Every month we see the moon grow full in the sky, illuminating the landscape in its silvery glow, and then wane into the dark.  As the moon moves through the sky and through its various phases, it also is moving through the astrological signs.  

In astrology, the moon is associated with the subconscious and emotions.  The sun, what gives it light, is associated with the conscious mind and will.  As the moon waxes and wanes then, we have an interplay between the subconscious and conscious parts of ourselves.  

The full moon is illumination.  This can show up in our lives as a form of realization or some type of completion or graduation.  The new moon represents new beginnings.

At the full moon, the sun and moon are in opposition, which means they are in opposite astrological signs.  The two opposite energies need to be integrated in our lives.  At the new moon, the sun and moon are in conjunction, together in the same astrological sign, so that the subconscious is in alignment with the conscious will, and this is when we set our seeds of intention.

Each month we have a new moon we can set intentions with and a full moon that comes with an illumination or realization.  The astrological sign(s) in play speak to the energies that are being worked with during that moon phase.  

From the new moon to full moon, the moon is considered to be waxing, which is a building energy that supports action.  From the full moon to the new moon, the moon is waning, and that is a releasing energy.  During the waning moon, we are supported to consider what has been illuminated at the full moon and look within ourselves to see what requires releasing.  Then at the new moon we can set intentions again with more clarity.

Not only are there monthly lunar cycles, but there are also six month cycles.  If there is a new moon in Gemini (sun and moon together in Gemini), then about six  months later there will be a full moon in Gemini (moon in Gemini illuminated by sun in Sagittarius), completing that cycle.

Every spring and fall there are eclipses.  Eclipses bring powerful change. When a series of eclipses works a particular astrological axis then it brings attention to the two areas of your life represented by the opposing astrological signs, speeding transformation.   

The lunar cycles do not operate in a void, and the moon in its transit of the zodiac is always being affected by the energies of other planets as they move and shift in the sky.  In 2016, two major over-arching astrological themes (which you can find out more about by following the links) are  Mars transiting Scorpio and Saturn in Sagittarius squaring Neptune in Pisces.  Mars is the God of War, demanding action.  Scorpio many time is boiled down to sex, money and power, but Scorpio is a water sign and water is the element of the emotions and subconscious.  If we think about what our deepest fears or desires are, or what triggers our biggest emotional reactions, then we get to sex, money and power.  Scorpio in a larger perspective, is deep psychological transformation.  It is death and rebirth.  The reason that astrologically this is a big deal is that Mars typically doesn't spend as long in one sign as he will in Scorpio this year AND he is following the exact same path as Saturn did when he transited Scorpio from late 2012 to late 2015.  Saturn showed us the lessons, now Mars asks for action on what we've learned.  The Saturn-Neptune square is guiding you to making your dreams reality, but that could show up as a reality check, maybe bursting a fantasy bubble as you land squarely on hard reality.  

Those are two big energies we will work with all year.  Then there are the eclipses.  Three eclipses this year fall on the Virgo-Pisces axis.  Virgo is about the routines that make life work.  Its about logic and organization, health and admin routines, and discipline.  Virgo is about what  you do every day.  Pisces is about dreams and visions, and the spiritual.  The eclipses will be asking us how to integrate these two parts of life.  How do we balance the other-worldly with the day-to-day?  More importantly, with the Saturn-Neptune square working in the background, what do we do in our daily lives to bring our dreams and visions into being?  Saturn in Scorpio was the realization, and now the action is being aided by Mars, the Saturn-Neptune square and these eclipses.  

This is amazing energy at your disposal for consciously creating the life of your dreams.  You can follow the lunar cycle each month and let it be an energetic guide as you work toward your larger goals.  

Happy Creating!

Now that you've met your Magical Creature, unearthed your unique why, and started making your new creation of life real by setting goals and creating action steps in Part 1, its' time for a check-in with the Law of Attraction.

We are all powerful creators.  If we place our consciousness on a past negative event, we have the power to conjure up all of those same emotions and remain there and relive it over and over.  If we choose to place our consciousness on something negative that might happen in the future or in uncertainty about the future, we can remain there, mired in worry about something that doesn't even exist...yet.  You are so powerful, that if you focus your energies on it, there's a good chance it WILL exist in the future, which is why you must be so careful about where you place your attention and energy. The Law of Attraction says that like attracts like.
  
