Tag: libra

Loteria for Moon in Libra

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Are you familiar with loteria cards?

The cards are a Mexican bingo game for children, but the cards can be used quite successfully as an oracle. Being a lunar type, I strive to follow my hunches. Listening to my inner urges, I pulled a loteria card this morning.

La Garza / The Heron

The first thing I noticed about the card was its number ~ 19, a number of the Moon. (Of course I’m going to notice a lunar symbol first!) The Metonic cycle is the 19-year cycle of the Moon whereby it returns to the exact sign and phase it was in 19 years ago. It’s the  basis of our lunar calendars. If you keep extensive journals, take a peek at what you wrote 19 years ago.

19 is also a number associated with the cycle of Venus. She retrogrades for 40 days every 19 months. So it is through a number that the Venus/Moon symbol intuitively clicked in.

The Heron is a symbol of balance. Aha ~ Libra! Ted Andrews tells us in Animal Magic that the heron is sacred to both Athena (goddess of wisdom) and Aphrodite/Venus and carries their messages to humans. Both have proven themselves to be very wise women.

Maybe Athena’s (and Venus’) message for today is not to engage in the warlike behavior of their brother (and lover), Aries, but to use patience and strategy should any type of battle arise. In other words, “Wade it out.” Moon in Libra seeks peace, harmony, and has a need for loving relationships. As an oracle for the day, that’s much more appealing than engaging in an emotional battle.

What are your favorite lunar symbols?

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Scorpio Moon Trackers are now available with new astrological calendars and transits during the sign. There’s also lots of information on Scorpio and the New and Full Moons. You can even get yours personalized with transits to your natal chart and your own calendars. Check it out here.

New Moon in Libra ~ An Open Heart

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Instead of focusing on the heavy astrology that accompanies this New Moon in Libra, let’s just think about love.

We’ve had some very heavy aspects in the sky for a while and we’re going to have to live with them for a while longer. Yes, the stars have jagged edges these days, but that’s no reason not to embrace the loving ideas that a New Moon in the sign of relationships can bring us ~ rough stars or not. So instead of lamenting all the current rottenness, during this New Moon I encourage you to embrace one of the loveliest partnerships in the zodiac ~ the relationship between Venus and the Moon.

The only two feminine planets we have are joining forces now as the Moon cascades through Venus’ beloved home in Libra. When these two planets combine, we encounter the most beautiful of human characteristics ~ affection, love, and an open heart. Even during times when things are at their worst, we can feel a deep connection to those we love during the time each month when the Moon joins our natal Venus. If you track the Moon, check-in with yourself on these days to see how you respond. You might even be able to know when others are having this transit simply because of the stars in their eyes. A dreamy look on their face lets you know that cupid’s arrow has found its target.

Moon/Venus days are a sweet salve of loving kindness for relationships that need healing. Libra’s emphasis on the partner make these days an especially good time to see through someone else’s eyes. Empathy is there. Walls can weaken. Hearts can mend. Love can bloom.

For happy relationships, these are cupid days when heart-felt emotions can soar. Enjoy them and build on them. It can feel like a honeymoon again.

This New Moon asks us to open our hearts. Venus and the Moon know how sensitive and fragile this terrirtory can be. They ask us to connect, allow some vulnerability, show some affection.

Are you feeling the urge to open your heart to someone?

If you want to write a song about the heart, think about the moon before you start. 
~ Paul Simon, Song about the Moon


 
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The Moon represents our instinctual responses and is the key to our “happy factor.” Do you understand how the Moon’s cycle ebbs and flows inside you? If you’ve never tracked the Moon over a period of a year, you are overlooking some important insights to your inner and outer life. New and Full Moons will gain great importance for planning your month. You’ve got the map. Learn how to read the clues.

The Libra Moon Tracker 2011 is available for a limited time only. Order before September 28th! Click here to learn more.

6 Reasons to Observe the Autumnal Equinox

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Happy Autumnal Equinox!

Image by sea turtle via Flickr; Do eggs really stand on end at the Equinox? Try it and see.

Aside from Autumn being my favorite season, there are real reasons to observe the Equinox:

  1. The Equinox marks one of the four cardinal points of our zodiac.
  2. An awareness of seasons and cycles.
  3. The Equinox is a symbol of balance in our lives.
  4. Temperature
  5. Color
  6. Food and Flowers

1.     The Equinox marks one of the four cardinal points of our zodiac.

We can’t fully understand a natal chart without recognizing this basic principle. Continue reading →

Moon in Libra ~ Love is a Compass by Guest Blogger Kelly Diels

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Kelly Diels is the straight-shooting, tell it like it feels author of the popular blog, Cleavage, aka kellydiels.com. Cleavage is devoted to “sex, money, and meaning,” though you’ll find a lot of references to love in her mix. Kelly’s article, Love is a Compass, asks us to consider the role love plays in directing our relationships, whether with a person or a thing. It’s a great read anytime our Libra/Venus/7th House issues turn into push-pull dilemmas of “do I or don’t I” and “yes or no?” It shows us the higher path Saturn can travel through Libra by constructing boundaries that create sustainable, thriving relationships, and gives a marvelous clue as to why Saturn (form, foundation, structure, limitation) is exalted in Libra.

