http://www.frankdon.com/ en Copyright 2009 Mon, 05 Jan 2009 01:15:20 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss This week has the first of this year’s three Mercury retrogrades which often act like Murphy’s Law whereby ‘whatever can go wrong will’. We need to watch out for miscommunications, travel difficulties and computer glitches. Although this week is a good time to move things around or add some splash to our home, important decisions are best dealt with prior to the Mercury retrograde on Sunday or put off until early February. We begin the week with a major, MAJOR, energy shift. Jupiter, which has been transiting through Capricorn for the last year and has contributed to the sense of intense compression, moves out of Capricorn and enters Aquarius. We may feel as though a heavy burden has been lifted. A sense of contraction and restriction felt over the past year could suddenly become a distant memory. In its place, we might feel far freer, uplifted and excited by future prospects. We could have a sense of seeing light at the end of what had seemed a very dark tunnel. It would be great comfort for us to give thought to where we might want to go in the future, but now is a time to reflect and plan rather than move full steam ahead. Let’s try something different this week and allow ourselves to consider possibilities that might have seemed impossible a short while ago. Change is in the air and we can find a supportive audience among our associates and our loved ones to discuss any possible changes we might consider. This is a week to step out, get together with friends and unburden ourselves of daily responsibilities, even if only for a brief interlude. We are looking to the future and intending better days ahead. To condition ourselves to a brighter life, we might want to start a new health regimen, focusing on a proper diet and a good exercise program. As the saying goes: ‘the best is yet to come’. Monday, January 5th – Happy Days Are Here Again – Jupiter, Pluto, Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter Aquarius. After walking the long shadowy pathways of the past year plus, this Monday offers a brightening of the skies and a more exuberant perspective on our future. Yes, Happy Days Are Here Again. Change is in the air and we are likely to feel it as a result of Jupiter exiting Capricorn that it has been transiting since the latter part of 2007, and now entering Aquarius. All our problems may not disappear but at least we can start to see light at the end of the tunnel, or is it a glint of sunshine from a side door? With Jupiter entering Aquarius for this next year, we are more likely to look at options and alternatives for ourselves than we might have considered previously. We still have outstanding matters, old issues to deal with, but we seem less absorbed or totally entangled in them. The Moon moves into Taurus where it squares Jupiter, trines Pluto, sextiles Venus, squares Mercury and trines Mars. If we don’t get ahead of ourselves, we can accomplish a great deal today. Our thoughts may be more focused on our future but let’s keep in mind that we may need to clear away debris, strategize our course of action before we move forward. Today is a good day to embrace the exuberance of possibilities all the while that we are determining our goals and those ambitions that are truly important to us. Focused awareness combined with renewed optimism can go far in our being productive, expeditious and successful. Tuesday, January 6th – Effective Management – Lunar Grand Trine, Sun, Uranus, Saturn. Today is a day when we can accomplish a great deal and by means of streamlined methods. This day has a Lunar Grand Trine in the Earth Element with the Taurus Moon trine the Sun in Capricorn and trine Saturn in Virgo. We can be very practical and very effective. The Moon also sextiles Uranus. Not only can we be focused on what needs to be done and what we seek to accomplish, but we can do so by utilizing time management skills and high technology that eases our operations. This Tuesday is a primo day. We can get a lot out of our way, find the right bargains and create a structure for ourselves that allows us to do more with less, less amount of time, less energy and less use of resources. A highly productive day, we may have nose to grindstone but this is a day when we can effectively deal with our responsibilities and move ahead with our planned intentions. Let’s keep in mind that we have Mercury turning retrograde on Sunday and then retrograde for the rest of this month. This Tuesday allows us to be highly accomplished. Let’s not lose the opportunity of getting as much done as we can, and probably more than we anticipated. Wednesday, January 7th – Too Much on Our Plate – Neptune, Moon Void-of-Course, Jupiter, Venus. The problem with being highly effective is that it can serve as a magnet, attracting those less functional, even dysfunctional, who want us to fix things for them and make their problems right. Tuesday was such a power-packed day of highly effectiveness that we cold take on a Superperson complex, assuming that we can fix any situation, right any wrong. Nice concept, but a concept that could get us into trouble. Late Tuesday, early Wednesday the Taurus Moon squares Neptune. We might be muttering ‘there but for the grace of god go I’ as we observe other people’s situations. Observation is one thing, getting involved or entangled is a whole different kettle of fish. Don’t go there. The Moon then goes Void-of-Course for twelve hours making no further connections to the planets as it finishes its transit of Taurus and before entering Gemini where it trines Jupiter and squares Venus. Our good nature and our sense of competency could easily talk us into giving a helping hand. Watch out! We may feel enticed into an involvement that might seem easily dealt with from first glance but could prove a quagmire if we become immersed. We have to be careful for our sense of compassion and make sure that people don’t play on our sensitivity to get us entangled in their emotional dramas. Today demands that we be clear regarding what we can do and what would tip the balance into overload. Thursday, January 8th – Scintillating Conversations – Mercury, Uranus. Thursday has the Gemini Moon trine Mercury and square Uranus. Our discussions with other people can be sparkling, upbeat and quite insightful. Today is a good day to make plans for our future and present our ideas with a verve and persuasion that could prove a winning combination. We do have to watch that we don’t buy into our own propaganda. We might get so involved with the thoughts of our possibilities that we leave out the potential for problems or monkey wrenches thrown into our wheels. Today is not a day to make assumptions or to gloss over the details. Unexpected situations could arise, unanticipated variables could change the mix, so let’s be sure to be flexible and adaptable and willing to make changes to our plans as we go along. Friday, January 9th – Champing at the Bit – Sun, Uranus, Saturn, Neptune, Moon Void-of-Course, Pluto. Friday is a day when we may want to do our own things, be free of our responsibilities and able to be impetuous and act on the spur-of-the-moment. Late Thursday, early Friday with the Gemini Moon square Saturn and trine Neptune, we may be resistant to our routine matters, wanting to be free of our obligations and far more interested in conceptual possibilities than our mundane reality. The Moon goes Void-of-Course for twelve hours making no further connections to the planets as it finishes its transit of Gemini and before entering Cancer where it opposes Pluto. We may not accomplish much on this Friday. We could be champing at the bit, especially with the Sun sextile Uranus. We might feel uncomfortable in our own skin, wanting to make changes solely for the sake of change. It is important that we do something different today, even if it seems a trivial change to our routine, for otherwise we could be seething about our daily existence and eventually explode with a nasty display of petulance. The smartest thing today is to find options and alternatives to the ways we do things, take some time for ourselves and not feel in lock-step with same old, same old. Let’s add some variety to our lives today. We need to stay focused on the present, all the while that we are considering possibilities and changes for our future. Saturday, January 10th – Tug of War – Cancer Full Moon, Venus, Mars, Uranus, Sun, Saturn. Today is the last full day before Mercury turns retrograde. Any matters that need to be accomplished prior to February 1st, we might want to use today to do so. Not only do we have the last full day of Mercury direct but we also have the Cancer Full Moon with the Moon trine Venus, opposed Mars, trine Uranus, opposed the Sun and sextile Saturn. We may feel pulled between our home, family scenarios and our involvements in the world. Moving things around, changing the landscape and doing things differently to generate excitement could allow us to juggle our commitments both to our personal interests and to our professional ambitions. But it is important that we incorporate a sense of expediting. If we feel stuck, we could become somewhat explosive and act out. No need to go there. Working in spurts of energy and taking care of different matters would be far more effective. This is a day to play the xylophone and not a one note samba. Sunday, January 11th – A Roulette Spin – Sun, Saturn, Moon Void-of-Course, Jupiter, Mercury retrograde. Sunday has the Sun trine Saturn and the Moon Void of Course for much of the early part of the day as the Moon finishes it’s transit of Cancer without making any further connections to the planets and before entering Leo where it opposes Jupiter. This day is also the beginning of this year’s first Mercury retrograde. The day may start fairly slowly. We might want to dawdle, hang out and even hang over our morning cup of coffee, or tea. Today may be a day for errands or dealing with the boring but essential tasks of doing life. While we may feel the need to take care of certain matters, we might want to also take in some fun activities, whether going to a movie, going for a drive, or enjoying a leisurely meal. Whatever we do, let’s keep in mind the Mercury retrograde. We have entered the spin zone, a time of miscommunications, misunderstandings, traffic problems, transportation difficulties and computer glitches. Keeping our antennae up and being ever mindful are basic requirements for these next three weeks with this day being the kickoff to the dance. It would be wise to give ourselves extra time and to have alternatives since things may not go along according to plan. http://www.frankdon.com/2009/01/january_5th_11th.html http://www.frankdon.com/2009/01/january_5th_11th.html Mon, 05 Jan 2009 01:15:20 +0000 January… untying the bonds of the past, embracing the possibilities of the future… ]]> http://www.frankdon.com/2009/01/january_1.html http://www.frankdon.com/2009/01/january_1.html Thu, 01 Jan 2009 06:56:22 +0000 This week brings an end to 2008 and a start to 2009. We may feel excited about the prospects of 2009 and thankful to leave 2008 behind. Getting together with other people before the new year can be invigorating and provide an added impetus to start 2009 on a new footing. Let’s share our thoughts of forthcoming planned changes with kindred souls, and enjoy a respite from our daily routine. We can allow ourselves to revel in the world of possibilities, for this end of year and beginning of the new year is like a blank computer screen on which we can draw, write, and post all our hopes and wishes, a time when even the seemingly impossible can appear real. The last days of 2008 offer the opportunity of bringing closure to the year and preparing for the year ahead. No matter our plans for New Year celebrations, whether raucous parties or a quiet interlude, we might give thought to writing our wish list of those situations and circumstances we wish to see in our life ahead. If we make a wish list for our year ahead, or what some might call our resolutions for 2009, we should do so not in the future tense of ‘I want’ or ‘I wish for’ but rather as if a present reality such as ‘I have’, ‘I am’. A key factor this week is to realize that everything takes time. We can give impetus to our hopes and our goals by seeing their reality in our mind’s eye. How they occur and when they occur is truly secondary, the power of intention primary. Let’s all give toast to a Happy New Year, 2009, the year of the visionary. The first few days of 2009 may have us feeling like we are rolling a boulder up a mountain. Outstanding matters and old issues could demand our attention and force us to address them. Remember: the keynote of these times is to work smarter rather than harder. No matter how we do it, now is a time to expedite situations, do more with less and take care of responsibilities all the while seeking to develop new interests. Resolutions made for this year can be advanced this week. We may feel a drive and a determination to meet challenges and succeed through the use of innovative means. If we put our nose to the grindstone, we can accomplish a lot. We might also find that things go smoothly once we get the ball rolling. There can be an easiness this week in getting things done, but the best way to approach things is to have several irons in the fire, going from one thing to another. This is a week of completion and of initiation. We may