The Law of Attraction is always working.  Pause for a minute and think about where your mind has been - where have you let your attention wander?  The Law of Attraction is ALWAYS working.  You are a powerful creator and it is your responsibility to direct all of that power into focusing on what you truly want to create.
 
The Law of Attraction works on our energetic vibration, and our emotions create the vibrations off of which the Law of Attraction works.  In order to successfully engage the Law of Attraction, you must be emotionally connected to your goal, and those emotions need to be aligned with what you want to attract.  Remember in Part 1 where you wrote down not only what you wanted to experience on a mundane level in your life, but what feelings you want to experience?  Linking up your worldly desires to your why and your feelings is the magic formula.  

Your beliefs create your thoughts, which in turn create your emotions. Finding that thing that fills you with energy and that has a “why” behind it that truly moves you emotionally, and aligning with that vibration is using the Law of Attraction to manifest your desires. This is Alchemy 101.  When backed up by your beliefs, feelings and thoughts, your intentions are magic​.  

Now pause again and think about where your mind has been.  Has it been reliving past conflict or trauma, or projecting worries out in the future?  Why? You must become aware of your thought habits and create new ones that support your vision.  You must dig deep and unearth any limiting beliefs that are operating in your subconscious, and bring the light of consciousness to them so they no longer hold sway over you.  A belief is stronger than any affirmation or intention.  If you are harboring limiting beliefs about yourself or the world, you must take your power back from them.  If "I'm not worthy", or "I can't get my needs met", or "everything has to be hard", is running down in the dark depths of your psyche, its time for some serious house-cleaning.  "Clear the fear", because any limiting beliefs running beneath the surface of consciousness that are in conflict with what you are trying to create will block the process. 

Many times this process of becoming aware of and clearing limiting beliefs happens over a period of time for us and not immediately.  We slowly clear layers of negativity and past programming and blocks. There are many ways to do this.  I like to work consciously with the lunar cycles and journaling as a method of ongoing house-keeping.  Other types of regular activities that help awareness are yoga or meditation or even walking in nature.  Sometimes you might want more support via some type therapy.  I use astrology and hypnosis with clients for bringing awareness to areas of life that may be challenges or blocks. 

One exercise that can help us get to the heart of the matter is sentence stem completion.  If you are trying to unearth a limiting belief and you ask yourself, "What is the worst thought I think about myself?", and go blank, you can try this.  Ask yourself, "One negative thought I think about myself is __________."  "Another negative thought I think about myself is _________."  "The worst negative thought I think about myself is _________."  Now you should be getting closer to the root negative belief.  

With your new awareness of that root negative belief, you can trace it out into your life and see how pervasive it is.  You can see just how it affects everything you do everyday in your life.  And knowing that the Law of Attraction is always working, how do you now see that limiting belief and the Law of Attraction working in your life?  What if that belief was a positive one that supported your soul's desires instead of a limiting one?  How much power would you have to create the life you want?

Now you can replace that limiting belief with one that supports your why.  This is typically just changing the limiting belief to its exact opposite, but its your belief so make sure it feels right to you.  You are a powerful creator and your mind is an amazing tool.  Now you take your power back and direct it.

Remember that uncovering your limiting beliefs is an ongoing process of awareness.  It doesn't happen all at once,and neither does replacing them.  It takes 21 days to create a habit.  It's generally easiest to focus on shifting one belief at a time rather than several at once.  You are creating new neural pathways.  Think of it as driving down a two-track with super deep ruts and trying to stay out of them as you drive.  The deep ruts are your old neural pathways that the limiting belief has taken over and over and over in your life while you weren't consciously aware of it.  Now you are trying to create new neural pathways with your new supportive belief, but it takes conscious effort and attention at first, until you begin to develop new "ruts".

Once you've uncovered the limiting belief, there are two steps to replacing it with your new supporting belief.

