After all, we’ve got many profound alignments on the menu today: the Leo Full Moon, Sun/Mercury conjunction, Saturn retrograde, and Venus transitioning from the end of Pisces to the beginning of Aries. Not only may it seem that something is coming to fruition, but that there’s a sense of urging, or potentially an urgency, to stand clearly for what’s being created.

For more on the Leo Full Moon including apothecary suggestions to promote your well-being, see this article.

To learning more about this Saturn retrograde cycle, see this article.

Astro-Atlas*
1:03 am: Sun (Aquarius) conjunct Mercury (Aquarius)
6:03 am: Saturn (Libra) stations retrograde
1:54 pm: Full Moon: Sun (Aquarius) opposite Moon (Leo)
2:41 pm: Moon (Leo) opposite Mercury (Aquarius)
10:01 pm: Venus enters Aries

* all times are PST

February 7, 2012: Leo Full Moon (exact at 1:54 pm PST)

During a Leo Full Moon, issues involving individuals and their relationship to the collective assume center stage. One of the questions that this Full Moon poses is how we can authentically be ourselves while at the same time being part of and contributing to something larger than our individual selves.

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.

The key here is to have a serious focus on dotting I’s and crossing T’s. After all, make-it-real Saturn is stationing retrograde today. Cutting corners is not an advantageous strategy. Rather doing the work required to meet your individual and collective goals—including looking for clues on where the weak links exist in a system—truly pays off. Approaching situations from a perspective that involves efficiently using one’s resources can only help but strengthen the foundations of what you are creating.

An important strategy for attaining and maintaining group alignment today can be to infuse activities with a sense of Leonine playfulness and fun. Levity can help to release rigidity and enhance a sense of coalescence. It can also catalyze a creative process of thinking that can inventively spark the clarity needed to identify the group’s shared vision and the path that can be forged to bring it into manifestation.

With the Sun uniting with Mercury, it may be quite a communicative day. There’s a push to dialogue as well as investigate and share facts and figures. Yet, given Mercury’s opposition to the Moon—as well as Venus being in the last degree of Pisces during the Full Moon–the seeming mentality of the day may be perceived as being emotionally cold and less than nurturing. See if there is a way to view information objectively, taking it for what it is, rather than overly personalizing it.

This month’s Full Moon falls at 19 degrees of Aquarius (Sun) and Leo (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 Aquarius, Leo, or the other fixed signs—Taurus and Scorpio—it may impact you more intensely.

Leo Full Moon Apothecary Suggestions

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

Mineral bath: While not a water sign per se, Aquarius is symbolized by the Water Bearer, a figure that delivers the offering of this aquatic elixir–a symbol of illuminated wisdom–in service of humanity. During this Full Moon, why not offer yourself a healing service by taking a relaxing hot bath. Adding mineral salts—such as Epsom salts—to the water can enhance your body’s bioenergetic field while including essential oils into your bathing ritual can add a fragrant therapeutic to this nurturing experience. Use your favorite scent or consider ones such as Leo-associated neroli and lemon, especially good for circulation, a wellness focus of this Full Moon. (Rather than putting a few drops of oil directly into the bath, mix it first with some of the mineral salts as this helps enhance the oil’s dispersion in the bath water.)

Hair and scalp treatment: Massaging the scalp helps to increase circulation in this part of the body. Plus, since there are numerous acupressure points located in the head, it can inspire the flow of chi (“life force”) throughout the body. Scalp massage also enhances the health and luster of the Leo-ruled hair. Nourishing jojoba oil is a good choice as can sesame or coconut oil be. After rubbing your scalp with the oil, you can spread the oil throughout your hair, leaving it on for a half hour. If you’d like more details on Ayurvedic scalp massage, here’s a how-to.

February 7 – June 25, 2012: Saturn Retrograde

Retrograde periods are times for reflection and heightened inner awareness. Since Saturn symbolizes limits, aging, and karma, this period can yield understandings in the areas of your life reflected by the houses that Saturn is transiting in your natal chart as well as the planets with which it is connecting. Additionally, since Saturn is retrograding through the sign of Libra, we can expect it a time when we glimpse new insights into Libran arenas of life, including relationships, sociability, justice, diplomacy, work partnerships, and the arts. A strategy for gaining this awareness is to take this time to foster your inner authority, seeing what wisdom it yields related to these—and other—matters of life.

