Isaac George

Lunar Eclipse – March 23rd, 2016

By Isaac George
March 22nd, 2016




"In true love, happiness is not an individual matter. There is no distinction between the one who loves and the one who is loved. Your suffering is my suffering; my happiness is your happiness. Lover and beloved are one." ~Thich Naht Hanh

The bookend to the Solar Eclipse of March 8th-9th will arrive tomorrow at 12:01pm GMT. This is a partial or annular Lunar Eclipse of the Full Moon, with the Sun at 3 degrees 17 minutes of Aries, and the Moon opposite at 3 degrees 17 minutes of Libra. As I recounted in my Sunday blog, “Creative Chaos”, there are strong connections to what happened six months ago during the Solar and Lunar Eclipses of September 2015. You can read or re-read that post here.  Suffice it to say that this is a fundamental reset of the “game”, and it will not only set the tone for the next six months, till the eclipses of September 2016, but quite conceivably for many months beyond that juncture. Time will tell, as it always does.

Into the Way Back Machine!

I’ve been looking back to when there were any lunations (New Moons, Full Moons) or eclipses in Aries and Libra between 2011 and 2013. I selected 2011, because Uranus entered the sign of Aries on March 11th, 2011…the day of the massive temblor and tsunami that devastated Sendai province in northeastern Japan. I found two charts, one in March of 2012 and another one also in March of 2013 that are very close to the one this is coming up this Wednesday, and is also strongly connected to the “Blood Moon” Lunar Eclipse of September 28th, 2015. In all of the four charts the Sun and Moon are tightly arranged between 2 degrees and 7 degrees of these two signs. I’ve included them with the chart for our Lunar Eclipse tomorrow at the end of this blog.

Finally, the last blast from the past to reveal was that there was a Lunar Eclipse at almost the exact same degrees of Aries-Libra as the next one this Wednesday (chart below as well). If you can reel in the years and go back to March 24th,1997,  reflect on what was happening for you at that time, it may put a huge spotlight of understanding on your current situation, and provide you with the wisdom and courage to act in accordance with your Inner Truth.

"With Aries-Libra, relating is the name of the game. The challenge is how do we balance the needs or desires of the Self (Mars-Masculine) with the needs and desires of The Other (Venus-Feminine)?  The seemingly eternal dance between these two forces makes for a lot of interesting poetry, music, art, fables…and tragedies."
​

Oh, You Again…”

Simply stated, Aries is all about the Self…”I Am.” Equally simple is that Libra is about “The Other.” There is always a relationship happening in everything…throughout the Cosmos, from the subatomic level to the galaxies themselves. Some physicists theorize that there are bonds and bleedthroughs between parallel Universes. Anyway, the Aries-Libra polarity represents the astrological version of The Lovers card in the Tarot, or the Sacred Marriage from the mystery schools. It manifests from the strictly personal level to the Universal Level.  Beyond the duality of form, they are Divine Principles that emanate into all manifest forms, and yet are completely fused in the Absolute and are completely indivisible. That’s big supra-metaphysical theorising on my part, but feels right as a model.

With Aries-Libra, relating is the name of the game. The challenge is how do we balance the needs or desires of the Self (Mars-Masculine) with the needs and desires of The Other (Venus-Feminine)?  The seemingly eternal dance between these two forces makes for a lot of interesting poetry, music, art, fables…and tragedies.  From an evolutionary astrological perspective for the past four years we have been on a revolutionary road of dismantling and reforming our psyches through the uncomfortable crucible of intimate and challenging relationships, and all of them have been steeped in a shamanic unravelling and healing of our relationship karma. When I use the word “karma”, I’d like for you to reference that word in a new way. Think “unconscious patterns based on equally hidden vows or beliefs”.  Throughout time and space, we have met ourselves again and again with many of our “other selves” and have sought to balance the eternal dance that is ultimately about realising Love as a state or condition of being.

"Perhaps the age of digital love is about to have a rude awakening, or perhaps we are awakening to the rudeness of digital socialization."

Is there a manual for this thing?

Okay, it hasn’t been easy, and it’s not a process that is culminating with Wednesday’s latest edition of Aries-Libra lunations/eclipses. I don’t have a crystal ball, or a road map, or even a factory issued user’s manual, but I do sense that this event on Wednesday may be a gateway to the final purification of eons of relationship trauma and drama. At least that’s what my instincts are saying just now. We are being given an evolutionary push to change our beliefs, and more importantly, our understanding about the purpose and potentials of human intimacy and conscious partnerships. It can be sometimes difficult to discern, but almost every challenge our species now faces, from how we care for ourselves or look after each other, to how we reinvent and reimagine our economic, political, scientific and societal structures… to how we end our mistreatment of the planet and her resources, hinges on how much we trust in ourselves and the ones we love the most.

