AstroCoaster Week

For anyone who hasn't noticed, this week is overflowing with powerful heavenly events! Sunday and Monday favored us with the New Moon in Scorpio. This New Moon is taking us deeper into ourselves ~ particularly our darker or shadow side. Though there's nothing wrong with that, it's not an easy trip. It will be well worth it if we remain aware and plant the seeds of our intentions deep.

This New Moon is setting us on a new course, revealing new information to us. Scorpio's influence is strong: what has been hidden in the dark is showing up in the light. First, in the light of the Dark Moon. Then, in the light of our lives.

We need to keep in mind that there is a broader perspective to all that is currently happening. If we do that, we can see the pattern unfolding ~ and within that pattern, the beauty. Scorpio draws our secrets and our shadow self into the light.

Dancing through its archetypes of Scorpion, Eagle and Phoenix, Scorpio is the sign of transformation, the embodiment of the cycles or life, death and rebirth. The veils between the cycles are thinnest at this time of year. We are in the holy season of death which is honored in various cultures as Samhain, Dia de los Muertos, All Souls Day, to name a few. This is also the time we reach beyond the seen world in order to connect with unseen ones. We experience all of the fragility and all of the empowerment of life.

As we progress through that transformation, we recognize ~ and accept ~ that the path to greater wisdom takes us through some scary places. We don't have to remain afraid there. Death can also refer to releasing the power of whatever is toxic in our lives: fears, addictions, etc. As we step away from the negative, we can face whatever comes and continue on into the light and to freedom. A new power is forming within us that will carry us into 2020. A sense of humor will help us concentrate on the Divine in the Universe.

The Sabian Symbol for the 5th degree of Scorpio is "a massive, rocky shore like a wild ocean crashing into a rock cliff shoreline, but it is actually more an intense awareness of one of the facts of existing." This degree is one of holding the stillness at the core of our being. In brief: holding stable in the midst of everything.

October 31st will bring with it not only Halloween, but also Mercury retrograde. Remember that Mercury rules over communication and proceed with caution since Scorpio will still be in influence as well. This might be a time to tone down any plan for craziness or pranks.

How are you feeling as you pass through these astral currents? What does the broader perspective for your life look like? How do you embody your power? Name your fears in order to better face them. Call in what you want to replace them. What in your life is being called to transformation?

Scorpio Full Moon 2018

Somewhere between April 29th and April 30th, Lady Moon reaches Her fullness in Scorpio. As with so many events that happen in Scorpio (especially those bringing light to the dark corners), this one promises to be a doozy. Every Full Moon challenges us to commit to a new fullness in our lives. Every Full Moon lights our way to seeing all the dimensions of that new fullness or path. This light-bringing is their greatest gift.

We often look at Full Moons as a time to call in what we want, what we need, what we are seeking. They are a time also of letting go. In essence, we have to let go of what continues to hide in the shadows during the light of the Full Moon in order to create the space for the Other, the Best Intentions for our next steps.

This particular Scorpio Full Moon was preceded by Pluto, the ruler of the Underworld ~ the Land of the Dead ~ and influencer of Scorpio, beginning its six months of retrograde in Capricorn by standing still. This movement, or seeming lack of movement, challenges us sit under the Bodhi Tree or Tree of Life communing with our own inner Plutonian shaman to face our deepest fears fully, which we are often less than willing to do. The light created by this Full Moon reveals our subconscious influences, giving us access to using their power in our favor. Find a mantra, see a dream image, direct a meditation ~ any of these can unlock our depths for or best interest.

Pluto and Mars ~ both having influences over Scorpio ~ currently create a receptive Lunar portal for deep connections with the Divine Feminine. All we need to do is set our intentions and destroy any negative or disconnected pieces of our past and dance, sing, praise, write, plant the seeds of cellular healing. Nourish our deepest Self in the energy of this Full Scorpio Moon.

