As I’m writing this, the planetoid Chiron is in the last critical degree (29th degree) of Pisces where it traveled for eight years. Chiron may be considered a minor planet in astronomy terms, but from the astrological perspective, Chiron is highly significant, and every transit and aspect brings incredible shifts. If you feel like you’ve been going through a purging of emotions/energies or have suddenly awoken to new perspectives and/or developments — you’re not alone.

Chiron is termed the “wounded healer” in alignment with its legendary mythos. It was first discovered in 1977 during a period of intense collective healing and cultural acceleration. When Chiron travels through a sign, it surfaces hidden wounds and stimulates healing of those wounds in powerful ways. The past eight years of Chiron in Pisces reframed our relationship with Source, the ways in which we are globally connected, the rose-colored glasses some of us wear (and others remove), new methods of escapism, and our ability to connect energetically and explore unseen realms. As an example, the use of mind-altering substances and plant medicines reached new heights. And — while it’s not something I have any experience in — plants such as ayahuasca or cannabis have become much more prevalent as a resource for healing. The surge of global connection through social media and online learning offered new opportunities for exploration and self-healing, while also opening up an interesting conversation around electronic addiction and escapism (some of the wounds of Pisces). Collective healing was the primary energy of Chiron in Pisces, and now that shift focuses on the self.

Aries is all about the self, the ego, and personal identity. It corresponds with the first house of the natal chart and the newborn age, in which the identity is moldable, fluid, and begins to take shape based on genetics, karma, and external influences. It is the beginning of the natal wheel, so the transit into Aries TOMORROW (Feb. 18, 2019) represents a new karmic cycle of healing. Aries is a fire starter and a trailblazer. It is a highly masculine sign, and those with Aries influence tend to be leaders with a strong presence and ability to inspire others. I expect Chiron in Aries (where it will be until 2027!) will bring some much needed healing to the masculine and ego, and shed light on areas where these energies have been out of balance.

There is a notion that because the masculine has gone through a period of imbalance, that somehow the energy is negative or needs to convert to a feminine energy, or that somehow feminine energy needs to be more masculine and dominant in order to retain balance. In my opinion, perfect balance is achieved when both energies rediscover their true essence and exist in respect and harmony. I don’t think it’s helpful to project negativity on either side — rather it’s time to shed a positive light on aspects of both polarities: masculine and feminine, yin and yang, light and shadow, etc. That is how healing begins to truly take place. And it’s all beautiful.

I also believe our existence is about to go through an identity crisis of sorts. This is beginning to happen as awareness increases and we become more curious about who and what we are, where we come from, and the basis of existential reality. There could be big decisions on the horizon, such as: How much influence do we give technology over our everyday lives? How do we reclaim our personal power? How can we best use our gifts to benefit society? How can we embrace our authentic nature? How can we become more connected to what is real and tangible? Those who are more aligned to leadership roles will likely have to step up and accelerate their path quickly. It will feel like things are moving fast, and opportunities and connections will seem to appear out of thin air.

This is a good time to release any negative influences/patterns and surge forward with confidence and strength. I can already feel the changes begin to percolate both personally and collectively. It has been a difficult few months for many people, but it’s helping us prepare for this new shift and cycle of healing. The journey of self-exploration and discovery is here — and it’s going to be a powerful time.

Oh, winter...⁣
What golden waves of color you paint,⁣
Barely lighting the ground with your dusky rays.⁣
The way widens, so I keep my eyes open,⁣
Lest everything change and die⁣
⁣
My days are spent seeking shelter from old stories.⁣
Holding a lantern to those who need a light⁣
Through hardened ground and clearer paths through the trees,⁣
Air so light it electrifies my veins.⁣
⁣
Oh, winter...⁣
Everything has changed⁣
And everything stays the same,⁣
In this life and the next.⁣
But all I can do is stay silent and wait.⁣
I’ve done all that I can do.⁣
⁣
Yet I work to make my lantern brighter.⁣
In guiding the way, I always find the sun⁣
And winter’s milky golden glow,⁣
Just warm enough to soften the heart in eclipses’ chill.⁣
Keeping eyes open,⁣
Stronger every day,⁣
And waiting still.

