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The Beginning of My Great Descent

9/30/2020

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I remember standing in my kitchen on that warm June afternoon.... 

I had just finished putting away groceries. I stopped at the dining room table and picked up my phone; not because anyone had called or messaged, but out of habit.  Mindlessly scrolling through various apps on my phone had become a tactic of distraction from the ever-present yet vague sense of dissatisfaction growing within me.

​Disinterestedly, I skimmed over an online article.


In my attempt to escape the monotony of the mundane, my eyes read while my mind fled. Yet somehow, magic found me. I only remember that article, that day, that moment, because what awaited me within the words I skimmed over that day was nothing short of life-changing.

Within the article was a story about two lovers.  Specifically, what has remained etched into my memory was the response of the older woman to her younger lover who, when overcome with remorse, confessed her betrayal.  The response of the betrayed lover was not at all what I expected, and as I read it, something shifted - something really big.  Suddenly I found myself speaking aloud to an empty house: 
 "I want to be like that."

Looking back, it was that moment, that statement, that decision, which really set into motion what was to follow in my life.  More importantly, what is now clear is the truth of that statement I spoke aloud to an empty house on that June afternoon.  With that statement I had made a decision, and that decision was the catalyst of what was to become an arduous and epic personal journey....

There was a great distance between the person I was and the person I would have to become in order to "be like that."

My dissatisfaction with life had been growing.  A deeper, more authentic version of myself was breaking the surface, fighting for air after being held down for too long.  I was in the midst of an awakening. 

​The longer I tried to remain in my comfort zone, burying my head in the sand, the greater my discomfort with being in the world became.   As time went by, what I never questioned to be a life filled with infinite support for me to grow and transform proved itself more and more to be suffocating.  What I counted on to be there suddenly wasn't. 
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In actuality, I was being stripped of anything that was not in alignment with my most authentic self.

The spark that ignited within me when I read the story of the lovers that day was my "call to adventure."


​It was an invitation to begin the journey of a lifetime, the "Hero's Journey."
I have discovered that this call is less of an invitation and more of a directive from the Universe.  It is a summons to follow that spark of inspiration above all else, even if - especially if - it means leaving behind everything you know and hold to be safe and true.  To refuse the call is to sit in false security, complacent as your soul slowly suffocates.  To accept is to allow yourself to be tempted further and further into the unknown, as you chase that spark, until you suddenly realize you have passed the point of no return.  You are too far separated from the life you knew to go back to it.  It is only then that you understand there is only moving forward into the unknown - there is no going back.  Only in hindsight will you see this as the beginning of your descent into an abyss of unknown to face the most difficult challenges of your life .

In The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell describes this "call to adventure" to be the first step a "hero" takes on Campbell's famous outline of the mythological "Hero's Journey."  

"The first step...signifies that destiny has summoned the hero and transferred his spiritual center of gravity from within the pale of his society to a zone unknown".


Attached to my (false) sense of security derived from my day to day life, I resisted wholeheartedly heeding the call.  What I experienced was the kind of magic that pumped pure oxygen to that first spark of inspiration.  It awakened me to new possibilities that fed my soul and in the process increased my discomfort with my life as it was, slowly pulling me away and separating me from it.

After awakening must come "the descent" - we cannot go backward in consciousness and "un-know" what we have come to know, so then the only way out becomes through.  We must step forward and journey into the unknown, like all the great heroes and heroins, gods and goddesses, of the myths that have come before.

There was a great distance between the person I was and the person I would have to become in order to "be like that."  Greater than I could ever have imagined.  

I didn't really know what I wanted or what brought me joy, even though I thought I did.  The reality was that I didn't truly know who I was.  I had no self-esteem.  I was living in a fog of denial, and had been almost all of my life, and for very good reason as I would soon come to find out. 


What became alarmingly apparent before even those points were crystallized was that I had been tempted further and further away from the life I knew, and had not been aware that I had slipped past the point of no return.  

There was no turning back.  My only option was to go forward and face the unknown.  The only way out would be through.  

Like Campbell's "hero", and the gods and goddesses of myth, I stepped forth into the unknown, on that infamous "journey to the east", from which no man (or woman) ever returns.


And so my Great Descent began....

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Consciously Creating Life requires connecting consciously with a deeper part of ourselves and deeply with the energetic web of life in which we exist in order to create our lives from a place of alliance and powerful creative intelligence.  

​Art is an expression of human skill and creative imagination, and because it is a skill, it is something we must practice in order to master. ​  

Questions?  Book a 15 minute chat with me here.
Join me in The Art of Consciously Creating Life Facebook group for daily inspiration and updates on the energies at play and working with them, and for the weekly scoop on astrology, lunar transits, and lunar phases, sign up below for the Know to Flow Forecast for Consciously Creating Life! 

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Accessing the Strength Within:  The Astrology of September 20th - October 4th, 2020

9/20/2020

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​Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you. ~Ruth Bader Ginsberg
(From the Know to Flow Forecast for Consciously Creating Life, Vol. 76)
This week, we begin our last section of big and bumpy astro for the year. 