Since both Saturn and Pluto are in Capricorn (the Middle World) right now, Mars' singular power brings us into close communion with Saturn's discipline and wisdom in conjunction with Pluto's transformative capacity to keep us focused and moving. We need the support of our ancestors, allies and guides as we maneuver the currents of this time of shift. We need to remember to ask for ~ and offer ~ help.

Two other planets join Pluto in retrograde right now: Jupiter and Saturn, making this what many call a retrograde trifecta. Jupiter is the change maker and can ease our desired transformation past stubborn Taurus. Practical Saturn supports success in our lives. Pluto finishes off the change masters by being the archetype of death and re-birth. So with Scorpio's truth-telling encouragement, Taurus doesn't stand a chance. Expect and reflect on various levels of breakthroughs. Shed your old skin. Trust that your goals will come to fruition in time. No rush.

One final consideration. Scorpio has three aspects. The Scorpion, stinging every passerby simply because that is its nature. The Eagle, taking the long view on silent, shadowing wings. The Phoenix, catching fire spontaneously and rising from its ashes. All three hide. All three are deadly in their own way. Each teaches us about Pluto's realm: Change, Death, Re-birth.

What transformation has come into the light recently? What long-term goal have you been working toward that needs a nudge to happen? Which of your ancestors, allies or guides is showing up in your life? Where is your personal Tree of Life? What practice will help you patiently reflect? Which of Scorpio's three aspects calls more urgently to you right now?

Scorpio New Moon 2017

Another New Moon ~~ this month, in Scorpio, the sign of hidden truths. We are in the traditional falling aspect of the Moon since the Sun is going deeper into darkness before it resurrects in December. Scorpio is represented by four diverse Beings: the Scorpion, the Snake, the Eagle and the Phoenix ~ all creatures of transmutation. Since Scorpio rules transformation and metamorphosis, we are in a time of edginess and a sort of uncertainty.

Let's turn our focus to the positive aspects of Scorpio ~ passion, resourcefulness, deep perception, focus. We have time to work on our own skills of self-reflection and self-mastery. Probe our own depths for moments when we feel out of control. Work on freeing ourselves of those burdensome emotions and tendecies toward self-inflicted woundings.

The Scorpio New Moon provides the environment for us to delve our deepest self and the mysteries of our world, to compassionately feel into others' motivations, to dedicate ourselves to one particular undertaking. Its watery sign has place us in the best current for doing our healing work, particularly in the arena of the emotions if we are willing to dive below the surface to reach them. The deeper we dive, the stronger our abilities to heal others. We have a tremendous opportunity to surface psychological and spiritual insights over the next month as well ~ if we are willing to be vulnerable and take a risk to show our personal power. If we allow it, Scorpio will help us eliminate whatever has held us back so we can heal the past and begin anew.

With its hidden power, the Scorpio New Moon illuminates our connection to the Dark Feminine Divine. Use it to release fear of others taking power over us. Use it to dive deeper into the purifying fires of Pele, the rattling skulls of Kali, the fertile seeds of Persephone, and the intimate sensuality of Lilith. The Dark Feminine Divine does not discriminate against any gender, but empowers each of us in Her Own way.

We are called to bring all that we are to our lives, every aspect and every facet of ourselves. The challenge is to embrace it fully ~ roses with soft petals, enticing scents, thorns and all. Are you ready?

How do you incorporate Scorpio's positive traits into your life? What are you willing to bring to the surface? What healing will you allow into your life? How deep are you willing to dive? What fear/s are you willing to release? What undertaking are you ready to take to a deeper level? What practice will you embrace to keep yourself grounded?

Capricorn Full Moon 2017

©2017 ML Monroe

If your favorite thing in to remain secluded at home, the Capricorn Full Moon may not be your best supporter. Even though the sun is in Cancer and home base is easily and completely the focus, Capricorn is going to tug you out for all the world to see.

