Paul Bossons

Beginners’ Astrology – with Helen Tremeer

An opportunity for self-exploration using the symbolism of astrology:

• We’ll be focusing on the four elements: are you strongly fiery (e.g., enthusiastic, active, prone to anger), earthy (e.g., practical, survival-oriented, resistant to change), airy (e.g., logical, objective, restless) or watery (e.g., sensitive, imaginative, prone to over-attachment) – or perhaps more of a mixture?
• With particular focus on:
  • The sun – what you are growing into
  • The moon – deeper feelings and needs
  • The Ascendant or rising sign – first impressions

You will receive:

• A copy of your own natal chart to work with
• Relevant handouts on the astrological elements, qualities, planets and signs

Arrangements:

• From 10.30am-4.30pm on Sunday, 30th June, 2019 in Kendal, Cumbria (plenty of places to eat or buy nearby or feel free to bring a packed lunch)
• Cost: £45.00 including refreshments (a non-returnable deposit of £20.00 secures your place)
• B. This is a small group workshop – only 6 places available (also works well as a refresher course)!

Tuning into Astrology Afternoon Workshop – Taurus, 2019 – with Helen Tremeer

An opportunity for self-exploration using the symbolism of astrology:

• An afternoon exploring the energies of Taurus and its ruler, Venus (with reference to your own natal chart and current transits and progressions)
• To include:
  • Associated music, poetry, myths and stories
  • Visualisation
  • A large chart format for sensing the energies
  • Associated healing modalities

You will receive:

• A copy of your own natal chart to work with
• Relevant handouts on the astrological elements, qualities, planets and signs

Arrangements:

• From 1.30-4.30pm on Sunday, 28th April, 2019 in Kendal, Cumbria
• Cost: £25.00 including refreshments (or you can sign up for all 12 from £180.00)
• B. This is a small group experience – only 6 places available!

We’re in the balsamic moon phase as the moon in Sagittarius approaches the sun in Capricorn for Sunday’s new moon partial solar eclipse (at 15Capricorn25 on 6th January, 2019).  With Mercury moving into Capricorn the day before, we have a whole gamut of energy in this sign at the time of this lunation (Mercury, Saturn, sun, moon, Pluto and south node), reinforcing our (northern hemisphere) need to be with the dark of the winter for a while longer, facing endings with integrity and bringing things to completion before the stirrings of spring.

The north node in Cancer (mentioned in my last full moon musings) sits high in the chart for the north of England, resonating with our aspirations to self-nurture, self-healing and to creating a ‘safe space’ that balances the sometimes harsh realities of the south node in Capricorn.

The same chart has Libra rising, with Venus in Scorpio as chart ruler; Venus at this time making a very close quincunx (150 degrees) to Uranus in Aries as he gets ready to leave the sign for the last time in this round of his 84-year cycle.  The quincunx (or inconjunct) is a tricky aspect, pushing away the other planet or failing to ‘see’ it.  Some kind of compromise is needed (or, indeed, a ‘periscope’ 😉 ) for things to come together, although the fact that both signs (Scorpio/Aries) are traditionally ruled by Mars does help as it means there’s some common ground.  Venus’ valuing of intensity, privacy and deep transformation might be at odds, though, with Uranus’ tendency to gung-ho proclamations of his ‘truth’!

We often need something that helps us to see around corners (a ‘periscope’ of sorts then, and, for the life of me, I can’t remember where I met this idea in association with the quincunx 😉 ) when we’re tracking those unconscious signals (Scorpio) that part of us doesn’t want to see.  This help might come from: the perspective of another person, a dream-figure, a repetitive movement/accidental movement or even a Freudian slip that alerts us to something outside our line of sight.  What looks like ‘absolute truth’ (Uranus) on the outside might hold an inner ‘knowing’ that (when focused on) helps us find a shift which embraces both ends during this next lunar month.

