As fall gives way to the winter months, and the land has given up its harvest and begins to become barren, being grateful that we will be able to survive through the season, comes to mind.  The early pilgrims celebrated with the Indians that they would survive and see another year and again toil the land to see many more winters in this new unknown territory.  The thoughts of being thankful and humble gave them the humility and understanding to accept help and develop the resources and inventions to survive and prosper in this new world.  These days it is harder for us to be grateful and thankful for what we have, because life is so much easier, or so we think.  What planets give us the ability to be grateful and thankful came to mind as I was thinking about this matter?

Jupiter and Saturn the gods of the ancient world does the trick for us, but not alone and separate, but as twins (as in the sign of Gemini) working in harmony to bring about the world we wish to live in.  Their work is so tied together, that they appear to be like Siamese twins, where one can not tell who is doing what to what.  It all comes out in the wash as one, and we are very happy that it does.  Saturn gives us structure, organization, consistency, security, stamina, steadfastness, limitations and boundaries.  The power of Saturn to help the individual to be true to it self, and to have the perseverance, endurance, conscientiousness, patience, wisdom, dependability, and consistency helps one to solve difficult situations and tribulations.

Jupiter represents trust, belief, growth, impetus, thriving, good fortune, prosperity, and the broadening of one’s horizons.  A developed sense of morality, ethics, truth, understanding, principles, and values which would represent what the individual stands for.  Jupiter also means wisdom, hope, grace, confidence, affluence, optimism, generosity, expansion and abundance.  Furthermore Jupiter together with Saturn means appearance, formation, compression, concentration, obligation, justice, law and order.

Depending on what signs and aspects these two planets are making with one another, and then to the other planets in the natal chart, will determine how much gratitude will come naturally to the individual.  In cases where the individual is hampered by their chart, one will use the chart’s information to help the individual gain the gratitude needed.  As I have always stated, the natal chart only indicates, it does not destine the individual to that fate.  I believe that although God may have given us problems and hardships to deal with, he has also given us the ability and assets to overcome the situation.

With gratitude on our side we begin to realize and appreciate what ever is given to us in this life, whether large or small.  Being grateful to God allows our subconscious to be open to all that comes our way, and being open we are able to see all the good that He has created for us.  Have you ever noticed during your daily routine, when one has been thankful to someone for their kindness and appreciated what was done, how that particular individual tries to do even more for you.  How can God do any less?  Actually I believe that the good for us is already here, but it is our gratitude that opens our vision to what is already in our harvest and bounty.  It is like the old saying “Is the glass half full or half empty?”, and it is true with how we see our lives.  So remember, the harvest and bounty is already in, and if we are grateful for it, our vision will be to see it, and it will manifest in our lives. 

Astrology that keeps you in-sync. Guy Spiro’s original AstroWeather®.

Rihanna’s album sales for RATED R are projected to sell only 200,000 copies, while Susan Boyle, contestant from America’s Got Talent is projected to sell her by 275% @ 550,000 copies.    As a result, her entire album has been dropped to 99 cents.

Knowing how much Rihanna’s camp are pimping her out and pushing that she’s beautiful and sexy and talented on us (doesn’t work on POP PROPHECY–we’re too magical!) it’s refreshing to see that “underdog” Susan Boyle who basically has no PR campaign beats Rihanna by such a margin.

This isn’t the first brush of difficulty for Rihanna, remember when she was going broke?  She was rumored to be only worth 20 thou’; all of her income being spent on music videos to promote her.  And of course, the abusive relationship with Chris Brown.

I think if she looked like THIS again, her album sales would increase:

By the way, when we googled “long weave”, a slew of America’s Next Top Model pictures came up, LOL.

Unfortunately for Rihanna, Pop Prophecy doesn’t see things improving for her in the near future.  Her music is at odds with her fans right now and we are seeing another incident of difficulty in store.  What will it be?  Stay tuned!

TWEET THIS “Rihanna FAILS?”

Rihanna’s Twitter (144,500+ followers)

We’re watching the heavens so you don’t have to.

The moon entered Aries on November 26th, 2009 @ 22:10 EST.
Hope Moon in Pisces wasn’t too bad! Comment!

TWEET THIS to your friends ”Horoscope: Nov 26-29″!

Our focus changes from resting on our laurels to being influenced to take action and be more productive.

