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Is mankind only part of a greater scientific experiment and life-form in the Universe, and a niche that comprises the Cosmic?
What are your Answers?

Greetings...can anyone provide some information on the Rosicrucian University?  What is it about?  Is it a in-class program?  I am a new member...I am still getting to know the process and step of the order.

Thank you and blessings

By taking the step toward finding an enlightment path, many questions start appearing in my head...all the questions bagan with HOW???

I think the most relevant for me is;  How can I mantain a balanced life where opposites exists?  How would I know if I am acting in a forced forgiveness when I do not feel prepare to forgive?  Many questions arise...I know by heart that this is the right path...the path I have chosen to walk...I am prepared to feel the burning fire to transmute my old self to a new one...and for some reason..since I decided this path and search for illumination, many events have appeared in my life testing me..so far so good...even I am new in this path...and I have not met anybody personally, I feel accompanied by some faith and calmness that I did not feel before...the sense of not being alone...I AM READY TO BECOME PART OF THE ENLIGHTENED ONE

Greetings...I am a new member...I live in Santa Clara CA.  Looking to join a group for studies.

Think of yourself as nothing
~
Think of yourself as nothing,
And totally forget yourself when you pray.
Only have in mind that you are praying for the Divine Prescence
You can then enter the Universe of Thought,
A state that is beyond time.
Everything in this realm is the same, life and death, land and sea
But in order to enter the Universe of Thought where all is the same,
you must relinquish your ego, and forget all your troubles
•The Maggid of Mezeritch (trans, Aryeh Kaplan)

Art provides a powerful way to connect with our inner selves because it communicates through symbols, which constitute the language of the soul. This symbolic language speaks to us through art's physical qualities of color, form, composition, and medium; it also communicates through an artwork's content. In this way, form and content combine to express spiritual or mystical meaning, giving art a sense of mystery and inviting us to return again and again for contemplation. Over time, art can reward us with new insights and touch our souls through beauty of form and meaning.

The Sun with its brilliant light and sometimes intense heat has offered humanity a potent symbol since ancient times. Many cultures have associated the Sun with divinity, and while some saw it as feminine, many more saw the Sun as masculine and associated its active energies with a divine male parent as well as authority, the life essence, and unity. In contrast to the cool and receptive Moon that rules the night, the hot, energetic Sun rules the day and the world of actions and objects appearing out in the open, in plain sight under clear light.

In astrology, the Sun rules Leo, a fire sign renowned for its dramatic passion, regal bearing, and warm heart. Astrology sees Leo as a masculine, active sign because of its fiery nature; all fire and air signs rank as masculine, while water and earth signs make up the feminine or receptive signs. Every month, as the Sun makes its way around the zodiac, it alternates between masculine and feminine signs; just as day follows night in each 24-hour period, this monthly oscillation enables us to shift energies regularly and maintain balance in our lives between feminine and masculine, receptive and active.

The Sun's bright light indicates the astrological Lion's need to shine in some way. At their best, Leos express solar characteristics via a sunny personality, generosity, and loyalty; with maturity and spiritual evolution, they radiate an inner beauty suffused with spiritual light. Like the Sun, which occupies the center or heart of our solar system, Leo is associated with life's center through its rulership of the heart, both physical and spiritual; as a result, Leos tend to interact in a personal, heartfelt manner and to give and receive love freely.

Deer Skull evokes Leo and solar themes

This painting, Deer Skull, dates to a period in which my art focused on skulls, bones, X rays, and other somewhat macabre subject matter. It evokes both the astrological sign Leo and solar themes through its colors, form, materials, and subject.

Deer Skull was created using watercolor, gouache (an opaque, water-soluble paint), and ink on brilliant white watercolor paper. This mix of media creates a blend of opposites: sharp inked lines and soft watercolor washes, white paper with dark pools of paint, and a fiery background with earthy foreground shades. For example, lines of black ink applied with a fine-tipped pen highlight details throughout the skull, such as the horns' edges and their bases, yet in the teeth at the skull's bottom center and in parts of the horns' edges, the ink ran into wet patches of paint and blended with the color to create a fuzzy look. Washy strokes of white paint in a few areas also add softness; along with the white paper, they convey the feeling of bleached bone. The orange wash across the background warms up the entire painting while complementing the skull's earthy tones of yellow ochre, raw and burnt sienna, and raw and burnt umber.

The orange background also brings a feeling of summer's heat and intense solar power; Leo's astrological month comes during summer (in the northern hemisphere). Combined with the stark white paper and the skull, these aspects point to Leo's ruler, the Sun: a source of life-giving light and warmth, a potent purifier, and in excess a destroyer (as in a desert climate).

As for the painting's subject, the skull carries associations with the head, mind, and intelligence that suggest a link with the Sun, whose symbolism includes the rational or logical aspect of intelligence (in contrast to the intuitive or super rational faculties). The head or mind focuses thought and permits insight, just as the Sun's rays symbolize the light of truth, understanding, and knowledge.

In addition, the deer carries strong symbolic affinities with the Sun, a star that shines its light freely on all creation. Like the Sun, the deer symbolizes abundance, benevolence, regeneration, and generosity because it has given many cultures a source of meat as well as tools (through its bones) and clothing (through its hide). The deer and Sun also symbolize intuition or "inner knowing," for just as the deer survives by being alert and aware, so does the Sun promote knowledge by shining its light to expose truth and increase our awareness.

The Sun, the Deer, and the Cycles of Life

Through this multi-layered symbolism, Deer Skull suggests the mysterious cycles of life, death, and regeneration. In the presence of the Sun and life, represented by the lively orange background, we still face decay and death, represented by the skull.

The Sun, in fact, gives us the age old symbol of a sole divinity with three "faces" or phases: creator, sustainer, and destroyer. After sparking a seed to sprout, sunlight sustains the developing plant until it yields its gifts of flowers or fruits or seeds, yet ultimately the Sun destroys it when its life cycle has concluded. Then, from decay and death, the Sun brings forth new life according to an ancient and dependable rhythm, an endlessly repeating cycle.

Contemplating a painting such as Deer Skull can remind us of nature's cycles and our place within creation. It also can assist our spiritual lives by suggesting the process of inner evolution. Just as the Sun reveals truth by shining light on our physical existence, so our consciousness expands by opening to inner sight and spiritual light. Like the Sun, which purifies through heat and light, we can refine ourselves by bringing light to our inner darkness and using the heat of spiritual desire to purify our thoughts and burn off our imperfections. These actions destroy our old selves, just as the Sun destroys old and outworn forms, yet on the ashes of such destruction rises new life of the New Self.

In a larger spiritual sense, we continually die in order to be reborn. At the close of a lifetime, the physical body perishes, but the essence, the soul, the "inner Sun" continues and returns.

May Deer Skull inspire you with the beauty of all life's phases, and may it inspire your inner reflections and spiritual seeking.

Welcome to Leo time. The Sun leaves Cancer and enters Leo on Sunday, July 22, at 5:02 a.m. CDT (10:02 a.m. GMT). It will remain in Leo until August 22.

This shift is taking all of us from water to fire, from our emotions to our spirits. Ruled by the brilliant Sun, the center or heart of our solar system, Leo reminds us how important it feels to have sunshine, cheerfulness, and warmth in our lives. Also, the Sun, a longtime symbol for divinity, reminds us of the spiritual Sun that lies within each person's heart, making this month a good time to explore spirituality, seek your heart's desire, and consider how you uplift others when you radiate kindness and emotional warmth.

About Leo: Open your heart, express your gifts freely

When the Sun travels through Leo each year, it brings a dramatic, fiery energy that inspires us to open our hearts and to express love as freely as the Sun shines its light upon all creation. We move away from Cancer's watery emphasis on memories, motherhood, and emotional security to the Lion's passionate world of creativity, courage, and confidence.