We pump the message that we need to love ourselves, and yet we are starving for connection. In his cynical and disenfranchised tone, Elliot, the hacker in the new television drama “Mr Robot”, bemoans the current state of human love: “[…is it because we’re] spamming with our running commentary of bullshit masquerading as insight, our social media faking as intimacy?” Perhaps the age of digital love is about to have a rude awakening, or perhaps we are awakening to the rudeness of digital socialization.

"I feel that real spiritual love, one that is rooted in mutual respect and deep honesty, is extremely romantic. It gives us that sense of “coming home” that we all long for…and know we deserve."

The Rest of the Story

While the foreground is the Sun and the Moon in the Lunar Eclipse, the background cast is equally important.  The day after the Eclipse Saturn will station retrograde in Sagittarius. He will move direct on August 14th at 9 degrees of Sag, and be very close to Mars at 5 Sagittarius. The upcoming Mars retrograde in Sagittarius and Scorpio is a story in and of itself, so I will save that for an April post.

On the day of the Eclipse Saturn will be in a stressful T-Square with Venus and Neptune in Pisces, and retrograde Jupiter in Virgo. I feel that having this happen just before Saturn goes into inward (retrograde) motion is a phase of reviewing and integrating the energies and lessons of all the previous eclipses, and indeed, or all the Aries-Libra contacts of the past four years. It’s a time for introspection, and it won’t work to be doing hard-nosed analysing (Virgo) about matters of the heart and soul. The Venus-Neptune conjunction will be the main energy here…asking us to be compassionate and forgiving, and to also re-image a Higher aspect of romantic and intimate Love. I use the word romance not in a story-book way, but in a way to celebrate the “lift” that we experience with romantic love. I feel that real spiritual love, one that is rooted in mutual respect and deep honesty, is extremely romantic. It gives us that sense of “coming home” that we all long for…and know we deserve. I highly recommend this amazing video clip to get a better feel for what my poor words are trying to express. True Love and the Four Elements of Love – Thich Nhat Hanh. The first seven minutes carries the nugget of the message.

Mars in Sagittarius will be trine the Sun and is sextile to the Moon. This adds a strong but egalitarian tone of asking that we tell the Truth…to ourselves and whomever we’re currently partnered with. Even if we are not with a significant other, our intention towards emanating compassion and love to those we are in connection with, in whatever form, will still have a potent effect. Ending conflict both from within and towards others is the idea.  Mercury will be conjoined to the Sun as well, so there may be an impulsiveness to ask questions in a very rapid-fire style, like a special interrogator questioning a suspect in a crime. Uncomfortable but necessary truths may suddenly come to light. The juxtaposition between Mars and Mercury will be daunting, and a bit paradoxical. You may be thinking, "Do I stick to the hard facts only, or do I allow leeway for compassionate understanding?" I suppose the answer to that will depend on what type of information is unearthed. If there is no longer any resonance with your current situation, then this eclipse may signal that it’s time to move on and open to a higher more resonant partnership that is based on true love, transparency and equality.

The asteroid goddess Juno is retrograde (inverted) in Scorpio, and will be in a harmonious flow with Venus and Neptune. The need for passion within our partnering is denoted by this placement. Juno typically is associated with the traditions of marriage, but in Scorpio, marriage is elevated to a sacrament through passion and sexuality. There can be no true intimacy without being naked in body and soul to the Beloved. This is soul Tantra, and is something we all possess, but has been civilised out of us and forgotten. Tantric practices were invented to reawaken us to the primal truth that is in the divine nature within our bodily forms. Ecstasy is a natural state that exists when we are in harmony with Nature, with the Goddess.

"We all deserve the love that we give away, and the love that we receive. The union of hearts will be a potent power for changing the course of the future. Give freely…it all comes back to you in some way, and at some time."

The Next Steps

Between now and the next set of eclipses in September I feel that it will be a time of greater movement and greater clarity in our understanding of ourselves, of others and what our hearts and souls truly desire to create in this world. Everything is connected, and the arena of our interpersonal relationships echoes throughout the human and planetary construct. If we truly wish to have a different future, then the ghosts of our past must be confronted and lovingly and empathically embraced. We cannot cure prior wounding without acknowledging our held emotions and deep longings. The relationship issues we had with our parents are reflections of all of our previous bonding experiences with each other as lovers, spouses, siblings, parents or even just workmates and friends. To change the story of our personal and collective past is to alter the future.

We have the potential to live the life of our dreams. I suggest that those dreams include others in many ways. To balance our needs with the greater needs of our entire species is the way forward. Everyone has a right to clean water, good food, warm shelter, comfortable clothing and personal safety. And everyone needs closeness, affection, recognition and love. Dr. Dean Ornish’s book, “Love and Survival” is a wonderful testament to the power of connection and what it means to be fully human. I recommend it to you as one of many potential guides to how we can imagine and create new and sacred ways of relationship, ways that don’t cause us to fall back into martyrdom or self-effacement. More importantly, we can end the cycle of heartache and heartbreak that is at the core of our spiritual wounding…the false sense that we are separate from our Source, and from each other.