Love is a Compass.

(c) 2010 Kelly Diels

There’s a book that was read to me when I was a wee one and that I read to my wee ones. It is the story of a baby bird, separated from its mama, who wanders around asking everyone and everything he meets – from cows to dogs to kittens to chickens to steamshovels to planes – “Are you my mother?”

It is simple. It is sweet. It is about seeking-and-finding-and-fitting and a little anxiety-inducing on a cosmic level (which is where I like to fly).

I also like ruthless, tender simplicity and efficiency. I’m currently pruning dead wood (and skeletons, same dif) from my garden/closets. Of course, this kind of decluttering is not just about lovers. This is about everything. Time, money, attention, friendship, care.

It is really basic. Love is a compass.

When I’m not sure about a choice, or I’m tempted to make one I’ve resolved to avoid, I (silently) ask that choice or thing or person: Do you love me? Continue reading →

Moon in Libra Beauty Tip ~ Let’s Get to the Root of It

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Isn’t it cool when you get a new beauty tip? Here’s one I’ve never read in a magazine. I got it from one of my really good friends who is eaten up with artsy, and just happens to be a Libra, btw.

Hair ColoringIf you color or highlight your dark hair, the day comes when you have to do something about your roots, right? Take some eye shadow that will match the darkest shade in your hair and dab it along your hairline, scalp, and part. I used a root touch up brush from a kit I had saved and it worked great. You can also use an artist’s paint brush that has a stiffer bristle. Just dab, dab, dab and you don’t have to suffer through mixing, waiting, and rinsing.

This is also a great tip if you having thinning hair in some area you want to hide. Just dab the scalp with the eyeshadow where your hair is thin.

Don’t use a glittery eyeshadow. Go with the matte finish.

This is probably a better tip for brunettes and highlighted hair than for blondes, but if you find just the right shade of eyeshadow…it might work for you, too.

Not exactly an astro item today. You can’t apply it to your natal chart, but you can apply it to your roots.

Do you have any little known beauty tips or tricks to pass along?

Libra ~ Love Is Not a Requirement

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Usually when we think of Libra, we think of love. We do that because it’s the sign associated with the House of Marriage and romantic relationships. Libra isn’t just about marriage and romance, though. It’s about all our major relationships.  And in some of those relationships, love is not a requirement.

Which relationships don’t require love? The answers might surprise you.

There’s a scene in Monster’s Ball where Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) is admitting his father, Buck, to a nursing home. Hank and his father live together, and Buck is the cause of a failing relationship between Hank and his new lover (Halle Berry). The administrator of the nursing home ~ assuming that Hank is admitting his father because he cares for him ~ says, “You must love him very much.” Hank replies, “No, I don’t. But he’s my father. So there it is.” We can responsibly fulfill the duties of a relationship without loving the person, but we will rarely go the distance that we would for those we do love.

I hate all my friends.
~ Anonymous

That quote was made by someone who was tremendously frustrated with her life in general and by most of the major relationships in her life. There was too much duty and not a bit of lushness to those relationships that had once thrived.

When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth.

Love does make a difference, doesn’t it? In all our relationships ~ our life partners, our families, All you need is lovefriends, and business partners ~ it makes a difference. Even our work and our talents are objects of affection that require a loving hand. When you love something, you tend it carefully. If you are loved, you are tended.

Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.

It can be really hard sometimes to remain loving, even with those we hold dearest. Once the honeymoon wears off, most of make the mistake of getting too caught up in duty, completing our chores, working, or finding time at the end of an exhausting too-full week for that brief magical moment that reminds us that love is still part of the potion. We can fulfill the duties of any relationship without invoking love, but there’s a marked difference when love and tending is there.

Love can be explained in a gazillion different ways, and I think we’re lucky if we come to know it even once in our lives. The longing never really goes away, does it?

What are the guideposts? How can we tell what love really is, what it’s capable of doing, and if we are behaving in a loving way? The best explanation I’ve found is from 1st Corinthians: 

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

You really shouldn’t say, “I love you” unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.

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The quotes in blue are a few answers to the question, “What does love mean?” that was asked of a group of 4-8 year olds. You can read all the responses here.

Libra ~ Look for the Lopsided

Libra is Air ~ logical thinking, analysis, mediation, bartering, contracts, creating harmony. Libra is Venus thinking.

Seesaw, Margery Daw, Jenny shall have a new master.

