Hello you beautiful people and welcome to Aligned Advantage for January!
I’m so excited to go on this deep dive of each month’s calendar together using the power of the woo-woo tools my momma taught me. 😉
Hooray!
It’s time to tackle the January calendar so here we go!
NOTE: Our Zoom on January 22nd will be about February’s magic. Scroll down to get registered to be a part of that *next* session! ’til then, it’s all about January.
As always, we’ll cover what the numerology of the days mean, what the moon phases tell us, and of course how all this plays out in your favor in the most intriguing and powerful ways! During the Zoom, you’ll get a chance to hop in the hot seat — be sure to bring your chart (render it at a site like Astro.com) so I can work my magic with you — and we’ll talk about how the woo of the month aligns with YOU!
Please feel free to ask questions in the comments area below and while some will be best-suited for our live Zoom, certainly I’ll do what I can to help explain some of how I make the calendar work for me in the comments before and after our Zooms.
If you need support materials for interpreting the various notations on this calendar, head back over to your Aligned Advantage Welcome page, where I have stored all sorts of goodies for you!
And now… the replay of our live Zoom session about the January calendar and all its juicy goodness! Enjoy!
So, an interesting thought I had about Placidus vs. Whole Sign house system for my SUN SPOTLIGHT FOCUS throughout the year. Remember I said that OF COURSE Placidus “wins” for me because if we go with Whole Sign, my energy and the sun’s spotlight shines on my 4th house starting tomorrow, December 21st, and that means I go from connecting with my community and all the communicating into a time of focusing on house and home, family, specifically mother energy. And of course, I am ramping UP my community energy with Get in Gear for the New Year and all the community-focused work I do through the end of the year, so Placidus’ timing (January 8th) makes more sense for a shift into the 4th house.
BUT.
I was remembering back to why I created Get in Gear for the New Year in 2014. (See item #5 in this list.) One of the major reasons I created GIGFTNY in 2014 was to take my focus off the darkest time of my year since 2000. It’s the period of time between when my mother spoke for the last time (December 20, 2000) and the time she took her last breath (December 28, 2000).
Traditionally, that period of time was SO DAMN HARD that I spun out. Hardcore. But, um, hello… would you look at that timing? A December 20th shift into family, house and home, roots, mother energy?!? Yup. Whoa, right?
So I purposefully did something that basically CHANGED MY FOCUS from what the Whole Sign house system says the sun is lighting up in my chart to, instead, what the Placidus house system says the sun is lighting up in my chart.
THAT, my friends, is how we take the power of this good stuff we’re learning and become sovereign with it. We take what we can’t control (what the planets are doing, and even what is happening with the comings and goings of human life on this planet of course) and make decisions that create more happiness and joy and ease in our lives.
Like taking all the “red stuff” in my natal chart and making all that stress about creating diamonds.
Phew! That feels important to have shared.
Where can you see such patterns in your chart and in your life? I love how much y’all are getting out of this and how deep we’re going! Well done, y’all! MORE self hugs, please! 🙂
Here’s the 2021 preview from The Astrology Podcast:
Highly recommended, but remember it’s dense and intense. Do NOT overwhelm yourself just because you’re so dang curious. Allow yourself to learn little bits at a time. Do not use the intensity and depth of all of this as weapons on yourself because it’s all so much. DO YOU HEAR ME?!?
😉
Good.
As always, if you are hankerin’ for a “You in the Stars” report (for you or for someone else) or if you’d like to book a one-on-one with me for more woo, all the info on these offerings is here. Woo HOO!
Questions? Keep ’em comin’! I love these discussions SO MUCH and really enjoy sharing all this learning with you.
As ever, I thank you for joining me in this life-changing woo-woo venture! I’m so freakin’ proud to be the astrologer’s daughter and I know Charlsie is so happy to see this happening right now. 🙂
All my love,
Wanna join us for our next monthly LIVE interactive Aligned Advantage meeting? Register here ASAP! Our next meeting will take place via Zoom on Friday, January 22nd, at 12pm PST. Translate that to your time zone here.
After you register, you will receive an email with information on how to connect. You are welcome to go on camera for this Q&A session, or simply unmute yourself to participate live audio-only. Yes, we will be recording the meeting and putting its replay up (along with the next calendar) in next month’s page for you to consume. Hooray!
Before the Zoom, please post questions *here* (even though the robot email from Zoom includes an email address for questions). Thank you. 😉
If you’ve never Zoomed before, we recommend you get all set up *before* our meeting. Zoom is free, and there’s info on how to get going here.
And of course, any questions for me, pop ’em in below! Woo HOO!
