Now for the Universe's next trick...helping you make your dreams reality.

Read on for an overview of recent astrology and to gain insight into how it has been setting us up for the upcoming Saturn-Neptune square, happening now through late 2016.  

For starters, if you've been feeling a little foggy, unclear, and sluggish the past few days, Neptune, ruler of the watery depths, has stationed direct and slowly begun forward motion again after being retrograde in his own sign of Pisces since June.  His position in Pisces strengthens his effect the area of our lives he rules - dreams, intuition, visions and illusions.  A planet stationing and changing directions can signify pivotal moments in our lives or just general confusion and Neptune in Pisces can definitely heighten confusion especially around fantasy versus reality.  

Neptune in retrograde June 12th through November 18th was preparing us for the upcoming astrological push of the Saturn-Neptune square that will be occurring through late 2016.  With Neptune in retrograde, we had a wake-up call.  We were able to more easily discern fantasy from reality and could no longer ignore the truth of certain life situations.  We given the opportunity and clarity to re-evaluate our lives and see a plan for the future.  

This retrograde came right as Saturn was completing his journey through the sign of Scorpio - also a water sign, signifying emotions and "that which lies beneath",  but while Pisces represents dreams and fantasies, Scorpio represents the very essence of transformation, of death and new life, of our subconscious world and our soul.  We spent from late 2012 until mid-September with Saturn, the Teacher and Lord of Karma churning up the murky subconscious waters of Scorpio, learning the lessons of our deeply held values and beliefs and reassessing our relationship to power, death and transformation.  Saturn had previously transited Libra, sign of relationships, and Scorpio is an extension of this, so these lessons may have even been showing up around power struggles in certain relationships or realizing where we give our personal power away.  (Remember the final in the series of the four blood moon eclipses on the Aries/Libra axis also occurred in mid-September, also strengthening this theme of the self versus relationship and the balance of retaining the self in relationship.)  Between September 2nd and September 17th, 2015, Saturn rolled through the anaretic degree of Scorpio - the 29th degree - the last degree of the sign.  This is a highly karmic degree associated with permanent endings, and permanent endings are a realm known intimately to Scorpio. You may even be able to look back and see what happened during your life at this time that had to do with a karmic ending.  With Scorpio being a sign of risk, death, and transformation, this ending may have carried a theme of giving up some sort of security.  Scorpio reminds us that the idea of security in this world is always an illusion.  Real security always lies within the depths of your being and in the knowledge that the only constant is change.

Right at the end of three years of transformative work, we reached a culmination, possibly signified by a karmic ending, and at the same time we had Neptune working retrograde in his own watery sign of Pisces bringing us a wake up call around situations in our lives that we have until now been able to ignore.  From our new foundation, our new inner identity that Saturn in Scorpio formed, we were then given a moment of clarity.  

With Saturn newly in Sagittarius, he is looking for us to work from the new foundation we have gained from his time in Scorpio and take aim on new ideals in life.  Sagittarius is about truth, high ideals and our personal philosophies.  Saturn is about practicality and the real world.  We are going to be asked to live from our new ideals and philosophies - our new personal foundation.  

The new moon in Scorpio on the 11.11 gateway then signified a MAJOR new beginning.  Not only was it on 11.11 (known as the "pillars"/gateway to a higher consciousness/gateway of manifestation), it was the first new moon in Scorpio since Saturn went into Scorpio in late 2012 that wasn't affected by Saturn's presence.  A clear path was presented.

Now Neptune turns direct, just a week before the first in the series of three Saturn-Neptune squares that will occur between now and September 2016.  Neptune direct means we will now get a good view of the "big picture".

So now what?  We have a heavily aspected full moon in Gemini on November 25th, followed by the first Saturn-Neptune square on the 26th.  

This full moon is the culmination of seeds planted six months ago on the Gemini new moon on June 16th, 2015.  The new moon in Gemini on the 16th would, "....bring us face to face with wounds we have around asserting ourselves, taking a stand or taking action in our lives....(and help us discern)....truth from lies, fact from fiction, fantasy from reality."  (From "New Moon in Gemini June 16th, 2015", via MysticMamma).  

Over the next six months, we would then complete the deep-psyche overhaul and personal transformation of Saturn in Scorpio, experience a realization of truth around some situation in our life we had previously been able to ignore with Neptune retrograde in Pisces, take the journey to wholeness of Inanna's Descent with Venus' retrograde, and experience the final of the four blood moon eclipses on the Aries/Libra axis.  All of these things relate to how we are standing in our personal power and involve inner examination necessary to come from a place of personal power and wholeness of self so that we are relating from that foundation.  It may have involved a Phoenix-style transformation of the inner landscape which signified the ending of some part of your life.

