The Moon interacts with different planets, and the affect is gauged in Astrology by the Angle and alignments between them.

Have you seen the old blue and white full Moon in the clear, crisp January nights? It went full yesterday (Tuesday), in Leo a sign that is focused on the self. Meanwhile, the Sun is now in Aquarius, which takes itself less seriously. You therefore have a lot of energy for self indulgence, balanced by an interesting Aquarian objectivity. Will your friendship progress toward romance? Part of you wants that, while another part sees the bigger picture and wonders where it might lead. On Wednesday, the Moon (emotion) “opposes” Mercury (Communication) which can put you in a bind for what to say about the dilemma you feel between what you want in the short term versus what you see for the long term. You can find a way to turn this into an opportunity, with the right dash of introspection.

“The Moon (emotion), facing off with Mars (passion) creates some emotional fire that can ignite a romance.”

On Thursday, 1/24, one of the things happening in the heavens is a conjunction of Venus (Love) with Pluto (transformation). When planets are in conjunction, their energies can act on each other in quite intense ways. And, the propostion of Astrology is that energy generated in the Cosmos has its impact on Earth. So… put Love, and Transformation together, and what do you get? A couple of possibilities: passions become stronger as the need to move forward compels intense feelings of love/friendship, and that a love/friendship relationship is headed into a new phase as it evolves. The key is to let Pluto’s metamorphing energy guide you rationally through all the new feelings.

This weekend, the good old Moon, now in a powerful but waning stage, has decided to “square” two planets — both Mars and Pluto. Squares (the relative position of two or more planets), can create some tension, and also some great opportunities. The Moon (emotion), facing off with Mars (passion) creates some emotional fire that can ignite a romance. And with the Moon and Pluto (renewal), squaring off, we can see that deep feelings again come into play with potential for a transformation. So between friends and lovers you’re likely to feel some things that move you — and your relationship — to the next level. Go with it… but don’t let your emotions get the best of you. Take what time you need to think it all through.

Above, Venus and the Moon are seen moving into “conjunction” (center) — close proximity to one another (courtesy of the Wikimedia Commons).

As the Moon grows full (it’s in a “Waxing Gibbous” phase now — 86% of Full), you should feel its energy gathering about you this weekend and into the next week when it turns Full (Tues. 1/22). The Moon also “trines” (lines up at 120 degrees) Neptune on Saturday, which makes for some really dreamy potentialities. This is a good time to go off on an adventure. It’s a good time for lovers to explore fantasies. Be careful that all this romancing and imaginary play-time doesn’t take you too far out of “reality” — keep at least one foot grounded on good old Earth.

“Venus (Love) paired with Pluto (Renewal) offers you a good opportunity to work through relationship struggles to get to a new phase.”

Another thing happening in the heavens Sunday, 1/20, is that the Sun moves into Aquarius, a creative, and freedom loving sign. This can be a time when you will embrace change, and in these days of high-technology, change is an everyday thing. Remember, this is the age of Aquarius, so as you work through your New Year’s resolutions it will be good to think about creative ways to approach your career, family, and relationships.

Two more interesting celestial events happen this week, when Mercury conjuncts Neptune (Tuesday) and Venus conjuncts Pluto (Wednesday). Conjunctions are an event noted by both Astronomers and Astrologers, and it means that the two planets are seen close together from Earth. In Astrology, the planets in conjunction both act together and upon one another. So, for us this brings Mercury (Communication), and Neptune (Imagination) together, and we can use the combine energy to work on, present, and tell others about creative projects. Venus (Love) paired with Pluto (Renewal) offers you a good opportunity to work through relationship struggles to get to a new phase. Put the two together, romantic wise, and on Tuesday, when you speak about some creative notions you have for your relationship, this can be the catalyst to break you out of the lull you’ve been in. It might feel like a bit of a struggle, but everything that is born anew does for a brief time. Rely on your strength of Spirit and walk with God.

The Christmas Star burns brightly over Bethlehem as the Magi visit the Lord. From a 13th century painting by Giotto di Bondone.