Saturn retrogrades last for about four and one-half months and occur about every year; the last one took place January 25 – June 12, 2011. This retrograde cycle begins on February 7 and lasts through June 25. During this time, Saturn travels from 30 degrees of Libra through 23 degrees of Libra. While everyone experiences the energies of Saturn retrograde, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) in this degree range in Libra or the other cardinal signs—Aries, Cancer, Capricorn—it may impact you more intensely.

Saturn retrograde periods can allow us insights into our idea(l)s of authority, what it is and what our relationship is to it. Some good questions to meditate upon during Saturn retrograde include:

• Is authority something we readily give over to other people or institutions?
• Do we maintain a healthy level of authority within, being confident that we have the resources to be able to make efficient choices for our long-term well-being?
• Do we have adequate systems in place to filter the counsel we may get from others to see how it fits within our own knowingness of what is best?
• Are we the authors of our lives (or at least integrally contributing co-authors, since not everything is under our control) or have we ceded the role of writing the novel of our live to others?

We can also efficiently use the energies of this planetary cycle to reflect upon what we have built and what we are building. Considering whether projects and relationships that we are putting our hard work and resources into are good investments can be a very worthwhile activity.

As Saturn is related to foundations and protection, it also represents our defense mechanisms. These are the psychological structures that we may have unconsciously put in place to help us deal with the fear of feeling vulnerable. As Saturn goes retrograde, we can look within to see if we can understand more about our defense mechanisms, seeing those that may be supportive and those that may inhibit our ability to more freely connect and express the fullness of who we are. (For more on Saturn’s link to our defenses, see Barriers and Boundaries by Liz Greene.)

While we can gain insights on our relationship to Saturnian principles if we focus and reflect inward during this retrograde period, it’s often more powerful to wait, if possible, to take major related action until after Saturn has gone direct (on June 25).

Today, Saturn goes retrograde.

For more, read this article.

I was recently chopping a log that was too big for the wood stove. This hefty piece of oak looked incredibly solid and potentially too great a challenge to yield to an ax. This fact seemed evident as I noticed some cut marks already imprinted upon it, scars from a previous attempt of trying to transform its oneness into smaller separate pieces.

And while there were scores of other logs I could use for the fire, I was feeling really confident in my newfound wood-chopping abilities. So I thought–in what I now realized was extreme bravado–that I could give it a whirl and try to chop the log.

Suffice it to say it didn’t go that well. After countless times smashing it onto the chopping post–given that for a while it even held the ax hostage so that some of the pounding ended up being an act of ransom of sorts–the wood won. And while some kindling-sized pieces separated out, this log wanted nothing to do with being disturbed. It wouldn’t yield its integrity. And in the meanwhile, mine did, as I ended up amassing a bit of strain and stress in my muscles.

Sometimes things don’t want to be disturbed. Sometimes they want to hold onto to their matrix. And sometimes we need to honor that and move on. Or, if we know that we must still attempt the challenge, we need to find strategic ways to address the obstacles (in this example, employing my 190-pound neighbor, who has much more brawn than I, to do the job).

I see this as one of the lessons of Saturn, the planet that holds structure, that doesn’t necessarily appreciate whimsy, and that wants us to learn the rules of the [material world] road.

The energy of Saturn should feel very prominent today. Not only does it unite with the Moon–the planet that reflects what feels nurturing–but its energy is condensed and very strong since it is stationing, preparing to turn retrograde tomorrow.

So look around for important lessons, be pragmatically productive, go slow, and don’t try to mess with things that don’t want to yield to change, unless entirely necessary and you have a good plan in place to do so.

Retrograde periods are times for reflection and heightened inner awareness. Since Saturn symbolizes limits, aging, and karma, this period can yield understandings in related areas of your life. Saturn retrogrades last for about four and one-half months and occur about every year; the last one took place January 13 – May 30, 2010.

This retrograde cycle begins on January 25 and lasts through June 12. During this time, Saturn travels from 17 degrees of Libra through 10 degrees of Libra. While everyone experiences the energies of Saturn Retrograde, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) in this degree range in Libra or the other cardinal signs—Aries, Cancer, Capricorn—it may impact you more intensely.

Saturn retrograde periods can allow us insights into our idea(l)s of authority, what it is and what our relationship is to it. Some good questions to meditate upon during Saturn retrograde include:

• Is authority something we readily give over to other people or institutions?
• Do we maintain a healthy level of authority within, being confident that we have the resources to be able to make efficient choices for our long-term well-being?
• Do we have adequate systems in place to filter the counsel we may get from others to see how it fits within our own knowingness of what is best?
• Are we the authors of our lives (or at least integrally contributing co-authors, since not everything is under our control) or have we ceded the role of writing the novel of our live to others?