In my post, 12 Things to Do When the Sun Transits Libra, one of the things I listed was “look for the lopsided.”  The scales of life are rarely balanced, so that’s what Libra sets out to do in our charts ~ seek and maintain the balance. A little more here, a little less there. Remember when you were a kid on a see-saw? Some kids you couldn’t budge in the air for anything. They were too heavy. Others were too light and couldn’t give you the lift you needed. Once in a while, you found a kid who you could balance perfectly on the see-saw. The problem there was that it wasn’t really any fun for very long. The perfect up/down was what kept us going. We liked the motion.

If you haven’t already, take a look at the house(s) that Libra occupies in your chart. You can probably find some lopsidedness there. Do you need to lift it up or bring it down a little? Lighten it up a little or add some serious weight?

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Drawing from Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Libra ~ Fall Flowers in the Garden

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October 10, 2009

I couldn’t stop myself from running out to the local nursery yesterday to stock up on violas, pansies and some other fall ornamentals ~ cabbage, purple sage, mums, and snapdragons. It’s still hot in Georgia, but I don’t care. I want my Autumn now! Each of these plants will survive our mild winter and be ready to show off again in the spring.

Victorian Language of Flowers

Victorian Language of Flowers

The Moon is in Cancer today, and that’s a great sign for planting, but it’s not the right Moon phase for flowers. Between Full and New Moon is the root phase. Roots will be strong, but flowers may not be as abundant as when they are planted after the New Moon. Do I dare stick these little beauties in the ground? Hmmmm. I’m talking myself out of it right now, especially since it’s raining like crazy. The Libra Moon begins on Friday the 16th, but that’s still the root phase.

When do these flowers go in the ground or their new pots? Not until Sunday the 18th. The Moon enters Scorpio at 10:23am (EST). That means I can plant in the dark of the morning and still get them in the ground during Libra for abundant flowering…if I’m nuts! The Moon is void during those last Libra hours, but I’ve never read anything about planting during void periods so it must not be important in moon gardening guidelines.

Scorpio is a very fertile sign so I’ll hold off for a week, giving Mother Nature and Lady Luna the time they need to work their magic. Best days after October 18-20th are the Pisces days, 28-30th.

Are you familiar with the Victorian Language of Flowers? Each flower carried a “secret” message. A bouquet could serve as a missive of love, just by the choice of flowers. A specific flower sent in reply could encourage a suitor or say, “Get lost, you creep,” or something to that effect. From their voiceless lips, pansies whisper “thoughts.”

“Flowers of remembrance, ever fondly sung”
~ Sarah Doudney

The name pansy comes from “pensee,” the French word for thoughts. Also known as Heart’s Ease, it was believed that you could hold on to your sweetheart’s love by carrying a pansy with you (close to the the heart, I’d bet). It was the juice of a pansy (love-in-idleness) that Puck used as a potion to make Titania fall in love with Botttom, who was transformed into an ass, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

“The juice of it, on sleeping eyelids laid
Will make a man or woman madly dote
Upon the next live creature that it sees.”
(Act II, Scene I)

Pansies fall under the rulership of Saturn, by the way, and are also known as Johnny Jump-ups (violas), Tittle My Fancy, and Kiss Me at the Garden Gate. And you thought Saturn was so serious.

Pansies and violas are edible so you can add them to salads or candy them for use on cakes or other delicacies. Don’t eat flowers that come from the nursery, florists, or that you find growing on the side of the road. They are loaded with pesticides that you don’t want to consume. Fish emulsion is a good fertilizer if you want to go organic with your edible flowers. Enjoy these little darlings with your eyes first and then on your plate. To learn more about edible flowers, visit What’s Cooking America. For a long list of meanings from the Victorian Language of flowers, click here.

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The Pansy cigarette card is courtesy of the New York Public Library Digital Gallery.

Libra ~ Mandala Art as a Healing Tool

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Celestial Temple ~ Clare Goodwin

Celestial Temple ~ Clare Goodwin

Several years ago, while browsing in a bookstore, I picked up a copy of Mandalas for Meditation kit edited by Zoe Frances and read this, “Suddenly the doctor noticed the most amazing changes in her patients. Not only did they seem calmer and more centered, the overall atmosphere had become more harmonious and lighthearted.”

During that time, my mother had been in a nursing home for about two years due to her age and advanced Parkinson’s disease. The tremors were very bad in her hand, and she was exhausted and agitated from the constant shaking. I thought I might give this mandala thing a try. Test the theory. Nothing else was working. What did I have to lose?

Zawebmandala ~ Zodiac Arts

Moon Phase Mandala ~ Zodiac Arts

Another quote from the book struck me, too. “Often, if people are aware of their centers, they tend to color mandalas from the center out.” My mother was always centered ~ in herself, in her world, and in her faith. No pun intended, but she was unshakeable. It was her body that betrayed her.