Like Persephone, I feel the icy grip of Hades’ hand,
Turning meadow flowers into cold wet leaves and darkness.
Fragments of memories dust the land with white.
Solar plexus aching for summer’s laughter.

Is there beauty here in this new land?
The silence offers healing and softness,
A possibility of rebirth,
With a heart freshly hardened to the past.

But in these first days, my hands grip the frozen crevice longing for warmth.
The Sun has forgotten about me.

Hades breathes his winter chill into my eyes,
Turning them frosty grey.
“You forget yourself.”
“Yes.”

And so I leave them all behind,
Rejection, disappointment, empty words,
Like crisp snakeskin shattered by the frost.

Thick mists between time swallow the longing.
Deep breaths.
A new cycle, another skin,
Harder and more resilient this time,
With an eternal flame of my own making.

I have no idea why I’m reflecting on this topic on a beautiful sunny Thursday morning. Maybe it was because I was getting dressed and felt an anxious twinge from memories of feeling different or out of place. Maybe it was because I then started to analyze this feeling and why it still exists — since I thought I stopped caring a long time ago. And then I started to analyze why I even cared in the first place, especially since I enjoy being different and am usually comfortable in my own skin. And then, why am I like this?

My rational mind loves going through a checklist of factors. Environmental conditions, upbringing, genetics, ancestral karma, astrology, human design, etc., etc., etc. Well obviously my mutable-dominant chart conflicts with my Libra rising that just wants to fit in and make everyone happy. My human design did say that I have a defined heart center or sense of identity that can’t be changed. I did grow up in a highly artistic and entrepreneurial environment where creativity and originality was praised more than good grades and social status. Oh yeah, and what do they say about INFPs being idealistic and sensitive?

I’m not saying that these things do not contribute in the makeup of a person, especially as someone who believes in and studies astrology and karmic imprinting. But I am going to say that sometimes this needs to be pushed aside. The constant analyzing and rationalizing of the human condition (especially our own) can turn into programming that fits in with these qualities. Decision making might be supported by your personality profile or your natal chart, but are you going to make the same decision anyways? And why?

Who are you underneath all of the imprinting and programming? Are you comfortable with that person when there’s no rational definition?

It seems simpler to place everything into some sort of box. Desires and decisions are often born from expectation rather than the heart. When things get complicated, emotions start to take over or stories begin to unravel, we rationalize, define, control, attempt to simplify, suppress, and block our ability to feel and our nature to be free.

What happens if your career makes you miserable, or you fall in love, or something else sudden and expected happens that changes the programming? Because things do change and lives are turned around every day. That’s the thing about being human. You can control your environment as tightly as you can, but emotions will always win. The person you are will eventually rebel in some form or another.

My inner rebel may be louder than most, but there were times I didn’t listen. And then it hit me. I choose the paths/people/situations that allow me to be who I am. And I reject the ones that don’t. As long as I keep following that decision-making tree, I won’t feel out of place or away from myself ever again. And neither will you.

Affirmation: My body is in a constant state of restoration and healing. I find balance in my life through play, work, rest, exercise, and laughter. I easily nurture myself. I have constant protection surrounding me, which deflects anything that is not for my highest good. - Margaret Ann Lembo

Geranium oil is my constant go-to at the moment, and for good reason! First of all, it smells amazing. I use it for a number of therapeutic and healing purposes, but the flowery scent also works beautifully in perfumes and beauty products. In fact, I recently crafted an ocean-scented lip balm using geranium essential oil (among many others).

Second of all, I use it for everything. I use it on my face, skin, and hair. This oil has antibacterial, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antiseptic, deodorizing, regulating, and uplifting properties, among many many other things. (Margaret Ann Lembo’s book is a great resource.) It can regulate female hormones, rebalance your mood, reduce irritability, and support personal transformation.