This is primarily involving the forced growth created by Saturn stationing direct in Capricorn in square to Mars retrograde in Aries.  Mars is self-assertion, the warrior, and with it in reverse right now it can have us feeling frustratingly unable to move forward.  Saturn, known for slowing things down with limits and restrictions, is finally going direct in challenging aspect to an already slow-moving and introspective Mars. 

Whether we want to or not, we are building discipline, strength, and fortitude.  Saturn is absolutely requiring now that we show up for this and do the work, and that we keep showing up for this as long as it keeps going, and in square aspect to Mars retrograde, we are basically blocked in to the situation at hand.  

The good news is, we have a map, and the end is in sight.

First of all, this Tuesday is the equinox.  The equinoxes happen in the spring and fall, when the sun arrives at zero degrees Aries and Libra, respectively.  Aries and Libra are cardinal signs - they begin seasons.  The other two cardinal signs are Capricorn and Cancer, which begin winter and summer.  The solstices happen when the sun arrives at zero degrees of these signs.  Cardinal signs are strong signs, and with all of the action in Capricorn, Aries, and now Libra, we have a lot of strong energy at play. 

Also, take note, on Sunday the 27th we have a sweet spot as Venus in Leo aspects Mars retrograde in Aries - this is supportive because they are both in fire signs, the element of creativity.  Venus is love and money, and in Leo she is all kinds of confident!

With the equinox comes a big shift, and we are now on the downhill slide to winter solstice and the new beginning it will bring, along with the shortest day and longest night of the year.  Now we celebrate day and night being equal in length, and the balance and harmony that Libra loves. 

The challenges that are coming now have everything to do with Saturn and Pluto stationing direct in Capricorn while tangling with Mars retrograde in Aries, all working over that same degree of Capricorn that Saturn and Pluto met at back in January. 

If it feels like its been relentless since then, that's because it has been!

And maybe it won't feel that challenging to you personally.  How any astrological transit feels to us, how it shows up in our lives, has everything to do with 1) whether it is hitting a sensitive point in our own natal chart, and what that point is and what area of life is affected, and 2) how consciously we are working that energy.  This area of Capricorn has been getting raked over for some time now - there's the probability that even if it isn't necessarily a walk in the park, some of us are on the right side (top side) of it, and are working it to our advantage at this point.

I refer to the upcoming scenario as challenging astro for good reason - the protocol here is handle with care. 

Pluto is in Capricorn, now sitting at 22 degrees as it gets ready to station direct on October 4th.  It (unlike Jupiter and Saturn) will be remaining in that sign for a few more years.  Pluto is a generational influence, taking about 20 years to transit each sign.  It isn't easy - it's transformational - an influence that regenerates by first exposing, stripping, and destroying.  Pluto is really being felt right now by the collective because it is in the crosshairs of all of the other activity between Jupiter and Saturn in Capricorn and Mars in Aries.  Whenever Pluto is being stirred for us, we are going to be working with our relationship to power and our own underworld, and these can surface in all manner of subversive ways.  

Saturn is currently sitting at 25 degrees Capricorn, getting ready to station direct on September 28th.  When it stations it will be in square to Mars retrograde in Aries. 

Before that happens, however, Mercury (the mind/messenger) in Libra will be opposing Mars and squaring up to Saturn at the same time it enters the pre-shadow of its retrograde (the point at which it will station direct at on November 3rd, which is election day here in the U.S.).  This is happening Wednesday, Sept. 23rd, and Thursday, Sept. 24th.  The 24th is also the first quarter square between the sun in Libra and the moon in Capricorn, which only increases the intensity and energetic tension.  With the moon cruising through the final third of Capricorn on Friday, the 25th, we will be feeling the planets there even more strongly (Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn), as the moon broadcasts whatever energy it is coming in contact with.  

Then on Sunday the 27th, Mercury enters Scorpio, which brings yet another big energy shift.  Scorpio is the Pluto-ruled sign of the deep psyche, secrets, sex, power, the taboo, and transformation.  Mercury is already in its retrograde shadow, making its first pass over the territory it will be backtracking over between October 13th and November 3rd.  Mercury was retrograde in February in Pisces, and then in June in Cancer.  This is its third retrograde of 2020,  again in water, in Scorpio, and this time the messenger and ruler of the mind, after deep-diving through the depths of the collective psyche, will station direct on election day in the U.S.  Scorpio is ruled by Pluto (and traditionally by Mars, so Pluto in Capricorn and Mars retro in Aries are both tied in here again as well), and is the sign of secrets and unearthing, so don't be surprised at what gets dredged up during the coming weeks!

Next week we start off with a big day Monday as Saturn stations direct, but in square to Mars retrograde.  This is another lurch forward as another planet that has been retrograde all summer stations direct, and its an important one too, because Saturn is the ruler of Capricorn, the sign where all of this action is.  But with the square from Mars and Mars still retrograde until November 13th, it might not feel like as much of a relief as we would like.  

