A New Year, A New You!

Making New Year's Resolutions Like an Astrologer     

     This is the year. You’re tired of the stale, worn out routine. The time has come to take a new start seriously! You’ve dusted off that favorite self-help book, found while cleaning for the holidays. Finally, you’ve finished doing all the things you were doing for everyone else. In a few days, January 1st is going to roll around, and you’ll definitely start an all new you! Many people look to January 1st as a time to make New Year’s Resolutions; make a fresh start; become a new and improved version of you; but is it really the best time to make a new beginning? How many times have you promised to lose that weight or quit smoking, only to be back to business as usual before February?

     Although January 1st is the beginning of the calendar year, and days are starting to get longer, it may not be the best time for you to start something new or change an unwanted behavior. I don’t want to discourage you because I’m a sucker for a good self-help book; but for big changes to your life, could I suggest a couple of little tweaks?

The first Full Moon of 2017 falls on January 12, in Cancer

Is January 1st Really the Best Time For a Big Change?      

     There two times a year I always suggest my clients make a fresh start: The first new moon of change, anyway. winter, which this year is December 28th, and the new moon before their own birthday. If you think that the 28th is coming around too soon for really making that big change, don’t worry, it isn’t. New moons are about planting the seeds of change, not putting the plan in place, and unless you’re a Capricorn, this probably isn't your most powerful time for

     Since this is a post about New Year’s resolutions, let’s start by going over my best suggestions for taking advantage of this time of renewal and fresh starts. December is dark and cold. The northern hemisphere has turned as far away from our Sun as possible, and night has taken dominance over our lives. In general, most of us turn inward and slow down as the year seems to wind down. It’s only natural that in all the darkness of the night dominated season of winter we would start considering what we want to do with our lives once the days start getting longer and our energy returns. No matter how we try to disentangle ourselves from the rhythms of nature, human beings will always have a primal connection to Earth that even the most fast paced urbanite cannot deny! So, instead of fighting the need to be reborn as our planet springs back to life, let’s use the rebound to the best of our ability!

It's Never Too Late To Make Your Resolution

     First, if you haven’t had time to come up with your New Year’s Resolution, no problem; you still have time – no, really! That’s what the new moon is all about. I would encourage you to use the new moon on Wednesday to really think about what you want to accomplish for the year. The new moon is about digging your roots deep into the earth, not about bursting forth into the world (that’s full moon territory, and we’ll talk about that next). Also, part of being successful at change is, knowing that different kinds of change and growth are supported at different times of the year. January is a new beginning for us all so a new year’s resolution that helps you be a better, more successful person out in the world will be more likely to take root than a personal goal. Try making personal resolutions at your birthday, when your own natural cycle begins.

     Now that you’ve put aside some time to really think about your resolution for the New Year, you should consider what you’re going to work on. Are you looking to rid yourself of habits you’ve outgrown? Are there childish behaviors that keep you from moving ahead or being as disciplined as you could be? Do you feel like you need to clean out the old before you can even begin to start to rebuild with a firm foundation? Then the new moon on Wednesday will give you a quiet, dark, moment for contemplating the desire for that change. Maybe instead of stripping yourself of the undesirable, you’re ready to build? Perhaps you spend 2016, like many of us, stripping life down to its barest essentials? Maybe you already feel like an empty vessel, and you’re ready to begin fresh with 2017. Then the calm, inky blackness of the new moon might be the salve to your weary soul you’ve been waiting for all year!

