Mysteries in the Sky: What a multitude of wondrous shapes, colors, and infinite configurations the stars form in the heavens above. Look up, on a warm Summer night, and the awe of our realm will reveal itself.

Friday shows more tension than harmony… probably the residual energy from a busy week. Remember that you can always choose how you use this energy. Just like you should let a harsh email sit and “cool” for a while, how you respond to stress is a result of discernment and wise choices. Pray for discernment. There are a couple of positive signs too, as the week ends, with the Moon in trine with Uranus, bringing new ideas to the table, and conjunction with Mercury and Pisces, allowing you to tap some hidden reservoirs within as you enjoy communicating with colleagues and mates.

“Celebrate the freedom to be who you are.”

Saturday looks quiet with the Moon opposing the restrictions Saturn likes to bring. Do you feel boxed in by plans, commitments — agreements with loved ones? That’s actually an opportunity for you to examine why and when to make such agreements… you don’t have to say yes to everything. Decide what you want. Then proceed by crossing off things that you need to do to refresh your own Spirit. After that you will be in a good place to help others. Enjoy your holiday and the celebration of freedom.

On Sunday, emotions find a kind of healing harmony, as the Moon dances in synch with Neptune (Spirituality), and Jupiter (Expansion). This brings about a pleasant mid-summer day to spend with friends and loved ones. It is also a good time to simply “take a break” and get in touch with yourself via reading, meditation, hiking and other solitary enjoyments. Not the best day to begin new pursuits, but better to get in touch with old ways, core beliefs, and long-time friends. Find your common ground that holds it all together — and enjoy the Summertime for those in the Northern Hemisphere. Celebrate the freedom to be who you are.

Looking toward next week, we see a bit of stress getting back to work after an enjoyable holiday (4th of July in the US) over the weekend. It might feel like a tough week to get going with a lot of colleagues and friends on vacation. But that also offers an opportunity for you to relax a bit, regroup, and approach your work with a new outlook. Pluto’s energy of renewal is shining today, so look for some ways to get exercise, read a book or magazine you have not looked at in a while, and enjoy the mid-summer days for those who live above the equator.

A print of the copperplate engraving for Johann Bayer’s Uranometria (1661 edition) showing the 12 new southern constellations -courtesy of the History of Science Department at the University of Oklahoma.

Friday’s here and a Memorial Day weekend for Americans.  Today, the Moon dances in trine with Pluto, the planet of transformation and renewal. Fitting as we honor so many who fought and died as the world and our country forged on.  And, on a personal level, what can you do this weekend to bring needed renewal to your life?  Recreation?  Re-creation, is a great way to surface important traditions and fun that make you and your relationships stronger.  There’s a bit of stress showing today between Mercury (Communication) and the Sun (Personality) so keep an I on conversations and don’t let them go “over the top.”

“A clear, focused, and unburdened Spirit is the key to your growth and prosperity.  How can you accomplish that?  The one True way — touching God.”

Thursday saw harmony in the air with the Moon making nice with Neptune (Spirituality), Chiron (Healing), and Jupiter (Prosperity). A clear, focused, and unburdened Spirit is the key to your growth and prosperity.  How can you accomplish that?  The one True way — touching God.  This is known as Prayer.  Remember that what manifests without is simply a projection of the convictions within.  We also see Mercury (Intelligence) with Uranus the planet of new ideas.  New ideas are a way of renewing your approach to projects, family, relationships — your life. Pray for Clarity… then follow your heart.

Saturday brings a day when the Moon is in harmony both with Saturn and Uranus, calling for new but practical ways in which to enjoy your weekend. New and practical… hmmmmmm.  Hiking, Kayaking, civic events, dog walking, backyard camping are just some ideas that come to mind.  Saturday also shows emotional challenges as the Moon squares off with Jupiter, Neptune, and Chiron.  Jupiter is about expansion, so this is another indication to keep your ideas within reason — you will feel the right answer as you make your holiday choices. Trust your gut instinct.