feel on top of things and able to combine brain with brawn. We can find the best ways to accomplish tasks and have the energy to do so. After a week of taking care of our responsibilities, let’s be certain to have some fun over the weekend. There is always more to do, but it is important to take a break, relax and enjoy ourselves. Monday, December 29th – Expanding the Options – Jupiter. The early morning hours of this Monday has the Capricorn Moon conjunct Jupiter. We can give serious thought to what we want to do and how we want to do it. We can create appropriate structures by which to expand our scope. Today is a good day to get things in order, take care of issues that need to be addressed before the end of the year and tie up loose ends. We have a drive for accomplishment as though clearing the decks in order to focus on our options and alternatives. As the day progresses, the Moon moves out of Capricorn and enters Aquarius. If we have taken care of our responsibilities early in the day, we can take some time to consider our alternatives and even act on impulse. Our thoughts may be more focused on our future plans rather than our daily tasks. We could reach out and make contact with friends or seek to do things on the spur of the moment. We are looking forward to the new year, appreciative of the change even if that change seems only a change of years. All of us are likely ready to leave 2008 behind. We may not be fully aware of the liabilities that lie ahead but we are certainly feeling less encumbered as a result of the possibilities of change that 2009 might offer us. Tuesday, December 30th – Reveries. Tuesday continues with the Aquarius Moon, but today the Moon makes no contacts with the planetary energies. There is not a great deal of energy on this Tuesday. We could putter about, taking care of certain matters but it is unlikely that we shall get a great deal done today. We might even feel as though we were waiting for Godot, passing time by, perhaps making some calls or making contacts but unlikely to feel compelled to accomplish much on this day. This Tuesday might be best spent looking over the passing year and seeing how we can free ourselves up from any limitations or inhibitions as a result of the shift in circumstance, both personal and societal, during this passing year. Reveries allow us to consider the past, like some recapitulation or walk down Memory Lane. Reveries also provide an opportunity of considering possibilities that we might not have had time to give thought to or situations that seem so far beyond our daily norm. Let’s remember that we are in process of crossing a threshold of a paradigm shift from the way life has been lived into a far more magical, mysterious time. Some of our greatest scientific advances have come as a result of a hiatus, taking time from the day-in, day-out grind to reflect, lost in reveries, and allowing the mind to wander. As one scientist advised his colleagues after voicing the ways of his scientific discovery: ‘let us dream, gentlemen.’ This Tuesday is a good day for us to dream, reflect and give ourselves time for reveries. Wednesday, December 31st – Good Friends, Good Cheer – Mercury, Jupiter, Neptune, Venus, Pluto, Saturn retrograde. Wednesday is New Year’s Eve, a day when we gather with friends to celebrate the beginning of the New Year. This Wednesday has Mercury conjunct Jupiter and for much of the day the Aquarius Moon which conjuncts Neptune and conjuncts Venus. We are likely to feel quite upbeat. Even if we see the global economy as a mess and our net worth less now than it was six months ago, we may feel that we can handle the challenges and accept our ability to turn any lemons into lemonade. This Wednesday is a good day to be with friends and family. There is a strong camaraderie to this day. As the day progresses, the Moon moves out of Aquarius and moves into Pisces where it sextiles Pluto. There can be a certain spiritual quality to this day, a sense akin to the mythological bird, the Phoenix, rising from its ashes to soar ever higher. We can toast the year past as one which we have survived, felt the truth to the saying that ‘adversity builds character’, and now prepared to rebuild or build anew on the ashes of this past year for brighter days through better ways. Thursday, January 1st – Endings and Beginnings – Mars, Sun, Mercury Aquarius. Happy New Year! Thursday begins the New Year of 2009 with the Pisces Moon sextile both Mars and the Sun. This is also the first full day of Saturn retrograde, a retrograde cycle that lasts through the Winter and into the middle of May. Pisces is the last Sign of the Zodiac wheel and with the Moon in Pisces today sextile two planets in Capricorn, we could find ourselves dealing with some old issues. We may still be celebrating the New Year’s Eve parties, or experiencing a hangover from the night before if we overly partied. Our emotions are likely to be quite strong and we may feel it incumbent upon ourselves to tie up loose ends. With Saturn retrograde, we could feel a sense of winter hibernation, a tendency for withdrawal and taking time for ourselves. With Saturn retrograde, it is important to recognize that things may take longer than we like. Structures may not be as strong as we like, so it is essential that we evaluate and re-evaluate as we go along. Mercury in Aquarius fuels our thoughts with possibilities for our future, options and alternatives beyond our daily norm, a desire to get together with friends or seek out new friends, and a focus on creating greater autonomy, expressing our individuality and doing things more on a whim than by schedule. We may start to suffer the Winter doldrums, so if we do let’s consider where we could go if we could go and how we could get out of Dodge, even for a brief vacation. Friday, January 2nd – Back in the Middle Again – Uranus, Saturn. Friday activates the Saturn Uranus opposition, with which we have been dancing since last November and continues to be our perennial dance partner into mid 2010. Today has the Pisces Moon conjunct Uranus and opposed Saturn. We may be looking to have a ‘mental health’ day today, seeking to play hooky from our schedule and our responsibilities. This Friday is a day when we may feel pushes and pulled between what we want to do, unexpected situations arising and tasks at hand demanding attention. We could easily fall into a funk, feeling victim to circumstance. But why go there? We do need to learn to juggle, not get too excited about events beyond our control and recognize that we are at a time when the push pulls between old and new are dramatically engaged. No worries, if we will fully appreciate the fact that these push pulls provide a honing, an ability for us to adapt to changing conditions and a recognition that old ways may have been sufficient in the past but are no longer functional in the present and could be downright dangerous in the future. Today is a good day to write our plans in pencil with a large eraser in hand. Saturday, January 3rd – Putting on the Brakes – Jupiter, Pluto, Mercury, Mars, Venus Pisces. Late Friday, early Saturday the Pisces Moon sextiles Jupiter before the Moon enters Aries where it squares both Pluto and Mars in Capricorn and sextiles Mercury in Aquarius. Venus exits Aquarius and enters Pisces. We may be gung-ho on this Saturday wanting to perform miracles, or at least, perform some outrageous and over-the-top act. We can be feeling good about ourselves, looking to put our mark on our lives and willing to be generous to a fault. While we are ready to go full blast, we might feel that we are being reined in, restricted or limited. Any limitations could prove a healthy restraining factor, preventing us from being excessive. It might not be our favorite, launching forward quickly only to be halted, but that does seem to be the energy for the day. If we can be aware of this thrusting motion with a sense of the brakes being firmly applied, then we can work with the energies. Let’s keep in mind the two-step, where we put one foot forward, take two steps back; two steps forward, one foot back. Keeping this energy pattern in mind could prevent us from overreacting or possible accidents. If we launch forward unrestrained, we might be liable to accidents or excesses that could prove difficult to amend. People may be belligerent today, wanting what they want without due diligence of considering the likely impact or possible consequences. Venus moving into Pisces can increase our sense of compassion, a desire to help out other people, but doing so could be a tricky business since we have to be certain not to take away other people’s lessons or issues they need to address. Sunday, January 4th – Good Tidings – Venus, Pluto, Sun, Neptune. Venus sextiles Pluto on this Sunday, and the Aries Moon squares the Sun and sextiles Neptune. Our idealism may be fully engaged today. Our relationships can go to depths far beyond the superficialities of conversation or the shallowness of slight interactions. Today we could fully empathize with the journey of other people. We can ‘feel’ their pain, appreciate their uniqueness. Heart-to-heart conversations, soul-to-soul interactions could be strong on this Sunday. It is a good day for us to intermingle, engage other people and encourage social interactions. We may have to put some of our own personal interests on the back burner, but we have more to gain in the camaraderie of friends and contacts. The sense of community may stir our interest in developing a best practices approach to our responsibilities and provide other people an objective sounding board regarding their unresolved matters and how they can deal with them in order to bring them to completion. http://www.frankdon.com/2008/12/december_29th_january_4th.html http://www.frankdon.com/2008/12/december_29th_january_4th.html Sun, 28 Dec 2008 21:46:32 +0000 The beginning of the week could have us considering where we are and where we are going. A sense of making important changes to our lives can be front and center. Let’s give thought to what we want to bring into the new year and what we want to leave behind. Clearing the clutter in the early part of the week opens the door to celebrations of Christmas and holiday gatherings. Mid-week has us feeling enthusiastic and exuberant. Serendipitous meetings, contacts that are unexpected but exciting can put a spring in our step and a glow in our heart. We may have a sense of a new birthing going on for us. There is. We should enjoy the celebrations but take note of epiphanies of consciousness that make us aware of what we want to do and where we want to go in the future. The magic of Christmas is the recognition of miracles and wondrous happenings that occur without effort, without cause. The weekend offers us a chance to voice our new-found hopes and wishes. Someone could prove an important sounding board, helping us temper and hone our new goals. Sunday can be explosive, but the blasts may be birthing pains of new growth. This week celebrates the mystery of transformation, a time in which we can reflect on where we have been and through the power of our will intend our life to have true meaning and purpose in our future Monday, December 22nd – Metamorphosis – Sun, Pluto. Like the caterpillar emerging from the chrysalis as the butterfly, we too may feel on this Monday as though we want to go through a metamorphosis, a transformation, a drastic and dramatic change to our lives and the ways by which we have been living them. The Sun conjuncts Pluto and we have the Moon transiting through Scorpio. Today is a day when we can seriously look at restructuring our lives, tearing away the old and outworn, to be replaced by either the new or the reconditioned. The 22nd in numerology is the number of the Master Builder and today we have the ability of considering how we can build for our future. Our focus may be more on eliminating the dross, the superficial and the irrelevant. First, we need to clean up and clear out the clutter before we can establish the foundation stones for our future. This Monday may be a day to do inventory taking, accounting for elements of the past and questioning whether we want to bring certain matters into the future or whether best to leave them behind. These times call for us to be lean and mean, to cut to the core and not to be distracted or diverted by the frivolous. We can go through our ‘to do’ list and strike out those things that don’t have true meaning or purpose for us. The more we concentrate on the truly significant, the stronger we shall build upon rock and not upon sand. People may be intense today but the intensity is one based upon the need to come from the essential, the substantial with little time for the socially correct niceties. Tuesday, December 23rd – Picking and Choosing – Mercury, Venus, Uranus, Saturn, Neptune. Tuesday continues with the Scorpio Moon which today sextiles Mercury, squares Venus, trines Uranus, sextiles Saturn and squares Neptune. We might find ourselves looking to streamline our operations. Whatever we have on schedule today, it will have to work for us or we are likely to scrap those plans. We are looking at being more effective with less expenditure of energy. Today is a good day to see what technological advances we can incorporate in our lives to make things run more smoothly and expeditiously. We could consider some of our plans and decide that we just don’t want to go there. Some of our holiday plans, even some of our intended gatherings with people, may