We can also efficiently use the energies of this planetary cycle to reflect upon what we have built and what we are building. Considering whether projects and relationships that we are putting our hard work and resources into are good investments can be a very worthwhile activity.

As Saturn is related to foundations and protection, it also represents our defense mechanisms. These are the psychological structures that we may have unconsciously put in place to help us deal with the fear of feeling vulnerable. As Saturn goes retrograde, we can look within to see if we can understand more about our defense mechanisms, seeing those that may be supportive and those that may inhibit our ability to more freely connect and express the fullness of who we are. (For more on Saturn’s link to our defenses, see Barriers and Boundaries by Liz Greene.)

While we can gain insights on our relationship to Saturnian principles if we focus and reflect inward during this retrograde period, it’s often more powerful to wait, if possible, to take major related action until after Saturn has gone direct (on June 12).

January 4, 2011: Capricorn New Moon Solar Eclipse (exact at 1:03 am PST)

New Moons are auspicious monthly celestial events that usher in fresh cycles of creation and becoming. When they are also a Solar Eclipse–as today’s is–they hold additional power for manifestation.

This Capricorn New Moon Solar Eclipse provides a great opportunity to inventory how we spend our resources. It’s a great time to balance a checkbook, survey investments, or consider an aspect of financial planning we’ve yet to fully explore. Remember, though, our personal economy of resources is not just limited to our money but also includes our time, energy, and skills/talents, all of which comprise the capital that we can use to create a richer life. Whether we are allocating these efficiently–and whether they are generating additional assets or incurring liabilities for us–can be very prudent topics to survey during this eclipse. The answers can help us to create a stronger foundation upon which we can build our future.

Loyalty and commitment may also be important themes during this eclipse. What we may find ourselves looking at isn’t so much the concept of being dutiful but rather whether the people and institutions to which we have granted our allegiance are those that are worthy of it. Readjustments in relationships—involving how much we give and how much we allow ourselves to expect in return—may occur.

A New Moon Solar Eclipse signifies a time for beginnings. While something may inherently be coming to a close, there is great focus on the initiation of the new that it brings. Given that Capricorn is connected to the creation of structures of lasting value, we can use this auspicious time to consider what it is that we may want to build or accomplish in the coming year, especially in the next six months.

When there is heightened Capricorn energy circulating—as there is these days—it’s important to watch the tendency to become too rigid in our thinking or expectations. Maintaining a sense of flexibility while focusing on achieving practical outcomes can be a great path to follow during this time.

And we have some celestial assistance in this area today. That’s because in addition to it being a Solar Eclipse there are many other powerful alignments that can inspire fluidity and expansion.

Venus—the planet of beauty and grace—is very active today. She connects in with Neptune, Uranus, and Jupiter. These alignments offer us the ability to feel into a deep sense of love, expressing it boldly and in ways that we may not usually do.

Also today is the third and final conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus. This planetary pair greatly encourages the expansion of courage and innovative approaches to finding the wisdom center that resides within us. For more on the Jupiter/Uranus conjunction, see below.

Remember that eclipses are often accompanied by identifiable life-changing events that manifest around the time of these celestial happenings. Even if we can’t see an eclipse in the sky where we live, these events are renowned for being very powerful in the way in which they can impact our lives.

This month’s New Moon Solar Eclipse falls at 14 degrees of Capricorn (Sun and Moon). While everyone experiences the energies of a New Moon, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) around this degree in Capricorn or the other cardinal signs—Aries, Cancer, Libra—it may impact you more intensely.

New Moon Solar Eclipse Apothecary Suggestions

Capricorn is associated with the skeletal system, joints, and skin. Pay attention to these parts of the body and areas of health around the time of this New Moon.

Moisturize: This Capricorn New Moon Solar Eclipse provides a great opportunity to pay special attention to the skin. As Capricorn has a relatively drying energetic, taking the time to do a moisturizing treatment is a worthwhile wellness activity. If you rarely moisturize your skin, consider even just making an intention to apply body lotion or oil two times today (given that it’s a New Moon, doing so may help to plant the seeds for incorporating body moisturizing as a daily routine). If you already have a good moisturizing ritual, consider applying a nourishing mask; you can either find them in apothecaries or beauty stores, or consider making your own from ingredients such as avocados, honey, aloe vera, yogurt, and other nurturing food-based ingredients.

