Showing posts with label leo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label leo. Show all posts

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Moon Magick (Part 1)


XXXII. To Selene
(ll. 1-13) “And next, sweet voiced Muses, daughters of Zeus, well-skilled in song, tell of the long-winged Moon. From her immortal head a radiance is shown from heaven and embraces earth; and great is the beauty that ariseth from her shining light. The air, unlit before, glows with the light of her golden crown, and her rays beam clear, whensoever bright Selene having bathed her lovely body in the waters of Ocean, and donned her far-gleaming, shining team, drives on her long-maned horses at full speed, at eventime in the mid-month: then her great orbit is full and then her beams shine brightest as she increases. So she is a sure token and a sign to mortal men.” Homeric Hymn to Selene, translated by Evelyn-White

Mother Moon. From the beginning of human life, we have lived by her rhythms. Each month, she ebbs and flows like the waters of the ocean and, like our emotions, her influence surges and subsides. Astrologers watch the cycles of the moon and predict events based on when she triggers sensitive points in the horoscope. Revered for her influence on magick, shamans and magicians have for eons watched her cycles and used her phases and placements in the signs to work their enchantments. As she travels through the 12 signs of the zodiac each month and completes her cycle around the earth in about 30 days, life changes flavors.

In this two-part article, I will take a look at our Moon and her influence on us, both by the sign she’s transiting and by looking at her eight phases. Today, I’ll be discussing her monthly circuit through the signs of the zodiac. If you don’t have an astrological calendar or other way to know which sign the Moon is in each day, I suggest going to the Cafe Astrology site at http://www.cafeastrology.com/monthlycalendar.html. Click on the link below the calendar for the Moon’s sign and planetary aspects for each day of that month.

When the Moon enters Aries, life speeds up. It increases our energy, and it is a good time to begin new projects and seek new avenues of expression. Take some time for yourself and attempt to be aware of your effect on those around you. This is also a fine time to exercise because you can feel energetic under Aries. Infections may flare up under this influence.

The Taurus Moon is a time of practicality. Aries begins new projects, but Taurus brings stability to them. Anything you don’t find practical will be discarded, and the rhythm of life slows down. Values are important during this 2-½ day period, and the need to be productive is the overriding drive. Taurus is also stubborn, so people will tend to stand their ground during this moon.

Gemini brings a lot of conversation and communication. If you’ve been putting off running a lot of errands, this is the time of month to get it over with. It’s also the time of month to respond to that list of e-mails staring at you that you keep putting off. Check in with the neighbors or contact your extended family. People are in the mood to communicate. Find a good book to read.

Home and those we consider family become the focus under the Cancer Moon. This is a productive time to do some housework or make a special dish that’s usually too much work. You may feel like sticking close to home and spending time with those you’re close with rather than seeking the company of strangers. Cancer retreats to the familiar for comfort.

Under the Leo Moon, find something creative to do. Leo needs to be appreciated, and one way to be appreciated is to put energy into a project that others can enjoy. This is also an excellent time to have some fun, and you may feel like doing a little gambling now. Tell someone how much you care and make a little love during this time.

Virgo is the hangover after the Leo party. All that work you put off the last couple of days is staring you in the face and you need to get it done. This is an excellent period for deciding what needs to be done around the house and clearing that pile of papers off your desk. Efficiency, analysis and discrimination are keywords for this lunar period. Health issues should be paid attention to now.

Relationships need some attention during the Libra transit, and not just your marriage or love partner. Libra is about compromise and creating harmony and balance. Find the middle ground, create a win-win situation and make any ongoing disagreement go away. This is also a nice time to get to know new people because you’ll be feeling sociable and will find others interesting.

Deep emotions are stirred during the Scorpio moon. Secrets come out and sexual urges may be strong. You won’t want any superficial relating now – you want to feel something and will seek out intense people or situations. Shared resources can also become a focus of attention now, so be careful of disagreements regarding money.

Restlessness is the key word under the Sagittarius moon, physical as well as mental. Seek out new ideas or someone to discuss your ideas with. Religion and philosophy may occupy your thoughts today. This is also a good time to start a trip, or plan one. Find something different to do. The downside to this energy is that you may get lost in what you’re doing and forget where you’re supposed to be or what you’re supposed to be doing.

