posted December 26, 2012 11:19 AM            

Full Steam ahead we go! All the major planets (except Jupiter in a crappy sign going backward) are moving forward at a fast, fast clip. We are full steam ahead at a very fast pace. It will be a very, very speedy pace for the next three months.

People keep writing to me and asking what is going on ~ “Why does it feel like time is so FAST moving?“ Part of the speed is from the Uranus /Pluto square ~ we bounce back and forth between crazy and intense. Chaos versus evolutionary pulse. Change versus power struggles to leave it the same. Uranus governs the principle of change, chaos, creativity, enlightenment, lightning bolts, illumination and separation. Uranus is stimulating your Aries House by traveling through it. Uranus is bringing profound changes to your Aquarian House. Pluto is evolution, power over, power struggles, triangles, depth work, psychological examinations, renovations, alchemy and transformation. Pluto is bringing profound changes to your Scorpio House as he travels through your Capricorn house and stimulates it.

The next part of the speed is from Saturn in Scorpio ruled by action taking Mars ~ every time we do something, anything, using our Mars, the planet of action, Saturn, the planet of Karma and consequences Scorpio weighs in to make us be firm, focused and serious. Our Scorpio and Aries houses pay attention to Mars’ actions while Saturn causes our Capricorn and Aquarian houses to change.

Third, Jupiter in Gemini, retrograde, makes it hard to focus, pay attention and stay on task. Jupiter goes direct late January which will speed things up even more. Until then, think Plan A then Plan B. You might not be able to do it all in one fell swoop. Incremental changes. One step then the next step. Tiny steps that can be revised yet still take us forward. Because of the retrograde, fallen nature of Jupiter, he’s not in his best state. You can swap Mercury for the Jupiter through December 31, so encourage Mercury to speak up about what you want to take place in the Finger of God over the next few months.

Fourth, the Finger of God is asking us to live in the moment. You have to stay as present, connected and living in the moment as possible regardless of the current situation you find yourself in.

Fifth, the planets are all bunched around the same degrees, making it like a loud, noisy cocktail party of energy ~ you catch fragments of conversation and then they shift your focus ~ busy, bustle, whoosh. You strain to hear what they are saying and a loud burst of laughter from the corner distracts your attention. A new energy steps into the situation, and suddenly you are off carried away in conversation with it.

Sixth, due to the early degrees of so many of the planets, it can FEEL like you are back between ages 5 to 9 yet living in your grown up body. Or perhaps you can find yourself dealing with 5 to 9 year olds walking around in grown up bodies. You shake your head and go “hmmm. REALLY?” And in your mind, you wonder if you are the only grown up in the room. You might be. Be kind. This much energy combined with the difficult nature of the planets involved can bring up very, very old wounds in people. So we slip easily back into our old coping skills because the part of us that is between 5 and 9 is having a cosmically stimulated temper tantrum.

And as the saying goes, You ain’t seen nothing yet!

The powerful Finger of God that formed in early December between Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter is in place until March 30, 2013. We will each be feeling the effects of the Finger of God in our lives in a very profound way. We will be asked to make important life choices. If you have a Finger of God in your natal chart, this period of time will be exceptionally powerful and transformative. The Finger of God is composed of particularly powerful planets ~ Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter. Those planets reflect the external reality structures as well as our internal reality structures that create the life we inhabit. Expect profound changes in your life.

We are entering a period of extremely fast and FATED planetary movement between now and the end of February 2013 when Saturn turns to go retrograde and March 30, 2013 when the Finger of God separates in the heavens. Every planet is pushing you to move forward and make changes in your life as they all travel over new territory in your chart. They are all talking to each other too, weighing in on the situations and giving their opinions.

So what to do? Here’s a coping strategy for the next few months. Feel free to share this with folks you know who are having a tough time. And you might find a combination of the various strategies can be applied to different parts of your life ~ yes to your boss, no to your kids, delay to your partner or friend. Mix and match.