I packed up my little mandala kit and went for my daily visit. She was very interested in the black and white drawings and a bit shocked when I told her we would color them together. “But I can’t color,” she said. I explained that she would pick the mandala and the colors and I would do the actual coloring. I didn’t mention what I had read about a mandala’s ability to calm a person. It was mid-afternoon, and she was already very tired. The tremors were increasing by that time, and with sundown approaching, they would get worse. We started with a very simple drawing ~ not too complex, with larger areas that would be easier for her to focus on.

“Where shall we start?” I asked.

“Why, in the center, of course,” came her soft reply. Ah, yes. That’s my mom. In the center is right.

And so we colored. Shades of blues and pink, highlighted with some golden yellow. She never took her eyes from the page.

I would do an occasional check and notice that the tremors had calmed. Medication was still more than an hour away, and she was calm. By the time the hour had passed, the tremors were gone ~ just from watching me color. We colored almost every day for the last few weeks of her life.

Since that time, I have taken great enjoyment from coloring mandalas. Each time I color one I find it to be very relaxing. In many ways, it’s time I get to spend with my mom again because it always brings back memories of our last days together. As I complete the mandala, it comes to life with color and form, and always brings me back to a center I may have strayed from.

The astrology community is fortunate to have excellent sources for mandalas ~ Clare Goodwin’s Mandala Page and Sandra and David Mosely’s Zodiac Arts. There are amazing mandala galleries on each site that you can get lost in for hours. You can also download and color your own mandalas, and sign up for their newsletters. Clare offers a New Moon Mandala newsletter that arrives on each New Moon ~ a gentle reminder of that tender time of the month. Coloring a mandala at the New Moon can bring focus to your intentions and displaying it throughout the month will remind you of your New Moon wishes and goals. You can write your wishes right on the mandala ~ a source of inspiration and encouragement. By clicking on the mandalas above, you’ll be taken to Clare’s and Zodiacarts’ respective pages. They are absolutely gorgeous.

If you think mandalas aren’t your thing, rethink that a little. 4 Elements Chart smallIf you’re an Astrologer, you already practice mandala art everytime you look at or cast a chart. Every natal chart is a mandala ~ the planets and stars, even the sun, radiating from our center ~ our earth, our world. Here’s an old chart form from…well, who knows where. I have tried to find the chart and the artist online, but have not been successful. I have a few left in the pack and they are true treasures. I’ve scanned it so I’ll never run out. Take the time to draw a chart on this form and color it. The chart will come alive as you work on it, and it will be a true prize for the client you present it to…unless you decide to do your own chart and keep that little treasure for yourself. After all, you do deserve a gorgeous copy of your own chart ~ your life mandala ~ handcast by you.

4-elements-chart-2

Libra ~ Peace, Man

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Peace is an inside job. ~ Stephanie Austin
Oct/Nov 2009 issue of The Mountain Astrologer

The Peace Tree by Mark PrimeWhat a day! President Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and it’s John Lennon’s birthday. This is one magic Libra moment!

Peace is Libra’s ultimate goal which springs from her desire for partnership and the union of opposites. To celebrate this special day, here are a few songs about peace. 

Three of the four videos are from old hippie days, so if you’re a child of the 60’s you’ll be able to take a stroll down memory lane. If you’re not a child of the 60’s, you’ve heard these plenty of times, anyway. So put on your retros, shoot us the peace sign, and take a little stroll with us.

Be sure to check out Patricia Lantz’s post today, John Lennon’s imagination shines from October 9th until December 8th: The Imagine Peace Tower.

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Starting with my favorite ~ Cat Stevens’ Peace Train. Oh, my. I was so in love.

The peace of being with someone you love ~ Peaceful, Easy Feeling from The Eagles.

And if you can stand it…the birthday boy’s Give Peace a Chance.

And if you can’t take the old hippie fare, here’s Gladys Knight with Let there be Peace on Earth from her Memorial Day performance in Washington, DC.

Libra ~ Astrological Symbolism of “Gone with the Wind”

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When Margaret Mitchell wrote “Gone with the Wind,” she gave us the most passionately romantic couple of the 20th century. Would it surprise you to know that Mitchell was a Scorpio with Venus in Libra? Would that remind you of Scarlett O’Hara just a tiny little bit?

Libra seems a fitting time to honor this bedazzling couple and the author who created them. Patricia Lantz, Atlanta astrologer, wrote a very interesting article about the astrological symbolism behind “Gone with the Wind” for the Atlanta Examiner. I asked her if I could share it with you and she has graciously agreed.

Gone With the Wind is a thinly disguised astrological allegory…urban legend or fact?

gone_with_the_wind_ver1It’s said by some Atlanta astrologers that Margaret Mitchell was an astrologer before she was a writer…and the book that brought  “Hollywood to Atlanta” and fame to it’s author had a very surprising beginning.