be called off because they don’t truly fit in with our interests or seem more obligatory than fun. Like Santa Claus, we might go over our list of holiday plans and check those things that are nice and let go of those things that are not so nice. If we clear some way from our overbooked scheduling, we might discover spontaneous opportunities to have fun, engage in adventure and come to realize that we don’t always have to make things happen as much as being open to the serendipitous, situations that arise from out of the blue. Let’s pick and choose where we place our energies and ourselves today. Wednesday, December 24th – Out of Here – Mercury, Uranus, Jupiter. Wednesday has Mercury sextile Uranus. The day begins with the Scorpio Moon sextile Jupiter, and then the Moon moves into Sagittarius. Suddenly, we may feel as though a burden has been lifted. While the past two days could have had us micro-focusing, looking at what to cut back on and concentrating on clearing things away; this Wednesday feels like the dawning of a brand new day. Whether we physically travel or broaden our scope through our communications, we are looking at getting off the track of our routine and stepping into a more expansive realm. This Wednesday is a day to keep our antennae up and work with peripheral vision. The opportunities today lie outside of our normal realm. We may get some marvelous insights, hear about situations that give us a thrill and connect with people in a mysterious way by bumping into them or connecting with them in a destiny-driven way. Even if we have felt on overwhelm the past few weeks, months; today gives us a sense of magic and miracles. It is Christmas Eve and there is a moment when the world is still and we are able to transcend the mundane concerns of our physical life to feel and sense the wonder of different ways, different worlds. We have the opportunity of lifting the veil of maya and feeling the peace and serenity of universal order. Thursday, December 25th – Happy Christmas – Uranus. Whether we celebrate Christmas or not, this Thursday adds a little sparkle to our lives. Today the Sagittarius Moon squares Uranus. Things may not match our expectations but in so doing it allows us to see that we are not always in control of situations. How liberating! This Thursday asks us to be different, to try different things, explore new realms but all with the sense of being open and receptive and not feeling that everything has to go according to plan, our plan. The day can be somewhat paradoxical. On the one hand, we might feel upbeat and expansive. On the other hand, if things don’t live up to our expectations, whether conscious or subconscious expectations, we could feel victimized, at the vagaries of circumstance and conditions. The beauty of the day lies in our willingness to recognize the truth to the idea that the universe often has far greater plans for us than we could have imagined for ourselves. We may need to be nimble and quick today, adapting to shifting tides and changing conditions. But isn’t that the beauty of life? Our appreciation of the unexpected with a sense of adventure and our willingness to shift and change as situations warrant. Friday, December 26th – Straightening Out – Mercury, Saturn, Venus, Neptune, Mars, Pluto. This Friday has Mercury trine Saturn. For much of the day the Moon is transiting Sagittarius where it sextiles Venus, squares Saturn, sextiles Neptune and conjuncts Mars. Later in the day, the Moon moves into Capricorn where it conjuncts Pluto. Today we can get things in order. This is a highly productive day, a day when we may get together with friends, when we can attend to various errands but also a day when we might easily skip over certain details. We may have a lot on our plate today but it would be wise to keep in mind the adage: haste makes waste. If we take our time today, we can accomplish more than we might realize. We can attend to outstanding matters, connect with those people we want to ring up before the end of the year and begin to line our ducks in a row regarding what we want to finish up before the end of the year and what resolutions we want to make for the forthcoming year. This Friday is a good day to straighten things out, especially in light of tomorrow’s New Moon that allows us to focus on new beginnings. Let’s take care of outstanding matters in order not to bring the old baggage into the new year and into the New Moon fortnight. Saturday, December 27th – What Could Be – Venus, Neptune, Capricorn New Moon, Mars Capricorn. Saturday gives us the Capricorn New Moon with six planets in Capricorn, as Mars moves out of Sagittarius and moves into Capricorn. We also have Venus conjunct Neptune. This Saturday is a day of new beginnings, a time when we can truly ground our intentions for the year ahead, focus on the truly meaningful and consider our goals and how we might best realize our hopes and dreams. Today is also a day when we can fully appreciate the significant people in our lives. We see the true potential in people and recognize the soulful connection with others. Let’s consider our possibilities, even those possibilities that seem so far beyond reality. This Saturday allows us to dream our dreams but also provides the thrust and incentive to come up with a best practices approach by which to realize our goals. This is a day when we can have our head in the clouds with our feet firmly planted on the ground. Now is a good time to make our resolutions, to list our intentions by means of a wish list or a treasure map. The former has us writing down all the things we wish to see, be and achieve in the days, year ahead. In so doing, it is essential that we write our wish list in the present, as though already realized. Writing things down as ‘I have’ or ‘I am’ rather than ‘I want’ or ‘I would like’, the former affirming the realization, the latter always putting beyond into a future. A treasure map can be a poster board or bulletin board whereby we place a picture of ourselves in the middle and then surround ourselves with pictures, images, affirmations of what we would choose to have in our lives. This Saturday is a great day to gather and affirm our intentions. Sunday, December 28th – No Two Ways About it – Mars, Pluto, Uranus, Saturn, Mercury. We shall feel it over the next two weeks, the Mars Pluto conjunction exact today. The Moon in Capricorn today sextiles Uranus, trines Saturn and conjuncts Mercury. This Sunday reinforces the sense of restructuring that we as individuals and as a society and as a global community are going through. This can be an explosive period, but a time when the explosions can be implosions or blasts that blow up elements of our past in order to ready for the future. By this time, there should be no doubt that we can’t go back to previous ways, that the old program no longer works. We may realize by now that we have to do a rebuilding or start from scratch with new parameters, new conditions and new ways of accomplishing things. On an individual level, today is a good day to consider where we have built upon rock and where we have built upon sand. That which has been built upon rock may have to be restructured or reworked. That built upon sand may be swept away, no longer relevant for us. People may be on edge today, reacting either to actings-out or to the sense of eliminations. Few people like change, especially when forced upon us. But we are living during dramatically changing times. While we might not see clearly the road ahead of us, our task immediately is to get rid of the dross. There is a wise saying that states the cup has to be emptied before it can be filled. Let’s see what we can get rid of, loose ends we can tie up and situations we can divest ourselves from. By doing so, we create room for the new, the innovative and the adventurous. http://www.frankdon.com/2008/12/december_22nd_28th.html http://www.frankdon.com/2008/12/december_22nd_28th.html Sun, 21 Dec 2008 23:07:42 +0000 Energies: This Winter begins with the Winter Solstice and the Sun’s entrance into the Cardinal Earth Sign of Capricorn on December 21st. At the time of the Winter Solstice, one planet is in a Fire Sign, five planets are in Earth Signs, three planets are in Air Signs and one planet is in a Water Sign. There are five planets in Cardinal Signs, two planets in a Fixed Sign and three planets in Mutable Signs. There are four planets in Positive Signs and six planets in Negative Signs. By Sign, there is a T-Square in the Mutable Signs. The season begins with a Stellium of three or more planets in one Sign with four planets in Capricorn with the Sun, Mercury, Jupiter and Pluto in the Cardinal Earth Sign. The Sun is conjunct Pluto. Eight of the planets are in the Universal quadrant covering Sagittarius through Pisces. This Winter is a time of significant transformation. Like the mythological bird phoenix on its funereal pyre to rise from its ashes, like Christianity’s Jesus the Christ crucified to resurrect and ascend; we as individuals, as a society and as a global community are likely to go through significant transformations. Old structures, old patterns, old ways of being may be sorely tested. Those that are found wanting and no longer functional may fall by the wayside. Those that have a fundamental core to them may be restructured, renovated and resurrected. These times tell us to ‘adapt or die’ but in the deathing we die to the old in order to be born into the new. We are moving away from the old concepts of beginning, middle and end, the sense of resolution and final terminations. We are moving towards the new reality of acceptance of process whereby things continually shift, change, morph and shapeshift with no real beginnings, middles or ends but rather the continuity of infolding and unfolding. With this Winter beginning with such a strong emphasis on Capricorn and with Saturn ruling Capricorn, the sense of contraction, constriction and compression may seem the paramount quality of these times. We may have to go back over past situations, past circumstances and past memories in order to expiate the karma of our past and move ahead without the encumbrances of old baggage. With the Saturn influence, we have the opportunity of learning to do more with less. We are asked to build solidly, building upon rock and not upon sand, which can be readily swept away. We are forced to be accountable, to take responsibility for our actions. And each of us might feel that we are at the effect of what John Lennon referred to in one of his songs: Instant Karma. These are serious times. The mindlessness of easy living may give way to a far more thoughtful, conservation-minded and intently focused period. If we are willing to do the work, then like the phoenix, like the Christ, we too can rise from the crucifixion or the ashes, and rise and ascend into better times. Certainly, a sense of idealism will be strong during this period. As we see the wear and tear of past decisions and old institutions, we no longer have to be limited by the old playbook. On the contrary, we can be far more open to true options and real alternatives for ourselves, both as a society and as individuals. Old elements will drop away. We might grieve and mourn the passing, and it would be right for us to do so. For in reflecting upon our past, we can also release its hold on us so that we can enter the dawning of a new time, ever approaching the paradigm shift when we move from sequential, linear reality of direct progression into the asequential, nonlinear reality of synchronicity, the magic and miracles of the universe unfolding, with us as the co-creators and no longer feeling the need to master our world. We are moving into a liberating phase, but in so doing much may have to be eliminated, gotten rid of and released. Scary perhaps but scary only if we lose faith in the rhythm of the universe, the divine design. This winter allows us to gather the foundation stones of our future. Initially, we may be made aware of more fallings away. Pluto may shake us to the core, the core of our individual selves, the core of the earth systems with geophysical phenomena of earthquakes and volcanoes and with atmospheric conditions of intense storm systems and aberrant weather patterns. Pluto may wreak further economic dislocations with the excesses of the past stripped away and the indulgences once engaged now having to be paid for. Even though more crash and burn scenarios are likely to occur, like a wildfire that has scorched the landscape new growth will start to be seen and will develop. As we move into January, we begin to feel a greater Aquarian influence. Jupiter, the planet of expansion, will enter Aquarius on the 5th of January. Over this past year, Jupiter’s expansion phase has been through Capricorn, contributing to the extreme contraction we have experienced with various bubbles bursting and the economic dislocations we have all been witness to and experienced. Although we are in a phase of rebuilding and cutting away the excesses of the past, the Jupiter in Aquarius also calls us to the future. We may find that we are more focused on our friendships, our group associations and the community of humankind. We might also experience a whole new technological revolution, as Jupiter brings expansion to the innovative and the technological. Not only can we see a great leap forward in regard to Information Technology --- communications, networking, databases. We might also see serious research and development of alternatives, including