These influences might be feeling intolerably restrictive and relentless at this point, but we are moving through this, and the energy is shifting.  Keep returning back to the Mars retrograde protocol, as that will be coming up now, and also keep looking for the space that you can access right now, however small it might be.  Keep turning towards what feels good, what feels nourishing, what feels simple, what feels supportive, and what feels easy.  Take breaks, get fresh air, meditate, play with animals, do whatever it is that supports you, day in and day out, moment to moment, as we navigate this bit of intense energy.  We are all swimming in this.  We are all being stretched in some way.  We are all facing some kind of challenge or adversity. And we all have the magical capacity to show up and meet whatever comes face to face, with courage, and with grace, not force, just like that beautiful woman standing face to face with the lion in the image above.  We all have the power and strength to be her.  We all have her within us.  And this astro is helping us access her.


Love & Gratitude,
Kasey

To get a rundown like this every week plus the astro, lunar transits, and phases for every day and tips for working with the energies at play, subscribe to the Know to Flow Forecast!
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Retrograde Season, the Virgo Dark Moon, and the Brain's Four Happiness Chemicals

9/15/2020

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Well, here we are still (mostly) in retrograde season, with Mars freshly retrograde in Aries, and rolling right into a dark moon in Virgo.  I am really feeling this, so I thought I would share something practical for working with these energies.

Things are uncertain, and I think it is safe to say many of us having been dealing with some level of fear in our day to day lives for some time now.

Retrograde season began in late April/early May, as Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto all stationed retrograde in Capricorn.  They have been retracing their steps all summer.  Jupiter was the first to station direct on September 12th, and this brings some relief and new moon blessings this week too, but Saturn, Pluto, and Mars are all still in reverse. Saturn will station on September 28th, and then Pluto will follow suit on October 4th, wrapping up our return to forward motion as far as the summer retrogrades in Capricorn are concerned.  However, Mars will remain retrograde in Aries until November 13th and will be challenging the planets in Capricorn, so really, we won't be out of the woods with this until then.

Retrogrades bring a review, and also are karmic.  They are helpful, but also bring growth, especially when there is a square aspect involved like Mars retrograde in Aries this fall squaring up to Saturn in Capricorn as it stations direct.  Saturn is karma and fear, and can be felt as restriction, isolation, and depression; Mars is our passion and self-assertion - Mars is the warrior, our courage - so when it is moving backwards it can also show us where fear has been hiding deep within.  When it gets brought up, like now, we get to move through it to access what is on the other side, our authenticity, our authority, our courage, and our true sovereignty.

Right now we are in a dark moon, which is the three days preceding a new moon, and the deepest part of the lunar cycle.  The dark moon is when we turn inward and release.  Things bubbling up feel strong and extra uncomfortable because we are able to access deeper layers during this lunar phase.  Dark moons are always about supporting ourselves in the stillness that allows deep inner insight and release.  This is the magic that super powers the coming new moon - the deeper we dive, the higher we will be able to rise.  

Self-care and nourishment during dark moons are key, and especially for this Virgo dark moon that precedes the Virgo new moon.  Virgo forms the healing axis of the zodiac along with Pisces, with Virgo ruling the earthly plane and Pisces the spiritual.  For every bit of relentless perfectionism and over-criticism that Virgo might bring, Pisces has the compassion and forgiveness to dissolve the fear and pain.  

Virgo rules the rituals and routines that keep us healthy and happy and of service in the mundane realms.  We happen to all be here with a human that needs our care to function at its highest level here on the earth-plane.  

With this in mind, I have been doing some research, on the four "happiness chemicals" in the brain, dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphin, and ways to boost them!  

​Here it is!
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Every week, I email the Know to Flow astro forecast to subscribers with info on the current lunar transits and phases, as well as astro transits, and tips on making the most of the energy.

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New Moon Blessings and the Return of Forward Motion: Respite Amidst Challenges.

9/12/2020

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(From the Know to Flow Forecast for Consciously Creating Life, Vol. 75, Week of September 14th, 2020.)
On Saturday, September 12th, Jupiter stationed direct after being retrograde in Capricorn all summer.  This is the first of three planets (Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto) in Capricorn stationing direct between now and October 4th.  They all stationed retrograde in April/May.  
PictureArt by Stephanie Law
Jupiter is the planet of growth and expansion, so with it now direct we will feel like there is a little more space in our lives and in the world to move and breathe.  Jupiter is also the planet of belief, philosophy, and personal truths.  During its time retrograde, we have had the opportunity to review our beliefs and core truths.  Now we may be emerging with a revised view of the world around us and how we relate to it and fit in to it.  

Saturn, ruler of karma, lessons, challenges, obstacles, time, boundaries, limits, rules, authority, responsibility, and restriction will turn direct on September 28th.  Then Pluto stations direct on October 4th, wrapping our review of power dynamics and how our relationship to them is rooted in our deep psyche.  With these shifts, we are truly beginning to feel a sense of release - like things are sorting out and we are slowly regaining forward momentum.  

However, with Mars having recently stationed retrograde in Aries on September 9th, we won't be completely out of the woods with all of this until after it stations direct November 13th.   Mars will be challenging Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn, bringing up older themes we are finishing up with now.  Within Mars' retrograde, Mercury, the messenger and ruler of the mind and communications, will be retrograde in Scorpio and Libra from October 13th to November 3rd (election day here in the U.S.).  Aries and Libra form one of the six axes of the zodiac, so Mercury in Libra will be tangling with Mars as well during this time. 