“Gone With the Wind” mythologised the Old South, immortalized Atlanta and transformed a modest Atlanta newspaper woman into a Pulitzer Prize winning novelist and one of the 20th Century’s most famous authors. So it was quite a surprise in 1978 when an astrologer, teaching at an Atlanta convention for The American Federation of Astrologers, was shown xerox copies of Margaret Mitchell’s early notes and discovered the notes contained clues (that possibly only an astrologer could interpret) that Margaret Mitchell had based the characters of her torrid epic story on the zodiac.

It appeared that what Mitchell had done was take each sign of the zodiac and develop a character around that archetype. Essentially, making “Gone With the Wind” a thinly disguised astrological allegory and the unforgettable cast of charactors…the signs of zodiac.

Scarlett O’Hara, with her “I’ll think about that tomorrow” attitude and her ability to pick herself up and start all over again, proves true to the Aries nature. Her father, a Taurus, is alway talking about ”his love of the land” and even owns a farm named, in true earthy Taurean fashion, the Tara Plantation. Prissy and Scarlett’s twittering aunt Pitty Pat, are a pair of Geminis whose words and names conform to the sign’s love of word play. Rhett Butler, of course, is a passionate Leo. Bonnie, Scarlett and Rhett’s cheerful and carefree young daughter, is a Sagittarius ( being born under the sign of the centaur, it’s sad but appropriate to the sign that she should meet her end in a horse-riding accident). Melanie, always insisting that Scarlett is misunderstood, is a Cancer. Ashley Wilkes with his enduring adherence to honor, is a Capricorn. And the list goes on …

Watching this classic film again with even a little bit of information about each astrological sign will open up a new level of fun and understanding…urban legend or fact…there’s much to be learned in how well Margaret Mitchell portrayed the archetypes of the astrological signs in her cast of characters.

Good films, like good stories, are unforgettable. The original purpose of a good story was to bring about wisdom, needed knowledge for survival, evolution and spiritual transformation. These original stories are the myths generated by the ancient peoples. A successful screenplay is a modern day myth that has been immortalized.

Myths are allegories that explain why the world is the way it is. Ancient people used myths to explain creation, animal instincts, and natural disasters. Later, myths were used to explain love and to teach morality, politics, and law. These myths transcend time because they touch the heart and stir the minds of all who listen. Myths that were concocted by tyrants, religious zealots, and cunning politicians as a means of brain washing the populace soon fell away as they lacked true archetypal substance.

Myths with staying power touch on universal archetypes…which are to a certain extent, universal personality types that have been observed through out time and across cultures, especially oversimplification of the various types…and this oversimplification of the personalities of her characters was what Mitchell did so well. When characters stay true to their archetypal personalities, the story flows easily and the plot develops in a natural, cohesive manner.

Shakespeare wrote that life is but a stage and the men and women of the world are but mere actors upon it. It’s true, every life has a story…an astrological allagory…and when we are able to identify the primary myth that is playing itself out in our own life, we have the free will to improvise and create story lines with characters that stay true to our myth. Yet, the myths are bigger than we are and often difficult to see. You could say that when you live in the middle of the forest…you can’t see the forest for the trees.

Perhaps it’s not too bold to suggest that astrology is an indispensable tool for a proper understanding of your own life’s drama.

So, thanks Margaret Mitchell for being so astrologically aware and astute…and for channeling the astrological archetypes into your powerful and enduring allegory of survival, romantic love, and the societal structuring of gender and class in the Old South.

Patricia Lantz is a practicing astrologer and hypnotherapist living in Atlanta Georgia. She can be reached by calling (678) 763 0552 or by visiting her home on the web at www.astrology-hypnotherapy.com. Patricia is a former StarIQ columnist and currently writes as the Atlanta Astrology Examiner. She invites you to follow her on Examiner.com as she examines life on this small planet through the mediums of astrology, hypnotherapy and other related topics. Patricia is also the Astrology Editor for All Things Healing,  an online community for spiritual and healing practices.

Libra ~ The Awakening

Several years ago, I received this inspiring article from a dear friend in an email message. (Thank you, Minu.) I thought it was appropriate to pass it along during Libra since it addresses so many issues that arise when we are caught up in the drama of relationships. Though I have seen the piece on several occasions, I have never seen an author’s name associated with it. If you know who wrote it, please post the author’s name in the comments.

The Awakening

A time comes in your life when you finally get it . . . When in the midst of all your fears and insanity you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere, the voice inside your head cries out – ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying, or struggling to hold on. And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and through a mantle of wet lashes, you begin to look at the world through new eyes.