I make a natural deodorant out of geranium with apple cider vinegar and a few other oils such as lavender and grapefruit. An amazing skin care serum that I use daily has 11 drops of geranium, 11 drops of wild orange, 11 drops of roman chamomile, a couple of drops of blue tansy, a big glug of rosehip seed oil, and fractionated coconut oil. Not only is it the only blend that doesn’t irritate my skin, but it brightens, tones, and reduces signs of aging. Also, there is something magical about the combination of those oils… because it smells heavenly. I also craft a water-based spray that I use in my hair daily which has geranium and few other necessities like cedarwood and peppermint.

With the transition to winter and the overall feeling of seriousness and frigidity, geranium is a beautiful oil to use to get out of a funk. Just put a few drops in a diffuser or blend with an uplifting oil such as wild orange to deflect negative thinking and bring some lightness into your life.

If you have questions about where to purchase your oils, I recommend doTERRA or Eden Botanicals (although I have not tried Eden’s version of geranium because I love the doTERRA one so much). I’m also happy to answer any questions about essential oils or how to receive wholesale pricing — just contact me!

Rondane National Park, Norway

By Emma Restall Orr

We begin at Samhain.

The first chill winds of Scorpio are howling in, blasting through the trees, tearing off the old leaves, bringing dead wood crashing to the forest floor. The first frosts of dawn are killing back the annuals, stripping herbs down to the mud, leaving stalks pale and bare. Everyone and everything that hopes to survive til spring is crawling into the warmth of the rotting leafmould, retreating to the roots, wrapping themselves up in layers of soft fat, in thick coats, gloves and scarves. There is no denying that winter is sliding in. Even when the sun shines between the clouds it’s not warm. It’s a time when we could slide too, into grey days and dark mornings shivering in the shower, clutching at hot coffee and dreams of summer nights.

Yes, winter is coming and with it that urge to curl up in our burrows and caves to hibernate. But we must wait just a little longer. Samhain is the last festival til the spring for which people will travel far to gather together and celebrate life, and the last great tales of the year must be told again, the wild songs of the summer camping-grounds must be sung one last time. Those whose harvest has been full will bring their excess for those in need as the bonds of peace and support are affirmed between tribes and allies, should they need to be called upon through the cold hard moons ahead.

Ahead of us lie the unknown seasons of the future, but whilst our hands are still sticky with the experiences of the past year, the sweat and blood of our work, the tears and ecstasy of our creativity, we have no hope of fully grasping the potential of the next. So rites and ceremonies are written and played out to focus on the chance to give thanks for the closing of another cycle before the winter covers the land. The past is addressed, honoured, and put behind us.

At Samhain, then, untying ourselves from the structure of the old, dismantling the framework, we enter a period where there is no framework — and so no limitations already laid down which need to be contended with. The scope of our potential is once again opened out to its fullest extent. There is the possibility of the most poignant sensation of freedom. Suddenly anything can happen. And in the frenetic dancing of the Samhain rite and celebrations, exhilarated with the release and spinning round the fires, the night air is alive with this experience.

Photo by Paperlens Photography

What is real?

For me, it’s the stillness of the forest.
My feet on the cool earth.
Stacking firewood, washing windows, harvesting tomatoes.
It’s the sensation of my body in motion.
The intensity of breathing.
The way the sky always changes its colors and shapes.
Waves of emotion and memories.
Laughing with a friend.
The warmth of my bed.
Raindrops on my skin.
The smell of books.
Pure joy just for being alive.

No one else can tell me what’s real.
I am free.
The louder the noise and distraction, the less I will pay attention.
Because the stars are out.
The owls are singing.
And I’m running barefoot through the grass.

Every once in a while I get those half asleep/half awake nights when I keep cycling, tossing and turning through messages, memories, past experiences, and intuitions. Often these nights will leave me feeling hungover but with a sense of clarity or awareness on an issue or a pattern that I wasn’t resolving otherwise. Last night was one of those nights. So were the two nights previous. (Side note: I could probably use a nap.)

Last night, my thoughts brought me back to moments when I felt bullied or denigrated, sometimes choosing to stand up for myself and sometimes holding back to maintain peace. I was recalling people who stood by my side in those moments and those who were silent. I have not had experiences like this for some time, but I was being reminded of these emotions for a reason. I was enormously frustrated when I chose to tolerate unkind behavior, and deeply hurt when my sensitive nature was used against me or when I felt alone. There was an attachment present that made me want to revisit these memories and fight back. That attachment is now dissolving at a rapid pace, and so are all the emotions that came with it.

