markspringle.com

Happy Holidays!

The Holiday Season is the time of year when we are all overloaded with parties, shopping, cooking, cleaning, and anything else that we feel we need to do in order to have a “good” holiday.  For this reason, the holidays are often very stressful and even though we may have tons of fun, we also have tons of drama. One reason for this drama is because the holidays seem better able to stimulate our old patterns and stagnant habits than any other time of year. At the time of the holidays, it is nearly impossible not to become an overstimulated five year old eager for the fun and excitement that Santa brings….

Well, if we are honest with ourselves, we can allow the ghosts of Christmas Past to remind us that our memories of the joyous holidays of our childhood really do not match the reality of what was happening. The aphorism “Time heals all wounds” refers to the way we tend to edit the unpleasant times from our memories, especially at the holidays. We may remember the fantastic sweets that Mom made for the family with warmth and love, but we may not remember how upset she was that Dad was watching football all day while she slaved in the kitchen. These tensions become part of our “memories” and “traditions” unconsciously. When they are triggered as we celebrate our holidays as adults, we often externalize these conflicting holiday experiences, and VOILA! D-R-A-M-A!

The holiday season gets its official astrological start this Thursday, Dec 11th with a big bang! On this day, we will have a full Moon in Gemini creating a very unique and powerful architecture of planets. A full Moon is a time when we have exaggerated experiences of the Moon’s energy so that we can see what is really happening in our lives. If we are successfully integrating the energy represented by the full Moon, we have a pleasant experience and we say how we love the beauty of a full Moon. If we are not in harmony with this energy, then we have a bad experience and blame it on the full Moon as an omen of negativity.

Gemini is the sign of the zodiac which rules communication and daily routines including our commutes to work, grocery shopping, carpooling, and any other activity we do on a daily basis. Gemini is ruled by the planet Mercury, who will be sitting with Pluto at 0′ Capricorn. Pluto is the most intense planet in the heavens and some consider Capricorn to be the most intense sign. What does this mean for us? Well, for one thing, we can expect to be BUSY! We will be flooded with errands, parties, chores, and any number of opportunities to do any number of somethings…and not all of them will be healthy or supportive of our goals. Remember, the full Moon exaggerates things so we wont miss them. If we already feel like our time or schedules are overburdened, then this full Moon will be a test of our ability to make good choices between a variety of shiny, alluring temptations. If we can remember how easily we were overwhelmed as children by the multiple choices the holidays presented, then we can imagine how difficult this situation might be. At least when we were children, there were (hopefully) watchful adults paying attention to our needs. Today, we must take care of ourselves. How many of us say “No” to a party we might like to attend, but feel we are too tired to appreciate? Instead, we compensate by having another drink to make us more sociable…. and we end up naked and crying after we embarrass ourselves in front of our friends. I can remember one particular Christmas where I was creating Christmas cheer out of sheer exhaustion (at the time I was teaching 6th grade and working as a waiter in the evenings) by drinking excessively. This memory is one of my most embarrassing moments ever! Instead of going home and getting the rest I so desperately needed, I drank myself into such a good time that I slipped away to the bathrooms, where I promptly locked myself into a stall and fell asleep. My friends came looking for me when I did not return to the table and I was so inebriated that they had to crawl under the stall door to rescue me. To make matters worse, I could not stand to leave under my own power, so I was carried out of the bathroom and through a popular and crowded restaurant, down a busy sidewalk full of pedestrians, and unceremoniously dumped into the backseat. Not a proud moment for me. The many options we have in our lives will be highlighted this week, but with the ruler of Gemini in Capricorn, the test will be in our ability to make good, responsible decisions for ourselves in the face of this wealth of opportunity.

Making things much more interesting, however, will be the fact this full Moon in Gemini will also be opposing the Sun (a full Moon always opposes the Sun), which is sitting with Mars in Sagittarius. An opposition always creates a need for us to balance extremes. Sagittarius is the most expansive sign of the zodiac, but his ruler, Jupiter, is also in Capricorn for this lunation. Mars rules our action drives and the Sun represents our conscious ego. We may want to do more, see more, say more than we have the energy or ability to say, do, or see. Just like children, our eyes will be bigger than our stomachs. It will be up to our inner Capricorn energy, that internalized parent who knows what is best for us, to make sure that we don’t overdo it. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, who is currently in Virgo, demanding that we learn how to make good decisions for ourselves.   The full Moon in this opposition will reflect our desire to have a great party and to create emotional stimulation, but the opposing planets, both taking direction from serious and responsible Saturn, will also ask us to have restraint, be wise and discriminating with our choices, and to make sure we don’t sacrifice common sense for the sake of a quick thrill.

