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FULL MOON OCTOBER IN TAURUS – SUN IN SCORPIO

Moon octoberOn 24th October, we have a full moon in the sign of Taurus, which links back to the New moon in Taurus on 15th May If you reflect a little, you might find that similar issues, or a continuation of what was happening then, might be arising again now, but with more intensity.

This full moon is not only within a degree of Uranus, the planet of change, liberation, revolution and awakening, but both of them are closely opposing the Sun and Venus (Retrograde) in Scorpio. This combination can feel very unpredictable or uncomfortable for some, but it does have the power to boot us out of our comfort zones and align us with some magic, provided we work with its energy consciously.

The alignment provides us with no less than 8 planetary points in fixed signs and no fire whatsoever –There’s the deep desire for change, but we might feel stuck, without much impetus right now to make it happen!

Let’s explore this energy a bit more.

IT’S STEADY

Firstly there’s Taurus – a fixed earth sign, representing our connection with planet earth, our physical bodies,  five senses, money, food and that which we truly value. The full moon shines a spotlight on our need and concerns about stability,  comfort and security!

IT’S ELECTRIFYING!

And then along comes electrifying Uranus (in fixed Taurus), who’s not in the least bit concerned with any of these things. He’s an unpredictable, unconventional wildcard who demands liberation, excitement, adventure and change.  If things are too stultifying, earthbound or comfortable, he’ll send in his emissaries of thunder and lightning to penetrate and cut through the dross in order to get things moving. Mars, the planet of action,  is firmly ensconced in Aquarius (ruled by Aquarius), which simply reinforces this theme!

IT’S DEEP!

And of course, there’s Scorpio, a fixed water sign. The Sun has just moved into the sign of  deep transformation for the next month, where he joins  Venus (retrograde), Mercury and Jupiter in the sign of deep transformation.

This combination places the magnifying glass on intense emotive issues around relationships, sex, value, communication and the beliefs or “truths” that we hold dear to our hearts. The Scorpion insists that we go beneath the surface to investigate these at a deeper level and release what needs to be released, in order to make space for the new.

Suffice to say, this certainly isn’t the calmest or easiest of full moons, but, as always, we have the choice of how we’re going to respond to the energy  – Its electrifying, its deep, its passionate and its transformational!

All we can really do is to stay as present as possible with what ever is arising.

JOURNAL QUESTIONS

  • Write down 5 things that you really, really, really want in your life
  • Now apply laser focus and narrow that list  down to one thing!
  • Write down what you are prepared to change, release and/or commit to,  in order to help to bring it into being

OTHER WAYS TO WORK WITH THE ENERGY

  • Ask the penetrating questions about your life, but don’t demand the answers… right now.
  • Be aware of signs and symbols that appear in relation to your questions
  • Feel the feelings that arise, as they arise!
  • Keep returning to your breath, over and over again.
  • Get your body moving – it will help to get the static energy moving and ignite some much needed fire.
  • Listen to some inspirational or calming music
  • Watch some uplifting programmes or read a really good book
  • Soak in a bath… with bubbles or beautiful oils
  • Lie down on the grass and seep in the beauty of this moment
  • Between the 24th and the 26th do a detox or a releasing ceremony to prepare for the Birth of Venus.

VENUS JOINS THE SUN

On a positive note, when Venus joins the Sun on 26th October, it marks the beginning of the second part of her retrograde period and is often known to symbolise The Birth of Venus.  This is  a creatively inspired,  heart opening opportunity, which should help us to find the clarity we’ve been looking for over the past few months

METAMORPHOSIS WORKSHOP 27th OCTOBER

We’ll be working with this powerful Tranformative energy  and the theme of the  Birth of Venus in my next Art & Soul Workshop on 28th October. I still have a few places left, if you would like to join us.

ASTROLOGY READINGS / COACHING SESSIONS

I’m available for readings until the end of November ( First time Birth Charts, annual or 6 monthly updates, childrens’ charts, relationship charts, vocational readings and navigational coaching.Please contact me soon if you would like to book some time with me.

 

In Life and Light

Michelle

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Full Moon September 24th in Aries- Building Soul Stamina

Balance.jpgBy Michelle McClunan

Full Moon September 24th /25th is in the first degree of Aries, a very powerful point on the zodiac wheel. A Full Moon happens when the Sun and Moon are in opposite signs and is always a time when things come to a head, culminate or are shown to us… in techn-icolour. It can also be a time of great paradox, when we feel pulled in different directions. This one is more intense than most, due to both the luminaries, as well as Chiron and Mercury, being in a square to the teacher planet Saturn.

