“Never regret. If it’s good, it’s wonderful. If it’s bad, it’s experience.”

-Victoria Holt

Tips for almanac use: All the aspects can be felt in advance of the date of occurrence. It is good policy to view these as due dates for various energies and prepare accordingly for one’s context. Some slower interactions can be felt a month in advance, so it’s wise to read ahead and ritual up.

When we proactively manifest these symbols then the world doesn’t have to do it for us.

Ah, September. It’s definitely different: The pace may not be as brutal as August, but the tasks at hand are still extremely fundamental issues. The rate of change is not likely to slow, it’s just that the emphasis is shifting more towards the internal and private realms: There’s a digestive process at hand, but things have already been soaked in the juices and now need sorting into those that will be assimilated and those that will be released. This is not a consciously rational process; it has its own wisdom and we (the conscious narrators) need to get out of the way.

Mercury conjoins the Sun on the 3^rd, marking the peak of this Mercury retrograde/integration period. This is clearly a time for removing clutter, not adding to it; either material and/or self-identity stuff. And definitely don’t indulge in self-abuse fantasies regarding the past. Life was never meant to be perfect and neither were we.

Venus trines Neptune on the 4^th, offering a playful respite to all the processing going on these days. Relax and let go enough to have some fun and relish the good stuff. Let some inspiration in; just don’t go running off to fantasy land.

The New Moon in Virgo on the 8^th is offering a prime chance for renewal and replenishing. Hopefully the gardens of our psyches have been Read the rest of this entry »

“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.”
-Carl Rogers

Tips for almanac use: All the aspects can be felt in advance of the date of occurrence. It is good policy to view these as due dates for various energies and prepare accordingly for one’s context. Some slower interactions can be felt a month in advance, so it’s wise to read ahead and ritual up.

When we proactively manifest these symbols then the world doesn’t have to do it for us.

August is a little strange as an anti-climax of sorts. It starts off wild and wooly and builds and then things just kind of fizzle on down. Maybe it’s that these things have been brewing for so long that it’s ultimately hard to live up to the psychological hype that is such a strong human tendency. If this is as bad as it gets, have we been over-revving our engines? Can we be comfortable with things going decently if we’ve been preparing for worse? Do we turn this into hyper-vigilance against ourselves in response or can we actually respect existence and relax?

Jupiter squares Pluto on the 3^rd, plunging us deeper into old complexes and belief patterns. By now, most of the issues at play should be readily visible, so the initial shock of realization has hopefully worn off. However, we should still be pushing deeper into the abyss or the world will probably do it for us. A calm approach to awe-inducing possibilities is a good strategy.

Mars opposes Jupiter and squares Pluto, also on the 3^rd. This is quite a trigger; bringing Read the rest of this entry »

“To choose what is difficult all one’s days, as if it were easy, that is faith.”

-W.H. Auden

Tips for almanac use: All the aspects can be felt in advance of the date of occurrence.  It is good policy to view these as due dates for various energies and prepare accordingly for one’s context.  Some slower interactions can be felt a month in advance, so it’s wise to read ahead and ritual up.

When we proactively manifest these symbols then the world doesn’t have to do it for us.

Yeah, July.  It’s going to be a wild and crazy ride.  Hopefully, we’re metaphorically buckled up, strapped in and didn’t just eat a questionable meal.  The planets are definitely pushing and pulling us all in a number of directions at once and there’s no simple compromise between them.  Ultra-adaptability to the call of action is the idea, but try and keep it steady because this is a very volatile mix.

Mercury sextiles Mars on the 1^st, stimulating the urge to get clarity surrounding certain convoluted issues.  It is better to do this by feeling more instead of pushing to figure things out with the mind.  And avoid conclusions.

Uranus stations retrograde on the 5^th, shifting the focus from claiming territory to more fully moving into what has been claimed.  Many facets of our lives will need some adjustments and reworking.  Flexibility is being asked of us along with Read the rest of this entry »

“Life is 10 percent what happens to me, and 90 percent how I react to it.”
–John Maxwell

Tips for almanac use: All the aspects can be felt in advance of the date of occurrence. It is good policy to view these as due dates for various energies and prepare accordingly for one’s context. Some slower interactions can be felt a month in advance, so it’s wise to read ahead and ritual up.
When we proactively manifest these symbols then the world doesn’t have to do it for us.

So June is the start of the really big show—one that last played in the early 1930’s. June begins with a rather dramatic introduction: eager and fresh but highly unpredictable. The middle of the month isn’t that crazy, except for the ever-present undertow. And by the end of the month, well, it should be very exciting and not necessarily in the best of ways. It’s going to be a polarizing time when we’re being asked to do many opposing things somehow in harmony. It’s either do or die, or at least do or cry.

Mars opposes Neptune on the 4^th, lending us more inspiration to take action and possibly confusing us at the same time; although it’s still Read the rest of this entry »

“The best way to navigate through life is to give up all of our controls.”

-Gerald Jampolsky

Tips for almanac use: All the aspects can be felt in advance of the date of occurrence.  It is good policy to view these as due dates for various energies and prepare accordingly for one’s context.  Some slower interactions can be felt a month in advance, so it’s wise to read ahead and ritual up.

When we proactively manifest these symbols then the world doesn’t have to do it for us.