     You’ve now considered that “new you” for the New Year, and you've started putting a plan in place. The first full moon is just the first impulse. While we might want to start right now, winter has been about rest, healing, letting the “fields lie fallow” and that’s an important part of the cycle of life. Rushing into your changes before you have a clear head and heart will just cause more work throughout the year. So, before you start putting your changes into place, make sure you have the strength and energy to begin, if not, you may need a whole month to build up to it, and that’s fine! But, if you’ve been working on cleaning out the old and resting up for the last few weeks, then January is your oyster! January 1st is a great time to start talking about your resolution. Talk to people as if you’ve already made it happen. Even if you haven’t taken a single, tangible step toward your future success, just putting it out to the Universe is a beautiful first step so we can assume you’re going to nail this! Between the New Moon in December and the first full moon of January, take a little time every evening (and if you’re really disciplined, take a few minutes in the morning, too) for considering the change you want to make this year. Don’t skip this part, because if I’ve learned anything, it’s that a poorly thought out dream will materialize by default just as well as a clearly formed dream – but you may not like the outcome as well! (We’ll be going over a good use of astrology timing for affirmations in a later post)

January 1st is a Great Time To Let People In On Your Dream!    

     The New Year is a time to dream big! For most of us, we’ve spent time with those we love and know us best. We’ve put the little energy we have left into reenacting long-standing family traditions, connecting us to our past and those ancestors that have passed on. It is precisely this feeling of deep connection to our past that puts us in the perfect position to sense that primal impulse you were born with that drives you toward your most divine purpose. Using this winter energy to reconnect with your “big why” is, in my opinion, the best use of this new beginning energy of January.

     Once we’ve put some real energy into deciding what we want for 2017, it’s time to start growing our dream, just like we would grow an oak tree or a rose bush. For brand new seeds of thought, ideas for our self that are so new we’re relying completely on instinct, I would suggest a new moon beginning. The start will be slow, but you’re putting down new roots and making sure you have fertile soil to grow from. If you started contemplating your “big dream” for the first time during the winter new moon, take some sort of action on January’s first full moon – this year it’s on January 12th. It doesn’t have to be huge action; maybe you just make some phone calls or look up some information about the possibilities. What classes would you need? Who do you know that might know more about what you want to accomplish? What clues and hints have the Universe been trying to show you? Explore these things during the full moon. If you don’t feel like you were quite ready for action on the 12th, don’t feel like your New Years goals are lost, take a little time to think until the first new moon of January, on the 27th, plant those new seeds, and you’ll find your first impulse toward action once February’s Full moon arrives.

Is This The Year You Pick Back Up On A Dream You Packed Away, Maybe? 

     Could this be a time of renewed desire and interest in a dream you are picking back up? Has winter been a time of narrowing your focus, letting go of what doesn’t seem to be working, reconnecting with your priorities and highest ideals in order to adjust the sails for your journey? In this case, I would recommend working with your focus on the full moon. If you’re already chasing your dream, winter is a little more like making sure you have strong roots and good soil for the next year’s journey of growth. If the last few months have started to show the cracks in your planning, a misalignment with your true self, or the universe just doesn’t seem to be supporting you, the winter is a good time to sit in silence and listen. Changing course, or getting expert advice for adjusting your methods, doesn’t mean you were failing; it means you’re growing with your voyage. Don’t let the winter’s need to strip you down to the bare essentials stop you in your tracks! Take the time from the 28th of December (our first new moon of winter) to the 10th of January (the 11th starts the first full moon phase of winter) to rest, regroup, and listen to intuition. By the time the 12th of January rolls around, you’ll be ready to pick back up chasing that “big why.”

Okay, So When Should I Get Started? 

     With all that being said, I would suggest making that big personal change at the beginning of YOUR new year, your birthday. About a month or so before your birthday is a great time to evaluate the previous year, look at where you are in your life, and get ready to make your changes. Every birthday, or solar return, is an opportunity for a personal rebirth. You’ll be more likely to follow through and make the changes you want to see in your personal life. Want to quit smoking, or lose weight? Make the commitment and come up with your plan during the new moon right before your birthday. Envision the new you, how you will feel having accomplished this for yourself, and then start on the downhill slide of the full moon phase after your birthday.