Capricorn is about taking care of business. This is an excellent timeframe in which to start creating structure in your life and to work on the discipline you think you’re lacking. Virgo analyzes, but Capricorn actually gets down to the business of physically organizing things and people. Delegate responsibility by deciding what you must personally handle and what someone else can take care of, which is especially important for those of us who think if we don’t do it, it won’t get done.

Get out and interact with groups and organizations during the Aquarius moon. You will feel sociable in a detached way, and will find the company of others enjoyable. The need for a change is the keyword for this moon, which can easily slip into rebelliousness. Tackling computer issues will come easily now, and science fiction and fantasy can pass the time and ease the restlessness of your mind. You may find yourself exposed to those kinds of things now, even if they normally don’t interest you.

On Wednesday, February 25, the flavor of this month began with the New Moon in Pisces. When the Moon is in Pisces, life gets softer around the edges. This can also be a time when people tend to use their own personal means of escape to shut out the ills of the world, whether that is through an artistic pursuit, meditation, helping others or shutting out the world through the use of alcohol or drugs. This is a good time to visualize your dreams.

Next time, I will write about the eight phases of the Moon (rather than just the four you are probably used to) and discuss how you can consciously use each to your best advantage. Combining the meanings of the Moon in the signs and the Moon in her phases can be employed to manifest what you desire in your life, magickally!

Monday, January 12, 2009

Leo in 2009


"Love doesn't make the world go round,
Love is what makes the ride worthwhile."
Elizabeth Browning
The bonfire that sprang to life in Aries is now burning hotly and evenly, its coals beautiful to look at. Leo, the fixed fire sign, is where the Sun is most comfortable and shines brightly through personal love. The soul of Leo warms everyone that comes close enough. It is represented by the Lion, and if you’ve ever experienced a purring cat in your lap, you know what affection can bring out in the king of beasts. Leos are regal, proud and fearless. A close friend in my 20’s, a warm and generous Leo woman, always told me, “Never let them see you sweat,” and she would proceed to do things that I never had the nerve to do, and get way with them. Leo is also associated with creativity and pleasure, and all of the Leos that I have known have been creative—actors, artists, writers, weavers of yarn, tellers of tales. More important than all else to Leo is love. Give him love, and you will have his loyalty and his generosity. Betray his love, and you will feel his bite.

Jupiter in Aquarius is opposing Leo all year, showing a need for Leo to expand mentally into new ideas and/or physically by pursuing new creative outlets with unique and interesting groups and organizations. The challenge is to increase creatively from within and not overdo it and deny the needs of others. Leo relates to personal love; Aquarius to impersonal love, and the trick is for him to balance the concepts by not creating a situation where his own needs are denying or interfering with the needs of others. Jupiter brings a desire for higher learning and travel, and this would be a good year to explore new places and ideas, but include a partner or friend. With an opposition aspect, now is not the time to do things alone, but it is a time to compromise. It may be that your significant other doesn’t want to go to the North Pole. Find someplace else that both of you would like to see instead of demanding the North Pole.

Neptune will be in Aquarius, particularly affecting Leos born between about August 15 and August 20, in 2009. This planet of illusion and idealism may bring people that live life on a different plane into Leo’s world. These can be very religious people, people with spiritual beliefs that are completely new or different, someone Leo feels is his “soul mate,” or people who have drug or alcohol problems. This aspect tends to cause confusion, and Leo may be tempted to try to “save” someone or want someone to “save” him. He should examine his motives to see if this comes from a true place of need or from a place of personal ego. If he meets someone who literally sweeps him off his feet in love, he should attempt to keep his own feet on the ground, or find someone solid and dependable with whom to discuss the situation. When Neptune touches a personal planet, we tend to see what we want to see and we tend to ignore important details that would bring clarity to the situation. Neptune rules drug addiction – the need to escape from reality. Although the experience of love under this type of transit is so incredible that it can’t be expressed to others in words (and they may think you’re crazy anyway), it also can’t last forever in this idealized form.

The Strength card in the Tarot card deck is related to Leo. The inner strength of Leo is in his ability to control his “beast.” Compassion, patience, courage and understanding bring out the best in Leo. The picture shows a young woman calming a lion with only her hands. With love, even the biggest jungle cat will respond positively and turn over on his back so you can rub his belly. That is one of the biggest lessons for Leo—using love as a weapon instead of his teeth and claws. Particularly with family members and other loved ones, even when they hurt you or upset you, never forget that you love them. Leo’s ego is always in danger of being bruised, but how he reacts is the lesson. Sincere love will turn even enemies into friends.