Neptune direct and Saturn now in Sagittarius now forming a series of three squares to each other over the next year signify a push to make a vision or new philosophy or ideal REAL.  Like a series of three contractions, you are giving birth.  Saturn is about lessons and a square can represent an obstacle, so you may be tested.  You may have to push through.  You may get a reality check.  

Saturn says it's time to work for the new visions and ideals you've recently realized.  It's time to put them to the test.  It's time to walk your talk.  You can read more about making the Saturn-Neptune square work for you in my recent article, "Pimping the Saturn-Neptune Square".  And if you are wondering how all this relates to hypnotherapy, I use hypnotherapy with clients as a means for getting to deeply held negative beliefs and changing them to ones that better support their vision of life, which is what a lot of this astrology has been about.

As a final note, anything that helps us hold our intention for a goal or vision is an ally.  For this spar with Saturn, Ganesha, the Hindu god with the face of an elephant, known as "Remover of Obstacles" comes to mind.  Ganesha is Saturn's kryptonite and as his name suggests, he can help us overcome obstacles to our goals and dreams.  We can ask Ganesha for his help over the coming year as Saturn teaches us the lessons around building a rock-solid real-world foundation beneath our visions and philosophies.  Two more of my choice allies are in the form of oils from the master at Alchemy Works:   Oil of Jupiter, which protects against Saturn's limiting influences and Uncrossing Oil, which helps in clearing obstacles.  

The best tool however is preparation.  Create a good, old-fashioned list of action steps grounded in reality for living your vision, and then use the tools and allies you have available to achieve your dream and consciously create your life.

Happy Friday the 13th and new moon!  Friday is historically a day associated with the Goddess.  The word Friday comes from Freya, the Norse Goddess of Love, who also not coincidentally is sometimes depicted in a chariot pulled by black cats.  In Latin, Friday was known as “dies Veneris”, or Venus’ day and in ancient Greek, it was “hemera Aphrodites”, or day of Aphrodite.  Aphrodite, Venus, Freya, Inanna, Ishtar…they are all representations from different cultures of the same archetypal energy representing the divine feminine.  The number thirteen is also associated with the divine feminine.  There are many links correlating the number thirteen and the divine feminine with probably the most prevalent being that there are thirteen full moons in a year.

Friday the 13th is a wonderful day for tapping into the energy of the moon, the feminine, the yin.  It’s a day for being in tune with your intuition and reveling in love, beauty and sensuality.  It’s a perfect day for anything creative or involved with the arts, or to enjoy music and dance.  It’s a good day for “house-witching” – smudging with sage or Palo Santo, sprinkling salt around and then vacuuming it up, sprinkling salt water around your home, using essential oils and incense, and of course one of the best – good old fashioned deep cleaning and decluttering.  Water is associated with the moon, spirit and emotions, bathing with ritual and the goddess, and salt is used for cleaning and clearing, so bathing in saltwater and some essential oils is a great way to celebrate the day of the goddess.

November 11th was the new moon in Scorpio.  This was a special new moon, representative of a new era for us.  Since late 2012, Saturn has been transiting Scorpio and has just recently moved into Sagittarius.  For many of us this meant Saturn, also known as The Teacher or Lord of Karma, was bringing us lessons around Scorpionic themes – working deep within the psyche for a phoenix-type rebirth, possibly involving sex, intimacy, and power.  When the sun moved into Scorpio in late October, it was the first time since late 2012 that it didn’t run into Saturn while in the sign, and now this new moon, a conjunction between the sun and moon, is the first Scorpionic new moon since late 2012 without Saturn in Scorpio as well.  Saturn’s influence can show up as a hinderance of some sort – a delay or obstacle.  Now with the new moon on the 11th, we get to officially move forward in that area of our life that we have been working so diligently on since late 2012.   We get a fresh new beginning without Saturn there reminding us of another obstacle to overcome or to keep our nose to the grindstone.  This new moon also had a big boost from beneficial aspects to Chiron the Healer, Jupiter, planet of luck, faith and expansion, and Mercury, planet of communication and thinking.  You may have noticed one more hurdle or revisit of a past theme this week – one last reminder of Saturn’s time in Scorpio and the Uranus Pluto square situation that came with it; there could’ve been a slight sting that came with this new moon but the overall vibe is very good for healing and moving forward, and in a big way.  The moon has already moved out of the watery psychological depths of Scorpio and into Sagittarius, the sign of the archer, aiming for the truth and high ideals, as the moon waxes toward full.  If you haven’t already set your new moon intentions, do so now! 