This energy can be a little heavy, but rather than focusing on that that, I would  like to explore what its asking of us and how we can grow, through working with it.

For me, this full moon and the current planetary activity, particularly Saturn’s journey through Capricorn for the next 2 years, is urging us to build our integrity, or our Soul Stamina.

On the day of the full moon, we have the Moon and Chiron (the wounded healer) in Aries, opposite the Sun and Mercury in Libra.

The Sun and Mercury (the planet of thoughts, speech, communication) in Libra, urge us to co-operate, play nice, keep the balance, maintain the status quo exactly as it is. Libra is all about creating love, peace, harmony and beauty – “Let’s just shut up and keep the peace, Let’s all love one another” says Libra.

Directly opposite to this, there’s the moon and Chiron in Aries, which urges us to be unique, independent, state our opinions, stand up for ourselves, assert ourselves, dare to be different, rock the status quo and to take the next leap forward in our lives.  “We walk straight, so you’d better get out the way”  says Aries.

Can you feel that polarity?

And then to take it up a few more notches, along comes Saturn, the somewhat stern teacher/ authority figure of the zodiac, who shows us our inner conflict or perhaps, our incongruities. As annoying as this archetype can be when he weighs in like this, it helps to remember that he is always urging us to see times of difficulty as learning opportunities.

BUILDING INTEGRITY

Over the next few weeks and months and years, we’re being encouraged to look at whether we are living our lives with integrity, which is when our  our actions are congruent with our thoughts/words and beliefs. If not, there’s little chance that we can create a sense of inner harmony, which is the theme for this month.

Here’s a little exercise:

 

First identify two or three beliefs or truths that you hold sacred. These are things that you think or say often to yourself or others.

Here’s one example. Let’s say you find yourself often saying “We are all connected. We are all one”.

Most of the time, you really feel this to be true and happily move along, blissfully connecting in a peaceful way with all in sundry. And then… suddenly… somebody or something comes hurtling in to completely upset your beautifully arranged apple cart. Right there in front of you is a situation, a person or a group of people who it is almost impossible to feel connected with, let alone feel one with. “Well, yes… I feel that we’re all connected, but not with that person or that group! “

So…  what do you actually believe?  Are you in integrity when you make the blanket statement that we are all connected… all one?  Chances are… this troublesome person or situation has appeared at exactly the right time to show you your incongruity, and… unless you’re enlightened, it’s possible that you experience this somewhere in your life!  If it feels a little uncomfortable to read this, then Saturn is doing his thing, impeccably!

Carolyn Myss suggests that when we behave in a way that is contrary to a higher truth that is functioning within our souls, we create a storm in our energy field.

In that moment, we are at war with ourselves.

She suggests that we develop soul stamina through acting congruently with our beliefs, one small step at a time, day by day.

  1. Investigate what you really believe to be true for you … now… today… it may have changed!
  2. Keep a watchful, but compassionate eye on your own actions and words.
  3. When you find yourself thinking, speaking or behaving in a way that is contrary to what you say you believe to be true, gently hold yourself accountable (Saturn) and reassess what you’re about to say or do.
  4. Do this over and over again to build the muscle
  5. If you can’t change your behavior, go back and honestly reassess the belief.
  6. By doing this consciously, situation by situation, we build congruency, integrity, maturity and what Myss calls Soul Stamina.

YOUR ASTROLOGY CHART – SATURN AND SOUL STAMINA

Whatever Saturn in Capricorn is travelling in your birth chart will be the main area where soul stamina needs to be built over the next 2 years Let me know if you would like to book a session to explore this.

CELEBRATING SPRING WORKSHOP 29th SEPTEMBER

I still have some space on my next workshop in Gillits KZN. On this one day workshop we will explore what, in our lives, is ready to come into being and how we can put practical steps into place to bring it into the world!  We will explore this artistically by creating an intuitive painting, using spring as our theme.

 

In life and light

 

Michelle

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New Moon September 9th – Bringing in the New

flowers

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day; 
And give us not to think so far away 
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here 
All simply in the springing of the year.
Robert Frost

 I recently spent some special time in the Cape and had the incredible opportunity of hanging out with the wild flowers on the West Coast, something that’s been on my bucket list forever. I felt as if I had been dropped onto a magic carpet of  diverse new life, joy and abundance! Mother  Nature really does teach us everything we need to know, if we take time to immerse ourselves in her bounty.