     What do I mean by the “downhill slide” of the full moon? Well, if you’ve ever watch the moon over the course of the month, you can see the moon get bigger, and rounder every night, until it reaches its peak, then it starts getting smaller again. The full moon “phase” lasts 3 days as it reaches its fullest point and then starts its decline. Anytime I’m starting something like a diet or giving up a bad habit, I pull the trigger on my actual plan the 3rd night of the full moon, fully expecting that as the moon gets smaller it will be taking my poor eating habit, the extra cushion I keep between myself and the world, a need to numb myself with food or nicotine, along with it. When I reach that new moon phase, I again confirm how excited I am about the new me I’m becoming, forgive myself for time I strayed from my new version of my better self, and take a little time on the “upswing” of the new moon (the third day of the new moon phase, when the build toward a full moon begins) to consider what habits I will need to start in order to support my new lifestyle. There’s a very obvious, and easy to follow rhythm to the moon’s cycles, and once you find out how easy it is to let the moon keep you motivated, it will be hard for you to ignore her!

     There are definitely other times throughout the year that will provide an energy boost for changes, so by all means, if your birthday isn’t until September, don’t put off that exercise plan for nine months. On the next new moon, be ready to put that plan in place. If you are trying to stop smoking, put that patch on during the next full moon phase. In my experience, adding something to your routine is always aided by the new moon, any new beginning is favored, and as the moon grows, so will your resolve. Ridding yourself of outdated habits or behaviors you have outgrown can be easier with the full moon energy. Of course, there may be some new moons that could be more advantageous for starting some things than others, and some full moons that may give you more help than others, but this is an opportunity to refocus every two weeks! I encourage clients to use these moon cycles throughout the year when they find themselves straying from the goals they set for themselves for the New Year, or on their birthday. So, don’t be discouraged if New Year’s Resolutions don’t seem to stick, look for your next starting point on the wheel and make your own fresh start!

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Take Care,
Sarah Lynn &
The Aspects Staff

Check Out Your Summer 2016 Horoscopes!

We would love for you to check us out on our new website and blog space: 

Musings of an Astrologer - our new blog!

Horoscopes

Aries

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

Libra

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Capricorn

Aquarius

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A New Home for Aspects!

We've been working on a fully functional website for our friends, clients and students for a while now. With a couple of versions that were quick fixes to get us through the beginning of the year - we finally have a site to move into! 

Aspects Astrology will now have all our newest articles and musings along with our seasonal horoscopes in one easy to use location. We are adding events, lectures and workshops for the summer season and have a beautiful display of the personalized gifts we provide right now. 

Check out www.AspectsAstrology.com/ to see what we have to offer now, and sign up for our newsletter to keep up to date as we grow=o) 

Thanks for finding us on blogger and we will be excited to serve you BETTER at AspectsAstrology.com! 

Invitation

Your fingers lap at my soul

like penetrating, radiant, rays of the Sun

Warm

Caressing

Soothingly Passionate

Come take my hand,

let's begin that ancient dance

We both know our parts

Now we begin anew

From that place we left off before

An invitation from Lilith, to dance. This was inspired a few years back, but when I read it recently, I felt it was all about Lilith in Scorpio. XOXO ~ Sarah Lynn

Lilith - The Woman Every Man Wishes He Could Have, But Won't Ever Possess

With all this talk of the emerging female, I love the idea of the asteroid Lilith beginning a transit of deep, dark, mysterious Scorpio! Is there really anyone among us, male or female, that isn't a bit afraid of the true power of the untamed, forever wild, woman ? Think of how we're always shifting blame to those among us that dare honor her in any way.  Lilith is the consummate, cosmic,  bad girl! If you think of all the things we tell little girls not to do in order to be considered a good girl - yeah, Lilith choose to cast all those aside. There're many elements to the legend and lore of Lilith, from being the handmaid of the Goddess Inanna,  to Adam's first wife, and everything in-between, but the common thread, in all of her stories, is that Lilith had a problem submitting to any patriarch; her sexuality was hers to command, and she refused to go down without a fight! Her rebellion to all things which caged her is a dynamic symbol of sacred rebellion for both women and men. In Lilith's story, the daunting task of dispelling the Goddess depended on oppressing all the mysteries of the feminine through the world's longest and most effective smear campaign, and yet she continues on with an unwavering will to survive, no matter what has been thrown at her, like many women I know today.    