Anytime an attachment is released, the immediate sensation is often a sense of emptiness. These emotions weigh heavily for long periods of time and we don’t even know they are there, because they become part of us. The lack of these buried emotions feels like an empty hole. And it really is energetic space that needs to be filled. It’s space that can be used for growth and new perspectives. It’s space that can be used for healing. It’s space that can be filled with love and awareness. A sense of relief may not come right away or at all… rather it becomes a gradual process of fulfillment once you make choices that are in alignment with your well-being.

Another thing that can happen is you start to realize how those attachments were creating other attachments that weren’t serving you. We tend to seek out certain people and experiences that fulfill an addictive need to feel a certain way. Nothing makes me feel more self-conscious than being unseen, ignored, or unacknowledged — yet I kept finding myself in that space. Negative emotions are just as addicting as positive ones. When you release a particular attachment, certain relationships with other people may dissolve. Ideas or goals based on fulfilling a sense of hurt may shift. It’s impossible to grow when things are holding you back. And it’s up to you to make those decisions.

When I woke up this morning, I knew that I was going to stop waiting for other people or circumstances for clarity or even closure. I know what I want, and a small sliver of fulfillment is not enough. Waiting is no longer an option. Sometimes you just have to decide: All or nothing. Hang on or let go. Clarity or perpetual confusion.

You can’t find answers standing in fog. You have to seek better ground. Otherwise all of the normal patterns and thought processes will just recycle and repeat over and over… leaving you feeling unfulfilled but without understanding why. What are the repeating patterns in your life and where do they originate? Gaining awareness is the first step towards the journey out of the fog.

Developing a personal yoga practice is a challenge for everyone -- but it's especially challenging for yoga teachers. The image most people have is a yogi on their mat 24/7, attending free classes, doing fancy poses out in nature, walking on walls, etc. But Instagram certainly isn't representative of yoga in real life, and especially not from the perspective of a teacher. Unless my photographer husband happens to be walking near me when I bust a yoga move, a camera isn't anywhere near me when I'm in my practice. And what does that even look like?

Yes, I've been doing yoga for a long time and I can pretzel and invert myself into crazy positions when sufficiently prepared and the desire arises. But my practice traditionally consists of the same standard poses that don't make for a fancy photo collage, and I invent my own poses and flows frequently, because it's more about how my body wants to move and be positioned rather than how someone else defines asana. It's personal. And by discovering how my body wants to move in certain states and moods, I can effectively translate that into a sequence I feel confident sharing with students. 

But to be perfectly honest, most of the time when I'm constructing a yoga flow or sequence, it's for my teaching. My *personal* practice consists of mostly Kundalini Yoga (which I don't teach) and meditation. Those practices are very much my own. When I became a teacher, yoga became something that I share, and I am 100 percent on board for that. Becoming a teacher doesn't mean you've advanced to supreme yoga status. It simply means that you're ready to share the practice for the benefit of others, rather than just yourself. And teaching is something I absolutely love.

That being said, a yoga teacher cannot forget their practice or their body. And yoga can mean so many things. I probably spend more time outdoors than on my mat. I hike almost every morning, but I see that as part of my yoga practice. What is really more yogic than being outside in nature, breathing fresh air, and moving my body in a healthy way? A typical day might consist of a 15-minute kriya, followed by a 90-minute hike, a 30-minute kriya later in the afternoon or evening (depending on my teaching schedule), an hour before classes devising yoga sequences, and at least a few moments of meditation sporadically throughout the day. This routine evolves and changes depending on the season, mood, or phase. Many days I can barely fit in a 15-minute personal practice. Sometimes I teach three or more classes per day (and on those days my mat is my constant companion). Sometimes I hike for three hours or spend time on my kayak. Sometimes I have a creative burst and spend all day making jewelry or painting. Sometimes I spend the majority of the day in meditation or conducting readings. Sometimes I'm in business mode and spend hours at the computer. Sometimes I give myself a day off to just do whatever I want or nothing at all. 