 SPRINGING INTO LIFE

Saturn finally moves direct on the 6th September, after a long and rather arduous retrograde period, which, along with all the other retrograde energy of late,  has been challenging for  many of us. Here’s hoping that from the New Moon on 9th September, things  will start to move forward in a positive way,  as we officially welcome spring, the bringer of new beginnings.

The season of flowers always coincides with the Sun’s annual journey  through Virgo (in the Southern Hemisphere) the sign  associated with separating the wheat from the chaff.   No other sign is stronger when it comes to differentiating and discerning – between what is healthy and unhealthy; useful and pointless; valuable and damaging. It’s this sign that focuses on protecting and preserving our individual bodies and planet earth and on analyzing, strategising and putting in place, systems and routines to serve them.

 NEW MOON  SEPTEMBER 9 IN VIRGO

This new moon in Virgo is in an exact opposition to the planet Neptune in gentle Pisces, which creates somewhat of a paradox.  On one hand we feel the need to put systems in place, make order out of chaos, analyse, strategise and perfect –  an on the other, we feel led to surrender, trust and flow.

Virgo and Pisces are both signs concerned with healing and completion, perfection and improvement, so it’s about finding a balance between our physical world and our spiritual connection – how we can bring spirit into matter and matter into spirit.

With 6 planets in earth signs right now, we’re being provided with a strong feminine flourish of healing and feeling – with a dollop of earthy Virgo practicality stirred into the mix.

 CLEARING THE WAY

One of the best ways of working with the energy of a Virgo New Moon is to take some time to discern what you want to let go of and what you’d like to keep in your life;  what’s healthy and what’s not; what’s useful and what’s done it’s time; what is serving you and what is not.

It’s an excellent time to detox, purge or de-clutter your physical word –  home, work space and body,  to make space for the  new.  With Virgo ruling Mercury the planet of the mind, this time is also about becoming more aware of the mind/ body /soul connection.  This is a month where we can more easily observe how are thought patterns, emotions and  habitual reactions are connected and practically start to shift those that aren’t serving us.

 BRINGING IN THE NEW

As the moon waxes between the 9th and 23rd, it’s an excellent time to put  new physical, mental, spiritual habits and routines into place. With all the earth energy around, this is a really good time to introduce practical change in our lives.

Habits are sets of automatic unconscious thoughts, emotions and behaviours that are acquired through repetition . Do something (positive or negative)  for long enough and it becomes hard wired.

So, making one small change in our routine or replacing one negative thought with a positive one, really can and does shift everything.  Simply starting your day with some quiet time and a few positive affirmations can work wonders to shift old patterns.

This is an excellent video by Joe Dispenso, who is an expert on this subject.

Ask yourself this new moon:

  •  What can you clear out, to make room for the new  body/physical spaces/ mind?
  • What in your life is ready to spring into being?
  • What new physical, mental, spiritual habits and routines  can you put into place and commit to for 21 days?

ASTROLOGY CONSULTATIONS

As a qualified Counselling Astrologer, Creative Therapist and NLP Practitioner, I use a multi-faceted approach to help people understand themselves, navigate their lives and develop their true potential.  I consult over Skype globally or face-to-face in Durban, Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa

Please email me to set up a session. 

SATURDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER – SPRINGING TO LIFE WORKSHOP

9 to 5pm – Rest and Digest – Gillitts, Kwa Zulu Natal

What, in your life is ready to be brought to life? What needs to be cleared, in order to make space for the New. In this one day Art & Soul Workshop we will explore these themes, using the flower as our guide.

Email me for more details

 

In Life and Light

Michelle

We’re in Retro Season – 6 Retrograde Planets
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We’re in Retro Season – 6 Retrograde Planets

Have any of you been feeling as though you’re performing the lead role in Ground Hog Day?  Same thing – different day?

Well, you’re certainly not alone and it’s not really surprising, seeing as we have 6 planets AND Chiron, all Retrograde right now.  This means that from our perspective here on earth, they all appear to be moving backwards! Although it’s an optical illusion, the energy certainly isn’t!

RETROGRADE PLANETS

In a heavy retrograde period like this, we often feel as if our lives (or areas of our lives) have come to a standstill.  We know that things need to change, but are unsure of exactly what to do next.

It really can feel as though we are taking one step forward and three backwards, as if our progress is being blocked, or that we’re being physically stopped or slowed down.

Some of us might even feel hopeless, listless, confused, unwell, unable to “see” the future” and perhaps fearful of even contemplating what lies ahead.

When there is this much retrograde activity around, we’re urged to go back… reflect on, review, reassess, reconsider different areas of our lives, so that we can learn from them and re-envision a future more aligned with our true potential.