alternative energy sources that include wind, solar, geothermal, wave, et al. Jupiter will be in Aquarius from January 5th throughout the entire year and into the early part of 2010. The extreme contraction, repression and depression that many felt during this year of 2008 while Jupiter transited Capricorn may be lifted and replaced with an inquisitiveness, a curiosity and a sense of forward looking into the future instead of being hampered or tied down by the past. While we are likely to feel a second wind during this coming Winter and a sense that our future is something we can determine without being limited by our past, it is important to remember that there is no magic wand, that things which seem so easy in the concepts of our mind take far longer in practical manifestation on the earth plane. This Winter has two stumbling blocks with which we have to contend. The first is Saturn turning retrograde on December 31st. Saturn retrograde tends to create delays. It occurs once a year, during the Wintertime, and is reminiscent of the hibernation of Winter. More occurs internally than externally. We can make our plans, develop our strategies, but we might also find that things take longer to accomplish during a Saturn retrograde and those things initiated under a Saturn retrograde may need to be reworked once Saturn turns direct. The Saturn retrograde cycle this Winter runs from December 31st into the Spring, turning direct on May 16th. The second stumbling block this Winter is the first of this year’s three Mercury retrograde cycles. A cycle of three weeks long, this Winter’s Mercury retrograde begins on January 11th and ends on February 1st. During this three-week period, communications can be off, travel can be delayed and the liability to computer issues is strong. It is wise to put off significant decisions or significant purchases until after Mercury has finished its retrograde cycle. Although we have these two stumbling blocks during this Winter of Saturn retrograde and of Mercury retrograde, the Winter itself does not have a great deal of nasty energies operating. On the contrary, the three New Moons of this Winter --- on December 27th, January 26th, and February 24th --- all have some very pleasant energies to imprint the fortnight that follows. We shall continue our dance with the Saturn Uranus opposition which was first exact back on November 4th, is exact again on February 5th and impacts us through this entire period and extends into July of 2010. Old and new will be the push pull of these times. We may be doing the two-step of one step forward, two steps back; two steps forward, one step back. But let’s remember that we are at one of the most significant epochs in humankind’s history --- a time of threshold crossing, a major paradigm shift when we leave the old ways behind and enter a magical, mysterious journey. Whenever we make significant changes, the old ways and patterns and people of the past come forward to test us to see if we are really ready to leave the past behind and enter the uncharted waters of a totally different future. This Winter and these forthcoming days are of that ilk, a phase when old and new pushes us, pulls us to see whether we will revert and try to hold on to the old program or if we are willing to let go and let life unfold with us no longer assuming control but rather involved, responsible and accountable for the co-creation of our journey. Days to watch for during this Winter period will be right around the Solstice on the 21st and 22nd of December. With the strong emphasis upon Capricorn and the Sun Pluto conjunction we could see important people leaving the stage, institutions wavering and shaking, a sense of transformation akin to a Dutch steam kettle, needing some means by which to vent. Without an outlet to release the tension and frustration, there could be explosive situations whereby like a volcanic eruption things boil over and break out disrupting any semblance of balance and equanimity. The 31st of December has Saturn turning retrograde. It is important that we allow plans to be flexible. We also need to watch our physical well-being, bump up our immune system with the recognition of possible liability towards aches and pains, colds and flu. January 2nd has the Moon triggering the Saturn Uranus opposition. It would be wise to note the areas in our life where old issues and new alternatives come up, since these could be the areas highlighted for us through the mid part of 2010. While Saturn and Uranus often seem contrary energies, the former emphasizing the old, traditional ways and the latter focusing on revolutionary, innovative techniques; these two energies can be harnessed and like a suspension bridge can lead us from the past into the future. The key is to utilize the best practices of our experience and be receptive to situations that may have seemed impossible even just a short while ago. Blending old and new creates a natural unfolding without the paroxysms of forced elimination or the frenzy of jumping at any alternative. The 5th of January has Jupiter exiting Capricorn and coming into Aquarius. The dawning of a new day seems to be upon us. To assume that we can only build upon the old or rework the old to be functional for the present is to loose the opportunity of exploring options and alternatives for ourselves. Focusing on our own unique talents, drawing upon a curiosity to investigate possibilities, all the while that we are appreciating and respecting the individual characteristics and quirks of other people opens up a whole new world to us. While we may still see old situations cropping up, we may no longer feel victim to circumstance. On the contrary we may recognize the differences between our past and our intended future and make our choices based upon experience and/or adventure or more appropriately the blending of the two. The 11th of January begins the three-week Mercury retrograde cycle. Akin to Murphy’s Law whereby ‘whatever can go wrong will’, Mercury retrograde demands patience and a constant evaluation and reevaluation of our actions. With Mercury retrograding through Aquarius before sliding back into Capricorn on the 21st, we have to be careful about our future plans and make sure that anything we have initiated is flexible enough to adapt to any changing conditions that might occur. We may have outstanding matters to deal with. But certainly with Mercury in Aquarius retrograde there is likely to be problems associated with air travel, technological developments and computer issues. Mercury retrograde is a time to be certain that we have dotted our is and crossed our ts and it would be wiser to put off any significant decisions or major purchases until after Mercury turns direct on the 1st of February. The mid to latter part of January seems pleasant, albeit under the influence of the Mercury retrograde. The 20th is the date of the inauguration of the new US Presidential Administration. As mandated by the 20th Amendment to the US Constitution, the President is inaugurated in Washington, DC at 12 Noon on January 20th. While there is great hope that the incoming Administration might be a vast improvement over the last Administration, there are some problems with the Administration Chart. We have Mercury retrograde, Saturn retrograde, the Moon is Void-of-Course and the new Administration chart presents a bucket pattern of a chart with Saturn being the handle to the bucket. While there is a Stellium of three or more planets with four planets in Aquarius with an emphasis upon hope and promise, the Saturn handle could constrict the possibilities and limit the Administration to dealing with matters that have long been percolating and demand attention. Idealism and attitude can go a long way to impelling us to deal with matters at hand but the sense of initiation and dramatic change can be muted by the circumstances already in place. Mercury turns direct on the 1st of February. Whenever Mercury is at station, either moving from direct to retrograde or from retrograde to direct, the dysfunctional and discombobulated energies can be turned up severalfold. We need a heads-up for additional care and caution around the 11th of January and again around the 1st of February. Adding on time regarding travel times, making a check list of items to be discussed and covered in conversations, backing up computer files and prepared for Internet glitches; these are all ways that we can successfully handle the Mercury retrograde and especially around the 11th of January and the 1st of February. Another day to watch out for is the 5th of February, the day when Saturn again exactly opposes Uranus with an added influence of Venus squaring Pluto. During this time, we may want to emphasize our own personal needs and our desire to be free and break away from restrictions. We need to be careful that we don’t leap ahead into new adventures without looking before we launch forward. We may want change, any change, but we could also be shooting ourselves in the foot if we are not careful regarding what and how we change. On the 5th, the Moon in Gemini contributes to a frenetic energy by creating a Mutable Sign T-Square and reinforcing the Saturn Uranus opposition by the Moon’s square to both of them. Whatever we do, however we express ourselves, it will be important that we maintain a sense of diplomacy and try to see things from the perspective of other people. Relationships could be strained, even to a breaking point. Any problems around this time could largely be caused by our getting caught up in the energy, thereby acting precipitously without considering possible consequences, and being too self-absorbed without taking into account other people’s opinions. As we come into March, a problematic time could be around the 8th when Mars conjuncts Neptune and the Sun opposes Saturn. Our clarity may be minimal and we might feel forced to deal with old issues we thought had been resolved. Our energy could be low at this time and we have to be cautious regarding our health. Not only is our vitality now fairly low. We could find our immune system under increasing stress both by the vagaries of the weather systems and the confusing circumstance of the world. All in all, this Winter is a time when we might feel a sense of relief, as though the worst is behind us. If nothing else, these recent times should make us aware that things can change on a dime, that the karmic process of reaping what one has sown is a universal truth that we cannot escape from. This Winter allows us to consider our future plans. We can consider how best to deal with our obligations. The more we can streamline our operations, all the while that we are evaluating and re-evaluating, the better we can handle responsibilities and test the waters of new interests. This Winter is a time for us to feel a burden lifted from our shoulders. No longer do we have to feel victim to the vagaries of these volatile times with their bizarre twists and turns. We can focus on our own individual interests and pursuits, emphasizing our uniqueness and taking machete in hand to walk the uncharted pathway of our lives. There will be times when we have to look back, times when we mourn what used to be [always far better in memory than in experience], and emotional whipsaws as we enter a new world. Healthy skepticism is important during these times. Now is a time when there should be no rush to judgment, no blind faith in any particular program or scripture, but rather a willingness to maintain awe and wonder in the magic of living and a recognition that increasingly we are moving like the phoenix from our funereal pyre to rise from the ashes and soar ever higher. We shall not be who we were nor can life ever be the way it was. We are moving into a new epoch for humankind, a period when life is no longer mastered and the outcome largely determined by our will but instead a phase of living when synchronicity is far more evident, where those so-called miraculous happenings occur regularly and frequently. Winter 2008… gatherings for the future… ]]> http://www.frankdon.com/2008/12/winter_2008.html http://www.frankdon.com/2008/12/winter_2008.html Sat, 20 Dec 2008 18:34:57 +0000 We might start the week on overwhelm and exhausted, especially if last week knocked us for a loop. If it didn’t, we should count our lucky stars. This week we may be looking to have a good time, enjoy holiday celebrations. Some of the get-togethers could seem more like obligations than fun gatherings. Never mind, let’s just find the right holiday garb, put on a happy face and assume that we’re on stage able to express our creative side. Some contacts might open up interesting doors for future activities. Mid-week continues with the preparations for holiday plans, tying up loose ends of the year and readying for the new year. There is no need for us to feel under the weight of outstanding matters. Although unexpected situations could add to the list of things needing to be done, taking things step by step and utilizing a best practices approach can accomplish many of the necessary tasks. Nose to grindstone might be called for before the weekend. The weekend is a time for an intimate special occasion. Parties can be enjoyable but we might prefer quality time with our significant someone. This is a time for us to take a risk of being vulnerable by being open and expressing our feelings. We may find that they are reciprocated and certainly not discounted. This week we can readily balance holiday parties with