1)  Saturate your mind with the new belief.  Repeat it as a mantra, use mala beads, sing it, write it, keep sticky notes where you will see them, use a hypnosis MP3 - whatever works for you to keep the new belief in the forefront of your brain.  

2)  Solidify the new belief by acting on it.  Think of an action step you can do every day, something small, that is based in the new belief.  If you're old belief was "I'm not worthy", and your new belief is "I AM worthy", then what is something you would do differently every day in your life if you are truly living from the foundation that you are worthy?

Keep these steps up for 21 days and watch your experience of life change. Then keep following the ongoing process of awareness, clearing the negative and replacing it with what supports you.  

In Part 1 you found your why, connecting with your Magical Creature, your unique authentic self and found the passion, experiences and feelings that truly set you on fire.  Now in Part 2, you are clearing out any negative beliefs you have and replacing them with positive ones, and aligning your beliefs and thoughts and emotions with your why, your values, so that you can leverage the Law of Attraction in consciously creating your life.  You are Magic!​

Swords are the element of air, or the intellect and twos are balance or relationship.  If we are not in agreement, how do we move forward while honoring our truths as well as another's?  How do we find this balance and harmony that the two asks for?  How do we give and be in understanding without giving up ourselves?  The Two of Swords is asking us to find a way to stand in our truth but open up to the truth of others as well and open our hearts so we might move forward into a better place.

I have a theory...no, a belief...that we are all Magical Creatures.  

By that I mean that we are all very unique and bring a very special set of gifts and talents to the world.  We all have a special and unique way in which we are meant to contribute to this world in this life.  We all have our own stories and our own pasts and our own tastes and likes and dislikes and values and beliefs.  And the beauty of it is, not only are we all that individuated so we may each contribute something unique in our own way, but we are also able to find common ground with the collective, the group, the whole in the ways that we are alike.   We are indeed all very magical creatures.  

What is even more magical is that we all have the ability to consciously create the lives we experience.  In the process of our lives, we can become a creator. We have the amazing ability to be the director of our own story as it is happening.  Our minds are so very powerful.  We only need to become aware and then choose where we place our consciousness and energy.  

The first step in Consciously Creating is to get in touch with your Magical Creature.  Remember that your Magical Creature is that which is uniquely YOU.  What makes you come alive?  What gives you that surge of energy, that motivation, that passion, that sustains you and gives you the drive to keep going, to have courage, to persist?  This is the first key in unlocking your true path.  This is your why.  To understand more about why your why is so important, watch this short TedTalk by Simon Sinek.

If all of these questions send you into a tailspin, it may be time to sit down and do some soul searching.  Many times we let others' opinions, or limiting beliefs or fears get in the way of what we truly want to create.  Finding the experiences we want to experience and the feelings we want to feel that are aligned with our most authentic selves is the cornerstone to success in manifesting our dreams.  In order to do this, many times we have to dig down through layers of “shoulds”, limiting beliefs and fears. 

To assess what truly sets your heart on fire, you can ask a series of questions. What do you want to experience in life?  How do you want to feel?  What are your most cherished dreams, ideals, philosophies?   With these questions, you begin on the path to finding your very own elusive Magical Creature, and aligning with your Magical Creature takes you magical places.

Remember that trying to manifest based on what someone else thinks you should do, or out of a sense of obligation or fear, whether it be for money or other reasons, does not have nearly the same power as manifesting from a place honoring your truest expression in the world, from your unique why​.   

To unearth and clarify your most authentic soul desires:

• Write out what you want your life to look like three years from now.  Make it detailed, imagining each piece – where you live, how you earn a living, what kinds of possessions you have, who fills your life, what each day looks like, where you travel, etc.  Also write out how you will contribute, what kind of legacy you will leave, and what would you do with your life if financial responsibilities were not an issue.  
• Write out how you want to feel.  Write out as many feeling words as possible that describe ways you want to feel as you experience life. These will be words like confidant, joyful, successful, beautiful....  Now narrow them down to around three that really describe the feelings you most want to experience in life.  
• Write down three of your goals.  For each goal, ask three times, “Why do I want this? What does it give me?”, and then ask “What will this goal help me feel?” Write down all the answers. 