For me, a personal yoga practice consists of:

• Listening.

• And that's it.

Listening is how you tap into creative consciousness and dive deep into the space that prepares you to evolve, stay healthy, and teach. Listening is how you connect with the energy and presence of your students and community to discern what they need. Listening is how you discern, for yourself, what belongs in your life and what doesn't. 

Some of my best teachers didn't demonstrate fancy poses or show off their ability to excessively theme. They tapped into the energy that was there, in the moment, and communicated that effectively. And I can't say for sure, but I'm confident they were able to do this by deep inner listening and an understanding of how yoga moves with the energy of the moment. 

And that is a yoga teacher's personal practice.

Wednesday: It's approaching 10 a.m. and I'm finally eating a big bowl of granola for breakfast. I have been awake since 6 (that's sleeping late for me), and I had coffee, two big glasses of water, showered, dressed, meditated, answered emails, watered my plants, and listened to an hour-long astrology podcast. Today is a laid-back day. I don't have class until 5:30 p.m. and no client appointments. Last Wednesday I taught about four hours of yoga and had two clients. Yesterday I spent about eight hours teaching yoga. This is my job now.

One year ago, a typical Wednesday for me would be dragging myself out of bed at 7, forcing myself on the yoga mat, and then lingering around outside while my husband reminds me that I'm going to be late for work once again. I would arrive to my small office void of natural light, stare at dozens of unread email messages, and find a way to kill time while my brain adjusted. It was an empty feeling. At the same time, every large paycheck I made sitting in front of the computer and pontificating about the health care industry was being diverted to a savings account, preparing me for the ultimate goal: to leave my job. I would change my mind about this dozens of times, but during the holiday season in 2017 after a series of eye-opening and synchronistic events, I made the decision and stuck to it. I told family and close friends, and it was the most empowering feeling to know how many people supported me. I had everything I needed.

When I was in high school and even a fresh college grad, I truly thought I wanted to be an executive someday -- to wear the business suits and high heels, to live in the city, to make tons of money, to travel constantly and meet interesting people. I guess I thought I had something to prove. (But oh yeah, I don't like the city.) Over time, my husband and I moved further away from civilization and eventually bought a house in the remote mountainside town of Sterling. Also during this time, I worked... and worked... and worked... until I ran headfirst into an existential crisis (sometime around my Saturn return in 2012-2013). I disliked my work and wasn't happy. I was tired all the time, way too skinny, and anxiety was taking over my life. I owned about two dozen blazers, but wearing them made me feel like I was suffocating.

The thought of leaving what I worked for didn’t seem like an option, so I found many ways to try and incorporate “fixes” into my life. I rekindled my interest in things that I thought I buried long ago. I spent all of my free time reading astrology. My home and workspace became a haven for crystals, all of which were having a powerful effect on my well-being. I unburied my Tarot decks, and the cards became my best advisors (and still are). I was doing yoga every day at this point and learning to become a teacher. I was also studying the healing arts. All of these things healed and rejuvenated me, and anxiety ceased to be a problem. But these activities were hidden from my public life, and I didn't have many people to talk to. So I joined groups, enrolled in several trainings, met incredible women from around the world with similar interests, and became certified in multiple healing modalities. I was still rocking my corporate job, but the duality of the two lives eventually had to merge together. I didn't want to give one up over the other, so I did both. I worked multiple jobs for about four years.

There are a lot of ways we convince ourselves that it's normal to be unsatisfied. 

"I'm lucky to have what I have."

"I work because I need the money.”

"It's just a job. It's not my life."

"There are no other options for me."

I don't believe life should be this way. Yes, it's just a job, but it's consuming the majority of your life and affecting all of your decisions and activities. Something like this should make you feel not only satisfied, but empowered, excited, and fulfilled. Don't these statements sound better?

"I'm lucky for everything I have."

"I work because I want to."

"My life is enriched by my work."

"I have unlimited options and potential."