On the early 27th, we feel the period beginning most, and it starts with stressful energy, and potential for chaos.

We will face difficulty keeping up with our longterm goals and plans that we’ve started; the energy to continue our goals may be lacking, or we may have fears that they are impossible.

If you are overly feeling this energy–take a break while you plan your next actions for when you don’t feel so overwhelmed, rest momentarily and come back better than before ( continued… click link below )

Relationships will be shaken; those at the tipping point will break. Committment will be a challenge. Some of you may realize the harsh truth of your relationships; that certain someone wasn’t all they were cracked up to be. Important relationships may end, but you should find this as a beneficial thing.

It is an excellent time to focus on “you”. If you’ve had to end an important relationship, you’ll find it easier to cope now and live the single life again happily–if you choose to.

Thankfully, after the peak of this stressful energy we will have a sense of optimism and good fortune, “that everything will work out”. It will, if you keep the faith. We’ll find abundant energy to be creative and realize goals and dreams. So again, focus on you and making things happen, you’ll find it a better than normal time to do so.
Around the 28th, you’ll have lots of energy to burn so make good use of it. Home matters may come to the forefront, and those of you who work at home will find this time very productive.

At the end of this period it’s very good for being social, and paying attention to your health. We will feel a sense of general good fortune concerning our goals; don’t be too overconfident because it will easily lead to setbacks.

Money
Watch your wallet, you may see opportunities for income but don’t use it as an excuse to spend more money than usual right now. Money should improve around the 28th. Wait until the 28th to splurge.

Love & Dating

If single, dating is recommended, but don’t get too invested. If you’re just looking for fun, this is an excellent time for fun but not committment.

If you’re in a relationship, this is the time to focus on yourself and reaching YOUR own goals. If you don’t know what they are, it’s time that you define them. There may be hiccups in the early part of this period in your relationships–be strong–you’ll find it easy communicating with your partner in the later part, and the romance should strengthen.

Career
At first, there will be certain stress. But afterwards, this is a good time for career. Work will be a strong focus, but the energy should be more light and carefree. Try to advance and show your superior that you’re worth it, they’ll notice. Your mental abilities will be enhanced.

This period officially ends in the early morning on November 29th, 2009 @ 5:33 EST.

Enjoy Moon in Aries!

vesta @ pop prophecy

While I usually pay little attention to pseudo-sciences such as Astrology, I must admit to being a bit entertained by one of the local paper’s Sunday Horoscope section.  This is not your average Fortune Cookie horoscope; there are no lucky numbers included.  The guy who writes the column is something of a goofball, but I can’t stop reading them because they are so bizarre.

We all know that most horoscopes are written such that they could apply to just about anyone; much like a fortune teller at a carnival.  But this guy is way off the chart; the astrological chart.  I suspect he drinks a little too much Zinfandel wine out of the box.

Now bear with me because I’m going to quote his column for you:  Oh – btw, my sign is Capricorn; yes I’m a December baby.

“A neurosis is a secret that you don’t know you are keeping…your assignment is to uncover one of those secrets in yourself.  It may not result in an instantaneous cure of your minor personality glitch, but it will be a potent first step that will set in motion a series of healing events.  Be brave, Capricorn.  I guarantee that any ugliness  you might find lodged deep inside you will be entangled with surprising beauty.”

Excuse me?  I beg your pardon?  Are you talking to me?!  I’m a closet neurotic?  I have a minor personality glitch?  Get out!   And I’m supposed to search deeply for that nagging neurosis and do something with it so it turns into a healing event?   Have you not heard of the Hadron Supercollider experiments which could conceivably lead to the end of the world and do you fully understand what could happen to the universe if I let out one of my deep, dark secrets?   Ahem.  Okay.  I’ll do it but just because I’m a good sport; not because I have any secret neuroses hidden at all.  None.  Well, maybe three.  But that’s all.  Three…and they’re small.  Well, two of them are small.  One is massive.  I’m letting the massive neurosis out of the box…

