natal chart
Let’s Go Girls, Vesta Is Calling Us!
Vesta, or Hestia as she is known in Greek mythology, is an asteroid located between Mars and Jupiter that is currently retrograde until October 5th, 2022. This means it is currently in close proximity to Earth and actually visible to the naked eye until Sept 11th, 2022. Women in particular should be watching her path, and engage with her empowering, divine feminine energy at this time.
Some experts believe that according to a formula that predicts the spacing between planets in any given solar system, known as the Titius-Bode law, Vesta may be located in an area that once contained a planet that no longer exists.
German astronomer H.W. Olbers first spotted the asteroid on March 29th, 1807, and his colleague Carl Friedrich Gauss named it Vesta. It takes 3.63 years for Vesta to travel around the sun, nearly twice as long as the orbit of planet Mars.
Vesta is the virgin goddess of the hearth, home, and family in Roman mythology. She is ‘the fire that warms, but never burns.’ In ancient Roman times, six vestal virgins had the sacred duty as priestesses at her temple to tend the vestal flame.
This was considered a very important job, as this sacred fire was deemed to be vital to the security and stability of Rome and therefore could never be allowed to go out. It took extreme focus and care to keep the flame alive.
The vestal priestesses did not have to comply with of the usual social and cultural obligations imposed on women in those patriarchal times. They were not required to marry and have children, but instead took a 30-year vow of chastity in order to fully devote themselves to service.
The Wise Approach To Mercury Retrograde
According to astrology, our lives can be in upheaval when Mercury goes Retrograde. Its effects can be felt by anyone, regardless of your zodiac sign.
However, some signs may be more sensitive to its influence than others. This is because Mercury is the ruler of Gemini and Virgo, and people with strong placements of these signs in their birth charts may be more likely to experience disruptions in communication, technology, and transportation during a Mercury retrograde.
Although this concept is widely touted in the spiritual and metaphysical communities, I find that many people affected by it do not understand its true meaning and are not well informed on how best to deal with it.
Mercury retrograde is indeed a challenging cosmic influence. It tends to feel like we have just finished one round of it, and the next one is already looming on the horizon.
A common side effect of Mercury Retrograde for many people is unexplained nervous energy or restlessness. You feel anxious and stressed about everything, and you can’t figure out why? Sometimes you feel anxious about things that have never bothered you in the past.
You may also have a hard time concentrating on things. Retrograde energy can throw even the most calm and centered person off balance.
The Spiritual Path Of The Wandering Nomad
A recent chat with a relative about my plans for the future reminded me of a first cousin who once remarked on my nomadic lifestyle, “You really don’t seem to stay in one place for more than ten minutes!” A friend once also pulled my leg about needing to buy a new Rolodex, because I was filling hers up with all my constantly changing addresses from all over the world (those were the days before contacts could be more easily stored on a smart phone).
According to Astrology, I was supposed to get settled early in life as a Cancerian, by creating a permanent home and haven, and having a family with several children. Well, this was never the case. I thought the desire to settle down might come as years passed, but it never happened.
I also never became broody. I would become motherly over a puppy, kitten or other young animal, but I never felt the desire to have children of my own.
Over many years of personal growth and spiritual exploration, I have gained a deeper understanding and greater clarity regarding the choices I have been making in this lifetime.
Astrologically, for example there is a strong Gemini influence in my natal chart which is contributing to my restlessness, as well as Leo fueling my creativity and my sense of determination. I am not am expert astrologer by any stretch of the imagination, but the way it was explained to me by a professional astrologer made perfect sense.
A past life regression session also revealed that I had conceived many children in previous incarnations and that the desire to have offspring of my own this time around was not a part of the blueprint.
I found the matter particularly challenging when I was younger. I would be dating a wonderful guy who really wanted to settle down with me and longed to have a family, but the mere thought of having my wings clipped by marriage and motherhood was always unthinkable to me. So, many good relationships ended because we really were not on the same page about settling down and having children.
Moon Transits In Your Daily Spiritual Practice
There are many additional ways to apply Astrology in a spiritual lifestyle beyond the customary horoscopes and birth charts. For example, following the lunar transits is one of my favorite methods for working on my personal growth and spiritual development.
The Moon is the fastest transiting planet of the Zodiac, as it moves into a different sign every two and a half days. The Moon’s monthly journey through the constellations, enables us to reflect on the qualities and pertinence in our charts of each of the twelve zodiac signs.
