Each month, I write a Wellness Rx post for for About.com’s Astrology section. It focuses on the astrological energies of the time, with special attention paid to where the Sun is located, providing Rx suggestions to bolster well-being. If you’re interested in reading this month’s Virgo Wellness Prescription, you can find it here.

August 24, 2010: Virgo/Pisces Full Moon (exact at 10:05 am PDT)

The Virgo/Pisces Full Moon can be an auspicious time for healing. We have at our disposal the ability to connect to the body (Virgo) and our intuition (Pisces). If your health has been less than abundant, or you’re just looking to feel even more vital, taking the time to focus in on how to enhance your wellness during this Full Moon may prove very productive.

Use your discerning, critical eye (Virgo) to deduce how different physical and emotional factors may be combining to paint the current picture of your health. Then, sit quietly with these insights (Pisces), allowing conscious knowingness to emerge from a place deep within you and inform you on ways to proceed. The combination of Virgoan and Piscean energy can be a powerful elixir for our health as well as provide solutions to dis-ease in other areas of our life.

Be aware, though, that during a Virgo/Pisces Full Moon, we may be pulled toward feelings of melancholy, to sensing whispers of sorrow caused by disillusionment. After all, both Virgo and Pisces yield a desire for perfection and idealism, and “reality” oftentimes doesn’t match up to how we desire life to be. It’s especially important during this celestial event to remember to practice compassion—for yourself and others—and to accept that even in imperfection, beauty and grace reside.

This month’s Full Moon falls at 2 degrees of Virgo (Sun) and Pisces (Moon). While everyone experiences the energies of a Full Moon, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) around this degree in Virgo, Pisces, or the other mutable signs—Gemini and Sagittarius—it may impact you more intensely.

Full Moon Apothecary Suggestions

Virgo is associated with the small intestines and digestive system while Pisces rules the feet, immune/lymphatic systems, and pineal gland. Pay extra attention to these parts of the body around the time of this Full Moon.

Reflexology: As Pisces rules the feet, when the Moon is in this sign, reflexology can be an especially lovely activity to engage in. The massaging of pressure points on the feet can help to circulate energy and quell Virgoan-inspired anxiety. Additionally, working on the digestive system points, concentrated between the ball of the foot and the heel, can support Virgo-associated gastrointestinal health.

Prayers for healing: With the Moon in spiritually oriented Pisces, it’s a wonderful time to invoke the power of faith in the promotion of healing. This need not be a complex activity nor one necessarily infused with religious meaning. Rather, just focus upon yourself—or another whose health could benefit from assistance—and say a prayer of hopes and wishes for betterment. If it feels right, invite others to join a prayer circle. Prayer may seem simple, yet it can be so very powerful.

PHOTO © ALEX CARRILLO

August 21, 2010: Saturn Square Pluto

Today is the last of the three Saturn/Pluto squares that have colored recent times. (The first took place on November 15, 2009 while the second occurred on January 31, 2010.) While these dates signal the exact 90-degree relationship between these planets, the energetic pattern that this alignment reflects extends throughout.

Saturn is the creator of structure. It instills a honoring of the natural laws necessary for crystallizing form to make things “come to life.” Its focus, on some level, is continuity.

Pluto is the master of transformation. It requires us to let go in order that we may uncover the depths and powerful resourcefulness of who we are.

These two planets seem, on the surface, to be at odds. After all, Saturn likes the as-is while Pluto cherishes the that-which-will-become. Saturn is known for holding on and appreciating a sense of certainty. Pluto, on the other hand, inspires us to give in and release control, having faith that the Phoenix will rise from the ashes.

This alignment can evoke tension. Saturn may exert its rigidity and hold back Pluto’s natural process while Pluto may cause a breakdown in the structure that Saturn worked so hard to create.

Yet, Saturn and Pluto can work gracefully as well. Saturn can provide a container that can help to give true form to Plutonian transformation. Pluto can breakdown some of the Saturnian rigidity that may have restrained the expression of joy and individual authenticity.

