity and it makes people very angry to be pitied.

But no worries, if you don't like it, just blame someone and you're good to go. Where? That's the problem. You don't go anywhere. You stay just where you are because nothing is really resolved. There may not be any "fault" and the person you blame may have nothing to do with the situation. You may be personalizing something that is impersonal. For many of us, we say we want change, yet where we are is where we want to be. We have a long list of excuses why things are this way and we are looking for someone to agree with us. That will not change your situation. It also leads to resenting the person who commiserates or seems to have so much they can give it away.

So perhaps we are not really pathetic little children, and perhaps little children aren't pathetic either, but spiritual beings incarnating. Every phase of life is valid. You never get to an age where everything you ever wanted or hoped for is just given to you. Waiting for that can be fraught with disappointment and frustration. We all have higher soul purposes. That is not something reserved for the very few and privileged. We all have something valid and wonderful to share. And denying it by picking apart others who are trying to share is denying our own talents and gifts.

So as this Mars-Saturn conjunction approaches, we can be blind to our anger. Yet our anger may come from feelings of not being good-enough, not measuring up, not feeling we can stand on our own 2 feet, take initiative, and be what we came here to be. Because there are flaws, not everything is perfect. Yes, it may be hard work, there may be more details to understand, there may be a process you have to go through. Being in a hectic rush and looking to find faults will keep you spinning your wheels. It's also going against your own soul purpose, or God's will. What if there are lessons to be learned and you are speeding by them so fast, disregarding their message, thinking it's not good-enough, questioning the higher will, not giving things time to manifest. Slow it down, look more carefully. You can do this!

There are Eclipses coming August 1 (Solar) and August 16 (Lunar). I am hoping there is some funding to keep writing.... Things are not going well with that. I am finding more success with my artwork these days, so the future of this blog, newsletter, website remains unwritten. These are important events. I have been gifting everyone who places orders a Summer TimeLine. This includes your transits for the month of August. The TimeLine is the only forecast that delineates Eclipses. IT IS NOT a 20-page report on the Eclipses in your chart. However, it includes all aspects the Eclipse makes to your chart. There may be a few, there may be none. The TimeLine will tell you and give you interpretations. It's a place to start, something to think on.... I hope you are enjoying your Summer TimeLines. Making them is additional work for me, and I'm busy, but I feel this is important information, so please check it out, and look at your Eclipse aspects.

Hoping you find joy&happiness on this hot&humid day!
Lauren
artcharts.com

ps, if you benefit from the articles on this blog, please let me know by buying my absolute favorite gift - an Amazon gift certificate. My email is lauren@artcharts.com Click Here! Thanks:-)

This is the chart for the First Quarter Moon on June 10, 2008 @ 11:04 am edt. Here's a link to read the symbols. It's easy!

Why are Quarter Moons so important in astrology?

Because Quarter Moons occur when the Sun and Moon are 90 degrees apart, or square. This aspect brings whatever has just started at the New Moon (June 3) and makes it prominent, brings it to our immediate attention. What happens in one area of your life also happens in another. So if your family situation is currently problematic, you may also be experiencing problems in your career pursuits.

And the situation can be escalated by the square to Uranus in the Tropical chart and Mars in the Heliocentric (and the reason for this heatwave!) There is a high-pressure T-Square to the Sun. This turns up the pressure on each person to socially network to create change. Use your intuition. How can you connect people to ideas and information they may have missed. The Moon in the Quarter Moon chart is in Virgo, which is ruled by Mercury. Planet Mercury is Retrograde and just past a conjunction with the Sun and Venus. Think again. How can you effectively socialize and participate? What details have you overlooked or gotten stuck in -- either way can throw your judgment off.

But just because you're socializing more doesn't mean you're going to like everyone you meet. And someone may be very negative about something important in your life, or seem to purposely dash your hopes and dreams. The strong influence of Mercury at the First Quarter Moon suggests the importance of remaining neutral. Try not to get attached to ego struggles for supremacy. If you react in a way that is not diplomatic, you can be setting yourself up as a target for a power struggle.

Virgo also rules digestion. The First Quarter Moon is trine Jupiter and the Sun is inconjunct (quincunx, or 150 degrees) Jupiter. It's easy to be excessive, even the heat is excessive, and this may cause you to spend more than you intended or indulge in more luxuries than you can really afford, just because you're absolutely sure something great will happen soon.