Brunhilda Wakes Up by Arthur Rackham

Brunhilda Wakes Up by Arthur Rackham

This is your awakening…

You realize that it’s time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that he is not Prince Charming and you are not Cinderella and that in the real world, there aren’t always fairy tale endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any guarantee of “happily ever after” must begin with you and, in the process, a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are . . . and that’s OK. (They are entitled to their own views and opinions.) And you learn the importance of loving and championing yourself and in the process; a sense of newfound confidence is born of self-approval.

You stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you (or didn’t do for you) and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected. You learn that people don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say, and that not everyone will always be there for you and that it’s not always about you. So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself and in the process, a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.

You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties and in the process, a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.

You realize that much of the way you view yourself and the world around you is a result of all the messages and opinions that have been ingrained into your psyche. You begin to sift through all the junk you’ve been fed about how you should behave, how you should look and how much you should weigh, what you should wear and where you should shop and what you should drive, how and where you should live and what you should do for a living, who you should marry and what you should expect of a marriage, the importance of having and raising children or what you owe your parents. You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. You begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for.

You learn the difference between wanting and needing, and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you’ve outgrown or should never have bought into to begin with and, in the process, you learn to go with your instincts.

You learn that it is truly in giving that we receive and that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a “consumer” looking for your next fix.

You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a by gone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.

You learn that you don’t know everything; it’s not your job to save the world and that you can’t teach a pig to sing. You learn to distinguish between guilt, responsibility, and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake.

Then you learn about love, romantic love and familial love, how to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving and when to walk away. You learn not to project your needs or your feelings onto a relationship. You learn that you will not be more beautiful, more intelligent, more lovable or important because of the man on your arm or the child that bears your name.

You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes.

You learn that just as people grow and change, so it is with love; and you learn that you don’t have the right to demand love on your terms, just to make you happy.

You learn that alone does not mean lonely. You look in the mirror and come to terms with the fact that you will never be a size 5 or a perfect 10 and you stop trying to compete with the image inside your head and agonizing over how you “stack up.”

You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over, and ignoring your needs. You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK and that it is your right to want things and to ask for the things that you want and that sometimes it is necessary to make demands.

You come to the realization that you deserve to be treated with love, kindness, sensitivity, respect, and you won’t settle for less. You allow only the hands of a lover who cherishes you to glorify you with his touch and, in the process, you internalize the meaning of self-respect.

And you learn that your body really is your temple. And you begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin eating a balanced diet, drinking more water and taking more time to exercise. You learn that fatigue diminishes the spirit and can create doubt and fear. So you take more time to rest. Just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul; so you take more time to laugh and to play.

You learn that for the most part in life, you get what you believe you deserve and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy. You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different from working toward making it happen.

More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You also learn that no one can do it all alone and that it’s OK to risk asking for help.

You learn that the only thing you must truly fear is the great robber baron of all time; FEAR itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it, and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your terms.

You learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom. You learn that life isn’t always fair, you don’t always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people. On these occasions, you learn not to personalize things. You learn that God isn’t punishing you or failing to answer your prayers; it’s just life happening.

You learn to deal with evil in its most primal state; the ego. You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls.

You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted. Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself, by yourself, and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never ever settle for less than your heart’s desire. You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind, and you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.

Finally, with courage in your heart and with God by your side you take a stand, you take a deep breath and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.

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Brunhilda Wakes Up by Arthur Rackham courtesy of Wikemedia Commons.

Libra ~ 7th House Role Playing

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Have you seen this circulating on the internet? I got a copy in my email this morning. Clicking on the graphic will enlarge it so you can read some really excellent tips on how to be a good wife.

800px-Goodwifeguide

If you read the whole thing, you’re either infuriated or LYAO about all the things a wife is supposed to do. This woman has been advised to totally sacrifice herself to play the role of the perfect fantasy wife for the man who wrote it. Fortunately, it’s just a hoax, not a real article. Unfortunately, some wives are actually expected to play this role. 

Our 7th house is where we can get lost in the role of a lifetime. Maybe you fantasize about the gorgeous subservient lover who caters to every whim and expect a real person to play the role. Maybe you find yourself playing the role of the perfect student, the sacrificing friend, or even the good wife ~ and also find yourself hating every minute of it, feeling phoney and ingratiating and deprived of authenticity. I love what Eckhart Tolle says about role playing in A New Earth:

Instead of human beings, conceptual mental images are interacting with each other. The more identified people are with their respective roles, the more inauthentic the relationships become.

Here’s the start of a list I’ve made to remind myself of when I’ve entered into a role. 

I’m in a martyr role if:
I find myself doing things because “no one else will do it” 
I’m sacrificing for someone else but make it known to them

I’m in a victim role if:
My boundaries have been broken and I continue to allow it
I’m feeling sorry for myself

I’m in the role of a Judge if:
I stereotype someone
I always find something wrong with someone or something

I’m in the role of a chameleon if:
I change my identity to be someone else’s ideal
I change my behavior to something I think they will “like”

We can make a lot of changes in our lives to be with someone we love (and maybe it wouldn’t hurt us to make some of those changes), but we have to hang on to our authenticity. A very wise woman once said, “We can’t lose the core of who we are.” She’s so right. We’ll never feel more alone than when we’ve abandoned our Self.