‘Wild Earth Animal Essences’ do a lovely, supportive ‘Inner Child Healing’ combination to help with embracing the energy of the Cancer north node, with Capricorn’s energy bringing Bach Flowers’ Mimulus to mind (for the fear aspect in particular).  ABFE’s Boab is helpful for breaking through hereditary patterns, and Bluebell, for helping open our hearts when dealing with cut-off or repressed emotions.  And for the feelings of hopelessness and negativity associated with this sign and this time of year, Lila Devi’s Orange can help renew our faith in the light at the end of the tunnel.

For the Venus/Uranus energy mentioned above, I’m drawn back to Isopogon (mentioned in my new moon musings of November, 2018), with its capacity to address the fixed views and dominating tendencies of Scorpio, its help with retrieving forgotten skills and opening up the subconscious mind, as well as its focus on learning from our past mistakes (perhaps preventing us from throwing out the baby with the bathwater – one of those extreme Uranian tendencies 😉 ).

Love and blessings as we move into the ever-increasing light of this time of year.

Helen x

Balsamic moon in Scorpio as we approach Friday’s new moon in Sagittarius – calling us, perhaps, to delve into the deeper motivations that are driving us in order to let go what really no longer serves us before we experience the more upbeat energy that begins this new lunar month (Friday, 7th December at 15Sagittarius08 – 07hrs22 GMT).  Sagittarius is a sign known for its optimism and future-oriented approach; the sign which coincides with Advent in the Christian calendar.

The chart for the moment of the new moon is coloured by an abundance of planets in fire and water; a very subjective combination, keying into this rather dreamy, fantasy- and freedom-loving sun/moon square Mars/Neptune in Pisces.  Saturn in his own sign of Capricorn may help us to keep a sense of reality, but with only one other planet in earth (Pluto), and no planets in air, objectivity is most definitely lacking!

Both signs (Sagittarius and Pisces) are associated with beliefs, and a square (90-degree angle) suggests some conflict or challenge around these, perhaps drawing attention to where our beliefs don’t fit with those of the cultures we live in.  This square might also contribute to exaggeration and carelessness as well as a sense of dissatisfaction.

I’ve been anticipating the exact conjunction of Mars with Neptune that happens very close to the time of the new moon and Mars/Neptune combinations aren’t the easiest of things to deal with, bringing together our desires (and our energy levels) with Neptune’s somewhat nebulous idealism, dissipating our attempts to get hold of what we truly want, fudging our assertiveness or blowing our feelings out of all proportion (things already connected to Mars’ passage through Pisces in itself, of course).

Mercury stationing direct in Scorpio the night before the lunation (as well as Venus’ recent move back into this sign after her retrograde) may help us get hold of what’s going on beneath the surface, but it takes some time for Mercury to get back up to speed (and we might have to wait until autumn, 2019, when Venus has moved past her next conjunction to the sun, before we put these deep knowings into action).  Let’s give ourselves a little time then, before attempting to translate our visualisations and our restlessness into any kind of ‘reality’ (particularly, if, like me, you are mightily affected by Neptune’s very slow movement in the 13th degree of Pisces 😉 ).

For that Sagittarian tendency to mask our inner worries with distractions and present a carefree face to the world (which, if you’re in the north of England, might be there in bucketsful due to Jupiter in Sagittarius rising in the chart 😉 ), you can do no better than, Bach Flowers’ Agrimony!  For auric protection and difficulties with taking on energies that aren’t yours (the stuff of Neptune!), I recommend Australian Bush Flower Essences’ Fringed Violet.  And if you’re on the edge of ‘losing it’ (afraid that your emotions will spill out uncontrollably), ABFE’s Dog Rose of the Wild Forces is a good one (as is Bach Flowers’ Cherry Plum).

May this time of build up to the festive season fill you with hope for the future!