1) Say “YES” to everything you are even remotely interested in bringing into your life. Don’t worry about HOW you will do it all. Just say yes, Yes, YES to the things you know you want to do. Once Saturn goes retrograde some of the yeses will fall through or will not come to fruition. However, YOU showed up, opened the door and answered the mail. The heavens notice.

2) Say “That’s not working for me.” to everything that is driving you a bit mad, making you angry, causing anxiety, indigestion or sleepless nights. Take your inner 5 to 9 year old by the hand and support them. No bad behavior. Be the adult in the room. Set a boundary. Say not right now. Take action to help the anxiety. Figure out how you can defer things until the end of March. Even just postponing a decision until the end of March or the end of February when Saturn goes retrograde will be exceptionally helpful for the “Not Working For Mes”. Think cosmic time out in the time out chair of your life.

3) Verbalize what you WOULD LIKE TO HAVE HAPPEN going forward. At least get it out there and on the table for discussion. Might not happen. Might happen. It doesn’t matter right now as Jupiter is retrograde in Gemini~ he’s proposing some wild and crazy stuff. It isn’t about right or wrong. It is about what you would like to have happen. It will also help if you ask your inner 5 to 9 year old what THEY would like to have happen. You are actually renegotiating for THE LITTLE PERSON inside of you that has trouble speaking up for themselves. It doesn’t have to be a final plan… just a starter version of the plan. A pilot of the project. A trial period.

4) PLANT TONS and TON of SEEDS and NEW IDEAS. Go around and suggest things you would like to bring into your life. See step 1 above where you said Yes to every thing! Be the suggesting or initiating person. You know what you want more of… so starting asking other people if they are interested in doing it with you. Or start figuring out how you can do more of it yourself. Make a plan ~ even a temporary plan subject to lots of revisions ~ to get yourself moving.

Our week ahead is quite busy as the Finger of God perfects with Saturn and Pluto forming a sextile on December 26. The Finger is set off several times by the Moon in his travels including the Full Moon which takes place ON the Finger of God on December 28. The Sun sets off the Finger of God on December 30. Our emotions and ego will coordinate with the Finger of God to help clarify what we want from our lives and the direction we want to head in our future.

Mars changes signs on Christmas, December 25, and enters Aquarius until February 2, or for 39 days, of detached, big picture, higher vision approaches. Aquarius also is quite detached and not prone to emotional outbursts which will help the Finger of God function better. Mars rules Saturn in Scorpio and Uranus in Aries. Pluto in Capricorn answers to Saturn in Scorpio and thus to Mars in Aquarius. There will be a cool, alienated quality to the energy. Mars in Capricorn is exalted as it works for a purpose. Mars in Aquarius can be quite disruptive or argumentative or extremely detached. It will fight for the good of the group or to change the group if the group needs changing. Aquarius rules the house of hopes and dreams. Mars in Aquarius is going to ask you to fight for and articulate your hopes and dreams so Saturn can go about building them for you.

There is a Full Moon on Friday. It culminates the story that began on the New Moon that took place on the Solar Eclipse New Moon July 1, 2011 and the first quarter Moon on April 2, 2012. Now you understand what you actually have to do. Be bold and brave and take the risk to create what your heart desires.

The world is going to continue to feel like the energy is flying by. When you feel anxious, do the thing that makes you feel the anxiety. When you feel the need to control something that is not in your control, back off and let go or open it up to a helpful third person. When faced with an opportunity to structure or build something, step forward and take action. The whole point with a Finger of God is to live in the moment and be completely present, easily spinning to address the energy requirements of the moment. You can totally do it! Take a deep breath. Live in the moment.

The Sabian Image for the Sun in Capricorn is BIRDS IN THE HOUSE SINGING HAPPILY. Lynda Hill’s interpretation of the image is:

‘Birds In The House’ are ‘Singing Happily’. is a beautiful image of lightness and happiness. To hear ‘Birds Singing Happily’ is like a blessing, and if their sounds are ringing through your ‘House’, it can feel like a double blessing. The ‘Birds Singing Happily’ can be echoed in the sounds of our loved one’s voices, as they go about their daily lives, with a sunny and cheerful attitude. It may be music that’s played in the home.