In astrology (it is an astrology blog, after all), Lilith, is actually the name of an asteroid (Lilith #1181), the name of a sensitive spot in space, as measured by our visible moon's apogee (Black Moon Lilith), and a mythical, or hypothetical, second moon of the earth, said to be almost always hidden to us because of its position, named after Lilith (Dark Moon Lilith). Add to this list, a fixed star at about 25 ° of Taurus, named Stellar Lilith, and it can get a little confusing to figure out. With all these different heavenly bodies and theoretical sensitive, and hidden spots, all named after this dark Goddess who represents all that is wild and free within the feminine psyche, you would think she'd be more easily found! 

When I read through what I can find regarding Lilith, in many ways, I see the very oldest of threads remaining of the history of all my mothers and sisters before me, since the beginning of time. At her very worst, Lilith can be selfish, destructive, and deceptive; but when Lilith is at her best, she's sensuous, a gateway to the deepest mysteries, the Goddess in all her wonderful and fierce forms, embodied by every woman that wants to find her. As with so many things we don't quite understand, we all fear these things Lilith represents. Her embodiment of the Goddess here on earth as the handmaid of Inanna, with her role as the sacred prostitute in the temples, and the vessel by which the rites of fertility were practiced, Lilith created a sense of omnipotent presence which all women pay the price for to this day.

 Much like the powerful feminine rising today, Lilith is hard to find, difficult to understand, multi-faceted, and impossible to keep down forever. When we look at how women spend their energy trying desperately to keep her feminine desires, impulses, sensuality, and wisdom pushed down small enough to not freak guys out, it isn't hard to see all the ways Lilith rebels to be seen! Part of the lesson of Lilith is survival by any means. Sometimes survival means retreat, hide, adapt to the best of your ability, but sometimes to survive you must be fierce, aggressive, and unyielding!  I find it interesting in our male dominated, war driven, control based society, we not only allow men to embrace all of Lilith's qualities, good and bad with no judgment at all, but we find these assets exciting and desirable.

Why, as women, do we constantly hand our power away, or feel shame and guilt when we refuse to? Even worse, some of us get ridiculed, made to feel small and dirty, by our own sisters. The survival technique of retreat; quietly submitting; hiding in plain sight, in order to manipulate the story, and making the story sweeter than it really is: not only are these the methods used most often by women to survive, these are the methods by which we have been able to keep the Goddess alive for our daughters and grand-daughters. As Lilith has started coming back to light, so, too, has the rise of feminism, and women's proper place as a divine being, in and of, herself. I don't think it was any accident that the asteroid, Lilith #1181 was discovered toward the end of the 1920's, just when the roaring twenties, with flappers and bobbed hair, was in full swing, with women beginning bold enough to demand rights and respect. Since her discovery in the early 1900's until now, the theme of Lilith has become more and more interwoven into our culture, subconsciously awakening in our psyche, and establishing herself more and more prominently in astrology.  

Since 1927, when the asteroid Lilith was discovered at 7 ° Leo, the Black Moon Lilith has made roughly 9 transits through the zodiac. The number nine, a number that represents the end of a major cycle, movement into unconditional love of all mankind, and mathematical magic by its very nature, is a wonderful representation of Lilith in her many miraculous, and mundane, forms. Although much about Lilith is embodied by the number 9, in astrology she feels most at home, and  seems to revel in, all things Scorpio, and the mysteries hidden in the eighth house. It's almost as if, armed only by her divine wisdom, and pure faith in subconscious impulses, she knows she must purify herself through excess, submission to the beast within, and complete dissolve into the mystic of the abyss, before she can rise like a phoenix in the ninth house of Sagittarius; rising above, aiming for her purist destiny - the embodiment of the Goddess here on earth, in all her glory! 