attention to details. Moderation in all things will help us keep everything in balance --- on top of commitments and enjoyment of holiday celebrations. Monday, December 15th – Scraping Along – Mars, Saturn, Venus. Has the holiday season already gotten to us? There may be more than one person out there, apart from Scrooge himself, muttering ‘bah, humbug’ to the whirlwind of activity associated with this holiday period. We might feel as though we had enough on our plate not to add the necessary preparations, activities and engagements this holiday season may offer or might demand. Although we all could use a break from recent mundane reality and the anxiety-provoking headlines of lay-offs, cutbacks and recessions, today our sense of being somewhat blocked, limited or just on overwhelm could knock the wind out of our sails. Mars squares Saturn, which can have us feeling somewhat restricted, champing at the bit but also questioning whether we have the strength, the energy or the resources to push on through. We do need to be careful that we don’t gloss over the details or the specifics with the intention of just making things the way we want them through the sheer force of our will. On the positive side, this configuration is the last of the Sagittarius-transiting planets square to Saturn that we have encountered since earlier this month. Old issues, outstanding matters might have gotten in the way of our plans and dampened our enthusiasm, but we are moving into the second half of the month which seems far more enjoyable and serene. It may only be a sense of tapping into the holiday spirit, or spirits, and negating the news of the world. That’s okay. We all need a break from the hand-wringing and fear-mongering that commentaries on daily events seem to give us. We also have a Leo Moon today, which opposes Venus. We may feel enthused by our desires, knowing what we want to do. That’s all well and good if our conditions warrant it, such as living alone on an isolated island. But if those are not our circumstances, then we could experience some pushes and pulls between what we want to do and the consensus of what other people might want to do. The primary issue today is not for us to get too self-involved, assuming the world has to bend to our will. If we can restrain our impulses, not get caught up in our own self-absorption, then this day may have some stops and starts but doesn’t have to provide real headaches that we might have to address later on. Let’s take care of old issues, outstanding matters, cut ourselves and everyone around us some slack, and be certain to embrace, even if just for a moment, the cheer of these holiday times. Tuesday, December 16th – Reach Out in the Dark Now – Mars, Neptune, Sun. After yesterday’s Mars square Saturn, today we have Mars sextile Neptune. Even if we had a bit of a tug-of-war with someone yesterday, today we can resolve conflicts and make peace. We may be looking for a win-win situation whereby everyone wins and no one loses. We continue with the Leo Moon, which today opposes Neptune and trines both Mars and the Sun. Our focus might be more on parties, celebration and feel-good sentiments. We may be looking at our possibilities and considering a very wide breadth of potentials. We can think about all sorts of plans, intentions and future involvements. But let’s recognize that we can probably accomplish more in our mental constructs than in practical reality. Often things seem easier to achieve in our ideas than in pragmatic manifestation. Today is a day to reach out, to emphasize the positive and yet not to discount reality. It may be a fine balance but with so much emphasis recently on constriction, contraction, restriction and limitation, today is a good day to see the half glass of water as half full and not as half empty, as many of today’s commentators seem to emphasize. This day is one when we could experience the old saying that ‘the best things in life are free’. We might be looking for pleasurable activities and we can certainly find some at this time of year with various holiday celebrations, street fairs and festivals taking place. If we have been out of touch with someone for a while, today is a good day to reconnect. But in reaching out, let’s not impact our intention with any expectation of how our making contact is likely to be received. Today is a day to let go of expectations and just enjoy the magic and mystery of these times. Wednesday, December 17th – All the Right Pieces – Pluto, Mercury. Even if we have solely been having some good times this week without concern or consideration of our tasks at hand, this Wednesday is a day when we can put all the pieces together, make preparations both for our holiday events and also for our future goals. Wednesday has the Moon moving into Virgo where its trines both Pluto and Mercury. If we have taken on too much over the past few days, this Wednesday is a day when we can seriously look at our calendar and determine what we truly need to do, what we can eliminate and how we can best attend to the activities in which we wish to engage. Today is a day when we can address the details of our lives, get a fair amount done both in regard to our mundane affairs and to our plans for our future. If we need to take a breather from holiday parties or pleasurable activities to concentrate on our practical goals, today is the day to do it. Everything seems to fall into place. We’re not glossing over the details but rather acutely aware of what needs to be done and how we can best achieve it. A clean up and clear out would be called for today. We can rid ourselves of clutter, clear the decks and prepare both for our commitments and also ready for the unexpected. And it could come none too soon, taking into account tomorrow’s energies. Thursday, December 18th – Tangled Web – Lunar T-Square, Uranus, Saturn, Mars. Okay, we might have thought everything had turned and that instead of conflicts, arguments and unexpected matters arising we had moved into a far more placid timeframe. This Thursday could give us a wakeup call and bring us back into the mix or tug-of-war. Today’s energies trigger our nemesis of the Saturn Uranus opposition. The Virgo Moon today creates a Mutable Sign T-Square with the Moon conjunct Saturn opposed Uranus and square Mars. This day might have us dealing with old issues, unexpected matters and even put us on the defensive. People may be back to seeing the half glass of water as half empty, looking at the flaws and the frailties, focusing on the problems and concentrating on what is wrong rather than what is right. Wherever one can find fault, the energies today might provide the grist for the mill. Yes, today offers us the Monday morning quarterbacking whereby people can pontificate about how it should be or how it should have been. Watch for commentators spouting off about how we got into this mess. Today we might not be looking at the future or the solutions as much as at the problems and assessing blame. Although this day could have us back into the anxiety element, waiting for the other shoe to drop, it is essential that we recognize that this configuration of the Saturn Uranus opposition is a dance that we have engaged as of last month, and by Sign as of the end of the summer of ’07, and continues on into July of 2010. We may dredge up problems and old issues, add some unexpected nuances to them, but the answers and solutions might not be fully in place until the second half of 2010. Let’s not rush the river, nor focus solely on the immediacy of solution. The process could prove a long one of disentangling from the web we’ve woven, but it is a process and not an immediate resolution. Thursday can have us dealing from a high level of nervous energy, juggling both our responsibilities and unanticipated situations arising. We could be going from one thing to another but possibly not paying enough attention to the specifics and particulars. We may be hopping today, but let’s avoid getting hopping mad. Friday, December 19th – Grin and Bear it – Jupiter, Sun, Pluto. Friday begins with the Virgo Moon trine Jupiter. We may be fully aware of our responsibilities and ready to address them. Nice concept if we were willing to go there, but the Moon also squares the Sun. Our focus on what we should do can run counter to what we want to do. We may be far more interested in situations beyond our norm and quite possibly entranced by doing anything other than our daily routine. We may want to broaden our reach but in so doing we could easily negate what we should be doing. Ah, well, we can always pass it off on the holidays and excuse our lack of concentrated focus on our responsibilities by emphasizing the call of the moment, the spirit of the holidays. The Moon then slips into Libra where it squares Pluto. We may find ourselves having to engage in holiday parties or holiday celebrations that are more obligatory than of our choosing. We might prefer to be with that special someone but instead find ourselves having to go through the motions. This energy is typical of company and organization holiday parties. Let’s do the dance with the recognition that tomorrow we can spend some quality time with that someone special. Saturday, December 20th – Depth of Feelings – Mercury, Venus. The Libra Moon today squares Mercury and trines Venus. We may have some planned activities that seem obligatory social occasions. Although we might prefer to go off and have a romantic interlude with our significant other, let’s do what needs to be done early in the day and then use the second half of the day for quality times in quiet places. The more we can attend to our errands and our commitments early in the day, it opens the door for us to do things that grab our interest and draw our attention. This day is one of those days when we can come from the very depth of our feelings, express our appreciations for that special someone[s] in our lives and enjoy the intimacy and spontaneity of good solid connections. Social occasions can be pleasant with people not looking to one up each other as much as appreciating the uniqueness and individual characteristics of other people. Sunday, December 21st – Hello, Winter – Neptune, Mars, Jupiter, Moon Void-of-Course, Sun, Pluto, Sun Capricorn. Sunday has the Libra Moon trine Neptune, sextile Mars and square Jupiter. We may have a great deal on our plate today. Whether we meet with people or just ring them up on the phone or email them, we may find ourselves very much involved with interactions with others, all under the guise of holiday cheer. There are some very pleasant interchanges that can go on today. What we do have to be careful about is being too generous, doing too much or agreeing to take on too much. We could be generous to a fault today. This Sunday is also the beginning of Winter, as the Sun moves into Capricorn at the Winter Solstice. We further enforce the Stellium of three or more planets in the Cardinal Earth Sign as the Sun joins Mercury, Jupiter and Pluto in Capricorn. Next week, this Stellium is emphasized even further at the time of the Capricorn New Moon on the 27th, a time when Mars enters Capricorn. Increasingly, we shall be giving thought to wrapping up the loose ends of this year, clearing the decks and making our plans and preparing for the New Year. The Moon today goes Void-of-Course for over six and a half hours making no further connections to the planets as it finishes its transit of Libra and before entering Scorpio where it sextiles the Sun and Pluto. Our focus from Friday through much of Sunday may have been more on other people than ourselves, with holiday parties and gift buying. We may have even overextended ourselves, or our budget. Now we may find ourselves being far more resourceful, considering how we can do more in less time and how we can be more effective with less expenditure. It would be interesting to note our holiday gift purchases, the amount spent and the items bought, during the Friday into Sunday as compared to later on Sunday through this coming Tuesday. We could verge on the excessive earlier while being more parsimonious during the latter. As we end the week and the weekend, we are looking at focusing on the truly important and cutting away the irrelevant and superficial. http://www.frankdon.com/2008/12/december_15th_21st.html http://www.frankdon.com/2008/12/december_15th_21st.html Sun, 14 Dec 2008 04:38:09 +0000 This week is a time to emphasize our personal needs. Spreading our wings could give us a greater sense of freedom, but we do have to watch for the wing-clippers who want us to conform. We can do our own thing, put our imprint on our actions but still maintain a decorum that doesn’t rock the boat. Friday could be one intense day. People may be very much on edge and ready to unleash their frustration without a moment’s notice. Mindfulness is called for with increased awareness of everything we do and say. Accidents could be prevalent so avoid being impulsive and consider the conditions and circumstances. This day is fraught with liabilities for outrageous ventings, discussions turning into nasty arguments. Let’s keep our eyes wide open, maintain equanimity and count to ten before reacting. Friday could exhibit irrational behavior and extreme, over-the-top actions. We don’t have to hide under the covers. We should just be aware, vigilant and not engage in one upmanship. Things can quiet down over the weekend. We might decide to spend time in the comfort of home and family. If we received a lashing on