When the Sun, Moon, and Stars Collide - Or So It Feels

True Confessions: I’ve always enjoyed reading the Horoscope Section of the Newspaper. About 20 years ago my mom bought me a book on Astrology and Numerology, but until I began my Spiritual Journey over the last year-plus, I didn’t understand how much Astrology affects our life journey. Suddenly, I knew that my sun sign was only a small part of me and I started looking into my rising and moon sign messages too. Guess what? Astrology is rooted in science and math and our sun, moon, and rising signs only skim the surface of how deep it goes. It’s like the iceberg that the Titanic hit, going so deep that it can affect things at a magnitude no one sees coming ( with the exception of some expert astrologers who do see things coming). Luckily, their understanding of the science of astrology assist in identifying these obstacles and can help us navigate around them, avoiding the same fate as the Titanic.

Second true confession: my understanding of this is still quite rudimentary. It’s something along the lines of, “Holy Moly! I have a LOT to learn!”, so forgive me any mistakes I might be making in my translation.

Here’s what you need to know: Your Sun Sign is based on the month and day of your birth and represents our ego, or motivations. Most people born in the month of April are Aries, but around the 20/21st of each month, the signs change, so those born during the last week and a couple days of April are Taurus. Your Rising Sign is based on where the sun rises in the eastern horizon at the day/time/place you are born. Often, this is the trait you possess that people notice most about you because it represents the you that you project to the outer world. The moon moves quickly through the Zodiac and changes signs every 2-3 days, so you need to know your birth time down to the minute for this one. It represents your emotions and reactions to things and can be so subtle, that even you have a hard time recognizing this side of you. (Read - “even me”.) This stuff is all really cool, but wait - because you may have noticed that nothing in the heavens stands still, and we have this thing called “time”, so everything is always moving and changing and the people we are/the people we start out as change over time as the world changes around us. I feel like even this is getting a bit “deep”, so suffice it to say that things can be predicted astrologically for individuals and the whole damn planet based on the stars (constellations), the sun, moon and planets, and various events.

Right now we have a boatload of astrological events going on and this Thursday we will have a lot of things happen at once. You may be feeling the energy amping up already, because big events tend to change the energy a few days before and a few days after, as a general rule. So what’s happening? Well, Starting Wednesday evening into the wee hours of Thursday, there will be a solar eclipse. The thing about eclipses is that they cast a shadow on the light. What you may be noticing is that some of your “shadows” that you were quite satisfied having in the dark are becoming more noticeable, and perhaps you’re experiencing some recurring thoughts/memories that are less than pleasant. Never fear - these are things that happened in the past. Although it feels chaotic, you are safe now and worrying about things that already happened is counter-productive. What you think about you bring about, so better to acknowledge the shadow, thank it for the lesson and release it. If there is someone you need to forgive (self-included), now is the time for that! It will feel so much better. If there is something you need to grieve, feel the sadness and let it go. Pent up sadness becomes anger, and an eclipse is a great time to let go and move forward. (Also, please know that I KNOW typing these words is way easier than actually “letting go”, so to all of you who follow this advice: KUDOS!)

Also on Thursday, is a New Moon. As you may recall, the New Moon is in conjunction with the sun and appears a shadow in the sky. This is another time that can bring about big emotions. We know that the moon is up there shining brightly, even though the light is shadowed. The same is true of our emotions within us. They are there, even if we keep them hidden. If the New Moon is reminding you of things you haven’t allowed yourself to feel, take some time and go inward. Be still. Allow yourself the time and space to feel and you will feel lighter, and if you can, do those “extras” in self-care, like journaling, seeing a therapist, or having a reiki session. I know my energy-healing friends and I are making sure to get sessions in this week!

I’d like to say that’s all - but it’s not. Two other things are happening on Thursday - Mercury, after months of being direct, is going retrograde again for a few weeks. At this time, it means not only wonky technological glitches and communication struggles, but also uncertainty with finances. Make sure to take the next few days to make sure “i’s” are dotted, and “t’s” are crossed, and budgets are balanced because this mercury retrograde is going to affect those things a bit more.

Finally, we move from Aries into Taurus. Aries is a fire sign and Taurus is an earth sign, so the energy is going from fiery, energetic and busy to more earthy, cocooning, and self-care focused. This is another hint that taking some time to really focus on what your body needs and soul needs to adjust. Rest and relaxation, whether 5 minutes or 5 days may be just the ticket.

Basically, this only skims the surface of what’s going on, and mostly honed in on Thursday and the surrounding week. If your head is spinning, know that you’re not alone. The best thing you can do for yourself and honestly, for those around you, is recognize what you need. Take some time to walk outside in the fresh air, take a salt bath, curl up with a hot drink and a good book, take a nap, call up your favorite energy healer and have a session just for you - I have plans for all of the above. I know I’m worth it…obviously, you are too! <3