Cancer is all about beginning; Capricorn is about the making it to the goal. Neglecting either of these will not work. The best path during this Full Moon would be to find a place of balance between the two. There's a strong flow of emotions between these two extremes and we are in the space to express our feelings and see where they lead. Something is about to be birthed.

This Full Moon is also called the Blessing Moon. Even though it may not herald a changing season, it is calling forth change. With July as the start of the second half of the year, that call for transformation is fitting. It's a good time to breathe deeply and look for every possible chance to express gratitude.

Alongside the Full Moon is a Moon-Pluto conjunction. This is the particular point of that deep summoned transformation. It's also where a sense of solitude or even loneliness can show up. We are being called to identify our tribe as well as define our place of safety.

A curiously strong aspect of this Capricorn Full Moon is that balance point between home and work, inner and outer pursuits. We have the opportunity to choose how we are going to present ourselves and our being to the private and public aspects of our lives.

Think about what is happening in our world today. The G20 meeting recently completed, we found ourselves facing decisions and agreements made without the overarching influence of the current President of the United States. There are actions being discussed in every region of the world that will influence every facet of our future environment ~ natural, political, economic, educational, physical, etc.

This Full Moon, with its polarizing focuses of the Cancer home/internal and the Capricorn work/external, also affords us the chance to connect with others in an entirely new manner.  We can choose to yell and scream and call others out on their 'stuff' ~ whatever that may be ~ while ignoring our own or we can choose a quiet one-on-one chat about our differences.

Drawing people in to conversation grows from the Cancer home quality. Consider the shaming and name-calling and how it shatters the tribe. Drawing people in gets past individual, systemic or privileged identities as well as beyond oppressive, limited and limiting definitions of ourselves and others.

For the past several years, Pluto has been residing in Capricorn, the sign of the Middle World, of established institutions. While it's been digging up the foundations for that entire time, the Cancer Moon makes it personal. The Capricorn Full Moon shines its glaringly bright light on both the large and small aspects of our world and asks us to pay attention to where we would like it to go from here.

What cracks are showing up in your world? In which aspect of the world (personal/private or work/public) are they? How are others influencing or affecting your current sense of the world? How are you affecting or influencing those around you? How do you want to see and experience the world in the future?

Scorpio Full Moon 2017

©2017 ML Monroe​

This explains everything. Scorpio, the fluid sign of depth, setting its edginess over the May Full Moon. As the saying goes, the energy feels like we're tumbling down the rabbit hole. Remembering, as with Alice, we have the sense that we're taking a long time to land.

Scorpio is about transformation, about reaching higher and deeper into personal consciousness. It carries the potential for attaining the heights of Divine consciousness as well as diving into the deepest levels.

No matter who you are, the impact of this Full Moon will last a long time as it gradually opens you to seeing and experiencing things in a new light.

Use this pivotal point in the year to embrace change and transformative shifts​ for personal forward movement. Days later, as this Full Moon energy fades, understanding will increase.

We often forget about out own inner strength and power which provides us with everything we need to step up and take responsibility over our lives. When we ignore or give away our power, we find ourselves sinking into whatever difficulties come our way. When we remember the vast wisdom and potential that resides within us, we can navigate and rise above the troubles. This Scorpio Full Moon is the perfect time to recall and time into that inner energy. We only need trust and engage the magic coming from the cosmos and send our wishes into the ethers at this auspicious moment.

Like the light of the moon coming through the branches of the tree, this Scorpio Full Moon shines light in through the darkness. It brings a new, deepened focus to all that needs to be transformed on our path and in our world.

What needs to be transformed in your life? What is bubbling forth into the light? How are you tumbling down the rabbit hole? How are you feeling about it? What new potential is revealing itself in your life?

January Full Moon in Cancer

©2017 ML Monroe

Today's Wolf Moon rests its haunches in emotional, compassionate, feminine Moon-ruled Cancer. For those, like me, who like the play of numbers, it occurred at 3:33 a.m. PST. Since this is the first Full Moon of 2017, it is setting the stage for the remainder of the year. It calls us into our truth and power.