During this Saturn/Pluto alignment, consider, for example, whether there are any aspects of your life—situations, relationships, attitudes, habits, et al.—that you are tightly holding on to but which you know, in your heart of hearts, don’t really serve you. You may be holding on to them because of comfort, because of fear, and/or because you identify yourself with them.

Whatever the reason, assess whether they truly align with your inner joy and sense of being. If they don’t, see how you may release them so that you can make space in your life for things that better match your authentic self. This Plutonian change need not be quick nor rash. In fact, it’s important to honor Saturn here and be thoughtful and diligent in your approach. This will help assure that the changes you make are lasting ones that help to inspire your sense of personal empowerment.

During today’s planetary alignment, Saturn is at 3 degrees Libra while Pluto is at 3 degrees Capricorn. While the energies of this celestial event can be felt collectively, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) around these degrees of Libra or Capricorn or the other cardinal signs—Aries and Cancer—it may impact you more intensely.

Saturn Square Pluto Apothecary Suggestions

While these suggestions may be especially beneficial around the time of the exact squares—such as today—they may also prove helpful throughout the whole time that we are exposed to this planetary pattern.

Jatamansi essential oil: A relative of valerian, jatamansi (Nardostachys jatamansi) is also known as Himalayan spikenard. It is an amazing essential oil for instilling calm, reducing anxiety, and promoting sleep. Jatamansi is also prized for its use in alleviating the grief associated with loss as well as releasing subconscious trauma. To use, place a few drops on your palms, rub them together, and then inhale the fragrance. Massaging jatamansi mixed with plain massage oil into the soles of the feet promotes nighttime relaxation and is said to quell insomnia.

Deep tissue massage: This type of bodywork focuses on the unwinding of the fascia connective tissue as well as the release of deep muscles. It allows for the break up (Pluto) of crystallized tension (Saturn) and lactic acid reservoirs that may be caused by stress and/or physiological patterns of misalignment. Deep tissue work can reduce chronic pain and lead to freer motion and greater structural integration. If this type of bodywork isn’t available or of interest, even getting a traditional Swedish massage can be of great healing benefit.

August 20-September 12, 2010: Mercury Retrograde

Retrograde periods are times for reflection and heightened inner awareness. Since Mercury symbolizes communication, they way we learn, our siblings, and our neighborhood, this period can yield great insights in related areas of our life.  Mercury retrograde lasts about three weeks and occurs three to four times per year; the last one took place April 17 – May 11.

Mercury represents the bridges and channels that allow us to connect varied pieces of information in order to synthesize them into the whole of understanding. During Mercury retrograde periods, the inherent weaknesses of these conduits may be revealed. As such, this period is known for the breakdown of tools that help us to share information (such as phones, computers, and printers) and well as those that assist us as we move from place to place (such as cars, bikes, and buses); therefore, do what you can to make sure they are in good working order, before Mercury goes retrograde if possible. With data and information transfer stressed, it’s a great time to ensure you’re backing up your hard drive, keeping track of whether you’re due for an oil change, or inventorying your supply of extra batteries necessary for the remote or your child’s favorite toy.

Any planetary retrograde reflects a period where the energy is focused more internally. Therefore, it’s a wonderful time to turn communication inward to seek insights and understanding. Meditation, journaling, and nondominant handwriting are great activities to do during Mercury retrograde to help you find the pieces of the puzzle and the teachings of wisdom that you seek.

While inner reflection is heightened, external communication may be stressed. Therefore, try to avoid misunderstandings by being extra diligent about the words you use, while also making sure to listen even more attentively than usual. Whether it be with writing or speaking, put a little extra effort into dotting your I’s and crossing your T’s. Be especially aware of this if you have to sign any binding contract during Mercury retrograde (putting off doing so if possible), as oftentimes all of the information you need to make a decision isn’t available or especially clear.