Without going into too much astrological detail, we are quite accustomed to the outer planets (Pluto, Neptune and Uranus) going retrograde every year and Mercury every few months. However, this time it’s a bit different as they’re all retrograde together and are joined by the other hefties (Mars and Saturn).

The good news is that Mercury will turn direct on the 20th August and Mars  on 29th August, followed by Saturn on 6th September, so things should start to  turn around in the next couple of weeks… , but first, let’s grab this retro season by the tail and see what its teaching us.

 MARS

The one many of us are feeling most acutely right now (particularly if it’s triggering your personal chart)  is Mars  Retrograde (from June 26 to Aug 27th) The fiery one only  retrogrades once every 1.5 years, so it’s not as common as the others. To intensify it even more, he’s been moving in and out of a square with Uranus, the planet of change!

The way I’m feeling the energy is – “I want / need this situation to change, before I can shoot my arrows in the direction of my goals and dreams”  – “Oh.. but hang on… I’m not exactly sure what those are… and before I move forward, there’s this to take care of… so not yet!”

Mars, the planet of action really doesn’t enjoy being… well… inactive. The fiery one wants to shoot his arrows towards his goals, dammit!  Move FORWARD… not backwards!  He’s impulsive, impatient and wants to get on with it.  Obviously, when this isn’t possible, it can lead to irritability, nervous anxiety, anger, accidents or clashes with others.  This has all been elevated by the Eclipse season, by the way.

PULL BACK!

Mars Retrograde is asking us to really reassess/ review our goals/ desires to see if they are still valid or if they need to be adjusted a bit.  He also asks us to look at how we are using or abusing our energy.  Are we sending it on missions that are helping or hindering us?That little arrow on the mars symbol is itching to be set free, but first, as any good archer would tell you, he has to PULL IT BACK, reassess the target, make sure his feet are planted on solid ground and that neither the target or the ground beneath his feet are moving. Then when the time is right, take aim and fire!… but not yet!

Hopefully, when he turns direct on 29th/30th August,  the pressure should ease a little. Until then, pull back, if you can. Reflect. Reassess. Review.

AND THEN THERE’S GOOD OL SATURN

Saturn, the Lord of Karma, Father Time, the stern parent teacher planet, has been retrograde since  April and will stay that way until 6th September.  On his journey through Capricorn (where he will remain until 2020), he is, more or less, grabbing us by the scruffs of our necks and making us confront reality, face up to our responsibilities and do what needs to be done.  He is  also insisting that we take responsibility for everything in our lives – the good, the bad and the ugly. Even the stuff that seemingly isn’t “our problem” or “our fault”  – Everything. All our actions. All our thoughts. All our words.

The tendency is to want to run and hide, but that’s not the way it works, because it will just come around again – cue Ground Hog Day – scene Ten!

Saturn is also a past master at revealing our old, deeply imbedded fears, core beliefs and old conditioning (sometimes karmic).  He will tell us exactly why the things that we say we don’t want, continue to repeat themselves, provided we take the time to reflect and review.

If you find yourself in the same situation AGAIN – in a particular area of your life, it could be a clue that there is something that needs to be worked with, a lesson that needs to be learnt, a karmic debt that needs to be paid or a thought pattern, person, place or situation that needs to be released.

WHERE IS IT HAPPENING FOR YOU PERSONALLY?

Your Personal Birth Chart will tell you in which areas of your life this is playing out and give you real insight into how to work with the energy, so as to prevent the same thing happening again… and again!!

Mars, Saturn and Pluto are all retrograding in Capricorn, so that’s the area of your chart that you will be working with this energy.

You are most welcome to schedule a session to work with me on this, to optimize the learning, before the planets turn direct.

In the meantime…

REFLECT

Without getting caught up in the full emotion of it, reflect on how you are feeling right now. Then, as if you are looking though a rear view mirror, think back to what was happening around January-February of this year and how it might be linked to how or where you find yourself now.  Where were you energetically? What was coming up for you? What were some of your major concerns and fears?  What has happened since then?

Then, if you like, go back even further to where this might have happened before in your life. Journal it, talk with somebody about it and try to trace the threads.

REVIEW

Review where you have been and might still be sending your energy.

Remember that when you focus on anything (positive or negative) for  17 seconds or more, it starts to change energetically.   So… if you’re sending your energy down the same muddy roads again and again, you’re just going to be faced with more potholes.

WATCH WHAT YOU’RE SAYING / MUMBLING,  UNDER YOUR BREATH, TO YOURSELF OR OTHERS.