Apologies for getting up and leaving so much during the Zoom, I so wanted to attend with my full focus. It’s snow plowing season and my husband does snow removal. We just had a big storm and he has only had one full night of sleep with naps just long enough to get him through since Wednesday. It decided to snow again a bit before the zoom started and he is still scattered and exhausted and my job as support crew is make sure he eats, sleeps, and wakes up to go out again because he gets too exhausted for basic functioning – so had to make sure those activities were happening. Will catch all the goodness on the replay.
So glad he has your support and of course we understand and continue on, as everyone comes and goes as needed. 🙂 Enjoy the replay and continue to jam here in the comments with any questions that come through for you! Woo HOO! And here’s to more naps. 😉
My touchstone word for 2021 is going to be EASE. 2021 also happens be a 9 year for me, which I’m pretty stoked about because that means my Jesus year (in 2022) will be a 1 year. And as I was filling out the theme page for the 2021 Planning workbook and recalling some of the themes and feelings from 2012 and 2003, I realized those years felt oddly like I was in a year 1 because both those years were “new beginning” type years. 2012 marked my first year out of college, and 2003 was my first year in high school. And the word that kept coming up for me was AWKWARD because they were all about figuring out the new rules and taking my first steps into a new world. If we go as far back as 1994, I was starting kindergarten, which completely threw my world upside down because no one had explained to me what school was. So I think it’s wonderful (and quite) exciting to see that I’ve intuited that I want THIS 9 year to feel different. What I’m wondering is why my past 9 year cycles have felt so much like “the start of something.” Was it because those 9 years all took place in a 5 year?
Well spotted, Quincy! That is definitely a pattern of the feel of the year itself (5) being a bigger influence on you than the 9 alone. I also think it could be like me with my sobriety October of 2016, for example, or even my move to LA in late 1998. Both of those were in 9 years, and in both cases, I knew FOR SURE by then that I was not going to keep doing what I had been doing; it was time for a change, and I was sure what I did NOT WANT to come with me into the next 9-year cycle.
Yours may be more FUN and exciting because of that 5-year overarching theme. And you may also be more clear, sooner in your 9 year, what’s NOT coming with you into the next 9-year cycle, which could mean you are more tingly about the 1-year goodies, sooner.
LOVE how you’re leaning into this, Q!! Love!
Quincy, I felt the same way about my previous 9 years — I got engaged during two of them which to me feels like a beginning of something new, but it could also be seen as the end of single life — so big change either way, but totally positive — maybe the 5 year is more like a party vibe for me too.
I am totally solid on ascertaining which of my houses the sun will be in throughout the year. So, now I’m trying to put into practice the lessons from yesterday on oppositions and squares. Here’s my process and I’d love to know if I’m doing this correctly and if not where I’m missing the boat. I’m clear that yesterday we were looking at stelliums and I’m looking at a particular start date for something:
I would like to start a “diet” today with the purpose of losing weight — December 21st
I am a 4 currently in an 8 year.
According to the December calendar, we shift into an Aries moon this afternoon (which is quick start, fiery energy) and today is a 1 energy (planting seeds, starting new things) — that all sounds good so far.
Now I look at what is happening on my chart on this day at this time of the year:
On December 21 at 2:03am the sun shifted into Capricorn (putting in the work) which is a cardinal mode (initiate things, get things done) and the sun is currently in my 6th house (daily practices, health & healing) — again this all sounds promising.
Now I look at what’s going on in in the 6th house in my chart:
In my 6th house I have Venus in Sagittarius for the first half of my 6th house and this morning the sun shifted into Capricorn where I have no placements except that Capricorn is my DC.
Then I look at what opposes and squares Capricorn:
Cancer opposes (feeling all the feelings, stubbornness, extra sleep)
Libra squares (balance, difficulty making decisions) where I have Uranus (how I create/innovate)
Aries squares (quick start, fiery energy) where I have the Moon (emotions, how I connect w/people) and Chiron (???)
Does Cancer opposing means that I’m going to have difficulty getting out of my own way due to feelings that cause me to self-sabotage?
How can I make Uranus in Libra a positive? Is that getting innovative with my decision-making about my food choices/meals?
How can I make the Moon and Chiron in Aries a positive? Could that be finding ways to quickly burn off emotions that could get in the way of making healthier food choices and sticking to my plan? Like taking a quick run around the block to deal with emotions rather than mediating?
Does December 21st appear to be a good day to start a “diet” when I’ve been struggling with it the past quarantine? It seems like it could be. I imagine with interpretation it could go any which way.
