Sun Enters Capricorn

Sun in Capricorn December 21, 2015 to January 21, 2016

Winter arrives in the northern hemisphere when the Sun moves into cool Capricorn on December 21st, marking the longest night of the year and a time to celebrate the return of the light. This is the time of year we look for new hope at a time of darkness, which sets a serious tone. Astrologically, the Winter Solstice marks the moment the Sun, the ruler of the zodiac, moves from adventurous Fire sign Sagittarius to the steady Earth sign of Capricorn. This is the dark night of the year, a day when the Sun appears to stand still. It's a time for light and laughter, but also deep reflection. The Sun's move into steady Capricorn urges us to take some time to look back on 2015 before we make our plans for the coming year. What did we do right? What do we wish we'd done differently? Don't fight the seriousness it brings to the festive holiday season; use it to start 2016 on the right foot.

Most of us will be working hard to move forward toward something better now, just as the Capricorn symbol of the Mountain Goat forever climbs upward toward the mountain top We are reminded that each of us have a purpose in life. There are goals we work toward. The Sun in Capricorn picks up where the Sun in Sagittarius left off. The Sun is a visionary in Sagittarius. In Capricorn, the Sun takes what's been envisioned and finds a way to make it happen, to make the commitment, devise the plan, do the work, etc. Capricorn energy brings the need for solid, stable plans and structures. During the next few weeks you create your foundation for the year ahead.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

•  Attend to your physical world and apply discipline and structure where needed.
•  Make sure your house is in order. For example, get your insurance, wills, etc. in place.
•  Create your yearly financial plan of both expenses and income.
•  Take care of business. Now is the time to act and get organized and plan for the future.

Sun enters Sagittarius

Sun in Sagittarius November 22nd to December 22^nd

When in Sagittarius, the Sun is in good spirits, adventurous, open-minded, and opportunistic with big, bold ideas. Life is in the living, experiencing and growing. It's the journey, not just the destination. While this is true, this sign can get out of control.  Saturn and Mercury are already in this fiery sign and the New Moon will follow in December.  We’ve seen last week the tragic effects of a Sagittarius Saturn, with the bombings in Beirut and Paris. Remember, Sagittarius is a crusader, a convince-and-convert archetype. It is also a mission driven and invasion archetype. As we have already seen, when combined with Saturn the consequences for ideological or religious disobedience can be harsh, even dire. Saturn at this level is a “accept the doctrine or be punished and perish” combination. With Mercury in Sagittarius, you are able to see the big picture, but it's harder to see the fine print.  Now nothing is hidden in open Sagittarius.  This energy is honest to the point of bluntness.  Be prepared that when you ask a question you may get more than you bargained for.  And tying it all up in a neat bow is Neptune now in direct motion once again encouraging us to live in denial.  You will be challenged to find a distinguishing line between reachable goals versus pipe dreams.

So what do we do?  How do we cope?

Sagittarius carries with it tremendous gifts and the need for responsible care that any fire brings. In the midst of great change, responsible care becomes even more important. Sagittarius fire expands. As a questing fire, it fuels expansion by searching and exploring new territory in variety of ways, internally and externally. Inwardly, it can help you seek the meaning of life or shine the light of consciousness on the truth within. To burn, fire needs air, appropriate containment, and safety. Learning to effectively work with fire means you must set your intention clearly, hold your focus carefully, create emotional safety, and choose suitable earthly containing parameters. If you focus on what you do not have, you will only experience more of what you feel is lacking. Instead, if you mindfully place your focus on all there is to be grateful for in your life, then the energy can shift toward what you are choosing to expand and create.

Sun enters Libra

Sun in Libra September 23rd to October 23rd

Fall arrives in the northern hemisphere as the Sun moved into Libra on September 23, and remains there until October 23rd. Libra is ruled by Venus, it’s symbol is the Scales so this will be a time of seeking balance in life. Justice, fairness and relationships will be highlighted. How are our light and dark aspects working?  Are we in harmony with ourselves or are we our own worst enemies?

The Libra Sun encourages harmony between the individual self and the shared self. Accommodation and compromise are its primary ways of creating harmonious duos.  But many people find intimacy difficult. It feels suffocating, confining and limiting to them, which is a high price to pay for sharing one's life with another person. Limits on personal freedom come with every relationship. There are general rules of behavior and individual preferences in play with every connection we have. Some people are very comfortable with compromise; others shrivel at the thought of giving up any authority to a partner. The balance of Self and Other is the crux of relationships – the dance between I and We.

While the Sun is in Libra, our challenge/opportunity is two-fold. Part one is to open our hearts to the romantic images of joyfully shared experience. It is a vision of liberating compromise that happens when what we give up of ourselves is multiplied in return by what we receive from another. Part two is recognizing that relationship is a process in which we move toward and away from each other, an ebb and flow of combining and separating that is completely natural. Accepting the variability of our emotions gives us the flexibility to find happiness within ourselves and when shared with others.

Sun enters Virgo

Sun in Virgo

August 22nd to September 22nd

Virgo, a mutable (flexible) earth (stable) sign, ruled by Mercury and symbolized by the Virgin is the zodiac sign associated with work. Everyday work, not the ambitious 10th house aspect of your life’s purpose. Virgo oversees the 6th house of the natal chart, associated with all those mundane chores that fill up a large portion of our day. All kind of work falls within Virgo's domain – it’s what we must do each day to make life work. It is Virgo who maps out the sensible path, bringing that Leo passion from last month down-to-earth all in a responsible, level-headed action plan.

We are looking at energy that is practical, analytical, dependable and adaptable. And the perfectionist aspect can be both a blessing and a curse depending on the circumstances.  In addition we need to be careful not to become overly critical, worrisome, nit-picky and fault-finding. Virgo has a reputation for being coolly analytical and critical, but done with a loving heart criticism is constructive and allows growth to occur.

Sun enters Leo

Sun enters Leo July 22nd to August 22nd 

In Cancer, the Sun's focus was inward, now in Leo it's all about self-expression and creativity. Since the Sun is Leo's native ruler, the Sun is dignified in this sign.  You can expect the motivation of the next four weeks to be about personal forms of creativity and style.  Now is the time to take a risk, using Leo's courage to do so. While the Sun is in Leo, be generous of your time and self. Let the Sun's warmth help ease your worries. There is always light at the end of the tunnel. It is our job to continue seeking for it and walking towards it. Be confident as you walk your path. Be mindful of keeping the goal in sight and knowing when it's time to tweak the plans and make changes in order complete the tasks at hand. Flexibility is important, as Leo is a fixed sign and the ego can get in the way of progress and growth.  However, we must also be careful not to indulge in the darker aspects, such as pride, arrogance, stubbornness and vanity.