  • Really get real with yourself and what you truly believe and are saying about your life, your future and the situation/s at hand.
  • A few prompts –
    • ………. keeps on happening to me
    • I can’t trust………………….
    • I hate……………………
    • I can’t …………………….
    • I feel limited by…………………..
    • I believe………………………..
    • I’m so sick of……………………….
    • I’m never going to be able to……………………
    • I fear…………………………..
  • Just know this… WHATEVER you’re saying over and over, is GOING to repeat itself!
  • Breathe in… Breathe out… and affirm the opposite

RE-ENVISION

One way to work out what needs to change is (for a few moments) to focus on what you DON’T want and how that feels to you.  You don’t need to STAY there – just visit briefly. Notice how it feels in your body. Give it a colour, a texture, a word and/or and/or an image.

Then come up with something that you do  want or a way that you would like to feel more often.  You are wanting to access a positive resource state. Make this as vivid as possible, using all your senses. This needs to be a situation or vision where you feel light, expanded, free, happy, joyful.  Consciously spend more time focusing your energy there.

Start and end your day by visualizing it as vividly as you can, until you can feel it pulsing in your body. A vision board, created with images that activate this state, also helps to connect with it. Gratitude journals work too, as do affirmations, particularly when done whilst in the “resource” state.

Heads up – if your patterns run very deep, you might need the help of a qualified therapist, Hypnosis practitioner, Life Coach or good Energy worker to help to clear and release them.

WORKSHOPS

I had two amazing workshops recently in Durban at the beautiful Rest and Digest in Gillitts. Watch this space for more to come.

I’m delighted to be running another retreat in Grotto Bay (Western Cape) in September. Called The Flowering of You, it has been created to coincide with the arrival of the exquisite wild flowers that appear here at this time of the year.

Thanks for reading. Please send comments as to how you feel this retrograde energy, if you feel led to.

In life and light

 

Michelle

 

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Solar Eclipse 13 July- Riding the Wave

raging sea

 

Have any of you been feeling some rather intense energy over the last few days …particularly around family, security, home, mothering, roots?  Well…  its not really surprising, as we prepare for the New Moon Solar Eclipse in Cancer in the early hours of Friday morning 13 July (in South Africa).

It’s always emotionally intense  when both the sun and the moon are in the watery, sensitive  sign of the crab, but this one takes it up a good few notches.

When we have a solar eclipse, the sun is overwhelmed by the moon.  In other words the feminine vanquishes the masculine. The light disappears and we are pulled into the darkness for a while.

This can feel scary at first, but when we stay there for a while, our eyes start to readjust and we start to see things differently. When the obvious colours and details are not available, we start to look at things in a deeper way. That is what is asked of us now.

DEEP SEA DIVING

This New Moon eclipse forms an exact opposition to Pluto, the king of the underworld, modern ruler of Scorpio.  Pluto is the plumber of the zodiac, beckoning us beneath the surface, so that we might process any debris that might be sitting there, or, to be blunt,  clear out the sewer. Not a particularly pleasant thing to do, but quite necessary every now and then to avoid even more, serious blockages in the future.

Suffice to say, emotions that are coming up right now might not be comfortable at all, especially for those who have a lot of fire/ air in their charts, who prefer to keep things light and positive!

Amongst myself and my closest friends, here are some examples of what is and has been arising over the past week. Issues around home/security/ finances/;    illness to do with fluids (pneumonia);  flooding of houses; old emotional issues coming to the surface;  leaking roofs,  a feeling of general down-ness or off-ness for no seeming reason; big emotions around parenting/  family issues and responsibilities; feeling sick to the stomach; feeling lost at sea, having lost sight of the shore; vivid disturbing dreams.

So – what do we do?

Well, those troublesome, irritating feelings or general dis-ease,  “off-ness” or “not-so-goodness”, are just the tip of the iceberg. Underneath, if we do some deep sea diving, we may discover beauties like anger, sadness, grief, rage or fear, which are desperately trying to get our attention. And… as usual, we have the choice to feel them or to beat them into submission… guess which one works better?

HONOUR YOUR FEELINGS

The good news is that if we are prepared to honour the feelings that come up, we have a very supportive, very powerful Grand Water Trine, formed by Sun/Moon, Jupiter and Neptune, which can help us to bring understanding to or clear some debris, so that we can move forward, lighter and less encumbered. Jupiter in Scorpio (more water)  has just moved direct after 4 months of being retrograde. With Jupiter being a beneficial planet, this can be seen as a positive thing – much like a giant pressure hose, coming in to clear away all the sticky stuff, if we choose to allow it to do so.