In looking for patterns: The last time I attempted this was October 18 and I had a strong start for the first few days, I held my own for the next week or so, but then I struggled and totally fell apart November 4 – 7 (road trip with family to visit my dad — I was also now in Scorpio and there are a LOT of feelings around family, and we were in a Cancer moon the first few days).
This is all such good work, April! Well done! 🙂 I love all the pattern tracking you’re doing!
Oh, and where you have ??? after Chiron, Chiron is our karmic wound. So, it’s a generational placement (meaning, everyone of the same age will have the same Chiron sign) and it’s bringing in our lessons from a past life, to my understanding. Of course, I’ll know more about this in the coming months and will share share share.
For a solid weightloss plan, I would look more toward where Taurus is in your chart (Taurus has a hearty appetite, loves rich foods and things that make her feel decadent) and also where your Jupiter is. Since Jupiter is all about making things bigger and celebrations and expansion and prosperity/abundances, it can often be a part of the story of how our bodies do with extra weight as well.
Picking a day from the calendar to start a diet is a fun idea, but it’s not the day you start the diet that makes YOU succeed with it. 😉 That’s only a part of the story. So, yes to figuring out which days seem to look the best for creating a plan, sticking to it, and getting the results that you want. Yes to all of that.
But also really look at where, in your chart, you are decadent and lavish, and where you’re less committed or likely to tap out (honestly, this really depends on what it is that ends up “derailing” your diet… which is totally different for each of us). And, to be fair, I’d really look way beyond THIS YEAR for data about what has previously succeeded for you, when you’ve decided to change a habit or work on your body in any way.
This year’s overriding collective trauma trumps just about anything else we may be used to doing or having go a certain way, because it’s all soooooooo much an assault on our nervous systems. And as fun as it is to use astrology to bank on certain dates for success, there’s also just the science of the brain and how we’re all under attack with everything this year. THAT causes the brain to tell the body to KEEP WEIGHT PACKED ON because it’s so freakin’ certain we’re about to die.
There’s not much any auspicious date could do to override our brain chemistry. 😉
Thanks for your feedback! I’ve heard you say that you plan your life around astrology and numbers and everything flows easier for you, so I was thinking if I set myself up with the power of the planets behind me, it would give me that extra support — obviously, I have to make each step on my own, but feeling some kind of energetic support behind me sounded like a cool thing. I was kind of all over the place looking at every possible thing, and I so appreciate you narrowing it down to Taurus and Jupiter. Jupiter is at 2 degrees of Sagittarius in my 5th house (Oct. 25-Dec.2 2021) which seems like it would expand my creativity and joy during that time. Taurus starts at the end of my 10th house (early to mid-March) and continues in my 11th house until the beginning of May. I do have Saturn in Taurus in my 11th house, but not sure that will have much effect on this. So, maybe starting healthy eating now will give me some solid footing so I’m not derailed when my sun hits Taurus. (With Taurus in my 10th house, maybe I’ll get cast in a food commercial! Lol!)
I’m gonna breathe a bit today and focus on creating a snazzy office area — something that feels inspiring, magical, and powerful as I end my 8 year. And I’m going to listen to the astrology podcast at least once. 🙂
I had fun plotting out Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter through my houses today! Next session, I’ll settle in for some interpretation… I do appreciate that Mercury makes a nice, complete circle through the houses by the end of the year, lol. I’m going to pay close attention to its retrogrades this time, because my guess is I’ll feel them (and that’ll make February a write-off… pun intended).
I do have a question about aspects related to business relationships. The Sun visits my 7th house in early February, too early for me to do agent submissions (I want those headshots in gear first, but it could be a good time to make a ninja-style radar appearance). So, barring that sunny 7th, what would be the next supportive aspects to look for? On my list: 3/5/8 days, Leo moons, sunny 10th house… am I missing any biggies?
I like your 3/5/8 days. 1 is good too for starting new relationships of course.
Leo moon is fine (I use it more for being seen, doing livestreams, selling/marketing), but also look for Libra moon (partnership), Gemini moon (multifaceted focus, plus open communication), Aquarius moon for the idealism and collective/greater good focus, Capricorn moon for putting in the work, Taurus moon for good money mojo, and of course Virgo moon could go either way with the attention to detail and the other side of the coin being the criticism so YMMV with that one.
Sun in your 10th house, yes. 7th we already know is feeling too early for you. 5th house is great for being seen (Leo energy, no matter what your 5th house ruler is). 8th house for other people’s money but this is one that can go either way too… with actors/acting/agents/commissions, a lot of astrologers will use 8th house as a good place to know the health of the agent/actor relationship since it’s people with their hands in your money and other people’s money becoming your money and all that jazz. 1st house, of course, you’ll be feeling your most aligned self, which is always a good time to be seen as you are meant to be.