 
Now compare the three exercises and notice the repeating themes or correlations.  This doesn't have to happen immediately. You can play with the themes and ideas for a day or a week or a month and really take your time to see which ones hold the most power for you.  You can write them on a whiteboard or a chalkboard or use clippings of the words or sticky notes to play with.  Take your time to really understand which themes move you and why.  These are your core desires and feelings – the things you most want to create in life and the feelings you most want to experience.  

Congratulations, you've just met your Magical Creature!

Now it's time to make your desires real with goals and action steps.

Armed with the knowledge of what a Magical Creature you are, and that you are a Powerful Creator, and having found your why, you are now ready to create some tangible goals and action steps.  

First, set two goals for yourself that are quantifiable, one for an achievement of something and the other for a completion of something.   (Remember to use "SMART" when setting goals - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reasonable and Timely.  This keeps us "making it real".) So it will look like this:  By (date) I will have achieved __________ and by (date) I will have completed ____________.

Second, go back to the feeling words you want to experience, and make a list of action steps you can take every day in your life to experience those feelings.

Third, looking at your two goals based on your why, now create three action steps you can take in the next week toward those goals. 

Now you are well on your way to Consciously Creating your life as the Magical Creature you truly are.

Welcome to the full moon in Leo!  What was happening in your life back on August 14, 2015? What were you then seeding with intention?  This full moon, on Saturday, January 23rd, you are realizing the culmination of the six month lunar cycle that began with that new moon, when the sun and moon were together in Leo, merging their energies of consciousness and the subconscious.

Leo is the sign of individual self-expression, of creativity, fun, romance, play, and of generosity.  Leo, working in the positive, wants everyone to shine and everyone to succeed and is about creative self-expression and bringing a sense of play and love to life.  

The full moon is a time of heightened emotional sensitivity, and Leo has the natural ability to take things over the top very quickly and with ease.  Focus on the positive aspects of Leo this full moon.  Be creative, be yourself, indulge in a sense of play with everyone you meet and infuse that into every activity you are involved in.   The sun that is illuminating this lovely Leo moon is shining from Leo's opposite sign of Aquarius, asking us to find integration on that axis in our lives.  Leo is the individual and self-expression and Aquarius is the collective - all of humanity. What wants to be expressed through you, what is uniquely yours to offer the world?  How do you contribute to the whole as an individual?   These are realizations you might receive insight to as the Aquarian sun bathes this Leo moon in its illuminating, revealing light.  

Think back to mid-August and your life then and what you were intending to manifest at that time.  What has come into reality?  What have you learned?  What have you realized, and what is being illuminated for you now in relationship to that?

Allow yourself to be supported by this full moon energy to step forth and shine your light.  Be the star of your own show and remember the gift you bring to others by being your most authentic self.  Access your Leonine magical creature and have confidence in the fact that you are uniquely you for a reason and you have something of value to contribute.  

The Queen of Pentacles, so grounded and so connected.  She stands supported between the worlds, her roots reaching down to the certainty and nurturing of the earth while her crown reaches high into the heavens, glowing in the light of higher awareness and consciousness.  A centered pillar of strength, she bridges the visions of the heavens to the reality of the world. She does not question and she has no fear.  She knows her truth and she lives it and from this place she creates her world.  From this place, she knows she is not alone, adrift, unsupported, but always supported and nourished, for she is always connected, perfectly held between the earth and the heavens. There is nothing that can shake her knowing; nothing that can cause her to doubt that she is always safe and supported and always exactly where she needs to be. From this place, she is able to create and able to give to others.  From this place she is always drawing on the strength that the earth and the heavens offer and therefore always experiences abundance and is always creating and willingly sharing her strength and gifts with those around her.

The Queen of Pentacles offers you an opportunity.  She is a reminder.  How are you like her or unlike her?  How can you draw upon the energy of the Queen of Pentacles, with roots firmly grounded in this world, while at the same time reaching your consciousness into the vast creativeness and limitless of the Universe?  How can you bridge the two realms, grounding your visions and ideals and dreams down into the reality of your everyday life?  How can you access that knowing...that certainty...that everything is always unfolding perfectly and that you are nurtured and supported, so that you may live from your most authentic self and burn in the creative fires and completely give of yourself without hesitation or fear to the world around you?