Leo's exuberance and flair for drama push us to seek the limelight in some way in order to share our gifts with others. If we avoid getting caught up in needing applause or basing our happiness on others' opinions and instead keep our focus on generosity and extending what we have to help others, we have an opportunity to connect with new people and enjoy expressing ourselves in new ways.

Leo time also urges us to honor the child within and return to its sense of wonder and innocence. Besides helping us remain sympathetic to young people regardless of our age, tapping our inner youngster gives us an endless source of personal renewal and creative inspiration. This resource can help us remain young at heart, although when taken to excess it can bring challenges by encouraging vanity, selfishness, and a refusal to grow up or take on adult responsibilities. Leo also can become a bully, intimidating others by roaring when it doesn't get its way; it also can exhaust others with emotional neediness that demands endless flattery, attention, or applause, or it may look down on others by seeing itself as royal or superior to mere mortals. At its best, though, Leo warms our lives with a brave and loving heart, inspires us to become our best by setting a noble example, and makes life fun through childlike enthusiasm for any new creative project.

Leo symbolism

Leo is ruled by the Sun, an ancient symbol of divinity and one of astrology's symbols of authority and the father. This symbolism suggests our status as children of the divine and reinforces our regal, noble origin as children of light on the spiritual plane. As a star, the Sun emits heat and light, both aspects of fiery Leo that give rise to Leo's charisma and star quality--and its link with light, whether the material world's sunshine or the invisible world's inner light of truth and understanding.

The Sun's location at the center of our planetary system gives us Leo's association with the heart, the life-giving pump that sustains our physical existence as well as the focus for our emotions and the center of our spiritual existence. We do best when we "put our heart into" a task or cause, and if we are "stouthearted" we exhibit the steadfastness and loyalty of Leo. If we are authentic (another trait important for Leo), we can express ourselves in a sincere, heartfelt fashion, and if we are brave we exhibit courage--a word derived from a root word meaning "heart."

Leo's symbol, the Lion, gives us the essence of royalty, leadership, and charisma; those born under the sign of the Lion exude warmth that attracts others, and they often show talent for leadership. This sign's metal, gold, indicates Leo's dedication to a high standard of excellence. When out of balance, Leo may seek what is flashy or showy and may become haughty or egotistical; at its best, though, the Lion seeks the best in everything, including potential that lies within friends and loved ones. It also shares its riches generously and joyously with others so that all may enjoy true luxury:  of a life free enough from want to pursue both spirituality and our heart's desire.

Current astrology: fire and air ask us to take inspired action

After last month's challenging square between Uranus and Pluto, we have a somewhat quieter period allowing us to draw inward to seek inspiration. Doing so will give us the higher thoughts we need to direct our energies in constructive, life-affirming ways:

♦    As Leo time begins this year, the Sun joins Mercury, already in the sign of the Lion and in retrograde. Whenever Mercury is retrograde, we have an opportunity to re-think areas represented by the sign it occupies. With Mercury in Leo during the Sun's journey through its own sign, we have a stronger than usual opportunity to consider Leo's themes of spirituality, the heart's desire, creative self-expression, and childlike joy. Now through August 8 (when Mercury ends its retrograde) is the time to identify what brings you joy and how you shine your inner light to help others. If your life lacks happiness, or you have been living with any kind of lie, this is an excellent time to think about how to change your situation for the better.
♦    On July 29, these Leo themes take center stage when the Sun catches up to Mercury in Leo. Notice any special insights you receive at this time, especially new thoughts about creativity and what you truly want in life.
♦    All this month, the outer planets Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto remain retrograde. This fact heightens the need for meditation and prayer in order to seek answers from within regarding spiritual awakening to our unique purpose and identity (Uranus in Aries), spiritual inspiration regarding our essential oneness with all creation (Neptune in Pisces), and powerful urges for transformation in all structures and routines (Pluto in Capricorn).
♦    Venus and Jupiter are in curious, communicative Gemini, while Mars and Saturn occupy peace-loving, balance-seeking Libra, giving us a powerful emphasis on air signs that harmonize well with Leo and allow us to tap higher thought as we take action. As we attend to Leo themes surrounding authentic self-expression and emotional warmth, our efforts can take inspiration from thoughts about relationships that stimulate our minds (Venus in Gemini), how beliefs affect thinking and communication (Jupiter in Gemini), how our inner drive can help us create balance and peace in partnerships (Mars in Libra), and how maturity can assist us in creating a just society (Saturn in Libra).
♦    On August 1, we can enjoy a beautiful full Moon in Aquarius that will give us insights (and potential illumination) about the value of detachment in the face of strong emotions. Pay attention to your feelings around this time and do your best to balance your heart and the personal (represented by passionate Leo, where the Sun is shining at this time, directly opposite the Moon) with your head and the impersonal (represented by airy Aquarius, where the usually emotional Moon will be more detached when she reaches full phase).
♦    On August 7, Venus leaves airy Gemini for watery Cancer, giving us a more emotional take on relationships, values, love, and the arts. This shift also enables us to move out of our heads to talk less about love and relationships and simply feel and experience them directly. We also can benefit from considering what we need to feel secure in relationships and reassessing the value we place on emotional beauty and intelligence.
♦    On August 17, the Moon will be new in Leo. The Sun and Moon together in this heartfelt sign invite us to start a new cycle of personal creativity, playfulness, and generosity. What seeds will you plant then? How do you want to shine your inner light?

What do I really want?

During this Leo time, we feel intuitive impulses to focus on our inner, heartfelt lives. Each astrological sign is associated with a phrase, and for Leo that phrase is "I will." This energy may be expressed negatively by imposing our will on others, misusing power and authority, or getting stuck in patterns or relationships we have outgrown. At its best, though, Leo gives us courage to follow our hearts and inspiration to use our will creatively in the arts, selflessly through noble acts of kindness and generosity, and spiritually through dramatic yet unconditional love:

Imagine that you are the heart of all you see. In your nobility as a child of divinity, you know your heart is both small and intimate to house your personal love and devotion and yet spacious and limitless to enable creative expression of universal love that reaches forth to touch the heart of all outside yourself. In each moment, you feel your heart beating, nourishing your physical self constantly. At the same time, you feel your emotional heart pulsing with dramatic feelings and your intellectual heart beating out the rhythm of wisdom. Directing all this activity is your spiritual heart, which exists as an invisible spark or fire that radiates divine light and illuminates your life on all planes. This spiritual heart allows you to transcend space by extending your heart outward, so that you may feel the heart of everyone you meet and everything you see. In this way, you enjoy connection with all creation, and you open your heart to compassion for all who suffer, joy for all who achieve, and love for life in all its many forms. In this way, you fulfill your destiny as a Child of the Sun, a bearer of divine light, and in shining forth, you achieve your original Heart's Desire.

Now is the time to embrace your light. You have the gift of a human heart illuminated with spiritual light, and with each act of lovingkindness you increase this light. If you will take up the task of making your heart the center of your life, you will come to understand why the Sun, the center of our planetary system and a mighty, perpetual fire that shines its light freely to all, long has served as a symbol of the Divine One, the great Intelligence that permeates all that is, has been, and will be.

Wishing you a life lived in harmony…

Art provides a powerful way to connect with our inner selves because it communicates through symbols, which constitute the language of the soul. This symbolic language speaks to us through art’s physical qualities of color, form, composition, and medium; it also communicates through an artwork’s content. In this way, form and content combine to express spiritual or mystical meaning, giving art a sense of mystery and inviting us to return again and again for contemplation. Over time, art can reward us with new insights and touch our souls through beauty of form and meaning.

Since ancient times, people have associated the Moon with feminine, receptive energies. For many cultures, she symbolized the Divine Mother, the celestial counterpart to the Sun's masculine, active energies. As the Sun rules day, she rules night, the time of darkness, sleep, and dreams.

In astrology, the Moon rules Cancer, a water sign famous for its shifting moods and strong feelings. Astrology classifies Cancer as a feminine, receptive sign because of its watery nature; all water and earth signs rank as feminine, while air and fire signs constitute the masculine or active signs. As the Sun moves through the zodiac, it alternates between feminine and masculine signs, just as day follows night in every 24-hour period.