Move forward into the sacred marriage with your inner Beloved and invite that Beloved into your purpose for being here on this planet at this time. Let your deepest dreams and yearnings be expressed. Begin with yourself, then with your beloved, then in communion with others of your “tribe”, then in wider community. It grows exponentially when we choose love, collaboration and cooperation.

We all deserve the love that we give away, and the love that we receive. The union of hearts will be a potent power for changing the course of the future. Give freely…it all comes back to you in some way, and at some time.

With Love,
Isaac

I specialize in mentoring and coaching for singles and couples in the arenas of relationship and self care.  I love to work with people and give them the tools they most need to navigate these times and to create more satisfying experiences in their lives. For more information and to make an appointment for a FREE Discovery call, just click here.

(Authenticity is the New Currency)

By Isaac George
Feb. 15th, 2016

“Be yourself. Everyone else already exists.” - Unknown

What does authenticity mean to you?  Do you endeavour to just be yourself in your business or personal life? Or do you struggle with an inner and outer persona, and strategize how you wish to appear in your work or career? Do you hide how you really feel because of what others might think?

“For me the word authenticity only has real weight if a person is fully in touch with their feelings. To own one’s feelings and to show them fearlessly to me is a sign of emotional maturity. Sometimes we’re up, sometimes we’re down.”

Of late I’ve been examining the business world, and especially what could be termed “soul-based” or spiritual/intuitive coaching. I do really need to do this as I have been rebranding my own work in that vein. One of my inspirations for this was reading about the life experience of a successful coach in America who I had the pleasure of working with briefly. What was instantly refreshing and different about him is that he revealed a bit of his history…who he had been and how he moved to where he is now. He did this without any sense of embarrassment. In terms of success, this guy had it clicking on all cylinders during the first half of 2015. Then early last summer, the wheels came off of the bus. He had a series of misfortunes and setbacks that would have made anyone question their vision and life’s direction. Instead of hiding behind a façade of “everything’s fabulous”, he sent out a newsletter recounting his challenges and what he was learning through them. No sugar coating, no lies. It was a humbling and inspirational demonstration of trust and vulnerability. Integrity was written all over this guy.

For me the word authenticity only has real weight if a person is fully in touch with their feelings. To own one’s feelings and to show them fearlessly to me is a sign of emotional maturity. Sometimes we’re up, sometimes we’re down. I read somewhere recently that there is some research now showing that acting “as if” or putting on a performance for others can have a negative cumulative effect on one’s own well-being and physical health. The striving for perfection, or even excellence, can cut us off from many things. I feel that we avoid showing up 100% because our egos have been trained and conditioned so thoroughly in the twin shackles of shame and embarrassment.

“Showing up and being who you are, no matter which side of the bed you clambered out of this morning, is how people will instinctively know that you are trustworthy. You don’t have to “sell” it to another, because your truth will permeate whatever you think, say or do. It becomes self-evident."

We often hear that the world of business is about building relationships. If that’s true, why reserve only our “game face” in our business dealings? Is that authenticity? No, not really. It’s the same theatre we see in political campaigns and corporate public relations media campaigns. Both rely on certain types of psychology to manipulate the public into believing something, then doing almost the exact opposite of the stated purpose. Fraud is epidemic. Sound bites and pretty images have a hypnotic effect. But if you are ignorant of the tools employed, then you are a target. I feel it’s time to stop playing games.

Showing up and being who you are, no matter which side of the bed you clambered out of this morning, is how people will instinctively know that you are trustworthy. You don’t have to “sell” it to another, because your truth will permeate whatever you think, say or do. It becomes self-evident. Of course it IS essential that you do as you say you will do! Your words and actions must agree in order to be experienced as real and authentic. To that end it is very important that we can never over-promise or over-commit…or that will cost us in numerous ways. Conversely, honesty and authenticity is magnetic!

When we were kids (no matter in which lifetime you care to think of) our learned behaviours were pretty much dictated by the “shoulds” or “thou shalt nots” that we learned in our primary relating with our parents. Whether we were imprinted with their religious ideas or not, we looked up at them as being gods or goddesses. Almost without exception we perceived that our very survival depended on them! Of course when we were indoctrinated into some religious form, we also projected our perfected ideal of a paternal or maternal God onto our fragile and flawed parents, and when they couldn’t stack up to that image because they let us down, it created confusion and deep disappointment.

"To find the source of your authenticity and your soul, your mission will be to find your nugget, your seed; you’re absolute true nature."

The work of becoming authentic will be found to rest squarely on realizing the combination of our mystical and human natures, the divine and the mundane…our very personal mythos. We are simultaneously a unique expression of the One Love that is the Source of All, and we’re also connected with everyone and everything else. Why hide it? Why hide from it? To find the source of your authenticity and your soul, your mission will be to find your nugget, your seed; you’re absolute true nature. Our core beliefs about the nature and purpose of “business as usual” (busyness as usual) will may have to also change dramatically, if we are to avert social and ecological apocalypse.

