A Twelfth House Kind of Summer

It's been a little while (nearly two months, actually) since I've updated breadthandsol.com with my usual posts on upcoming astrological trends. Thanks to a bevy of planets in Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces) as well as the flurry of planetary activity in my 12th House (Pisces' house) of spirituality, endings, retreat, dreams, and sleep....I have been allowing myself some much needed time for self-care (borrowing from the 6th House of health and routine--opposite the 12th), reflection, and dreaming. Carving out such time has actually enabled me to engage in some pretty cool stuff behind the scenes--one of which I will be unveiling towards the end of the summer (Yay!). The rest of the stuff, I'm keeping to myself. Ha ha! The 12th House is a private one after all. 

Anyway, if you've been looking for my posts, I've been making use of my Facebook and Twitter feeds with updates and commentary of the short and sweet variety--still useful, so login and let's converse. You can find the links to both by clicking on the icons on the top left of this page (make sure to follow me on Instagram too!).

In the meantime, I am still providing one-on-one consultations. Email me at mecca@breadthandsol.com for the scoop on rates and services. And on September 6th, I'll be in Washington, DC at the famed Secret Pleasures (www.secretpleasuresboutique.com) talking love, sex, and astrology. Visit their website for more info...or click here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/420461 I just want to say how excited I am to have been presented with the opportunity to take my show on the road. I'm really looking forward to my DC debut. Spread the word if you or anyone you know lives in the DMV area. Then remember to buy your ticket. C'mon, we'll have a blast! 

(For my NYC people, I'll be doing another workshop soon. More on that later though.)

Ok. So that's it (for now). Remember to check my social media pages for for quick updates and insight; then stay tuned for my unveiling--done for you all in the name of love and prosperity (6th House of service).

Until then, take a cue from the 12th and take care to give your body/soul what it needs, when it needs it. We've still got so much life to live and we can't do it running on a tank half empty. 

Aries Season: Ball So Hard

Lots happening in the Cosmos this week. On March 20th the Sun moves into Aries (joining Mars) to officially kick off Aries season (March 20-April 19) Over here in the Northern Hemisphere, Aries season coincides with the vernal equinox and who better to usher in the fresh, excitable energy of spring than this fiery sign? Many of us will likely be looking forward to this bubble-pop-electric kind of time after being submerged in the hazy and emotional energy of Pisces over the last month.

With the Sun, Mars, and Uranus (joined eventually by Venus and Mercury) all synching up in the sign represented by The Warrior (i.e. Mars), spring fever will hit fast and fierce. The best way to channel this power will be to begin new projects or activities that may have been put on the back burner over the winter.  If a lack of confidence has been getting in your way, this Martian energy could help you adopt a take no prisoners attitude. Just make sure to watch out for flaring tempers. Aries energy tends to get us all a little keyed up (Hulk Smash Mode, actually). Take any pent up energy to a high impact fitness class. Your body and soul will thank you for it.

Adding to the cray cray will be the full moon in Libra on March 27th. Full Moons tend to represent endings and with this moon making tense aspects to Mars, Pluto and Uranus (this would be akin to the OPPOSITE of a peace talk...like if planets talked...but you get the idea) many of us can expect abrupt shifts in finances or partnerships (the areas ruled by Libra/Venus) that can send us into a tailspin. The key to keeping our wits and our cool will be to remember that whatever the Universe takes away, it returns to us twofold ( in a bigger and better model). Don't be afraid to embrace change, babies. Aries energy is all about embodying courage. So just get out and do it (responsibly, of course).

New Moon in Pisces: Feeding Spirit

Happy New Moon in Pisces!

As it goes in astrology, New Moons are an auspicious occasion for setting intentions to manifest something wonderful. With today's New Moon occurring in the dreamy, watery energy of Pisces,  we can produce the best results by focusing our desires on creating a space for more creativity and spiritual centeredness in our everyday lives. As many of us have witnessed or experienced firsthand, there is much pain and suffering in the world. However, the truth of Pisces is that while things sometimes fall apart around us, many times beyond our control, we preserve and buoy ourselves through a trust and embodiment of all that is still good (faith + intuition +compassion+ unabashed creativity). In Pisces, we go with the flow instead of resisting or control freaking. Here, we take simplicity as our mantra and indulge in anything that nourishes the soul.