Oracle: You may feel a sense of uncomplicated contentment. Even though there are a number of social rules to obey, they probably don’t bother you or those around you. This is a time for sharing good feelings and ‘Happiness’ with all who enter your sphere of operations. Feelings of safety and protection are spontaneously shared by the act of ‘Singing’, which can be actual ‘Singing’, but can also be laughter or animated conversation. To enjoy the moment can often depend on you having faith that the good things of life will not fade, but will continue. In your situation it is important to hold to this faith and enjoy your life. It is wise to remember to be “in the moment”. This Symbol is also about the contagious nature of displays and celebrations of joy and contentment. By expressing your pleasure you can lift the feelings of others and they will most likely join in the chorus, in some way. The question is: Are people as ‘Happy’ in this situation as they look? A fairly quick glance around will bring the message you probably need. Perhaps someone is walking around singing, bringing joy. Alternatively, they may be continually “singing the blues”. Remember to have music playing often in your ‘House’ as it can dispel stress and help everyone unwind.

Keywords: Being at one with everything. Tunes sung or whistled. The promise of contentment. Communal sharing and fun. Faith in the good things of life. Music. Instruments. Playing the piano. Singing. The radio. Chattering in the background. Entertaining others. Seeing the beauty in life. Reminding others of how life can be rewarding. The sound of voices. Birds. Positive thinking.

The Caution: Idle chatter. Smug superiority and the feeling that one has it all. Not seeing the happiness inherent in one’s everyday life. Whining and complaining. Making a noise for the sake of it. Looking only at the difficulties one faces. Feeling caged in. Unable to fly when and where one wants to. Loneliness. Feeling abandoned by the good things.

If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singing bird will come. Chinese Proverb

A forest bird never wants a cage. Henrik Ibsen

We think caged birds sing, when indeed they cry. John Webster

A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song. Chinese Proverb

A guest sees more in an hour than the host in a year. Polish Proverb

How easy to be amiable in the midst of happiness and success. Anne Sophie Swetchine

“Hope” is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tunes without the words And never stops at all. Emily Dickinson

A good laugh is sunshine in a house. William Makepeace Thackeray

Suffering is the price of being alive, and it is music and singing and art that has helped me live through some of the most difficult things that have happened to me. Judy Collins

The Sabian Symbol for the Moon is A GROUP OF RABBITS DRESSED IN CLOTHES AND ON DIGNIFIED PARADE. Lynda Hill’s interpretation of the symbol is:

Commentary: ‘A Group of Rabbits Dressed in Clothes’ can picture people who may be trying to be more, or act like they are more, than they really are. The fact that they are ‘On Dignified Parade’ means that they are working to put on a good show and to stand up for themselves. Our outer garments and demeanor act to both show and disguise who we truly are and what we are really feeling about ourselves. It’s difficult to completely disguise the attempt, but the effort of trying to advance themselves may be appreciated and rewarded with people taking them more seriously.

Oracle: Your abilities can take a leap ahead of normal development, simply by making an attempt to be or to do more. This Symbol pictures the process of projecting into the future a higher sense of being or thinking forward into a more intelligent, more successful level of life. Another aspect of this Symbol speaks of wanting to cover up one’s sexuality with an outer display of dignity and conservatism. This may be a necessity in some more conservative social circles. Through a sense of inferiority, there may be a need to take on another’s role or personality. By wearing elaborate or unusual clothes, gowns, wigs, crowns etc, we can influence or change how others perceive us. Clothing and costumes can either elevate or degrade one’s status. Imagine yourself clothed elegantly and having a ‘Dignified’ stance as this can lead others to think more of you. Project yourself with a sense of confidence and dignity. Don’t be restricted by class or caste-excel other’s expectations, and don’t let anyone “pigeonhole” you.