So, yes, things are looking up!  And...we have a little bit more navigation ahead, until we get past that big shift on November 13th.  But its not without purpose.  We may be feeling worn down, but this is part of this process of growth and transformation. We are building great strength and fortitude now.  Pay attention to the areas of life the challenges feel the greatest - that will give you more insight as to where the lessons and growth are as well.  (These areas of life will be represented by the houses ruled in your chart by Aries and Capricorn.)

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This Thursday's new moon in Virgo (September 17th at 5 a.m., MDT) is getting a boost from ruler of Virgo, Mercury, in aspect to Jupiter in Capricorn. This is coming just on the heels of Jupiter stationing direct, and so feels even more expansive.

There is more on this below in the daily notes, but new moons are fresh starts, Virgo rules healing, details, health, and day-to-day routines, and rituals for well-being, and Jupiter is beliefs, philosophy, spirituality, religion, growth, and expansion. 

Jupiter is freshly direct in Capricorn - what new truths and beliefs have been discovered over the summer during its retrograde that we are now ready to use to create the foundation of our lives? 

​We can harness the power of this new moon by identifying these, and implementing a behavior that supports them into our daily routine.  To anchor a new belief, we must incorporate supporting behavior into our daily lives, and new habits and routines are where Virgo shines!  
(For more on working with Virgo, check out my blog article, "Eating for Enlightenment and Cleanliness is Next to Godliness:  Axioms From the Virgo-Pisces Axis.") 

Enjoy the sweet-vibing astro this week. 

Next week on the 23rd and 24th, we hit more bumps as Mercury begins its retrograde pre-shadow in square to Saturn still retrograde in Capricorn, and then opposes Mars retrograde in Aries.  On the 28th, Saturn stations direct, which is the beginning of even more forward momentum, but it does so in square to Mars retrograde in Aries, which is going to feel like a big roadblock.  We will be working this out during the remainder of Mars retrograde until November 13th.  

More details are coming in the weekly forecasts - we are going to do more than just navigate this, we are going to access the magic!

Love & Gratitude,
Kasey

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The Ascension of the Liberated Heart:  A Personal Totem of Transformation

9/10/2020

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A Heart...
so long imprisoned by pain and fear, shines brilliantly with its hard-won wings of freedom spread wide, sits at the center.  This courageous heart embraces its crown, as it has finally reclaimed its power and rightful place upon the throne at the center of the Soul, the center of its Universe.


A Lotus Flower...
spreads graciously below the heart, the center petals curling themselves around the base of the heart, reaching up offering their gentle support.  Lotus has such a desire for life that it patiently waited through thousands of years of dormancy for its chance to germinate.  Even once in bloom, each night the flower sinks down under the surface of the murky water and mud it is rooted in, yet each morning it emerges once again, no trace of where it has been, to offer its beauty to the world.  Lotus knows well the Heart’s difficult journey through the darkness, and it endured to finally earn those wings that would liberate it out of suffering and into its own power so it could reclaim its crown and throne at the center of Soul.


An Arrow...
points up from below the Lotus, aimed with precision at Heart’s center.  This is an arrow that will never miss its intended mark, for this arrow sits poised to fly on the tightly drawn bow of the great goddess Artemis.  The silvery light cast by the moon is the only illumination this divine huntress requires, as this goddess is so pure of motive that she is in need of little more guidance than her intuition.  By moonlight she hunts down her heart’s desires.  Her success is ensured, as she follows her inner guidance that is born out of purity of motive and intention, which is backed by her immense focus, determination, and stamina.  Her arrow reminds the Heart to learn the lessons she offers up.


A Moon...
sits below the bow of Artemis, forming the very foundation the Heart sits upon.  The Moon, although seen in the night sky above, is actually that which lies below, or more accurately , deep within. The Moon is the Heart’s foundation, as the Heart sits on the throne of the Soul, because the Moon is the realm of the subconscious and intuition.  It is where our deepest fears can hide. If the Heart is to rule from love and wisdom and purity of motive, it must be like Artemis and ensure the moonlight it sees by is clear, so it may trust the inner guidance with which it navigates.

 

A Hawk...
spreads her great wings wide, soaring high above the Heart, keenly observing all below.  Hawk spirals up and up, riding the thermal and then glides effortlessly through the blue, bearing the great sun upon her wings.  She flies between the worlds, a messenger of spirit.  Although she brings the intuitive messages from what lies beyond, she is very much of the living world and the sun, the light of consciousness, the source of light and life, representing power, strength, and vitality, shines its warmth down upon her strong back.  She reminds us to watch and observe, seeing from her high perspective, and then at the perfect time to take swift and decisive action.

A Pendulum...
clutched in the strong claws of Hawk floats above Heart’s center.  The pendulum carried by Hawk speaks to trusting in our inner guidance, but to always balance that with our conscious observations and thoughts.  Pendulum reminds Heart to  always trust its personal truth and speak it from the power of inner authority.  It tells Heart to integrate inner guidance with consciously cultivated knowledge so wisdom is created. 