"This is the nature of how consciousness works. Trust and love must begin in one’s own personal sphere, and then translates into our intimate partnerships, families, communities, and our business relationships."

The new currency is authenticity. The coming way of being, whether personally or in business is to embrace the power inherent in our vulnerability. Trust will be something that will not have to be spoken, because each person will be more in tune with their true natures. This is the nature of how consciousness works. Trust and love must begin in one’s own personal sphere, and then translates into our intimate partnerships, families, communities, and our business relationships. All of our relationships will thrive because of cooperation with one another, instead of competition.

Love and authenticity are values that must inform all other values. Embrace your truth, and be fearless in being who you are and a journey of magic and bliss will open up to you, and in every life you touch.

With love,
Isaac

Isaac George, Intuitive Mentor – Coach
for spiritual awakening, conscious relationships and sexuality and evolutionary astrology
www.isaacgeorge.com
www.starwisdomastrology.com
YouTube Channel

Inspirational Sources:

Video- See below:
"The Real Me": The Who (From Quadraphenia at Royal Albert Hall)

Articles -

Dr. Brene’ Brown’s “The Power of Vulnerability”:
https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability?language=en

Dr. Brene’ Brown’s “Listening to Shame”:
https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_listening_to_shame?language=en

Suppressing Emotions – New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/03/03/us/health-new-studies-report-health-dangers-of-repressing-emotional-turmoil.html

Held Emotions Can Kill:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/timi-gustafson/bottling-up-negative-emotions_b_5056433.html

October 25th, 2015
by Isaac George

There is another Super Duper Full Moon happening! I thought I could ignore the temptation to actually write about it. However, this momentary event isn’t the only bat banging around my belfry. There are many celestial alignments afoot, and as we move closer to All Hallows Eve (Halloween) we are coming into those influences one might call “the Astral” or Emotional Plane.

Our Sun has entered the realm of Scorpio, the home of raw and intense everything. Life, Death, Power and Passion, and all that comes with it - sexuality, obsession, compulsion, suspicion and great detective work to find secrets, and a penchant for secrets. The Full Moon will be in the polarity of Taurus, which is Fixed Earth and ruled by Venus (I just love chocolate chip cookies and woolly socks!). You get the idea don’t you? The focus on the surface is on security, cosy hearths, and a warm and well-stocked kitchen, and you have all the ingredients for domestic bliss. Or do you?

For you budding astrologers out there, the chart is posted below. Essential data is Sun is 3 degrees and 44 minutes of Scorpio and the Moon is at 3 degrees and 44 minutes of Taurus. The Moon will be inconjunct to Saturn at 3 degrees 35 minutes of Sagittarius, and the Sun will be semi-sextile to Saturn as well. The underlying theme from Saturn is “all that glitters may not be gold.” Truth or consequences indeed!

At first blush we may still be too hypnotized by the other significant energies that are upon us. The Venus-Jupiter communion at 15 Taurus may still have us lulled into a sense of altruism and congeniality. The easy trine to Pluto bespeaks a truce is in effect, but there are things that need attention.

The North and South Nodes (True Node method) are still virtually stationary at the Super Galactic Center degrees of 0 Aries and 0 Libra. Stuck there like a camera in the midst of a time lapse photo shoot, we are experiencing the drawing inwards of a huge dose of information that is laced in Light…directly from Headquarters in the center of our galaxy. This is the grist powering our mills…and it is filtered directly into our Soul Heart/Mind complex from the inside of us. From directly within our core identity it is pushing its way outwards, to our surfaces, like magma coming up through the Earth’s crust. As this occurs it is pushing ahead of it all of the karmic inertia from other lifetimes and genetic ancestral memories. Not pleasant for the most part, but a necessary clean-up is in progress in our cellular structures, emotional bodies, and etheric templates. The Full Moon in Taurus will be like a lightning rod, grounding these energies. It will be important to remind yourself that nothing is being done TO us, but is happening THROUGH us. If you’ve been twisting in the wind lately, don’t blame it on astrology, or the solar activity. Blame won’t work now…but compassion for self will, as well as compassion for the bystanders in your neighborhood…they’re mega challenged too (though they may deny it).

As we move closer to October 31st, there may be a few things pop up, or pop out, of those nearest to us. Or, they may pop out of us. This is a ripe time for folks to deliberately or inadvertently “spill the beans” about how they REALLY feel about this, that or so-and-so. There also could be a high degree of existential free-floating anxiety about money, resources, job, career, the economy in general or, if you live in the UK, uncomfortable thoughts of revenge against Chancellor Osborne. It may be essential to remove breakable items from the vicinity. There is very little diplomacy under Scorpio – it wants to say what it wants to say, to speak the power for Truth, or Truth to Power. However things turn out, we are sick and tired of bullying in any form, and as anyone will tell you, the best way to deal with a bully is to stand up to him/her. Perhaps this tyrant resides within you, telling you you’re not good enough, worthy enough or capable enough. Well, enough is enough, and with this energy around, you’ll feel a bit more than ready to slay a dragon or two. The secret is to voice your truth without attacking the antagonist. This takes consciousness. We were all bullied as children, in one sense or another, so we all have that brainwashing to contend with. The perps who did it were themselves also victims of it, so don’t spend any time in the blame game here either. This is our chance to stand for something, and it’s okay to be a wee bit selfish about it.