A Full Moon in Cancer brings emotional responsiveness to the forefront ~ and that includes intuition, empathy and dreaming. You may process many emotions during this time. Let the emotions bubble up and let them go ~ they may not all belong to you. Safe surroundings and people could help with the feelings of vulnerability that surface too. Take time to recognize what newness is flowing into your life and allow it in, even if it's beyond your comfort zone. One caveat: be careful and aware of the reasons behind the choices you make. Though this is a time for newness, it is also a time for clear intentions.

A Cardinal Grand Cross joins this Full Moon, adding its energy and tension to the mix. It's formed by the Moon in Cancer and the Sun (and Pluto) in Capricorn on opposite ends of one bar, and Uranus in Aries and Jupiter in Libra on opposite ends of the cross bar.

With the Full Moon in Cancer (security, emotional needs, family, home) and the Sun in Capricorn (work, outside world) crossed by Jupiter (big picture beliefs and morals) and Uranus (the unexpected, freedom, innovation), there is opportunity for conflict and high emotion. The energy of this Grand Cross is not new and will be continuing for some time to come. It's time to plant the seeds that you want to see grow and flourish over the next several years. These seeds are not only personal, they are also communal and will ripple out to the world around us.

For you who feel Pluto's influence, it may uncover some buried matters or issues with others in authority or attempting control.

In numerology, 2017 is a '1' year [2+0+1+7=10; 1+0=1] which makes it a year of beginnings. In Tarot, it is the year of the Magician, the bridge between Spirit and Humanity, and the carrier of alchemy, the stuff of transformation. The Magician signifies that you have the power to make a difference as long as you consciously make the attempt.

What emotions are surfacing for you right now? What is challenging you? In what area of your life is there tension? Where do you feel vulnerable? Who do you trust with that vulnerability? What decisions are coming up for you? How clear are your intentions as you go forward? What is beginning for you this year? What is transforming?

Gemini Full Moon, December's Rose Moon

© 2016 Mary-Lynne Monroe

As I watched this moon grow to full, I found myself growing happier, as though the brighter the moon, the lighter my mood. Walking home on the eve of the Gemini Full Moon, I spotted a rose bright with life in the freezing December air. It's leafy tendril reached out to caress the brilliant orb of the Moon. I was awestruck.

Sometimes life presents us with shattering, breathtaking moments of beauty. I relish recognizing it. I love wresting images of those moments. It makes my heart soar!

This rose should not be so vibrantly alive after the recent snow, rain and ice. Yet... here it was, revealing its delicate beauty, honoring the Full Moon.

Joining this Gemini Full Moon is Pluto still reigning in Capricorn ~ the god of the underworld ruling in the middle world ~ who draws us deeply into our social and economic structures. Those structures shape our collective purpose as we engage with the dynamics of transformation in the areas of fairness, justice, honor, beauty and art. We are called to create it with our art and our actions.

We need to immerse ourselves in our own creative actions, our personal art, as well as support and honor the creatives among us. The Archetype of the Artist serves as a healer and teacher for the entire community. Artists always point the way when transformation is needed.

In the Light of this Full Moon, Gemini demands that we communicate the truth that Sagittarius calls for us to see and experience. We continue to be confronted by the Shadow side, ours as well as the greater community's. It's important to face and confront the Shadow and to to learn what it has to teach us. Saturn requires that we take responsibility for our beliefs, our thoughts and our actions. Saturn asks that we reconnect and rediscover who is responsible for our lives, who is writing our story.

As this year draws to its close, this being the final Full Moon of 2016, I am drawn back to the Rose of vitality where there should be none as it reaches for the glorious Full Moon. May 2017 blossom with your Rose always finding the Light.

What part of the general mindset no longer serves the greater good and goals of the collective? What truth are you called to communicate to others? What art or creative action calls to you for the healing of the community? How will you bring that forward in 2017? Who is writing the story of your life?