A Pair of Antlers...
flank the pendulum spreading their grandeur just below the wings of Hawk. The antlers are the crown of the majestic stag, made of solid bone of the natural earthly world, their sharp tines grow up, reaching towards the heavens, up towards the sky through which Hawk soars as a messenger between worlds, reaching towards spirit.  They send the stability of the earth and the Divine Masculine, the Horned God, up to support Hawk.  The antlers provide this connection to earth and masculine energy to the Heart.  They represent spiritual authority.


A Pair of Doves...
hover gracefully just above Heart’s wings, yet just below the majestic antlers.  Heart, at long last liberated, having stepped into its full power and claimed its rightful position upon the throne of the Soul, also carries the responsibility that comes with its newly acquired power and authority, and to assert that power with wisdom and compassion.  The doves remind Heart to strive to always view souls through the light of love - higher love - unconditional love.  The doves are the Divine Messengers of Mother Mary, carrying the soft, nurturing, healing energy she sends, and reminding Heart of its ability to gift this world by always embodying peace, hope, compassion, and a higher, spiritual love.


.....

A Prayer...
May this heart, liberated, proudly sitting upon the throne of the Soul, always come from its inner guidance and authority, in its complete power.  May it see from a higher perspective, yet with keen observation, the truth of reality easily made visible under the bright rays of the light of consciousness, while integrating the subtle messages from spirit and intuition.  May it follow its inner guidance and hunt with focus and purity of motive its deepest desires and may its arrows always fly straight and true landing their mark.  May this Heart always see others through the light of higher love, rather than through the harshness of judgement.  May this Heart, seated upon its throne at the center of the Soul, honor the responsibility of power and authority, integrating the worlds above and below, the light and the dark, with wisdom, compassion, kindness and grace, and when necessary acting swiftly and decisively with precision and authority.

~Kasey

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As an ambassador for consciously creating life, Kasey serves as an advocate of the magic that exists in this life and in each and every one of us.  She is a champion of the journey to access our own powerful magic by returning home to ourselves and reclaiming the thrones of our hearts as sovereign rulers of our realms, through practicing the Art of Consciously Creating Life. 

Curious about sessions? 
​Book a 15 minute chat with Kasey here.
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When Hating Paves the Pathway to Healing

9/8/2020

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I hit my limit.  But then something shifted....
"I felt like my body had been hijacked and I could not figure out why. The betrayal I felt by my body kept growing until it finally came out in the car alone that day: I hate you!"

"Screaming I hate you at myself in the car felt about as far off of a pathway to healing as I could get. The last thing I wanted to do was go back home and lie in bed all day. It no longer felt like self-care, it felt like imprisonment. My body wouldn’t even let me do yoga for an hour. But it was all I could do. Nothing was working. Nothing was changing."

"Hate is not a word that frequents my vocabulary, but once I had verbalized it, it actually snowballed into more hate as I judged myself for losing patience, for not being loving to myself, for not keeping a positive attitude. However, at the same time, I felt palpable relief at finally having expressed the truth of how frustrated I was with the situation."
​

"A certain healing was set in motion when I gave up trying to be okay with something I just wasn’t okay with. Something shifted."
Read the whole story, When Hating Paves the Pathway to Healing, on Rebelle Society, here.
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Navigating Mars Retrograde with Strength

9/7/2020

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The Strength card of the tarot has been on my mind all day, and it has everything to do with Mars retrograde, which is happening in a couple of days.  
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Strength, VIII, Shadowscapes Tarot, Art by Stephanie Law
Mars retrograde is only about reviewing our relationship with our inner warrior and the divine masculine.  It is our opportunity to turn our attention inward and realign with our deepest desires and what drives us.  It is a chance to check-in with our assertiveness and our sense of self and boundaries.  

Mars retrograde is also a time when if we have hidden or repressed anger it will most likely surface.  (As part of realigning and being in right relationship with our passions, desires, motivations, assertiveness, sense of self, and boundaries.)  

The rule of thumb for Mars retrograde, since the warrior is backtracking, is no engaging.  However, when planets retrograde, it is precisely to review, so it is likely that situations are going to pop up to bring any areas that need work to our attention (i.e. triggers).  

The other thing is that Mars is strong in its own sign of Aries, and extra strong being there for six months, which is three times the norm.

On top of that, we already have a pretty volatile environment that's full of triggers to be doing this work in right now.  

This all suggests that we are going deep with this one.  Especially as Mars is going to be making a square to Mercury before it goes retrograde, and a square to Saturn as it stations direct, and it remains in the mix when Pluto stations direct and then makes a supportive aspect to the north node of the moon, which is our pathway forward.

It's easy to talk about refraining from engaging when triggered, but in the heat of the moment, sometimes it can be impossible.  Sometimes even with the best intentions we make mistakes.  

(Mars likes action, and Mars retrograde likes strategy, so one good tactic here is to take strategic action:  have some go-to's in place for when things start getting heated - a favorite run, hike, or bike ride, a special place to go take a time-out, a punching bag....)