Sometimes we DO have to draw a line in the sand and defend our boundaries so that we can be our authentic selves, but there’s a right way and a wrong way and circumstances will dictate which is which. It’s usually best to drop the role, though, and stop living in agony. Here’s how you’ll know when it’s past time:

A preacher stopped by an old man’s house to visit for a while. They sat on the porch and the whole time, the man’s dog was whining and crying. It got so bad, the preacher was having a hard time carrying on his conversation. Finally, he said to the man, “Why’s your dog crying so?”

“He’s laying on a nail,” the man replies.

“Well, why doesn’t he move?,” the preacher asks.

“It doesn’t hurt bad enough yet.”

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Check out the Wikipedia explanation about the Good Wife’s Guide hoax here.

Libra ~ Who am I? Who are You?

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who am i - Morgan's Tarot

The 7th house, Libra’s domain,  is a mirror to the first. That’s not a newsbreaker. All the opposing houses work that way. However, it may sometimes be a trick mirror ~ like the kind you find in a carnival funhouse. The person you see is you, but the image is distorted, inaccurate.

I’ve held the notion for many years now that our charts can lie to us. They can tell us things about ourselves (or others) that aren’t necessarily true. We buy into an idea that we’ve read in a astrological cookbook, or we look for qualities that are determined to be “good” or “bad” and take them as the truth when maybe…just maybe…they aren’t. That’s not about denial. It’s about understanding. Perhaps we misunderstand the symbols or we superimpose an idea of a sign or a planet onto the wrong symbol and create a stereotype which is, in essence, a funhouse distortion.

I also believe our 7th house is ~ at the same time ~ the biggest, clearest mirror we have, and that one of the best ways we can see ourselves is through the eyes of others, even our enemies. In reality we see what we want to see ~  no matter what the truth is. It’s a glamour job ~ a spell, a romantic enchantment meant to trick or mislead our eyes. What we have to remember is that the eyes we’re looking into are going to find what they’re looking for, too, and it may not be who we really are. Bring out the windex. Wipe off the glass. Let’s get a closer look.

Did you ever do a chart on someone you didn’t like much and find ~ aha! ~ that all those things you thought were awful about them were confirmed by their chart? I did. It was early on in my astrology studies and, fortunately, I got past that. I’ve also found a lot of glamour in charts of the ones I love and cherish. It worked both ways. I was looking for confirmation, for validation, and I found what I was looking for. We always do. But it takes more than a chart to find out who people really are. Everybody has a story behind the little squiggles and astrologese that “explains” them. Finding a balance in the interpretation of the symbols is crucial. How can we ever be sure?

I know of an astrologer who told someone who had an extramarital affair that they should have had more. Does this make any sense at all? What was this astrologer looking for? Did this astrologer have something against Libra, commitment, honesty in marriage, honesty in general, or need validation for themself? Is this astrologer God of the Squiggles and so advanced in their skills that they can tell a person what they should have been? (Read Donna Cunningham’s post on The Awful Things Astrologers Say to Clients  on Skywriter.)

Is this what we do to our friends, our family, our lovers, our enemies, and ourselves when we choose the funhouse distortion as a definitive source? As human beings, are we capable of finding Libra’s required balance? A teacher once gave this lesson about finding what we’re looking for. It’s not politically correct, but it makes a point: “Perhaps you are in love with someone who says that they love everybody, they accept everyone. But you know that they don’t like Chinese people. They tell you how much they love you again and again, that they will love you till the end of time. And then one day, your lover looks into your eyes and you look just like a little old Chinese lady.” Let’s get out that Windex again. The mirror’s cloudy. Wow! They are hard to keep clean.

I picked up a book while browsing the other day ~ Instant Analysis by David J. Lieberman. It lists 100 questions about common behavior and seeks to explain them. The first question pondered is “Why do I always stare at myself in the mirror?” Lieberman explains, “This comes from a need for external verification of your feelings.” That’s Libra, our 7th house! An external verification. A validation that we’re real, not invisible, we really do exist. Our friends, our lovers, our enemies, and our own eyes prove it. We’ve seen ourselves in the mirror and we are real. Aren’t we? 

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Morgan’s Tarot (c)1970, 1983 by U.S. Games Systems, Inc. by Morgan Robbins and illustrated by Darshan Chorpash Zenith.