The astrologically fluent among us will also recognize that this opposition is happening in mutable signs. Mutable signs are adaptive and, if not poorly aspected, usually able to course-correct. The other mutable opposition occurs in the signs of Virgo and Pisces.   We have a very important opposition happening in these signs between Saturn and Uranus which I have been discussing for a year now. These two oppositions form a grand mutable cross, which is the architecture that occurs when 2 planetary oppositions occur in the same modality. The planets that oppose each other also square the two planets from the other opposition. Square relationships among planets create tensions which call for action. If we manage the tensions and make good decisions, we feel like the actions we take are good or supportive. If we do not make good decisions, we feel like we have been tricked or victimized. In this grand cross, the Moon will square both Saturn and Uranus, demanding that we bring some self-control to the table while at the same time loosening our need re-create self-destructive situations that emanate from our habitual patterns. Uranus will square both the Moon, creating a chance for a new emotional experience, and Mercury, creating a new perspective. The Sun and Mars will also be squared by Uranus, which means that we could be upset by a surprise we don’t want, or that we may create surprises ourselves through our own actions. These surprises will be opportunities to create new emotional responses or intellectual perspectives that free us from our self-restrictive or self-destructive patterns. “Tis nothing either god or bad, but thinking makes it so…” Saturn will also square these planets, reminding us that self-control and discipline are necessary if we are to make the most of the opportunities and surprises that come our way.

All of this information may be hard process, so let me try to simplify: Despite our desire to be everywhere, to do everything, and to be what everyone wants us to be, we cannot possibly do it all. We must discriminate and use our good judgment and common sense, unfettered by old habits or self-defeating patterns, to decide which opportunities and experiences are going to create the best atmosphere in which we can flourish and attain our goals. If we do not know what our goals are, then this will be extra difficult. If we do not have a clear direction for ourselves, it will be that much easier for us to get lost. We may find that the quickest route to our destination comes from an unexpected, and therefore unwelcome, surprise. The surprises in our lives over the next few weeks will be the “magic” doors behind which our richest experiences of ourselves will await us. Courage and responsibility will go hand in hand as we meet these challenges. These energies are all manifesting in mutable signs, which means that the lesson comes in the form of our ability to be flexible and adjust as necessary. Being rigid will not be the best response to any situation we find ourselves in over the coming weeks.

One final caution: Gemini energy can cause us to talk first and think later. Gemini energy is so focused on acquiring all of the information available, that it often fails to discern between the good and the bad information. Don’t gossip, it will come back to haunt you. If we don’t know, then we should say so and keep our mouths shut. This will keep us from saying things we will regret, and from steering people wrong. Finally, when in doubt, don’t. Sometimes the best way to learn a lesson is to be quiet and to observe what is happening without reacting one way or another. This approach give us the chance to see the cause and effect without projecting our own desires or insecurities on the situation.

All of this happening under the Sagittarius new Moon, which was all about learning to be optimistic and do the best with what we have created for ourselves. Do not dwell on past mistakes or their results. We must be thankful for what we have and recognize that progress is the only goal which will create an opportunity for us to feel good good about ourselves while creating the motivation to continue to become the people we were born to be.

Happy Holidays!

with love

mark

PS: I will be spending a prolonged holiday in Argentina with Paul and several of our closest friends. With your permission, I would like to take the next few weeks off in order to appreciate fully the beauty of these people and this chance to spend so much quality time with them. I promise, I’ll be back online in time for a very special New Year’s column: Saturn goes retrograde Dec 31st!

MOORE TO CONSIDER ABOUT THIS WEEK’S ASTROLOGY

Hello Everyone,

I hope you had a fantastic holiday and enjoyed spending time with your family and friends. Thanksgiving Day was an astrologically auspicious day with Pluto changing signs, Uranus changing directions, and a new Moon in Sagittarius. New moons are a time to make plans and commit to creating something in our lives and Sagittarius is the sign of growth and optimism. Pluto left the sign of Sag on that day, leaving behind it a completely remodeled understanding of that area of your horoscope. The project took 13 years to unfold, so don’t feel bad if you don’t notice a big change. If we take a 13 year view, I am sure that we will all see what huge changes have taken place in our lives. Now that the renovation is completely over, we will be receiving many opportunities to use this new and, hopefully, improved energy. This week, under the influence of a new Moon in Sagittarius, is our first opportunity! This month will be a housewarming of sorts as we show our new Sag perspective to the world for the first time.