Turmeric: Capricorn is associated with the joints, body parts that often express inflammation, which can lead to pain and reduced mobility. One of the best anti-inflammatory compounds, and therefore a great item to promote rheumatic health, is the spice turmeric. While turmeric supplements are available, you can readily include this healing spice into your lifestyle by adding it to your recipes. Traditionally used as a foundation ingredient in curries and other Indian dishes, its earthy flavor can complement many dishes. You can purchase powdered turmeric in the spice section of the grocery store; fresh turmeric rhizome is available in Asian food markets.

January 4, 2011: Jupiter Conjunct Uranus

Today the planet of expansion, Jupiter, intermingles its energy with the planet of invention, Uranus, as these two celestial bodies align in the sky.

This is the third and final of this cycle’s three alignments. The first occurred on June 8, 2010 at 0 degrees of Aries while the second one took place on September 18, 2010 at 29 degrees of Pisces. Today these planets swim together at 27 degrees of Pisces. It is throughout this whole span of time that we have connected into the energy of this planetary alliance; yet, their influence may be felt more strongly around the times when they are in exact alignment.

Jupiter highlights all that it touches and when it is Uranus that it meets and greets what may become seemingly larger than life is our desire to express our individuality and uniqueness in ways that allow us to proclaim a sense of personal freedom. As Uranus is electrical, we may also feel we are in the current of the currents. We’re propelled into the new of the new-fangled and the space of the “I didn’t see it coming.”

Given that this planetary pairing takes place in Pisces, it has a similar tone to the conjunction in September and a different hue than the June conjunction in Aries. In Aries, we find ourselves connecting to our will and our internal flame of courage. In Pisces, we connect to our inherent knowingness and the mystic within. With Uranus and Jupiter in Pisces we can find new ways to access inner wisdom, discovering how a sense of liberation can come through finding a peaceful sense of refuge within ourselves. We can also have experiences that show us how, though different than we may have perceived, we are all essentially connected with everything else.

It’s helpful to remember that being fluid and flexible is a great tact to take when there is strong Uranian energy floating about. Going with the flow, being open to the new, and embracing the out-of-the-blue can yield great peace and wisdom when Uranian energy runs high. (And if the energy starts to feel too much, or too electric, you can always try using some flower essences, such as the all-purpose stress reducer, Rescue Remedy.)

Even if we know it’s necessary, change—one of Uranus’ siren songs—is often hard. But if we welcome it for the meaning it can give us, for its ability to inspire us to align more clearly with our essential core, we may see change as something not to fear but rather something to cherish.

January 19, 2011: Capricorn/Cancer Full Moon (exact at 1:21 pm PST)

On this Full Moon, what may manifest are situations that allow us to reflect upon how we contribute to the world. For example, we may gain insight into the role with which are mainly identified (both by ourselves and others). Is it the work we do, the family we nurture, the relationships that we tend, and/or other things that carve out our identity and bring us nurturance? During this Full Moon, we may gain a greater sense of how we feel about the legacy we are creating and whether it truly aligns with our deepest needs and desires.

We may feel extra sensitive today and experience a heightened need to feel safe, secure, and taken care of. At the same time, we may perceive that this may conflict with a desire to be a bedrock of strength for others. As such, it’s important to remember to own and express our feelings and that stating our needs is not a reflection of weakness but of internal strength.

The Full Moon connects in nicely with Jupiter. Known as the planet of luck and expansion, Jupiter enlarges anything that it touches. Therefore, more may be at our disposal today. This “more” may be more opportunities, more emotions, more tension, or more understanding. Whatever is arising, Jupiter will expand.

As this is yet another Full Moon at the 29th degree, even if it feels really powerful, the energy may pass soon. That’s because a little over an hour later as the Moon shifts from sensitive Cancer to ebullient Leo, the mood will shift as well.

This month’s Full Moon falls at 29 degrees of Capricorn (Sun) and Cancer (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 Capricorn, Cancer, or the other cardinal signs—Aries and Libra—it may impact you more intensely.

Full Moon Apothecary Suggestions

Capricorn is associated with the skeletal system, joints, and skin while Cancer is associated with the stomach, sinuses, and breasts. Pay extra attention to these parts of the body and areas of health around the time of this Full Moon.

Frankincense: Frankincense is one of the most sacred of scents. Used in temple ceremonies for ages, it can help us to open to the mysteries of life as well as the cycles of creation and manifestation. Using it in a diffuser, adding some to a mister bottle of water to scent a room, or mixing it with a few drops of plain body oil and applying it as a perfume are some great ways to enjoy it.