New Moon in Gemini and Grand Cross

New Moons are always about letting go, change and transformation. This one in particular, intimately connected with the mutable Grand Cross, is about changing direction, changing perception, changing affection.... releasing anything, any little thing, inhibiting our deeper, truer Selves from showing up.

This New Moon, as it squares Jupiter, Neptune and the Nodes and opposes Saturn, lights our way to discerning the truth in our life and making decisions to release the past so the new can show up for us. We must relish our own self-love in order to express our love for others in the best possible way. We have to learn and experience and practice how to do things differently, to create new pathways in our very being leading toward that creation and creativity. We benefit from remembering our power is in embracing Mystery and Unknowing in order to shift our reality and create change by unlocking the alchemy of surrender. This New Moon also celebrates the facets of the Divine Feminine: instincts of the Moon, physicality of Venus, resistance of Lilith.

Because this New Moon is also activating many planetary energies, there is potent and potential energy in this New Moon, preparing us to consider the seeds we want to plant for the future. This is something we should take seriously ~ or find ourselves stuck in the patterns of the past. All the recent retrograde energy we've been rolling through (see my post on the Full Moon in Sagittarius and Other Wonders) has aided us in stirring up the past in order to release it. Gemini is all about communication and the throat chakra to express our truth and feelings and call forth what we truly want.

As we look for what has been cleared and released from our lives during all the retrograde cycles, the golden opportunity of this New Moon is to notice the cracks and seek clarity on how to proceed. Our actions and energies, current to the next eclipse season starting in September. will shape what is to come. As we clarify and set our intentions, in writing preferably, it would be wise for us to remember that when one door closes, another opens.

What are your intentions for the future? What are you willing to release? What do you wish to call forth? What do you wish to manifest? How will you speak your wishes? How will your intentions affect those around you? To whom will you speak your intentions?

Letting Sadness Be

Aleph, Paulo Coelho

For some unknown reason, I felt a great sadness weighing me down part of the day yesterday. It's a moveable feeling. It shows up every now and again, as though I have lost something or someone recently. Grief. And yet not quite to the defined extreme as grief can be.

When I came across this quote, it was amazingly applicable to what I felt. Most specifically, Tears are words that need to be shed. Something inside me, deeper than I knew possible at the moment, needed to be shed. Needed, even called, to be released.

I know people who believe that we continually need to keep our energy and perspective at the highest vibration or level possible. If we continue to focus on the positive and the best outcomes, we draw that to ourselves. That's the Law of Attraction. Although I agree with the principle, my experience is that For me personally, I must let the emotion be. I must call it by name, not to focus energy on it, but to acknowledge it. If and when I do that, I release the emotion into the Universe, into the hands of the Divine, to be transformed. If and when I do not acknowledge it, it continues to knock on my inner door, disturbing my stability.

That brings me to the final sentence of Coelho's quote: Without them, joy loses all its brilliance and sadness has no end. In my life, I have kept tears at bay. I have swallowed them before they ever left my eyes. I have walked away from situations so I would not let the tears flow. Without the tears, and the ensuing words that create and embrace them, dullness takes over. In my experience, I cannot call it sadness because its texture is different. Sadness has emotion and power that arrives with it. What I feel is dullness. As though nothing can penetrate and touch my space, my mood, my being. I would rather let the tears come, let sadness be, know that tomorrow will bring another chance for joy.

What do you do when you feel sad? Do you ever feel a general sadness, without a reason? How do you handle that? How does it feel when you act as though sadness is gone (and it truly is not)? What do you do to work through that feeling?

April 2016 Scorpio Full Moon

Every Full Moon has its own special characteristics.... much like the people in our lives. As with those people, we sometimes don't want to recognize those attributes.

This particular Full Moon in Scorpio ~ while the Sun rides through Taurus ~ has a wild variety of options in its wake.