The consequences are always with us, no matter what the situation or how old it might be. Consequences could also be called “outcomes”, as they are the experience that reflects our attitudes, beliefs and unconscious habits. Nothing more, and nothing less, is needed to describe the effects of choice. How we choose to be responsible, or to be able to respond, sets the groundwork for a new type of outcome. Here’s the tricky part, where you don’t have “control”.  In any of what I’m describing above, the resonance or vibrational factor for aligning any experience you consciously choose to replace one that has been unconscious is, for the most part, an act of surrender. Yep, you got to let it go so it can come back to you in the manner that is most appropriate. That’s also the easy part, because as a microcosm of the macrocosm, there is very little chance that what you want or need the most, what is most important for you, could happen if you were trying to micromanage it from your ego.

One of the great parts about Scorpio energy is passion, with a capital “P”. I recall seeing the key phrase for Scorpio being “I Desire”. That about sums it up…I want what I want…and I want it now!

So for the balance of time that the Sun is in Scorpio, getting juicy about whatever floats your boat is full on, or should be. However, there’s a minor fly in the soup. Although Saturn just left Scorpio in September, as I write this we are experiencing the echo of when Saturn entered Scorpio three years ago. In fact, on October 25th, 2012 the Sun and Saturn met up at 2 degrees of Scorpio, only two degrees away from Tuesday’s Full Moon. Coincidence? Never! Only the appearance of coincidence as Carl Jung would say. There is a good chance that any prior wounding involving sexuality could be "up" just now, which is an opportunity to heal violations of trust and stolen innocence.

So, our passion needs to be guided by a higher notion in all of our dealings. I Desire balanced with I Love. That’s Taurus’ ruler, Venus, speaking ladies and gentlemen. True love with passion can heal. Passion without love is deadly, Love without Passion is bland. Stop settling for bland and safe, and stop being sucked into passion without consideration for your heart... and more importantly, your Soul.

Well anyway, that’s my take on it right now.. We are called to feel everything deeply…that’s the Pluto side of Scorpio. Use this time wisely.

Be gentle in your courage, be considerate in your truth-telling, and be compassionate with the consequences. We are here to hold another up when they cannot do it themselves. The next one needing that support may be you. May Love lead us. All is well.

With Love,
Isaac

by Isaac George
Oct 12th, 2015

I am morphing into a heretical evolutionary astrologer. In other words, with a few future exceptions, I will be blogging less about lunar events, eclipses, etc. There are a number of reasons for this, which I’ll cover in a different series of blogs that will be coming up in the next few weeks, but suffice it to say that as an evolutionary, or soul-based, astrologer, it’s time to evolve! Perhaps the term “pirate astrologer” might suit. Hmm…star larceny might not work. Now that’s out of the way, time to focus on this week’s festivities.

There’s a lovely being whose been messaging me for a week or so now, asking “when will things settle down?” My pat answer to her, and others, is “not in the foreseeable future.” Today is a good example. It’s a New Moon in Libra, and yes, there is a HUGE amount of energy pressing down on all of us regarding relationships; our relationship with Self, with others, or a significant (and possibly difficult) “other.” With each passing day, it appears that external and internal forces are coaxing, if not downright pushing us to make decisions…to choose a path, a new direction or commitment. And this is indeed what is occurring, and will continue to occur with increasing intensity.  (The chart is below, and the exact moment of the New Moon is 1:05BST, 12:05GMT, October 13th. It occurs on October 12th in North and South America.)

When is it going to settle down? I’ve got no idea, and my advice is don’t look for some sort of external reprieve to suddenly return you, me or the rest of the world to some somnambulistic version of our previous worldly experience (think the Eisenhower years of the 1950’s, or Marty McFly’s lifestyle in “Back to the Future” during the 1980’s). It’s not going to morph suddenly into a future Utopia either (remember 2012?). Nobody is going to get to sleepwalk through the next decade or so, and I’ll stake my astrological reputation on it. Now, before you shut down and call me a negativist and accuse me of fear-mongering, I’d just like to ask you to look at how positive these times and the potential future times can be if we are stimulated, prodded, pushed and otherwise compelled to evolve out of our dysfunctional beliefs, habits and general brainwashing about how things are and how they’re supposed to be. The time for compromising your values or soul-instincts in order to please others and just get along in the Matrix is becoming more untenable with each transit.