What I would also look at is where YOU have things like Venus (relationships, values, love, money) and Jupiter (prosperity, expansion, growth). When will those planets, plus your Midheaven, have really yummy transits happening? Meaning, when will you have trines and sextiles that are powerful with those spots in your chart (as well as your Sun, Rising, and Moon).
Basically, there’s a LOT you could play with, so what I prefer to do is look at a calendar and come up with what feels like good timing THEN check the astro/numero of those days I’ve picked to be sure nothing sketchy is happening around or on those days. THAT works better for me than trying to rig particularly good days from the astro/numero side first, if that makes sense.
Love that you’re doing this!!
Oh my gosh, this answer is delicious. Thank you!!! I really appreciate this guide to actually apply it in this instance practically (because we know my Virgo loves some straight-forward details kind of practicality).
And much like you ask in the 100 days, I’m willing to try it your way here. 🙂
Thank you for asking this, Stephanie! And thank you, Bonnie, for your answer! I was wondering about this too and it makes so much sense to me to first look at the calendar and then check if the stars are in favour. That saves a lot of time too haha ^^
For SURE. There are infinite things we could get obsessed with checking (natal placements, transits, progressions, transits to our natal placements, transits to our progressed placements, transits to our solar return charts or geographically reset charts, whether our charts are day or night, which annual profection we’re in, whether we also use monthly profections, which house system we’re using, how much numerology plays into it all, what’s in retrograde, and on and on and on) so cultivating a practice of just looking at the calendar, knowing we generally do better with X kinds of numerology/Y kinds of moon/Z kinds of whatever (which we learn by TRACKING PATTERNS) and then looking up what MIGHT also be going on to decide between 2 or 3 choices of dates is a far kinder practice. 😉
Thank goodness you said that about picking a date first and then checking the planets, etc — I was feeling like I was starting to go down a rabbit hole with all of this information. It’s a lot of info and there are so many levels.
So so SO many levels. Think of it like all the buffets in the food court of a cruiseship. You do NOT even consider sampling everything in one meal, one day, even one cruise! You KNOW you’re gonna have to leave some tastes UNTASTED because there’s just tooooooooo much.
Pick and choose. Tiny bites if you’re picking a few things at once. Don’t want to make yourself sick from overdoing it all. 😉
This might have been brought up at some point in the annals of Aligned Advantage, but when I was reading a book last night every character I met I immediately, and without trying to, thought about their astro chart based on the way they were described, their actions, outfit, etc. Use the stars to create character breakdowns and analyze scripts. [shakes head] Who’da thought that’s where this journey would lead me…?
I am sooooooooo here for this alignment (no pun intended). Well done, Sarah!
Haha happens to me too.. I started wondering about eeeeeveryones charts.. XD
Sooo… I’m being ‘stalked’ by 111s and 11:11s, Bonnie. Lol. It’s been at least a solid week of way more instances than could be explained as daily schedule (the week prior I was getting a mix with 555). It’s almost unnerving, ha.
So, during our Zoom, you heard me talk about the SQUARES in my natal chart (and all the RED on my chartwheel) as the pressure that allows me to create diamonds, right? Look at what’s in the very first part of the CANCER 2021 overview from my teacher, Rachel Lang. Shocking no one… right?
Here’s her big-ass overview of 2021 astro too.
*over-dramatic fake gasp* 😉
I’m really liking that delicious “Renaissance” word choice, though! Ooh, it’s lighting me up…
I got my YITS Report today!!! I keep reading it over and over. So interesting what’s true for me that I never really thought about before:
• with my mercury in capricorn, I see all problems as solvable — I totally do! And I never give up! (probably gels nicely with all that optimism from mercury and neptune in sagittarius)
• with moon in aries, I’m competitive and driven — you should see me playing charades or doing escape rooms! It’s all about the joy of winning!
• I also see a bunch of contradictions (meaning opposite push and pull) which I think shows up when I feel stuck and don’t know how to move forward
I would love to learn more about transitions, profections, day/night charts, and how to apply all of the other astro lingo that I’ve never heard of before. I am really fired up to learn even more about myself through my chart and how to use everything to my advantage.
I’m also curious what others in the group do for Full Moon releasing ceremony. I’ve googled some online to get some ideas because i really didn’t know where to start. And no pressure if your rituals are totally personal and private, but anyone who is willing to share, I’d love to hear some more ideas. Thanks!
That’s a good question, April. I kind of just write some things down, speak them aloud with as much presence and alignment as I can muster at the moment, then put the paper in a box I have… I’d be curious what others do as well!