I just kept thinking of the Strength tarot card today.  

By what magic do we get that close to a lion?  What deep and centered calm is required to softly cover those around us with a blanket of reassuring calm as well?  Is it the same energy state people working with bees use?  

There is a certain state of being where we are so calm and grounded that it actually extends to those around us and helps them be in that place too.  Its a really beautiful thing.  What does it take for us to learn to access this?  How do we maintain that state of sweet neutrality as we navigate these next couple of months of tricky terrain?

When we get poked and things are feeling prickly and heated, how do we maintain our center, and stay present, and keep ourselves separate from whatever we are experiencing?  How do we keep from getting drawn into past painful experiences or future fears, and remain right here, right now, in love, forgiveness, and compassion?

Because this is where our strength is at.  This is how we tame that lion.  This is how we stay in our power.  And truly it is how we make the world a better place, and life a better experience.

​~Kasey
Notable Dates:  
*(9/10-10/14 will be the most intense time period of Mars Retrograde.)

​9/14:  Jupiter stations direct at 17 degrees Capricorn. (Stationed RX 5/12) This most likely will have had some element of personal/spiritual development and as Jupiter moves forward, we should be ready to do the same.

9/23:  Mercury enters RX shadow at 25 degrees Libra - on 10/14 it will station RX at 11 degrees Scorpio, making this its 3rd retrograde in a water sign of 2020 - the 1st was in Pisces in February and the 2nd was in Cancer in June.  (Mercury squares Mars RX tomorrow, so easy does it, be careful of interactions that escalate - this is air + fire - combustible, and Mars is RX so just walk away, don't engage and definitely don't stir shit. This also means Mars is leaving its mark on this Mercury RX, so proceed with caution - in Scorpio we will be diving deep.)

9/24:  Mars RX in Aries opposes Mercury in Libra, both at 26 degrees.

9/28: Saturn stations direct at 25 degrees Capricorn

9/28:  Mars RX in Aries squares Saturn in Capricorn, both at 25 degrees.

10/2-10/4:  Mars Rx in Aries squares Epona in Cancer, both at 24 degrees. (Epona is the Celtic horse goddess, like a female version of Jupiter, connected to Sagittarius, and also to the land itself and animals, here in Cancer, sign of the mother, ancestry, emotions, and the past, now squaring up to the retrograde warrior in Aries.)

10/4:  Pluto stations direct at 24 degrees Capricorn (Opposite Epona in Cancer; Pluto stationed RX on 4/25, but before that it had its first conjunction with Jupiter on 4/5, in square to Cybele in Libra and Eris in Aries - Cybele was a wild Anatolian goddess, Eris is a war goddess - on 4/5, there was a global mass meditation for healing and the Schumann Resonance spiked.  The 2nd Jupiter-Pluto conjunction was 6/30, and the 3rd will be 11/13, the same day Mars stations direct.)

10/5-10/7:  Mars RX in Aries sextiles the North Node of the moon in Gemini and trines the South Node of the moon in Sagittarius, all at 22 degrees.  These are supportive aspects - we may be getting insight into where we need to direct our passions (Mars) to move away from the past (South Node) and forward towards the future (North Node).

10/8-10/11:  Mars RX in Aries squares Pluto now direct in Capricorn, both at 22 degrees.  (Watch out for this one - beware power struggles and full on Mars RX protocol - no lashing out, no hostility, no mindless reacting, no instigating, no poking!)

10/14:  Mercury stations RX at 11 degrees Scorpio (direct 11/4 at 25 degrees Libra)

10/18-10/20:  Mars RX in Aries squares Jupiter now direct in Capricorn, both at 19 degrees.  

11/13:  Jupiter conjunct Pluto #3 of 3, at 22 degrees Capricorn, in square to Eris in Aries (#1 was 4/5, #2 was 6/30)

11/13:  Mars stations direct at 15 degrees Aries.
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Walking With Pookie:  A Day at Elephant Nature Park in Thailand

9/6/2020

 
Pookie and I took a walk at the Elephant Nature Park
​in Chiang Mai, Thailand, back in February 2017. ​​
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This is a very pregnant rescue elephant, Pookie. 
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We walked, and talked....
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And then Pookie had some bananas....
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And then Pookie had more bananas....
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And then Pookie had even more bananas....
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And I told Pookie about how she was a
Beauty Queen and an absolutely
magnificent Magical Creature....
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And then we laughed....
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And then Pookie told me a secret....
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And we laughed some more....
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And Pookie had just a few more bananas
while I told her more about how amazing she was....
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And it was a really good day for both of us!

Many of the elephants at the park are there only because 
the park continues to pay their leases to their owners
to keep them out of abusive situations.  The fee I paid to 
visit the park and Pookie helps keep animals like her from 
being ridden and overworked in very poor conditions.


Why elephants?  (You might have noticed my elephant tattoos in the picture below.)  Check out my blog post,
"Elephant Spirt Guides and the Process of Becoming Free."

