Maria Vaiano's Blog
Posted by Maria Vaiano
Jupiter comes into conjunction with Pluto on December 11th. This event occurs about once every 12 years, each time in a different sign. In December 2007, it occurs in Sagittarius and that only happens about once every 250 years.
Jupiter is like Santa Claus. He comes jubilant and bears wonderful gifts for all of us. There's amazing potential with this planet when it comes to abundance, expansion and opportunity. Pluto on the other hand, is a bit darker. Pluto rules our will and power. It has everything to do with transformation at the deepest level.
So what do you think would happen when these two planets dance under the cosmic sky? Powerful, mind blowing and penetrating expansion in a certain area of life. That is guaranteed.
Where this will happen in your life can only be determined by casting an accurate birth chart. The house in which the Jupiter-Pluto conjunction occurs will certainly have life altering events taking place in the days surrounding this all potent combination. Just wait and see.
In the meantime, expect everyone around you to feel righter than rain. Opinionation and convictions will be tightly held onto by all of us with this conjunction. This can give you a great resourcefulness on one hand. On the other hand, it could make you a righteous fool. The choice is yours.
Posted by Maria Vaiano
Personally, I can't wait for Jupiter to enter Capricorn. As a fellow earth sign (Taurus) I know I'll benefit from the cosmic gifts Jupiter has in store quite significantly. And believe me, I can use some gifts this year.
Jupiter in Capricorn is almost an oxymoron though. The planet of expansion will be in the sign of restriction and discipline all year. Does this cancel Jupiter's effects? Are we all cheated? No. In fact, this placement will crystallize and put grand form to all of Juptier's gifts this year. Whatever Jupiter endows us with will be solid as a rock.
It's almost as if you can build the foundations of your dreams with this placement. Whatever house Jupiter falls in your personal birth chart will tell you exactly where the gifts are. Be sure to check out your personalized Jupiter forecast right here for more information.
Posted by Maria Vaiano
Mars is the planet of energy, action and war. It's the planet of desire and initiative. It's the fighter. Yesterday something happened to our warrior planet however. He went into hibernation.
Personally, this will be tough for me to deal with. I can't afford to fall asleep on the job. Now, more than ever, I need my fight. But maybe this Mars retrograde is meant to teach me when to allow others to fight my battles with me. Mars retrograde can teach us it's ok to ask for backup.
In Cancer, Mars retrograde will cause some significant family and emotional drama. If you've got a personal planet in the early degrees of Cancer, Capricorn, Aries or Libra you'll feel this most. It could feel as though all your old family karma is coming back to haunt you.
This Mars retrograde period will force us to conserve our energy and plan a little more. We need to look before we leap for the next few weeks. Rushing forward in action will only prove to be our downfall. Be brave, but be smart about it.
Some of us could feel as if we’ve been drained emotionally and physically. If this is the case, take extra time to care for yourself so that you are ready for the amazing push that’s promised in February. Trust me, it’ll be dynamite!
Posted by Maria Vaiano
On November 9th, it's going to get intimate. How could it not with a New Moon in Scorpio?
Scorpio is the sign we associate with death, rebirth, and transformation. It also rules the occult, our deep psychological motivations, and shared resources of all kinds such as other people's money and sex.
Not the playful, non committal kind of sex. This is the intimate bonding experiences that expose us to another person in a way many of us fear but at the same time long for. This is why Scorpio also rules soul mates.
The New Moon each month opens up a two week energy period where we can all utilize powerful energies for starting something new.
In Scorpio, w have an opportunity to release the more intense psychological pain we've buried inside. It's the purging New Moon. It's time to say "good riddance" to those ugly scars.
Scorpio is the sign of elimination. Use this New Moon to rid yourself of the scars you continue to wear with bitterness. Forgive someone who has hurt you. More important, forgive yourself.
Scorpio is the ultimate healer because he strips away the dead crust in our life with such honest brutality in order to force us to notice the new skin that's ready to take its place.
This is a fabulous time for anyone out there struggling with a fear of intimacy to release it. Feel safe enough to expose your soul to a spouse or partner. If you're single, this lunation may bring a soul mate into your life.
New Moon periods are a time to ask the universe for what you want. Cast your intentions out into the universe.
Scorpio also rules:
FATE
The universe will take care of the details. We simply need to put forth our intentions.
Posted by Maria Vaiano
Mercury is now retrograde, meaning it appears to move backwards from our perspective.
It doesn't really move backwards - it's just an illusion. I wish the same could be said for the effect of the Mercury retrograde energy. But then again, I don't. What's happening now is exactly as it should be.
Whatever degree and sign Mercury turns retrograde in, as well as the house in your natal chart it retrogrades, will tell you plenty about where, how and why you're having miscommunication and misunderstanding.