I detest Oprah Winfrey.  There I’ve said it.  I’ve kept that hidden deep within me for years now for fear of having the hordes of Opraites stampede my door and demand my head on a platter.  I can’t stand to look at her; to listen to her; to see her constantly changing hairdos.  Half the time I don’t recognize her – she’s fat, she’s thin, she’s fat, she’s thin.  I don”t care to hear about her precious little school on the other side of the world (we love you Mama Oprah) gag (while there are children here in America who could use a hand up).  I’m sick to death of her book club picks and refuse to read them.  I believe I have better literary sense than she.  I don’t give a fat fuzzy rat’s patootie if she hangs out with Stedman or with her BFF Gayle.  I could give a hoot what her favorite items are; and,  if she endorses a political candidate you can be danged sure I won’t. I detest her magazine  O (how original); I abhor her favorite Dr. Phil. She almost sucked me in with Dr. Oz but he’s getting on my last nerve, too, sanctimonious skinny thing.    Wait…I need to take a breath…okay now recently she had a major announcement to make and ya know what?  She sucked me in and I actually watched this broad stand in front of an audience of vapid women, and she did a fine acting job as she shed a tear and announced she was retiring…in ANOTHER TWO FLIPPIN’ YEARS!  Oh for the love of Mike — I was dancin’ around my family room until it dawned on me I was gonna have to put up with her for another season or two before she would actually be gone.

Did I successfully lay bare my soul for you and spew forth that deep-seated neurosis that’s been haunting me for over 20 years?  Coz I certainly feel better for having gotten that out of my system finally.  Maybe there is something to this astrology stuff — I mean it always worked for Nancy Reagan…

A treatise published in 2000 BC or so, The Lamentation Over the Destruction of Sumer and Ur bemoaned the fate of Ur, a Sumerian city destroyed in 2400 BC by the Gutian army. In it the goddess Ningal cries for the loss of her city, appealing to the angry god Enlil in an attempt to avert his destructive wrath. This apocryphal tale of destruction, havoc and the end of a way of life represents the fear that an entire society will be annihilated, a civilization wiped from the face of the earth.

Mesopotamians were not alone in this fear, and in fact, to a certain extent, we still worry about this kind of destruction today. The current attention to the Mayan calendar, which is purported to “end” in 2012, is an indication that human fear of annihilation has not changed, and provides some evidence that we are no more rational nowadays than we were thousands of years ago.

An archeology source says about Ur, that it “is known in the Bible as Ur of the Chaldees. This biblical name, Ur of the Chaldees, refers to the Chaldeans, who settled the area about 900 B.C. It is known as the ancient city of the Sumerian civilization and the home of Abraham, father of the Hebrews. Its ruins are between the modern city of Baghdad, Iraq, and the head of the Persian Gulf. The site is now known as Tall al Muqayyar, Iraq. The site of ancient Ur is located 140 miles south of Babylon. It was the capital of a small wealthy empire during the third millennium B.C. Most of the great ziggurat of Ur is still standing.

Archaeologists were spurred by biblical accounts to excavate mounds in what is now Iraq. There they uncovered the ancient civilizations of Assyria, Babylonia, Sumeria, and Ur. These excavations, along with others, confirmed and expanded on the historical accounts offered in the Bible.”

Here is a satellite image of the ancient city of Ur:

The interesting thing is that we still carry a fundamental fear that annihilation and the destruction of our world is possible, and we imagine all sorts of scenarios to account for this fear. My favorite is the remote possibility that Earth will be hit by a random asteroid large enough to cause an enormous dust cloud to obscure the sun (since this possibility seems the most likely). However, what we have in common with the Mesopotamians is our fear of the unknown, that a disaster we are powerless to stop will overcome us eventually. The current attention to the apocryphal fears of disaster presaged by the Mayan calendar indicates that Nicholas Campion’s assertion that humans have not ‘progressed’ at all in some ways, is absolutely true.

The massive and impressive ziggurat of the great ancient city of Ur, still standing in Iraq:

More about Ur, for those who are interested:

1. Chronology of Ancient Mesopotamian History
2. An overview of ancient mesopotamian History
3. Why mesopotamian Myths?

The air is clear these days. The waxing moon is crystal bright out here in the suburban backwoods, and sometimes I sit and stare at it, maybe smiling a little. Don’t know why.

I’m a crazy fan of astrology. What started out as a hobby back in high school has stuck with me longer than just about any other interest in life. Here’s a little touch of who I am on the inside, via www.astro.com:

Moon in the Fifth House

The Moon was found in the fifth house at the time of your birth. This indicates that you will participate actively in business speculations with many changes occurring in this respect. You were born with a knack for dealing with people and with the ability to communicate with them, particularly in connection with business enterprises.

