Time is often an under-appreciated solution to a problem. I often wonder whether we overlook its superhero powers because it just seems like too simple a fix. Or maybe we shy away from electing it as our strategy because we know that when we give something time, it means we have to sit with our emotions, letting them take us on a journey that may lead to uncharted territories. Yet, it’s within this voyage, through the conscious and unconscious feelings that arise, where the jewels of realization and healing usually lay.

Today, embrace time. Sit still. Stay in your feelings. It may be amazing to see just where it takes you and how much less time it actually takes to move through challenging situations if we give ourselves permission to take the time to do so.

Today would have been Alistair Cooke’s 101^st birthday. The British-born, American-naturalized-citizen Cooke—well known as the voice for Masterpiece Theater—was a highly regarded journalist and broadcaster. He is also a beacon of longevity, not only personally (he passed away at the age of 95) but also for the long runs of the programs in which he was involved. For example, his radio show Letters from America, originally commissioned as a 13-week program ran for 58 years, becoming the longest-running speech radio show.

I share this with you today not only to take the opportunity to remember one whose words and voice inspired many, but also because there’s something about endurance captured in Cooke’s career that reflects the astrological energy of the day. With the Sun in its last days of resilient Scorpio and the Moon in long-lasting Capricorn (making a harmonious aspect to values-driven Venus), it’s a good time to reflect upon the idea of longevity and legacy, considering what it takes if we want to create things that last.

PHOTO © ALEX CARRILLO

Resources is a term often associated with Capricorn, the sign in which the Moon resides today. Capricorn is productive, ambitious, and very hard working. It is focused upon shoring up supplies and is not averse to the status that material accumulation may bring.

Resources is also a term associated with Scorpio, the sign in which the Sun resides. Scorpio has a deep well of emotional reserve it can call upon when needing to be self-reliant or outlast an antagonist. Like Capricorn, Scorpio is also attracted to financial wealth; for Scorpio the allure is the transformative power perceived to be inherent in money.

With the Moon aspecting both Pluto (Scorpio’s planetary ruler) and Saturn (Capricorn’s), a reflection on our attitude towards and relationship to resources—both internal and external—may be a potent theme of the day. As we’re still in the strong glow of Sunday’s Pluto/Saturn square, seeing how we can reestablish a more balanced relationship towards the sources that sustain us while being a regenerative resource for others can also be of great benefit.

Looking for a way to responsibly, efficiently, and enjoyably accomplish any tasks, errands or obligations that may be on your Saturday to-do list?

Listen. To yourself, that is.

With Mercury harmoniously aspecting Neptune today, our ability to access a guiding knowingness is heightened. Tuning into the quiet space that dwells within, where the grace of our intuition and compassion resides, can help inform us as to how to sail through and navigate our day in a graceful and compassionate way.

Welcome to the first day of Scorpio! And what a first day it is as the Moon makes a very early conjunction to Scorpio’s planetary ruler, Pluto, intensifying the shift into a day filled with undercurrents and emotions that may bubble up from below.

Loyalty may be a theme of the day. Situations may arise that inspire us to reflect upon our allegiances, helping us to define the qualities that we find essential when we grant or expect fidelity.

PHOTO © ALEX CARRILLO

Today is a great day to take inventory.

It can be of anything: your pantry, your finances, your relationships, or–notably if you’re celebrating *Yom Kippur, which begins this evening—the last year of your life.

Choose the area of your life that you think is in need of some pragmatic reflection. Look to it and see which aspects provide you with true value and which do not. Measure and weigh the contents within to see which truly contribute to your lasting happiness and which are just taking up space, time, and emotions. With the Moon in hardworking Capricorn making aspects to assertive Mars, communicative Mercury, energetic Uranus, and constructive Saturn, today’s planetary alignments certainly support such a thoughtful review.

* To those observing Yom Kippur, I wish you an easy fast and a Happy New Year.

PHOTO © ALEX CARRILLO

Relationships are works of art that require time and effort, commitment and perseverance, give and take. And, like all art, they radiate grace into our lives.

Today is a good day to take time to reflect upon our relationships, paying homage to what we and the others with whom we are in partnership have created, and remembering that though relationships may have their ups and downs, they  can contribute so much value to our lives.

The practice of canning, of putting food up, is a great image that captures the energy of the day, with the Sun in Virgo and Moon in Capricorn.

When we can, we take the fruits of the harvest (Virgo), and using recipes and processing steps that we need to follow to a tee (Virgo), we are able to bestow ourselves with future sustenance (Capricorn). While enjoyable, it can be time-consuming and even hard work (Capricorn); yet, preservation techniques like canning can help us to forge a deep connection with our food (Virgo). It can also be very economical (Capricorn), as home-preserved food usually costs less than store-bought packaged food.

Even if we don’t can today, we can still use the elements embraced within the signs of Virgo and Capricorn to navigate our day. For example, we can examine what areas of our life could benefit from a more systems-oriented approach, enabling us to create something of value, something with posterity. Additionally, it’s a good day to consider how paying attention to certain details, and planning ahead, may help us to save money and/or build for our future.

PHOTO © ALEX CARRILLO

When reflecting on the astrological energy of the day, the term “left behind” keeps coming to mind.

This may manifest as forgetting something, actually leaving an item of value behind. Or, there may be inspiration to release an idea or belief that no longer serves our best interest.

With the Moon in Capricorn conjunct Pluto, squaring both Mercury and Mars, there’s also the potential that deep feelings of being left behind or abandoned may surface. While it’s important to embrace the associated feelings, it’s always helpful to remember that acceptance by others isn’t a necessary marker for the value of who we are.

Additionally, we can re-probe the offending situation, looking to it with more objective eyes to see whether others actually intended to exclude us or whether their sense of inclusion just didn’t meet our needs. If the latter, an adjustment of expectations may help to alleviate some of the emotional discord, allowing us to further let go–and leave behind–some of the sorrow we have been carrying.