This New Moon is only part of the energy that is ripping away the veils from our eyes. It’s activated and activating Uranus in Aries (retrograde) and that guy is traveling in close proximity with his feminine counterpart, the dwarf planet Eris. Eris is like a biker chick that’s looking to disturb your civilised sensibilities. The other activation is the inconjunct (tension) between the New Moon and Chiron retrograde in Pisces. This placement will ask all of us what our deepest despairs, losses and childhood wounds have been, and we will need to feel them, not intellectualize them. No room in the new paradigm for our unhealed inner child baggage. To be soft, yielding and compassionate with ourselves as we invite these soul parts back into the fold is the only way through the tension. It could get very edgy and a bit messy…let it do that. Diplomacy may be in short supply, as there are sudden shocks and insights regarding significant others that may upset your previous assumptions.

Venus and Saturn are the Razor’s Edge Gang today and over the next few days. In a close and tense square to one another, Venus demands a high level of ethics in Virgo…a purity of intent and purpose, while Saturn in Sagittarius is like a prosecuting attorney, pushing the defendant (you, other, or both) to come clean with the truth. Hear that sound? That’s because the veil of illusion and denial getting ripped apart.

Have a box of Kleenex nearby at all times.

Now on to the next order of business, which is about Jupiter and Venus conjunct in Virgo, and which will be in a trine Pluto in Capricorn on October 16th. Perhaps it’s time to watch the markets again.

Business as usual is going to also be undergoing the gravitational crunch over the next few months/years. The old models will be disintegrating at a more accelerated pace. Our economic model is currently fueled by two factors – greed or fear. There’s an astrological art known as mundane astrology that has been tracking trends in the financial and business world since before the last crash in 2008, and they were mostly right about that one happening. Now these astrologers are sounding the alarm bells that we may be headed into another not-so-nice situation, mainly because the fundamentals that caused the downturn in 2008 have never been addressed. In case you think I’m making this stuff up, take a moment to look at some of the headlines. Investors are paying attention...especially to the situation in China. This is only one article, but many governments and financial institutions are getting nervous, or creating the nervousness. Read more about it here.

Can our business model be reformed? For a number of reasons it’s very doubtful. I remember in the 90’s that some people who were awakening spiritually thought it would be possible to hang out in the corporate arena and effect change from the inside out. As former U.S. President Jimmy Carter discovered the hard way, it was easier to campaign on the promise to completely reform the U.S Federal governmental bureaucracy than it was to actually do it. And, as Buckminster Fuller recommended, we will need to invent something new and better to take the place of hyper-capitalism and neo-liberal policies (austerity is good for you!). You probably sense that all is not well with our financial and economic systems, and this is another reason the anxiety is at an all-time high. Perhaps higher than the Dow Jones Index on the Wall Street! The whole planet is operating from a place of cortisol poisoning. Don’t try to ignore it, because it’s not going to go away until we face facts and the truth of our illusions (Virgo-Sagittarius).

One of the primary energies this week is to download your own Soul Program. This will, by its very nature, not be what your mind will think it might be. Your “mission” is unique to you, and, it is integral with everyone else’s mission in one sense or another. You might find yourself outside of the mainstream, and wonder where your tribe/family/allies are hiding out. You may still try to operate within the “system” and it will work for the time being, until it no longer feeds your soul. One thing to assiduously avoid in any case is the idea of spiritual significance. In other words, you and your being here is no more or less important than another soul’s mission or purpose. Cooperation will have to replace the old ideas of competition. You just need to ask for it and cooperate with it, without trying to define it...for now anyway.

It would also be useful to examine some of our unconscious language we utilize in the marketplace and our lives. Here’s one example of what I’m talking about.

For all of us who are in the helping professions, life coaches, therapists, healers, bodyworkers and so forth, I’d recommend ditching the overused and well-worn term “client”. The origin of the word “client” is as follows:

Origin of client:
Old French ; from Classical Latin cliens, follower, retainer ; from Indo-European base an unverified form klei-, to lean, as in Classical Latin clinare (see incline); basic sense, “one leaning on another (for protection)”
Read more at http://www.yourdictionary.com/client#gJat6GGMGuD7eVWp.99

According to one of the Merriam -Webster’s Dictionary references, a client as “a person who engages the professional services of another; also: “patron, customer”.  But get this, the first definition is “dependent.”  

A health coach I know told me that she likes to think of those that come to her that she’s a professional friend for them. That’s a new clarity in the business relationship…being there as a friend!

It’s so ironic. We are all striving to become more self-actualized and self-sufficient, and at the same time we run the risk of becoming dependent on our “clients” and they become dependent on us. The therapeutic model needs an upgrade too. I look around and am amazed that our culture now demands so much of us, and a lot of folks are finding it harder and harder just to keep up. A larger swath of the population than ever before is in therapy, or on medication…or needs to be. Coaching and therapies are proliferating exponentially, and at the same time things are still getting crazier. Just noticing, and wondering if there’s something we’re missing in the equation.

I feel that what most of us really want is quite basic, and very human. We want to feel good!!