She is a reminder of that energy that is always available for you to access.  We all have the ability to take our ideas of heaven - our most cherished visions for our lives and this world - and ground them into reality, literally giving birth to them, bringing them out of the ether and into existence.  But our fears and uncertainty can stop us.  The Queen of Pentacles reminds us to release those fears and trust in the certainty that we are always connected and supported and we are the channels that can bring heaven to earth.

We have arrived at the first quarter moon, where the moon makes a waning square to the sun at the halfway between the new moon and the full moon.  The moon's waning period is known as a time of building and taking action, and a square aspect is a challenge, so the first quarter moon is sometimes referred to as a "crisis in action".  It's a checkpoint where we can take stock of our intentions set forth at the new moon as we build toward the realization or culmination that will be provided at the full moon.  

On January 14th, Mercury reached the midpoint of its retrograde cycle, where the planet of communication, appearing to move backward and therefore in reflective mode, made a conjunction to the sun, the light of consciousness.  This should have provided energetic space for a realization of some sort, having to do with a way of thinking or communicating, or maybe something held within your consciousness from the past that it might be time to release in order to move forward and create anew.  Mercury will remain retrograde until January 25th, but now we will be working from the point of realization that the conjunction with the sun should've provided to tie up any loose ends in preparation for the Messenger's impending direct motion.  

In 2016, a major theme is grounding our dreams and visions in reality, and this is not always an easy task.  After we turned our awareness to what we truly wanted to create, and became conscious of what bliss might mean to us and look like in our lives, then we set intentions.  (I used the Solstice to set the larger intentions.)  With every new moon, we can then set smaller intentions in alignment with the overarching ones and use each lunar cycle to fine tune our actions, release what is no longer needed, and adjust our belief and thought patterns.  The first quarter moon is a mini-checkpoint in this visioning and actioning process and Mercury retrograde is asking us to reevaluate our thinking and communication.  These planetary transits can bring up life situations that show us where we must change, where we must let go, where we must stand strong, and where we must have discipline.  As all of this is being asked of us it can feel like a heavy burden, like you are carrying the weight of the world.  But, the energies presented, if taken advantage of, can help move you on your path toward your goal.  Take stock now and see if you can identify anything in your life, or especially within yourself, that is blocking you from your dreams.  

Just like the lovely dryad depicted in the Ten of Wands, you have the strength within to flourish, to thrive, even under the pressure of everyday burdens, as you hold your gaze on the light that is your vision for your life and steadily grow towards it.  Just like the dryad carries her burden with willing grace, the grace with which you meet your challenges lies within.  How you experience your journey is a choice you make, and the universe is giving you an opportunity to review the inner landscape that ultimately creates your experience of life.

The X of Swords is an apropos card for the period just before the new moon, and on a new moon that is conjunct Pluto, Lord of the Underworld, no less. With Pluto's influence we are digging up the deep psyche in order to make a transformation - death is coming to the old so that we might begin life anew.

Swords is the suit of the element of air, which represents our intellect and mental activity.  Tens represent excess.  What happens when our thinking mind turns on us?  This is when we are overrun by circular thinking, either reliving the traumas and hurts of the past or projecting worry into the future. This is when we might repeatedly cause ourselves pain.  Beliefs are the underlying foundations out of which your thoughts grow from.  What beliefs do you need to unearth now in order to stop painful mental and emotional patterns?  What beliefs do you need to adopt in order to become the creator and not the victim in your life?

That is what the X of Swords, and this dark moon is asking you.  

The man on the card lies face down, completely subdued and pinned to the ground by the ten swords, devoid of any resistance or fight he may once have had.  There are ten swords, when just one would sufficiently do the job, symbolizing the theme of excess.  The sky is black, the darkest of dark, but if you look in the middle ground of the scene, you can see that the sea is now calm (it is depicted as choppy in many other cards) and there is the hint of a golden glow over the mountains, suggesting that the trials of the dark are over and a new day is dawning.  The man's right hand makes the same symbol as the Hierophant does in card V of the Major Arcana.  The Hierophant represents conforming to a path that you have found yourself on because of society or due to the expectations of others, and also spiritual teachings.  