For me it went retrograde in my 7th house which rules committed partnerships of all kinds. Spouses, close friends, business partners, clients and agents as well as open enemies (strange but true!).
It's bringing up all sorts of Scorpio issues for me. You know: manipulation, power, control and deceit. But I'm trying to transcend the lower Scorpio energy manifestation and access the higher transformation as I've had to deal with all sorts of struggles and bitterness between myself and someone who currently fits the bill of a 7th house relationship.
In some ways, this retrograde period is bringing closure to our relationship. The fact that it's in Scorpio signifies that the relationship is truly dead. Hopefully I'm now in the final stages of grief and when Mercury turns direct again the true healing process will begin.
When Mercury dips back into Libra we all get a blast from a past relationship issue to deal with even if it's not retrograding in your 7th house as it is for me. So gear up. You might be experiencing something similar in the next couple of weeks.
The good thing about a Mercury retrograde in Scorpio is that all secrets come out. This may scare you at first but you know what - the air will be so much cleaner to breath. Trust me.
Posted by Maria Vaiano
While I know the New Moon occured on the 11th in the sign Libra and it's now 5 days later, I actually decided to post this anyway because it will reiterate how you can harness the power of any New Moon for up to 2 weeks after the lunation.
It also happens to be a great thing to do during a Mercury retrograde, don't you think?
Anyway, Libra is the sign ruling partnership and relating to the other person. It is associated with commitment and marriage as well. You can easily attract to you a potential marriage partner or business alliance if you know how to use this New Moon to your advantage and actively work with it's energy.
In addition, whatever house the New Moon in Libra falls in your personal birth chart will indicate the matters in which this partnership will most likely be focused. If, for example you have Libra in your 3rd house, it's likely that the new person coming into your life will be instrumental in helping you with communication projects or learning something new. Or it could be a sibling introduces you to a potential marriage partner. Get the idea?
This is how you flesh out astrological predictions for yourself so don't underestimate the power of using those keywords for house, planet and sign to help you along in your personal understanding of astrology.
In any event, I'd like to remind you that this lunation will bring opportunities for all of us in some way to take our ability to relate to others and supersize it. We can bring existing relationships to a deeper level or we can start fresh ones. The power of the New Moon is still going strong! Use it for your highest good.
Posted by Maria Vaiano
On September 29th, Mars the planet of action and initiative, entered the sign Cancer. Mars is all about courage and fearless pioneering. Cancer is a sign concerned with security, safety and emotion. Mars wants thrills while Cancer seeks protection. Do you see the trouble inherent in this combination already?
There will be some intense emotional wars happening for us during this transit, that's for sure. Mars will be in Cancer for an unusually long time since Mars is due to turn retrograde in November. I'll explain the effect of that in another blog but for now it's good enough to be aware of the hypersensitivity in the atmosphere thanks to Mars in Cancer. We are all a bit more touchy than usual.
The great news is that this is a fabulous time for creative endeavors to meet up with your ambition. You will have unlimited energy to tap into your sensitivity in order to make things happen.
Mars in Cancer also suggests a strong nurturing drive will become more dominating over the next several weeks. Whatever house Cancer falls in your chart is the area of your life you naturally nurture the most. Mars in this house only adds energy to the mix.
If you have any planets in the cardinal signs at about 8-12 degrees, or if you are ruled by Mars, you will feel a strong energy pull by the time Mars goes retrograde on November 15th. Now is the time to push ahead in any business endeavors or action oriented plans. Remember, the key to using astrology well is understanding cycles and knowing how to apply these cycles to your life for the best possible outcome in life.
Posted by Maria Vaiano
Today Venus, the planet of love, beauty, values and money, enters the refined and analytical sign of Virgo where she will stay until November 9th. Venus in Virgo is not a traditionally happy placement.
This is because the love nature and need for social expression tends to take on a more conservative and self effacing role. You still want love of course, but now you see fatal flaws in just about everything around you. It can be a real wet blanket in the romance department.
At the same time however, the energy of Venus in Virgo can be used to refine our own values surrounding love and this can easily become a time when we analyze our own personal checklist.
What do you need in love? What are your relationship requirements? What is your ideal partner all about? These are the questions Venus in Virgo will highlight and help you to discern.
Whatever house Virgo falls in your chart will be an area of life over the next month lit up with harmony and grace thanks to Venus’ presence. You should enjoy added protection and benefit.
At the same time, you will be serious and practical about the pursuit of pleasure in this house during the next month. It’s all about the work behind the value at this time. Venus is the pearl but Virgo is the sand that surrounds it.
Venus in Virgo knows that the pearl could never exist without the friction and work going on in those granules of sand. What will you sift through in the love and self worth department over this transit?
Posted by Maria Vaiano
Today marks the entry of the Sun into the partnership sign Libra. Happy Fall Equinox everyone!