Keywords: Emulation of higher forms. Procreation and having babies. Losing respect for those who show off. Dressing up. Modeling shapes and forms. Parading and being on parade. Attempts to overcome class barriers. Popularity competitions. Groups with a particular agenda. Uniforms. Religious garments.

The Caution: Pretending to be what one is not. Sublimating one’s instinctual (or animal) needs to maintain a dignified, straight front to the world. Deception. Strutting one’s stuff. Showing off. Demanding attention by appropriating an office or sense of authority.

You can fool too many of the people too much of the time. James Thurber

Those who do not study are only cattle dressed up in men’s clothes. Chinese Proverb

Lying to ourselves is more deeply ingrained than lying to others. Fyodor Dostoevski

I pretended to be somebody I wanted to be until finally I became that person. Or he became me. Cary Grant

There’s no labor a man can do that’s undignified-if he does it right. Bill Cosby

A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that “individuality” is the key to success. Robert Orben

A man is known by the books he reads, by the company he keeps, by the praise he gives, by his dress, by his tastes, by his distastes, by the stories he tells, by his gait, by the notion in his eye. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Void Moons This Week

Moon goes void trine to Mars on Tuesday Dec 25 2012 at 00:59:19 am EST and enters Gemini on Dec 25 2012 at 02:14:28 am EST.

Moon goes void with an Opposition to Mercury on Thursday Dec 27 2012 at 01:51:15 am EST and enters Cancer on Dec 27 2012 at 03:07:30 pm EST.

Moon goes void with a trine to Saturn on Friday Dec 28 2012 at 09:44:04 am EST and enters Leo on Sunday Dec 30 2012 at 02:46:23 am EST.
Moon is Void all day Friday and Saturday.

Monday Moon day on December 24 finds the Moon in Taurus with a lovely closing aspect of a trine to Mars. Lots of interesting dreams accompany your sleep as Mercury and Neptune seek to enhance your understanding of what is possible for your life. Venus in contraparallel to Hades offers an emotional ending to a difficult or sad story. Sun and Mercury link up by declination helping you focus on what your soul needs to evolve. Mercury connects with the Nodes by declination offering information mid-day that is an important choice for you to make. Getting clear on what you want to create in your life is part of how you get there. Saturn’s aspect to Ceres asks you to start figuring out how to nurture the structures of your life. It ask you to remember the past when you were nurtured by others… a trip down memory land in honor of the holiday season.

Tuesday, Mars’ day December 25 Merry Christmas for those of Christian Faith! Today finds Moon in Gemini with a closing aspect of an opposition to Mercury in Sagittarius. Lots of choices and options ~ some of which you are not going to want to pursue. Say yes to the ones that intrigue you. Chiron’s square and Venus opposition by declination to Lilith asks each of us to separate, feel sadness and recognize about all that has gone before. We can’t be subservient in the old way any more. This is a sad aspect that remind us that time is fleeting and shorter than we would like, that endings come before we want and to embrace our times together. The season of memories invokes the memories of Christmases past today. Mars enters Aquarius starting 39 days of detached, clear action and shifting the nature of Saturn to respond to groups and people in a different way, with clear boundaries. Sun’s square to Uranus offers us the opportunity to psychologically process all the changes in our lives and to make some resolutions for new ones. Break free from your old patterns and try new ones on. Moon’s occulted by Jupiter which can bring either overdoing of emotions or missed/messed up communications as people are deeply feeling and that Finger of God gets set off by the Moon in Gemini. The trigger of the Moon to the Apex pushes the energy back INTO the Finger of God stimulating Saturn and Pluto to live in the moment and give structure to transformation. Mercury’s trine to Eris suggests clarity around any arguments or discord ~ it actually helps you see something you had not seen before. Sit quietly and listen to what is being said. Be silent. Mercury’s union to Cupido suggests you see the family tribe as slightly different that you used to see them. Or perhaps notice that you are accepted and entering a new tribe.