Don't get me wrong. I think it's a real drag that we have to make money in order to survive. (Who made those rules and how can we break them?) But I think a paradigm shift begins when we focus our energy and talents to live our potential and serve others as a result. For a long time, I thought I was pretty good at marketing. Intuitive and creative abilities are important skills to have when you're trying to create and sell a product line. But in reality, I don't want to convince people of anything. I want to see them empowered. Anything even remotely misleading will keep me up at night with guilt. And just looking at Twitter makes me want to gouge my eyes out (yet I spent 10 years in that world?). 

I thought leaving the comfortable job behind would create massive upheaval and regret. I didn't want to have to struggle to make ends meet or sacrifice my ability to travel. But in fact, it was the most natural and smooth process. Something funny happens when you move into your purpose. The pieces fall into place as if by magic. Money is an energetic exchange, and when you give energy out to the world, money will find its way to you. I am making much less money than I was before, but my lifestyle is different (and way more aligned). I am also generating more every month and regularly exceeding my income goals. At this rate, I could be doubling my income a year from now. 

Leaving a job isn't an escape from stress. When you're invested in something, there will still be anticipation and anxiety. But it feels different. I may get anxious before big moments, but the rush of joy after a successful class or workshop or training is among the best feelings in the world. 

I used to look at myself in the women's room mirror and see a tired, drained, low energy shell of who I am. I felt smaller than others around me, even with my 5'10" stature. Now I see someone infused with energy and life force. I feel and am empowered. And we all deserve to feel that way. I'm not 100 percent sure that I am exactly where I need to be right now. I'm not even 75 percent sure. Every day has the potential for enormous change. But right now I'm living in this space where I'm allowed to explore and discover what life and work has to offer. And it feels pretty awesome.

Photo by Gregory Garrison

Uranus is the great awakener, rebel, and revolutionary. He brings change, destruction, shake-ups, and new perspective wherever he goes. Last month in May, he transited from Aries into the sign of Taurus, where he will live for about 7 years. Because Uranus is such a faraway planet, the transits are slow and each one affects our solar collective on radical levels. 

While Uranus was in Aries, we experienced massive upheaval in all areas related to war, conflict, violence, personal identity, and even childbirth. That's because Aries is the warrior, and he's also the newborn. Aries topics mainly revolve around a sense of self, and taking immediate (cardinal) fiery action when necessary. During these past seven years, masks were ripped off of silent prejudice. Religious fundamentalism of all kinds created violence and conflict around the globe. People took stands and fought for what they believed in, creating the emergence of new conflicts and a war of ideas. Our concept of what leadership means and what it's actually providing completely changed. Topics around identity became prominent in media and conversation. Approaches to childbirth also changed, with scientific advancements in genetic testing and manipulation. Fertility rates are on a big decline. 

Some of these changes were positive and eye-opening. Some were brutal and destructive. It's impossible to know how Uranus energy will affect us because it is always a surprise. However, when it went into Taurus, the sign ruled by earth, we immediately saw a stereotypical representation of earth shake-ups. The erupting volcano in Hawaii got the most media attention, but there was also a "glacial lake outburst flood" in Switzerland, a dam collapse in Columbia, the eruption of Fuego in Guatemala, flash floods in U.S. midlands, dust storms in India, and more...

Taurus also rules finances, property, food, personal belongings, and worth. I expect to see more news and changes around currency, especially with cryptocurrency on the rise. Our traditional understanding of money and how we obtain resources may completely change. I also think we'll see a massive unmasking of what we are eating and putting into our bodies. It has already begun, with the rise of non-GMO and organic options, but I expect this is just the beginning. 

What is starting to dominate the 2018 collective already is a change of perspective around what it means to earn a living and acclimate to societal norms. People are getting bored and unhappy in the standard concept of a workweek and the subtle ways in which we are wrapped up in earning money. Individually, there could be career shakeups or changes that help to set people on the right path. Collectively, we may completely restructure the modern ideas of what it means to live and work. 

The different ways in which Uranus in Taurus could manifest are all conjecture. A revolution of personal farming? A new relationship with the outdoors? An overhaul of the banking system? Unmasking the food industry? New currencies? More natural disasters? New perspectives on housing and community? Less dependency on employers? All of these things could happen, but how? We can never really know. Uranus doesn't give hints, and his actions can't be planned. Hang on to your seat and prepare for radical change.