Hi April 🙂
I usually center my yoga practice around what sign/element the full moon is in..
Today, for example, I did a class that was quite fiery (full moon/ high energy/ burning things I want to let go of) in the beginning and then ended with water/free flowing movements (cancer / water) to connect to the water quality of this full moon and wash out what I don’t need anymore..
I also did a shaking meditation after which I wrote some things/thoughts/limitations I want to let go of on a piece of paper and burnt it. I also burnt some sage to clear the atmosphere and aired the rooms afterwards. The ashes of the paper I put into my garden.
I did all of this today because I am currently doing an online retreat. Normally I only do 1 or 2 of those things on the day of the full moon or the day before or after. 😉
I also focus on my inner cycle. That means ie even if it was full moon in a fire sign but my inner cycle would be in winter (menstruation, lowest point of energy) I would adjust my yoga practice to a more gentle, yin way and have a candle represent the fire element of the moon or light a little fire. Does that make sense?
Happy full moon 🙂
BRILLIANT. I love the ninja move of overlaying your cycle with the moon’s cycle. That’s next-level alignment and it’s so so so powerful.
I’m actually building a resource soon that’s a guide to workouts, by sign the moon is in. I’d love it if you’d like to share some patterns you’ve tracked. 🙂 This is such exciting planning going on!
Yes, I found that following my own cycle first and then the moon cycle helps a lot.
(If they aren’t synced, which, I guess for most women, they aren’t.)
I am recording my cycle now as much as I can. Red school is an amazing resource, if anyone wants to find out more about the menstrual cycle. 🙂
Some patterns I’ve tracked so far are
* I feel a surge of energy and drive at the beginning of my inner spring, usually around days 5-7.
* I feel a need for restorative practices and loads of self-care during my inner autumn and winter.
* if my inner winter aligns with the full moon (opposites) I still need a more gentle practice..
I am still gathering data though.. I don’t have any data yet about how the sign the moon is in plays into all of this.. (Ie energy levels etc)
But I design my yoga practice around it, if that makes sense..
This is so helpful, Katharina! THANK YOU!!
<3 I am glad it's helpful 🙂
Omg!!! I just had an insight about how to shift the stressors into positives. I was thinking about how my chart says that I view every problem as solvable. I know that’s true about me and because of that there are many times that I find a solution because I believe that so strongly that I never give up. Well, my “never-give-up-ness” could be construed as stubborn or even exhausting to others, but it can light me up when I come across a problem and against all odds come up with a solution. If I can take those days/times in my chart when I’m squaring or opposing Taurus and welcome my stubbornness in through a different doorway, as a support to my determination, then maybe I can shift the “negative forces/stressors” into something that works to my advantage. And thus, we have a diamond! Lol! Not 100% clear on all the nuances of how to do that yet, but it feels like it’s on the tip of my tongue and I just haven’t reached that moment of solid knowing yet. Would be really awesome to end my 8 year with some more clarity on this. Asking the Universe for some more insight to help deliver on that.
This is really lovely, April. I know you can do this!
Crazy, crazy coincidence for this full moon in Cancer — yesterday my sister sent me a text message about my dad who had fallen when she’d visited him last weekend. It was the first informative (and not angry) text I’ve gotten from her in a long time. I called her right away to get more information and could sense defensiveness in her voice (it was clear she thought I blamed her for it happening) so I told her that I’m not upset with her nor do I feel she’s responsible for his fall and that I just want to understand the details of what happened. We had a decent conversation and it has seemed to (at least temporarily) open up less intense emotional communication between us. A few months ago I overheard her bad-mouthing me to my dad when he was on the phone with her and when I heard my dad feed into that I felt really betrayed by both of them (more so by my dad who has been my idol, who I’ve worked with, who I now take care of from time to time, and who I know I spend my life trying to make proud of me) — especially because I’ve never spoken to anyone about her the way she spoke about me and because my dad had been telling me that he really wanted the two of us to get along. I understand now through my grudge-holding astrological chart that even though I am able to move on, I still hold onto grudges, never trusting those people again or comparing what they say to me now against what they’ve said to me in the past. Anyways, during my phone conversation with her I felt like I was sending her love so that we could shift our relationship and it helped to create a less charged emotional space between us. I’m going to use this full moon releasing ritual to help support me in forgiving my list of people (it’s really not that long) that I am still walking around with grudges against or other harboring negative feelings towards and release all of that.
