chinese zodiac
Astrology Forecast February 5 – 11, 2024
Mercury moves into Aquarius today, challenging us to think differently for the next few weeks. Breaking out of old molds and thought processes will be the challenge as the rulin planet of communication, intellect, and the mind moves through this electric sign.
Our most productive days of the week will be tomorrow and Wednesday as the Moon marches through Capricorn, so get your to-do list completed before the fireworks and celebrations begin, as this week marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year 2024.
This year we celebrate the Year of the Dragon, more specifically, Wood Dragon. An Aquarius New Moon occurs on Friday, February 9th, which officially kicks off Chinese New Year on February 10th, lasting until January 28th, 2025.
The Year of the Dragon is any esteemed year in Chinese culture, as it is associated with strength, prosperity, and good fortune. In the Chinese zodiac, each year is associated with one of the twelve animal signs, and the Dragon is the only mythical creature in the cycle. People born in the Year of the Dragon are believed to inherit the dragon’s characteristics, which include intelligence, ambition, courage, and a strong sense of justice. Continue reading
The Mythical Legacy Of Dogs
The cat isn’t the only pet with a long history of myth and legend. Dogs have played an important role in human culture and spirituality for centuries.
The dog, or “man’s best friend,” is the subject of many magical tales, wisdom traditions, and folklore throughout the world. Like the cat, dogs were companions of the ancients and are still considered symbols of loyalty, courage and protection.
In Greek mythology, dogs are associated with the goddess Hecate, who is also known as the “dog goddess.” She is the goddess of witchcraft, magic, and the crossroads, and is typically depicted in ancient Greek art with a pack of dogs at her side.
Today, the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius, is also known as the Dog Star, because it is traditionally seen as the protector of the night sky. In many cultures, Sirius has been associated with dogs because of its brightness and prominence.
Perhaps the most famous dog in Greek mythology is Cerberus, the three-headed guardian of the underworld. Cerberus not only prevented the dead from leaving the underworld, but also the living from entering it. He was finally captured by the hero Heracles in one of his twelve labors. Another famous Greek dog is Laelaps, a swift dog given by the god Zeus to the hunter Actaeon. Laelaps was so fast that he could catch any prey, but he was also cursed to always catch his prey.
Astrology Forecast January 16 – 22, 2023
This week there is a cosmic ‘musical chairs’ occuring with various planets shifting as the heavens align for the beginning of the Chinese New Year this weekend.
Today, the Scorpio Moon will carry an intense vibration, enabling us to get a lot of things taken care of that have been on the back burner since last year.
A lighter energy prevails tomorrow and Wednesday, as the Moon dances through Sagittarius, but we’ll have to watch out for overly sensitive people and potential emotional outbursts. This may partly be due also to Mercury turning direct in Capricorn on Wednesday. This return can cause miscommunication and technical glitches that are sure to try some folks’ last nerve!
The Sun will move into Aquarius on Friday and meet up with Pluto, giving us a sense of destiny and karma to guide our way forward.
On Saturday the Aquarius New Moon will announce the dawn of the Chinese New Year. To add to the drama, Uranus will also turn direct this weekend, after four months of backward motion. This aspect will cement the fact that new beginnings are upon us! With the rare trio of the Sun moving into Aquarius, as well as the New Moon in Aquarius, and Aquarius as the ruling planet of Uranus going direct (as well as Mercury), plus the Chinese New Year all happening within a matter of days, the writing is certainly on the wall: major change for the better is on the horizon.
A Brief History Of Astrology
The energies of the planets and stars affect us on many levels every day, whether we were aware of it or not. The earliest humans looked especially to the movements and phases of the Sun and Moon to guide them in their decisions about when to hunt, when to plant and harvest, and when to prepare for winter or migrate.
From this evolved the practice and study of Astrology. The early civilizations of Mesopotamia were the first to observe the patterns formed by stars in the galaxy as long ago as 3000 BC, while Indian astrology began to emerge as far back as 1200 BC.
The original astrologers identified five ‘wandering stars,’ which together with the sun and moon became the seven original ‘planets.’ More planets were of course identified over time, as technology advanced to introduce the telescope and other astronomical devises.
The Babylonians are generally credited for first developing formal Astrology, because they developed astrological charts to predict the recurrence of the seasons and certain celestial events. Centuries later, Ancient Egypt and Greece discovered Babylonian Astrology, where it soon became highly regarded as a science and was eventually also embraced by the Romans, as well as in the Middle East. In time, its popularity spread throughout the rest of the world. Today, we still use the Roman names for the zodiac signs.