This month Librans celebrate a birthday, all of us will enjoy the transit of this harmonious and peace loving Sun sign somewhere in our charts, lighting up relationships in that area of our life to an extraordinary degree.
Whatever house the sign Libra falls in your chart is where you can expect to have some partnership themes manifest. Since the transiting Sun shines a temporary light on an area of life, all you need to do is know where the light is shining and then you know what relationships require your undivide attention this month.
The Full Moon in Aries at 3 degrees and 20 minutes this Wednesday the 26th will illuminate where we all need to strive to reveal our true self and assert our personality with courage and pioneering spirit. This lunation is all about individuality and is quite contradictory to the lessons of Libra.
Aries and Libra is the axis of the zodiac most concerned with balance. This month we are all challenged in some capacity to find the harmony between our inependence and our need to relate to others. How are your scales holding up these days?
Posted by Maria Vaiano
Today the Sun in Virgo will form a tense square to Pluto, the planet of death, rebirth and transformation. What does this mean for all of us? Well, to be blunt, it means supremacy struggles.
For all of us, in some area of life we will need to confront an enormous power fight. A bout with authority or severe control pressures will be felt and there will be two choices: take over or submit.
Now, I’m not going to tell you what to do since I can’t possibly see all of your charts and know where and how this potential power dynamic will manifest. I will tell you however, that Pluto lessons are usually best learned if you can take the high road.
That means, allowing your higher self to completely let go of the need to control and dictate in some instances. Ask yourself if it’s more important to be right or to be free? If you insist on overpowering others then in most cases all you really accomplish is imprisoning your soul. Killing off whatever makes you feel threatened doesn’t solve the problem. There will always be that need to look over your shoulder for the next threat. The challenge is to transcend the desire to dominate.
So today ask yourself: are you going to be controlled by your need to control? Or will you rise above it? Choose wisely.
Posted by Maria Vaiano
I for one am thrilled that Venus has now turned direct. It’s been a rough summer for many of us. Stalled romances, less money, stifled feelings and diminished powers of attraction are only a few of the complaints over the past few weeks of this Venus retrograde period. But since it has occurred in the sign of Leo, it truly put so many of us in the closet when it comes to an ability to freely give love. We’ve been afraid folks, very afraid.
It’s like our love nature turned into the Lion from The Wizard of Oz. We’ve lost our courage to love because we’ve been so busy looking behind us into the shadows of previous heartache or lovability issues.
But thankfully, on September 8th the Lion finally roared! It’s over! Yes, I’m taking it personal. You see, as someone with the Sun in Taurus I am ruled by the planet of love so Venus means a lot to me. I’ve been going through many deep transitions in my own love nature. This summer most of us spent a lot of time redefining love, me included. What is love? It’s an elusive concept for sure but that’s only because there are many ways to love and feel loved in return. What defines love to one person could be ridiculous to another, but who are we to judge another person’s needs? This was another lesson of the Venus retrograde period. Point taken.
And now Venus is shining brightly again, gathering speed as she uses the incredible power of inertia to charge forward again and help us assimilate all the internalization we’ve gone through about our romantic needs back into the real world. It’s time for us to feel worthy again, to feel beautiful and to give love. Are you ready?
Posted by Maria Vaiano
Today is a big day in the world of astrology. It’s Eclipse time folks! A Solar Eclipse at 18 degrees of Virgo seems to have the astrological community up in arms with trepidation because of the erratic nature and potential of this Eclipse. You know what I say? Bring it on!
Sure, Uranus, the planet of surprises and sudden disruption is opposing the Eclipsed Moon, practically guaranteeing all of us can become emotional livewires over the events that are about to transpire. Sure, there’s also a tense square to an angry Mars in Gemini which won’t be afraid to communicate his wrath. And of course there’s the square to Jupiter in Sagittarius which will expand all the chaos into monstrous proportions. It sounds so cryptic doesn’t it?
Don’t let it scare you! This mutable grand cross configuration of the Eclipse spells one thing: change. If you can surrender to the changes that are about to transpire in your life then you’ll be ahead of the game. If, however, you’re someone with a lot of fixed planets then this might be a good time to pop a Valium so you can relax a bit. On second thought, you’d better not because then you’ll miss some fabulous opportunities that are coming your way while you’re too busy riding out the Eclipse in “la la land”.
Yes, I did say opportunities. Eclipses bring dramatic, life altering events to the table for us and while change is a sure bet, so is growth. Wherever this Eclipse falls in your natal chart will tell you where the opportunities will fall. They will be sudden and they will be able to change everything in a moment. That’s just the makeup of this Eclipse. But remember, when something in your life is removed it leaves more room for personal revolution. It’s time to embrace your Brave New World.