While we still have so many planets in water signs (plus Mercury Retrograde) many of us may be feeling sluggish or overwhelmed. Much of this may be a side effect of trying to do too much during a time (Pisces Season) when we should be unplugging, resting, and replenishing. This is a perfect time to seek out the healers, those gifted with the powers to calm and strengthen the mind, body, and spirit. Aries season will be upon us soon and with the fiery energy that the time of The Warrior will bring, we will need all the strength we have to keep up with our daily demands. Consider this New Moon a special gift from the Universe to (finally) take care of the tender parts of you and act on inspiration. Then watch what magic unfolds for you over the next six months.

If you would like a custom tailored and detailed report on what will be developing for you over the coming months, contact me to set up a reading. No reason to guess or (obsess) about what's happening when you can know right now (and be prepared!)

Saturn Retrograde In Scorpio: Clean House or Die

Saturn begins its five month retrograde in Scorpio today and finishes up on July 8th. Retrograde periods always signify a time to review what we've done so far. With Saturn it's a period of checks and balances. What have we accomplished? What remains on the to-do list? Since we're talking Scorpio, Saturn wants us to get to those items on our list that we've  been putting off forever because we've been too busy bullshitting. Is it fear that holds us back? Complacency? The negative people that we just can't seem to let go?

Now is the time to take stock of whatever or whomever it is that may be keeping us from claiming our empires, our glory. It's time for spring cleaning. Saturn asks us to get those dust bunnies from under the bed and the cobwebs in the corner...those places where we don't always like to look (emotional baggage, anyone?). To make things interesting, the Universe has five heavenly bodies in Pisces over the next month which includes Mercury's retrograde  that will make it seem like we're literally trying to run track through a swimming pool.

However, the key to taking our next big step forward lies in our ability to tend to those unseen parts of ourselves (another watery reference!); those tender parts of us, those SOULFUL parts In There. In There is where intuition, creativity, and security abide. Getting comfortable In There is how we learn to make the most of what's Out Here. Saturn knows that building an empire, a fortress (read: material security), requires a strong foundation--built from the inside out. 

How will we fortify ourselves so that we can carry on to the level ? What part of us can use a little restructuring? 

Clean house and keep only what you need.

The End of the (Work) World: How The Universe is Conspiring to Give Us the Good Life

It’s the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine)—REM

Earlier this year I left an unfulfilling (well paid) job to follow my heart. No safety net. No new position in the works. Up and out. Gone. Goodbye. 

Why in the world would I risk security (or a shallow example of it) for the pain and anxiety associated with jumping into the unknown? Because I had to. It was though my very life depended on whether or not I gathered the courage to take the leap and answer my true calling. In short, I needed to follow my heart. 

Now here I am months later, answering my calling by way of astrology, where I work helping others answer their own. Am I happy? Yes. Has this journey been easy? No. Yet every day, the Universe offers me comfort and validation that every choice that I have made that has led me up to this point has been the right one.

In talking to some of my clients I have found that I have not been alone in wanting more out of my professional life--then yesterday I serendipitously found this article "The Siren Call of Starting Over" in Psychology Today. 

What I deduced from this information being presented to me is that the outer planets (the planets associated with serious transformation) are aligned to redefine what work (among other things) means for us. Work is important because this is where we focus a lot of our time and energy. Work brings us material comfort. But what if we could actually do work that brings us both material AND emotional comfort? In the old days, we had to choose. Blessed was the person that could find that needle in the haystack job that offered both options. However, change is afoot. 

Yesterday, I sent out a few tweets highlighting my thoughts on this planetary activity. Though brief, I decided to post them below because I think they speak to the heart of this shifting energy:

• Saturn & Pluto have traded homes; Saturn in Scorpio and Pluto in Capricorn. Neptune is in her home sign of Pisces; Uranus in trailblazing Aries.