I read somewhere that it’s also a good time to look through family photos. So, I’m going to also download the thousands (close to 10,000!) photos off my cell phone and onto an external hard drive (to clear up space so I have room to record some self-tapes on my cell) and start organizing the photos (mostly of my kids) into folders, reminisce and share them with the kids. I’ve spent a lot of time recently berating myself for not being the kind of mom I wanted to be for my kids and feeling like I’ve missed out on opportunities to create experiences or deepen my relationship with them. It makes me very sad and I need to forgive myself so that I can move on and not drag that with me into my next 9-year cycle.
I know I’ve been posting a lot on here. I don’t mean to dominate the comments, but I’m hoping that maybe some of what I share can help someone else. And also i don’t usually open up and reveal my deepest shadow feelings or even my shallow shadow feelings and I’m working on being more open and vulnerable.
Here’s what I’d love, April:
Paragraph breaks.
You tend to post a LOT of words (as do I) but you do it as a WALL OF TEXT. Sometimes you’ll break things up, but in general, on my screen, you have created soooooooo many words with no breathing room for my eyes to navigate that I can’t even find the questions that might be buried in all the story.
If you could prioritize breaking up the stream of story with some shifts in whitespace, I know it would make a different in my ability to engage meaningfully with you. 🙂
I was skipping around on my app (I found a free one that’ll do biwheels), and discovered last March had at least one square for almost every single placement, plus a perfect square drawn in the middle… wow. What are some good ways to prepare for heavily-squared times in the future? Certainly, knowing those things are there, and leaning into what “good” transits are happening are good places to start… other thoughts?
Can you share the name of the app for those who may want a free biwheel app? Thank you!
When I see challenging aspects coming up, the first thing I do is lock down the orb of influence in the app to 1º applying (and 0º separating) so I can really see the most acute point. Often this frees me up from freaking out about the WALL of days and days and weeks and weeks and months and months in which there are just sooooooooo many squares and oppositions all over my angles.
Just that bit of breathing room does a LOT.
Next, I look at when I last experienced those transits, and I consider the most positive things I can recall from around those times. I don’t get in the weeds about how maybe those positive things came about due to a positive transit I’m NOT having this next time around. I really force that convo to not butt in. 😉 I just lean into how magical, beautiful things can happen, even during those challenging aspects.
Ah, yes, of course! The app I’m playing with at the moment is called “Astrology Master” (the icon is black with a stylized white A). I’m running Android, so I’m not sure if it’s available on iOS. It’s a bit clunky with ads, but it does bi-wheels, progressed charts, planetary hours, moon cycles… plus a little interpretation button for some aspects. No major complaints for a free app to learn from!
As for the freaking out, I’ll go in and adjust that setting now (I admit I started getting a little concerned over the upcoming MRx, as well as Saturn being in the sign opposite my AC all year). I’ll make a note to clean up my self-convo, and lean into the positives! Thank you so much, Bonnie.
Even if you can’t lean into positives, be open to the fact that they exist TOO. 😉 Just let off the pressure a bit, as that’s EXACTLY what you’re trying to avoid, by working on identifying these squares in the first place.
Ah, the irony. Delicious!
Touché. 🙂
For those who love the written summary of the monthly astro, here ya go!
For anyone who was on the fence or maybe, possibly, kinda considering purchasing an astro almanac from Honeycomb, I highly suggest you do it. I finally got around to reading it last night just to get familiar and started interpreting it tonight to get a sense of what I was going to experience in 2021. Let me say, the few hours I spent looking at it has vastly improved my understanding and knowledge of most things Astro. It is ridiculously helpful because it tells you things 3 different ways so you can fully understand what the fuck is going on. And what did I just discover? Well, I just found out I’ve been heading towards, and am ONE DAY AWAY from, my Pluto square Natal Pluto. Knowing what I know at this point, which I call “conversational astro”, I thought, “That sounds like it might be a big deal. I should look into it.” Turns out it kinda is and explains some weirdness I’ve felt the last few days. I’m still reading up about it, but what I thought might be a dreadful compounding of Pluto “burning down the house” of my life actually seems a bit more optimistic and hopeful since it’s Capricorn into natal Libra (in my 5th house). I’m excited to keep reading more about it (tomorrow), tuning in a bit more to what’s going on with me and prepping to make the most of it (especially before it goes retro in April and then runs me over two more times in early October. *The More You Know*
Amazing!! Thank you, Sarah. This is so specific and delightfully cool to know. 🙂 I’m enjoying your fluency improving every day.
I was exactly on the fence, possibly, kinda considering, lol. I decided to order a 6 month digital to test it out… it should show up shortly! Thanks for the review, Sarah. I’ll let you know what I think, too!
Um… just to let y’all know, my digital almanac is already here. Faster than pizza delivery! ;p
Oh yeah, the digital is instant! Ain’t tech cool?!?