Posted by Maria Vaiano
The Solar Return is an annual event that occurs around our birthday when the Sun reunites in the sky to the exact sign and degree is what it was at the moment of birth.
Thematically, this is a worthwhile chart to study. It's rich with symbolism for what specific energy trends we are likely to travel along, and is limited to only one year which should make us happy in case we don't like what we see. It's only temporary!
The Sun is the most important planet to consider in the Solar Return chart, but each planetary placement, as well as the aspects between planets, will tell us so much about what to expect over the next year.
The Sun tells us about our greatest energy focus. Is it in the first house? Well, the focus will be on you. Is it placed in the second house? Well then it’s your resources. The third house is your mindset. And so on...
I’ve been avidly studying my own Solar Return chart in depth along with the charts of those closest to me and as a result of this intensified learning experience I have to say, it’s not only a chart worth looking at, but it’s a chart worth going back into your past to prove to yourself how valid the predictions actually were in the first place! I never cease to be impressed by the power of astrology!
Posted by Maria Vaiano
Yesterday Saturn, the planet of our greatest life lessons and fears was aligned with the Sun – the life force and our basic vitality. Since this was a transit it affected all of us on some level. In fact, depending on where you have 29 degrees of Leo in your chart, you will likely have faced – or still be facing – a major karmic lesson concerning overcoming your fear associated with matters ruled by the house in which the Saturn-Sun conjunction was placed.
If you happen to have any personal planet at about 29 Leo or any of the other fixed signs (Taurus, Scorpio, Aquarius) it might have been a day of reckoning as far as karmic residue oozing out from underneath, forcing you to wake up and smell the responsibility.
Indeed this could be a scary proposition. Saturn is asking us to draw boundaries and crystallize a specific area in our life while the Sun magnifies the importance of doing it NOW! It seems there is no escape from the grim teacher these days.
So, where are you currently working on overcoming a major fear? If you have Aries rising or an Aries Sun it’s likely to be in matters of love and romance, with your children or your creativity. If you have Taurus Rising or a Taurus Sun it will be with home and family.
If you have Gemini Rising or a Gemini Sun it will be with communication issues and barriers. For Cancer it is with finances and your self worth, for Leos it’s all about your most uninhibited expression of your personality and identity.
For Virgo’s it’s fear itself that you fear at the moment. There has been a recent karmic lesson for you that you so desperately want to escape – but Saturn won’t let you. For Libra it has to do with friendships and your goals. Some restrictions are going on in this area for sure. For Scorpio there is a major lesson concerning career and profession you need to overcome and for Sagittarius you have to believe in your beliefs - stop being afraid to define them.
Capricorn, you will have some type of fear associated with a death in your environment of with financial problems to deal with and Aquarians have to deal with some fears concerning relationships. Finally, Pisces has to deal with a fear of being dispensable.
This is only the briefest overview of the karmic implications for each sign, but you should be certain that everyone is feeling major karma at work these days. Saturn is planning to change signs very soon and the 29th degree is a signal of wrapping up some significant lessons. So sharpen your pencils everyone, Saturn is giving you the final exam this week.
Posted by Maria Vaiano
Today there is a New Moon in the playful sign of Leo at 19 degrees. Leo is the sign associated with giving love and expressing oneself creatively. It is the most carefree, childlike sign in the zodiac.
A lunation here suggests new opportunities in areas having to do with romance, or with self expression. Pursuing one’s artistic passion is favored as are any activities that involve children, risk taking or adventure. Depending on what house this New Moon falls in your natal chart, you will find an opportunity to create something new.
Tonight’s lunation has an interesting twist however in terms of love. Neptune, the planet of illusion, confusion and transcendence is tightly opposing this New Moon. Collectively, we seem to be more confused about romantic matters than usual and the potential for being deluded in love is strong. The dream of love may be more satisfying than the reality.
Since Venus, the planet of love, is retrograde at the time of this New Moon, it emphasizes the deeper internalization of our emotions when it comes to romantic matters. While new opportunities are sure to emerge for some of us in love, I caution you to keep your eyes wide open over the next few weeks. What you see will not be what you get.
In terms of creativity, we are all so infused with the desire to create and there is certainly ample energy to do so. The creativity may or may not have a backbone of structure behind it, depending on what is happening in your personal birth chart but this energy is so amazing for creation that you must jump on the opportunity nonetheless.
Whether or not anything materializes from it is almost beside the point. Try not to worry about the results. This month, the joy lies in the creative process itself.
Posted by Maria Vaiano
Jupiter, the planet of spirituality, higher thought and expanded consciousness has been taking a nap since April, moving in apparent backwards or retrograde motion. The ultimate planet of manifestation has in effect, been a bit out of reach for all of us lately.
