All Signs

Mercury Retrograde Dec. 2 to Dec. 21

Winter Solstice Dec. 21

Well, 2017 is drawing to a close and it’s been another crazy year. Each year at this time we tell ourselves that the coming year will be better than the one that has just passed. Though there have been good things about this year, a lot of progress made on the inner levels as well as in our practical, daily lives, the energy just seems to keep ramping up year after year. We can’t really look to the next year to be “better” we can only look to it to be more. More intensity, more movement and change, more learning and growth, and more tumultuous discord in the world around us.

Photo by Tamu Miles

So as 2017 winds down and you find yourself thinking about your goals for 2018, don’t expect that the intensity will mellow out. Instead look toward being able to handle it better.

There are many good things that wait for us in our collective and individual futures. The growth that we have gone through is going a long way toward a profound realization about our existence. The knowledge, both scientifically and spiritually, that we are connected to everything, that we are essentially one with the universe and seeing ourselves as separate only does damage, will eventually bring us the harmony that we seek.

We are stripping ourselves of our illusions. The dialogue that is taking place about things like politics, the environment, equality, gender, violence, capitalism (and the list goes on), is an important one. As through this dialogue we reveal more and more of the whole picture to ourselves.

Don’t think that these issues don’t affect your daily life and your ways of thinking and seeing the world. Don’t think that you are not working these things out on a micro level in your community, social sphere, and personal psychology.

As the holiday season goes by focus on the magic that can be had through participation. Find a way to contribute your skills to the good of the group. Reach out to those who are in need, including other family members who may be ornery and bitter, or struggling with addiction, or pulled into the pits of depression. Focus on the places where there is common ground and work to create a shared experience of wonder, and joy, and love.

Aries – Mar. 21 to Apr. 19

The end of the year sees a strengthening of relationships for you, Aries. It’s a time to allow grudges and anger to fall away and to remembering the good things—the memories and stories you share with others—to become the focus of your attention. You are also letting go of thinking that the only answer to dealing with the pain caused by others is to just look out for yourself. You want to allow your heart to expand, to share whatever wealth you have with those who are less fortunate. Look to the moon for guidance. Allow emotion, feeling, and vulnerability to have their moments within you. Don’t try to hide these parts of yourself from others as they are surfacing to help strengthen and deepen your relationships.

Taurus – Apr. 20 to May 20

The fear and anxiety that you’re experiencing about this time of year can be changed around, you know. It may be hard to see right now, but that fear and anxiety are coming from too much external distraction: too much to do, too many responsibilities, etc. Now would be a good time to delegate. Notice the talents that others have and engage these talents to benefit both them and you. Take some time to nourish yourself. You need lots of laughter, lots of time not thinking about work or about difficult situations, and lots of time alone reading on the couch or taking walks. You need time to breathe. Let other people take care of the holiday party planning and details this year.

Gemini – May 21 to Jun. 20

This holiday season wants to see you achieving joy. There’s a blending taking place inside you and in your relationships. A kind of beautiful energetic dance that you see in little glimpses in quiet evenings over a glass of wine and a warm fire. If you want to stop waking up the next morning feeling like something is off, like that beautiful experience somehow left a bad taste in your mouth, you’ve got to stop suppressing the little secrets you hold. They’ve got to come out into the open. You need to expose your whole self and allow for moments of true vulnerability. Come clean to your spouse about what you’re really feeling. Tell that client what is actually possible at this time and why. Tell that family member what has bothered you for years and why you haven’t connected. There will be joy waiting at the other end of these conversations. I guarantee it.

Cancer – Jun. 21 to Jul. 22

Any negativity you’re experiencing right now is of your own making. I’m sorry, but it’s true. You are using this negativity as a distraction so that you don’t have to dive into your inner truth. I don’t know why this scares you so much right now, maybe you’re just overwhelmed and tired from having to deal with so much change and growth throughout the year. But don’t sabotage all that hard work. Allow the change to complete itself. So instead of simply reacting to the negativity and perpetuating it with anger, face it head on. Tell yourself that you are ready to face whatever the universe sends your way and that you are not going to allow the negativity to distract you from your own inner truth.

Leo – Jul. 23 to Aug. 22

Wherever the heart is concerned, that is where you should act. Follow that honey golden heart of yours and find success. You are seen right now as someone who can be trusted. You see others for who they really are and you don’t cast judgement. So stand up for the little guy, take steps to curb injustice, spend time with your family and loved ones and let your heart sing with their presence. You feel like you’re being guided to do these good deeds and to shower special attention on those who make you feel all gushy inside, and it’s true. It’s winter time and the sunshine of your soul is direly needed. Your actions will teach others about adapting to a changing environment to survive. Those who are stuck in a place of stagnation will see a way out with your light to guide them.