Saturn is still at play, gearing up for his square with Neptune that will be active from now until late 2016.  He’s going to be asking you to ground your dreams and visions in practical ways. You can read more about this astrology in my article, Pimping the Saturn-Neptune Square. 

Use this lovely, creative, manifestation energy on this day of the goddess to set your new moon intentions if you haven't already.  How has your life changed since late 2012, and with that work of Saturn in Scorpio done, what fresh intentions do you want to set moving forward?  Use the intuitive guidance and dream vision that Neptune in Pisces provides to see your desired future and then use the energy of workaholic Saturn in idealist Sagittarius to devise a plan to get you there.  Your future begins now!

​Saturn in Sagittarius and Neptune in Pisces are slowly moving into position to form the first of three ninety degree angles to each other in the sky between November 26th and September 2016.
 
A square is an intersection, creating a tension between the energies being represented.  This means it can create some sort of situation in our lives where we may need to do some obstacle clearing or problem-solving, but also this can mean positive growth and change.  Sometimes growth takes effort but is totally worth it once we get to the other side of it.  So how can you “pimp” this square over the next year and make this energy work for you?
 
Saturn is known as the teacher, Lord of Karma.  He is all about structure and discipline and foundationing.  He is about putting in the time, being diligent, and doing the work.  He is your personal trainer, always reminding you “no pain, no gain”.  He has recently completed his transit of the psychological depths of Scorpio that began in the fall of 2012.  Over these past years he has encouraged us to dig deep personally and put that diligence to work in the depths of our psyche.  Or maybe the lessons weren’t of your choosing but you ended up digging deep and seeing what was down there rotting at the bottom of your stagnant psychological pool that you had been avoiding anyway.  Saturn works that way too.  Now he has moved into Sagittarius and it is a lighter vibe for sure.  The teacher is now in the realm of the higher mind, of the truth.  Sagittarius says now that we’ve covered the soul searching required by Scorpio, it’s time to aim our archer’s bow at a target that embodies our highest ideals.  Saturn reminds us that proper foundations are necessary to achieve our goals, however lofty.
 
Neptune is of course the ruler of the watery depths.  Those watery depths can be the dreams that are the gateway to achieving amazing things in our lives, or they can be the fantasies that keep us from achieving anything.  Neptune rules Pisces, so the influence is very strong.  Is it fantasy or reality?  Is it a fantasy I can turn into a real goal (Sagittarius) and use practical action steps to achieve (Saturn)?  Is it a distraction keeping me from my true work?  Neptune in Pisces can be inspiration, or it can be illusion, delusion, distraction and addiction.  This influence is a slippery slope. 
 
In overview, the first square will be exact on November 26th, 2015, the second will occur on June 17, 2016 with Saturn retrograde, and the third will occur on September 10, 2016 with Neptune retrograde.  Saturn goes retrograde first on March 25th 2016 and then Neptune follows suit on June 14, 2016.  They are both retrograde until Saturn turns direct on August 13, 2016. Neptune stays retrograde until November 20, 2016. Comparing that to this year’s retrograde, Neptune (in Pisces) went retrograde in mid-June this year and will turn direct on November 18th just before the first square occurs with Saturn.
 
The first square on November 26th will occur with Neptune having recently turned direct and both planets moving forward.  Neptune in retrograde, strengthened by being positioned in Pisces, may have allowed us to tune more in to our intuition and inner perception, or maybe it has found  us being more susceptible to fantasy, delusion or avoidance by using substances such as drugs and alcohol.  We are now returning up from those depths to get a breath of air and take stock as Neptune prepares to return to forward motion on November 18th. 
 
The energy is already building, so now’s the time to be aware of the vibe and prepare to pimp the first intersection of these planets coming up on November 26th.  As Neptune turns direct, it’s time to look around with fresh eyes and assess fantasy versus reality.  Saturn in Sagittarius says aim high but keep it grounded in reality.  Use Neptune in Pisces to tune into your intuition and your higher guidance and find those dreams that set your soul on fire. Use Saturn in Sagittarius to align with your highest ideals and aim precisely for them.  Saturn in Sagittarius is urging you to create an action plan, and make sure you have the proper skills to execute your plan.  The energy of the square means it may take some effort to bring all of these energies together.  There may be obstacles.  You may have to face some fears.  But the end results will be so worth it.
 