Friday, the weekend could be used to lick our wounds, catch our breath and regroup. This week allows us to explore our personal interests, do our own thing. But being off the field out of firing range on Friday should be considered. The extremes of Friday die down with an ability to comfort ourselves on the weekend. Monday, December 8th – Stretching our Wings – Mars, Sun, Neptune, Jupiter, Mercury. Monday starts the week with the Aries Moon trine the planets in Sagittarius: Mars, the Sun and Mercury. The Moon sextiles Neptune and squares Jupiter. This day can be a day when we stretch our wings, broaden our realm and delve into situations that are both exciting and a sojourn into unfamiliar territory. We are likely to feel enthusiastic and optimistic as we embrace a sense of ‘awe and wonder’. There can be interesting interactions with other people and the consideration of all sorts of possibilities for our future. The one thing we need to be careful of is the tendency to do too much, take on too much or commit to too much. We may feel like a shooting star, blazing across the midnight sky, lighting up the sky and providing a dazzling display. But like a shooting star, we might also burn ourselves out by extravagance or overextension. This Monday is a primo day when we are likely to feel on fire, ready to put our mark and our imprint upon things. Let’s keep in mind the reality of cycles. We can seize the day but with the recognition that this high energy may not be maintained through the rest of the week. It would be wise to pace ourselves, to make a splash today and then solidify and alter as we continue on through the week. Tuesday, December 9th – Establishing the Fundamentals – Pluto, Venus. Tuesday gives us a Taurus Moon which trines Pluto and squares Venus. While yesterday we might have been all over the place, in high gear and willing to take on all possible events; today could have us focusing on the truly important and putting far less emphasis on the extraneous or the triflings that we might have engaged in yesterday. We are looking for the substance and the essentials today. Tuesday is a day when we can get far more serious and build upon solid foundations. Those who have seen us in a lighter mood, a more ephemeral expression may be shocked by the sudden seriousness of our demeanor. No matter, for this day is one to filter through our life’s circumstances, take an inventory of our involvements and concentrate on that which has a deep purpose and eliminate that which is merely a distraction. We seem far more solid today. Yesterday our appearance might have been charismatic but today we show the depth of our strength and our resilience. Tuesday is a good day to take things from the abstract and begin to create the parameters by which to turn concept into manifestation. Wednesday, December 10th – Fine Tuning the Changes – Sun, Uranus, Neptune, Lunar Grand Trine, Saturn, Jupiter. Wednesday provides an opportunity for us to come to some startling realizations, the ‘ah-ha’ moments of insight and sudden understanding. This Wednesday has the Sun square Uranus. We may be champing at the bit to make significant changes to our lives. It would be wise to bear in mind that the journey begins with a first step and then is taken step-by-step. Although we might have the inclination to make some sweeping changes today, the more we can restrain ourselves, the more effective we are likely to be in making ‘right’ changes. It is important to remember that change, even miniscule change, has a life of its own. Once begun, changes can take us down different pathways and lead us into different directions. Therefore, the more we can appreciate the process without getting enamored with our perceived destination, the better it would be. Fortunately, we have the Taurus Moon which today sextiles Uranus, squares Neptune and creates an Earth Element Grand Trine by the Moon trining Saturn in Virgo and trining Jupiter in Capricorn. If we take our time, emphasize the fine tuning of changes, we are likely to find that we can streamline our activities, adapt to the unfolding conditions and come up with the most expeditious ways to realize our goals. Let’s realize that our goal or our intended purpose may shift and change as we move along in the process. This Wednesday can be highly productive day, as long as we let go of our expectations and be open to the possibilities and the realization of insights that are likely to come our way. Thursday, December 11th – Enjoying our Interactions – Venus. Thursday is the 11th, a master number in numerology, the number of the visionary. Today the Moon is in Gemini and trines Venus. This Thursday can be an especially pleasant day. It may not be a high energy day but then the earlier part of the week offered us that. Today is a day when we can rest upon our laurels, reflect upon what we have accomplished over the past few days, take a breather and prepare ourselves for tomorrow’s Full Moon. This Thursday is a good day for social gatherings, taking time for conversations and just enjoying our connections. We can use other people as sounding boards, discussing ideas and allowing a stream of consciousness to clarify our plans and our purpose. We may want to juggle a number of things today but many of them may serve primarily as diversions from our daily responsibilities. Yes, this Thursday may be a day when we jump off the track, loll about and focus more on thoughts and ideas than in pragmatic or concentrated action. Calling up friends, considering holiday plans and giving thought to our future goals would be good ways to use today’s energy. We may not be in high gear and that’s all right. We might need to catch our breath for some of the incidents that could occur tomorrow. As many of the situations can be unexpected, the best preparation today would be to get some rest, relax and recharge our batteries. Friday, December 12th – All Hell Breaking Loose – Mars, Uranus, Mercury, Pluto, Sun, Saturn, Gemini Full Moon, Lunar Grand Cross, Neptune, Mercury Capricorn. Friday could prove one intense day. Sorry, perhaps I’m not being emphatic enough --- INTENSE. This Friday has a great deal of energy, but the energy seems all over the place with the liability towards knee-jerk reactions, impulsive actions and possible accidents or actings-out. The Full Moon brings to culmination the fortnight that began with the New Moon back on the 27th of November, a time concurrent with the Mumbai terrorist attacks. This Friday could have a sharp reflection of what went on back then. We may feel that the world is ablaze. For ourselves, this Friday demands that we be ever vigilant, that we keep our eyes wide open, our antennae up and be prepared for unexpected situations that could arise. Mars squares Uranus, Mercury moves into Capricorn where it conjuncts Pluto, and the Sun squares Saturn. Add to the intensity of these energy configurations, the Moon in Gemini is a Full Moon and creates a Mutable Sign Grand Cross by opposing both Mars and the Sun in Sagittarius and triggering our nemesis of the Saturn Uranus opposition with the Gemini Moon squaring Uranus in Pisces and squaring Saturn in Virgo. Yes, this Friday could almost seem apocalyptic IF we let the energy get the best of us. This Friday demands that we be nimble and quick, that we be attentive to the shifting conditions and that we not be stuck in our expectations but rather go with the flow, although today’s flow may seem more tsunami-like than gentle waves. People may be on edge with the likelihood of irrational behavior and belligerent attitudes. Friday is a day to go slow, pull in the reins and not get caught up in the whirlwind of activity and emotion that is likely to surface. The one saving grave to the day is the Moon trine Neptune. Although situations may force us to look at the immediate circumstances, it would be wise and healthy to take a longer view and consider the bigger picture. Today is not a day to put on blinders and focus on a micro-perspective. Rather, it is essential that we take a macro-view. This day could prove exhausting and depleting, especially if we get caught up in the swirls of emotions and activities. This is a day to count to ten before reacting, a day when it would be wise to slow things down and not jump to conclusions. If we can get off the track and take a detached view, we might also find that we can see what is truly going on. This Friday is one of those days when life seems to turn upside down. It is essential that we keep in mind that there are times when things seem to go to an extreme before righting themselves. This Friday could prove to be one of those days. Saturday, December 13th – Push Pulls – Sun, Neptune, Pluto, Mercury. Saturday still feels the ripple effects of yesterday’s Full Moon. If we have not gotten caught up in the craziness of yesterday, then today could prove a great deal more placid. The Sun sextiles Neptune today, and we might feel as though we have greater potentials and opportunities as a result of the intense shifts yesterday. It’s as if everything were stirred up, the ingredients mixing wildly and now the conditions have changed. Today is a good day to consider our plans in light of recent changes. The Moon is in Cancer where it opposes both Pluto and Mercury. We might seek the comfort of home but we may also have a sense of what we need to do, meeting our commitments and accomplishing our tasks at hand. We may feel the push pulls between stepping off the track, catching our breath, recharging our batteries and the responsibilities of our daily life. It would be wise to take some time today to appreciate the beauty in nature, the deep connection with family and friends, and the cycles in life with its crests and troughs. We can reflect upon some of the changes in the world at large and consider how we can best navigate the unfolding conditions without falling prey to a sense of victimization. Saturday is a day to enjoy ourselves. Even if we have plans made, it would be best to take some time to do whatever we want to do without the compunction of what we have to do. Sunday, December 14th – A State of Grace – Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter. Sunday continues with the Cancer Moon which today trines Uranus, sextiles Saturn and opposes Jupiter. We might want to make changes around our home, move things around, or restructure the way we do things. In these times, we are being asked, even forced, to be more effective with less expenditure of energy. While some major blips could have come up on the screen on Friday, today provides a settling down from the intensity of these recent times. Making plans for family get-togethers and social occasions over the holidays can help us right our focus and concentration. Although we are living during extremely volatile times, we can keep our attention on the good things in our lives: our family, our friends and the comforts of home. We might want to spend more time around our home today, fixing it up for the holidays and going through a clean-up by getting rid of the outworn and outdated and possibly adding a splash here and there to make our living space more like a sanctuary. It would be wise to avoid over-commitment today. We might overspend, be overgenerous or just find ourselves willing to do too much. The key to these times is to concentrate on the truly important, the essential and not get immersed in mindless distractions or entangled in people’s dramas. http://www.frankdon.com/2008/12/december_8th_14th.html http://www.frankdon.com/2008/12/december_8th_14th.html Sun, 07 Dec 2008 05:15:16 +0000 carpe diem: seize the day. Tuesday, December 2nd – Checking it Twice. After a flurry of activity early on Monday morning with high energy, the energy falters, slows down and we might find we can’t accomplish as much later on Monday as we did early on the day. Tuesday has the Moon in Aquarius but without the Moon making any planetary connections. Tuesday is not a high energy day and we might use this day more in regard to going over our ‘to do’ list rather than accomplishing a great deal. We might be thinking about things but there’s likely to be more action in our formulating concepts than our actually getting things done. This day is far better for our mental meanderings, but it would be wise not to take them too seriously. We can go over things, check them twice or thrice and do inventory taking. We might make calls to friends, do holiday cards or figure our schedule for the holidays. But it would be wise not to expect too much of ourselves today. We might have a lot of plans for today but we might not accomplish as much as we anticipate. Wednesday, December 3rd – Going Beyond – Sun, Mars, Mercury, Neptune. Wednesday is a pleasant day with more of an uptick in energy and the energy fairly positive. Today has the Aquarius Moon sextile the Sagittarius-transiting planets of the Sun, Mars and Mercury. The Moon also conjuncts Neptune. This Wednesday can have us feeling very expansive, engaging more and more activities and seeking to reach beyond our normal routine. We might be exuberant, enthusiastic, optimistic and confident, and even assume that by our wishing will make it so. And that’s where the rub lies. We could be intoxicated by such a ‘feel good’ attitude that we lose sight of true reality believing that everything will turn out the way we want it to. A positive attitude goes a long way towards creating a positive outcome, and today we are likely to feel upbeat. We can do more today than normal just by reason of our sense of good-naturedness and a belief in things going our way. This Wednesday would be a good day to contact friends far and near, think about intended travel plans, and take time to consider possibilities for our future. We’re looking at moving beyond our daily routine and today we might feel like we’re riding a magic carpet. Thursday, December 4th – Slow Starting – Moon Void-of-Course, Pluto. This week has some real up moments and some quiet, inactive moments. As the 1971 Jerry Reed song goes: ‘When you’re hot, you’re hot. And when you’re not, you’re not.’ Monday and Wednesday gave us some ‘hot’ times. Later on Monday, Tuesday gave us, and Thursday gives us, some ‘not’ times. We start Thursday with the Moon Void-of-Course making no planetary connections and thus a relatively quiet time as it finishes its transit of Aquarius and before entering Pisces where it sextiles Pluto. If we have been making our lists and figuring out those people we need to connect with during the upcoming holidays, then later on this Thursday we can set into motion our plans. While this day starts slowly, the energy picks up as we evaluate and focus on the truly meaningful for our holidays ahead. We can also use this day to bring completion to matters that we do not want to play forward into the new year. Completions, conclusions and resolutions can be accomplished now. We can strip away nonessentials and concentrate on what is important for us. This day is a good day to clear the decks, put into motion our holiday plans, and cut to the core. Friday, December 5th – Don’t Touch This – Mercury, Uranus, Sun, Mars. Much of the week may seemed to have been rather placid, a few ripples here and there, but largely a pleasant and easy time. Not so for this Friday. Friday ramps up the energy considerably. Friday and Saturday are two days when the energy can be quite extreme. Perhaps it’s the holiday shoppers or getting into high gear for holiday festivities. But these two days could prove intense with unexpected situations cropping up and our dance between Saturn and Uranus engaged. Friday has Mercury square Uranus and tomorrow Mercury squares Saturn. The Mercury square Uranus is my least favorite energy for air travel. Communications can be off with misunderstandings likely and messages not even received. There is a high liability for computer glitches and problems with electronic equipment. And travel may have more than its share of difficulties with delays, alterations, accidents and postponements. Added to the Mercury square Uranus, and in orb a Mercury T-Square in the Mutable Signs with Mercury in Sagittarius square Uranus in Pisces and tomorrow Mercury square Saturn in Virgo; we have the Sun conjunct Mars. We may be champing at the bit wanting to get on with things and possibly forging ahead without considering our itinerary or our direction. We could find ourselves going by brawn rather than brain. Our energy and optimism may be high and we could feel that whatever we want and pursue we can accomplish. Nice concept but not necessarily reality. We might find ourselves banging our head against the wall, wanting things to bend to our will, all the while that unexpected situations crop up for us to attend to. Reinforcing the Sun Mars conjunction is the Moon in Pisces, which today squares both the Sun and Mars. We could have a sense of divine right that things should go the way we intend them to. Of course with unanticipated factors messing up the mix we might be hard pressed to control things and then could fall into a low state, feeling victimized as though we had been punched in the gut by events we could not even account for. This Friday is one to maintain vigilance, work with peripheral vision and be aware of shifting tides and changing circumstance. Being nimble and quick would be essential to surf today’s waves. Otherwise, we could easily wipe out and move into a dark space of defeatism. Saturday, December 6th – For Real or… Not – Mercury, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, Lunar T-Square, Jupiter, Venus, Pluto. Saturday gives us the second leg of Mercury’s Mutable Sign T-Square as today Mercury squares Saturn, following yesterday’s Mercury square Uranus. If we feel battered by conditions not of our making and situations that came out of the blue for us to deal with, then today we could be nursing our wounds. If we weren’t able to go with the flow and deal with situations as they arose, then today we could feel bummed and our ego knocked down a rung or two. While Mercury squares Saturn today, Mercury also sextiles Neptune. Not being attached to outcomes or our having control over situations would allow us to acknowledge the ‘mysteriousness’ of life itself, somewhat akin to the ‘awe and wonder’ of childhood. Even if we have to deal with messes or commitments that seem repugnant obligations, we also have the ability of considering alternatives and our options. We might take a future look rather than being locked into our present reality. Early in the day, the Mercury, Saturn, Uranus T-Square is reinforced by the Pisces Moon which conjuncts Uranus, squares Mercury and opposes Saturn. If we didn’t get the lesson from the Mercury T-Square, then the Moon creating a T-Square with the same players will help us get it. It’s kind of like universal lessons whereby we are often tapped on the shoulder and if we don’t get the lesson we are tapped a little bit harder. If we still don’t get the lesson, then the universe gives us a lateral lobotomy, a whack on the side of the head. Eventually, we learn our lessons and once done so, we can move beyond them. The key to this Saturday is not to wallow in our disappointments or our frustrations. One of the beauties of astrology is about timing, that there are different phases. Like the oceans’ tides, there are times of crests and times of troughs. While this Saturday starts with us all over the place, feeling anxious and trying to get both what we wanted to accomplish for this day done along with unexpected situations that demand our attention; as the day progresses the energy settles down and the Moon sextiles Jupiter and sextiles Venus. Even if we feel on overwhelm during the early part of this Saturday, we can take care of those things that speak to us later in the day in a methodical manner. We end the day with the Moon moving into Aries where it squares Pluto. No matter what we have committed to, we are less likely to act out of obligation rather determining our behavior by our own self-interests and our desires. Sunday, December 7th – Much Needed Rest – Venus Aquarius. Friday and Saturday could have proven to be whirlwind days of nonstop activity. It might have worn us out. This Sunday could provide a day of much needed rest. The Moon is in Aries but makes no planetary connections. We may be focused on what we want to do, free or freed by our own decision of obligations and commitments. This Sunday is a day for us. We may loll about reading the Sunday paper leisurely over a cup of coffee or tea. We might decide to take a drive and air out. We could go to shopping malls whether to actually buy something or to view the holiday decorations and spectacle. Whatever we choose to do on this Sunday, it is likely to be determined by our personal interests, what we want to do. This Sunday also has Venus move out of Capricorn and into Aquarius. Increasingly, our social interactions are less involved with people who may be socially appropriate and who can assist us in realizing our ambitions. We are becoming more interested in people who are themselves, marching to the beat of their own drum, emphasizing their individuality and expressing their uniqueness. We may be more willing to engage in social interactions and group activities that intrigue us. But this Sunday is one when we can catch a breather, reflect on the events of the past two days, and possibly see how our lives are in process of major changes. ]]> http://www.frankdon.com/2008/11/december_1st_7th.html http://www.frankdon.com/2008/11/december_1st_7th.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 19:23:29 +0000 volatitus extremus, or extreme volatility. Watch for people pontificating, coming up with the right answer in theory but having no clue regarding proper implementation. Hope of a ‘promised land’ may be held out but getting through the muck and the mire in the interim could prove devilish and beguiling. The month begins with our eighteen-month challenge of the Saturn Uranus opposition in full force. The chart of December 1st reveals a bowl pattern of chart, with that bowl becoming a bucket with either Saturn or Uranus being the handle to the bucket. Each of us may find that tug of war of which I wrote above being the pulls between our responsibilities, our obligations, our commitments and our past; and the pulls of our desire for change, to be free, liberated and able to express our individuality. Let the games begin! But we do need to be wary in our actions and that in this tug of war someone doesn’t bang the gong. While we have this bowl / bucket pattern of chart to begin the month, with the Saturn Uranus opposition being a major trigger point, Saturn trines the Capricorn planets of the Moon, Venus and Jupiter. Uranus sextiles the same three. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. And this Santa Claus can adeptly juggle the old and the new, taking care of business while stretching into new terrain. And for la crème de la crème, the 1st gives us the two good guys of the zodiac, Venus and Jupiter, in a warm embrace, conjunct one another with the Capricorn Moon conjuncting them both to add the cherry on the top. We can be feeling good about our prospects, energetic about our capabilities, and even assuming that the nightmare of recent days, weeks, months, is fading like a vague memory. La-de-da. While we start the month on a high note, the month then hits some flats and sharps towards the end of the first week of December. Sorry, sports fan, but the initial flurry of activity and good cheer can suddenly be dampened. We could blame it on the rain / snow / weather conditions, but the fault lies not so much in ourselves as in the stars, as the planets transiting through Sagittarius hit off squares to first Uranus and then Saturn. Not being a parade-rainer, I didn’t want to add that the beginning of the month also has a T-Square in the Mutable Signs with the planets in Sagittarius by Sign squaring both Saturn in Virgo and Uranus in Pisces and, of course, our interminable [or eighteen month] opposition between Saturn and Uranus. We may feel like we’re back to the Mad Hatter routine of being late for a very important date, all the while that we’re juggling our chock-a-block schedule with added inconveniences of unexpected meetings, get-togethers, necessary errands, ad infinitum. The 5th and 6th seem intense with Mercury square Uranus and the Sun conjunct Mars on the 5th, followed on the 6th by Mercury square Saturn and for a possible mental escape, Mercury sextile Neptune. Mercury square Uranus is my least favorite aspect for flying, or more specifically air travel. During this time, we could experience miscommunications, glitches with our computer and Internet connections, general misunderstandings and problems or delays with travel. No matter, we may want to press ahead and feel that brawn and forcing our way will solve the problem, sort of like the old days when the television would go on the blink and one would hit the set in various locations as if that nudge or knock would fix it and clarify the picture. On the 7th, Venus exits Capricorn and enters Aquarius. Our desire for change can now include our friendships and relationships. Either our ways of interacting need to shift and become more exciting, interesting, quirky and changeable or we’re likely to look elsewhere for new compadres and comadres. The pull between the new, the different, testing the waters and expressing our individuality, all under the guise of change, evolution, self-development, even enlightenment can be ramped up again on the 10th when the Sun squares Uranus. And this energy can crescendo, bellow [?], and go over-the-top with the Gemini Moon on the 12th. Yee-ha! The 12th can be one off the wall energy. Not only do we have a Full Moon [waaaaahhh!], but this Full Moon has a Mutable Sign Grand Cross with the Gemini Moon opposed the Sun and opposed Mars and square Saturn and square Uranus. In addition, Mars squares Uranus, the Sun squares Saturn and Mercury enters Capricorn where it conjuncts Pluto. With this Full Moon, it might be wise to batten down the hatches, have eyes in the back of our head, and maintain a very, very low profile. People can be off the wall around this time, with explosive actions, belligerent attitudes and urging someone, anyone, to knock the chip off their shoulder. Don’t go there! I wouldn’t. The 12th is one of those days to keep one’s head down, be ever vigilant and be extremely cautious. Accidents, actings out and other A-type accounts can be prevalent, so let’s try to stay out of harm’s way. Could this be one of those days best to stay in bed and pull the covers over one’s head? Perhaps not to that extent, but I repeat that a low profile would be a wise course of action today, all the while keeping one’s antennae up and working with peripheral vision. In the midst of all this craziness, we do have a ray of brightness --- Neptune. Possibilities of better days ahead, having faith for the future and a case of wish fulfillment can take the edge off what seems to be going down. Got hope? The 15th provides the final blow of this dance of the Sagittarius-transiting planets squaring Uranus and Saturn with Mars square Saturn. As though the energy has just been too much, we may feel like the wind has been knocked out of our sails. And then… The second half of December seems ever more calmer, far less intense, less anxiety-provoking, less victimized by the slings and arrows of outrageous actions… Maybe we’ve just gotten inured to all the crazies, but the energy does start to chill out. Much of it is due to the fact that the Sagittarius-transiting planets are exiting the Mutable Fire Sign that has repeatedly triggered the Saturn Uranus opposition. Mercury leaves Sagittarius and enters Capricorn on the 12th, followed by the Sun at the Winter Solstice on the 21st and culminated with Mars entering Capricorn on the 27th. While the Winter Solstice on the 21st offers the signature for the Winter, and a chart and signature you can read about in my seasonal e-letter for Winter, it does have the influence of the Sun Pluto conjunction exact on the 22nd. Now is a time for us to do a serious inventory-taking, bringing completion and closure to the past year and outstanding matters that we do not want to bring into 2009. 