Scorpio brings out and up hidden things ~~ deep in the depths things. Not necessarily to shine light on them.... more to shine them up, like Crow, and see who notices. Quietly. Think about what rests within you that this Full Moon is getting ready to shine up, to bring into the light.

There is a great deal about this Full Moon that also brings Light to hidden dynamics and things long avoided. It's pulling us into the powerful darkness with the promise for renewal and deep, dark change. Its potential is to shape that change with the power of personal imagination.

Scorpio is an all-or-nothing sign. Risk. Surrender. Reward. It also thrives on ritually marking changes ~ and healing in the process by facing demons, confronting and walking through fear, embracing every aspect of the experience. As this happens, so does the true and deep magic that Scorpio brings.

Full Moons are about completion and moving forward. Scorpio is about transformation. This is the dance happening in this Scorpio Full Moon. Are you up for it?

What has a psychic hold on you? Are you ready to find out what lies hidden within? What needs to transform in you? Where do you need to own your power? What have you completed?

Rich Transformation

The Nahualli Animal Oracle

From the guide:
"In the sacred Aztec calendar the day-sign Vulture represents old age and riches. Because it is known as an eater of carrion, it is a symbol of the underworld as well. ... Vulture is also associated with the traditional definition of hidden wealth, discovered only if one is willing to do some digging. Vulture takes something that seemingly has no value - a dead animal - and breaks it down so that its elements can be reabsorbed into the earth, providing fuel for new life. Vulture's lesson is that true wealth is all around us, just under the surface, waiting to be discovered. ...
A rich, long life may lie ahead of you. At the very least you can expect abundance around whatever your issue or question addresses. .... Vulture consumes those life-sapping remnants of negativity while helping you find hidden pockets of gold and precious stones in the everyday world that you've lived in since you were born."

My question as I shuffled the deck of cards: What strength is needed for the coming week? What an incredible response! Vulture transforms by aiding the process of degeneration. Any habit that needs to be changed will find a willing accomplice in Vulture. This is an especially powerful time to make those changes ~ it's Spring. Time for deep cleaning, planting, eating fresh and local food. Anything that was put aside during the Winter months. Since it is nearly the New Moon, it is also time to put a plan together for letting go of what no longer serves and calling in what will replace it.

Vulture as a symbol of old age and the Underworld fits in with my current internal spiritual and emotional work. As I work with the Ancestors, I walk in a deeper awareness of the meaning of old age and elderhood. The darkness, pull and power of the Underworld has recently been present in my life which makes drawing this particular card ironic as well.

What does Vulture symbolize for you? What habit of yours has Vulture come to transform? What do you want to see blossom in its place? What is the treasure hidden in your Underworld that is rising to the surface? How will you support it as it rises?

New Moon in Scorpio: Shifting our Alignment

Meteor showers assail the skies around us all the time. Sometimes, we can even see them. A New Moon provides even more darkness than other night skies.

Today's meteors are named the Taurids. According to Wikipedia:

The Taurids are an annual meteor shower associated with the comet Encke. They are named after their radiant point in the constellation Taurus, where they are seen to come from in the sky. Because of their occurrence in late October and early November, they are also called Halloween fireballs.

While the night sky is alight with these meteors, the New Moon rests Herself in Scorpio. This New Moon is about our power and our transformation. She shows us what our power is and provides the opportunity to align our life's purpose to it ~ or not. We always have choice.

As with every New Moon, this one is about releasing ~ like the deciduous trees in Autumn ~ and allowing the energy to pull us deep within and center us in our core. Scorpio, under the care of Pluto, ruler of the Underworld, is all about death and rebirth, completion and new beginning. Resting in Scorpio means there is no avoiding diving deep into the Self. If we allow it and trust our instincts, we can arise a true hero with strength and renewed purpose. Scorpio's energy is one of risk ~ and at this time, one of epiphany, if we allow ourselves to pull back the veil. We can realign ourselves with sacred wholeness.

