Lifestyle
Astrology Forecast September 11 – 17, 2023
There’s lots of positive cosmic energy this week, starting with a bold Leo Moon today and tomorrow that will have us feeling confident, generous and self-expressive. We will also be more likely to seek pleasure and enjoyment in our personal life, instead of focusing on work and everyday responsibilities. This morning the Leo Moon sextile Mars in Libra will fortunately inspire positive social interaction at work, so make the most of this aspect to network and build rapport with coworkers.
We can get more work done on Wednesday under the Virgo Moon, which casts some extra energy our way to get paperwork and detailed projects cleared away once and for all. And once we do, the Virgo New Moon on Thursday will pave the way to inspired new projects or goals we are ready to pursue.
Mercury will resume forward motion on Friday, ending its three week retrograde cycle and those annoying communication and electronic anomalies it’s so notorious for! It could however take a week or two before its effects clear completely, but we’ll notice right away things taking a more positive direction.
The Moon cruises through Libra Friday through Sunday, promising a weekend full of joy, relaxation, and heartfelt interactions with all those around us. Saturday night’s Libra Moon sextile Venus in Leo sets the scene for the perfect romantic date or a lovely evening at home with friends and family over a sumptuous home-cooked meal.
Friends For A Reason, A Season, Or A Lifetime
I recently reconnected with a family friend with whom I had a very close relationship about three decades ago. She was like a mother figure in some ways, even though she was only about 12 years older than me at the time.
She is a very caring and nurturing person and was always there for me when my own mother was physically or emotionally unable. Her door was always open and she always had many people around her. After working in retail for many years, she changed careers to become a full-time caregiver, which she loved. After she retired and her husband passed away, she continued to be very active and had a very vibrant social life.
But during the Covid-19 pandemic, like many people her age, she experienced intense isolation and trauma. We spoke frequently on the phone during this time, and she was very much looking forward to the restrictions finally being lifted.
However, when the worst was over and most restrictions were lifted, her group of friends remained afraid to go out. Some of them even developed agoraphobia, a type of anxiety disorder that causes people to experience extreme, irrational fear of public places and unpredictable situations that they imagine could cause them harm, panic, or helplessness.
My dear friend was deeply affected by this. Seeing all her friends again was one of the things that kept her strong and hopeful through the chaos of the pandemic. But now she felt she had lost her tribe (beyond her family, who all have busy, demanding lives of their own and live several hours away). Fortunately, she is a determined soul who will not easily accept defeat and apparently she is gradually getting more of the old gang together for their usual fun meet-ups!
Learning To Trust Your Intuition
How often have you said, “If only I had gone with my gut?” This is a question that many of us have asked ourselves at one time or another about a matter, or even about the sincerity of a person who turned out to be untrustworthy, and we gave them the benefit of the doubt, only to feel heartbroken when they betrayed us.
We don’t have to throw reason out the window when we tune into our inner wisdom called intuition. But while it’s good to have as many facts and information available as possible before making a choice or decision, there are certain times when we don’t have the luxury of first weighing all the pros and cons. Tapping into our intuition is a powerful tool for making difficult decisions and important life choices by spontaneously ‘knowing’ or ‘sensing’ what’s best for us in our work, business, relationship, or lifestyle.
For example, as a manager you may be hiring someone for a job who ticks all the boxes in terms of qualifications and experience, but that little inner voice is screaming, “Don’t hire this person!” If you then do hire them, you may find out later that they have deep-seated issues that will upset the rest of the staff and antagonize your customers.
So many clients have told me over the years that they had an overwhelming feeling that they were making a huge mistake, but they decided to marry someone because they wanted to make everyone else happy, or because so much effort and expense had gone into the wedding arrangements. Just the other day a client told me that he should have listened to his inner guidance, not to mention the guidance he received in a psychic reading that warned him that he would end up separating within a few months of the wedding. If only he had trusted his intuition.
Astrology Forecast September 4 – 10, 2023
Jupiter goes retrograde today in Taurus where it will be the rest of the year. Jupiter is the planet of growth, expansion and risk-taking. It also rules higher truth, law, philosophy, and spiritual wisdom.
When Jupiter goes retrograde, these influences are turned inward and we may find ourselves reflecting more on our personal and spiritual growth, and where we may lack the courage and determination to make necessary changes in our lives.