The Moon's feminine quality also links her strongly with women, and her gravitational force influences women's monthly cycles as well as Mother Earth's watery realm through its effect on tides. The mysterious Moon reveals only half of herself to us: her movement around the Earth and her rotation synchronize so closely that we always see the same side of the Moon. Nevertheless, her appearance changes constantly because of her phases.

Blue Moonrise Evokes Cancer Themes

This painting, Blue Moonrise, shows the Moon at her most dramatic, when her monthly cycle has reached its full phase and the entire lunar disk reflects solar light. The Moon, recently risen in the east, dominates a brilliant night sky that changes color from indigo at the top to ultramarine in the middle to purplish blue near the horizon. Lunar light extends vertically and horizontally and creates a milky effect around the Moon via wispy clouds.

Blue Moonrise's title and subject carry powerful associations with the astrological sign Cancer. The painting presents a night scene dominated by Cancer's ruler, the Moon; astrologers often call Cancers "Moon children," and many Cancers have round, Moon-shaped faces. Also, most of this image consists of a sky in varying shades of blue, a color linked with watery, tender Cancer and long a symbol of feelings, water, and the emotional plane. Where sky meets land, an undulating horizon line not only indicates Wisconsin's gently rolling topography but mimics the effect of waves in water.

In addition, Blue Moonrise was painted from memory, as a recollection of childhood camping trips to remote lakes in Wisconsin. Cancer and the Moon are linked with childhood and memory: Cancers generally look back fondly or even nostalgically at their childhoods, and they tend to have powerful memories that can be expressed negatively as holding grudges for a lifetime or more constructively as a love of history and tradition.

Blue Moonrise also exhibits the mysterious or even strange quality associated with memory, imagination, and night. Although inspired by summer experiences, it was painted in autumn and shows an elm tree whose leaves have long since fallen; tiny, imagined structures at far left hint at a village or town from a distant era, adding another layer of time. In night's world of shadows, the lone tree rises strange and vaguely threatening at right, and the few lights on the horizon suggest inhabited areas too far away to provide help if needed. The Moon's cool light makes the land look milky and seem like water, an effect reinforced by ribbons of moonshine and earthglow just below and above the horizon. Unsure of what is real in such a setting, we may have the strongly Cancer experience of feeling like a child, afraid of the dark and the night.

Cancer, the Full Moon, and Spiritual Illumination

This very strangeness gives Blue Moonrise its peculiar power. Much as a dream may feel odd or unsettling when we first awaken into that halfway point between sleeping and becoming fully awake to everyday existence, so can art's colors and symbols provoke feelings of being "in a different place." That "place" consists of our inner, spiritual world, the realm of the soul.

Blue Moonrise brings us directly to that realm because, on the spiritual plane, the Moon symbolizes the soul (among other things). Also, the Moon's monthly cycle symbolizes the inner process of spiritual evolution: at the beginning of each lunar cycle, the Moon is new or dark, and as the days pass she grows in light until the full Moon, the time of greatest light. Afterward, the light gradually diminishes until the next new Moon begins the process again.

This inspiring cycle symbolizes the inner self's potential for illumination. Just as the Moon gradually increases in light, our inner self shines brighter and brighter as we grow spiritually and acquire greater wisdom. The monthly full Moon represents the climax of this process, giving us the time of greatest light and symbolizing spiritual illumination. After receiving light in the form of insight, intuition, or inspiration, we must share it in some way with others, as symbolized by the Moon's diminishing light in the second half of her monthly cycle, as if she is emptying herself, giving away her light in order to prepare for receiving even greater light in the future.

These little monthly illuminations correspond to the Sun's larger, annual cycle of light: fittingly, the Sun's time of greatest light (in the northern hemisphere) occurs each year at the summer Solstice with its entry into Moon-ruled Cancer. This event often corresponds with emotional insights, dramatic outer events that bring change, or inner breakthroughs. Across a lifetime, this combination of monthly and annual illuminations gives us great opportunity to evolve spiritually. As we do, we reveal more and more of our soul's beauty and shine greater amounts of inner light.

May Blue Moonrise touch your soul, and may its bright full Moon inspire your own process of introspection and spiritual illumination.

As of June 24, some of the most powerful astrology of the mid-1960s has begun to come of age. On this date, the planets Uranus and Pluto have moved into a difficult 90° angle called a square.

This angle typically brings challenges that force change in areas represented by the planets and signs involved. In the case of Uranus and Pluto, we are being pushed to upgrade or even revolutionize our identity (Aries) to enable greater freedom, awakening, and genius (Uranus) and to transform all structures and large organizations (Capricorn) to bring truth to light and permit spiritual evolution (Pluto).

Uranus and Pluto 2012 cycle began in the mid-1960s

This cycle began in 1965, when Uranus and Pluto came together in Virgo (see diagram at right). On October 9, 1965, they reached the same degree in Virgo, creating a relationship called a conjunction; they formed two more exact conjunctions in April and June 1966. In astrology, a conjunction joins or merges the energies of the planets involved and expresses them in areas represented by those planets and the sign they occupy.

In this case, Uranus's electric, erratic nature and energy of sudden change, revolution, awakening, and genius combined with Pluto's deep, transformative nature and energy of destruction, evolution, surrender, and hidden power. Together, they created explosive energy that demanded change, and they ushered in a new historical cycle. In the decades since, the seeds Uranus and Pluto sowed at their conjunction have had opportunities to sprout and take root, and some have created tremendous change.

Because Uranus and Pluto occupied Virgo at the time of their three conjunctions, many of the changes we have seen since the mid-1960s have involved Virgo themes: health, purity, independence, pets, service, jobs, daily routine, practicality, food, and the connections among mind, body, and spirit. In addition, because Virgo is a mutable sign, it comes at the end of a season and represents energy concerned with clearing out the old to make way for the new (as opposed to cardinal energy, which begins a season and creates the new by initiating new efforts, or fixed energy, which comes at the middle of a season and maintains what once was new by putting order, systems, and routines in place).

Virgo energy analyzes and then takes practical steps to improve daily life in order to serve the greater good. In the mid-1960s, Uranus and Pluto in Virgo helped adjust or eliminate old ways (discrimination, pollution, colonialism) to permit independence and protect health. Virgo's ultimate goal is perfection: for example, during his presidency Lyndon Johnson (a Virgo) sought to improve America and create a "Great Society" that would eliminate poverty, hunger, and illness.

Where are we now?

As of June 24, the Uranus-Pluto combination has reached a turning point. These planets' movements through the zodiac since the 1960s have brought them into the first of seven exact squares (see diagram at right) that will occur through 2015. Astrologically, a square consists of two planets in a 90° angle, a relationship that tends to bring clashes and turmoil (especially on the inner plane) in order to raise awareness and motivate us to make difficult yet beneficial changes.

These two planets represent the major astrological factor making 2012 a pivotal year in history and human evolution. Their current square angle indicates a time of significant change is at hand, and their combination offers an opportunity to renew the idealism and urge toward improvement and better health (not just physical health, but emotional, mental, and spiritual wellness) that these two planets seeded nearly five decades ago.

Unlike the mid-1960s, when Uranus and Pluto occupied mutable Virgo, today these planets occupy powerful cardinal signs that demand the new instead of fixing the old. Uranus in Aries expresses its electric, exciting energy in pioneering, independent ways. At its best, it uses Uranus's trademark computers and other technology to benefit not only humanity as a whole (Uranus) but the individual (Aries) and the need to blaze new trails (Aries). Uranian insistence on freedom can help us awaken to our true, spiritual identity (Aries) and our unique genius (Uranus).

Meanwhile, Pluto in Capricorn is bringing deep change (Pluto) to large structures (Capricorn). Those that do not adapt may fall: already, we have seen major corporations  disappear in the wake of Pluto's transformative energy. At its best, Pluto in Capricorn expresses Plutonian power and hidden energy not only to expose truth and find unrecognized riches in dark or unexplored places but to reinvent all structures and re-create all hierarchies (Capricorn) to enable greater evolution (Pluto).