This has been experienced by all of us here on Earth as a phenomenon that temporarily forces us to internalize issues of faith and belief and reassess what our ideals are. Jupiter will expand that which it touches and is often considered to be the great benefic of the zodiac, endowing us with good and plenty in the material and spiritual sense.
During its retrograde phase however, his powers are severely inhibited and most of us felt the difficulty in moving forward in a certain area of our life (where Jupiter is currently transiting in your birth chart). We are challenged during this time to still believe in the power of infinite potential in that area of our life, despite the temporary roadblocks. Have you kept your faith?
If you have, you will soon start to see things turning around because tonight Jupiter finally turns direct again! Jupiter requires a bit of time to yawn and stretch and readjust of course, but you can expect the next couple of weeks to have your life finally spinning forward again.
Your finances should improve since Jupiter is one of the money planets, but remember that Venus, the other money planet is still retrograde so the full benefits won’t be seen until after Venus turns direct as well (September 8th).
If you’ve had any doubts about the leap of faith you’ve taken in your life this year concerning a specific area of your life, Jupiter is coming to reassure you of its inevitable positive outcome. Happy Jupiter direct everybody!!!
Posted by Maria Vaiano
On July 27th Venus, the planet of love, beauty and social expression will turn retrograde until September 8th. This retrograde occurs at about 3 degrees Virgo and will move backwards to about 17 degrees Leo. What happens when the planet of love and social expression turns retrograde? Quite a bit, actually.
For starters, a retrograde planet means that from our perspective here on Earth, that planet appears to be moving backwards instead of forward. Of course this is not really the case but it is our perspective and so since astrology is the study of how planetary patterns influence us here on Earth the perspective we have as humans when the planet of love seems to be moving backwards is enormous.
The energy of any retrograde planet will be internalized before it is externalized and so when it comes to Venus this means our ability to express love will be compromised. The social expression for most of us will change dramatically for the rest of the summer and we will be seriously criticizing and nitpicking our personal values when it comes to lovability issues as well as the dynamics of any personal or romantic relationship we are currently involved in. This will be particularly strong while Venus is retrograde in the sign Virgo since Virgo is the most discriminating and refining sign of the zodiac. All that is wrong in our relationships will be picked at.
Once Venus turns back into Leo it becomes even more intense. Leo is the sign concerned with having respect, adoration and romance. We will have a difficult time playing around in matters of love with Venus retrograde in Leo and may find that we withhold our generosity and ability to give love easily to others.
If you have any personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars or Ascendant) at the degrees of this retrograde then you will be particularly affected by it. In addition, if you are a Taurus or Libra or have these signs rising in your chart then you are ruled by Venus and thus will be quite influenced by this retrograde period.
In general, under a Venus retrograde it is never a good idea to begin dating someone new. The ability to express feelings in the context of relationship is just way too compromised and you already have three strikes against you. It is very favorable however for rekindling a romance with an ex so if this happens over the next few weeks you have a green light to get back together!
Since Venus also rules beauty, it’s not a good idea to get plastic surgery under this transit either. You will not love the results, plain and simple.
Venus is also a money planet and you may find yourself spending more money than usual under this transit while income seems to get restricted or you do not have easy access to your funds. This will clear up by mid August to some extent however since the other money planet, Jupiter, is set to turn direct by then. Still, it’s wise to hold off on major investments until mid October.
Venus retrograde periods are a great time for enhanced creativity since this planet rules such matters as the arts. You will find yourself flowing with ideas and needing to express yourself in this way since the love consciousness will be so internalized it will be hard to just say what you feel. You can easily say it through your art.
Posted by Maria Vaiano
I’ve been thinking a lot about the planet Uranus lately. In case you’re not familiar with this erratic energy let me introduce you to him. Uranus is called the “Great Awakener” and it is said that this outer planet is responsible for all the revolution in our lives.
When something is no longer serving its purpose for our soul’s evolution one of two planets will step in and get rid of it for us –Uranus or Pluto. Pluto will kill something permanently but with Pluto you can almost sense it coming from the distance. Plutonian energy will be powerfully destructive for sure but there is always the regeneration that comes from it. And Pluto is deliberate.
Uranus on the other hand is like the psychotic tornado of the zodiac. Uranus has the power of Pluto to destroy something important in your life but his energy is sudden, erratic and often takes you completely by surprise. Uranus is merciless in the sense that he will destroy your most carefully set up structures because he’s decided it’s time for you to reinvent yourself in that area of life. Of course, it’s really you who has decided this – once upon a time at your great “pre birth” meeting.
Uranus will take you out of your comfort zone like no other planet. It’s harsh and yet it works in another way as well. Just as Uranus can suddenly remove something from your life, it can suddenly provide you with something else.