“”Tis nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” I have invoked this quote from Shakespeare many times over the past 2 years, and I would like to invoke this deceptively simple aphorism again this week. Mercury rules thinking and he is a very busy boy this week. The classical Greek representation of Mercury is of an athletic young man with winged helmet and feet, denoting strength, vitality, and swift movement. Mercury is conjuncting both Mars, the planet of action, and the Sun, the planet representing our ego drives. Our minds will be drawn to thoughts which spur us to action supporting the desires of our egos. The problem here, of course, is that our egos have no editor or consideration for others. It is wholly possible that this powerful triumvirate will naturally guide us to thoughts and actions which serve our personal best interests, but our personal best interests don’t always coincide with our larger aims. It would be wise to give our thoughts an incubation period this week in order to process the full impact (read: consequences) of these brilliant flashes. Something that sounds great on Monday morning often sounds less than great by Tuesday evening.

Mars and the Sun will join each other for a new cycle this week. At the time of a new cycle, it is always good to make a plan to use the energy which the cycle stimulates. The Sun/Mars cycle is all about US and what we want! What do we want to do with ourselves, what do we want to accomplish, where do we want to go? The fact that this cycle begins just after a new Moon, itself a time to plant seeds and create visions, ushers in a doubly significant time to acknowledge what we would like to create for ourselves over the next two years. Start making a list now and have the vision by the full Moon on Dec 12th. This does not mean that we must have an executable plan. We can only choose our route once we have the destination in mind. Saturn in Virgo will create plenty of opportunities for us to hone our plan. This week is only the beginning.

By Tuesday, Mercury is squaring Neptune. A square is a challenge which calls for decision and action. Uranus is the planet representing freedom and a break from tradition. We can expect this square to bring fresh and inventive perspectives to the forefront of our mind. Fresh perspectives are great, but vet these thoughts carefully, because Uranus can bring about a sudden change of circumstances which, although ultimately rewarding, can be fraught with difficulty and woe because we aren’t always so ready for the change we have precipitated.

By Wednesday, Mercury squares Saturn as well, which could bring about some idea of the structure necessary to effect the Uranian change, or the square could present itself as an objection to the this energy. Saturn is the planet of tradition, and he doesn’t allow for change easily. This configuration places Mercury right in the middle of the Saturn/Uranus opposition. Mercury, like the child of divorced parents, must balance the demands of each planet. We know this is not always easy, and with Mars urging action as he squares Uranus on Wednesday as well, we could get in over our heads… or we could experience a revelation that allows us to enjoy the best of both worlds. “Tis nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

Wednesday is action-packed! With the drama of Mercury being bounced back and forth between traditional Saturn and freewheeling Uranus and Mars calling for action, the Moon will conjunct first Chiron and then Neptune. Chiron represents the wounds we carry with us. These wounds often weigh us down as insecurity, fear, and anger. If we can understand the origin of theses feelings, our spirits are liberated and our empathy and compassion for ourselves and others is increased.    I always spend a good deal of time discussing the placement of Chiron in the natal charts of my clients because understanding these wounds allows us to understand ourselves in a more holistic and productive manner. This understanding is transformative and allows us to reach out towards our full potential. The next stop on the Moon’s travels that day will be Neptune, the planet of both illusion and inspiration.  The Moon will meet Neptune at 9:15p, so beware of drinking too much or overindulging in whatever may be happening at the time. Whatever is happening, it wont be what it seems to be.

There is a definite connection between what we think, represented by Mercury, and what we feel, represented by the Moon. Do our thoughts influence our feelings, or do our emotions rule our minds? The answer, I believe, is both. The dilemma is when to allow our rational minds supremacy, and when to allow our emotions to guide us.  There are appropriate times for each, but they do not always occur simultaneously.

What can we do with all of this information? For starters, be open to change and different perspectives, no matter how scary they seems. Secondly, don’t make decisions based on fear or anger without thinking the situation through to the obvious conclusion. If we cant think that far ahead, then we are most likely not acting in our own best interest. I am not saying that making a decision and acting out of fear or anger is bad. Many of us need to do just that: we need to learn that it is okay to be angry and to make decisions which allow us to express that anger in a productive manner. This is certainly true for me. Some of us, however, need to learn to hold back and to respect boundaries.

Finally, we need to process the information we are receiving. What feels (Moon) right for us? What makes sense (Mercury) with respect to our needs and goals? If we feel the need to hide or we begin to delude ourselves, if our wounds are open and raw, we need to understand this and accept the fact rather than to deny it. If we recognize the difficulty, we can more effectively work with the energies presented. Again, it is our thinking, our perspective, that creates the bars of our prison. If we can learn to look at things differently, then we can begin to alter the confines which restrict us into the structures which support us.

I’d like to take a minute here and thank my mom for making sure that I learned this lesson. Over and over again throughout my entire life and still to this day she reminds me that the only thing I can change in this world is my mind. Thanks Mom!

Good luck everyone and enjoy your holidays!

Much love,

mark

MOORE TO CONSIDER ABOUT THIS WEEK’S ASTROLOGY