Take heart, and joy — the Star of Bethlehem is risen today. It is the Christmas Star, and it shines for all in the Spirit of Good Will towards Men. Can you feel it? You see, I think there are stars in the heavens… and stars within. The stars within us burn brightly in our intuition, subconcious, and emotions. It was the wise men (in the Greek dialect, common at the time, the word for these men was “magoi”, indicating they were astrologers/astronomers), who followed a Star and found The Son — found the Light. There are a number of historical theories for this Star than burnt so bright over Bethlehem and led the Magi to the newborn Lord, including a nova, a planet, a comet, an occultation, and a conjunction (massing of planets).

“It is a time of new beginnings. A time to be reborn.”

There are also numerous prophecies that foretell the time of the Star. Some say the Star was a fiction. Is the night sky a “fiction” because you cannot touch it? And, don’t some “fictions” actually take on a life of their own in the myth lore of world cultures (Father Christmas, comes to mind)… because the play upon deep and eternal truths? So take heart and enjoy the Light and Warmth of the Star. May it guide you too, in all your endeavors.

It is Solstice time — a time of celebration throughout the world, and from throughout history. Of course, Christmas is the most famous Solstice time celebration, nowadays, there are other traditions and festivals ringing in this time of year. Most see the time as a sort of rebirth for the next year and seasons moving from Winter into Spring. What rebirth can you now find in your life?

As the year winds down during the Holidays, are you already making resolutions for 2008? Well, you might like to at least get a jump by thinking of them a bit as you scurry about on Christmas errands. The Winter Solstice occured on the 21st. The Sun stands still… is the literal meaning of Solstice. It is a time of new beginnings. A time to be reborn. So from the stillness of your Soul in a quiet moment, cast yourself forward into the next year… and ask, “what is the next step in my life journey?”

To what things in your life will you say goodbye, and what will you welcome anew into your journey as the seasons change, and the Christmas tide comes? This year’s Winter Solstice was followed closely by the Full Moon on the day before Christmas Eve — a celestial time of celebrations, and new beginnings, indeed. We all know that Moon energy fills people with lots of emotions, and the Solstice is a a time of renewal. You’ll probably find a classic holiday song or two reaching deep into your soul. And there, you can find the Christmas Star burning brightly with the Light you need in the New Year.

The Adoration of the Magi, from a 14th century painting by Hans Baldung.

Do you remember that in the Biblical story, the three wise men found the Lord Jesus by following a star? These wise men, many historians believe, hailed from Persia and were priests of the Zoroastrian sect, schooled (among other things) in Astrology. The star they followed, the Star of Bethlehem, also called the Christmas Star, is not understood in modern times, though there are theories that it could have been Jupiter in conjunction with Regulus, and/or Venus. Do stars bless and recognize Kings? Are there connections between the heavens above, and the happenings on Earth? I think so. What star might bless you this season?

“Does not each persons’ soul seek this on earth — to find their spiritual heaven? “

Do you have three wise men in your life? Most of us do… if we think about it. The first will be someone in our family, usually a grandfather or uncle who always knew the right thing to say… at the right time. The second will be a teacher — at a school you attended, a community center, a church camp, or some other organized activity. This teacher really knew how to inspire you. The third… is an interesting one. It could be someone as close as the neighborhood Father who helped you with a project. It could be someone as far away as a helpful soul you met while traveling abroad. These “wise men” came into your life when you needed them, and provided a key role in your development. They could have, of course, been three wise women, or two men and a woman, etc. The important thing is to reflect on what they have taught you. Then… ask, for whom am I the wise man/woman this holiday season?

Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar — the three wise men. Who were they? What did they represent? Ultimately, like all of us, they are seekers. Learned, of course, but searching for a King — a spiritual leader. Does not each persons’ soul seek this on earth — to find their spiritual heaven? And what is the meaning of the gifts from the wise men to the King? Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. Perhaps, gold as a symbol of earthly kingship, frankincense (an incense) as a symbol of priestship, and myrrh (an embalming oil) as a foretelling of death. Symbolic gifts. A gift also given by the example of their lives — they traveled from afar to honor him. If you are Spiritually discerning, this Christmas… what gifts will you give… and to whom?

Finally… why so many questions? As a wise man once said, “judge a person more by their questions… than their answers.” Merry Christmas.

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.