Your emotional nature is very much geared to your love of pleasure, and you possess a very curious aptitude which may bring you financial gains as well as pleasures in business.

In spite of the positive qualities you have, the fact of the matter is that in love you are very changeable, unstable, or too preoccupied with trivialities. [this should be embarrassingly obvious to anyone who knows me or reads this blog.]

Your love feelings are very well developed and lead to strong drives for sensations and passionate tendencies which unfortunately are not directed to one object alone.

It is possible that throughout life you may be connected with small and numerous business investments with a fairly good return.

Honestly, yes, this is me. Small businesses? Got that. I’m working on two right now. Passionate tendencies? That too. I have a difficult time dealing with celibacy, but I can make it work for a few months at a time if I must. Preoccupied with trivialities? Oh, very definitely so.

For those of us in the States, Thanksgiving weekend is upon us again. For some of us, it’s about food and family and friends, a gathering in before the dark of the year falls on us. For many of us, consciously or unconsciously, it’s about reckoning, a chance to take stock before we lose the light. Where have we been, where are we going, what have we received, what have we given?

We celebrate our abundance and pray for those who are not so fortunate. We give what we can. We bring groceries to food banks, volunteer, offer money to charities. All these things are wonderful, and necessary. They allow us to connect. They bring the world back into balance.

Some of us have a harder time connecting. This year, I’m going to spare a prayer for those who are experiencing a different kind of darkness. There are many of us these days who, in the midst of abundance, are suffering. There are many of us who are surrounded by others, and still painfully alone. There are many of us trapped in self-loathing and self-criticism, who will never know the simple beauty of just being, and being loved for that being. There are many of us who can’t break patterns that we know are destroying us. There are many of us who cannot see those patterns. The darkness of ignorance is the greatest darkness of all.

As astrologers, we are blessed. No matter how deep the darkness, astrology provides a lamp. Through that lamp, we have the light of knowledge and the warmth of understanding, and we can find the way home, for ourselves and others. Sometimes I think we don’t have enough appreciation for this great, profound art of ours. We get so wrapped up in technique and result and observation that we forget the great healing that it can provide. We forget that the simplest thing, a word of wisdom in the right place at the right time, can change a human life for the better.

This year, I am grateful for whatever conflagration of events, whatever greater plan, has led me here–to a place where I am continually humbled and amazed at the ordering power of the universe. The study of astrology allows us to soar, and to fall, and to soar higher for that falling. It teaches us that we are of the Earth, but we hold divinity within us, in all of its power and its majesty. There is no greater gift, and those of us who are lucky enough to walk this path are a blessed few. Let’s all give thanks.

Astrology that keeps you in-sync. Guy Spiro’s original AstroWeather®.

This week is my first ever book signing. It is at Mary Ryans in Milton (Brisbane) from 11am on this Saturday November 28th. Get yourself down there. I’ll be practising the art of my signature and short written one-liners all day today.

Getting a book out and about in the world is quite an adventure. Having just done a massive mail-out to all the ex-subscribers of my ex-website, and having delivered all the clues of bookshops I know around this country to my publisher I now feel like a fisherman who has cast his line and now gets to wait – whilst telling tall stories to whoever will listen. All the details about how to buy the book, wherever you are around the globe, are below in this blog.

I am intrigued by the relationship of Astrology to the place of No-mind, Zen, Dhyan, Witnessing, whatever you want to call it, that is at the very heart of my quest. Astrology is a description of the wheel and how to navigate it. Witnessing is the hub. Astrology only works for me when it is an aid to resting at the centre of the wheel. It seems that there is a way to use astrology so that it becomes a working description of the nature of the wheel, an opportunity to make peace with one’s foibles, and hence have an easy passage to the miracle of centering. Without the wheel there would be no sense of what the centre could be. Without the centre, the wheel wouldn’t exist. To define a genuinely holistic version of the stars in this lifetime seems to be one of my tasks. Finally I really feel like taking it on. Then there is of course also the band…..