It is possible that through the suffering brought about by his beliefs and thought patterns, this figure has reached some spiritual truth and a place of self-realization.  It is possible that what we see here is the death of the old consciousness, ruled by the old belief system, and with it the death of the mental anguish he has endured.  It is possible that the calm sea and golden sunrise then represent the birth of a new consciousness, the birth of a new self, that is more aware, more authentic, and acting from the truth and integrity of the entire being, so that the person is truly at peace with himself and all of life.

Today we allow death to come to the old ways of being that have brought us suffering, so that tomorrow we may begin again and create a new life from the death of the old.

Go ahead and leap through the prism and let the world see the multidimensional, badass magical creature that you really are!  The universe is supporting you in your mission.

Right. It doesn't feel like it.  Right now it might feel like work.  But that is exactly how the universe is supporting you.  Yep, Mars is in Scorpio and you're feeling that urge, that relentless restlessness to do something.  And Mercury is retrograde, again, slowing everything down and asking you to review review review. And now Jupiter, the planet of expansion and luck is also turning retrograde, right here on this dark moon that has a little bit of that edgy Pluto/Uranus vibe.  

Just hang on.  If you feel impulsive about anything, exercise.  That is the antidote to the excess Mars energy.  (Actually Mars wants action, so any action, physical activity, or sex, will help in the moment, but it can be impulsive and maybe something you'll regret later, so exercise is the safest and healthiest option. After you've done that then consider the other stuff.) Mercury retrograde is reviewing and reevaluating in the departments of thinking and communication and Jupiter retrograde is going to aid you in turning inward and tuning into your inner guidance.  Now you can really tune in and get an idea of what the big picture for you is and set up a plan. Neptune in Pisces is aiding us in accessing intuition as well.  We are coming up on the new moon in Capricorn this weekend that will help us to feel more strongly foundationed and ease the pressure a bit.

In 2016, my mantra is "Vision + Action = Manifestation".  With the Neptune in Pisces squaring up to Saturn in Sagittarius almost all year, plus Mars activating the path of Saturn in Scorpio from late 2012 to late 2015 almost all year as well, and the three eclipses on the Virgo-Pisces axis, I say this year is all about actioning our vision, and we are being pushed into a place that's possibly a little outside of our comfort zone right now so we can gather the real information from down deep within ourselves that is going to set us up for success later.  Mars is giving us the energy for action, Neptune in Pisces is the vision, and its aspect to Saturn in Sagittarius is challenging us to make the ideal real.  The eclipses in Virgo-Pisces are working that axis which is about fantasy versus reality. What work do you have to do to realize your dreams? How do you bring the esoteric and the mundane together?  What is of service?

You are being given a portal from the universe that will transform you into the magical creature that you truly are, if you choose to take the leap.  I believe we all have a magical creature that we have hidden from the world.  Your magical creature is that part within you that is uniquely you - your unique talents, gifts, dreams and desires - that gets tucked away and hidden over the course of your life experiences.  But the world truly needs your magical creature, your uniqueness.  No one is exactly like you and no one can offer exactly what you have to offer.  Now is the time to get in touch with that unique part of you and align with what it is here to do.  What is your big picture?  What are you drawn to create and contribute in this world?  What sets your heart on fire?  What limiting beliefs do you need to let go of about life or yourself in order to truly set your magical creature free?

Now is the time.  Do the work.  Take the leap through that prism and transform into the magical creature you truly are for all to see.

There is great power in the dark, but only those who have the courage to face it will gain access to it.  We are currently moving into the period of what is called the "dark moon" or "balsamic moon", which is the three day period before the new moon when the waning moon is at its darkest.  The dark moon is that time each month when, if we are moving with the lunar cycle, we turn inward, focusing on nurturing and self-care, and ultimately face the darkness within ourselves so that we may release a layer of what is no longer needed, coming to a greater understanding of an old wound, tearing down a wall or releasing a fear, so that we may start a new cycle at the new moon in which we are lighter and freer to pursue our soul's true desires.  