We all are Love, and crave love. Finding and feeling acceptance with one another is giving voice to love. To be listened to, seen and deeply understood is love in action. To be enfolded, and to be cherished…just for being human is Love demonstrated. To feel secure in our intimacies, in our strengths and in our vulnerabilities is Love as Protector. To just feel what it would be like without so much striving, stress and worry would be welcome. Should not Life be more than jumping from one stress management and coping mechanism to another? That in itself produces more stress…trying to find things to reduce stress. Do we have to reach the breaking point in order to change? We are so imaginative, inventive and creative…gifts that beg to be made manifest will begin to emerge from the crucible of change, the ripping of the veil. Welcome to the new normal.

Perhaps the planetary eco-emergency is something that will actually propel humanity into sanity again. I don’t know for sure, but we obviously need to behave differently if we, and most of the other species on this world, are to do more than survive. To thrive will require a spiritual renaissance, but I feel it will be more a shamanic and neo-pagan movement than something etherically spiritual, aka the "New Age." Empty yourself of all that you thought you knew…beginner’s mind is required today, tomorrow, and for the next millennia.

I recommend more a return to miracle-mindedness. “A miracle is something that looks impossible, but happens anyway.” That little gem was delivered by a character named Griffin (picture above) in the film “Men in Black 3”. I like it a lot! What we may be on the threshold of discovering is how we can integrate the practical and the magical, the pragmatic and the shamanic. It certainly sounds and looks a whole lot more sustainable and fun than the old model!

Let the veil fall from your eyes, or rip it away, and behold yourself new and renewed. You will see things that have been hidden, that have tranced you out, or numbed you from your true identity. Allow the illusions to crumble, let the child within heal, and may your warrior/lover arise from the ashes of the old order. It’s a New Moon…it’s a new day…it’s a new world, if you want it.

With love,
Isaac

Venus Retrograde in Virgo/Leo – July 25th to September 6th-7th, 2015

By Isaac George
July 24th, 2015

 “One birth was given to you by your parents, the other birth is waiting. It has to be given to you by yourself. You have to father and mother yourself.” - Osho

This month we have a four planet pileup on the celestial motorway, and a fifth vehicle is approaching the scene of the accident and she is too busy texting her boyfriend on her smartphone to notice. Prepare for impact!

I’ve been reading too many other astrology posts about the Venus Retro, and so perhaps I should get that out there front and center. Instead, I’d like to take a different tack regarding astrology, the current spate of retrograde planets, and Venus in particular. 

Between July 25th and early October it’s going to be one thing after another, and since I feel to wander into the nether regions from my usual astro-babble in this report, it might still be useful to provide you with a map of the roadside attractions over the next few month or so. Try not to linger too long at any one of them though. The term “tourist trap” definitely applies here, along with cheaply made souvenirs and questionable snack foods. My focus next week will be on Uranus in Aries retrograde, and then I'll be back in mid-August with a more in depth examination of the action coming up in September.

As we begin, please keep in mind that Saturn, Pluto, Neptune, Chiron are already in retrograde motion.

For your entertainment, I present the line up between now and August 31st –

1.       July 25th: Venus at 00 degrees of Virgo stations (stopping) in preparation to go retrograde (time for review!). (Note: this is also the “Day Out of Time” in the Mayan Long Count Calendar)

2.       July 26th: Venus is now  retrograde at 00 degrees, 45 minutes at 9:56am UT (10:56 BST).  Mars at 21 Cancer trines Chiron at 21 Pisces, and squares Uranus at 20 Aries. Mercury is conjunct Sun at 6 and 3 degrees of Leo. The Moon and Saturn are almost exactly conjunct at 28 Scorpio. Uranus is stationing to go retrograde!  (Note: July 26th in the Mayan Calendar is the first day of their New Year)

3.       July 27th: Uranus goes retrograde at 20 degrees Aries.

4.       July 31st: Full (Blue) Moon at 7 degrees of Aquarius.

5.       Aug 3rd: Saturn goes direct at 28 degrees of Scorpio.

6.       Aug 5th: Venus and Jupiter at 28 degrees of Leo will be in a waning square to Saturn at 28 degrees of Scorpio. Remember – Jupiter expands the effect of this square!

7.       Aug 14th: New Moon at 21 degrees Leo, Venus conjunct at 23 Leo.

8.       Aug 29th: Full Moon at 6 degrees Pisces. Neptune conjunct Moon, Jupiter conjunct Sun.

9.       Sept.1st: Mars conjunct Venus at 14 degrees, 55 minutes of Leo, quincunx Pluto at 13 degrees, 6 minutes of Capricorn, trine the Moon at 12 Aries (Uranus not far away at 19 Aries), and Pallas Athena at 14 degrees of Sagittarius. Sun and Neptune almost exactly in opposition to each other at 8 degrees Virgo and Pisces respectively.  The Nodes are at 2 degrees Libra-Aries, and getting closer to moving into Virgo and Pisces, and the South Node is now in a loose out-of-sign trine to Saturn in Scorpio – old patterns from past lives emerge. A very active day!