Mercury’s day Wednesday December 26 finds the Moon in Gemini with a closing opposition to Mercury asking you to separate from the tribe on a different level. Venus opposite Vesta suggest a great opportunity to change your home front. Deep emotions about the family, particularly the father child connection, need to be addressed or noticed and adjusted. The Finger of God perfects with Saturn sextile to Pluto at 8:40 pm EST. Pallas asks you to change your role of dominance or subservience. Can it be equal? Or different? Sun’s union with the Nodes by declination offers you a choice of how to proceed. Is there a third or fourth approach? Do something different to support the changes you need to make. A Fast Moving Finger of God forms between Pluto, Saturn and with Black Moon Lilith indicates you do NOT want to be subservient to the old roles, rules and traditions ~ or the expectations of others who want you to be that way. Take time to chart out what you DO want. You don’t have to end the relationship, you just have to start to be different. And when they say you are “being selfish”, reply that you are just not doing what they want you to do any more. That always stops them dead in their tracks. Take action. Your mother didn’t raise any fool when she raised you! Mercury’s quindecile to Jupiter can be colds or lung infections so stamp it out quickly with a bit of extra sleep tonight. Sun’s sextile to Chiron suggests a good, solid working solution to issues involving healing and self-expression. Take time before you go to sleep to write down the pattern in our relationships with your siblings or family that you would like to change going forward. Mercury’s out of bounds and causing communications and all things ruled by Mercury to go to extremes of reactions.

Jupiter’s day, Thursday December 27 finds Gemini Moon void most of the day and entering Cancer at 3:06 pm EST. The cold or health issue squiggling around can bloom today so make it a day of rest and quiet if you can. Mercury aspects the Nodes of Fate in a manner that asks you to make mental or verbal changes around relationships. Some times you only have to THINK about what you want to do differently and the application of consciousness and attention paid to it, causes things to change. You can change if you notice and shift your behaviors. When in doubt, keep your mouth silent today. Knowing when to speak and when to simply listen is often hard. Try to listen today. Mercury is out of bounds so words can be over the top, in either good or bad ways, but MUCH TOO strong and felt much more deeply than usual. Remember all the energy YOU’ve been experiencing and processing with the help of astrology, THEY have been experiencing without a cosmic road map. Of course, if they ASK you for help, or if there is something going on up in the heavens, offer the guidance at the top of the column. We have this energy for the next THREE MONTHS which is a darn long time. The heavens really want us to evolve. If you feel like you caught in hell (or they do), understand it is a hell of your own making. Fingers of God offer us a great opportunity to Unmake the Hells in our lives. They drive a fierce wedge right through the middle of it. Mercury’s out of bounds and causing communications and all things ruled by Mercury to go to extremes of reactions.

Venus’s day, Friday December 28 has the Moon in Cancer with a lovely closing aspect of a trine to Saturn ~ setting off the Finger of God. There is a Full Moon today at 5:21 am EST that is right on the Finger of God. Prior to that, the Moon sets off Uranus offering a restless, or sleep awakened night. Later the Moon skips along through the Finger of God stimulating Pluto and Saturn too. This is the MAJOR ah-ha day of the week. So much stimulation of an emotional nature is taking place on the Finger of God. On Sunday when the Sun repeats the same story, we figure out what we actually want to DO about all the emotions that are swirling today. Try to sit in your emotions and not judge them. Emotions are part of the creative process ~ once we imbue something or someone with FEELINGs we move along so rapidly toward manifestation. When we look in the mirror at the new outfit and say “I LOVE IT!” it often goes home with us that day. Mercury is out of Bounds offering insights past where you normally let yourself go. Allow the flow to take place. Let Mercury carry you along ~ just don’t SAY everything that is running through your brain. But think them. Explore the possibilities ~ including running away from home and joining the circus ~ in your head. On Sunday you will know which ones you actually WANT to put into place and make your reality. Mercury aspects the Nodes of Fate with stress today ~ if you can, think about the GOOD things that have resulted from the situation before you. Some good came of it and it helped to shape you into the person you are today. See the pattern. You don’t need to CONTINUE the pattern. You need to SEE the pattern and understand it for what it is. It is time for you to restructure your life to create spaces that nurtures your best vision of who you can be. Mercury’s out of bounds and causing communications and all things ruled by Mercury to go to extremes of reactions.