I just got back from playing with Lion Island in the Grand Finals of the Tooheys Uncharted competition. 2,000 bands entered and we made it to the last three. That’s pretty damn amazing. I am glad we didn’t win. I could see a potential pact with the devil looming there. We did however have a great time playing at The Annandale Hotel using fantastic equipment, in front of a bunch of music industry personages. It is always so much fun to play. Definitely one of our best gigs. There is a recording of it in existence. Who knows it might make it into circulation. I’ve only heard little bits but it sounded pretty good.

We travelled well. Airports and taxi transfers and hotel rooms and lots of luggage and eight fellow lions to yabber on to at all hours of the day and night in the big smoke of Sydney. If this becomes a lifestyle it could become a source of much writing. Lord knows what it will do to my stars. It’s not all glory that’s for sure. Fun nevertheless. And what a blast to get to play this wild and wonderful music in a great band in my pre-dotage years.

We are playing three gigs in three days this weekend if you happen to be in Brisvegas. Friday night supporting The Gin Club at The Zoo (We’re on at 8.50), Saturday Night at The Troubadour, not sure what time we are on (Check out The Troubadour website) and at 3.30pm on Sunday afternoon in the park behind the Ithaca swimming pool in Paddington (Opposite Suncorp Stadium). Be there.

To Buy my Book

If you are in Australia or New Zealand the best way is to order from your local bookshop. Quote the title “Astrology for Those Who Won’t Admit They’re Interested” the author “Sudhir” The ISBN 978 1 921555 07 7 and the publisher – Boolarong Press (Salisbury – Queensland) Doing it this way helps us to get bookshops to notice it and stock it all around the country. The recommended retail price is $19.95 (AUS)

You can also buy it directly from the Boolarong Press website. www.boolarongpress.com.au It can be shipped anywhere in Australia, NZ or the rest of the world.

If you have any problems sourcing it, let me know and I will do my best to sort it out. My e-mail address is astropoetica@gmail.com

I AM definitely available for sessions, to run workshops and give talks. Lionisland can be found on MySpace and at Bandcamp as well as at our website www.lionislandband.com My solo songs are up at Bandcamp.com, itunes and more. All the links are here on this homepage. (To your right)

Enjoy!

Sudhir

AstroSwami Pro & AstroSwami Lite iPhone Apps

GET PERSONAL! It’s an App About YOU! – Now your personalized horoscope predictions AND remedies are just a click away! Merging today’s most popular technology and the ancient, scientific knowledge of Vedic Astrology, a pioneering concept “ASTROSWAMI PRO” offers solutions to your life’s problems on your iPhone.

Bored of flipping through all those generic weekly star-sign columns? Tired of scanning the newspapers for astrologers who offer ‘100 % guarantee’ to resolve your personal or business problems?

Fastest growing Astrology portal, SIMPLYASTRO.COM has launched a path-breaking iPhone App, ASTROSWAMI PRO, making your access to Vedic Astrology a matter of freewill!

First iPhone App in its most user-friendly avatar, ASTROSWAMI PRO will provide personalized predictions and remedies, in the process asserting itself as the ONLY iPhone service that provides quality content with utmost accuracy. What’s more? The App works equally well for iPod Touch too!!

With year 2010 closing in, ASTROSWAMI PRO can be your best friend, philosopher and guide using Astrology as the Science to direct your path in life. Download the App, provide your birth details and know what the New Year has in store for YOU from the comfort of your home or office and that too at fraction of the price you’ll shell out for the astrologer’s fees.

While most online Astrology services provide generic predictions, the ASTROSWAMI PRO iPhone App will bring the key suite of Personalized Prediction & Remedies services existing on the website SIMPLYASTRO.COM to your iPhone.

“The launch of AstroSwami iPhone App is a strategic step forward in targeting the iPhone savvy market segment which includes not only Indian, American, British, Australian, Canadian population but communities and cultures worldwide who believe in astrology as a guiding force in life,” says Mr. Shiv Verma, CEO, SIMPLYASTRO.COM

ASTROSWAMI PRO takes a serious and believable course in its zodiac principles, as it follows Indian Vedic Astrology along with Western Astrology. It’s not just any other frivolous, silly App that is not about YOU. It gives you the ability to change birth details to not only read your personalized predictions and remedies but also do the same for your family members and friends!

It has over 200,000+ birth place cities information across the world and adding several more every day.