It's no accident that the rediscovery of Lilith, and the rise of feminism, have gone hand in hand. It's not by coincidence that Lilith is complicated, multi-faceted, misunderstood, and chastised for her very existence and refusal to die.  It isn't just happenstance that started the rise of women's awakening to the idea that we were created whole, equal to man in our own right, and with our own power to command, at our will, without the need for permission or approval from any man. The idea of "As above, so below" comes to mind when I contemplate how the asteroid Lilith was always there, and yet not visible, much like all the other elements of Lilith. The Power and magic of the Goddess has followed the example of Lilith; always here, but not always boldly seen with the naked eye. Lilith is both, so subtle she can hide in plain sight, yet too wild and powerful to disappear.

As Black Moon Lilith moves out of Libra and into Scorpio around mid-may, she's going to be ready to push us to extremes, helping us to embrace those parts of the divine feminine that we will no longer apologize for like: the way we bleed with the rhythm of the moon cycles; how we can bend the mathematical rules that the rest of the world uses, and insist that for us, one plus one equals that magic number 3; to nurture comes second nature, and we can heal with the salve of release. Scorpio reminds Lilith that her body was once worshiped as a temple, in and of itself, and her wisdom was law. While Lilith in Libra has been asking us to examine where we've been off balance, urging us to examine the dark and bitter aspects of our relationships, looking at partner as a reflection of self, and uncovering the idea that the sparkly, beauty of desire, needs to be balanced with substance and depth by both partners - Lilith in Scorpio demands so much more to reach her full potential. 

By its very nature, Lilith in Scorpio will leave scars somewhere while we transit through this next nine months together.   On a large scale, we move beyond the world stage presenting all the deceptive ways we've been trying to balance the scales of male vs. female, and start bringing to the forefront all the truly unapologetic ways in which we embrace being fully formed women (and men for that matter). Scorpio and Lilith are both known for going to extremes. Sometimes we don't know what our limits are unless we push them; our impulse for drowning in ecstasy, and submitting to the lusts of the flesh, can be a learning experience you can't deny. Just like a woman's body knows how to create life from nothing, manifestation is a woman's birth right to reclaim without asking permission. We're not only allowed to conquer the world, in our own way, we're being asked to lead the charge to heal, applying the salve that only mystery, and awakening to the ancient wisdom within can accomplish. In nine months we push into a more detached, and destiny driven sort of feminine energy, but for now we're reconnecting with the kind of impulses to passion, and lust that blows our mind, and pushes our boundaries. I'm not just talking about the kind of lust that brings you to your knees within the confines of a relationship, because women may actually feel a little imprisoned by their circumstances, right now, if their partner isn't encouraging their wild and passionate nature; I'm talking about finding that kind of passion and lust for life in everything you are doing - including your partner!

If I could give some words of advice for the next 9 months, it would be to reconnect with the rebel within; your inner "Black Widow", the femme fetal all men want but could never possess. Most of the time, we fear the idea of failure less than the thought of fully embracing the full spectrum of how bad ass we could truly be. You see, failure is easy to comprehend, but the boundaries of creative manifestation are limitless, and scary! As with so many things we fear, the fear itself speaks to us. Lilith embraces, without thought to reason, all that is powerful and omnipotent about the divine feminine, whether it can be controlled, once unleashed, or not. Over the next 9 months, understand that always holding the reigns tight will only leave you with bloody hands and damage the mouth of your stead; while letting go of your control, and accepting the power between your thighs, will drive you and the horse to limits you both fear and crave, with little more than sore muscles and a new thirst for life.  