If however, we elect to repress or medicate or numb the emotions that are coming up, they will simply join the others  lurking in the sewer,  until the next time.

If  there was ever a time to ride the wave of emotion, this is it. Many of us are feeling the angst and suffering of Mother Earth and humanity right now, in addition to our own.  Consider this… what if, each time we  feel a feeling, without  censorship or guilt, we help to transmute it, perhaps not only for ourselves, but for mankind and Mother Earth too?

RADICAL SELF CARE

I see this as a time of radical self care. If you feel insecure, needy, inadequate, sad or full of rage, sit with it for a few moments and breathe into it…  or express it in some way… dance it, sing it, paint it, write a poem about it, journal it –   if it’s anger, hitting a pillow really helps.  Then ask yourself how best you can show up, nourish and nurture yourself.  Maybe that means  cooking yourself a warm nourishing meal, sitting next to a fire, or perhaps connecting with the people who love you, taking a nap, or having a hot bath.  What would you advise your best friend, lover or child to do if they were in distress?

…Do that for yourself!

Every single time we abandon or berate ourselves, we deplete our energetic  and emotional tanks. Every time we value and love ourselves, we fill them up. All our tanks need regular cleaning and refilling and this is the time to do it. The fuller our individual tanks are, the more love we have to give.

SOME TOOLS TO HELP YOU RIDE THE WAVE

You might want to try Emotional Freedom Technique. Try it – it’s really simple and sure  does work. Whilst tapping certain points, you acknowledge what you are feeling (out loud preferably EG “Even though I am feeling …. X, Y Z, I deeply love and approve of myself”

Other tools that could help would be grounding – spending time outside with no shoes,  walking, spending time in nature, meditating, deep breathing, or visiting a hypnotherapist, trusted energy worker or psychologist. Just as we feed ourselves nutritional food,  and exercise our physical bodies, our emotional bodies and energetic bodies also need regular nourishment and tune ups!

 

Eclipses always happen in sets and have much longer lasting effects than normal new and full moons. This one marks the start of the Cancer/ Capricorn eclipse season, which will last until 2020, so there’s lots of time to work with these themes . The last time we had an eclipse at the same degree was 11 July 2010, so you might find that there are similar themes that are coming up.

SET THOSE NEW INTENTIONS

This solar eclipse is also an excellent time to set new intentions. Wherever 20 degrees of Cancer/ Capricorn lies in your chart will usually be where this is most pressing.

If you’d like to plumb further into this, you might consider setting up an Eclipse Reading, where we can explore how and where this is going to be working with you personally over the next few years.

AUGUST WORKSHOP AND RETREAT

My next Art & Soul workshop, CELEBRATING WOMEN will be in Durban on Women’s Day, 9th August, followed by COME HOME TO YOU,  a retreat on 10th to 12th August, where I will be collaborating with Deborah Prosser of Rest & Digest.

CAPE TOWN WORKSHOPS

Stay tuned for exciting new workshops and retreats in the Cape Area.

With  you in the Ocean

Michelle

 

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A Call to Re-awaken the Sacred Feminine

Hi All

There have been a whole lot of shifts and a changes in my life over the last month or two, which is why I haven’t done a lot of communicating with you all.  At the moment, I am taking a bit of time out to re-connect with myself, just “be” and to set the groundwork for some ideas that have been wanting expression for a long time.

As usual, this strongly coincides with the planetary energy of the moment, so although I wasn’t intending to write anything right now, there is so much heavenly stuff happening, I just had to share it with you.

We have a few pretty major happenings this week in particular – which are sending us very clear messages from the Universe.

NEW MOON IN TAURUS AND URANUS MOVES INTO TAURUS

On the 15th May, we have a NEW MOON in the sign of TAURUS, coinciding with URANUS, the planet of change, revolution and awakening, moving into Taurus, the sign of stability and sustainability, for the first time in 84 years!  We always feel a shift when one of the outer, slower moving planets moves into a different sign! When Uranus is involved, it is almost always a wake-up call of sorts, for us personally, as well as globally.

To give you some idea of the potential power of these alignments, 7 Years ago, when Uranus (the one who shakes things up)  moved from Pisces (the ocean) into Aries (fire))  there was an earthquake at sea, followed by a Tsunami and resulting in the Fukushima Nuclear disaster.  A move like this does not always depict crisis, but it does demand that we wake up.

The combination of Taurus and Uranus this week is particularly interesting, as they are energetically so completely different. Taurus represents the planet earth, our bodies, stability, security, the five senses, money, food and what we truly value. A New Moon in Taurus ushers in a month of listening to and nourishing our bodies, connecting with nature, slowing down and finding our inner sense of stability and security.