This App has been designed with written rules that also applied well in terms of predictions in the past for various top celebrities. “We took birth details of various celebrities and followed their day to day lives and key events to determine the accuracy of the personalized predictions our software generated. The results were astounding! The computerized calculations reduces the possibilities of human error, which may otherwise affect the predictions made by astrologers,” says Mr.Verma.

“I’ll admit I was surprised – maybe a bit spooked – at the accuracy of AstroSwami.

In fact my boyfriend’s first impression of ASTROSWAMI PRO was “trippy.” I can’t think of a better word to describe this app.  Like any good girl, I made a beeline for the love prediction tab and was pleasantly greeted with a very descriptive summary and analysis of my attractions and relationships, with several poignant insights.”– A review by Jackie Judge on AppStruck.com

Below are few of the highlights of the ASTROSWAMI PRO’s PERSONALIZED Predictions & Remedies based on your birth date.

This is a Paid feature available when you download the “ASTROSWAMI PRO” iPhone App. For a very limited time this is priced very low for you to avail the opportunity!

• Yearly Prediction (based on the most important theme of VarshPhal)

• Number Analysis, Predictions & Favorable Years

• Saturn Transit (Sade Satti) Analysis, Predictions & Remedies

• Lucky Gem Stones Analysis, Predictions & Remedies

• Red Book (Lal Kitab) yearly Analysis, Predictions & Remedies

• Zodiac Sign based Daily, Weekly and Monthly Prediction

• Love Zodiac Sign based Monthly Prediction

ASTROSWAMI LITE is a FREE version from “ASTROSWAMI PRO.” Below are few of the highlights of the ASTROSWAMI LITE iPhone App:

General Zodiac Predictions – Based on your zodiac sign, ASTROSWAMI provides you insight into:

• Daily Predictions
• Weekly Predictions
• Monthly Predictions

Love Zodiac Predictions – Based on your zodiac sign, ASTROSWAMI provides you insight and predictions into your Love aspects of life for the given month.

More details about the app features can be found at http:// www.SimplyAstro.com/iphone

Yesterday I wrote a blog about Sagittarian energy.  Today I want to discuss how we can best utilize this energy considering the movements that other planets will be making during this time.

On December 1, Uranus goes Direct in Pisces.   Uranus, the planet of enlightenment, rebellion, and upheavals, has been in Pisces, the sign of compassion, self-sacrifice, and a movement towards divine union, since 2003.  Uranus’ placement in Pisces has caused humanity to look in non-traditional places in order to connect with the Divine and the energy that helps us to evolve.  People will tend to go off of the well-beaten path to find other ways to define and manifest their beliefs.  As Uranus goes Direct, we can anticipate its arrival in Aries, the sign of beginnings, leadership, and warrior strength in 2010.

On December 5, Mercury enters Capricorn.  Because I tend to relate astrology to the orishas, I compare Mercury to Elegba, the orisha who is the holder of ashe (God’s life force) and the one who takes our prayers to God (called Olodumare in Yoruba).  He is the messenger, just as Mercury is the messenger Roman mythology.  In astrology, Mercury symbolizes the rational mind and that we perceive and communicate.  Capricorn energy is similar to Ochosi, the orisha of the hunt who always hits his mark.  Ochossi is the energy of focus and direction balance, judgment, and reason, just as Capricorn is — all about hard work, intense concentration, and ambition.   Mercury in Capricorn is about focusing the mind in order to reach our goals.  On December 7, Mercury conjuncts Pluto in Capricorn.  Pluto, to me, relates to Oya, the orisha of the air, winds, and transformation.  When combined (or conjunct) with another planet, Pluto brings a heightened intensity.  So Pluto’s energy only heightens that sense of focus!  Mercury also squares Saturn in Capricorn on December 7.  Saturn is the planet of limitation, restriction, and karma — the great teacher –is the ruler of Capricorn and thus represents Ochosi…even more intense focus.   It may be very beneficial to hold some sort of goal-setting ceremony on December 7, asking Ochosi and Oya to help to have the intensity of focus and ambition in order to meet your goals.

Ochosi, orisha of the hunt. He brings balance, reason, focus, and direction.