• Saturn in Scorpio asks for more depth in our everyday transactions; such as work. Hence, this trend of feeling dissatisfied with the daily grind.

• Pluto in Capricorn asks us to reprogram old systems. The work world as we know it has shifted. The past is fading. The status quo is nil.

• Neptune in Pisces aims to connect us back to Spirit; we are all connected and it shows. When we work to improve life for others, we improve our own lives.

• Uranus in Aries asks us to think outside the box and follow our own lead. Where in our careers can we be the innovators & do we have the courage?

• Couple the current planetary energy with the oncoming cosmic shift of 12.21.12 and yeah, we totally have some work to do--new work, fulfilling work. Fresh starts, anyone?

Before I sign off, I want to leave you with this beautiful quote that I found by way of a couple ladies that I look up to professionally--the AstroTwins. It's a quote from philosopher and teacher, Terence McKenna. He states: 

“Nature loves courage. You make the commitment and nature will respond to that commitment by removing impossible obstacles. Dream the impossible dream and the world will not grind you under, it will lift you up. This is the trick. This is what all these teachers and philosophers who really counted, who really touched the alchemical gold, this is what they understood. This is the shamanic dance in the waterfall. This is how magic is done. By hurling yourself into the abyss and discovering it's a feather bed.”

Word.

Neptune Retrograde in Pisces: Turn Your High Beams On

Neptune plays a major part in my birth chart. Natally, my sun, Venus, and Neptune are conjunct or rather, “attached” to each other. Well, essentially all planets are more or less attached to one another in a birth chart; whether by conjunction, opposition, square, trine, etc. as these attachments (or aspects, as they are formally called) show how the planets get along with each other. In my case, these three planets function sort of like hip-hop’s A Tribe Called Quest (you know, sans bitter feud).*  By astrological definition, this aspect in my chart makes me Neptunian and with Pisces (the zodiac sign associated with old Nep) being on my natal 8^th House cusp, no matter where I am or what I’m doing, I attract lots and lots of Neptunians too (even if I don’t want to).**

Who or what exactly is a Neptunian? Folks like me where the planet is prominent in their chart, those born under the Sun, Moon, or Rising sign of Pisces, those with major planets in the 12th house, the intuitives and the creatives, the dreamers, the healers, the escapists and the illusionists, the victims and the saviors—and yes, there is a little Neptune in us all. However, how we choose to express this energy is what makes all the difference. Ruling the 12^th House of Dreams, Spirituality, and Self-Undoing; Neptune is an idealist, a true romantic. Where ever she (the planet represents a feminine energy) touches us, either at the natal point or by transit, we become totally unconcerned with boundaries and harsh realism. Neptune softens our consciousness; she takes the edge off. As such, we either find ourselves in a state of bliss or in a hazy confusion. 

When Neptune moved long term into its home sign of Pisces in  February 2012 after a 14-year transit in Aquarius, many in the astrological community heralded this shift as a much needed softening of the human collective.  If Neptune in Aquarius made our wildest dreams come true with the development of the internet, social media, fancy gadgets that in effect kept us plugged-in, then Neptune in Pisces is here to help us unplug. Spirituality, compassion, and optimism become paramount, as does the potential for escapism, self-delusion, and gullibility.  With the retrograde, we are being asked to review the space that Neptune occupies in our lives (look to your birth chart to find out where). Are we dreaming big enough or too big? Is it compassion we feel or are we playing savior? Do we trust our intuition or ignore it?  Are we seeing the people and situations in our lives as they really are or how we want them to be? Overall, how do we get our head and heart to successfully coincide? From now until November 10, 2012 the answers to these questions will be crucial.

As you mull it all over, watch this Piscean themed vid:

*My partner, Jason Fleming-El aka Sagittarian Mind, is sure to be happy that I used a hip-hop reference to explain an  astrological term.  Like, he’s gonna marry me after this and whatnot.

** Kidding. Sort of.