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Last Quarter Moon, Mars RX (From the Know to Flow Forecast, Vol. 74, Week of 9/7)

9/6/2020

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(From the Know to Flow Forecast for Consciously Creating Life, Vol. 74, Week of September 7th.)

Last Quarter Moon, Sun in Virgo,
​Mars Stations Retrograde in Aries


This week, we arrive at the last quarter moon for this lunar cycle, and Mars stations retrograde in Aries, both on Wednesday the 9th.

The last quarter moon, as always, brings tension, as the waning moon squares the sun, because it brings us to choice-point.  Here there is a decision that must be made to move forward.

The good news is, Mercury has just moved into Libra, and Venus has just moved into Leo.  Mercury in Libra supports healing conflicts through diplomacy, partnership, cooperation, balance, justice, and Venus in Leo brings a return to romance, passion, glamour, self-care, and love (and playfulness in love).

(Check out my latest on the blog about how smudging with yerba santa is perfect for honoring the current astrology here.)

Mars retrograde is the big deal now, though.  This only happens every two years, and this year it is extra strong because it is in its own sign of Aries for the entire retrograde, and is going to be squaring up to Pluto and Saturn at the end of Capricorn.  Saturn will actually be stationing direct in square to Mars retrograde in Aries.

This is not easy astrology.  Mars retrograde is the biggest energetic signature in the second half of 2020, and its going to be stirring back up the big issues from earlier in the year, having to do with Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn.  

Mars is our passion and desire, our motivation to push forward in life.  In retrograde we are being asked to put everything on hold and review.  So this can feel frustrating.  In square to Saturn stationing direct in Capricorn, it could feel even more frustrating, especially considering the territory we have covered this year.

Just know that the focus now is going to be on this review.  While we are in this review (Mars retrograde), Jupiter stations direct at 17 degrees Capricorn on September 12th, Saturn stations direct at 25 degrees Capricorn on September 28th, and Pluto stations direct at 22 degrees Capricorn on October 4th.  Mercury stations retrograde in Scorpio October 13th and stations direct in Libra on November 3rd.  Then on November 13th, Mars wraps up the whole thing stationing direct in Aries, the same day Jupiter and Pluto make their final of three conjunctions in Capricorn, now both direct.  (The first Jupter-Pluto conjunction was on April 5th, and the second was June 30th.)

Mars retrograde is the big finale to everything that has been up this year, from the full moon eclipse in Cancer with Uranus direct in Taurus and the Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn in mid-January on.  

It may very well feel like a never-ending slog right now.  I am feeling that as I write this, but at the same time, I am looking ahead in the astrology and seeing how Mars retrograde is the final act, so to speak (of this particular play), and how November 13th is going to be bringing a big completion - especially with everything stationing direct in Capricorn during this time AND Mercury also completing its retrograde within the umbrella of Mars retrograde.  

It feels like wave after wave, but we need to have patience now - Mars retrograde does not favor the bold, nor the instigator. 

Consider that Mars always wants action, but in retrograde its a different type of action - actively meditating, actively understanding, actively offering compassion, actively observing - and as it is bumping up against Saturn, this is really a huge cue to sit it out until after the energies have shifted.  We need to keep channeling our energies back into self-development, reconnaissance, and strategy.  (I have returned to trail running in an effort to maintain some sort of sanity over the next two months - I don't come by patience naturally, and my Aries moon demands part of my self-care be burning off all of that excess energy. Strategy honors Mars retrograde - what can you do to work with this energy?)

I have a complete guide to navigating Mars retrograde up now with Elephant Journal!  Read "Accessing the Magic of Mars Retrograde" here.

In everything there is magic, if we know where to find it.  

Love & Gratitude,
Kasey

(Sample of Daily Notes for the Week)
Mon. 9/7

​Moon transits Uranus in Taurus: 
 Today the moon remains in Taurus, and will pass by Uranus, which recently stationed retrograde, at midnight.  Uranus is the ruler of Aquarius and the outer planet of change via sudden upheaval and out-of-the-blue insight.  Uranus is restlessness, rebelliousness, and innovation - Uranus brings us the future. It began its transit of Taurus in 2018, but we really started getting a better idea of what this transit (going until 2026) is all about in mid-January when Uranus stationed direct at the same time as the lunar eclipse in Cancer.  By equinox, the traditional ruler of Aquarius (before technology discovered Uranus), Saturn, had moved out of Capricorn and into Aquarius and we were preparing for lockdown.  As Saturn moved forward, it began to apply a square to Uranus in Taurus, but then Saturn went retrograde and back into Capricorn over the summer while Uranus moved forward.  Now Uranus is turning backward and Saturn is about to move forward, and will be back in Aquarius in December for good. A big defining energy of 2021 is going to be Saturn and Uranus repeatedly squaring each other.  Uranus innovates and Saturn is a traditionalist, so this is going to be big energy to work with.  Right now we can pay attention to what Uranus is doing and what we are reviewing during its retrograde.  We have already seen over this year issues come up having to do with how we feel secure and the old ways versus coming up with more new and innovating ways - Taurus is Venus-ruled earth - it loves stability, it governs the environment, the earth, our food supply, and the ways we feel stable and secure, and especially through the experience of the senses and through possessions.  Uranus in Taurus is already asking us to look to the future and think outside of the box and innovate in these areas.  Uranus retrograde is an opportunity to check in with how this is playing out in our lives and to work on our relationship with these energies and themes.    