2008 in numerology has been a one year, a year of new beginnings, a traumatic year for many, when old supports, old programs, old securities no longer supported, no longer worked and no longer provided security. With the Sun Pluto conjunction we can take a cold, hard look at our ambitions, our goals and devise a best practices approach to deal with the ever-changing landscape of our circumstances and our conditions. The 24th and 26th have the first of the Capricorn-transiting planets favorably impacting Uranus and Saturn. While the first half of the month gave us the squares and T-Squares to Uranus and Saturn as these planets transited Sagittarius, we now go from the adverse to the favorable as these Capricorn-transiting planets provide a sextile to Uranus and a trine to Saturn. This configuration continues through much of January. The first Capricorn transiting planet to sextile Uranus and trine Saturn is Mercury, first with the sextile to Uranus on the 24th, followed by the trine to Saturn on the 26th. Our thought processes can be insightful and revelatory. As if the adage ‘ask and you shall receive’ were playing out, solutions to problems can become evident and can be put into motion. We can determine alternative approaches and structure our actions in a way that can be productive and highly successful during these ever-changing times. The 27th has the Capricorn New Moon with a Stellium of three or more planets in one Sign being the Cardinal Earth Stellium with six planets in Capricorn: the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter and Pluto and with Mars just having exited Sagittarius to enter Capricorn. The end of this month allows us to get things in order and to become serious about navigating the swirling currents. This New Moon has Venus conjunct Neptune in Aquarius. Our relationships with loved ones, friends and close associates can be close to ideal. We may realize the importance of our connections, of our interactions, of our friendships. This New Moon also feels the influence of the Mars Pluto conjunction exact on the 28th. We can be impassioned, even intense, in regard to our goals and our ambitions. But we may also have to eliminate certain outmoded concepts and desires that are no longer appropriate. We can become a lot more focused, concentrating on how we can realize our plans through being resourceful and taking a conservative approach. The expansionary times of the late 1990s and the 2000s, when Pluto was going through Sagittarius and ratcheted up excess, are behind us. The programs that worked then may no longer work in the present, much less the future. At the same time, if we will take a realistic appraisal of the situations and conditions around us, we can move into a highly effective and successful period in our lives. We end the month and the year with Mercury conjunct Jupiter on the 31st. We can feel good about our possibilities in this coming new year, especially if we see life clearly and not through rose-colored glasses or wistful expectations of what had been or might have been. The year also ends with Saturn turning retrograde, a cycle that goes on for the next four and a half months, into mid-May. Things may take longer than we like, but any delays might be important filtration processes by which we can be certain that we are not re-creating our past but rather looking at the changing environment and considering how best to proceed, step-by-step. December… borderline realities…]]> http://www.frankdon.com/2008/11/december_1.html http://www.frankdon.com/2008/11/december_1.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 19:11:39 +0000 This week is highlighted by the Sagittarius New Moon and, more significantly, Pluto moving into Capricorn for its sixteen year run of the Cardinal Earth Sign. A prelude of this Pluto transit occurred at the end of January through mid-June, a time that evidenced the fragility of various structures and systems, even to the point of wondering whether as a global society we were heading for another Great Depression. The fundamental factor of this Pluto transit is the question as to whether we have built upon rock or built upon sand. Increasingly, we are likely to find that we must draw upon our essence, the fundamentals and to be certain that we are focused on substance and not merely appearance. We have the opportunity of creating strong foundations for our future, but it will be important for us to decide what is truly important and meaningful for our lives in the future and build from there. The complacency of discontent is no longer an option. The uncertainty of these times offers us the opportunity of questioning how we are doing life, considering our possibilities and being co-creators of our lives instead of victims to circumstances beyond our control. Now is a good time to do an inventory-taking of our lives, see what truly works for us and what is no longer useful, clear the decks and clean the clutter and with renewed optimism prepare for brighter days through better ways. Monday, November 24th – Someone Special – Pluto. Monday starts with the Moon in Libra sextile Pluto. We are likely to be reaching out to that someone special, making sure that we have included them in our upcoming holiday plans and expressing our desire to be with them. Other people could prove wise sounding boards for us today. Their detached perspective can help us see what works and what would merely be a waste of our time. Today can be a mutual admiration day whereby we appreciate, and are appreciated by, those special people in our lives. We may be making plans for the holidays, considering visits to or from close friends, and feeling upbeat about our future intentions. As the day progresses, the Moon moves out of Libra and enters Scorpio. While we might have been thinking about grandiose schemes for us to get involved with, we now have the opportunity of whittling down our planned activities to those that really speak to us, eliminating those that could prove merely diversions or distractions. Increasingly, we are becoming interested in our time management and the focus of our energies on the truly important and the essential. This Monday is a good day to draw our plans in the widest of possibilities and then to evaluate, critique and finally concentrate on the truly meaningful. Tuesday, November 25th – Making Plans – Mercury, Sun, Venus. Tuesday has Mercury conjunct the Sun and the Scorpio Moon sextile Venus. We are likely feeling confident, optimistic and enthusiastic as if a long gray cloud has passed us by and the sun has finally emerged in full radiance. With our exuberance we can also be highly effective and very resourceful. Although all of us may have been slammed, or at least impacted, by the financial tsunamis of these times, it has also allowed us to be far more conservation-minded regarding how we use our resources and where we place our energies. Tuesday is a good day for us to do an inventory taking of our lives. We can concentrate on those areas that bring us closer to our goals. We could see the past as past and like the mythological bird, the Phoenix, rising from its ashes determine how we can soar ever higher. We are not likely to be snookered by blind faith today. We may have learned our lessons, recognized the cyclical nature of life, and be far more astute, shrewd and calculating regarding how best to approach our ambitions. If things do not work for us, we are unlikely then to fritter away our time on useless projects. This day is also the last day of Pluto’s transit of Sagittarius, a transit that has gone on since 1995, and a period that has asked us to look beyond the micro-perspective and to consider a macro-perspective --- the philosophy of our living, the world as a global community and the possibilities of extreme expansions. Tomorrow, Pluto enters Capricorn. It did so briefly earlier this year, from the end of January through mid-June, a time when many inviolable structures began to get shaky and break down. As Pluto enters Capricorn tomorrow, we are in for a sixteen-year run of this transit through the Cardinal Earth Sign. Before tomorrow is over, it would be wise for us to take the time and contemplate what our lives are truly all about. What do we consider to be the quality of our living? What is the philosophy of our life? Where shall we focus on placing our spirit into action? Wednesday, November 26th – Preparations - Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto Capricorn. This day has the Scorpio Moon trine Uranus, sextile both Jupiter and Saturn and square Neptune. We can be highly effective today. Being flexible and adaptable to changing conditions can allow us to consider options and alternatives that we might not usually consider. In so doing, we can figure out a best practices approach by which we can incorporate new methods, streamline our operations, and get ever closer to the realization of our goals. Today is one of those days when we are operating close to the top of our game. We can juggle and yet be incredibly productive. We can deal both with outstanding matters and usual responsibilities and yet at the same time deal with unanticipated variables and new opportunities. What we do have to watch for is wasting our time on those situations or people that can be a bottomless pit, whereby no matter what we do or how much we do there is always more to deal with. Wednesday also gives entrance to Pluto into Capricorn, a transit that goes on for the next sixteen years. In our lives, and in the world at large, structures, systems and organizations that no longer work are likely to fall by the wayside. We will be looking at whether our involvements are built upon strong fundamentals. If they are, then they can go through a restructuring, reorganization and reworking. If they are not, then they may crumble and fail. We are looking at building upon rock, making our involvements to be fundamentally strong and substantial. While certain things may be eliminated from our lives, it will be important for us to recognize that they have served their usefulness and are no longer productive for our present, much less our future. Thursday, November 27th – Giving Thanks – Sagittarius Lunation, Sun, Mercury, Mars, Uranus direct. Thursday is Thanksgiving Day in the US, a time when family and friends gather together with the intention of giving thanks for all the blessings in our lives. For many people, the actual performance is one of gorging oneself, overeating and then watching a non-stop day of football. No matter what we do on this day, it would be wise to embrace the attitude of gratitude. Even though our lives, and the world in general, may have seemed on a slippery slope over the past few months, there are many blessings in our lives. We just have to recognize them and see them. It all gets back to the concept of the half glass of water. Are we going to see that half glass of water as half empty? Or as half full? Our choice, our disposition, our attitude. Thursday has the Sagittarius New Moon and what a power-packed day it is! The Sun Moon conjunction is also conjunct Mercury and conjunct Mars. The Stellium of three or more planets in one Sign, this New Moon with four planets in Sagittarius, focuses our energy on optimism, confidence, exuberance and enthusiasm. We may feel like a racehorse in the starting gate ready to bolt out of the starting lane and race at breakneck speed around our course. Yes, we may feel highly charged and ready to tackle the world. Our thoughts may turn to things far beyond our normal routine. We want to broaden our perspective, widen our scope and expand our terrain. Things foreign to us may be intriguing as we take a look at the bigger picture rather than focused on the mere details. This day also has Uranus turning direct ending its five-month retrograde cycle. We may have been champing at the bit to make changes to our lives but unable to do so as we dealt with the immediacy of unexpected variables to maintain a semblance of balance during these volatile times. Now we are interested in how we can incorporate changes into our lives, how we can move in new directions and how we can find areas in which to develop and express our sense of our individuality. The starting gate is opening and to