Libra ~ Louise Riotte, Moon Gardener

Riotte ChartLouise Riotte was an American author of books on gardening, emphasizing gardening organically and by the moon. Today is her birthday. She was born September 25, 1909, in Hawesville, KY, and moved to Ardmore, OK, in 1921 where she lived out her life. Even though you may never have gardened, if you’ve ever owned any of the Llewellyn Moon Sign books, you most likely held her work in your hands. She contributed to that series of books for many years. She also contributed many gardening tips to Reader’s Digest.

We tend to think of gardening as an activity of Taurus, but Libra rules flowers, in general, and roses especially. Venus won’t mind whether it’s Taurus or Libra that gets the credit, as they both fall under her domain.

“I am myself a Libra, and even as a little girl my joy in beautiful blossoms was apparent. I did not understand why I was so attracted to them, but my wise parents did.”
~ Louise Riotte,  Planetary Planting

It’s difficult to find biographical information on Louise Riotte unless you read her own accounts in her books. She does, however, have a page at the Astrologers’ Memorial, a wonderful site created by Donna Cunningham. Donna has graciously allowed me to share Riotte’s memorial page here on Auntie Moon. There is a very sweet and personal account of Louise on my new clippings page at Garden Web, and you can leave virtual flowers and a note in memory of Louise at her memorial on Find a Grave.

LOUISE RIOTTE
1909-1998

©2001 by Donna Cunningham

louise riotteIt’s odd to think that someone who has sold hundreds of thousands of books on gardening by astrology wouldn’t be recognized by many of the visitors to this page, but that is the case with Louise Riotte. Gardeners, especially of the natural variety, are more her readership.

About 15 years ago, when I was editing Shooting Star, a journal about astrology and flower essences, I exchanged a few letters with Louise, who at that time was a mainstay with the Llewellyn Moon Sign annuals. A delightful elderly lady from Oklahoma, she was extremely kind and more than willing to share her decades of experience with gardening by the Moon signs.

When I began working on the Memorial Website, I thought of her and imagined she must have passed on, but wasn’t able to find any information. A year later, I finally was directed to a touching memorial on her publisher’s web site. The photo above and the information below are from Storey Books, where you can also order her books.

Her publisher writes:

“Beloved Storey author and life-long gardener, Louise Riotte passed away in 1998 at the age of 89. She wrote twelve books on gardening, companion planting, and garden lore, among them the ever-popular Carrots Love Tomatoes, which has sold approximately 515,000 copies.

“Her father taught her to believe in and practice astrology, while her mother was a practicing herbalist. Together they inevitably influenced her life and her books. Her books still in print with us are: Roses Love Garlic, Astrological Gardening, Sleeping with a Sunflower, Catfish Ponds & Lily Pads, and her most recent book, Raising Animals by the Moon, which was published posthumously. Her own line drawings are included in all her books.

“Before authoring books, Riotte was a ghost writer for Simon & Schuster and for Jerry Baker’s radio gardening show, and she wrote a number of articles for Organic Gardening as well. Riotte took pride in her garden near her home in Ardmore, Oklahoma, which her son Eugene helped care for in her later years.”

Reprinted with the permission of Storey Books.

About the Author: Donna Cunningham, MSW, is internationally-respected for her many books, articles, and columns on astrology, flower essences, and other metaphysical topics. She now teaches writing by teleseminar and correspondence course, as well as teleseminars and a correspondence course on astrology. Order her books at http://www.moonmavenpublications.com/astrologybooks.html and visit her blog at http://skywriter.wordpress.com.

12 Things to Do When the Sun Transits Libra

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Libra constellationEach time the sun moves into a new sign, make a To Do list that fits the sign and house the sun is transiting. During the Sun’s transit of Libra, consider putting these 12 things on your list.

You can focus on these things any time the Moon transits Libra or make one of them a major project during the New Moon in Libra.

  1. Keep your promises
  2. Get a really good mirror ~ a looking glass for inner or outer gazing
  3. Identify the solid relationships in your life and why they work
  4. Get a makeover
  5. Read something romantic
  6. Look for the lopsided
  7. Listen to someone’s story
  8. Make amends
  9. Be the partner you’d like to have
  10. Barter
  11. See yourself through the eyes of others
  12. Commit to something

And do something extra sweet for yourself…get yourself some really good chocolate.

The best prescription I ever received from a doctor was this, “Go out and get yourself some really good chocolate. I’m not talking about regular everyday chocolate you can pick up at the newsstand. Stop by Godiva on the way home and get yourself something really nice, something exceptional.”

Chocolates!Do I even need to mention that he’s my all-time favorite doctor ever?!

Whether you like it dark, milky, white, fruity, nutty, or laced with chipotle, go out and pick up a little something that’s worth the trip. Make it extraordinary, make it special.

About a year ago I developed a new habit. Every night, right before bed, I get myself a small square of incredible dark chocolate. It’s the last thing I taste every day. I’m absolutely positive it makes my dreams more colorful and the stars shine brighter.