When you think of how to approach this period, remember the first two letters of the word retrograde—“re”—and apply it to the activities you undertake. As such, Mercury retrograde periods are a great time to reassess, review, reanalyze, revisit, rethink, re-edit, and recommunicate.

During this retrograde period, Mercury travels from 19 degrees Virgo to  6 degrees Virgo. While everyone experiences the energies of Mercury retrograde, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) around or aspecting these degrees, it may impact you more intensely.

Mercury Retrograde Apothecary Suggestions

Nondominant handwriting: This exercise is easy to do and takes minimal time commitment. Just think of a question to which you seek an answer, something that you’ve been pondering. Then pick up a pen or pencil and place it in your nondominant hand (the left one for righties, and the right one for lefties) and write out the answer on paper. Write freely and don’t judge what may seem like chicken scratch. The beauty of this exercise is that by using our opposite hand we are able to access more of our subsconcious mind and tap into our intuitive knowingness. What you compose on the paper should provide you with an insightful perspective on your question.

Spring cleaning: Mercury retrograde is a great time to literally clean your closets. That’s because our abilities to reassess, reevaluate, and reconsider are heightened. Cleaning closets can be wonderfully therapeutic: It provides a trip down memory lane and it also helps to unburden ourselves of things that no longer best serve us. If your closets don’t need to be cleaned, consider organizing your desk drawers or pantry shelves.

PHOTO © ALEX CARRILLO

August 9, 2010: Leo New Moon (exact at 8:08 pm PDT)

During the Leo New Moon, we have the opportunity to shine. There’s an ebullient child-like energy that draws forth the playful and creative self that resides within. Yet, when doing so care is usually taken since Leo wants to be nothing if not dignified.

The Sun God(dess) sign aligns us with a feeling of wanting to be recognized and embraced for the special being we are. If other’s interactions with and attitudes towards us do not meet with these expectations, issues around wounded pride may arise.

We may have experiences that allow us to see how important it is to be generous in spirit and to radiate our inner light to those around us. We may sense how if we do not let our vital energy flow,  we may experience stress and tension in our hearts, bodies, and mind. The Leo New Moon reminds us that we should proudly express our essential self, a being that has great gifts to offer those with whom it orbits.

This month’s New Moon falls at 18 degrees of Leo (Sun and Moon). While everyone experiences the energies of the New Moon, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) around this degree in Leo or the other fixed signs—Taurus, Scorpio, Aquarius—it may impact you more intensely.

New Moon Apothecary Suggestions

Leo rules the heart, spine, and hair. Pay extra attention to these parts of the body around the time of this New Moon.

Neroli essential oil: This romantic scent from the leaves of the Seville orange tree is a delightful and therapeutic one to enjoy during this New Moon. Neroli helps to inspire a sense of calm and joy. It has cooling properties so if you feel yourself overinflamed in mind, body, or heart, neroli may provide you with great fragrant benefits. Placing a drop above your heart and wearing as a perfume or using in a room diffuser are two ways to enjoy this beautiful scent.

Buttercup flower essence: When you need some support stoking the inner flame of self value, buttercup flower essence may be of benefit. It’s especially good for periods when we are judging ourselves by external markers of success that, in turn, degrade our sense of self-worth. It helps shift the source of light from the unreliable-without to the eternally-sustaining-within. (Flower essences are made from flower-infused water and work energetically to restore emotional and mental balance. You can find them in natural food stores or holistic pharmacies.)

Each month, I write a Wellness Rx post for for About.com’s Astrology section. It focuses on the astrological energies of the time, with special attention paid to where the Sun is located, providing Rx suggestions to bolster well-being. If you’re interested in reading this month’s Leo Wellness Prescription, you can find it here.

July 25, 2010: Leo /Aquarius Full Moon (exact at 6:37 pm PDT)

During a Leo/Aquarius Full Moon, issues involving individuals and their relationship to the collective become the center of attention. If you are involved in any groups or associations, you may perceive a heightened sense of tension as the organization strives to accommodate the needs of its members along with its own overarching identity and goals. Yet, if outstanding issues are worked upon, there can be great breakthroughs in group dynamics and team building.