On the other hand, Uranus energy is electrified…like thunder and lightening… laser cutting it’s way through the dross and bringing the truth to the surface.

It’s impossible to predict what will happen over the next 7 years (nor would I want to), but we can almost guarantee that there will be more sweeping changes to our monetary/ banking  systems, Mother Earth, our food supplies, what and who we really value and our relationship  to the Feminine.

RE-AWAKENING THE SACRED FEMININE

For me, this alignment, together with Jupiter moving into Scorpio last October,   is about reawakening and honouring the Sacred Feminine within ourselves and simultaneously bringing healing to our planet.

For so long, the feminine was pushed into the background, diminished, even reviled. For so long, the focus has been on the masculine, on achieving, doing, driving forward, that many of us have forgotten our human “beingness”.

For some of us, we might experience this as a time of exciting change and breakthroughs, but  for others it can feel more like a break down.  The more out of balance we are, the more challenging the energy may be to integrate.  Some of us might be feeling super charged, at odds with others, aggressive, nervous, angry or feeling a heightened need to break free from limitations.

Whatever in our lives is unsustainable, is coming up for review and possible change, in order to bring us back into harmony and balance.

10 WAYS TO WORK WITH THIS ENERGY

  • Take frequent pauses during the day. Just one conscious breath can bring you into the moment and quieten your nervous system. IF you feel explosive or agitated, take your attention to your breath and soften your body.
  • If you feel your mind running away into the past or the future, bring it back, over and over to the breath or to your 5 senses.
  • Ground yourself every day, as often as you can, by walking barefoot on the earth.
  • Spend time in nature – just being – Sit in one spot and gaze upon something natural, be it a butterfly, a plant, the sea or a little patch of grass.
  • Connect with your body through dance, stretching, walking, yoga etc.
  • As you feel emotions arising, stop and connect with where they are registering in your body. Really connect with what your body is telling you at any moment, because it never stops communicating with you.
  • Gently breathe into those areas of your body
  • As you consistengly put yourself into a state of “beingness”, allow insights, visions and ideas to simply drift in and out of your consciousness.
  • With care and intention, pick a flower or find something from nature, light a candle, put on some beautiful music, run a beautiful bubble bath or essential oils and soak, allowing what wants to arise, to arise. Make this a sacred activity.
  • After your bath, slowly, sensually, rub some beautiful cream into your body. Check in with your body before and after your bath and notice any difference.

ASTROLOGY APPOINTMENTS AND WORKSHOPS

I’m currently booking astrology appointments and updates for June, so pop me an email if you’d like to book. Watch this space for new workshops and retreats.

 

In Life and light

 

Michelle

by

New Moon March 17th in Pisces

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BY MICHELLE MCCLUNAN

Hi Everybody

Well we’re in the final stages of the moon’s waning (releasing) cycle and preparing for the New Moon March 17th in Pisces. This is a really important one, as it heralds not only the end of a month’s cycle, but also the beginning of the end of our Astrological year. The New Year starts on 20th /21st March, when the Sun moves in Aries.

Due to the New Moon being in close proximity to Chiron, the wounded healer, this is also a very unique  opportunity to gain understanding and bring healing to our deepest and most painful struggles or hurts. More about that further on. This is greatly expanded and possibly assisted by a trine to Jupiter in Scorpio. We also have 3 planets in Aries, adding a fiery element to the mix.

NEW MOON IN PISCES

A new moon in Pisces is always a time of letting go, releasing and planting new seeds for the year ahead.  As a mutable water sign. Pisces strengthens our connection to all that is/ Source/ the Divine; as well as activating and deepening our imagination, intuition and creativity. At this time of the year, we are able to refine our perceptions and raise our consciousness, by aligning with and flowing with the energy of the moment. It is a time to release and surrender the year.

The symbol for Pisces is two fish swimming in opposite directions and there are most definitely two sides to the sign, as there are with all the signs of the zodiac.

THE FLIP SIDE

The flip side of Pisces energy is that it is can also be a time when we feel the suffering of everything more acutely, when we are more sensitive or when our grief, sadness, fears, or victimhood can come to the surface. We can also feel lethargic, tired, confused,  all at sea, in a fog, hopeless, invaded, frustrated, victimised, or ill. It’s the end of a cycle after all!  It’s often a time when people who have been struggling to release an age or illness-ravaged body are able to finally let it go. If you haven’t heard, Stephen Hawkins passed yesterday. My uncle passed peacefully on Tuesday too. He was very old and it was time! Whilst visiting him last week, he certainly seemed to be connecting with and drifting between different dimensions, starting the process of completing his journey here and moving on.