Skin scrubs: Skin scrubs can be a wonderful ritual for this Full Moon. They inspire renewal of the Capricorn-ruled skin, shedding dead skin cells, which allows the skin to be nurtured and better receive moisture. To do so, scrub your body with a sisal or nylon mitt or brush when in the shower. Some people prefer to use a little soap while others like to just use water; see which works better for you. If you’re rather, you could also try using natural sugar- or salt-based exfoliating scrubs, available in natural food stores and holistic pharmacies.

January 26 – June 12, 2011: Saturn Retrograde

Retrograde periods are times for reflection and heightened inner awareness. Since Saturn symbolizes limits, aging, and karma, this period can yield understandings in related areas of your life. Saturn retrogrades last for about four and one-half months and occur about every year; the last one took place January 13 – May 30, 2010.

This retrograde cycle begins on January 26 and lasts through June 12. During this time, Saturn travels from 17 degrees of Libra through 10 degrees of Libra. While everyone experiences the energies of Saturn Retrograde, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) in this degree range in Libra or the other cardinal signs—Aries, Cancer, Capricorn—it may impact you more intensely.

Saturn retrograde periods can allow us insights into our idea(l)s of authority, what it is and what our relationship is to it. Some good questions to meditate upon during Saturn retrograde include:

• Is authority something we readily give over to other people or institutions?
• Do we maintain a healthy level of authority within, being confident that we have the resources to be able to make efficient choices for our long-term well-being?
• Do we have adequate systems in place to filter the counsel we may get from others to see how it fits within our own knowingness of what is best?
• Are we the authors of our lives (or at least integrally contributing co-authors, since not everything is under our control) or have we ceded the role of writing the novel of our live to others?

We can also efficiently use the energies of this planetary cycle to reflect upon what we have built and what we are building. Considering whether projects and relationships that we are putting our hard work and resources into are good investments can be a very worthwhile activity.

As Saturn is related to foundations and protection, it also represents our defense mechanisms. These are the psychological structures that we may have unconsciously put in place to help us deal with the fear of feeling vulnerable. As Saturn goes retrograde, we can look within to see if we can understand more about our defense mechanisms, seeing those that may be supportive and those that may inhibit our ability to more freely connect and express the fullness of who we are. (For more on Saturn’s link to our defenses, see Barriers and Boundaries by Liz Greene.)

While we can gain insights on our relationship to Saturnian principles if we focus and reflect inward during this retrograde period, it’s often more powerful to wait, if possible, to take major related action until after Saturn has gone direct (on June 12).

It’s a good day to reflect upon what we learned about our inner authority, our processes of building structure in our life, and other Saturn-focused constructs. For more on the reflections that Saturn can inspire, see this post.

• Don’t judge yourself.
• Tame your inner critic.
• Honor the processes that you’ve come to rely upon but don’t be so attached to them. This way if the universe conspires to expand your horizons you can readily rebound to gracefully reach your destination.

During Saturn’s sashay back into Virgo, it only travels through 2+ degrees of this sign (each sign has 30 degrees). It goes back to 27’50, turning direct at that degree on May 31.

This seems so inherently purposeful and significant to me. It’s as if in order to really understand the lessons of Libra—diplomacy, striking a balance, finding fairness and accord in relationships—we need to more fully integrate Virgo’s skills of discernment, craftsmanship, and fortifying our well-being.

One way to look at what the lessons we are being collectively called on to learn is by reviewing the Sabian Symbols for the degrees of Virgo through which Saturn will travel. Sabian Symbols are symbolic representations/images associated with each of the 360 degrees of the zodiac. They allow us to discover and  uncover important levels of archetypal meaning. See if any of these images hold import for you during the next 3 months, whether they represent any areas of your life and/or psyche that are being given more structure (descriptions below from The Sabian Symbols in Astrology by Dr. Marc Edmund Jones):

27-28 degree Virgo: A bald-headed man. The keyword is Dominance. When expressed positively, it reflects self-mastery.

28-29 degree Virgo: A man gaining secret knowledge from a paper he is reading. The keyword is Discovery. When expressed positively, conscious efforts that can manifest the power of imagination.

29-30 degree Virgo: A false call unheard in attention to immediate service. The keyword is Safeguard. When expressed positively, self-fulfillment through developing integrity.

For more on the Sabian symbols, see this insightful article.