What does our "report card" say?

This first Uranus-Pluto square comes while Pluto is retrograde, indicating an outer-inner, push-pull quality. Uranus in Aries wants to rush forward (Aries) to create quick change (Aries) on the material plane, but Pluto retrograde is pulling our evolutionary quest (Pluto) inward (retrograde). This situation suggests we go deeply within (Pluto retrograde) to evaluate all structures and boundaries (Capricorn) and use what we learn to inform our efforts to free (Uranus) our personal (Aries) and collective (Uranus) identity (Aries).

During this process, we can gain vital information by looking to the past. Regardless of whether you were born before or after the Uranus-Pluto conjunctions of 1965 and 1966, take some time to explore how much the world has changed since that time. On a simple level, consider how American culture has evolved (Pluto) beyond casual, rampant littering to widespread acceptance of recycling (Virgo) . Note the much greater role pets (Virgo) play in daily life (Virgo) and how awakening (Uranus) to the importance of cleaning up after one's dog has contributed to health and cleanliness (Virgo). On a more complex level, consider how concerns about health have exploded into today's huge medical system and how desires for holistic solutions have created an industry of alternatives (often not covered by insurance).

How else has the world changed since the mid-1960s? In light of the past, how are we doing in the present? Does today's world live up to the promise and idealism seeded in the mid-1960s? What do you believe needs to change to create a harmonious, healthy, ideal culture? If you had to issue a report card, what grade would you give the various structures in your life? How would you grade humanity as a whole? And most important, how would you grade yourself?

Look ahead to 2015 and beyond

Using the results of your reflections, consider what changes you will make to improve your personal grade. How can you empower (Pluto) yourself to create necessary changes? What structures in your life (your body, home, routine, community, belief system) support your ability to be your best self, and which need adjusting? Who are you, really? Can you be brave enough (Aries) to start expressing your unique (Uranus) identity (Aries)?

As you change, you help bring change to the world around you. By tapping your courage and daring to be your true self, you inspire others to look within, reckon with who they really are, and begin expressing their own truth. By making healthful choices and refusing what does not uplift your life, you empower others to do the same. By integrating your mind, body, and spirit, you bring spiritual power to all you think and do, and you help others do the same.

As the diagram here indicates, the Uranus-Pluto squares will continue through early 2015. Throughout this period, one of these two planets will be retrograde each time (except for the final square in 2015), indicating we have much to accomplish on the inner, personal plane in order to be ready for the new and better world we must create at this moment in history. If you begin your personal Uranus-Pluto changes now, you will be in a good position to assist in the birth of the new.

Whatever challenges you face, remember that the world needs you—the best you that is possible. May courage light your way, may genius inspire you, and may love ever empower you.
 

Welcome to Cancer time. The Sun leaves Gemini and enters Cancer on Wednesday, June 20, at 6:10 p.m. CDT (11:10 p.m. GMT). It will remain in Cancer until July 22.

This shift brings the Solstice and a new season (summer in the northern hemisphere and winter in the southern). By taking us from air to water, from our heads to our hearts, it offers new opportunities to honor our feelings and create greater emotional security. In the process, we can unite Gemini's logic with Cancer's caring to give our most beautiful thoughts the motivation they need to manifest.

About Cancer: Feel and remember

When the Sun travels through Cancer each year, it brings a tender, watery energy that invites us to feel deeply, use our imagination, enjoy memories, and nurture ourselves and others so we feel safe, connected, and cared for. Like the zodiac's other cardinal signs—Libra, Capricorn, and Aries—Cancer asks us to take action, often by exhibiting leadership or by starting something new. As with astrology's other water signs—Scorpio and Pisces—Cancer insists that we tap our emotions so we understand what we truly need and feel motivated to take care of ourselves properly.

After the experience of airy, lively Gemini, this energy can feel weepy, needy, or even weak. Ultimately, however, it supports all the curiosity and new information we experienced during the Sun's time in Gemini, as Cancer's receptive, emotional intelligence helps us humanize our ideas and harness our intellect to serve the greater good in a kind and loving way.

This sign's powerful intuition allows Cancer to sense the truth and gives rise to mothers' legendary ability to know what their children feel and need even when they do not express it. Cancer's remarkable memory gives this sign a love of tradition, history, and antiques. Although these traits help us open our hearts and value the past, if taken to excess they can cause challenges. Mothering may morph to smothering and attempting to control others, and sensing what others need may lead us to do for others what they can and must do for themselves. Also, a strong memory can cause us to wallow in nostalgia or to remember every slight and snub and hurt, refusing to forgive as we hold a lifetime's worth of grudges. At its best, though, Cancer enriches our lives by helping us feel and remember so we can learn from history, assist society's weak and wounded, and show others how much we care.

Cancer symbolism

Cancer is ruled by the Moon, the ancient symbol of the mother, which gives rise to Cancer's association with mothers and children as well as nurturing, food, and security. Besides inspiring poets and lovers with its mysterious light and constantly changing appearance, the Moon affects Earth's tides and women's monthly cycles.

The Moon's movement around the Earth and its rotation on its axis are synchronized so closely that those of us on Earth always see the same side of the Moon. Paradoxically, this unchanging face changes constantly in appearance because of the Moon's phases, a physical fact that calls to mind Cancer's often shifting moods. Regardless of its phase, the Moon reflects light from the Sun, and except for the new or "dark" moon at the beginning of each monthly lunar cycle, the Moon appears in the sky as the brightest object we see besides the Sun.

Cancer's symbol, the Crab, has a soft body encased in a hard shell, and those born under the sign of Cancer generally are highly sensitive and tend to retreat into their safe shells when vulnerable or hurt. This image reminds us that everyone needs a home that feels safe and allows for emotional healing and growth. At its best, Cancer energy encourages us to mother ourselves well so we can be tender and risk caring for others despite past hurts. When out of balance, however, the Crab may use its big claws to hang on to what it has outgrown or to hoard money or food; it also may retreat permanently to its shell and refuse to risk change while it laments losing the past.

Current astrology: challenging configurations launch era of intensity, potential for positive change

Besides ushering in a new season, the Solstice on June 20 launches a time of increasing intensity and tremendous opportunity for constructive change:

* As Cancer time begins this year, the Sun joins Mercury, already in the sign of the Crab. This day also brings the Solstice, giving us the year's longest day in the northern hemisphere and its longest night in the southern. By bringing us to the extremes of light and darkness while the Sun occupies a highly emotional sign, this Solstice can cause feelings to run high; this is a good time to take good care of ourselves, notice what we feel, and take time to reflect before taking action.
* On June 24, Uranus in Aries will reach a difficult angle (called a square) to Pluto in Capricorn, causing turmoil, disruption, and clashes around freedom (Uranus) and identity (Aries) versus power (Pluto) and structure (Capricorn). This square configuration echoes the energies of the mid-1960s, when Uranus and Pluto launched a new cycle by coming together in Virgo; it is one of the factors making 2012 a pivotal year. This June 24 configuration is the first of seven squares Uranus and Pluto will make between now and spring 2015, indicating a time of significant change is at hand. This pairing offers an opportunity to renew the idealism and urge toward improvement and better health that these two planets seeded in the mid-1960s.
* Relationships, justice, peace, and the arts take center stage again when Saturn ends its retrograde in Libra on June 25. Since early February, when Saturn turned retrograde, we have had opportunities to re-think relationships and consider Libra's love of fairness; now we can act on what we've learned and benefit from Saturn's gift of maturity and restraint.
* On June 25 or 26 (depending on your location), Mercury leaves watery Cancer for fiery Leo, boosting our creativity and turning our thoughts to playful self-expression.
* On June 27, Libra's ruler, Venus, turns direct. During its retrograde, which began in mid-May, Venus's gifts of pleasure, beauty, and socializing have been muted or even absent because we have been called to turn inward (retrograde) to re-think (Gemini) our values, relationships, and creative expression (Venus). Now we can move forward, using what we've learned over the past six weeks to make positive changes.
* On June 30, the Sun amplifies the Uranus-Pluto square's themes when it reaches its own square to Uranus and sits exactly opposite Pluto in a challenging configuration called a t-square. With all three planets in cardinal signs, the urge to take action will rise, and the Sun's placement in Cancer will spotlight emotions. Notice what you feel, especially about your unique gifts and your personal power; if your life lacks zest or empowerment, consider how you can make constructive changes.
* On July 3, relationships take on even greater emphasis when assertive, masculine Mars enters peace-loving Libra, where he will stay until late August. The warrior's sojourn here will bring opportunities to focus our drive, energy, and passion on relationships, the arts, equality, and justice. Mars also will help us carry out changes we realized must be made in relationships during Saturn's retrograde in Libra.
* On July 13, Uranus goes retrograde in Aries, giving us until mid-December to re-think what constitutes personal freedom and how to express our unique genius for the greater good.
* From July 14 through August 8, Mercury will be retrograde. Prepare now by setting a regular schedule to back up your computer and planning for life to slow down a bit. During the retrograde, take extra time to check details and review any aspects of your life and work that experience snags or obstacles. Put off starting anything new, if possible; instead, spend extra time in reflection and meditation and take note of new information that surfaces. Once the retrograde lifts, you can move forward with whatever you learned and will find that waiting has served you well.