FALLOW FIELDS AND THE VOID

So – this is the time of the year when the fields of our lives need to be cleared, and the soil left to stand fallow for a bit to recover,  before a new crop is planted.

The problem is, most of us homo sapiens are more human doings than human beings, and a lot of us aren’t too crazy about stopping the noise, possible because when it does, we are pulled into a quiet place where all that remains is us and “all that is”.  We generally aren’t too happy to be in a void for long, so we tend to fill it up as quickly as we can and that is where the exhaustion sets in.  We just don’t give ourselves time to catch our breaths and recover, before carrying on with the next thing!

Nevertheless, it’s very clear that this is what we’re being called up upon to do, even it its uncomfortable at first. Bite sized pieces of the void are better than no void at all 😊That’s why meditation or stillness are so important, because they give us mini vacations in our overflowing lives.

CHIRON – THE WOUNDED HEALER

The reason this new moon is SO important is because of Chiron, who is sailing along right next to the sun and the moon and is about to leave the sign of Pisces where he has been since 2011.  Due to having a 51 year orbit, this marks the end of a much longer cycle as well!.

Chiron, the Wounded Healer (we all have one) can be seen as the wound that make us wise;  the pain and struggles that are actually designed to help to grow and raise our consciousness, even though it really doesn’t feel like that sometimes!  When Chiron moves through Pisces, we are asked to investigate how much we trust  – not other people –  but rather how much we trust the flow of life; how much we are able to surrender to the ebb and flow cycles; how much we are able to understand that we are connected and supported by something much bigger and more mysterious than our the physical world.

If you were born between the years of around 1961 to 1969, you probably have your natal Chiron in Pisces, like me, which means that this is part of your core wound anyway, If so, you  might feel as if you’re being tested now more than other people, as Chiron makes his last freestyle dash though the deep waters of Pisces, making sure you get the message and the healing. There is help at hand!

TRUST, SURRENDER AND RELEASE

Whether or not you fall into this category, we are ALL  being urged to trust, surrender and release something or somebody at this time.

IF YOU HAVE HAD YOUR CHART DONE:

The area that Chiron is moving through your chart will give you clues as to where you need to trust, surrender and release. If for example, Chiron has been travelling through your 4th house, it might suggest that something to do with your home or your home itself or your family needs to be released. If he’s travelling through your 10th house, then the focus would be on on your career/vocation; in the 6th house your health and so on. The area in which Chiron was in when you were born will also be brought into the mix.

Wherever Chiron is now and wherever it was when you were born, you would have had many opportunities to work with  trust.  faith, surrender and deepening your connection over the past 7 years or so.

You’re welcome to book a short session with me to investigate how this is playing out in your chart, and what you need to release  before Chiron moves into Aries in April. Heads up – This might be contrary to your personal preference!

IF YOU HAVEN’T HAD YOUR CHART DONE

If you  haven’t had your chart done or aren’t keen to have it done, then just just intuitively connect with what you feel you need to release right now in your life.

HOW TO WORK WITH THIS ENERGY

  • Please make some time before or on the New Moon to jot down the main things that have happened in the last astrological year in all aspects of your life. The wins, the losses, new arrivals, departures, health, work, finances, home, family etc.
  • If possible, do some kind of clearing or detoxing of mind, spirit, body before the New Moon as well. This is arguably the best time of the year to do this.
  • Then preferably on the day of the new moon, connect with the energy of water in some way – the sea, a river, a dam, a stream or if none of those a swimming pool, bath or bowl of water.
  •  One idea is to write  down what you want to release, on a leaf or a stone and set it down / throw it into the water… or come up with something even more imaginative!  Watch as it drifts down the river or gets washed out to sea. As you do so, repeat to yourself

I cleanse and release all the dead weight from the year gone by. I release………………………. (be specific)

I calm and centre my mind, body, and spirit, so I may hear the calling of my soul guiding me in the right direction

I replenish my energy and welcome in a new vision for my life (describe it) – you could send something into the water course to represent this too, if you like.

We’ll be  working with this in my  EBB & FlOW Workshop on Saturday 17th March. I still have a bit of space, so join us if you are able to. Email me for details

MERCURY RETROGRADE

Mercury will be retrograde from 23rd March to 16th April,  so make sure you back up all your data and double check travel arrangements before then.

Thanks for reading!

In Life and Light

 

Michelle

 

Copyright Michelle McClunan – please share with links to this post