The keywords to remember for Uranus are sudden, erratic, revolutionary, freedom loving, upheaval, chaos and ultimately, progress. Pluto peels open the band aid bit by bit but Uranus will simply come along and tear it off. Sometimes it’s better that way. After all, you feel the pain instantly and suddenly but just as suddenly it’s over. And you look around the destruction and in the midst of all this chaos you remember something: you’re awake.
Some key people in my life have been having major Uranian transits to their Sun or another personal planet and all of these people have suddenly transformed their lives or suddenly cut themselves off from people. This recent New Moon in Cancer activated my exciting natal Uranus located on my Descendant (your close relationships) by square and I suddenly, without any warning, explanation or reason, had a very dear friend inform me via email (Uranus rules technology!) that we could no longer be friends.
I was devastated at the sudden inexplicable loss until I remembered Uranus’ plan. There was a reason for this sudden removal just as there is for all the ones you personally suffer. Even if we don’t know for some time to come, trust the universe’s wisdom. Uranus - sudden removal and sudden awakenings. Pretty powerful stuff eh?
Posted by Maria Vaiano
Today, Mercury the planet of communication and thought is stationary direct. The past few weeks of retrograde motions are over and this little planet is slowly waking from his nap to ensure communication endeavors are once again going to move forward.
Mercury has been retrograde in the sign of Cancer and I’m sure most of you have had plenty of family mishap to deal with over the past 3 weeks. Your basic feelings of security have been on your mind a great deal and you’ve been thinking and rethinking ways in your mind to ensure your security.
During this retrograde period some of you may have said some things to others on behalf of your own security that they interpreted in a way that was threatening to their own. Misunderstandings and arguments likely followed over this since no one was able to perceive with complete clarity under Mercury’s slumber.
Thankfully we can all expect the family issues and insecurities to clean up after itself completely by July 24th when Mercury has had a chance to catch up to and pass the degree in Cancer it initially went retrograde under.
Wait another few days before you sign any important documents or make any major sales transactions. Save the really important negotiations and conversations for next week if possible and know that you, me and the rest of the world has come out of this Mercury retrograde period knowing something quite profound about the depths of our souls.
Sensitivity makes us deep thinkers but it has also left us raw with tender nerves exposed. Now we can use Mercury in Cancer to enhance our imagination and creativity in communication. We can feed our souls in a way that will enlighten and inspire.
Posted by Maria Vaiano
Today Mars, the planet of action, courage and initiative, moves into the practical sign Taurus and will remain there until August 8th. What does this mean energy wise for the coming weeks?
Well, if you’re an earth or water sign, it’s great news for you. And if you happen to be a Taurus, you’ll be unstoppable! You can make enormous strides in career matters and personal relationships with Mars touring your sign. Opportunities will come up that you’ll grab and turn into something substantial.
Mars in Taurus will provide energy of solid pioneering. It’s as if you can now jump off an airplane and build your own parachute as you’re falling. That’s the power of Mars in Taurus. Pretty cool, don’t you agree?
The endurance available to us will increase enormously. Not only will projects get started enthusiastically, but with Mars in Taurus there will be a solid completion to everything. Guaranteed!
Mars in Taurus warms up slowly but the endurance of this placement is astounding. Inertia works both ways. A boulder sitting on top of a mountain may be immobile but if that boulder falls off a mountain just try and stop it.
There is a slow and deliberate approach to building anything with this placement and finances are certainly going to be important. If you have the Sun, Venus or Mars in Taurus expect some steady building of your wallet over the next few weeks thanks to the boost of Mars in Taurus.
Increased self confidence in one’s talents and abilities will also be felt. You’ll defend your value and win the war against anyone who tries to diminish you in any way. You've got an army of courage, strength and endurance behind you now dear Taurus, so go ahead and jump out of that airplane!
Posted by Maria Vaiano
Mercury is the planet of communication and he's about to settle down for a little nap which means his energy won't be at its prime. When Mercury turns retrograde, or appears to be moving backwards from our perspective here on Earth, we actually have an opportunity disguised as an annoyance.
While it’s true that Mercury retrograde is traditionally blamed for all sorts of communication mishaps and delays in travel or problems with contracts and negotiations, the deeper universal significance of a Mercury retrograde period should be considered as well.
If things are not going as planned for you in terms of Mercury’s domain, it’s a gentle nudge from the universe that you are supposed to be reevaluating and revising that area of your life. Something has been missed and you must rewind and carefully go over your internal mind and all the fine print in order to decipher the answers and solutions you need. They are certainly within your very soul and a Mercury retrograde in Cancer reminds us that your roots- the essence of who you are - truly has an opportunity to be reconnected with your personality and communicated to the world. Isn’t that exciting?
How this retrograde period may affect you will depend mostly on your personal birth chart but if you've got planets between 5 and 15 degrees of any Cardinal sign (Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn) you might want to take note.