How does one use the energies of lunar transits as a guide for personal and spiritual growth? In my work as a professional astrologer and psychic reader, I have found the following aspects useful:
Natal Chart
Do you have a strong natal Moon? How is it aspected? Have you struggled with any emotional issues in your lifetime? A Natal Moon with a lot of squares and oppositions can predict issues such as emotional lability and impulse control. Gaining insight into one’s struggles through astrological interpretation can help a person find spiritual healing.
Also, consider the transiting Moon’s current aspects with your natal chart. Is the Moon, for example, in a conjunction with your natal Mars? This aspect may create an emotional need to connect with your inner warrior on that particular day. Or perhaps the Moon is transiting your midheaven sign today, which is the highest point at the top of your chart that says, “I’m here!” to the world.
Astrological Forecast February 15 – 21, 2021
A new dawn arises this week with the Sun preparing to move into Pisces on Thursday and Mercury resuming forward motion on Saturday. We should start to feel as if the astrological scenery is clearing at last!
The week starts off quite productively with an Aries Moon on Monday and Tuesday, followed by a down to earth Taurus Moon on Wednesday and Thursday.
We’ll feel the shift from mental override to spiritual reflection when the Sun enters Pisces on Thursday, kicking off the month of the astrological year and calling us to go inward to prepare before we manifest our greatest dreams.
It’s quite fitting that the Moon will be traveling through Gemini Friday through Sunday, as this creates the perfect backdrop for Mercury to resume forward motion. Mercury rules Gemini, so this combination of energies will create a more peaceful and thoughtful transition as it changes direction. That’s not to say there won’t be communication or electronic troubles as it does, for Mercury rarely leaves its retrograde period without leaving a few little ‘gotchas!’ behind. Mind your words, don’t make promises you can’t keep, and take everything you hear with a grain of salt!
Astrological Forecast February 8 – 14, 2021
Happy Chinese New Year! The year 2021 is the Year of the Ox that now heralds in a more stable energy, as we leave behind the Year of the Rat and all the troubles it brought our way. Staying grounded, being proactive, and recreating our lives from the ground up will be the theme this year.
In 2020, many of us discovered we had built our ‘homes’ out of straw, which upended our lives during last year’s pandemic. So, we’re now ready to buckle down and create a more solid foundation. As we start laying the bricks for our future, we’ll discover new ways to improve our health, our finances, and our environment.
The Chinese New Year is officially celebrated on Thursday, so in combination with the New Moon, this week should have us ready to recommit to our resolutions and start anew into 2021
If there’s anything you simply have to get done this week, move on it Monday and Tuesday, when the Moon is in no-nonsense Capricorn. Once Wednesday hits we’ll be under the influence of the unpredictable Aquarius Moon, and when it culminates in an Aquarius new Moon on Wednesday, we’ll be off and running in all directions!
We can take a breather Friday and Saturday as the Moon drifts through spiritual Pisces, regrouping and relaxing after a fairly demanding week. Sunday’s Aries Moon will put us in the mood to play, so grab your favorite person and get out and have some fun!
Astrological Forecast February 1 – 7, 2021
The fixed air sign energy of Aquarius will be intensely felt this month with Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, as well as asteroid Pallas, all gathering to create a great stellium in the sign of Aquarius. A stellium occurs when three or more planets cluster together in a single zodiac sign to create an unusual energy blend. To further fan the flames, Mercury if currently also in retrograde.
It remains to be seen exactly how this major stellium will affect both global events and our personal lives, but whatever the impact…it will be profound, progressive, even groundbreaking. Wherever this stellium lands in your chart this month, it will invite deep thought, inspired new ideas and the urge to innovate and be experimental in those aspects of your life. However, be careful not to let the stubborn, obsessive side of Aquarius rule your mental state. If you were born under one of the fixed signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, you can expect to be especially impacted by this seven planet cluster. So, fasten your seatbelt, it’s going to be an interesting month!
To make things even more demanding, this week starts off with the planets taking sides, as the free-wheeling Aquarius Sun squares off with staid and steady Mars in Taurus. Avoiding the urge to stand your ground, and deciding who’s right and who’s wrong, will be essential this week, as the lines get blurred and realities shift. There’s an old saying that if you can’t beat them, join them, but before you take sides one way or the other, ask yourself this: would you rather be right, or happy?
Venus will arrive on the doorstep of Aquarius today, another no-holds-bar placement that will require us to stay patient, alert, and open to the possibilities of finding a middle ground. With all this in mind, at least lean into the calm and harmonious Libra Moon that sails through the heavens Monday and Tuesday.
With a Scorpio Moon overhead on Wednesday and Thursday, the answer to any conflicts we encounter may be to go within, turn toward spiritual guidance and allow the Universe to take the reins. Things will settle down over the weekend for a moment of respite, as the Moon skips through light-hearted Sagittarius on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.