This may prove to be an intense Full Moon period since this lunar event is enveloped by significant astrological alignments occurring just days before and after. In the days leading up to this Full Moon, Saturn moves back into Libra, and Jupiter goes retrograde and then squares Pluto. The day after the Full Moon, we experience the last of the five-series Saturn/Uranus oppositions as well as Mercury opposing Neptune.

This portends to be an active time. The structures we have built and the assumptions we have stood behind may be called into question. If we can honor past wisdom while being open to the influx of change while at the same time surrending and letting go of that which truly doesn’t serve our higher good and ideals, we may find this time to be provocative, liberating, and fruitful.

This month’s Full Moon falls at 3 degrees of Leo (Sun) and Aquarius (Moon). While everyone experiences the energies of a Full Moon, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) around this degree in Leo, Aquarius, or the other fixed signs—Taurus and Scorpio—it may impact you more intensely.

Full Moon Apothecary Suggestions

Leo is associated with the heart, spine, and hair while Aquarius is associated with the calves, ankles, peripheral circulatory system, and the body’s bionergetics. Pay extra attention to these areas of the body around the time of this Full Moon.

Listen to world music: As Leo is the sign of the creative arts, and Aquarius the sign of humanity’s collective vision, listening to music from other countries is a relaxation practice that aligns with the energy of this Full Moon. Whether it be Jamaican ska, Portuguese fado, Senegalese mbalax, or any international genre, music can bring great joy and help us open up our heart.

Quaking Grass flower essence: Quaking Grass is a wonderful remedy to help inspire harmonious group dynamics. It helps individuals maintain a sense of balanced self when in a collective and yet see themselves as a part of something much larger than just themselves. While the essence can be taken by an individual, it can also be used it as a room spray (mix a few drops into a water-filled mister bottle) as a way to foster a more productive, as well as heartfelt, group process. (Flower essences are made from flower-infused water and work energetically to restore emotional and mental balance. You can find them in natural food stores or holistic pharmacies.)

Saturn is the making-it-real planet, as well as the one that reflects the establishment of systems within culture. Therefore, in addition to how it may impact us personally depending upon our natal chart, Saturn transiting into and through a new sign—something it does about every two and one-half years—can have very clear effects upon collective trends and social consciousness.

Saturn is a taskmaster whose aim is to help us create structures of lasting value, those that are reality-based and purposeful. As such, Saturn tests limits, finds the weakest link, and applies pressure—all for the sake of showing us how to forge a creation that has integrity and meaning. Given that Saturn is about doing the work, and not about the quick-and-easy, many people struggle with the energies of this planet. Yet, if we listen as Saturn provides us with guidance, following its one-foot-in-front-of-the-other reality-based tactics, we will be rewarded tangibly since Saturn represents the material and the mundane.

When Saturn transits through a sign, those areas of life ruled by that sign are what the planet of structure focuses its attention upon. What does and doesn’t work is brought to light in a way that we often become very aware of; you can see a lot of it if you focus on themes in the “news.” Hopefully, once faced with knowledge of what doesn’t work, we—both individually and collectively—take this awareness and responsibly work to refine and recreate the broken pieces so that the whole better serves our needs.

Saturn took a break from its recent residence in Virgo (where it had been since September 2007) to do a several month stint in Libra (October 29, 2009 through April 7, 2010). Now, on July 21, it returns to the fairness- and beauty-oriented sign for an extended tenancy, ushering in a new mini-era of collective zeitgeist and cultural trends.  Saturn will remain in Libra through October 5, 2012.

Looking Back to Look Forward

Looking back to the past two-plus years that Saturn has been in Virgo can serve as a great way to see how this planet works when it transits through a sign, giving us a foreshadow of what Saturn in Libra may offer. Read More…

Astrology can help us to frame cultural trends and the collective zeitgeist. For example, the recent revival of canning–traditional craftwork/techniques that have the ability to impart a sense of liberation from dependence upon the modern food system–has taken hold during the recent Saturn/Uranus opposition cycle. For more on the connection, see the article I wrote for the Canning Across America website.