Also, if you are a Gemini or Virgo you're ruled by this clever little planet and may be strongly affected by any retrograde period.
So here's the checklist folks: Back up your computers, remember to put stamps on your mail and give yourself plenty of extra time to travel. Most important is this - relax - it's not the end of the world!
Posted by Maria Vaiano
New Moons are traditionally a time of new beginnings. They are powerful and sacred. The most amazing thing happens when you begin to follow the monthly lunation cycle and allow yourself to work with the flow of universal energy instead of against it. You go back to being in the driver's seat in your own life.
Things don't happen to you; you make them happen!
Knowing this is possible; I wonder why everyone in the world doesn't time important decisions and events in their life based on the lunar cycles. It seems crazy not to, but I suppose it's a waste of energy to worry about everyone else. If you're reading this then you know the power behind the Moon and you're ready to embrace it. Let's discover what this New Moon in Gemini has in store for you.
Gemini is the sign ruling all types of communication and learning as well as siblings, neighbors and short distance trips. It is the sign that collects data and understands different opinions.
A New Moon is the beginning of our monthly lunation cycle where we plant the seed in a specific area of our life we want to see grow during the next month. Where do you plant the seed? Well, that depends on where the New Moon falls in your chart each month. If you have a copy of your birth chart then you can easily know each month which houses the New and Full Moon will occur in and plan accordingly for maximum beneficial use of the energy.
Get a copy of your free birth chart here!
In general, a New Moon in Gemini will provide learning opportunities and communication opportunities for all of us. You'll have the gift of using logic with emotions since the Moon of course rules our emotions and instincts. In addition, you can improve relationships with siblings or neighbors under this lunation.
Each New Moon and Full Moon is unique however and this lunation could frustrate some of us with a defensive opposition from Pluto, the planet of destruction and renewal. What does this mean? Well, it adds some flavor to the New Moon that's for sure! Be careful that your words don't bite others and that you communicate without hurtful or deceitful intentions. You may be tempted to control others through your words or with manipulative emotional blackmail.
The better way to utilize the energy of this lunation is to truly understand the transformational power your words have to renew and heal. Where your communication will be most healing depends on where the lunation occurs in your chart but you can be sure that a seed is now being planted. Learn something new about your mind power with this lunation!
Happy New Moon everyone!
Posted by Maria Vaiano
Just in time to spice things up for the summer, we are blessed with Venus, the planet of love, beauty, social expression and of course, money, moving into the fire sign Leo.
Everyone with the Sun in Leo will enjoy amazing powers of attraction and social grace over the next few weeks and if you are a fire or air sign, you too will benefit from this lovely placement.
This placement will create a bold, flirty and flamboyant love nature that we all will enjoy in a different way depending on where Leo falls in our personal birth charts.
Venus in Leo reminds us of the importance of respect and pride in matters of the heart. Leo is a sign that can easily suffer from a bruised ego and the fastest way to ensure this is by embarrassing him in public or hurting his delicate pride.
Venus in Leo will also make us have more fun in love since Leo is the most playful sign of the zodiac. This placement will help us indulge in our childish romantic fairytale games and depending on how this transit affects your birth chart you could very well meet Prince Charming or that Goddess of love you dream about.
Leo will exude a warm, generous love and social expression to others. Their passion is to create and nothing excites Leo more than creating something special with someone they love.
In terms of finance, Venus in Leo tends to be a big spender so be careful that you don't get carried away while under the influence of this transit.
The downside to Venus in Leo is the potential to be in love with the self and one's egotistical nature rather than a person. Sometimes this Venus placement is in love with giving love in order to make her feel worth loving. When this happens, true love can elude the person with this natal placement.
The best part of Venus in Leo is that she knows how to enjoy life and love and the pursuit of happiness. Indulge her need to have rose petals strewn about her and she’ll give you the world. The planet of love will fire up everyone’s life depending again on where it falls in your personal birth chart. But for all of us, Venus is about to get really, really loud! Enjoy her performance everyone!
Posted by Maria Vaiano
We’ve all heard the expression “Once in a Blue Moon”. In fact, we use it in a sarcastic way to comment on the rarity in which something occurs. Astronomically however, there is significance to this event.
A Blue Moon occurs approximately once every 2 and half years. It is simply the occurrence of two Full Moons in one calendar month and astrologically I feel it symbolizes a month of intense emotions for all of us.
Think about it. A Full Moon is the time of culmination in our monthly lunar cycle. It is when our tides are highest, we physically hold more water (yes it’s true!) and when we are at our most sensitive. Wherever the Full Moon occurs in your natal chart, you can be sure that emotions will run high concerning the matters it activates and there is likely to be a completion of some sort. There could also be a reward during a Full Moon since culmination and endings are not necessarily negative. They are simply emotional!