What can YOU do to make a relationship more authentic and heartfelt? Instead of assessing and judging how much others do for you, when is the last time you expressed YOUR feelings to another person, just to make them feel good?

If you can remain neutral to what you see, you can look calmly at what you notice in a day. What attracts you? Why? What and who upsets you? Why? Just observe without judging and you may start to access information that can be very helpful. And certainly better than (unconsciously) taking out our upsets on others.

The good feelings you have now may start to seem like an illusion as the Sun squares Neptune Wednesday morning. However, your intuition is giving you a real glimpse into what is possible, a sudden AHA!

Even if you start to question and doubt what your higher awareness is trying to bring to your attention, you already have the message and possess the awareness. Refining it may need more work, but new ideas are already in circulation-- all you have to do is plug into the current. This is social networking used to the highest benefit of the planet and the new consciousness that is rising. This is just the closing bell to get on board with new social technology and ideology.

And the positive aspects to the Sun on Monday show us how each of us, how, as individuals, can contribute our unique talents, interests, and ingenious ideas to the groupmind. This is a time when our world understanding is going through a major shift. It's not a painful shift, but it is obvious. At the Full Moon on May 19, the Jupiter-Uranus sextile will be quickly approaching (exact on May 21), along with a Mercury Retrograde station (starting May 26). The new awareness can open and change minds. Quickly.

With Jupiter Retrograde and Mercury entering the retrograde shadow (May 11), there can be some backsliding over the next few weeks, and also more minds getting more information and making changes. We are receiving the awareness that we need to be more open to change on a social, ideological, religious level, and while many of us are excited by the opportunity, many of us are afraid of what the future may bring and are holding on to the past by using social issues to make political decisions. Will our fears and prejudices guide our thoughts and decisions? Or are we ready to break through to a more positive perspective, to take a leap of faith that together, with a serious commitment, we can create real change.

When you choose to see life in a positive perspective, anything starts to be possible. Things are exciting. Yet, instead of tensing up, you can relax and think calmly. And from a calm state of mind you can think of better solutions to real problems. This is not the time to keep your great ideas and solutions to yourself. Share, publish, video, network, publicize, and proudly promote your evolutionary ideas, online and offline.

Get the DayWatch Astrology Forecast personalized for you! Click here now

Read the symbols using our handy LEGEND -- it's easy and fun!

This forecast is copyright protected by artcharts and Matrix Software. It is not ok to copy it, but you can link to it! Thanks:-)

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It's May! The month of flowers. And the flowers have messages for us.
The Flower Essence & Gem Stone report provides you with tools and resources to support your personal efforts toward
growth and well-being on all levels. Using astrology, flower essences,
gemstones and gem elixirs, color, music, aroma therapy, visualization, and
other methods, you can transform difficult patterns in your life and
manifest more of your positive potentials. The emphasis of the this report
is not so much on eliminating undesirable traits or experiences, as on
bringing you into balance so that the positive expression of your
astrological signature can manifest.

includes a birth chart

Click here to View a sample Flower Essence & Gem Stone Report

$17 - Birthtime known or unknown

Purchase this report in MAY and get your MAY Forecast as a gift!

Get the DayWatch Astrology Forecast personalized for you! Click here now

Read the symbols using our handy LEGEND -- it's easy and fun!

This forecast is copyright protected by artcharts and Matrix Software. It is not ok to copy it, but you can link to it! Thanks.

Get the DayWatch Astrology Forecast personalized for you! Click here now

This forecast is copyright protected by Matrix Software. It is not ok to copy it, but you can link to it! Thanks.

Get the DayWatch Astrology Forecast personalized for you! Click here now

This forecast is copyright protected by Matrix Software. It is not ok to copy it, but you can link to it! Thanks.

And what a chart! If you thought the last New Moon with Mars opposing Pluto blew the lid off some dirty laundry, it's about to get even more personal as we enter SPRING 2008 with a Full Moon that elevates the Mars-Pluto opposition to an IMMEDIATE PRIORITY.

I'll save something for the Newsletter, coming later this week.

Cheers!
Lauren
artcharts.com

Get the DayWatch Astrology Forecast personalized for you! Click here now

This forecast is copyright protected by artcharts and Matrix Software. It is not ok to copy it, but you can link to it! Thanks.

Get the DayWatch Astrology Forecast personalized for you! Click here nowThis forecast is copyright protected by Matrix Software. It is not ok to copy it, but you can link to it! Thanks.