Balsamic moon phase, with moon in Libra as we head towards tomorrow’s new moon in Scorpio (15Scorpio12 at 16:03 hrs GMT).  The middle degrees of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) are associated with the astrological fire festivals, so new moon at 15 degrees Scorpio is a powerful reminder of the themes of Samhain – the veils are thin; we’re anticipating the the dark of the winter season and honouring our ancestors.

Taurus rises in the new moon chart for the north of England, focusing Venus’ (ruler of Taurus) retrograde path in her own sign of Libra before she turns direct on 16th November (25Libra14) after 6 weeks (from 10Scorpio50) of reflection.  The need to go inwards and tune into what we really value in our lives, to honour the feminine in ourselves and others, to uncover old relationship issues and work on the balance of self and other (issues highlighted at the most recent full moon in Taurus) are, once again, to the fore as we journey into the next lunation cycle.

Looking at the chart, I’m drawn to several planets in the late degrees of signs, particularly Uranus in Aries and Jupiter in Scorpio (as I write, there’s also moon in the 29th degree of Libra, with Chiron in the same degree in Pisces).  The 29th degree is a tricky one according to most astrologers.  It’s the dying degree, the tidying up degree, a degree where we’re tested or we overcompensate; a degree where there are changes to be made, lessons to learn and a certain impatience (just to mention some of things said on this subject 😉 ).  Letting go into the dark of the moon may be beset with taxing issues, therefore, and the need to sort some of those loose ends (perhaps a list to tackle as the moon waxes into her next cycle might be helpful?)!

Jupiter’s sojourn in Scorpio has felt long and dark for many of us (that ends on 9th November as he moves into his own sign of Sagittarius for the next year) and Uranus is retrograde for the last time in Aries.  These two in combination (it’s a tricky aspect, the quincunx – 150 degrees) are associated with last minute reprieves, but you may be feeling a mismatch between Jupiter’s expansion of and journeying towards the ‘shadow’, and Uranus’ last ditch ‘gunfight at the O.K. corral’ (or some such 😉 ) before he returns to Taurus next March!  Jupiter’s close trine (120 degrees) to Chiron in Pisces at this time suggests this could be a good cycle for healing around beliefs, as well as our emotions (water signs), with Venus’ close trine to Mars in Aquarius opening up avenues of communication (air signs) between the sexes.  The new moon degree itself is also closely trine Neptune in Pisces, helping us access the compassion and transcendence of this planet (but, as always, watch out for the easy slide into addictive behaviours as well as the tendency to delusion and confusion).  The abundance of trines might also suggest some ease in learning those 29th degree lessons (let me know how it goes 😉 ).

Flower Essence healing for this time brings to mind, Isopogon (ABFE).  Debbie Sellwood mentions it as an essence for the fixed views and dominating tendencies of Scorpio (Mars, one of Scorpio’s rulers, is also in Aquarius, the sign of fixed ideas), but it’s also an essence to help us retrieve forgotten skills and open up the subconscious mind (Jupiter in Scorpio).  Ian White also advocates its use for memory loss, bringing in the Neptunian side of the energies of this lunation.  (Do get in touch for more information on essences for this Scorpio season.)

May the gathering in of the third harvest see you through the winter months!

I offer one-to-one consultations in astrology and healing (separately and in combination) as well as day workshops exploring astrology in a healing space.  Do get in touch for more information and/or to book a session – and check out the Events list on my Facebook page (accessible through my website at www.zodiac-healing.com) for upcoming autumn workshops!

Almost time for the balsamic moon phase as this evening’s Leo moon heads towards the next lunar cycle which begins with a new moon in Libra on Tuesday, 9th October, 2018.  We’ve recently had Pluto’s station direct (at 18Capricorn45) after his five-month retrograde (see my post on ‘enantiodromia’ from my professional Facebook page overleaf) and we’re having a Venus station (to retrograde) this evening (5th October, 2018).