This month, the Full Moon occurs in Scorpio on May 2nd and then in Sagittarius on May 31st. The Scorpio lunation will bring matters concerning power, money, sex, shared resources, manipulation and possible deception to the forefront. An area concerning your personal power will need to be confronted and if you’ve been running away or deceiving yourself about a Scorpio matter, this Full Moon will bite you!
The Blue Moon on the 31st is in the philosophical sign of Sagittarius and your beliefs are going to be put to the test especially with the conjunction the Full Moon receives from retrograde Jupiter in Sagittarius. How you feel about what you believe may be changed. Again, this type of ending is not necessarily negative. Full Moons sometimes ask us to let go of what is no longer serving us.
Today’s Full Moon has already hit me like an emotional ton of bricks. It occurs in my 7th house of marriage, partnerships and close friends and opposes my Sun. I began the day learning about a wonderful gift my parents bought for my upcoming birthday: a new computer and printer complete with copy machine and fax. I was hysterical with gratitude but I had to confront my issue of allowing my parents to provide me with a resource that costs quite a bit of money. I didn’t want to accept this gift from them as I am also confronting those personal power issues.
And then, more emotion. Just when I thought I had come to terms with accepting their gift and started my day to work what do you think happens? My computer monitor fried. I could not work! Remember, this lunation happens in my 7th house and the 7th house rules all partnerships including your clients and business partners. I am scheduled to teach a class tonight, see a client tomorrow and I had a couple of freelance jobs to complete today and all of my work had to stop because of the death (Scorpio) of my computer monitor!
My husband (7th house) came home from work and installed a monitor from his office for me to use until my new computer comes and now I’m back in business however the emotional panic I felt today about potentially losing my business partner (Full Moon in the 7th) – my computer – was all too literal!
I can only wonder what will happen on the 2nd Full Moon. I’ve already had my share of emotion for this month thank you very much! At least this only happens once in a blue moon!
Posted by Maria Vaiano
Many descriptions of the typical Taurean personality have personally rubbed me the wrong way.
Admittedly ,since I am a Taurus I may not want to own up to the negative qualities of my Sun sign, but in good fun, I'd like to offer you all my interpretation of the traditional qualities Taurus has. Please, let me know what you think.
We've been called hoards, money hungry, fat, lazy, possessive and stubborn by several "experts". I beg to differ.
I don't believe we Taureans hoard, I believe we simply know how to save for a rainy day. It is only when we feel our basic security threatened that we begin to overcompensate and can become hoards. If we feel safe however, we can shop till we drop and even spread the wealth a little!
It's not that we're money hungry, it's just that we all have some major physical security issues one way or another and in order to thrive here on earth, we need to know that all the practical comforts of life are met. Money buys all the things we need for physical security such a place to live, clothes to wear and food to eat. I would replace the term money hungry in every Taurus Sun sign description to security hungry.
We're not fat; we're voluptuous, curvy, juicy and delicious. Come on now, we are a sign ruled by Venus, the planet of beauty and harmony and love. Our bodies are extremely sensual. And by the way, some of us Taureans are not even carrying around extra weight. Last time I checked, I was shopping in the petite section. But of course I'm a curvy petite!
We're not lazy; we simply conserve our energy for what is important. This is the concept of inertia. Something can be immovable and once it is at a standstill nothing can move it. That is the downside of Taurus when we're not motivated to produce anything. However, inertia works both ways. Once you push a boulder down a mountain, nothing can stop that boulder!
Maybe we are a bit possessive, but hey, it's only because we truly love the person or object that we're possessive about. It goes back to that security thing I suppose.
Stubborn. Well I can't argue with that one. Not even God could change a Taureans mind once it's made up.
The thing about Taurus is, we're a sign living major lessons around values, self worth and our talents and abilities. Oh yeah, money is another lesson for us because when a Taurus does not define her self worth based on her talents and abilities, she can falsely believe that accumulating money and possessions are the key to that self worth treasure. Not so.
When a Taurus has all her basic security needs met, she will go on to build and produce the most amazing things in life. It is her gift to bring form and structure to matter. To make sense out of what cannot be seen, tasted, touched, heard or smelled. She is here to make life tangible. She is loyal and determined, persistent and gifted with all the beautiful things in life that have a practical use to them.
Say what you will about Taurus, but I can tell you this: every Taurus you meet is a person of substance.
Remember the boulder going down the mountain? Everyone needs that rock in their life somewhere. I bet you all have a Taurus rock in your life. So honor the person you know you can always count on with a box of chocolates, some flowers or a massage. And if you happen to be reading this and are related to me, you know for a fact that it's the simple things like this that truly get to the heart of any Taurus. Just make sure the chocolates are gourmet.
Happy Birthday Taurus!