10.   Sept. 7th: Venus goes direct in Leo at 14 degrees, 24 minutes. This is close to the same degree Venus was at when it entered the shadow period just around the Solstice on June 21st.

As you may surmise, the next 35-40 days are going to be quite a journey of discovery…in many guises. I would like to remind my readers that the overall tone still in effect during all of these transits is the Uranus-Pluto cycle recently completed in March. This still rings on through all of this…a fundamental note that our inner ear is listening to regardless of the noise levels in the foreground. The subharmonics to the Venus Retrograde are Saturn, Pluto, Uranus, Neptune and Chiron all retrograde as well. A change of consciousness is taking place, but is it all that we are hoping for? Here is where I may diverge from the conventional path regarding the nature and values we assign to Venus.

Venus isn’t just about our love life, or money, or creating a beautiful living environment. In the sign of Leo, it is not just about love affairs, frivolity or fun. Leo can also take itself too seriously, as in trying too hard to be the center of attention. Venus can be lazy and lackadaisical…inattentive and selfish. There can be a tendency with Venus in Leo to become narcissistic or obsessive with the reflection of others (“oh yes, your Highness, you ARE beautiful!). This is the archetype of the Dark Queen in the fairy tale of Snow White. Who the heck is the fairest of them all! Above all, this transit will test all of us in one particularly sensitive area – the wounded or immature Feminine within all of us, whether male or female.

I would like to illustrate this point by quoting from a recent article about  Venus Retrograde from astrologer Sarah Varcas. I was particularly touched by her following words…

“The challenge of this Venus retrograde is to bridge the gap between isolated self-reliance and nourishing interdependence. We do this by embracing those Virgoan nuances. Venus cannot live only within and remain happy, healthy and whole. She needs connection, comfort, affection and attachment to thrive. Venus fans the flames of love and brings us together to share it. She naturally reaches out to connect, not within to detach.” (Read the full post here).

With Venus moving retrograde from staid and analytical Virgo back into Leo, there may be a danger of spending too much time in self-reflection. Yes, it doesn’t help to constantly seek attention from outside of ourselves, and demand the loyalty and admiration of others. Nor is it healthy for us to feel that the only way to feel empowered and safe is to look at our outer relationships as inferior or as a threat to our independence. People will test us, and our patience, during this time; however, I would caution against making any snap judgments or taking any unilateral action to wholeheartedly embrace or strongly disengage from anyone.  Regret is not something you want to be fiddling around with come the middle of September.

There may be painful relationship memories arising, or some long lost love from the past may show up that will activate these patterns. Someone new may enter your life to complete unfinished business that looks and feels like someone from your past. Caution: is this in your best interest...or will there only be more tears?

Perhaps you are in a relationship that is teetering on the brink. Decide if it is worth staying in or getting out, but don’t take any firm action until after Venus moves direct on September 6th-7th.  Or better yet, make a plan, and don’t make it real until after October 9th, when Venus moves out of the retrograde shadow period. This doesn’t mean remaining silent till the last minute, so engaging in dialogue consciously to discover what is really in the hearts of all parties, especially your own, is certainly appropriate. Honour yourself first, but respect the feelings of others as much as possible.

I feel we are just now learning how to merge and unmerge consciously with each other. Empowerment does not include distancing from, or exiling yourself or the other. Merging does not have to mean a loss of self, at least not in the old way. However, unless you are willing to relinquish some control, you cannot even know your larger Self, or the Self within the Other. 

I wonder if some of our current focus on authenticity and empowerment is in some way caught up by our egos attempting to assert even more control. As most spiritual disciplines teach, only a reduction of ego can accompany a corresponding degree of realization of our real “self”, which is inimically connected to the entire Web of Life and all beings in it. We need to  become more aware and self-compassionate, not more egocentric.  We are in the midst of re-parenting ourselves, and we will need others to assist us in this quest for sanity. Life is not at war with itself…except in our own minds. An inner marriage will also have to have its counterpart in the outer…it must in order to demonstrate something different to human consciousness. This is how we learn and evolve…we observe and emulate from something that looks and feels better.

Ultimately, this is a quest for Love…love that is real, sustainable and fulfilling. True to the nature of Leo, it’s all about the Heart. A lion is fierce, protective, and diligent. The opposite polarity of Leo is Aquarius, so it is essential to be mindful that this work of the Self is bound up with and benefits, or harms, the wider community we belong to. What we think, how we express our thoughts and feelings, and how we act upon them in our lives touches everyone at some level. We must be just as eager to receive as to give, to be nurtured as to nurture. What that will look like and how you desire for it to show up in your life, in equality and in tenderness, is completely up to you.

Let us be courageous as is possible. Don’t fear Love, for Ecstasy is our natural state of being. But first, we will have to be surrendered to it.

With love,
Isaac

(I give a nod to Diva Sarah McClachlan for the inspiration of this blog title)