What does today have in store?

* An urge to explore.

* A need to soar.

* A desire for more.

* A solution we hadn’t considered before.

* A day that certainly won’t be a bore.

January 4

Today’s Astrological Haiku

Today, speak your mind.
Tell world what you are thinking.
Share, transfer insights.

It’s OK if you
Feel shy, concern for exposing
Your self. Just go slow

Finding the right words
That truly express your truths,
Visions and ideals.

Take the time to forge
Your approach, what you will say
And how to say it.

Have a plan, then build
Solid foundation, not a
Castle in the sky.

Mercury joins Sun
Illuminating orb of
Communication’s reach.

January 5

If you could choose one artist whom you feel most aligned with, who would it be? What is it about their style, the beauty that they give form to, or their relationship to the creative process that syncs with your sense of aesthetics and artistry? Reflecting upon these questions today—while communicative Mercury is conjunct beauty-loving Venus—can provide great insight into the muse that resides within you, helping you to further express your inherent creativity.

January 6

Faced with a decision? Today’s a good day to weigh and measure your options. While doing so, go all the way with your mind’s surveying of the situation, probing below the surface of the facts you are facing. Give way to ideas that may seem as if you have to release a bit of control, seeing whether in fact they yield a more beneficial solution. Consider the reality and practicality of each option. This may prove helpful in illuminating and solidifying the best way to make and communicate your decision.

January 7

Even if your day is filled with back-to-back projects or errands, build in a window of time to do something pleasurable, something nice for yourself. Enjoy a song, or poem, or piece of artwork that you find beautiful and inspiring. Take some time to share a meal or cup of coffee/tea with a friend or colleague. Nourishing and recharging yourself today can give you the stamina you need to fulfill your responsibilities and obligations in a more efficient and enjoyable way.

January 8

In honor of Capricorn’s admiration of efficiency and Scorpio’s tendency to often just tell it like it is, I thought I’d offer today’s astrological insight as a simple one-liner:

Revealing what you have been concealing may inspire a revelation rather than the need for consolation.

January 9

Today our bravery/bravado radar may be in full gear. We may be able to more clearly sense when someone is coming from a deep-seated place of courageousness rather than an insecure pretense of foolhardiness. Remember that if the choice is between the Tortoise and the Hare, the better bet for who will cross the finish line is the slow-and-steady non-boasting reptile.

January 10

If you feel like you’ve been plodding along the last few days, today will certainly feel different. It’s as if we’re on the runner’s block and the referee just proclaimed “on your mark, get set, go.” There’s a sense of greater ebullience that can help inspire us to run the race of the day, with an enthusiasm fresh out of the starting block. If we have been diligently working to achieve a pursuit, today can provide us with the verve we need to overcome some obstacles, allowing us to get closer to “mission accomplished.”

PHOTO © ALEX CARRILLO

What gets you worked up? What do you feel so passionately about that it embraces you in a sheath of fervor? Is there something in your life that triggers the comprehensive A-Z (ardor to zeal) sense of glowing intensity?

If the answers to these questions are not readily apparent, today—with the Sagittarius Moon aligned with expansive Jupiter, out-of-the-blue Uranus, and ideal-inspired Neptune—may provide you with some important clues.

PHOTO © ALEX CARRILLO

Today’s Astrological Haiku

Down below we feel
What others may not perceive,
Smoldering within.

We may even hold
Them hostage from the mind’s light,
Keeping them hidden

Deep in our heart’s cave.
Yet, enveloped with self-love
They transform to be

What they are, riches
Of insight, life’s findings of
Wholeness, Being Alive.

Today, we can share
These treasured jewels of knowing
To inspire another

To know the voyage,
The journey of life, is a
Shared experience.

Interesting.

Talk about a placeholder word. To a writer it’s often a no-no word, one that takes up time and space, used when one is feeling a streak of laziness. After all, interesting can mean many things, which leaves the reader hanging, wondering “interesting, how?”

All that being said, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that today should be an interesting day.

But, I won’t leave you hanging. Here’s how and why I think it should be interesting:

• Today is the last day of Libra, with the Sun moving into Scorpio at 11:44 pm PDT. When the Sun spends its final time in a sign, the energies are at once heightened but somewhat diffuse as the next sign begins to make its presence felt. When Libra is the essence du jour, issues related to equality, graciousness, relationships, and beauty become top of mind.
• The Moon is void-of-course (VOC) for less than a minute, which isn’t commonplace. Therefore, there’s no real lunar “downtime” today as the Moon changes signs. The day provides an almost contiguous stretch of time where we can manifest externally (when the Moon is VOC, there’s an untethered feeling that makes it challenging for things to take hold in the world).
• The Moon is busy, making five aspects throughout the day, including to Mercury, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and the Sun. As we try to keep a Libran even keel through the day, there’s a potential to be pushed off balance. Being flexible is beneficial as this way any swaying from our path can more readily be perceived as an opportunity for learning rather than an obstacle blocking a sense of accomplishment.
• We’re one week away from Saturn moving into Libra. As we get closer to Saturn changing signs–and we certainly are pretty close–there’s a shifting of the tides, which seems to be infusing recent days.

I hope that your day is not only interesting, but interesting in a joyful and opportune way.

Earlier this week, I came across a post on my Facebook page by Vedic astrologer Sam Sadasiva Geppi, noting how there will be five planets in debilitated signs this week and how this may yield low energy and potentially feelings of depression. While I have a great appreciation for and fascination with Vedic astrology (also known as Jyotisha), it is not the vantage point from which I look to the skies since my studies have been rooted in Western astrology (which uses the tropical, rather than the sidereal, zodiac). Yet, when I read what he wrote, it expanded my understanding of what I was feeling was occurring this week. It felt like his insights served to forge a great partnership with what I was sensing, enhancing my perception.

In addition to passing along Sam’s insights, I share this with you because this experience seems a great reflection of an aspect of today’s astrological energies. With the Moon in Sagittarius making harmonious aspects to both values-driven Venus and wisdom-seeking Jupiter, remember that expanding your view and taking other frames of references into consideration can often weave a greater tapestry of understanding.

PHOTO © ALEX CARRILLO

Has something eluded you over the past few days, potentially related to a relationship? Does something just not feel right but you can’t figure out where the imbalance may lie? Are you stirring and stewing but can’t seem to clearly decipher the recipe of the triggering situation?

Come this afternoon, when a little more footloose-and-fancy-free energy abounds, we’re likely to piece together the feelings and gain greater insights into the “Why?” of what we’ve been perceiving. As the Moon moves into Sagittarius and its planetary ruler, Jupiter, harmoniously aligns with the planet of communication Mercury, we may be graced with a larger orb of understanding.

PHOTO © ALEX CARRILLO

Are you looking for guidance as to how to proceed with a delicate situation? Are you going back and forth with a decision, not knowing what option to choose? Are you wondering how to approach a partner, friend, or associate about something that seems imbalanced in your life? If so, today may be a great day to seek out the wisdom of a revered teacher, whether that be a person or a text you’ve come to rely upon when looking for answers.

To find a solution it may even be helpful to consider the sage question posed in a popular bumper sticker, making it work for your own spiritual beliefs. As such, consider asking yourself:

What would *Jesus*Buddha*Moses*Mohammad*Durga*Wise-Person-of-Your-Choice* Do?

Reflecting on the question today–notably as the Moon is in Sagittarius harmoniously aspecting this sign’s ruler, Jupiter–may help yield the insights you seek.