If you feel like I've written this blog post for women, with no thought to the men out there going through this transit, don't fear - I love you guys, too! While Lilith challenges women to fiercely embody their shadow side, and all we've been told to suppress, you're being tasked with being man enough to trust us to take on all that we truly are as women, and not squash you in the process!  Looking at the Jewish tradition of explaining Lilith as Adam's first wife, we're given a wonderful parable of how NOT to treat the woman you love! This story of Lilith is actually pieced together from different legend and lore, but the long and short of it is: God first created Adam and Lilith (or the first Eve), as the male and female halves of an androgynous being, that was then split in two by God. In this first creation story, while Lilith considers herself equal to Adam, he is insistent that she submit. She literally throws a fit, in this story, over Adam refusing to allow her to be on top during sex, and she leaves him.  

Obviously there's more to the story's depth and symbolism, just as there's more to the control issues, in modern life, between men and women. In many ways, Lilith embodies all these control issues that can develop into outright abuse. Here's an interesting idea, as we become more and more evolved humans, I believe we'll learn to tame some of the more destructive tendencies of the Lilith within, by embracing and allowing sacred space for our wild and mysterious impulses. I think we can all agree that women, in all their many phases in life, with our innate connection to the rhythms and cycles of the Earth and the Moon (which I believe extends much, much further than that), are magic walking. We can be soft, warm and nurturing, while understanding the need, and value, of being hard and unyielding. Our love can know no bounds, but with a loving shove we can mark the passage that says it's time to let go. The bodies we came into this world with can offer comfort, and life nurturing milk, not to mention a gateway to connecting with the gods. When we, as a society, begin again to embrace these truths, we'll finally start breaking free of the gender roles, and control issues, that keep us estranged from true communion. I encourage men to take this time to consider what scares you about abandoning all reason, submitting to pure emotion and the unknown. I know with my whole being, that we must still honor the penetrating, focus of male energy; however, while the divine male, God made real on Earth, is needed like we need the Sun, what good would the Sun do any of us, if there was not fertile fields to receive, and transcend, the penetration into life. We need each other like a mirror needs a reflection; like the sea needs the shore; like night needs the day.   

If you haven't looked into Lilith in your chart, or you are feeling the call of the rising feminine within, I encourage you to find out more. If you're interested in exploring some of the more raw and powerful, yet subtle and misunderstood, dynamics of the feminine energy, and how she is emerging at large in the world, start digging into, and connecting with her history. Some women have little to no connection to Lilith, and the calling from this dark, shadowy, feminine energy may be felt mostly in the Lilith themes playing out around them. Other women may feel Lilith like a shadow sister, that finally helps make it all fit into place. The same is true for the men we share this new age of Aquarius with. A dynamically placed Lilith in a man's chart will leave its mark on him as well. I, personally, have my sun sitting right on top of Stellar Lilith and trine Black Moon Lilith, so I may have a tendency to sugar coat and romanticize her, but my feeling is, you can already find plenty of nasty things to read about her; you don't need me to add to that. I have a personal affinity for Lilith, that makes me love her wild, free, untamable spirit, and frankly, I love the ugly parts to Lilith, as well. She was damaged, but choose to save herself. Lilith was willing to face uncertainty, and self  imposed isolation, over oppression and continued deprecation. Let's face it, as women, we're often faced with next to impossible odds, and throughout history we have accomplished the impossible time and again. 

Good Bye Lilith in Libra, Hello Scorpio!

Have you ever wondered where the expression "burning the candle at both ends" comes from? Well, an incredible woman, named Edna St. Vincent Millay, coined the phrase in one of her more famous poems of the bygone jazz era. Ms. St. Vincent Millay was a trend setting woman, with her natal placement of Lilith, the dark moon asteroid, in Libra. 

If the last 9 months have left you feeling like being fabulous has left you exhausted and less than fulfilled, get ready for this little astrological gem of wild woman embodied, to leave her transit of Libra behind, and move into deep, and mysterious Scorpio. This next 9 month transit of exploring the hidden truths of the dark, the wild, and that which pulls our souls into the mystic, will begin in the next few days, and the frantic need for all that is pretty and sparkly will fade behind.  

More to come ...Promise=o)