My confirmation said “1-2 business days”, so I was ready for a wait. Lol! Yay for well-oiled tech!
Bonnie, could you explain some basics about progressed charts, please? I know I can pull one up in my app or online, but I don’t really understand the significance or what it can tell me that transits do not…
Hmm… it’s pretty advanced a convo so I think we’d need a few more laps of more basic stuff that’s already in the hopper for upcoming Aligned Advantage Zooms before even “going there” in any sort of detail as a group. Certainly, we can get into this kind of stuff in private sessions for those who are craving going beyond the monthly deep dives we already do here. 🙂
As for what progressed charts ARE, in general, they are different ways of looking your natal chart progressed through time (and there are literally hundreds of different timing techniques) and also through space (like geographical progressions — meaning your chart is different from city to city, and some people use this info to decide where to live).
I took a course on secondary progressions in 2020 and it was a LOT of intense stuff. We took our natal charts and for each year we were alive, shifted our own primary placements one day on our own natal chartwheel. THEN we looked at the transits happening today, not just in relationship to our natal placements but also to our progressed placements.
We will be doing annual profections soon, which is a form of chart progression that is far more straightforward and easier to wrap your brain around, but if you’re fired up to get info on this stuff, Kirah Tabourn (my current teacher) was interviewed about a couple of basic progression techniques in this vid. To go deeper, it looks like Rachel Lang (another of my teachers) will be offering her excellent, but dense, progressions course again in June.
Just know: OVERWHELM POTENTIAL. There are a LOT of ways to progress a natal chart. A LOT. 🙂 Happy digging!
Awesome, thank you for explaining what’s going on, there. Now I know what that button does, lol! And for keeping me (and probably all of us) from drowning in that well. 🙂
LOL I’ll tell ya, I had moments in Rachel’s secondary progressions classes last year where I had to MAKE MYSELF stay “in the room.” It was very challenging. The second class of hers was far more my speed — and/or I was more fluent by the time the second class came around that I could hang a little better.
I’d definitely start with more basic progressions (like the annual profections we’ll be doing this month!!) and then go deep AFTER learning that you’re feeling insatiable about it all. 😉
A retrograde question! What is the difference, if any, between a retrograde shadow and the orb of influence before/after a retrograde happens?
I read on some website (but I don’t believe everything on the internet) that “the shadow of Mercury’s retrograde has already begun”, but Mercury’s current location isn’t within that 3 degrees of when it will turn retrograde (Rx happens around 26′ Aquarius, whereas Mercury is at 14′ 52″ Aquarius as I type). Does the shadow have to do with its slowing speed, rather than the actual degree location?
So, the shadow is not about orb of influence at all, so you got it right, when you raised an eyebrow about the phrase being in use when we’re nowhere close to the orb of influence for this transit.
Here’s what you’re actually looking at, for shadow periods of ANY retrogrades:
The dark blue areas between R (retrograde) and D (direct) are the degrees Mercury revisits during its retrograde period. The light blue areas that start before the R and continue after the D are the degrees that got revisited, but not DURING the revisiting. 😉
Meaning, the parade route is from shadow start to shadow end… the parade itself is only the non-shadow part of things. But because we have to PREPARE the route for the parade and then CLEAN UP the route after the parade, those same degrees “feel” the effects of Mercury retrograde even before and after that retrograde illusion.
Ah, that parade metaphor is so lovely… so shadows are both like the physical staging area and the energetic activity that happens before/after the parade itself.
My next question then, is whether shadows are a roughly consistent length for a planet? In other words, are MRx shadows all similar lengths each time? If that’s true and extrapolated, then would all Venus retrograde shadows be similar to themselves (but different to Mercury’s) and so forth?
Ah, I love the upholder “where’s my damn rule” muscle. 😉 I know it well, of course.
The simple answer is… sort of?!?
The actual answer is… grab an ephemeris and track the exact degrees of the retrogrades, then map out that parade route’s clearing time and clean-up time (so glad that metaphor works for you), then do that for enough retrogrades that you’re able to see — IN GENERAL — how much time we’re talking about.
Because retrograde can actually “go faster” and therefore cover more degrees depending on where exactly the retrograding planet is, in its orbit (so, relational to the sun, time of year, weather and pressure and physics considerations basically) it’s not a standard time every time.
BUT there will be enough pattern tracking you can do to get you feeling satisfied with knowing when it TIS THE SEASON, so to speak. 😉
Also, there are certain SIGNS in which the planet retrogrades that we feel sooner or later. That’s true also for moon phases, BTW. And of course every bit of it we’re more or less sensitive to, tuned into, etc., based on our OWN astrological setpoints and ruling planets, etc.