What do I feel?

During this Cancer time, we experience strong impulses to open our hearts and take emotional risks. In northern areas, the shift to Cancer is associated with the Sun's zenith, its annual glory, as the daily amount of sunlight reaches its longest duration. From a spiritual perspective, this climax of light corresponds to the potential for inner awakening or illumination, which can serve as inner light over the next six months while outer, solar light diminishes steadily until the next Solstice in December.

Each astrological sign is associated with a phrase, and for Cancer that phrase is "I feel." This feeling can be expressed negatively by blaming others when we feel anger, hurt, or other strong emotions or by using guilt and other emotional weapons to harm or control others. At its best, though, this urge becomes a loving commitment to experience emotions, learn from them, and use their energy for spiritual purposes:

Imagine that you are water. Oxygen and hydrogen unite to create your molecules, and your liquid nature causes you to move freely, penetrating everything, everywhere. You flow over hard objects like boulders, around large objects like cliffs, and into receptive materials like soil. In the sky, you mass until clouds become heavy and you fall upon Earth, bringing fertility and new life. Underground, you flow unseen until emerging in healing springs or being tapped for wells. In the highest mountains, you become snow and ice, and in the spring, your power manifests when sunshine and warmer temperatures release the cold and liquify you into a powerful force of nature that rushes downward, swelling rivers and streams as you race to the oceans. In your humility you seek the lowest places, and as you move, you purify. In your patience, you dissolve the seemingly solid and wash away the apparently immovable. You are the power that carves canyons, you are the salt tears of sadness, you are the life-giving water of deserts.  

Now is the time to accept your emotional power. You have gifts of a human heart that can feel deeply and human intelligence that can help you ride waves of feeling without being pulled under by them. If you will take up the task of acknowledging your true feelings and aspiring to use them consciously to help create emotional beauty and caring, you will come to understand why the Moon, who lights the night with ever changing mystery, has been called the Divine Mother.

Wishing you a life lived in harmony...

Summer Solstice 2012 arrives this Wednesday at 6:10 p.m. CDT (11:10 p.m. GMT) when the Sun leaves chatty, curious Gemini and enters emotional, imaginative Cancer. This shift also brings us a new astrological month and a new season (summer in the northern hemisphere and winter in the southern hemisphere).

Sunlight symbolizes opportunity for more inner light

Here in the north, we experience the year’s longest day. The sun reaches its zenith, its annual glory, because the amount of sunlight is greatest at summer Solstice. With the Sun so strong, we have an opportunity to experience great external light that reveals important information if we pay attention. This time of greatest solar light also symbolizes our opportunity to experience inner light in the form of insights, intution, and even illumination.

The Solstice caps six months of increasing light, making this a good time to look back to review your experiences in the past half year. What have you learned? What new information has been revealed? How have you changed and grown, especially spiritually? What inspirations have you experienced that can serve as inner light and spiritual food in the coming six months, as the amount of daily sunlight decreases?

Summer Solstice offers time to reflect, set intentions

In coming days, consider setting aside some time for reflection. You may find it helpful to jot down notes about how you’re feeling because Solstices represent extremes (symbolized by the amount of visible light) and can cause emotions to run high. This week also offers a wonderful opportunity for meditation: besides looking at what you might have done better over the past six months, take time to celebrate what you’ve accomplished.

Finally, look ahead to the next Solstice in December. (See last year’s winter Solstice post for more information.) What can you do in the next six months that will give you a sense of happiness and satisfaction this December? What can you be and think and feel that will contribute to your happiness and set an inspiring example for others? Set an intention or two and see yourself expanding spiritually by increasing your inner light.

Wishing you inspired insights by the light of summer Solstice 2012.

Art provides a powerful way to connect with our inner selves because it communicates through symbols, which constitute the language of the soul. This symbolic language speaks to us through art’s physical qualities of color, form, composition, and medium; it also communicates through an art work’s content. In this way, form and content combine to express spiritual or mystical meaning, giving art a sense of mystery and inviting us to return again and again for contemplation. Over time, art can reward us with new insights and touch our souls through beauty of form and meaning.

In ancient Egypt, the goddess Ma’at personified the order that came out of primordial chaos. Her name, which means truth, alludes to her vital role in the afterlife: after death, every person came face to face with Ma’at, who weighed the individual’s heart (which housed the soul) against a white feather. If the scales balanced, the person was allowed to make the journey to heaven's eternal paradise; if the heart was too heavy, the demon Ammit devoured it and the person had to stay in the underworld, suffering from a terrible restlessness.

This painting, Ma'at's Feather, evokes this ancient story. The red background alludes to the heart that Ma'at must weigh as well as the spiritual fire and personal sacrifice that assist inner growth. Touches of gold indicate spiritual riches obtained from inner purity and heartfelt devotion. Here, the white feather floats in air and has turned almost completely purple, symbolizing a kind of spiritual achievement or royalty beyond simple purity; after reaching a pure state in order to balance the scales of Ma'at, a soul still faced a long journey and many trials before reaching paradise.

Ma'at and Astrology: Libra and Gemini

In astrology, Ma'at is associated with Libra, an air sign signifying the lightness required to succeed at the afterlife's weighing. Symbolized by a set of scales, Libra has a natural affinity with Ma'at's scales as well as her balancing function and devotion to justice.

Ma'at also carries connections with Gemini because of her famous feather. Talkative and information-loving Gemini is linked with birds, feathers, and flying because this chatty sign loves communication, and birds tend to be talky beings that communicate through various calls and other sounds. Also, birds fly through air, a symbol of thought, logic, and the mind; Gemini's ruler, Mercury, represents the human mind. Like Libra, Gemini is an air signs, reinforcing the lightness required to please Ma'at.

On the spiritual plane, Gemini governs inspired writing and higher thought because Mercury, the Roman god with wings on his feet and cap, served as the speedy messenger of the gods. Also, as birds fly high in the sky, they are closer to the heavens--literally and symbolically--and therefore privy to divine communication. Here on earth, observing their colors and traits can give us clues to spiritual messages. For example, a robin's large red breast indicates a big heart and emotional warmth, and its perky, jaunty movements symbolize freshness, youth, and good cheer.