Wisdom comes in many forms, and is often depicted as a beautiful woman. For me, Wisdom came in the form of three years of joy we had from a five-pound bundle of energy — a Shih-Tzu named Wisdom. Wisdom was tough — he could wrestle his brothers, weighing three times more, to the ground, when needed. He guarded our home. And, he danced in happiness and showed us much love, every single day. What more could one ask of Wisdom? Rest in peace, my precious little friend. Wisdom – April 28th., 2006 – May 13th., 2009.

Welcome to Friday. Emotions of Love are in the air today as the Moon is in harmony with Venus. Often we think of romance — and Friday evenings are good times for that. But what we Love, also goes to what we stand for — in a very real sense… the essence of what we are about in life. Memorial Day is coming soon, and in addition to a long weekend, it is in remembrance of countless souls who paid the ultimate price for Freedom, Family, Culture, and Country. These are things we love. Can we love the wrong things? Sometimes. Venus is in a rare position to remind us of that today, as stress with Chiron the healer is showing. Sometimes we are mistaken about whom and what to love. Other times, even healthy loves can bring us pain. The key is to be guided by right values, then your love is right too, and any associated pain will bring you wisdom.

“When you are guided by Love and strength of Spirit, Wisdom comes shining through.”

How do we find Wisdom? In the pursuit of answers it’s good to consider discernment that brings wise choices. On Thursday, the Moon was in harmony with the Sun, Mercury, and Uranus. Personality, Communication, and New Ideas are flowing through your emotional being so you can work well with those around you. Moment by moment there are choices to be made. How can we best choose? Discernment based on good principles, leads to right action. And often, the very best wisdom, is the wisdom of your heart. When you are guided by Love and strength of Spirit, Wisdom comes shining through. As a wise man once said, the closest we can come to knowing who we are is to understand what we love — what we would die for.

Saturday is set to bring the strength of Mars (Initiative) to your emotional self, along with the inspiration to “tinker” with things and try new ideas. A perfect day to get out the tools, paint, and start a home project you’ve been planning. This same energy can get you thinking about was to “tinker” with relationships. This can be good, but requires negotiation and honest “buy in” from both parties. Otherwise “tinker” becomes “tamper” — and leads to dissension. Intuition, principles and the ways of the heart are good guides as you proceed.

Aion, God of Eternity, appears in a Zodiac sphere before Mother Earth in this floor mosaic from a Roman villa, circa 200 CE.

What is the purpose of Astrology? To study the patterns in the Stars and contemplate how they influence those of us on earth. So, using the centuries of insights from Astrology, we can illuminate the psychological framework in which different personalities operate. We all are part of the woven story in the Cosmos. We all have free will. So, Astrologers can help you see patterns, and likelihoods, but the final choices are your own.

“To many, Astrology seems very abstract… but one way to understand it is to think of a number of influences pulling on you at the same time. Sound familiar?”

Are you finding time to feed your relationships in the busy Holiday season? Sometimes when you have a lot on your mind, it can be easy to neglect the important things. What relationships? Well, you need a healthy relationship with yourself (exercise, get good rest, eat well), and with your Spiritual side first… so that you can do well in relationships with others. Then, we can take a look at the Astrological patterns in your signs and those close to you to gain greater understanding of career, family, and romantic relationships.

How do you balance the busy holidays with the needs of your relationships, and even your own need for personal time? To many, Astrology seems very abstract… but one way to understand it is to think of a number of influences pulling on you at the same time. Sound familiar? Sound like the Holiday season? Well you know the old saying, “as it is above, so it is below.” This means that patterns in the Cosmos can indeed be reflected here in our little old part of the World.

Have you ever wondered what attracts two people to each other? Is it the Spirit (a “soul mate”), the mind (people who are “simpatico”), or some other influence? Of course, streams and patterns of fate often conspire to bring about a meeting where two people “cross paths.” But, the rest is up to you. So… how do you choose a mate in a relationship? The answer is one of the most important things in life. Astrology can help you look at character traits, in yourself and others, and patterns in your life and in romantic interests, to help you explore the answers.