May starts off rather placid; kind of continuing with April’s mulling.  But then the big stuff starts hitting–the things we’ve been feeling brewing throughout April.  It may be akin to white-water rafting; where at certain points, all you can really do is to keep your oar in the water and try to stay facing forward.  Actually, it’s apt advice for the months to come, because currently the stage is only being set.  The point being that there’s already so much momentum that navigation kind of goes out the door and it’s more about bracing for the ride.

Mercury trines Pluto on the 3^rd, prompting us to venture deeper into Read the rest of this entry »

Everything has rhythm, everything dances.”-Maya Angelou

Tips for almanac use: All the aspects can be felt in advance of the date of occurrence.  It is good policy to view these as due dates for various energies and prepare accordingly for one’s context.  Some slower interactions can be felt a month in advance, so it wise to read ahead and ritual up.
When we proactively manifest these symbols then the world doesn’t have to do it for us.

So April won’t be pushing us around too hard until the month is almost over.  The theme seems to be holding a steady and healthy rhythm.  We have to move with it but we shouldn’t be trying to move beyond the natural unfolding: Don’t walk through the door before it opens.  This will also enhance our awareness of the opportunities coming to us.

Mercury moves into Taurus on the 2^nd, slowing the pace down a bit.  The focus is on Read the rest of this entry »

“Rushing into action, you fail. Trying to grasp things, you lose them. Forcing a project to completion, you ruin what was almost ripe.”
-Dao De Jing

Tips for almanac use: All the aspects can be felt in advance of the date of occurrence. It is good policy to view these as due dates for various energies and prepare accordingly for one’s context. Some slower interactions can be felt a month in advance, so it wise to read ahead and ritual up. When we proactively manifest these symbols then the world doesn’t have to do it for us.

Okay, well March is ready to keep grinding away at us; abrading the extraneous while shaping the core. This grind has been ongoing and we should be rather aware of whether we have been helping or hindering this transformative process. But ultimately, that is beside the point. The theme is on staying focused on the tasks at hand and avoiding over-sentimentality towards things that have been around but may not serve our further development. We cannot make the journey to/into ourselves and take everybody with us at the same time. Be yourself and let others be themselves; just remember to take space if needed.

Mercury moves into Pisces on the 1^st, bringing recent ideas and contemplations into a more gestational space. Sometimes we have to stop thinking about things and let them Read the rest of this entry »

“It was completely fruitless to quarrel with the world, whereas the quarrel with oneself was occasionally fruitful and always, she had to admit, interesting.”
–Soren Kierkegaard

Tips for almanac use: All the aspects can be felt in advance of the date of occurrence. It is good policy to view these as due dates for various energies and prepare accordingly for one’s context. Some slower interactions can be felt a month in advance, so it wise to read ahead and ritual up.

When we proactively manifest these symbols then the world doesn’t have to do it for us.

So February is already upon us. It’s not super active but the passage of time will still be viscous and dense. There is so much churning and yearning, but making way for whatever is brewing is no easy feat. We are looking for the grace to get over ourselves and fully embrace ourselves at the same time; purge and build at the same time. These are transformative endeavors.

Mercury sextiles Uranus on the 6^th, stimulating some frenetic mental states. This could be well used for envisioning how things could be made to work for the best. It’s good to be excited, just don’t commit to anything quite yet and watch for Read the rest of this entry »

“No rock so hard but that a little wave may beat admission in a thousand years.”
–Lord Alfred Tennyson

Tips for almanac use: All the aspects can be felt in advance of the date of occurrence. It is good policy to view these as due dates for various energies and prepare accordingly for one’s context. Some slower interactions can be felt a month in advance, so it wise to read ahead and ritual up.

When we proactively manifest these symbols then the world doesn’t have to do it for us.

So, January looks deceptively calm compared to December. This may be because we can’t really see what we’re getting into with 2010, for which January sets the grinding pace. 2009 was kind of the personally-paced cardiovascular warm-up before the long session with a brutal personal trainer that 2010 promises to be. If we are not already adequately primed for the coming intensity, then January is the month to ramp up the energy. If we have already pushed our capacities previously, then this month would be better used to recover some strength and adjust the pace for greater endurance. So much is promised if we can maintain consistency.

Mercury conjoins the Sun on the 4^th, marking the middle point of Mercury’s retrograde. Clarity has hopefully increased by now and the benefits of greater streamlining are becoming more evident. Now is the time to Read the rest of this entry »

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”
-Vincent Van Gogh

Tips for almanac use: All the aspects can be felt in advance of the date of occurrence. It is good policy to view these as due dates for various energies and prepare accordingly for one’s context. Some slower interactions can be felt a month in advance, so it wise to read ahead and ritual up.

When we proactively manifest these symbols then the world doesn’t have to do it for us.

December promises to be crazy busy and demanding. We could fight the changes and resist, but we’d lose and pay a heftier price while doing the job later. Organization seems to be the major push, but with an optimization emphasis. The last Jupiter-Neptune hurrah is pulling us towards making upgrades, but the Saturn-Pluto drumbeat is weighing everything down, demanding practicality and functionality in all sectors of our lives.

Mercury sextiles Neptune on the 1^st, setting the stage for a very busy and strange day with some fanciful thoughts and (hopefully) inspired visions. But keep a Read the rest of this entry »