This new moon is in the industrious, practical, building sign of Capricorn, so its a wonderful time to revisit those intentions that were set at Solstice when the sun arrived at zero degrees Capricorn, and we celebrated not only the return of the light, but the longest night of the year, honoring the dark.  As the sun and moon join in Capricorn, we can use this new moon to activate those intentions and begin to build towards realizing them. 

So now, in the days leading up to this new moon, as the moon wanes, we move into the darkest dark of the lunar cycle.  The moon is the representation of the feminine, the yin, the subconscious, and the emotions.  We only see the moon when the rays of the sun (the light of consciousness) are able to cast upon it, just like what lies beneath the surface of our consciousness only is brought to our awareness when we turn our attention to it. Another planet associated with the depths of the psyche and the darker side of existence is Pluto, which just made a conjunction to the sun in Capricorn yesterday, and will still be in a six degree orb of the sun (and therefore moon) at the time of the new moon. Pluto rules Scorpio and Mars (the ancient ruler of Scorpio) has just started his transit of Scorpio.  This brings a lot of activation to the energies represented by Scorpio at this dark moon and new moon.  

There is great power in the dark, but you must have the courage to face it. The sign of Scorpio is all about what lies beneath the surface.  Its element is water, deep water.  Scorpio is ultimately about transformation - death and rebirth - and at the highest level of soul transformation is represented by the Phoenix.  Remember that transformation cannot take place without awareness.  You must have the courage to face what is unknown inside you, to face what you might not want to see, to become aware and to take responsibility for the dark that is inside of you in order to harness it and use it. Once you have done this, it no longer haunts you.  The dark that once subconsciously drove you is now a powerful tool you may use for your empowerment, because you have accepted your whole true self and value your whole true self.  

The dark is just as important as the light, and just as powerful.  Maybe even more powerful.  That which we fear holds the most power over us.  There is no light without dark.  There is no birth without death.  There is no creation without destruction.  Think of Kali, the Hindu goddess who creates and destroys.  This is the axis all life sits on.  Only out of the ashes can the Phoenix arise.  The ancient Egyptian lion-headed goddess Sekhmet's myth speaks of her righteous rage that was so feared that she was drugged.  Shall we continue to repress the anger of our deepest wounds and injustices?  The Sumerian goddess Inanna made her descent into the underworld to confront her sister Ereshkigal (her dark side) and symbolically died for three days and was brought back to life, whole unto herself, having confronted her shadow side. Lilith, in Babylonian times, was an aspect of the Great Goddess, who encompassed, as many ancient goddesses did, ALL of the energies of the feminine.  Not just the nice ones, not just the good ones, not just the pretty ones.  All of the energies are contained within each of us and we must have the courage to come face to face with their power so that we might integrate them.  We ignore them to our detriment, allowing them power over us when we are overcome with fear or anger or sadness instead of us harnessing their energies and directing them consciously.  

Mars newly in Scorpio for the past few days may have found you on edge.  You may have noticed old fears or wounds or old patterns of reacting being closer to the surface.  Now is the time to use this energy.  Have the courage to face what it is that is causing you discomfort and truly look at it and examine it and see what it really is.  Then you have the power of awareness and the power of the dark that lies within you.  Then you have nothing to fear.  And when you have nothing to fear you are truly powerful.

The dark pushes us, stretches us, molds us and shapes us.  The dark transforms us into more than we thought we could ever be.  Without the dark, we would not have some of our greatest art work, literary work, or music.   How many people have benefited from the art that came from Frida Kahlo's pain? There is beauty in the dark.  It is only in the dark that we are challenged to the place where we might access some of our greatest wisdom.  Viktor Frankl, holocaust survivor and author of Man's Search for Meaning, said, "When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."  It is only in the dark when we are able to realize how strong and courageous we really are at the core of our being.  It is only in the dark when we realize the totality of ourselves.

There is great power in the dark, and the universe is giving you the opportunity over the next few days to access it, to take the quiet of the dark moon and see what might lie below the still surface of your Scorpionic waters.  This is how you access your strength and power, to transform and become the Phoenix rising from the ashes.  There is great power in the dark.