🙂
Ha! Well… I’m consistent. 😉 And I had a feeling the answer would be a bit… loose. I’m okay with the data gathering, lol.
But yes, I can totally see certain signs/locations being more potent for certain people (hence my interest in this upcoming one- my natal Mercury is in an air sign (Libra), and the retrograde will be in airy Aquarius).
Thanks, Bon!
All this year’s Mercury retrogrades are in Air signs. Hoo, boy! Get ready for lots of electric (frazzled) energies!!
Lol… if it gets really frazzled, I’m at least trained to answer communications in interpretive dance. 😉
Looking forward to what I learn from this one; it will help me navigate the rest.
Well shit! Looks like you just answered my question!
Libra ☀️ Aquarius Aquarius rising
Super BUMMED!! I won’t be able to log in until 1 pm 🙁 Hopefully, y’all are still in the mix when I try to log in.
Also WTAF was the past 2 days… especially yesterday (1.21)?? It was seriously thee worst most unlucky day I’ve had in memory. Legit, don’t believe it’s been worse… EVER. Actually, you can throw the whole week in the garbage and light it on fire. Also, tech and communication has been so bad, you’d think Merc Retro is now and not the 30th.
-End Rant
Have a lovely day
Oh yes, we’ll still be going at 1pm for sure. 😉
Holy hell on this week’s astro, right? Keith has been so freakin’ frazzled and when I talked with him about all the air sign goodness, he settled down. It explained exactly what he’s been feeling (and NOT liking). Oh, and BTW, his computer had to be shipped to the Apple gods last week with more than $700 to TRY and get it back from the dead. He has been sooooooo out of sorts.
So, breathe. Nap. Drink water. And stay nimble with this. We’re about to enter a long stretch of air-sign chaos. BREATHE.
Ooh, I’ve been feeling really out of sorts, too. Communicating with people has felt like bonking my head against the wall, I keep making silly spelling/grammatical errors (so my proof-reading time has swelled), and although my mind is firing fast, it’s bouncing all over (and you were right, sleep isn’t easy). I’ve needed naps for the first time in forever.
In some ways, I’ve felt like a car on a dyno- shaking about and not really going anywhere. Not to mention some at-home routine chaos, too… my 6th house is full of these transiting planets. And my Virgo sun is not enjoying said chaos. Lol.
All to say, I get ya, Anita & Keith. And I feel less strange knowing you’re both really feeling funky, too.
I am sooooo behind on this but reading through the comments has made me feel better and more connected. And this week has been an o-m-g doozy!! I feel scattered and all over the place and it’s hard-to-impossible to concentrate. It could just be the acedia (I love learning new terms for what I’m feeling!) too, or all of the above. Last month I charted out alllllll my house focus points wrong/off, so I need to redo that still and my mind just isn’t in the game so in the spirit of our great “shoulds” convo in Expansive Capacity yesterday, I am going to just come to the Zoom having not caught up and see what the consequences are. How bout that? 😉 And Bon, I am waiting to schedule the time for our Astro one on one until after today’s meet up because I think that will give me a better idea of what I want to focus on, (which thus far has just been vague feelings of, “can ya tell me what’s wrong/right with me so I can get back to (or for the first time) livin’ my best life?”) lol.
See you cool cats in a couple hours! Oh-and I listened to about half of that Astrology podcast and omg it’s so amazing the knowledge those folks have!
Right? Those folks are next-level and I look forward to the day I can be a guest on Chris’ show and actually keep up with all the places the convo goes. 🙂
So glad you showed up without the shoulds, hon. So glad! How did that feel?
We can dig in on your natal placements, talk about your annual profections, discuss sticky spots… whatever feels good. You have the link to schedule the 1:1 whenever you’re ready. 🙂
You would be a fanTAStic guest on that show. 🙂 And it felt pretty good without the shoulds. I felt way more relaxed, as I’m usually wanting to be the good student and ahead of the game. I was NOT ahead of the game, and it was *totally fine* and more importantly, FELT fine, inside me. I am going now to pick a time for our 1:1. Maybe digging in on natal placements would be a good place to start actually. Then the profection(s) if there’s time. Oooh! Also-just ordered my Honeycomb annual booklet thingie! (it should be here by Feb. 14th-Valentines Day- look at that-a loving/healing gift to me:) Yayyyy
I just wanna get more in tune with myself and healing what’s “broken”, and doesn’t that just look exACTLY like 6th house stuff? 🙂
YES IT DOES! 🙂 Love you!
❤️❤️❤️