Ma'at and the Sun's Journey Through Gemini

With the Sun's recent move into Gemini (May 20), the story of Ma'at offers rich associations that can help us see Gemini in a new way and make the most of its airy energies. During our time on Earth, our work consists in making our hearts light and pure enough to balance perfectly with a single feather. As the Sun moves through Gemini, we can make progress toward that goal by refraining from negative thoughts and misuse of our minds and communication so we don’t make our hearts heavy with guilt and shame. At the same time, we can engage in constructive communication and positive thoughts. Throughout this process, we can attune with Gemini's best expression by enjoying lighthearted pleasures that freshen our spirits and inspire our minds.

With Venus currently in Gemini and in retrograde motion (meaning she appears to be moving backward), our minds may be focusing on the past, especially old relationships and values.  In some cases, our memories may be pleasant. In other cases, challenging memories may surface in dreams, and old mistakes and failed relationships may fill our thoughts; these experiences offer opportunities to forgive ourselves, right any perceived wrongs we may have committed, and heal old wounds so we can lighten our hearts and move on to a better, higher expression of our inner selves.

In addition, Venus's time in Gemini can be a time for reviewing pleasures from the past, especially artistic or creative expressions we may have set aside. Perhaps it's time to reclaim those talents or reinvent them or finally put them to rest in order to try new creative activities. This period also can be a rich time of reviewing how we express ourselves in general and consider ways to make our communication more beautiful (Venus) and truthful (Maat, Gemini).

If we take on these efforts, by the time the Sun leaves Gemini on June 20 we will have made significant progress in evaluating our communications, relationships, and creativity. Then, when Venus ends her retrograde motion on June 27, we will be ready to move forward in more beautiful, pleasant, and meaningful ways.

During this introspective period, may Ma'at's Feather--and her higher truth--inspire you to lighten your heart and restore beauty throughout your life and relationships.

Welcome to Gemini time. The Sun leaves Taurus and enters Gemini on Sunday, May 20, at 10:17 a.m. CDT (3:13 p.m. GMT). It will remain in Gemini until June 20.

This shift is taking all of us from earth to air, from our bodies to our minds: ruled by speedy Mercury, Gemini loves nothing so much as a good conversation (or several, all at once) and entertaining ideas. That makes this a good time to explore your mind, including how you think, how you process information, and how you communicate with others.

About Gemini: Out with the old, in with the new

When the Sun travels through Gemini each year, it brings a light, airy energy that inspires us to let our thoughts take wing. We move away from Taurus's heavy, earthy emphasis on material reality, possessions, and the body to the Twins' breezy world of the mind, ideas, and communication of all kinds.

Gemini's insatiable curiosity and mental restlessness push us to get out, taking short trips or detours as the spirit moves us in order to learn new information. By keeping our eyes and ears open, we take in new data; if we keep our minds open, too, we have an opportunity to think new thoughts and entertain new ideas. Gemini time also urges us to see old thoughts or interests in new ways and to re-think anything in our lives that needs freshening or replacing.

This sign's vivacity and love of the new—especially innovative gadgets and technology— give Gemini a youthful and even happy-to-lucky quality, and its ruler, Mercury, gives this sign an agile mind. Although these traits help us stay up to date and try new experiences, when taken to excess they can bring challenges. Youthfulness can morph to immaturity and a refusal to age gracefully or accept adult responsibilities. Gemini's nimble tongue can cause us to speak thoughtlessly, solely to entertain others, and we may hurt people or harm our reputation by indulging in gossip, lying, or using words as weapons. At its best, though, Mercury can lighten our lives with laughter, a kind word or joke at just the right time, and a wry take on its own all-too-human foibles.

Gemini symbolism
Gemini is ruled by Mercury, named for the ancient Roman messenger god who could travel among the heavens, the earth, and the underworld and who got around swiftly thanks to the wings on his sandals and cap. This zippy planet, the smallest in our solar system, orbits the Sun in just 88 days; paradoxically, it spins slowly, making one rotation in about 58 Earth days.

Despite its relative brightness, Mercury often is difficult to see because it is so close to the Sun; like Venus, it appears as either a "morning star" just before sunrise or an"evening star" just after sunset, although its period of visibility from Earth is brief. Its orbit is egg-shaped or "eccentric," unlike that of the rest of our solar system's planets, with have essentially circular orbits.

Gemini's symbol, the Twins, gives us the image of duality: often, things come in twos for Gemini, such as pursuing two quite different careers at the same time. This quality arises from a natural curiosity, versatility, and love of variety. Like the Twins, however, when Gemini is out of balance, this duality may manifest as being two-faced. Gemini also may alienate others by exhibiting two dramatically different personalities, being scattered from multitasking, or becoming overextended from trying to be in two places (or two relationships) at once.

Current astrology: Gemini dominates, while eclipses and Venus transit demand balance and feminine focus
This astrological month comes packed with major events. The Sun and several other planets occupy airy Gemini, and in keeping with the Twins' duality, this month brings two eclipses (one in Gemini, the other in its opposite sign, Sagittarius) and an uncommon two new Moons in Gemini. In addition, a rare transit of Venus across the Sun ramps up Twin energy while turning our thoughts toward all things feminine and receptive.

♦    As Gemini time begins this year, the Sun joins Venus in the sign of the Twins. Saturn, currently retrograde in the air sign Libra, demands that we exhibit maturity in relationships and dedicate ourselves to fundamental fairness.
♦    Just hours after the Sun enters Gemini, a new Moon arrives in Gemini; minutes later, a dramatic solar eclipse reaches its climax. (If it's visible from your location, be sure to wear protective eye gear if you decide to watch). All this Gemini activity in a single day may fray nerves and frazzle communication. Eclipses can bring dramatic change; with Gemini emphasized, you may learn new information or have sudden insights. If you feel drained or overwhelmed, take good care of yourself, notice what happens to you and those around you, see how you feel about it, and take time to reflect so you can make constructive choices.
♦    Days later, on May 24, speedy Mercury comes home to Gemini, one of the signs it rules. This shift will intensify our focus on our minds and all other things Gemini and may put our thinking into overdrive. Besides increasing urges to communicate—perhaps constantly and in every possible medium—this change will push us to act mentally and rationally instead of emotionally.
♦    On June 5 or 6 (depending on your location), Venus will transit the Sun, meaning she will be between the Sun and Earth and can be observed moving across the Sun's disk. This rare event will not be repeated until 2117; if visible at your location, wear protective eye gear if you watch it. This transit offers an opportunity for Venus's realm of women, beauty, art, and pleasures to take center stage and to increase in power and brightness by merging with the Sun. Note that Venus has been retrograde in Gemini since May 15, however, and remains so until June 27, so this transit offers opportunities to re-think (Gemini) feminine power (Venus); Venus's placement in curious Gemini can help us determine how to balance action and attraction (Sun and Venus), masculine and feminine, self and other. It also can help us realize what constitutes mental beauty and harmonious thoughts.
♦    On June 4, Neptune, symbol of spirituality, dreams, and consciousness, will go retrograde in Pisces and remain so until early November, giving us an opportunity to review our spiritual lives, idealism, and service to the higher good. This period also offers opportunities to re-think how we can live more spiritually and release addictions and escapism.
♦    Also June 4, the full Moon in optimistic, adventurous Sagittarius will come with a lunar eclipse. As with the solar eclipse on May 20, take good care of yourself and notice what happens, what information surfaces, and what you believe and feel about it. Set aside time to reflect on what comes to light.
♦    On June 11, Jupiter will leave Taurus for Gemini. Since June 2011, when Jupiter entered the sign of the Bull, we have felt powerful pressure to expand (Jupiter) our material security (Taurus) as well as a call to nobler leadership and benevolent stewardship of Earth and her resources. Jupiter's move into Gemini will turn our thoughts toward expanding communication, mental activity, and logical thought. It also will expand our potential for higher thought and nobler ideas.
♦    Finally, on June 19, a second new Moon in Gemini will increase emphasis on the Twins by giving us a second chance for new thoughts, communication, and ideas.

Coming next month

The rest of this summer will continue to bring greater intensity with the Solstice on June 20 and the first of several difficult angles between Uranus and Pluto on Jun 24 (echoing the most intense energies of the mid-1960s). Next month's newsletter will review these major astrological happenings.