What are you in the process of completing? What new or renewed doors are opening up to and for you? Where are those doors leading? What is your next level? How will you find your way there? What dream will enfold you at this time?

Marzenna

From 365 Goddess by Patricia Telesco:

Marzenna's themes are spring, weather, protection, winter, death, rebirth, cycles, change and growth. Her symbols are dolls (poppets) and water (including ice and snow). The Polish Goddess for whom this holiday is named represents an odd combination of winter, death and fruit field's growth and fertility. As such, She oversees the transitions we wish to make in our lives.

I walked into a used bookstore and saw Telesco's book. When I picked it up to check the Goddess of the date, I saw a paper marking today's date. It was the page for Marzenna. Since my heritage is Polish, I decided to check Her out.

This is a time of transitions, of changes in our world. That's especially true for each person individually as well as the community in total. Spring is about rebirth, changing the death time of Winter into the new greening of Spring that blossoms into the fullness of Summer. It's a time of transformation.

My life right now is about celebrating the changes, the transformations, that are happening within its boundaries. Around me are a variety of changes: deaths, graduations, surgeries, retirements, marriages. Some of them are directly related to me ~ some are even mine ~ but many belong to the people around me. These affect me deeply in a manner different from those that are directly tugging on my heartstrings.

Marzenna is the Goddess ~ and the celebration of that Goddess, or more precisely, the passing of that Goddess of Death, Rebirth and Change. In the celebrations a straw poppet of Marzenna is burned so that Newness can come into being. It's a passage and Marzenna is the Guardian of Change at the gate.

What Spring holiday or holy day resonates most for you? How do you celebrate the passages of time? What is transforming in your life in this moment? How will you support it?

Snake's Gift

I walked out my front door the other day to find Snake had left a gift on my rather small concrete stoop. Although it was a simple garden-variety snake, I was awe-struck seeing the skin sitting there. In the 20+ years I've lived in this house, this has never occurred before.

Snake is about transformation and transmutation ~ life, death, rebirth. All in all, it's about change. The coming year promises to be one of change, of letting go of old ways, of rebirth.

Snake sloughs off it skin as it grows. It sheds and leaves behind what no longer serves, what no longer fits, what has become limiting.

Finding Snake's skin reminds me to let go of what no longer serves my soul's purpose. It's not about berating myself for having the skin to shed in the first place. Sometimes what I've come to rely on, to take for granted, to expect, is fitting too tightly. I need to be willing to shed and to leave behind what I find myself clinging to with the most rigid force. The skin is going to split, I'm outgrowing what it is holding in. Like Snake, I need to trust the instinct that leads me forward to the place where I have room to grow into the transformed and transmutated person I am becoming.

What animal has left gifts for you recently? What do you need to give up, pass on, let go? What other gifts come to you from what the animal world? How do you find the time and energy to work out those gifts?

Full Moon in Scorpio

The Full Moon in Scorpio ~~ Mysterious.... Magical.... Alluring.... Elusive.... Transformational

Scorpio, like the Triple Goddess, shows three faces: Scorpion, Eagle, Phoenix.  Scorpio is fearless in its exploration of the deeper and darker emotions of our psyche. Scorpion crawls and hides until threatened. Eagle can be similar in its nature of hiding; its territory high in the sky rather than low on the ground. Both strike quickly and efficiently. Phoenix is the epitome of transformation: life rising from its own funeral pyre. Within that fire lies the secret of immortality and resurrection.

The Full Moon in Scorpio is about facing what needs to die and acknowledging what wants to live; about accepting Don Juan's wisdom to have "death as our adviser." It's also about endurance and the long haul with no choice but to go deep ~ or go home. This Full Moon connects with Saturn to intensify the themes of delving into the Shadow in order to accomplish that release of what no longer serves ~ and transform, be reborn ~ continuing to realize not to get too attached to one's personal story since it is, does and will change.

What do you have in your life that is changing or needs to change? What skeletons are rattling in your closet? How will your story change?