Saturn’s Day Saturday December 29, 2012 finds Moon in Cancer void all day long after having lovely closing aspects yesterday of a trine to Saturn. Totally kick back and enjoy a day with next to nothing major going on above your head. Sun’s quincunx Jupiter stirs up dreams, leaving you a bit under rested. Lots of health and rest aspects today so indulge in a pajama day or whatever makes you feel INDULGED and NURTURED. You will hear of a permanent ending that needed to happen even if it is sad. Mercury’s square to Pallas helps you understand things you never saw before. Mercury is passing over the Galactic Center so psychic abilities are profound today. Early to bed with Mercury’s declination with Neptune ~ a sense of exhaustion or desire to escape is part of the story. Everything can wait until tomorrow. Mercury’s out of bounds and causing communications and all things ruled by Mercury to go to extremes of reactions.

Sun’s day Sunday December 30, 2012 finds Moon in Leo with a lovely closing aspect of a trine to Venus ~ love and creativity is in the air. Sun sets off the Finger of God several times today, pointing out the changes we need to make in our lives. Sun quindecile to Ceres asks us to think of different ways to take care of ourselves and others. Sun joins first with Pluto, asking us to take ahold of the evolutionary process in our being. We have to agree to evolve. Now we can see WHERE we have to evolve. The Sun illuminates the needed change. Of course, we can always be DRAGGED kicking and screaming into our evolutionary change. It is easier to willingly agree to change. If it helps any, your chart is aligned with the collective which is also being asked to Embrace the Change. The Sun sets off the Finger of God by sextile to Saturn pointing out the work or the structures that we need create, change or work with to make the necessary evolutionary changes. The heavens are aligned to help us make the needed changes in our lives. Especially if we make it our intent to live in the moment and adapt to the Finger of God as it presents us with options of how to proceed and evolve. Mercury joins with Uranus by Latitude Declination so communications can be startling. Mercury’s out of bounds and causing communications and all things ruled by Mercury to go to extremes of reactions. Cupido’s trine to Eris indicates arguments among the family or tribe which help clarify what needs to change. Mercury joins with Jupiter by Lattitude Declination so we connect to the enormous range of choices before us. Often we only think we have a choice between one or two polarities. Look at the RANGE of choices before you. It is a spectrum. There is ALWAYS a spectrum, a range of changing choices before us. I got into a heated discussion with several drunk Republicans at a holiday party at my sister’s house. When the “Socialism” word got batted into the conversation, I said Socialism wasn’t such a bad thing… shouts, screams, and then silence, with relatively attentive drunk listening, as I pointed out Socialism is actually a spectrum of choice from Finland with cradle to grave support for citizen, France, with the USA in the middle, to the unbridled non-socialism of Hong Kong or Somalia. We have a RANGE of options open to us… and we have to ask, as a country as well as individuals, what we imagine or desire our future to be. Where do we want to fall on the spectrum of None to ALL? Think 0 to 10… it’s a range of choices! You have the range of choices in your life too! Present the various choices and options to yourself and to others. Remember Mercury is still out of bounds so the communications planet is quite wild and crazy. Listen before you speak. You might even get kissed by drunk Republicans because you say something they can understand and agree with. We are charting our future!

Lynda Hill’s interpretation of the Sabian Symbols appears with her permission. Check out her work at sabiansymbols.com

Copyright © 2012. A.C. Ortelee