Until then, if you begin to feel pressure building, remember to take time for extra rest and solitude. Also, with all the fast moving Gemini energy this month, set aside time for quiet and breaks from technology and communication so you can regain balance and be at your best when you're with others.

What do I think?

During this Gemini time, we feel intuitive impulses to focus on our mental lives. Each astrological sign is associated with a phrase, and for Gemini that phrase is "I think." This energy may be expressed negatively via constant chatter, verbal attacks, mental superiority, having an opinion on everything (and forcing it on others), spending too much time with technology, or ignoring life's emotional side in favor of cold logic. At its best, though, Gemini inspires us to act on our curiosity, explore new ideas, and allow ourselves the spiritual joy of life's most sublime thoughts:

Imagine that you are a bird. Feel your swift heartbeat and the exquisite lightness of your body. Now notice your head, which darts around, so you your bright eyes can take in everything around you. Now feel your feathers and how they ruffle in the breeze. Stretch out your wings, feel your desire to soar, and see how easily your body responds by becoming airborne. Liberated from earth, you land in a tree and look down to where you just stood on the ground. Now fly higher and look up toward the Sun. Feel your thoughts become inspired by celestial Light and the joy of Pure Thought. It feels heavenly, and you wish you could keep flying forever in this state of high mental purity, but soon another urge makes itself felt. You feel in your fast beating heart and at the deepest part of your soul that you must not hold this sublime state for yourself alone. Instead, you must return to Earth and do your best to communicate what you thought and experienced to others, that they might benefit and be uplifted.

Now is the time to let your thoughts take wing. You already have gifts of a human mind, reasoning, and curiosity that allow you to undertake mental journeys. You also have human consciousness that aspires to higher understanding and expression. If you will take up the task of directing your mind to great thoughts and beautiful ideas, you will come to understand why Gemini's ruler, the speedy Mercury who travels between the worlds, has been called the Divine Messenger…

Venus, the planet named for the ancient Roman goddess of love and beauty, goes retrograde Tuesday, May 15, until Wednesday, June 27. Venus is in Gemini right now, so this retrograde period will give us opportunities to think about (Gemini) what we find beautiful, pleasant, harmonious, and just (Venus).

How to benefit from a retrograde period
When any planet goes retrograde, it appears to move backward, as seen by us on Earth. Although the planets do not actually move backward, a retrograde period brings us a powerful metaphor about going back over previously traveled ground: we can review the areas of life governed by the retrograde planet as well as themes linked to the sign it occupies. A retrograde also helps us reconsider the affairs associated with the sign(s) that planet rules.

In the case of Venus, we can benefit from looking at love, affection, and attraction. Because Venus is in Gemini, we have an opportunity to review how we express love and affection (Venus) via our minds through thinking, speaking, and writing and via technology such as electronic communications and social media (Gemini). Because Venus rules Taurus and Libra, this is a good time to analyze our values, bodies, resources, and possessions (Taurus) as well as our relationships—especially marriage and partnerships—and our need for balance, harmony, peace, and justice (Libra).

Outer challenges encourage inner reflection
Venus tends to soften and sweeten whatever she touches. In Gemini, she can help us communicate with kindness and think positive thoughts about others. When a planet is retrograde, however, it often feels as if its gifts are missing from our lives; with Venus retrograde in Gemini, her gifts of pleasant conversation, mental attractiveness, and verbal charm may be in short supply. This loss occurs because a retrograde de-emphasizes outward action in favor of inward exploration.

To make the most of Venus’s retrograde in Gemini, we can shift our emphasis from socializing (Venus) and communicating with others (Gemini) to inner reflection and personal analysis. Rather than keeping up constant efforts to make new friends or have new experiences, we can slow down to think about current relationships and past experiences. In solitude, we can consider which relationships enhance our lives and which could be improved or need to end.

We have ample opportunity to complete this review and then make changes because Venus’s sojourn in Gemini lasts from April 3 through August 7, which is much longer than usual because of this retrograde. If you take time now to look within, you will find inner beauties and love you may have overlooked. When Venus moves forward again on June 27, your life can become sweeter as you begin expressing what you learned during the retrograde.

Influences from the past
Retrogrades also help us by enabling us to journey into the past. With Gemini involved in this retrograde, you may come across old letters or e-mails or you may hear from someone you haven’t seen in years. Or you may hear a song whose lyrics provide a special message just for you, or you may feel prompted to revisit a book you loved in childhood.

With Venus involved, something lovely from the past may reappear. You may find that people from your past—particularly women—cross your path again. Or you may revisit a cherished hobby you gave up long ago or feel an urge to beautify your wardrobe or home with vintage items. You may want to jot down notes about what you experience during the retrograde so you can review your experiences and decide what to keep in your life after Venus goes direct.

How do you think and how do you love?
Given Gemini’s natural curiosity, you may enjoy taking a creative approach to this period. Go within to reflect on your mind and consciousness and notice how your mind typically works. Is it fast but scattered? Or steady but prone to stagnation? Can you concentrate and ignore distractions? Do you regularly entertain new ideas, or are you still running your life based on old ideas or outworn thoughts? Do you identify yourself with your thoughts, or are you able to see that your consciousness is far bigger than just your mental realm?

Given Venus’s presence in Gemini, think about how you express love. Can you tell someone else, “I love you”? When you say it, do you mean it? When you’re with others, do you listen to them or only pretend to pay attention while you’re thinking about yourself or your next humorous remark? Have you ever purposely hurt someone with words, or has someone else ever done that to you? Do you extend your love to yourself, or are you unable to accept yourself, imperfections and all? Are you able to let go of old relationships, or are you stuck on regrets or resentment?

Let love guide your thoughts
One of the most powerful ways to use this Venus retrograde period is to link Venus’s love and beauty with Gemini’s love of the mind and communication. Beautify your mind by taking note of your thinking style and making the most of its strengths. Use your mind for constructive purposes and strengthen it by improving your ability to concentrate, reflect, and meditate.

In everyday life, notice your thoughts. Reject negative ones and welcome in uplifting, loving ones. Train yourself to see the good in everyone you meet and to see a benefit in every challenging experience. Over time, you will make mental harmony a habit and be able to express a thoughtful love that assists others.
Once you have an ability to refrain from negative thoughts, begin to use your mind actively to promote good: speak well of others (even people you do not know or may never meet), think happy thoughts about them when they experience good times, and extend compassionate thoughts when they struggle or stumble. When you observe disharmony or see others fighting, refrain from taking sides and fill your mind with images of an amicable solution and thoughts of love and peace. Your own peace of mind will influence others by example, and your ability to envision a happy conclusion will help others do the same. Over time, you will find that you have become the fabled “instrument of peace.”

Enjoy Venus’s retrograde. May your reflections bring you much pleasure as you consider what makes your mind most beautiful and what makes your thoughts truly loving.

Has your mind been racing? Have your thoughts felt jumpy, irritated, or even angry? Have your conversations, e-mails, or interactions on social media sparked bracing doses of truth (or perhaps heated arguments or misunderstandings)?

That's the edge and power of Mercury in Aries. Mercury, the fleet-footed messenger of the gods, represents our minds and mental processes as well as communication, logic, commerce, and short trips in our immediate neighborhood or local area. In the impulsive fire sign Aries, Mercury can feel like a rabbit on the run: startled by some sudden impulse or encounter, overstimulated with stress hormones, and rushed into action to meet these demands.

Mercury entered the sign of the Ram on April 16 and has been bringing all of us a feeling of being on mental alert or even overdrive. Combined with electrical Uranus, also in Aries, this energy has taxed our minds and brought unexpected challenges with computers and technology. This volatile combination also may have brought freedom or new opportunities by bringing sudden inspirations (Uranus in Aries) or fiery words (Mercury in Aries) that help clear the air. Taken too far, these energies may have strained communication and relationships or brought tremendous stress from technology breakdowns or radical changes in plans or passions.