Venus, the planet associated with love and values, goes retrograde once every 19 months or so, heralding a time of reflection about our inner values.  She’s been in Scorpio since 9th September, keying us into intensity and raw honesty, catharsis and mystery ahead of the sun’s path into Scorpio at the end of the month.  She was last retrograde in Scorpio in 2010.

Venus’ position colours the upcoming Libra new moon as she is the ruler of this sign and she’s also making a close square to Mars in Aquarius at the time of the lunation, suggesting there may be decisions to make/conflicts to be addressed in relationship (e.g., around Scorpio’s need for privacy vs. Aquarius’ more rebellious tendencies perhaps) or, indeed, spurring us on to looking at how our deeper values (Venus) conflict with our outer thoughts and actions (Mars in Aquarius).  Sue Tompkins points out that neither Scorpio nor Aquarius are concerned with social niceties which could well shoot holes in Libra’s attempt to keep the peace at times!

In the north of England we have Virgo rising at the time of the new moon, with Mercury in late Libra ruling the chart.  I’ve been keeping an eye on the movements of the true Black Moon Lilith (an osculating apogee akin to the nodal points) and her position in Aquarius trines Mercury at the time of the lunation (her true position swings wildly backwards and forwards so she passes in and out of aspect with planetary positions over several months).  Might this be the time to begin (or continue) an exploration of the expression and healing of our unique voice in a safe environment (might be as simple as using a journal to write what comes as it comes without judgment)?

Tom Jacobs (‘Lilith: healing the wild’) sees the true BML as ‘working toward equality in relationship… but especially when it comes to gender roles and the balance between masculine and feminine (active and passive)’ – words which resonate well, I feel, with a lunar cycle which begins in the sign of relationship at the time of a close square between Venus and Mars!

If you’re looking for some healing help from the Plant People around these themes, Libra’s Bach Flower is Scleranthus (helpful for those times of painful indecision), with Australian Bush Flower Essences’ Sturt Desert Rose a lovely one for helping us stay with our true values (ABFE also do a great relationship combination).  Pink Mulla Mulla might be helpful for healing old hurts that leave us lashing out at others to keep them at bay (Scorpio), with Tall Yellow Top (both of these are ABFE) addressing feelings of alienation (an Aquarian theme and also chiming in with BML issues).

Helen x

‘Let the winds of change blow through my life, bringing the most radically enlivening thing that could possibly happen.  I am hoisting my sails.  Parasail me into the place where I can connect with my allies, and together we can do the most good.’  INVOCATION TO OYA – Santeria goddess of change (From Caroline Casey’s ‘Making the gods work for you’)

Are you feeling the tension (we have an exact square of retrograde Mars in Aquarius to Uranus in Taurus as I write)?  And with only Mars retrograde in an air sign just now (and Mercury retrograde to boot), there’s not much cool-headedness and objectivity about to help us decide where to put our energies.

The energy of today’s chart is high fire and high fixity!  The fixed signs (we have Uranus in Taurus, north node, sun and Mercury retro in Leo, Jupiter in Scorpio and Mars retro in Aquarius) are about devotion and willpower, tending to stick with the path they’re on and avoiding change if at all possible.  They function from a sense of their own inner values rather than in response to the outside world’s demands and needs.

Uranus is bringing his own brand of upheaval and revolution to the fixed signs (for the next 7 years) and, in combination with Mars just now, the likelihood of frayed nerves and tempers is upped considerably (Mars squared Uranus on his forward path in mid-May, 2018 and will catch up again with the maverick planet in mid-September)!  The rebel’s trine to Saturn in Capricorn may well be helpful in balancing freedom with responsibility and reform with the upholding of important traditions during this period of tension.