Meanwhile, separate systems of Astrology also emerged in India, China, and Mesoamerica. It remains unclear whether the Babylonian, Indian (known today as Hindu or Vedic Astrology) and Chinese systems of Astrology evolved in isolation and independently, or whether they mutually influenced each other. There are many similarities between these systems, but also many distinct differences. Scholars have been studying and debating this for centuries, but the matter remains inconclusive.
Astrology Forecast January 31 – February 6, 2022
Happy New Year! This will be a week of fresh beginnings, forward motion and renewed motivation. Don’t be fooled by the Aquarius New Moon setting a contrasting, feminine, yin tone before the masculine yang of the Chinese New Year of the Tiger beginning tomorrow. The Tiger year will be giving us a second chance to make some resolutions and embrace a new energy for the year ahead.
The Tiger represents prowess, stealth and achievement, marking this year as one with the potential to bring success in all we do. It will also cast a stronger and more confident tone over us, inspiring us to move forward with passion and fortitude.
The year 2020 (Year of the Rat) was about survival and the need for adaptability and flexibility. The year 2021 (Year of the Ox) was about caution, keeping faith and staying centered and grounded in a challenging new world. But the Year of the Tiger will be about renewed vigor, futuristic ambition, revitalized enthusiasm, and the courage to make major changes and achieve new goals. We can expect things to change very rapidly this year.
The Year of the Tiger may however not start on a high note for those of us who are prone to melancholy, depression, or negative thinking. The Aquarius Moon conjunction with Saturn in Aquarius early on Tuesday could create a sense of dissatisfaction, loneliness or self-pity. Tap into the daring, self-empowered energy of the powerful tiger. Time to get fired up!
On Thursday Mercury will thankfully resume forward motion from its current retrograde, offering us yet another cycle of forward movement and progress. Fortunately, once Mercury resumes forward motion, no planets will be retrograde for the next three months. So, the sky is not even the limit of what we can achieve and attain the first half of this year.
The assertive and confident Aries Moon will grace the skies Friday through Sunday, making this the ultimate week to make fresh starts and embrace new beginnings.
Fun Facts You Never Knew About Your Zodiac Sign
The zodiac signs we are born under afford us certain personality traits, talents and gifts in our lifetime. Over the course of one’s life you can typically see these traits in an individual’s personality and life choices.
Astrology has been around for centuries and offer us a special insight into our life path. The Zodiac signs can be a lot of fun to investigate, even for the lay person. If you look closely at the traits of your own sign you will most likely discover many accurate descriptions of your personality in your sign that may be hard to deny.
You may also come across certain traits and fun nuggets of information that may surprise you. For example, it has been noted by astrologers that some of the zodiac signs tend to lean more towards having stronger psychic ability. These are known as the so-called ‘psychic signs,’ namely Cancer, Pisces, Scorpio and Libra.
If you were born under one of these signs, but do not consider yourself psychic, then you may want to take another look. It could be that you are more gifted than you realize, but you are not making proper use of your psychic talents.
Another fun principal of astrology centers on those who are born on the cusp between two signs, meaning they have trails of both signs. For example, those born on April 19 or 20 on the Aries-Taurus Cusp are literally ‘born leaders’ because they have the natural leadership traits of Aries combined with the inner strength and bullish perseverance of Taurus.
Another interesting ‘born leader’ is the Pisces-Aries Cusp born March 19 to 26. They strike the perfect balance between being a dreamer and idealist, while also being a determined, tough, and sometimes highly opinionated ‘go-getter.’ They bring the best of both worlds to innovative leadership positions that require imagination and an unconventional approach.
January 2020 Weekly Astro Forecasts
January 6 – 12
This week we’ll really feel the shift from 2019 to 2020, as two major astrological events on Friday will turn our attention to the new things we want to create for the year ahead.
Things start out on a productive note, thanks to Monday’s Taurus Moon, which will help us get organized and back on track after a month of holiday events. Tuesday and Wednesday are jam-packed with information seeking and conversation under the Gemini Moon, as we start to fill our calendars and get back to people we promised we’d call after New Year’s.
Things may seem a bit ethereal on Thursday, under the waxing Cancer Full Moon, which is due to peak on Friday. This Cancer Full Moon is also a lunar eclipse, which will set the tone for the next six months. This is definitely the time to release people, spending habits and activities that are holding us back or interfering with our progress.
Also on Friday, Uranus will resume forward motion after five months of backward motion, bringing our desires for change to life in exciting and unusual ways. Thanks to this weekend’s Leo Moon, we can now make decisions that work for us, void of outside influence or pressure from others. So, let the new year begin!