Welcome to November — it should be an energetic month. Mercury will come back “direct” next week… but go slow now, and double-check your communications until that time. Mars is active this month, and should bring some welcome energy this first weekend — get some chores done… the holidays are coming. That’s because about mid-month, peppy Mars will go retrograde… and that would be a good time to take a “time out,” before Thanksgiving. We’re also under the influence of Scorpio — a sign that looks into life issues for deep meanings. Don’t be afraid of that — life is enjoyable on the surface… and also when you plumb its mysteries.

“When all around you seems chaotic, your advantage will be the ability to sort things out.”

The first weekend of november is full of energy and fun — enjoy it. In the next week ahead (beginning Nov. 5), Venus interacting with Pluto brings an opportunity to examine any difficulties there are in our relationships. We are also under a Scorpio influence, and that means you can enrich your relationship by going beyond the surface concerns to address deeper feelings. When all around you seems chaotic, your advantage will be the ability to sort things out. If you step back and think a bit, you can always apply some logic to bring order to your life, and a richer understanding of your important relationships.

Life is about choices. In Astrology, we believe that the tug and pull of the planets can influence your choices, just as the Moon determines the tides of the ocean. Albeit the ebb and flow of the ocean tides may be determined by the phases of the moon, there is a lot more going on out there in the ocean than what is determined by the moon, independent of the moon’s influence. So, it’s important to note that I do not mean that your choices in life are controlled, or predetermined. It’s amazing to me how many times I get a client who calls, believing that I will predict your future, or that Astrology will tell you whom you’re going to go out with on Saturday nite! Only GOD knows for sure, exactly what is going to happen tomorrow, and the day after that, and two years down the road. And nothing else in this universe, not me, not Astrology, nor anything else here on this planet, no other form of divination, etc., is going to get in the way of Human free will—- YOUR DECISION or CHOICE TO ACT—- Okay! Of course, GOD can, of course. But then again, should He choose to do so, then He would be honoring His word of giving us FREE WILL, now would He? And GOD always tells the truth, and honors His Word.

Now this is what I can do and what Astrology does offer. We, as Astrology counselors, because Astrology was our first psychology, look at patterns of a ‘whole person’ in their birth chart based on a 12 house system. It’s an esoteric blueprint of their personality, a picture of the sky taken at their birth, and this picture can give an overall metaphoric view of who they are and what challenges they may face emotionally, as they grow. Just like psychologists look at patterns of behavior in a human and charts that behavior over a period of time for consistency and/or inconsistency, we astrologers look at energies, influences, and patterns in a person’s natal chart.

We are able to chart their life, lifestyle, relationships, and the like thru the chart, figuratively. Then using calculations, and process of elimination, using independent, specific & global research, offer advice on a given particular subject matter, whether it’s relationship, finance, career, family, health, personal, education, etc.

Just remember folks, that your choices and decisions are always your own, and the chart doesn’t ‘RULE YOU’… you RULE your chart! The chart can be a guide, if you will, to help you identify where you can see a potential burden or conflict or challenge, therefore, allowing you to ‘free yourself’ and more on to more solid, stable, safe, and prosperous ground!~

Historically, “cosmolabes” and other devices were used to calculate aspects.

How does Astrology help you figure out what’s going on in your life, and in the lives of romantic interests, coworkers, and family members? Well there are books and books on that, but one thing we do is look at “Aspects” in the horoscope. An aspect is the angle the planets make to one another in a particular horoscope. You can think of this as energies interacting in a personality (each planet represents a certain type of energy). This has been called “astrological harmonics,” and you can think of a chart as a sort of musical score for your life. What notes will you play with the people you work with, and the people you love? That’s where it gets very interesting.

Sometimes events in your life are in “harmony”, some times they are quite out of tune. It is very interesting when you look at all of the different character traits of someone you know well — it can be quite a long list. And your character traits, have to work well with those around you for your social self to be in harmony. That’s why Astrologers look at Aspects, and in particular Major Aspects revealed in one’s horoscope, and in the charts showing what’s going on daily, weekly, and monthly. Awareness of major aspects in your life — emotional awareness — can be used as an opportunity to change and alter your life that will benefit you.

“Understanding your energy blueprint and those of important people in your life can help you make wise choices.”