PHOTO © ALEX CARRILLO

July 26, 2010:  Saturn opposite Uranus

Today, we experience the last of the five exact oppositions of Saturn and Uranus, an astrological alignment that has been coloring our recent personal and collective past. These planets began dancing in this relationship in 2008, with their first opposition occurring on November 4 (Election Day in the U.S.). This was followed by an opposition on February 5 and then on September 15, 2009. April 26, 2010 marked the fourth occurrence of the alignment. All except for the one today featured Saturn in Virgo and Uranus in Pisces; the one that marks this moment occurs with Saturn in Libra and Uranus in Aries.

On the surface, this push-pull between Saturn and Uranus can be extremely challenging; after all, they seem to represent polar-opposite energies. Saturn upholds rules and limits, promoting the status quo and all that has come before. Uranus, on the other hand, represents the revolutionary desire to upturn that which is accepted in hopes to find a solution that promotes evolution.

Simply said, with Saturn and Uranus, we have Same vs. Change. We may feel like we are on a see-saw, one minute wanting to “just throw it all away” and start fresh while the next minute holding on, with dear life, to all that we have created.

Yet, Saturn and Uranus can dance together really graciously. These energies can be rectified, dialoguing in a way that enables empowering and realistic change to come to life. Remember, Saturn provides structure in order to make things manifest. So if it’s change that you want, if you want to create something new in your life, Saturn can help provide the foundation and support to help make it happen. When making Uranian changes, just remember to pay homage to Saturn by infusing some pragmatism into your thinking when deciding how you can reinvent areas of your life.

Consider the proverbial apple cart as an example of working with the energies of Saturn and Uranus. During this time, you may feel a desire to overturn the apple cart. If you do, just remember to pick up the fruit and rearrange them (either on the existing cart or a new one) in a way that better serves you. This re-structuring (and Saturn-honoring) approach to change may be more productive than just moving on, with “apples” strewn on the ground, providing no benefit for anyone. Saturn/Uranus gives us a sandbox for structured chaos, which can be a really creative and provocative experience.

During this current opposition, Saturn will be at 0 degrees Libra and Uranus will be at 0 degrees Aries. These points–as well as those at 0 Cancer and 0 Capricorn–are known as the Aries Point. When planetary alignments connect into the Aries Point, it weaves the personal and collective together. We are reminded that what happens to the individual impacts the world and what happens in the world impacts the individual. Given that this is also the last of this cycle’s alignments, we may have a greater opportunity in the coming days/weeks to get a clearer sense of what was inspired and constructed both in our life and in the world during this significant time period, from the transits beginning in November 2008 through today.

While everyone experiences the energies of the Saturn/Uranus opposition, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) around 0 degrees of Aries, Libra, or the other mutable signs—Cancer and Capricorn—it may impact you more intensely.

Saturn/Uranus Opposition Apothecary Suggestions

Free-form dance: With Saturn ruling the body and Uranus associated with independence and individuality, free-form dancing—including Ecstatic Dance, Dances of Universal Peace, and others–can be a great approach to healing during this celestial alignment. Dancing allows us to move our bodies, enhancing circulation and promoting mind/body/heart connections. It can be especially helpful in times when there’s heightened energy (Uranus) that may have a tendency to crystallize (Saturn) in our bodies.

Walnut flower essence: Sometimes we want to make changes but feel blocked by a lack of confidence and certainty, which may have been instilled within us as a result of accepting others’ visions for how we should live our life. These self-limiting thoughts may often create doubt and stand in our way of pursuing our true path. If you need support committing to a change in your life that you know, in your heart of hearts, truly will help you to evolve (regardless of what the “old tapes” say), consider Walnut flower essence. (Flower essences are made from flower-infused water and work energetically to restore emotional and mental balance. You can find them in natural food stores or holistic pharmacies.)