In Taurus, Jupiter’s retrograde energy will steer our self-reflection over the next few months towards new opportunities for growth and future possibilities for expansion; recognizing where we may have been lazy in our past efforts; the need to improve our financial situation by saving and investing for the future; evaluating where our lives may currently lack security and stability; and revising our goals and plans to include more effort and risk-taking in the future.
A Taurus Moon today and tomorrow makes these first two days the most productive of the week. Once the Moon moves into Gemini on Wednesday, social interaction will take center stage as we enjoy being around people and making new friends.
Our attention will shift to learning new things and sharing our thoughts and ideas with others. This is also a great time to network and build business relationships. But try not to be restless and stay focused to make the most of this transit.
Things will ease up on Friday and Saturday under a nurturing Cancer Moon that turns our attention to the comforts of home and family. If you are empathic or highly sensitive, you may feel a strong desire to care for others over the weekend. It is good to be kind and nurturing, but be careful not to do so at the expense of your own self-care. In order to truly be there for others, we must also care for ourselves.
Fortunately, there will be a great opportunity for some quality ‘me time’ on Sunday, when the Moon moves into Leo, giving you a chance to nurture yourself and indulge in your favorite battery recharging activities.
How To Manifest Your Best Life
As spiritual beings in physical form, we are the conscious creators of our best life and have the divine power to shape our own destiny. We create our future every day with our free will. But contrary to what some believe, this is not just a matter of positive thinking, daydreaming, or casually wishing for a better future without being proactive.
To achieve what we want in life, we must take daily action steps that will lead to the achievement of our goals and manifest the results we desire.
If you have been wishing for a better life and a brighter future with little success, the following strategies can empower you to achieve better results. By implementing these tactics gradually, one day at a time, you will see a major change in your life.
Gratitude
Gratitude is the mother of all manifestation efforts. When we are grateful for what we already have, we attract more of what we want.
Seems simple, right? Yet we easily forget to count our blessings and tend to be very ungrateful. Instead of celebrating what is good in our lives, we tend to focus on what is wrong or missing. When we are constantly sulking or complaining, we are self-sabotaging because wherever our focus goes, energy flows.
Astrology Forecast August 28 – September 3, 2023
We are in for a busy week astrologically, starting with Uranus going retrograde today.
While outer planets can be subtle when they begin a retrograde period, Uranus is the exception, as its very nature is to create unexpected changes. In combination with the Moon passing through Aquarius (the sign Uranus rules) today and tomorrow, it’s best to expect the unexpected.
More annoying than problematic, some of the problems this scenario may cause is oversleeping, overeating, and minor computer or appliance problems. Nothing that comes our way will be too overwhelming to navigate, but it may cause brief delays as we rally to get things back on track.
On Wednesday we’ll have a Blue Moon, meaning it will be waxing full for the second time this month. Thus the saying “once in a blue moon,” to refer to a rare or unexpected event. A Blue Moon usually brings a positive surprise our way, and perhaps this will remedy whatever problems we encountered on Monday. Fingers crossed!
Stay grounded and prepared to face the truth Thursday afternoon, because the Pisces Moon opposite Mercury Retrograde in Virgo could reveal information that may disillusion or compel us to change our mind about a long-held belief. Think carefully before you act and try not to overreact.
If you’re wondering if there will be any quiet days this week, take heart! Friday and Saturday the Aries Moon will restore our energy and get us back on track in no time. And there’s more good news. On Sunday, Venus will end its six-week retrograde and go direct, bringing back the love, passion and beauty that this planet is known for.
Turn Your Home Into A Sacred Space
How many times have you needed a timeout, or place of refuge to clear your mind? Seeking peace and balance is vital, with all of the breakdowns and breakthroughs occurring in our personal lives, and the world today. This is why making your home a scared space is essential to your energetic well-being and mental health.
For me, an energetically healthy home is a reflection of who I am spiritually and what I believe. We all have a unique story that is to be expressed in our immediate environment, thus making it holy and sacred.
When you infuse your home or a room with your divine essence, you are creating Heaven on Earth and raising the vibration of the world.
You don’t need to invest a lot of money since simplicity is key.
Declutter
From past experience, the best place to start is by removing all the clutter in your living space that is no longer wanted or needed. Sell it, donate it, or simply toss it, depending on the condition, value and sentiment. This is a fundamental principle in the ancient Chinese tradition of Feng Shui to live in greater harmony with your environment.
By cleansing and purifying the energy in your living environment, you wipe the metaphysical slate clean and allow new inspiration, people and ideas to manifest. Sometimes we become stuck in a recurring cycle or pattern of doing things, until we remove an element, or find another perspective.