Is Astrology all about your Sun sign? No… there really is a lot more to it. Among other things, we Astrologers look at your horoscopes to determine different types of “aspects”, like Conjunctions, Sextiles, and Squares. These, generally speaking, have to do with the way the planets line up in different configurations within the houses of your horoscope. Conjunctions may be thought of as blended energies, and sometimes this can mean a blindspot in your life. Sextiles, may point to your talents, and Squares can create certain tensions within the personality — not necessarily a negative thing. Tensions can be just what’s required to motivate action. There are other types of aspects too, which combined, show a sort of energy blueprint for your personality. Understanding your energy blueprint and those of important people in your life can help you make wise choices.

How long does it take you to make the decision to sleep or better said ‘have SEX’ with someone? 3 minutes?

People… please… if you want to talk about matters of great importance such as a serious relationship in which you are currently involved, or considering entering, or about a man or woman whom you are considering sleeping with… please… take sexy seriously. In case you didn’t realize it yet, having sex with another human being is a SERIOUS MATTER!

“…three (3) minutes is not long enough to talk about anything that is as serious as something like this… that could ALTER the course of YOUR LIFE, or… could actually cost you your life…”

Many of you whom I talk to frequently will attest to, and even those whom I haven’t spoken with yet, will also agree, I’m sure, that it doesn’t matter whether it’s Oral Sex or Intercourse, it’s still Sex and it’s Serious, and it’s Serious Sex, and making this decision is a HUGE decision that needs to be truly thought about and discussed. Talk about it with the person whom you’re considering having a sexual relationship with, or with someone older and wiser who can assist you with what you will be feeling afterwards once you entertain this experience. 3 minute decisions of this nature can and oftentimes are deadly.

People I am willing to talk openly and honestly with you, about this sensitive subject matter, and assist you wisely about this in a confidential manner. However, if you want to get a good handle on things then please call me — or any other therapist or advisor for that matter of your choice, but do plan to talk with us for a period longer than 3 minutes about matters of this nature. Otherwise, you are doing yourself an injustice, and us a disservice, as we are unable to address your situation in the most appropriate sense because that is simply not enough time to get down to the ROOT with you of what is important in making such a serious and wise decision.

Because the BOTTOM LINE IS THIS, to ask the question is utterly ridiculous: “Am I going to have Sex with Dave or Susan Saturday Nite”? If this is your first, second or third date… and this is the first time we’ve talked, regardless of what my intuition wants to tell me, my head and mouth wants to speak very calmly but directly why are you even asking me this question, you have already made your decision, YES! And then SCREAM AT YOU at the top of my lungs…’NO’… absolutely NOT! It’s not time yet!

So what are you really asking me? You’ve already made your decision. You know you want to sleep (have sex) with this person. Isn’t the following what you are truly asking me: “Am I going to have Sex with Susan or Dave and am I making the right decision?” That is what I am intuiting. I am intuiting both the fact that you’ve already made up your mind to have sex as well as how wrong it is to go ahead and have it, at this point. But we only have three minutes, because you’ve only paid for three minutes to discuss a decision that could literally KILL YOU!

Is your decision a wise decision?

People, three (3) minutes is not long enough to talk about anything that is as serious as something like this, that I mentioned above, or anything that concerns a major interest or that could ALTER the course of YOUR LIFE, or, as I wrote about, could actually cost you your life, Okay. After all, any relationship where you are sharing your time, effort, energy and body fluids — is a serious matter, as I’m sure you’ll agree, you all, or most of you read the papers and watch the news. And having sex with someone does require more time and attention in making this decision, than perhaps making a decision about what outfit you’re going to wear on a date tomorrow nite, or whose car you’re going to use, to pick up your date in tomorrow nite. Those questions I will be happy to answer in three minutes and be smiling about when we hang up!

What you’re going to wear, or which car you’re going to drive should only take 3 minutes! Boys and Girls, Men and Women, PEOPLE everywhere, My own Children — if you’re possibly reading this, Please take note that whether or not you’re going to seriously date as in sleep with and have SEX with someone should take 3 to 6 months — or longer. Thank you…and you’ll someday thank me, too, I hope! ;)