Thought shifts from fiery to fertile

Fortunately, all that is about to change. On May 9, Mercury zips out of brash Aries and enters placid Taurus, where it remains until June 7. This period of "mental earth" (Mercury in Taurus), will give us time to rev down mentally, stabilize our thoughts and mental processes, and seek balance. Along the way, we have an opportunity to achieve greater mental peace by turning our minds toward ideas beloved by Taurus the Bull: nature, stillness, harmony, beauty, and enduring values.

Besides bringing some welcome mental relief, Mercury's time in Taurus will offer a fertile time for creativity. By slowing down, we can filter out mental noise and focus on inspired thoughts that stir our imaginations; fiery thoughts from Mercury's time in Aries now can find fertile, tangible expression because Mercury in Taurus is grounded, steady, and practical.

What inspirations have come your way since April 16? What has stirred your passion or spurred you to greater originality? What powerful parts of yourself have come to you in dreams and pressed forward during waking moments, demanding your attention? From now through May 9, take note of your thoughts and most innovative ideas—especially the ones that make you feel most alive and authentic.

Reclaim your creativity

If you pay attention to these exciting thoughts, you will be ready for Mercury's time in Taurus and have an opportunity to reclaim your creativity in tangible ways. For example, given Taurus's love of music, you may find yourself singing again after a long period of silence. Or you may find yourself renewing relationships (or starting new ones) by expressing your deepest emotions (Taurus rules the throat and helps us "speak up").

Taurus also loves the arts, making this a good time to translate the thoughts that came to you while Mercury was in Aries into painting, poetry, or pottery. As Taurus appreciates beautiful things of lasting value, you may find yourself investing in the "just right" tool for your creative work, such as a custom made musical instrument, a specialized piece of software, handmade knitting needles, or artist made mixing bowls.

Whatever form your creativity takes, be sure to increase its power and potential by refreshing your mind with harmonious, beautiful thoughts. Go out into nature as often as possible to enjoy her stillness and renew your connection with silence. In the quiet, let nature's abundance and fertility remind you that those qualities exist within you, too, and that the time has come for you to give birth to something beautiful.

A new thought, a new song, a new recipe. A new part of yourself, a new photo of a loved one, a new hope for the future. However it manifests, let your "baby" come forth and help uplift our world at this auspicious time.

I found duplicate entries with my name in the members list.  I am not sure how this could have happened, but what if anything should be done to remove the duplicate entry.  I am also concerned about future payments deductions that would not result in duplicate.

The journey inside has been incredible.

The battles have been fierce,

The obstacles - colossal.

Often I fell - crushed by the weight of my own creations.

I have wallowed in half truths.

I have abandoned the needs of my brothers and sisters,

Seeking instead, self centered fulfillment of empty dreams.

My only anchor has been the Cloak, the Mask, and the Cordelier

Now, this day, stripped of all self made illusions,

I am open to the way of the heart.

I know you understand.

A Wild Rose

2012

Have you felt the change? A welcome lift and lightness, a sense of the tide turning? Venus, the beautiful planet named for the ancient goddess of love, left earthy Taurus and entered airy Gemini on April 3.

This shift is helping us become more social, enjoy lighter forms of fun, and engage in playful exchanges with others. Best of all, this lovely energy will continue for four months, giving us a welcome relief from some of the heavier and harder astrological energies pressing upon us these days.

Typically, Venus spends about a month in a given sign before moving on to the next astrological sign. This year is different, however, because of her upcoming retrograde motion: instead of four weeks, Venus will sojourn in Gemini for four months, remaining in the sign of the Twins until August 7. As a result, the combination of Venus (love, beauty, pleasure, relationships, values) and Gemini (communication, duality, curiosity, intelligence, playfulness) will take center stage for us all.

This planetary position gives us an extended opportunity to operate in ways that are harmonious (Venus) as well as smart (Gemini). This energy differs dramatically from the past month, when Venus was in Taurus: Taurus is earthy, grounded, and practical, while Gemini is mental, airy, and curious. Last month, you may have felt Venus's influence in Taurus as an urge to enjoy nature, fine food, and plenty of physical contact. Hugs and other physical affection are a hallmark for Taurus, which prefers tangible expressions of love over words.

Now, though, love takes on a lighter touch. Venus in Gemini brings an urge to speak "sweet nothings," to make small talk, and to speak kindly. For example, if you have experienced any misunderstandings or difficulties in relationships, now is a good time repair any damage with loving words. This period also offers wonderful opportunities to get out and  socialize with new people, use charm in constructive ways to create stronger relationships, and enjoy the pleasures of having a human mind that can explore new ideas.

Venus tends to sweeten and soften everything she touches, so her time in Gemini can take the form of soft, sweet words or sincere and loving compliments to others. It also might be expressed by visiting (Gemini) an art museum (Venus), chatting (Gemini) with friends about music or other arts (Venus), or creating something beautiful (Venus) and handmade (Gemini).

Although this time will bring ample opportunities for interacting directly with others, one of the most powerful ways to express Venus in Gemini comes on the inner plane, via our thoughts and visualizations. Just as Venus in Taurus gave us inspiration for bestowing physical  hugs, Venus in Gemini can help us give "mental hugs."

At the simplest level, a mental hug can be thinking well of others and imagining them happy and healthy. It also can take the form seeing the best in others, silently expressing gratitude when observing them being kind to one another, or saying "thank you" for all the good that comes our way. In situations where it may be inappropriate or impossible to speak directly to someone, simply extending a kind thought or a smile can work wonders.

What have you longed to say to others? What kindness can you bestow with your mind? Now is the time to act: let Venus soften your heart, and let Gemini help you find the words…

When Mercury went retrograde March 12, it began moving backward through Aries and on March 23 slipped back into Pisces. When the retrograde ends April 4, Mercury will begin to move forward in Pisces and then re-enter Aries on April 16.

During this time, you may have felt Mercury’s trickster energy via misplaced belongings, technology glitches, missed phone calls, travel delays, or itinerary changes. Although these experiences can cause difficulties or bring frustration, they also can benefit us by forcing us to slow down and take in information we otherwise miss or ignore.

What appears to be a problem, such as a computer crash, often turns out to be a blessing by pushing us to make changes, such as implementing regular data backups or updating software. Even “mistakes,” such as sending a message to the wrong person, can prove to be blessings: delaying communication with the correct person could allow better information to become available or create a new opportunity to connect with the person who received the message in error. Whatever its manifestation, Mercury’s retrograde encourages us to become comfortable with all things “re” (review, revise, redo, revisit, reflect) so we’re in a stronger position when Mercury moves forward.

On a deeper level, Mercury retrograde encourages us to turn inward to reflect and meditate so we can connect with our inner selves. By quieting our everyday, rational mind, we have opportunities to hear from our higher, spiritual mind via intuition or inspiration. Such spiritual messages, long associated with birds because these airy creatures fly upward toward celestial realms, bring us insights we otherwise would miss.

With Mercury in Pisces, we have an even greater opportunity to “think spiritually” because of Pisces’s association with spirituality and unity. Mercury’s retrograde motion makes this a good time to revisit the past to evaluate our spiritual lives; at the same time, Mars’s retrograde in the opposite sign of Virgo (health, work, service) gives us an opportunity to evaluate our work lives before it moves forward in mid-April.
In these final days of Mercury’s retrograde, consider how well your work is aligned with your spiritual ideals.

Do your efforts serve the higher good? Do you feel called to the work you do? Has your health ever suffered from overwork or from escapist or addictive behavior? What changes can you make this season to bring your inner and outer lives into better balance?

If you seek your answers within, your higher self will send you personalized messages on the wings of a gentle bird in the form of intuition. Or you may receive  other spiritual guidance, such as coming across people who can provide just the right nugget of wisdom you need or discovering new information that becomes the key to solving a problem you have been working on.

Then, when Mercury and Mars move forward in coming days and weeks, the guidance you received will help you move forward, too.