Mars goes retrograde in Leo on December 20.  Mars is the planet of courage, aggression, and strength and relates closely to Ogun, the orisha of war, truth, and iron.  Like Elegba and Ochosi, Ogun is a warrior orisha.  Leo is a fire sign, a sign of will, strength, and creativity.  I liken Leonine energy to the energy of the orisha Shango, the orisha of thunder, lightening, justice, dance, and the sacred bata drums.  With Mars in Leo, it’s like Ogun and Shango linking up to create a very strong, very willful, very “hear me roar” evergy.  That’s the energy we now have the privilege to enjoy and this current placement is a good time to try something new and to let go of the fears that hinder our true expression.  However, once this retrogradation occurs, the energy becomes a lot more introspective and become egotistical and narcissistic.  If you are a leader, watch your back because people may feel the need to rebel.

Shango, orisha of thunder and lightening, justice, and the bata drums.

Ogun, orisha of iron, war, and truth.

We’re in a new astrological month — it’s a time to celebrate!  We have shifted from the inner transformational energy of Scorpio to the broad-minded, philosophical energy of Sagittarius.  Sagittarius is ruled by the planet Jupiter, the planet of optimism, idealism, and expansion of the our minds and thoughts.  In our astrological natal charts, Jupiter shows us how we connect to a higher order and how we express our inner faith and idealism. 

Obatala: Orisha of peace, purity, and fatherhood

Like Jupiter, Sagittarian energy is enthusiastic, optimistic, and idealistic — almost to a fault!  Though there is some debate about the issue, I believe that Sagittarian energy is very similar to that of  Obatala, the orisha of peace and purity.   Not only is Obatala the father of humanity just like Jupiter/Zeus in Roman mythology, but the peace of mind that Obatala brings strengthens our inner faith and helps us to stay optimistic even when facing the trials that life bring.

During the next Sagittarian month, this is a time to rejuvenate our minds and refocus ourselves on our goals.  What dreams have you had that you have given up on?  Ask Obatala to help you remember those long lost dreams and to give you the energy and passion to realize them!

For anyone who is new to astrology, it is important to remember one very basic thing:  you are far more than just your sun sign.  In fact, your sun sign may play a somewhat minor role in your chart, depending on other factors. 

For example, many sun sign scorpios do not identify with the stereotype of being highly sexed and deeply jealous.  This is because the sign of scorpio, like all the other signs, is shorthand for a particular method in which the psyche functions.  It is not a description of who the person is. 

Of course, there will be similar outward manifestations that are witnessable from one scorpio to the next (be it Sun or Mars orVenus or the north node, etc.).  But this is only the tip of the iceberg.  How scorpio the sign functions is far more interesting than some worn out descriptions of how it appears on the outside.

Scorpio in the chart conveys an area in which the psyche senses that there is something lacking.  A negative bank account.  A lack of self worth.  At the deepest unconscious level, scorpio feels it must be watchful for others’ attempts at undermining it, stealing its power, and yet it also wishes to go very deep emotionally with another in order to seal a binding connection that cannot be broken.  This is how scorpio ensures its value and its right to exist.

Scorpios are often very gentle souls (whether by sun, venus, etc).  They have often witnessed some of the toughest situations in life, enduring abuse or witnessing the pain endured by their loved ones.  This is why scorpio so wishes to heal others, and his willingness to visit the dark corners where the rest of us are afraid to go allow him to do so.  He is often a protecter of those who cannot defend themselves, for he is deeply affected by the misuse of power that is rampant in the world.

Every single sign in the chart plays out in each of us.  You may be a sun sign gemini and have no planets in scorpio, but scorpio is still prominent if there are any planets in your eighth house.  And if there’s nothing in your eighth house, scorpio still functions in your chart through the planet Pluto, just as it does in everyone’s chart, because Pluto is the manifest form of scorpio energy.  So the question is not, do I have scorpio in my chart?  The question is, where does scorpio function in my chart?

Okay, enough about scorpio.  On to more light-hearted things…

I did this version for the Sagittarius sign..She was one of my top favorites…Ruled by jupiter and usually known for being outgoing..I know little about the sun sign except my beloved sister in-law is a sag. She is married to my brother who is a quiet homebody work at the office all day type of guy and she is the EXACT OPPOSITE!!!! She is an outgoing, attractive, young spirited artists. She makes no apologies for her life, work, or mistakes. I appreciate those traits in her. As for the marriage…It’s still going strong after 16 years…The color scheme never quite worked out on this.so this is a case where the outline works better on the shirt. Although I love her…the colors don’t do her justice.
any comments?