Moon Phase:  Waning Gibbous (Permeating Awareness)  Expansion, assimilation.  As we truly begin to see ourselves, our consciousness expands.  The stardust that flows through all our veins begins to shine a trillion tiny beacons in the growing darkness.  Our most feared recesses are illuminated; our masks, torn away.  Our smaller selves begin to fade as our radiant truth begins to bloom in the fertile shaded soil.  Ritual:  Create a vision board, but one with this intention:  A New Map to Your Higher Self.  Choose imagery that you may not have previously associated with, but that speaks to you on a deeper level.  Shrug the superficial in favor of elevated depth.  Consider what ‘elevated depth’ means to you, your heart, your soul.  Then, allow it to come through your hands, onto the board.  Ally:  Music - whatever inspires, uplifts, and transports you.  Play it as you create your (higher) vision (of yourself) board.  I Allow My Truth to Come Forward.  (From the Wild Moon Lunar Phase Deck)

Tues. 9/8
The moon goes void-of-course at 6:46 a.m., MDT, this morning, and then enters Gemini at 3:27 p.m., MDT.  

Void moon:  Today until 3:27 p.m., MDT, its a VOID MOON DAY.  Stick to routine tasks and admin and put decisions off until the moon is active again.  This is a great day for wrapping up loose ends, sefl-care, and getting rest.  This is NOT a good time for big decisions or firming up plans or initiating anything.  The energy is more floating and drifting, as the moon goes void when it has made its last aspect from one sign until it reaches the cusp of the next sign.  During these times, the moon is not in communication with the other celestial bodies and that can leave us feeling lost or directionless, and trying to push can leave us frustrated and putting in a lot more work and effort than a task would normally take when the moon is online.  So flow with this one and pull out your void moon to-do list of miscellaneous chores, organization, and old projects to finish up with and focus on that and you will glide right through, just like the moon.  Check out the link above to find out more about working with void moons.  

Moon in Gemini:  After 3:27 p.m., MDT, the moon enters Gemini, where it will remain active until it goes void-of-course Thursday evening.  Gemini is Mercury-ruled air, the sign of the mind and dualities.  Mercury is "the messenger."  (Also "the trickster" and "the magician.")  Today is great for communication, errands, and connecting with community.  Ideas should come easy, as does research and brainstorming.  This is not about deciding anything - it's about gathering the info and allowing all of the info to exist, even when it conflicts.  

 Moon Phase:  Waning Gibbous (Heightened Awareness)  Understanding, seeking.  With heightened awareness comes an entirely new set of coordinates.  A new plateau has been reached, presenting you with myriad new doors to open and pathways to explore.  Ritual:  Choose an area of study that has either always called to you, or has recently come into focus.  Carve out special solitary time for study, contemplation and when you are ready, sharing and communication. This forms the structure for community-strengthened, awake and aware. Ally:  Anoint a candle with either cinnamon or mint oil.  Both revitalize and reawaken the mind.  I Am Open to Knowledge.  I Am a Perpetual Student.  I Know Nothing & Everything.  (From the Wild Moon Lunar Phase Deck)



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As an ambassador for consciously creating life, Kasey serves as an advocate of the magic that exists in this life and in each and every one of us.  She is a champion of the journey to access our own powerful magic by returning home to ourselves and reclaiming the thrones of our hearts as sovereign rulers of our realms, through practicing the Art of Consciously Creating Life.
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Why Smudging with Yerba Santa is Perfect for Honoring the Astro Now

9/6/2020

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With last week's Venus-Saturn opposition (Venus in Cancer opposing Saturn retrograde in Capricorn), I wanted to again mention yerba santa, a smudge that is excellent for working with both of these planetary energies.  (It doesn't hurt that Mercury is in Libra, as this is air in air, and Libra is Venus-ruled, and Venus is now in fire-sign Leo - this makes smudging a really fitting option right now.)

Smudging with yerba santa is a delightful way to honor the energies at work now.

Yerba santa is used for spiritual cleansing and purification as with all smudging,  but specifically for protection and boundary work, love, beauty, and the release of emotional pain from the heart chakra. It also supports growth, empowerment, and courage.

According to Crystalinks, yerba santa is used, "...to protect that which is ancient, sacred, and wild within yourself," and that sounds like a beautiful thing to do right now.  

~Kasey

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    Kasey Ford, Ambassador for Consciously Creating Life
    As an ambassador for Consciously Creating Life, Kasey serves as an advocate of the magic that exists in this life and in each and every one of us.  She is a champion of the journey to access our own powerful magic by returning home to ourselves and reclaiming the thrones of our hearts as sovereign rulers of our realms, through practicing the Art of Consciously Creating Life.  
    Join us in The Art of Consciously Creating Life group on Facebook for daily insight and inspiration!
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    Why elephants? Click on the photo to read about my connection to them.


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