In March 2016, Saturn will turn retrograde.  This could mean you encounter something that is limiting or blocking you or maybe you need some reorganization or restructuring of your plan.  Maybe something is coming up around responsibility or authority that needs to be addressed.  Fine tune and adjust where necessary.
 
Neptune turns retrograde on June 14, 2016.  Access your intuition and inner guidance and watch out for delusion or escapism. 
 
The second exact square of Saturn and Neptune will occur on June 17, 2016, with both planets still retrograde.  So add on the tension of the square to this and you may feel extra pressure around what you are trying to accomplish.  Remember how a diamond is made.  Pressure and intensity create growth and change.  Use Neptune’s gift of being able to more easily access your intuition and take Saturn’s constructive criticism as personal guidance on how to polish your plan and better achieve your goals. How can you be proactive?  How can you make this energy work for you?
 
Saturn then turns direct in mid-August, lifting the vibe a bit.  Now you may feel less stifled and more able to move forward with plans.  The third and final square will occur on September 10th, 2016, with Saturn direct and Neptune still retrograde.  This is your last time to use this transformative energy.  What was the dream that fired you up to begin with?  How were you grounding to make that a reality?  What adjustments have been made and what obstacles overcome?  What is your goal now and what is your action plan?
 
Over this series of squares, we may find where our dreams are more fantasy than reality and have our “bubble burst”.  Or we may be able to take steps to make a dream for our life a reality.  On a deeper level, this aspect may ask us to examine our belief systems. Neptune is about fantasy and Saturn is about reality.  The reality we experience is always filtered by our beliefs.  In order to experience a new reality, we must examine our subconscious beliefs and make adjustments so they are in alignment with the reality we wish to experience.  We must take responsibility for our belief systems and our thought patterns in order to experience a new reality.  In order to manifest our dreams, we must examine ourselves and create a transformation that begins deep within our subconscious with our beliefs.   This series of three squares between Neptune and Saturn will help us to do this; we just need to pimp it and make it work for us, using it to consciously create our life.

With the sun in Scorpio, we are continuing the recent theme from the full moon in Taurus.  The full moon in Taurus was all about comfort and enjoying the comforts and companionship we have, but the opposing sun in Scorpio may have brought light to the subconscious fears or beliefs that keep you from experiencing that. 

On November 3rd we reach the last quarter moon in Leo.  The last quarter moon places emphasis on reevaluation on a subconscious level.  If something was illuminated at the full moon, then this last quarter might be urging you to shift your beliefs and thoughts and be fluid with the changes that are trying to occur in your life. 

On November 11th we will have a new moon in Scorpio, so this continues the Scorpio theme and is a chance, now that we have had awareness with the full moon and release at the last quarter to use the new moon in this same sign to set new intentions around the Taurean ideals of security, comfort and enjoying life.  This new moon is a time to choose your beliefs and manifest them through changing your thought and behavior habits.  Set the intention and then be aware of falling into old patterns so that in each moment you may choose a different thought or action or reaction.

On November 2nd, we have the third and final conjunction between Mars and Venus.  The two were joined first in February in Aries, highlighting the idea of the self and each person’s needs – a prelude to that eclipse on the Aries/Libra axis in September that illuminated how we were honoring self within relationships – and then again in Leo back on September 2nd while Venus was still retrograde, and now they will be in Virgo, the sign of healing and grounding ideals, so we can assess what we’ve learned emotionally and spiritually with this series of conjunctions and bring it into our everyday lives.   What have you learned in love and relating with the previous two conjunctions this year, and how are you moving forward?  Do your relationships with others have the support of a strong foundation of self-love? 

As we begin November and the winter season, we are being prompted to release those things in our subconscious that are holding us back from “the good life”, from feeling secure and enjoying what we have.  At the same time, we are completing an examination of how we relate.  We have been asked to remember that we must be able to stand on our own, and love and value ourselves before we can have a healthy relationship with another. We have been asked to be “selfish” in the sense that we are our own source, our own supply, and sustain ourselves from within, so that when we come together with another we might freely give and truly enjoy the gift of the other without fear or demands.  The security and comfort (and love) we experience is directly connected to what we feel we are worthy of receiving and it will be filtered by any negative belief that opposes it.  Now is a perfect opportunity to release any belief that is negatively affecting your value of self so you may more fully experience “the good life”.