Part of us may be calling for those ‘winds of change’ whilst other parts are reeling at the thought of what kind of shift that might mean in our lives.  Uranus is unstoppable (part of the great collective unconsciousness) – and unpredictable!  Tuning into what we are really passionate about and working on our relationship to our anger and assertion (Mars retrograde) could be a helpful way of readying ourselves for Mars’ direct motion (from 27^th August, 2018) – and Mercury’s retrograde focus might be on action/decision-making (being in a fire sign), but do watch out for signing on the dotted line for something you might later regret (and the communication gremlins are out in force)!  Leo’s Mercurial energy might enjoy being ‘centre stage’ with a love of children and playfulness (and these areas might give us some ‘pause for thought’ during hir continued retrograde – s/he turns direct on 19^th August, 2018).

And, lest I forget (hardly – it falls bang on my own natal Uranus 😉 ), we have the final (solar) eclipse of this season on 11^th August, 2018 when sun and moon meet in the 19^th degree of Leo (do check out which house it’s passing through in your chart and get in touch if you’d like some help with exploring the astrological themes in your own life).  Remember to look for repeating patterns from these same eclipse degrees 19 years ago and I’ll be continuing to explore the planetary energies in my social media group (do check out my ‘round’ of lunar ‘feelings’ from the last month in the attached document – or on my Facebook page in a day or two).

Love and blessings in this season of the first harvest!

Helen x

“You cannot solve the problems in life with the same consciousness that created them.”  EINSTEIN

I’ve been musing on the cycles within cycles that make up our life here on earth (we’re in the season of fire in this part of the world from a Medicine Wheel point of view: life is coming into flower, there are decisions to be made, and the sun is high in the sky).  And in tracking how the planets touch into each other’s energies on a moment-by-moment, day-to-day, month-to-month basis, I am tuned into an awareness of the cosmic dance that plays out and touches into our lives according to the maxim: as above, so below.

Saturday (30th June), the planet Mercury squared up to Uranus, which coincided, for me, with some ‘aha’ moments (Uranus) from old diaries (as I am in a continual process of sorting what needs to go from my life and what is to keep)!  The Mercury/Uranus square didn’t touch into my chart directly, but an on-going Pluto connection to my natal Mercury is keying into getting rid of old papers, old thoughts – dredging the depths of my ideas over time.  My personal planet of communication is in process of transformation!

Mercury is due to join Mars (see last month’s newsletter) in hir tri-annual retrograde from 26th July, 2018 (how are you finding this Mars retrograde?) – moving ‘backwards’ in Leo this time (through to 19th August).  The pair make an opposition before this (on 5th July), which might spark off some ‘telling it like it is’ or even ‘cut the crap’ energy in our communications (I referred to stuff being ‘detonated’ in last month’s newsletter 😉 ).  You might be feeling a difference in Mercury’s dialogue with Uranus as this is the first time in 7 years that they’re meeting in fixed signs (keying into stubbornness and stuckness, perhaps, with a focus on staying power and values).

This month is also the beginning of ‘eclipse season’ and our first eclipse is solar, marking the new moon in Cancer on 13th July and followed by a total lunar eclipse (full moon in Leo) on 27th July.  Remember that eclipses also follow cycles, and the eclipse degrees this year hark back to those in 1999 (if you can remember that far back of course 😉 ).  If they closely pick up planets in your own chart, you might expect ‘an event’ that relates to the planet in question (but not necessarily at the exact moment of the eclipse).  And we can also look forward to Jupiter’s long climb back up out of Scorpionic darkness as he turns direct on 10th July (a journey of deep soul-searching for me)!

May our growing consciousness give rise to new solutions (whatever the problems may be)!

Love and blessings from Helen x

“To develop a complete mind: study the science of art; study the art of science.  Learn how to see.  Realize that everything connects to everything else.”  LEONARDO DA VINCI

Mercury (ruler of Gemini) is the planet of connection, with Gemini ruling both the lower and higher mind.  Sagittarius (Gemini’s polar opposite) is often seen ‘at play’ in Gemini, as the signs work as balancing pairs.  Together these signs rule such things as: short (Gemini) and long-distance (Sagittarius) travel, perception and meaning, the present/here and now and the future/far away.

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