Virgo – Aug. 23 to Sept. 22

OK, there’s too much happening all at once. You feel overwhelmed and stressed out, and even a bit disappointed as things aren’t going as you had planned. To remedy this situation and bring in new insight into your life you need to cleanse yourself. You need to eliminate distractions so that you can clear the muddy waters of your mind and replace it with clear energy. Maybe cut back on a few of the holiday plans that you’ve been roped into. Eliminate things from your list that aren’t necessary. Yes, this is the time of year for giving, but you really need to give to yourself right now. This isn’t selfish, it’s self-preservation. If you don’t lighten the load and wash your mind of the cluttered thoughts that have taken up residence there, you are going to go into the New Year feeling frazzled and drained and in a state of self-pity. So don’t do that, instead give yourself the chance to start 2018 on a strong, self-confident note.

Libra – Sept. 23 to Oct. 22

You’ve decided that a change is what you need; to shed your skin and birth into a new phase of your life. This could be a move to a different home, or it could be that you have decided to travel. Whatever the change is, it signals a time of impermanence. For you, this process is all about the journey and not the destination. You want to absorb new ideas, meet new people, and learn about yourself through different perspectives. Your goal is integration. There are many different aspects to your being, your sense of Self—and you’ve noticed that not all of them are in agreement—and you want to bring those different selves into harmony.

Scorpio – Oct. 23 to Nov. 21

You have decided to build joy. You are aware that this will be a gradual process, that it will take time, and that strength and stamina will be required of you. This is a breakthrough, Scorpio, and you should be proud of yourself. Nurture those seeds of cheerful composure and lightheartedness that are starting to germinate within you. They are more powerful and will have more effect on your life than you have any idea of at this time. It’s important that you be patient with yourself and with others. That you see the building of joy in your life as an occurrence that happens one step, and one deed, at a time. Give of yourself and work to inject joy into other people’s lives. Thus you will build this feeling in your own life.

Sagittarius – Nov. 22 to Dec. 21

The fear you are experiencing is only natural. It’s the kind of fear that we face when we are on the verge of a major breakthrough. Keep going toward the fear, as it is your key to the change you want. Your beliefs are going to be challenged and one by one they are going to be stripped from you. If you can allow yourself to go through this process, the magic that is trying to find its way into your life will be able to find you. This magic could come in the form of a new job, of new people to co-create with, or whatever it is that is that your heart has been longing for. Those aspirations have seemed way too daunting, haven’t they? Well, now is your chance to move past that mindset and bust through to one that knows you can conquer whatever you put your mind to.

Capricorn – Dec. 22 to Jan. 19

Now is a time to be gentle with yourself and others. You will accomplish your goals, but not through force or arrogance. Let the world give to you right now, let your heart be filled by the gentleness and caring of others. Don’t force anything. If something feels difficult and stressful, leave it be for now. You need to gather strength and stay focussed on preserving what matters in your life. The need for action will come later, and you will need to be energetically prepared to deal with the drain it will place on your energy. So for now, focus on family, on laughter, on shared experience that feeds your heart and soul. Do what needs to be done to make your home a place of comfort and safety and allow yourself to truly nest for the next while.

Aquarius – Jan. 20 to Feb. 18

You need to cleanse yourself of indecision. There are too many things on your plate, too many demands on your attention and if you’re not careful this could be the way you walk into the New Year. I know you need an answer; you need to know which path to take, but you will not find that answer as long as you are distracted and pulled in a million directions. You don’t need any more external information. What you need is silence and time for reflection and introspection. So remove yourself from the situation for at least a couple of days. Maybe you just need to take off in your car and go and stay in a hotel by yourself. Maybe you need to spend more time walking out in nature without a phone in your hand. In any case, do what you must to find inner silence. Let the answers come to you through inner clarity.

Pisces – Feb. 19 to Mar. 20

Trust the priestess within you. Trust the self that knows. You got yourself into this mess, whatever it may be, and you are going to have to get yourself out. You’ll need to come up with some kind of diversion to take the focus of unwanted attention away from you. You have done nothing wrong, you just, once again, bit off more than you could chew and allowed yourself to get distracted from your primary goal. Remember? The one you started off the year with? The one that was thrusting itself up through your being with passion and excitement? Yeah, you’ve got to get back to that goal. You know that all this other stuff you’ve taken on doesn’t really matter. You only took it on because you had a momentary lapse in belief in your abilities.